Podcasts about MM

Jason Lewis spends less than 5 hours per week running his wholesaling & flipping business, but managed to wholesale or flipp 149 houses for $3 MM in profits in 2021 alone. It was possible because he learned how to hire & train the right roles at the right time. Today, we're going to get a glimpse into how he did it. Listen in. Mentioned in this Episode:www.investorfuel.com/carrotwww.theinvestormachine.com/carrotwww.milliondollarmeeting.co/carrot

There are all sorts of “natural sweeteners” on the market, but we've got questions… How natural are they? Are they a healthy substitute to other sweeteners?First off, our preferred natural sweeteners are very minimally processed; honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. Things like agave, cane sugar, rice syrup, etc. tend to be much more processed and therefore “empty calories.” Then there are the real garbage products like corn syrup and beat sugar (which are GMO, toxic foods) as well as synthetic sweeteners like aspartame, surculose, saccharin, etc. which can be toxic to the nervous system.Today we wanted to unpack a couple of other products that get slapped with the “natural sweetener” label - those derived from Stevia and Monk Fruit. We discuss the pros to these, the cons, and the bottom line recommendation.It's easy to group monk fruit and stevia together in this conversation since they (a) both come from whole plant foods (b) have naturally occurring super-sweet “glycosides” and (c) are processed to extract the glycosides to create “zero-calorie” natural sweeteners.If you'd like to join these conversations live, be sure to Subscribe to the Alter Health YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/alterhealthSome highlights from today's MM episode...Stevia is a leafy shrub while monk fruit is a guard that grows on a vineBoth have naturally occurring glycosides that provide a sweet taste (setvioside and rebaudioside A or reb A in stevia and mogrosides in monk fruit)They are naturally sweet in their crude form, but also have bitter tastes as wellThese plants are processed through dozens of steps (up to 40 or more) that include bleaching and extraction via methanol and ethanol before getting the final glycoside extractBoth stevia and monk fruit products are 200 - 300 times sweeter than sugar (sucrose)The products are indeed “zero-calorie” since they mainly contain the sweet constituent and no other nutrition - therefore they have no impact on blood sugarStudies show stevia can have some detrimental effects on the gut microbiome (rat studies)Processed sweeteners such as these can dull sweet receptor tastebuds on the tongue while creating a supraphysiologic dopamine response to perpetuate sweet cravings and food addictionLinks to some more good stuff-  Join Alter Health on Locals: https://alterhealth.locals.com/- Cleanse with Us during the next Alter Health Cleanse: https://www.alter.health/cleanse- Work with us in the Thrive on Plants program: https://www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants- ATTN Health Practitioners! Learn more and apply to the Plant Based Mind Body Practitioner Program: https://www.alter.health/pbmb-practitionerPeace and Love.

Nick León is part of a newer generation of Miami producers who infuse modern-day club music with sounds from around the region, everything from Miami bass to reggaeton. In León's case, his most recent—and most exciting—music has focused on beats inspired by reggaeton and its sub-genre perreo, but with a musical palette that speaks to a love of electronic music from Aphex Twin to Burial to music on labels like NAAFI and TraTraTrax. (This is a predilection he shares with DJ Python, whom León just launched a new party with.) It's on the latter label he released the Rompediscoteka EP, one of the canniest genre fusions he's done yet, meant to hark back to the feeling he had when he first discovered reggaeton. (It came with eye-opening remixes from Maral, Kelman Duran and Henzo, producers whose personal-but-global approach mirrors León's own.) He also head a head-turning EP on Future Times, which threw Miami-style electro into the mix, with an ambient touch. Like his productions, the young Miami DJ's sets can range from slow and low to high and tight, and his RA Podcast captures León in peak-time mode. It's a Latin-spin on everything from techno to tech house to cool-kid club music, with selections from Nico, Simisea, Siete Catorce, Ricardo Villalobos and MM adding up to a vibrant and rhythmically restless hour that soars across genres and scenes. Read more: https://ra.co/podcast/833 @NICKLEON

Go online to PeerView.com/MZJ860 to view the activity, download slides and practice aids, and complete the post-test to earn credit. Recent advances in multiple myeloma (MM) management present a rare opportunity for clinicians, who now have a variety of options to choose from when optimizing patient care. From this starting point, hematology-oncology professionals (including those practicing in community settings) and oncology nurses can leverage the potency of novel therapeutics, including platforms based on CD38 antibodies and novel BCMA-directed therapies, across the spectrum of disease. In this unique program, an interprofessional panel, featuring an academic and community hematologist-oncologist and a nurse professional, will use a series of case-based conversations to demonstrate exactly how to support the MM patient's therapeutic odyssey with innovative therapeutics—and deliver high-quality, collaborative patient care. Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to: Apply current evidence and guidelines for the personalized selection of upfront therapy with novel triplets, quadruplets, and maintenance options for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), including those with transplant-eligible or -ineligible disease, Plan for appropriate sequential treatment options in patients with MM relapsing after 1-3 prior lines of therapy or for those with more heavily pretreated disease, Provide team-based counseling for patients with MM about relevant prognostic factors, high-risk features, sequential management plans, treatment administration and delivery, and drug safety considerations, Develop team-based management strategies for adverse events associated with the use of modern MM treatment regimens, including those containing novel antibody, proteasome inhibitor, and targeted components.

Go online to PeerView.com/MZJ860 to view the activity, download slides and practice aids, and complete the post-test to earn credit. Recent advances in multiple myeloma (MM) management present a rare opportunity for clinicians, who now have a variety of options to choose from when optimizing patient care. From this starting point, hematology-oncology professionals (including those practicing in community settings) and oncology nurses can leverage the potency of novel therapeutics, including platforms based on CD38 antibodies and novel BCMA-directed therapies, across the spectrum of disease. In this unique program, an interprofessional panel, featuring an academic and community hematologist-oncologist and a nurse professional, will use a series of case-based conversations to demonstrate exactly how to support the MM patient's therapeutic odyssey with innovative therapeutics—and deliver high-quality, collaborative patient care. Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to: Apply current evidence and guidelines for the personalized selection of upfront therapy with novel triplets, quadruplets, and maintenance options for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM), including those with transplant-eligible or -ineligible disease, Plan for appropriate sequential treatment options in patients with MM relapsing after 1-3 prior lines of therapy or for those with more heavily pretreated disease, Provide team-based counseling for patients with MM about relevant prognostic factors, high-risk features, sequential management plans, treatment administration and delivery, and drug safety considerations, Develop team-based management strategies for adverse events associated with the use of modern MM treatment regimens, including those containing novel antibody, proteasome inhibitor, and targeted components.

High Gas & Diesel Prices Are Here To Stay, Prepare Now Before SHTF. This fuel cycle will not last forever. https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFZEYkJ3LXVJM2t2V3BWRWdRekFhOWRpWS1wUXxBQ3Jtc0tsRm8zUll6aWp2eUZNdDlHblpMSUdNemNLT3FZRnRiSDFSVlNVWjV6ZGwzNlNEVDVfbmtjUVBLdlRDNWhjVTdmZm1POXFIUWJnY2YyZ3MzelJmYV9jQjNGY3RrN0JuYXI0bHpzMVc0MEFjQUNMdmZEOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.zerohedge.com%2Fenergy%2Fhigh-gasoline-and-diesel-prices-are-here-stay&v=Mm_x_Wa96QI

Torstain törinät! Sukupuolten taistelussa Arto jatkaa taivaltaan ja sai tänään vastaansa Annen. MM-kisahuumassa oltiin myös!

2021年度は5Gスマホ比率が69％に急増、サムスンがスマホシェア2位に。　MM総研は5月19日に「2021年通期（2021年4月～2022年3月）の国内携帯電話端末の出荷台数調査」の結果を発表した。

9 AM - Bart and Tobi play "Mhm or Mm-mm" with Paul Imig with various Bucks topics.

ShaykhaTalk is a new MM podcast mini-series with female Islamic scholars! This episode with Shaykha Umm Jamaal ud-Din explores her journey to scholarship as a convert to Islam, and the unique challenges and experiences she's had as a woman in da'wah.

Terry is joined by Vicky Deere-Bunnell, Monument Square Districts Board President, to discuss the many exciting renovations in downtown Urbana that will uplift the city's look and feel. tags: MM, terry ceyler, Vicky Deere-Bunnell, urban, renovations, downtown, community, champaign county, refresh, city, history

Mommy made me mash my M&M's.

Between 10-30% of the global population experiences allergic rhinitis, otherwise known as "hay fever," which is the most common presentation of environmental allergies.Honestly, I thought allergies were even more prevalent than this. The wide range is likely due to the fact that allergies tend to come and go, which can make them even more difficult to understand and get a handle on.Nevertheless, prescription and over-the-counter allergy medications, such as anti-histamines, are some of the most common pills to be swallowed in our world today. Even with such meds, it can be difficult to manage these symptoms... until now!No, no, no... there aren't any quick fixes to allergies. In fact, reversing allergies is a prime example of playing the long game to allow and encourage the immune system to find its innate balance.In a nutshell, the "allergens" that trigger an immune response aren't bad and we shouldn't have to fear or avoid them. The goal is to retrain and nourish the immune system to offer more resilience. We cover lots of science and strategies for managing and reversing allergy symptoms in today's episode.If you'd like to join these conversations live, be sure to Subscribe to the Alter Health YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/alterhealthSome highlights from today's MM episode...Managing allergy symptoms (+ cold/URI) naturally with steam inhalation,  netti pot, and alternating hot/cold compressThe allergy/anti-histamine herbs and nutrients like nettles, butterbur, eyebright, quercetin, Vit C, NACReducing the load of environmental triggers by removing shoes indoors, washing sheets regularly, dusting/vacuuming, HEPA air filter, etcThe importance of balancing Th1 and Th2 immune responses - resolving system inflammation, avoiding immunogenic foods, gut healing, exposure to bacteria/virusesUnderstanding the stress response and its role in the immune systemLinks to some more good stuff-  Join Alter Health on Locals: https://alterhealth.locals.com/- Cleanse with Us during the next Alter Health Cleanse: https://www.alter.health/cleanse- Work with us in the Thrive on Plants program: https://www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants- ATTN Health Practitioners! Learn more and apply to the Plant Based Mind Body Practitioner Program: https://www.alter.health/pbmb-practitionerPeace and Love.

The greatest technical accomplishment of taking SNME on the road for over 3,000 KM was only circumvented by the technology deciding to crap out at the last minute!  Fear not though, as through several acts of computer know-how, a few choice insults and the possible enlisting of Papa Shango, this week's edition of SNME Radio is here! This week, Mike McGuire and the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer talk a lot about wrestlers' salaries, the Tammy Sytch saga, Ric Flair returning to the ring at 73, Roman Reigns' reduced schedule, and if Ronda Rousey needs to let her actions do the talking as SmackDown Women's Champion. Also, you'll meet Kat Von Heez, a wrestler out of Winnipeg who has toured North America for over a decade now on the indies.  She'll tell us some of her story, as well as be back on SNME Radio in the future to dive into all things wresting! Thank you for your patience on this week's episode, I think it's worth the wait! That said, this will never happen again... fingers crossed - MM

How many years of prison would you be sentenced to fall for the murder your true love accidentally committed during a movie audition? In this episode, Zach, Shae, and Caleb explore the pressure of Hollywood success, the grueling choices private investigators have to make, and so many transatlantic accents. A huge thanks to Ethan Young and Gabriel Goulding for producing this episode. Visit ImprovBroadway.com/musicalmonday for more cool MM stuff! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/musicalmonday/support

Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break #31, where we are pleased to welcome Nigel Bartram as our guest!   Our Coffee Break series is your chance to get to know members of our diverse OMS community. In each episode, you'll join Geoff Allix for an intimate chat with a different member of our global community. Our guests will share their personal stories and talk about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people. As always, your comments and suggestions are always welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.   Nigel is a special member of our community – a retired marketing professional who has fused his writing talents and penchant for humor to share his experiences with MS from a very unusual and humorous perspective. We'll dive more into that shortly, plus we have a very special surprise for you, so stay tuned. We hope you enjoy this episode's conversation with Nigel, coming to you straight from Paris, France.   Nigel's Bio (in his own words):   I was born in London but moved around the UK as a child. After a 1st degree in History and then an MBA, my career landed mostly in marketing in the financial sector. In my last job in the UK, as Sales & Marketing Director of a retail stockbroker, following spectacular growth from start-up, I helped lead the company through a heavily oversubscribed IPO onto the London Stock Exchange.    Aged 43 I upped sticks to follow Caroline, my wife, in what was planned to be a temporary career move for her to France, along with our two young children, and my rubbish French. I became a house husband, looking after the kids, improving my ‘null' French, and helping build a house in our Paris suburb (with stunning views towards the city. Temporary morphed into permanent. A joyful adventure, imbibing the beauty of our surrounds and French gastronomy became altogether more serious. Settling in France permanently meant I had to find a job. I retrained as a teacher of English, set up a language school, and taught part-time as a university Associate Professor.      All that was a breeze compared to a body which inexplicably started to go haywire. Overnight, out of nowhere, I lost 90% of the hearing in one ear (which happily came back of its own accord, more or less). In my long-gone student holidays, I worked as a tree surgeon, so heights held no fear for me. So how come I found myself sick with panic driving very slowly along the magnificent Gorge du Verdun with Caroline and the kids on board in 2003? I was petrified by the sheer drop into the ravine, something I'd have relished the challenge of scaling up in yesteryear. I suffered in silence of course.   I wasn't diagnosed with MS for another six years, time enough for my ‘flappy foot' and drunken sailor swagger to become my trademark walk. Bit by bit, bucket loads of other symptoms intruded into my daily life. Time enough also for MS to land me in plenty of challenging situations, some of which, even though they may have been difficult at the time, were clearly comic book stuff.   The idea of the book crystalised a few years later when I was on an OMS retreat. To my great surprise and delight, I realised that MS hadn't robbed any of us MS suffers of our senses of humour. Indeed, it had given us a rich new vein of experiences to mine and chortle over, so important when up to half of people with MS experience depression at some point.   The deal was sealed when the retreat facilitators, Dr Keryn Taylor and Dr Craig Hassed, a world-renowned expert on mindfulness, warmly embraced the idea of such a book for the morale boost it would bring to people with MS, and those close to them, by presenting an altogether lighter side of the condition. Off I went to write down a few of my own stories and harvest those of other people with MS. What a job the latter proved to be!   Questions:   Nigel, welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break. We're so pleased to have you on our program. The purpose of this series is to better get to know some of the diverse members of our community from around the world, and today you're in the hot seat. Can you tell us a little about your day-to-day life? When were you diagnosed with MS? Can you provide some context on that? When were you diagnosed and how did you initially deal with it? At which point did you come across the OMS program? How was that experience for you? Why did you decide to start following it? You mention in one of the 3 key things to know about you, which can be found in the show notes, that OMS may have saved your life. That's powerful. Can you speak a bit about that? Let's shift gears a little bit and talk about a very exciting project you've just completed and are about to launch. You've written a book called ‘MS A Funny Thing', which is an illustrated collection of humorous essays you've written through the years about your experience with MS. Can you tell us a bit about it? How has humor helped you deal with the challenges of MS? Another special thing about this book is that you've dedicated all the proceeds to several nominated MS charities. What compelled you to model the project this way? This book is illustrated, and I understand there is an interesting backstory to how you came to collaborate with the illustrator. Can you share a little about that? Since we have whet everyone's appetite about this book, we have a very special treat for you. Nigel is going to read one of his essays from the book! This is very exciting, Nigel. It's the first author reading on this podcast. Please take it away and perhaps share its title and a little context on the piece you're going to read for the next few minutes. Wow, that was fantastic. Thanks so much, Nigel. How can people get their hands on your book? Before we ask Nigel one final question, I want to remind our listeners that May is Mindfulness and Meditation month at OMS. To mark that, tune into a special webinar on May 17, featuring a live meditation session with Phil Startin. If you're listening to this episode after May 17, don't worry, you can view a replay of this or any of our webinars at any time. Details on registering for this free webinar, as well as a link to replays of past webinars, can be found in our show notes. And check out the OMS social channels for daily mindfulness tips that you can incorporate into your day. Nigel, thank you so much for being on Living Well with MS Coffee Break and allowing our community to get to know one of its own a little better. One last question before you go, and it's a bit of a tradition in that we ask it of all our Coffee Break guests. If you tap into your experience with MS generally and OMS specifically for a nugget of wisdom that would help people ease into and better adopt the OMS program, what would that advice be?   Praise for Nigel's Book:   “There are three things I'd like to say about Nigel's book. First, in medicine, we now understand that laughter is good medicine. This book is decidedly good for you! Second, all proceeds go to worthy MS charities. Win-win! Third… now what was that third thing? I need to take Nigel's sage advice and stop nominating how many points I am about to make, don't I?”   Professor George Jelinek MD, Honorary Professor, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health and Founder of Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis   Three Interesting Facts About Nigel (in his own words):   I'm physically pretty handicapped, with an EDSS of 7, but still live a fulfilled life. I haven't given up hope of getting some lost physical function back and am working hard to do that and making some early progress. I'm certain but can't prove that the OMS regime saved my life, getting me through a flirtation with the grim reaper three years ago. Until fairly recently, we who've continued deteriorate physically despite following the programme religiously, have been a real OMS Cinderella, as though somehow, we're an aberration and should be ignored. This view is shared by quite a lot of my OMS friends who have similarly failed to experience any recovery. We nonetheless continue to adhere to the programme believing it to be a force for good even if it doesn't do what it says on the tin for us.   Nigel's Links:   Nigel's book MS A Funny Thing is officially released on May 30 (World MS Day), but you can purchase early here Check out the blogs Nigel has written on the Overcoming MS website Check out Nigel's website, where you can get a taste of his writings Register here for the OMS meditation webinar with live meditation session, taking place on May 17; if you've missed the live webinar, catch the replay here   Coming up on our next episode:   On the next episode of Living Well with MS, premiering May 25, 2022, meet Arlene Faulk, Tai Chi instructor, storyteller, and author of the new book, Walking on Pins and Needles: A Memoir of Chronic Resilience in the Face of Multiple Sclerosis. Learn how Arlene deploys the ancient practice of Tai Chi to help manage chronic pain associated with MS.   Don't miss out:   Subscribe to this podcast and never miss an episode. You can catch any episode of Living Well with MS here or on your favorite podcast listening app. For your convenience, a full episode transcript is also available on all platforms within 72 hours of each episode's premiere. If you like our program, don't be shy and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you tune into the show. And feel free to share your comments and suggestions for future guests and episode topics by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org.   S4E51c Transcript Coffee Break #31 with Nigel Bartram   Geoff Allix (00:01): Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break, a part of the Living Well with MS podcast family from Overcoming MS, the world's leading multiple sclerosis healthy lifestyle charity, celebrating its 10th year of serving the MS community. I'm your host, Geoff Allix. Today, you'll meet someone living with MS from our diverse and global Overcoming MS community. Our Coffee Break series invites you into the lives of each guest. They share their personal MS journeys and speak openly about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find some common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people. You can check out our show notes for more information and useful links. You can find these on our website at www.overcomingms.org/podcast.   If you enjoy the show, please spread the word about us on your social media channels or leave a review wherever you tune in to our podcast. Finally, don't forget to subscribe to Living Well with MS on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. So get your favorite beverage ready, and let's meet today's guest on Living Well with MS Coffee Break.   Welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break #31, where we're pleased to welcome Nigel Bartram as our guest. Our Coffee Break series is your chance to get to know members of our diverse OMS community. In each episode, you'll join me for an intimate chat with a different member of our global community. Our guests will share their personal stories and talk about their challenges and victories, large and small. We hope you find common cause and a source of inspiration from the stories of these very special people. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome by emailing podcast@overcomingms.org. That's podcast@overcomingms.org.   Nigel is a special member of our community, a retired marketing professional who has fused his writing talents and penchant for humor to share his experiences with MS from a very unusual and humorous perspective. We'll dive more into that shortly; plus, we have a very special surprise for you, so stay tuned. We hope you enjoy this episode's conversation with Nigel, coming to you straight from Paris, France.   So Nigel, welcome to Living Well with MS Coffee Break. We're very pleased to have you on the program, and the purpose of this series is to get to know a bit better the diverse members of our community from around the world, and today you're joining us from Paris, France. So could you tell us a little bit about your day-to-day life?   Nigel Bartram (02:27): Yeah, thanks very much for having me. It's a great pleasure. First of all, a little correction. It's not your fault, but we actually don't live in the center of Paris, or actually in Paris itself, but in a very leafy suburb, with a forest on one side and the river Seine, you can see the barges going past from our bed in the morning, we're about 20 kilometers outside the center of Paris.   Geoff Allix (02:51): That actually makes it sound more idyllic than living in Paris now.   Nigel Bartram (02:55): Well, it is. And I think in common with what's happened in the UK and many countries post-COVID, people are beating a path out of big towns and cities to go to places where there are spaces which during confinement, as they called it here, are a bit more pleasurable than being cooped up in a rabbit hutch, which is many people's place in Paris.   But yeah, so my everyday life, it's I think largely unexciting. I'm fairly handicapped, so I don't get around very much, but I spend quite a lot of time writing on my computer and doing blogs for OMS and for other MS charities, and it's one of the reasons I had time to create the book. One of the great delights of living here is the gastronomy, which is a reason why we stayed and not went back. So lots of delicious meals, all conforming to the OMS guidelines, or as we called it on my retreat, legal food. And incidentally it's easier, I think, in the UK to eat out than it is here. People, with the exception where they get to know you very well, look incomprehensibly at you when you say, "Well, I can't have this, I can't have that, can't have that," and the rest of it. So they give you a plate of mushy green beans or something quite often. I exaggerate, but anyway.   Geoff Allix (04:34): No, I've been to France a number of times since following OMS diet, and I would say it's one of the more challenging places I've been to. We did eat a fair amount of pizza, because anywhere that does freshly made pizza, it's fine. Have pizza without cheese. But yes-   Nigel Bartram (04:56): I think that one of the saving graces actually is fish, because the French eat far, far more fish and seafood than in places in the UK. So even in a brasserie, you'll find fish on the menu, and they'll deign to not fry it or whatever, then you're okay.   Geoff Allix (05:19): And so when were you diagnosed with MS, and could you tell us a bit about that diagnosis and how that went?   Nigel Bartram (05:23): Yeah, I was diagnosed in 2009, but the first symptoms started appearing in 2003. And the reason for the delay was, I guess, twofold in the diagnosis. Firstly, that my GP, while I wouldn't expect him to have been able to diagnose MS, really ignored things that were happening to me, and just sent me for more and more physio, which of course did nothing at all. At the time, one of the big symptoms was what I call the floppy foot, drop foot. And so that was one cause of the delay. The other was that courtesy of SNCF, the French train company, I had a big accident so I was laid up for over a year and ended up suing the rail company. So that totally disrupted life, including getting on the trail of whatever it was that was causing the problem.   So I was diagnosed in 2009, as I said. Immediately after diagnosis, I had to go back to the UK for a week and left my wife, and the neurologist sent the results through. And in French, MS or multiple sclerosis is called sclérose en plaques, SEP they call it, for MS. And my wife is really, really bilingual, but you can only ever be totally bilingual, or you can only be bilingual to the extent you've lived in the two languages through the same life experiences. So of course, she's never had any cause to know what SEP or MS in French was, so she immediately Googled and was appalled to find out what it was that was wrong with me.   And I think it's a fairly common phenomenon that it's often tougher for the partner, for the wife or for whoever it is that's the bystander in this, than it is for the person themselves. Because I mean, we're helpless to some degree, although if you haven't got primary progressive MS then there are meds now available. They just haven't the faintest clue. And for me, it was actually a welcome relief, because I'd had this bag full of things happening over the preceding six years and I now had an explanation for it. That wasn't good news, obviously, but at least I had some rationale to explain what had been happening to me.   Geoff Allix (08:12): That's true. And for me personally it was like, I haven't got a tumor in my brain, or something. You start thinking, "What else could it be? It's something going on neurologically." And so it could have been worse, there is that.   Nigel Bartram (08:28): Yeah. Well, I think your imagination is better than mine. I didn't even think... What on Earth is causing the incontinence, whatever's causing my foot to drop and me trip up everywhere.   Geoff Allix (08:43): And when did you come across OMS, and how did that go?   Nigel Bartram (08:49): Yes, I came across OMS courtesy of... I don't know if you know the magazine New Pathways.   Geoff Allix (08:54): Mm-hmm.   Nigel Bartram (08:57): I can't remember how this happened, but anyway, I was in contact with the editor of New Pathways, and he told me about an event which was taking place in Brighton, where [inaudible 00:09:11] and Craig Hassed was there as well and was giving a conference in the Amex center there. So I went along, that was in 2014, and I absolutely bought what I was hearing.   And I was nowhere near on the OMS program, but I found over the course of the preceding years that I probably did the shopping most of all, more than my wife. And I found I'd gone off red meat almost totally. And so the family are complaining, "Why are you giving us all this chicken?" None of them liked fish, so I didn't stick my neck out that far, but the things my body was telling me that it no longer wanted. So actually the food side of it really didn't give me a big, big problem, because I was mentally and physiologically unconsciously heading that way in any case. So that's how I came across OMS, and then the following year I was lucky enough to go on a retreat, a weeklong retreat in Ammerdown. So that's my OMS story.   Geoff Allix (10:25): And you mentioned in one of the three things to know about you in the show notes that OMS may have saved your life. So that's quite a powerful statement, so could you tell us about that?   Nigel Bartram (10:43): Well, a powerful statement made by a non-medic, non-scientist. You have to take it with the caveat. Yeah, it was coming up on three years ago, I was admitted into A&E; well, twice actually, so they bundled me out the door at two o'clock in the morning the first time. And it turned out to be pancreatitis, which is probably caused by a gallstone escaping the gallbladder. I got septicemia, and I got a couple of other things. So I was six weeks in intensive care. And it's my honest belief, but I say it's an untestable thing to say, but that my body wouldn't have been strong to withstand all that.   The surgeon who subsequently took out my gallbladder to avoid any repetition with gall stones, he said... Because I was questioning whether, because it was the first time anything like this ever happened, whether it was necessary. And he said, "Well, about 50% of people who get pancreatitis like you die. So you're lucky to have escaped that. And then you had septicemia on top of it." And so that's my belief that it was some inner strength that really got me through it. It was very challenging to keep to the diet, to keep to the food regime in hospital, with hospital food. [inaudible 00:12:30].   Geoff Allix (12:30): Yes. I've had some infusions, and I found that staying in hospitals can be somewhat problematic, but yeah. Thankfully not for as long as you, so I could manage it for a few days, things being brought-   Nigel Bartram (12:45): They allowed my wife to come in with meals stuck in the fridge for a couple of days' worth. So a mixture of starvation and brought in meals got me through it.   Geoff Allix (12:59): So you've touched on your book, so if we could change a little bit and talk about this, so it's a hugely exciting project you just completed, about to launch. And the book is called MS A Funny Thing, which is an illustrated collection of humorous essays that you've written through the years about your experience with MS. So could you tell us a bit about the book?   Nigel Bartram (13:20): Yeah. Sorry, just to slightly correct what you said. Well, first of all, the full title is MS A Funny Thing (well sometimes!), not always. And secondly, that I mean, I've got two or three stories in there, but I didn't want a book about my experiences. I want a book about lots of people with MS experience, and therefore it's a collection of the stories and a couple of poems by people that I've garnered over the years. So yeah, it's an illustrated book, each story or poem is illustrated by a funny drawing or painting done by professional artists.   The genesis actually came about on the OMS retreat because I was really surprised, agreeably so, by the real positivity that I found amongst my fellow retreatees. I don't know what I was really expecting, but plenty of laughter, lots of bonhomie, and so on and so forth. And so I thought, well, this is good. People with a sentence of MS don't necessarily throw away their humorous side at all. And the two facilitators, one's Dr. Craig Hassed, the mindfulness guru, and Dr. Keren Taylor, who's a consultant psychiatrist and works under the OMS umbrella. I bounced the idea off them of a book exactly as it's turned out and asked them what they thought. And they thought it was a very, very good idea. So I floated it to the group, who all liked it as well. So I was then able to tap a few members in the group for stories. And that was really the start of it.   Geoff Allix (15:29): And has humor helped you deal with some of the challenges of MS?   Nigel Bartram (15:35): I guess so. I never really thought about it in those terms, because looking for the funny side of things, and not in a desperate search, but through difficulty, often in retrospect, you do find something to laugh about, something that wouldn't have happened to somebody else if they'd been able bodied or not been in that particular situation because of the MS symptoms causing that. And through the book, being able to talk to other people about their experiences and helping them write up in some cases their experiences, and they're genuinely funny.   Geoff Allix (16:26): And another special thing about the book is that you've dedicated all the proceeds to several nominated MS charities. So what compelled you to make that decision? Why did you decide to model the project this way?   Nigel Bartram (16:42): Because I don't need the money. We don't need the money, particularly. I thought that... Choosing the charities, that they have given me a lot. So it's a way of paying that back, hopefully with dividends. So it was pretty much a no brainer to do it for those two reasons.   Geoff Allix (17:10): And I've heard that there's an interesting backstory with how you came to work with the illustrator for the book, so could you tell us a little bit about that?   Nigel Bartram (17:22): Yes. The idea for having illustrations came from a friend in London, and at the time one of her brothers was doing an art course, and I said, "Yeah, it's a great idea, but where do I find somebody to do the illustrations?" And as I said, her brother was doing an art course at the time, so she said, "Well, I'll get my brother to post something on the notice board," which he did, and there were a couple of responses, one of which turned out to be the person that did probably about the first 12, 15 illustrations, was an Italian student studying in London at the time.   And who she termed her favorite auntie; it wasn't actually an aunt, a blood relation, but her favorite family friend; had MS and quite severely disabled. And so it obviously chimed with her as a cause. But I think what also within that struck a chord was that despite I did have a Zoom with her so-called auntie one occasion, who was in a wheelchair, unable to use a mouse so using eye movement to control the cursor, but was nonetheless chirpy. And I think that that probably resonated a lot with the illustrator. And so for a pittance, she did the illustrations, and exercised a lot of patience in dealing with somebody who is completely unartistic, and on a good day can do a half sensible brief and on a bad day nobody can understand what I'm thinking about.   Geoff Allix (19:12): And since we've whet everyone's appetite about the book, we have a special treat for our listeners, and Nigel's going to read one of his essays from the book. So it's the first author reading we've had on the podcast, so please take it away. And could you share the title and a little context on the piece that you're going to read for the next few minutes?   Nigel Bartram (19:34): Yeah. Well, this isn't one of my stories, because I wouldn't lay claim to having the best stories in the book at all. This is one I selected it because it's quite punchy and not too long. So I thought I didn't want to send your listeners off to sleep, but if I did, with a smile on their face perhaps. But anyway, so the title of this, it's by somebody called Ian Daly, and the title is MS, Walking Sticks, Waterboarding, and Much More.   Multiple sclerosis is an insidious disease. The changes that it brings about can seriously affect your life, without you immediately realizing. For me, the first and possibly hardest change to come to terms with was needing assistance to be able to get around. For context, I was a reasonably fit 50-year-old man who would walk approximately five miles a day. I loved to walk. I've always tried to preserve some sense of humor when dealing with MS and its sackful of issues. I probably laugh at things that I shouldn't, say things that cause friends to look at me, and I suspect silently tut. Consultants and nurses roll their eyes, but I usually get a laugh, and that's what matters. It's my chronic illness, and I'll take whatever pleasure I can from it.   Anyhow, jump ahead a couple of years, and I'd started to find walking difficult and falls were becoming more frequent. My legs had stiffened up; controlling them was becoming ever more wearisome. The usual test, two consultants plus an MRI, and I'm awarded a title of MAM with PPMS, middle aged man with primary progressive MS. Hooray! I remain disappointed that there isn't a badge, some form of certificate, and media recognition. With legs that were always tired, I elected to use a stick to help keep mobile and hopefully more stable. Rather than burden the NHS in innumerable physiotherapist and occupational therapists, who I suspected have better things to do, I ordered an adjustable stick through the internet. It arrived and it was reasonably successful in enabling me to walk short distances.   Accepting I was now MAM with PPMS who needed a stick was slightly harder to come to terms with. I needed to shake off this pride thing. It seems this is a common experience and is the subject of many "do whatever you need to do to get by and stay strong" articles over the internet. Due to a rapidly wasting left leg, I soon became MAM with PPMS who needs two sticks. Isn't life grand? Walking short distances was now possible, although my mean-minded MS probably reasoned that I was getting around too well with my two sticks; with cushioned hand grips, no less; elected to introduce severe vertigo for good measure. So I now find I'm walking with two sticks across the deck of a ship during high seas wearing roller skates. Superb.   Incidentally, I was once visiting a doctor with my two sticks and severe vertigo for a series of blood tests. I was discussing weight gain with the nurse, and the fact it's hard to exercise when you have two sticks, weak legs, and vertigo, as you do when someone is sucking bucket loads of blood out of your arm. "Have you tried a treadmill?" says the nurse. Fortunately, she finished extracting blood and was concentrating on filling buckets and applying the useless cotton wool bandage to each of my shoulders, so didn't see my wide-eyed stare, and although I do say myself, magnificent eye roll, combined with my mutter of "Jesus" under my breath. Some people have very little idea of how lucky they are not to go home without having been hit by an office chair.   So MAM with PPMS who needs two sticks now has a further issue: stairs. I've come to detest stairs. They have the ability to hurt my knee in a uniquely painful manner. I attempt to minimize this by using my arms on the banisters to take some of my weight. This only really works on the way down. On the way up, it's a matter of hauling myself along while trying to lessen the weight on my leg and the searing pain in my knee joint which it causes. I can't use my sticks, as I need to hold onto something. Remember the vertigo? I suppose I could try a treadmill. "You need a stair lift." "What is it I now need?" "A stair lift." So MAM with PPMS who needs two sticks becomes MAM with PPMS who needs two sticks and a stair lift. Excellent. To be fair, I rate the stair lift as one of the best inventions of mankind. Okay, there's the wheel, the car, sliced bread, gin, and the internet, but really, I can now get up and down stairs. It does however come with a few tiny issues. Issue one. The stair lifts are generally designed for the elderly and even more infirm than I; their operation reflects this. Incidentally, I have nothing against the elderly. Some of my oldest friends are elderly, and I hope to survive to join their ranks one day, PPMS permitting. Anyway, I press a button and go upstairs. Pause to count grains of sand. Nothing happens for what I'm told is five seconds. It seems infinitely longer. Nothing apart from a very loud screech from the unit, no doubt to warn any other parking elderly person in the vicinity that something's about to happen and that they should dive for cover. The screech is loud enough to hurt my ears. Dogs run down our road to get away from the sound, whilst bats, no doubt attracted by the high frequency, try to get in the window. Being of a practical nature, I've removed the cover, voided the warranty, and unceremoniously jammed an ear plug into the speaker. It dulled the screech a bit, but I can still hear it, as I suspect all the dogs in the neighborhood can.   Issue two. After a five second delay and the eardrums have perforated, we're moving. As far as I can detect, there are three speeds: very slow, slow, and a bit slow, like my walking these days. When the engineer came to fit and program the unit, I was watching it as it made its leisurely way up and down the stairs, configuring the motor all the climb and corners. "Can you make it go a bit quicker?" "No. Sorry. That's it." I'm in no position to argue. Without it I'm confined to one floor. Admittedly, it'd be one of my choosing.   Third issue. Speaking to the company which makes the stair lift. Again, don't get me wrong, I know they have a specific demographic they target for sale, and that's grand. What they do not appear to acknowledge is that everyone who needs a stair lift is stone deaf and has a man with a red flag to walk in front of their car. Indeed, I have the hearing of a bat, and until recently owned an extremely large and very fast motorcycle. That was another casualty of the MS progression. Anyway, I digress. An example will be the call to let me know when the engineer was arriving to install the lift. "Hello? Is that Mr. Daly?" The lady speaking clearly and louder than I would generally have expected. "It is," I find myself shouting a little, as if trying to join in. "Mr. Daly, we're arranging for our engineer, Adam," not his real name, "to attend tomorrow. Would you prefer AM or a PM visit?" "AM, please." "Great. Would 11 o'clock be a good time? That should give you plenty of times to get washed and dressed and have your breakfast." "Er, okay. That'll be fine."   I'm not used to this level of interest or consideration. Like most people, I normally have to endure the "We're unable to give you a time. AM or PM is best I can do." Appointment fixed; I wonder if I have time to nip out to get the engineer a gift. Nothing extravagant, you understand, just a token. "When Adam arrives, he'll show you his identification badge. If you're not completely happy, please give us a ring to confirm his ID is genuine. He won't mind waiting." "If I'm not happy, I'll bounce Adam down the drive." "I beg your pardon?" "Nothing. 11 o'clock tomorrow then. Yep." You see, everyone must be elderly if they have a stair lift. I've done the thing where you ask for a note that you put on your account, you know the sort of thing, "Please do not treat Ian as an elderly gentleman. He's not elderly, neither is he a gentleman." This makes not a blind bit of difference. It is extremely annoying, until there's a problem or you need something.   About a year ago, I was cruising up to the first floor, coffee in one hand, motorcycle helmet on in order to deaden the sound, and my finger on the requisite button. I arrived upstairs, where I spent some time playing with the internet and drinking coffee. On attempting my return journey, nothing. The whole thing was dead as a dodo. So I telephoned the company to advise them of my dilemma. "I'm trapped outside." I thought I'd go straight for the dramatic introduction, as it would raise a level of medium to high panic.   An entirely reasonable and professional sounding lady began slowly to talk me through a list of resolutions that must have previously worked. Not today though. "Are you able to get downstairs, Ian?" "Of course," my sarcasm nerve had now kicked in, "that's why we spent four and a half grand on a stair lift." "I beg your pardon?" "Nothing. Just thinking out loud. Not really, I'm pretty stuck here." "Okay. Then there's something we can try." The fix turned out to be opening the footrest and then slamming it closed. "As hard as you can." "Really?" "Yes, really." This I did. Everything lit up like a Christmas tree and the warning bleep felt compelled to join in. All sorted. Well, almost. Adam, not his real name, turned up the next day to replace the main circuit board, and at a prearranged time.   After a lot of inane rambling, my message here is if there's something, anything, which can make your life a little easier, then for the love of God, go for it. Walking stick, crutches, stair lift, car adaptations, grab rails, false limbs, parachutes; they're all there to enable you to, or at least some semblance of you. Use them. Walk or shuffle to the park. Point at pigeons with your stick. Make sarcastic comments to call center staff. The possibilities are endless. Life with MS is hard enough.   I was showering the other morning and dropped the soap, such a trivial thing for a non-MAM with PPMS. It's only a small shower cubicle, so I bent double to pick up the soap, slipped, and became wedged in the corner, and to all intents and purposes upside down. It was like being waterboarded. If it wasn't for the grab rail, I'd probably have drowned. How my partner and I laughed. Ian Daly, a middle-aged man with PPMS, who needs two sticks and a stair lift, and a non-slip mat in the shower, and grab rails in the said shower, plus a grab rail to [inaudible 00:32:39] and a stool for the shower.   Geoff Allix (32:43): Thank you very much for that. That was fantastic. So now that you've whet our appetite with that, how can people get hold of the book?   Nigel Bartram (32:54): Right, it'll be sold on Amazon in print form and also as an eBook. It's due come out on the 30th of May, which is World MS Day. I believe we chose the date in order hopefully to get a higher profile for it. So it'll be coming out shortly after, I think this podcast is released, won't it?   Geoff Allix (33:23): Yeah. Yeah. This is coming out May. So you mentioned at the end of May is World MS Day, and also I want to remind our listeners that May is Mindfulness and Meditation Month at OMS. And to mark that, you can tune into a special webinar on May the 17th featuring a live meditation session with Phil Startin. And if you're listening to this episode after May 17th, don't worry, you can view a replay of this or any webinars at any time. And details of registering for the free webinar as well as a link to replays of past webinars can be found in the show notes for this episode. And check out the OMS social channels for daily mindfulness tips that you can incorporate into your day. So Nigel, thank you so much for being our guest on Living Well with MS Coffee Break.   Nigel Bartram (33:23): Could I just interrupt you a second?   Geoff Allix (33:23): Yep, sorry.   Nigel Bartram (34:16): Your plug was instantly longer than mine.   Geoff Allix (34:16): I know.   Nigel Bartram (34:19): I must just add that just if you go onto Amazon and Google, put the search MS A Funny Thing, there won't be anything like it, so you don't need to remember the full title of the book.   Geoff Allix (34:35): And we will have links in the show notes as well actually, so you'd be able to get to the book no problem.   Nigel Bartram (34:35): Okay. Fantastic.   Geoff Allix (34:41): So one final thing that we normally ask our guests, which is a bit of a tradition that we have, which is that if you tap into your experience with MS generally and OMS specifically for a nugget of wisdom that could help people, particularly new people, adopt the OMS program, what would that advice be?   Nigel Bartram (35:04): One particular aspect or just one thing-   Geoff Allix (35:06): No, just anything that you think could help people who are maybe newly diagnosed or maybe new to the OMS program.   Nigel Bartram (35:16): I think I'd say two things, if I may.   Geoff Allix (35:18): Yeah.   Nigel Bartram (35:19): One is that although some people may find the diet difficult to come to terms with, there are so many great recipes that you can get through OMS. You won't be depriving yourself of an enjoyable gastronomy at all. And it is so utterly healthy that whether you had MS or not, it's such a good thing to do. The second thing I would say, and obviously I don't mean to plug your plug, but mindfulness is a real, real blessing because there are tough times. And being able to, I was going to use the word retreat, perhaps that's not the best verb to use; but anyway, to find a place to go to when you're in difficulty which you can emerge from tranquil and at ease with the world, having cured nothing other than maybe anxiety or stress, which is important in its own right, I'd highly recommend that.   Geoff Allix (36:29): With that, thank you very much for joining us, Nigel Bartram.   Nigel Bartram (36:34): A great, great pleasure. And do buy the book. And it comes complete with a testimonial from George Jelinek. Can I just read out what he says?   Geoff Allix (36:43): Absolutely. Yeah.   Nigel Bartram (36:45): Because he's got a bit of a teaser in there. "There are three things I like to say about Nigel's book. First, in medicine, we now understand that laughter is good medicine. This book is decidedly good for you. Secondly, all proceeds go to worthy MS charities. Win-win. Third, now, what was it, that third thing? I need to take Nigel's sage advice and stop nominating how many points I'm about to make, don't I?" In order to unpack and understand that last comment of George's, you'll need to buy the book and read the preface.   Geoff Allix (37:27): Okay. With that, thank you very much. And I would encourage everyone, search out the book on Amazon. Actually, I should say that you can do this thing called Smile at Amazon and you can nominate a charity. So not only does the money go to charity from the book, but actually everything that you buy from Amazon, you can nominate a charity, and OMS is one of the charities you can nominate, and a small amount of any shopping at Amazon would actually go to charity.   Nigel Bartram (37:55): So it's a win-win-win-win.   Geoff Allix (37:55): Thank you for listening to this episode of Living Well with MS Coffee Break. Please check out this episode's show notes at www.overcomingms.org/podcast. You'll find all sorts of useful links and bonus information there. Do you have questions about this episode, or do you or someone you know want to be featured in a future Coffee Break episode? Then email us at podcast@overcomingms.org. We'd love to hear from you. You can also subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. Living Well with MS Coffee Break is kindly supported by a grant from the Happy Charitable Trust. If you'd like to support the Overcoming MS charity and help keep our podcast advertising free, you can donate online at www.overcomingms.org/donate.   To learn more about Overcoming MS and its array of free content and programs, including webinars, recipes, exercise guides, OMS Circles, our global network of community support groups, and more, please visit our website at www.overcomingms.org. While you're there, don't forget to register for our monthly e-newsletter, so you can stay informed about the podcast and other news and updates from Overcoming MS. Thanks again for tuning in, and see you next time.   The Living Well with MS family of podcasts is for private, non-commercial use, and exists to educate and inspire our community of listeners. We do not offer medical advice. For medical advice, please contact your doctor or other licensed healthcare professional. Our guests are carefully selected, but all opinions they express are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Overcoming MS charity, its affiliates, or staff.  

In this episode, the M&M team welcomes an amazing entrepreneur and Facebook ads strategist - Monica Louie. Learn how she crushed over 6-figures of debt and pivoted from a corporate career path to becoming a highly sought-after entrepreneur in the digital ads space. However, she's had to break through on many occasions so listen carefully to the wisdom she shares. And, if you need any help with your Facebook ads, Monica has given our listeners a special Facebook Ads starter kit at: https://www.monicalouie.com/breakthrough ©2022 FINANCIALLY ALERT LLC & SUCCESS BY CHOICE INC. All Rights Reserved. The information contained in this podcast is for general education purposes only. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage derived from the information provided.

Show Description: Motherhood has its peaks and valleys, through it all intentional parenting will cause your children to rise up and call you blessed. We continue to celebrate motherhood here on MM this week with our special guest Dr. Angela Abney. Show Notes: Resources: Parenting Teens with Purpose on IG Dr. Becky Kennedy on IG For Girls Like You on IG Notes from Dr. Angela Abney Foundational Belief: Psalm 127:3 “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And hen he is old he will not depart from it.” Lessons Taught: 1. Walking by faith and not by sight 2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) “for we walk by faith, not by sight {living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God.” 2. Trusting God's timing even when it's easy. Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not in your own understanding.” 3. God's unmerited favor + hard work 2 Corinthians 9:8 (NKJV) “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” 4. Tithing and having a cheerful posture for giving (time, money, and resources) Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease.” Malachi 3:10 (KJV) “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” 5. Positive thinking and talking confidently and hopefully about the life and goals I want to achieve. Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) “Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marriagematters/support

Introducing the greatest work of Jewish philosophy ever written. Moving masterfully through a thousand years of Greek, Jewish and Muslim philosophy, this text grapples profoundly with the problem of evil, the nature of reality and the meaning of life. Culminating with an astonishing re-reading of the Bible, which radically redefines God, religion and humanity in the process. Banned and burned by religious authorities, it continues to stir controversy hundreds of years later, perplexing the guided, and guiding the perplexed… Join us as we explore Moses Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed, the Rambam's Moreh Nevuchim. Check out the rest of our “Maimonides and Mysticism” series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_7jcKJs6iwXUKaVOvNJWr5DSLPTYV0j9 00:00 A Guide to the Guide 01:39 Maimonides Series Recap 02:22 Intro, Influence, Controversy 05:22 Overview of the Guide 09:00 Maimonides' Sources 12:35 Maimonides' Puzzle 14:53 The Goal of the Guide Sources and Further Reading • Elliot Wolfson, “Beneath the Wings of the Great Eagle: Maimonides and Thirteenth-Century Kabbalah,” in Moses Maimonides, 2004, p. 213. • Joel Kraemer, “Maimonides and the Spanish Aristotelian School,” in Christians, Muslims, and Jews in Medieval and Early Modern Spain, 1999. • Joel Kraemer, Maimonides: The Life and World of One of Civilization's Greatest Minds, New York: Doubleday, 2008. • Joel Kraemer, Moses Maimonides: An Intellectual Portrait, in The Cambridge Companion to Maimonides, Kenneth Seeskin (ed.), 2005, pp. 40-45. • Joseph Citron, Maimonides and Mysticism, (unpublished), 2005. • Julius Guttmann, “Introduction” in Maimonides, The Guide of The Perplexed, An Abridged Edition, East and West Library New York, 1947. • Leo Strauss, "How To Begin To Study The Guide," in The Guide of the Perplexed, tr. Pines, pp. xiii-xiv. • Mark Daniels, “The Perplexing Nature of the Guide for the Perplexed” in Philosophy Now 50:20-22, 2005. • Menachem Kellner, "Maimonides' Disputed Legacy," in Traditions of Maimonideanism, ed. Carlos Fraenkel (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 245-76. • Moses Maimonides, “Introduction” in The Guide of the Perplexed, translated by Shlomo Pines, 1963. • Moshe Idel, “Maimonides' Guide of the Perplexed and the Kabbalah” in Jewish History 18: 197-226, 2004. • Sarah Stroumsa, Maimonides in His World, Portrait of a Mediterranean Thinker, 2009. • Shlomo Pines, “Translator's Introduction: The Philosophical Sources of The Guide of the Perplexed.” The Guide of the Perplexed, 1963. Join us: https://facebook.com/seekersofunity https://instagram.com/seekersofunity https://www.twitter.com/seekersofu https://www.seekersofunity.com Thank you to our beloved Patrons: Chezi, Jorge, Andrew, Alexandra, Füsun, Lucas, Andrew, Stian, Ivana, Aédàn, Darjeeling, Astarte, Declan, Gregory, Alex, Charlie, Anonymous, Joshua, Arin, Sage, Marcel, Ahawk, Yehuda, Kevin, Evan, Shahin, Al Alami, Dale, Ethan, Gerr, Effy, Noam, Ron, Shtus, Mendel, Jared, Tim, Mystic Experiment, MM, Lenny, Justin, Joshua, Jorge, Wayne, Jason, Caroline, Yaakov, Daniel, Wodenborn, Steve, Collin, Justin, Mariana, Vic, Shaw, Carlos, Nico, Isaac, Frederick, David, Ben, Rodney, Charley, Jonathan, Chelsea, Curly Joe, Adam and Andre. Join them in supporting us: patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seekers paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=RKCYGQSMJFDRU Tags Guide of the Perplexed Guide for the Perplexed

There's been a lot of talk about whether Maimonides was a mystic. Unfortunately, the discussion has been sorely confused by a lack of clarity about the basic terms of the discussion. It's time to clear things up and get straight about the relationship between these misused and abused words: Kabbalah, Mysticism and Rationalism. Join us for the fourth installment of our series on “Maimonides and Mysticism.” Watch the rest of our Maimonides Series: Part 1: Who was Maimonides? https://youtu.be/w4ZgHJxQQVo Part 2: The Many Maimonides https://youtu.be/UbjX-ypvEys Part 3: Maimonides and the Kabbalists https://youtu.be/8fpQPAMqATk 00:00 Kabbalah vs Mysticism 08:40 Rationalism vs Mysticism Sources and Further Reading: Marc Saperstein, European Judaism Volume 41, Number 2, Autumn 2008: 161–172 David Fried, Mysticism and its Alternatives: Rethinking Maimonides, Lehrhaus, 2018 Menachem Kellner, Science In The Bet Midrash: Studies in Maimonides, 2009, p. 10 Alexander Altmann, Maimonides's Attitude Toward Jewish Mysticism Louis Jacobs, Attitudes of the Kabbalists and Hasidim towards Maimonides, in The Solomon Goldman Lectures, vol. v, 1990, pp. 45-55 Gideon Freudenthal, “The Philosophical Mysticism of Maimonides and Maimon,” in Maimonides and His Heritage, 2009, p. 116 Julius Guttmann, “Introduction” in Maimonides, The Guide of The Perplexed, An Abridged Edition, East And West Library New York, 1947, p. 7 Join us: https://facebook.com/seekersofunity https://instagram.com/seekersofunity https://www.twitter.com/seekersofU https://www.seekersofunity.com Thank you to our beloved Patrons: Andrew, Alexandra, Füsun, Lucas, Andrew, Stian, Ivana, Aédàn, Darjeeling, Astarte, Declan, Gregory, Alex, Charlie, Anonymous, Joshua, Arin, Sage, Marcel, Ahawk, Yehuda, Kevin, Evan, Shahin, Al Alami, Dale, Ethan, Gerr, Effy, Noam, Ron, Shtus, Mendel, Jared, Tim, Mystic Experiment, MM, Lenny, Justin, Joshua, Jorge, Wayne, Jason, Caroline, Yaakov, Daniel, Wodenborn, Steve, Collin, Justin, Mariana, Vic, Shaw, Carlos, Nico, Isaac, Frederick, David, Ben, Rodney, Charley, Jonathan, Chelsea, Curly Joe, Adam and Andre. Join them in supporting us: patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seekers paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=RKCYGQSMJFDRU

My guest today is William (or Bill) Allen whom I met on the HSP Entrepreneur summit that Rose Cox organized last year. And we are talking about his experience doing business as a highly sensitive person. William is a first-time author with a writer's heart and researcher's mind. After getting a degree in Psychology with an eye on doing psychology research, he recalibrated for a career in Information Technology. He found himself in a thirty-year career as an Information Technology manager at Wells Fargo who enjoyed managing highly intelligent, often difficult staff, many of whom were highly sensitive. He was awarded a prestigious Corporate Management Excellence award for his empathetic management style. In late 2016, he began his blog, The Sensitive Man, about his experiences, as a highly sensitive man. The blog became the genesis of his book, Confessions of a Sensitive Man. He feels that HSP males need to take their keen insights and intuition and make them public. He would like to shed more light on highly sensitive males and the much-needed role they need to take in our society. In this episode, you'll learn about doing business as a highly sensitive person as well as... What does it mean to be Highly Sensitive (HSP)? Can men be sensitive and still be masculine? How can we be more sensitive in business? What's our role to play in business? And much more…   William's Resources   William's Website Connect with William on: Facebook LinkedIn Sarah's Resources Watch this episode on Youtube (FREE) Sarah's One Page Marketing Plan (FREE) Sarah Suggests Newsletter (FREE) The Humane Business Manifesto (FREE) Gentle Confidence Mini-Course Marketing Like We're Human - Sarah's book The Humane Marketing Circle Authentic & Fair Pricing Mini-Course Podcast Show Notes Email Sarah at sarah@sarahsantacroce.com Thanks for listening!   After you listen, check out Humane Business Manifesto, an invitation to belong to a movement of people who do business the humane and gentle way and disrupt the current marketing paradigm. You can download it for free at this page. There's no opt-in. Just an instant download. Are you enjoying the podcast?  The Humane Marketing show is listener-supported—I'd love for you to become an active supporter of the show and join the Humane Marketing Circle. You will be invited to a private monthly Q&A call with me and fellow Humane Marketers -  a safe zone to hang out with like-minded conscious entrepreneurs and help each other build our business and grow our impact.  — I'd love for you to join us! Learn more at humane.marketing/circle Don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes or on Android to get notified for all my future shows and why not sign up for my weekly(ish) "Sarah Suggests Saturdays", a round-up of best practices, tools I use, books I read, podcasts, and other resources. Raise your hand and join the Humane Business Revolution. Warmly, Sarah Imperfect Transcript of the show We use and love Descript to edit our podcast and provide this free transcript of the episode. And yes, that's an affiliate link. Sarah: [00:00:00] Hi bill I'm. So looking forward to our conversation. Thank you so much for being a guest on the humane marketing podcast.  William: Thanks, Sarah. And I am so delighted to be with you and looking forward to it.  Sarah: Yeah. So we're going to go right deep into it as we do as highly sensitive people. And also as introverts, I find that we like to go deep. And so that's really also the topic of our conversation to talk about high sensitivity in business and. And what that means, and, and you identify as a highly sensitive male. So I'm really curious to hear the story about when you found out that you are a highly sensitive person and, and what that meant, like what changed when you found that out and learned more about what this trade is all about? So can you take us there and tell us. [00:01:00]  William: Sure. I, you know, I think my whole life I've known there's something different about me. I grew up in a very traditional part of the United States and we're. Male masculine role models were set in stone, so to speak and you had to follow along. And I found a lot of times it was hard for me to do that, and I knew that was something different about it, but this was way before Dr. Erin had published her book on high sensitivity. And it was probably just kind of in a sort of very formative stages with some of the other research that was going on about high sensitivity and children and so forth. But I had no navigational tools for that. And so I spent most of my life adapting myself to what. Men were expected to be like, and that was kind of going against my authentic self, but nevertheless, pressed on, because that was the pressure that I think a lot of men find [00:02:00] themselves under is trying to project this masculine side that doesn't allow for some of these other things that we term as sensitive. Probably about mid 2005 or 2006, somewhere around there. I found Dr. Aron's book. It was actually, somebody had sent me a newsletter and it was about high sensitivity and they had recommended the book highly. So I picked the book up and I read. And like, I think like most highly sensitive people, I went to the book and said, yep, that's me. That's me. That's me. That's me. That's me. And it, it resonated with me because it was the first time in any one particular place that I had seen. So many of the things, characteristics and traits that I. Enumerated and explained in one place. And so it really did make a lot of sense to me, but there is this problem. I was as a male, I was having a difficult time grasping [00:03:00] endorsing, you know, and believing that I was quote unquote, a sensitive man. And that was kind of the difficult point for me, even though I knew and acknowledged it, all these characteristics did fit me. The term sensitive was just something that kind of was like a roadblock for me mentally. And it honestly took me through about 10 years of mulling this over. Cause because it's kind of very much like a highly sensitive person anyway, is mulling this over and over in my head until probably about 2016. I started writing a blog about it. I think. This would be a good way of me putting my hand around it and doing a little research and understanding. And so I wrote a book, I mean, a blog for a couple of years and I just hit all the topics that I wanted to know about as a highly sensitive man. And by doing that. It was a way of allowing me to embrace and get answers for questions I had. And then eventually as a result of writing the blog, I wrote [00:04:00] my first book confessions of a sensitive man. And that's when I put it all together. And I think at that moment, this was a couple of years ago at that moment that I was doing that, I finally really started to say, you know what, this is who you are. There's nothing to be ashamed of. And this actually is quite a gift. And so that's when I, the sort of the loved ones, I read that my arms around being a sensitive man and saying, this is, this is who I am, and I'm not gonna apologize for it anymore. And that was a kind of a Eureka moment for me. So it was like the initial launch. You know, in the early two thousands, a ten-year period of struggling with it. I think a lot of men do have that problem. And it's, it's funny because it's not necessarily the trade it's the label that we give the trait that a lot of men struggle with and they kind of reject it. Yeah, it's  Sarah: interesting because I feel like, I guess the [00:05:00] experience is in this case, very different between. Men and women because the women, yes, there is some of that as well. Right. The criticism, or you're just so sensitive and, but it's, it's more probably seen as something positive in a woman where you're right. It's more negative in, in a, in a man. I remember reading this line that you said that your father told you, are you a man or are you a mouse? So, so it, it comes with this traditional upbringing and the idea that we think, well, men have to be strong and the opposite of, you know, sensitive. I guess the experience is very different, even though there might be struggle also with being in a female body experiencing being a highly sensitive person, but it's very different. Let let's look at, besides the term Sensitive let's look at the trade by itself. Like there's a lot of listeners on [00:06:00] this show that don't know what high sensitive, highly sensitive person what that means. Right. It just, maybe that's just a term that we, we came up with and we think, oh yeah, I'm very sensitive to certain things, but it's actually a, a personality trait. So can you tell us a little bit more about that?  William: Certainly ha highly, since highly sensitive people are high sensitivity is the scientific name for it is called sensory processing sensitivity. And that's a mouthful. Most people are used to the terminology, high sensitive, but sensory processing sensitivity is kind of the theory. And this is the thing that Dr. Aaron has been expounding for the last 30 years, sensory processing sensitivity. Is part of a larger theory called environmental sensitivity theory, and it has many different models underneath it. One of which is sensory processing sensitivity. And what environmental sensitivity [00:07:00] theory is addressing is how does the organism. React to the environment they're red. It's basically an environmental reaction to various environmental stimuli and so forth. Sensory processing, sensitivity individuals fall on a spectrum of sensitivity, right? And you think of a bell curve, right. Something we all remember from. High school math and at the very top end of this bell curve, which is really a curve about how sensitive people are within the environment they're in. Okay. The 20, 25%. And I'm now I'm hearing as high as 30% of human population has this trait of sensory processing sensitivity. Okay. That doesn't mean that the other 80% don't have it. It just means simply that those people at the Hyatt experience, environmental changes more. Pronounced. And so if it's a positive change, they react positive. It gets a negative change. They react [00:08:00] negatively. And the people that follow them, the other 80% react in a much more different way. And they've got to divide into three groups, the ones on the least and are called and they use a flower metaphor, which I think most people could understand. Dandelions are on the low end. They're very Hardy. They can adapt very well, easily and less sensitive to the environment. Tulips are in the mix. They're a little hardier than say the highly sensitive people are, but still nonetheless, they are affected by the environment as well. And then there's the orchids, which is what they call the highly sensitive people. Now with all that said, what I'm trying to say by this is that yes, there are individual characteristics that we acknowledge for highly sensitive people, but it's, it's a much broader thing. You're just overly reactive to things, or you're just too emotionally sensitive or you're too impacted by criticism or you're too frail. It's much more than that. What the outside world sees when they see those things. Is is the [00:09:00] reaction that we're having to environmental changes around us. Okay. And so it could be sensory environmental stuff. It could be emotional stuff, et cetera, et cetera. Now there's four characteristics, right? That we recognize now for highly sensitive people. And it's, you can use the acronym. Does D O E S D stands for depth, the process and highly sensitive people have this capacity. To take data information and process it at a very deep level. That means they connect dots, that push things together. Sometimes it leads to overthinking surely, but for the most part, you wind up with. Creative output if given the time and the space to do this deep processing, that high sensitive people do. That's why so many, highly creative people are highly sensitive because they have this capacity to do this. The O stands for overstimulation, which is something that happens as a result of being, getting too much data and having too much processing you have to do. Yeah. That's something [00:10:00] that a lot of people see and they, the term that comes from. You're too sensitive or you're being sensitive makes you weak, but that's not true. If you were getting the kind of data. That we were, we get typically in the high end of the sensitivity scale, it would be overwhelming for most people to, especially if you're doing all this processing with it as well. So it does get overwhelming at times. So that's a characteristic E stands for emotional reactivity. This is another thing that people tend to associate the highly sensitive people. We feel deeply, very deeply. We feel emotions at a very deep level. And that a lot of times appears to people to be overreacting. But in fact, it's simply just the way we process emotional information. The other part of the E is empathy. We're extremely empathetic people. We care about people. Lot of us are in the helping professions are doing things that help people do. That's where our heart [00:11:00] is. We're very empathetic individuals. And it's not, I don't know the exact physical mechanism that causes. There's a thing we refer to as mirror neurons that we all have, whether you're sensitive or not, that allows you to mirror back to the person you're with. In a, as a communication establishing link, right? So I don't know whether highly sensitive people have more mirror neurons or they have more finely defined in tune, mirror neurons. I don't know, but the fact is it's very important. And part of that empathetic part of us also can make us a little naive sometimes and trusting people. So it, is it be, it could be a two edge sword. The last. Is the sensory part of it. The doctor calls it, sensing the subtle in the environment. I'm not, I'm not sure that our sensory organs are more powerful or whatever, but I do think the filters that pass that information on. Are more open with us. I'd like to think of it like [00:12:00] an aperture and a camera. Ours is a little bit more open or maybe a lot more open depending on who we're comparing ourselves to, but it passes a lot of stuff to us. So the metaphor I always use, the analogy I always use is if you're walking into a party, a highly sensitive person will be that person who notices that the music may be too loud, that there's someone with perfume or cologne. And the other side of the room that it's too powerful. Or it could be something like we sense a vibe in the room because looking at body cues and things like that, we sense those things. We pick out that nuanced information and that makes us kind of valuable when you're talking about. One of the greater purposes for highly sensitive people is to serve as kind of Canary in the coal mine is to serve as a kind of an early warning system. So all four of those characteristics are the ones that are scientifically evidence-based characteristics. Now, a lot of people will talk about other things. Those are the four main ones that I like to kind of [00:13:00] stick with those, because we do know that there's evidence for them,  Sarah: So much in what you just shared. And, and it's kind of, it's funny because my, my brain is almost like overstimulated right now by listening to. These different concepts, but I think what would help also here is to give some specific examples. So I can give one, cause I, I just you know, experienced a four day workshop that I attended after not being anywhere in person, any kind of in-person events. So I, I went to this four day workshop 50 people. And I knew as an HSP, you kind of know already in advance. You're like, oh my God, this is going to be a lot. How am I going to deal with this? I hope I'm not going to get sick because of the overwhelm. So this is a very specific example where. As a highly sensitive [00:14:00] person, you need to kind of know your boundaries. You need to know when you want to be engaged. And when you want to have alone time, because you do need this extra processing time. And, and I admit that. I'm not there yet. Like, I still had very bad nights asleep because it was just so much information. Not just, I'm not just talking about the content, but just even meeting all these new people, my brain needs just do analyze everything. And that's that deep processing that then often, unfortunately, Over, you know, instead of sleeping. And, and so that's a specific example that I can think of right now. What example could you share bill? Well,  William: I think, I think that's a, that's a great example. It could be very easily generalized to just about every highly sensitive person. Although most highly sensitive people are introverts 70% [00:15:00] of. There's still a 30%. There are extroverts that you would think the extroverted high sensitive people would, would thrive in an environment where they're out meeting and greeting people and going like that. But the reality is they still have to have that downtime. So those things that you were talking about, that's always been something that I've had challenges with is getting out there, trying to do something new or try to do something that is. Not familiar for me and having to process all this kind of data, that I'm feedback data that I'm getting about, how I'm doing. A lot of that may be coming from me. It may be coming from people that I'm working with or people that I'm around. But that seems to be one area, especially with highly sensitive people that I think can be generalized to just about everybody in this category is because at some point you're right, you get out there. You're, you're trying something new. And you have to give yourself, allow [00:16:00] yourself the time to do this downtime, this assimilation process of doing things. That's one of the things with highly sensitive people too, that I think is kind of problematic. It's one, there's a lot of people out there who are highly sensitive, who don't know it, or they. I've never heard of highest since I've talked to people all the time and I, as I've talking to them, they go, you know, I think I'm highly sensitive and suddenly you see the light bulb go on. So that's part of the problem is getting people to embrace and understand the. And the other part is once you understand it, now you have an understanding, cause you've got a framework to work with is how do you deal with these times when you are overwhelmed? How do you deal with those times when you're out in the public eye or you're in a social function or whatever, what is it that you need to, how do you do that? You said something really great about boundaries too, because I highly sensitive people combos have this kind of. Loose boundary system that allows too [00:17:00] much in sometimes. And in some times, in some cases allows the wrong people in who can crossover these boundaries that we should be setting up and it causes a an so an emotional effect on us. So part of it is learning to deal with, with the, the characteristics. Cause there are challenges to them. But it's still on whole, is this great and wonderful gift. And that's part of doing that part of assimilating. That is the idea of how do I deal with those moments when I struggle, when I, you know, overstimulated or I I'm feeling too deeply and it's not the appropriate time. How do I regulate myself? So those are kinds of things that I think highly sensitive people need to learn to be able to do, because those kinds of experiences you're talking about. Half an hour all the time, especially to heart sensitive people. Sarah: I feel like the struggles. So the things where we need to learn, how to deal with [00:18:00] having that trait that's kinda what we focus on because we don't really understand how we would be if we didn't have to trade. And we don't know. How much he brings to us. So you mentioned, for example, as a positive, it's connecting the dots or, you know, sensing the room and then making adjustments to me, that is just so natural that I listen and then I go, oh, okay. Here's the answer that. I don't know how it would be if I didn't have the traits. So that doesn't necessarily come out as a positive to me. What I do see though is how society is not meant or, you know, quotation marks for HSPs. And so it always feels like, oh, I need to fight against a system. So it, yeah. Do you recognize yourself in that?  William: Absolutely. And I think part of, part of it again is [00:19:00] this is a. When I visit a lot of social media groups where they're talking about high sensitive topics. Very often, I think what's happening is a lot of people who are new to the trade are coming on line with it. And naturally you want to go someplace where you've got other people like yourself, but the focus tends to be on, I won't say necessarily the negative side, but the, certainly the challenges and the focus seems to go there as opposed to. How do you deal with it? Or how do I, how do I cope with this? And a lot of people do jump in and that is, what's great about the support side of that. But the idea ultimately is to say, okay, this is a, a wonderful gift and like most wonderful gifts. There's a price you have to pay for having it. It's just a kind of a balancing thing with it. And I think As highly sensitive people, we need to learn these little strategies, these tips and things. And none of this is complicated. I mean, it's just not as putting them all [00:20:00] together in the framework of who you are as a highly sensitive person. And when you do that, you start to realize I could do this breathing exercise. It can calm me down, or I definitely need to go. So. For 25, 30 minutes an hour or two hours, and just calm down and relax and process. Once you understand that's part of your normal wiring, that's how your brain works. It's not a, it's not a dysfunction. Then you approach it diff because you see it in a different light. Now, you know, this is how I'm constructed.  Sarah: Yeah. Yeah. So good to kind of stay with the positive side. What, how do you saying, can we be more sensitive in business and what kind of role do we get to play as highly sensitive people in this? I call it the new business paradigm, you know, kind of the post COVID to me, that is the beginning of the new business paradigm. So how [00:21:00] does that look like and what can our role be?  William: I think we have a very significant role to play, not only in business, but in, in all aspects of life, but let's focus on business because frankly, most of us spend most of our life doing some type of business, whether we're running a business, a small business, or we're part of a large corporate environment or large company or whatever. And I think highly sensitive people. Can have positive effects on both environments. It may be a little more difficult. And I keep hearing this over and over again, that for highly sensitive people, very often doing the entrepreneurial thing is, is more conducive to setting the environment that you need to have in order to be happy and thrive. But it does have its own challenges because you're it, you're the boss. You're the one who has to make everything work. And if you've got employees, you've got to make it work for them too. In the corporate environment. It's a little more challenge because it's more [00:22:00] confined. You can only do so many things and so forth, but I think. From a corporate perspective, highly sensitive people can start having an impact on how the environment is constructed because that's so important to us. Right. What kind of a seating situation there is? Is there good lighting is it is, is Is it too hot or too cold in there. And the environment are is there too much noise, too many distractions, et cetera, et cetera. And there's some things probably that we could detect and participate in trying to evolve the environment we're working in and a more empathetic way in looking at how we treat others and within the environment, especially in, within management and within areas that where you're leading people, right. On the entrepreneurial side, I think this is really where we can shine because frankly we can define a business that a is successful. And yet still adheres to, and I love the term you use the humane part of business. This part of [00:23:00] business unfortunately seems to be getting further and further away from us. And I really think what's happening. COVID being the great example is that's opened up. So out of the box here Pandora's box, if you will open up that box and we can look at what we do and how we do things, and that can help HSPs could be instrumental there as well by saying. These kinds of things are more conducive to my better work environment. It probably will be. So for other people as well, not necessarily everybody, but it will, there are certain things, kindness in business, you know, it's not always about competing is sometimes it's about cooperating. So that everyone benefits from something, these are the kind of concepts that are. To highly sensitive people because of our empathetic nature and are wanting to be good stewards, not only of our environment, whether it's work environment, whether it's our life.[00:24:00]  But that's some of the things I think that highly sensitive people can do to affect change and your good ideas and your good thinking and all those things are important, but we tend to be wallflowers when it comes to. Participating in that way, we don't feel like our ideas are good enough. We don't feel like they're going to be accepted. And this is where we need to start recognizing again, our strength and where that is in terms of what we bring to the table. That being able to observe things that other people are missing means that we may have to work a little harder to get the point across, but it doesn't make it less valid because nobody else has seen it. Mm. Sometimes we're the first ones to see it. And I think in, in, in both entrepreneurial world and corporate world, I think those things are valuable characteristics to be able to be a good creative problem solver and be very empathetic and intuitive.  Sarah: Yeah. When, when you said we, [00:25:00] we are sometimes the first ones to see the problem and others don't see it at yet. That definitely resonates with me with, you know, my journey from gentle marketing to humane marketing. And, and only now really people are like, Oh, yeah, that's exactly what we need. We need a humane marketing revolution, but 2, 3, 4 years ago, I started talking about that and nobody, I was like, hello, you know, I'm all by myself here. And, and, and it's yeah, again, I would kind of say, well, it's a gift, but it's kind of a hidden gift because I felt I really felt alone, but I agree with you that. That's, those are the Mavericks that we need to bring the change. Right. Otherwise, nothing changes if nobody sees the new things that need to be brought in. So yeah, sometimes  William: it's, it's not just seeing something new, but it's also [00:26:00] seeing something that's missing, you know, like a puzzle piece that's not there yet. And being able to recognize that that's. You know maybe a standard way of doing things at this point that needs to be because it's missing, right. That's again, that's what I love about this humane marketing and humane sales and things that you have written about is because that's the framework we need to be operating under. And if we're going to really shift the way business looks at things and how business interacts with the insurance. At the fundamental core level, it has to be more human. It has to be about protecting all of us. And I think that it starts with that kind of shall we call it sensitivity to what's going on in the business?  Sarah: Yeah. Now, bill, you kinda know the story that the transformation from gentle, the word gentle that I used before to then [00:27:00] switching to humane and, and I found it interesting, kind of the resistance I got from mainly from the male audience to the word gentle. Everybody else kinda loved the word gentle, but a lot of males. Well either they were not attracted to it at all, or if they were they're like, yeah, you know, it's not a great word. And so the minute I changed it to humane, a lot of more men are now showing up and saying, yeah, that, that is interesting to us. So what do you, what are you thoughts on, on this? How come we can be sensitive? Do you words, just like we said before, you know, highly sensitive people, P men are like, Ooh, I don't know. I don't want to be that. I think it's the same with the word gender.  William: Exactly. I don't know. I'm absolutely positive. It is. Although, you know, it's a lot of it don't have the problem being called a [00:28:00] gentle man when a gentleman, right. They don't have a problem with that, but they do have a problem with, if you were to cut the word in half and say gentle man, they might find that a little different to the tape and assimilate. Yeah. You know, when we talk about things like sensitivity and why it's so hard for, especially for men, but it's hard for a lot of people too, because if you've been labeled your whole life as being too sensitive and that's been considered to be not a good thing, Then the last thing you want to do is be called sensitive because all those memories, all that maybe unconscious material that, that was negative to you has been associated with a, a very neutral word sensitive, right. It really is more sensitive as more about. Sensory than it is about emotional reactivity or anything else. In fact, I was D D I wrote a blog article about sensitivity and what's wrong with the word general. I mean, with what's wrong with the [00:29:00] word sensitive. And I looked it up, you know, I looked up at Webster's type definition for it. Nowhere in there was. Sensory processing sensitivity, you know, it was, it was frail or weak or overly emotional, whatever, those kinds of terms. So that sort of is why so many people struggle with it. Now with men. And I even highly sensitive, man, I've had highly sensitive men telling me, well, if I'm around a bunch of highly sensitive guys, I don't mind using the term, but if I'm in a place where there is a mixed crowd, I just can't see myself using it. And so I think that's why there is a sort of gentle movement. I like that to sort of shift away from sense sensitive is a term that we refer to ourselves as, and moving it towards high sensory intelligence. This is something Dr. Tracy Cooper is working on with a few others, and the idea is to give it a much more positive sort of connotation. Then it's like, we all know. [00:30:00] That there's nothing wrong with the term word sensitive. It's just that if you throw it out in the world, it comes back with mud on it. I don't know why it just does. So as we're getting people to understand about the. And understand that it's a positive and understand that it's not a disorder. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Perhaps if we label it something, put a different candy wrapper on it, it'll be better in the long term, so that people call it at least investigate and learn about it and understand it. And I, I think that's the important thing.  Sarah: Yeah. I agree with you. It's like. Yeah. It's like starting off with the wrong foot already when you were saying, you know, because it would be helpful for us to maybe deal better with boundaries. If we can say we are this and that, you know, we are highly sensitive, but the minute you say highly sensitive people. Oh, okay. [00:31:00] Go deal with it. So having a term that is kind of neutral, I think would be more helpful and it wouldn't take so much courage to actually say it like, you know, introvert it's, it's almost. It had in the beginning, it had a little bit of a bad connotation to it, but now it's more widely accepted. So, so maybe it just highly sensitive, also needs to go through some kind of transformation in order to be more widely accepted and not with so much,  William: it was a speaker. Cause I know this is your area's marketing it's sometimes the terminology makes a difference. Right? It's. You just sometimes have you wind up with a turn, that's just, isn't going to fly it even though, you know, you don't mean one thing or the other with it. It's how is it perceived by the world? If the world says, you know, we're not going to embrace this and you're really, you're fighting a hill battle here. And I think [00:32:00] sometimes just a little pivot and a little shift, which is what I think is happening here. More people open up to it.  Sarah: It's funny that, you know, I went through this with gentle to humane and now we're having to do the same thing with highly sensitive. Yeah. It is. It is really marketing the term. Right. And, and, and I think. It will be only beneficial to all the highly sensitive people to have a term where they don't feel like they have to apologize. It's almost like you have to apologize for being that. Yeah,  William: exactly. Here's the funny thing about it though, is it it's took me 10 years to get to the point where I could accept sensitive and not be ashamed to talk about. When I was writing the book, I had to say something about what are you writing a book about? And then it's like, there's this blank to hit? My face is like, how do I describe this? So I just started. Saying, it's a book about high sensitivity and men [00:33:00] and, and you could see the look on their face. And then I would immediately go in and explain and get a foothold with them before. At some point almost everybody male and female would say, you know what? I know somebody like that, I have a cousin like that, or I have a, a brother like that, or I have a parent like that, or one of my kids. It becomes relatable that. And once you get them past that term. So I'm okay with whatever they, the direction is with, wants to change the name. That's fine. I'm okay. If it steaks sticks around for a number of years, I got used to it. Now I'm  Sarah: afraid we've done the work. Yeah. It's all about, you know, doing the work and accepting it. I think that's, that's why. Yeah. We're, we're having this conversation under the P of personal power because. Once you own it and you do the work, then, then it becomes your power. It becomes your superpower. Like at this [00:34:00] workshop I just went up to the host and I said, I'm not going to be participating in the evening workshops. It's too much for me. And she said, oh, I really applaud you for being brave to show up and say that. And so it, it felt like. Being perceived in a good way. Even though it did take me some courage to go up to her and be the only one who didn't want it, or we've  William: got a great example. That was a great example of. Setting up boundaries and standing up for yourself. That's what I think more highly sensitive people need to be okay with doing that kind of. Yeah. Sarah: And the difficult part, I think is that you need to learn to say no to the things that you want to do. It's easy to say no to the things we don't want to do, but it's harder to say no to the things that you actually would like to do. You know, I, I know I was missing out on some of the events in the evening, [00:35:00] but I need to do prioritize self care before that. So.  William: Absolutely. Yeah. And that is so key. That's so key to be able to do that. Tell  Sarah: us more about your book before we wrap up here.  William: The last, the first book confession of a sensitive man, it came out about a year or two ago was really my experiences of growing up as a highly sensitive man. Some anecdotes from my life and that kind of thing. And it was trying, I was trying to write a relatable book for men to read who could say, look, you know we may not have had exactly same experiences, but I can relate to what, what you went through. The second book, the one that just recently came out is more of a kind of a trail guy is what I like to call it. I use a lot of metaphors for trails and hiking because I like doing it. But it's kind of a trail guide. On being a sensitive man, dealing with some of the things that challenges that we deal with, whether it's workplace or whether it's relationships or whether it's environment having to sort of stand up for yourself, setting those [00:36:00] boundaries and things like that. And so ideas on brain training, how to keep, teach your mind to calm down and things you can do to make your brain more resilient. So it's kind of a tool kit of things that I had discovered throughout the course of my life. The funny thing about my life is that I had been sampled so many different things and I never understood the time why I was doing that. Just all kinds of techniques and books and theories and so forth and so on. And it turns out that it was useful in helping them construct this book. So that's, even though you're doing stuff that you don't really get half the time, sometimes it'll come and play later on in life.  Sarah: Yeah. It's that part? The connecting dots,  William: right? Exactly. That finally the dots make sense, right? Yeah. Yeah, that's true. But anyway, that's kind of what the book is about. And it's also about my hopes of where we go from here. And what's  Sarah: the title of the second one it's  William: called on being a sensitive man. And so it's about, you know, now that [00:37:00] we've established that we're sensitive men, how do we, how do we live with it? How do we deal with it and how do we go forward? We are  Sarah: so good. This has been absolutely fantastic. I could go on and on tell you all about my specific examples, but yeah, we need to wrap up. So I really, really appreciate your time here. I always have one last question and that is what are you grateful for today or this week? William: Well, I, you know what, one of the things, I guess I'm grateful for is all the wonderful people that I've met and on this journey so far, and every week, there's always somebody new that gets sort of added to the list that shared experiences is validating. Especially if you're stepping out on a limb and you're saying, you know, talking about things that are sometimes difficult to deal with. Having a network of great people. That are [00:38:00] somehow connected to you. That's that's, I'm extremely grateful for that.  Sarah: Wonderful. Yeah. Yeah. Me too. Like the podcast for this is one of the best things I've ever done for my business as an introvert and HSP to just, you know, di. Into it and go really deep. And then at night, allow myself to process and really digest information as well. I think as a consequence of, of realizing that deep processing, I, I also just slowed down the podcasting and only release an episode every two weeks. Again, it's about boundaries and really feeling into it. And. You know what it's actually too much for me. Do you kind of just, you know, like a factory split of these podcasts, I need to sit with the humans for a bit and really, yeah. Go  William: deeper. We are, you, you're a real natural, I I've enjoyed this [00:39:00] conversation. I enjoyed speaking with you. So thanks for having me, you know?  Sarah: Yeah. Thank you so much for coming on and we'll speak again. Take care.

On this show of M&M Live Radio, our hosts Meesa & Meah share the best ways to protect your mental health in light of Mental Health Awareness Month. This week during #TooManyHashtags, this week's trending topics, we talk about Lil Nas X's dream co-headliners, body positivity being spotlighted at this year's Met Gala & so much more. Also, M&M spotlight new music from indie tribe., 1K Phew and so much more with “Hot Tracks Off The Rack”. Plus, Meesa is back on the show and has a special announcement to share with Meah. M&M Live Radio Jingle “SHINE” - KMO SHAMAAL “Regal” - Czar Josh ft. KHAM & seni.  “The Offering” - 1K Phew  M&M Live Radio Jingle “Cece” - Indie Tribe., nobigdyl. & Jon Keith “Lmk” - Reece Lache' “King Jesus (Pt. II)” - KB ft. Big Breeze Scootie Wop, 1K Phew, Mike Teezy, Limoblaze, Wande, Cardec Drums, Tommy Royale & S.O  M&M Live Radio Jingle

On this show of M&M Live Radio, our hosts Meesa & Meah discuss whether or not they could handle a hateful mother-in-law. This week during #TooManyHashtags, this week's trending topics, we talk about new changes coming to Netflix, Will Smith being banned from the Oscars & so much more. Plus, M&M bring in their male perspective, Kemo Jones to weigh in on their love & relationships conversation. M&M Live Radio Jingle “Worship in the Moshpit” - KB “24K” - Jon Keith ft. Mogli the Iceburg “Summertime Love” - Jaylon Ashaun ft, Itstaylormade & Abe Parker  M&M Live Radio Jingle “Enemies and Foes” - J.Monty & Tukool Tiff   “Voices” - Jekasole  M&M Live Radio Jingle

On this show of M&M Live Radio, our hosts Meesa & Meah ask whether or not it's a good idea to move in with your best friend of the opposite sex. This week during #TooManyHashtags, this week's trending topics, we talk about Delta airlines getting slammed for small seatbelts, Kelly Rowland weighing in on Kanye West dropping out of Coachella & so much more. Plus, M&M read a new “Dear M&M” letter, where one of our listeners writes to us in need of advice. In this “Dear M&M” Letter, a listener asks M&M whether or not he should take his roomates' dating advice. M&M Live Radio Jingle “70 Degrees” - Miles Minnick ft. George.Rose & Porsha Love “Back Then” - Elevation Rhythm & Aaron Cole “Us” - Tedashii ft. Jawan  M&M Live Radio Jingle “Push Thru” - Canon   “Stuck On You” - BrvndonP  M&M Live Radio Jingle

April PPI numbers came in this morning with Y/Y at 11.0%, higher than the 10.7% expected, but M/M in line with expectations. The participation rate in employment is still the outlier, says Dan Deming. The U.S. Dollar (/DX) is holding strong and Dan calls it astounding how it has held up. He points out that the Japanese yen (/6J) is trading at the highest level in three weeks. Lastly, he and Ben discuss inflation, GDP, and the drop in bitcoin (/BTC).

Liz Kiger is our guest for a deep discussion of Art, Philosophy, film, photography, teaching, trauma and resiliency, LGBTQIA+Opera, and their new filmed opera - a gorgeous, modern presentation (shot in Red - Komodo - 6K) of ORFEO. ORFEO is a dazzling, energetic, sensitive story that will amaze you visually and sonically. Its release is simultaneous to this podcast episode. Find ORFEO here https://youtu.be/rOeT_PFyEtA Liz Kiger is a Turkish-American non-binary soprano vocalist, violinist, and opera director specializing in Baroque performance practice. They are the founder and director of the Brooklyn Telemann Chamber Society. They hold their MM in Classical Vocal Performance and a post graduate degree in Vocal Pedagogy from NYU. They have most recently performed as the title role in Monteverdi's Poppea, Papagena (Mozart's Die Zauberflöte), Ottavia (Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea) at Scorca Hall (National Opera Center), & Susanna (Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro) at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall. Liz is a proud advocate for singers with incurable vocal pathologies like themself.  Mentions: @sydneysheaphotography @alexandrapawlus @alexandrapaw_ @matthewkylelevine

In this episode, the M&M team welcomes digital marketer and entrepreneur, Kelan Kline. Kelan has successfully built a multi-faceted business in the personal finance space with his wife Brittany. However, it wasn't easy. But his determination was spurred on by his WHY. He knew he wanted complete freedom with his career and to not be controlled by any one person or organization. Learn how he moved away from his job in law enforcement and is continuing to build a thriving business helping others manage their personal finances. You will be inspired! ©2022 FINANCIALLY ALERT LLC & SUCCESS BY CHOICE INC. All Rights Reserved. The information contained in this podcast is for general education purposes only. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage derived from the information provided.

A healthy and vital body is best capable of high-level athletic performance.Athleticism and endurance have always been important to me, Dr. Ben. I've never competed at an elite level or anything, but it feels good to be fast, strong, and capable of doing hard things. Therefore, I do my best to better my performance and continue feeling great with a main goal of simply enjoying the experience of my body's full potential immersed in nature. In today's episode, I share my personal relationship to strength and endurance training, including, of course, nutrition, supplementation, recovery, hydration, sleep, and more.If you are hoping to build strength and endurance in your life endeavors, I hope this helps to inform and inspire. If athletic pursuits feel like a far-off fantasy given your current experience of health, know that your healing body is capable of more than you may realize! If you'd like to join these conversations live, be sure to Subscribe to the Alter Health YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/alterhealthImportant announcement!If you are lucky enough to be reading this, you may also be lucky enough to join the All-New TOP Live Program! No more recordings and replays, but live and engaging live lessons with the most up-to-date info and science! Learn more and join us at www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants - the program is starting soon so act now!PS - we can connect on Strava if you are there! Find me at https://www.strava.com/athletes/drbenjaminalterSome highlights from today's MM episode...Nutrition considerations for different activities - when to fuel and how to fuelWhy hydration is so extremely important and tips for keeping your cells firing while trainingHow mixing up activities can nourish different aspects of your self, and also help the brain stay healthyThe opportunity for mindless mindfulness during longer activitiesHow your breath and simple breathing activities can create and maintain enduranceLinks to some more good stuff-  Join Alter Health on Locals: https://alterhealth.locals.com/- Cleanse with Us during the next Alter Health Cleanse: https://www.alter.health/cleanse- Work with us in the Thrive on Plants program: https://www.alter.health/thrive-on-plants- ATTN Health Practitioners! Learn more and apply to the Plant Based Mind Body Practitioner Program: https://www.alter.health/pbmb-practitionerPeace and Love.

What you'll learn in this episode: Why the pandemic inspired Evon and Lori to write their book, “Ready-Made Marketing” Why it's a misconception that marketing has to be expensive and time-consuming How Evon and Lori vetted the technology resources recommended in the book Why so many small businesses struggle with marketing How to access automation tools to make marketing easier About Evon Rosen Evon is a strategic and creative marketing professional specializing in financial and legal services, healthcare, and real estate. Her highly-creative and fresh ideas help develop brands, increase market share, facilitate client retention, and improve processes. Evon has held executive marketing positions at both public and privately held companies that include City National Bank, First Federal Bank of California, Celtic Capital Corporation and the Peak Corporate Network. Evon is the first two-time recipient of the Commercial Finance Association's Essay Award and has had numerous articles and white papers published. She was a featured speaker at L.A. Direct Marketing Day, and received the U.S. Festival Association Award for Creative Excellence. She received both her undergraduate degree and California Teaching Credential from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). About Lori Berson For over 20 years Lori has developed break-through strategies effectively integrating marketing automation, demand generation, sales enablement, branding, interactive media, advertising, email, social media, print, outdoor, video, events, and promotions, for many of the country's leading marketers, including Anthem, Charles Schwab, Disney, Dole, Lexus, Seinfeld, and Coldwell Banker. Her remarkable business acumen, creative talents, and knowledge of emerging technologies have contributed to the success of these organizations and more. Lori began her career at a variety of advertising agencies, including Diener, Hauser, Bates, Needham, Harper and Steers, and Asher/Gould. She established the in-house creative department (servicing the automotive industry) at the Los Angeles Herald Examiner. Lori then went on to create advertising for the major studios (Paramount, Disney, Fox, and Warner Brothers), entertainment public relations firms, and celebrity management companies, at The Hollywood Reporter, and designed for Seinfeld, Lilo and Stitch, Oprah, The Wheel of Fortune, Entertainment Tonight, The Disney Channel, Cheers, Family Ties, Fantasy Island, Beethoven, Charlton Heston, Shirley Jones, and Martin Sheen. As a member of the faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Art Center College of Design (her alma maters), Lori teaches Advertising Concepts, Design, Email Marketing, Social Media Marketing, Video Marketing, Landing Page Design, and How to Manage a Photo Shoot. Photos: Additional Resources: Lori Berson LinkedIn: Lori Berson BersonDeanStevens LinkedIn: BersonDeanStevens Evon Rosen LinkedIn: Evon Rosen Ready-Made Marketing Transcript: The pandemic may have left many small businesses with limited marketing support and budgets, but that doesn't mean marketing is out of reach. That's what marketing experts Evon Rosen and Lori Berson wanted to prove with their new book, “Ready-Made Marketing For Business Owners, Business Professionals and Independent Contractors.” The book features hundreds of templates and technology recommendations that professionals with little time and budget can easily leverage for immediate results. Evon and Lori joined the Law Firm Marketing Catalyst Podcast to talk about their motivations to write “Ready-Made Marketing”; how to use the book effectively; and why even professionals with no marketing experience should learn how to market their businesses. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Welcome to the Law Firm Marketing Catalyst Podcast. Today, we're talking with Evon Rosen and Lori Berson, coauthors of the recent book, “Ready-Made Marketing For Business Owners, Business Professionals and Independent Contractors.” They are marketing experts and have worked with businesses in a range of industries, including law, and have helped their clients grow their brands, increase market share, facilitate client retention and, most importantly, increase profits. Today, we're going to hear more about their book and how it can help all of us be better marketers. Evon and Lori, welcome to the program. Evon:     Thank you, Sharon. It's so nice to be here. Sharon: So glad to have both of you. First of all, I want to know how you ended up where you are. Evon, why don't you go first? What was your career path? How did you end up working in marketing for a variety of different industries and professions? Evon:     My career in marketing has been focused on business development. I've been helping companies and business professionals in financial and legal services, as you said, as well as healthcare and real estate to develop and enhance their brands, grow market share and increase profits. I started in marketing research, and I moved into product management along the way. Then for 20 years, I helped senior and executive-level positions in both public and private firms. One of my longest stints was with City National Bank, where I created the brand positioning “The Way Up.” The bank is still using that today, I'm happy to say. Sharon: Did you develop that? Evon:     Yes. Sharon: Oh, wow! Evon:     It started off with a blue ladder. It's now a white ladder, but it's “The Way Up” campaign they've been using for many, many years. Sharon: Yes, for a long time. I forgot that's where we first met. I totally forgot about that. Evon:     Yeah, that is where we first met. I think you introduced me to Lori at that time. That's how Lori and I met. Sharon: I first want to ask you, Evon, what did you study? What would you recommend that people study? Lori, the same question when we get to your background. What would you recommend people study for marketing? Evon:     It's interesting; I studied sociology and I got a teaching credential, both from UCLA. I think what was so great about both of those areas in terms of marketing is that sociology is all about people and all about behavior, and that's basically what marketing is about too. Teaching helped me focus on being up in front of a group, being able to write business plans and marketing plans and things like that. It all works to help in marketing. Sharon: Lori, what was your path? Lori:       I actually started my marketing career over 23 years ago. I've been creating revenue-generating strategies in branding, demand generation, advertising, interactive media, email, social media, print, outdoor—a myriad of things, including sales and marketing automation, for many of the country's industry leaders in consumer package goods, financial and professional services. Some of those companies include Anthem, Charles Schwab, Dole Food Company, Fisher Investments. That was in addition to working for entertainment clients like Seinfeld. I did it for many, many years. Actually, I started in entertainment. I've also had the pleasure of teaching advertising and marketing at UCLA, and email marketing and video marketing at Art Center College of Design, which are my two alma maters. To answer your question about what I studied, I started studying in the design area, graphic design. From there, it morphed into more of the marketing side. A lot of it comes from not only from the college education, but from when I was very young and did internships, and from taking online courses throughout the years and then teaching. Like Evon said, that teaches you a lot as well. I'd also say what's really important these days is to continue learning and to stay up to date, especially with the rapid change of what's going on with new technologies. Now it's NFTs and crypto and Web 3. There are so many exciting things happening that it's important to stay up to date continually and to keep learning. Sharon: I didn't know there was a Web 3. Lori:       We're in Web 2 now, but Web 3 is the metaverse. Sharon: Oh, O.K. Lori, you have your own company; it's Berson Dean Stevens, correct? Lori:       Correct. Sharon: Evon, you're independent, and you also work with Lori a lot. You both started in traditional marketing. How did you segue into marketing automation and video? How does one do that? Lori:       That is a great question, Sharon. I remember about seven or eight years ago—I always like to keep up with technology. That's part of what we offer in the book, a lot of technology resources, which we'll get into. But as I was looking at things, I thought, “O.K., what seems to be the trend? What is important to learn going forward?” So, I dove in around 2013, 2014 and started learning. I got together with one of the first animation software companies and learned as I did it and got clients involved. It was all very new, and we all jumped in and learned as we did it. Sharon: There's so much to learn. Evon, you were going to add? Evon:     It's kind of the same for me. When I was with many companies in a senior position, I had a staff. I had a lot of people working for me that had a lot of the tools and knowledge that I didn't, so we would all jump in and do things together. As Lori said, marketing evolved, and we had to evolve with it. Sharon: There's so much to learn when you say to keep up with what's going on. Lori:       It's overwhelming. Sharon: Yeah, it is overwhelming. That's a word for it. Evon, you and Lori wrote the book. What was your impetus? To me, there are a million and one books on marketing and how to market, and there are a million and one podcasts. What was your impetus for writing the book? Evon:     The original idea came out of Covid, because during the worst of the pandemic, as you know, firms were forced into doing new ways of business. Everybody started working remotely. In-person meetings were no longer an option. It was unfamiliar territory for everyone, and a primary concern for both firms and their clients was financial. Cost-cutting led to layoffs and people quitting, which left many professional firms and professionals with no internal marketing support and no budget to hire external expertise. Lori and I had seen so many people struggling with how to reenergize their businesses and jumpstart sales, so we wanted to make marketing accessible and help people bounce back from Covid setbacks. You're right, Sharon, there are a million and one marketing books out there. Most of them deal with developing business or marketing plans, or they're specific to using social media as a marketing tool, or they speak to building brands. They're planning oriented. We wanted to write something that was action oriented, which is exactly what “Ready-Made Marketing” is. It provides the words and the tools to enable business professionals to start marketing themselves immediately. It addresses an unmet need that the business community has, and I'm happy to say it's resonating. Sharon: It's quite a successful book, and it's a very hands-on book. Evon:     Mm-hm. Sharon: Lori, tell us how the book was constructed. How did you write this book? What was in mind when you wrote it? Lori:       “Ready-Made Marketing” was constructed in two sections. The first part includes over 70 customizable email and video templates and scripts that can be used in a variety of business situations. It also includes step-by-step instructions and screenshots for using proven and effective marketing tactics like LinkedIn, podcasts, webinars, video and text messaging, just to name a few. The second section of the book is where we've included over 400 technology resources that are free or affordably priced. This was key because we wanted it to be not only simple, but cost-effective for people to be able to use. All of the technology resources have been vetted, and we have the top two in each category, which are our recommended options. The bottom line is that we wrote the book to be handy and easy to use, with everything laid out so you could quickly get to what you need, when you need it. It starts with a chart that is entitled “How to Use this Book.” If you want to write a sales email, you go to the customizable templates. If you want to host a webinar, there are ideas to develop content and step-by-step instructions for production. Basically, the book takes the guesswork out of marketing. Sharon: It's a very up-to-date book. Lori:       Yes. Sharon: It sounds very different from so many marketing books with everything you're talking about, the video and podcasting and all of that. You don't find that in many traditional marketing books. When you say you've vetted the resources, how did you vet them? Evon:     I've researched and used all of the resources with clients. Both Evon and I have used all of the resources, whether it's both of us or one of us separately, with clients. Sharon: So, they're tried and true. Evon:     Exactly. Sharon: That's great. Evon, it seems that the teacher always learns something from the student. Tell me what you learned from writing this book about marketing, things you didn't think of before. Evon:     It's interesting because I was thinking about that, and I think the difference is no other books are like “Ready-Made Marketing.” You can hit the ground running with this book, and that was our goal: to use marketing to help people generate sales as fast as possible. That can be done. Marketing doesn't have to be expensive. It doesn't have to be a time suck. It can be done relatively easily. Not everything, but there are things you can do to jumpstart your business, and that was great for people to see. What I learned is not so much about the book or marketing itself, but the impact the book has had. When I hear from business professionals and read the amazing reviews on Amazon, it's heartwarming to see how appreciative people are. They have something that's really made a difference in bouncing back from the pandemic and beyond. Even if a business didn't take a big hit, they love the fact that they can do so much marketing themselves without spending a lot of money. In fact, the book has a testimonial from an attorney who says it's a game changer. That's amazing to hear. Sharon: It sounds very gratifying. Do you think the book would have had the same impact if we weren't coming out of the pandemic? Evon:     I'm not sure the book would have been written had there not been a pandemic. Sharon: O.K., that's a good point. Evon:     We're hired for our marketing expertise. Marketing is a lot more than what's in the book, but the book is a wonderful place for people who need to do some marketing who don't have a budget, who don't have a lot of time, but still need to get sales and have their brands out there. That's what this book does. We were happy to make it something that people can use themselves. Sharon: Lori, what do you think you learned from writing the book? Lori:       I learned that I didn't realize the need out there. From talking to other business owners and even from some of the testimonials and reviews that Evon mentioned, a lot of people don't know where to go to find information on how to market themselves. They don't have the time. It feels very onerous to a lot of businesspeople and professionals. They're focusing on their business, so they don't have time to get into the growth of it as much as they should. They're going along with a certain amount of clientele, but we all need to grow business to stay alive. I was quite amazed at the response to the book and to the tools that we presented, how people have said it's made their lives so much easier. We knew there was need, but we never realized how much of a need and how broad-based it is. Sharon: It seems there'd be such a demand for something like this. This is for both Evon and Lori. Do you think people were skeptical when you said this book is going to be a hands-on, how-to book? Do you think people said, “Yeah, tell me about it”? Lori:       I'll take that to start. I think people were confused a little bit, because typically what they see is the strategy and planning, which doesn't get to what they need as quickly as possible. Granted, strategy and planning are important. But I think it's so new and so different from what they've seen from other books that it was a little bit confusing. Then, once they got into it, they thought, “My god, this is so easy. It's super simple.” Evon:     I didn't think that people were particularly skeptical. I think what's interesting is that many people don't really understand what marketing is or what they can do themselves. I think when they started looking at the book and saw what was in there, it was more of a revelation, like, “Oh, my gosh, I can do this, and it's right there. This is what marketing is. That's great.” Sharon: Looking through reviews on Amazon—it is on Amazon, and the reviews are glowing. Something interesting to me is that it's on Kindle also. There's a Kindle version, which I was surprised to see. Is that something you thought about or planned for when you were writing this? Evon:     We did. We wanted to do the different versions, the Kindle version, the hardcover, the paperback. We wanted to make it accessible to anybody's needs. However they access it, we want them to have it. Sharon: It's widely available, it seems. Lori, who was your target market for the book as you were writing it? Lori:       The target market is business professionals and their firms, other small businesses, independent contractors, people with limited or no marketing expertise and those with no marketing staff or, as Evon mentioned earlier, those with limited or no marketing budget, which we find is a majority of the small businesses out there. Also, we found out that people who have some marketing experience are especially appreciative because of the distillation of those 400 technology resources in the book. Working with other marketing professionals, I found that they may know a couple of the really well-known technology resources, but many times those can be super expensive. One of our primary focuses was to get stuff as much for free as possible in addition to really inexpensive technology resources, something like $5 a month and at most $15 a month, to give them some of those automation capabilities to help them save time and focus more on their business. Basically, “Ready-Made Marketing” is perfect for anyone looking to start or enhance their marketing, whether they have no experience or they do have some but need extra resources. Sharon: I was thinking about the fact that in marketing today, even more than 20 years ago, you have to be an expert in a certain area. What you wrote is more broad-based as opposed to, “I'm a web developer” or “I'm an SEO expert” or “I do videos.” Do you think people embrace that, or did they say, “I got to find somebody else,” meaning, “I've got to find an SEO person for my SEO”? Lori:       I think it's a little bit of both. In this particular case, because we're focusing on people that don't have expertise, we wanted to give them tools to be able to do some of the basic stuff themselves. There's always going to be a need to hire because you're right; everything is very specialized. There are agencies that just work on each of those sections. They're going to want to eventually hire those people once they get the budget and once they get to that level. But as a starting point, this gives them some basic things and demystifies a lot of it so they can decide, based on what we give them, “O.K., I want to focus on SEO. Maybe I'll go hire an SEO agency,” or “Webinars are going to generate a lot of leads. I've got the tools to be able to do that on my own for very low cost. Once I get to a certain level, then I can bring in some of the specialists with more expertise.” Sharon: It sounds like a great resource. Evon, if I'm an independent lawyer alone in my office and I don't have a marketing staff or a marketing professional to advise me, how should I use this book? I envision tearing it apart and copying the templates. How would you say we should use it? Evon:     The book is truly a desktop resource. We have it organized by marketing tactic. There's a section on email communications, on using video, on podcasts and panels, on webinars. Within the email section, for example, there are templates for emails in a variety of situations. We have cold communications, which you would send to someone you don't know, a prospect. There are follow-up emails to send after a meeting or sales call, emails to reengage with people you haven't heard from recently. When situations arise, you just refer to the book and use whatever you need. The technology is there to help bring some of those tactics to life. As Lori said, the book takes the guesswork out of marketing. To go back for a minute on what you were asking about the research of it all, we wanted this book to be something of a starting point for people who don't know much about marketing or don't have a budget for marketing. Marketing is about getting the right message to the right people, and there are a number of ways to do that. This book deals with the basics. If you start with the basics, you can build from there. Sharon: Was the catalyst for the book that you were both talking with clients, and you just looked at each other and said, “These people don't have a clue”? Not to knock anybody, but if you spent your career studying finance or healthcare or law, then you didn't study marketing. Was that the impetus? Was it like, “We've got to show people how to do this. You can do it if you apply yourself”? Evon:     I think for me, I felt so badly that people were coming back into a world of business and they really didn't know how to start with marketing. They didn't have an internal staff anymore; they didn't have money to ask anybody. They were floundering. We found that out within our client base and outside. For me, it was the pandemic that got it going. It's not that they didn't know what to do generally; it's just that they didn't know what to do in this new world. Lori:       To add to that, Sharon, Evon and I also had interactions with clients who hired us to revitalize their website and their branding and everything else. They really wanted to get into automation and help their sales team, but they were restricted by budget. I encountered several clients like that. That was another reason for the book, too: to help people who didn't have the time to even bring on staff or to hire an agency. They knew they needed it; they just didn't have the tools. We thought, “O.K., between Covid and these other people who weren't hurt by Covid but do need these extra services, how can we help?” Sharon: Did you think about putting in a section about marketing via Zoom? Let's say we backtrack or there's another outbreak of a different kind of strain. Is there something about marketing via Zoom in there? Lori:       Absolutely. We have a section called “Video Messaging” that talks about sales calls. I'll let Evon talk about some of the scripts with that, but it not only covers how to connect with people via Zoom or Webex or whatever else, but also how to connect via LinkedIn and audio and video message via those channels. Evon:     And we have screenshots for the how-tos. We show them how to do it. We write the scripts for them, and we show them step by step how they incorporate the technology to do these things. The book is really do-it-yourself. It literally provides thousands of dollars of marketing expertise for less than the cost of a week at Starbucks or, more relatable, it's less than half a tank of gas. Lori:       Or a quarter-tank nowadays. Evon:     It's all there. Sharon: Are the templates fill in the blank? Evon:     Yes, they're based around various scenarios. They all have a subject line to deal with the issues they're trying to address. Then it gives you the template itself and what you should say with blanks to fill in certain things about you or the situation. It's very easy. Sharon: It sounds like a great resource, whether you're a marketer within a marketing department or on your own. Evon:     A lot of people look at a page and don't know where to start. They want to write something, and they can't do it; they don't do it; they don't know how to do it. With the book, the words are right there. Sharon: That's a good point, when you're looking at a blank computer screen and you don't know what to do. Evon:     Right, right. Sharon: I want to mention again that the book is “Ready-Made Marketing.” It's for business owners and independent professionals of any stripe. Tell me if I'm leaving something out. It's a do-it-yourself book. It's on Amazon in a variety of formats. It's gotten fabulous reviews, so please take a look at it. Evon and Lori, thank you so much for being here today and telling us about this book. Lori:       Sharon, thank you. Evon:     It's been our pleasure, Sharon. Thank you so much for having us. Lori:       Yes, thank you, Sharon. It's been great. We appreciate it.

Jan Santos holds a Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts major in Advertising from Batangas State University, Philippines and International Baccalaureate Teaching Certification for Visual Arts and Theory of Knowledge (Epistemology) He is the CEO of The Creative Scoop which is a Branding Agency that helps businesses from Australia, Germany and the UK, grow through the utilization of social media and modern creative content. He also coaches entrepreneurs, abroad either 1:1 or group, with his Branding and Identity Program. Moreover, he started The Creative Talk Podcast on Apple/iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music, supporting entrepreneurs, leaders and creators to stand-out and establish a market competitive edge. Currently with 10k solid supporters from 16 countries worldwide. His goal is to solidify one's branding and identity, ensuring the business to be unique and memorable by means of creating a consistent visual style, goal and focus. His drive is to enhance ones' brand credibility and recognition. Jan Santos is presently residing in Batangas City, Philippines with his wife Farrah Arellano-Santos and little boy Enzo Mariano Santos. Timestamp 2:51 From comics, to fine arts, to advertising and branding - Jan's unique journey 7:10 Emotional appeal, the fall of traditional advertising and the rise of branding 11:25 Two icons that inspire Jan 13:27 Three points to create a solid, strong brand 15:03 Aligning business visions with his purpose in life 17:53 Forging diamond brands from the rough 19:50 Visions for the future 22:55 Daily routines and how they changed during COVID 25:09 The Creative Talk - introducing his podcast 26:32 The fruits of labour often provide the best answers to those who don't understand 28:43 Keeping up with ever-evolving platform algorithms 33:10 The importance of putting intent before content Social Media Web:https://www.thecreativescoop.me Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/thecreativescoopjansantos/ Podcast:https://linktr.ee/thecreativetalkpodcast Follow Patti Dobrowolski - Instagram https://www.instagram.com/upyourcreativegenius/ Follow Patti Dobrowolski - Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/patti-dobrowolski-532368/ Up Your Creative Genius - https://www.upyourcreativegenius.com/ Patti Dobrowolski 00:03 Hello, Superstars! Welcome to the Up Your Creative Genius podcast - where you will gain insight and tips to stomp on the accelerator and blast off to transform your business and your life. I'm your host, Patti Dobrowolski. And if this is your first time tuning in, then strap in - because this is serious rocket fuel. Each week, I interview fellow creative geniuses to help you learn how easy it is to Up Your Creative Genius in any part of your life. Patti Dobrowolski 00:39 Hey, everybody, it's Patti Dobrowolski! Oh my gosh. I have Jan Santos here. I don't know if you've looked at my Instagram feed, but it totally changed this year - and it's thanks to Jan Santos and The Creative Scoop. Because he came in and scooped me and scooped me up, and like, elevated me to 10,000 followers - all these different things that happen. Now let me just tell you a little bit about him. He's the CEO of Creative Scoop, which is a branding agency that does work with people in the UK and Australia, Germany, US - I'm the US, right - and he helps entrepreneurs to grow their brand online. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts and Advertising from Bantagas - is that how we say- Jan Santos 01:24 Batangas, yeah. Patti Dobrowolski 01:25 - Batangas. Batangas State University in the Philippines and an International Baccalaureate teaching certification for Visual Arts and Theory of Knowledge. He is amazing and incredible, and I love everybody in his team that's helping us - so please welcome Jan Santos to the show! Jan Santos 01:46 Wow, wow. Thank you, buddy. Amazing, amazing intro. Love that. Love the vibe. Love you. Wow. Patti Dobrowolski 01:52 Yeah. Well, you know, I love you back. And here's the thing - you know, it's almost the middle of the night there for him. So just want to say: thank you for coming on the podcast today to share some tips and drop some big wisdom on us. Jan Santos 02:08 Always welcome, Patti. Three coffees, and lots of love. Patti Dobrowolski 02:12 Exactly. Love is the key booster. We know that right? It's the essential dopamine within us. So tell everybody, Jan, tell us a little bit about you - how you came into be doing brands at all. You've got this fine arts degree. So tell us, you know, where did you come from? And you can tell us even a little bit about your family, and then how you got to where you are today with your branding agency? Jan Santos 02:37 Wow. Yeah. Well, I'm always into arts. You know, when I was a kid, I'm - well, you can see that. I'm a Batman collector. Comics, books - Patti Dobrowolski 02:48 Yes, yes. Behind you. Yeah. Jan Santos 02:51 So a lot more behind that. So I'm - you know, I love illustration. I love the creativity. I love the world of imagination. So, but growing up, you know, we're doing okay. But my parents, they work hard, and things like arts are very expensive. Yes. But then I remember like, walking, and there's a comic toy store. And they're very expensive. So I can only read comics - like, if they're past two months issue, they put in a basket - so I go there, and I read it, but you cannot bring it out, so you just read it, and then you put it back. So, you know, that fuels my creativity, and that's my journey. And then I'm always, the thing that - I don't know, that's my special sauce - the thing that makes me different is that I'm always interested even when I was a kid, in the process. So if I see - like, for example, I can never forget: if I see Batman artwork, I was always think, like, how did they do this? How did they create this? What are- not the word process, because I'm a kid at that time, but - you want to know the journey, things like that. That- you know, fast forward now, that is something that I could say: it's the process of the journey, that what makes a piece valuable. So that paves the way for me to you know, tell my parents that I'm really into art, even though it's expensive, what's the plan? Patti Dobrowolski 02:53 Yes. Jan Santos 03:03 But you know, my mom and dad, they really supported me - mostly my mom because, you know, we're not a complete family. She really invested a lot in me entering the world of arts and, you know, Fine Arts major and Advertising. And that opened the door for me to see, there's a lot more - more than arts, you know, yes. And this is going to be an arguable topic, but for me when I entered fine arts, the highest form of learning is art, because only art can go past human logic and straight to human emotions, and I love that. Yes. Patti Dobrowolski 05:12 Yes, it can. Jan Santos 05:13 And when that happened, when that happens - human judgment will always follow. You know, that's the reason why when we watch a movie or a cartoon, or you listen to radio, you know: you get captivated, you're pushed, you cry, you're happy, you get mad at the protagonist and antagonist about what's happening - that's the power of art. And I was there - I've seen that happen, I've been a part of that. And at that time, advertising is utilizing that power. You know, so in that core is branding. It's not branding yet, but the essence of it is hidden in advertising. So you know, cut the story short: I love arts, I was given an opportunity to be in that industry, and here I am now. Patti Dobrowolski 05:25 Yes, no doubt! I mean, really, what I love about what you were saying is that you talked about, and this is what I see reflected in your work. Like, if you go to Jan's website, you go to his Instagram - it has a very cartoon style. And so I can see that you came from that, because - and, you know, me, too. That's what I did. My favorite cartoons were Mad Magazine, but not the magazine itself - it was the little tiny cartoons at the bottom of the page. That's what I feel like my style represents that, really: everything I draw, I'm always thinking - will this look good on the bottom of the page of Mad Magazine? Because I think it imprints you, and then you see the world through that lens, but you're talking about advertising - and this is old school advertising in a way before it came into brand. When you go to an advertising, you know, fine arts in advertising, really, we're talking about looking at the big brands, understanding what advertising's goals are, etc. But how did you find your own voice in that sea of advertising? How did you find you? Jan Santos 07:10 You know, let's give a backstory of what advertising really is. And there's a distinction between advertising and, you know, fine arts, because when you say Fine Arts that's in the realm of creativity, right? Yes. But when you say about advertising, that's- it's using that creativity to really - I'm gonna use the word - manipulate people. Patti Dobrowolski 07:35 Yes, yes. I was gonna say get the audience, you know, grab them, and then inculcate them with whatever it is you want them to buy. Mm hmm. Right. Jan Santos 07:45 Yeah. And when I was there, I always say this until now, I'm more of an artist rather than you know, an advertiser. Patti Dobrowolski 07:53 Yes. Jan Santos 07:53 Or a coach or a speaker. That's me, God created me to be an artist. Patti Dobrowolski 07:57 Yeah. Jan Santos 07:57 So in some way, it made me uncomfortable. I say - yeah, we're using the power of arts, and we're operating an advertising-driven business. We're dictating the masses. We're controlling the masses. Patti Dobrowolski 08:12 Definitely. Jan Santos 08:12 Whatever we want, you set the trend. Patti Dobrowolski 08:15 Yes! Jan Santos 08:16 You utilize radio, TV, print ads. That's the only three powerful mediums before, right. So yeah, so it's something that "Nah," I said, deep inside it's like, "no, this isn't it." Patti Dobrowolski 08:16 I know. I know, I feel your pain there. Yes. (laughs) Jan Santos 08:34 Again, I never knew that it would, you know, explode. There's a new industry, there's a new generation that will come. I never knew that. But I always felt that there is a genuine power hidden in advertising. So, you know, I studied, and I really invested my heart, my mind, my soul into it. And I understood: okay, so there's a pure essence hidden in advertising, but it won't work, because it's not the time - yet. Patti Dobrowolski 09:07 Yes. Well, and also, then social media happened, right? Jan Santos 09:12 When social media happened, that was the signal - because there was an option now: you know, it's not monopolized by the three major mediums, which is print ad, TV, and radio. There is now what we call free media. Patti Dobrowolski 09:30 Yes. Jan Santos 09:30 And when free media came into play, it changed the gameplay already. Patti Dobrowolski 09:36 Yes. Jan Santos 09:36 It now gave the opportunity to everyone. To be a creator, speaker, artist - and when that happened, boom - branding came into play. And because, you know, it was the perfect signal - It's like the bat signal- Patti Dobrowolski 09:52 Yeah. Jan Santos 09:52 - it's ready. We're ready, come out. Boom! Patti Dobrowolski 09:55 Yes, that's right. Jan Santos 09:55 When that branding came into play it knocked out advertising. It's still there. But you know, they don't control it - the power shifted already, they no longer call the shots - it is given to the people. Everyone has their own brands. Everyone can set up their brands. So that was the shifting part- Patti Dobrowolski 10:15 Well, and that, then, becomes the open door for you to walk through. Because the kind of branding you're talking about is really creative. It's taking even if you have like- uh, I'll give an example, right - I have a keynote talk. You take a piece of the keynote talk, and you serve it up to the public in a certain way with content attached to it. And then people are interested in that - they're like, "Where is she? Oh, she's at the UN", right? Jan Santos 10:40 Yeah. Patti Dobrowolski 10:40 And then that - that gets all these thousands and thousands of views, right? But that takes creativity to understand which piece of that is going to be the saleable product - which piece of that represents the person in their brand, most authentically - which is really, I think what, you're really good at this. Jan Santos 11:03 Well, that's the good thing of starting in an advertising world. Because, you know, that's the contribution of advertising. You know how - how to use the product, how to use the brand. You know, which talent has potential, which app, you can add, you have the eye. So that's a good thing from advertising that I have. Patti Dobrowolski 11:25 Yeah, and that is no doubt, no doubt. Now, who are you inspired by? Now, when you look out there in the world, like who inspires you? Not just your clients, but who inspires you in the world that's doing something interesting that you think we should look at or be interested by? Jan Santos 11:41 Well, not in the branding world, but first guy who really talked about revolutionising everything in this world? For me, it's Gary Vaynerchuk. Yeah, so when I heard that- Patti Dobrowolski 11:54 Gary Vee. Jan Santos 11:55 Gary Vee, yeah. When I heard him speak about, not about branding, but you know, really making a difference, changing the gameplay - that was my dilemma before, it's like: I need something, but I have no power to change it. I'm waiting for it. And then I heard him speak. And I was like, wow, he understands me in somewhat way. So yeah, so I can't say that he's my mentor. But he really, you know- Patti Dobrowolski 12:23 Influences you. Jan Santos 12:24 -influenced me in a way. Yeah, up to a certain extent. But yeah, he's one of them. And then a big part of it is Myles Munroe. Dr. Myles Munroe. I think I have a book somewhere there, yeah, "The Power of Vision". And it's connected to you know, being visual, as a branding and identity coach. So he really talked about looking past beyond what eyes can see. If you can look beyond what you can see, then you can really create something that can revolutionize the game. So those are not branding related, but those are the powers that contributed what I have now. Patti Dobrowolski 13:05 Yes. And so now in your agency - so you have a number of people that work on a number of different projects. But what do you feel? Like, what do you think that someone who is developing their brand - what do they need to know? What should they be thinking about if they want to really establish a strong brand like you have? Jan Santos 13:27 Right? So first, you know, everyone has a brand, alright. But I love what you said that, if they want to have a strong brand - my term is if you want to have a solid brand - and you can only achieve that by understanding three points: who you are, what you do, and what you offer. If you put that in place before anything else - if you put that in place, you're one step closer in making a solid brand: who you are as a brand, what do you offer as a brand, and who you are, what you do as a brand? Are you, you know, giving value in terms of education? Or are you in the realm of entertainment? So if you can really be concise and consistent in that three major points, you're one step closer to achieving a solid brand. Now you can follow that question: hey Jan, but you didn't answer. Yes, I have that in place. How can I have a solid or strong brand? When you have those three points in place, you need to make a difference: you need to connect, make an impact in your tribe and make a difference. Only then - only then can you say that your brand is solid or strong or successful. When you connect the people around you, you make an impact - may be good or bad, negative or positive - and you transform people's lives - again, good or bad. When you achieve that, you have a strong brand. Patti Dobrowolski 15:03 Wow, that's so good. Because I think that often people think: I'm just gonna create this thing, and then, you know, and that's because I love it, and I love doing it. You know, I remember as a performer, I'd be like: yeah, but if you don't have an audience, then you can perform to seven people - which I have, you know - so you have to understand how important it is to this piece, especially now connecting to your audience, and then helping them transform their lives, helping them to transform their lives, right. And I think this sometimes gets lost on people who are interested just in making money, right? They're just wanting to make some money. And so they go out there, and then they'll try to do all these things, and sometimes you're successful doing that. But are you really then? And I wonder if this is something you think about? Are you really aligned with your purpose? Like when I would ask you like, what is your purpose? Jan Santos 16:01 Funny thing, I always answered that with a comic connected visualization. If you're familiar with Alfred - Alfred of Batman - you know, his purpose is to help Bruce Wayne be the best Batman or be the best Bruce Wayne ever. And that's me. My purpose given by God is to connect with people and catapult that brand, those people, to the next level, by all means necessary. I'm a helper. Patti Dobrowolski 16:30 Yeah. Jan Santos 16:30 The reason why sometimes my clients, my partners, they don't see what I see in them, I see paths beyond what they can visualize in their brand. And I believe in that brand. So my intent before anything else, is to bring that into something tangible. And I push them - you know, I believe in your message, I believe in your brand, so let's do this - until they see what I see. So I'm an Alfred, that's my purpose. I'm a helper. (laughs) Patti Dobrowolski 17:01 Wow, that is - and you know, I think that I love that you're talking about it in this way. Because I think that people underestimate how powerful that is. But if you don't have people, or surrounded by people who can help you, you never get things done. Because you, you know, sometimes are just caught up in the experience that you're in, and you miss the support underneath. And for me, I think of that, too. Like, often people will call me and they'll say, I know that you speak to big audiences, will you - you know, I have a classroom and they need some of these speakers to teach art. Last year, you know, during COVID, somebody called me and said, I have all these students online. Will you teach art one day? Like, of course, are you kidding? Because that's really why we're here. We're not really here to gain accolades. And so- Jan Santos 17:53 - yeah, you know, running a business, it's natural, you know, earning money. Of course, that's business. But I love what you said, you know, it's a blessing that there are people that are willing to help around you. And yeah, not just that - people that are passionate in helping you regardless of there's something in return. And I think I remember it right, this is somewhat connected to our past conversation, you know, even though there's nothing in return. Patti Dobrowolski 17:55 Yeah. Jan Santos 17:56 I would always be committed to you. Because first, I love you. Second, I love your brand, and I love the message - and I see great things happening in your brand. Patti Dobrowolski 18:33 You see that vision of it. Well, and I feel very similarly to you. I see the vision of your brand and your greatness going out there because everyone that you touch, their brand explodes. It does because they are ready for someone to help them and you know how! Jan Santos 18:56 It's not all because of me. I always say this: if you guys watched the movie Rambo - Rambo, part two, I think, if I'm not mistaken - there's a part there that, you know, his commander came and he wants to recruit Rambo again for a mission and he said, No, you turned me into a monster. I don't want to do that anymore. And then he said, No, no Rambo. You're the same, you know, there's a rock and we transform it into a statue. You're the same rock, we just send it out to transform into a statue. That's what I do. I just chisel it out - me and my agency, we just chisel out, you know, the rough edges - but what makes that brand unique is still there. Patti Dobrowolski 19:40 Yeah. Jan Santos 19:40 That makes you, you - we just you know, just chisel it out - Patti's just, it's the same amazing brand. We just, you know, shine it there, polish it here. (laughs) Patti Dobrowolski 19:50 Yes. But what I love is that's a spiritual principle you're talking about, really. Because you come into the world as a piece of coal, and experiences with other people really work you down until you're a diamond when you leave, right? If you make that a conscious choice, and that's- I love that, because it's very linked to that. Now, when you think about the vision for you and your brand, firm, your agency, where do you see yourself in 5-10 years? What would you like to be doing? Jan Santos 20:21 You know what Patti, you know, this is an audacious dream. As far as I'm concerned, there is no branding agency- and when I say branding, because in the Philippines, when you say branding, they're still stuck in the advertising, you know, post-industrial age terms. Patti Dobrowolski 20:35 Those three things. Yeah. Jan Santos 20:36 Yeah. So when I say there is no branding agency like what we have operating, I want to make it big. I want to make it you know, local based, because a company that is people centric, client centric - that's what we need in order for an industry to triumph. And it's not there yet. But step by step with connection, with the right people like you guys, my dream is to really make it big locally, in the Philippines, because you can see all the partners, all the clients are non Philippines-based. So yes, speaks a lot, right. So in the long run, you know, maybe three, five, ten - as long as I'm here, still playing the game - my dream, and prayer is you know, to start locally to help small entrepreneurs, introduce them to a different perspective in how you run your business, how you look on your brand, how you look with your, your clients, your partners, how to harness that relationship. It's not about money - it will come, trust me. Yes, so that's my goal. Patti Dobrowolski 21:44 All right. I love that. Because I think there is something to where you are in the world - I always think, oh, yeah, it will be great. Now, you remember, I've moved to four major cities, right? Five, four or five now. And so, but now we're in Texas, and all I can say is, when I start getting work in Texas, then that means that my brand will begin to be established here, and that matters - it matters to my ability to influence the consciousness here, in a good way, right? Because that's what needs to happen. They need to see me, they need to draw their future and understand that anybody can do it and make a change. I love that you're going to do that. Now, tell people what- I want to know what's it like, you know, you getting up with your agency every day? What's it look like, start to finish? Because today, you got up early, and it's late. Jan Santos 22:43 It's all Patti's fault. Patti Dobrowolski 22:45 Right, it is, it is. Jan Santos 22:46 So, everyone that is listening and watching for this podcast episode, It's Patti's fault. (laughs) Patti Dobrowolski 22:52 Oh, thanks. Thanks. I'll take it, I accept that. Jan Santos 22:55 Yeah, that's why I wake up, I start my day - 5am. Jog, exercise, before I do trainings, Muay Thai. But it- first I'm lazy. Yeah, that's the that's the main thing. And then you know, COVID happened. So I can't go out to things like that. So it's basic stamina, and exercise. And then yeah, 6 to 7 - that's a lot of emails, a lot of messages from different social media platforms. And then 7.30, that's the, you know, the morning briefing with my PA, handing over a lot, dumping everything to her. And then 9 o'clock, that's where everyone in the agency starts to check in. There's another team briefing, handing over of tasks, delegation of whatnot, projects and everything. And then yeah, so we end, Mondays to Thursdays, we end the day 5pm. And then if I don't have schedules for speaking engagements, Clubhouse, or Lives, and if I still have some juice in me, we do online games. We do online games - we love you know, shooting games, me and my friends - so that's what we do. But recently, because of - you know, we are really triumphing on COVID, so it's getting better and better - there's a lot more face to face events that are happening. And I've been invited, like before, to go speak about branding and social media. So, again, that's an addition and a big adjustment because you need to go out. Before, you can like just put on a good shirt and - boom, let's do it. But not anymore, you know? Patti Dobrowolski 24:39 Not online. Yeah, not anymore - you got to put on slacks and shoes now. Jan Santos 24:43 Yeah. Plus, you need to take in consideration the traffic - you know, if a driver will drive me so I can then, you know, make a video content going there. But yeah, no one - it's going to be me. So things like that. So I usually end 11pm, because 10 o'clock should be the start of my podcast recording. It's all just like that, 10 to 11, 11.30 is the latest.(whispers) Again, guys, your host- (laughs) Patti Dobrowolski 25:09 Yes. (laughs) I did. I made him stay up late tonight. But tell everybody - like, what's your podcast about? Because I love being on, a guest on your podcast. But also who are the kinds of people that you're interviewing, so they can follow The Creative Scoop, Jan Santos 25:26 Guys, please check the Creative Talk podcast, available in your favorite podcast platform. It's a podcast where leaders, entrepreneurs, creators worldwide gets to be highlighted - the focus is not the host, which is, you know, even though the host is very handsome and very witty (laughs) - the focus is not on him. The focus is on those people because again, like my fascination when I was a kid, to understand the discovery, the process, the journey I adopted into this podcast, we see those icons, and you know, your host, Patti was featured in one of my episodes, we see them as a successful icon - creators, leaders, entrepreneurs worldwide, but we don't know the story. You know, what happened? So that's the focus of the show - it's all about them, and we make it very, very, very focused on our guests. It's their show, it's not mine. So that's my podcast, guys - again, the Creative Talk podcast, please check it out. Patti Dobrowolski 26:32 Yes, definitely. I highly recommend it. I also- I want to know, so when you were starting out your own branding, I mean, like, you must have had challenges building your company going along the way. So what did you do to help yourself get through it? What was challenging for you, or still is - if there's anything at all? Jan Santos 26:53 Well, again, it's something new in the Philippines. So when you know, it's human nature - if we don't know something, we tend to be against it. Because we can't understand. Patti Dobrowolski 27:07 We're fearful, yes. Jan Santos 27:09 And if we don't understand, and we're against it - you know, because we can't control it. So that was the challenge back then - everybody that is connected to me doesn't know anything about what the heck am I talking about. (laughs) That's true! Patti Dobrowolski 27:11 Oh, my gosh, so you have to show pictures and draw sketches? Wow. Wow. Jan Santos 27:31 No, no, no, no. It was like, first, it was frustrating explaining to them. But you know, by prayer and God's wisdom, it's just - alright, okay, in time. You know, when you plant a seed, you don't explain how it will grow - you know in your heart that time will take its effort to grow, and it will grow, right? Patti Dobrowolski 27:57 Yeah. Jan Santos 27:57 You just need the work. You just need to do the effort in watering it, make sure the soil is right, make sure the sunlight is right, protecting it from rodents and pests like that, you know. But you know, the plant will grow - and when it does, when it does - it will bear fruit. That fruit will explain everything for you. Patti Dobrowolski 28:19 Yes. Jan Santos 28:19 And let's, you know, fast forward: people around me, some doesn't still understand that, they don't have a clue. But they see the output. And you know, with that they have security that: oh, okay, he knows what he's doing. People are being blessed, people are being- you know, he's helping out a lot of people, he must be doing something good. Patti Dobrowolski 28:43 That's right. That's right. That's right. I think proof is everything. You know, I used to draw, I would tell people, you know, nobody understood about why you want to picture the future, right? Why would you want to have a drawing or someone drawing in the room. So I go to these big clients like Morgan Stanley - I go into their office in New York City, and I have a contact there, and I put a piece of paper up on the wall, and I do the process with them - to see if they would hire me right? To come in and do one about their company. And they had this during this time, you know, in the mid 90s, early 2000s, they would simply look at the drawing, and they'd say: that's nice, but we don't really have the budget for that, and they'd say, but could you leave that drawing with us? And I'd be like, oh, yeah, so now they got a free drawing, right. But later, you know, many years later, I'm back in that same room - working. So maybe that's 10 years later, right? But it took a long time for the industry of graphic recorders to come to the forefront, which is really what we see in terms of what you've been doing and the branding help. Now, you are really an expert on algorithms. That's what's true, right. How do you keep your acumen, how do you keep your skills up in the algorithm in Instagram or Facebook, or how - what do you do? How could people research for themselves to get more educated? Jan Santos 30:09 Well, stop thinking that you know a lot. Patti Dobrowolski 30:14 That's right. Jan Santos 30:14 Yeah, The moment you say to yourself that, you know, you're good in this area, and you understood everything, is the moment you lose the game already. Patti Dobrowolski 30:23 Yeah. Jan Santos 30:23 Because, you know, algorithm, it's a system. In any platform that's all about YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok - it's constantly changing, because they're constantly innovating - because of the constant creation of content, because of the constant usage of consumers. You know, they are always adjusting- Patti Dobrowolski 30:45 - And all the data, and they're not even adjusting - the algorithm is adjusting for them. Jan Santos 30:51 Yes, imagine the amount of data that comes in. That's like, what - billions of billions of data and they're always improving. You know, when I say adjusting, and innovating, it doesn't mean like always a drastic change. It could be small- Patti Dobrowolski 31:06 No, it's incremental, it could be an incremental thing - you see it, you see it happen, and then you're like, what, something's different now? They're not, this is not happening, right? This, we're not getting as many views, right? Jan Santos 31:18 Yeah. Patti Dobrowolski 31:19 And that's generally because something has changed, based on the algorithm. Jan Santos 31:24 When you have that mindset that you don't know a lot, so you will really invest your time in, you know, researching - you spend time in the platform. And when I say spend time in a platform, it will really take you, you know - months, years - because you know, imagine a platform is a human being, you cannot say that you know a person in like what, a few months? No, you spend time, you build relationships with that human being. And that's the same with platforms. When we talk about Patti, Instagram, I was like, when Instagram launched the Carousels, that was way way back, it was the newest feature of Instagram - I was there. I was there understanding, what is this? Because you know, Instagram before was a online portfolio for photographers- Patti Dobrowolski 32:17 Yeah, it was just visual, it was pretty photos, pretty photos. Yeah, it wasn't about business, exactly. Jan Santos 32:23 So when that happened, I was like, I was spending - I remember, 6am to 9am, I should, you know, watch videos, talk to people on Twitter, you know - I am stalking people. I need to know more about those platforms. Connect with, making collaborations with people that I know are well-versed- Patti Dobrowolski 32:42 Yes, ahead of the game. Yes. Jan Santos 32:45 Yeah. And you know, it really gave me an insight. And then the same principle applies, but different interface, you know, things like that - different platform, but the same principle: TikTok, YouTube shorts, and a lot. You just need to spend time - one platform at a time. Research, talk, listen, join Clubhouse sessions and really, you know- Patti Dobrowolski 33:10 Hear people talk about it - hear what they're saying, take a bunch of notes, that's what I did. And now, you know, in the NFT space, doing the same thing - you know, what can you learn about NF Ts and how could you leverage that in the future because that's the future and we know that, we can see that building and if you follow Gary Vee at all, you see what he's done with his brand, and everything in that space. So it's very inspiring. Well, you are so incredibly inspiring. I hope that everybody has just pulled away these big nuggets. Now tell us - you know, I don't want to keep you because I know we have to go into a class in a moment - so I want to know like, tell people who are wanting to make a change and refresh what they're doing: what is a tip that you could give them on how to, you know, continue to persevere in this space? What would you say to them? Jan Santos 34:04 No, you know, I always say this: intent comes before content. Your intent will always come before content, what ever it is. So know that first: when you put that in place, and you sort that out, you have a solid foundation already with your brand. And trust me: things will be visual for you, you know what to do next. We always hear this from gurus online. You know: know your niche, niche down, or understand your target market, or your only few thousand fans or something like that. And that's not wrong - that's correct. But before anything else, know your intent. Know - you know, Simon Sinek's famous "why", things like that. But more than that, you know, the intent - your Jedi force in you - know that everything will be in place. Patti Dobrowolski 34:58 I love that. That is such incredible advice. I love this time with you, I'm so glad I get to spend more of it. I'm so grateful to you for everything you've done for my brand. And for anybody listening, you know, be sure to look in the shownotes to see how you can connect with Jan - he's really easy and accessible, he'll have a conversation with you to see what you're up to and how we can help you - I know that for a fact, and so I just think that you are amazing. And the fact that I met you is like this magical moment in time. And so I just am capturing that in my head like, ah, this moment right now is a beautiful moment. And so, thank you for taking the time today, Jan - you're just incredible. Jan Santos 35:43 Thank you so much Patti. And again, for all the listeners and viewers out there, I am just a vessel. You know, people like Patti are blessings to me - I learn a lot from them, and I do a little contribution to bring their brand to the next level, but I'm just a vessel. Without God's grace. I'm nothing. And again, guys, people like Patti, they are really transforming people's lives. Please do connect with her, check her podcast- Patti Dobrowolski 36:11 Alright, he's promoting me now, I love it. I love it. Thank you, Jan! All right, everybody. You know the drill - if you like what you've heard, please pass it on to your friends, and get everybody to follow and listen to the podcast, and also just follow Jan and his podcast, because it's amazing. And until next time, Up Your Creative Genius. Thank you! Patti Dobrowolski 36:37 Thanks so much for listening today. Be sure to DM me on Instagram your feedback or takeaways from today's episode on Up Your Creative Genius, then join me next week for more rocket fuel! Remember, you are the superstar of your universe, and the world needs what you have to bring. So get busy, get out and Up Your Creative Genius! And no matter where you are in the universe, here's some big love from yours truly, Patti Dobrowolski, and the Up Your Creative Genius Podcast. That's a wrap!

Kunta-alan työntekijät osoittivat mieltä Helsingissä. Maahanmuuttovirasto perustaa uusia vastaanottokeskuksia. Venäjänkielisille maahanmuuttajille järjestetään ruotsin kielen opetusta. Jääkiekon MM-kisat alkavat Suomessa viikon kuluttua. Perjantai on ollut kevään tähän asti lämpimin päivä. Viikonloppuna viilenee.

Hope is a holistic nutritionist, FDN-P and the founder of inBalance, a pilates based fitness studio franchise.   In the episode Hope covers:  How a plant-focused diet can help build a healthy thyroid and how a plant-focused diet can rebuild the gut and how that helps support a healthy thyroid.  What are some benefits of eating a plant focused diet? How can a plant focused diet build a healthy gut? And how is that related to a healthy thyroid? How does gut health relate to thyroid health? Connect with hope: facebook.com/groups/livewholesomeandhealthy facebook.com/hope.cowgill instagram.com/thehopepedraza hope@inbalancestudios.com . . . SHOW NOTES AT    Get on the Hansen Method waitlist. Click here. We open up the Hansen Method 2-3x a year so that we can fully support our clients to the highest degree possible.   Thinking about using nutrition and holistic health for restoring thyroid function? Learn EVERYTHING you need to know by joining our Free Facebook Group. Thriving Thyroid Balance Community.   Are you interested in learning more about your thyroid and finding answers?    We got you!    We have several different opportunities to work with us at several different price points and opportunities.    Our signature 6-month program is called The Hansen Method, we offer this in a VIP setting with personalized plans and protocols, individual one on one coaching and incredible bonuses that change regularly. You can schedule a complimentary thyroid breakthrough call with one of our thyroid advisors. Click here.  If you have questions about the Hansen Method and want to discuss your specific situation and make sure this is the right program for you you can schedule a complimentary thyroid breakthrough call with one of our team members. schedule here. Hurry, my schedule fills up quickly and we only work with limited amount of women at any given time.    Join hundreds of women who have improved their symptoms by 80% and lose on average 30lbs in the 4 months.     Not ready to schedule a call, no problem. Learn more about the Hansen Method to see if it's a good fit for you. Click here to learn more.    We also offer The Hansen Method as a Self Guided option.    Option number 1 for self guide is where you are totally on your own to go through the program content, make the changes and execute them on your own. Click here to purchase.    Option number 2 includes group coaching and access to our members facebook group that will allow you access to our Thyroid Success Coaches and testing with personalized protocols. Click here to purchase.      But one of our favorite ways to work with us is our Thriving Thyroid Coaching Membership Opportunity.  This is where many of clients first begin working with us. It allows you to get to know us, our system and start making changes before making a larger financial investment. Click here to learn more.    CONTACT LINKS Website Facebook Community YouTube Instagram   DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCES Freedom From Fatigue Guide  Download our Thyroid Panel Guide. Best Foods for Thyroid Thriving Hair Guide Dining Out Guide Thyroid Blocker List   PAID RESOURCES Thyroid Recipe Book 10-day detox   AFFILIATE LINKS Branch Basics Doterra Essential Oils Beauty Counter Wellevate Supplements   Xo, Shannon Hansen   P.S. Make sure to schedule our Thyroid Breakthrough call with one of our thyroid advisors.    FULL AUDIO TRANSCRIPT (00:00): Welcome back to episode 83 and I am so excited. This is with hope and we are talking about how a plant focused diet can help restore gut health hope is a holistic nutritionist, a functional diagnostic nutrition practitioner, and the founder of imbalance, a Pilates based fitness. All right, you guys help me welcome hope to the show. Welcome back to the thriving thyroid podcast, where we choose to become empowered patients and take our health into our own hands. Hi, I'm Shannon Hansen, a Christian entrepreneur, a mom of three. And after dealing with my own health mysteries, I made it my mission to learn everything I could about the thyroid. I soon became certified as a holistic wellness practitioner, a functional nutrition practitioner and a functional diagnostic practitioner. And so much more. After that, I founded the revolutionary thyroid program, the handsome method as a health professional and a mom. (01:06): I fully understand the importance of having a fun, simple, and sustainable plan for achieving a responsive thyroid. So I share actionable and practical strategies for developing a responsive thyroid so that the ambition moms and women can gain freedom from fatigue and lose the thyroid weight once. And for all each week, I will be here for you along with my guest experts, we will be sharing simple and tangible tips that work for not only your thyroid, your hormones, your family, and your mindset, so that you can get back to living the life that you and vision for yourself. Welcome to the thriving Throid podcast. Welcome back you guys to the thriving Throid podcast. We have hope Praza on with us today, and I'm super excited to be talking to you guys about health, fitness, Pilates and how that it played is a role in thyroid as well. So welcome hope. (02:06): Yeah. Thank you. Thanks so much for having me. (02:08): Yeah. So for the listeners, give us a little bit of a background as to who you are, what you do, what you specialize in, all of that. (02:18): Yeah. So I am the owner of a brick and mortar plotty space, fitness studio. And so our studios are built on Pate's principles. We have six signature classes all based on Pate's principles. So they're all focused on mobility, flexibility balance in the core. It's like, you know, at the core of it is the core and that's kind of what our classes are based on. And in addition to that, I'm also a holistic nutritionist and a function diagnostic nutrition practitioner. And so I've kind of blended the two together while also having kinda two separate businesses with my nutrition business running online, and then my brick and mortar UMWA studio. (02:56): Yeah. Super fun. And how did you, so you started with Pilates and then moved into Nu nutrition. (03:03): I did. Yeah. Yeah. So my background is in dance and that's really what got me into Pilates. I danced for 20 however many years of my life. And so that kind of led me into Pilates, which led me down the path for the brick and mortar. (03:15): Super fun. So did you start doing Pilates like in college or? (03:20): Yeah. So it's funny. I was just thinking about this the other day too. I, I actually started doing floods when I was, I guess I was probably in high school. I would go to the gym with my mom and she would go to like, you know, they had the old school step aerobics classes, you know, and so we would do step aerobics and then like once a week they'd have floods and so I'd go with her, but then our really got into it when I was in college. And I just, I was teaching group fitness and then I just decided like Pilates, it just, it just kind of naturally learned that way, that what somebody recommended it like, oh, you should get certified. And so I just kinda started my path in Pilates as well. It just matched so well with my dance background and I just, I loved doing it. It I'm like, oh, I don't wanna teach it. So yeah. (04:02): Yeah. I love that. So I danced too. Awesome. Yeah, I did. So at my school we were very highly competitive in the dance field. Yeah. And so I made varsity team my freshman year Uhhuh, and that was like the first year, any varsity or any freshman had made yeah. (04:21): Made varsity, (04:22): Made varsity in like that's so cool. 10 years or something ridiculous. And so I love that and I, I, you know, I, a fan of Pilates and a fan of yoga and all of those things, they just kind of mm-hmm go together. (04:36): They do? They do. (04:38): And I, okay. So I took yoga my first like yoga classes were my freshman year in high school and my teacher was so weird and I was like, I, this (04:49): Is not, yeah. (04:51): I hate yoga if this is what yoga is. I hate it. (04:55): Not for me. (04:57): Yes. (04:57): Could totally have that experience though. And I mean, I honestly it's the same with Pilates too, and I think it's important too, for, you know, anyone listening, who isn't familiar with Pilates, like there are multiple schools of teaching with Pilates, you know, there's more classical based, more contemporary. Our studios are more contemporary based, so it's more functional movement. It's more like natural progressions and like a better, more functional flow to like the class and stuff, which is what I loved about it. Contemporary style. Cause it, it lit more just to like dance, how it all flows together and it all move, you know, mm-hmm so there is, and you'll always find, you know, there's teachers that you like in teachers that, you know, don't, aren't a good fit for you and it's the same with Pilates too. So you definitely have to find what fits best for you and what feels best for you and what you job with, you know? (05:41): Yeah. I, and I love that point because I feel like a lot of times with exercise and movement, people will try out, like you said, a certain class and they're like, oh, this isn't for me. Mm-Hmm . But I have a really good friend of mine who had her entire colon removed. Oh, wow. And she's been doing Pilates to help with her core muscles because obviously that's really important . Mm. And that's Pilates has been extremely beneficial and I love that. It's so gentle on the body. (06:14): Totally. Yeah. And that's really at think that's kind of the premise of my studio. Cause we do have some like higher intensity classes and stuff, but the whole, our premise really is like, this is for longevity. Like you can still do high intensity classes and it still be gentle on your body. Like, it doesn't mean you have to be, you know, pounding your joints or throwing, you know, 500 pounds over your head and stuff. Like you can still be gentle to your body and do a higher intensity class and high intensity. Really. It means so many things to different people. Like what's high intensity for me is not the same thing as someone who might be, you know, 70 years old or somebody who's, you know, a marathon runner who needs a little bit more to get their heart rate at, you know? So it's, it means different things to different people. And I think that's the great thing about pate and how we structured our classes. They're all multi-level classes. We don't level out level one, level two, you know, whatever. And so it provides a space for everyone to be included. It's, you know, it's inclusive and it, it gives a chance for someone who's maybe more, every beginner to have something to kinda strive for. And then there's always a way to make it more challenging, but it's, it's, it's safe for everybody. And yeah. (07:23): Yeah. So what would you say are the big benefits of doing Pilates? (07:29): Yeah, so obviously, like I mentioned before, the biggest benefit is gonna be the core and that's really the focus of Pilates. And it's important to understand that the core is not just your abs, right? Your course, everything from your shoulders to your hips. So it's that whole like trunk part of your body. And that's what the focus is. And we're not only focusing on like working, working, and strengthening the core, but also you know, using that to stabilize the rest of the body. So it's all about like moving one part of the body while stabilizing another parts are working those little tiny, stable laser muscles. You're working the core, you're working the spine, you're building all of those little tiny muscles comprehensively throughout the class. (08:10): I love that. And I, I, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, but a lot of the core muscles lend into like a gut health. Right. And the mobility that we see in your, just your GI track with the stomach and the intestines and things like that. So do you find that once people get started with you, that those things are shifting as well? (08:34): Yeah. I mean, that's a huge thing. It's funny. We just had a, do we also do teacher trainings at my studio, but we had one weeks ago when we were talking about that. Just how I, I think people underestimate the power of proper posture and how, when you don't have proper posture, I mean, it affects everything. It literally affects how your organs are configured in your body. Like it really does affect things. So yeah, totally. I mean, it can really it sounds so like, you know, melodramatic and we're talking about, you know, you hear cause it it's, I think it gets, we hear all the time, oh, this transforms your body. This says that really. And truly, there's so many transformative aspects of potties because it really can help with things like, you know, digestion and proper functioning of your organs and proper breathing. And you just, people don't think about that. We're thinking about posture that it's so much more than just where your bone, which are also, which is also important, but it's more than just where your bones are situated. There's so much more to it than that. So, yeah, for sure. (09:32): Yeah. And what are the, like, since I know you do a lot of teaching and stuff, what are some of those like misconceptions about Pilates? Because I'm sure they're out there, but (09:44): oh yeah, no for sure. And we get 'em all the time. And I think one of the things that I kind of mentioned before, and it's important to mention is that there are different schools of teaching was I've had people walk into my studio and, you know, be talking to them about is, and they're like, oh, well I don't, I don't like Buddie I tried it one time. I didn't like it. And you can't judge it by the one time, because you might have had a teacher. You didn't like, you might have been in a more classical class and maybe you're, you're better at doing hi contemporary. Maybe you you're better at doing class. You know, you have to kind of find what style suits you. So think, first of all, it's not all pate is equal and that all the classes are the same. (10:16): And two, I think the other biggest one we see is that Pilates and yoga are the same thing and it's not at all. so, you know, whereas yoga is more of, you know, holding positions for longer. And it's more about the flexibility and yes, there are plenty of yoga classes that build on strength and the focus is not the same. The breathing is not same where in Pilates, we're focused more on di formatic breathing and breathing from the diaphragm and, and like holding on the muscle contraction while you're breathing. Yoga's more about the belly breath, right? So it's, it's a totally different focus and it's definitely not the same goal, both great forms of movement and exercise, but not the same thing. (10:57): Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Well, and I, I love that because I just recorded an episode for the podcast with a guy talking about breath work. And I mean, obviously I think most of us are at least somewhat familiar with that. Mm-Hmm but he was talking about the difference of belly breathing, big breath, you know, breathing down into your stomach. And I was like, some of this stuff I have never heard of (11:26): yeah, yeah. (11:27): Before (11:28): It's true. Yeah. And we practice that when we're doing our teacher chatting, especially. And honestly, it, it sounds silly to say, but really people Mo a lot of people I'd say the, of people, at least that, you know, come through our doors really don't know how to breathe properly. And it sounds silly to say it, but it's true. And not only that, but people also aren't familiar with how to use their abs while they're breathing. Like that's like a novel concept to so many people come in. Like, I don't know how to use my AB and breathe at the same time. Like, don't you have to let go of your AB you know, it's so it totally is a whole different way of like thinking and which is why it's, you know, it's called a mind body exercise, cuz you really do have to connect the mind and the body for all the parts to work the way they're supposed to. And (12:13): Yeah, which I find really interesting, especially now that I'm pregnant and I'm like, oh my gosh, I can't breathe. you know, I'm like, oh, she's like super high up, you know? So I know my breathing has changed mm-hmm and anyway, he was talking about how women need to breathe different anyways. It's really just a fascinating Concepts. Yeah. I was like, I never knew that like yeah. And he was saying the same thing. We have to learn how to breathe. And I'm like, oh no, add one more thing checklist. (12:51): Yes it's. (12:54): So tell me hope. What do you let's kind of shift into nutrition. What are some of the benefits of eating more? Plant-Based kind of like a plant focused diet. What are your thoughts on that? (13:07): Yeah. So my approach with my clients is I call it plant focus. So you know, I'm, I, I am plant based. It works for me. I know it doesn't work for everybody, but I, I do, I am a firm believer that every, everybody should be eating more plants, whether it's all plants or not, everybody should be eating more plants. And so that's kinda the approach I take with my clients because the fact is that the majority of us don't get enough fiber. We don't get enough vitamins and minerals and we don't get of, you know, the, the benefits of eating a predominantly plant based diet. And for most of the clients I work with, there's some sort of like gut issues going on and which can lead to other things. And actually just did a masterclass talking about thyroid about the thyroid and connecting the gut and the thyroid and sub and really the benefits of eating plants while there's like a bazillion of them I could talk about. (13:57): But for just for, to narrow down a few big ones, first is the fiber, like I mentioned, and for so many things, obviously I think most of us know that fiber helps keep us regular, but really it's so much more than that. Fiber helps you full fiber helps stabilize your blood sugar. Fiber helps the breakdown when it's broken down in your body is broken down into short fatty acids. And this is really what helps create a healthy gut environment. It helps promote healthy bacteria. It provides food for the bacteria that's in your gut. It helps promote healthy stomach and intestinal lining. So there's so many benefits of the that's in the that's in. And then in addition to that, it can also help it can help you keep a healthy weight because it can help excrete excess, fatty acids help excrete, excess cholesterol out of your body. And then, and then the vitamins and minerals, of course implant, you know, you get the antioxidants and all those good things that help you know, lower inflammation and stuff comes from plant food, plant-based food as well. (14:58): Yeah. So when you say plant focused, (15:01): Mm-Hmm (15:02): What does that, what does that mean for you or what, yeah, yeah, (15:06): Yeah. It's really just putting a focus shifting the focus on the plate. So for the majority of my clients, none of them are really coming to me to be vegan. And I get those conversations in the DMS all the time. Like I'm not looking to be vegan. I'm like, well, good, cuz I'm not gonna tell you to be vegan so it's really just shifting the focus to more plants. So it's just maybe making the meat portion on your plate a little bit smaller and filling the rest with plants. So it's just putting more focus on plants. Maybe, maybe it's eating, you know, one solid plant based meal a day making just one meal a day plant based. So it's really just shifting the focus where it's not so much focus on the meat that's on the plate or the, you know, whatever animal protein or whatever that you're eating, but it's really filling your plate with mostly vegetables, which can still be full of protein and fiber, like, you know, lentils and Lago a other legumes in quinoa. So there are plenty of ways to get what you're looking for in the animal based food. Like which of those people, it's all about protein, right? There's plenty ways to get it, but it's just kinda shifting the focus. So it's more plants on your plate than it is animal products. (16:05): Yeah. And, and I find, I love this because that's kind of how I grew up and then life happened and I got married and I was introduced to like other ways of eating mm-hmm right. But my, my parents were both very health conscious. My parent, I remember for a period of time they were vegan. they were watching their cholesterol. They were watching sodium. My parents were just very mindful and that we would sit down and like three fourths of our plate would be plant based mm-hmm and then we would have, you know, some kind of like maybe meat or a caserole cuz we kind of have a big family, you know, like some of those things. Yeah. But a I I'm finding the more that I work with women, not everybody is brought up that way. Mm-Hmm yeah. So for you, how, like how were you brought up? What were your beliefs around food prior to plant-based or plant focused? (17:10): Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So my mom was very high health conscious too. We didn't, I didn't grow up plant based or anything. We did eat meat growing up and stuff, but my mom was, my parents both were pretty health conscious. Like they were the more health conscious in the, in the sense that they were like tried all the fad diets, you know, like I remember they had the sugar bus for book and they had the you know, Mediterranean whatever, but, you know, so they kind of tried the things like, so they were health conscious mm-hmm you know, my mom wasn't, you know, never bought a sugary cereals, that kinda thing that I grew. And I grew up with a ton of digestive issues and, and it wasn't for meeting a lot of junk food cause we didn't, we didn't have that at my house. (17:49): Sure. And so, you know, I had multiple doctor's appointments, a lot of tests. I, I had probably four colonies before I was like 17 years old, just trying to figure out what was going on. So and then really that's kinda what led me down this path to be interested in nutrition really, because I just wanted to figure out what was wrong with myself cuz is really at the end of the day, the doctor was just like, oh, it's IBS. Which is like, basically they're like, I don't know. You're yeah. so, and, and they didn't, you know, they don't give you anything to do or try or it's like, okay, that's it. So I'm like, okay, well that's great. So as I kinda got older out of high school, I kinda started reading books. And then right out I read a couple books on eating plant based. And I was like, okay, I'm (18:37): Gonna try it out. What do I have to (18:39): Lose? Exactly. So I literally did it overnight. I just was like, okay, tomorrow I'm gonna be vegan. And, and I did. And, and, and my felt, I mean, it was probably a few weeks into it. I was like, I could tell, I felt a difference. And so it worked for me. And so that's, that was my kind of journey to get there was that it worked for me. I felt better. My skin was clearing up. My allergies got better. Like all these things started kind of a fixing themselves and I'm like, okay, well it works for me. So there's (19:06): Something here. Mm-Hmm yeah. Oh, I love that. And now I feel like my journey is a little similar. I didn't have a lot of digestive issues that I knew about. I felt like I was pretty regular and things like that, but my parents did. , mm-hmm this is so embarrassing, but well, not for me, I guess, but like my dad, he would fart, he would pass gas and it smelled so bad. It would clear the room. Right. (19:41): (19:42): Like, get outta there. And it, like you said, we were eating pretty healthy. My, my dad hunted, we ate, you know like game, you know, deer bear, you know, things like that. So it wasn't like we were on this terrible diet right. You know, we still eat ice cream and had cake and you know, things like that. But I didn't like you, I didn't grow up with a lot of sugary cereal. Like you probably the most sugary cereal I had was Cheerios. Yeah. (20:16): That too was cheer (20:18): Cheerios or rice crisp treats like Uhhuh, you know, we didn't grow up on cinnamon toast crunch. And if we did ever get lucky charms or something, it was like gone in a day. Yes because was so rare. So (20:34): Yes. Yes. (20:36): And, and I, I, I really appreciate finding people who grew up kind of similar to me where parents were health conscious, they were working out, they were, you know, watching what they ate mm-hmm they were taking care of their body and yet we're still experiencing health issues. (20:55): Yep, totally, totally. (20:56): And that, I think that this is such a great topic in the sense of you can be doing air quotes here, all the right things. Mm-Hmm , you can exercising, you can be sleeping, you can be eating, you know, watching your sugar and things like that. And still have something a little bit off. But when you shift your diet, like what you were talking about, there can be healing mm-hmm right. Mm-Hmm that can take place and the importance of fiber and just all of, all of these things I think gets beautiful. (21:27): yep. Absolutely. (21:29): To realize. So how is this related to the health of our thyroid? (21:37): Yeah. Good question. So you know, as you know, and as I'm sure most of your listers know, there's a lot of things that can contribute to thyroid issues, right? Like it could be a million different things. And actually the master class, I did a couple months ago last month, last month we kind of dove into a little bit of like all these possible things could be it. So basically it's like, it can be anything , you know, so for me connecting it to healthy gut, cuz that's really kind of, my focus is a healthy gut. It's balancing out, it's keeping a health first, it's keeping a healthy balance of gut bacteria, right? So it's, mm-hmm, it's preventing any dysbiosis, which can cause things to go wrong with all parts of the body, including your thought, right. Making sure the good and the bad bacteria are in balance, making sure that you do have a healthy gut with, with that balance of good, bad bacteria to keep out any potential like parasites or pathogens that can come in, which can also cause things like thyroid issues and it, and, and it's also about keeping, you know, a healthy endocrine system and keeping the adrenals working properly. (22:38): So all of those other organ systems that all work together with a thyroid, it's it all for me and in my world, it really all starts with a healthy gut. And so and so that's what I have, you know, my clients are working on just building this healthy gut biome microbiome that helps keep all of these other organ systems working in check. And then also it's also about, you know, limiting as much inflammation as possible inflammation is what causes a lot OFID issues as well. And so, you know, eating fruit foods that are high vitamins and minerals and antioxidants to, to find that those good anti-inflammatory foods to help limit any inflammation. And at the same time, it's not just about what you eat. It's about, you know, managing stress and sleep and getting proper exercise. It's all of those things that work together really to help promote this healthy environment in our body to prevent or to, to keep all our organ systems working in the right way. (23:37): Yeah. So you talked about the importance of a healthy gut microbiome. And I, this is one of the questions that I get asked a lot is, well, I take a probiotic, so shouldn't everything be okay. Right. What do you, what are your thoughts on that? And maybe where can, where can people get started if they're yeah. Struggling with the get (24:02): Yeah, no, it's a good question. I get that question all the time. I'm too. My mom actually just told me to say that, well, I'll take my probiotic. I'm like, OK, well , I mean, and it's kinda one of those things where, you know, you've probably heard the phrase like you can't you can't work off a bad diet, you know, like working out all the time, isn't gonna fix anything. If you're eating like crap all the time, it's kinda the same thing with your probiotic. Like yes, a probiotic is definitely beneficial, but you are dealing with like chronic dysbiosis where you have so much bag bacteria, that's outweighing the good, it's really not gonna do much good. And if you're not seeding the good bacteria that's in your gut, then it's really not gonna do any good. So really what, what you're looking at is you wanna have a good probiotic and a good prebiotic, whether that, whether that's in supplementation or whether it's from food, but we're looking at like Mo plant-based foods. (24:48): And there's a lot of, you know, specific ones you can look at, but really most plant-based foods are gonna be good food for your healthy bacteria. And that's, what's feeding the probiotics that you're taking. So if we're not helping those healthy get bacteria to flourish by feeding them, then the it's not doing any good. And then at the same time, if there's any sort of you know, pathogen or parasite, that's gonna throw off things too. And it's really gonna like basically cancel out, you know, a lot of the good bacteria that's supposed to be doing its job. And then another thing that can happen is, you know, if there's any sort of intestinal permeability, like leaky gut going on, then that's also gonna cause cuz that's just causing inflammation to go hay wire in your body and that's gonna mess up all the, the bacteria in your gut too. So the probiotic's not really gonna do much good. If you've got like this mucosal lining in your intestines, in your stomach, that's just like leaking out stuff all over the place. (25:44): Yeah. This is, I like this topic and I obviously at the time of recording, I'm still pregnant and one of the things. So I'm ending like my, my gestation period. I'm 10 days for my due date. Oh my gosh. I know. Just try to like squeeze it all in. Yes but one of the things I'm thinking about, and this might be TMI, I think a majority of our listeners are female and they've had kids. They get it. Yeah. They get this, they get it. mm-hmm but that first bowel movement, after having a baby can be scary, traumatizing, totally. You know, all of the things. And so as I've been preparing for pregnancy, I'm like, I am going to increase my fiber intake because whatever is happening in my digestive system, I want it to be easy (26:40): Yes, yes. (26:41): To, to pass (26:42): Absolutely. (26:43): After having the baby mm-hmm right. Being more natural minded, obviously I, if you need a stool softener. Okay. Fine. But like I would prefer to go more natural route. So fiber increasing that fiber and then also for me, making sure I have magnesium in my system to just keep things calm, (27:03): Keep moving. That's right. That's (27:04): Right. Yes. And so I, I just, I appreciate this conversation because gut health and what you're getting at is keeping things moving so that we don't have this buildup of pathogens and gut dysbiosis and leaky gut and things like that. And I find, especially with, we see a lot of constipation. Yep. (27:25): For sure. (27:26): So then things are just sitting there mm-hmm and we feel heavy and bloated and gassy and UN uncomfortable mm-hmm and focusing on the fiber and the nutrients that you're eating can make a big difference. Yeah. for someone who let's say is like brand new to eating fruits and veggies, you know, maybe we have some clients who I'm gonna say, are they CA they categorize themselves as picky. Right. I don't like a lot of fruit. I don't like a lot of veggies you know yeah. I for drive through or whatever it is. So for someone just getting started on maybe their journey and trying to increase that fiber content, where would be a good place for them to start. (28:15): Yeah. That's a good question. So when I'm working with clients who are similar to what you're saying, or they're, you're not, not so much used to eating plant-based meals, the easiest way I think to get started eating just more plant-based meals is starting with breakfast, breakfast, I think is the easiest meal of the day to make plant-based right. You you know, change up your regular yogurt for plant-based yogurt. There's some really good cashew and almond based yogurts out there. You you know, eat oatmeal with some hip seeds and, you know, make it a good protein packed fiber meal instead of eating, you know, eggs or sausage or, you know, whatever protein you eat for breakfast. So I think getting started with breakfast is the easiest way. And then, and then from there, it's just figuring out ways that are figuring out some good, like smart substitution. (29:05): So if you you're wanting to replace you know, maybe you have a few favorite dishes and I, I start with my clients do this too, like pick a few favorite dishes that you like to make very easy. And then let's talk about ways that we can make those plant based. So if it's, I'll take something easy, simple, for example, like if you're making like a POS like spaghetti with like a meat sauce okay. To my, when you make that let's use some seasoned lentils instead of the ground beef that you usually use. Right. So just learning ways, just to tweak things here and there. So again, you don't have to eat plant based 100% of the time, but just making those tweaks here and there to incorporate more plants into your meal is gonna change things. Just, you know, it's just a simple way to change those things up. (29:48): Yeah. And I, I have kids mm-hmm so I feel like as a mom, I have to be super creative yes. In how to get veggies into my kids' diet. And so I kinda, I personally play a game with myself. where, like, if I'm you, you brought up spaghetti or whatever, you know, like a pasta sauce. Mm-Hmm I will finally grade like zucchini. Yeah. Posh (30:15): Carrots, (30:16): Carrots. Yep. All of those types of things. And when I'm simmering sauce, I put those in there. So it kind of cooks 'em down a little bit. And then I remember one time I was sitting at the table and we were eating, I think it was like bake Edie or something like that. And I asked my, my kids and my husband to see how many veggies they could find in . That's (30:39): Awesome. And we (30:40): Had that said that that's great. (30:43): Oh my gosh. That's so cool. (30:45): Yeah. And it was, it was just fun. So yeah, I think that's the other thing that we can do with food is try to make it fun for yourself, make it fun for your kids, for sure. And be sneaky. And I find that, like you said, breakfast is a great place to start whether it be smoothies or, you know, a yogurt, like a coconut yogurt or a cashew yogurt, or mm-hmm, something like that. Because also, and maybe you can speak more into this. It's helping to stabilize those blood sugar levels right. For the day. So do you wanna share a little bit about that? (31:23): Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I mean, and that's, I, you know, I was mentioning fiber before and that's really like the beauty of fiber is that it does help stabilize blood sugar. It keeps your insulin levels stable. And and I agree, I think you know, I, I have a lot of clients come to me too that a lot of them either they're not used eating breakfast cuz they're like in a rush in the morning or they go, well, I'm not really hungry in the morning kind of thing, which, which I can appreciate, I could totally get it. But at the same time, I also think it's important too. Like you're saying, like to start the day off with something that's really gonna stabilize your blood sugar the rest of the day and to keep you from like binging at no, because you haven't eaten since six o'clock the night before. So yeah. I think it's a great way to keep your blood sugar stable and to kinda get your day started off where your blood sugar is at like a good level because you've had the fiber and you've had all those things that are helping stabilize it. (32:13): Yeah. Yeah. I find that for my clients who do that throughout the day, there's sugar cravings. Mm-Hmm are less (32:22): For (32:22): Sure. Right. Instead of waking up and I'm sure you experienced this as well, your clients, they wake up, they go straight to the coffee pot yep. Add in all the creamers and the sugars and everything to make it taste good. Yep. And then by, depending on the person by 10 o'clock by noon, they're crashing, (32:42): Crashing. Yep. (32:44): Instead of eating something and I, I don't know again, what your philosophy on coffee is. I tell my clients, if you wanna drink coffee fine, but we need to get a breakfast in you first (32:55): Mm-Hmm (32:55): because most people are, like I said, dumping in extra stuff to make the coffee taste good. (33:04): Yes. Right. (33:05): And then it's, it's causing that midday crash totally. A little bit later. (33:11): Yes. Yep. Agreed. (33:14): All right. Well, hope I have loved this convers. Is there anything you would like to share just in closing about the thyroid or the gut health or Pilates or anything to help people get started? (33:29): Yeah. I think, I mean, I think just like anything else, I think it's just starting small. So I think it's you know, if you're wanting to incorporate more plant-based meals into your day, then take my, and start with breakfast. And maybe you start with a plant-based breakfast a few days a week and you kinda increase from there, but it's really just small, just little small tweaks that really are gonna make a difference in incorporating more plants. And then like you're saying too, to your point, just be more creative with it. And so throwing in veggies and you know, your smoothies and your sauces and your bins, that's, that's what we do at our house too, for my kids, you know, spinach and, you know, put those in the muffins. They have no idea, but just getting creative and making little small tweaks to dishes you already like to making those plant based and not trying to tackle it in which is why I like to use the word plant focus rather than plant based because people don't do well with the restriction right. With really restrictive diets. And so I think plant focus kind of broadens it up a little bit. And so I'm not telling you, you need to go be a hundred percent plant base. It's just opening yourself up to eat to, you know, being more creative and implementing more plants into your food that you're already eating and just you know, doing it just little by little, just little tweaks in there. (34:42): Yeah, absolutely. I agree. 100%. I am one of those that doesn't do well. with restriction (34:51): Of none of us do none of us do. (34:54): If you tell me like, you can never eat this again, I will be like, I'm going to eat that watch (35:00): Watch. Exactly. (35:03): And I think for me, part of it was, I was 100% gluten free and dairy free for over five years. Mm-Hmm . And I finally got to the point where I was like, I just want some bread that actually tastes good. Right. You know? Right. (35:18): Yes. (35:18): And, you know, being able to incorporate that and, and now we do sour, no bread from time to time. But I, I just got to the point where I was like, no, like I'm done with this. This (35:32): Sucks. It sucks. Mm-Hmm (35:34): yes. So thank you. Hope. Where can people find you connect with you on social media and learn more about all the fun things that you do? (35:44): Yeah. So on Instagram, I'm at the hope Praza you can also find my Facebook group. That's really the best way to kind of get started in my world to get lots of cool free stuff. It's live wholesome and on Facebook and yeah, both of those are great channels to get started. (36:03): Amazing. We will make sure to link all of this up for you guys in the show notes. And we will, we'll see you guys on the next. (36:24): Wait, before you go, please subscribe. If you found value in today's episode, leave us a review and share on Instagram and please tag us. (36:35): We love yours, (36:38): Please.