Podcast appearances and mentions of Morgan Smith

In this episode, Tim talks with Morgan Smith, the CEO of Monsoon Beverages and Kava expert, about Kava. This is a fun conversation that gets a little heated at the end, but don't worry. Tim and Morgan are still friends.To learn more about Kava or to give it a try, check out https://kalmwithkava.com/

In today's episode, Dani sits down with Morgan Smith, founder of Kalm with Kava, to unpack the truth about one of the most misunderstood drinks in the world—kava.Used for centuries across the South Pacific, especially in places like Fiji, kava is more than just a beverage—it's a ritual, a social experience, and for many, a natural way to relax without losing mental clarity. But as kava has made its way into Western culture, it's also picked up controversy, misconceptions, and even a few conspiracies along the way.Morgan shares his personal journey discovering kava, what led him to build one of the most recognized kava companies, and what people get completely wrong about it.https://kalmwithkava.comhttps://www.instagram.com/kalm_with_kava/https://www.youtube.com/user/KalmwithKavawww.stayskeptical.comWise Wolf Gold: https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=jvujkwgsSources: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jcwvgWpPz8GqLxNwpeJM7AHqBJL2O3JWVdE8ggKK7_8/edit?usp=sharing

Kalm with Kava | Exploring Natural Ways to Calm Anxiety & Manage Stresswith Morgan SmithIn today's fast-paced world, many people are searching for natural, plant-based ways to calm anxiety and manage daily stress. In this episode of Linda's Corner: Inspiration for a Better Life, I sit down with Morgan Smith, a kava enthusiast, wellness entrepreneur, and CEO of Monsoon Beverages, as well as the operator of Pu‘īwa Hawaiian Farms.Morgan introduces us to kava, a traditional Pacific Island beverage with a long and respected history. For centuries, kava has been grown and consumed throughout islands such as Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. Across these cultures, kava has symbolized respect and connection and has been used in social gatherings, spiritual ceremonies, and traditional healing practices.We explore how kava is now gaining attention in Western wellness circles for its calming and anxiolytic properties. Morgan explains that kava's effects come from its active compounds, kavalactones, which are concentrated in the root of the plant. These compounds interact with the brain's limbic system—particularly the amygdala, which plays a key role in emotional regulation. For many people, this interaction creates a sense of both mental and physical relaxation.Morgan describes kava as the opposite of coffee—an “anti-coffee,” if you will. While coffee is often used to energize and stimulate, kava is typically enjoyed in the evening to help the body unwind and the mind slow down. It doesn't produce intoxication like alcohol; instead, Morgan compares it to a strong chamomile tea with noticeable calming effects.Since I haven't personally tried kava, Morgan also walks us through what someone can expect when trying it for the first time. He shares that kava has a naturally bitter taste (definitely not sweet!) and may cause a mild tingling or numbing sensation in the mouth. Traditionally, kava is served in several small portions—often called “shells,” named after the coconut shells originally used to drink it.While kava may not be for everyone, this conversation opens the door to understanding natural herbal options that support relaxation, stress relief, and emotional well-being. It's a thoughtful exploration of ancient wisdom meeting modern wellness.To learn more about kava and Morgan's work, visit Kalm with Kava at https://kalmwithkava.com/✨ If you're curious about natural ways to calm anxiety, reduce stress, and support your nervous system, this episode is a must-listen.Listen, Share, and SupportIf this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who may need hope today.Be sure to subscribe, leave a rating and review, and help us spread more healing and inspiration to the world.Free Resource for HealingIf you're ready to release stress, calm your mind, and begin healing from within, visit:

What am I reaching for on autopilot and is it truly serving me?In this episode of Integrated Being, I sit down with Morgan Smith for a meaningful conversation around awareness, wellness, and intentional living. Lately, I've been reflecting on how easy it is to move through life on autopilot - what we eat, what we drink, and what we turn to when we need to relax or cope.This conversation is an invitation to pause.Morgan shares his personal journey navigating stress, anxiety, and prescription medications, and how that led him to discover kava - a traditional South Pacific plant used for over 3,000 years to support relaxation, connection, and calm. But more than that, we explore what it really means to become aware of our habits and reconnect with ourselves.In this episode, we explore:How we fall into autopilot livingNatural approaches to stress and anxiety supportThe importance of mindfulness and self-awarenessWhat kava is and how it's been used in ancient culturesThe role of community, connection, and service in our well-beingWhy there is no single “fix” only tools that support our journeyThis conversation reminded me that nothing is permanent not the stress, not the overwhelm and that awareness is always available to us.If you've been feeling disconnected, overwhelmed, or simply curious about holistic wellness, I invite you to slow down with me. Notice what you're consuming, what you're reaching for, and gently ask yourself why. Come back to yourself. Show up as your whole self.

Jessi is filling your RED CUP with NOSTALGIA and re-visiting Laguna Beach with Season 1 cast members Talan and Morgan! What was real and what was fake? Did Talan really hook up with all of the girls in the cast? What are they embarrassed to re-watch? What was in their red cups? And what are they up to now!? Then, Talan reveals why he had to apologize to Kristin Cavallari during the reunion special and did he really did date Nicole Scherzinger!? Don't Cha wish Jessi would ask? (spoiler: she will). Plus- Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell is using homophobic slurs to defend his private beach and Kris Jenner can make you RICH! We'll tell you HOW… NOW! As always, ask Jessi Anything, HERE: 323-448-0068 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ep 234 - One World in a New World with Morgan SmithKava benefits for anxiety and stress relief | Natural calm without medicationFeeling stressed, anxious, or overwhelmed? Discover how kava for anxiety, natural stress relief, and mindfulness practices can help you slow down, think clearly, and regain control.In this episode of One World in a New World, Zen Benefiel speaks with Morgan Smith (Calm with Kava, Puyawa Hawaiian Farms) about overcoming anxiety, reducing stress naturally, and finding clarity through kava, mindfulness, and intentional living.Morgan shares how he moved from burnout and prescription medication to using kava as a natural alternative for anxiety relief, helping him stay present without losing awareness.

Send us Fan MailNikky Morgan Smith is an Australian artist whose practice explores the intersection of memory, place, and emotional resonance through a refined visual language. Working across painting and mixed media, her work is characterised by layered surfaces, nuanced colour palettes, and an intuitive balance between abstraction and representation.Drawing inspiration from the Australian landscape as well as personal narratives, Smith's compositions evoke a sense of atmosphere and quiet contemplation. Her process often involves building and reworking surfaces over time, allowing traces of earlier marks to remain visible and contribute to the depth and history of each piece.Smith has exhibited in a range of group and solo exhibitions, with her work held in private collections. Through her practice, she continues to investigate how environments, both physical and psychological, shape perception, inviting viewers into spaces that feel at once familiar and open to interpretation.She is an artist based in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Completing a cross institutional bachelor of visual arts at SCU/RMIT in 2003, Nikky has staged solo exhibitions in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and participated in group exhibitions nationally and internationally.Her work has been selected as a finalist in many prestigious awards, most recently the Jacaranda Touring Drawing Prize and has also been the recipient of various artists in residence programs, most recently the Suzzane Bastien Foundation artist in residence.

Liz and Sarah discuss the ebb and flow of Hollywood. Careers here can die and then come back to life bigger than ever. Then they talk to Intimacy Coordinators Ariel Leigh Cohen and Morgan Smith about what an intimacy coordinator does, how it saves money for production, and the definition of “sheetography.” This week’s Hollywood Hack is a must for uncomfortable shoes — ZenToes. Finally, Liz recommends the new HBO show DTF St. Louis, starring Jason Bateman and Linda Cardellini. Sign up for Liz & Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter at https://happierinhollywoodpod.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Sign up for Sarah’s free weekly Substack newsletter Chickening Out at https://happierinhollywood.substack.com. It’ll come right to your inbox! Get in touch on Instagram: @Sfain & @LizCraft Get in touch on Threads: @Sfain & @LizCra Visit our website: https://happierinhollywood.com Join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/HappierinHollywood/ Happier in Hollywood is part of ‘The Onward Project,’ a family of podcasts brought together by Gretchen Rubin—all about how to make your life better. Check out the other Onward Project podcasts—Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and Side Hustle School . If you liked this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell your friends! LINKS: Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg: https://amzn.to/4aPSPUC Faking It with Ariel and Morgan: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faking-it-with-ariel-and-morgan/id1840746869?i=1000751371933 ZenToes: https://amzn.to/4be6lSd Foot Glide: https://amzn.to/4cCZy6U DTF St. Louis trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1XHd5rIvmYSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Question: What if you could relax, socialize, and unwind… without alcohol?No hangover. No brain fog. No regret.So what are people drinking instead?

Your career can accelerate when you ask, offer, and say yes. For Morgan Smith, that approach led to a postdoctoral fellowship with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford University. Smith recalls how coaching sparked her interest in the science behind performance. Working across academic and practical settings, she encountered challenges with research feasibility firsthand. Today, she focuses on blending coaching with sport science. At Stanford, she began by building relationships and trust within the athletic department. She describes collaborating with coaches and staff to identify research interests, gaps, and low-burden contributions. Smith also highlights opportunities to support club sports, campus recreation centers, and community programs. These roles can help fund education while building your resume, network, and practical skills. She reinforces the value of education as a time to maximize experience and explore interests. Discover how to gain applied experience early, drive cross-department buy-in, and cultivate relationships that move your career forward. Reach out to Morgan on Instagram: @goldenmo_ and LinkedIn: @morgan-smith-sportsscientist | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs | Learn more about the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at: humanperformancealliance.org. Interested in bridging coaching and sport science? The Certified Performance and Sport Scientist® (CPSS®) credential can help you expand your qualifications, open new career paths, and strengthen organizational collaboration.Show Notes“My biggest tip would be to put yourself out there and to say yes. Especially as an undergrad, if there's something that pops up and it's like, hey, we have an opportunity for a four week internship, or there's an opportunity to shadow this performance center or this coach, or if anything pops up related to what you may be interested in, say yes as much as you can, because those experiences not only are going to help you build skills, but it's going to help you meet people and network, especially when you have such a positive experience. Your name and your face will be in their minds.” 15:50“Especially as an undergrad, if there's something that pops up and it's like, hey, we have an opportunity for a four week internship, or there's an opportunity to shadow this performance center or this coach, or if anything pops up related to what you may be interested in, say yes as much as you can, because those experiences not only are going to help you build skills, but it's going to help you meet people and network, especially when you have such a positive experience. Your name and your face will be in their minds.” 16:10“You never know what's going to happen. And especially if it's something that maybe it's an experience or it's a job that you don't necessarily have the experience for, still apply, especially when you're in undergrad or in grad school. I always tell people when you're a student, it's the best time to explore.” 25:20

On this episode of r-House, your host, Peter Hunt, welcomes W. Morgan Smith, Interim Executive Director of Buffalo Place. Listen now to hear their discussion!

On this episode we have on media and film composer Andrew Morgan Smith.We talked about how he has 6 kids, family dynamics with that many kids, teaching your kids empathy and kindness, teaching your kids calming techniques when they have a panic attack, trying to keep friends as an adult, and his life as a film and media composer.Andrew if you're listening to this. I did take out like…pretty much all of our discussion of plug ins, walking around rooms and clapping to see how the room sounds, and gear. So if you want the unedited version and a bonus episode of 20 minutes of Andrew and I just talking about really in depth audio and recording techniques…you probably don't.  Appreciate relating to you though on caring about details that pretty much no one notices or cares about.Send us a textSupport the showFollow us on Facebook and Instagram @theimperfectdadspodcast . Look for new episodes of The Imperfect Dads Podcast every Monday and Thursday. This podcast is part of the Never A Phase Network, follow them on instagram at @neveraphasenetwork and check out their podcasts like Emo Kids Anonymous and The Ska Mailman

The next round of the PUSH to 100 (100-day alcohol free challenge), begins on February 10. This is for you if you're ready to quit drinking with confidence.

Happy holidays to our EdTalks listeners. While we are on a brief winter break, we thought that a terrific way to send 2025 off in style would be to rebroadcast our conversation with the 2025-26 Greenville County Schools Teacher of the Year, Morgan Smith. We hope that you carry some of Morgan's passion and positivity into the new year and beyond.Meet Morgan Smith, the 2025-26 GCS Teacher of the Year. She discusses her 3rd-generation family legacy in the district, her "Spark" initiative to fight teacher burnout, and how she creates core memories for her 5th-grade students.Episode Resources:Learn more about Greenville First StepsLearn more about Public Education PartnersSimple Civics:Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good GreenvilleGet in touchSupport Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contributionSign up for the Simple Civics newsletter.View our entire catalogueSimple Civics: Greenville County is produced by Podcast Studio X.

This Day in Legal History: Fundamental Laws of 1906On December 30, 1905, Tsar Nicholas II signed the “Fundamental Laws of 1906,” marking a pivotal moment in the Russian Empire's struggle between autocracy and constitutionalism. This act came in response to the Revolution of 1905, a period of mass unrest fueled by political repression, economic hardship, and a humiliating defeat in the Russo-Japanese War. The October Manifesto, issued two months earlier, had promised the establishment of a legislative Duma and the expansion of civil liberties. However, the Fundamental Laws, signed in December, revealed the Tsar's intention to retain ultimate authority despite these concessions.The document laid out a framework for governance, establishing a bicameral legislature with the Duma as its lower house, but Article 4 made clear that “the All-Russian Emperor possesses the supreme autocratic power.” This meant that, legally, any legislative progress remained subordinate to the Tsar's will. The laws also granted the Tsar control over the military, foreign policy, and the ability to dissolve the Duma at his discretion.While the Fundamental Laws introduced formal legal structures and acknowledged the existence of limited civil rights, they were largely symbolic gestures rather than meaningful reforms. Instead of curbing autocratic rule, the laws codified it, cloaking absolute monarchy in the appearance of legality. This duality deepened public dissatisfaction and political fragmentation.Rather than stabilizing the empire, the signing of the Fundamental Laws sowed further distrust in the regime and highlighted the Tsar's unwillingness to relinquish power. These contradictions contributed to the failure of the Duma system and fueled revolutionary momentum that would ultimately culminate in the revolutions of 1917.The Trump administration reached an agreement to review certain NIH grant applications that had been stalled or rejected amid a broader legal challenge over cuts to diversity-related research funding. The agreement followed a federal court ruling in Boston that found the NIH acted unlawfully when it canceled grants based on their perceived ties to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Though the Supreme Court later paused part of that ruling and shifted some aspects of the litigation to a court specializing in monetary claims, the review process for future NIH funding remained in legal limbo.Under the new agreement, the NIH will re-evaluate previously frozen or withdrawn grant applications, though it is not required to fund any specific proposals. Plaintiffs in the case, including researchers and several Democratic-led states, argued that the impacted studies—focusing on topics like HIV prevention, LGBTQ health, Alzheimer's, and sexual violence—serve vital public health needs.One of the plaintiffs, University of New Mexico postdoctoral researcher Nikki Maphis, said the agreement allows important scientific work to resume after what she described as an “arbitrary and destructive freeze.” The underlying NIH policy change, which cut funding for projects deemed to reflect ideological rather than scientific priorities, remains contested. A prior ruling blocking the policy is still under appeal by the Department of Health and Human Services.Trump administration agrees to review stalled NIH research grants after lawsuit | ReutersThe Trump administration's aggressive defunding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has pushed the agency to the brink of collapse, jeopardizing one of the few federal institutions explicitly designed to protect everyday Americans from financial harm. Created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB has long served as a crucial recourse for people facing predatory lending, credit reporting errors, identity theft, and financial discrimination. The agency has helped return more than $21 billion to consumers since its founding. And yet, under President Trump's second term, it's being systematically dismantled—through funding cuts, legal challenges, and staffing reductions—with the administration openly declaring its intent to shut the agency down.In the absence of the CFPB, those wronged by financial institutions—like Bianca Jones, who battled a credit reporting error that nearly cost her a home, or Morgan Smith, who turned to the agency after being targeted by identity theft—may find themselves with nowhere to turn. The administration claims the CFPB promotes a political agenda, but the result is fewer protections for those already vulnerable. Rules around medical debt, overdraft fees, credit card terms, and mortgage lending have been gutted. Investigations have been shelved. Enforcement is evaporating.Critics argue that other regulators can fill the gap, but the CFPB was created because no one else was doing the job. Without it, financial institutions are more likely to abuse their power with impunity.You should ask yourself: who benefits when a consumer watchdog is taken offline? Because it certainly isn't the teachers, the single parents, the sick, or the struggling borrowers trying to make sense of a system stacked against them. It's the companies who'd rather not answer for what they do in the dark.Trump's funding cuts put America's consumer watchdog on the brink of collapse | ReutersA federal appeals court ruled that it cannot hear Amazon's constitutional challenge to the structure of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), deepening a circuit split on the issue and increasing the likelihood of U.S. Supreme Court review. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that Amazon's case stemmed from a labor dispute and was therefore barred by the Norris-LaGuardia Act, which prohibits courts from intervening in active labor disputes. Amazon had filed the lawsuit to halt an NLRB case claiming it was a joint employer of unionized drivers working for a subcontractor and therefore obligated to bargain with their union.Amazon's broader claim—that the NLRB's structure is unconstitutional because its board members and judges are protected from at-will removal—has gained traction elsewhere. The 5th Circuit, in a recent case involving Elon Musk's SpaceX, ruled that such protections are unlawful and allowed a similar challenge to proceed. But the 9th Circuit firmly disagreed, emphasizing that courts should not interfere with labor board proceedings, regardless of the constitutional claims involved.This ruling aligns with a 3rd Circuit decision and stands in direct conflict with the 5th Circuit, setting the stage for a high-stakes resolution by the Supreme Court. Importantly, the 9th Circuit's ruling doesn't completely shut the door on such challenges—employers can still raise constitutional objections in NLRB proceedings and appeal after the fact. But for now, Amazon and other companies must make their case through the channels Congress established for resolving labor disputes.US court says it can't hear Amazon's NLRB challenge, deepening circuit split | ReutersA Utah judge has granted the release of most of the transcript and audio from a closed hearing in the high-profile case involving the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The hearing, held in October, addressed courtroom safety measures for the accused, Tyler Robinson, who is charged with aggravated murder and other serious offenses. Prosecutors allege Robinson fired a single fatal shot from a rooftop during a university event where Kirk was speaking, and they intend to seek the death penalty.Judge Tony Graf ruled that only about one page of the 80-page transcript would remain redacted, primarily for safety and security reasons. He also clarified that media organizations do not need special legal status to cover the proceedings, rejecting a request that would have guaranteed them advance notice of any future attempts to close hearings.Graf has already decided that Robinson can appear in civilian clothing but must remain physically restrained in court. However, media outlets are prohibited from photographing or filming his restraints, as defense attorneys argued such images could bias potential jurors. A hearing set for February will address whether cameras will be allowed in the courtroom at all.Kirk's death, which occurred during a campus debate, triggered widespread condemnation of political violence from across the ideological spectrum.Judge grants release of redacted transcript of Charlie Kirk case hearing | ReutersAs 2025 winds down, my Bloomberg column this week is a year-end piece reflecting not just on what was written, but on which ideas still resonate because the problems they address remain unresolved. The lasting relevance of several pieces underscores how little has shifted in tax and policy debates. A July column urging states to break free from federal tax volatility feels even more urgent now, as states still cling to unstable baselines. Early in the year, hopes that efficiency rhetoric (read: DOGE) might close the tax gap faded, with political discomfort around auditing the wealthy preventing any meaningful change. April's look at the step-up in basis revealed how death, not borrowing, remains the biggest capital gains loophole—and one Congress left untouched in the 2025 tax law. A May column on IRS immigration enforcement gains new resonance as the crackdown deepens, pushing some immigrant workers further from voluntary compliance. And October's piece on Pung v. Isabella County remains live, with the Supreme Court set to decide whether fairness in tax foreclosures means market value or simply what the government collects.Each of these columns anticipated weather patterns we're now standing in—proof less of foresight and more of inertia. If 2026 brings more engagement, even without clear solutions, there's hope that next year's retrospective won't feel like a reprint with new dates.Read the 5 Most Relevant Technically Speaking Columns of 2025 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

Meet Morgan Smith, the 2025-26 GCS Teacher of the Year. She discusses her 3rd-generation family legacy in the district, her "Spark" initiative to fight teacher burnout, and how she creates core memories for her 5th-grade students.Episode Resources:Learn more about Greenville First StepsLearn more about Public Education PartnersSimple Civics:Simple Civics: Greenville County is a project of Greater Good GreenvilleGet in touchSupport Simple Civics with a tax-deductible contributionSign up for the Simple Civics newsletter.View our entire catalogueSimple Civics: Greenville County is produced by Podcast Studio X.

Engineers Jabreel Walker and Morgan Smith of the GradSWE Affinity Group share their experiences in graduate school in this episode of Diverse. In conversation with host Sam East, they discuss their motivations for pursuing graduate school, the challenges of returning to school after a break, and the differences between the undergraduate and graduate experience. Hear their advice for engineers who are considering grad school, the pivots they made along the way, and how the GradSWE Affinity Group has helped them find community and support. Get involved with the GradSWE Affinity Group: https://affinitygroups.swe.org/gradswe/ --- The Society of Women Engineers is a powerful, global force uniting 50,000 members of all genders spanning 85 countries. We are the world's largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology. To join and access all the exclusive benefits to elevate your professional journey, visit membership.swe.org.

On this episode of A One Pint Stand, I recorded a live show down in Hastings, Minnesota, at Spiral Brewery to help them celebrate their 7th anniversary.  I moderated a panel of talented and fantastic women in the local craft beer industry and they shared their perspectives as owners and/or head brewers.  It was great to have Jen Fox and Ann Fahy-Gust, who both are owners of their respective breweries (Spiral Brewery and South By Southeast Brewing) as well as Morgan Smith, the head brewer at Spiral Brewery.  This episode is proudly sponsored by First Draft Tap Solutions.  If you liked the show and want to support the A One Pint Stand, consider joining our Patreon.  There is some great bonus content that our Patreon supporters enjoy that give a fun peek behind the scenes.

Steve and the crew discuss a new poll that says Democrats nationwide are down on their own party; Steve says they need not worry. Then, Morgan Smith from Constitution Wealth Management joins the program to discuss how to invest with and in your values. Hour Two is Theology Thursday, tackling Romans 8:12-17. TODAY'S SPONSORS: CONSTITUTION WEALTH MANAGEMENT: https://constitutionwealth.com/Blaze RELIEF FACTOR: VISIT https://www.relieffactor.com/ OR CALL 800-4-RELIEF JASE MEDICAL: https://jasemedical.com/ and enter code “DEACE” at checkout for a discount on your order THE LAST STAND CONFERENCE: https://thelaststand.com/ promo code DEACE10 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, the team begins with news from Colossal Biosciences concerning the de-extinction of the Dire Wolf. We are then joined by Dr. Morgan Smith for an in-depth discussion about Florida's Ryan-Harley site. This unique Suwannee site offers clues to some of the lesser-known Paleoindian technocomplexes, cultures, and habits.  Dr. Morgan Smith received his PhD in Anthropology from Texas A&M University, where he studied in the Center for the Study of the First Americans. Prior to this, he worked for the Southeast Archaeological Center of the National Park Service. He has over a decade of experience in underwater and terrestrial archaeology. His contributions to underwater archaeology include efforts to develop methods and models to more accurately and reliably locate underwater prehistoric sites, emphasizing mobile forager societies. He has conducted archaeological and anthropological research throughout the southeast and in Missouri, Texas, Nevada, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Seven Ages Official Merchandise  Instagram  Facebook  Seven Ages Official Site  Patreon  Seven Ages YouTube  Guest Links   

In episode 95 of Trail Society, hosts Corrine Malcolm, Keely Henninger, and Hillary Allen sit down with two standout researchers from Stanford University—Dr. Morgan Smith and Naiomi Hunter—for an insightful conversation about the intersection of women's health, athletic performance, and wearable technology. Dr. Smith, a sport scientist, coach, and postdoctoral fellow with the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance at Stanford, is passionate about how physiology and metabolism influence performance, especially for women in sport. Her research is grounded in the real world, as she also coaches high school athletes, lifts weights, and enjoys time outdoors with her dog, Reggie. Naiomi Hunter, a PhD candidate in Stanford's School of Medicine, focuses on the menstrual cycle and its impact on female athlete performance through wearable tech and biometric data. With a strong commitment to reproductive justice and healthcare equity, Naiomi's work seeks to create more inclusive and personalized approaches to reproductive care for marginalized communities. In this episode, they explore the potential of wearables in tracking menstrual cycle data, the challenges in the current research, and why individualized training plans are key to optimizing performance. They also discuss the importance of mentorship for women of color in science, their passion for combining sport and research, and the exciting future of wearable technology in improving athletic health. Follow them here: @Goldenmo_ and @Nnahunter  SPONSORS We are so excited to be partnering with rabbit as our primary apparel sponsor this year! Send us some DMS about your favorite apparel and what you would like to see built for the trail running space! USE CODE TRAILMARCH for 10% OFF! -UPF Deflector: sun hoodie with a UPF 50 rating; lightweight, breathable, quick drying; new cute pink color -Leggy Smashems: 5" compression shorts w/ storage waistband so you can ditch the fuel belt.    Keep sliding into our DMs with your messages, they mean so much to us!  FOLLOW US on Instagram: @trail.society And go follow our NEW youtube channel @trailsociety_podcast   This episode is brought to you by Freetrail @runfreetrail

On Valentine's Day 4,400 Public Land workers were abruptly and illegally terminated from their positions and since then, news of executive orders geared to threaten and exploit our public lands for their natural resources have been flooding headlines. To better understand the gravity of this situation and to hear straight from those most directly effected we are joined by Yosemite and Devils Postpile Ranger Alex Wild, Liz Crandall a field ranger in Deschutes National Forest, and Morgan Smith a Biological Science Technician for the US Forest Service. All three were recently terminated from their jobs due to the recent federal budget cuts. They share their love of the outdoors, explain the importance of their jobs and speak to the dangerous repercussions our public lands will experience as a result of these terminations and resulting extreme staffing shortages. How you can help! Sign petitions and write to your reps! Tell Congress to Protect National Park Service Staff Tell Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to protect national monuments from oil, gas, and mining Tell Congress national parks are worth fighting for Tell Congress to fund historic and cultural sites nationwide Tell Congress to protect wildlife in national parks Whitehouse resources: Unleashing American Energy Unleashing Alaska's Resource Potential Immediate Expansion of Logging Timber (including BLM land, National Forests, and National Parks) For the latest NPAD updates, group travel details, merch and more, follow us on npadpodcast.com and our socials at: Instagram: @nationalparkafterdark Twitter/X: @npadpodcast TikTok: @nationalparkafterdark Support the show by becoming an Outsider and receive ad free listening, bonus content and more on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Want to see our faces? Catch full episodes on our YouTube Page! Thank you to the week's partners! IQBAR: Text PARK to 64000 to get 20% off all IQBAR products and free shipping. AG1: AG1 is offering new subscribers a FREE $76 gift when you sign up. You'll get a Welcome Kit, a bottle of D3K2 AND 5 free travel packs in your first box. So make sure to check out DrinkAG1.com/npad. For a full list of our sources, visit npadpodcast.com/episodes 

Today we're talking with accomplished composer, Andrew Morgan Smith who has successfully navigated the world of both film and concert composition. We are diving into the technical details about work flow, working with orchestrators, scoring sessions that span the globe, and keeping up with latest technological innovations in the music world. https://www.andrewmorgansmith.com/

MORGAN SMITH: Welcome to the Intersect Ed Podcast, where the stories of public education policy and practice meet. I'm your host, Morgan Smith, and I am back with you just in time for the 89th Legislative Session. And heading in, it's fair to say lawmakers have a lot of unfinished business when it comes to education policy.Let's do a brief review of how we got here. If one word defined the Legislature's approach to education policy in 2023, it was gridlock. Bill after bill — including crucial proposals for school funding and teacher pay raises — fell victim to lawmakers' battle over vouchers. This only intensified the pressure on Texas public schools, leaving them to deal with teacher shortages, budget shortfalls, and rising inflation as they continued to serve the state's 5.5 million public school students. Today, we'll discuss how our state's leaders can start this session ready to act on essential education policy items and focus on one area you're likely to hear a lot about as the session gets underway — how teacher workforce issues, including a shortage of certified teachers, are affecting Texas students. BOB POPINKSI: It's not like Texas doesn't know what to do when it comes to our teacher workforce issues. Prior to the last legislative session, they came out with a couple of dozen recommendations under the Teacher Vacancy Taskforce Report.  These recommendations included enhancing teachers' total compensation packages to incentives for hard-to-staff areas.MORGAN SMITH: This is Bob Popinski, the Senior Director of Policy for Raise Your Hand Texas.BOB POPINKSI: But the problem is only one of those recommendations was actually implemented last legislative session. The State Board of Education has been going through the rulemaking processes over the last year, and that's the high-quality instructional materials. The other 23 recommendations were left untouched. Part of that has to do with a lot of those policies were in the legislative package that failed during our regular session and four subsequent special sessions.MORGAN SMITH: There are multiple ways to become a public school teacher in Texas, but traditionally, all of them have required someone who wants to teach to become certified. The goal of preparing teachers through high-quality programs with a clinical teaching component is to combine learning about the practice of good pedagogy and classroom management with practical hands-on experience, says Jacob Kirskey, an assistant professor at Texas Tech's College of Education whose areas of research include the education labor market and teacher pipeline. JACOB KIRKSEY: That means they're watching an experienced veteran teacher model classroom management. So what happens when a student is disengaged in a moment, and you don't want to detract from other students' learning, but you also want to make sure that that student becomes engaged if they're not already.What do you do when you have varying sets of abilities in the classroom based on prior learning or what students are just simply coming in based on demographic differences in the household? How do you as a teacher manage those differences and make sure that, again, kids are staying on track who are already there, but also that kids are a little behind those kids catch up to where they need to be. These are all things that you can read about, but they're not always things that it is easy to translate what you're reading into practice. And so a high-quality teacher preparation experience is one, again, that brings that tangible experience to what candidates are learning in the process of becoming a teacher.MORGAN SMITH: But as Texas school districts struggle to fill vacancies amid budget cuts and teacher shortages with a very limited pool of candidates, educators are increasingly entering classrooms via another route — with no certification at all. In the 2022-23 school year, uncertified teachers accounted for 1 in 3 of newly hired public school educators in the state, with 43% of them being at the elementary and early education level. They also made up over 80% of new hires in 40 Texas counties. And, according to Jacob Kirksey's research, almost three out of four uncertified teachers have had no prior experience working in Texas public schools, and nearly one in five do not hold a bachelor's degree. JACOB KIRKSEY: So an uncertified teacher is one that has no record of being in a teacher preparation program. They have no record of completing any coursework. There's literally no record of them in the state Board of Educator Certification, which is our state body that issues the teaching certifications.MORGAN SMITH: The consequences of relying on uncertified teachers show up in student outcomes. Studies show that students with new uncertified teachers lose about four months of learning in reading and three months in math unless the teacher has previous experience working in a public school. They are also significantly underdiagnosed for dyslexia and miss more days of school. None of this is surprising, as we know teachers are the single most important in-school factor when it comes to student success. LORI POWELL: The day-in and day-out struggle is that the pedagogy that's missing that teaches them how children acquire knowledge. And I think every teacher who comes in the building loves kids and wants to work with kids and wants to help kids, but I see how some of these new teachers who are hired straight out of college who have gone through a traditional path hit the ground running as teachers. There's so much that they know about classroom management and how to be prepared, how the kids need to learn something, and a teacher who hasn't gone through that process, there's just so much of that that you don't know. And you don't know that you don't know it.MORGAN SMITH: This is Lori Powell, a public school teacher of 17 years who is currently a gifted and talented specialist at Northside Independent School District's Carnahan Elementary School in San Antonio. LORI POWELL: A certified teacher has such a bigger box of tools to use, to help the students and to understand the process of the learning. And that just takes time, and exposure and truly understanding. You can't really put a lesson plan in a teacher's hand and say, "Read this word for word and the kids are going to learn." It takes an understanding. So, the process of certification and experience is how you get that understanding… That time with students in the classroom and watching the flow with a teacher who's a master teacher, it's not something to miss. And I understand we're in times that many of these pieces are unavoidable, but you can't replace it, the learning that happens from that teacher who has refined the art. It's an art and it's a science. And it just takes some time to get there.MORGAN SMITH: Lori Powell says that having an uncertified teacher in the classroom also places an increased burden on certified staff to help fill in the gaps in student learning and to provide the skills and knowledge uncertified teachers are missing. LORI POWELL: Nobody's willing to let go of a student and just say, "Oh, they're with a long-term sub, that child doesn't matter. I can't help that child." We really look at the groups of students as all ours, that they're all our students. Every weak link, any group is only as strong as its weakest link, and so where you have a weak link... And I wouldn't say that all of our uncertified teachers are weak links, but when there's a weakness in the background, then there is going to be a weakness there, even if that is a strong advocate for the kid in the person.MORGAN SMITH: Uncertified teachers are also more likely to leave the profession sooner than certified teachers. A study that looked at teacher retention rates in rural Texas communities found that only 45% of uncertified new teachers stay in teaching beyond three years, while almost 80% of fully qualified new teachers continued in the profession. So, given all we know about the challenges that uncertified teachers face — and the benefits of having a well-prepared teacher in the classroom with our students —why are school districts turning to them in the first place? MYRNA BLANCHARD: When you have such a high teacher vacancy - we don't have a lot of people going through traditional certification programs - then that vacancy is going to create some pressure points on districts. It creates pressure points on principals, on the district administration, on teachers. MORGAN SMITH: This is Myrna Blanchard, who is the Director of Talent and Acquisition at Castleberry Independent School District, where she has worked for four years overseeing the human resources department. She is describing the bind school districts across the state find themselves in as they struggle to find qualified teachers.MYRNA BLANCHARD: And the biggest thing we don't want to do is allow those pressure points to bleed into being pressure to our other teachers. So if we just don't hire certified teachers and we increase the class sizes of our teachers, well, now our current teachers that are certified are going to start feeling that pressure point. And then now we have a bigger problem.MORGAN SMITH: At a legislative hearing over the summer, some lawmakers on the House Public Education Committee suggested that schools may be turning to uncertified teachers because they are cheaper. That, Myrna Blanchard says, is simply not true.MYRNA BLANCHARD: We still hire them at the same rate of pay as first-year teachers. And the reason why we do that is because competitively, for some of those positions, they could go make those same people who are coming to teach with us could make $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 or more in the industry, and not in teaching.We don't have the option of paying them less. It's not cheaper for us. If we hire uncertified teachers, let's think of this, we've got to train them. We do usually put them with a mentor, which costs money. We also need to support them sometimes with getting their certifications or supporting them somehow in that. And so the myth of they're cheaper really doesn't pan out because those soft costs that we apply to the time, for instance, I'll give you an example of the time that I spent as an HR director talking to their CERT program, following up with our uncertified teachers to say, "Hey, how are you doing? Okay, if you didn't pass this test, what's your next state that you're going to take? Oh, you're confused about that. Let me guide you." That is not cheaper. I'm not saving money by doing that. I'm actually putting time and money as a resource into those uncertified teachers.MORGAN SMITH: The reality is that school districts are hiring uncertified teachers because they don't have any other options. The students are there, and school districts need someone in the class to teach them. JOLISA HOOVER: We are asking schools to do things beyond their mission. We're asking them to not only teach students but to teach teachers, and we aren't going to recruit our way out of this problem. We have to start doing strategies that are going to retain the teachers we have. We need strategies that are going to incentivize teachers who have left to come back, and then we also need to make this a profession that is attractive to the current generation of college students. MORGAN SMITH: This is JoLisa Hoover, Raise Your Hand's Teacher Specialist. JOLISA HOOVER: Our schools are having to support these teachers, and they're very grateful to have someone who is willing to step up, but that gratefulness does not mean those people are prepared. You're looking at uncertified teachers and support staff having to add to their workload to make sure these people have the tools that they need to do their job.MORGAN SMITH: And until the state addresses the underlying challenges that are forcing districts to turn to uncertified teachers, they will continue to be a growing presence in Texas classrooms, which only hurts the ability of Texas students to get a quality education. JACOB KIRKSEY: So whether you are a parent, a grandparent, an education researcher, a policymaker, I think what we can all agree on is that we want a high-quality teacher in the classroom who is going to positively contribute to the learning of our kids. And so if we think about what we want that teacher to look like, what we want their experiences to be, we want that teacher to feel prepared. We want them to feel like they know what they're doing. They know how to address challenges that they're going to face. We want them to be able to feel like they are making a difference.And in order to do that, we have to think about the preparation that these teachers have received, the experiences that these teachers have that they can leverage to do a lot of good in the classroom. And we have to think about ways that we can keep them to stay. It all comes down to who do we want to be at the face of the classroom that our kids are interacting with on a daily basis? And that comes down to a teacher who feels prepared has done this before, and wants to stay.MORGAN SMITH: But here's the good news: as lawmakers gather for the new legislative session, they already have the building blocks they need to improve teacher preparation and retention in Texas public schools. The Future Texas Teacher Scholarship Program already exists but remains unfunded. As we mentioned earlier, the governor-appointed Texas Teacher Vacancy Taskforce has already made over two dozen recommendations aimed at attracting and retaining teachers, ranging from compensation, teacher mentoring, and expanded access to training. Here is JoLisa Hoover again.JOLISA HOOVER: I think in the end, we may be talking about the issue of uncertified teachers and teacher shortages, but we can't lose sight of the fact that we're actually talking about our Texas students. This isn't an issue about the adults in the equation. We're talking about children and teens in Texas. If we want to improve student outcomes, Texas must invest in teacher workforce solutions to ensure that all students receive a quality education.OUTROIf you would like to review detailed policy recommendations from Raise Your Hand Texas, please visit the Policy Priorities section of Raise Your Hand Texas' website.To stay informed on critical education issues, you can sign up online for Raise Your Hand's Across the Lawn weekly newsletter and text alerts at www.RaiseYourHandTexas.org/Get-Involved. Today's episode was written by me, Morgan Smith. Our sound engineer is Brian Digg, and our executive producer is Anne Lasseigne Tiedt. 

People in Corner Brook are bringing shoeboxes to the gym, but they don't have running shoes in them! The shoeboxes are being filled with gifts for women who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Morgan Smith is local coordinator of the Bay of Islands Chapter of the Shoebox Project.

On this episode of A One Pint Stand, I went to Spiral Brewery in Hastings, Minnesota, to chat with Head Brewer, Morgan Smith. She shared how she got into brewing, what she enjoys about Hastings, and her role on the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. This episode is proudly sponsored by Dual Citizen Brewing Company. I cannot thank them enough for their support! If you like the episode, consider joining the A One Pint Stand Patreon to get access to Patreon-only episodes.

Send us a textI'm thrilled to share the latest episode of the "Endless Possibilities Podcast" with you. This time, I had the pleasure of diving deep into the realms of spiritual awakening, energy healing, and the nature of existence with the insightful Morgan Smith. Here's a sneak peek into our enlightening conversation:Key Takeaways from Our Conversation:The Trap of Ego and Labels:We often get overly identified with our roles and labels, leading to suffering.Recognizing these attachments can help us break free from the "us versus them" mindset.The Journey of Awakening:The importance of addressing unresolved traumas for spiritual growth.Personal stories of healing and the ongoing journey of self-discovery.Unity Consciousness:Join us in this episode as we explore the depths of our identities, the nature of reality, and the journey toward spiritual awakening. It's a conversation filled with profound insights and heartfelt moments that I believe will resonate with you deeply.**Introduction to Spiritual Awakening (00:00:00)****Podcast Welcome (00:00:41)****Guest Introduction (00:00:50)****Stages of Awakening Discussion (00:01:15)****Ignorance and Identity (00:02:46)****Attachment to Labels (00:03:21)****Understanding Dukkha (00:04:18)****Separation and Ignorance (00:05:14)****The Nature of Play (00:06:57)****Jim Carrey's Awakening (00:07:31)****The Role of Family (00:08:43)****Breaking Out of Ignorance (00:10:15)****Feedback Mechanism of Life (00:10:32)****Lifetimes of Learning (00:11:00)****Experiences of Past Lives (00:11:35)****Spirituality in Past Lives (00:12:28)****Understanding Parallel Lives (00:13:18)****Oversoul and Individual Experiences (00:15:02)****The Complexity of Atman and Brahman (00:16:02)****The Cycle of Life and Death (00:17:53)****Illusion of Reality (00:18:52)****Understanding the Interchangeable Terms (00:19:52)****The Nature of Brahman (00:20:38)****Ignorance and Levels of Awareness (00:20:53)****The Drive for Truth (00:22:24)****The Game of Ignorance (00:22:48)****First Awakening Experiences (00:23:05)****The Journey of Discovery (00:24:47)****Hypnotherapy and Awareness (00:25:38)****Stream Entry and Self-Realization (00:26:59)****Stages of Self-Realization (00:29:09)****The Essence vs. Ego (00:30:56)****Freedom from Identification (00:31:03)****The Ongoing Nature of Awakening (00:33:06)****Trauma and Awakening (00:35:30)****Childhood Triggers and Healing (00:39:30)****Shadow Work and Healing (00:40:05)****Collective Awakening (00:42:01)****Unity Consciousness Experience (00:42:44)****Essence and Expansion (00:43:31)****Meditative State Realization (00:46:14)****Awareness Dropping into the Heart (00:48:01)****Kundalini Activation (00:49:55)****Purging and Physical Discomfort (00:51:17)****Emotional Expression During Awakening (00:53:25)****Guru Dynamics and Shadows (00:56:51)****Inner Reflection and Healing (00:58:23)****Understanding Unity Consciousness (00:59:03)****The Role of Judgment (01:00:07)****Experiencing Creation (01:01:03)****Going Beyond Creation (01:02:03)****Near-Death Experiences (01:06:37)****Merging with Divine Light (01:07:56)****The Nature of Avatars (01:09:15)****Understanding Brahman (01:10:00)****Experiencing Divine Mother (01:14:09)****Simultaneous Creation and Destruction (01:16:50)****The Power of the Divine Feminine (01:19:20)****Experience of Ultimate Love (01:19:51)****The Essence of Existence (01:20:58)****The Duality of Experience (01:21:44)https://www.youtube.com/@EndlessPossibilitiesPodcast

Most would agree, there's always room for growth in making our outreach strategies stronger.Expert GTM analyst, Morgan Smith, is joining us to reveal the “hidden skillset” that's changing the game in outreach messaging, and to show us some of the finer points of strategic market segmentation.You'll walk away with strategies to create stronger messaging and ensure your value proposition targets your potential customer's pain points more effectively. You'll Learn:How to identify the best markets to targetWays to find key pain points to use in your value propositionHow to tailor your messaging to diverse audience segmentsThe Speakers: James Buckley and Morgan SmithIf you want to catch The Daily Sales Show live, join hereFollow Sell Better to get the latest actionable tactics from sales pros at the top of their gameExplore our YouTube ChannelThank you to our sponsors: Orum and ZoominfoLooking to up your sales skills?Sales Training for YOU: Use code SELLBETTER to save $200 off your yearly membershipSales Training for your TEAM

Welcome to this episode of the award-winning BrandBuilders Podcast. Today's guest is Morgan Smith, Construction Coordinator at Roby Services in Charlotte and Lead Chair of the Girls Construction Camp.  This two-day camp aims to inspire and educate girls about opportunities within the construction industry, promoting diversity and inclusion in a traditionally male-dominated field. Her leadership at Roby Services and her commitment to empowering the next generation of female builders make her story the kind we love to share here on the BrandBuilders Podcast. Morgan, welcome to the show! 

For Summer 2024, Seattle Opera will present PAGLIACCI, by Ruggero Leoncavallo, a masterpiece of Italian opera all about lust and jealousy, passion and murder; a show about reality and artifice, comedy and tragedy, freedom and fate. (It's not about pizza.) Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces PAGLIACCI with musical examples from Seattle Opera's 2008 archival recording, conducted by Dean Williamson and starring Antonello Palombi as Canio, Nuccia Focile as Nedda, Morgan Smith as Silvio, Gordon Hawkins as Tonio, and Doug Jones as Beppe. Special musical examples feature Enrico Caruso, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and Queen, with Freddie Mercury.

A review of how all 18 league teams currently project analytically per Bart Torvik right after the NBA early entry deadline passes and how Rutgers stacks up, how much things might change in the next two weeks, Morgan Smith named First Team All-American for RU softball as well as why the passing of Bill Walton brings perspective on the journey ahead next season. Subscribe to the Knights of the Raritan Newsletter HERE! https://knights-of-the-raritan.beehiiv.com/subscribe/

In this Supplier Wire Series episode of Modrn Business Podcast, Ryan Hicks chats with Morgan Smith, President of SalesDesk. SalesDesk provides lead generation for franchise development and commercial lead generation for franchisees. Ryan & Morgan discuss how SalesDesk drives success for franchise systems through innovative lead generation strategies and impactful email marketing campaigns. Connect with today's guest: franchisesuppliernetwork.com/featured-supplier/salesdesk/ Register for the Franchise “UnConferences” at www.franchisors.com

Ouimet Scholar and Westford native Morgan Smith is one of the most accomplished young amateur golfers in Massachusetts, and the Smith family is synonymous with golf.Morgan's dad Phil is a former Massachusetts Mid-Amateur champion and both of her younger sisters are talented players, including Molly who plays collegiately at Division I Central Florida. Morgan grew up playing at Vesper Country Club in Tyngsboro and eventually began playing and working in the pro shop at Mount Pleasant Golf Club in Lowell.Morgan's accomplishments as a golfer and a student earned her a spot on the Division I women's golf team at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She was recently named BIG EAST Freshman of the Year after finishing second overall for the Hoyas in her first-ever BIG EAST Championship.Morgan is the two-time defending champion of the New England Women's Amateur, and won her first Massachusetts Women's Amateur in dramatic fashion back in 2022. She has lofty goals for what she aims to accomplish in the future both on and off the golf course.

People often believe that in order to succeed at their work, they have to be absolutely excellent at everything that they do. But what if following that path would only lead you to burnout? Today's episode was inspired by an article I read by Morgan Smith for CNBC. She interviewed Harvard-trained Neuroscientist and Adjunct Professor Juliet Han. Han suggests a totally different approach to growth. Rather than self-examining your strengths and weaknesses, what if you focused predominantly on your job responsibilities?  Join The Co-op - The Membership for Online Businesses Connect with Abagail Instagram All the Links! Here's the thing, though: you're a business owner. So, as the CEO and head of your company, what is most important for you to do? What do you need to be excellent at? What tasks do you need to be good at? What tasks can be low-effort or delegated? There are a couple of things you need to focus on to make your business thrive: cash flow, sales, and messaging. In the digital product world, it's all about driving continuous traffic to your product rather than constantly improving the offer. Every company is different! Let's get into it. Episode Highlights What Changes When You Figure Out What Really Drives Your Company Why Asking For a Second Opinion Could Highlight What You Really Need to Change  How to Get Out of Autopilot and Put Yourself Back in the Driver's Seat of Your Career Getting Hyper-specific About the Types of Skills You Need Most Thank you for listening! Please subscribe, rate, and review The Strategy Hour Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. For show notes, go to thestrategyhour.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think you know every trick in the real estate book? Think again. There are Special Loan Products that might just be a chapter that you have been missing. Join us as we explore innovative financing options that can open doors to new opportunities and solutions for your clients.In our latest adventure on the Texas Real Estate & Finance Podcast, we had the pleasure of sitting down with the wizard of mortgage creativity himself, Morgan Smith. Morgan dove deep into the world of portfolio loans, transition (aka bridge) loans, and the ins and outs of the private lending market. With a knack for breaking down complex topics, Morgan illuminated the paths less traveled in real estate financing, showing us how portfolio loans aren't just financial tools but gateways to innovative investment strategies.He painted a picture of the private lending landscape, emphasizing the art of crafting win-win scenarios through strategic partnerships between borrowers and lenders. Transition loans, as Morgan elegantly put it, are the Swiss Army knives of real estate—simple, adaptable, and ready for just about any transactional challenge you throw their way.Moreover, Morgan shared his seasoned insights on fix and flips, the perks of private lending, and how economic currents are shaping today's housing market. This episode isn't just a treasure trove for the seasoned real estate investor; it's a beacon for anyone keen on exploring the dynamic world of flexible loan options. Dive in to arm yourself with knowledge and strategies that could very well redefine your approach to real estate finance.In this episode, you will be able to:Explore the flexibility of portfolio loans to maximize your real estate investment potential.Gain insight into the valuable borrower-lender relationships in private lending for portfolio loans.Learn how portfolio loans can effectively mitigate asset value risks in the real estate industry.Discover how transition bridge loans can help navigate housing market challenges with flexibility.Uncover the transparency and benefits of private lending for fix and flips with portfolio loans.The key moments in this episode are:00:00:13 - Introduction to Special Loan Products 00:01:15 - The Game-Changing Potential of Portfolio Loans 00:03:29 - Understanding Portfolio Lending 00:09:50 - Signature Transition Loan: A Unique Solution 00:12:42 - Requirements for Transition Loan 00:13:11 - Overcoming Condo Loan Challenges 00:13:57 - Transition Loan vs. Bridge Loan 00:15:10 - Understanding the Loan Calculation 00:16:00 - Benefits of the Transition Loan 00:18:26 - Addressing Income and Equity Challenges 00:25:40 - Bridge Loans and Transparency 00:26:30 - Challenges of Traditional Financing 00:27:40 - Business Purpose Loans 00:28:44 - Fix and Flip Real Estate 00:36:33 - Profit Margins in Real Estate Projects 00:38:35 - Housing Market Trends 00:40:18 - Impact of Demographics on Housing Market 00:43:48 - Types of Loans Offered 00:47:41 - Loan Approval Criteria 00:49:41 - Future of Real Estate Market 00:52:58 - The Challenge of Buying a House in Today's Market 00:54:11 - Economic Impact on Homeownership 00:55:24 - Unpredictability of the Housing Market 01:00:42 - Changing Dynamics of Home Prices and Interest Rates 01:03:16 - Leveraging Partnerships for Survival Explore the Flexibility of Portfolio LoansPortfolio loans are a versatile tool offered by private lenders in the real estate industry. They provide flexible and creative alternatives to traditional mortgage products. With portfolio loans, lenders use their capital to fund projects, houses, or buildings, offering solutions tailored to the borrower's unique needs.Mitigate Asset...

In this inspiring episode, Jesse Garcia engages in a captivating conversation with Shannon Schmitz and Morgan Smith, the dynamic co-founders of the Schmitz & Smith Group based in Austin, TX.   In 2023 alone, the group accomplished an impressive feat, closing 80 transactions with a staggering $60 million in sales volume. Tune in to discover the secrets behind their success, from fostering an incredible team culture rooted in a hive mentality to their unwavering commitment to helping each other succeed.   Learn how this powerhouse partnership thrives through strategic division of tasks, unwavering focus on its mission, and a genuine passion for giving back to the community. Join us for an episode filled with insights, inspiration, and the blueprint for creating a thriving real estate empire. Connect with Shanon & Morgan at https://www.austinportfoliorealestate.com/  ---------- Visit www.builthow.com to sign up for our next live or virtual event.   Part of the Win Make Give Podcast Network

The civil rights movement is often defined narrowly, relegated to the 1950s and 1960s, and populated by such colossal figures as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Many forget that the movement was bigger than the figures on the frontline and that it grew from intellectual and historical efforts that continue today. In Path to Grace: Reimagining the Civil Rights Movement (UP of Mississippi, 2023), Ethel Morgan Smith shines a light on unsung heroes of the civil rights movement, the ordinary citizens working behind the scenes to make an impact in their communities. Through eleven original interviews with teachers, parents hosting fundraisers for civil rights workers, volunteers helping with voter registration, and more, Smith highlights the contributions these figures made to the civil rights movement. Some of these brave warriors worked at the elbows of icons while others were clearing new paths, all passing through history without wide recognition. Path to Grace introduces readers to new witnesses and largely neglected voices. Also included are interviews with such esteemed but less studied figures as writer Gloria Naylor, poet Nikki Giovanni, fashion designer Ann Lowe, and educator Constance Curry. This work of social change situates these narratives in both the past and present. Indeed, many of Smith's subjects, such as Emma Bruce, John Canty, Andrea Lee, Ann Lowe, and Blanche Virginia Franklin Moore, can trace their ancestry back to enslavement, which provides a direct chain of narrators and firmly plants the roots of the civil rights movement in the country's foundation. Through historical contextualization and an analysis of contemporary sociopolitical events, Path to Grace celebrates the contributions of some of the nameless individuals, generation after generation, who worked to make the United States better for all its citizens. Omari Averette-Phillips is a Doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

The civil rights movement is often defined narrowly, relegated to the 1950s and 1960s, and populated by such colossal figures as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Many forget that the movement was bigger than the figures on the frontline and that it grew from intellectual and historical efforts that continue today. In Path to Grace: Reimagining the Civil Rights Movement (UP of Mississippi, 2023), Ethel Morgan Smith shines a light on unsung heroes of the civil rights movement, the ordinary citizens working behind the scenes to make an impact in their communities. Through eleven original interviews with teachers, parents hosting fundraisers for civil rights workers, volunteers helping with voter registration, and more, Smith highlights the contributions these figures made to the civil rights movement. Some of these brave warriors worked at the elbows of icons while others were clearing new paths, all passing through history without wide recognition. Path to Grace introduces readers to new witnesses and largely neglected voices. Also included are interviews with such esteemed but less studied figures as writer Gloria Naylor, poet Nikki Giovanni, fashion designer Ann Lowe, and educator Constance Curry. This work of social change situates these narratives in both the past and present. Indeed, many of Smith's subjects, such as Emma Bruce, John Canty, Andrea Lee, Ann Lowe, and Blanche Virginia Franklin Moore, can trace their ancestry back to enslavement, which provides a direct chain of narrators and firmly plants the roots of the civil rights movement in the country's foundation. Through historical contextualization and an analysis of contemporary sociopolitical events, Path to Grace celebrates the contributions of some of the nameless individuals, generation after generation, who worked to make the United States better for all its citizens. Omari Averette-Phillips is a Doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The civil rights movement is often defined narrowly, relegated to the 1950s and 1960s, and populated by such colossal figures as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Many forget that the movement was bigger than the figures on the frontline and that it grew from intellectual and historical efforts that continue today. In Path to Grace: Reimagining the Civil Rights Movement (UP of Mississippi, 2023), Ethel Morgan Smith shines a light on unsung heroes of the civil rights movement, the ordinary citizens working behind the scenes to make an impact in their communities. Through eleven original interviews with teachers, parents hosting fundraisers for civil rights workers, volunteers helping with voter registration, and more, Smith highlights the contributions these figures made to the civil rights movement. Some of these brave warriors worked at the elbows of icons while others were clearing new paths, all passing through history without wide recognition. Path to Grace introduces readers to new witnesses and largely neglected voices. Also included are interviews with such esteemed but less studied figures as writer Gloria Naylor, poet Nikki Giovanni, fashion designer Ann Lowe, and educator Constance Curry. This work of social change situates these narratives in both the past and present. Indeed, many of Smith's subjects, such as Emma Bruce, John Canty, Andrea Lee, Ann Lowe, and Blanche Virginia Franklin Moore, can trace their ancestry back to enslavement, which provides a direct chain of narrators and firmly plants the roots of the civil rights movement in the country's foundation. Through historical contextualization and an analysis of contemporary sociopolitical events, Path to Grace celebrates the contributions of some of the nameless individuals, generation after generation, who worked to make the United States better for all its citizens. Omari Averette-Phillips is a Doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

The civil rights movement is often defined narrowly, relegated to the 1950s and 1960s, and populated by such colossal figures as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Many forget that the movement was bigger than the figures on the frontline and that it grew from intellectual and historical efforts that continue today. In Path to Grace: Reimagining the Civil Rights Movement (UP of Mississippi, 2023), Ethel Morgan Smith shines a light on unsung heroes of the civil rights movement, the ordinary citizens working behind the scenes to make an impact in their communities. Through eleven original interviews with teachers, parents hosting fundraisers for civil rights workers, volunteers helping with voter registration, and more, Smith highlights the contributions these figures made to the civil rights movement. Some of these brave warriors worked at the elbows of icons while others were clearing new paths, all passing through history without wide recognition. Path to Grace introduces readers to new witnesses and largely neglected voices. Also included are interviews with such esteemed but less studied figures as writer Gloria Naylor, poet Nikki Giovanni, fashion designer Ann Lowe, and educator Constance Curry. This work of social change situates these narratives in both the past and present. Indeed, many of Smith's subjects, such as Emma Bruce, John Canty, Andrea Lee, Ann Lowe, and Blanche Virginia Franklin Moore, can trace their ancestry back to enslavement, which provides a direct chain of narrators and firmly plants the roots of the civil rights movement in the country's foundation. Through historical contextualization and an analysis of contemporary sociopolitical events, Path to Grace celebrates the contributions of some of the nameless individuals, generation after generation, who worked to make the United States better for all its citizens. Omari Averette-Phillips is a Doctoral student in the Department of History at UC Davis. He can be reached at omariaverette@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

In this sizzling episode of the Fashion Crimes Podcast, our fashion-savvy host Holly Katz dishes out the latest and greatest Top Trends for Winter 2024 with her signature sass and insider savvy.   As your fashion-forward friend, Holly takes you through the chic streets of sheer dressing, revives the iconic 1950s style with a modern twist, and debates the ever-contentious topic of jeans - all while keeping it real and relatable. #fashionover40   Whether you're looking to update your wardrobe, find age-appropriate trends, or simply need a fashion pick-me-up, Holly's got you covered. Tune in to Episode 178 for a winter trend forecast that's as stylish as it is sensible and get ready to step into the new year looking your most fabulous self!   Don't forget to check out Holly's Pinterest board for the details on the trends discussed in this episode.   Top Notes: • Recap: A nod to past episodes featuring brow and makeup artist Morgan Smith, and the Pantone Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz. • Listener Question: Sherri's dilemma on age-appropriate trends leads to a broader discussion. #inquiringmindswanttoknow   Trend Forecasting Explained: • What's a Trend? It's the general direction in which something is developing or changing, based on consumer behavior. • Trend Forecasting: Companies analyze buying and spending habits to predict future trends. • Fashion Cycle: Trends that typically run on a 20 to 30-year cycle.   Influencers vs. Forecasters: • Influencers might promote trends for compensation, not always because they're genuine trends. #dontbefooled   Holly's Approach to Trends: • Sheer Dressing: Suggests incorporating trends like sheer elements subtly. • Retro Revival: Holly endorses 1950s style dressing and explains how to adopt vintage trends. • Denim Dialogue: Stance on the skinny jeans debate and the return of flared and low-rise jeans.   Winter 2024 Must-Tries: • Vintage Vibes: 1950s aesthetics with a modern twist. • Matchy-Matchy: Coordinated sets continue to reign. • Knee-Length Boots & Tights: A blend of young and timeless style. • Trench Coats: A staple that transcends seasons. • Big Bows and Ribbons: Embellishments that add flair to any outfit.   Style Advice: • Holly emphasizes the importance of fit over trend. • She encourages adapting to style changes while staying true to your personality. • And recommends looking to inspiring individuals rather than following trends blindly.   Personal Anecdotes: • Holly shares her own fashion challenges, underscoring the normalcy of evolving body shapes. • And she emphasizes the importance of tailoring to ensure clothes work for the individual.   Shameless Book Promotion: • Holly's book, "Stop Making These Fashion Mistakes," is a bestseller on Amazon as THE resource for avoiding common fashion faux pas. Get it today as it is always the gift that keeps on giving as stated by fashion bestie Leesa:   "My 3 friends that you autographed books for, loved your book!!!"   Who in your life needs "Stop Making These Fashion Mistakes"??? Next Episode Tease: • Stay tuned every single week for more fashion insights and remember to embrace your style journey. "Fashion is a journey, not a destination..."- Holly Katz   Want More? • Be sure to follow the FASHION CRIMES PODCAST on Instagram for interactive fashion advice. Send us your fashion questions – and Holly will answer! • Subscribe and share our podcast with friends for more fashion wisdom Holly Katz, your go-to personal stylist, especially for those rocking the fabulous 40s and beyond! • If you sign up for our newsletter, you get all this free fashion content, delivered straight to your inbox. Every. Single. Week. Don't know how your day can get any better!       Thank you for being our Fashion Besties!       Xoxo –        Holly Katz   Your Favorite Personal Stylist, the Hostess with the Mostest AND the only Holly you need to know!   www.fashioncrimespodcast.com  

Welcome to Fashion Crimes Podcast, your weekly dose of fashion and style with your favorite personal stylist, Holly Katz. In today's episode, we're thrilled to have Morgan Smith, a renowned brow artist and beauty expert from Savannah, Georgia, joining us to share her journey and expertise in achieving the perfect brows. #helpus   For a comprehensive dive into the world of perfect brows and beauty tips from Morgan Smith, tune in to Episode 177 of the Fashion Crimes Podcast with Holly Katz. Also, please visit our YouTube page where you get full access to the full video with Morgan, eyebrow tutorials and before and after pics that will blow. your. mind.  #SERIOUSLY     KEY TAKEAWAYS:   Morgan Smith's Eyebrow Journey: Morgan's unique path to becoming a brow expert started after she moved to Savannah. Seeking a career that allowed her to work less and earn more, she found inspiration in her friend's brow bar in Miami. Morgan's leap of faith into the world of beauty, despite no prior experience, led to her establishing the successful Brow Bar Savannah. We LOVE supporting women-owned businesses! #FACTS   Brow Techniques Explained: During our conversation, Morgan delves into various brow techniques, including the differences between microblading and powder ombre. She explains how microblading suits people with dry skin and younger demographics, while powder ombre is ideal for a wider range of skin types and ages. Morgan emphasizes the natural, long-lasting results of her techniques, alongside yearly touch-ups for color boosting.   Holly's Personal Experience: Holly shares her personal experience with Morgan's brow services, highlighting the transformation and healing process. Morgan also touches on the importance of proper brow mapping and her golden ratio technique for perfect brow shaping.   Beyond Brows: Morgan offers services like lip blushing, and enhancing the natural beauty of her clients. She plans to expand her services to include areola tattooing, aiming to help those who've undergone mastectomies.   Essential Brow Tip: The episode concludes with Morgan's mantra for 2024, "If it doesn't serve you, let it go," and her essential brow tip: put down the tweezers and seek professional help for the best results.   Remember, Fashion Besties, investing in your brows is investing in your face! #FACTS   Join us for more fashion insights and tips by following the Fashion Crimes Podcast wherever you get your podcasts  – and be sure to keep up with us on our social media and YouTube!   FASHION CRIMES PODCAST “The Best Fashion Friend You Never Knew You Needed!”   Hosted by your favorite personal stylist, Holly Katz!   www.fashioncrimespodcast.com www.hollykatzstyling.com   #hollykatzstyling #fashioncrimespodcast #personalstylist #fashionover40 #fashionover50 #whattowear #podcast #styleguide #browbar #browbarsavannah #savannah #brows #eyebrows #styletips #fashion

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia.   Today is Saturday, Dec. 23  The WV Economic Development Authority helps NorthStar Technologies play a vital role in the aviation industry. Learn why the aviation industry is taking flight in #YesWV. And watch as manufacturing engineers capture Mothman--on scanner, that is…on today's daily304. #1 – From WV COMMERCE  – The aviation industry is taking flight in West Virginia. Located at the North Central West Virginia Airport, NorthStar Technologies is serving a vital role for the industry whether it's repairing engines, inspecting and maintaining used parts, or sending teams out to work on aircrafts in the field.  To order these parts, it could take up to a year. But with equipment obtained with the help of the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, NorthStar Technologies can get planes off the ground in a matter of days. Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=0Px991wZ0xv2O_Sy&v=4OhtFYyNR-A&feature=youtu.be    #2 – From WV DED  –  The aerospace industry is a dynamic, emerging economic sector in West Virginia. From up-and-coming high-tech innovators to established titans of the industry, the state's growing cluster of aerospace companies is fueled by an array of advantages. West Virginia is within a day's drive of 34% of the top domestic purchasing sectors of aerospace products and national defense contractors, corporations and federal agencies. Additionally, the state is in close proximity to original equipment manufacturers based in the South, including Boeing, AirBus, Lockheed Martin and Gulfstream. Learn more about the vast array of aerospace companies that have said #YesWV. Learn more: https://westvirginia.gov/industries/aerospace/   #3 – From MAMC – Engineers from the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center put the latest weapon in the center's technological arsenal to a monumental test recently in Point Pleasant. It was a monstrous job – literally! Design Engineers Chris Shaffer and Morgan Smith deployed one of the center's newest scanners, a portable Creaform 3D scanning system, to capture the intricacies and full details of the famous stainless steel Mothman Statute that looms over downtown Point Pleasant. Client Kelly Miller, whose father Bob Roach crafted the hulking creature, asked MAMC to scan the statute because no detailed drawings exist. Miller owns the rights to the likeness and wants to create smaller replicas of her late father's tourist-beckoning creation.  Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6JDgON_XsI   Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo.  That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.  

In this insightful episode of "The Refrigeration Mentor Podcast," host Trevor Matthews is joined by returning guests Danielle Wright and Morgan Smith, pivotal figures in the refrigeration industry. They delve into the significant impact of natural refrigerant events in shaping the future of refrigeration technicians. The discussion centers around the overwhelming support these initiatives are receiving from the industry, highlighting the importance of sustainable practices. With a focus on innovation and education, Trevor, Danielle, and Morgan explore the ways in which these events are fostering a new generation of environmentally-conscious professionals. They emphasize the need for continued efforts in attracting more people into the field of refrigeration, underscoring the role of hands-on experience and awareness in nurturing future talent. The episode not only revisits the successes of past events but also casts an eye towards the future, discussing strategies to encourage more individuals to pursue careers in refrigeration. This conversation is a treasure trove of insights for anyone interested in the evolving landscape of eco-friendly technologies. It's an engaging dialogue that covers the blend of education, practical skills, and innovation necessary in today's refrigeration industry. Wrapping up, the trio shares their final thoughts and key takeaways, focusing on the significance of natural refrigerants in carving a sustainable path for the refrigeration sector. Whether you're a seasoned expert or just curious about green technologies, this episode of "The Refrigeration Mentor Podcast" is an essential listen for those interested in the future of refrigeration. Learn more about NASRC here - https://nasrc.org/ Get tickets for the next Natural Refrigerant Training Summits here - https://nasrc.org/natural-refrigerant-training-summits Free Refrigeration Piping Design Course -  Access Here Let's Connect on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/refrigerationmentor/ Upcoming Servicing Compressors, Supermarket and CO2 Trainings - Learn More Here Learn More About Refrigeration Mentor - https://refrigerationmentor.com/ Get A Free Service & Compressor Troubleshooting Guide - Access Here

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 13, 2023 is: gravitate • GRAV-uh-tayt • verb To gravitate is to move, tend to move, or be attracted to or toward someone or something. // Many young people now gravitate toward careers on social media. See the entry > Examples: “... Olipop has grown into a nationwide brand and favorite among Gen Z and millennial consumers, who gravitate to the brand's eye-catching packaging and nostalgia-inducing flavors like root beer and vintage cola—many of which [CEO, Ben] Goodwin comes up with in the early hours of the morning.” — Morgan Smith and Lauren Shamo, CNBC, 16 Sept. 2023 Did you know? The force is strong in the family of words descended from the Latin adjective gravis, meaning “heavy”: gravitation has it, graviton has it, and gravitate has it, too. That force is gravity (gravity being another gravis descendent), a fundamental physical force that is responsible for bringing us literally back down to earth (or Tattooine, as it were). But you don't have to be a full-fledged linguistic Jedi, young padawan, to know that gravity, like its Latin ancestor, also has figurative meanings, as does gravitate. When it first landed in the 17th century, gravitate meant “to apply pressure or weight,” and later it maintained its connection to literal gravity with a sense (still in use today) meaning “to move under the effect of gravitation.” It then, however, acquired a more general sense of “to move toward something” (such as toward a specific location), and finally a metaphorical sense of “to be attracted,” as in, “when choosing movies to watch she often gravitates toward space operas.”

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 13, 2023 is: gravitate • GRAV-uh-tayt • verb To gravitate is to move, tend to move, or be attracted to or toward someone or something. // Many young people now gravitate toward careers on social media. See the entry > Examples: “... Olipop has grown into a nationwide brand and favorite among Gen Z and millennial consumers, who gravitate to the brand's eye-catching packaging and nostalgia-inducing flavors like root beer and vintage cola—many of which [CEO, Ben] Goodwin comes up with in the early hours of the morning.” — Morgan Smith and Lauren Shamo, CNBC, 16 Sept. 2023 Did you know? The force is strong in the family of words descended from the Latin adjective gravis, meaning “heavy”: gravitation has it, graviton has it, and gravitate has it, too. That force is gravity (gravity being another gravis descendent), a fundamental physical force that is responsible for bringing us literally back down to earth (or Tattooine, as it were). But you don't have to be a full-fledged linguistic Jedi, young padawan, to know that gravity, like its Latin ancestor, also has figurative meanings, as does gravitate. When it first landed in the 17th century, gravitate meant “to apply pressure or weight,” and later it maintained its connection to literal gravity with a sense (still in use today) meaning “to move under the effect of gravitation.” It then, however, acquired a more general sense of “to move toward something” (such as toward a specific location), and finally a metaphorical sense of “to be attracted,” as in, “when choosing movies to watch she often gravitates toward space operas.”

Welcome to Chasing Three Hours, a podcast about what runners are chasing, why they keep pushing themselves, and what keeps them curious! On this bonus episode live from the Good Life Halfsy expo on November 4th, Josh had a chance to welcome close to two dozen runners to his booth to discuss their love of running, hopes and dreams for the Halfsy, and more.Kyle Quandt (:57)Morgan Mathis (1:50)Lana Wilkes (2:35)Kari Christensen (3:25)Mary Sinclair (4:42)Bennett Jackson (5:21)Caleb Korte (6:26)Morgan Smith (8:19)Miguel Nunez (8:58)Chris Petersen (9:57)Lincoln Arneal (12:06)Debby Kinney (13:09)Ryan McClure (14:13)Josh Hilkemann (15:01)Michael Mason-D'Croz (16:20)Jonathan Clark (19:29)Mark Onwiler (20:24)Renee Ruhlman (21:22)Stephanie Roberts (22:16)Thanks to everyone for stopping by booth 23 at the Good Life Halfsy expo! Thanks to Pink Gorilla for having me out there as well!Like what you hear? Please rate, review, subscribe, and share with a friend.Read Josh's weekly newsletter at chasingthreehours.com. Email Josh at chasingthreehours@gmail.com.Music, production assistance, and sound design: Ian AeilloCover art: Marissa Barton Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

MORGAN SMITH: Welcome to the Raise Your Hand Texas Intersect Ed Podcast, where the stories of public education policy and practice meet. Today, we're talking about the special legislative session that began Oct. 9, and the intense financial pressure facing Texas public schools.I'm your host, Morgan Smith.Gov. Greg Abbott has called state lawmakers back to Austin with strict orders to complete some unfinished business from the regular legislative session that ended back in May. And if you listened to our legislative recap episode, you know there's a lot of that when it comes to education policy. But it's not teacher pay raises, increases to per student funding to help districts keep up  with inflation, or reforms to the state's standardized testing and accountability system the governor has directed lawmakers to tackle. It's passing an Education Savings Account that would allow parents to use taxpayer dollars to send their kids to private schools. There are a lot of reasons why this is bad policy for Texas, and so many lessons we can learn from the mistakes of other states that have already adopted these voucher-type programs — and we'll get into all of that. But first, let's unpack the current funding crisis in our public schools. During the regular session — despite a record-breaking $33 billion surplus sitting in the treasury — lawmakers failed to increase basic per student allotment enough for school districts to keep up with inflation, much less offer much needed teacher pay raises. At the same time, federal stimulus funding is about to end while many school districts have yet to regain the student enrollment they lost during the pandemic. As a result, school districts have had to make tough decisions about what services or positions to cut in order to minimize effects in the classroom. BOB POPINSKI: School districts were really hoping that there was going to be some legislative action during the regular session because they had to adopt their budgets here in July and August for the current school year. They were really bumped up against a lot of pressure. MORGAN SMITH: This is Bob Popinski, Raise Your Hand's Senior Director of Policy. He says a substantial number of Texas school districts have adopted deficit budgets, drawing down fund balances intended to cover incidental costs until the next school year.  BOB POPINSKI: They're having problems sustaining the revenue that they have in their school districts. And because inflation was in the double digits over the last few years, they're not able to keep pace with not only giving their teachers and staff a salary increase, but they're having trouble keeping pace with just fuel costs and property insurance costs, construction costs, health insurance costs.The cost of food has gone up. And there's added pressure to make sure that they're following laws that were passed last regular session, like armed guards on every campus. There's a lot of pressure for school districts to find the funding they need for a lot of different resources that they've been asked to do over the last few years.MORGAN SMITH: In Channelview ISD, a district of about 9,500 students on the eastern edge of Harris County, Superintendent Tory C. Hill says that they have had to increase student-teacher ratios across all grade levels to maintain a balanced budget.DR. TORY C. HILL: There's no secret that there's a teacher shortage. There's a teacher shortage in Channelview, there's a teacher shortage in the State of Texas, really across the entire nation. There were some aggressive things that we had to do in order to be able to attract teachers, and really that was to increase our teacher pay through the use of local funds as well as implement a very aggressive model to try to attract teachers, but that came with an expense of other things. Those challenges aren't going away, and so right now there is a balancing act. Ultimately at the end of the day, our goal is to ensure that we're not impacting student learning as a result of the looming and gloomy funding realities.MORGAN SMITH: For Superintendent Hill, it's frustrating to watch as lawmakers begin an education-focused special session on vouchers while the state lags so far behind on issues like school funding and teacher retention and recruitment. DR. TORY C. HILL: Education is the great equalizer, and if we miss our mark and opportunity to ensure that all students in the State of Texas receive a quality education, then we will definitely face challenges in the future as it relates to just our overall population as a state. It is critical at this juncture that we keep the main thing the main thing, and that's ensuring that we have quality teachers in our classrooms every day and that we fund public education. We leave public funds in public schools and we continue to support our teachers, who are the backbone of our American society.MORGAN SMITH: Superintendent Hill says it's difficult not to view the current push for vouchers — along with the underfunding of public education and crippling standardized testing requirements — as a coordinated effort to destabilize public schools. DR. TORY C. HILL: We know the teacher shortage is an issue, but there seems to be great intentionality about the disruption that's being created around public education, from vouchers to assessment and accountability to just the lack of appropriate funding. These are basic elements that are required for us to ensure that we continue to provide the best that we can for our students, and the intentional disruption components are quite disappointing.MORGAN SMITH: And that brings us to the issue lawmakers are currently considering in Austin — Education Savings Accounts, the voucher-type program that would provide a stipend for parents who want to send their children to private schools. JOLENE SANDERS: As a state, and we're talking about public education, we're hemorrhaging, but we're trying to do cosmetic surgery instead of addressing the immediate, urgent need.MORGAN SMITH: Jolene Sanders is the Advocacy Director at the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities. During the last legislative session she worked extensively to oppose voucher programs, which, as a political strategy, are often initially targeted at students with disabilities and then expanded to include all students. JOLENE SANDERS: We know that there's a crisis with teacher shortages, funding, backlogs of evaluations and services for students with disabilities. That really was highlighted by the pandemic. And so I think we have a lot of work to do first in repairing and bolstering public education and the services for all students before we can even contemplate what any kind of ESA or voucher program would look like. MORGAN SMITH: What's happening now in Texas is not an isolated push. Thirty-two states have adopted some form of voucher in the last three decades. About half of those have done so amid renewed efforts to pass these programs in the last three years. DR. JOSH COWEN: We've had more voucher programs, voucher-like programs, passed in the last 12 to 15 months than any other given year on record since 1990. Most of those follow a pattern. They're very similar bills in each state, and most of them follow a pattern of strong pressure on the legislative side from a bill-supporting governor, often after a series of Republican primaries because the holdouts for a lot of these have been actually Republican legislators in different states. MORGAN SMITH: This is Josh Cowen, an education professor at Michigan State University. He has spent the last 18 years as a professional evaluator for voucher programs, starting with Milwaukee's in 2005, which was the first in the country. As he's studied voucher programs over the years, he said he's come to view them as the educational equivalent of predatory lending. DR. JOSH COWEN: Usually these things are tied to other education funding packages like teacher raises or in some cases fully, in my view, holding hostage other public education funding programs to get these things put in because they can't really pass them in clean bills like they used to be able to do when I got into this business. So again, the last year or so, the biggest set of expansions and voucher programs on record. This has been mostly in red states. MORGAN SMITH: The data from other states that have adopted vouchers only provide a cautionary tale. The results are in: not only do these programs balloon in cost, they also just don't work to improve student achievement. DR. JOSH COWEN: We see some of the largest academic loss on record over the last decade. The larger the voucher program and the more recent the voucher program, the worse the academic results have been for those 25 or 30% of kids who switch, who actually do use it to leave public school. And the reason for that is that most of the schools that actually clamor to participate in these programs and take new kids from the public schools, they're what I call subprime, financially distressed private schools. They're not your elite providers who have longstanding rich academic traditions, and there are many such schools out there, right? Those schools are fine. They don't need the money. They often cost three or four times what the voucher cap would be. It's instead the schools that are barely hanging on, the ones that for whatever reason, have really struggled to maintain themselves. And those are the ones that overwhelmingly fund these voucher kids. And the results show that. Many often close anyway. In Wisconsin, where I've spent a lot of time, 40% of the schools taking voucher payments over the life of that program have closed. And the average closed time, the schools make it about four years, and then they close. Four years after they get the voucher payoff. So we talk about this I think as if in these states, this is all about, again, academic hope and opportunity, and it's really not. It's really just, it's a very targeted bailout for these kind of financially distressed private schools.MORGAN SMITH: In Texas, it's rural Republicans, along with Democrats, who have traditionally held the line against vouchers. Political observers expect that to continue in the special session, but it will be in the face of extreme pressure from the governor and other special interest groups. DR. MICHELLE SMITH: Public education in Texas has always been different than how it's perceived in other states. So in other states, sometimes it's perceived as unions fighting to protect their turf. I really don't see it that way in Texas. I see it as rural communities trying to protect their own communities. I see it as people who really, and I know this is cliche, the Friday Night Lights of Texas that people are trying to protect what they know is good about their community, that this is one of the last places that draws people of differing opinions together to find common ground, to educate their students, to serve their own kids in their own community and really value what's good about public education in Texas.MORGAN SMITH: This is Michelle Smith, Raise Your Hand's executive director.DR. MICHELLE SMITH: I worry, and I know people in our rural communities worry because we've talked to them on a regular basis, that this is just the dismantling of what we know is best for these rural communities in Texas, that their public school is the heartbeat of their community. I also think it's important to point out that there are a lot of really amazing school choice programs that are going on in our public schools in rural communities that are very CTE based. That the school district intricately partners with their businesses and goes to those businesses and say, okay, what do you need? What kind of students do you need to be coming out of our public schools to serve our local businesses? We've seen it happen in multiple communities now, that the businesses and school districts are really partnering to do innovative things for their students to make sure that they're ready to enter the workforce when they leave their public school.MORGAN SMITH: State Rep. Abel Herrero, a Democrat whose South Texas district spans the inland suburbs of Corpus Christi, has dedicated his career to opposing voucher programs in the House. ABEL HERRERO: I believe that there are people that stand to gain financially from the voucher system. I think they see that as a business opportunity. More and more people are saying, "Let's give this private sector an opportunity to educate the population of Texas." However, what is not disclosed, is that the monies that follow, or would follow under the proposal of the voucher system, there's no accountability. There's no standardized test that the private school system would have to follow. There's no accountability as to the progression or the numbers or the testing that these individuals, students would have to undergo to prove that this system is better than the public school system that has existed.MORGAN SMITH: Chairman Herrero says over the years voucher proponents have successfully begun to whittle away their opposition — and that now members are under more pressure than ever before. ABEL HERRERO: Long story short, I believe it's a financial interest that these private institutions are seeing in the voucher system that is being proposed. They are spending millions of dollars in elections trying to get people elected that would support this proposition. To me, it's more of making sure that every student, regardless of where they attend school, are able to receive a first class quality education. It needs to be more of an investment in the public school system, in our public school teachers, and making sure that we provide them with the tools and resources necessary to be able to educate all of the student body population that exists.MORGAN SMITH: As the special session unfolds, be prepared for this to be a long battle. The governor has said that he is willing to call lawmakers back to Austin multiple times to get a voucher program passed, and if that still doesn't work, he'll take this fight to primaries.Here's Bob Popinski again.BOB POPINKSI: Now is the time to pay incredibly close attention on a daily basis to what's happening at our Texas Capitol. Special sessions are 30 days. They move rather quickly. Things will get hearings and get voted out of committee potentially in just one day. So pay attention to understand where a bill is in the process and how fast it's moving through the process, because your voice needs to be heard, if not on a daily basis during the special session, at least on a weekly basis before the 30 days runs up because the members over there need to understand how you view the legislation moving through the process. Whether it's a Senate bill or a House bill, there's going to be a lot of policy discussions that are going to be thrown into the mix, and it's going to get confusing. So the more you can pay attention to what's going on, the more you can voice your support or objections to policies that are being talked about.MORGAN SMITH: In the meantime, while Texas lawmakers duke it out over vouchers, public schools will continue to stretch themselves to the limits, operating without what they really need: adequate funding. To stay informed as the special session progresses, sign up online for Raise Your Hand's Across the Lawn weekly newsletter at www.RaiseYourHandTexas.org/Get-Involved. To receive text alerts that will allow you to join Raise Your Hand in taking action at key moments, text RAISEMYHAND to 40649. Today's episode was written by me, Morgan Smith. Our sound engineer is Brian Diggs and our executive producer is Anne Lasseigne Tiedt. This episode also received additional production support from Jessica Garcia. 

In this episode, I'm a guest on the B2B Power Hour podcast hosted by Morgan Smith. I break down what makes great content and copy. I also talk about the difference between copy and content, a question I get often. I break down my favorite frameworks for creating social content and touch on the psychological drivers of great copy. Oh, and there's also a PRO tip about creating buttons that convert.You can find Morgan's podcast here: https://b2bpowerhour.com/podcast/Follow him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganjsmith/Join 1,500 other copywriting and marketing peeps...Sign up for my Conversion Copywriting newsletter for weekly "ah ha!" moments: https://thecopyworx.com/newsletter/The difference between copy and content [00:01:17]Linda explains the distinction between copy and content, emphasizing that copy is intended to inspire action, while content is meant to entertain or inform.Blurred line between copy and content on LinkedIn [00:02:17]The conversation explores the overlap between copy and content on LinkedIn, discussing how posts on the platform can include both elements.Creating engaging content on LinkedIn [00:07:37]Linda shares the key ingredients of a good LinkedIn post, highlighting the importance of a captivating headline and opening sentence to grab readers' attention.The importance of sentence variation [00:08:36]Linda discusses the importance of breaking up copy with shorter sentences and varying sentence length for better engagement.Creating attention-grabbing headlines [00:09:46]Linda shares tips for writing headlines that grab people's attention, including using controversial statements or surprising facts.Appropriate calls to action on content [00:15:07]The discussion revolves around the appropriateness of different calls to action on content, such as asking for engagement, following, or signing up for a newsletter.The value proposition and customer understanding [00:18:35]Discussion on the importance of having a solid value proposition and understanding customers' needs and challenges.Using data and tracking results [00:20:21]The importance of using data to inform content strategy and tracking the performance of marketing efforts.Copywriting based on reader's level of awareness [00:22:36]Explanation of how conversion copywriting takes into account the reader's level of awareness and tailors the messaging accordingly.The different levels of attention [00:24:40]Explains how to capture attention with headlines and guide readers through different levels of decision making.Mapping copy to buying journey [00:25:38]Discusses how to balance different levels of awareness and create copy that resonates with pain aware and product aware users.Problem agitation and solution framework [00:31:45]Introduces the problem agitation and solution framework as a preferred method for building sales pages and engaging readers.The AIDA Framework [00:32:40]Linda discusses the AIDA framework (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) and its effectiveness in creating engaging LinkedIn posts.Creating Effective Calls to Action [00:33:20]Linda and the host discuss the best types of calls to action on a sales page, including direct language and verbs that evoke curiosity or value.The Importance of Not Being Boring [00:40:13]Linda emphasizes the importance of writing conversationally, incorporating personal stories, and using humor to make content and copy more interesting and engaging.The importance of a killer headline...

Today's guest, Morgan Smith, is the Founder of Minnow, our favorite contemporary children's swimwear label and resort brand. Minnow is a reflection of the life and style of its founder, Morgan Smith, a mother and entrepreneur with a background in premium product marketing. After working in New York and Los Angeles, she returned to her hometown of Laguna Beach, California where Minnow was born. She now lives on the other coast in Charleston, SC with her husband and three children. With the beach inspiring her daily life, Morgan envisioned a children's swimwear collection with an elevated approach—sun-kissed color palettes, purposeful details, custom prints, and high-quality, hand-finished production—and minnow was born. We can't wait for listeners to learn more about Morgan's story! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/howdshedothat/support