Podcasts about Naples

Most salespeople think they lost the deal because the prospect didn't have the money, wasn't ready, or found something cheaper. Ray Higdon says that's almost never the real reason. In this solo episode, Ray draws on decades of reviewing thousands of sales conversations to expose the one thing that kills more deals than anything else: failing to expand the prospect's problem. Here's the truth Ray lays out. Most people come to you with a "it'd be nice" problem. It'd be nice to make more money. It'd be nice to quit their job. And people with "it'd be nice" problems don't buy. Your job isn't to pitch harder or follow up more aggressively. Your job is to ask the right questions and help them feel the weight of what staying stuck is actually costing them. Ray shares the story of a client who owed $70,000 to the IRS and refused to invest another dime, right up until Ray helped him see that scraping and saving wasn't going to solve a big problem. That client hired Ray for $30,000, launched a six-figure campaign, paid off the debt, and kept going. That's what expanding the problem looks like in real life. If you want to close more sales without being pushy or salesy, this one is worth your full attention.

Misha Glenny and guests discuss the French portrait painter Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun (1755 - 1842). From her teens she delighted her high society subjects in and around Paris, notably Marie Antoinette who she painted around 30 times, and she invariably found ways to show her sitters at their best. Some critics were affronted that she, a young woman, dared paint at all and, when they saw how good her portraits were, some spread a rumour that surely this could not really be her work and she must have had a secret male lover finishing her portraits in a studio. The French Revolution forced Vigée Le Brun out of France and so she set off from one European court to another to find more success from Naples to Vienna to St Petersburg and to London, eventually settling back in France. Today her works are on show in major galleries around the world.WithRosalind Polly Blakesley Master of Pembroke College and Professor of Russian and European Art at the University of CambridgeRobert Wenley Deputy Director of Collections and Research at the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of BirminghamAnd Francesca Whitlum-Cooper Curator of Later Italian, Spanish and French Paintings at The National Gallery, London.Producer: Simon TillotsonReading list:Joseph Baillio, Katharine Baetjer and Paul Lang (eds), Vigée Le Brun (exhibition catalogue in English, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016)Joseph Baillio et al., Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun: 1755-1842 (exhibition catalogue in French, Grand Palais, Paris, 2015/16)Rosalind P. Blakesley, Women Artists in the Reign of Catherine the Great (Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd, 2023), especially chapter 8 ‘The Triumphant Refugee'Lucy Davies, Vigée Le Brun: Self Portrait in a Straw Hat (National Gallery Global, 2025)Angelica Goodden, The Sweetness of Life: A Biography of Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (Andre Deutsch Ltd, 1997)Franny Moyle, Mrs Kauffman and Madame Le Brun: The Entwined Lives of Two Great Eighteenth-Century Women Artists (Apollo, 2025)Jordana Pomeroy, Daring: The Life and Art of Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun (Getty Publications, 2025)Mary D. Sheriff, The Exceptional Woman: Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun and the Cultural Politics of Art (University of Chicago Press, 1997)Paris Spies-Gans, A Revolution on Canvas: The Rise of Women Artists in Britain and France, 1760-1830 (Paul Mellon Centre, Yale University Press London, 2022)Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun (trans. Sian Evans), The Memoirs of Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun (Camden Press, 1989)Louise-Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, Souvenirs de Madame Louise-Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun (first published 1869; Tredition Classics, 2012)In Our Time is a BBC Studios productionSpanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time from BBC Radio 4 is essential listening for the intellectually curious. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.

Children who are so obese they're banned from their local gyms. Two and three year olds who are so used to juice and fizzy drinks they find it difficult to drink water. This is the child obesity epidemic hitting Italy. The country is often considered the spiritual home of the fabled mediterranean diet, celebrated as the secret to a long, healthy life. But Italy's children are now the second most overweight in the EU. The reasons for this change in a generation are complex and hotly disputed. Experts are putting it down to a daily diet heavy in pasta, pizza, potatoes, bread and meat proteins. Parents say their teenage children are eating a family dinner then going out to binge on fast food. Others accuse the parents themselves of overindulging their children from an early age. Italy is acting. It recently became one of the first countries in the world to formally recognise obesity as a chronic disease. Twenty five secondary schools in the Campania region of Southern Italy, including Naples, will take part in an ambitious clinical trial to try and get their pupils to eat more healthily in a bid to prevent a looming health crisis. Can Italy turn its child obesity crisis around? And what lessons does its experiment hold for other countries struggling with the same problem? Sofia Bettiza reports from Naples.Producer: Bob Howard Sound engineer: James Beard Production coordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Penny Murphy(Image: Medical assistant weighing young girl at the university hospital in Naples, Italy. Credit: Sofia Bettiza/BBC).

You can have all the goals in the world. Write them down every morning. Vision board them on your wall. But if you're not becoming the person those goals actually require, nothing is going to change. In this solo episode, Ray Higdon cuts straight to the truth: most people don't fail because they lack goals. They fail because they won't do the personal becoming that the goal demands. And he's not just talking theory here. Ray walks you through a powerful exercise to expose the gap between what you want and who you currently are, then backs it up with real stories. A guy named Eric who skipped his mortgage payment to fly to Malaysia on a hunch and built a team of 20,000 people a month. A plumber named Roger who started filming himself unclog toilets, got laughed at for a year, and ended up with a $2 million sponsorship deal. These weren't lucky breaks. They were leaps of faith made by people who chose to become someone new. Ray ties it all back to scripture too, reminding us that Abraham, Joseph, Peter, and every other person God used greatly had to walk through discomfort to get to the fruit. The question isn't whether you have bold enough goals. The question is whether you're bold enough to become the person capable of reaching them.

Father Casey Jones is a priest of the Diocese of Venice, Florida. He currently serves as the pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish and school in Naples, Florida. In Today's Show: Who is the Antichrist? A single person? An idea/belief against Christ? ​​What is baptism of desire and how does it interact with the idea of no salvation outside of the Catholic Church? Why do many Christians online say that you don't need therapy, you just need Jesus? ​​In the Ordinary Form of Mass, may priests use the Eucharistic Prayers for Various Needs on a Sunday? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

TCRW Present: Mastering Sessions Black In Studio With TC Dj Episode 49 (English info) Mastering Sessions Black In Studio With TC Dj Station Radio" Online Pure Music Underground / Techno Based in the heart of Vomero Naples , Italy On Air 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year https://tcdjintheclubroomworldwide.jimdofree.com/video-live FROM HERE YOU CAN FOLLOW US WHEREVER YOU ARE Download Radio.net Free App App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/radio-net-am-fm-radio-tuner/id402206359 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.radio.android&pli=1 Download Zeno.fm Free App App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zenoradio/id1207197757 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zenofm.player&hl=en_US Stay Connect https://www.radio.net/s/tcdj https://tcdjintheclubroomworldwide.jimdofree.com/video-live/ TC Dj has been breaking sound systems all over the world for several decades, starting in its native Italy, and finally landing in Basel, Zurich, London, Naples, Italy, where it currently resides. Starting his techno campaign in the early 90s in Italy, he quickly delved into the productive side of things, and eventually managed to manage. A quick technical study, he quickly found himself handling buttons for renowned labels such as flying saucers, self records, Tcr records, neapolis records and robotics records, providing mastering, production and remixing for various labels, meanwhile building his repertoire. He has played with several djs and producers including Mark Broom, DJ Lukas, dj Du'art, dj Sasha Carassi, dj Felix Kröcher, dj Horacio Cruz, dj Danilo Vigorito, dj Murphy, dj Fernanda Martins, dj Paula Cazenave, dj Professor dj Fatima Hajji. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Contact Worldwide Booking & Mngmnt: tcdj@tutamail.com tcdj.info@gmail.com broadcasting from Italy. ________________________________________________________________ THE CLUB ROOM WORLDWIDE PRESENT: (Italian info) Mastering Sessions Black In Studio With TC Dj Station Radio" Musica Pura Online Underground / Techno Con sede nel cuore del Vomero, Napoli, Italia In onda 24 ore su 24, 7 giorni su 7, 365 giorni all'anno DA QUI PUOI SEGUIRCI OVUNQUE TU SIA Scarica l'app gratuita di Radio.net App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/radio-net-am-fm-radio-tuner/id402206359 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.radio.android Scarica l'app gratuita di Zeno.fm App Store Italiano: https://apps.apple.com/app/id1475649885 Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zenofm.player&hl=en_US Resta connesso https://www.radio.net/s/tcdj https://tcdjintheclubroomworldwide.jimdofree.com/video-live/ TC Dj ha rivoluzionato sound system in tutto il mondo per diversi decenni, partendo dalla sua nativa Italia e approdando infine a Basilea, Zurigo, Londra e Napoli, dove attualmente risiede. Avviando la sua campagna techno nei primi anni '90 in Italia, si è rapidamente immerso nel lato produttivo, riuscendo infine a gestirla. Dopo una rapida formazione tecnica, si è ritrovato rapidamente a gestire i pulsanti per etichette rinomate come Flying Saucers, Self Records, Tcr Records, Neapolis Records e Robotics Records, occupandosi di mastering, produzione e remix per diverse etichette, costruendo nel frattempo il suo repertorio. Ha suonato con diversi dj e produttori tra cui Mark Broom, DJ Lukas, dj Du'art, dj Sasha Carassi, dj Felix Kröcher, dj Horacio Cruz, dj Danilo Vigorito, dj Murphy, dj Fernanda Martins, dj Paula Cazenave, dj Professor dj Fatima Hajji. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Contatto Prenotazione e gestione in tutto il mondo: tcdj@tutamail.com tcdj.info@gmail.com trasmissione dall'Italia. ________________________________________________________________ #recording #live #techno #hardtechno #technoproducer #djlifestyles #deeptechno #technolifestyle #tcrrecords #techc #darktechno #neapolisrecords #livestream #dj #naples #twitch #musicislife #partyplanner #studio #music #acid #rave #technofestival #tcdj #traxsource #beatport #spotify #itunes #hearthisat #mixcloud #technopeople

MUSICAL THEATRE WRITING COLLECTIVE: https://www.musicaltheatrewritingcollective.com/mtwc-aboutWant some FREE TIPS???For Writers:Em's TOP 10 STRUCTURE TIPS - https://michael-radi.mykajabi.com/structure-tips-email—————————————————————————————****GO EVEN DEEPER WITH…****For WRITERS:MUSICAL THEATRE WRITING COLLECTIVE:https://www.musicaltheatrewritingcollective.com/mtwc-aboutLibretto Formatting Guide:https://michaelradi.thrivecart.com/libretto-formatting-guide/Flagship Musical Theatre Writing Workshop Course:https://www.musicaltheatrewritingcollective.com/mt-writing-workshop-courseBook & Beyond Libretto Writing Course:https://www.musicaltheatrewritingcollective.com/book-and-beyond-courseDo you want to learn *how to write* Musical Theatre? Are you looking for a *warm and welcoming community* of writers? Then check out the collective at the link above!—————————————————————————————One of My Favorite Writing Books:(Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through this post. I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through the title links below and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, and will do so from the Amazon link below.)“The Writer's Journey” by Christopher Vogler:Bookshop.Org link:https://bookshop.org/a/4758/9781615933150Amazon link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193290736X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=193290736X&linkCode=as2&tag=mtwgrecomme01-20&linkId=e804571516b48d9d6d11853c8765900e————————————————————————Em Radi (any/all) is a Composer-Lyricist, Librettist, Performer, Vocal Coach, Musical Theatre Writing Coach, Musical Director, and the Founder of the Musical Theatre Writing Collective currently residing in New York City. They are an alumnus of the esteemed Lehman Engel BMI Musical Theatre Workshop as a lyricist, and has written six full-length musical theatre pieces in addition to ongoing projects. His original musical The King's Legacy, which received its world premiere production in August 2019 at the Bristol Valley Theater in Naples, NY, and has also been presented in Industry Reading format both in fall of 2019 as part of the Dramatists Guild Friday Night Footlights and in November 2016. Em's original one-person show 'S Wonderful: An Evening with George Gershwin also played its premiere production at BVT in 2021. Other current projects include a musical adaptation of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, a queer pop-punk adaptation of Hamlet, and a mother-daughter coming of age musical set in the world of competitive baton twirling, based loosely off of their family's history with the sport.Learn more about Em at their website:http://www.michaelradi.comEm's Patreon Community:https://www.patreon.com/michaelradiLearn more about The King's Legacy on the website:https://www.thekingslegacymusical.com/And listen to/watch numbers from The King's Legacy on YouTube starting at:https://youtu.be/YSp0q-6KQeoThe Glamorous Life Blog:http://www.michaelradi.com/the-glamorous-lifeFollow Em on…FB: https://www.facebook.com/michael.radi.54IG: @emmy.radi @mtwriterguyTW: @MichaelRadi88TT: @michaelradi—————————————————————————————Musical Theatre Writer Guy was written and recorded on traditional and unceded territory of the Munsee Lenape and Canarsie People.

If you've ever told yourself you just need to be more consistent, Ray Higdon has something to say about that — and it might shift everything. In this solo episode, Ray breaks down why consistency isn't actually your problem. After two decades of coaching thousands of people, he keeps seeing the same root cause underneath the struggle, and it has nothing to do with habits, routines, or discipline. It's a belief problem. Ray gets personal here. He shares a powerful story about a panic attack backstage at Funnel Hacking Live in Nashville, in front of 5,000 people, and how that moment cracked open a deep belief he had carried since third grade — that trusting people leads to betrayal. That one belief quietly shaped how he showed up in relationships for years without him even knowing it. The same thing is happening with consistency. If part of you believes success means losing money, becoming someone you despise, getting cut off from family, or being hit up for cash, your subconscious will do the most efficient thing possible: keep you from being consistent. You can read every habits book ever written and nothing will stick until you ask yourself what you actually believe success will do to your life. That's where the real work begins.

Miffy is one of the world's most recognizable cartoon characters—but somehow, almost nobody in America seems to know who she is.In this episode of the Matthew Mania Podcast, Matthew Maschler shares how discovering Miffy during a trip to the Netherlands led him to notice the beloved little rabbit everywhere—from Amsterdam to Japan. Along the way, he explores Miffy's Dutch origins, her surprising popularity across Asia, and why this iconic character remains largely unknown in the United States.Have you ever heard of Miffy? If you're a fan, let us know your favorite Miffy memory or collectible in the comments.New episodes of the Matthew Mania Podcast feature Matthew's unique takes on pop culture, travel, wrestling, and the fascinating things he discovers along the way. Follow along!More information and tickets at:  www.BocaRatonWrestling.comBoca Raton Championship Wrestling, because we are better than you, and you know it!!!!Matthew Mania is running wild at: www.MatthewMania.comCheck out our other Podcasts: www.MatthewMania.com/PodcastsShop Matthew Mania:   www.ProWrestlingTees.com/matthewmaniaBrought to you by:Matthew H. Maschler, Esq.Real Estate BrokerSignature Real Estate Finder, LLCwww.RealEstateFinder.comAsk about joining the Signature team! Learn more about the Signature Real Estate Companies and why you should join South Florida's real estate industry leaders, Ranked #1 in Boca Raton, #25 in Florida and #336 in the Nation.www.SignatureRecruiter.comOffices in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Coral Springs / Parkland, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, Naples, Palm Beach, Orlando and throughout Florida.Help Israel Now! All support goes Straight to Israel's Soldierswww.yasharlachayal.orgLearn how to support our efforts to provide housing in Haitihttp://www.frank-mckinney.com/caring-house-project

Brady Quinn, the new QB at Hollywood Chaminade, joins Larry Blustein to talk about why he transferred from Naples, Florida, the competition he's going up against in South Florida, and much more. Anthony Yero from 305 Sports talks about the 7-on-7 competition this coming weekend. They have invited teams from Orlando and Fort Myers for a loaded field this coming weekend. Kameron Clark joins Larry Blustein as they talk about the World Cup. They talk about how the beautiful game can impact the growth in the USA and so much more. Dave Montiel, the assistant coach at Cardinal Gibbons, joins Larry Blustein to talk about the road trip he's taking these football players on up north. They talk about the bonding, the schools they visited, and so much more. Doug Socha of Lenoir-Rhyne University joins Larry Blustein to talk about program growth in the Carolinas. They talk about how the local schools have embraced the University and so much more. Gio Rojas from Stoneman Douglas joins Larry Blustein to talk about his getting drafted by the Texas Rangers. He talks about if he's going to sign with the Rangers and so much more.

Former news reporter Renee Stoll has spent her career advocating for the community and telling the powerful stories of Southwest Florida. In this episode, she discusses her transition to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, the realities of "climate resilience", and her viral, national news story about legally foreclosing on Bank of America.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Spencer Funding Their Future Honoree, Sierra Signorelli, about her background in environmental science, what drew her into insurance, and what convinced her that this profession was where she wanted to build a career. They discuss her career path from environmental consulting to environmental insurance underwriting to leading a global team and to currently serving as CEO of U.S. and Commercial Insurance at Zurich, and the pivotal moments that changed the trajectory of her career. They discuss her passion for helping women make their way in the industry, and her activities to bring new talent into insurance careers. Justin and Sierra discuss the Spencer Educational Foundation and how Zurich's interest in nurturing new talent aligns with Spencer's work.   Listen for Sierra's passion about the dynamic state of the insurance industry and how it can bring new risk solutions to companies.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is Sierra Signorelli, CEO of U.S. and Commercial Insurance at Zurich and one of this year's Spencer Funding Their Future Gala Honorees. But first… [:42] RIMS-CRMP Workshop. We are delighted to announce that on August 27th and 28th, RIMS President Manny Padilla will be leading the two-day in-person workshop at St. John's University at 101 Astor Place in New York City. A link to the registration is in this episode's show notes. [1:02] RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA will be held virtually on July 21st and 22nd. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [1:14] We have a summertime webinar. On July 16th, Zurich will present "Too Hot to Ignore: Heat-Related Injuries and Workers' Compensation." Register at RIMS.org/webinars and via the link in this episode's show notes. [1:29] Also on the webinars page, you will see a two-part series hosted by the RIMS Membership Department. The "Classroom to Career" webinar series highlights how RIMS equips students with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to thrive in risk management careers. [1:44] Participants will gain insights into industry trends, career pathways, and practical tools that help them confidently step into the evolving world of risk management after graduation. These sessions will be hosted on September 1st and 9th. [1:58] These sessions are member exclusives and are complimentary for RIMS members, of course. So, if you are interested in becoming a member, this would be the time. Visit RIMS.org/membership. [2:07] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration will open in July. Be on the lookout for the call for nominations for the RIMS ERM Global Award of Distinction. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026 in July for that announcement. [2:29] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:48] On with the Show! Our guest today is one of the modern trailblazers of risk and insurance. She is Sierra Signorelli, the CEO of U.S. and Commercial Insurance at Zurich. She is also one of this year's Spencer Educational Foundation's Funding Their Future honorees. [3:08] Sierra will receive her honor at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City on September 17th at the Spencer Funding Their Future Gala. [3:16] Sierra is here today to discuss her career development, her career journey, how it evolved into a global leadership role, and some words of wisdom for the next generation of risk and insurance talent. She has a lot of great insight and takeaways for us all. Let's get to it! [3:37] Interview! Sierra Signorelli, Welcome to RIMScast! [3:47] Justin and Sierra discuss longtime mutual friend Marya Propis. Sierra says their paths crossed early in their careers at AIG. They got to know each other through the Women's Executive Leadership Initiative Program. [4:09] Sierra says quite a few exceptional women in important roles in our industry came out of that program cohort. It's fantastic to come back together with Marya for this event. [4:37] Sierra studied environmental science. She tries to live and work with a sense of purpose. In university, she wanted to make the world a better place with environmental science. [4:58] Sierra says there are areas of overlap between insurance and environmental science. Her initial work out of school was about understanding changing weather patterns, flooding, epidemiology, chemistry, liability, and toxic tort. She leans on what she studied. [5:33] Sierra says that in school, they studied Earth Systems Science. Much of the modeling they did in school is the same modeling that Cat modelers do at Zurich. [6:04] Sierra first worked at an environmental engineering consulting firm. A colleague left to join a new company. He called her to come and interview. It hadn't been on her mind, but on his recommendation, she interviewed. Meeting the people, Sierra was intrigued. [7:08] Sierra says once she joined, she never looked back. She joined as an underwriter doing environmental insurance, so it tied to her background. It felt like it was her own little business. It was her responsibility to build a portfolio of business and build relationships with brokers. [7:37] Sierra says it was fascinating. The industry gives lots of training, both industry-led and within companies. The opportunity to learn was fun. Sierra felt it was a great place to start to build a career. [8:20] Sierra has had a few meaningful career pivots. As an underwriter, transitioning to her first manager role was a big step. It taught her that you have to have sponsorship or support within an organization to get the next roles. [8:47] Sierra says it was a big step from being an individual contributor to leading a much larger team. Having somebody willing to put that on her was really important. She will be forever grateful for that first step. [9:12] Sierra says the next meaningful step was from running a business in a region to being a CUO for one of the businesses globally. The organization restructured and put Sierra across lines of business she had no expertise in. That was a huge shift for her. [9:40] Sierra was no longer the deep expert, but she had to lead a team of experts and be credible with those individuals. Most of them had 30 or 40 years of experience. Sierra was in her early 40s. It was a fantastic opportunity that somebody was brave enough to give her. [10:09] Shortly after, Sierra moved from New York to Asia. It was quite a difference. She took that step because she was in a global role. She says, even though she traveled a lot and she's curious about people and cultures, it's not until you sit somewhere that you really experience it. [10:39] Moving overseas and being on the receiving end of New York gave Sierra an appreciation for sitting in the market. At that company, all brilliant things came from New York, and the rest of them had to figure out how they added value. The time difference was a challenge. [11:24] Sierra says the time difference has a huge impact on your life. The company wanted to become more global and had placed executives all over the world in different hubs. When you have 3,000 people in one area, everything is time-zone-centric to them. [12:01] As a global leader, in another time zone, you have to be comfortable not participating in everything and having people who represent you on your behalf, knowing when you really need to engage. You need to know to move the time if you won't be coherent at 3:00 a.m. [12:24] Sierra went back and forth once a month from Asia to New York to do Business Unit Reviews. It takes a lot out of you. The world has changed, and she does many more video meetings. Global travel has an impact on quality of life. [13:00] During those years, Sierra was raising children. They started pre-school and kindergarten in Asia. Sierra says she couldn't possibly do it unless her husband was on board; he had a career that was more flexible, and he was willing to step up. That's a family discussion to have. [14:03] A Quick Break! There are so many other wonderful RIMS events coming up in 2026. The Annual Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes. [14:22] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, which will be held from August 10th through the 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. Visit RIMS.org/Events for registration information. [14:36] The hotel cutoff date was July 10th. Reservations may still be made after the hotel cutoff date, subject to availability; however, the negotiated group rate is no longer guaranteed, so reserve now. [14:48] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [15:00] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [15:16] Save the dates: October 18th through the 21st. We will be in Quebec City to celebrate the 50th Live RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Advance registration is open now. [15:33] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni. [15:47] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration opens in July. [15:58] Be on the lookout for an announcement about submissions for the RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026.  [16:08] Folks, we're already looking toward RISKWORLD 2027, which will be held over four days in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 18th through the 21st. RIMS members can exclusively register by September 4th for the best rate. [16:22] Get first access to the hotel block. Hotel reservations open on October 28th, ahead of public registration. Sitting this out is the real risk! The link to registration is in this episode's show notes. [16:35] Let's Return to Our Interview with Spencer Educational Foundation's Funding Their Future Gala Honoree Sierra Signorelli! [17:01] Sierra says when she was in Asia, she had a global role. It highlighted how you speak, how you engage, and how you listen in different cultures is hugely important. You can't assume. It's always good to listen and then ask, and then replay back. [17:23] Sierra learned some painful lessons just thinking that silence and people nodding along means that they agree. She says she often talks about the importance of listening to colleagues, customers, and broker partners. [17:45] It's important not to make quick assumptions but to listen first and ask questions so that you have a good understanding of the colleagues you are working with and their needs. [18:00] Justin says a keynote at RISKWORLD 2019 said that when she spoke in Asian nations and asked a question of the audience, she learned that she had to wait and make eye contact with the audience to know if it was alright to move on to the next point or get them to speak up. [18:30] This speaker had learned that there is somewhat of a cultural reluctance in Asia to say what's on your mind. Sierra says that may be true, but you often don't get questions, so you have to think about what questions people might have and make sure that you raise them. [18:53] Sierra shares an example. They were rolling out global pricing tools. The U.S. would raise their hand that they don't like this or that. The same with the UK. Maybe Germany doesn't adopt it. Asia was seamless. They just rolled it out. No questions. Then a broker revealed a big issue. [19:31] Sierra realized she had to go back and talk with her team, so they could march forward. Having that understanding and making sure you're engaging appropriately with the culture is critical to having a successful business and being successful with the teams locally. [20:03] Justin asks that as Sierra ascended to that leadership role, did she find that she was one of the few women in executive leadership roles along the way? [20:23] Sierra says that early in her career, she was quite fortunate that there were quite a number of women leaders. In the group she worked with when she was in New York, there were several women running businesses. She worked for a woman. [20:43] Many of the women had families. Sierra had just started to have a family. Seeing them able to run these businesses, have a family, and not seem like all the wheels were coming off, seeming very normal and successful in her view, kept Sierra going. [21:01] Sierra says having role models and seeing other women do it is absolutely critical. It feels like you can do it when you see somebody else doing it. Having other people to talk to about how you navigate it is very important. [21:17] Sierra says, That being said, you have these groups, but overall, she finds that she's often the only woman in the room in meetings, and more broadly, in Asia. If she looks at the executive committee at Zurich, there are 12 executives, six male and six female. [21:42] Sierra says there are bright spots. We're making progress, but in some of the mid-level management roles, you don't see the same split. You see women falling off at a certain level. [22:19] Sierra says we have a Women's Innovation Network that she sponsors for her group. She has always tried to be a great support to women in our industry. She has given support to women along the way and helped them navigate to get to where they are. [23:00] Sierra says if you want to be authentic, you have to make difficult decisions. It goes hand in hand. If you just take every easy decision, it would be very difficult to be authentic. She would encourage you not to shy away from challenging decisions and not to put them off. [23:26] That's easier said than done. When Sierra looks at her to-do list in the morning, if there's something on that list she really doesn't want to do, she does it first. Otherwise, it just falls further down the list, and then goes to the list for tomorrow. [23:47] Those difficult conversations are never as bad as you work them up in your head to be. Just do it and get past it. If you make that a habit, then you tend not to shy away from having the right discussions. It's never as difficult as you can make it out to be in your head. [24:09] Sierra says one of her colleagues at Zurich in the U.S. often says, "Be kind, not nice." Being nice does not serve anyone well. If you don't give people feedback, or don't give them the full story because you want to be nice, it doesn't make sense. [24:32] If you're going to give feedback or make a change, be kind. That purpose helps people move forward and take action. Inaction is the bigger risk than taking action, jumping in, and adapting anywhere you need to adapt, as you go. [25:02] Justin cites a friend of Sierra's, and recent RIMScast guest, Johnell Holly, who said he chooses the hard challenges first and tries to knock them off the list. [25:24] Justin restates Sierra: your authentic self is shown when you make those difficult decisions. That's a great takeaway for the RIMScast audience. Sierra adds that it's important to take positions so that people understand what you stand for as a leader or an individual. [25:53] Sierra says in an organization, people are always going to decide what you stand for. If you don't make it clear, it creates a vacuum, and they'll make assumptions. Sometimes people are tentative or worried about taking a stand. [26:06] Sierra says it's far less risky to take that stand and make it clear what you stand for, because people are going to make an assumption anyway, and they're more likely to get it wrong if you leave it to them to sort out. [26:31] Sierra says she spends a lot of time meeting with customers and brokers. She gets energy from it. It grounds her in reality, which is important if the company wants to add value. They need to understand how things are landing, and what problems they are solving for. [26:53] One of the things that keeps Sierra in this industry, and what she loves about what they do, is that they have the opportunity to help solve some of the world's most complex challenges. [27:06] To do that, they have to get out and talk to people who are facing the challenges, and understand what it means for their business. [27:14] Sierra says, it's also important to spend time with your people. Sierra is in the Chicago office, and when she walks around the floor, she can meet the teams. She loves when they come up and tell her about a big win or something they're building on in the market. [27:39] Another Quick Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's Funding Their Future Gala 2026 will be held on September 17th in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria. This year, Spencer will honor Sierra Signorelli of Zurich and our recent guest, Marya Propis of RT Specialty. [28:01] A link to the Gala is in this episode's show notes. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. [28:14] We have reached the deadline for the Spencer Educational Foundation's Risk Manager on Campus submissions. Grant awardees, colleges, and universities are typically notified in September. [28:22] General Grants are open, and the application deadline is July 30th. Internship Grant applications open on August 15th and close on October 15th. [28:33] Links to each of these grants are in this episode's show notes. Visit SpencerEd.org for more information. [28:42] Let's Conclude Our Interview with Spencer Educational Foundation's Funding Their Future Gala Honoree Sierra Signorelli! [28:57] Justin congratulates Sierra once again on being honored at the Spencer Educational Foundation's Funding Their Future Gala, which will be on September 17th at the world-famous Waldorf Astoria. [29:07] Sierra says she is looking forward to the event. She has been very fortunate to have amazing people who have helped, either giving her great advice through her career, or who have sponsored her, supported her, or advocated for her as she took the next steps in her career. [29:43] Sierra says, it's great to be recognized. As she is recognized, it should be recognition for all of those people who were bold enough to support her, especially early in her career. [30:02] Sierra says Zurich has a long history of engaging with the Spencer Educational Foundation. Zurich's beliefs align with what Spencer is trying to achieve. Zurich believes in bringing a diverse group of people into our industry, and more young people into our industry. [30:23] Sierra says we need to continue to bring new people in. As we look at some of the changes we have as an industry, becoming more digital, leaning more on insights, and reshaping how we show up as an industry, it's a great time for young people to join our industry. [30:47] Sierra says she thinks the industry is undersold. It's a fantastic industry to build a career. She says most people who come into the industry don't leave. It's just convincing them from the beginning.   [31:02] Sierra says, from a Zurich perspective, we have a really robust apprenticeship program that we sponsor to bring youth into and help them gain experience: both on-the-job experience and instructional experience through a two-year program. [31:26] Sierra says that for Zurich, supporting programs such as the Spencer Educational Foundation is a natural fit in continuing to help bring talent into our industry. [31:38] The other 2026 Honoree, Marya Propis, was recently on the show and was one of the first 50 RIMScast guests. Sierra says she and Marya worked together years ago. They also were part of a fantastic sponsored women's program, the Women's Executive Leadership Initiative. [32:14] Sierra says several women who are in key roles in our industry came through that program. It's fantastic to see the success of some of those women, including Marya, and to be honored together in 2026. [32:44] Sierra says it should be a good evening and really nice to reconnect with Marya after having been overseas for quite some time. [33:00] Sierra is also a board member of the St. John's University School of Risk Management and is deeply involved in developing future talent. [33:16] Sierra says it's a really exciting time for our industry. The world of risk is very dynamic now. [33:31] Our capabilities to harness insights and data to streamline what we do to be more efficient to work with, all coming together at the same time, is a huge opportunity to raise the bar to add greater value to companies as they think about how they manage this risk landscape. [34:00] For Sierra, it's an exciting time to bring new perspectives in and entice young people to look at a career in insurance. Sierra repeats that most people who come into our industry don't leave. People leave companies, but they tend to take other insurance roles. [34:30] Sierra says, we just need to get more people interested in what we do and to bring new perspectives and new skillsets into what we do. I know that people will stay once they're here. [35:00] Speaking of knowledge transfer, Sierra says that there are lots of people with many years of experience who want to invest the time with younger people to pass that knowledge on. They don't want it to be lost. [35:19] For people who are curious and want to come in and build a career, it's an amazing opportunity to be able to work with some of the people who have this experience, as well as working with new technologies and capabilities. [35:35] The Waldorf Astoria in New York City has been newly renovated. When people gather at the Waldorf for the Spencer Gala on September 17th to celebrate leaders like Sierra and Marya, they're also investing in the future of the profession. [36:06] Sierra says, first and foremost, she feels fortunate that she's had great support from individuals and also from working for a great company that allows her to do what she does at such a large scale. [36:44] Sierra says the people who sit on the team at Zurich are the shining stars who give us the brand that we have and the capabilities that we have. She would hope that she leaves a legacy that shows that she's helped to improve and raise the bar for what we do as an industry. [37:19] Sierra says that's what she's most passionate about. She thinks that as an industry we can do more. [37:26] We're on the cusp of something great with all of these different dynamics, whether they're the factors of risk that are becoming far greater, or the capabilities we can bring to the table to help the world and companies solve problems. [37:45] Sierra says, if I leave a legacy that I helped some of the building blocks to get us there, I would feel quite good about that, in addition to helping to build talent in our industry, which is something that I'm particularly passionate about. [38:03] Justin says it is a well-deserved honor, and I'm so happy for you. I'm very happy for Marya, as well. You both bring so much to risk management and insurance that it's only fitting that you are honored in the same year. You're both doing great work. [38:21] You're very inspiring for our listeners and, of course, anyone who is involved with Spencer, whether they are staff or beneficiaries of the foundation. You are a shining example of what we hope this profession can continue to be like. [38:40] I want to thank you so much for your time, and I look forward to seeing you in New York City on September 17th, when you accept your award. [38:53] Special thanks again to Sierra Signorelli of Zurich for joining us here on RIMScast. We congratulate her on being named an honoree at this year's Spencer Funding Their Future Gala, which will be held on September 17th in Manhattan at the fabulous Waldorf Astoria. [39:14] Visit SpencerEd.org for more information and be sure to check out recent RIMScast episodes with another honoree from this year, Marya Propis, and Spencer Board Chair, Johnell Holly. Links are in this episode's show notes. [39:30] Plug Time! Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [39:47] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [40:04] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [40:17] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [40:30] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!   Links: Spencer Educational Foundation's 2026 Funding Their Future Gala | Sept. 17, 2026 RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 | Aug. 10‒12 in San Antonio | Register Now! RISKWORLD 2027 Registration | RIMS members can lock in 2026 rates now through Sept. 4 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference | July 28‒Aug. 1 | Register Now ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today. RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Advance Registration Open | Sponsorship Opportunities Available RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Registration Opens in July! | www.rims.org/ERM2026 Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMScast on YouTube! RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA — Virtual — July 21‒22, 2026 RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Workshop — Live In NY — Aug 27‒28! Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops   Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars "Too Hot To Ignore: Heat-Related Injuries and Workers' Compensation" | July 16 | Presented by Zurich "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 1" | Sept 1 "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 2" | Sept 9   Related RIMScast Episodes: Spencer Honoree "Marya Propis: From Industry Leader to Talent Champion" "Choosing the Challenge with Johnell Holly, Spencer Educational Foundation Board Chair" "Risk Management Momentum with Tim Ryan" (2025 Spencer Honoree) "The Strengths of DE&I Initiatives with Lilian Vanvieldt-Gray of Alliant Insurance Services" (2024 Spencer Honoree)   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) "AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Sierra Signorelli, CEO of U.S. and Commercial Insurance at Zurich Spencer Educational Foundation's Funding Their Future 2026 Honoree   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.

In this episode, I break down the therapy side of Pro Counselors LLC — who I work with, what the work actually looks like, and why I chose the populations I did.My focus is on young adults, emerging professionals, and counseling students — people who are navigating big transitions, figuring out who they are, and trying to hold it all together while doing it.If you're a counseling student who dreams of opening a private practice one day, or just curious about what it actually looks like to go straight into private practice after graduation — this episode is for you.And if you're in Florida and you've been thinking about starting therapy, this episode will give you a real sense of who I am as a therapist and whether we might be a good fit.Therapy is available in person in Naples, FL and virtually across the state — in English or Portuguese.--If this episode was helpful, there's more where this came from. Follow @procounselors on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and visit pro-counselors.com for consulting services built specifically for counseling students — resume help, internship search support, and interview prep. Therapy also available for counseling students and young adults in Florida.

Brady Quinn, the new QB at Hollywood Chaminade, joins Larry Blustein as they talk about why he transferred from Naples, Florida, talks about the competition he's going up against in South Florida, and so much more.

Full Text of Readings Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot Lectionary: 388 The Saint of the day is Saint Benedict Saint Benedict's Story It is unfortunate that no contemporary biography was written of a man who has exercised the greatest influence on monasticism in the West. Benedict is well recognized in the later Dialogues of Saint Gregory, but these are sketches to illustrate miraculous elements of his career. Saint Benedict was born into a distinguished family in central Italy, studied at Rome, and early in life was drawn to monasticism. At first he became a hermit, leaving a depressing world—pagan armies on the march, the Church torn by schism, people suffering from war, morality at a low ebb. He soon realized that he could not live a hidden life in a small town any better than in a large city, so he withdrew to a cave high in the mountains for three years. Some monks chose Saint Benedict as their leader for a while, but found his strictness not to their taste. Still the shift from hermit to community life had begun for him. He had an idea of gathering various families of monks into one “Grand Monastery” to give them the benefit of unity, fraternity, and permanent worship in one house. Finally he began to build what was to become one of the most famous monasteries in the world—Monte Cassino, commanding three narrow valleys running toward the mountains north of Naples. The Rule that gradually developed prescribed a life of liturgical prayer, study, manual labor, and living together in community under a common abbot. Benedictine asceticism is known for its moderation, and Benedictine charity has always shown concern for the people in the surrounding countryside. In the course of the Middle Ages, all monasticism in the West was gradually brought under the Rule of Saint Benedict. Today the Benedictine family is represented by two branches: the Benedictine Federation encompassing the men and women of the Order of St. Benedict; and the Cistercians, men and women of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance. Reflection The Church has been blessed through Benedictine devotion to the liturgy, not only in its actual celebration with rich and proper ceremony in the great abbeys, but also through the scholarly studies of many of its members. Liturgy is sometimes confused with guitars or choirs, Latin or Bach. We should be grateful to those who both preserve and adapt the genuine tradition of worship in the Church.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

My guest is Kurt Johnson Co-author of The Moon Tavern, A Culinary Love Story With Recipes. The Moon Tavern takes the reader on a romantic and culinary journey through the Islands of Croatia, where dark family secrets are revealed, quirky friends and relatives are found, and love is discovered.Vesna, or Ves, is a cookbook writer from Minneapolis who travels to the remote, exotic island of Lastovo off Croatia's Mediterranean coast to reconnect with her biological grandmother. She'd been adopted as a young child after her parents died in the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. Ves is also fleeing a frayed relationship with her live-in partner, Reed.In Lastovo, she meets Dinko, a single, handsome, and wealthy vineyard owner, and his cute daughter Mia. With his help with the translation, Ves discovers her biological family's history and the dark secrets of what happened during the war. Romance, travel, and cooking ensue. She ultimately learns what matters most to her: simplicity in life, closeness with family, and someone to share love with. And, of course, food!Stephanie [00:00:00]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space and other spaces. All the spaces of all the fun things. Kurt is my spouse, Kurt Johnson, and also the co author of the Moon Tavern, a culinary romance with recipes. It is a fiction book that is available on your bookshelf now. Welcome to the podcast, Kurt.Kurt Johnson [00:00:22]:Hi, thanks for having me.Stephanie [00:00:24]:Thanks for having us. The idea that we should work on a book together. I am, as many of you listening know, a cookbook writer and my husband is a fiction writer. And somewhere along the way, we decided that maybe it would be good to collaborate together. Kurt, was it you or me that had the idea first? I think it was you.Kurt Johnson [00:00:42]:Yeah, probably. I was kind of done with my past book writing about Las Vegas and looking for something different. And we'd been traveling a lot, so going to Croatia, going to Italy, going out west, going to Turkey. So I wanted to incorporate travel with a novel, and I also wanted to incorporate food. And so I thought this would be a lot of fun. Since we're traveling together, we have those shared experiences and you have the food experience and the food writing experience. So I thought it'd be a fun collaboration. And I've always liked the idea of love stories.Kurt Johnson [00:01:18]:Even my thriller books in Las Vegas had kind of a love story element. And it adds a dimension to a novel that, I don't know, makes it cohesive, makes it pull together in an emotional arc that's kind of fulfilling in the end.Stephanie [00:01:33]:Do you think you're a romantic at heart, or what is it about romances that are fun to write for you?Kurt Johnson [00:01:39]:Maybe I'm a romance at heart. I may be more stoic than that, though. I just. I like the idea of seeing people get together, seeing people enjoy the same interests and finding people that can fall in love. Of course, that's always the fun part. The hard part is once you get married and move on from there and have to deal with kids and daily life and work and all the other things that go with living life. And that's not that much fun to write.Stephanie [00:02:07]:Yeah, exactly. We as a couple, I think I can speak for me and you maybe on this one. We've always had great experiences traveling. We are good traveling companions. We like the spirit of adventure. Did you know that Croatia would be the spot for the first fiction endeavor?Kurt Johnson [00:02:24]:Yeah, that was a given since we'd been there five times and four times running a sailboat and visiting the islands. And as you know, Stephanie, I'm just enamored with those islands, I think they're so beautiful. And there was one island we discovered out there, Lastovo, which is the furthest island out. So a lot of the sailors and tourists just never get there. They stay closer to shore. So, you know, going out there the first time, this beautiful bay of Zachlopedia, where, you know, it's a, it's a protective cove which is beautiful turquoise water. And then taking the dinghy in, and then you walk up this path, I think it's about a two mile hike. And then you go over this ridge and this 16th, 15th century town opens up.Kurt Johnson [00:03:10]:You know, at one point maybe it had 10,000 residents. And, and it, it, when we first saw it, I don't know, 10, 15 years ago, it was abandoned. So it was a ghost town of 15th century buildings and churches and apartments in this beautiful valley of lush green foliage. So that's very picturesque. We had an incredible meal there of just simple anchovies and blitfa. And for you, for you people out there that don't know, blitfa is ubiquitous in Croatia. And it's, it's just spring potatoes with Swiss chard, but it's served with everything.Stephanie [00:03:52]:It is served with everything. And they sometimes have spinach, sometimes have like another type of green, but it's sort of like the potatoes are cooked till they're pretty soft, and then it's kind of mashed in a little bit. So it's not fully a mashed potato and it's not fully a roasted potato. It's sort of a combination of both. But it is good.Kurt Johnson [00:04:12]:Yeah, so, yeah, that's so, you know, it seemed such an exotic place, the island of Lastovo in Croatia, that it was a natural to place it there.Stephanie [00:04:23]:Can you tell a little bit of just an introduction of the story, like what people will find when they crack open the book?Kurt Johnson [00:04:30]:Sure. It's about Vesna, who is. Has a breakup with her live in boyfriend, and they'd had a restaurant. She was a chef, a cookbook authority, and had a restaurant, not unlike my dear wife Stephanie. And she has a breakup and she leaves Minneapolis to go to Croatia to uncover her. Her heritage. She had been adopted from Croatia, specifically Dubrovnik, when her parents died in the Serb bombing of Dubrovnik in 1991. So she was adopted out of there and raised in Minnesota.Kurt Johnson [00:05:05]:So then she goes to Croatia and rediscovers her dark family secrets and meets Dinko Radek, who is a winery owner, and, you know, romance ensues. But she has a life still back in Minneapolis that she has to go back to and resolve.Stephanie [00:05:24]:When we talked about putting this first concept together, you know, I see the world through food. Like, literally everything in sort of my life is framed by a meal, an experience, just the way that I see the world. It's always around food, celebrations. And so did you know that that would work for this Croatia book? Because I didn't. When you first brought it up, I was like, I can't be a Croatian grandma here. And writing recipes about what at the time I perceived as, like, dumplings.Kurt Johnson [00:05:53]:Yeah, I wasn't sure either, frankly. You know, so each chapter, there's 25 chapters, and each chapter in it has a description of cooking. And it's all Croatia cooking, Croatia recipes. You know, all food we at over the years where we were there. And then the idea of tagging on recipes was just kind of bringing it home. Like, here's the Croatia experience. Now here's how Stephanie would bring that back to the real world, which is here in the United States.Stephanie [00:06:21]:We have talked about doing a series of books. What is it about this genre that you think lends itself to other titles and other characters?Kurt Johnson [00:06:29]:Well, you know, it's an adventure book on one level, and there's always new places to visit. So the next book is based in Panza, Italy, where we've been a couple times. And it's this beautiful island off the coast of Italy in the Mediterranean. And, you know, Italian food. You go to Italy and what you remember is the pizza in Naples or the. The pasta in Rome and. And the busteca up in the hills. So, you know, a way to experience a place is.Kurt Johnson [00:07:04]:Is through food. And I like writing about new settings. You know, it. It's not as interesting writing about Minnesota,Stephanie [00:07:11]:but you've written a lot about Las Vegas. You've had how many books about Las Vegas? Three.Kurt Johnson [00:07:16]:Yeah, three. You know, two of the. Of kind of a thriller in. Two thrillers in a series, and then a book about RVing that ends up in. In Las Vegas. And Las Vegas is a interesting place, and I lived there for five years running nightclubs and restaurants. And so two of the books are Underbelly of Las Vegas, which I was a part of in the nightclub scene back in the late 80s. So that's just flat out fun to write about.Kurt Johnson [00:07:39]:And Las Vegas is such a weirdo place that it's fun to bring that to life.Stephanie [00:07:45]:It's interesting to hear you talk about that. The way you choose your stories is about place, because the first book, the Barrens, that you wrote with our Daughter Ellie, inspired by her experiences as a canoe camper in the tundra. That's also based in Place, too. Place is sort of what starts you on these journeys. It seems like, yeah, you know something,Kurt Johnson [00:08:07]:you threw me a curveball because I never really thought about it. But you're exactly right.Stephanie [00:08:12]:All.Kurt Johnson [00:08:12]:All these books start off with a setting, with a place, and then, you know, the plots revolve around. Around that. And there's just so many. So many different. There's a finite number of, really, plots you can choose from. It's kind of like a piano keyboard has all the. The notes that you want to make up a. A music piece the same way with plot structures.Kurt Johnson [00:08:34]:And so to take it to the next level, you really have to search out characters, and the characters are in a setting, so those two are inexplicably, Inextricably. Inextricably linked. Yeah, exactly. So, you know, the two go hand in hand. So character and place really can set a novel apart.Stephanie [00:08:59]:Can you think of other books that you've written or. Excuse me. No, not that you've written, that you've read. Where Place sort of started you off on this adventure?Kurt Johnson [00:09:07]:Yeah, probably. I really love Beautiful Ruins.Stephanie [00:09:11]:Jess Walters.Kurt Johnson [00:09:13]:Walters, yeah. And that starts off in Italy, kind of near Cinque de Terre. And it's kind of the poor version of Cinque de Terre, where the tourists don't go. And it was such a fascinating story. And then they bring that all back to Hollywood in America, and it just works so well. But what really captures your imagination is the description of this little seaside community. Before the whole plot takes over, IStephanie [00:09:41]:kind of think about that book. The Embarrassment of Mangoes.Kurt Johnson [00:09:44]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:09:44]:When you and I first started sailing and going on these adventures, we read that book. It was about a couple that buys a boat and sails through the Caribbean, and she is discovering spices and fruits and vegetables and things that she's never eaten before. And I just loved that book. It was really what got me into sailing and thinking about how to make that our life and whether or not, you know, we could buy a boat and do that. And that boat really had a huge setting of place. Can you think of, like. I don't know. When I think of other books, there's very few books that I think about character first.Stephanie [00:10:19]:I usually always think about the place. Maybe that's just something.Kurt Johnson [00:10:22]:Or the plot, too. Yeah, they're all just linked together. And you don't think about. Well, you were saying you don't think about character as much.Stephanie [00:10:31]:Not really.Kurt Johnson [00:10:32]:Yeah, it's funny. I think, you know, the best books people say are character driven, but they're inexplicable. What's the word again?Stephanie [00:10:41]:Inextricably.Kurt Johnson [00:10:43]:Inextricably. Trouble with that. Linked. So, you know, you pick a place and you pick a plot and then you build these characters. The characters have to build around that plot and so they kind of naturally flow. And, and I, I think they, if they're well written and honest, you shouldn't think of them. You know, they're interesting characters and you'll say, you know, this is Rabbit and the Rabbit series. And you'll know, but you won't say, oh, that's just a great character.Kurt Johnson [00:11:10]:I, I, I don't know that I certainly, you know, I'm probably deep into it and I look at the craft a lot so I can see where somebody has really spent some time to develop an honest character or where, you know, the narrative voice comes through and, and a character comes to life through this first person narrative voice. So I see that a lot moreStephanie [00:11:30]:people have a real, like they can't believe you can write a book. Like the idea of the literal act of sitting down and writing and how that works. People fantasize about writing it, but then very few people do. What was it that got you over the hump from thinking about writing it to actually sitting down and doing it?Kurt Johnson [00:11:47]:Well, selling our business and all of a sudden being able to free up time. Because for me, novel writing and I think was it Chrisham talked about, you know, writing at 5 in the morning before he goes to work at 7. I just couldn't do that. You know, I just, I'm very focused on one thing and, and so I needed to free up my time from work in order to get going. And then it was, can you put together, you know, a thousand or fifteen hundred words every day so that it links up into a novel and have that, not only that, that discipline, but also have the creative juices to produce scenes almost every day because, you know, like a, a good novel is created from 50 scenes. So I went from, you know, writing a memoir that I probably won't publish just to see if I can get, you know, a thousand words every day and put this together to then writing Las Vegas turnaround. And there I, I, I really just copied a lot of plot structures that I saw that I liked. And so it was easier for me to set up main characters, set up tertiary characters, subplots, because I had a blueprint from somebody else.Kurt Johnson [00:12:56]:And then, and then once, you know, you Keep writing. You get muscle memory for it and it becomes more, more natural and actually more fun because it becomes more organic. You'll follow characters through a town and they'll meet somebody and all of a sudden that person becomes a character in their universe and they say something and all of a sudden that takes off and you have to follow it. Now, you know, the woman's gonna fall in love with a guy at the end. But getting there is the fun part. And now I can do that a lot more organically.Stephanie [00:13:27]:If you are talking to any aspiring novel writers, what kind of advice do you have for them to get started?Kurt Johnson [00:13:34]:Well, you know, you gotta lower your expectations just because publishing is so hard, you know.Stephanie [00:13:39]:Can you elaborate on that?Kurt Johnson [00:13:41]:Well, you know, there's maybe two or three or 400 agents, most of them in New York City and they're all trying to make a buck. And it's hard to make a buck off a debut writer. It helps if you're MFA and you're writing in a genre because, you know, let's say 70% of the books are read by women and 70% of those are romances. And then men, the other 30%, probably 80% of what they read are, you know, thrillers or mysteries. So if you can pick a genre, that always helps. But yeah, it, you have to be more thoughtful about it. And I think, I think so many first time writers, you know, once they get the discipline and put, put the, the words on a page, they write that first personal novel, you know, and I wrote my memoir and it's, it's really 90% of those, they, you know, people have the, they aspire for the great American novel and it's too personal, it's too close to home. They can't break out from the reality of their lives to have fun with the plot and make things happen.Kurt Johnson [00:14:45]:So a lot of times these books, nothing happens. They're deeply emotional books where nothing happens and they're, they're excruciatingly boring. So you gotta get past that phase and then you gotta look at it as a, as a craft. And, you know, a big chunk of it's art, of course, whatever you wanna call that, you know, shedding light on the human experience. But a big chunk is craft. And I don't think you can get to the craft for most people in that first book. So you gotta keep writing, you know, and realize that the first couple books may not get published. So, you know, the barons got published.Kurt Johnson [00:15:21]:That was one, two, that was my third, fourth book, you know, and the, and two, the, the first three, two of them were duds that will never be published.Stephanie [00:15:31]:Yeah. Yeah. All right, well, it's good to chat with you about the book. We are in the marketing process of the book. I feel like books come in three waves. One is the idea that you're thinking about it. The second, the actual writing of it. And then the third is actual the marketing of it.Stephanie [00:15:48]:What do you think's the hardest part?Kurt Johnson [00:15:49]:Well, I mean, it's. The hardest part's finding an agent and finding a publisher. Then if you self publish, the hardest part is marketing. And at least it is for me because writing is so natural and fun for me. But I think for most people, you know, the writing's a hard part. And, and you know, like the Minnesota writer o', Brien, he hates writing, so he forces himself. Tim o'. Brien.Kurt Johnson [00:16:12]:So he forces himself to get those books out there. So probably that's the hardest part for him.Stephanie [00:16:17]:We had, I had a cookbook, two cookbooks out and I had a publisher, but they didn't publish this book because it was a fiction book. I think some people just assume like, oh, well, they've already had books out, but we self published this book. Why did we make that decision from your standpoint?Kurt Johnson [00:16:33]:Well, we couldn't get an A list agent or a New York publisher. There's just not, it comes off as almost a debut book and it's hard for them to make any money. So if you can't get an A lister, then you're, you know, stuck with boutique publishing companies and others and, and they just don't support the marketing of your book. And I've self published books in the past, so I know how to do it. I know how to put a professional product out there. And, and we can, you know, both of us are marketers and, and Stephanie has a large platform, so we can do a lot of our own marketing or, or outsource it, you know, but still we retain most of the profits. So when we do the marketing, we can reinvested or keep those profits.Stephanie [00:17:17]:Yeah, I, when you say profits, it sounds like there's a lot there. I'd like to, I mean, I mean,Kurt Johnson [00:17:22]:maybe, maybe we broke it even at this point, but then now we're looking at a marketing PR firm that's going to set us back another $5,000. But you know, if, if these books succeed and somebody makes a lot of money, it's the, it's the third, you know, book that's going to put them over the top. It's not the first.Stephanie [00:17:40]:I have this idea too that we're going to write these books and then sooner or later someone's going to turn them into a T series because it's going to be like the White Lotus where each season is a different location and a different cast of characters, but sort of the general premise is sort of the same.Kurt Johnson [00:17:56]:I hope so. You know, I hope an A list agent comes along and, and frees us from our servitude or whatever. And, but, and yeah, you know, there's, there's plenty of stories of self published authors that, that get deals or even boutique. Boutique authors that get deals. So you know, we can dream.Stephanie [00:18:16]:One thing that I'd like the listener to hear is what their part is in this because we've. I was leaving the coffee shop today. We're in Ely. That is the vacation backgrounds. But.Kurt Johnson [00:18:25]:Right.Stephanie [00:18:25]:I was leaving the coffee shop today and a woman stopped me and said, Stephanie, I had the opportunity to read the Moon Tavern. It's so good. I loved it so much. And she's telling me about it and telling her friend. And I have that experience a lot where people have really, really enjoyed this book. And I just want the listener to know that leaving reviews on Goodreads or Amazon or Barnes and Noble or wherever you bought the book or if you can' find a book, asking for it at your local bookseller. Cause they can always order it when you're self published. The more buzz you can create about these books, the better chance that someone will hear about it, someone will buy it and eventually a publisher, if they hear about a book and they like it, then they may pick it up.Stephanie [00:19:03]:So I think if you like what you're reading and you want to see more of this type of work in the world and books that you like, that's something that you can do to help us out.Kurt Johnson [00:19:13]:Yes, a 5 on Amazon or top rating on any other Goodreads is good too. Yeah, it's, it's all, it's all good. So yes, those, those help a lot. Just because the more reviews you can get and the more five star reviews you get, the more people will pick up the book, the more buzz you'll get. So yeah, so it helps us immeasurably.Stephanie [00:19:35]:Another thing before we wrap up here, someone asked me about the Cover of the book. Do you want to talk about how you picked the artwork?Kurt Johnson [00:19:41]:Yeah, I was pretty much online Xee Reider, she's in St. Paul and she's a muralist mostly. And I really liked the look that she had. So I reached out to her, and she did the original artwork, and then each chapter ends with a recipe, and there's a pen and ink drawing, and she did those. And I really think that adds another level to the book. And I love a beautiful cover.Stephanie [00:20:10]:Yeah, the cover is really nice. She did a great job. All right, well, that is it for this episode of the podcast. Just want to chat with you and give people a little background. Thanks for being a guest. Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

My guest is Kurt Johnson Co-author of The Moon Tavern, A Culinary Love Story With Recipes. The Moon Tavern takes the reader on a romantic and culinary journey through the Islands of Croatia, where dark family secrets are revealed, quirky friends and relatives are found, and love is discovered.Vesna, or Ves, is a cookbook writer from Minneapolis who travels to the remote, exotic island of Lastovo off Croatia's Mediterranean coast to reconnect with her biological grandmother. She'd been adopted as a young child after her parents died in the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990s. Ves is also fleeing a frayed relationship with her live-in partner, Reed.In Lastovo, she meets Dinko, a single, handsome, and wealthy vineyard owner, and his cute daughter Mia. With his help with the translation, Ves discovers her biological family's history and the dark secrets of what happened during the war. Romance, travel, and cooking ensue. She ultimately learns what matters most to her: simplicity in life, closeness with family, and someone to share love with. And, of course, food!Stephanie [00:00:00]:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk to people in the food space and other spaces. All the spaces of all the fun things. Kurt is my spouse, Kurt Johnson, and also the co author of the Moon Tavern, a culinary romance with recipes. It is a fiction book that is available on your bookshelf now. Welcome to the podcast, Kurt.Kurt Johnson [00:00:22]:Hi, thanks for having me.Stephanie [00:00:24]:Thanks for having us. The idea that we should work on a book together. I am, as many of you listening know, a cookbook writer and my husband is a fiction writer. And somewhere along the way, we decided that maybe it would be good to collaborate together. Kurt, was it you or me that had the idea first? I think it was you.Kurt Johnson [00:00:42]:Yeah, probably. I was kind of done with my past book writing about Las Vegas and looking for something different. And we'd been traveling a lot, so going to Croatia, going to Italy, going out west, going to Turkey. So I wanted to incorporate travel with a novel, and I also wanted to incorporate food. And so I thought this would be a lot of fun. Since we're traveling together, we have those shared experiences and you have the food experience and the food writing experience. So I thought it'd be a fun collaboration. And I've always liked the idea of love stories.Kurt Johnson [00:01:18]:Even my thriller books in Las Vegas had kind of a love story element. And it adds a dimension to a novel that, I don't know, makes it cohesive, makes it pull together in an emotional arc that's kind of fulfilling in the end.Stephanie [00:01:33]:Do you think you're a romantic at heart, or what is it about romances that are fun to write for you?Kurt Johnson [00:01:39]:Maybe I'm a romance at heart. I may be more stoic than that, though. I just. I like the idea of seeing people get together, seeing people enjoy the same interests and finding people that can fall in love. Of course, that's always the fun part. The hard part is once you get married and move on from there and have to deal with kids and daily life and work and all the other things that go with living life. And that's not that much fun to write.Stephanie [00:02:07]:Yeah, exactly. We as a couple, I think I can speak for me and you maybe on this one. We've always had great experiences traveling. We are good traveling companions. We like the spirit of adventure. Did you know that Croatia would be the spot for the first fiction endeavor?Kurt Johnson [00:02:24]:Yeah, that was a given since we'd been there five times and four times running a sailboat and visiting the islands. And as you know, Stephanie, I'm just enamored with those islands, I think they're so beautiful. And there was one island we discovered out there, Lastovo, which is the furthest island out. So a lot of the sailors and tourists just never get there. They stay closer to shore. So, you know, going out there the first time, this beautiful bay of Zachlopedia, where, you know, it's a, it's a protective cove which is beautiful turquoise water. And then taking the dinghy in, and then you walk up this path, I think it's about a two mile hike. And then you go over this ridge and this 16th, 15th century town opens up.Kurt Johnson [00:03:10]:You know, at one point maybe it had 10,000 residents. And, and it, it, when we first saw it, I don't know, 10, 15 years ago, it was abandoned. So it was a ghost town of 15th century buildings and churches and apartments in this beautiful valley of lush green foliage. So that's very picturesque. We had an incredible meal there of just simple anchovies and blitfa. And for you, for you people out there that don't know, blitfa is ubiquitous in Croatia. And it's, it's just spring potatoes with Swiss chard, but it's served with everything.Stephanie [00:03:52]:It is served with everything. And they sometimes have spinach, sometimes have like another type of green, but it's sort of like the potatoes are cooked till they're pretty soft, and then it's kind of mashed in a little bit. So it's not fully a mashed potato and it's not fully a roasted potato. It's sort of a combination of both. But it is good.Kurt Johnson [00:04:12]:Yeah, so, yeah, that's so, you know, it seemed such an exotic place, the island of Lastovo in Croatia, that it was a natural to place it there.Stephanie [00:04:23]:Can you tell a little bit of just an introduction of the story, like what people will find when they crack open the book?Kurt Johnson [00:04:30]:Sure. It's about Vesna, who is. Has a breakup with her live in boyfriend, and they'd had a restaurant. She was a chef, a cookbook authority, and had a restaurant, not unlike my dear wife Stephanie. And she has a breakup and she leaves Minneapolis to go to Croatia to uncover her. Her heritage. She had been adopted from Croatia, specifically Dubrovnik, when her parents died in the Serb bombing of Dubrovnik in 1991. So she was adopted out of there and raised in Minnesota.Kurt Johnson [00:05:05]:So then she goes to Croatia and rediscovers her dark family secrets and meets Dinko Radek, who is a winery owner, and, you know, romance ensues. But she has a life still back in Minneapolis that she has to go back to and resolve.Stephanie [00:05:24]:When we talked about putting this first concept together, you know, I see the world through food. Like, literally everything in sort of my life is framed by a meal, an experience, just the way that I see the world. It's always around food, celebrations. And so did you know that that would work for this Croatia book? Because I didn't. When you first brought it up, I was like, I can't be a Croatian grandma here. And writing recipes about what at the time I perceived as, like, dumplings.Kurt Johnson [00:05:53]:Yeah, I wasn't sure either, frankly. You know, so each chapter, there's 25 chapters, and each chapter in it has a description of cooking. And it's all Croatia cooking, Croatia recipes. You know, all food we at over the years where we were there. And then the idea of tagging on recipes was just kind of bringing it home. Like, here's the Croatia experience. Now here's how Stephanie would bring that back to the real world, which is here in the United States.Stephanie [00:06:21]:We have talked about doing a series of books. What is it about this genre that you think lends itself to other titles and other characters?Kurt Johnson [00:06:29]:Well, you know, it's an adventure book on one level, and there's always new places to visit. So the next book is based in Panza, Italy, where we've been a couple times. And it's this beautiful island off the coast of Italy in the Mediterranean. And, you know, Italian food. You go to Italy and what you remember is the pizza in Naples or the. The pasta in Rome and. And the busteca up in the hills. So, you know, a way to experience a place is.Kurt Johnson [00:07:04]:Is through food. And I like writing about new settings. You know, it. It's not as interesting writing about Minnesota,Stephanie [00:07:11]:but you've written a lot about Las Vegas. You've had how many books about Las Vegas? Three.Kurt Johnson [00:07:16]:Yeah, three. You know, two of the. Of kind of a thriller in. Two thrillers in a series, and then a book about RVing that ends up in. In Las Vegas. And Las Vegas is a interesting place, and I lived there for five years running nightclubs and restaurants. And so two of the books are Underbelly of Las Vegas, which I was a part of in the nightclub scene back in the late 80s. So that's just flat out fun to write about.Kurt Johnson [00:07:39]:And Las Vegas is such a weirdo place that it's fun to bring that to life.Stephanie [00:07:45]:It's interesting to hear you talk about that. The way you choose your stories is about place, because the first book, the Barrens, that you wrote with our Daughter Ellie, inspired by her experiences as a canoe camper in the tundra. That's also based in Place, too. Place is sort of what starts you on these journeys. It seems like, yeah, you know something,Kurt Johnson [00:08:07]:you threw me a curveball because I never really thought about it. But you're exactly right.Stephanie [00:08:12]:All.Kurt Johnson [00:08:12]:All these books start off with a setting, with a place, and then, you know, the plots revolve around. Around that. And there's just so many. So many different. There's a finite number of, really, plots you can choose from. It's kind of like a piano keyboard has all the. The notes that you want to make up a. A music piece the same way with plot structures.Kurt Johnson [00:08:34]:And so to take it to the next level, you really have to search out characters, and the characters are in a setting, so those two are inexplicably, Inextricably. Inextricably linked. Yeah, exactly. So, you know, the two go hand in hand. So character and place really can set a novel apart.Stephanie [00:08:59]:Can you think of other books that you've written or. Excuse me. No, not that you've written, that you've read. Where Place sort of started you off on this adventure?Kurt Johnson [00:09:07]:Yeah, probably. I really love Beautiful Ruins.Stephanie [00:09:11]:Jess Walters.Kurt Johnson [00:09:13]:Walters, yeah. And that starts off in Italy, kind of near Cinque de Terre. And it's kind of the poor version of Cinque de Terre, where the tourists don't go. And it was such a fascinating story. And then they bring that all back to Hollywood in America, and it just works so well. But what really captures your imagination is the description of this little seaside community. Before the whole plot takes over, IStephanie [00:09:41]:kind of think about that book. The Embarrassment of Mangoes.Kurt Johnson [00:09:44]:Yeah.Stephanie [00:09:44]:When you and I first started sailing and going on these adventures, we read that book. It was about a couple that buys a boat and sails through the Caribbean, and she is discovering spices and fruits and vegetables and things that she's never eaten before. And I just loved that book. It was really what got me into sailing and thinking about how to make that our life and whether or not, you know, we could buy a boat and do that. And that boat really had a huge setting of place. Can you think of, like. I don't know. When I think of other books, there's very few books that I think about character first.Stephanie [00:10:19]:I usually always think about the place. Maybe that's just something.Kurt Johnson [00:10:22]:Or the plot, too. Yeah, they're all just linked together. And you don't think about. Well, you were saying you don't think about character as much.Stephanie [00:10:31]:Not really.Kurt Johnson [00:10:32]:Yeah, it's funny. I think, you know, the best books people say are character driven, but they're inexplicable. What's the word again?Stephanie [00:10:41]:Inextricably.Kurt Johnson [00:10:43]:Inextricably. Trouble with that. Linked. So, you know, you pick a place and you pick a plot and then you build these characters. The characters have to build around that plot and so they kind of naturally flow. And, and I, I think they, if they're well written and honest, you shouldn't think of them. You know, they're interesting characters and you'll say, you know, this is Rabbit and the Rabbit series. And you'll know, but you won't say, oh, that's just a great character.Kurt Johnson [00:11:10]:I, I, I don't know that I certainly, you know, I'm probably deep into it and I look at the craft a lot so I can see where somebody has really spent some time to develop an honest character or where, you know, the narrative voice comes through and, and a character comes to life through this first person narrative voice. So I see that a lot moreStephanie [00:11:30]:people have a real, like they can't believe you can write a book. Like the idea of the literal act of sitting down and writing and how that works. People fantasize about writing it, but then very few people do. What was it that got you over the hump from thinking about writing it to actually sitting down and doing it?Kurt Johnson [00:11:47]:Well, selling our business and all of a sudden being able to free up time. Because for me, novel writing and I think was it Chrisham talked about, you know, writing at 5 in the morning before he goes to work at 7. I just couldn't do that. You know, I just, I'm very focused on one thing and, and so I needed to free up my time from work in order to get going. And then it was, can you put together, you know, a thousand or fifteen hundred words every day so that it links up into a novel and have that, not only that, that discipline, but also have the creative juices to produce scenes almost every day because, you know, like a, a good novel is created from 50 scenes. So I went from, you know, writing a memoir that I probably won't publish just to see if I can get, you know, a thousand words every day and put this together to then writing Las Vegas turnaround. And there I, I, I really just copied a lot of plot structures that I saw that I liked. And so it was easier for me to set up main characters, set up tertiary characters, subplots, because I had a blueprint from somebody else.Kurt Johnson [00:12:56]:And then, and then once, you know, you Keep writing. You get muscle memory for it and it becomes more, more natural and actually more fun because it becomes more organic. You'll follow characters through a town and they'll meet somebody and all of a sudden that person becomes a character in their universe and they say something and all of a sudden that takes off and you have to follow it. Now, you know, the woman's gonna fall in love with a guy at the end. But getting there is the fun part. And now I can do that a lot more organically.Stephanie [00:13:27]:If you are talking to any aspiring novel writers, what kind of advice do you have for them to get started?Kurt Johnson [00:13:34]:Well, you know, you gotta lower your expectations just because publishing is so hard, you know.Stephanie [00:13:39]:Can you elaborate on that?Kurt Johnson [00:13:41]:Well, you know, there's maybe two or three or 400 agents, most of them in New York City and they're all trying to make a buck. And it's hard to make a buck off a debut writer. It helps if you're MFA and you're writing in a genre because, you know, let's say 70% of the books are read by women and 70% of those are romances. And then men, the other 30%, probably 80% of what they read are, you know, thrillers or mysteries. So if you can pick a genre, that always helps. But yeah, it, you have to be more thoughtful about it. And I think, I think so many first time writers, you know, once they get the discipline and put, put the, the words on a page, they write that first personal novel, you know, and I wrote my memoir and it's, it's really 90% of those, they, you know, people have the, they aspire for the great American novel and it's too personal, it's too close to home. They can't break out from the reality of their lives to have fun with the plot and make things happen.Kurt Johnson [00:14:45]:So a lot of times these books, nothing happens. They're deeply emotional books where nothing happens and they're, they're excruciatingly boring. So you gotta get past that phase and then you gotta look at it as a, as a craft. And, you know, a big chunk of it's art, of course, whatever you wanna call that, you know, shedding light on the human experience. But a big chunk is craft. And I don't think you can get to the craft for most people in that first book. So you gotta keep writing, you know, and realize that the first couple books may not get published. So, you know, the barons got published.Kurt Johnson [00:15:21]:That was one, two, that was my third, fourth book, you know, and the, and two, the, the first three, two of them were duds that will never be published.Stephanie [00:15:31]:Yeah. Yeah. All right, well, it's good to chat with you about the book. We are in the marketing process of the book. I feel like books come in three waves. One is the idea that you're thinking about it. The second, the actual writing of it. And then the third is actual the marketing of it.Stephanie [00:15:48]:What do you think's the hardest part?Kurt Johnson [00:15:49]:Well, I mean, it's. The hardest part's finding an agent and finding a publisher. Then if you self publish, the hardest part is marketing. And at least it is for me because writing is so natural and fun for me. But I think for most people, you know, the writing's a hard part. And, and you know, like the Minnesota writer o', Brien, he hates writing, so he forces himself. Tim o'. Brien.Kurt Johnson [00:16:12]:So he forces himself to get those books out there. So probably that's the hardest part for him.Stephanie [00:16:17]:We had, I had a cookbook, two cookbooks out and I had a publisher, but they didn't publish this book because it was a fiction book. I think some people just assume like, oh, well, they've already had books out, but we self published this book. Why did we make that decision from your standpoint?Kurt Johnson [00:16:33]:Well, we couldn't get an A list agent or a New York publisher. There's just not, it comes off as almost a debut book and it's hard for them to make any money. So if you can't get an A lister, then you're, you know, stuck with boutique publishing companies and others and, and they just don't support the marketing of your book. And I've self published books in the past, so I know how to do it. I know how to put a professional product out there. And, and we can, you know, both of us are marketers and, and Stephanie has a large platform, so we can do a lot of our own marketing or, or outsource it, you know, but still we retain most of the profits. So when we do the marketing, we can reinvested or keep those profits.Stephanie [00:17:17]:Yeah, I, when you say profits, it sounds like there's a lot there. I'd like to, I mean, I mean,Kurt Johnson [00:17:22]:maybe, maybe we broke it even at this point, but then now we're looking at a marketing PR firm that's going to set us back another $5,000. But you know, if, if these books succeed and somebody makes a lot of money, it's the, it's the third, you know, book that's going to put them over the top. It's not the first.Stephanie [00:17:40]:I have this idea too that we're going to write these books and then sooner or later someone's going to turn them into a T series because it's going to be like the White Lotus where each season is a different location and a different cast of characters, but sort of the general premise is sort of the same.Kurt Johnson [00:17:56]:I hope so. You know, I hope an A list agent comes along and, and frees us from our servitude or whatever. And, but, and yeah, you know, there's, there's plenty of stories of self published authors that, that get deals or even boutique. Boutique authors that get deals. So you know, we can dream.Stephanie [00:18:16]:One thing that I'd like the listener to hear is what their part is in this because we've. I was leaving the coffee shop today. We're in Ely. That is the vacation backgrounds. But.Kurt Johnson [00:18:25]:Right.Stephanie [00:18:25]:I was leaving the coffee shop today and a woman stopped me and said, Stephanie, I had the opportunity to read the Moon Tavern. It's so good. I loved it so much. And she's telling me about it and telling her friend. And I have that experience a lot where people have really, really enjoyed this book. And I just want the listener to know that leaving reviews on Goodreads or Amazon or Barnes and Noble or wherever you bought the book or if you can' find a book, asking for it at your local bookseller. Cause they can always order it when you're self published. The more buzz you can create about these books, the better chance that someone will hear about it, someone will buy it and eventually a publisher, if they hear about a book and they like it, then they may pick it up.Stephanie [00:19:03]:So I think if you like what you're reading and you want to see more of this type of work in the world and books that you like, that's something that you can do to help us out.Kurt Johnson [00:19:13]:Yes, a 5 on Amazon or top rating on any other Goodreads is good too. Yeah, it's, it's all, it's all good. So yes, those, those help a lot. Just because the more reviews you can get and the more five star reviews you get, the more people will pick up the book, the more buzz you'll get. So yeah, so it helps us immeasurably.Stephanie [00:19:35]:Another thing before we wrap up here, someone asked me about the Cover of the book. Do you want to talk about how you picked the artwork?Kurt Johnson [00:19:41]:Yeah, I was pretty much online Xee Reider, she's in St. Paul and she's a muralist mostly. And I really liked the look that she had. So I reached out to her, and she did the original artwork, and then each chapter ends with a recipe, and there's a pen and ink drawing, and she did those. And I really think that adds another level to the book. And I love a beautiful cover.Stephanie [00:20:10]:Yeah, the cover is really nice. She did a great job. All right, well, that is it for this episode of the podcast. Just want to chat with you and give people a little background. Thanks for being a guest. Stephanie Hansen's @StephaniesDish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe

i'm the trashman. i throw trash all over---all over the ring Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wtyppod/ Send us stuff! our address: Well There's Your Podcasting Company PO Box 26929 Philadelphia, PA 19134 DO NOT SEND US LETTER BOMBS thanks in advance in the commercial: Local Forecast - Elevator Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ that's right folks sam put together SOURCES: (remind me to link these when we get the doc together - roz)

Soccer's wasn't that fun this past weekend. USA was eliminated in the World Cup, and...

Soccer's wasn't that fun this past weekend. USA was eliminated in the World Cup, and...

Beth celebrated her 40th birthday with a 10-person family trip that included stays in Amsterdam and Rome before boarding a Disney Dream Mediterranean cruise with highlights like Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Naples, character experiences, kids clubs, shows, and Remy.   Links: Small World Vacations Disney Cruise Line Request   Leave me a message (including trip report submissions) Please use the SpeakPipe link below to leave us a message with your first name, location, and trip info. Be sure to include your exact trip dates, who is in your party, where you will stay, and anything unique about the trip. You can do that using your computer or phone at https://www.speakpipe.com/WDWPrepToGo   Subscribe to get new episodes There are a few ways to get new episodes of WDW Prep to Go (if you're used to listening on the website, subscribe so you can take new episodes with you on your phone) Subscribe in iTunes  (and please leave a review!) Subscribe to the podcast   Follow on social media Instagram Facebook Pinterest YouTube   Ways to support us Become a Patron Get a quote request for a future trip from Small World Vacations Subscribe to the WDW Prep School weekly newsletter Podcast Episode Finder Visit the site Things we recommend   Affiliate Links: Amazon DVC Rentals Quicksilver Tours and Transportation Small World Vacations Designer Park Co - Use code "WDWPrep" to save 10%

Your need for approval might be the very thing standing between you and the income you know you're capable of. In this solo episode, Ray Higdon gets straight to it: most struggling entrepreneurs don't have a sales problem, they have an approval problem. They need acceptance from strangers, friends, family members, anyone, and that need is quietly killing their results. Ray shares how every major career pivot he made was met with doubt, and how he learned to use that doubt as fuel instead of a reason to stop. Ray also flips the script on imposter syndrome. It's not about posting content before you have success. It's about saying you want to change the world but refusing to get uncomfortable. He closes with three practical mindset shifts for sales: your prospects don't need you to be nice, they need you to be clear and certain. Backing off when you feel resistance isn't kindness, it's fear. And the people you didn't close? You didn't help them. If you know someone who's hanging on by a thread trying to make this work, this one's for them.

In an age dominated by algorithms, outrage, and endless scrolling, what does it mean to become a truly human person?   John Heers joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on modernity, the crisis of meaning, internet Orthodoxy, the rise of the "Orthobro," and why so many people are searching for identity. We discuss how social media shapes the soul, why information alone cannot heal us, the Orthodox understanding of the heart, and how genuine community—not merely online discourse—forms us into the people God created us to be.   John argues that the greatest struggle of our time is not merely political or cultural, but deeply spiritual.   Finally, we dive into one of John's favorite topics: the Supra. More than a shared meal, it has become a living expression of hospitality, friendship, and the kind of embodied community that modern life has largely forgotten.   If you've ever wondered why so many people feel disconnected despite being more "connected" than ever, this conversation is for you.   About John Heers:   John Heers is the founder of First Things Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through hospitality, cultural exchange, education, and authentic human relationships. His work has taken him across the globe, serving as a Peace Corps water resource manager in Mali, directing emergency relief efforts in the Republic of Georgia following the Abkhazia conflict, working in international development in Haiti, and teaching for nearly a decade in the South Bronx and Harlem. He also helped found Seacrest Country Day School in Naples, Florida.   Today, John hosts the Heavy Things Lightly podcast and continues his work through First Things Foundation, including the Art of the Tamada, international field work, and Keipi Restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina—a nonprofit restaurant introducing guests to the rich tradition of Georgian hospitality. His work explores how the wisdom of the Old World can help heal many of the cultural and spiritual crises of the modern West. (First Things Foundation⁠)   Guest's Links: https://www.heavythingslightly.com https://first-things.org    Sponsors: Thea's Orthodox Young Adult Formation Conference: https://thetemplesteps.com Podsworth App: https://podsworth.com  Code: BUCK50 for HALF off your first order! Clean up your recordings, sound like a pro, and support the Counterflow Podcast! Full Ad Read BEFORE processing: https://youtu.be/F4ljjtR5QfA  Full Ad Read AFTER processing: https://youtu.be/J6trRTgmpwE Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com  Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Jeff McKissack about participating and speaking at RIMS events, and his upcoming RIMS Texas Regional Conference session on August 11th in San Antonio, on the increasing overlap between reputation management and risk management. Jeff shares the critical impact of reputation risk and the growing threat of AI-generated content. He explains how even executives have caused reputational damage to their organizations, and he reveals a practical step that risk managers can take immediately to reduce the likelihood of reputation-related incidents and subsequent litigation. Justin and Jeff discuss the RIMS Texas Regional Conference, and how you can connect with Jeff after his presentation.   Listen for ways to implement reputation management strategies in your organization.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by Jeff McKissack of Defense by Design to talk all about reputation risk management. But first… [:39] RIMS-CRMP Workshop. We are delighted to announce that on August 27th and 28th, RIMS President Manny Padilla will be leading the two-day in-person workshop at St. John's University at 101 Astor Place in New York City. A link to the registration is in this episode's show notes. [:59] RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA will be held virtually on July 21st and 22nd. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [1:11] We have a summertime webinar. On July 16th, Zurich will present "Too Hot to Ignore: Heat-Related Injuries and Workers' Compensation." Register at RIMS.org/webinars and via the link in this episode's show notes. [1:25] Also on the webinars page, you will see a two-part series hosted by the RIMS Membership Department. The "Classroom to Career" webinar series highlights how RIMS equips students with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to thrive in risk management careers. [1:41] Participants will gain insights into industry trends, career pathways, and practical tools that help them confidently step into the evolving world of risk management after graduation. These sessions will be hosted on September 1st and 9th. [1:55] These sessions are member exclusives and are complimentary for RIMS members, of course. So, if you are interested in becoming a member, this would be the time. Visit RIMS.org/membership. [2:04] You can enroll now in the Virtual RIMS CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management hosted by the famous James Lam. Beginning July 15th, workshops will be held bi-weekly from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET. The registration link is in the show notes. [2:28] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration will open in July. Be on the lookout for the call for nominations for the RIMS ERM Global Award of Distinction. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026 in July for that announcement. [2:49] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [3:08] On with the Show! Our guest today is the Founder of Defense by Design, Jeff McKissack, a noted authority in the fields of threat assessment and the prevention of violent crime, with over 35 years of experience. [3:22] Jeff provides continuing education seminars for those in the educational, medical, legal, financial, real estate, human resources, and risk management sectors. He is one of the favorite speakers in the RIMS Texas Chapters. [3:36] You can find him at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 on August 11th at 1:45, when he will present "How Reputation Management is Impacting Risk Management." [3:46] As you will hear in this interview, his session at the RIMS Texas Regional will dovetail with the Risks of Physical Harm and Violence. He's here to provide a preview of his session. [3:55] We talk about the Risk Management impact of social media, AI, and deepfake technologies on operations and profits, and how employee activity online and off the clock can ripple through staffing, operations, morale, productivity, profits, and brand image.  [4:10] This episode is a year in the making. Let's get to it! [4:12] Interview! Jeff McKissack, Welcome to RIMScast! [4:29] Jeff has a strong history with RIMS and the RIMS Texas Chapters. He has spoken at DFW RIMS on several occasions. Jeff Strege brought Jeff down to speak at Houston RIMS. He spoke at a couple of conferences co-hosted by South Texas RIMS. [4:59] Last year, Jeff was at the Inaugural Texas Regional RIMS Conference in San Antonio. He's there again this year. [5:15] Jeff loves RIMS, in general, because he doesn't have to explain himself. When he speaks to HR or risk management, his two favorite positions, even above the C-Suite, risk managers and HR directors totally get what he does and why.  [5:34] Jeff says the common response he typically gets is they've never met anybody who does what he does or speaks the language he speaks. He's heard it for 39 years. He loves speaking to people in risk and insurance companies because he speaks the language of liability. [5:54] Jeff does a lot of work with attorneys, as well, on both sides. He tells folks he's trilingual because of all these different industries. He's multifaceted. [6:06] Jeff talks about years of working with risk professionals and feeling their pain points. He reverse-engineers many of those scenarios. He asks, Where are the points where this could have been prevented, or at the bare minimum, mitigated? [6:43] A president of an association of independent electrical contractors called him for help. He asked, You have people working hours, in isolated locations, with expensive equipment on their trucks? What could go wrong? Without much of a push, he's able to jump in and help. [7:20] Jeff says there are only three types of businesses: businesses that have internal employees, businesses that have external employees, and businesses that have both. The risks for those three categories are very different from each other. [7:40] Jeff explains some of the differences in risks between having internal employees operating equipment and external employees in trucks on the road with equipment. There are different security concerns, risk concerns, and liability concerns. Address all the concerns. [8:16] Jeff recently saw a police video of a dump truck plowing through an intersection, with its brakes out, into a ravine. Fortunately, no one was killed. Why did the brakes give out? Who was responsible for checking them? They dodged a major bullet by nobody being injured or killed. [9:11] Jeff says he has three wheelhouses: physical risk, data risk, and reputational risk. He doesn't do active shooter training. He deals with factors that can lead to an active shooter before the shooting happens. He deals in prevention, not in reaction. [9:42] Jeff doesn't deal in cybersecurity but in data. He doesn't talk about people who hack your computers; he talks about people who hack your people. That bleeds over into reputation management. [9:57] Reputation management, with the internet and social media, has taken on a different dynamic. [10:07] Either your employees go online and self-incriminate themselves by putting something out there to the world that reflects upon your company, or they do something off the clock that can still have an impact on your company and its reputation. [10:22] Jeff mentions two courtrooms that we want to avoid: an actual courtroom, and the court of popular opinion. [11:01] Jeff says some things before social media still ended up being headline stories in the traditional media that reflected negatively upon employers. Social media has massively amplified that dynamic. [11:31] Jeff's talk is about how reputation management is impacting risk management. It will be held on August 11th at 1:45 p.m. during the RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026. It examines how reputation management and risk management increasingly overlap. [11:53] Jeff says risk management and HR management often think that whatever happens off the clock is not on them — until it is. There was an Assistant District Attorney some months ago who walked out of a bar "two out of three sheets to the wind." [12:17] The cops wanted her to get an Uber and go home. She made a huge scene about it, captured on the bodycams. She ended up being arrested. "You don't know who I am. You can't do this to me!" The next day, not only was she fired, she lost her license. [12:33] There are YouTube channels devoted to police bodycams. People and companies suffer the reputational consequences of those videos. Once they're on YouTube, they go viral. [12:54] A lot of channels have hundreds of thousands to millions of views, reflecting on a company's public image, even though it was one of their employees off the clock. [13:40] Jeff says the biggest thing is education and training. We think people know what we know and the way we think. No, they don't. Jeff compares it to schools teaching social ills. As risk managers, you need to teach employees responsibility if you want to change their behavior. [14:40] Jeff says, Do not expect what you do not inspect. [14:50] A Quick Break! There are so many other wonderful RIMS events coming up in 2026. The Annual Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes. [15:09] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, which will be held from August 10th through the 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. Visit RIMS.org/Events for registration information. [15:26] The hotel cutoff date is July 10th. Reservations may still be made after the cutoff date subject to availability; however, the negotiated group rate is no longer guaranteed past July 10th, so reserve now. [15:40] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [15:51] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [16:08] Save the dates October 18th through the 21st. We will be in Quebec City to celebrate the 50th Live RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Advance registration is open now. [16:24] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni. [16:39] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration opens in July. [16:49] Be on the lookout for an announcement about submissions for the RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026.  [17:00] Let's Return to Our Interview with Jeff McKissack! [17:07] Jeff says some of these reputational concerns have been C-Suite executives. Jeff just taught about a mayor arrested in Kentucky for shoplifting a $70 pair of shorts at a department store. Jeff guesses the mayor felt he was owed those shorts. [17:32] Last week, Jeff was talking about a city manager in Texas who felt it was a good idea, when she took her employees to a conference, to take them to a local strip club that night. After a few drinks, she got up on stage and started dancing around the pole. [17:46] Somebody recorded that and put it on social media, and the city manager got fired. City managers aren't easy to come by. In risk management, we have to understand that when these types of things occur, they impact multiple areas, both immediately and simultaneously. [18:05] These incidents affect staffing, operations, morale, productivity, profits, and public image. Every one of those six areas has associated dollar figures. This is why reputation management now must be taken into consideration under risk management. [18:50] Jeff says if I get an employee compromised in a controversial, scandalous, or criminal situation, whether I capture them on camera, or if I create the environment for said compromise to occur, and I set them up to be on camera, do I have them in the palm of my hand? [19:25] Reputational concerns, if they're not addressed and talked about before, and an employee gets caught in something that happens or was made to happen, it can be used as blackmail to have them do things internally because they have access that outside parties want. [20:08] About a year ago, Jeff says a case made national news of a high school principal who was facing the wrath of his community because of a racial rant he was supposedly caught saying as the principal of a school with minority students. [20:27] It came out that the athletic director had taken a digital sample of the principal's voice, maybe from a voicemail, and created an entire verbal tirade from scratch. That was proven through forensics. [20:47] Meanwhile, the principal had almost lost his job and career and was facing physical threats to his family from the public over something that had never happened. That showed Jeff we were entering a new atmosphere. [21:03] Jeff says, Sora 2, one of the newer AI video platforms,  has already been called out for causing problems for police because people are creating videos of real people committing not-so-real crimes. With AI, it looks real. [21:19] Jeff describes a hypothetical situation where an AI video would be used to charge an employee of a crime, leading to an arrest and a record. Think of the liabilities you and your company would face. None of those are cheap. [22:02] Justin asks about verifying the legitimacy of a video. Jeff says there is software out there that does a pretty good job of figuring out if this video is AI-generated. [22:32] What camera captured the action? Was it an internal, company-owned camera, or something someone supposedly captured on a phone camera? One of those is more susceptible to manipulation. [22:53] Now, you have to be a little bit skeptical. Never has there been a more important time in our history to live by the adage, "Innocent until proven guilty." Jeff says a healthy dose of skepticism is called awareness. [23:50] Everybody has vulnerabilities. The first step in preventing a lot of these things from occurring is recognizing your own vulnerabilities, stereotypes, and false premises. Jeff says stereotyping is judging based on appearances; profiling is judging based on behaviors. [24:26] Jeff says you almost have to go into this blind, deaf, and dumb to do a true, analytical, unbiased evaluation. [24:34] Sponsorships! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. RIMScast is proud of its longstanding relationships with AXA XL, Global Risk Consultants, Alliant, Zurich, and more. [24:57] Links to many of these episodes are in the show notes. RIMScast sponsorships can be bundled with whitepapers and webinar sponsorships. [25:04] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! [25:18] Reach out to Ted Donovan at  TDonovan@RIMS.org or Sales@RIMS.org. Let's find the best opportunity for you and your organization. [25:30] Let's Conclude Our Interview with Jeff McKissack! [25:54] You can't do anything about the various AI generation platforms out there. People, for the most part, are using them for all the right reasons. The thing you have to be concerned about is if it's used to accuse someone of something. [26:10] Jeff describes speaking to the Society of Government Meeting Professionals. They are meeting planners for all the alphabet agencies, the Department of War, FAA, CDC, and more. Jeff has spoken at their annual conference for years. [26:26] Jeff told them, you're bringing all these people here for an annual conference at one place, at one time, under one roof. Who do you think might want to compromise someone there, so that by the time they return home, they've been puppeteered? [26:44] Jeff is getting these meeting planners to start thinking about security in a different way, and educating the people. [26:50] "Hey, we love having you here, but when you go out to bars and restaurants, here are some things you need to think of, because some people here may know who you are and what you represent by way of access." [26:38] Jeff says, if something happens, and they get lured back to a hotel room, for various things, and they get slipped a Mickey and pass out, and a couple of weeks later they get a video by text or email, they don't even know if it's a deep fake or not because they were blacked out. [27:27] These are things we all have to understand how easy it is. Jeff constantly admonishes employees, when he speaks at that level, to remember it's not about them. They may not have wealth, but they absolutely represent access to things that people want. [27:48] You have to understand that you may have a target on your back you don't realize you have. When people approach you, ask yourself, does everything that happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Or does it stay on social media and YouTube? YouTube remembers. [28:50] Jeff shares something from his presentation. The first step is not the stopping point. The first step is "Do you have a social media agreement in writing that your employees have signed?" If not, you, HR, and your General Counsel need to get together and word-smith it, ASAP. [29:18] Jeff says he talked to a VP of a company with over 8,000 employees. When the VP was hired as a VP, he was paid to sign two documents. He was paid $50 to sign the NDA, so he wouldn't take the sales list if he left. He was paid $100 to sign their social media agreement. [29:39] The company was more concerned about him doing something that impacted its public image than about taking the client list. First step is to wordsmith that agreement and how you incorporate it into a Code of Conduct as far as the off-the-clock expectations. [30:08] Jeff shares a case from New York City where a young sitting judge had an OnlyFans page. He was fired for it and tried to fight it. He lost because the verbiage in the City Manual for his position said: "extra-judicial activities … do not detract from the dignity of judicial office." [31:02] Jeff spoke at a risk management conference. He showed three lawsuits that were settled in the last two weeks: $125K, $225K, $485K for employees at state and government universities, entities, and institutions over the Charlie Kirk assassination. They had been fired.  [31:20] They came back and sued for wrongful termination and got settlements because there was nothing written that dictated employee behaviors online. [31:45] You've got to have the paper trail or digital trail. If it's not in the Employee Handbook, add it as an addendum they sign, and put it in their file. [31:57] Next year, when new hires come on board, have it as part of the Employee Handbook, whether it's the social media agreement and/or your expectations/code of conduct. At the bare minimum, have those things in order. That's your starting point. [32:40] Jeff says when you hire someone, treat the Handbook like the Apple Agreement. Going into detail about the policy is best addressed in education and training. [32:59] Jeff talks not only to executives but also to employees. The biggest thing he is trying to get HR, Risk Management, and the C-Suite to understand is that if you're going to alter the behaviors, you've got to teach them what to do otherwise. [33:30] You're not going to get your employees to go cold-turkey on social media, but you can teach them to apply critical thinking skills so that they police themselves and you don't have to. [33:45] You have to do it in a way that tells them what's in it for them. People expect them to come home with a paycheck. Tell them all their plans can be interrupted if they do something foolish now. [34:39] Sometimes, Jeff does not have time in the session to take questions from the audience. He always tells folks he'll be around in the hallways because they may have questions they don't want to ask in front of everybody else there. Or, reach out to him on LinkedIn, or call him. [35:22] In this arena, a lot of people don't want to put out their concerns. Justin says Jeff is very approachable. He wears a hat, and it has become a branding point for him. Justin asked him for a headshot with the hat, to make him more recognizable, because people know him in Texas. [36:58] Justin asks about other cases involving social media outside of work. Jeff refers to the city manager who was let go because of a pole dance that showed up on YouTube, and the shoplifting mayor, also on YouTube. The judge had a side gig that was questionable behavior. [37:35] Jeff says some teachers have been fired over video where they had their kids in the background in the classroom while they were twerking, or dancing with kids. One teacher had his students give him a haircut in the classroom. [37:51] Jeff recalls the wording cited from the City Handbook about the dignity of the office. That covers a lot. Things like that are subjective, but most people know it when they see it. [38:15] Justin asks if we're in a society where you have to live your life assuming that everything is going to be broadcast? Jeff wouldn't say broadcast, but at least captured on camera. [38:25] When Jeff is doing employee training, he goes through cameras that are on the market. You're only thinking of the cameras you see. You are not thinking of cameras that could be out there, recording you. The ATM captures you and looks across the street. [38:52] When Jeff parks in maybe a questionable area, he always tries to find a Tesla. On average, there are seven or eight cameras around that Tesla. He'll take a picture of the license plate of the Tesla next to him, so if anything happens, he can give the picture to the cops. [39:38] Jeff says he relays to people, executives and employees alike, strategies, critical thinking. How do you use technology to your favor instead of having it used against you? [39:51] Jeff McKissack, thank you so much for joining us here on RIMScast. Jeff says he is looking forward to seeing you all in August! [39:58] Special thanks again to Jeff McKissack of Defense by Design. Be sure to attend his session at the RIMS Texas Regional Conference in San Antonio at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk on August 11th. [40:13] Jeff McKissack will deliver the presentation, "How Reputation Management is Impacting Risk Management," at 1:45 p.m. Be sure to follow up with him in the hallways afterwards and let him know that you heard him here on RIMScast. [40:27] Plug Time! Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [40:44] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [41:00] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [41:14] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [41:26] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!   Links: RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 | Aug. 10‒12 in San Antonio | Register Now! RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available RIMScast on YouTube! "RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management" | July‒Sept. 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam | Register Now! 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference | July 28‒Aug. 1 | Register Now Spencer Educational Foundation's 2026 Funding Their Future Gala | Sept. 17, 2026 ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today and Submit an Educational Session! RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Advance Registration Open | Sponsorship Opportunities Available RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Registration Opens in July! | www.RIMS.org/ERM2026 Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy Defense by Design Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA — Virtual — July 21‒22, 2026 RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep Workshop — Live In NY — Aug 27‒28! Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops   Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars "Too Hot To Ignore: Heat-Related Injuries and Workers' Compensation" | July 16 | Presented by Zurich "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 1" | Sept 1 "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 2" | Sept 9   Related RIMScast Episodes: "Strategy and Change with Ward Ching and Aaron Olson" "Mid-Year Risk Roundup 2026 with Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle" "Live From Texas 2025!" "Leadership Lessons with Major General (Ret.) Robert F. Whittle Jr., RIMS Texas 2025 Keynote" "Risk and Clarity with Huw Edwards, RIMS Texas 2025 Keynote"   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) "AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Jeff McKissack, President, Defense By Design   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

Father Casey Jones is a priest of the Diocese of Venice, Florida. He currently serves as the pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish and school in Naples, Florida. In Today's Show: How common is it for priests to socialize with the laity? ​​Can you help me better understand devotions like the Brown Scapular and First Fridays/Saturdays without falling into superstition? How do I help my husband go back to Mass? Why is July the Precious Blood of Jesus month? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

This 4th of July weekend, Pastor Kirt Anderson shares a message on praying for those in authority, drawn from Paul's letter to Timothy written while Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Pastor Kirt walks through why Paul urged the early church to pray for kings and leaders even under persecution, and what it means for us today to live peaceful, quiet lives marked by goodness and dignity.Along the way, Pastor Kirt shares stories from American history, including John Witherspoon's legacy at Princeton and the story of Chief Joseph, along with personal family moments that bring the message home. Whether you are new to faith or have been part of a church for years, this message offers a hopeful and practical look at what it means to be a faithful citizen.Naples Community Church | 849 7th Ave S, Naples, FL 34102naplescommunitychurch.org

Et si le vrai défi n'était pas de gagner Top Chef mais de tout construire avant ?Dans cet épisode intégral, Viviana Pisacane raconte son parcours depuis Naples jusqu'à la victoire de Top Chef et l'ouverture de son restaurant à Lyon.Tout commence dans une famille de pâtissiers où le travail est une valeur cardinale. Dès 8 ans, elle cuisine pour sa famille, apprend les recettes avec sa mère au téléphone et découvre une passion qui ne la quittera plus.Malgré les réticences de ses parents, elle choisit la cuisine et intègre l'une des meilleures écoles d'Italie. Commencent alors des années de formation exigeantes à travers l'Europe. La Norvège, la Suisse, puis la France, auprès de grands noms comme Michel Guérard et Éric Fréchon. Elle y forge sa technique, son identité et un tempérament capable de résister à la pression des plus grandes brigades.Avec sa sœur, son frère et son beau-frère, elle nourrit un autre rêve : ouvrir un restaurant en famille. Après des années de préparation, de sacrifices et de réflexion, Le Bœuf d'Argent voit le jour à Lyon en 2023.Puis vient Top Chef. Un concours qu'elle découvre de l'intérieur, entre fatigue, doutes et dépassement de soi. Une aventure qui va bouleverser sa vie sans jamais lui faire oublier ce qui compte le plus : sa famille, son équipe et son restaurant.Un épisode sur le travail, l'ambition, la transmission et la force de ceux qui avancent sans jamais renoncer à leurs rêves.Pour en savoir plus sur le restaurant familial de Viviana à Lyon, c'est par ici.

Our recap episodes, which offer a synthesis of our 1792-1804 coverage one year at a time, have reached 1799 - a year in which Napoleon Bonaparte achieves an astonishing turnaround in fortunes which ends with him in power. Chris Sloan talks presenter Alex Stevenson through specific key clips he's picked out from our old episodes grouped around four themes which, we argue, help frame the period and shape our understanding of it in a whole new way. We hope this will provide a helpful refresh for longstanding listeners - whilst at the same time offering an 'entry ramp' to the podcast for those who want to get up to speed relatively easily before we crash full-speed into the intensity of the Napoleonic Wars.This episode covers a 12-month period in which Bonaparte's failed Syrian campaign leads him to attempt the desperate gamble of a return to France - which dramatically pays off when, somehow, he emerges as the country's ruler after the coup of Brumaire. That is the culmination of a remarkable year of fighting in Italy and Switzerland, with Russian heroics under the leadership of Suvorov and gritty French defence led by Massena. There really is so much going on - from the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland to the fall of Naples, from the siege of Malta to the diplomacy of the Second Coalition - what a year 1799 truly is. Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly

MUSICAL THEATRE WRITING COLLECTIVE: https://www.musicaltheatrewritingcollective.com/mtwc-aboutWant some FREE TIPS???For Writers:Em's TOP 10 STRUCTURE TIPS - https://michael-radi.mykajabi.com/structure-tips-email—————————————————————————————****GO EVEN DEEPER WITH…****For WRITERS:MUSICAL THEATRE WRITING COLLECTIVE:https://www.musicaltheatrewritingcollective.com/mtwc-aboutLibretto Formatting Guide:https://michaelradi.thrivecart.com/libretto-formatting-guide/Flagship Musical Theatre Writing Workshop Course:https://www.musicaltheatrewritingcollective.com/mt-writing-workshop-courseBook & Beyond Libretto Writing Course:https://www.musicaltheatrewritingcollective.com/book-and-beyond-courseDo you want to learn *how to write* Musical Theatre? Are you looking for a *warm and welcoming community* of writers? Then check out the collective at the link above!—————————————————————————————One of My Favorite Writing Books:(Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through this post. I am an affiliate of bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through the title links below and make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, and will do so from the Amazon link below.)“The Writer's Journey” by Christopher Vogler:Bookshop.Org link:https://bookshop.org/a/4758/9781615933150Amazon link:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/193290736X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=193290736X&linkCode=as2&tag=mtwgrecomme01-20&linkId=e804571516b48d9d6d11853c8765900e————————————————————————Em Radi (any/all) is a Composer-Lyricist, Librettist, Performer, Vocal Coach, Musical Theatre Writing Coach, Musical Director, and the Founder of the Musical Theatre Writing Collective currently residing in New York City. They are an alumnus of the esteemed Lehman Engel BMI Musical Theatre Workshop as a lyricist, and has written six full-length musical theatre pieces in addition to ongoing projects. His original musical The King's Legacy, which received its world premiere production in August 2019 at the Bristol Valley Theater in Naples, NY, and has also been presented in Industry Reading format both in fall of 2019 as part of the Dramatists Guild Friday Night Footlights and in November 2016. Em's original one-person show 'S Wonderful: An Evening with George Gershwin also played its premiere production at BVT in 2021. Other current projects include a musical adaptation of The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow, a queer pop-punk adaptation of Hamlet, and a mother-daughter coming of age musical set in the world of competitive baton twirling, based loosely off of their family's history with the sport.Learn more about Em at their website:http://www.michaelradi.comEm's Patreon Community:https://www.patreon.com/michaelradiLearn more about The King's Legacy on the website:https://www.thekingslegacymusical.com/And listen to/watch numbers from The King's Legacy on YouTube starting at:https://youtu.be/YSp0q-6KQeoThe Glamorous Life Blog:http://www.michaelradi.com/the-glamorous-lifeFollow Em on…FB: https://www.facebook.com/michael.radi.54IG: @emmy.radi @mtwriterguyTW: @MichaelRadi88TT: @michaelradi—————————————————————————————Musical Theatre Writer Guy was written and recorded on traditional and unceded territory of the Munsee Lenape and Canarsie People.

Send us Fan MailHow do you win a world pizza championship with a pie you'd never fully made before? On this episode of The Hot Slice, presented by Pizza Today, we sit down with Carmela Williams of Antonio's Italian Ristorante in Elkhart, Indiana, fresh off her world champion title in the Americana division at the Caputo Cup in Naples, Italy.It was Carmela's first time competing internationally, and almost nothing went according to plan. Airport officials confiscated her ingredients. Her hotel had no prep space or refrigeration. The competition ovens swung wildly from 320 to nearly 600 degrees. So, she improvised, blending mozzarella with scamorza she'd never worked with and leaning on instincts sharpened by her restaurant's 70-year-old Blodgett ovens.Here's what you'll take away:How she built a winning pizza on the fly under real pressureDough and cheese decisions that held up when conditions didn'tWhy her family legacy (father Paul and sister Gemma are also world champions) shaped her competitive mindsetWith 14 years in the industry, Carmela also breaks down the operational philosophy behind Antonio's: open four days a week, no reservations, first-come, first-served. It's a candid look at craft, grit, and running a pizzeria your way. Show Notes:Check out a fun look at her competition attempt: https://www.instagram.com/p/DZx3TUiJQ4J/ Follow Antonio's Italian Ristorante at  https://www.antoniositalian.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/antoniositalianelkhart/   Register for Pizza Expo Columbus, bringing every element of the pizza industry together under one roof in the Midwest at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on October 11-12, 2026. Learn. Network. Shop. Eat. And compete. Register now! Join Pizza Today for a “Future of Pizza Dough” panel discussion July 23rd, 2026 @ 2 PM ET. The webinar features hand-selected, award-winning pizzeria industry leaders, including Tony Gemignani, Laura Meyer and Will Grant. These experts are sitting down to share decades of hard-earned knowledge about the science behind the perfect crust. Register now. 

Lorsque le Vésuve se réveille brutalement en 79 ap. JC, il fait disparaître Pompéi. Mais Herculanum, ville voisine du volcan, ne connaît non pas moins un destin fascinant.Dévastation, cendres et pétrification : il y a près de 2000 ans, l'éruption du Vésuve a englouti la cité d'Herculanum, sœur de la plus célèbre Pompéi. Pourtant, cette ville antique a longtemps été oubliée, jusqu'à ce que les premières fouilles révèlent ses trésors archéologiques.

If your prospecting isn't producing results, chances are you're making at least one of these five critical mistakes. In this episode, Ray Higdon lays out the exact prospecting errors that silently drain sales from network marketers and direct sellers every single day, and gives you the practical fixes to start turning things around immediately. Ray walks through each mistake with the clarity and directness he's known for. Not talking to enough people is the foundation. If last week's outreach numbers were in the single digits, your income will reflect that. Not following up persistently means leaving money on the table. Ray shares the story of a prospect who said no seven times before eventually joining, building a six-figure income, and going full-time since 2011. Judging who to prospect before even asking them lets your assumptions steal your pipeline. Making the prospect the prize by chasing, begging, and coming across as desperate flips the power dynamic in the wrong direction. And the deepest mistake of all is focusing more on your solution than on the problem the prospect has actually stated. That approach comes across as pushy every time. The real game-changer Ray unpacks is the difference between persuasion and manipulation, and how asking the right questions to expand a prospect's problem is what moves people to action. He illustrates this with a real conversation that took a prospect from "it'd be nice to make more money" to "I have to do something about this" in just a few focused questions. If you want to close more sales, this episode will show you exactly where to start. —

Bobby Casey is an international tax strategist and lifelong entrepreneur. He is the founder of Business Anywhere and a managing partner of Global Wealth Protection, helping entrepreneurs legally reduce taxes, protect assets, and run borderless businesses. Raised in an entrepreneurial family, Bobby started his first company at 19 and went on to build and sell several businesses, including a restaurant, a real estate company, and an installation company that served Fortune 500 clients. After hiring a specialist to handle his own asset protection and company structuring, he became fascinated with the work and turned it into Global Wealth Protection. Business Anywhere grew out of that consulting practice as a platform to automate company formation, compliance, and renewals. Today Bobby works with entrepreneurs and investors around the world, many of them location independent, and lives across multiple countries himself.     Make sure to download our free guide, 7 Questions Every Passive Investor Should Ask, here.     Key Takeaways Never register your own LLC; a commercial registered agent keeps your name and home address out of public record Build asset protection in layers, starting with privacy, then legal structures like LLCs, trusts, and foundations Match your spend on planning to the assets at risk, because going cheap upfront can cost far more later Use AI and online research to prepare, then validate every decision with a qualified professional Diversify your income streams so no single client or channel can sink the business     Topics From Corporate Installs to Working Only With Entrepreneurs Bobby started his first company at 19 and later sold a restaurant, a real estate business, and an installation company Tired of serving large corporate clients, he chose to work exclusively with entrepreneurs How Business Anywhere Was Born After automating company renewals for his consulting clients, he spun the software into a separate platform Business Anywhere handles formation, registered agents, compliance, banking, and payment processing online Roughly half of its clients are non US persons, from a NJ plumber to a Canadian investor with US property living in Mexico The Case Against DIY LLCs Filing your own LLC forces your name and home address into public record for anyone to find A missed service of process notice can get your LLC revoked Two Florida Lawsuits, Two Outcomes A client shielded by a registered agent ignored a frivolous class action and it disappeared A client who filed his own LLC was served personally and settled for around $800,000 Asset Protection as Layers Bobby compares protection to a castle's moat, walls, and drawbridge More assets demand more layers, from privacy to trusts and foundations The Real Mistake Is Being Cheap AI tools and forums give narrow answers because they lack the full context of your situation A strong CPA or advisor often returns far more than the fee they charge Think of Protection Like Insurance You pay for structure hoping you never need it The cost is trivial against a multimillion dollar judgment    

Sammy, Service Director at Tamiami Hyundai and Genesis in Naples, Florida, joins the Parts Edge Podcast from the NCM Fuel the Future Fixed Op Summit. Sammy shares how her passion for fixed ops began as a kid in her dad's Chevy dealership and evolved into leading a high-performing service team. She discusses the challenges of prioritizing improvements, the importance of face-to-face customer feedback, and fostering professional growth in both staff and the next generation.Listen in for candid insights on managing large teams, fixing operational bottlenecks one step at a time, and never underestimating the power of real customer conversations. If you're looking to turn inventory faster, reduce wasted time, and keep your team growth-focused, this episode's got you covered.--------------------------------------------This show is powered by PartsEdge: Your go-to solution for transforming dealership parts inventory into a powerhouse of profitability. Our strategies are proven to amp up parts sales by a whopping 20%, all while cutting down on idle inventory. If you're looking to optimize your parts management, visit

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews RIMS Vice President of Content & Publications, Morgan O'Rourke, and RIMS Risk Management Magazine Managing Editor, Hilary Tuttle, on the Q2 digital edition online now. The discussion starts with Hilary's Hurricane prediction and the risks associated with storms. They discussed the risks of applying AI in the risk industry, and how using it for the simple tasks means your remaining tasks are the hard ones. To get the best results, be polite to your AI! Justin asks about Red Teaming, its purpose, and how it operates. Human behavior is an important consideration in risk management.   Listen for pointers on what to do as a risk manager for the rest of 2026, and some things to avoid.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. This is our mid-year risk review, and we will be rejoined by Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle. They are here to discuss the major trends shaping the risk landscape; what's happened so far in 2026, and what we can look forward to. But first… [:47] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA will be held virtually on July 21st and 22nd. Registration links are in this episode's notes. [:58] We have a summertime webinar. On July 16th, Zurich will present "Too Hot to Ignore: Heat-Related Injuries and Workers' Compensation." Register at RIMS.org/webinars and via the link in this episode's show notes. [1:13] Also on the webinars page, you will see a two-part series hosted by the RIMS Membership Department. The "Classroom to Career" webinar series highlights how RIMS equips students with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to thrive in risk management careers. [1:29] Participants will gain insights into industry trends, career pathways, and practical tools that help them confidently step into the evolving world of risk management after graduation. These sessions will be hosted on September 1st and 9th. [1:42] These sessions are member exclusives and are complimentary for RIMS members, of course. So, if you are interested in becoming a member, this would be the time. Visit RIMS.org/membership. [1:52] You can enroll now in the RIMS CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management hosted by the famous James Lam. Beginning July 15th, workshops will be held bi-weekly from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The registration link is in the show notes. [2:16] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration will open in July. Be on the lookout for the call for nominations for the RIMS ERM Global Award of Distinction. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026 in July for that announcement. [2:37] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:55] On with the Show! We are in the middle of the year, and that means that it's time for our mid-year risk review with two of my favorite people, Morgan O'Rourke, RIMS Vice President of Content & Publications, and Hilary Tuttle, Managing Editor of RIMS Risk Management Magazine.  [3:14] Morgan and Hilary are joining us today to discuss some of the highlights of the Q2 Edition of RIMS Risk Management Magazine, which is available now. [3:21] We're going to talk about hurricane preparedness, reputation, red-teaming, AI, and other emerging trends that risk professionals should be aware of, avoiding, and embracing. We're going to have a lot of fun! Let's get to it! [3:35] Interview! Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle, Welcome Back to RIMScast! [3:42] Justin mentions that the Publications Department is a team of five. After nine years, Justin is still the second-newest person. [4:29] Morgan says Risk Management Magazine has articles going up every week. Every quarter, they have a digital issue, reminiscent of a physical magazine, with pages and a table of contents. When this episode is released, the Q2 digital issue was published a week ago. [4:54] RIMS Risk Management Magazine has occasional special issues, on ERM and the Special RISKWORLD Awards Issue. Hilary says the Editor's Picks are articles you may have missed on the website. Morgan says it's sometimes new stuff, or archival stuff that's still relevant. [5:30] Morgan says they try to publish in a frequency and format that everybody can appreciate. Morgan and Hilary miss the physical print magazine. Justin thinks they've maintained the essence of the print magazine. Morgan says that's what the digital magazines are meant to do. [6:22] Morgan says print is not necessarily the way that everybody consumes things nowadays, so you've got to be where everybody's attention is, and that's what we're trying to do. [6:40] The Marquee article in the Q2 digital edition is Hilary's coverage of the 2026 hurricane season outlook. Hilary is well-versed in hurricane preparedness and seasonal outlooks. Hilary says this year, a lot of the forecasts are calling for a below-average season. [7:26] This year, Hilary focused on factors that will make the season different. She focused on macroeconomic volatility, geopolitical instability, and U.S. Federal budget cuts as some of the biggest complications this year that are making a fragile and challenging recovery landscape. [8:03] Hilary says we talk about increased prices in disaster materials, preparation materials, supply problems, and a Federal support system characterized by defunding or dysfunction, and what that means for risk managers tasked with hurricane preparation or recovery. [8:43] Hilary says, looking beyond the forecast, it's important to assess how your resilience strategy is going to hold up in practice. Even a single landfall is going to be more expensive, potentially. The cost may be higher than ever. Response materials are 40% more expensive. [9:28] Justin says we had a risk engineer from Global Risk Consultants on the show recently, talking about the physical preparations, 48 hours, 36 hours, and 24 hours before an impact. [9:56] Hilary says, between materials shortages and price increases, the supply chain is potentially going to be a huge problem for disaster preparation and responses. Getting things is difficult with the Strait of Hormuz closed. People are seeing it across industries and materials. [10:22] Some response materials are also going to be more expensive because of the increased cost of oil. Hilary found that interesting when reporting the piece. Generator fuel is drastically more expensive than it has been. [10:43] It's a best practice to have 72 hours' worth per generator on site, if you're in a high-risk area. [11:55] Materials that require petrochemical input include plywood and structural lumber. Boarding your windows is going to be more expensive, if you can get it. Transport costs are going to be drastically higher. [11:11] Heavy-duty plastic sheeting is a petrochemical-related product. Some products also use by-products of the crude oil production: polymers, petroleum derivatives, and plastics, like rubber seals. All of those will be more expensive as crude oil fluctuates. [11:40] Morgan says you have to prepare for increased costs. You may be underinsured for the costs of materials you may have insured for in the beginning. Be aware of increased costs and do what you can to prepare, whether by increasing coverage or buying more in bulk. [12:10] If you're going to face increased costs, the more you do beforehand to offset those costs is probably for the better. Hilary says she put together 10 detailed and useful tips. One thing that she bumped up the list is to revisit your insurance values and policy limits. [12:40] Hilary thinks the risk of underinsurance is worth underscoring this year. It is going to be drastically more expensive to rebuild. Make sure you have the coverage you need to cover those expenses and the expenses of potentially needing to relocate when things are closed. [12:56] Car parts are drastically more expensive, so if you operate fleets, it's worth noting that those metals are delayed and pricier because of tariffs and supply chain problems. [13:11] Hilary says it's also worth noting that we had Tropical Storm Arthur last week. It never reached hurricane strength, but it still managed to do four to six billion dollars in damage, according to initial estimates from AccuWeather. [13:27] Tropical Storm Arthur hit the Gulf Coast and did a lot of damage in terms of business interruption, delayed flights, and extended power outages. In terms of business continuity, it doesn't need to be a hurricane to do a tremendous amount of damage. [13:47] AccuWeather says the hurricane classification system is solely based on wind speed. Wind does not do as much damage as water. Storm surge, inland flooding, and water damage are not reflected in hurricane classification. We shouldn't just be concerned about hurricanes. [14:21] The peril and the need for preparation are just as dramatic for other storms. [14:28] Morgan notes that the storm season started on June 1st, and we had a billion-dollar potential damage storm within a week or so. Hilary says it's one of the earliest we've seen. [14:46] Morgan says they're usually more in the fall. In some years, we've seen tropical storms before the season. Storms are not necessarily confined to the Atlantic Coast. There are Pacific storms to take into account. [15:18] Morgan learned about Pacific storms from Hilary. In between Hilary's article drafts, there were three Pacific hurricanes that formed, so she had to update the story. The Super El Niño is the climate pattern that creates these storms in the Eastern Pacific.  [15:47] With the Super El Niño, you get more activity in the Eastern Pacific and less in the Atlantic because of warmer waters in the Pacific and more Trade Winds in the Atlantic that act to break up storm formation. [16:05] Parts of Central America, Mexico, and the West Coast are going to be at increased risk. Hawaii, as well. Morgan says one of the more impactful storms on the Pacific was named Hilary in 2023. Hilary was a billion-dollar storm that killed three people. [17:21] A Quick Break! There are so many other wonderful RIMS events coming up in 2026. The Annual Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes. [17:40] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, which will be held from August 10th through 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk. [17:51] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [18:01] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [18:18] Save the dates October 18th through the 21st. We will be in Quebec City to celebrate the 50th Live RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Advance registration is open now. [18:35] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni. [18:50] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration opens in July. [19:01] Be on the lookout for an announcement about submissions for the RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026.  [19:12] Let's Return to Our Interview with RIMS Risk Management Magazine's Hilary Tuttle and Morgan O'Rourke! [19:31] Justin says artificial intelligence is on people's minds. It's evolved into a data governance and operational risk challenge. [19:52] Morgan's first reaction concerning AI is, "What else can we say about this?" There is a little bit of burnout about AI. Hilary says we get so many articles. Morgan says there does need to be attention paid. What are your AI use policies? Are your employees introducing risk with AI?  [20:42] Morgan says there was a cybersecurity survey cited in the issue. The biggest risks they are seeing are misinformation and disinformation. IT people don't consider themselves or their companies prepared to identify those risks across the board. Justin quotes that ISACA poll. [21:45] Hilary says you're seeing a lot of shadowy AI use; a lot of unlicensed and unsanctioned use. If your company allows you to use Copilot, but you're using ChatGPT and Gemini, that's unsanctioned use. [22:15] Morgan says dropping an entire report in that might be proprietary information, to distill that into a public environment; not just opening the program, but what you're putting into it, may be stuff that no one would want out. [22:31] Hilary says a recent study showed that 90% of organizations have employees who regularly use personal AI tools at work. Forty percent of companies have bought official subscriptions to AI services because they get different privacy protections than free versions. [22:51] Fifty percent of companies are running on shadow AI. They're either letting employees foot the bill by using personal subscriptions or using a free mode, and that's a disaster. One of the things a lot of organizations aren't thinking about is the cost of subscriptions and tokens. [23:10] A lot of companies that are starting to adopt AI at a large scale and are footing that bill are running into astoundingly large bills for these services and not factoring in that it is not free computing power. It is not a free tool. [23:28] Now that some of these companies are going IPO, if tools are free, they're not going to stay free. Morgan says, it's one of those things that, although it's not necessarily something you want to hear for the fifteenth time, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be doing something about it. [24:03] Hilary adds that hidden costs are a big thing people aren't thinking about. People are thinking about governance, which is incredibly important. The market for that is also booming. People have an interest in making you afraid of it, as well as selling it to you in the first place. [24:22] Hilary says, the governance market is going from $200+ million two years ago to an estimated three or four billion dollars by 2037. It's a huge industry to make you dependent on AI and to charge you to govern it or make it safer. [24:43] Hillary says we're seeing studies that companies have made huge investments in AI, and are not seeing an ROI. A recent study showed that 5% of organizations have had transformative ROIs. The other 95% said there is zero measurable impact on Profit & Loss, if not a net negative. [25:10] Hilary says one CEO said that unless it's for coding specifically, we're not going to get monetary value whatsoever out of AI. A lot of companies that have fired people are starting to reverse course really quickly. [25:24] Hilary says companies that make AI are walking back a lot of their claims about how transformative it's going to be. They had said there would be a job apocalypse because widespread job automation would be so easy. They're walking that claim back. [25:47] The COO of Uber said that gains in productivity were absolutely nothing compared to the increased AI-related expenses they are experiencing. They're walking back a lot of their investment. [25:58] The former Chief of AI at Microsoft said that employees default to automating tasks that they dislike, rather than ones that create value. Morgan says it speaks to being practical about what you're going to get out of it, as opposed to it being a magic button to press. [26:28] Morgan says that in the early going of anything, there's a spike of promise and then reality kicks in. AI is not going to be tossed aside. Hilary says there's a hype bubble around AI, that AI is for everything, and that AI would replace everyone. Companies are laying off. [26:59] Hilary says last year, 125,000 tech workers lost their jobs. In 2026 through June, already 120,000 tech workers have lost jobs. We are seeing an overinflated promise of what AI is going to be. People are slowly beginning to realize AI is to augment employees, not replace them. [27:25] Morgan says there's a push for "the human in the loop." People have come to recognize that we can't leave people out of this, if only to check the accuracy of results. You can't replace workers because there's stuff that the AI can't do. [27:42] Morgan says AI is always going to tell you what you want to hear. It's going to give you stuff that's already out there. It's not giving you new information; it's just distilling it differently. [27:55] Hilary says there's an important core competency people need to be developing now. Taking a quick look at a thing and saying it makes sense is not an adequate amount of oversight to provide for things you're using AI for, particularly as you start using it more and more. [28:14] AI is structured to give you things it thinks you want, or to predict what you would do. The results may seem well-written, but you must pay attention to what's in it and whether it makes sense. [28:33] Hilary says some people submit stories to RIMS Risk Management Magazine that simply restate things; they don't explore ideas. With AI, don't just look to approve it; look to assess it and analyze what it is doing before you put it forward. [29:14] Hilary says, to be very clear, RIMS Risk Management Magazine does not accept articles that are written by AI. When it comes to articles about AI, they've seen just about everything. [30:11] Morgan says he would probably be interested in practical use cases that are not promotional, if somebody found some success using AI, that fellow risk professionals could benefit from, as well, and not something so proprietary that it only works for their company. [30:26] Morgan says it should be something like where AI might be able to help risk managers in general. A lot of people are using AI for different things. It's not about the only best practice, but helping the magazine establish a list of best practices for AI in the risk process. [30:50] Hilary says it's also helpful to get articles that have practical guidance on what people are using that is useful in terms of governance. How are they crafting effective policies? [31:01] How are they working to train their workforce on best practices so they're using AI responsibly and getting the most out of it? How are they exploring the ideas of customization, if that is something their company is doing in-house? Practical articles. [31:17] Hilary says she is seeing a lot of articles on legal exposure and how that is shaping up since all of the case law is so nascent. What are the exposures? What are the liabilities other organizations are learning in real time that you can start guarding against? [31:35] Morgan says there are a lot of cases working through without a lot of precedent. Some of these cases will become precedents. Four years ago, everyone was talking about basic, general risks. Now we are talking about specific risks of real applications. [32:04] Hilary says there is interest in the costs of AI. That's underexplored and would be interesting to read about. Are companies seeing that it's having impacts they haven't anticipated? Every prompt you give to ChatGPT, even 'thank you," is a payment to OpenAI. [32:54] Hilary says a study showed that 80% of people are saying "please" and "thank you" to the AI because they don't want to make it angry; 18% are doing it because they say it's just the right thing to do. Hilary puts "thank you" at the end of a prompt, so it's not an extra prompt. [33:22] Hilary says, some AI platforms perform better when you talk to them politely. ChatGPT will give you more coherent, nicer, and polished answers if your input is polite. Morgan refers to the Terminator movies. Hilary says, You want to be polite, but you don't want to be empowering. [34:02] Hilary says, in a video from the American Psychological Association, a professor from Michigan State talked about the underappreciated problem with AI, that if you automate the easy parts of your job, then 100% of your job is the hard parts, a guaranteed ticket to burnout. [34:39] You've made the easy wins and the low-level stuff that your brain needs to recover, a part of your job that you don't get to do. You don't get those bits. Everything is complicated, difficult, and exhausting. That's not how the brain is designed to function. [35:00] Morgan says, We don't want AI to do the fun or easy stuff. Hilary says, Think of a call center. If it's a simple thing, like "What time do you open?", or "Do I have a warranty?", AI can close them easily. That leaves you with a furious customer yelling at you for 20 minutes. [35:25] If that's all you do, all day, every day, what is your life going to be like? Then you start putting things on hold because you need a second. If your goal was efficiency, you're not making it more efficient; you're adding more buffer time because you can't handle that all the time. [35:59] Another Quick Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's Funding Their Future Gala 2026 will be held on September 17th in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria. This year, Spencer will honor Sierra Signorelli of Zurich and our recent guest, Marya Propis of RT Specialty. [36:19] A link to the Gala is in this episode's show notes. [36:21] We have reached the deadline for the Spencer Educational Foundation's Risk Manager on Campus submissions. Grant awardees, colleges, and universities are typically notified in September. [36:37] General Grants are open, and the application deadline is July 30th. Internship Grant applications open on August 15th and close on October 15th. [36:48] Links to each of these grants are in this episode's show notes. Visit SpencerEd.org for more information. [36:56] Let's Conclude Our Interview with Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle of RIMS Sisk Management Magazine! [37:09] Morgan and Hilary have released the Q2 Digital Issue of RIMS Risk Management Magazine. There's an article about red teaming. Morgan says Red teaming is conducting a crisis simulation. You have a team that is the adversary, challenging your assumptions and plans. [38:04] Hilary says they are immersive exercises that involve some form of offense and defense. It's basically wargaming. [39:10] The feature on reputation red teaming suggests that organizations need to prepare for the first 48 hours. In a crisis, it's the first 48 hours of the crisis as much as the crisis itself. [39:40] Morgan says social media is going to amplify the impact of a crisis immediately. Consider the knee-jerk reactions you see online to anything that's happening. If your company loses control of the narrative, people are telling a story that isn't your story and isn't accurate.  [39:55] Morgan says there was a story that Jeff Bezos had said that we should be using water for AI purposes rather than human consumption because AI will solve more problems. But Jeff Bezos never said that. Social media amplifies something before people question its validity. [40:37] Morgan says we're in an environment where "crazy," more often than not, sounds possible. Hilary says social media is a force multiplier for a lot, particularly when there are zero content moderation controls, leading to misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech. [41:04] Morgan points out that even with moderation, something can be put up and seen before it's moderated. The Bezos story is on Snopes that it's not true, but how many people follow up a story like that after they see the headline? They might not know where they saw it. [41:34] The point of throwing these reputation red teaming exercises together is to acknowledge the fact that not only do you need a plan, but the plan has to be in place to be able to move quickly. [41:44] When it comes to a crisis that happens within your organization, one of the biggest parts of it is the reputation elements. People run with it, "Not only is this a bad thing an organization did, or a questionable thing, but they're terrible for it and irredeemable." [42:04] If you can't put out a statement in the first 12 hours after something happens, because you weren't ready for it, that means you entirely miss out on any opportunity to correct that misinformation and be a part of the narrative that actually steers the conversation. [42:30] Morgan speaks about attention spans. People see a headline and then move on to the next headline. Your first impression may be their only impression. Act quickly. Have the people in place and the plans in place. The exercise is for people to poke holes in your plan. [42:59] Justin says it's a good article, and the author, Ted Skinner, gives you actionable takeaways. Morgan likes the article but had not heard of red teaming. [44:05] Hilary says red teaming is very common in cybersecurity. This is the first time they have run across it in other applications. [44:48] Justin brings up human behavior. It's in the Q2 issue. It permeates every risk. You can't just let AI do your job for you; you have to put a human perspective and input into it. Human behavior impacts employee misconduct. There was an article on it in the RIMS Weekend Read. [45:17] Employee misconduct is on the minds of risk professionals and executives. [45:27] Morgan says culture is a good stopgap measure to have. A risk manager can't be everywhere at once. If your organization has a risk-aware culture, it can stand in for you when you're not around. If everyone's aware of risk, you don't have to be the only person watching. [46:02] Hilary says culture is your sunscreen. It's your everyday, it's your automatic. It's the thing that you need to do to prevent the majority of photoaging and skin cancer. Some of the more subject-specific areas are your serums to spot treat your hyperpigmentation and redness. [46:21] It depends on what your specific skin is like. Are you focusing on wrinkles? Are you adding antioxidants? The sunscreen is the thing you need every day, as it covers the vast majority of problems. [47:05] Morgan says the human element is always necessary to interweave into all of this because it's one of the things you can control. You can't control geopolitical events or storms, but you can control whether or not you put the sunscreen on. [47:25] You can control whether or not you have plans in place for any disaster. That's what allows you to sleep at night. You can do something in an environment where it feels like nothing can be done. That can get overwhelming. [47:42] Hilary says part of overcoming that overwhelm is the empowerment that comes with educating yourself and doing the work. You can't control geopolitical risk. What does that mean for your organization? What does that mean for your cost of materials? [48:06] It takes time, and it's not glamorous to look up how much asphalt we use in a year. The stuff that keeps all the gravel together in asphalt is a by-product of oil production, and drastically increases in price. What does it mean if your supply chain is going to be drastically delayed? [48:33] Those are the ways you can empower yourself and make a difference within your organization with some of these big, ephemeral risks. You need to think, What does this mean for us? [48:49] Hilary says one of the things we evaluate with our goals and the single most common edit note that I give on submitted articles, is "So, what? Yes, that is a risk. What does it mean for you? What do you do about it? What consequence does this have for your organization?" [49:20] Those questions are the distinctions between an article I read and an article I publish. Those are the distinctions between a risk manager who is informed and a risk manager who is empowered. [49:55] Justin asks, based on the Q2 issue of RIMS Risk Management Magazine, and on what they heard and saw at RISKWORLD 2026, what actions should risk managers take before the end of 2026? [50:12] Morgan says it depends on where you come from and understanding where risks exist, for you, and breaking it down to the things you can control, looking at where all these big-picture things intersect your business. [50:33] That comes down to strengthening your fundamental risk management practices to make sure you don't lose sight of the basics. [50:47] There is some talk of the property insurance market softening. That may give you more funds to invest in training or in infrastructure improvements. At least, reassess your policy's terms and conditions and see if you might take advantage of pricing. [51:12] Those are the fundamentals of risk management. In a time when everything is crazy, when it's a polycrisis environment, those are the things you're going to have to do; otherwise, it will get too crazy to look at all the big stuff. [51:34] Hilary agrees. Focus on localized impacts, whether it's the impact of the supply chain disruption on your business, or a storm, or inflation, and also, work on your skill set, learning to have a critical eye when it comes to how and if you're using AI, and what it's being used for. [52:00] Hilary says there's a 56% wage premium for workers with AI skills, according to PWC. A lot of self-improvement and educational things are critical to doing your job well now, but they also set you up to be more prepared career-wise. [52:16] Hillary touches on thinking about what some of these impacts do to your workforce. AI is a tremendously stressful and confusing one for your workforce, so redirecting some money into training programs is a great option. You'll have a better workforce, and they'll feel better. [52:41] Studies show that the more training you offer, the less resistance you get when it comes to tool integration, and the better outcomes. [52:51] When it comes to storm season, you're dealing with a standing inflation, but so are your workers. If they can't afford plywood to board up their houses, that's also a problem. If they are displaced, you have a displaced workforce, and that means business interruption. [53:07] What can you do to assist? Is that ordering things in bulk, so you have some purchasing power to help them obtain supplies? Is that providing emergency kits so they are prepared at home, and you have a more prepared workforce that comes back to work sooner? [53:28] Think small when the big stuff is a little too big. [53:41] Morgan says, the other side of the coin is to avoid getting distracted by headlines that maybe don't have as much relevance. Educate yourself to know what technology works for you. If you just take things on faith, that may not be fit for purpose for you. [54:14] Hilary says a wait-and-see approach with a lot of emerging technology is proven to be the best course of action, and Hilary recommends it. Focus on augmenting employees, not replacing them. [54:36] According to Gartner, 50% of AI layoffs are going to be reversed by 2027. A lot of people who acted fast and cut people because they overestimated the impact of AI are going to be hiring those people back, and probably for more money, not to mention retraining costs. [55:02] Some people are calling it a layoff boomerang. It's coming back. Those who were not overly hasty are the ones who will fare better in the long run. That's an important lesson to keep in mind when it comes to making some of these decisions, going forward. [55:28] Morgan says, nobody would have said we're going to have a war that's going to dominate all the headlines. Hilary says, if you told me there was going to be a war, Iran wouldn't have been my first guess. [55:42] Morgan says, We're starting storm season. We're anticipating it being a mellow storm season. It doesn't mean it will be. It's the nature of the game that there are a lot of unanticipated things. [55:57] Hilary says a dry hurricane season comes with increased dryness, which means increased wildfire risk. It's always something. It's either flooding or it's burning. Which you prefer is largely subjective. [56:24] Morgan says it's one of those years where it's tough to predict anything, because every day it's something new, which is what keeps risk management interesting. Hilary agrees. Morgan says he's still interested. [56:49] Justin says, It's been great to have you rejoin us. It's always fun! These are some of my favorite episodes to produce. Everyone, go to RMMagazine.com. RIMS members get access to the "turn the page" edition, but anyone can view a lot of the articles online. [57:11] The Awards issue is also at RMMagazine.com and RIMS.org/Awards. There's a listing of the folks who won, as well as links to the issue itself, where you can read more about those individuals. Learn editorial guidelines for contributing articles at RMMagazine.com/Contribute. [57:39] Hilary says There are also our Topics pages, if you want any subject-specific coverage. It's a great way to navigate within the website. Natural disaster things don't vary that wildly, year to year, when it comes to preparation best practices. [57:58] In submitting article pitches, keep in mind that Hilary will ask, "So what?" If you're submitting something, ask yourself that. So what? Why should somebody care to read this? [58:29] Justin says, Look at her Hurricane Outlook, and the Red Teaming article for good examples of what we're looking for. The Hurricane Outlook is far more in-depth than what we're expecting from the typical outside contributor, but it should give you a good starting point. [58:46] I'd like to congratulate you on another wonderful quarterly edition of RIMS Risk Management Magazine. I look forward to seeing you at upcoming RIMS events, and thank you so much for joining us. [59:00] Special thanks again to Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle for joining us here on RIMScast again. The Q2 Edition of RIMS Risk Management Magazine is now available on RMMagazine.com. [59:12] If you want to contribute, check out RMMagazine.com/Contribute for the editorial guidelines. You can reach out to Morgan O'Rourke and Hilary Tuttle. And our Editor, Jennifer Post there, as well. [59:23] We're certainly going to have them back for our Year in Review episode of RIMScast, but if and when major news happens, or I run out of guests, they just may come back and rejoin us here on RIMScast.  [59:36] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [1:00:04] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [1:00:22] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [1:00:40] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [1:00:56] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [1:01:10] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [1:01:22] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!   Links: RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available RIMScast on YouTube! RIMS-CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | July – Sept. 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam | Register Now! 2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference | July 28‒Aug. 1 | Register Now RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 | Aug. 10‒12 in San Antonio | Register Now! Spencer Educational Foundation's 2026 Funding Their Future Gala | Sept. 17, 2026 ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today and Submit an Educational Session! 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तपाईँका मनपर्ने ‘बिन्जवाचिङ' सिरिजहरू, जुलाई महिनाभित्र हेरिसक्नु चलचित्रहरू अनि नेपाली, हिन्दी, उर्दू लगायत विभिन्न भाषाका चर्चित सिनेमा र अस्ट्रेलियाको वार्षिक लोगी अवार्ड्सको मनोनयनमा परेका रोमाञ्चक सामाग्रीहरू निःशुल्क हेर्नुहोस् - एसबीएस अन डिमान्डमा।यस जुलाई महिनाका विशेष प्रस्तुतिहरू, तपाईंकै लागि, https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/ मा! हाम्रा थप अडियो प्रस्तुतिहरू पोडकास्टका रूपमा उपलब्ध छन्। यो नि:शुल्क सेवा प्रयोग गर्न तपाईंले आफ्नो नाम दर्ता गर्नु पर्दैन। पोडकास्टमा सामाग्री उपलब्ध हुनासाथ सुन्न यहाँ थिच्नुहोस्।Subscribe to the SBS Nepali podcast here.Watch SBS OnDemand:FIFA World Cup 2026™Nepali CollectionSouth Asian CollectionTV ShowsWhat's leaving in July?EVERY STORY STARTS SOMEWHEREGomorrah: The Origins is set in 1977 Naples, where 16-year-old Pietro Savastano navigates the world of organised crime, discovering the true cost that life amidst violence, alliances and betrayals demands.TRENDING NOWWogball: Australia's Beautiful Game, presented by Anthony LaPaglia, is the story of the wild ride of Australian football. From being dismissed as a game for outsiders to the moment that 43 per cent of the country watched the Matildas in the 2023 World Cup Semi-Final.Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, is a look at the life and work of record executive and producer Clive Davis, whose five-decade career has launched many superstars, including Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, and Aerosmith.Cup Fever!SBS is celebrating the world's biggest sporting event by bringing back a true fan favourite, with Cup Fever! returning for the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Streaming on SBS On Demand every night of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and in a landmark first for SBS, the series will also premiere on YouTube each night, meeting Australians wherever they are watching and sharing the World Cup. Cup Fever! will reunite hosts Santo Cilauro and Ed Kavalee in a vodcast format to entertain fans across Australia with their signature blend of sharp analysis, humour and genuine football knowledge.VOTE NOW FOR YOUR FAVOURITESSBS and NITV receive eight Logie nominations: It's Logies time, and some of your favourite documentaries, dramas and actors could be going home with awards this year. Cast your votes now.

Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin dig into the life of Alexandre Dumas Père — and it's a wild ride. His grandmother was a slave. His father was the French army's first non-white general. Napoleon destroyed that father, and Dumas never forgot it. He wrote over 100 novels, went broke twice, helped unify Italy, and ran the museums of Naples — including Pompeii. Oh, and he wrote a cookbook. Elyse brings the research, Annie brings the questions, and together they make French history genuinely fun. Hit play. And if you enjoy this, subscribe — a new episode drops every Sunday. Listen to the episode ad-free Table of Contents for this Episode Today on the podcast: Alexandre Dumas Podcast supporters Magazine segment Meet Dumas A Larger Than Life Figure His Father the General Napoleon and Injustice Racism and Early Schooling Dreaming of Stories Paris and The Stage Fame Money and Excess Translations and Travels Serialized Novels Begin Collaborators and Style Breakout Novels Travel Writing Begins Debt and Coauthor Fight Theater Gamble and Backlash Exile Trips and Hugo Visit Garibaldi Adventure in Italy Return and Late Career Shift Stroke Death and Legacy Monumental Output Why Films Love Dumas Romance Action Style History Names Not Facts Panthéon Farewell Patreon Thanks and Perks France Heatwave Update Air Quality and Ozone Alerts France Air Conditioning Debate Heat Pumps and Home Comfort Environmental Concerns and Reality Travel Tips for Staying Cool Hydration and Best Travel Timing Cutting Emissions and Going Electric Newsletter and Next Episode Tease Next week on the podcast Final Thanks and Goodbye Copyright More episodes about French history #JoinUsInFrance, #FrancePodcast, #Francophile, #FranceTravelTips, #RealFrance, #AlexandreDumas, #FrenchLiterature, #ThreeMusketeers, #CountOfMonteCristo, #FrenchHistory, #HistoricalFiction, #ClassicLiterature, #FrenchCulture, #FranceTravel, #VisitFrance, #Paris, #LivingInFrance, #MovingToFrance, #TravelPodcast, #FrenchLife

Have you ever started something with the best intentions, only to run out of steam? In this message, Pastor Dan Edmondson digs into 2 Thessalonians 3:13, where the apostle Paul gives a short but powerful charge to the church: "Do not grow weary in doing good." Drawing from personal stories of missionary work in Sierra Leone and his son's journey through Papua New Guinea and rural Mexico, Pastor Dan identifies four real obstacles that cause people to give up: disappointment, lack of planning, lack of vision, and lack of faith. He closes with a simple, unforgettable challenge involving a napkin and a Sharpie.Whether you're burned out from helping people who don't seem to change, unsure if your vision is big enough to matter, or quietly wondering if God is even paying attention, this message speaks directly to where you are. Naples Community Church meets Sundays at 10:00 AM at 849 7th Ave S, Naples, FL. Join us in person or online. Learn more and plan your visit at naplescommunitychurch.org.

Sam Campbell joins Captain Alan for one of the most unhinged episodes yet; featuring Last One Laughing doppelgängers, castle turrets, extreme heat, accidental art auctions, Hollywood near-misses, and a volcanic egg that changes everything. The inflight chat veers from Yoko Ono to Pompeii and a suspiciously life-changing souvenir from Naples. It's hot. It's chaotic. It's deeply wrong in places. And it's absolutely Life's a Beach. Don't miss the brilliant Make That Movie: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/make-that-movie 00:00 Castle turret invitation & instant chaos 00:35 “It's too hot to podcast” begins immediately 01:05 John Lennon & philosophical lyrical flips 01:40 Yoko Ono, art pieces & auction confusion 02:20 Sam's £5,000 bidding war misunderstanding 03:50 Sweating, steamed glasses & survival mode 04:20 Alan's castle mythology escalates 05:40 TV fame, comparisons & “big star energy” 06:50 How Jacob Elordi almost became Sam's Hollywood bestie (and the team that intervened) 08:30 Casting Alan's biopic & his Susan Boyle theory 10:10 Last One Laughing's “cutting room floor” chaos & doppelgängers 14:00 Sam at the A24 party & Jonah Hill and hitting it off with Jacob Elordi 16:20 Travel disasters, scary Uber & YUMMYYY pancakes 18:40 Alan's Castle, Sam's invited 23:00 Make That Movie plug & surreal pitch 25:30 Atherton Tablelands & giant rats discussion 28:00 Pigs, divorce & questionable farm survival logic 31:00 Nudist camps, prudishness & “Yummy” 34:45 Being an Aussie in London 36:40 Sam's completely off the rails Pompeii story 40:40 The tale of charcoalian egg 45:00 Quick fire round #LifesABeach #AlanCarr #SamCampbell #ComedyPodcast #BritishComedy #ComedyGold #FunnyPodcast #SurrealComedy #ComedyInterview #TravelStories #StandUpComedy Sara Morgan-Beckett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

durée : 00:58:16 - Le Cours de l'histoire - par : Xavier Mauduit - Artiste plasticien, Ernest Pignon-Ernest parcourt le monde pour coller des images de personnes, connues ou non, sur les murs des villes. De l'Afrique du Sud à Cuba en passant par Naples, il interroge notre rapport aux lieux et à leur histoire. - équipe : Maïwenn Guiziou, Laurence Millet, Jeanne Delecroix, Jeanne Coppey, Raphaël Laloum, Chloé Rouillon, Sidonie Lebot, Luce Mourand, Angelico Gaymard - invités : Ernest Pignon-Ernest Artiste plasticien Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France

Thursday of the 12th Week in Ordinary Time Saint of the Day: St. William of Vercelli, 1085-1142; born in Vercelli, Italy; brought up as an orphan; became a hermit after a pilgrimage, and attracted so many followers that a monastery was built; the austerity of his rule led to dissension among his followers; so, to restore peace, William left, and was taken under the protection of Roger I of Naples, who built him a monastery in Salerno; he founded monasteries throughout Naples, and died near Nusco, Italy Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 6/25/26 Gospel: Matthew 7:21-29

A Queenstown chef has taken out the number two spot in the contemporary section at the World Pizza Championship in Naples. The field was vast, with about 600 competitors, mainly Italians. Yoni Dmoch who owns Biga Pizza got to compete in Naples after winning a New Zealand competition last year. Dmoch spoke to Lisa Owen.

Your prospects don't hate your offer. They feel your desperation. And that's what's killing your sales. In this episode, Ray Higdon gets brutally honest about one of the most overlooked killers of conversion: the energy you bring into every sales conversation. Whether you call it eagerness, pushiness, or commission breath, prospects sense it and it sends them running, even when they actually want what you're selling. Ray breaks down three concrete steps to eliminate desperate energy from your prospecting for good. Step one: talk to more people. When you only have two prospects in your pipeline, desperation is almost unavoidable. When you're consistently reaching out to 30, 40, or 50 people a week, you stop fixating on any single outcome. Step two: stop focusing on your solution and start focusing on the problem your prospect has actually told you about. If you don't know what they're struggling with, it's likely because you've never asked. Step three: develop posture. Posture is the ability to manage the energy of a conversation without chasing, guilting, or pressuring. Ray shares the exact mindset he carried when reaching out to his warm market as he became the number one income earner in his company: "I'm going to do this with or without you." This episode is a masterclass in sales psychology for network marketers, direct sellers, and anyone who's ever felt like they were trying too hard. If you're ready to close more sales by caring less about any one outcome, this is the episode you've been waiting for. —

Father Casey Jones is a priest of the Diocese of Venice, Florida. He currently serves as the pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish and school in Naples, Florida. In Today's Show: I'm giving a Rosary to a non-Catholic; should I get it blessed by a priest? How should we conduct ourselves towards coworkers who persecute us? Regarding the birth of Jesus and the star of Bethlehem and its timing. Do we know when exactly Jesus was born, or could we ever possibly know? Have you seen the Chosen, and if so, who is your favorite portrayal? Father, what's the Spiritual Danger of helping possessed/oppressed individuals undergoing deliverance? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!

Welcome back to the podcast. With Father's Day here, I wanted to have a conversation that would cause all of us to pause and think a little differently about one of the most important relationships in our lives: the relationship we have with our dads. Today's guest is Mick Naples, author of Walking with Grizzlies, a book he wrote after losing his father and realizing there were lessons, conversations, and moments he wished he hadn't taken for granted. What I loved about this conversation is that it isn't really about fatherhood—it's about being a son or daughter and asking what responsibility we have in nurturing those relationships while we still can. One of the things that stood out to me most was Mick's honesty. He openly shares that while he loved his dad, he didn't always appreciate him. In fact, many of the things he now treasures were the very things he overlooked when his dad was alive. As he reflected on his father's life after his passing, he began to see qualities, sacrifices, and acts of love that had always been there but that he simply hadn't fully recognized. It made me think about how often we focus on our parents' shortcomings while missing the gifts they've given us. And while none of our parents are perfect, that doesn't mean they aren't worthy of honor, gratitude, and intentional connection. We also talked about something that we discuss often in Family Brand: relationships don't grow by default. They grow by design. As children become adults, the automatic proximity that once existed starts to disappear. We move away, build our own families, get busy with work, and suddenly years can pass without truly investing in the relationship. Mick challenged me to think differently about that. Instead of asking what our parents could be doing differently, what if we asked what role we have in strengthening those relationships? What conversations have we been putting off? What questions haven't we asked? What stories haven't we taken the time to hear? Another part of the conversation that really stayed with me was the idea that many of the things our parents did that frustrated us as children can look very different through the lens of adulthood. As we become parents ourselves, we start to understand the weight of responsibility, the difficult decisions, and the imperfect ways people try to show love. It doesn't excuse every mistake, but it often creates empathy. And sometimes empathy opens the door to healing, understanding, and deeper connection. More than anything, this episode felt like an invitation. An invitation to be intentional. To make the call. Ask the question. Write the letter. Schedule the visit. Have the conversation you've been meaning to have. Because one of the hardest lessons Mick learned is that sometimes "later" never comes. And if there's one takeaway I hope you carry from this episode, it's this: don't wait until a relationship becomes a memory to start appreciating it. LINKS: All Links Family Brand!  stan.store/familybrand familybrand.com/quiz familybrand.com/retreats.   Links For This Episode: walkingwithgrizzlies.com. Episode Minute By Minute: 00:00 – Introducing Mick Naples and Walking with Grizzlies 02:30 – Why Mick wrote the book after losing his father 04:00 – "If you're going to be a bear, be a grizzly" 05:00 – The kind of father Mick's dad was 07:00 – Losing his dad and the regrets that followed 09:00 – Honoring parents despite their imperfections 11:00 – Why adult children share responsibility in the relationship 14:00 – Building parent relationships by design, not default 15:30 – Seeing the value in your dad 18:00 – When hard parenting is actually an expression of love 20:00 – Why proximity creates connection 22:00 – How becoming a parent changes your perspective 24:00 – Idolize, demonize, then humanize your parents 26:00 – The example we're setting for our own children 28:00 – The regret of "I'll talk to him later" 30:00 – Conversations worth having before it's too late 33:00 – Faith, legacy, and the condition of the soul 36:00 – Mick's challenge for every son and daughter 37:00 – The Walking with Grizzlies resolution 39:00 – Final Father's Day reflections

Full Text of Readings Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 370 The Saint of the day is Saint Paulinus of Nola Saint Paulinus of Nola's Story Anyone who is praised in the letters of six or seven saints undoubtedly must be of extraordinary character. Such a person was Paulinus of Nola, correspondent and friend of Saints Augustine, Jerome, Melania, Martin, Gregory and Ambrose. Born near Bordeaux, he was the son of the Roman prefect of Gaul, who had extensive property in both Gaul and Italy. Saint Paulinus of Nola became a distinguished lawyer, holding several public offices in the Roman Empire. With his Spanish wife, Therasia, he retired at an early age to a life of cultured leisure. The two were baptized by the saintly bishop of Bordeaux and moved to Therasia's estate in Spain. After many childless years, they had a son who died a week after birth. This occasioned their beginning a life of great austerity and charity, giving away most of their Spanish property. Possibly as a result of this great example, Paulinus was rather unexpectedly ordained a priest at Christmas by the bishop of Barcelona. He and his wife then moved to Nola, near Naples. He had a great love for Saint Felix of Nola, and spent much effort in promoting devotion to this saint. Saint Paulinus of Nola gave away most of his remaining property—to the consternation of his relatives—and continued his work for the poor. Supporting a host of debtors, the homeless and other needy people, he lived a monastic life in another part of his home. By popular demand he was made bishop of Nola and guided that diocese for 21 years. Saint Paulinus of Nola's last years were saddened by the invasion of the Huns. Among his few writings is the earliest extant Christian wedding song. His liturgical feast is celebrated on June 22. Reflection Many of us are tempted to “retire” early in life, after an initial burst of energy. Devotion to Christ and his work is waiting to be done all around us. Paulinus' life had scarcely begun when he thought it was over, as he took his ease on that estate in Spain. “Man proposes, but God disposes.”Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Most people say they want financial breakthrough, but very few are actually walking in the faith it takes to get there. In this episode, Ray Higdon delivers a powerful and challenging message for anyone who feels stuck financially. The problem, Ray says, isn't strategy or timing. It's who you're being every single day, and whether you're truly walking in faith or just claiming to be. Ray draws on scripture, personal stories, and hard-won business experience to unpack what walking in faith actually looks like in practice. He shares the moment his company faced a $1.1 million hotel bill for a major event, how he was led to bring in John Maxwell as a speaker despite the enormous financial pressure, and why that obedience, not logic, produced the breakthrough. He also unpacks the parable of the talents, Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac, and David's posture before Goliath to illustrate what genuine faith-driven decision-making looks like when the numbers don't make sense. This episode will challenge you to stop holding on so tightly to the money you have that you miss the investment God is calling you toward. If every opportunity looks like a cost instead of a door, this message is for you. Ray's raw honesty and faith-based perspective make this one of the most compelling episodes for entrepreneurs and network marketers who want God-led financial growth, not just hustle. —

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features special guests H. E. Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche, Atisha Mathur, and Fabrizio Pallotti. Together with host Daniel Aitken, they tackle the topic of Buddhist education in the modern world. Discussing the value of rigorous critical thinking in improving Western Dharma study. How students can benefit from collaboration such as the collaboration with Serkong Institute, Association Manjushri Lotsaw, and University of Pisa to bring traditional Buddhist academic structure to Western academia. They also discuss Rinpoche's course with Wisdom Academy, The Debate Between Wisdom and Ignorance.  They also discuss Serkong Institute's mission to guide students amid abundant online materials and the evolution of AI by grounding them in His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Nalanda tradition; how debate functions as a practical tool to test understanding, refine doubts, and build conviction; how to cultivate correct understanding of the Four Noble Truths, liberation, and critical inquiry through reasoning and debate; and much more! The debate videos referenced in the episode can be viewed in the original Dharma Chat from minutes 40:22 to 41:11 here. Additional content mentioned in this episode: Learn more about the Serkong Institute at https://www.serkonginstitute.org/ Learn more and enroll in The Debate Between Wisdom and Ignorance.  Learn more about Science of Mind and Epistemology for Critical Thinking and Contemplative Sciences. Offered in collaboration with Serkong Institute and Association Manjushri Lotsaw. Available from June 15-July 24 2026.  Wisdom Podcast listeners are invited to save 20% off The Debate Between Wisdom and Ignorance with code WPODDEBATE through July 13. The views and opinions expressed on this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Wisdom Publications or any entities they represent. Meet Our Guests: H. E. Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche H. E. Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche was born in the Spiti valley, in India, in 1984. At the age of two, Tsenshap Serkong Rinpoche II (1984 – present) pointed to the photo of the recently deceased Assistant Tutor of the 14th Dalai Lama and said, “That's me!” When he was about three years old he was recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the incarnation of Kyabje Tsenshap Serkong Tugse Rinpoche (1914-1983), who was one of the seven master debate partners to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Rinpoche began his Buddhist studies and training at Ganden Jangtse Monastery in South India. After deciding to continue his work for the Dharma as a lay person, he completed his education at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala. On the advice of the Dalai Lama, Rinpoche completed three years of intensive study of English in Canada. Rinpoche teaches at Dharma Centers around the world, combining his experience of the study and practice of Buddhism with his acquaintance with the Western world. His fascinating teachings are full of wisdom, grace, and humor. Rinpoche feels privileged to continue the responsibilities of Tsenshap Serkong Tugse Rinpoche to teach and benefit people as much as he can. Atisha Mathur, Ph.D. Dr. Atisha Mathur was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. He pursued his undergraduate studies in Language and Literature of South Asia, with a focus on Tibetan studies, at the esteemed Orientale in Naples, Italy. His scholarly pursuits led him to the Central University of Tibetan Studies in Sarnath, India, where he was first immersed in the traditional approach to Buddhist studies.  Atisha then completed a rigorous 10-year study program at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala which emphasizes logic, debate, and the major Indian and Tibetan treatises. In 2024, he earned his doctoral degree in Buddhist Studies at L’Orientale in Naples, Italy.  Since 2019, Atisha has generously shared his expertise in logic and debate with groups of students from all over the world. Bio and photo courtesy of https://www.serkonginstitute.org/teachers Fabrizio Pallotti Fabrizio Pallotti (Champa Pelgye) has been studying and practicing Buddhism since 1979. Fully ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1982, he lived in India from 1987 to 1993, where he learned Tibetan under the guidance of great first-generation masters such as Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, Ribur Rinpoche, Denma Locho Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. For eight years, he lived permanently with Kyabje Ribur Rinpoche, one of the great lamas of Tibet, serving as his translator and secretary. At the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche, he then served at the Lama Tsong Khapa Institute as a Tibetan-to-English translator for the Master’s Program. For many years he has been the official Italian translator of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He is the founder and president of the Manjushri Lotsawa Association and the Sarva Yoga Citta Academy—Yoga of the Mind. Author of the program “Thought Education and Emotional Hygiene,” he teaches at numerous Buddhist centers and master’s programs in Italy. Bio and photo courtesy of https://www.iltk.org/insegnante/fabrizio-pallotti/ The post H. E. Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche, Atisha Mathur, and Fabrizio Pallotti: Buddhist Education in the Modern World (#233) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

12:47 AM   Your prospects don't hate your offer. They feel your desperation. And that's what's killing your sales. In this episode, Ray Higdon gets brutally honest about one of the most overlooked killers of conversion: the energy you bring into every sales conversation. Whether you call it eagerness, pushiness, or commission breath, prospects sense it and it sends them running, even when they actually want what you're selling. Ray breaks down three concrete steps to eliminate desperate energy from your prospecting for good. Step one: talk to more people. When you only have two prospects in your pipeline, desperation is almost unavoidable. When you're consistently reaching out to 30, 40, or 50 people a week, you stop fixating on any single outcome. Step two: stop focusing on your solution and start focusing on the problem your prospect has actually told you about. If you don't know what they're struggling with, it's likely because you've never asked. Step three: develop posture. Posture is the ability to manage the energy of a conversation without chasing, guilting, or pressuring. Ray shares the exact mindset he carried when reaching out to his warm market as he became the number one income earner in his company: "I'm going to do this with or without you." This episode is a masterclass in sales psychology for network marketers, direct sellers, and anyone who's ever felt like they were trying too hard. If you're ready to close more sales by caring less about any one outcome, this is the episode you've been waiting for. —