Podcasts about National Association

How can social workers use advocacy, policy, and collective action to strengthen the profession?In this episode of The Social Work Rants Podcast®, host Bas Moreno, LMSW, CFSW, speaks with Amanda Rodriguez, Policy Lead for the National Association of Social Workers—New York Chapter (NASW-NY). They discuss the unification of the New York City and New York State chapters, the importance of representing both urban and rural communities, and how social workers can influence legislation affecting their careers and clients.Amanda explains NASW-NY's advocacy efforts around social work salaries, student-loan forgiveness, licensing barriers, temporary work permits, and workforce shortages. The conversation also explores the ethical use of artificial intelligence in mental health care, the need to protect minors from unsafe AI chatbot features, and why AI should support—not replace—licensed social workers and therapists.You'll also learn:What NASW does for social workers and MSW studentsHow social workers can participate in policy and legislative advocacyWhy New York's social-work loan-forgiveness program needs greater accessibilityHow licensing exams and employment restrictions affect the workforceWhy stronger safeguards are needed for AI-powered mental health toolsHow NASW-NY's Capitol Action Day helps social workers speak directly with lawmakersWhy voting and civic engagement are essential parts of social-work advocacyWhether you are a social-work student, LMSW, LCSW, mental health professional, policy advocate, or community change agent, this episode shows how your voice can help shape the future of social work.Connect with NASW-NY and learn more about membership, professional development, advocacy committees, and Capitol Action Day at naswny.socialworkers.org.Follow and subscribe to The Social Work Rants Podcast® for honest conversations about social work, mental health, financial wellness, public policy, and social justice.Content note: This episode includes discussion of suicide and unsafe chatbot interactions. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis in the United States, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

The following article of the Health industry is: 'Medical Devices: A Strategic Opportunity for Mexican Industry' by Carlos Alejandro Salazar Gaytán, President, National Association of Healthcare Suppliers (ANAPS) - Medical Expo. 

On this episode of FOX Across America, Jimmy Failla breaks down the latest polling for the upcoming midterm elections and tells us why it's no sure thing that the Democrats sweep the House and Senate in November. Fox News Political Analyst Gianno Caldwell talks about why members of the National Association of Black Journalists have it out for sports commentator Stephen A. Smith. PLUS, superstar Fox News Anchor Chanley Painter stops by to give her take on the latest “controversy” surrounding actress Sydney Sweeney. [00:00:00] Midterms forecast not as rosy for Dems as we thought [00:37:10] How Gavin Newsom failed California [00:55:30] Gianno Caldwell [01:14:07] Bill Maher slams the ‘free Palestine' crowd [01:32:30] Chanley Painter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Absence rates for 9 -13 year olds is higher now than it was 10 years ago according to new ESRI research. To discuss this with Anton was Emer Smyth, Research Professor with the ESRI and Paul Crone Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies.

Absence rates for 9 -13 year olds is higher now than it was 10 years ago according to new ESRI research. To discuss this with Anton was Emer Smyth, Research Professor with the ESRI and Paul Crone Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies.

Apryl Pope, CFP®, CPFA®, CEPA®, is the Founder and Lead Financial Advisor of Pope Financial Planning, where she helps successful professionals approaching retirement turn what they've built into a clear plan for what comes next.With more than a decade of experience, Apryl serves as a Personal CFO to individuals and couples typically within 10 years of retirement, coordinating retirement, investments, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and other major financial decisions. Her planning-first approach provides comprehensive guidance without requiring clients to move all of their existing investments.A former Peace Corps Volunteer and lifelong educator, Apryl was named a 2025 Woman of Excellence by the National Association of Plan Advisors. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband and three sons and understands firsthand how career, family, and life priorities shape financial decisions.Her goal is to help clients move from asking, “Have I done enough?” to feeling confident about what comes next.Lear More: https://www.popefinancialplanning.com/The opinions voiced in this show are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a decision.Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saundershttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/interview-with-apryl-pope-founder-of-pope-financial-planning-discussing-from-saving-your-money-to-living-on-it

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. 

The lessons I carried away from September 11 did not begin that day, and they certainly did not end there. In this solo episode, I reflect on how my parents taught me not to accept the limits others placed on blindness, how my guide dogs taught me about trust and teamwork, and how September 11 confirmed so much of what I already believed about fear, leadership, change, and possibility. I share why I work hard not to worry about things I cannot control, why I believe we can never truly go back to “normal,” and why strong teams are built through trust rather than control. I also challenge some of the ways we think about blindness and disability, because different does not mean less capable. I hope these lessons help you think differently about fear, change, leadership, and what it really means to live with an unstoppable mindset. Highlights: 00:46 – Why the lessons of September 11 began long before that day. 08:56 – How Michael learned that blindness is not the real barrier. 17:13 – Why focusing on what you can control can reduce fear. 24:28 – Why getting back to “normal” is not always the answer. 32:30 – What guide dogs taught Michael about trust and teamwork. 1:01:37 – Why disability does not mean a lack of ability. About the Host: Michael Hingson, blind since birth, was born in Chicago to sighted parents who believed in raising their son with a can-do attitude. Treated like all other children in his family, Michael rode a bike did advanced math in his head and learn to read and write – Braille that is! Michael's family relocated to the warm Palmdale area of California when he was five years old. It is here that Hingson had his first adventure with Guide Dogs for the Blind and received his first guide dog. He later went to college receiving a bachelor's and master's degree in Physics along with a secondary teaching credential from the University of California at Irvine. Michael then enjoyed a nearly-30-year career working for high tech companies spending most of his time in management roles. Michael Hingson's life changed dramatically on September 11, 2001 when he and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center moments before it collapsed. Soon after, Michael and Roselle were thrust into the international limelight where Michael began to share his unique survival story and 9-11 lessons of trust, courage, heroism, and teamwork. Mike has served as The National Public Affairs Director for one of the largest Nonprofit organizations in the nation: Guide Dogs for the Blind; He has served as the vice president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users; Michael has held a seat on the Fort Worth Lighthouse for the Blind. He is the chair of the board of directors of the Earle Baum Center for the Blind  and is the vice chair of the Colorado Center for the Blind; Michael is The National Ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign of the National Federation of the Blind. Until October 2019 he worked as the CEO of the Do More Foundation, the non-profit arm of Aira Tech Corp, a manufacturer of assistive technology which makes a revolutionary visual interpreter for blind people. In January 2021 Mike joined accessiBe as its Chief Vision Officer to help advance the company goal of making the entire internet fully inclusive. He held this position through June of 2026. He is the author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller: “Thunder dog –The True Story of a Blind Man, a Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust” – selling over 2.5 million copies Worldwide. In 2013 Mr. Hingson published his 2 book “Running with Roselle”- which Is the first of its kind- A story for our youth shedding light on one of Americas Darkest Days. Mr. Hingson's third book, “Live Like A Guide Dog”, was released on August 20, 2024. This book shows readers how they can learn to control fear and not, as Mike would say, “become blinded by fear in the face of crisis”. Aside from his talents and advocacies, Mr. Hingson has traveled the Globe from Japan to New Zealand, the Netherlands to his hometown, Chicago. Speaking to some of the world's most elite: from former President, George W. Bush to Larry King, to Fortune 500 companies and colleges and Universities Nationwide. After sharing his story of survival on hundreds of TV and Radio programs, Michael is now an Expert hired by many of today's major corporations and organizations. Speaking and consulting on the importance of Teamwork and Trust, Moving from Diversity to Inclusion, as well as offering Adaptive Technology Training – spearheading innovation for ALL! - Thus, bringing organizations to the forefront of the ever-changing competitive modern world. In June, 2024 Mike was inducted as an alumni member into the honors Fraternity Phi Beta Kappa. Currently Michael lives in Victorville, California with Alamo, Michael's eighth guide dog and his rescue feline, Stitch. More information on Mr. Hingson is available on his website. Here also is a link to Mr. Hingson's press kit: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/q8uxu9u7pap4puj5de7rg/h?rlkey=22bziy0wmghf8111kad73685y&dl=0 http://www.michaelhingson.com/live-like-a-guide-dog www.michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com/podcast Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/mhingson https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://www.facebook.com/Roselle911GuideDog/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1568642850718948 https://www.facebook.com/?paipv=0&eav=AfZNi2VDR2R4nC6SveyCvZIyKtyi9VOLOzOKcG-v0Hk1glaVssEHwdR920w1_u-8B-k&_rdr https://www.facebook.com/?paipv=0&eav=AfZNi2VDR2R4nC6SveyCvZIyKtyi9VOLOzOKcG-v0Hk1glaVssEHwdR920w1_u-8B-k&_rdr Twitter, https://twitter.com/mhingson LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson Youtube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfCx2L9OVN38Dv4mX6udP8g Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson  00:04 What if the biggest thing holding you back isn't what's in front of you, but rather what you believe? Welcome to Unstoppable Mindset, where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. I'm your host, Michael Hingson, speaker, author, and advocate for inclusion and possibilities. This podcast explores how the beliefs we carry shape the way we live, lead, and connect with others. Each week, I talk with people who challenge assumptions, face adversity head-on, and show what's possible when we choose curiosity over fear. Together, we focus on mindset, resilience, and the small shifts that lead to meaningful change. Let's get started. Well, hello, everyone. I am Michael Hingson. I am your host on Unstoppable Mindset, and this happens to be episode 475. Yeah, we've done a lot of these, and most all of them have been conversations with people who said that they wanted to come on the podcast and talk about one thing or another. And I was really pleased to have them. This episode is going to be a little bit different, as the last few have been. Episode 472, which we published on September 4, was a talk I gave in April of 2024, which told my story of being in the World Trade Center on september 11, on episode 473 on the eighth of September, Michelle Abraham interviewed me, and we talked about a number of things around september 11 and so on. Episode 474, which was published on the 11th of September, 2026. was a conversation with Bob Ellis, who was in the Pentagon on September 11, 2001, an escape, and we hear his story, and we got to chat and kind of talked about notes from both of us. Now it's episode 475, and it was suggested that I ought to talk about things that I learned from September 11th and how my life has changed, and I'm going to do the best I can to talk about all that. So you're just going to be hearing me today. I hope you won't go away. I hope that you'll enjoy it. I just returned from speaking all week from September 9th through September 11th in Kilgore, Texas, at Kilgore College, they did an incredible job of doing some things to help people become aware of September 11th. They actually had in the library and around the library at Kilgore College a monument to September 11th. They had some columns or portions of columns from the World Trade Center. They had a list of all of the names. They had flags in a in a in several rows with the names of all of the people who were lost on September 11th. They had a timeline from my book Thunderdog: The Story of a Blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of trust at Ground Zero-a timeline of what I experienced, and they also had, I think, a timeline of just the World Trade Center events in in general. Well, okay, so all of that happened. I got back last night, and now here it is, Sunday. It is the 13th of September, and I'm recording this so that we can publish it on Tuesday, september 15. So that's a little bit of a long way to get to where we are. But as I said, people asked me to talk about what I learned that day, and how I proceeded and progressed from that day, but I have to go back to long before September 11th to really do everything justice and to put it all in context. So let me start this way. I believe that I have said a few times on this podcast, and certainly in some of the speeches that I've given, that I was born two months premature, and I was given a pure oxygen environment when I was born, because I was born early. Medical science had started to hear that even too much oxygen might not necessarily be a good thing, but the doctors in Chicago where I was born didn't buy into that concept yet, and so the result was I was given a pre-oxygen environment, and my retinas didn't develop as they should, and I became blind. So was I born blind? If you're very technical, no. But for all intents and purposes, yes. The doctors told my parents to send me to a home, to send me away, because no blind child could ever. Michael Hingson  04:59 Grow up to amount to anything, and all I would be would would end up being a drain on my family, sucking up all the love that my parents might have had for their older son, two years older than I, my brother Ellery. But the reality is, my parents said you're wrong. He can grow up to do whatever he chooses, and we're going to give him that opportunity. And I grew up with that idea. I grew up with that concept. My parents told me at some point when I was still fairly young about what the doctors had said, and they said, "You know, we think that you can do whatever you want. We want you to have that opportunity. Well, they did a number of things to help the process along. For example, we lived in Chicago until I was five, but at the age of four, typically children in in Illinois start or in Chicago start kindergarten, and I did as well. My parents worked with other parents and the school district to start a kindergarten class for children who were blind, and there were a number of preemies in the Chicago area. In that class, Miss Lapree, my teacher, taught me Braille. See, I remember her name. Taught me Braille. Taught me other skills. Taught the other blind kids because it was a kindergarten class for blind children. Taught us all a variety of different things that we could use, and then unfortunately, in a sense, I guess after kindergarten at the age of four, and it was over, my father had gotten an offer and took a job out in California, and we moved to California. Well, in California, kindergarten starts at five, and even though I had had a course in kindergarten already, I had to go through a second year of it, but we didn't have any kind of facilities to teach us or teach me about Braille going forward, getting me Braille books and so on. So kindergarten, first, second, and third grade, I didn't have access directly to textbook material. My parents helped me though. My father taught me math. He was an electronics and electrical engineer. I was doing algebra in my head by the time I was six. My mother read other assignments to me, taught me the spelling words because in first, second, and third grade you learned to spell, and in theory beyond third grade as well, of course. But what happened for me was that I learned about spelling by my mother teaching me how to spell the words, and then she would say the words, and then I would spell them. Well, that ended up going even further because typically in classrooms, what happened was that when it came time to take the actual spelling test, which happened on Fridays, the teacher would say the words. All of us or all the children in the class would write down the answers. Then we would exchange papers, and the teacher would then write the correct spellings on the board. Not in my class. I had to. Well, I got to get up. I. I don't want to say I had to. That's a lesson that I want to get to. wasn't that I had to get up. I got to get up, and actually spell the words out loud. I remember once missing a word, at least starting to miss a word, and somebody made a noise, and I realized, oh, that must be wrong, and I corrected it. But I learned how to spell words, and I learned to spell them out loud for the whole class, and not be afraid of them, and that way students could grade each other's papers. And so, in a sense, I could say that's where I started to learn how to be involved in doing public speaking, and I learned not to be afraid of standing up and and saying things as long as they were the right kinds of things. Well, between third and fourth grade, I got access to Braille books. Cora Hershberger was hired by the school district to come in. She was a resource teacher with training in dealing with blindness and blind kids and so on. Michael Hingson  08:56 And there were a number of us, and she she was able to get us books, she was able to work with each of us and prove our Braille skills and my Braille skills especially, and so on. So I tell you all of that because I want to put things in perspective, and I think that the most important thing is the doctors told my parents that I couldn't do anything. My parents said, "Of course he can, and they brought me up believing that I could. So I rode a bicycle to school. Everybody still thinks that's amazing. One of the important things that I have learned over the years, and I've learned to articulate it even more effectively. I hope, certainly, I believe better since the World Trade Center, and I became a full-time keynote public speaker, which I've been doing for 25 years, I have learned to discuss this whole concept of blindness and accept the fact that there are going to be a lot of people who have eyesight who get it wrong. They think that, like the doctor said, blind people really can't do anything. You can't absorb the same material, or at least you don't get the same. As sighted people do, so you really aren't going to be able to do the things that we can do. And I have learned that I can't be angry at that. I've learned that in reality, I need to articulate the fact that blindness isn't the problem. The problem happens to be the misconceptions and poor attitudes that people have about blindness. It would be so easy just to be upset every time I hear some comment that talks about what I can do and what I can't do. You can't really ride a bicycle. That's amazing that you could do that. I can't imagine anybody else doing it. I know lots of blind kids who rode bikes, and I'm sure that they still do. Blindness isn't the problem. The reality is the problem consists of the misconceptions and poor attitudes that sighted people have about blindness. Whether you like it or not, that's the way it is. Blindness isn't the problem. We can learn to do the same things pretty much that you can do, and we can learn to do things that you can't do, and we learn all of that and use that knowledge to help us move forward and be more effective. What can I do that you can't do? Try walking around in the dark. You can't do it. You don't know how to do it. You don't have the techniques to do it. One of the things that has cropped up over the past significant number of years is restaurants do something called dining in the dark. Dining in the dark, and there are organizations that promote that, and they say, "Oh, you get to learn how blind people eat and how much of a challenge it is. That is so disgusting that people do that because dying in the dark isn't going to teach you anything about blindness. You don't get the training that you need in order to function as a blind person. Just like I don't get the training to learn how to function as a sighted person. Although I've spent a lot of time observing sighted people, and I understand a lot about eyesight, and I understand what you can do, and I accept that. But I expect, and I think it is reasonable for you to understand and accept that I can do lots of things. That it's not about eyesight. I wrote a book in 20, and it was published by Thomas Nelson Publishing in 2011. I and Susie Florey wrote the book. It's called Thunderdog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dogs, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero. And there is a section near the end of the book called Guide Dog Wisdom. And number two in Guide Dog Wisdom includes a sentence that says, "Don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. You all strictly deal with eyesight, and if it's not something that you can see with your eyes, or you don't really separate eyesight from vision, you tend to really misunderstand so many things. But the reality is, don't let your sight get in the way of your vision. Recognize there's a whole lot more to life than eyesight. Michael Hingson  13:01 SEAL Team Six, other military teams, so many other people learn how to use those other senses, and that's the same thing that we as blind people do. We learn to use our other senses. They're not magically enhanced simply because we go blind, but rather we learn how to use those senses? I hope, or we try to, and by doing so, we improve them and we develop them. And those of us who truly do that are a lot more better off, and we're able to do so many things that people think are amazing, but they're not. They're not really amazing. They're certainly not amazing to me. Anyway, I grew up believing all of that, and of course, I was also very fortunate to have a number of jobs throughout my career. And the final result of all of that was I ended up getting the opportunity to open an office in the World Trade Center for Quantum ATL, the company that hired me to open an office in New York, and there we were on September 11th when everything happened. The night, as September 11th ended, was spent by me and my wife Karen. By the way, Karen was in a wheelchair her whole life. We got married in November of 1982, and we were married through into November of 2022. We were married 40 years. Karen was in a wheelchair her whole life. It was a great marriage, as I love to tell people. She read, I pushed, worked out well. How do I push a person in a wheelchair? Well, she used a manual chair, and when we got to curbs and so on, she would stop, and she would hold the wheels, and and I knew that she had stopped. And I would tip the chair back. She might say, "There's a curb. I would tip the chair back onto its back wheels. We'd roll down off the curb, put the chair down. We'd cross the street, tip the chair up. Front wheels go up on the curb on the other side, unless there was a ramp to go up. And we continued on our way. It's not that magical. It is just what I learned to do, and I enjoyed it. and And I enjoyed Karen's company and so on for 40 years. We were locked down during the pandemic and so on. We'll get to some of that in a bit. But I learned overall that in reality, what my parents taught me was true. Blindness wasn't going to be the problem; eyesight was going to be the problem. And that night after September 11th, we kind of tried to make sense of it. It was me and Karen and a friend of Karen's who I also got to know, and who became a friend of mine. Tom Painter had come down. Tom and Karen went to the same high school, but we all ended up in New Jersey. And Tom came to visit us, actually visit Karen after September 11th started. When he heard about the terrorist attacks, he just came down, not knowing whether I was in the office or not. But I was, and Karen and Tom, well, Tom stayed with Karen and and drove her to pick me up at the Westfield, New Jersey train station at about 7p.m. on september 11. We went home with my guide dog Roselle. When we got home, I took Roselle's harness off because I was going to take her outside. She would have none of it. She ran off. She grabbed her favorite tug bone and started playing tug of war with my retired guide dog Linnie. Well, that was kind of fun, and I didn't think a lot about it. But I went. That was interesting. The next day, I contacted Guide Dogs for the Blind because several people from there had visited us in the World Trade Center, and among others, I spoke to the head of the veterinary department, and I said, "So, tell me, how is all this going to affect Roselle? Because everybody's talking about how it's going to affect everyone and all that, and and he asked me, "Did anything threaten directly Roselle? Did anything really threaten her? And I said, No, not really. Nothing directly affected her. And he said, Well, there you go. Dogs don't do what if. They live in the moment. Michael Hingson  17:13 And when you took the harness off, it was over for her, and she was ready to go play. She wanted to relax. She wanted to play, and she did. Oh, and yes, we did eventually get her outside. But the bottom line is, I think that's one of the most important things that I learned coming out of September 11th, and I, I kind of knew it beforehand, but I really got to understand it afterward. We what if everything to death? We what if anything that comes into our lives, well, we're we're in a war with Iran. Well, what if Iran bombs us? What if Iran does this? What if the Hooties do that? What are we going to do? What if our government takes us to war in the first place? Well, they have. The bottom line is, though, we don't have control over all of that. We do have control over some things in our lives, and those are the things that we should worry about. We should stop worrying about everything else. And people say, "Well, it's natural to worry. No, it's not. Not any more natural to worry than it is not to worry. We learn to worry because we're taught that. But the bottom line is, if we learn only to focus on the things over which we truly have control, and be aware of the other things, but don't let them worry us. Don't let them cause fear in our lives. We will live much less fearful and much more stress-free lives than in any other way. If you want another example of why I believe this, on September 11th, David Frank, my colleague who had come in to be involved with the seminars, David had come in the night before, and he came to our office about 8o'clock in the morning on the 11th of September. When we were escaping from the towers, we ended up downstairs and outside. David saw fire in Tower Two, and the way we happened to walk took us very close to Tower Two. We were at Broadway and Vessi Street, maybe 100 yards away from Tower Two. And when David stopped, he said, "You know, there's fire in Tower Two. I want to take pictures of it. And and I also wanted to try to call my wife Karen to let her know that we had gotten out of the towers, I couldn't get through. The circuits were busy because, as we later learned, people were calling and talking to loved ones. But anyway, David had just started putting his camera away. I had put my phone away, and a police officer yelled, "Get out of here! It's coming down right now! And we heard this sound I describe as kind of a combination of a freight train and a waterfall. I could hear glass breaking, metal clattering, and then just the building collapsing straight down. We didn't necessarily know that it was going to do that, but it did. It did exactly what it was designed to do. Anyway, everyone turned and ran. David ran. I turned 180 degrees. With Roselle, and started running back the other way. And as soon as I started to run, I thought to myself, "God, I can't believe that you got us out of a building just to have it fall on us. And I heard in my head a voice as clearly as you hear me right now-a voice that said, "Don't worry about what you can't control, focus on running with Roselle, and the rest will take care of itself. And I had this absolute sense of conviction that if we worked together, we would be fine. Well, we were. Where'd that voice come from? It was God talking to me. I grew up with my father very seriously believing in the concept of God. If you don't, that's fine. That is your choice. I've had people on my podcast who don't necessarily have strong beliefs and convictions about God. I do, but it's not my job to force people or compel people to believe in God. I will tell my story, and people can accept it or reject it as they choose. But that's what happened to me, and I've realized from that time on: don't worry about what you can't control. And I really, truly work very hard to focus on not worrying about the things that I don't have any influence over. Michael Hingson  21:16 I like to be aware of them. I hear from people all the time today about don't watch the news. I don't like to watch the news because it just makes me so angry and so fearful. And my response is, I'm going to watch the news because I want to know what's going on. And sometimes I'll yell at politicians through the TV, but I won't really overall get angry at them. I will hear it. I will either accept it or decide I don't have any influence over it, so I'm not going to worry about it, and I don't because it isn't going to help me to worry about it. It isn't going to help anyone else to worry about any of those kinds of things. Don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on what you can and leave the rest alone, and that's one of the basic premises of the third book that I wrote, which was published in 2024, entitled "Live Like a Guide Dog: True Stories from a Blind Man and His Dogs About Being Brave, Overcoming Adversity, and Moving Forward in Faith. And that book was written by me and Carrie Wyatt Kent. The book was published by Tyndale House, and is out there for people to to read. The first book was published by Thomas Nelson Publishing, which is now part of Harper Collins, and a lady, Jeanette Hanscom, and I wrote the second book, which is called Running with Roselle, which is really a book more for children, teaching them about me growing up, Roselle growing up, and how we met. A little bit about the World Trade Center. That one was self-published, but all three books are available wherever you can find books, so you can get them always from Amazon, of course. And so I hope that that you'll get them and read them. They will help. Live Like a Guide Dog probably is the best book for me to talk about in terms of things that I learned over the years, but if I really summarize mostly what happened for me after September 11th, it is that what happened on that day validated everything that I've believed about me. Certainly, what I believe about God, but it validates everything that I've ever thought about blindness, blind people, what we can do, the challenges we face, some of the issues that other people have, and the validation is certainly something that helped what I learned. But I learned other things along the way, and you know I want to talk about some of those things. The first, as I said, is don't worry about what you can't control. Focus on what you can, and let the rest take care of itself. Speaker 1  23:56 If you enjoy Unstoppable Mindset and would like to help us continue bringing these conversations to you each week, we've created a way for you to support the show. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and continue sharing stories, insights, and ideas that inspire people to live with purpose and possibility. If supporting the podcast feels right for you, you'll find the link in the show notes, thank you for being part of the Unstoppable Mindset Community. One Michael Hingson  24:28 of the things that happened to me almost immediately after September 11th is I started hearing people say, "We got to get back to normal. If we don't get back to normal, that's a problem. We got to get back to normal. And I always reacted internally, at least pretty negatively to that. And I finally realized why I reacted to that statement about we got to get back to normal. The reason I reacted to that statement, and I still react to to myself to that statement, is normal will never be the same again. We can't get back to normal. If we get back to normal the way it was prior to September 11th, the same thing will happen again. We can't do that. We have to get back to a different normal, and and in fact, normal is probably going to be an ongoing, constant process of change. We ought to learn not to fear that either. Change is all around us. We always say that, but then we don't like change. It's kind of a paradox. But the reality is, change is all around us. And what we really need to do is to learn how to focus in change. And we need to learn that in reality, we can deal with change. And if we have any influence over it, then we should do something about that too. But the bottom line is, getting back to normal prior to September 11th isn't going to help any of us, and and it isn't going to happen. So that is an one thing that I will say definitely. I learned from September 11th: normal will never be the same again. As I said a lot earlier, I think I probably learned about public speaking at least the beginning of it by doing the spelling tests and so on. But after September 11th, the media got my story, and that happened because Joanne Ritter, the public and information services person at the time at Guide Dogs wanted to write a story, and I kind of agreed. And I said, "That's fine. And then she said, "I'll bet you'll be on TV. What television show do you want to be on first? So I kind of just sort of flippantly said, "Larry King Live. That was on the 12th of September when I talked with her. On the 13th, she called back and she said, "Larry King wants you on his show on september 14, which was a Friday, and they sent a car to pick me up, and and I recall Karen and and Tom one as well, and anyway, we went into the World Trade Center, not to the World Trade Center, but we went into New York, and I appeared on CNN, which was the first of five interviews with Larry. Larry also, by the way, at my request, wrote the foreword for Thunderdog. So when you read Thunderdog, you'll get to read Larry's words as well. But after being on Larry King, the media really got my story, and a lot of things happened after that. I started getting literally calls every day for interviews. People wanted to talk to me about September 11th and ask questions and so on. And one of the things that I learned was that talking to reporters could be a great therapy because they would ask virtually any kind of question you can imagine. And of course, a lot of people said things like, "Well, did you know what happened on September 11th when it was happening? And I said no. And they said, well, of course you didn't. You're blind, you know. And my response is, anybody who says that really needs to not let their sight get in their way or their vision to be polite about it. The fact of the matter is, as we were going down the stairs, no one knew anything about what was going on. When I got into the stairwell, I began smelling an odor, and it took me four floors to realize I was smelling the fumes from burning jet fuel. I did a lot of travel for my company, and so I was in airports a lot. So I recognized that smell. People were speculating about what they were smelling. People were speculating about what was going on. Nobody had a clue. Michael Hingson  28:20 When I realized I was smelling jet fuel, I observed it to everyone around me, and they said, "You're right. That's what we're smelling. It's burning jet fuel. We must have been hit by an airplane. You see, no one knew. We had no clue. Superman and X-ray vision just aren't real. And the bottom line is, nobody knew what was actually happening on September 11th. Blindness have nothing to do with it. People want to feel more comfortable by saying, "Well, most people probably did know, but you're blind. You didn't know. We've got to get away from these habits of thinking that just because somebody is different than we are, that they're less than we are. That's just not true. In any case, the bottom line is that we we really deal with those kinds of things, and that helped me as as time went by recognize and realize that normal would never be the same again, and it validated more my belief that blindness isn't the problem; it's the misconceptions and poor attitudes that people have about blindness that tends to truly be the problem that we face. So, as I began to talk with reporters, I didn't think about what was actually happening. But later, I realized when people started saying, "Well, did you ever get counseling or therapy, and I said no. And then it just popped into my head to say I probably had the best therapy around. I got interviewed by hundreds of reporters that asked basically any question that you can imagine, and I learned to answer those questions without being upset, especially when they were asking pretty derogatory questions or making derogatory comments. Your dog led you down the stairs. No, my dog did not lead me down the stairs. Guide dogs do not lead; they guide. And I understand the definition of lead, but it's a little bit different than what people were truly saying. What they were saying is you didn't know anything, and the dog took you all the way down the stairs because the dog could see. No, in fact, Roselle didn't lead me. Roselle's job wasn't, and no guide dog's job is to lead a person or to take charge. The dog's job is to make sure that we walk safely. I also have a job on the team. My job is to make sure that I know where we're going and how to get there. A lot easier now than it was 25 years ago, but the bottom line is that I'm the one that has to direct the dog and give the dog commands, and the dog needs to make sure that we carry out those commands safely. We are a team; we work together. I've always kind of known that guide dog schools didn't necessarily early in my guide dog career, express it that way, but it's it's a much stronger statement now. They recognize that truly we're a team. We each have a job to do on the team, and we have to work together to make the team work, which is true of any team. I've mentioned Seal Team Six earlier. They're a team. They work together. The firefighters in the World Trade Center and the other people who who were around there worked as a team, and they had to work as a team in order to develop a level of trust and a relationship where essentially each person knew what the others on their team were going to do, and it gave them more of a confidence to be able to function. Teamwork is so crucial in our world, and I learned, and and again on September 11th, it was totally validated how teamwork is so important. Roselle and I worked together well. The firefighters worked together well. Yes, we lost people, but the team really is so important, and we need to recognize that anyone listening to this ought to work in any of the things that they do to develop teams. Being alone makes no sense; it isn't going to work. You're going to have to and should learn to work with other people to make teams work better. I've seen companies where when they have award ceremonies, the leader of a team or the boss of a team gets an award, but the rest of the team doesn't really get the same recognition. Michael Hingson  32:30 If a leader is truly doing a good job at creating a team and being a part of a team, then that leader is really enhancing everyone else on the team, and that leader is the person who should help to make sure that when awards are given, that everyone on a team is recognized. We need to to learn and realize that a team is a bunch of people. It's not just one people, but they learn to work together, and that is also so important. And as I learned more and more about the events of the World Trade Center, I learned and realized more about the whole understanding of teamwork and trust and the value of it. I knew about it with me and Roselle, and I recognized the concept of teamwork. But certainly, September 11th again validated that a whole lot more effectively than anything else that I could think of, but I worked with eight dogs over the years, and working with eight dogs from my first guide dog Squire, who was a golden retriever, up through my current guide dog Alamo, I've learned probably I think more than I ever learned from experts and teamwork and sales and so on and motivation. I learned more from those dogs than I ever learned from the human experts because of the fact that one, I had to build a team with a creature who didn't think the same way I did, who didn't talk the same language that I did, and that expected things from me, and and as one of the things that I've learned is that dogs who are guide dogs really want the human to be the pack leader because it is the pack leader, it is the human who's supposed to tell the dog what they want the dog to do, and dogs take that so incredibly seriously. I mentioned Linny. Well, I didn't mention her, I think, by name. But Lenny was my fourth guide dog, and we were out in in San Diego at a company meeting one Friday in May of 1999, and we came home. It was a Saturday morning that we got home. I flew a red eye home, fed Lenny, and then rested and and all that. But Saturday night, when it came time to feed Linny, I called her. She wouldn't come. Karen even called her. She wouldn't come. We went. Upstairs and found her lying on her bed, kind of really not very responsive. We got her to a veterinarian, and it took a few days for the veterinarian to diagnose what she had as something called glomerular nephritis, which is a disease where the kidneys, the glomeria of the kidneys, which would normally pass out bad stuff from the kidneys but not the good stuff. They were passing out the good stuff as well, and Lenny was was not doing well. We were able to reverse that, but she had to retire from being a guide dog. In fact, we thought in late June of 1999 that we were going to lose her. We went off to a a meeting, not a meeting, but we went off to a hotel to say goodbye to Linny, if you will, on like the second of July. But Linny didn't pass away then, and she did get better. And then Roselle came into our lives, and Roselle and Linny became really good friends, but I mention all of it because I had no clue what was happening to Linny. Guide dogs love their jobs; they take them very seriously. And the fact of the matter is, as I learned, and especially after September 11th, I learned that these dogs will work till they drop. They will. They will do everything they can to please us, because they love what we do. They love us, and we need to bestow the same kind of love on them, which is all part of what teamwork is all about. Well, the bottom line was with Linny. She was with us for three more years, and she got to play with Roselle a lot, and so on. Michael Hingson  36:41 Of course, as I also mentioned after September 11th, but I again, especially because of what happened to Linny, but then afterward on September 11th, I realized how much it was important for me to do all I could to keep the team relationship a positive, strong one, to recognize that in reality these dogs work so hard on their own part to make the team's relationships work. They they deal with what they have to deal with. They get very stressed if we're upset. They take it very personally if we get upset, even if we're not necessarily upset at them; they still take it very personally. The more stress that a guide dog faces in their lives, the harder it's going to be for them, and frankly, the shorter their lives are going to be. So I learned, even before September 11th, but especially after September 11th, to do all I could to keep the stress away from the dog. As we were going down the stairs on September 11th, I constantly encouraged and praised Roselle. What a good dog! Keep going. What a good job! Good girl, Roselle. Even if I wasn't able to hold the harness because the stairs were so crowded that Roselle couldn't walk next to me and had to walk behind me at heel, and I would just hold the leash. I kept praising her because I wanted her to know for her I was okay, and I had to focus on not being afraid and letting that fear come out. Well, I was fearful like anyone was, and in fact, I love to tell people. Being a great fan of science fiction, I have a great imagination, and I was listening for the building to make creaks and groans, and you never knew what was going to happen. Fortunately, it didn't all the way down. But the bottom line for me was that doing so kept me focused. And I and I learned later that while I might have been afraid on September 11th, partly because I was encouraging Roselle and working to sound very calm and confident, I was able to also help other people, but help Roselle and keep Roselle from being afraid and and being stressed. And I work very hard to do that with my guide dogs that I've had since even more than prior to September 11th. My current guide dog Alamo and I travel the world speaking all over the place, if you will. We've been to Israel. We've been well, actually, Alamo didn't get to go to London, but we've been to Israel with my seventh guide dog, Africa. We went to the Netherlands, Alamo and I have been to Wisconsin. I've been to a variety of places, and of course, all around the the world, all around the United States, to Canada, everywhere. And again, I don't necessarily know a lot about where we're going in advance, but I ask a lot of questions so that I can learn where we're going to go, so that I can give the dogs the appropriate commands. I mentioned Wisconsin's. I've been all over the United States. It's been an honor, and I'm going to continue to do that. If anybody wants a public speaker to come and talk to their organization, please reach out to me. I'd love to hear from you. My email address is really simple. It's speaker@michaelhinkson.com. We'll put that in the show notes, and love to hear from you. So anyway, I learned a lot about teamwork from working with eight guide dogs, and I continue to learn every day. I think it's very important for me to learn and to focus all that I can to make sure that I do what it is that's necessary to make a team work, and I believe it is all about the team. I've mentioned that I've written three books, and each one was a collaboration with someone else: Susie Florey with Thunderdog, Jeanette Hanscom with Running with Roselle and Carrie Wyatt Kent with Live Like a Guide Dog, and and the fact of the matter is those collaborations I think were very important. Michael Hingson  40:49 They made the books come out a lot different than I might have imagined them coming out by themselves and the way I would have written them without having collaboration, and probably Live Like a guide dog more than more than the other two, just because of the way it all went. But with live like a guide dog, we focused on each of my my guide dogs and the lessons that we learned. So I mentioned Squire, who I worked with in high school and then went to college with Squire, and Squire was was all around where wherever I was. One night in a dorm, I was with a roommate. Well, actually, a person who lived in a room next door to mine, and I was in his room. We were dealing with a physics problem. By the way, my master's degree is in physics. I have a secondary teaching credential, but I was in with Richard dealing with a physics problem. When I went back into my room, there was no Squire. I didn't realize that a couple of the students decided to play a trick and kidnap him. I went looking around the dorm. I even went into the bathroom and opened the shower door and called Squire, and nothing was totally quiet, and finally, I was getting a little bit concerned. And one of the people said, "Oh well, look, we took the dog. We'll show you. They went into the bathroom, opened the shower door, and out comes Squire. He was in on it. He didn't do a thing when I opened the door, but when the other people did, then then he came out. I wasn't mad at him. Sneaky dog that he is, he had a great sense of humor. But I got vengeance because that that person didn't tell the other people that they showed him where showed me where Squire was. I went and hit Squire somewhere, and then I went back out into the main part of the dorm and I started going, "Who took my dog? What's going on? Where is he? And all the other people said, "Oh, come on, he's in the bathroom. And they went in and opened the door to the shower. No Squire, and they were starting to worry about what happened to him. And Squire, of course, was again not making noise. But eventually, I brought him out and I said, "Okay, I found him. I knew where he was. We're playing a trick on you just like you played a trick on me. That'll teach you. I learned that dogs have a sense of humor that day, but I also learned how much I valued having Squire around, and so Squire worked with me up until and through my first graduate year in physics at UC Irvine, and then Squire retired and went to live with my parents. And in 1973, I got my second guide dog, Holland. Holland was with me through 1986. He worked for almost 13 years, and in fact, was two weeks from retiring when he collapsed in our backyard one day, and we took him to the vet. And the vet said, "I could probably bring him out of whatever he's got, maybe a stroke or a heart attack or both, but he won't have a good quality of life. And so we said goodbye to to Holland. Holland and Squire were both golden retrievers, but again, Holland so strongly reinforced all the things that that I had felt about teamwork, and I learned so much more from him about what I needed to do in order to to function well, not just with a dog, but in my whole life. Then I got Klondike, who was my third guide dog, who was also a golden retriever. Soon after I got Klondike, well, about a year after I got Klondike, suddenly one day he had a very strong grand mal epileptic seizure, and we took him to the vet, and they put him on some medication that wasn't really helping that. And we then kept trying to to deal with it, and finally, and during that same time, I was looking for a job. I had owned my own company for four years, but decided I wanted to go back into the workforce, and and I finally got a job with a company. Michael Hingson  44:52 And on one of the first days that I worked there, Klondike had four grand mal seizures in the. Period of time, and we thought we were going to have to say goodbye to Klondike. But I talked to our veterinarian, and he said, "You know, before we do that, I want to send him to a neurologist who did an electroencephalograph. And he said, "I didn't see much, but he said one thing he did was to take some blood tests, and he said I noticed that his Klondike's thyroid level is low, and low thyroid levels in dogs like Klondike can make them more susceptible to have seizures, just like it can for children. Well, we put Klondike on synthroid, synthetic thyroid, as well as on phenobarbital to control the seizures. The synthroid had much more of an effect than the phenobarb did, Klondike actually became a much more active and playful and interactive dog, and did not have from that time on for the next seven years that he worked for me as a guide dog never had a single seizure. So the thyroid theory was a good one. Again, with with Klondike, it was about developing a team and recognizing that we had to work together. Well, then I got Linny, and again I mentioned Linny only worked for three years. Linny had glomerular nephritis that was really probably from a tick bite where the tick had Lyme's disease, and we didn't know any of that was happening until that night that Linny didn't wake up at all or didn't get up from her bed, and we finally got it diagnosed. And then I got Roselle. Now Roselle was a a wonderful dog. One of the things that I've always said is that when I get a new guide dog and I tell the trainers I want a dog with an on-off switch. That is, I want a dog that knows when the harness is on, it's time to work, and when the harness is off, then they can play. Clearly, Roselle had that when she was in harness. She was very focused. She did develop a phobia of thunderstorms, but there were a few times that we had thunderstorms, and she was able to continue to guide, even though she would shake and she would shiver a little bit. But she continued to guide. She focused. In fact, there was a thunderstorm the morning of September 11th, about 12:30 in the morning. But there was no thunder when we were going through what we did in the World Trade Center, so none of that caused her to be fearful. But again, Roselle was a dog that that taught me a lot about observation, learning what the dogs do, what what they fear, and how to help keep them focused and calm. And so I did that. My sixth guide dog was Meryl. Meryl only worked for about a year. Roselle retired in 2007. Merrill worked from 2007 to 2008, but Merrill became very fearful of guiding, and so ended up not being a guide dog very long. And I I'd never experienced that, although I had heard other people who had issues where dogs didn't work very long. Lenny only worked for three years, but a dog that didn't work for more than a year-that was unusual for me. However, poor Meryl wasn't able to do well as a guide, and so she retired. And then we got Africa. Now Africa was my seventh guide dog. Africa's mother was Fantasia. In January of 2006, we were working. I was working at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and we applied to be what were called breeder keepers. That is, they were the the people who would keep a breeder dog in their home because the guide dogs for the blind bred their own guide dogs and so on. And breeder keepers would keep dogs in their homes so that the dogs weren't just cooped up in kennels all day, and we volunteered to do that. And the director of breeding, Marina Hall, called us and said, "I've got four dogs for you to look at. I think one's better than the others for you, but I want you to come and meet these dogs. So we went down, and and she made the comment again. I think one dog is going to be better than the others. Michael Hingson  49:02 And and I said, well, if you think so strongly, but which one is it? Well, she finally sort of told us. She said, I didn't want to tell you, but I'll tell you. So she did. But anyway, the first dog who came in was a dog named Fantasia, and it works sort of the same way that when people get guide dogs, you're in a room. The dog is allowed to come in, and you see how the dog reacts to you. When I met Squire for the first time, I was sitting in a chair. They let Squire in. He came over and started sniffing me all over. Didn't leave me. He just started sniffing. And Bruce Benzler, who was the apprentice instructor at the time, later became director of Guide Dogs for the Blind, CEO anyway, anyway. Bruce then said, "Looks like you found a friend already, and we became friends. But anyway, when when Fantasia came into the room, she took one look at Karen and leaped into Karen's lap. She had no fear of the power wheelchair that Karen was using by that time. The other three dogs, we still looked at them, and they all expressed one level of fear or concern about being around this wheelchair. But Marina said Fantasia was the one that we thought you'd like best and would like you best, and she was. So anyway, in 2006, we got Fantasia in January, and later that year, she had a litter of puppies, and then in early or mid 2007, she Fantasia had her second litter. I guess it was late in 2006 she had the second litter, but anyway, by the middle of 2008, when we had to retire Meryl because she wasn't working out very well, we were notified that they found a dog that they thought would be a really good replacement for Meryl, and that's a dog named Africa. And Karen and I realized Africa was a name that we suggested as as breeder keepers that they could name one of their puppies if they had puppies who came from an A litter. And the way it works, by the way, is when a litter is born, they're assigned a letter of the alphabet, and they got a big book, and they go into that book and they get the next names that are available. They don't use names of current guide dogs, so when a dog retires, then they can start using that name again. But anyway, Africa was a name that we suggested, and as soon as we saw the email that said Africa, we knew Fantasia was Africa's mother. Well, Africa came and joined us, and mom and daughter did really well, and Roselle was still with us. So the three of them have a lot of fun together, but again with Africa, I learned about teamwork and doing the things that I needed to do. Every dog is different, and one of the things that I developed over the years was an understanding that to truly develop a relationship with a dog takes probably close to a year by the time we really are totally comfortable with each other, but I worked with Africa. We became good friends. Africa became good friends with Roselle. Of course, Africa liked her mom, and all worked out really well. Developing those teeming relationships is so important, and you can learn a lot more about them if you get live like a guide dog. I think you'll find them all very interesting to to read about. So in 2017, I noticed that Africa was starting to slow down and not do as well. She wasn't able to see as well at night. Sort of typical signs of a dog getting older, even though I work to to keep stress out as much as possible, but I applied and in 2018 on the 9th of February, Africa's puppy raisers, Bill and Peggy Sproul from San Francisco or San Diego rather, came to visit us in Victorville, and we had offered them the opportunity to take Africa because we had Fantasia, and we had Africa. And if we kept Africa and Fantasia, and I got a new guide dog, Karen would have a hard time taking care of two dogs when I traveled, because I was doing a great deal of travel by then as a keynote speaker, and so the Sprouls came and got Africa. Michael Hingson  53:26 Left our house, Africa didn't even look back. She was gone. We had visited her several times since then, and and in in the Sprouls home, Africa died in 2020. But we we got to visit Africa several times and it was a lot of fun and and she she loved us and all that and remembered us anyway on the 11th of February two days later I went to Guide Dogs for the Blind and I met Alamo who was my first black Labrador and I met him we we met in the room and he kind of sniffed me a little bit and walked around the room. But then came back and sniffed me, and then I took him on leash back to our our dorm room at Guide Dogs for the Blind, and I decided I'd sit on the floor to to visit with him. And the next thing I know, this big, huge, 60 pound Labrador is in my lap. Alamo was and is a lapdog, but he doesn't know a stranger, which is great. I mentioned earlier that I always said that when I get a guide dog, I want a guide dog that has an on and off switch. Another thing that I require is that guide dogs that I get be raised by cats. I have known of animals who of guide dogs who don't like cats, and I would not want that because we always have had cats. And by that time, when we got Alamo, we had Stitch, who we rescued in January of 2015. So now here it is, February of 2018. So I knew that we needed to have a dog that wasn't going to be. Be afraid of cats. Well, so Stitch and Alamo kind of walked around each other a little bit when we first went home, but they got to like each other pretty well pretty quickly, and they have been together ever since. Alamo has been on a number of aircraft, as I've mentioned over the years, he went to Israel with me. He didn't go to England when I spoke in 2024, but he's been to other places and will continue to travel with me. I work really hard to keep the stress out of his life. I don't want him to become any more stressed than he ever has to be, and he feeds off of how I behave, as as I've learned guide dogs do. So that's one of the most important things that I've learned is to keep that stress out of his life. I would point out that is just as much true for human teams. Don't stress out your team. If you are a leader, your job is to enhance what those leaders, what the team does. Your job isn't to boss them around. If you're doing that, you're only causing more stress, and you're going to find you're going to have a big job turnover, much more than you really should. I've always felt that my job isn't to boss people around when I hire them, my job is to enhance their abilities by using the skills that I have and learning to work with them to give them the benefit of what I know and to use the benefits of what they know to learn myself as well, so that we become more effective. And the people who really get that do very well. The people who didn't get that tend not to last very long at the company because they don't perform very well. Because I know that in reality, I add value to the team by working to add value, not bossing the team around. I think there's a big difference between leaders and bosses, and I've learned that over the years. That leaders are people who can enhance what other people do, who work to make the whole team effective and not just try to boss people around. In late 2020, I discovered a company called Accessibe, A C C E S S I capital B E. Website is accessibee.com. Was a company that made products to help make internet websites more inclusive, and at first, they had some challenges because they were using a lot of AI stuff to make their products work, and they sort of did. But there were there were challenges. But one day in January of 2021, the founder of the company, Sheer Eckerling. Michael Hingson  57:41 contacted me and said we're interested in you joining the company. I had been looking at possibly selling their products because the pandemic had hit, and I thought I could sell them from home because we were locked down. And and he said, well, you know, we we'd like you to not sell as a partner, just on your own, we'd like you to join the company. Well, he asked what I was doing, and by that time I had started to learn about podcasting because I couldn't travel and speak all over the world. So what I decided to do was to look at using podcast as a revenue source. And Shear said, "Well, you know, we we're really interested in having somebody do a podcast for us. And I said, "What do you want? And he said, "I want to just get somebody who will do a podcast to show that we're part of the world. And you join the company; you could do that in part. I joined the company, and he didn't have any specific agenda for the podcast. So, in August of 2021, I began Unstoppable Mindset, and soon it became unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity, and the unexpected meet. And I'll explain all of that in a moment. But the point is that we started the podcast. I created the title. I recreated the description, and I wanted the podcast to be conversations. And as anyone who has been on the podcast knows, we don't do interviews as such. We do conversations, and I ask people to send me materials to help me prepare to be able to do the conversation. And so a number of times we've had diversity experts on people from the DEI world, and when I ask them what they do, they say, you know, we focus a lot on diversity, and I say, what does that mean? And they say, well, we deal with race, gender, sexual orientation, and so on. And we chat for a little while, and then I say, but you haven't talked about disabilities. And they say, oh, disability is not a minority. And I say, what do you mean? He said, well, disability is a social justice thing. It's not like race, gender, or sexual orientation. And my response to that is balderdash. I like to use balderdash. I could go back and use what Colonel Sherman Potter did on Mash and say monkey muffins. But anyway, balderdash because diversity should include disability because it is a minority. Even the Center for Disease Control says that. Adversity, or that that people with disabilities are a minority of about 25% of people in the United States. Well, so the bottom line for me is that I would say to them, "What do you mean you're you're not including it? And they say, "Well, it's a it's a disability, but it's social justice. It's always about being a lack of ability, and as I have learned, especially since September 11th and and beyond, disability does not mean a lack of ability. You might want to think it does. You might want to try to make that fit, but it doesn't. And I learned that most effectively in March of 2023 when I went to something, by that time Karen had passed, and I was working with a person who had been Karen's caregiver, who decided to work for me. Very grateful for Josie doing that. Josie entered my name in the contest to be a guest at the Kelly and Ryan Oscar after party, which was going to be held the Monday after the Oscars at the Dolby Theater, well, I didn't even know she entered me, but I got a call the Tuesday before the Oscar after party and the Oscars, and I was and I picked up the phone and they said congratulations, and I said for what? Oh, you won an invitation to come to the Kelly and Ryan Oscar after party, and I went really well. Anyway, I went down with my niece and nephew, Tracy and Charlie Green. The there wasn't room for taking Josie, her husband, and her mother and her five kids. So it was just me, Tracy, and Charlie. Michael Hingson  1:01:37 We got up to our room about 3o'clock in the afternoon on the Saturday before the Oscars, the day before the Oscars, we put our luggage in our room and we were coming back down the main stairwell staircase actually from the third to the first floor in the Hollywood Roosevelt. It's a very open staircase, and all of a sudden I heard people screaming, and it took me a while to to try to understand what's going on, and finally I couldn't figure it out. I said, Tracy, what's going on? And she said, Oh, we just lost power and lighting on the stairs, and and power and lighting in and around the entire hotel. Now it didn't bother Tracy. Tracy had known me for a long time, but people were panicky because they weren't getting all the light they expected, even though the windows were open, the the shades were up on the first floor in the lobby, and so on. Lots of light, but it wasn't all that people expected. And I thought about that, and what I learned from that was, it proves that disability isn't a lack of ability; it proves that disability is a characteristic that we all have. Thomas Edison and others worked on the light bulb, and Thomas Edison is credited with developing the electric light bulb back in 1878. But in the 148 years since the light bulb was developed, all society has done in that regard is worked very hard on coming up with better ways of providing light on demand, so that you sighted people could have all the light you want when you want it. Nowadays, we have smartphones, we have flashlights, we have other ways of getting light on demand. But as the Americans with Disabilities Act would describe it. The light bulb is simply, or any piece of technology that produces light on demand, is simply a piece of technology that provides light on demand to light-dependent people who otherwise don't function well without it. The bottom line is, disability is not a lack of ability. We got words like discrete, discern, disciple. What is discern? Is it a lack of discern? What is it? What is disciple? A lack of viple? No. Disability is not a lack of ability. Disability is a character

A proposed overhaul of the federal process that protects cultural heritage sites and resources is fueling considerable pushback from tribes. They are concerned about how recommended changes to the National Historic Preservation Act might diminish tribal input on matters such as development projects in known sensitive areas. Critics say the changes have the potential to permanently destroy any remaining cultural treasures in the path of commercial development. At the same time, historians and others are worried about the pending closure of two federal archive facilities containing documents from the Indian Boarding School Era. Archivists worry there is no clear answer about what happens to these records if the facilities shut down. And we'll discuss the possible damage from border wall construction at Big Bend National Park in Texas. The Mescalero Apache Tribe is among those that spent years developing a framework to avoid irreparable damage to important spiritual and cultural sites. Current construction efforts are not following that framework. GUESTS Ira Matt (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), executive director for the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Heather Hostler (Hupa), executive director at California Indian Legal Services Fallon Carey (Cherokee), digital archives director at the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition Holly Houghten, tribal historic preservation officer for the Mescalero Apache Tribe Break 1 Music: Wake Up Song (song) Voices of Salish & Ped d'Oreille Women (artist) Heart of the Bitterroot (album) Break 2 Music: Everywhere On Earth I Roam (song) Courtney Yellow Fat (artist) The Lost Songs of Sitting Bull (album)

Apryl Pope, CFP®, CPFA®, CEPA®, is the Founder and Lead Financial Advisor of Pope Financial Planning, where she helps successful professionals approaching retirement turn what they've built into a clear plan for what comes next.With more than a decade of experience, Apryl serves as a Personal CFO to individuals and couples typically within 10 years of retirement, coordinating retirement, investments, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and other major financial decisions. Her planning-first approach provides comprehensive guidance without requiring clients to move all of their existing investments.A former Peace Corps Volunteer and lifelong educator, Apryl was named a 2025 Woman of Excellence by the National Association of Plan Advisors. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband and three sons and understands firsthand how career, family, and life priorities shape financial decisions.Her goal is to help clients move from asking, “Have I done enough?” to feeling confident about what comes next.Learn More: https://www.popefinancialplanning.com/The opinions voiced in this show are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a decision.Influential Entrepreneurs with Mike Saundershttps://businessinnovatorsradio.com/influential-entrepreneurs-with-mike-saunders/Source: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/interview-with-apryl-pope-founder-of-pope-financial-planning-discussing-your-retirement-accounts-arent-a-retirement-strategy

Episode: 00336 Released on September 14, 2026 Description: In the second episode of LEAN: Law Enforcement Analyst Networks, Jason Elder talks with Ben Haiman, Executive Director of the National Association of Professional Staff in Public Safety (NAPSPS). Founded in 2025, NAPSPS is building a national network for professional staff working throughout law enforcement and public safety. Ben discusses the association's focus on professional development, networking, and advocacy, along with the challenges professional staff can face when it comes to inclusion, compensation, leadership opportunities, and having a seat at the decision-making table. Jason and Ben also explore how analysts can move beyond producing reports to become problem solvers, trusted advisors, thought partners, and strategic leaders within their agencies. They discuss why analysts may benefit from connecting outside the traditional crime analysis community and how analysts can contribute their own expertise back to NAPSPS. This episode is part of LEAN: Law Enforcement Analyst Networks, connecting analysts with the associations, communities, and professional networks that support their growth.

I was in my third year at New York Law School, eight blocks from the World Trade Center, on a very different path than the one I ended up walking. I was working toward securities litigation and enforcement, interning with what was then the National Association of Securities Dealers, hoping to land a job with the SEC — whose offices were inside the Trade Center itself.The night before, a brutal commute home from the city in the rain left me in tears, and there was no way I was driving back downtown the next morning.  I was going to take the train.   In the morning, I made a last-second decision to drive into the city instead of taking the train and PATH route. That decision meant that at 8:46 a.m. on September 11th, I wasn't walking out of the World Trade Center PATH station. I was sitting in a classroom.What followed was watching the first tower burn in my rear-view mirror as I drove to midtown on my way to safety. It was the most frightening day of my life — and one that, without my fully realizing it that morning, ended the career path I thought I was on. The SEC's offices, my resume, the job I had interviewed for and hoped for — all of it was gone. I never worked in securities law. Instead, that redirection eventually led me into litigation, and years later, into building my own practice close to home.Twenty-five years later, I still think about the timing, the weight of having survived when so many didn't, and what it means that a single decision — one I almost didn't make — quietly decided the next quarter-century of my life. This episode is my story: what I saw, what I lost, and what I've come to understand about being grateful for the path you're actually on, even when it isn't the one you planned.In this episode:Why I was supposed to be walking out of the World Trade Center PATH station at 8:45 that morningThe commute home the night before that changed my plans for September 11thWhat I watched in my rear view mirrorHow the SEC job I wanted disappeared with the towers — and where that redirected my career insteadWhat 25 years of hindsight has taught me about gratitude and trusting the path you're actually onIf this brings back your own memories of that day, or reminds you that the path you're on now might be exactly the one you're meant to be on, I'd be grateful if you'd share it.

In this episode of Probate Weekly, Bill Gross talks with Marty Stevens-Heebner, Founder and CEO of Clear Home Solutions and President of the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers. Marty has spent her career helping families through exactly this moment and she shares how to clear a parent's home practically and emotionally, without the regret or the family fallout.

Specialty Pharmacy Access, Innovation & Independent Pharmacy Growth   This Week in Pharmacy, we explore specialty pharmacy, pharmacy innovation, emerging career opportunities, and new business models for independent community pharmacy.   Today's episode is sponsored by Clearway Health, Value Drug Company, and FDB (First Databank, Inc.)   First, Allison Arant of Clearway Health joins us to discuss the next phase of specialty pharmacy within hospitals and health systems.   As rare disease and specialty therapies become more complex, health systems are looking for better ways to improve medication access, strengthen continuity of care, and keep patients connected to trusted clinical teams.   Todd and Allison discuss how health-system specialty pharmacy can expand community access and improve management of complex and rare disease treatments.   Learn more: https://www.clearwayhealth.com/   National Association of Specialty Pharmacy (NASP) #inSPire2026   Next, we preview inSPire 2026, taking place September 22–25, 2026, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.   The specialty pharmacy community will come together to discuss medication access, emerging therapies, technology, patient services, clinical care, and the continued evolution of specialty pharmacy.   The Next Dose Summit   Then we welcome Jordan Smith, PharmD, AAHIVP, CPGx, and Melinda Fowler, RPh, ABAAHP, FAAFM to preview The Next Dose Summit, happening October 14–15, 2026.   RxPR and the Pharmacy Podcast Network are proud press and media partners.   The event focuses on innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership, emerging career pathways, and new opportunities for pharmacists looking beyond traditional roles.   It is designed for pharmacists, students, entrepreneurs, and healthcare leaders asking one important question:   What's next for pharmacy — and what's next for me?   Register here: https://www.jscommunitycare.org/store/p/2026-the-next-dose-summit-registration   Expanding Independent Pharmacy   Finally, Rick Seipp, PharmD, President and CEO of Value Drug Company, returns to discuss creative strategies for expanding independent community pharmacy.   Todd and Rick explore cash-based pharmacy, transparent pricing, clinical services, new revenue streams, and other non-PBM-dependent models that can help independent pharmacies diversify and grow.   The conversation focuses on how community pharmacies can strengthen their businesses while continuing to serve as trusted healthcare destinations.   Learn more: https://www.valuedrugco.com/   Sponsored By   Clearway Health https://www.clearwayhealth.com/   Value Drug Company https://www.valuedrugco.com/   First Databank — FDB https://www.fdbhealth.com/   TWIRx — This Week in Pharmacy is hosted by Todd S. Eury and produced by the Pharmacy Podcast Network — Amplifying the Voice of Pharmacists & Our Profession.

Apryl Pope, CFP®, CPFA®, CEPA®, is the Founder and Lead Financial Advisor of Pope Financial Planning, where she helps successful professionals approaching retirement turn what they've built into a clear plan for what comes next.With more than a decade of experience, Apryl serves as a Personal CFO to individuals and couples typically within 10 years of retirement, coordinating retirement, investments, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and other major financial decisions. Her planning-first approach provides comprehensive guidance without requiring clients to move all of their existing investments.A former Peace Corps Volunteer and lifelong educator, Apryl was named a 2025 Woman of Excellence by the National Association of Plan Advisors. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband and three sons and understands firsthand how career, family, and life priorities shape financial decisions.Her goal is to help clients move from asking, “Have I done enough?” to feeling confident about what comes next.Learn More: https://www.popefinancialplanning.com/The opinions voiced in this show are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which strategies or investments may be suitable for you, consult the appropriate qualified professional prior to making a decision.Source:https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/interview-with-apryl-pope-founder-of-pope-financial-planning-discussing-have-i-done-enough-to-retire

Share your Field Stories!Laura and Nic interview Dr. Troy Hartley, executive director of the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute, to explore how collaboration and science can advance renewable energy while protecting wildlife and ecosystems. From building genuine professional relationships to navigating a dynamic career across sectors, this episode highlights the power of curiosity, connection, and creative problem-solving.Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Troy Hartley at twhartley@rewi.org. Guest Bio:Troy Hartley is the Executive Director of the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI), with over 25 years of experience in collaborative research, stakeholder and community engagement, science-to-management processes, and innovation on a wide range of natural resources and environmental issues. Prior to joining REWI in 2025, he was the director of Virginia Sea Grant, a national federal-state, university-based partnership program funding and conducting collaborative research, extension, and workforce development activities. He has a PhD in environmental and natural resource policy from the University of Michigan, a master's in environmental policy from George Mason University, and a BS in zoology from the University of Vermont.Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players. 

Caring for someone with bladder or bowel incontinence can be a deeply personal responsibility — and one that brings challenges many caregivers never anticipated.In this episode of Life Without Leaks, we're joined by board-certified physician assistant and Aeroflow Urology medical advisor Aleece Fosnight to talk about the realities of caring for someone living with incontinence. She explores the emotional and financial toll caregiving can take, the difficulty of balancing care with work and family responsibilities, and the importance of preserving dignity and independence along the way.Aleece also shares practical guidance for managing incontinence at home, from finding the right products and protecting skin health to timed voiding, hydration and seeking support before burnout sets in. Most importantly, she reminds caregivers that asking for help is not a failure and that caring for someone else shouldn't mean losing yourself in the process.Whether you're caring for an aging parent, a spouse, someone with a disability or another loved one, this conversation offers practical advice, reassurance and resources to help make the caregiving journey a little easier.Helpful Resources:Learn more about Aeroflow Urology at AeroflowUrology.com.Visit the National Alliance for Caregiving at Caregiving.org.For more information about the National Association for Continence, visit NAFC.org, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.MusicRainbows Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Stay in the know with all the latest hints and tips for managing incontinence. Visit NAFC.org and click the Newsletter button at top - it's free, it takes just a minute, and it can make a real difference in your life.

The overwhelming online advice for first-time homebuyers is often backwards, designed to generate sales leads, not empower you. Here's what the industry doesn't want you to know. SynopsisWe critically deconstructed the top 10 most common first-time homebuyer tips from NerdWallet, Bankrate, Rocket Mortgage, Ramsey Solutions, Better.com, HGTV, the National Association of REALTORS®, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Spoiler: most of it is designed to turn you into a sales "lead," not an informed buyer. From shopping lenders first to needing 20% down, learn why the conventional wisdom fails you and discover the strategic, team-first approach that has helped thousands of first-time buyers build real, lasting wealth. Quote"Don't buy your first home thinking about resale and your exit. Plan this purchase thinking about your early retirement. Plan your EMPIRE."— David Sidoni, Nationwide First Time Homebuying Coach HighlightsWhy is "shopping for lenders" the #1 online tip when almost every source publishing it sells mortgages?What happens when you click that "pre-approval" button? You become a lead, not a client.Do you really need 20% down? Two decades of data say no, and it's not even close.How does a single physical home tour demolish months of Zillow scrolling for your "needs vs. wants" list?What is "empire building," and why is it a smarter play than buying with resale in mind?Why is a seller credit for repairs almost always better than a price reduction?87% of Realtors quit within five years. How do you avoid being someone's on-the-job training?HowtoBuyaHome.com/10steps - The #1 Educational System for First-Time Homebuyers in the USAHowtoBuyaHome.com/Guide - Over 100 of our BEST Episodes of Detailed Homebuying Knowledge, Interviews, and MORE! Connect with me to find a trusted realtor in your area or to answer your burning questions!Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @HowToBuyaHomeInstagram @HowtoBuyAHomePodcastTik Tok @HowToBuyAHomeVisit our Resource Center to to get your FREE Home Buying Starter Kit!David Sidoni, the "How to Buy a Home Guy," is a seasoned real estate professional and consumer advocate with two decades of experience helping first-time homebuyers navigate the real estate market. His podcast, "How to Buy a Home," is a trusted resource for anyone looking to buy their first home. It offers expert advice, actionable tips, and inspiring stories from real first-time homebuyers. With a focus on making the home-buying process accessible and understandable, David breaks down complex topics into easy-to-follow steps, covering everything from budgeting and financing to finding the right home and making an offer. Subscribe for regular market updates, and leave a review to help us reach more people. Ready for an honest, informed home-buying experience? Viva la Unicorn Revolution - join us!

A new week means new questions! Hope you have fun with these!What is the brightest star in the northern hemisphere?The tallest statue of the ancient world colossally depicted which god?Which land mammal has the strongest absolute bite force?Before rubber erasers became standard on pencils, what food was often used to erase lead pencil markings?In the sport of archery, what name is given to a person who makes arrows?Darts players Anastasia Dobromyslova and James Wade both had stage or nick names inspired by what long running film franchise?What was the name of the charitable music festival that Olivia Rodrigo founded?Established in 1940 by the National Association of Broadcasters, which award was created to honor excellence in radio broadcasting?Coarse and morally incorrect or irreverent humor is often described as what color comedy?Who wrote the poems The Book of the Duchess, Parlement of Foules, and The Legend of Good Women?A 1989 match in Belgrade that lasted 20 hours and 269 moves that ended in a draw happened for what board game?In Super Mario Bros a famous glitch that can be accessed from World 1-2 is known by what mathematical monikor?What film surpassed Deadpool & Wolverine to become the highest grossing Rated-R film?The Japanese written characters known as kanji take their name from what ethnic group?MusicHot Swing, Fast Talkin, Bass Walker, Dances and Dames, Ambush by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Don't forget to follow us on social media:Patreon – patreon.com/quizbang – Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Check out our fun extras for patrons and help us keep this podcast going. We appreciate any level of support!Website – quizbangpod.com Check out our website, it will have all the links for social media that you need and while you're there, why not go to the contact us page and submit a question!Facebook – @quizbangpodcast – we post episode links and silly lego pictures to go with our trivia questions. Enjoy the silly picture and give your best guess, we will respond to your answer the next day to give everyone a chance to guess.Instagram – Quiz Quiz Bang Bang (quizquizbangbang), we post silly lego pictures to go with our trivia questions. Enjoy the silly picture and give your best guess, we will respond to your answer the next day to give everyone a chance to guess.Twitter – @quizbangpod We want to start a fun community for our fellow trivia lovers. If you hear/think of a fun or challenging trivia question, post it to our twitter feed and we will repost it so everyone can take a stab it. Come for the trivia – stay for the trivia.Ko-Fi – ko-fi.com/quizbangpod – Keep that sweet caffeine running through our body with a Ko-Fi, power us through a late night of fact checking and editing!

A new phenomenon has emerged in secondary schools. Students in some urban areas are getting fast-food deliveries to their school. This raises safety concerns because it means takeaway couriers are entering school propertiesTo discuss this with Anton was Paul Crone, Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals.

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” John 10:10    Submit a Podcast Listener Question HERE!    Podcasts by Series  Level One Book Study  Level Two Book Study  Today Stephanie helps us break open chapters 4 and 5 of The Religious Potential of the Child for 6 to 12 Year Olds  Stephanie Diethelm has been a catechist since 1998. She completed her Level 1 training with Tina Lillig, Barbara Searle and Carol Nyberg in Chicago in 1999 and says that it changed her life.  She has been a formation leader for the National Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd since 2005. She has worked extensively with children and adults in a variety of settings and now works with children in an atrium both at Red Mountain Community School and All Saints Episcopal Church in Birmingham, AL. She also completed the Education for Ministry (EfM) Seminar course through Sewanee: University of the South School of Theology in 2019 and has been a trained mentor for EfM Groups since 2020. She resides in Birmingham, AL and has two children, Catherine (33) and Christopher (30).  TODAYS LISTENER QUESTION- I hear there isn't any use for the slow controlled movements of practical life in level 2 or 3.  Yet as an adult we are asked to make materials and explore practical life to slow us down.  Doesn't the 2nd plane child also need help with slowing down and contemplation?  Podcasts Episodes For the Beginning of the Atrium Year:  98: Welcoming the Children (Level 1)  122: Welcoming the Level 2 and 3 Child PART ONE  123: Welcoming the Level 2 and 3 Child PART TWO    Podcasts Episodes You May Be Interested In:  Practical Life with Sherry Mock Grace and Courtesy for the Second Plane Child PsychicDeviations with Maggie Radzik Ch. 3 Helping the Child with Maggie Radzik     Books you might be interested in:  The Religious Potential of the Child 6 to 12 Year Olds  History of the Kingdom of God Part 1: Creation to Parouisa  History of the Kingdom of God Part 2: Liturgy and the Building of the Kingdom  Life in the Vine: The Joyful Journey Continues      BECOME A CGSUSA MEMBER    CGS 7 Minute Video      CGS Atrium Locator - Please check if your church atrium in in our atrium locator.  If not, please send this link to the COORDINATOR of your CGS program to add your atrium to the locator. THANK YOU! If you have any questions please email contact@cgsusa.org    Find out more about CGS:       Learn more about the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd     Follow us on Social Media-  Facebook at “The United States Association of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd”  Instagram-  cgsusa  Twitter- @cgsusa  Pinterest- Natl Assoc of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd USA  YouTube- catechesisofthegoodshepherd 

In this episode of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Etched in Stone series, Jason Bryant explores the Old Dominion University chapter of Olympian Gray Simons' legendary career—college wrestling's only seven-time national champion. The story follows Simons' return to his Hampton Roads roots in the late 1980s, his hire under ODU's philosophy of "selective excellence," and the difficult family move from Tennessee to Virginia. Through voices like Mikki Baile, Mary Simons, and former athletes, we see how Gray built a competitive Division I program on a shoestring budget at a largely commuter school, targeting raw talent from places like Pennsylvania, Long Island and Virginia's powerhouse high school programs. The episode then chronicles ODU's rise on the national stage: the East Region title and breakthrough 1991 season with All-Americans Nick Garone and Peter Horst, Jody Staylor's dramatic run to the 1994 NCAA finals, and heavyweight Nick Hall's elite performances. Later stars like Mark Strickland and Jeff Rusak illustrate how Simons refined athletes' unique styles with subtle technical tweaks and deep personal investment. While the closing years at ODU yielded fewer medals, teammates and champions testify that Gray's true impact went far beyond results—he was a master technician, psychologist, and teacher whose humility, precision, and care shaped generations of wrestlers long after his own unmatched competitive career. Listen & Follow Etched in StoneApple Podcasts | Spotify | Deezer | Radio Public | RSS About Gray Simons During his four years of collegiate competition at Lock Haven University, Gray Simons entered seven national tournaments. He won all seven, and six times was voted outstanding wrestler of the event. Four years he reigned supreme at 115 pounds in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and all four years was chosen the NAIA's finest, an unparalleled achievement. Three times he won the University Division title in the NCAA and as a junior and senior was voted the outstanding competitor. The only two defeats of his 93 collegiate matches came early in his freshman season. He then proceeded to win 84 in a row. In the two years after his graduation, while stationed at the U.S. Military Academy, he continued to annex national championships in military, YMCA and AAU competition. He won the gold medal in the 1963 World Military Games. Gray Simons twice represented his country in the Olympic Games, in 1960 and 1964. On the mat, he was known as a superb technician, with quickness, skill and perfect execution of an infinite variety of moves. His abilities helped spread nationwide the "Granby Series" of moves developed by his Hall of Fame high school coach in Norfolk, Virginia, Billy Martin. After the close of his competitive career, he served with distinction as a collegiate coach at Lock Haven, Indiana State, Tennessee and Old Dominion University, and never has suffered a losing season. Among his proteges were two NCAA champions and several All-Americans. In both roles, as a wrestler and coach, this quiet man has set an outstanding example for young athletes everywhere. As a wrestler of unchallenged achievement and a sportsman of the highest caliber, Elliot Gray Simons is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob says that now is a good time to core aerate, as well as divide and plant.

In this episode of The Way We See It, Pastor Alex Bryant weighs in on the growing controversy surrounding Stephen A. Smith. For years, Stephen A. has used his enormous platform to elevate Black journalists, commentators, and voices in sports, but now that he's stepping into politics and refusing to simply follow the Democratic Party line, some of those same voices are turning against him. Alex discusses Smith's clash with the National Association of Black Journalists, the criticism coming from some Black commentators, including Black women, and what happens when a prominent Black voice refuses to stay inside the political box others have created for him. Is there room in the Black community for political disagreement, or does stepping outside the expected narrative make you a target? Alex gives his perspective on what the Stephen A. Smith controversy says about politics, race, and independent thinking in America. #TWWSI #StephenASmith #NABJ #BlackVoices #BlackCommunity #IndependentThinking #PoliticsAndCulture #FaithAndCulture #PastorAlexBryant #TheWayWeSeeIt Alex Bryant Ministries is focused on helping people be reconciled to God, then within one's own self, and finally being reconciled to our fellow man in order to become disciples. Connect with us and our resources:    Our books - Let's Start Again & Man UP    More about us Like, subscribe, and share. Partner with ABM to place resources in jails and the inner city for $19 a month at alexbryant.org.  Follow us on Facebook or Instagram

Apprenticeship is no longer synonymous with the construction trades. Healthcare organizations are training medical assistants and registered nurses through apprenticeship. Schools are using the model to prepare teachers. Employers are applying it to occupations from arboriculture to human resources. At the same time, more high school students are using Youth Apprenticeship to begin building skills and gaining paid work experience before they graduate.So what actually makes something an apprenticeship, and why are so many industries taking a fresh look at a model that has existed for more than a century?David Polk, Director of Apprenticeship at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, takes us inside the modern apprenticeship system. A third-generation apprentice who began his own career as a plumber, David now leads one of the country's most established state apprenticeship systems and serves as president of the National Association of State and Territorial Apprenticeship Directors.In this episode, we break down Registered Apprenticeship and Youth Apprenticeship, how the earn-and-learn model combines paid employment with structured education and mentorship, and what it takes for employers to participate. David also explains how apprenticeship is expanding into occupations that have never traditionally used the model, how states and the federal government shape apprenticeship policy and funding, and why earlier exposure to hands-on careers matters for the workforce pipeline.In this episode:What separates Registered Apprenticeship, Youth Apprenticeship and other forms of work-based learningHow earn-and-learn flips the traditional education-to-employment modelWhy apprenticeship is expanding into healthcare, education, HR and other occupations beyond the tradesHow employers can use Youth Apprenticeship to build an earlier connection with future talentHow federal policy, state systems and funding influence apprenticeship growth3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:1. Apprenticeship integrates education and employment instead of treating them as separate stages.2. Apprenticeship is a workforce development model, not a category of trades careers.3. Building the workforce pipeline starts earlier than the point of hire.Resources in this Episode:Wisconsin Apprenticeships - Find more about registered, youth and certified pre-apprenticeshipU.S. Department of Labor - ApprenticeshipsWisTRAIN grantsWisconsin Fast Forward grantsHEART Grant for rural healthcareNational Association of State and Territorial Apprenticeship Directors (NASTAD)Email the WI DWD Apprenticeship teamMore notes & resources on the episode page: https://techedpodcast.com/polkWe want to hear from you! Send us a text.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

What is a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS)? What exactly do they do? How can they help us as med-surg nurses? Join the co-hosts as the welcome special guest NACNS President Dr. Jackie Iseler alongside guest co-host AMSN President Dr. Kristi Reguin-Hartman for a revealing conversation about the often-misunderstood role of the clinical nurse specialist — and how CNSs support bedside nurses, solve complex care challenges, improve measurable outcomes, and strengthen the entire healthcare system. Learn more about the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists at https://nacns.org/  SPECIAL GUEST Jackeline Iseler, DNP, MSN, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE, FCNS is an Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University College of Nursing, and Program Director of the Clinical Nurse Specialist Concentration in East Lansing, Michigan. Dr. Iseler teaches graduate nursing students and the nursing students in the Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist program. She was the first certified clinical nurse specialist at Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan in the cardiovascular and in the adult transplant program. She has served as president of the Great Lakes Chapter of the International Transplant Nurses' Society. And is currently serving as president of the Michigan Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists and a member of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialist Graduate Education Committee since 2020. She serves on the Michigan Board of Nursing as the clinical nurse specialist representative. And is a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) through the National League for Nursing in 2019. Dr. Iseler's expertise is in the heart and lung transplant, left ventricular assist device (LVAD) patient population, transitions of care, and quality and process improvement. GUEST CO-HOST AMSN President Kristi Reguin-Hartman, DNP, APRN, ACNS-BC has more than 20 years of experience in acute care nursing, professional development, and advanced practice as a Clinical Nurse Specialist. Her expertise in technology implementation, product management and clinical education drives her focus on streamlining workflows through data-driven approaches. She started her nursing journey with an ADN from Nassau Community College in Long Island, New York and has completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington where she authored the 2022 CTHAT Nursing Workload Tool for Medical-Surgical Nurses. Kristi currently works as a Clinical Transformation Manager for Philips Healthcare in the Hospital Patient Monitoring division and as Clinical Instructor with East Carolina University. She volunteers for the North Carolina Nurses Association and has served as Director for the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses since 2018.   MEET OUR CO-HOSTS Kellye' McRae, MSN-Ed, RN is a dedicated Med-Surg Staff Nurse and Unit Based Educator based in South Georgia, with 12 years of invaluable nursing experience. She is passionate about mentoring new nurses, sharing her clinical wisdom to empower the next generation of nurses. Kellye' excels in bedside teaching, blending hands-on training with compassionate patient care to ensure both nurses and patients thrive. Her commitment to education and excellence makes her a cornerstone of her healthcare team.   Marcela Salcedo, RN, BSN is a Floatpool nightshift nurse in the Chicagoland area, specializing in step-down and medical-surgical care. A member of AMSN and the Hektoen Nurses, she combines her passion for nursing with the healing power of the arts and humanities. As a mother of four, Marcela is reigniting her passion for nursing by embracing the chaos of caregiving, fostering personal growth, and building meaningful connections that inspire her work. Hayley Sweetser, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, MEDSURG-BC, CPHQ, WTA-C is a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Newark, Delaware who provides support to patients and caregivers within the Acute Medicine Service Line at ChristianaCare. She is working towards reducing overall patient harm events within the service line through collaboration with bedside nurses, physicians, and other specialties. Hayley has a strong passion for medical-surgical nursing and has spent her whole nursing career in this specialty. She strives to advance medical-surgical nursing practice by encouraging alignment with evidence-based practice.   Eric Torres, ADN, RN, CMSRN is a California native that has always dreamed of seeing the World, and when that didn't work out, he set his sights on nursing.  Eric is beyond excited to be joining the AMSN podcast and having a chance to share his stories and experiences of being a bedside medical-surgical nurse.   Sydney Wall, RN, BSN, CMSRN has been a med surg nurse for 5 years. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2019, Sydney commissioned into the Navy and began her nursing career working on a cardiac/telemetry unit in Bethesda, Maryland.  Currently she is stationed overseas, providing care for service members and their families.  During her free time, she enjoys martial arts and traveling.  Trish West, DNP, MSN, CMSRN, PCCN, CEN, NEA-BC, FAMSN is a passionate nurse leader whose career reflects both expertise and a heartfelt commitment to advancing patient care. Trish's credentials include being a Certified Medical Surgical Registered Nurse, Progressive and Emergency Nursing, Nursing Executive Advanced, and most recently, induction as a Fellow in the Academy of Medical Surgical Nursing. She enjoys spending time with her husband Mark and their five children. Her favorite motto, "Never underestimate the difference you can make," truly captures the spirit with which Trish approaches both professional and personal endeavors.   

Commissioner Kristy Nieto of the Public Service Commissionof Wisconsin joins the Electric Wire to discuss her background on consumer issues and the work she's doing now to ensure that customers are at the forefront of decision-making. Commissioner Nieto will also be speaking at the upcoming Customers First Coalition Power Breakfast on September 15, 2026. Registration information and a full agenda can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cfc-power-breakfast-2026-affordability-and-the-customer-experience-tickets-1994715712392Links Mentioned in the Episode: Commissioner Nieto's appearance on the Electric Wire podcast in 2021 (Episode 12, Energy Assistance During the Pandemic): https://youtu.be/9ogRle6Rdms Commissioner Nieto's appointment to chair the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Consumers and the Public Interest: https://www.wispolitics.com/2026/public-service-commission-psc-commissioner-nieto-appointed-chair-of-the-naruc-committee-on-consumers-and-the-public-interest/Register for CFC's 2026 Power Breakfast in Madison bySeptember 10!https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cfc-power-breakfast-2026-affordability-and-the-customer-experience-tickets-1994715712392

When people ask whether whole life insurance or an annuity is better, I think there is a more useful place to begin. Instead of starting with the product, start with the job you need your money to do. Are you looking for income you cannot outlive, access to capital to grow a business, more certainty around retirement income, protection for your family, or a way to build something that can continue beyond your lifetime? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYDONlrEq1o Those are very different objectives, and they may call for different tools. Bruce and I recently spent an entire conversation unpacking annuities and comparing them with properly designed whole life insurance. What I appreciated about the conversation was that it did not come down to declaring one product good and another bad. Every financial product exists because it solves a particular problem, and every product also comes with tradeoffs. The real question is whether you understand those tradeoffs well enough to decide which ones fit your goals, your personality, your stage of life, and the larger financial strategy you are building. When we compare whole life insurance and annuities through that lens, some important differences begin to emerge, especially if you are still actively building wealth and want your capital to remain useful during your lifetime. Key TakeawaysStart With the Strategy, Not the ProductWhat Is an Annuity Designed to Do?The Guarantee Comes With a TradeoffSafety, Liquidity, and Growth: You Cannot Maximize All ThreeWhen an Annuity Can Make a Lot of SenseWhy Whole Life Can Be More Powerful While You Are Still Building WealthWhy Access to Capital MattersWhole Life Requires Good BehaviorThe Tax Treatment Is Different TooThen There Is the Death BenefitWhole Life Can Become Part of a Multigenerational Wealth SystemSometimes the Best Answer Is BothDo Not Ask Only Which Product Is BetterBuild the System Around the Outcome You Want Key Takeaways Annuities can provide valuable guarantees, particularly when predictable lifetime income is the primary objective. Those guarantees can come with tradeoffs, including reduced liquidity, surrender periods, fees, and limitations on growth depending on the contract. Properly designed whole life insurance can provide guaranteed cash value, access to capital through policy loans, and a leveraged death benefit. Whole life provides greater flexibility, but that flexibility requires discipline and responsible policy management. Annuities are often especially useful when the primary objective is income distribution later in life. Whole life can be particularly powerful while you are still creating wealth because it can help you store capital, access it, protect your family, and begin building a multigenerational wealth system. There is no perfect financial product. There are tools, tradeoffs, and strategies, and the goal is to understand which combination best accomplishes what you are trying to build. Start With the Strategy, Not the Product One of the easiest ways to make a poor financial decision is to begin with a product and then try to make your life fit around it. I would much rather see you start with your objectives and ask what you actually need your money to do. Do you need safety, liquidity, growth, predictable income, or access to capital before retirement? Are you trying to protect your family, create a financial legacy, or put boundaries around money so that it is harder to spend impulsively? These are different goals, and understanding them makes it much easier to evaluate the tools available to you. Bruce and I often come back to a simple framework of safety, liquidity, and growth because it helps clarify what you are really looking at. No financial product maximizes all three at the same time. If you want more contractual safety, you may give up some liquidity or growth, while greater growth potential may require accepting more volatility. That does not mean the product is bad. It simply means you need to understand what you are receiving and what you are giving up in exchange. What Is an Annuity Designed to Do? An annuity is a financial product issued by an insurance company. Depending on the type of annuity, it can be used to accumulate money, provide tax-deferred growth, or create an income stream that lasts for a defined period or potentially for the remainder of your life. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners explains that annuities may be immediate or deferred and may be fixed, variable, or indexed. The specific guarantees, crediting methods, income options, fees, and access rules depend on the actual contract. One of the primary attractions of an annuity is certainty. A fixed annuity may guarantee a stated interest rate for a period of time, while a fixed indexed annuity may credit interest based in part on the performance of an external index and provide contractual protections against certain losses. A variable annuity uses investment subaccounts and can therefore experience market gains and losses. When most people hear the word annuity, though, they tend to think about income. They are thinking, “I do not want to outlive my money. I want a check I know is going to arrive.” That is a very real concern, and an annuity can be structured specifically to address it. In that sense, it can function in a way that feels similar to a pension. You may be willing to give up some control or liquidity because what matters most to you is knowing that a certain amount of income will continue. For the right person, in the right season of life, that certainty can be extremely valuable. It is also important to remember that the guarantees are only as strong as the issuing insurer, which is why the financial strength and claims-paying ability of the insurance company matter. The NAIC buyer's guide explains this distinction in more detail. The Guarantee Comes With a Tradeoff This is where the safety, liquidity, and growth framework becomes especially helpful. Insurance companies can provide contractual guarantees partly because they are able to plan around having access to capital for long periods of time, and that is one reason annuity contracts often include surrender periods. Depending on the contract, you may be able to withdraw a certain amount each year without a surrender charge. If you withdraw more than the allowable amount during the surrender period, however, you may pay a fee. FINRA's investor guidance on annuities also notes that annuities may include surrender charges and other expenses, including administrative costs and fees associated with certain insurance features. That does not make the annuity a bad product. It means there is a tradeoff. You are giving the insurance company greater certainty about how long it can use the capital, and in return you are receiving certain guarantees or benefits. This is why I think it is more useful to move away from asking whether a financial product is simply good or bad. Ask instead what you are giving up and what you are receiving in exchange. That question will help you evaluate almost any financial decision more clearly. Safety, Liquidity, and Growth: You Cannot Maximize All Three Here is the framework I want you to carry forward. Safety, liquidity, and growth compete with one another. A product that offers more contractual certainty may limit access or upside. A product with greater growth potential may expose you to more volatility, while a highly liquid asset may not produce the same long-term return as capital committed for years. No column wins every category. That is the point. DimensionAnnuityProperly Designed Whole LifePrimary strengthPotential for contractual income guarantees and principal protection, depending on typeStable contractual foundation, access through policy loans, and death-benefit protectionLiquidityCan be limited by surrender periods, withdrawal provisions, and income electionsEarly cash value depends on design; access is generally through withdrawals or policy loans under the contractGrowthDepends on fixed rates, index-crediting terms, or variable subaccountsGuaranteed cash-value growth plus possible non-guaranteed dividendsIncomeCan be designed specifically for predictable lifetime incomeCan support distributions or loans, but outcomes depend on policy performance and disciplined managementLegacyDepends on the contract, phase of the annuity, and death-benefit or payout provisions selectedIncludes a life insurance death benefit, reduced by outstanding loans and interestWhole life insurance vs. annuities at a glance The purpose of this framework is not to declare one product superior across the board. It is to help you see where each tool is strongest, where you are accepting a compromise, and whether that compromise fits what you are actually trying to accomplish. When an Annuity Can Make a Lot of Sense Bruce shared an excellent example in our conversation of a highly successful physician who already had substantial exposure to the stock market. He was not looking for another investment designed to maximize upside. What he wanted was a portion of his future lifestyle to feel more like a pension. He was willing to give up some liquidity and growth potential because his priority was knowing that a certain amount of income could be available later. Having that certainty could then allow him to take more risk with another portion of his assets because some of his foundational income needs had already been addressed. That is a good example of coordinated planning. The annuity was not being asked to do every job. It was being used for a specific purpose inside a larger financial system. An annuity may make sense when your priority is creating predictable retirement income, reducing longevity risk, putting behavioral boundaries around capital,...

What does it look like to lead the way Jesus did — through the cross, not around it? Host Joy Fea welcomes Rev. Dr. Nicole Massie Martin, President and CEO of Christianity Today, to talk about her book Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender. Together, they explore what people really need from a leader, why perfectionism isn't the same as excellence, how power works for women with and without a title, and why loyalty can quietly become an idol. Nicole also shares what “cruciform leadership” looks like on an ordinary Tuesday, and what she'd tell her twentysomething self about ambition, insecurity, and calling.WHAT YOU WILL LEARNWhy transparency — not just confidence — is what makes a leader trustworthy, and how naming the “turbulence” ahead of time actually builds a team's confidence rather than undermining it.What Nicole's book title actually means: leadership “suffering” isn't suffering for its own sake — it's dying to ego, control, and ambition so that something greater can be resurrected through you.How to recognize when perfectionism, not excellence, is driving your leadership (and your parenting) — and why anything involving other people can never be perfect.The difference between operating with excellence and operating to prove your worth — and why God's approval, not your output, is the more stable foundation.A framework for understanding power beyond your job title: legitimate, expert, informational, referential, and reward power, and how to identify and use whatever power you actually have.How to tell the difference between healthy, Christ-centered loyalty and loyalty that has quietly become an idol — and why toxic leaders are usually surrounded by loyal followers who are afraid to speak up.What women uniquely bring to leadership when they're free to lead from who God made them to be, rather than compensating for who they're told they aren't.What “cruciform leadership” looks like in practice — a daily, repeated act of surrendering your schedule, your meetings, and your outcomes to God rather than white-knuckling your way through them.How Nicole leads a 70-year-old media ministry without becoming captive to its legacy — maintaining Christianity Today's founding mission while letting its expression evolve.Nicole's advice to young leaders on discerning calling: focus on your strengths rather than fixing your weaknesses, and hold your context loosely — your calling is bigger than any one role.ABOUT OUR GUEST Reverend Doctor Nicole Massie Martin was born and educated in Baltimore, Maryland. She graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a triple major in Human and Organizational Development, Educational Studies, and French. Dr. Martin received her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and earned a Doctor of Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.Dr. Martin is the founder and Executive Director of Soulfire International Ministries, which accelerates thriving for pastors, churches, and younger leaders. She has decades of executive leadership experience in the church and Christian non-profits and is currently serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Christianity Today. She is also active in her local congregation, Kingdom Fellowship AME Church, in Maryland.Prior to her role at Christianity Today, Dr. Martin has served in a variety of leadership and executive capacities, including as the Senior Vice President of Ministry Impact at the American Bible Society, as Executive Minister at The Park Church, and Assistant Professor of Ministry and Leadership Development at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC.Dr. Martin is a gifted writer and author of numerous articles and three books: Made to Lead: Empowering Women for Ministry, Leaning In, Letting Go: A Lenten Devotional, and Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender.  She serves on the executive council of the National Association of Evangelicals, the Board of Trustees at Fuller Theological Seminary, and on the National Advisory Council for the Salvation Army. She is a founding board member of the Center for Christianity and Public Life and has been inducted into the esteemed Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.Dr. Martin is married to her best friend, Dr. Mark Martin, and they have two amazing daughters, Addison and Josephine.Send us Fan MailCONNECT WITH USSubscribe to The UpWords Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and visit slbf.org/studio to learn more about our work at the intersection of faith, the academy, and the marketplace.This episode was created by the SLBF STUDIO at Upper House.Produced by Daniel Johnson and Dave ConourEdited by Dave Conour

The National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA) has been a beacon of hope for over four decades, with a mission to eliminate the adverse impacts of alcohol and drug use on children and families. This organization unites experts, advocates, volunteers, and individuals with lived experiences to enhance the systems available to help children and... The post Voices of the Unheard: Healing Young Lives Affected by Addiction – 462 appeared first on The Recovery Show.

Contractors Sheet Metal has been building New York City since 1954, growing from a mom-and-pop shop into a powerhouse in the city's construction industry. Frank Narciso became a partner in the 1990s, and when Tommy D'Angelo joined him in 2000, the two continued building the company through decades of growth, change, success, and challenges. Frank also serves as President of NYC SMACNA, the Sheet Metal and Air-Conditioning Contractors' National Association of New York City. In this episode, Frank shares his perspective on an industry he's spent decades in, from where construction was when he started to where it is today. We talk about the realities of building in New York, lessons learned along the way, his firsthand experience surrounding September 11th, and the challenges and opportunities facing contractors today. And, of course, we talk cigars—how Frank got into them and why they became such a passion.   NYC SMACNA: https://nycsmacna.org/about/

August 13, 2026 Vernon Oakes takes listeners on a personal journey through the experiences that shaped him into the cooperative advocate and leader, he is today. Rather than simply reflecting on a distinguished career, Vernon shares how each chapter of his life became a steppingstone that ultimately led him to embrace the cooperative business model and dedicate himself to advancing it. From teaching mathematics at York College and marketing at Howard University, to leading Cummins de Puerto Rico and launching his own property management company after discovering a passion for real estate, each experience provided valuable lessons in leadership, education, and community. It was while managing a limited equity housing cooperative that Vernon first encountered the cooperative business model. True to his analytical nature and lifelong love of research, he immersed himself in learning everything he could about cooperatives. What began as a professional responsibility soon became a personal passion. Vernon also reflects on the people, experiences, and principles that transformed not only his approach to management and leadership, but also his vision for building stronger businesses and more resilient communities through cooperation, and the importance of how cooperation can be used to impact lives. Vernon Oakes is a dedicated advocate for cooperatives who was inducted into the Cooperative Hall of Fame in 2024. He is the Past President of the National Association of Housing Cooperatives and has served on numerous boards and committees advancing cooperative interests. His contributions also extend to the Limited Equity Cooperative Task Force, initiated by Anita Bonds, an At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia. As an MBA graduate of Stanford University, Vernon has applied his business expertise to serve the community, championing the benefits of the cooperative business model.

Share your Field Stories!Laura and Nic interview Ryan Hathaway, Director of Climate and Environmental Justice at Lawyers for Good Government, to discuss his time at the White House, efforts to protect federal grants, and the power of community-driven environmental action. From recovering billions of dollars for communities to lessons inspired by Mr. Rogers, this episode explores how decency, optimism, and meaningful support can drive lasting change.Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! This episode is sponsored by Lawyers for Good Government. Learn more at https://www.lawyersforgoodgovernment.org/.Please be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Ryan Hathaway at ryan@l4gg.org. Guest Bio:Ryan serves as Director of Climate and Environmental Justice at Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG),  and previously served as the Director for Environmental Justice and Director of The White House Environmental Justice Interagency Council at the White House Council on Environmental Quality in the Executive Office of the President. Prior, he served as the U.S. Department of the Interior Environmental Justice Coordinator, and also led the Department's Major Infrastructure, Permitting, NEPA, and FAST-41 Programs.  Ryan has served in several government leadership roles, including as Branch Chief for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Land Use Planning at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  He has over 15 years of experience in federal civil service from local fieldwork and administration to program management, policy, and leadership of multi-billion dollar national and international permitting and environmental policy programs.  Ryan has his Bachelor's in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Delaware, and his Master's in Natural Resource Management and Master's Certificate in Sustainable Development from Virginia Tech University. Ryan serves on the advisory boards for the youth led non-profits Climate Cardinals and Future Incubators, is on the Harvard Sustainability Program Advisory Board, the board of District Coyote Project, and has served as adjunct faculty at several universities, as a board member on many organizations focused on improving the world we live in, and addresses audiences around the world as a speaker and panelist on leadership, environmental policy, and building a better future.  His most important and enjoyable role is as a dad to his son Charlie, and husband to his wife, Jackie, a tremendously dedicated shelter veterinarian.  If you want him to talk too much, bring up blues guitar, star wars, or smoking barbecue. Music CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players. 

Protein is everywhere — tons of us are trying to cram more of it into our diets, and it's showing up in our lattes, our snack bars, even our popcorn. But just as we're getting on board with protein-maxxing, a bunch of headlines have started saying the opposite: that eating LESS protein could actually help you live longer. So what's going on here?? Should we be piling on the protein — or pulling back? And could going too low actually be dangerous? We talk to biologist Prof. Dudley Lamming and exercise physiologist Prof. Stuart Phillips to find out. Note: This episode mentions calorie restriction. Please take care when listening, and here are some resources: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) helpline: 1(888)-375-7767 Crisis support: United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988 (Online chat available); https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/ Text “HOME” to 741741 Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available) Canada: Call or text 988 United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI) Full list of international hotlines here  Other help available: spotify.com/resources Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsProteinMaxxing In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Protein-Maxxing or Protein-Minning? (02:15) Restricting Protein Makes You Live Longer??!? (09:20) A Tale of Brown Fat and mTOR (13:45) What Could Go Wrong? (21:20) So What the Hell Should We Be Eating? This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We're edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. Fact checking by Marlowe Starling. Video editing and sound by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to for this episode including Prof. Edward Giovannucci, Prof. Holly Brown-Borg, Prof. John Speakman, Dr. Mingyang Song, and Dr. Jessica Biesiekierski. And thanks as well to Humdinger Studios in Melbourne and Wolff Island Studios in New York City.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oregon lawmakers passed the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act (RMA) in 2021. It was the first law of its kind, putting much of the responsibility to reduce waste on producers and manufacturers. California, Washington, Colorado and a handful of other states have now passed similar laws. The Oregon law took effect July 1, 2025 and the state began collecting fees from producers to expand recycling infrastructure. A recent report highlighted Oregon’s progress in the first year, including dozens of new producer-funded collection sites, 36,000 new recycling carts and $30 million dollars to improve and modernize recycling facilities.    The National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors sued the state to block the law shortly after it went into effect, but a federal judge has now rejected those arguments and upheld the constitutionality of Oregon’s law. We talk about what’s next with Dan Leif, policy implementation director at The Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit helping municipalities all over the country create and implement these kinds of laws.   

Message us!What do recent episodes of Friends, lifting 500 pounds in the gym, and barbecue have in common? Artificial Intelligence in the energy industry, believe it or not! In this special episode of A Crude Bit of Humor, Kendall Neukomm and Buffie Campbell are joined by Deren and Dagen Boyd, co-founders of FirmApp, and Lewis Box of Riverbend Energy Group and the National Association of Division Order Analysts (NADOA). They explore where AI is already creating value and where companies are still navigating adoption challenges. Plus: Common misconceptions, the importance of prompting, and practical advice for professionals who want to start using AI effectively today.  As part of our NADOA 2026 Institute series, you'll also hear insights into this year's conference (where Dagen will be speaking more on AI), emerging technology trends, and how industry leaders are preparing for the next wave of innovation.Fill out this form to have new episodes sent right to your inbox! Follow Whitley Penn on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X for more industry insights and thought leadership!

Challenges Ahead for Housing and Congress by National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Stacey Allen. Founder and artistic director of Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective. The conversation centers around the power of dance as activism, preserving Black history, and honoring sacred spaces tied to African-American heritage. Stacey also shares details about her Juneteenth performance in Galveston and the deep cultural research driving her work.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Stacey Allen. Founder and artistic director of Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective. The conversation centers around the power of dance as activism, preserving Black history, and honoring sacred spaces tied to African-American heritage. Stacey also shares details about her Juneteenth performance in Galveston and the deep cultural research driving her work.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Stacey Allen. Founder and artistic director of Nia’s Daughters Movement Collective. The conversation centers around the power of dance as activism, preserving Black history, and honoring sacred spaces tied to African-American heritage. Stacey also shares details about her Juneteenth performance in Galveston and the deep cultural research driving her work.

In this episode of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Etched in Stone series, "Seven: The Story of Olympian Gray Simons," the narrative shifts to Simons' turbulent but inspiring tenure at the University of Tennessee. Contemporaries such as Chris Edmond, Wayne Catan, Tim Cochran, Glenn Lanham, and others paint a vivid picture of Simons as a wrestling genius and understated leader who elevated everyone around him. The episode chronicles Tennessee's rise to national prominence in the mid‑1980s, highlighted by Edmond's remarkable NCAA title run and the team's top‑10 national ranking, all achieved despite shrinking budgets, reduced scholarships, and long odds against traditional Midwestern powers. At the same time, the story lays bare the institutional pressures that ultimately doomed SEC wrestling. Through voices like Mary Simons, Bud Ford, and former athletic director Doug Dickey, listeners see how the school claimed financial constraints, conference isolation, and looming gender equity mandates to erase a model program that did nearly everything right. The players' reactions—Lanham's anger, Edmond's pride, and Simons' quiet heartbreak—reveal the human cost of cutting a sport and underscore the lasting legacy of Gray Simons and Tennessee wrestling, even after the mats were rolled up for the final time. Listen & Follow Etched in StoneApple Podcasts | Spotify | Deezer | Radio Public | RSS About Gray Simons During his four years of collegiate competition at Lock Haven University, Gray Simons entered seven national tournaments. He won all seven, and six times was voted outstanding wrestler of the event. Four years he reigned supreme at 115 pounds in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and all four years was chosen the NAIA's finest, an unparalleled achievement. Three times he won the University Division title in the NCAA and as a junior and senior was voted the outstanding competitor. The only two defeats of his 93 collegiate matches came early in his freshman season. He then proceeded to win 84 in a row. In the two years after his graduation, while stationed at the U.S. Military Academy, he continued to annex national championships in military, YMCA and AAU competition. He won the gold medal in the 1963 World Military Games. Gray Simons twice represented his country in the Olympic Games, in 1960 and 1964. On the mat, he was known as a superb technician, with quickness, skill and perfect execution of an infinite variety of moves. His abilities helped spread nationwide the "Granby Series" of moves developed by his Hall of Fame high school coach in Norfolk, Virginia, Billy Martin. After the close of his competitive career, he served with distinction as a collegiate coach at Lock Haven, Indiana State, Tennessee and Old Dominion University, and never has suffered a losing season. Among his proteges were two NCAA champions and several All-Americans. In both roles, as a wrestler and coach, this quiet man has set an outstanding example for young athletes everywhere. As a wrestler of unchallenged achievement and a sportsman of the highest caliber, Elliot Gray Simons is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob says lawns are doing great with recent rains, but make sure to keep an eye out for […]

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob says lawns are doing great with recent rains, but make sure to keep an eye out for […]

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob says lawns are doing great with recent rains, but make sure to keep an eye out for […]

Christopher Gandy, president of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, says that many consumers and savers are so focused on hitting numbers that they lose sight of what they really want, which is "a great quality of life and not having to worry about running out of money." Gandy, who is the founder of the Legacy Wealth Group, says that people spend their lives considering how much it takes to retire without looking at what they need to spend to have the  retirement lifestyle they desire. Moreover, he says that those savers don't adjust their savings habits over time, so they set goals young but take poor paths to achieve them by not adjusting to their changing circumstances over time. Lester Jones, chief economist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association discusses the August 2026 Beer Purchasers Index, which showed a marked improvement from last year, but which still maintains a "cautionary position" as the summer selling season winds down. The forward-looking index shows some signs of the K-shaped economy, with inflation and higher prices being reflected in below-premium brands picking up, with the top end of the curve spending more on premium beers and ciders. Luke Lango, lead technology and cryptocurrency analyst at InvestorPlace — publisher of the Innovation Investor newsletter — talks technology and artificial-intelligence investing in the Market Call, noting that while A.I. is tied into every positive tech story, every individual stock is its own situation, and the best prospects are companies that have something that is needed, defensible and able to turn demand into profits.

Nolan Wells friends to sue Al Sharpton for defamation, Eli Zaret in studio as the Detroit Tigers falter, Jason Arday & his plagiarism, Thomas Markle breaks his silence, Island Boy boxing match, and Miley Cyrus is a bully. Kacey Musgraves decided to perform on a giant sparkling testicle sack. Eli Zaret joins the show today to declare the Detroit Tigers finished for the second time this season, Riley Greene's future, Jason Benetti's 16th job, the Detroit Lions victorious in preseason Game 2, more early injuries, Deshaun Watson back with the Cleveland Browns, never-ending WNBA drama, Cathy Engelbert on the hot seat, Michigan's new in-stadium ads, Utah accuses Freddie Whittingham of tampering, the travels of Jake Rogers and much more. RIP John C. Dvorak again. It turns out Brian Hickerson gets high now and then. Mia Terrazas is spilling details of being Hayden Panettiere neighbor. Real House wife, Diana Jenkins, was not very helpful in Hayden's life. Some people are saying Room 23 is a menu for the famous. Lindsay Clancy murdered her children and TikTok is investigating. Her lawyer is so hot right now. Karen Solomon is a fugitive after murdering her husband in Massachusetts. Was Paula Abdul ever in a plane crash or what? University of Cambridge Professor, Jason Arday, lied a lot and committed suicide when he got busted. White Supremacy is to blame. He also hated Paul Simon. Now, pay his family money for the racism. Stephen A. Smith is not admired by The National Association of Black Journalists. Al Sharpton is facing a defamation lawsuit from Nolan Wells' friends. Nancy Grace is backtracking by pulling her videos. Don Lemon was really rooting for Meghan Markle. Netflix has more content in waiting. The very hint of Markle acting again is so poorly received that the offer has been withdrawn. If you see their kids in public, please post their faces on the internet. Thomas Markle has broken his silence and confirms that Meghan Markle is a terrible daughter. Reminder that she won the Best Podcast Award. Wendy Williams looks "great" these days. One of the Island Boys lost a boxing match to a very little opponent. Miley Cyrus bullied Jordan Pruitt at Disney. Honey Boo Boo's sister Pumpkin is gross and drops her OnlyFans income. Crystal Hefner was brainwashed by Hugh. She totally nailed a 91-year-old. Asylum seekers need to be taught what rape is in the UK. Reminder that you CAN mutilate little girl's genitals right here in Michigan. Merch is available if you want to rep the show. Word of mouth, brah. If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (Drew Lane, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley, BranDon, and Roberto).

The JBP kicks off its latest episode with a conversation on colognes and wearing it to the gym (29:30) before Marc Lamont Hill responds to DJ Akademiks after he called out journalists by name for not covering Drake vs. Roc Nation properly (42:23). Stephen A. Smith calls being given a 'thumbs down' award from the National Association of Black Journalists 'highly offensive' (1:18:47), family drama in LA as Jeanie Buss is against her siblings in the sale of the Lakers (1:55:15) which leads to the latest on Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers (2:04:18). Also, Orlando Brown and Ray J fight on an undercard for Claressa Shields title match (2:10:23), a conversation between LeBron and Channing Frye leads the room to pose the question 'can you make someone want it' (2:43:50), *SPOILER ALERT* the latest episode of 'Lioness' (3:07:10), and much more. Become a Patron of The Joe Budden Podcast for additional bonus episodes and visual content for all things JBP! Join our Patreon here: http://www.patreon.com/joebudden 

"Normally it's a donkey eating briars." Is it acceptable to wear gear of your favorite team that celebrates them not winning a national championship? Tony has found the picture of himself at Universal with AJ Burnett; Greg Cote listens to his own podcast in his garage, which doubles as a mental man cave; and Greg Cote reviews the reviews of the Pat McAfee album. Plus, Stephen A. Smith is at it again after receiving a Thumbs Down Award from the National Association of Black Journalists, something not even Jason Whitlock has accomplished. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephen A. Smith took a beating from the National Association of Black Journalists — a "thumbs down" that landed less like disapproval and more like a middle finger. Jason Whitlock breaks down why Smith won't apologize for calling a black man a devil on tape, yet he ran straight to Sean Hannity's couch the moment black women in his own industry turned on him. This is the ledger on loyalty, leverage, and who Stephen A. actually answers to. "Fearless" family, you don't want to miss this one. ➢​​Today's Sponsors Try High Flavanol Cocoa (Stem Cells & Nitric Oxide): (JULY 4TH BUY ONE GET ONE FREE + FREE NMN BIGGEST PROMO OF THE YEAR  FOR 48HRS ONLY!): https://blackforestsupplements.com/WHITLOCK  ➢ Show Outline 00:00 - Stephen A. Smith's Hannity Appearance & Political Campaign 03:28 - Stephen A. Smith vs. NABJ: "Personal Hit Job" 08:54 - Political Flirtation & Stephen A. Smith's Loyalty 11:22 - "Pussy Control" & NABJ's Power 17:58 - Stephen A. Smith's "Blindsided" Claim 20:31 - Whitlock's Sympathy & Similar Experiences 27:16 - Stephen A. Smith's Presidential Threat & Black Voters 33:17 - Family Structure & the Black Community Divide 36:11 - Don Lemon, Jemele Hill, and the "Sellout" Label 43:47 - Cam Ward Discussion 54:48 - Closing: Jemele Hill & WNBA Coverage ➢ Follow Our GUESTS https://www.youtube.com/@DreAllDay https://www.youtube.com/@stillmanandco  https://x.com/SteveKim323 ➢ Subscribe to Jason's other channel https://www.youtube.com/JasonWhitlock?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.youtube.com/@JasonWhitlockHarmony?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.youtube.com/@JasonWhitlockBYOG?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.youtube.com/@JasonWhitlockClips?sub_confirmation=1 ➢ Connect with Jason on Social Media:  https://x.com/JasonWhitlock  https://www.instagram.com/realjasonwhitlock/ https://www.facebook.com/jasonwhitlock ➢ Send Jason an Email FearlessBlazeShow@gmail.com ➢ Support The Blaze Visit https://TheBlaze.com. Explore the all-new ad-free experience and see for yourself how we're standing up against suppression and prioritizing independent journalism. Support Conservative Voices! Subscribe to BlazeTV at https://www.fearlessmission.com and get $20 off your yearly subscription. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices