Podcasts about Metro Detroit

We're breaking down what's happening around Metro Detroit. From local lunch spots to rooftop reservation changes to a Midtown coffee shop closure, skyrocketing gas prices, and a debate on the future of our local sports franchises. Here's today's rundown: 01:33 — Where we've been: Uncs for Lunch. Devon checks out Uncs for lunch and breaks down the space, menu, and midday vibe. 05:19 — Pine Hall now requires reservations. What you need to know before trying to grab a drink or a table downtown this weekend. 11:03 — Red Hook Midtown is closing. The Woodward Avenue shop shutters September 26, ending a three-year run. What should go there next? 15:10 — In a thought experiment, would you sell the Tigers or Red Wings? With both franchises facing big questions, we debate whether it's time for new ownership for one of these historic teams so there's the ability for ownership to focus to make one thrive. 19:04 — Gas and diesel prices skyrocket. Prices across Michigan are creeping up toward $5 for gas and even higher for diesel. What's driving the surge, what it means for consumers, and what is the breaking point for Michiganders?  23:16 — The RenCen conversation. We have an interview planned next week, we'd love your constructive questions on the plans. Got thoughts on today's episode or questions? Drop us a line at dailydetroit@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail at 313-789-3021. Thanks for your support on Patreon!

The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast likes it when ski areas are run by people who are good at running ski areas. Please subscribe to the email newsletter to get new posts the moment they're live. Thank you for supporting independent ski journalism.About CamelbackOwned by: EPR Properties, managed by Peregrine Hospitality (formerly KSL Resorts)Located in: Tannersville, PennsylvaniaYear founded: 1963Pass affiliations:* Ikon Pass: 7 days, no blackouts* Ikon Base Pass: 5 days, holiday blackoutsClosest neighboring ski areas: Shawnee Mountain (:24), Jack Frost (:26), Big Boulder (:27), Skytop Lodge (:29), Saw Creek (:37), Blue Mountain (:41), Pocono Ranchlands (:43), Montage (:44), Hideout (:51), Elk Mountain (1:05), Bear Creek (1:09), Ski Big Bear (1:16)Base elevation: 1,252 feetSummit elevation: 2,079 feetVertical drop: 827 feetSkiable Acres: 166Average annual snowfall: 50 inchesTrail count: 45, with three new trails for 2026-27 (not on the map below, but discussed on the podcast)Lift count: 12 (1 high-speed six-pack, 1 high-speed quad, 1 fixed-grip quad, 2 triples, 2 doubles, 5 carpets – view Lift Blog's inventory of Camelback's lift fleet)For reference:The Zoom transcript (click “transcript” above for the Substack transcript, then click on any text block to teleport to the associated point in the video; timestamps below DO NOT MATCH THE VIDEO)00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:37.000Stuart Winchester: Welcome to The Storm! I'm your host, Stuart Winchester. Today is Wednesday, September 16th, 2026, and I've got a really good show for you today.00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:45.000Stuart Winchester: we're going to talk some Pennsylvania skiing. And Pennsylvania skiing is a really interesting thing. As I travel around the country.00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:56.000Stuart Winchester: and ski at all these different places in the Midwest, and out West, and in New England, and in the Mid-Atlantic. Uh, and as I talk to folks who… who don't ski that much, or only ski at the big mountains.00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:05.000Stuart Winchester: I'll often bring up some experience I had at a Pennsylvania ski area. Pennsylvania has quite a few ski areas as 21.00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:20.000Stuart Winchester: public chairlift-served ski areas, and it does 2.6 million skier visits on average per year. That is more than any state except for Colorado, California, Utah, Vermont, and New York.00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:26.000Stuart Winchester: It's more than Washington, it's more than Oregon, it's more than Montana, it's more than New.00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:39.000Stuart Winchester: So, Pennsylvania is a really important ski state, which is probably why Vail Resorts owns 8 ski areas there, because it is really close to a lot of population centers. In western PA, you have Pittsburgh.00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:54.000Stuart Winchester: and Seven Springs, and Laurel, and Hidden Valley, and then you have Philadelphia on the east side, and you can also draw up from Baltimore and D.C. for Round Top and Whitetail. And uh…00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:57.000Stuart Winchester: And Jack Frost's Big Boulder up in the Poconos. So…00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:00.000Stuart Winchester: Vail has a big presence there.00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:15.000Stuart Winchester: Icon has a presence there with Camelback and Blue Mountain. Uh, and then Indy Pass just signed their 8th ski area in Pennsylvania with Spring Mountain, uh, down near Philadelphia. So, so it's, it's a place where a lot of skiers start.00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:19.000Stuart Winchester: And it's a little bit of a funny place to ski, because…00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:29.000Stuart Winchester: it tends to have an outsized number of novice skiers, which is great. They're very good at doing that. Uh, but it can make it a little chaotic.00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:38.000Stuart Winchester: And the lift lines can get a little crazy, and people are all over the hill, and sometimes they're walking down the hill because they're frustrated and they're giving up.00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, and…00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:44.000Stuart Winchester: You take that as your baseline in Pennsylvania.00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:49.000Stuart Winchester: And you had any sort of complications.00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:54.000Stuart Winchester: And things get out of hand really quickly. And in general.00:05:55.000 --> 00:06:00.000Stuart Winchester: For that reason, the ski areas that have survived in Pennsylvania.00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:07.000Stuart Winchester: are among the best operators in the world, and I would put that up against anyone.00:06:07.000 --> 00:06:14.000Stuart Winchester: It's a very, very challenging environment, not only because you have a high number of novice skiers.00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:17.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, but also because you have…00:06:17.000 --> 00:06:31.000Stuart Winchester: not a ton of snow, sometimes in the west part of the state, where there's higher elevation, they do get a lot of snow, but… but not as a rule, you couldn't count on it for natural snow. Uh, you get a lot of rain, you get a lot of warm-ups.00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:35.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, and… and you, in general, have to rely on…00:06:35.000 --> 00:06:42.000Stuart Winchester: a very short season, generally mid-December-ish to mid-March-ish.00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.000Stuart Winchester: And the skiers there…00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:52.000Stuart Winchester: They're they're accustomed to a pretty high standard, so.00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:57.000Stuart Winchester: So when things do get out of control, uh…00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:04.000Stuart Winchester: They really rebelled, and they really noticed. So, a couple years ago, this is what happened at Camelback. So, Camelback…00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:09.000Stuart Winchester: You know, I don't generally do ops stories, uh…00:07:09.000 --> 00:07:10.000Stuart Winchester: You know.00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:19.000Stuart Winchester: ski area didn't groom this run, or they haven't opened this lift, or, uh, you know, they usually let this bump up, but they don't, or, or…00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:27.000Stuart Winchester: you know, they… they are trying to save money, or they're being cheap. I generally don't bother with those, even though I get a lot of messages.00:07:27.000 --> 00:07:32.000Stuart Winchester: Complaining about things like that, because there's almost always a pretty good reason.00:07:32.000 --> 00:07:38.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, and it's almost always temporary, and it's really not worth the effort.00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:48.000Stuart Winchester: to write the story if I'm just writing about, you know, why Stratton or Mount Snow or Magic Mountain didn't open a certain lift on a certain day.00:07:48.000 --> 00:08:04.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, it's, it's a lot to track down and it's a lot of, uh, this person said this and the other person said that. It's just not the kind of thing that I'm want to cover with the storm, right? I want to do bigger stories. I want to do trend stories. I want to look at the culture and evolution of skiing.00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:11.000Stuart Winchester: And the passes, and all the infrastructure, and all the fun stuff. So I don't generally cover the day-to-day stuff, just because…00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:18.000Stuart Winchester: The ski areas that remain in 2026 are, for the most part, run by really good operators.00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:32.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, it… because… and they've survived. Most of the bad ski areas that were either mismanaged or were in the wrong places, they went out of business a long time ago, which is why the number of ski areas has been stable for around 25 years now in America.00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:35.000Stuart Winchester: So I but I started to notice.00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:45.000Stuart Winchester: several years ago that I was getting an outsized number of complaints around one ski area in particular in the Poconos.00:08:45.000 --> 00:08:47.000Stuart Winchester: And it was Camelback.00:08:47.000 --> 00:08:51.000Stuart Winchester: And Camelback had a long history of being an independent.00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:52.000Stuart Winchester: And…00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.000Stuart Winchester: Really…00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:59.000Stuart Winchester: the way it's been described to me by… by season pass holders, and I've skied…00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:04.000Stuart Winchester: some at Camelback, but I don't have that depth of knowledge of having grown up there.00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:20.000Stuart Winchester: That Camelback for a long time, for decades, set the standard on snowmaking, on grooming, on just general maintenance of lifts in the ski area in the Poconos. And that was why they had chosen to ski there all those years.00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:30.000Stuart Winchester: But things had started to fall apart when a new owner showed up in 2019. It was at the time KSL Capital, who was.00:09:30.000 --> 00:09:43.000Stuart Winchester: was managing it for EPR Properties, which is the entity that bought it, and they own a bunch of ski areas, EPR Properties, including a bunch owned by Vail, including North Star, and a lot of the old Peak Resorts in Ohio and such.00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:50.000Stuart Winchester: And KSL Resorts was a division of KSL Capital.00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:53.000Stuart Winchester: which is a part owner of Altera.00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:58.000Stuart Winchester: But for some reason, Altera, which is very good at running ski resorts.00:09:58.000 --> 00:10:00.000Stuart Winchester: did not…00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:15.000Stuart Winchester: get assigned as the… as the owner of Camelback. And when KSL Resorts purchased Blue Mountain, not in Ontario, the Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania, that's about 45 minutes from Camelback, two years later, in 2021.00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:26.000Stuart Winchester: That ski area also did not fall under Altera's ownership. And it was an odd choice to make, because Altera's really good at running ski areas, and they run…00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:35.000Stuart Winchester: Mammoth, and Deer Valley, and Steamboat, and Solitude, and Palisades Tahoe, and Stratton, and Sugarbush, and they definitely have.00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:41.000Stuart Winchester: the institutional knowledge and internal firepower to be able to run these ski areas in the Poconos.00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, Blue Mountain…00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:47.000Stuart Winchester: Had the benefit of a long time tenured management team.00:10:47.000 --> 00:11:02.000Stuart Winchester: That kept the place, by all accounts, running pretty well. Camelback, on the other hand, seemed to be falling apart before our eyes, and before the eyes of the loyalist skiers who loved the place so much. And they were really, really concerned, and I started to…00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:08.000Stuart Winchester: Because they had put, uh, a management team in place, it seemed.00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:10.000Stuart Winchester: that…00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:22.000Stuart Winchester: was not familiar with the… with the inner workings of a ski area. Uh, I… I hosted Dave Makarski, the former general manager of Kalenbach, on this podcast.00:11:22.000 --> 00:11:33.000Stuart Winchester: and very nice guy. We had a great conversation. Uh, he's not a skier. And, and, you know, sometimes you can be not a skier and run a great ski resort. Uh, look at Bill Stritzler up at Smuggler's Notch.00:11:33.000 --> 00:11:43.000Stuart Winchester: Bill hasn't skied in years, and he snowboarded for a little bit, but he's not a daily skier. Look at Shawnee.00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:54.000Stuart Winchester: that where the owner… that's one of the most modern, nice ski areas in the Poconos, uh, and the owner has not skied in decades. So, so it's not always necessary, uh, but…00:11:55.000 --> 00:12:10.000Stuart Winchester: It does help and it's certainly a benefit. So everyone I talked to, I was, I was gathering all this stuff for a story and I was gonna write about Camelback and, and it, it really seemed like it was the worst run ski area anywhere that I could find based on the amount of feedback I was getting.00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:25.000Stuart Winchester: I was gathering all this feedback from all these long-time pass holders, and then they hired a new general manager, and so I scrapped the story, but I still wanted to get it, and by all accounts, Jason Bays, who I'll bring on the podcast in a moment.00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:34.000Stuart Winchester: has really done a nice job of turning CamelBak around. So, so let's go to Jason now.00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:16.000Stuart Winchester: My guest today is the Vice President and General Manager of Camelback Ski Area in Pennsylvania.00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:26.000Stuart Winchester: Camelback runs six chairlifts, or maybe seven. I might have had a typo there. Serving 45 trails on an 827-foot vertical drop.00:14:26.000 --> 00:14:41.000Stuart Winchester: Prior to taking the top job at Camelback, he was general manager for Great Wolf Resorts around the United States. He also spent time as chief operating officer and general manager of Mountain Creek Ski Area in New Jersey and director of operations.00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:54.000Stuart Winchester: for Jay Peak, Vermont. His very first jobs as a teenager were as a lifeguard and ski instructor at Camelback. Jason Bay is my guest. Jason, welcome to the Storm. Awesome to have you. How you doing today?00:14:53.000 --> 00:15:00.000Jason Bays: Thank you, Stuart. Great to be here. I've been a listener from day one, so excited to join you.00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:14.000Stuart Winchester: I love that. I'm so hyped to hear that. I know I started with a little Northeast focus. You know, you're the… you probably know this already, but you're the second straight guest I've had on. There was a Mountain Creek alum, Chris Haggerty, on yesterday. Are you acquainted with Chris?00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:18.000Jason Bays: Yeah, Chris and I worked together, um, back in our days at Mountain Creek, great guy.00:15:17.000 --> 00:15:33.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, yeah, I'm, uh, I'm not sure, I'm sure you're aware I'm based in New York City and Mountain Creek is one of my go-tos and, and was my home mountain before I started traveling all over the place for the storm. So, so, you know, Jason, I, I think it's awesome that you grew up at Camelback. Tal.00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:41.000Stuart Winchester: your childhood Camelback. What was the kingdom of Camelback like to you, uh, when you were growing up skiing there?00:15:40.000 --> 00:16:03.000Jason Bays: Yeah, look, I, you know, took, I grew up in Pocono Kid, born and raised 10 minutes from the resort. After school ski program was the first, you know, first sort of foray into life at Camelback and was immediately hooked in the summer as a swimming pool and two water slides. I thought that was the most awesome place in the world too.00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:55.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:04.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:16:03.000 --> 00:16:21.000Jason Bays: And my parents thought it was a great babysitting service, you know, relative to that. So it was just an awesome, awesome place to grow up and, you know, be part of the small but mighty ski community that is Tannersville, Pennsylvania, in this area, in the Poconos.00:16:21.000 --> 00:16:39.000Jason Bays: um, you know, when it came to get a first job, uh, there's no place I was, uh, gonna consider other than Camelback. It's where all my friends were, it's where we all hung out all the time, and, um, you know, really just got introduced to, uh, to the sport, and, um, had some freedom. It was the first time I had some freedom, and it was to be at Camelback, so that's.00:16:27.000 --> 00:16:29.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:56.000Stuart Winchester: So you worked there, and you were part of the machine, so to speak, and I realized you were sort of on the peripheral of the machine, as opposed to in the center of it, as you are now. But, you know, you grew up in the Poconos, and had that experience, and you had this vision of Camelback in your head, right? Then you went off and had a big life, as…00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:57.000Jason Bays: Yes.00:16:56.000 --> 00:17:00.000Stuart Winchester: as people do, and you went and worked at all these places that I just mentioned.00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:03.000Stuart Winchester: And then you came back to Camelback.00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.000Stuart Winchester: When you, when you arrived.00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:10.000Stuart Winchester: How had the place changed? And I just want to tee this up. I, you know.00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:19.000Stuart Winchester: before you came on, I was talking about how I don't generally write operations stories, right? Because it… there's usually a good reason for why a trail is closed, a lift's not running.00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:26.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, but a few years ago, I started to get an outsized number of complaints about Camelback.00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:38.000Stuart Winchester: And so I started to write a story about it, and then when you came along, I shelved it, because honestly, everyone immediately was like, oh, this is so much better. So, you know, how had…00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:41.000Stuart Winchester: Camelback changed.00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:42.000Stuart Winchester: when you…00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:44.000Stuart Winchester: Came back to work there.00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:51.000Stuart Winchester: And what were the challenges facing the resort? What did you focus on immediately?00:17:50.000 --> 00:18:08.000Jason Bays: Yeah, I'll just back up to say, you know, just to contextualize, um, from when I was there as a teenager and, um, through college on the ski team, too, I would say that community was a really big word, um, that was used all the time. You, you felt like it was, it was the Camelback community, and there's a really big emphasis on the ski product.00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:28.000Jason Bays: Um, as a ski instructor, like, what we were putting out, how we were doing lessons, how many lessons we could do, and the experience that was surrounding that. And same thing on the water park side. And, you know, I think the, um, you know, some of the observations, um, coming back to Camelback was, um, I think there's a little bit of focus, um, focus direction for, for, like, to focus on the ski product.00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:44.000Jason Bays: and focusing on the water park product, and I sort of look at it as, like, a… as Disney World, right? Whereas we fill out… if we do the ski part well, we do the snow tubing part well, we do the water park well, that puts heads in beds, um, versus trying to put heads in beds.00:18:44.000 --> 00:19:01.000Jason Bays: And then have them do the activities. We're leading with an activity front and centered focus. And that means making the strategic investments in the ski product, in our recreational product, and making that the very best that it can be.00:19:01.000 --> 00:19:23.000Jason Bays: back in 2008 when I was here as a teenager, that was all there was. There was no hotel product, right? So the ski product got outsized attention just naturally because it was a 560-acre resort that identified as a ski area and a water park. And I think some of the context that was missing was that while there's been a great evolution of Camelback as a four-season resort.00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:16.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:40.000Jason Bays: It's really important that, to me, that each of those business units gets the time and attention that they would deserve if they were stand-alone units, particularly because a cog… it's a cog in the wheel, and that wheel is… it's a flywheel. It needs to… it all needs to turn at once, and so we lead with.00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:43.000Jason Bays: the recreational offerings first.00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:48.000Stuart Winchester: You know, you mentioned the community, and I wasn't aware…00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:59.000Stuart Winchester: that there was such a strong community around Camelback, and I'm not surprised, because most ski areas have that group of folks who, you know, they're retirees, and they boot up at 8am, and they take runs together.00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:14.000Stuart Winchester: But they were really passionate, and the running theme, Jason, in the emails and messages that I got from Camelback locals was that they loved Camelback. It wasn't that they hated Camelback, they hated to complain about Camelback.00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:18.000Stuart Winchester: They wanted to love it, but they couldn't. There was there was.00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:34.000Stuart Winchester: a lot of things they cited, uh, not making snowmaking when it's cold, understaffed grooming, uh, missed lift inspections. I don't know if this is true. This is what people were… they were reaching, I think, for answers. Uh, put it all together, and there was… it was definitely…00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:47.000Stuart Winchester: seemed as though the ski product was not the focus. So when you came in, what did you focus on right away and say, okay, this is what we gotta change, you know, we have to cover every trail 100% right away, or whatever it was?00:20:47.000 --> 00:21:09.000Jason Bays: Yeah, I think that's, look, I would start, you hit the nail on the head that there's a very passionate skiing community here at Camelback and in the Poconos and it means a lot to people. This is second, third generations that are learning to ski here, bring their families here and be part of this. And to your point, everyone wants to be prideful of Camelback, right?00:21:09.000 --> 00:21:24.000Jason Bays: This was the, this was family run for a really long time and, you know, very focused on sort of the, you know, season pass holders renewing year after year.00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:40.000Jason Bays: You know, a couple of things. One is I think that how we authentically tell our story isn't done in a way that is, you know, is done in a way that's authentic. A, bringing back the Camelback Mountain Facebook page that communicated ski related content.00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:39.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:21:40.000 --> 00:22:06.000Jason Bays: Right? I think that, you know, there's only so many things you can say about a hotel room and how exciting it is. Like, we really lead now first with authentically telling the story. Our snow report got a lot more detailed, gave granular information as to what was going on. So, you know, did we have a perfect winter last winter? By all means, no, but we communicated that authentically. And where we messed up, we took.00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:23.000Jason Bays: the blame for it, and said, hey, we didn't get this right, and where we were working to improve the experience, we communicated that… communicated that story. So, to me, it started from a communication standpoint, that we were authentic, that we were honest, that we were truthful, and that we were communicating on a medium that.00:22:23.000 --> 00:22:31.000Jason Bays: our guests would see, um, and relate to. So I think a big miss was, I think, admittedly, a big miss was removing the, um, Camelback Mountain.00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:53.000Jason Bays: social media pages, um, and bringing those back were really important so that, um, we could tell the story authentically. I think SKUs really appreciate, um, knowing what's going on, and to your point on, hey, there's sort of this rumor flying or that rumor flying, um, you know, we were able to, uh, sort of hone in and, and tell, tell that story. Secondarily, I think from an infrastructure standpoint.00:22:53.000 --> 00:23:09.000Jason Bays: um, we really needed to make sure that we had, um, the right team in place. And we have an amazingly talented team at Camelback, um, but we did not have key positions filled, um, in certain areas. Um, and so, we bolstered up the snowmaking. Snowmaking team went from.00:23:04.000 --> 00:23:05.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:08.000Stuart Winchester: Like, what areas?00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:30.000Jason Bays: you know, 3 to 4 to 30, um, this past winter, um, that makes a big difference, right? Our trail rollout was, um, you know, first to open in the East, uh, for Pennsylvania, um, and, uh, um, and, and focus on the core products. Um, same thing with lift operations. We brought in a really experienced lift, uh, maintenance manager.00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:13.000Stuart Winchester: Hey!00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:14.000Stuart Winchester: Wow.00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:16.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:21.000Stuart Winchester: Yep.00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:46.000Jason Bays: Um, to our team that really helped, um, support our Lyft, um, uh, operation. Um, decisions on when Lyfts ran and what time they ran, uh, you know, our thought was, let's, um, be more… like, you have to run the Terrain Park Lyft every day.00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:47.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:23:46.000 --> 00:24:06.000Jason Bays: to me, that's a commitment. We make that every day. We say we're running the Glen Lift every day. It services great novice terrain. It services the train park. And so, looking at the operational plan and saying, okay, what are ways that we can give back, you know, and make deposits back to our skiers? And in turn.00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:24.000Jason Bays: that builds momentum, right? People talk, and, like, the ski community is so connected, right? It's like, if you do something, like, people find out about it, because they're really, you know, they hear about it. And so, for us, focus on the core business was, um, you know, from a ski standpoint, was really important, and the infrastructure.00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:13.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:19.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:41.000Jason Bays: to be able to do it. And I would just, lastly, just say I go back to making sure that our team had the resources to do their job. We're supported, we're empowered, collaborative leadership, you know, we sat around the table and said, this is the operating plan, this is what we're going to do for our guests.00:24:41.000 --> 00:24:46.000Jason Bays: And then go out and execute it to the best we can.00:24:45.000 --> 00:25:03.000Stuart Winchester: You know, Jason, I, I, I think you could have run for governor with one of the first things that you did, which was get rid of paid parking. I, I, I don't think that I've ever, uh, heard people happier about anything. Now, now, and let me, let me qualify this, right? I think in, in some instances, paid parking and parking reservations.00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:05.000Stuart Winchester: make sense.00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:18.000Stuart Winchester: you know, super high volume days. Arapahoe Basin, I think, is a model in Colorado where they only charge for certain days and certain times, and they keep backing off which days as they learn when they really need it. Camelback was charging every day.00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:36.000Stuart Winchester: All day, you know, a Monday with, you know, 10 people on the mountain, they were charging for it. And, you know, acknowledging that sometimes it's appropriate, I think Camelback got pretty out of hand with it, and when I had Mr. Markowski on the podcast, great guy, we had a great conversation, but he was not backing off that. He said, nope, paid parking.00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:51.000Stuart Winchester: we're all in. You said no. So talk about that and how you sold. I'd imagine it was a revenue stream, right? And you had to sell management on that, and I don't know if I'm giving you credit for something someone else did, but talk to us about parking and the evolution there.00:25:51.000 --> 00:26:12.000Jason Bays: Yeah, that was a week one decision from the Camelback team when I got here made from our leadership team at Camelback that everyone was in alignment on our senior leadership team here at the property and myself to remove the paid parking. And I think definitely there's actually you have so many nice pictures behind you.00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:30.000Jason Bays: I have a picture of the old paid parking sign behind me there, if you can see it on the corner, and it actually serves to me as a reminder of the guest experience, because someone's put a sticker on that paid parking sign that you probably can't see there, but it says, Ski Camelback, we're not happy until you're not happy.00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:19.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:48.000Jason Bays: Um, and it's a reminder to, to me and our team, um, that we're here to have fun, and we're here for the guest experience, and we're here to live, live and breathe fun Camelback style. This is not a, um, you know, we want guests to look forward to, to being here. And I think, you know, yes, there was.00:26:37.000 --> 00:26:38.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:26:48.000 --> 00:27:05.000Jason Bays: So obviously we ran a financial model. We didn't just, you know, get rid of paid parking and not assume, you know, that there wasn't some revenue to be recaptured elsewhere with a strategy to do it. But I think more importantly, you know, think about it.00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:22.000Jason Bays: a non-busy day, it might even be raining, it's 40 degrees, the last thing you want is someone running around a parking lot telling you, like, hey, I need you to hand over $15, and by the way, then you're gonna schlep your stuff up two different levels of parking, um, you know, that might be even charged higher, and then get to.00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:19.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:27:22.000 --> 00:27:38.000Jason Bays: uh, the mountain and go to guest services. You know, I have a 3-year-old. If my wife and I went skiing, that would be an incredible amount of friction, um, just to get to, uh, the front of the mountain. And so I think putting ourselves in the guest lens of saying, is that really what we want the guests to experience?00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:30.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:53.000Jason Bays: Um, it's not, and, and it was a burden to everyone at this, you know, you think I'm talking about, we talked to frontline associates too, like, the first thing that they had to tell people was that they had to pay for parking. You just imagine, sort of, the cascading effect that, that, that, uh, that that had, and we said, look, is there.00:27:53.000 --> 00:28:09.000Jason Bays: Um, is there a better way? Um, can we run shuttles to these lots and pick people up and bring them to the mountain and make them feel, um, you know, like our valued… like our valued guests? What does that arrival experience look like? Um, you know, that's really what we… what we looked at, and then said, okay.00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:25.000Jason Bays: can we… ultimately, will we drive more volume here? Will more people come because of a better guest experience? And I'll say that I would rather grow the sport, grow the industry. Our team would rather grow the sport and grow the industry than figuring out how to.00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:35.000Jason Bays: You know, sort of, you know, run a secondary ancillary business that's not to our core product and what we want our guests to experience here.00:28:34.000 --> 00:28:48.000Stuart Winchester: You know, it's a little counterintuitive, but sometimes, by removing a revenue stream, you get that less-is-more effect. Another example, your season pass, you know, according to my records.00:28:48.000 --> 00:29:04.000Stuart Winchester: Starting in 2020 to ‘21, the season pass was $599 at its early bird price, and it hovered between that and $649 for the next five years. This year, you put it on sale for $399. It's still at that price for unlimited Camelback.00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:20.000Stuart Winchester: That's a great bargain for, uh, for a season pass on the East Coast, and, you know, for the listeners, you are competing with the Epic Pass, which has Jack Frost, Big Boulder, right down the road, a couple exits down I-80, and their Northeast season pass is pretty affordable, and it's a pretty good deal.00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:33.000Stuart Winchester: So… so talk to us about that decision and… and… and how… how that $399 is worth it. You also wrote back, if you want to talk about, uh, the… the triple pack. I thought that was great, and I don't have the price right in front of me, but… but you've really done a lot to… to…00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:39.000Stuart Winchester: create more of a value experience for that loyal Camelback skier, from my point of view.00:29:39.000 --> 00:29:55.000Jason Bays: Yeah, thank you, and that's definitely the goal. Um, you know, I think our thought process here is let's get more people on Snow, um, and have them have a great experience while they're here. Um, I would love to tell you that there's some master business plan behind this.00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:29:55.000 --> 00:30:10.000Jason Bays: But, you know, truly, at the heart of what we do is, let's figure out how to get more people on snow, get them to a spot where they want to come back and learn and be part of it. And guess what I would just share to that is.00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:24.000Jason Bays: you know, we were charging a day ticket in 2025 of $169, um, at its highest point, right? And I would rather have a lifelong… I would rather have one per… I would much rather, I think from business proposition, we would rather have.00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:17.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:30:24.000 --> 00:30:39.000Jason Bays: one person definitely not come and spend $15 to $40 to park and $169 and say, I'm never coming back, versus $399, now they're like, wow, this place is awesome, I'm getting a great value, I bring my family.00:30:32.000 --> 00:30:33.000Stuart Winchester: Damn.00:30:39.000 --> 00:31:01.000Jason Bays: I want to come enjoy food and beverage. And hey, by the way, we also have this great snow tubing park and this great water park. And would you like to stay at our hotel when you come with your season pass and enjoy Aquatopia? And we're debuting The Curse of Camelback this fall, right? Which is the Halloween, if you haven't heard, it's a Halloween 13 scare zones. Take a chair, lift up to it.00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:03.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:31:01.000 --> 00:31:24.000Jason Bays: But I say all that to say we've got so many great cross marketing promotional opportunities at Camelback that that really becomes a super compelling business case for us. And I think it's the right thing to do for the sport is grow it, make it more accessible, allow more people to come here and see what we have to offer. I can't tell you how many people I meet, whether it's snow tubing, skiing.00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:41.000Jason Bays: water park, the hotel, whatever they're here for, CBKMA or Adventure Park, they have no idea that the other part exists to, um, the resort. And I'll share that that's been the case even in, like, when I was, uh, at Jay Peak running the water park.00:31:32.000 --> 00:31:34.000Stuart Winchester: Hmm. Okay.00:31:41.000 --> 00:31:43.000Jason Bays: People would come there, and they'd be like.00:31:43.000 --> 00:32:02.000Jason Bays: what is this mountain that is here? And it's Jay Peak, like, one of the most hardcore ski resorts in the world. And there were people that were coming there and were like, I had no idea there was a ski resort here. So, if it's true at Jay Peak, it certainly is true at Camelback, where.00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:49.000Stuart Winchester: Right.00:31:49.000 --> 00:31:52.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:53.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, thank you.00:31:59.000 --> 00:32:00.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:02.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, okay.00:32:02.000 --> 00:32:19.000Jason Bays: we have all these different offerings that people don't know about, maybe necessarily about all of them, so our fundamental business philosophy is make it accessible, make them lifelong, um, skiers and riders, and introduce them to everything that we have to offer here in the Poconos. And I would just argue, when I say Poconos.00:32:19.000 --> 00:32:41.000Jason Bays: Like go, like experience Shawnee and experience Jack Frost Big Boulder and experience, you know, the other great ski areas in this region and Mountain Creek and wherever else and get a flavor for it. I think that's, we could use more skiers in the industry and to grow the sport. So for us, that's sort of the long-term business model that we're using.00:32:22.000 --> 00:32:23.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:32:41.000 --> 00:32:58.000Stuart Winchester: So, I just looked at the triple ticket, and it looks like $149, and I think that's no blackouts. $199 includes rentals. That's pretty amazing. So, talk about that product, and then you mentioned the $169 peak day ticket. Have you settled on prices yet for 2020?00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:03.000Stuart Winchester: 6, 27. I should have checked your site in advance, but I didn't. So I don't know if you've.00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:21.000Jason Bays: Yeah, we have not, uh, posted, uh, day ticket prices for this year. Last year, um, we didn't exceed around $110, um, on a day ticket. Uh, so we kept it, I think, pretty reasonable for, for, for a, for a Pocono offering. Um, triple tickets, massive, um, success, uh, for us.00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:12.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, okay.00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:15.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, yeah.00:33:21.000 --> 00:33:37.000Jason Bays: Um, and when we talk about, like, again, getting more people introduced to the sport, you don't necessarily pick up skiing on the first time. Um, you think about that rental product, which we, um, tremendously… whatever we had on the pro forma for that was, uh, blown by by, like.00:33:28.000 --> 00:33:30.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:53.000Jason Bays: 400% on the triple ticket with rentals. And what I really believe in is that, you know, you become a lifelong skier by getting repetition, not by going once a year. It's really hard to sustain as a skier going once a year.00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:52.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah. Okay.00:33:53.000 --> 00:34:11.000Jason Bays: and saying, oh yeah, that was our trip. We're really trying to create a guest for life and get them to return visit. That's in many ways more important to us than, again, trying to get, like, the highest yield on that one day that they picked. Like, come back and visit our resort and, um, you know, again, the business side to this is.00:34:11.000 --> 00:34:28.000Jason Bays: we're cross-marketing across all of our other offerings here that we have on this campus to say, come and visit us again. And again, to us, that's more important than, you know, the highest yield that we can get to. So the triple ticket's really successful. And I think one last thing I would share.00:34:28.000 --> 00:34:46.000Jason Bays: a lot of season passes in the market right now, um, the triple ticket's a great opportunity for people to get a couple of days at Camelback, even if they've committed somewhere else, and particularly, you know, our long season, um, there's plenty of time to use it, um, as well, uh, from the, uh, long season that we established from last year.00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:50.000Stuart Winchester: Jason, I think that's a really smart way to look at it as…00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:57.000Stuart Winchester: a… creating a habit rather than pulling as much yield as possible. And a lot of the larger operators.00:34:57.000 --> 00:35:11.000Stuart Winchester: get frustrated with me and the rest of the ski media because they don't understand why we focus on that peak price, right? Because the peak lift ticket this year at Beaver Creek is $392, set to be. Probably almost no one will pay that price, but…00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:28.000Stuart Winchester: What it does is it acts as a, a billboard for the rest of the ski industry and especially so, so Camelback for, for people who don't know when you're driving on I 80 I mean, you see it, it looms right over the highway. It is one of the major interstates in America, especially at night. The thing is lit up.00:35:28.000 --> 00:35:46.000Stuart Winchester: And so, chances are, if people think about skiing, and they think about where to go, they're gonna think about the most obvious one, and that's Camelback, and that's why, for many years, it was that, or Seven Springs was the busiest ski area in Pennsylvania, traditionally. So I think that's a really smart way to look at it, because if people show up that one time, and.00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:59.000Stuart Winchester: cost them, you know, $500 for 2 people, they're just not gonna come back, and they're not gonna try Shawnee, or… or Blue Mountain, or Jack Frost, or Elk Mountain, or Montage. So, um, I wanna talk about… Jason, I wanna talk about Lyft.00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:16.000Stuart Winchester: And… can you see this trail map? This is an old trail map. I mentioned that I know this, so for those watching on StormSkiing.com or YouTube, you can see this. So there's been a ton of changes, and I want to break all these down with you. The first I want to talk about is, over the past couple years.00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:32.000Stuart Winchester: Mark Antony and Cleopatra, these two lifts right here, an old triple and an old double, have been removed. Can you talk about why you took those lifts out of service, and if you plan to replace them with anything, or what you planned, or what the rationale was behind it?00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:49.000Jason Bays: Yeah, I appreciate that. Uh, that does predate my time here, that they had reached the end of their, um, uh, ability to operate. Um, and so they have, um, both been, um, sort of partially disassembled. Um, there is unfortunately not.00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:37.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:36:39.000 --> 00:36:41.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:47.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:36:49.000 --> 00:37:05.000Jason Bays: I, by the way, two of my favorite lifts when I was a ski instructor, because you could get right up and not wait in long lines on the weekends, so absolutely realizing and recognizing the capacity that they brought, but no opportunity for us to.00:37:01.000 --> 00:37:02.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:23.000Jason Bays: um, reinstate those lifts as presently, um, as presently, uh, uh, sort of, um, situated, um, and, and not, not, not able to, uh, um, not able to, uh, rerun them. It will require a, um, new, uh, chairlift to, um, to ultimately replace.00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:37.000Jason Bays: those two lifts. It saddens me to share that, but that is, in fact, what has happened there, and I've been very open with our season pass holders about that messaging and the why behind it.00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:41.000Stuart Winchester: So, so in fantasy ski resort world, Jason.00:37:41.000 --> 00:37:46.000Stuart Winchester: Would you put a new lift here, and what would you put, if you could?00:37:45.000 --> 00:38:04.000Jason Bays: Yeah, absolutely. Um, same thing. We've, uh, we've made clear, uh, with no time, no official time frame to share, um, but certainly, uh, we've, we've, um, had, uh, preliminary conversations, um, about a fixed grip, um, quad that would, uh, would be able to take the place of both of those lifts, uh, and create that.00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:04.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:38:04.000 --> 00:38:10.000Jason Bays: original redundancy that those two lifts brought to the resort when they were in operation.00:38:10.000 --> 00:38:27.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, that would be really nice. So, so, so these are gone and I, I have a, a current trail map now. So, um, and, and it's not completely current. We'll discuss the new trails in a moment, but this is the most current posted on your website. So, uh, we go over, these are the lifts that remain and see, uh, yeah, I, I miscounted in my intro, so sorry about that.00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:42.000Stuart Winchester: So this one is Stevenson, and Stevenson was, uh, it's a high-speed quad, uh, for the listeners, and it… it was a real junker. It was always stop, stop, stop, and, you know, it was… it was really… seemed to be falling apart and have a lot of issues. Now, uh, in 2020…00:38:42.000 --> 00:38:51.000Stuart Winchester: 5, this year, or 2024, I believe, Camelback, uh, McCarthy, the GM at the time, sent out a letter saying it was due for a…00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:53.000Stuart Winchester: Waltz.00:38:53.000 --> 00:39:02.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, let me see what he said… like, a complete modernization of Stevenson. So, so did that happen? And talk to us about Stevenson, and what kind of shape it's in right now.00:39:01.000 --> 00:39:20.000Jason Bays: Yeah, great, um, yes, that was a, uh, look, an amazing, um, project that was completed by, uh, by Dave and team, um, to modernize that lift. Um, it has, essentially, Doppelmayr came in and put in an entire new, uh, minus the, uh, minus the, uh, uh, the terminals and the.00:39:08.000 --> 00:39:09.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:20.000 --> 00:39:35.000Jason Bays: Um, uh, and the structure itself, um, essentially all new components, all new electrical, um, uh, wiring components to it, a lot of the things that had plagued it. Um, and last year, uh, it operated 138 days.00:39:34.000 --> 00:39:36.000Stuart Winchester: Unbelievable.00:39:35.000 --> 00:39:53.000Jason Bays: Uh, which for Pennsylvania, uh, that's pretty darn good. I think we recognize it's a workhorse, um, it's key to accessing some really, um, fantastic terrain for us, um, and that modernization project with Doppel… in, um, partnership with Doppelmeyer that was done in the summer and fall of 2025.00:39:53.000 --> 00:39:54.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:39:53.000 --> 00:40:08.000Jason Bays: um, was, uh, very, uh, so it's all immediate impact, um, with, uh, Stevenson Reliability this past year, and we expect that to, uh, you know, knock on wood, to, uh, to continue going forward. We essentially, again, have a brand new lift, minus the, uh.00:40:08.000 --> 00:40:10.000Jason Bays: Uh, minus the physical pieces.00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:26.000Stuart Winchester: That's a really smart way to do it because they are tremendously expensive, these new lifts. And for folks who are watching or listening, this Stevenson is really important because you walk out of this giant hotel that's right here, that's not on the trail map with 400 and some rooms, and that is how you get up the mountain. Otherwise you got to.00:40:26.000 --> 00:40:41.000Stuart Winchester: pull your way over, so when that lift is not running or has problems, it's a real big issue. So, the alternative was, over here, Black Bear 6, uh, you replaced an old high-speed quad that was there, and… and I love this Black Bear 6 lift. It is…00:40:41.000 --> 00:41:01.000Stuart Winchester: Freakin' Ferrari, man. I think the price they gave me was something like $12 million that they spent, or maybe it was $10 to put that in. So that's the alternative, right? If you don't just modernize that current lift, you replace it. So, uh, Black Bear is awesome. I love it. It has bubbles. Is it too much? I mean, I know that KSL Now Peregrine had reasons for.00:41:01.000 --> 00:41:16.000Stuart Winchester: for putting it in, but what have you learned from a couple of years of having BlackBerry around, which is, again, probably the nicest lift in the state of Pennsylvania and one of the nicest in the Northeast, but maybe a little heavier than what you need for CamelBak, but I don't know, you tell me.00:41:17.000 --> 00:41:41.000Jason Bays: Yeah, you know, you know what I would share to that, um, you know, we, we brought it back for scenic chairlift rides this summer, and I mean, it's a massive hit. The summer, summer guests love, uh, the bubbles, they put them down when it's sunny, they put them down, um, probably gets more use in the summer as a bubble lift than the winter, uh, but look, it's, it's nice to, uh, have on the days where, you know, there's some liquid precipitation out here. It certainly happens in the Poconos.00:41:22.000 --> 00:41:24.000Stuart Winchester: Hmm.00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:35.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:41:41.000 --> 00:41:58.000Jason Bays: um, and, uh, and, and or, um, uh, you know, other, other weather events, it's, it's, it's a nice to have, um, and it certainly, it gets you up in, you know, a little bit over two minutes. Um, it's a smooth ride, it's a great ride. Um, you are not going to get any complaints from me that we have a, um.00:41:47.000 --> 00:41:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:41:51.000 --> 00:41:52.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:11.000Jason Bays: bubble, D-line, six-pack, um, in place, uh, and able to operate as our main workhorse lift. Um, and, uh, I think the six-pack versus the quad was absolutely the right, uh, call. Um…00:42:11.000 --> 00:42:27.000Jason Bays: from my experience being here before with the Sullivan Express, um, with the four-seater, the six-seater, just the… the added, uh, ability, uh, there is, uh, is… is well worth it. So, uh, we're happy to have that… happy to have that lift. I… I wouldn't, uh… I wouldn't…00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:31.000Jason Bays: We won't be trading it in at this point. Let's put it that way.00:42:30.000 --> 00:42:38.000Stuart Winchester: It is a gorgeous machine, and I have to tell you, I'm that weird person who, if there's a line on one lift.00:42:38.000 --> 00:42:56.000Stuart Winchester: And no line on the lift next to it. Even if it's a slower lift, I'll take the slower lift, because I just would rather not deal with the hassle of the line. So right here, for those who are watching, is the Bailey Double, and this is an old chair lift. It's an old slow double, it runs almost exactly parallel to Black Bear 6, doesn't land quite as high.00:42:56.000 --> 00:43:16.000Stuart Winchester: on the mountain, but functionally, it does about the same thing for you. So I like Bailey, and I was glad to see that not only did you keep it, and it does run, and that was true even under the previous regime, but you got a new gearbox for it, which is a really big deal for a lift like this in several decades. Also, talk about the work you've done on Bailey, and how you hope to use that lift.00:43:16.000 --> 00:43:18.000Stuart Winchester: this year to complement Black Bear.00:43:18.000 --> 00:43:21.000Jason Bays: Yeah, so, um, Bailey Lift…00:43:21.000 --> 00:43:32.000Jason Bays: full disclosure, Bailey Lift, Meadows Lift, Raceway Lift, and our season pass holders are very aware of this. Um, unfortunately, uh, we're not, um…00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:41.000Jason Bays: ready for day one of last year, um, or even close. And so, uh, we had to do a lot of, um…00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:35.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:43:41.000 --> 00:43:57.000Jason Bays: normal PM maintenance, um, throughout the, um, end of fall and into winter to have all of them operational. Um, what I share to that is, um, we will run, just level set here really quickly, we will run all the lifts that we have on this trail map.00:43:42.000 --> 00:43:44.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:43:57.000 --> 00:44:02.000Jason Bays: Um, and take care of them, maintain them, operate them.00:44:02.000 --> 00:44:18.000Jason Bays: Staff them, everything that you would do to run the extra capacity, we certainly need it. We'd like more capacity, actually. So that being said, Bailey Lift is critical. We got it back online.00:44:08.000 --> 00:44:10.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah. Okay.00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:34.000Jason Bays: End of January, it ran for 2 or 3 weekends, and we had a failed gearbox, um, on it, which is really unfortunate. Um, this off-season, uh, we've replaced the gearbox, we've done a full PM over the course of the summer on it, which is…00:44:34.000 --> 00:44:50.000Jason Bays: the, as you, as everyone knows, the ideal time, uh, to be, um, conducting such work, um, so that it is ready on, uh, day one. Um, it is a critical backup lift. We will run it every weekend.00:44:50.000 --> 00:45:07.000Jason Bays: Um, that we're, you know, in season, I would say in the heart of season, we're gonna run it. Won't be shy to not run it. Um, same thing with the Meadows, same thing with the Glen, same thing with the Raceway, which, um, you know, I know that that was, um, certainly chief among the complaints of.00:45:07.000 --> 00:45:22.000Jason Bays: locals and guests who were visiting from out of town alike was Lyft availability, Lyft reliability. That was something that we focused as fast as we could on last year, but we're setting ourselves up this year to be.00:45:22.000 --> 00:45:39.000Jason Bays: um, very proactive to that, and recognizing the importance of, of each of, uh, uh, you know, each of these. And look, every once in a while, uh, if the, you always want to have, like, Bailey is critical because it's the only other, if there's Black Bear, without Black Bear, it's the only other thing left, right?00:45:36.000 --> 00:45:38.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:45:39.000 --> 00:45:55.000Jason Bays: Um, and so, uh, you know, I think the, you know, back in the, when I was here, like, every Lyft ran on the weekends. It was Camelback. Um, it was busy, right? Like, everything was going. That's, that's essentially our, our, our philosophy, um, will continue to be our philosophy going forward.00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:45:55.000 --> 00:46:11.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, Jason, I'll admit, I didn't come to Camelback last season, so I wasn't able to experience it firsthand. I really wanted to come to your May thing, which I'll talk about, I'll get to in a minute, but I had a shoulder surgery, so I wasn't able to do that. But I wasn't only basing my perceptions of C.00:46:11.000 --> 00:46:19.000Stuart Winchester: on locals' reactions. I had skied there myself in recent years, and the lift line management, I have to say.00:46:19.000 --> 00:46:21.000Stuart Winchester: It was…00:46:21.000 --> 00:46:33.000Stuart Winchester: really frustrating from a skier point of view, when you're waiting for the Stevenson lift, and there's a big line, and every chair is going up with one or two people, and this is not peak COVID or anything else, this is several years later.00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:50.000Stuart Winchester: So, you know, and I had a lot of locals tell me, oh, we walk up Sun Bowl because the lift line is just too chaotic. People come from both sides. No, no, again, that was all before. What's your philosophy of lift line management? How have you tried to tame that? And there's always, it's always going to be a little wild and hard in Pennsylvan.00:46:50.000 --> 00:46:56.000Stuart Winchester: Uh, but they could definitely have been managed better. Is that something that was important to you, that you focused on?00:46:56.000 --> 00:47:15.000Jason Bays: Yeah, we focused on that. We have a new lift operations manager that was hired in November of 2025, who took the bull by the horns. We developed a supervisor team in fairly short order to that as well, to build out a well-rounded team. And then I would just share that our lift attendants.00:47:15.000 --> 00:47:32.000Jason Bays: All hired locally within the community. And I think that we were fully staffed in LiftOps this year, which was a big, very big win. It starts there, right? A, the people, and then B, the right people.00:47:22.000 --> 00:47:23.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:49.000Jason Bays: um, on the, uh, on the bus, um, as a catalyst to drive, uh, lift operations forward. Um, and then absolutely, uh, we focused on, uh, line management, queuing, um, we set new, in some cases, new queues. We had, um, uh, supervisors, in many cases, out.00:47:49.000 --> 00:48:04.000Jason Bays: um, putting up chairs, um, and, um, and managing the lift line. We added, once we got that right, and we felt like we were in a good spot, and we, you know, look, I think, admittedly, a couple technology hiccups here and there, it was not a perfect, uh.00:48:04.000 --> 00:48:17.000Jason Bays: we didn't, like, on opening day, it wasn't perfect, but, uh, we improved, it was a big focus for our team, and I think when we talk about fundamental ski operation, um, if we just were a ski area, we would absolutely be focusing on.00:48:06.000 --> 00:48:08.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:48:17.000 --> 00:48:36.000Jason Bays: lift queuing, but we have to do that, like, we have to execute that every day because we are a ski area, um, and that's core to our business, and so that's important. Um, then we added, once we got queuing, uh, uh, correct, we added surprise and delights. Lift, uh, chocolate chip cookies were massively popular.00:48:36.000 --> 00:49:04.000Jason Bays: We handed out over 15,000 chocolate chip cookies this winter at the Stevenson lift line. And so, you know, then it becomes fun, right? Then it's the hospitality side of the business of how do we engage with our guests now that we have full chairs going up for the most part off of the Stevenson and the Black Bear and the Sun Bowl. So we hired extra associates to do that, to surprise and delight, to help our guests.00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:42.000Stuart Winchester: Cool.00:49:04.000 --> 00:49:20.000Jason Bays: The one other thing I would just share is Sunbowl is a great example. How many people get down to the Sunbowl and have never ridden a lift before? And so you need that extra human touch to be able to help. It's not even just putting people in groups of four. It's just helping them with like, here's where you go to load the lift. Here's what you do.00:49:12.000 --> 00:49:14.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:21.000Stuart Winchester: Yep.00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:33.000Jason Bays: Um, I think that that investment in our people to provide that service to our guests is very well worth it, and it's the difference between someone having a bad experience getting on a lift and never coming back.00:49:33.000 --> 00:49:43.000Jason Bays: or having a great experience, feeling well cared for, and wanting to try again. Um, and so that, that, that was, um, you know, I think that's a core, um, focus for us.00:49:43.000 --> 00:50:02.000Stuart Winchester: So, one of the ways that I can tell the resort is being run by a skier, in addition to all the things you just said, and your passion for the minutiae of things like lift lines, which I share, is that you're cutting 3 new trails in a resort that's 60 years old, and I love that. So, talk us through these trails, Jason. I'll do my best to trace them.00:50:02.000 --> 00:50:08.000Stuart Winchester: on the trail map. I don't have the updated trail map, I don't know if you've created it yet, but talk us through these three trails.00:50:08.000 --> 00:50:25.000Jason Bays: Yeah, so we're really excited. Look, this, you know, came after, you know, the so many guests, new guests that visited us at Camelback this past season. We said, you know what, let's do something fun and exciting. And like, you know, you think about how.00:50:25.000 --> 00:50:43.000Jason Bays: Um, yeah, I just, you know, if someone said, anyone puts in a new trail, uh, the skier in me wants to drive to that resort, no matter how big or small, and be like, alright, like, let's do it. Um, and our team feels, uh, you know, much of the same way. So, um, that being said, uh, we had a lot of natural snowfall this year, so…00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:33.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:50:33.000 --> 00:50:36.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah.00:50:36.000 --> 00:50:37.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, sure. Yeah.00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:59.000Jason Bays: I was acutely paying attention to where people were skiing when we had natural snowfall, where they wanted to go, and then, you know, maybe following those lines, too, and seeing what the fun was about. So, my point to all of that is, we said, let's create some, and I think for Camelback, too.00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:48.000Stuart Winchester: Mm-hmm.00:50:59.000 --> 00:51:15.000Jason Bays: it's very, um, you know, we wanted to create something that was sort of unique. I didn't want to just put in, like, regular trails that, A, we don't have a lot of space for regular trails, and B, um, we really wanted to create sort of unique experience. So, right underneath Black Bear, um, in between Sullivan and John Bailey there.00:51:07.000 --> 00:51:09.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:51:15.000 --> 00:51:30.000Jason Bays: um, there's a, um, there's a chute, um, where the old Alpine Slide used to go. Basculus goes back into Rocket, uh, but underneath there is some really fun rolling terrain. Like, it's, it's because the mountain, the, uh, Alpine Slide.00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:28.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, thank you.00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:54.000Jason Bays: back in the day did had several dips and curves and so we're going to lean into those dips and curves and create something sort of fun that you can get some you know launch some airtime off of if you want or carve a turn over it but it'll have some some really nice terrain variation in a way that most trails at Camelback don't have and they're coming off of an expert trail there so.00:51:54.000 --> 00:52:06.000Jason Bays: um, gives, uh, you know, anyone skiing Asp, Hump, Rocket, um, or Basilisk would be able to reach that trail, um, and, uh, and be able to, uh, just have a little bit more excitement on the way back down.00:52:06.000 --> 00:52:08.000Jason Bays: Um…00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:20.000Jason Bays: Upper Cleopatra there, if you go to the, uh, where the U is, uh, or where Upper is, we're gonna cut a trail through the woods there that's going to end up on the bottom of Big Pocono.00:52:19.000 --> 00:52:21.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:31.000Jason Bays: Um, so it's gonna go down and across. So, um, that… um, and I see where your cursor is. If you go to the… where it says Upper on Upper Cleopatra.00:52:26.000 --> 00:52:29.000Stuart Winchester: So, like, here? Or…00:52:30.000 --> 00:52:32.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, upper…00:52:32.000 --> 00:52:54.000Jason Bays: So, Big Pocono, that's Uncle B. Yeah, right there. Yep, we're going through there. Yeah, so that's gonna be, that's a narrow blue square. So, you know, I think one of the things that's fun for us is we're gonna create a blue square there. That used to be a trail back in the 60s and 70s, fun fact, when Walter Foger was designing Camelback.00:52:34.000 --> 00:52:37.000Stuart Winchester: Upper… oh, this one. Okay, so you're cutting through here?00:52:37.000 --> 00:52:39.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, cool. Okay.00:52:49.000 --> 00:52:51.000Stuart Winchester: Oh, cool.00:52:54.000 --> 00:53:09.000Jason Bays: Um, that being said, um, the… actually, it got filled in with pine trees, so it's gonna be really cool, because there's pine trees on both sides. Um, we made it narrow, so we kept the pine trees, um, and so that's gonna be a really fun, um, sort of narrow… I think about, like, the, um.00:52:58.000 --> 00:52:59.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:53:01.000 --> 00:53:03.000Stuart Winchester: That's cool. It's pretty.00:53:09.000 --> 00:53:26.000Jason Bays: the ending of Jay Peak with some of the blues at the very bottom there by Interstate. We're trying to sort of have that, obviously in a much smaller zone, have that same effect, though, where you're feeling like you're really in the trees, and you've got some nice twists and turns to it. It's not terribly steep.00:53:12.000 --> 00:53:13.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, okay.00:53:26.000 --> 00:53:44.000Jason Bays: Um, two things on that trail. One is, it takes traffic off of Honeymoon Lane, which is a main boulevard, it pushes it onto the Sphinx, which has much more trail capacity, which is great, um, comfortable carrying capacity, and secondarily, um, on weekends, we're gonna have a hot chocolate, um, hut that people can ski up to.00:53:31.000 --> 00:53:32.000Stuart Winchester: Mmhm.00:53:44.000 --> 00:53:52.000Jason Bays: Um, and get shots of hot chocolate, um, as well, so we're excited to, um, uh, to offer that to our guests. We think that'll be really fun.00:53:46.000 --> 00:53:47.000Stuart Winchester: That's cool.00:53:51.000 --> 00:53:53.000Stuart Winchester: That was awesome.00:53:53.000 --> 00:54:17.000Jason Bays: And then the Stevenson, it's going to drop on the cliffhanger side and drop down that lift line and go right down into the Faroe there and follow that lift line. Vermont skiing in a very short array but very much Vermont skiing, that's an intimidating drop. Stevenson for those that may not be familiar has a extremely.00:53:53.000 --> 00:53:55.000Stuart Winchester: And it.00:53:58.000 --> 00:53:59.000Stuart Winchester: Okay.00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:09.000Stuart Winchester: Yeah, I think so.00:54:17.000 --> 00:54:34.000Jason Bays: extremely tight, um, and high, uh, crest of the lift, because the mountain crests, um, really steeply. Well, we're gonna ski that, um, and, uh, and make snow on it, and, uh, and, and, uh, and allow our guests to, uh, um, and allow skiers to, uh, to, to, to test, um, you know, a more narrow.00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:44.000Jason Bays: um, uh, trail up there that has a really great expansive view ov

The Michelin Guide is bringing its Great Lakes ceremony to Detroit next April, and people have a lot of questions. What does a Michelin presence actually mean for our local food scene? How do diners, chefs, and journalists navigate the hype? To break it down, Detroit News restaurant critic Melody Baetens stopped by the TechTown studio. We talk about what those stars actually represent, what inspectors look for, and why the national spotlight is shifting toward the Great Lakes. Plus, Melody recently put together a list of 25 new and returning restaurants expected to open across Metro Detroit. We talk about some of the big highlights — from long-awaited returns like Cass Cafe and Highgrade Deli to fresh concepts like Agnes in West Village, Aurora Italiana, Slutty Vegan, Mike's Red Tacos, and Spiedo on West Canfield. Check out Melody's full list on The Detroit News: 25 Restaurants Expected to Open Soon in Metro Detroit Support the show: https://patreon.com/DailyDetroit

A new report from Mich Auto Law lists the intersections with the most crashes. Topping the list was Van Dyke and 18 1/2 Mile Road. WWJ's Jackie Paige and Chris Fillar have your Thursday morning news. (Photo credit: WWJ's Charlie Langton)

A proposed Wayne and Oakland county millage could reshape access and provide ongoing sustainability to two of Metro Detroit's cornerstone historic institutions.  Jer Staes and Norris Howard are joined by Elana Rugh, president and CEO of the Detroit Historical Society, and Neil Barclay, president and CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. The proposal would support free admission for county residents, transportation help for students and seniors, teacher curriculum resources, and funding for smaller public historical museums across the two counties. We talk about why the museums say they need a long-term funding model, what visitors can expect this fall, and why preserving Detroit's past — while collecting the history being made today — matters. The measure is listed on the back of the ballot as the Southeast Michigan Historical Museums Authority proposal. You'll find a full transcript on our website. More info: https://www.yestoourstory.com/ Feedback as always, dailydetroit@gmail.com or 313-789-3211. 

Living in Michigan has a lot to love, but there are also some seriously annoying things nobody seems to warn you about before moving here. In this video, I'm breaking down some of the things I hate about living in Michigan and Metro Detroit—from Michigan roads, construction and driving to small-town quirks, weather, local development and other everyday frustrations you don't always hear about in relocation videos. If you're considering moving to Michigan, Metro Detroit, Southeast Michigan, or relocating to suburbs around Detroit, this is the other side of Michigan living you should know before making the move. As a Michigan Realtor who lives and works throughout Metro Detroit, I'll give you a local perspective on what it's actually like to live here—the good, the bad, and the stuff that just makes you ask, “BUT WHY?!”

There's several ceremonies throughout Metro Detroit to remember 9/11.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People all over Michigan will remember the lives lost in the 9/11 terror attacks 25 years ago today. WWJ's Jackie Paige and Chris Fillar have your Friday morning news. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Brad Nelson is the author of I Think, Therefore I Know: Scientific Thinking for Unscientific Organizations, co-host of The Agile for Agilists podcast, and organizer of Agile Detroit. Drawing on experience in lean manufacturing, software development, and organizational change, he explores how incentives, feedback, and learning shape organizations and the people within them. He lives in Metro Detroit.Link to claim CME credit: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3DXCFW3CME credit is available for up to 3 years after the stated release dateContact CEOD@bmhcc.org if you have any questions about claiming credit.

After severe storms and a tornado swept through Detroit over the Labor Day weekend, leaving many across the region without electricity for days (including yours truly for a second holiday weekend this year, totaling nearly two weeks without power), Norris Howard and I break down the Detroit City Council's unanimous vote to explore alternatives to DTE Energy. We discuss the council's decision, look at the broader implications of utility monopolies in Metro Detroit, and share our personal experiences dealing with frequent power grid failures across the area. Link to report discussed via the Detroit News. Key Topics & Timestamps 00:45 – Gratitude: Shoutouts to everyone who came out to see us at the Detroit Sandwich Party at Eastern Market, plus a special thanks to new Patreon members! 02:00 – Weekend Highlights: Norris recaps his experience at the Detroit Jazz Fest, highlighting a performance by the Low End Quintet at Dee Dee's / The Valade. 03:45 – News: Detroit City Council vs. DTE: Details on Councilwoman Gabriela Santiago-Romero's unamiously passed measure directing the legal department to research ways to diversify the city's energy sources and reduce dependence on DTE Energy. 05:30 – Monopolies & Utility Accountability: A discussion on rate hikes, service reliability, grid hardening, and a lack of competition. 09:15 – Public Power Alternatives: Looking at how nearby communities like Ann Arbor and Wyandotte's relationship to public utilities and what that might mean for Metro Detroit. Listen & Connect Follow the Show: Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , or wherever you get your favorite podcasts. Support the Show: Join us on Patreon to help keep independent local coverage going at patreon.com/dailydetroit. Feedback & Listener Stories: Send me an email at dailydetroit@gmail.com or leave a voicemail on our line at 313-789-3211.

Why is everyone suddenly talking about Washington Township, Michigan? This part of northern Macomb County has been growing quickly, with new construction, upscale subdivisions, larger lots, orchards, parks, and access to some of Metro Detroit's most popular amenities. But is Washington Township actually worth the hype?In this video, I'm breaking down what it's really like living in Washington Township Michigan, including the housing market, home prices, new development, schools, taxes, commute times, things to do, and the pros and cons you should know before moving here.But Washington Township is changing. Home prices have risen, development continues to push north, and more buyers are discovering an area that used to feel much farther removed from suburban Metro Detroit.

David McFall joins Andrew Pla to talk about practical PowerShell, mentorship, automation, and why you do not need to be a PowerShell expert to get serious value from it. David shares how he uses PowerShell across Active Directory, Entra, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Graph, and PDQ, including real-world examples like device posture reporting, identifying hardware gaps, and automating project management. They also dig into learning with AI, knowing when a simple script is enough, the importance of testing before production, and why helping the people around you grow can make everyone's job easier. Key Takeaways: · PowerShell does not have to be complicated to be useful. David approaches PowerShell as a working sysadmin who wants to automate repetitive tasks, reuse existing tools, and solve real problems rather than build everything from scratch. · AI can accelerate learning, but it should not replace understanding. David uses AI to better understand PowerShell concepts and Microsoft Graph, while emphasizing the importance of reviewing, testing, and understanding scripts before putting them into production. · Sharing knowledge makes the whole team stronger. David views himself as a mentor rather than simply a manager. Helping junior team members develop their skills gives them more opportunities while also creating a team that can share responsibility instead of relying on one person who knows everything. Guest Bio: David McFall is an IT infrastructure and operations leader with experience across enterprise cloud platforms, cybersecurity, system administration, Microsoft Defender, Azure, incident response, and automation. Based in Metro Detroit, David combines hands-on technical work with a strong focus on mentoring IT professionals and sharing what he has learned throughout his career. Resource links: ImportExcel (create Excel reports without Excel installed) https://github.com/dfinke/ImportExcel PSWriteHTML (build interactive HTML reports from PowerShell) https://github.com/EvotecIT/PSWriteHTML BurntToast (Windows toast notifications from PowerShell) https://github.com/Windos/BurntToast Maester (automated Microsoft 365 security posture testing) https://maester.dev The PowerShell Podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/36VN6K-oE8w

318 - From Corporate SVP to Spiritual Practitioner: Dr. Brandon Croud's Courage to Answer a Deeper Calling What happens when you spend 20 years climbing the corporate ladder, checking every box the world told you to check, and then one night a TikTok rabbit hole cracks your entire identity open? Dr. Brandon Croud knows exactly what that feels like. After building a two-decade career in mortgage underwriting and rising to Senior Vice President, while simultaneously becoming a nationally recognized podcast host interviewing NASCAR legends, Brandon walked away from all of it. Not because he failed. Because something deeper finally refused to be ignored. In this episode of Comfort to Courage, Dr. Brandon Croud breaks down what a spiritual awakening actually looks like from the inside, including the moment his young son's fascination with the moon cracked open abilities Brandon had suppressed since childhood. He shares what it really means to reset your nervous system, why inner child healing is the real work beneath every surface-level habit change, and how releasing guilt and regret is the first step toward true abundance. Brandon also unpacks why the five people closest to you are already shaping your ambition, your standards, and your ceiling, whether you've noticed it or not, and what it took to trade a guaranteed paycheck for a life built entirely on purpose. If you're sitting in a job that pays the bills but costs you your soul, this episode is for you. Whether you've been too afraid to follow a calling that doesn't fit neatly on a resume, or you're already deep in a life pivot and need proof that it's possible, Dr. Brandon Croud's story is both permission and evidence. He went from SVP to spiritual practitioner, from corporate certainty to real freedom, and he's here to tell you exactly how he made the leap and what was waiting on the other side. 00:00 Courage Is Contagious 01:25 Support System Audit 04:45 Meet Dr Brandon Croud 06:52 Awakened Croud Origins 09:12 Tarot Coaching Offerings 12:32 Alden And The Moon 15:51 Corporate Success Inside 18:41 TikTok To Awakening 21:38 Layoff And Reinvention 24:33 Nervous System Healing 25:34 Resetting Your Nervous System 27:00 Peeling Back Reactions 28:22 Awakening and Inner Child 30:12 Lion's Gate Portal 34:16 Forgiveness and Abundance 36:17 Trust Your True Self 39:24 Courage Challenge Journaling 42:02 Badass Book and Formula 44:05 Advice Doubt and Goals 46:14 Strength Success and Wrap 5 Powerful Takeaways The five people you spend the most time with are already normalizing your standards, your fears, and your comfort zone. Auditing your circle might matter more than auditing your habits. Resetting your nervous system isn't about willpower. It starts with paying attention to how your body reacts to everyday triggers and tracing those reactions back to their origin. Inner child healing is the layer underneath every pattern you can't seem to break. Telling your younger self they're safe is some of the most powerful and underrated work you'll ever do. Releasing guilt and regret isn't about excusing the past. It's the prerequisite to attracting abundance, because the energy you project outward is exactly what gets reflected back to you. Journaling, or speaking out loud if writing isn't your thing, is the fastest way to start hearing your true self clearly instead of all the external noise that's been making your decisions for you. About the Guest Dr. Brandon Croud is an author, speaker, podcast host, business consultant, and metaphysical practitioner who helps people bridge the gap between practical success and authentic living. He spent over two decades leading corporate underwriting teams, rising to Senior Vice President of Credit Underwriting, and simultaneously built a nationally recognized podcast interviewing NASCAR legends and championship crew chiefs. After a profound spiritual awakening, Brandon earned his PhD in Metaphysics and founded The Awakened Croud, a practice offering spiritual coaching, tarot readings, chakra alignment, inner child healing, and immersive local experiences like his signature card charcuterie and champagne nights. He is also the author of the children's book Alden and the Light That Blinked Back, a tool for parents who want to nurture curiosity, wonder, and spiritual awareness in young children. Based in Metro Detroit, Brandon brings a rare combination of corporate credibility, metaphysical depth, and genuine warmth to every conversation. Resources & Websites Mentioned The Awakened Croud: https://www.theawakenedcroud.com Alden and the Light That Blinked Back by Dr. Brandon Croud: available on Amazon The Formula by Bashar/Darryl Anka (book recommendation from the BADASS segment) Connect With Jen Josey To learn more about Jen Josey, visit https://www.therealjenjosey.com/ If you enjoy Jen's Witty Shirts, shop the whole collection at https://www.shopwittygoods.com/ New episodes drop every Monday Morning at 6am EST. See you next time!

Have you seen those gold Teslas tooling around? WWJ auto analyst John McElroy says the automaker is testing a new, driverless car. (WWJ Photo)

A brand-new building can look like progress, but what happens when the real problem is leadership and accountability behind locked doors? From the Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Michigan State Senator Michael Webber to talk candidly about state-run psychiatric hospitals, what he says he saw after taking a closer look, and why mental health care oversight can't stay in the shadows.We get specific about patient safety and operational failures, including the fallout from a false active shooter drill at the Hawthorne Center, the cascading trauma it created for patients and families, and what that kind of breakdown signals about governance. Webber walks us through the push for an Auditor General review, the significance of multiple severe audit findings, and why agreeing with findings is not the same as fixing them. We also dig into recipient rights, patient advocacy, and how adding lived experience to oversight boards could change decision-making in behavioral health care.Then we zoom out to the economics: hospitals as major employers and community anchors across Metro Detroit and Michigan, and the affordability crisis constituents bring to lawmakers every day. Webber explains how well-intended insurance coverage mandates can still raise premiums, why transparency matters across hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and health plans, and what happens when families face high deductibles and start avoiding care.If you care about Michigan health care policy, mental health reform, hospital accountability, and making coverage more affordable, this conversation will give you real stories and clear policy tensions to think about. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who cares about mental health care, and leave a review, what policy change would you want lawmakers to prioritize first?Support the showEngage the conversation on Substack at The Common Bridge!

It was a noisy and wet night in Metro Detroit as thunderstorms roared through the area. Wind gusts up to 70 miles per hour were reported. DTE Energy is working to restore power to nearly 100,000 customers. WWJ's Jackie Paige and Chris Fillar have your Thursday morning news. (Photo credit: WWJ's Luke Sloan)

We're kicking off September with our ultimate preview of what's happening and what we're keeping our eyes on across Metro Detroit this month. Norris Howard joins me to talk about the most interesting events on the calendar, including the month-long Detroit Month of Design, Labor Day festival traditions like the Detroit Jazz Fest and much more. We also break down the major local stories and trends shaping our region heading into the fall, from last-minute possible mail-in voting changes you need to keep an eye on that could impact Michigan... to food safety recalls... to our upcoming look at the RenCen's future and how national economic shifts impact our city and region. Plus, thank you for making us the number one podcast in Detroit. You can listen to Daily Detroit on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your favorite shows. Feedback as always - dailydetroit@gmail.com or leave a voicemail, 313-789-3211.  

Brian talks with Steve Van Noort and Scott Wyatt, lead and assistant pastors of Sojourn Church, a new PCA church plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan started through the Detroit Project. Steve explains their mission to specifically reach the unchurched and lost rather than draw people from other congregations, and describes the church's DNA of gospel-centered worship, community, and mission — including weekly communion, expository preaching, and members going out to community colleges and local parks to have spiritual conversations. Scott, who came from two decades in campus ministry with Cru, shares an encouraging observation: young adults and teenagers today are showing surprising openness to the gospel after growing up largely without church exposure. Steve explains the church's name, drawn from 1 Peter's language of believers as "sojourners and strangers" journeying together toward their true home in Christ, and the two cast a vision for changed lives five years down the road.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us Fan MailSeason 6 kicks off with a conversation that matters to every Dearborn parent, teacher, and taxpayer. New Dearborn Public Schools Superintendent Mike Esseily sits down with OZ Media to talk straight about where the district stands, what's actually broken, and what's on the line when voters head to the polls on November 3, 2026 to decide on a $1.51 billion bond.No spin. No soft PR answers. Just the real operational reality of running one of Michigan's most diverse school districts — and what happens if this bond doesn't pass. In this episode: • Who is Mike Esseily outside the title — his own story with Dearborn and whether he came through this district himself • What his honest read on the district looks like as he steps into the role • How he's leading one of Michigan's most culturally diverse student populations • The hard truths on test scores, literacy rates, and chronic absenteeism • What the district is doing differently for student mental health post-COVID • Why teachers are leaving — and what's being done to stop it • A plain-language breakdown of the $1.51B bond: what it actually pays for • Inside the "transformational" 20-year plan — six new preK-8 buildings, full renovations, air conditioning district-wide • How the district plans to stay transparent and accountable with taxpayer dollars • What "success" looks like three years from now — and how parents will actually see itThis is Season 6, Episode 1 of the MotivateMe313 Podcast — where OZ Media brings you unfiltered conversations with the people shaping our community, our schools, and our future. Subscribe for more real talk on the issues affecting Metro Detroit.  More at Ozmedia313.comFollow us on social media:- Instagram: @MotivateMe313 or @ozmedia313- Website: ozmedia313.com- LinkedIn: ozmedia-TikTok: @ozmedia313-Apple Podcast: ozmedia-Spotify Podcast: ozmediaThis show was sponsored by:-The Family Doc https://thefamilydocmi.com/-Wingfellas thewingfellas.com-Hanley International Academy https://www.hanleyacademy.com-Chill Box https://www.chillboxstore.com/-Emari Roast Cafe https://www.emariroastcafe.com/ -FRC Physical Therapy#MotivateMe313 #DearbornPublicSchools #MikeEsseily #DearbornBond #MetroDetroit

The summer heat and humidity is hanging on in Metro Detroit, and we'll be feeling it over the next few days. Plus, some I-696 ramps are expected to open this afternoon, much to the delight of thousands of driver. WWJ's Chris Fillar and Jackie Paige have the local news headlines for your Monday morning.

Join us for an insightful episode of the Hardcore Mortgage Real Estate & Business Show featuring Candice Rich, Global Real Estate Advisor with @properties Christie's International Real Estate in Birmingham, Michigan.With over 30 years of financial and tax advisory experience, more than 22 years as a CPA firm owner, and a decade in real estate, Candice brings a unique perspective to luxury home buying, selling, and investment strategies. Recognized among the Top 1,000 Real Estate Agents in Oakland County, she specializes in Metro Detroit's luxury market, serving executives, successful families, and professional athletes throughout Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills, and beyond.As the founder of Signature Sports & Entertainment, Candice also helps athletes and their families relocate to and from Metro Detroit, providing expert guidance for both in-season and off-season moves.In this episode, we discuss: ✅ Luxury real estate trends in Metro Detroit ✅ Relocation strategies for executives and professional athletes ✅ Luxury home marketing and negotiation techniques ✅ Buying and selling high-end homes in today's market ✅ Oakland County luxury real estate insightsWhether you're a luxury home buyer, seller, investor, executive, or athlete considering a move, this episode delivers valuable market knowledge and expert advice from one of Michigan's leading luxury real estate professionals.

August 31, 2026 ~ Jon Witz, Executive Director of Arts, Beats & Eats, previews this year's festival, what visitors can expect, and why the event continues to be a Labor Day weekend tradition in Metro Detroit. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Click here to donate $5 on Left of Lansing on Patreon!https://www.patreon.com/15494297/joinHere's Episode #193 of Michigan's Premier Progressive Podcast!00:00-17:30:LOL's Pat Johnston pays a brief tribute to Dolly Parton. Then, Pat shares thoughts on Dear Leader Trump's insane tariff war with Canada while his other tariffs continue to hurt an already struggling working class. And he wonders when will Michigan MAGA Republican Senate candidate "Florida" Mike Rogers be held to account on whether or not he agrees with these tariffs, not to mention if he still believes in Trump's economy. Pat wraps-up the segment illustrating how MAGA Republicans call EVERY Democrat either a "socialist" or a member of the far Left.  17:31-41:00: DSA member Jessica NewmanPat talks with Jessica Newman, who's a Metro Detroit Democratic Socialist of America member, campaign director, and Secretary of Ferndale Public Schools in Oakland County. Jessica explains why she chose Democratic Socialism, and why DSA candidates are winning across Michigan and the nation at this time. That includes her work on the winning campaign for DSA state House candidate Chris Gilmer-Hill, who defeated a Democratic incumbent in Metro Detroit. Jessica also shares her outrage over pro-Israel & pro-AIPAC Democrats continue attacking progressive candidates, like Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. Visit Metro Detroit Democratic Socialist of AmericaVisit Democratic Socialists of America41:50-51:13: Last Call: Dems Still Attacking PikerIn the "Last Call," establishment Democrats continue to join MAGA Republicans in attacking a progressive podast streamer rather than attacking the Trump Regime and MAGA Republicans. 51:14-55:22: Coffia On Line 5/EndingThe episode ends by sharing a clip of working class Michigan Democratic state Rep. Betsy Coffia calling-out Governor Gretchen Whitmer to stand-up for Michigan, and rejoin the fight to shut-down Line 5.Please, subscribe to the podcast, download each episode, and give it a good review if you can!leftoflansing@gmail.comLeft of Lansing is now on YouTube as well!Click here to vote on this week's LOL Poll who should Democrats condemn: AIPAC or Hasan Piker?Music provided by Wanderbeats. To hear the latest project, visit Space Leopard on various streaming sites, or visit: https://www.youtube.com/@SpaceLeopardClick here to donate $5 on Left of Lansing on Patreon!https://www.patreon.com/15494297/joinNOTES:"Telecom industry gave Mike Rogers nearly $100K while he pushed to deepen government data sharing." By Ben Solis of Michigan Advance "Scoop: Mike Rogers-AIPAC rupture roils Michigan Senate race." By Alex Isenstadt of Axios "Enbridge Line 5 leaks natural gas in Wisconsin." By Isiah Holmes of Michigan Advance "How Trump Is Destroying Detroit." By Robert Kuttener of The American Prospect "Trump's Tariffs Are About to Make Back-To-School Season Painful— Families Could Spend Nearly $4,000 Per Child, Report Finds." By Tonya Rawat of Yahoo Finance "Canada's tariffs target certain U.S. states. See which regions are most vulnerable." By Megan Cerulla & Aimee Picci of CBS News "Hakeem Jeffries Privately Met with Jared Kushner." By Distill Social "Off-The-Record" episode from August 21, 2026 featuring Jim Runestad on WKAR#podcast #politics #progressives #Michigan #Democrats #Trump #MAGA #Republicans #Election #Primary  #WorkingFamiliesParty  #DemocraticSocialism #Senate #AbdulElSayed #WorkingClass #unions #WorkersRights #WilliamLawrence #DonavanMcKinney #MikeRogers #HakeemJeffries #JaredKushner#DataCenters  #CorporateGreed #CorporateCorruption #GovernmentCorruption #Populism #AIPAC #IranWar #Israel #Line5 #BetsyCoffia #GretchenWhitmer #CorporateClass #DemocraticSocialism #Fascism #EpsteinClass #Authoritarianism #Democracy #LeftofLansing

What does $600,000 actually get you in Metro Detroit? The answer changes dramatically depending on where you buy.In this video, I break down real housing data from more than 800 homes priced between $550,000 and $600,000 across Metro Detroit to show where your money stretches the furthest — and where you're paying a premium for location, lifestyle, walkability, schools, and amenities instead of square footage.In some communities, around $600K may get you roughly 1,300 to 1,800 square feet. In others, the exact same budget can get you closer to 2,600, 2,800, or even 3,000 square feet.But this isn't just about finding the biggest house for the cheapest price.I also looked at how quickly homes are selling, local demand, location, access, amenities, and the lifestyle each area offers, because a great house in the wrong location can still be the wrong move.

Monday is the first day of a new school year for students in Detroit, Dearborn, Berkley, Livonia and several other Metro Detroit districts. WWJ's Chris Fillar has your Monday morning news. (Photo credit: WWJ's Charlie Langton)

100% Hustle Podcast Managing the Business of a Busy Family In this episode of 100% Hustle, Vicki Hamilton talks with Alec Bantel, founder of ACTIQO, about using technology to simplify the hidden workload behind managing a busy family. They explore how better coordination and data-driven insights can help parents assess the true value of activities and make more informed decisions about where to invest their family's time, energy, and resources, particularly when our most important assets, our children, are at the center of those decisions. A practical and insightful conversation busy parents won't want to miss. Bio Alec Bantel is the founder of ACTIQO, a family activity intelligence and coordination platform for parents managing children's sports, lessons, clubs, and other extracurricular activities. ACTIQO helps families coordinate schedules, preparation, transportation, responsibilities, and caregiver handoffs while better understanding whether each activity remains worth the time, cost, energy, and family workload. Alec is a Metro Detroit product leader, entrepreneur, and father of three. He earned his MBA from Wayne State University's Mike Ilitch School of Business and is building ACTIQO to reduce the invisible work surrounding children's activities and help families make more confident, sustainable decisions. Learn more about ACTIQO at https://getactiqo.com ACTIQO Website: https://getactiqo.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/actiqo Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACTIQO Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getactiqo X: https://x.com/actiqo Alec Bantel X: https://x.com/Alec_Bantel ACTIQO founder Alec Bantel shares how technology can help busy families manage activities, time, costs, and the hidden workload of parenting. » Visit MBN website: www.michiganbusinessnetwork.com/ » Watch MBN's YouTube: www.youtube.com/@MichiganbusinessnetworkMBN » Like MBN: www.facebook.com/mibiznetwork » Follow MBN: X.com/MIBizNetwork/ » MBN Instagram: www.instagram.com/mibiznetwork/

Dearborn police arrest 22 at anti-Muslim protest and counterprotests Metro Detroit home prices kept going up, even as home sales tumbled

On today's show, Norris and I are diving deep into the high-stakes redevelopment plans for the Renaissance Center and the nearby east riverfront, looking to transform 35 acres that has been sitting mostly quiet for many years.  After going to their preview center and attending the first of a number of weekly CBO meetings, we ask and react honestly the big question on everyone's mind: what do you actually do with a massive waterfront complex that's currently only 5% occupied? What vibes did we get from the community? And what's next? You can also learn more about the project here, and give your feedback to them: https://detroit-riverfront.bedrockdetroit.com/ Also as Metro Detroit's one of America's greatest news towns: We also quickly talk through the disturbing Christian nationalist march targeting Dearborn's Muslim community. We'll dig into it more on the show in a future episode. Plus, I break down a press event I attended at the Wright Museum outlining a proposed regional millage to keep Wayne and Oakland County's core historical institutions funded for the next decade.  It's a packed episode of your Daily Detroit covering the economic, political, and cultural shifts shaping Metro Detroit right now. Feedback as always: dailydetroit - at - gmail - dot - com or 313-789-3211. Just $3.13 keeps this coverage going from the 313: https://patreon.com/DailyDetroit  

900,000 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram vehicles recalled over camera bug Northern Michigan mass shooting: 'It's led to a lot of scared people' 'She's a hero': Lone survivor of northern Michigan shooting improving Metro Detroit restaurant featured on 'Kitchen Nightmares' this week

In today's episode, Devon O'Reilly and I dive into some exciting developments across Metro Detroit, starting with my firsthand look at Unc's Detroit-style pizza in downtown Detroit. We also talk about our recent visit to Fair Lane Estate for a media preview, where the team is making huge progress restoring Henry Ford's powerhouse, garage, and new welcome center ahead of its full opening. Plus, we discuss reports that Henry Ford Health is considering redevelopment options for Cadillac Place — the historic former GM World Headquarters in New Center, currently occupied by the State of Michigan. Finally, with the Detroit Lions kicking off their preseason, Devon shares his thoughts on the upcoming season and what to expect from the Honolulu Blue this year. Don't forget to join us this Saturday morning for our Summer Studio Open House at TechTown for free coffee, donuts, and great conversation! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1995592904096?aff=oddtdtcreator

August 14, 2026 ~ Looking for something to do this weekend? Taylor Vitany joins Kevin with a roundup of festivals, family events, entertainment, and activities happening across Metro Detroit. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 14, 2026 ~ Full Show: Kevin tackles the day's biggest stories, including a new complaint against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson over election records, tariff refunds reaching major U.S. companies, and the latest election integrity debate following charges against five noncitizens accused of voting in 2024. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard previews the Woodward Dream Cruise, Kirstin McCudden examines a lawsuit involving President Trump's Truth Social platform, and Taylor Vitany highlights the best events happening around Metro Detroit this weekend. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On today's show, Norris Howard and I are talking about the massive debate over data centers sweeping Southeast Michigan. From moratoriums to legal battles to recall efforts, local communities are raising real questions about energy, water, and land use. We also talk through the University of Michigan selecting an Ypsilanti Township site for a $1.25 billion supercomputer project with Los Alamos National Lab, the response from longtime Rep. Debbie Dingell, and why the city of Detroit's power grid makes hyperscale data centers a tough sell without huge infrastructure investment. Plus, we address the large amont of listener feedback we received after our recent primary election coverage. We hear you, and we discuss how we're bringing on more guest voices ahead of November to make sure the full range of local viewpoints is represented — as the state of Michigan as a whole voted one way, but Metro Detroit clearly voted another. Finally, we toast a Detroit journalism legend: WDET News Director Jerome Vaughn, who is retiring after many years of guiding local public radio. Norris shares what Jerome's mentorship meant for his own career. REMINDER: Our Summer Studio Open House is this Saturday, August 15, from 10a to 1p at TechTown! Come by for free coffee, free donuts, and great conversation with the Daily Detroit crew. Please RSVP on Eventbrite if you can so we have a headcount. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/studio-summer-open-house-and-detroit-community-coffee-tickets-1995592904096?aff=oddtdtcreator Feedback or thoughts? Drop us a line at dailydetroit@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at 313-789-3211.

Another e-bike crash in Metro Detroit sends two teens to the hospital. That's our top story as WWJ's Jackie Paige and Chris Fillar run down the local news headlines for your Tuesday morning. (Photo: Mike Campbell/WWJ)

Southfield Police are investigating a triple shooting that happened early Sunday morning in the parking lot of a restaurant. 2 of the victims died. Meantime, Warren police are investigating shootings that left two men dead. WWJ's Jackie Paige has your Monday morning news. (Photo credit: WWJ's Charlie Langton)

August 10, 2026 ~ LaFontaine General Manager Ed Pobur discusses the company's growth, community involvement, and efforts to continue serving customers across Metro Detroit. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host Wendy Jones sits down with Lynn Breuer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Dementia Practitioner, and Senior Director at Jewish Family Service of Metro Detroit, along with Beth Seelbach, Certified Dementia Practitioner and social worker, to discuss how aging affects brain health and what people can do to maintain cognitive wellness.Lynn explains that while some cognitive decline is a normal part of aging, there are proven ways to strengthen the brain through neuroplasticity, lifelong learning, quality sleep, and intentional mental challenges. She also shares practical strategies for keeping the mind active and reducing risk factors associated with cognitive decline.Key Highlights in this Episode:Understanding Cognitive Aging:Learn why changes in memory, focus, processing speed, and depth perception are common with age—and why they don't necessarily signal dementia.The Power of Neuroplasticity:Discover how the brain continues forming new neural connections throughout life and why learning new skills, languages, or instruments can help strengthen cognitive function.Challenge Your Brain: Find out why repeating the same puzzles or games isn't enough and why trying unfamiliar, mentally demanding activities provides the greatest benefit.Why Sleep Matters: Lynn explains how deep REM sleep supports memory consolidation, reduces amyloid production, and plays a critical role in maintaining long-term brain health.Podcast Schedule: Tune in to Next Steps for Seniors with new episodes weekly!Every Tuesday: Educational and insightful content to help you navigate the practical steps of aging.Every Friday: Spiritual and emotional support to encourage your heart and mind.Be sure to subscribe on Apple, Spotify, IHeart Podcasts so you never miss an episode, and if you enjoyed today's show, please leave us a rating and review!About Next Steps 4 Seniors: Conversations on AgingConversations on Aging brings together trusted experts, practical resources, and meaningful conversations to help seniors and their families navigate aging with greater confidence.Need help finding the right senior living or care options? Next Steps 4 Seniors provides personalized guidance and support to families at no cost.

August 7, 2026 ~ Full Show: Kevin discusses major legal and political stories with former U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider, including a Senate vote involving Dr. Anthony Fauci and President Trump's birthright citizenship order. Hall Financial CEO David Hall explains why mortgage rates continue to climb, while Detroit City Council Member Denzel McCampbell breaks down the Democratic Socialists of America. Journalist Chris Hansen previews the upcoming film Primetime, in which Robert Pattinson will portray him, USA TODAY's Joey Garrison discusses the national fascination with Abdul El-Sayed, and Taylor Vitany highlights the biggest events happening around Metro Detroit this weekend. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 7, 2026 ~ Looking for something to do this weekend? Taylor Vitany joins Kevin Dietz with a roundup of the biggest events, festivals, attractions, and family activities happening around Metro Detroit. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Is now a good time to move to Metro Detroit? In this video, I break down the latest Southeast Michigan housing market data using Realcomp MLS numbers through May 2026 and explain what it actually means for buyers, sellers, and relocation clients considering a move to Michigan.Inventory is rising across Metro Detroit, buyer leverage is starting to improve, and each county is telling a very different story. Wayne County offers some of the strongest affordability in the region, Oakland County remains one of the most established suburban markets, Macomb County is showing some of the strongest growth, Washtenaw County continues to command a premium around Ann Arbor, and Livingston and St. Clair County offer more space and lifestyle tradeoffs.If you're relocating to Michigan from another state, this video will help you understand where your money may go further, which counties fit different lifestyles, and why Metro Detroit is not one single housing market. The right move depends on your budget, commute, schools, lifestyle, and long-term goals — not just what shows up first on Zillow.

Some of the best real estate and business conversations happen in the hallways of the Midwest Real Estate Investor Conference, and every year since 2019 we sit down with our good friend Ramond Harris II to see what he's built since we last talked. This year Ramond walks through the full pivot from running a $3.6 million FedEx Ground operation to buying and rebuilding a commercial painting business serving apartment developers across Metro Detroit. It's an honest, unscripted look at what it actually takes to turn a struggling acquisition around, why margin beats revenue, and where a hustling operator still bleeds money when the bookkeeping can't keep up with the growth. Justin Workman joins to press Ramond on the numbers and hand him a few fixes he can use Monday morning. About Ramond Harris II Ramond Harris II is a Detroit-based operator and real estate investor. He grew a FedEx Ground route business from roughly $450,000 in revenue and four trucks into a $3.6 million operation with 36 delivery vans and 54 employees before exiting at the end of 2024. He now owns a 24-year-old commercial painting company focused on apartment new construction and repaints, and he continues to run rental property and fix-and-flip projects. What We Cover in This Episode Why Ramond exited a $3.6 million FedEx Ground business and what he kept from it Buying an established 24-year-old commercial painting company instead of starting from scratch The 12 to 18 month bid-to-start cycle that left the paint company dry for a full year How 48 bids in 2025 turned into $1.4 million in Q1 2026 contracts and a $4 million goal Networking into big general contractors like Sachse, O'Brien, Ronish, and Paragon Using Section 3 and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) status to win work and protect margin Why the painting business has better margins and fewer headaches than logistics Niching down to apartment buildings only: new construction and repaints The Higginbotham Project, a 100-unit Detroit school-to-apartments conversion Using fix and flips as bread-and-butter cash flow to survive the dry year (resiliency in practice) Leadership on the job site: staffing cutters, rollers, sprayers, and preppers The bookkeeping and job-costing gaps that come with fast growth, and how to close them Why the leftover trucks keep costing money and the case for cutting the loss How Detroit property taxes uncapped on his rentals and doubled his assessment How Ramond uses ChatGPT for blueprints, invoices, loan packages, and decision-making Key Insight A year ago at this same conference, Ramond had just bought a painting company and had no work, because the prior owner had stopped bidding and paint jobs run on a 12 to 18 month clock. Instead of panicking, he went back to his bread and butter, ran four flips to keep cash moving, and put in 48 bids. By the first quarter of 2026 he had signed $1.4 million in contracts, with another $900,000 in the second quarter and a real shot at a $4 million year. The comeback wasn't luck. It was pricing discipline, relentless bidding, and using his Section 3 and MBE status to get in the door. Why This Episode Matters If you run a small business or a real estate portfolio, Ramond's story is a live example of two things that decide whether operators survive: staying resilient when a bet isn't paying off yet, and being honest about where you're still losing money. The episode is worth it for the on-air diagnosis alone, watching a growing operator get called out on his bookkeeping, his job costing, and the trucks he still hasn't sold, and walk away with fixes he can put to work immediately. Find Out More VR Quality Painting Instagram: @harrisfamilycontracting Instagram: @mrplayoffensedaily Facebook Sponsors Today's episode is brought to you by Green Property Management, managing everything from single family homes to apartment complexes in the West Michigan area. https://www.livegreenlocal.com And RCB & Associates, helping Michigan-based real estate investors and small business owners navigate the complex world of health insurance and Medicare benefits. https://www.rcbassociatesllc.com

Industrial Talk is onsite at MD&M West and talking to Scott Kraemer, Senior Sales Manager at Xact Metal about "Evolution of Additive Manufacturing". Scott Kraemer, a seasoned manufacturing professional with over 35 years of experience, discusses his company, Xact Metal, which specializes in affordable 3D printing of metal parts. Xact Metal's printers, made in the USA, are priced around $160,000 and can handle various materials like stainless steel, Inconel, and titanium. Kraemer emphasizes the importance of educating the youth about manufacturing careers and the potential of 3D printing to revolutionize industries, particularly in tooling and medical applications. He also highlights the company's nimbleness in adapting to industry needs, such as printing with sub-15 micron powders for intricate details. MDNM West Event Introduction and Welcome Scott introduces the episode of Industrial Talk, sponsored by MD&M West and News and Brews, highlighting the event's focus on med tech, automation, packaging, plastics, and design.Scott thanks listeners for supporting the podcast and celebrates industry professionals for their boldness, bravery, and problem-solving skills.Scott mentions the importance of attending MD&M West in 2027 to meet industry leaders and innovators like Scott Kramer. Scott Kramer's Introduction and Background Scott introduces Scott Kramer, highlighting his role at Xact Metal and the company's contributions to solving today's problems.Scott Kramer shares his extensive experience in manufacturing, including plastic injection mold design, sheet metal stampings, and automation equipment.Scott discusses his transition to 3D printing in metal about 15 years ago and his efforts to educate the youth about manufacturing careers.Scott mentions his current residence in Raleigh, North Carolina, and his background in Metro Detroit. Xact Metal's Solutions and Market Position Scott explains that Xact Metal makes 3D printers for metal parts, making the technology affordable for a wider range of users.He describes the company's printers as being made in the USA and sold globally, with a price range starting around $160,000.Scott highlights the company's focus on making metal 3D printing accessible and the variety of materials they can work with, including stainless steel, Inconel, and titanium.He discusses the company's nimbleness in developing new printers to meet specific industry needs, such as the ability to print with sub-15 micron powders for tiny details. Challenges and Opportunities in Additive Manufacturing Scott addresses the challenges of multi-material printing, explaining the limitations and potential solutions.He discusses the preferred materials used in their process and the company's focus on the tooling industry, which has been slow to adopt metal additive manufacturing.Scott emphasizes the design freedom and efficiency gains possible with 3D printing, citing examples like lattice structures for bone growth and custom watch designs.He highlights the potential for faster production times and cost savings with 3D printing, especially for parts with smaller cross-sectional areas. Inspiring the Next Generation of Manufacturers Scott shares his personal journey of discovering a career in manufacturing through his visualization skills and early job experiences.He discusses his efforts to educate students at all levels about manufacturing careers, emphasizing the importance of starting early.Scott shares a story about his son's apprenticeship at Superior Tooling, which helped him discover his passion for hands-on work.He highlights the need for more apprenticeship programs and better awareness of manufacturing careers to inspire the next generation. Conclusion and Contact Information Scott provides his contact information, encouraging listeners to reach out to him on LinkedIn.Scott thanks Scott for his time and insights, emphasizing the importance of inspiring the next generation of manufacturers.Scott wraps up the episode, encouraging listeners to attend MD&M West in 2027 and to connect with Scott and Xact Metal for more information.The episode concludes with a promotional message about Industrial Talk's media, marketing, and PR services for the manufacturing industry. If interested in being on the Industrial Talk show, simply contact us and let's have a quick conversation. Finally, get your exclusive free access to the Industrial Academy and a series on “Why You Need To Podcast” for Greater Success in 2026. All links designed for keeping you current in this rapidly changing Industrial Market. Learn! Grow! Enjoy! SCOTT KRAEMER'S CONTACT INFORMATION: Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-kraemer-%E2%9A%99%EF%B8%8F-b781481a/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xactmetal/ Company Website: https://xactmetal.com/ PODCAST VIDEO: https://youtu.be/fwQ8ko03zZc THE STRATEGIC REASON "WHY YOU NEED TO PODCAST": OTHER GREAT INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES: NEOM: https://www.neom.com/en-us Hexagon: https://hexagon.com/ Arduino: https://www.arduino.cc/ Fictiv: https://www.fictiv.com/ Hitachi Vantara: https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/home.html Industrial Marketing Solutions:  https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-marketing/ Industrial Academy: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial-academy/ Industrial Dojo: https://industrialtalk.com/industrial_dojo/ We the 15: https://www.wethe15.org/ YOUR INDUSTRIAL DIGITAL TOOLBOX: LifterLMS: Get One Month Free for $1 – https://lifterlms.com/ Active Campaign: Active Campaign Link Social Jukebox: https://www.socialjukebox.com/ Industrial Academy (One Month Free Access And One Free License For Future Industrial Leader): Business Beatitude the Book Do you desire a more joy-filled, deeply-enduring sense of accomplishment and success? 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We start with a very cool story about Jack White, "Seven Nation Army," and how seven little notes turned into one of the biggest chants in global sports. Then we get into something a lot closer to home: A cyclospora outbreak that has Taco Bell locations pulling lettuce and cilantro off the menu, and what that says about cuts to CDC surveillance and how we think about food safety in Michigan. From there, Norris and I dig into Lansing's proposed "quiet cars" bill aimed at loud exhausts up and down Woodward, why noise is part of living near big thoroughfares, and how enforcement can too easily slide into pretextual stops for Black drivers and folks just trying to get to work with a busted muffler. More: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2026/07/13/michigan-bills-law-loud-cars-modified-exhaust-woodward/90472088007/ We close with some good news: Concert of Colors kicks off in Midtown, honoring the late Ishmael Ahmed and bringing multi-generational, global sounds to the DIA and surrounding venues — one of those "if you live here, you really should go at least once" Detroit events. https://www.concertofcolors.com/ I encourage listeners to take the Daily Detroit political topology survey at dailydetroit.com/9 and send your topic ideas to dailydetroit@gmail.com. Full Rundown: 01:33 - Seven Nation Army video and Daily Detroit political topography survey 06:22 - There's a growing Cyclosporiasis outbreak throughout Michigan, including taking lettuce of the menu of a number of restaurants include Taco Bell at some Metro Detroit location 11:43 A bill pushing for quieter cars working it's way through the Michigan legislature 17:10 Concert of Colors is back this week

Circle August 4th on your calendar: Michigan is now the number one marquee primary matchup I'm watching. Mallory McMorrow is out of the race as of a couple of weeks ago, and what's left is a head-to-head contest between the Democratic establishment — or at least what's left of it — and the insurgent progressive movement. Yes, friends, it's Haley Stevens versus Abdul El-Sayed, and it's set to be a knockout fight.This really represents the first live test for the current Democratic Party. Can the progressive movement, with a more charismatic candidate and a high-energy, extraordinarily competent campaign, expand its coalition enough to win statewide? Or will it do what it's done in the past — hit a ceiling when the opposition consolidates?There's only one new clean head-to-head test: a Tavern Research survey from July 6th through July 7th of 2,211 likely Democratic primary voters. It found Haley Stevens at 42%, El-Sayed at 41%, with 17 to 18% undecided. That's a margin-of-error race, but it's the first time in a very long time that we've seen Haley Stevens up over Abdul. The same poll tested the old three-person field and found El-Sayed at 41%, Stevens at 38%, and the flagging McMorrow at five. In other words, when McMorrow disappears, the voters are forced into a binary choice, and they're making it more on the Stevens side than the El-Sayed side. But still: tight, tight, tight, tight, tight.Politics Politics Politics is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Because we live in reboot culture, this is essentially — coalitionally, at least — Bernie Sanders versus Hillary Clinton for a new generation. The Stevens coalition is exactly like Hill-dogs: older voters, Black voters, traditional self-identified Democrats, non-college voters, and on the Michigan side, Metro Detroit — particularly Oakland, Macomb, and Wayne counties. What's powering Stevens is Black voters. She's led El-Sayed consistently in almost every poll. Meanwhile, Abdul's coalition is younger voters, very liberal and progressive voters, college-educated voters, voters outside Metro Detroit, Democratic Socialists, Arab Americans, and Muslim organizing networks. He also has significant labor support, including the UAW endorsement, despite most UAW members being non-college educated, which would normally fall outside his coalition. A very strange world we live in.The one demographic that's going to decide this race is women. They're the biggest disputed demo in every poll we've seen. An April Glenn Gariff poll showed Stevens leading among women 29% to 17%. But in a June Mitchell poll, the exact opposite was demonstrated: El-Sayed led with women 51% to Stevens's 35%. So as we look at the rest of the polls from now until Election Day, keep an eye on the ladies. They're the majority of the likely Democratic primary electorate. If Stevens can consolidate older and Black women while also inheriting McMorrow's suburban women, she can win. But if El-Sayed's progressive and younger female support holds, his coalition may be large enough to break through.Which brings me to the latest front of this war. I don't know if it's being done to court women, I don't know if it's being done specifically on purpose, but the results are undeniable: El-Sayed and Stevens are in an out-and-out shooting match to be more cringe. For Haley Stevens, this isn't something she has to worry about. She's naturally gifted in this regard. She's awkward, she has a thick Great Lakes accent, and she speaks in this clipped, emphatic manner. On one hand, she is herself. She feels less like a polished Washington candidate and more like somebody who wandered out of a Detroiters sketch. Abdul El-Sayed has the opposite problem. He's clearly a charismatic, compassionate candidate, a strong communicator, and an aggressive counterpuncher. But if you're running against him, your job is to make El-Sayed scare the hos. I think his campaign has found a solution: make himself toe-cringingly embarrassing. My read — and this is analysis, not something the campaign has admitted — is that cringe is a form of inoculation against being defined as scary. If you're embarrassing, you can't be terrifying.So who's going to win? I'm an old-school guy. I tend to bet chalk unless I'm convinced otherwise. And while I very much believe El-Sayed has the better campaign, and I think he's the better candidate if we're just looking at raw talent, I'd still bet the Michigan coalition that usually wins. Haley Stevens is a suboptimal candidate, and I've counted her out at every step of this race. I thought McMorrow was going to win. That obviously didn't happen. So don't take my prediction for a whole lot. But Stevens doesn't really have to do anything but be her cringy self to get over the line. Meanwhile, waiting on the other side, smiling like the butcher's dog, is Mike Rogers. He nearly beat Elissa Slotkin in 2024, losing by only 18 to 20,000 votes, about 0.3%. This is supposed to be more of a blue-wave year, but Rogers is going to benefit from a fractured leftward coalition. After Stevens and El-Sayed spend weeks beating the hell out of each other, the question is whether the losing half comes home. If they don't, Rogers benefits.Chapters00:00:00 - Intro00:03:01 - Michigan Preview00:14:58 - Update00:22:04 - Trump's Upcoming Address00:25:40 - Reconciliation00:29:36 - Inflation00:32:37 - Interview with Bill Scher01:20:01 - Wrap-up This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.politicspoliticspolitics.com/subscribe

Living In Northville Michigan - Thinking about moving to Northville, Michigan? This video is a complete, honest breakdown of what it's really like to live here and whether it's worth the price. Home prices, neighborhoods, schools, property taxes, commute times, and the pros and cons you'll want to know before you tour.Northville sits 27 miles northwest of Detroit and 17 miles from Ann Arbor, with a walkable historic downtown, top rated schools, Victorian architecture, and three straight years of steady appreciation. It's one of the most desirable communities in Metro Detroit and one a lot of out of state buyers overlook. By the end of this video you'll know whether it belongs on your list.▸ Living In Salem Michigan: The City No One Talks About → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4Mm50xFKOs▸Living In Lyon Township Michigan → https://youtu.be/m1m6vYk2Wzk?si=BSfBj669hbtdA5giCONTACT ME

Are you an overachieving director, VP, or high-performing corporate leader crushing your quarterly targets, yet secretly looking for a predictable pathway to expand your professional options outside the enterprise?   In this dynamic guest conversation, host Billy Keels sits down with Fred Sharp, the managing partner of Clubhouse Ventures and former NCAA Division One walk-on athlete. Fred pulls back the curtain on his rapid corporate rise, detailing what it was like to be hand-selected at age 30 to serve as the Chief of Staff for the Chief Revenue Officer of a $4 Billion global tech line of business. Discover how Fred intentionally structured his 168 hours to quietly build a premium sports tech venture fund while managing massive global corporate operations, and learn why understanding the unvarnished reality that corporations move forward with or without you is the ultimate mental key to unlocking professional freedom.  

In this episode, Donna and Sam sat down with Sheba Rogers, Liz Kennedy, Ali Lakhani  and Valerie Kelly-Bonner to discuss a series of mental health roundtable discussions Detroit Justice, Henry Ford Health's Trauma Recovery Center, and Strategies to Overcome Obstacles and Avoid Recidivism (SOOAR) have hosted in the city.Trauma is often thought of as an injury resulting from a motor vehicle crash or gunshot wound. However, trauma can be any event resulting in physical, emotional, or life-threatening harm that has lasting adverse effects on an individual. The Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) is working to promote resiliency and holistic recovery for survivors following a crime. Their mission is to maximize the recovery of traumatically injured patients, families and communities through support, mental health services, education and access to resources.Since its founding in 2005, SOOAR has been committed to enhancing the lives of those in need throughout the Metro Detroit area. They measure success not just through data, but through the stories, feedback, and visible improvements in community well-being. SOOAR uses a holistic approach—offering education, support, and engagement—to promote healthier behaviors, reduce harms, and build stronger, resilient communities.The Detroit Justice Center (DJC) is a non-profit law firm and advocacy organization working to create just cities where every life is valued and supported with dignity and care. They are a national organization rooted in Detroit—a city emblematic of both the harms of racial capitalism and the resilience of community-led solutions. They engage in legal, policy, and narrative work to inspire the work of building just cities across the nation.To stay up to date on all things Authentically Detroit, click here. THIS WEEK IN THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE:BENSON BRINGS GOVERNOR CAMPAIGN ACROSS MICHIGAN Support the showFollow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. 

Mike Mannino is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, and operator who has fixed and flipped more than 100 homes throughout Metro Detroit. He later expanded into multifamily real estate and self-storage investing, building a portfolio that includes more than 220 apartment units and hundreds of self-storage units. Through his company, he focuses on acquiring multifamily distressed assets and value-add opportunities that generate significant equity growth and long-term cash flow.    Here's some of the topics we covered:   From House Flips to 220+ Units The Tax Bill That Forced a Multifamily Pivot Turning a 68 Unit Property Into $3M in Equity The Simple Upgrades That Drove 50% Rent Growth Three Wholesale Deals That Paid Over $570K The Painful 19 Unit Deal That Nearly Went Empty Why Today's Distress Market Is a Once in a Lifetime Opportunity   If you'd like to apply to the warrior program and do deals with other rockstars in this business: Text crush to 72345 and we'll be speaking soon.   For more about Rod and his real estate investing journey go to www.rodkhleif.com  

Keith shares his "dirty dozen" due diligence questions every investor should ask before buying property, from gauging build-to-rent saturation and local job growth to testing cash flow and exit strategies.  He explains why even new-builds still need inspections and how to think about rents that may stay flat while expenses rise.  Aundrea Newbern, an experienced investor, broker, and property manager active in Southeast Georgia and Michigan, offers a real-world look at today's long-term and short-term rental markets, including shifting tenant behavior and local restrictions.  She also details how she's using AI to streamline property management, improve screening, optimize pricing, and cut maintenance costs, giving listeners practical ideas to apply in their own portfolios. Episode Page: GetRichEducation.com/610 For access to properties or free help with a GRE Investment Coach, start here: GREmarketplace.com GRE Free Investment Coaching: GREinvestmentcoach.com Get mortgage loans for investment property: RidgeLendingGroup.com or call 855-74-RIDGE  or e-mail: info@RidgeLendingGroup.com Invest with Freedom Family Investments.  For predictable 10-12% quarterly returns, visit FreedomFamilyInvestments.com/GRE or text  FAMILY to 66866  Unlock truly passive real estate income—visit flockhomes.com/GRE today to see if your properties qualify for a 721 exchange with Flock Homes. To get in the best physical, mental, and professional shape of your life, go to DanielThomasHind.com and apply for Daniel's intensive 1-on-1 coaching for burnt-out entrepreneurs and executives. Will you please leave a review for the show? I'd be grateful. Search "how to leave an Apple Podcasts review"  For advertising inquiries, visit: GetRichEducation.com/ad Best Financial Education: GetRichEducation.com Get our wealth-building newsletter free— GREletter.com  Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/GetRichEducation Follow us on Instagram: @getricheducation Complete episode transcript:   Keith Weinhold  0:01   Keith, welcome to GRE. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold, talking about vital due diligence questions that you have to know the answers to before you buy your next property. Even advanced investors don't know to ask some of these. Then a terrific guest tells us how she is practically applying AI to increase rental occupancy, save on maintenance expenses and drive rental income today on Get Rich Education.   Speaker 1  0:28   Since 2014 the powerful Get Rich Education podcast has created more passive income for people than nearly any other show in the world. This show teaches you how to earn strong returns from passive real estate investing in the best markets without losing your time being a flipper or landlord show host Keith Weinhold writes for both Forbes and Rich Dad advisors, and delivers a new show every week. Since 2014 there's been millions of listener downloads in 188 world nations. He has a list show guests and key top-selling personal finance author Robert Kiyosaki. Get rich education can be heard on every podcast platform, plus it has its own dedicated Apple and Android listener phone apps. Build wealth on the go with the Get Rich Education podcast. Sign up now for the Get Rich Education podcast, or visit getricheducation.com   Keith Weinhold  1:11   You know, Mid South Home Buyers, that top Memphis turnkey provider, I learned that a secret weapon behind their explosive growth is more than just you buying their properties, it's an executive coach for nine years now. Their CEO, Terry Kerr, and his COO, Pat Nix, have worked privately with a coach who I've now learned from too, and he doesn't market himself online anywhere. After 12 years behind the scenes, that coach is now making himself available exclusively for GRE listeners, his name is Daniel Thomas Hind. If you're a hard-charging business owner or investor who wants to get in the best shape of your life physically, mentally, and professionally, you can fill out an application for a free consult. This is private one on one coaching for those willing to go to uncommon lengths to achieve uncommon results. Thanks to Daniel, we've all become better leaders, better operators, and better men. It started by showing up for ourselves. Now it's your turn. Go to danielthomashind.com H I N D, that's Daniel Thomas hind.com and sign up before Spotsville Flock Homes helps multifamily owners exit the operator grind, whether it's your sixplex or a 50 unit apartment through a 721 exchange. This defers your capital gains tax. It's a strategy long used by institutions. Now you can swap tenants and toilets for passive income and zero management. Request your initial valuations. See if your property qualifies at flockhomes.com/gre that's F L O C K homes.com / G R E.   Speaker 2  2:57   You're listening to the show that has created more financial freedom than nearly any show in the world. This is Get Rich Education.   Keith Weinhold  3:13   Welcome to GRE. I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. The world's biggest problems are also the world's biggest businesses. That's not a coincidence, and it squarely includes the problem of having enough quality housing. We talk about how to do that profitably and diligently, and on the topic of diligence, I've got a dirty dozen due diligence questions, call it I suppose these are smart questions to ask before you get under contract to buy your next property, and some of these could just as well apply to your existing rental property. Build to rent properties have become so popular, but ask the question, are these build to rent properties becoming overbuilt in this neighborhood? That's the first due diligence question, and a lot of investors overlook this, so you got to be mindful that build to rent often means lots of new construction in one smaller defined area. What you should do is ensure that new supply is being absorbed by renters. Some red flags to look out for are if multiple nearby communities are offering heavy concessions or free rent enticements, that is a sign that they're having difficulty luring in new renters to the area, and now taking a couple months to rent a brand new build isn't that unusual, but does the whole thing kind of feel like a mattress liquidation sale? Renters shouldn't have more signing bonuses than NFL free agents. The next due diligence question: Does this market still have population? And job growth, or am I late to the party? New workplace construction is a bullish market sign. Workplace construction, I'm talking about like a new office building, especially a new medical clinic, a new data center, a new factory. These signs are super bullish for an area, because not only does that attract the jobs and support the housing, as you can imagine, but see, that also means that whomever built the new workplace, oh, they probably did some research, and they're bullish about that area for a reason, they're going to look into that and do their due diligence that you can leverage before they spend perhaps 10s of millions of dollars or more in building a new workplace.    Keith Weinhold  5:45   The population should be stable or rising. Red flags are if growth already peaked and layoffs are increasing, don't arrive late to the party after the DJ has already packed up. The next question, when you're looking into a property, is is this unit likely to cash flow on day one? You know, you need to wonder, is the unit occupied or vacant. Some investors don't even think to ask that question until they get down the road a ways. When it's occupied, does the rent meet or exceed expenses with a buffer for maintenance and vacancy, now, if it's negatively cash flowing and you're solely enjoying the other four ways real estate pays, that might be okay, but you need to be comfortable with adopting a monthly bill that may or may not work. And do you know what I call a negatively cash flowing property? I call it a 401k property, because you have to keep feeding it every month like it's a 401k. A negatively cash flowing property effectively reduces your salary like a 401k does, and anyone that is serious about building real wealth when they're young enough to enjoy it would not invest in a 401k outside of the employer match portion.    Keith Weinhold  7:07   I'm your host Keith Weinhold. Here on Get Rich Education, episode 610 I've answered three out of twelve dirty dozen due diligence questions, and with abundantly minded grow your means answers that you're just not going to find on ChatGPT. Before I get to the fourth one, do you know what the word diligence means? Anyway, you probably have some idea. The definition of diligence is the quality of working carefully and persistently, demonstrating steady effort and thorough attention to a task. It implies a strong work ethic, meticulousness, and a commitment to completing duties well. All right, that is the definition. Diligence is the opposite of negligence. The next one, does my new build property need an inspection first? And this is a question, actually, that came in from Jake in Manhattan. Yes, it always does, whether it's resale or new build. It is always a good idea to get an inspection. One of the biggest misconceptions, really, is that new build means problem free.   Keith Weinhold  8:16   People just equate new build with problem free. No, that is not the case. New build can have problems. There could still be foundation cracks that are beyond normal settling, perhaps improperly installed roof flashing that could cause leaks, maybe windows or doors that are installed out of square, and a bunch more stuff that could be wrong, even in new build a presale inspection after you get the property under contract that only costs 350-650 dollars for single family rentals and 500-900 dollars for a duplex. This is cheap insurance. It's also good peace of mind, get it done. Sometimes investors want to skip the inspection when they need a quick close. Buyer, beware of the risk. The fifth due diligence question: What happens to my numbers if rents flatten for two years? And this is a more germane question than usual today, because rent growth is slow here in this cycle. Single-family rents are up just 1.3% year over year per totality, and expenses tend to rise with inflation. All right, so if your rents flatten for two years, project that ahead like your other expenses are rising, and see that the property would still remain financially stable. We cannot build a business plan on motivational quotes. Next, am I buying near major employers or near hopes and dreams with work from home trends, which can probably better be called. Called work from anywhere, trends buying near major employers is actually less important today, but it still matters. It is good to have diversified employers and stable payrolls somewhat nearby. Promises about future development might never happen. Sheesh, some areas have been up and coming since cassette tapes, the seventh due diligence question, what's the property tax trajectory here? That's the question. Taxes are often stable and increases predictable, but is there a local budget shortfall? And see, this is the type of due diligence that few people do keep in mind, and I'm bringing up new build a lot, because there are so many new build income properties today on new builds. Also, look out, year one taxes can look deceptively low until improved property is assessed in year two, and any reputable provider, and when you contact our GRE investment coaching here, we're going to point that out to you.    Keith Weinhold  11:05   This is how you can, though, sometimes get unusually low property taxes in year one if they have not assessed the improvement yet. Question eight, and this comes from Violet in Peoria, Arizona, is the builder offering real incentives, or are they just hiding the true price? Okay, well, incentives - they should genuinely improve your deal without inflating the pricing. Here, look out for sunglasses and a fake mustache for financing. It's mandatory that you have an appraisal. This protects you against overpaying in an appraisal, even though it's done for bank collateral purposes, checking the quality of their collateral, which is the property, you know, it is also a good independent third-party valuation check. This is a good tool to keep you from overpaying. Back around the 2008 days, the global financial crisis, you know, often then the lender and the appraiser could collude to give you favorable appraisals, somewhat inflated values, and as it turned out, I was an investor then and ended up being the beneficiary of some of those favorable appraisals, but since then the CFPB, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, stepped in. They were formed to step in, so that those parties are no longer in cahoots with each other, and yes, incentives are explicitly disclosed to the lender and appraiser. For example, if you have a seller that offers to pay half of your closing costs if you pay their full sale price. Okay, the appraisers do know that they have that information before they provide you with the appraised value. Ninth, what's the vacancy rate in this area right now? This is a good due diligence question to ask. A balanced market has about five to 6% vacancy, eight to 10% or more. That can often be the sign of a weak market, but this might be all right in build to rent communities, and that's due to longer initial lease up periods that you have there. Due diligence question 10. Would I still want this property if appreciation slowed dramatically? You want to ask yourself this question because you cannot predict appreciation. The answer to this question is most likely yes.   Keith Weinhold  13:35   You would still want the property even if appreciation slowed dramatically, because as a listener here, you understand that with a 20% down payment, just 2% price appreciation creates a 10% return on your equity, and you're also benefiting from the other four ways real estate pays, but if you're absolutely counting on appreciation to do all of the heavy lifting over the long term, that's less investing, and that is more hoping with spreadsheets. What's more predictable is something like inflation profiting on your loan, which is a force on its own. Next, ask this question: How old are the big ticket items like the roof, HVAC, plumbing, sewer, and electrical? I mean, if you get a number of expensive items that are near the end of their life, you could soon become emotionally attached to ibuprofen. At GRE Marketplace, we work with either extensively renovated properties or new build properties, so this is rarely a concern. These big capex items, capital expenditures, and that is really the way to go. Extensively renovated or new build property, because see that way the cost of having all this done for you both. Before you buy the property, that means that what you're essentially doing is financing the cost of all this into the loan, you're financing into the new roof, HVAC, plumbing, sewer, electrical, if any of that applies, and if you're buying a fixer upper, well, then a lot of times you need to pay cash for these items, and you lose repair time where the property could have been rented during that renovation time. Work with our investment coaching here, and you're going to be all set. Those big ticket items are rarely a concern. And then what happens is, if you have a break even or a positively cash flowing property. The tenant covers all of your operating expenses with the rent payment, and you never have to pay any money at all for these big ticket items. They pay for your mortgage and everything else, and you never lose the time because these things were done before you bought.    Keith Weinhold  16:01   And the last one question 12. What you want to ask is, what's the exit strategy if I ever want to sell? That's the last question. Begin with the end in mind. The fewer doors the property has, the easier it is to sell. Single family homes win big here. I mean, your eventual buyer down the road, they could be a gleeful owner occupant, even if the rental math were poor. That buyer wouldn't even know that the rental math is poor, because they're not renting it out, they're going to live there themselves. Sometimes your single family rental tenant even becomes your eventual buyer. This can work with duplexes too. Sometimes you can get an owner occupant, or your tenant stays there and continues to reside there as they're the owner, and they rent out the other side as well. But if you're trying to sell at 30 duplex, well, now you're exposed to cap rates and investor sentiment and market cycles, it's sort of like trying to offload a small corporation. That doesn't mean that apartments are bad, but they are substantially less liquid than single family rentals. That's your exit strategy that we're looking at. They are the dirty dozen due diligence questions every investor feels bumps, I have you will too, but these questions and answers are really going to go a long way toward helping you own right, and when you stick with it, real estate is a forgiving and lucrative asset class because you're paid in so many ways. Hey, coming up shortly, a guest that you haven't heard from in a while, and I know that some of you have missed hearing her voice. We'll talk a bit about the state of the real estate market here in a period where prices are remarkably stable, housing transactions are only about 80% what they usually are, and then we'll discuss how she's using AI in her real estate investing today. It's how she's increasing her occupancy and optimizing the amount of rent being collected. She splits her time in a couple ways between real estate markets in both Michigan and Georgia, and then in both the short term and long-term rental markets. That's next. I'm Keith Weinhold. You're listening to Get Rich Education. What if you got your mortgage loans the same place I get mine?   Keith Weinhold  18:31   You sure can at Ridge Lending Group, NMLS 42056 They provided GRE listeners with more loans than anyone, because Ridge specializes in investment property, they'll help you build a long-term plan for growing your real estate empire with leverage. Start your prequal, and even chat directly with President Chayley Ridge. While it's on your mind, start at ridgelendinggroup.com that's ridgelendinggroup.com Let me ask you something, if you've worked hard to build wealth, is your money positioned to actually support your goals? A lot of accredited investors leave capital sitting in cash because it feels safe, but inflation and missed income opportunities can quietly erode its value. Freedom Family Investments offers freedom notes for investors seeking structured income backed by real estate, it's a straightforward approach built on real assets, not speculation. In full disclosure, I'm an investor myself. What I like is that their team walks you through how it all works, so you can decide if it aligns with your portfolio and income goals. Every investment carries risk, and nothing is guaranteed, but with a track record of consistent on-time investor payouts, they've built real credibility. Go to Freedom Family investments.com to book a clarity call, or text Family 266-866 that's Family 266-866,    Speaker 3  20:02   Hi, this is Russell Gray, co-host of the Real Estate Guys Radio Show, and you're listening to Get Rich Education with Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream. We've got a special treat for you today is for the first time in a few years we hear from someone that's served since 2020 in house here in both operations and as an investment coach. Today she serves GRE in a different capacity internally, but a lot of you still ask about her. That's why she's here. She's got both the formal education with her MBA, and is about as robust in being a real estate investor as you can be at the same time. Oh, it's a warm welcome back to the talented Andrea Newburn.   Aundrea Newbern  20:51   Hey, Keith, it's so great to be back. It's been a long time.   Keith Weinhold  20:54   Well, you've continued to grow not just in your business but in your family size since you were last here. Congrats there. I'd like your thoughts, just generally, about the American residential real estate investment market today, where we've got these sort of rising prices in low supply areas, we have slightly falling prices in oversupplied areas, we've got mortgage rates that have normalized, we've got tough affordability for renters that want to be first time home buyers, so just tell us about what you see, big picture. Andrea,   Aundrea Newbern  21:28   Yeah, absolutely, and so I invest and operate predominantly in the Southeast, so this will probably be a little bit more of a lens from the Southeast market, but as you know, I still actively invest in real estate myself. I help, you know people buy rental properties, also. But then the main thing that I'm doing now is I have a property management company down in Southeast Georgia, and so I'm seeing things more from the lens of what investors are doing, where they're investing, where rents are going, and if people are even buying properties. So it's been a little bit interesting. I mean, what I'm seeing is that, as you all know, it slowed down. We're not seeing as many investors buy properties, but people still are doing it, and they're still finding good cash flowing properties. Where the challenges come in is you're not making as much money on these properties as you did four or five years ago, so you know your margins are going to be a little bit less, your cash flow is going to be a little bit less. And then we're seeing, you know, rents kind of stabilize depending on the type of asset class that it is, so you know things are not doing wonderfully, but they're stable from what I'm seeing in the southeast market,   Keith Weinhold  22:31   and now you do a good bit of investing in sort of Brunswick and out toward the Georgia coast, including places like Jekyll Island, where G. Edward Griffin wrote his book about the formation of the Fed, and all that in general. How has that area been from a residential supply standpoint? For example, we know in neighboring Florida they've had a lot of oversupplied pockets. How are we looking there? I think you have a lot of occupancy right now from talking to you earlier.   Aundrea Newbern  22:59   We do, so I manage two different types of investments, right? I manage the long-term rental properties. There's less of those like on Jekyll Island, there's more of those in the mainland and Brunswick. And then we do the vacation rentals, which is very, very heavy on Jekyll Island and St. Simons Island. What we're seeing this year, if we talk about maybe those vacation rentals first, and then I'll talk about the long-term vacation rentals, we're still seeing a lot of demand, a lot of people are still coming. We're not really down from this time last year, but the one big thing we're seeing is people are booking their vacations last minute, they're not booking them months in advance at this point. So that's definitely had a little bit of an impact and had us on edge, because we're like, okay, where are these vacations? And then, sure enough, they're booking a couple weeks out now, so that's going really well. The investors that have purchased homes on Jekyll and St. Simons, especially Jekyll, are doing really good. They're still making a lot of money. They have high occupancy. Where are we seeing a little bit more of the challenge is with the long-term rentals. So rents are kind of staying flat from where they were last year in some of those B and C markets. We may even see a slight decrease, just a couple percentage points, and then it's taking longer to fill the property. So last year we could typically get a qualified runner in in three to four weeks. Now we're seeing anywhere from five to eight weeks. Right now,   Keith Weinhold  24:11   as far as on the short term side, have restrictions affected you at all, like banning Airbnbs, for example, and how have you seen that play out in other areas? Because you certainly network with other people that do short-term rentals. Can you tell us about that?   Aundrea Newbern  24:26   Yeah, absolutely. So I can talk about the Southeast market, for one, where in Jekyll, St. Simons, Brunswick, we're seeing no rental restrictions whatsoever. We do have to have a process to register the rental with a county, but it's so easy. It's literally a form. We do an inspection once a year, and that is it. I don't know that this is a fact, but a lot of the commissioners and politicians in the area also have rental properties. I think that probably has a little bit of an impact on that up here in Michigan, which, you know, I have another home, and I live in Michigan part of the time as well. There's a lot of restrictions, in fact, my. House right now is in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and they already have a rental ban where you can't do less than 30 days, so you're already having to go into that midterm market, and now they have some proposals up with the local municipality to even eliminate some of that, so we're seeing that in this area.   Keith Weinhold  25:17   Generally, do you tend to see it in nicer, ritzier areas where they want to make the short-term rental restrictions.   Aundrea Newbern  25:24   Yes, I do. Absolutely. Up here in Sterling Heights, where I live, the average home of my neighborhood is around five to six hundred thousand dollards and they absolutely do not want those here. But if you go a few neighborhoods over, where you're looking more of like the two hundreed to three hundred thousand dollars range, they don't seem to have as much of an issue with those. There   Keith Weinhold  25:40   We've been talking about short term rentals in both Southeast Georgia and then in Metro Detroit, where you currently spend quite a bit of your time. Talk to us about the long term rental market with affordability for buying being down, that really hurts the prospective first time home buyer, so they need to be more likely to rent, which would make some people wonder. Oh, well, then how could vacancy possibly go up in an area? Well, you know, migration - we've touched on it - is one reason why that might happen. Another reason why it might happen is you might see more doubling up.   Aundrea Newbern  26:15   Yeah, we do. We see a lot more families coming in. In fact, last week we just rented a property out to somebody where the parents were renting with their children, their grown adult children that also had kids, they're getting bigger houses, right? So they're actually feeling that need to fill up some of our larger homes, but it's multi-generational now. We are seeing a lot more roommates come in, too, instead of two roommates, you'll see three people come in and get a house together. The other thing we've noticed that's been really drastic, maybe the last three or four months, is the debt load that we're seeing. So, when we run people's background checks and look, they've got a lot of credit card debt now. We didn't see that as much years prior.   Keith Weinhold  26:50   All right, so you're seeing that at the street level, that's a statistic that we can read about, that American savings rates are down and the proportion of debt is often up. You're seeing it in real time, there. Do you see potentially, Andrea, this propensity for people to want to sort of bend things and have someone that's not on the lease live there with them in order to cut costs? So, you know, is there really anything in this environment that we really need to be careful about when we're screening tenants with them having such a debt load, and having to struggle with inflation and rising prices.   Aundrea Newbern  27:23   Yeah, absolutely. The debt load, number one, you know, we'll see them increasing, and that's something we want to keep an eye on. So, we're having to kind of retool our policies to look more critically at that debt load. They may not be delinquent on anything now, but if we've seen it gone up significantly in the last few months, I bet you it's coming. So, we're trying to retool our policies to be able to deal with that, you mentioned people having unauthorized tenants in the home that has persistently been an issue for us, maybe the past year. We find this often that that's happening, and usually it's because that person wouldn't qualify on the application, but they still bring in money and can help with the rent. The third thing, and this is with the advent of AI, right, how big AI has come is, we're seeing a lot of documents that are clearly fraudulent, but they look really, really good, because AI has created them. So that's another issue.   Keith Weinhold  28:09   Gosh, that's interesting. Well, I want to ask you more about AI, and you know, Aundrea, America is in such a weird time with AI today. You probably saw it at these college graduations across the nation, where a luminary is up front at the lectern making a commencement speech, and they get booed by students for talking about embracing AI, and that's probably because the student feels threatened about AI taking the job that they might not get, and you know what's funny, I suspect there's some of those same students, they loved it when AI helped them write an essay in order to get to graduation and wear that cap and gown, so..   Aundrea Newbern  28:51   Absolutely.   Keith Weinhold  28:52   Yeah, that's what I knew when I say that we're in a weird time with AI, but I know that you've really embraced AI as a property manager and investor almost from the get-go to make your property operations more efficient, so that you don't have to raise prices on owners, and you can keep those owner expenses down and increase resident retention at the same time. So, tell us more about how you're using it.   Aundrea Newbern  29:16   Yeah, so my team, I think, hates me for this right now, but in the last six months we have literally changed our operations front to back in a few different ways. Number one, we've changed the systems that we use, so you know, for vacation rentals as well as long-term rentals, you have your property management system that kind of streamlines everything, and that you do everything in. We've started going to platforms that are a little bit more AI friendly, so they have AI agents built in and they have AI functionality already in them, so that we're not having to purchase additional tools to come in and add them as a layer on top of our systems. So that's kind of the basic thing that we're doing, but the other fun things that I've been able to do, and I'm still, you know, working on this, and we're refining it daily, is using AI actually as kind of like a virtual assistant, essentially. So we do have virtual assistants with a company, and they're great, and we love them, and they do a wonderful job. However, they're human, so they're not perfect, but these AI agents, once you've trained them to do a lot of the back office tasks that your virtual assistants can do, after a certain number of iterations and training, they don't really make mistakes. So knowing that we have that, and we can continue building on that. We don't have to add FTE to our team, which increase our labor costs. That's allowing us to not raise our prices on our clients, and which I'm sure they're all happy about, because other property management companies are doing that right now,   Keith Weinhold  30:33   Right, so property management companies are going to have to do this to stay competitive and keep up, whether they want to or not, and when I think about using AI in real estate, you know, one of the first things I think of, just say that tenant journey from attracting the tenant to placing them. When I think of the cutting edge, I think of help with marketing and writing advertisements, which I think is kind of a simple thing to do, sort of an easy way to implement AI, and also when I think about that early part of the journey, really I think about using AI as a leasing assistant, and sort of how you see that more, the 24/7 front desk, if you will. I mean, if you have an AI leasing assistant that can answer questions for your prospective new tenant and follow up with leads that can be a big deal. I mean, a lead that sits unanswered for six hours, they just kind of turn into a cold French fry, and instead AI can answer those questions and schedule that tour. If a prospective tenant asks the same question four times, you know the AI doesn't get frustrated and leave out some sigh. So, can you tell us more about kind of that front end, the marketing, and then the leasing end? Are you using AI as a leasing assistant essentially?   Aundrea Newbern  31:47   We are. So, if we talk about maybe the marketing piece of things before we get into the leasing, we're not using as much AI with marketing at the moment. I have had it write some copy for me for some marketing, and I'm not usually crazy about it. I still think it looks like AI right now, so we're having to do a lot of changes with that, but what it has done a really good job at helping us out in the last few weeks is have it go analyze your website, have it analyze how you come up in search functions, right? So, if somebody's going to Google or if they're going to Gemini or they're going to Chat GPT, what's happening with your website and your company when people are looking for property managers, for example, it does a very thorough check on that. It's also really good at reviewing your website and telling you where you have gaps in terms of maybe you need to, you know, change something here or there, or you have certain links that are not helping in your search functionality. So, I think it's really good as far as analyzing stuff. That's kind of about all we've done as far as marketing, as far as a leasing assistant goes, this has essentially been like the biggest lift I think we've had from AI, period, in the last couple years. So, maybe a year ago, we implemented a software, and I'm going to leave the name out, because I'm sure you know I'd rather not do that, but it's a software, and there's a bunch of different options that you can use for this, but essentially it collects all of our leads for us, so we set it up, you know, we set criteria for the type of tenant and our policies for, you know, what type of tenant would qualify, and they call in or message or email this number or this email address, and the AI essentially goes through and asks them a series of questions, lets them know if they would potentially qualify or not. If they would not, then it will not allow them to schedule showings for any of our properties, if they would, with no exceptions. Then we can go ahead and get them scheduled, and the AI actually goes through and gets them scheduled as well. So it is a huge help for us.   Keith Weinhold  33:30   That is really nice. Okay, helping out with tenant screening, there can it arrange tours, put them on the calendar, then if they're qualified.   Aundrea Newbern  33:40   Yes, it actually gives them an option and shows them all of the dates we have available, so the person can go ahead and schedule their showing. It can provide updates if we need it, so if we change our policy, it can send that out to the tenants for us as well. So that process I would say is about 90% automated right now. It doesn't really take much human intervention, except for us to review things and make sure there's nothing kind of wonky with the schedule or anything like that.   Keith Weinhold  34:00   Okay, so if they're qualified and interested, the prospective tenant can fill out an application, and then is AI assisting on the screening, and are you still meeting with them in person before they get the keys and sign the contract?   Aundrea Newbern  34:14   Yes, and no. So we still do meet with them in person to be able to do like that walkthrough of the property and make sure we're documenting issues, and all of that, which, by the way, I think in the next year that'll probably be automated as well, but we're not quite there yet. They do not have to come in in person, in terms of signing the lease or anything like that. That's all done remotely. If they want to, they can, but we really don't have to meet with them until it's time for move in at this point.   Keith Weinhold  34:36   All right, we're seeing the evolution of AI since it was really Chat GPT that was pioneering and rolling out in November of 2022 so we're coming up on four years of really this activity being integrated into our lives, and I think we both know that it's only going to get better from here, so when we have a tenant that. It's actually placed, of course. I often like to say they call the discipline property management, but it could probably very well be called tenant management. And I think, about, you know, is everything okay after the tenants there? As far as AI having a maintenance triage function, if there's a maintenance request, of course, you're going to want to prioritize something differently if it's a big plumbing leak that's damaging the subfloor versus just having a slow drain, you know. You probably want to be sure either one of those things are taken care of, but one is going to get priority over the other. So, can you tell us more about after that tenants place the maintenance triage and using AI there?   Aundrea Newbern  35:38   Yeah, so we've pretty much automated the maintenance process in the last year, other than, you know, actually making sure the vendor went out and did what they were supposed to do. So, right now, with us, a tenant has to go in, unless they have a disability and can't do it, of course, but they have to go in and put in any work orders through our system, and essentially what happens is we've created kind of a workflow, so here's the issues of the types of things that would not be considered an emergency unless they answer, you know, certain questions a certain way. Here are the things that are emergencies and requires to go out pretty much no matter what, right? For the things that are non-emergency, or they're not clear in what the actual issue is, which is probably the number one problem we have, is they say, 'My lights aren't working, that's it, we don't know anything else about it, and then come to find out it was just a light bulb, or come to find out it was just their breakers tripping. The AI actually goes in and analyzes what they put in as the issue and selected, and then asks them a series of questions, and then, based on their responses, it actually tells them what to go do to troubleshoot it. We're seeing right now with data, it's eliminating maybe about 40% of the things that we would send somebody out for, yeah, it is huge, and the tenants are doing it, and they're not really pushing back or having issues with it most of the time, but then there are certain things that AI can't quite figure out, we're still training it on, so we do have to send somebody out or call, but it's having a huge reduction in us having to send folks out for this.   Keith Weinhold  36:56   Okay, yeah, we're not talking about completely eliminating humans, but that's huge, if they can have AI give them the answer to maybe some routine maintenance thing, probably that they could have gone and found out on their own, but yeah, that saves 40% of maintenance visits, that's a big deal. All right, so not too much backlash from tenants, not saying, like, oh, hey, I don't want to be talking with your robot, come on, not so much of that.   Aundrea Newbern  37:20   No, not yet. Now we are looking right now at implementing an actual AI agent that would answer the phone to handle these types of just maintenance issues, nothing else but maintenance for right now. And we've tested out a lot of different softwares that do this. Some are better than others, but none of them are perfect yet. And I could call and definitely tell I'm talking to AI, maybe some people couldn't. I feel we're probably going to have a little bit more blowback when that starts getting implemented and rolled out.   Keith Weinhold  37:44   Yeah, I imagine people are just going to get more and more used to this, you know. I wonder, how much AI is helping you with rent pricing, what amount to set the rent for. I mean, for example, isn't it interesting if AI knows that, hey, a bunch of units in the neighborhood all around you, they already have high occupancy. It's really tight in this sub market, where maybe it would advise you to bump up your rent. So, tell us about how AI is helping you with rent pricing.   Aundrea Newbern  38:12   Yeah, so you know, as a broker, I obviously have access to the MLS, which we use for a lot of data, but then sometimes there's rentals that are not on the MLS, so you know an owner went and listed it themselves, and I actually have an agent that their task is to go in every couple of days, and they'll analyze any of our existing listed properties that we have that are not occupied. We're still waiting on somebody to apply, and it'll go and tell me, "Hey, is anything else been listed? Has anything that was out there when we did our review two days ago? Has anything closed? Can we figure out, you know, what price it rented for? Sometimes it can, sometimes it can't, but it'll provide me a report every two days, automated, in my inbox for me to be able to look at on that. So it's really nice.   Keith Weinhold  38:51   Wow, this could be hugely useful. Yeah, or imagine on the flip side of that, if AI detects that there are a lot of vacancies in your area that, hey, you probably don't want to get so aggressive with rent increases. In that case, was there any last way that you're using AI in real estate? Maybe something I didn't think about asking you, Aundrea.   Aundrea Newbern  39:10   If we talk about long-term rentals, not as much. I think you kind of hit on the main things that we're using it for right now, but if we look at vacation rentals, it is doing a lot more there, I think, at the moment than it is long term. So, for example, pricing - we have dynamic pricing that we use for all of our vacation rentals, and the dynamic pricing isn't perfect, so somebody still has to physically go in and make sure no tweaks need to be made, that there's nothing weird going on in the software. I now have an AI agent that, that is their number one job. They go in once a day, they review all of our pricing. They let me know whether we need to adjust it up, down, change our minimum days, maximum days, and we make the adjustments. We're training it now to actually do those for us, but we haven't let it do it yet, so we're still waiting there. It's still waiting on its approval for me to do that, but things such as pricing, things such as going through and analyzing guest feedback, or guest. First tone, even in messages, it's providing me reports on that daily, so I can help identify problems that are maybe small problems before they become big.   Keith Weinhold  40:07   It makes sense that it would be more applicable in short-term rentals with all the turnover that you have there. Well, Andrea, let us know if there's a way for our followers to keep up with you and what you're doing, because people still ask about you here. You're so well liked. Let us know.   Aundrea Newbern  40:26   Yeah, so there's a couple of ways. If you're wanting to kind of see what we're doing with property management or our company, you can go to goldenaislesretreats.com There's also for a way for you to get in touch with me there. You can also check me out on LinkedIn or on Facebook, so I'm there as well, and I'd be happy to connect with anybody. I miss our listeners.   Keith Weinhold  40:43   Oh, Andrea, it's been valuable. It's been great having you back.   Aundrea Newbern  40:46   Thank you, Keith.   Keith Weinhold  40:53   Yeah, great to hear from Aundrea again on the show. It has been a few years. If you use professional management like I do, they will most likely be applying AI in a lot of the ways that we discussed. Coming up on the show soon, a life coach that's had a profound effect on a number of guests that we've hosted here on the show over the years. He has agreed to join us. He doesn't do a lot of appearances like this, so it'll be great. We'll hear directly from Daniel Thomas Hind, and how he transforms the lives of so many business people and investors professionally, physically, and mentally. I'm confident that it's going to help you get more out of life too. Until next week, I'm your host, Keith Weinhold. Don't quit your daydream.   Speaker 1  41:45   Nothing on this show should be considered specific personal or professional advice. Please consult an appropriate tax, legal, real estate, financial, or business professional for individualized advice. Opinions of guests are their own. Information is not guaranteed. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss, the host is operating on behalf of Get Rich Education LLC exclusively.    Keith Weinhold  42:13   The preceding program was brought to you by Your Home for Wealth Building, getricheducation.com.