Podcasts about Christmas Eve

Watch on Philo! - Philo.tv/DTHNikki Crandon is a BIG deal pop star and she's working on her upcoming Christmas album, sounding fine I guess. It's Thanksgiving day and Chris is heading over to his parents house for Thanksgiving with his 2 kids and he's feeling pretty sad cuz his wife is dead. His daughter Sophie seems totally fine with the fact that her mom is dead though, so that's good. They turn on the Thanksgiving football game and guess who's singing the national anthem? Nikki Crandon! Chris comes in and sees her on tv and gets weird. Sophie really wants to go see the Nikki Crandon Christmas concert on Christmas Eve  and everyone is weird about it so Sophie is like what the heck? He finally tells the truth - they went to high school with Nikki and she was his first love. And it's pretty clear he still has feelings for her. So the kids decide that they're going to sneak off to NYC for a meet and greet and tell her that their dad is still in love with her. At first, Sophie fumbles the opportunity but she turns around on her way out and belts out MY DAD IS CHRIS MARSHALL AND HE IS STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU! Nikki decides to give the kids a ride home and goes to say hi to Chris. And at first, he fumbles the opportunity (like father, like daughter). But before she drives off, he runs out and asks to get dinner. So the next day, she shows up to his basketball game and they go get a burger and it's going fine. The night ends with her asking him why he left her and he said he didn't wanna get in the way of her career taking off. Good enough for her and they kiss big ones. The next day, this picture is everywhere. Her manager wants her to call it off but she's not having it. Chris calls her and they agree to get dinner at a 5 star resteraunt. The dinner does not go well. First, the record exec shows up and gives him a wad of cash. Then when she's in the restroom, her movie star ex-boyfriend shows up. Chris realizes, once again, that he's just not right for her and her career, so he leaves. She shows up to his house and gives them tickets to her Christmas eve shows. He says they're not gonna go but after a pep talk from his mom, they all show up. He sneaks back stage and after the show, he gets on stage and professes his love. She comes back on stage and they kiss big ones and he asks if she wants to go steady. They kiss some more as the crowd cheers. 

Order my newest book Make Money Easy! https://lewishowes.com/moneyyouCheck out the full episode: greatness.lnk.to/1795"When you're in alignment, everything flows. The right people show up, the right conversations flow, the money attracts - it just starts piecing together." - Daniel PriestleySometimes it takes a phone call that stops your world to realize you've been living someone else's life. For Daniel Priestley, that moment came on Christmas Eve when his doctor delivered news that would change everything - his pancreas enzyme levels were dangerously high, and he needed to immediately stop drinking and change his eating habits. At 43, with Steve Jobs' story of pancreatic cancer haunting his thoughts, Daniel faced the brutal truth that he'd been judging people who prioritized their health as "selfish" and "vain" while slowly destroying his own body. This wasn't just a health scare - it was a complete misalignment between his values and his actions, and it forced him to confront what he calls the "Ghost of Christmas Eve moment" that would reshape his entire approach to living.What Daniel shares about alignment goes far beyond health - it's about recognizing when your past, present, and future are flowing through you like a straight line, creating what he calls "vitality." When you're out of alignment, you feel it in your bones. You show up to situations where you could leave and nothing would change, where your unique contribution isn't needed. But when you find that sweet spot where your origin story, mission, and vision converge, everything shifts. The right opportunities appear, conversations flow effortlessly, and you step into work that only you can do. Daniel's raw honesty about his own misalignment around health reveals how we all have blind spots where we're living by outdated beliefs rather than our evolved values.Sign up for the Greatness newsletter: http://www.greatness.com/newsletter

On the menu of Johann Hari, author of Magic Pill, Lost Connections, and Stolen Focus is; KFC in East London, Christmas Eve 2009, KFC in Las Vegas, autumn 2023, and fugu, the poisonous fish, in Tokyo in autumn 2023. To listen to the incredible full episode, released April 30th, 2024 - search Johann Hari, or scroll back on the Three Food Memories playlist. Send us a textTo find out more about the project and Savva - head to threefoodmemories.comInsta - @savvasavas @threefoodmemoriesEmail us at threefoodmemories@plated.com.au, we'd love to hear from you! TFM is produced and edited by Lauren McWhirter with original music by Russell Torrance.

Zelda attacks Earth on Christmas Eve, convinced that the Terrahawks' guard will be down. However, Ninestein anticipates such a move, and all-out war erupts. Perhaps the Christmas spirit can even reach someone like Zelda....

Watch on Philo! - Philo.tv/DTHThe movie kicks off with a slowmo shot of a big ol horse pulling a sleigh. We go into a house and these 2 best friend are talking about where people are going to be sitting at her wedding. That's right - Kathy and police officer Matt are finally getting married! But Kathy's friend, Danielle, is feeling a bit sad. Last Christmas, she was broken up with on Christmas Eve at Church service in between Silent Night and Joy to the World. But she's here and she's gonna make the best of it helping Kathy plan the wedding. In the middle of the their conversation, we see a guy walking his Dalmatian. Danielle decides to go to the coffee shop and orders her fav: a tall caramel machinate sugar free with oat milk, no whip, and has a totally normal, real human conversation with the owner. She goes to enjoy her drink in the park in the freezing cold. She sets her drink down to take a call from her mom and she notices that a dog is drinking her drink. The man apologizes but she doesn't want any part of it.But when she's goes to the coffee shop the next day and orders her sugar free caramel macchiato with oat milk, no whip, he comes right up.  Turns out, he's the guy she's supposed to be meeting with. His name is Trevor but goes by TJ and he is Matt's best friend. They start working together to plan stuff, like cake taste testing, floral arrangements, stuff that the wedding party is in charge of. She invites him over to meet her old school Dad and Dad falls in love with him. And he takes her to the fire department to show her all of the fire stuff. But then he gets a call so has to leave.Turns out, the call is for her mom. She "fell down" while doing the dishes. I guess she was dehydrated. She talks to her mom about how she's not sure about really giving Trevor a chance but mom is like your dad likes him, we can't let this opportunity pass. Everything is good again until she gets a call - the baker who was making cupcakes for the wedding is in labor. So she and Trevor go to the bakery to make 200 cupcakes. And they have a blast until a girl shows up and says she's Trevor's girlfriend. Trevor doesn't correct her. She's real sad. Luckily, there's a random old guy on a bench who gives her some advice. Trevor shows up and explains - he actually never did break up with this girl but he thought they broke up cuz she moved. Which is good enough for her. They go to walk in the freezing cold and kiss. 

Well, I believe in the soul, the cock, the pussy, the small of a woman's back, the hanging curve ball, high fiber, good scotch, that the novels of Susan Sontag are self-indulgent, overrated crap. I believe Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. I believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment outlawing Astroturf and the designated hitter. I believe in the sweet spot, soft-core pornography, opening your presents Christmas morning rather than Christmas Eve and I believe in long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three days. - Crash David Get weekly bonus content on our Patreon: www.patreon.com/kingmepod Email us at kingmepod@gmail.com Letterboxd https://letterboxd.com/kingmepod/

In this episode of The IC-DISC Show, I delve into the journey of Kripke Enterprises from its humble beginnings to its current status as a leader in the scrap metal and recycling industry. Founded by a husband-and-wife team in 1993, the company has grown significantly with the involvement of their son, Matt. They discuss the strategic moves that helped propel their business forward, including key acquisitions like Mid-South Aluminum and a strong focus on aluminum trading. Matt and Scott highlight the importance of relationship building and trust in the scrap metal industry. They share insights into how their reputation and values, like keeping promises and problem-solving, have been instrumental in their success. The episode delves into the symbiotic relationships they have fostered with aluminum suppliers, emphasizing the value of maintaining strong personal connections in business dealings. We also hear about the transformative leadership styles within Kripke Enterprises. The discussion covers how innovative thinking and diverse perspectives, including contributions from those outside the traditional industry, have reshaped the company's culture. Matt and Scott talk about the balance between a hands-off leadership approach and active collaboration with executives to navigate industry changes. Finally, the episode touches on the future of the recycling industry, highlighting the role of technology and innovation. The Kripke team shares stories of employee growth and empowerment, including unique programs aimed at helping employees become homeowners. They reflect on the potential of a younger workforce and the exciting developments in material sorting and AI within the aluminum sector.     SHOW HIGHLIGHTS In this episode, I delve into the inspiring transformation of Kripke Enterprises from a small family venture into a major player in the scrap metal and recycling industry, led by brothers Matt and Scott. I explore the strategic acquisition of Mid-South Aluminum and discuss how building trust and maintaining strong relationships have been key to Kripke's success, emphasizing the unique dynamics of their coil distribution business. We discuss the innovative leadership styles within the company and how they've transformed company culture, with insights into how diverse perspectives, especially from non-traditional industry backgrounds, contribute to their growth. There's a focus on employee empowerment and personal growth stories, such as Eric Phillips' rise from warehouse manager to COO, highlighting Kripke's commitment to fostering leadership and financial education for employees. I cover the positive outcomes from switching to a specialized service provider, which resulted in improved efficiency, response times, and significant tax savings, underscoring the value of expertise in business operations. Advice is shared for younger generations entering the workforce, emphasizing the benefits of starting a career in smaller companies for broader exposure and discussing the impact of technology, especially AI, on the industry. The episode wraps up with a reflection on the excitement surrounding JJ Spahn's US Open victory and the anticipation of future events, providing a light-hearted end to a comprehensive exploration of Kripke Enterprises' journey.   Contact Details LinkedIn - Matthew Kripke (https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-kripke-b225969/) LinkedIn - Scott Chaffee (https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-chaffee-63429bb/) LINKSShow Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance About Kripke Enterprises Inc GUEST Matthew KripkeAbout Matthew Scott ChaffeeAbout Scott TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dave: Good afternoon, scott and Matt. How are you? Matt: Fantastic. How are you doing? Dave: I am doing great. I get to talk to one of my favorite scrap metal company representatives, so it's always a good day for me. So let's get started. Where are you guys calling in from today? Matt: We are at Crypto Enterprises headquarters in Toledo, Ohio. Dave: Okay, and I believe that's made famous by the Mudhens right. Isn't that Toledo's claim to fame? Matt: That is correct, the Mudhens which Jamie Farr in MASH used to wax poetic about. Dave: Yeah, his character was Slinger, I believe. Matt: Yeah, you're showing all of our age that. That's how we're starting this interview. We're referencing a show from the 1970s and early 80s, agreed, agreed. Dave: Well, hey, matt, why don't you give us some background? What's the history of kripke, what year was it founded, who founded it and kind of how we got to today? Matt: sure, so kripke enterprises was started on january 4th 1993, which that date is important because that was my mom, or is my mom's birthday. Next year, on January 4th, it will be the 30, let's see 33rd anniversary of Kripke Enterprises and at the same time my mom will be turning 80 years old that day. She'll be thrilled that I shouted out her age in the beginning of this podcast. But the company was founded by my mom and dad. They started out with the two of them and one administrative assistant and the goal was to create a non-Ferris brokerage company where my dad could just put food on the table for him and my mom. They had their third kid at the time in college. Two of their kids had already graduated college and really not very grandiose ambitions. It was just going to be a small little trading company to capitalize on what my dad's career had been, which had been in the scrap metal. I know we call it the recycling industry today, but back then we did not. We called it the scrap metal company Sure, but back then we did not. We called it the scrap metal company Sure Industry and that was their goal and plan. I don't think that really in his mind he was ever going to grow it beyond those three people and I joined them in October of 1994. So the company was a year and a half old at the time. I had no intention of ever joining the company but my my dad got very ill and I came in and kind of kept the company going while he was spending 60 days in and out of the hospital and, um, at the end of 60 days we agreed to find a position for me and then he said to me point blank he said I really don't want to grow this company, but if you ever decide you want to grow it, I'll support you. It's just you have to do it. And okay, that was kind of the beginning and it took a while for me to get the confidence to begin to grow the company. But that process started from me being the fourth employee and today we're just under 70 employees and locations in Toledo, Jackson, Tennessee. We have a trading office in Florida and then we have a few people that work remote in different cities around and what's your commodity focus? Our specialty is aluminum, but we do trade in most metals, but still 95% of our volume is aluminum. Maybe even Scott's going to correct me with the numbers, but maybe even 98 percent is aluminum okay, does that sound right, scott? Dave: yeah, actually 99 okay, that sounds, that sounds good, and so you've had quite a bit of growth. Matt: Yeah, I think you know I would attribute a lot of it to just finding good people and then ultimately getting out of the way. You know, as an example, scott, who's in this interview. He came in in 2011 with us and was instrumental in setting up systems so that we could scale our business, and you know, one of the things people take for granted is that you really need to. You really need good systems in place in order to scale. You really need good systems in place in order to scale. You can grow your business a little bit at a time if you're doing it with spreadsheets and duct tape and super glue and you're MacGyvering it together, but you really need a good CFO and you really need a good IT person in today's day and age as well. Scott: Yeah, and to piggyback off of that, I mean the infrastructure is so important, whether it's the IT infrastructure, the bank line of credit, I mean there's a number of different things and once that's in place, I mean it becomes fairly easy. And I would say that you know we've been able to do that several times now. You know we acquired Mid-South Aluminum in 2017. And the single biggest thing that we were able to help out there was the infrastructure, the line of credit, the system, the line of credit, the system. We were able to, you know, bring them onto our system, and you know it took a company and we were able to increase that at quite a multiple so the hopline sales number when we acquired Mid-South in 17 was about what Scott? Call it about 30 million, and we were able to take it after we joined forces. We were able to take it all the way up to like about 150 million. Dave: Wow, in a short period of time. That is amazing. And so, Scott, how did you end up here? Did you grow up with a lifelong desire to be in the scrap metal business? Matt: He did Next question. Scott: No, go ahead, Scott. You know I can still remember the day. Yeah, so I've been here since 2011. You know, I tell people all the time it was the best move I've ever made, Including marrying his wife. Well, yeah, I'd worked for three large corporations, three international corporations, and even did a lot of international travel. For, and you know it, I can remember I had a mutual friend with Matt and Larry and I can still to this day remember going out to breakfast with them and at the restaurant here in Toledo, and from there I knew, you know, it was a good feeling. You could just, you could tell, I mean, it's got a, we got a great culture here that comes from there. I knew, you know it was a good feeling. You could just, you could tell, I mean, it's got a, we got a great culture here that comes from the top and makes all the difference in the world. Sure, yeah, Sure. Dave: So tell me more about this Mid-South acquisition. What was it about it? Acquisition, what was it about it? Because you know, so many times you do acquisitions, mergers, and you have these grand plans of all the synergies and growth and everything, and oftentimes it doesn't come to fruition, but it sounds like it did in your case. Matt: What would? Scott: you say, made that transaction so successful. What do you think, scott? Well, I, you know, I, I think I think there was a lot for both of us to benefit from. You know it was. The company was basically run on Excel spreadsheets at the time and you know we we had, we had access to a large line of credit with the banks, and so we were able to, you know, tap into that. We had the infrastructure, we brought them onto our system. I think that was probably the relationship that we'd had, or I should say the relationship that Larry and Matt had with the Salih family, and that went back many, many years. I don't know Matt how far back? 20 years before that yeah. Matt: Yeah, I think that's where it really started. So I think Scott tapped on what made it work from a logistics point of view logistical point of view. But that relationship piece is, you know, when you get into a negotiation, a lot of times they stall out because you start the conversation and people get a little freaked out about well, wait a minute. I'm just not sure that I want to do this because I don't know that I can fully trust you and we both had this longstanding trust of each other. We had been business partners for a long time. What made it really interesting to us was, you know, if you think about Mid-South Aluminum is a coil. It's an asset light coil distributor, which essentially means coil broker. But where I say coil distributor, our niche is we buy mill finish coil, bare coil, and we have relationships with various paint lines paint lines and we will get it painted to specific colors for our customers and then ship them. You know painted coil that would be used mainly in the bnc market, sometimes into producing signs, and sometimes mill finish that might go into like hurricane shutters or florida rooms or things like that. Where it's interesting for us is if you think about where coil is sourced from. Those are the same people that we're selling recyclable aluminum into. So we become customers of theirs, supplying them on the scrap side of the business. And then we're a customer of theirs on the other side of the business, buying coil from them. Oh wow, full circle. And so there's times in the cycle where they treat us really well because they really need us to supply them with scrap. And then there's times in the cycle where getting scraps easy but they really need us over here to help them out to take out quill. So interesting we've, because, you know, we kind of have a little bit more leverage, um, in those relationships. And that's become, you know, now, when we acquire mid-south, we, oh, this is going to be great, we're just going to do a ton of tolling. Well, that doesn't always work and, as a matter of fact, more often than not the tolling piece doesn't work. But when it does, it's great, for you know, two different parties. Now that's great. Dave: And this is one of the reasons that. Now, that's great and this is one of the reasons that you know I picked up. You probably know my very first scrap metal client, Arnie Gashman. You probably know Arnie. Everybody knows Arnie, Right. I think he was in college, at TCU, when his father or grandfather became ill. It may have been his grandfather, Maybe his father wasn't very interested in the business, and then I believe his grandfather passed somewhat suddenly. So Arnie was kind of thrust in to take him the place over at like 22 years old. So yeah, and same thing, he stuck around. But one of the things I love about the industry and I've I tried telling friends who aren't in the industry that I said I've never seen an industry where your reputation matters more than in this industry. And I said and I tell them, I said I believe my clients will buy and sell a million dollars of scrap metal on a phone call, like no formal contracts. I mean there may or may not even be an email, that that that documents it. But I said, can you, can you believe that they do transactions just on a handshake? And it's one of the things that I find just great about the industry. Matt: That is a hundred percent true. You know, I would say you know we have three core values that we run our business and we run our business on them, and everyone in our organization can recite them, and they also know that every decision they make needs to be filtered through these three things okay, one is. One is we do what we say, which you're referring to. You know your reputation. That's how you build your reputation by following through on what you say. Two is we provide solutions. And you know where we try to differentiate ourselves is people are used to at least in the recycling side of the business. They're used to rejections and downgrades. I mean, things go wrong and my dad's big thing was always don't call up a customer and say, hey, you got a rejection down in Kentucky, because that's what everyone else does. He said let's differentiate ourselves. Instead of saying that, let's call them up and say, hey, we have an issue, a little bit different verbiage, but before you call them already have worked out two to potentially three solutions of this, and they'll keep it. Two is we ran the freight to bring it up to our warehouse in Toledo is blank and we'll go through and clean it for you and evaluate the load. And a third option is we found this other place that is willing to buy it. If you go that direction. We're still going to owe this metal on the original contract, but this gives you an opportunity to. You know, get out of this loop. And that's the second one. The third one is also what you're referring to. The third core value Relationships are the backbone of our business. Backbone of our business and I think, while unique when we discuss other industries, that is not unique in the scrap metal industry. You know that we will put relationships ahead of making money, that we will say to you know, our employees, employees hey, if you have an opportunity to cement a relationship, don't worry about whether you make money on that particular deal, it'll come back to us many times playing the long game, playing the long game well. Dave: And I just find life's more fun when you do business with people you know as a customer or supplier. It's just more fun when you do business with people you like and trust. And, just like my wife and I have a saying we don't do transactions, we only do relationships. And that even means because everybody wants like a customers, right, don't complain, pay your bills right Easy to work with. Like a customers right, don't complain, pay your bills right Easy to work with. But my wife and I's theories we aspire to be a customers for all of our vendors because we just find it's more fun when you have a problem and the vendor calls you back right away because you're one of their better customers. And it's just more fun when you're you have great working relationships with your vendors, rather than them feeling like you're going to beat them up on price every time you talk to them. Scott: Right, but that's another relationship, you know, it goes way back and there is a lot. I mean, it can't emphasize enough how important relationships are. You know, this weekend I listened to a couple of the podcasts that you've done and there was somebody else that mentioned the importance of the relationship, and it is. I mean, that is definitely the case in everything that we do, even with the banks, like, for example, you know, we go through periods where, okay, maybe we're carrying a little bit more inventory than what we typically carry, or maybe the price is a lot higher than what it was six months ago. It's great to know that we can pick up that phone and say, okay, we've got a temporary situation, maybe it doesn't quite work with our reporting, what can we do? And we'll start talking, talking through some, some options, and I think, because we have a relationship like that with our banks and and others, I mean it makes it makes business a lot easier to do too. And the other thing you touched on was, uh, you know the integrity that is so important and we do what we, you know. And that goes back to another one of our three core values that Matt mentioned is we do what we say. I can remember when I started years ago, larry always used to say, okay, pay on time, pay on time, pay on time. Because, that is a really important thing. It builds trust, it builds a relationship, adds to the integrity. I mean it is really important and you know it goes a long way. Matt: That's the other thing, that pay your bills on time. You know it's's. Yes, there's many industries where that is an issue. But when I have friends and in other industries and I'm like, oh yeah, we pay our bills on time, they look at me like why is that unique? You know, everyone pays their bills on time. Dave: I'm like not in our industry. Matt: I mean there's, you know there's, unfortunately, uh, you know the road is littered with um, a lot of people who give you the highest price and then make you chase them for, uh, that last dollar and, um, you know, that's one of the. You know, if you say, what is our secret sauce and why do people like to do business with us? One of those things is they never have to track our CFO down and say why am I not getting paid? I mean they, they can set their clock to when the payment comes. Dave: Sure, well, you talked about the relationships. I remember when I ran into you guys in San Diego last month, you know, I had a chance to introduce you to a professional who might be able to help you all in a way, and then I happened to sit down and have breakfast with you guys and you were, you all were kind enough to introduce me to some, some guys who I didn't know and some others who I hadn't talked to in a long time. So, uh, yeah, in fact I leave tomorrow to go to san antonio for the gulf coast regional event. Matt: Yeah, I do my guess is there'll be some people from our. I don't even know anymore who goes to which event, but my guess is we have some people who are going to that event. Dave: I would suspect. So I also suspect it'll be warm, so that's my other suspicion. So, Matt, I believe that a few years ago you kind of changed your role with the company. Is that correct? Matt: That is correct. So, in trying to think of the year that we named Chad the president, was that three years ago, so 22. So, so for a number. So let me backtrack a little bit further. In 2012, I worked out an agreement with my dad that was going to be a 10-year buyout of his and my mom's shares in the company. As part of that we agreed that I think right before then I took over as president of the company and my dad became the CEO of the company and he maintained that CEO role almost all the way through that buyout, even though I would say the last five years I would call him he was much more of like our lovable founder than he was really leading the company strategy anymore. Everyone would love when he would come back from Florida and come in the office and and spend time here. I took over the CEO role maybe in 2019 or 20 and was president CEO for a few years, and then we identified my cousin, chad Kripke, as president, or that we're developing him to become the president of the company. Chad is really really strong at risk management and a lot of the. I mean he was one of our rainmakers probably towards the end of his trading career, our largest rainmaker and would put together these monster deals and really good at building relationships. He, you know, I say to people all the time I felt like I was a really good president of a company for a long time, but Chad is 14 years younger than me and Chad is so much better than I ever was at that age I mean he's he's probably better than I was towards the end of when I was president, but he's still learning. He's still learning many things, but he's done a great job in really leading the day-to-day of the company. I'm still learning what it means to. You know, I've been really, really careful about not wanting to step on Scott's toes as CFO, not wanting to step on Andy Golding's toes as our chief strategy officer, eric Phillips as our COO and wanting to give Chad the freedom to lead. That I probably have erred too much on, you know, kind of a laissez faire attitude of you guys make all the decisions and some of them, actually, almost every single person has come back to me and said, hey, we see what you're trying to do. We'd like you to maybe stay involved a little bit more than you have been and we'd like you to voice your opinion a little bit more forcefully than you have been, and it's a tough mix to figure that out, so I'm still learning what that means to lead more on the longer-term strategy side and less on the day-to-day side. But it's really been fun and then, also in 2022, I told you January of 2023, these guys that I mentioned, they all came in and wrote a check to buy some equity in the company, and they are now my partners in the company, which has been fun as well, and you know it's. Dave: that's been a learning experience too, because my only partner prior to this was my dad, okay, oh, that's that is great, and, and I believe that andy is on track to be, uh you know, the chair of uh rima in a couple years right, or three years next year, next year, next year, yeah, okay yeah, so so next, next year, uh, andy's reign of terror begins and, yes, you, I think that it will be very exciting for the industry because Andy thinks differently. Matt: The reason that he's so valuable to us is, I think, very black and white. Yeah, chad is pretty creative, eric is very black and white, scott is very black and white, andy thinks in all these different technicolor ways, okay, and he is going to bring that to the entire REMA board and it will be uncomfortable. I can guarantee you this. The board will be uncomfortable for a couple of years because he will push the boundaries and will get them to think of hey, yes, I acknowledge we've done it this way forever, or we've done it this way for a long time. I just think this is a great idea over here and I'm going to challenge everyone and there's going to be a lot of people that are going to be very uncomfortable, but the industry is going to be better off for it and I can tell you our company is certainly better off because of how creative he is and the way that his mind works. Dave: Yeah, because what do you think about that? Matt: although Scott's the CFO, and I will tell you that sometimes those creative types are not the best at details. What do you think, scott? Scott: It's funny, andy and I have have like a long running joke that you know he always jokes. He'll say, well, I'm extremely detailed, I'm not, you know, we laughed about it. So, but, yeah, I, you know, I think, I think Andy's going to be great for rima. I think that, uh, you know he's gonna, he's gonna bring a lot to the organization and uh, uh, they'll probably be looking at a lot of things a whole lot differently when, uh, yeah that's into the chair position so, matt, you know, I I believe that that Andy does not have a traditional scrap metal background. Matt: What was it? Dave: about him that made you think kind of outside the box and bring in somebody from outside the industry. Matt: Well, in 2004, my dad and I so 2001, we hired our first trader who was not family and that was Marvin Finkelstein in Florida, and Marvin is our senior vice president of domestic sales and trading and Marvin's been with us since 2001. And Marvin's been with us since 2001. 2004, we had a guy hired who was supposed to start like essentially January 1 of 25. And he called us. I think Christmas Eve, called my dad and he said I really appreciate the offer, I really appreciate getting to know you guys even better. I've gotten cold feet and I have this other opportunity and I'm going to take the other opportunity and I think that's the safer way for me to go. And so we knew that we needed to add someone. At the same time, andy was part of a family business that unfortunately ran into some tough times. They were in the auto glass industry and, similar to the way that, like doctor's reimbursement, changes on the whims of the way the insurance companies want to treat different procedures, that industry was having a seismic shift and they were a big enough company. They couldn't move quick enough to get out of the way, and so andy was uh, andy at the time, in september of 2004, had twins, so he then had four kids under four years old and his family business was kind of disintegrating and and I knew andy, we, we had known each other since we were kids and and, um, my dad had known andy probably since close to when he was born and I I pulled my dad aside and I said, hey, this, this thing with this other guy didn't work out. You know, andy is out there looking and he doesn't have any experience in our industry, but this guy is really creative and could be a great sales guy for us. My dad said if you think you can work with him and you don't, and you're not nervous about your friendship getting ruined, then bring him in, let's talk to him. And by February of 2005, we had an agreement worked out. He started and he was was. I mean, he had to learn the metals, he had to learn the industry, but one thing he didn't have to learn was how to be a salesman and how to be creative and okay it. It probably took me maybe three or four years until I started getting comfortable with his crazy ideas. That and they weren't. They weren't crazy, they were crazy to me. But once I got comfortable with, hey, this stuff that he's suggesting it's working. Maybe we should, maybe I should get out of the way and maybe I should get out of the way, and, and you know that success and him being successful encourage us to add Eric Phillips and encourage us to add Chad Kripke. And then we grew to the point that we needed a real CFO and, you know, instead of my dad just coming back from Florida and saying, all right, what do you guys, you know, where are we at, what should I do? And so that, really, you know, starting with Marvin, going to Andy and then adding the others, those were all key moments and, um, a lot of the people we've added did not have, uh, scrap metal or recycling experience prior to joining here, and I think that has actually worked a lot to our advantage to get fresh eyes on things. And instead, instead of someone saying, well, here's the way you do it in your industry, someone coming in and saying, why do you do it this way and can we do this differently? Dave: No, that makes sense. I can appreciate that different perspective that he was able to bring Scott. What do you enjoy the most about your role with Kripke? Scott: Well, I'll tell you what I mean. I think you know I mentioned my background and you know it's just, it is so refreshing to be here compared to, I mean, we're, you know, we got a great culture. I mean we stress that all the time. You know it's so different than you know, what I had previously. I mean we're still, you know, we're still, you know, reasonably small in the grand view of things, so we can change on a dime, you know, we're, we're, we're nimble, we're, you know, and that's the great thing. So we find, we find that if something isn't working, let's, let's do something, try something else. And you know, I I would say between between being able to to quickly change and, you know, I would say, between between being able to to quickly change and, you know, have make a real difference, um, that in just being someplace where the culture is so important, you know and and people feel part of the team. I mean, I, I, you know. I would say that that those are probably two of the biggest things that I enjoy, you know, working here. Dave: So OK, that makes sense. Scott: It goes throughout the entire organization. Dave: So, yeah, I like it. So, Matt, how about you? Same question to you in your current capacity what do you find most enjoyable or satisfying or gratifying in your current role? Matt: I love seeing growth in other people. I love seeing people grab opportunity. Seeing people grab opportunity, and you know I love the stories of someone coming in as a. You know I'll use Eric Phillips as an example. Eric Phillips, in 2008, gets hired to be our warehouse manager. As we decided we were going to move more into. You know, on top of the brokerage, we were going to concentrate also on having a physical operation for reworking and consolidating loads. And he comes in and within probably eight months, my dad pulled me aside and said you know, we really need to bring him up front. He needs to be a trader. He's got everything. He's got all the skills to do that. My dad was really, really good at warehouse manager. You know currently is a COO and a partner in the company, and you know I love seeing that. And then you know we have some other programs that are a little bit unique. We have we want to make people's lives better, not just our customers, but I'm talking about, you know, where Scott references the culture. We put together a program five years ago, I guess, that we put together a new homeowners program and we want to help any of our employees who have never owned a home. We want to help them get a home, and so we put together a six-month financial education course where they do, like these, lunch and learns, and we have a local credit union that comes in and leads these classes, and as long as they go through those courses and as long as they've been with us for one year, then we'll uh, we'll, give them a twenty five hundred dollar uh, at least they have to put up at least twenty five hundred themselves, which, of course, you're gonna have to do that to buy a home, but we'll match up to $2,500 and then we'll give them a hundred dollars a month for three years towards their mortgage. How cool is that? So, you know, keep in mind we're we're pretty small, but we've had five people in the program. We currently have another four that are in classes right now in a series of classes, and of those, I believe that as soon as three of them, as soon as they're done with the course, are going to be ready to buy their first home. So it's, it's exciting and you know, you know, of course, the side benefit of that is it does act a little bit as a golden handcuff. Sure, you know, let's face it, someone's not staying on a job for 100 bucks a month. Yeah, but it does give them something to think about. These guys help me with this and, and if they help me with this, what else are they going to help me with down the road? Dave: Now, that's awesome. So did all five of that first group buy houses then? Matt: We have, we've done. I think this is our fourth different class yeah, so we've had, we haven't had. Sometimes we've had people go through it and say I just want the financial education piece of it because I don't really understand. I hear people talk about credit score, but I don't really understand what it is or how I could affect it. That might be one of them. I hear people talk about what a mortgage is, but what is a mortgage and how does it work? And you know, and then some other people. One of the classes is how do you set up a budget so that you don't, you know, you, you, you don't think getting the house is the finish line. The finish line is making sure you can afford the house. Dave: Yeah, of course, of course. So you have had some people buy houses from the program. Matt: We've had five people. We have five people that we have put in new houses. Dave: Yes, that's awesome. I mean heck, that's almost 10 of your workforce yeah, that's, uh, that's a little under that. Matt: Yeah, a little you know, I would hope you're an account you. You do our icy disc. Your numbers have to be your. Your math skills have to be better than that, david. Well, that was a bit of. It's about seven percent. Well, that's where my that's where my marketing angle came in right. Dave: Just it sounded more appealing to say nearly 10 there you go. But if we look at, but if we look at the percentage of your employees who'd never bought a house before. Now we're talking, you know 20, right? Because some of your employees you know already owned a house before you know they came to work here. I think that is awesome. So, scott, I'd like to just digress just a bit. And so you had another service provider for the IC desk before we came along, and I think I you know, we talked to you for several years. I'd known Matt for a long time, and one of the things we talked about was that I thought we could do a better job from service, kind of turnaround time. And then I also said that we bring a more thorough kind of calculation to the table. And I'm just curious I know this is kind of unscripted, but how and this has been a few years how has that been? Did we live up to the expectation? Is there anything that you were disappointed by? Scott: Yeah, no, for sure, I mean we, we, we can't thank you enough, dave, um, if, if I think back, I think we have. We moved our icdiscs over to you. What three years ago I can remember, we met in nashville yeah, something like two years ago, and I think you'd already had our disc for a year at that point. Does that sound right? Dave: Yeah, I think so. Scott: Yeah, so you know we, I know that you and Matt had been in touch. I think I, you know we, I think you and I had been in touch. You know, before we made that move for for some time move for, uh, for some time, we, you know with, with our previous provider, you know, maybe the response times weren't quite what we had been looking for or expecting and okay, you know we had a couple years of that and uh, and then I can remember matt and I started talking and uh, um, I remember I, uh, I, and I remember I sent you a note at some point and then we started the discussions then and you know we made the move and it's worked out really well for us, not only with the response times and, you know, moving quickly through all the work that needs to be done, because you know it always comes up, the disc always comes up around around the tax deadline date of April 15. So you know it a little bit of a time crunch of the turnaround you know with your firm is is great, but the other, the other important thing here is the additional calculations that that you've been able to do the last couple of years. We've it's it, it. It takes a little bit more detail, but you take it to the next step and you're able to find some additional tax savings with those additional steps that you do Over the years going back, yeah, since 2011, our tax savings with the ICDIS has been anywhere from, say, a few thousand dollars up to the $60,000 to $70,000 range. Okay, and it's been interesting since you took it over, dave, we've been. The last two years have been in the $60,000 to $70,000 range for tax savings. Matt: So I do think it's interesting. I referenced that Scott became a partner in the company right around that time, dave. So I think, now that some of his money, his personal money, is at stake, look at what he's doing. He's really trying to, you know, maximize all these relationships to make sure so it worked. Dave: It worked, matt. It worked exactly like you hoped it would Well. Thank you for your kind words. The team will enjoy hearing that. Your kind words. The team will enjoy hearing that. I know when we were first talking, you'd said that the turnaround time with the prior provider was maybe as long as several months, and I told you that our guaranteed turnaround time is one week from the time we get all the data, and I think you were skeptical One week. Matt: Yeah. Dave: I think the most recent year with some of the more detailed stuff. It may have been a little more back and forth, but kind of from the time we get the final numbers we uh until we turn around the disc return because you know it's kind of like paying your bills on time, right. So we manage over 500 ic discs and whether we take a month to do them all or we take a week to do them all, it's still the same amount of work. The only difference is if we take a week, our clients on average get the work done three weeks sooner than if we take a month. Just like when I was in college I had these friends that were always paying their bills five days late and I'm like you know it costs the same amount of money to pay them five days early Actually less, because you know there's no late payment fees and stuff. So yeah, no we and the other provider, I believe, didn't specialize in just the IC desk. When all you do is one thing, you know, you develop some efficiency. So then anyway, I don't want to make this too much about me. Thank you again for your kind words and your feedback. And you know anything ever not to your satisfaction. You'd be sure to let me know. I can't believe how the time is flying by. I've got a couple other questions as we wrap up, guys, and I'll start, I'm going to start with Scott first. That way you can't steal Matt's answer. So if you could go back in time and give advice to like your 25-year-old self, Scott, what advice might you give yourself, knowing what you know now? Scott: yeah, it's, it's for myself personally. Uh, our, our younger daughter is going to be graduating maybe as soon as a year, and she graduated from college with a finance degree, not not. I have an accounting degree a little bit different, uh-huh. Um, my, my advice to her is probably don't start out with a large corporation I would. Actually I would. I've had a discussion with her a couple of times. I think there's can learn a lot more working at a smaller company whatever, whatever kind of company that is you get. You get a lot more exposure to, uh, to different things. I mean if, if I were to say to do one thing differently, I'd probably say that that would be, uh. Dave: My advice is go to work to my my younger, 25 year old self is to maybe don't over uh, don't over in index on large companies because that's their pitch. Right, you'll be exposed to more stuff you can rotate around, but that you might have considered a smaller operation sooner. Is that about? Scott: something, yeah, exactly. Dave: No, great great advice. Scott: Okay. Dave: Mr Kripke, how about you? What advice might you give to your 25 year old self? Matt: So I would say, I would tell my 25 year old self that in 2025, you should bet the farm on JJ Spahn to win the US Open to when the US opens, no one will have seen it coming. You'll make millions of that. Just mortgage the house, do everything, whatever you can throw at it. The real answer would be don't worry so much. I think we all have a tendency when we're young that everything feels like a big deal and everything feels like the end of the world, and things just have a way of working out. It doesn't mean that life is perfect. It doesn't mean that you're not going to have challenges. You know, kripke Enterprises had its share of challenges over the years that we've had to fight through. My wife and I have had our share of times where we had to band together as a team to get our family through difficult times and those aren't easy. But don't worry so much. Things have a way of working out as long as you put your, you know, as long as you put your nose down and go to work, to work through it. Dave: That's great. I think it was Mark Twain that said I'm an old man and I've known a great number of troubles, most of which never came to be Something to that effect. I've always loved that. Well hey, what did I not ask you guys that you wish I had? Matt: um, I would say I thought you did a really, uh, good job as an interviewer. I think maybe, if we want to talk a little bit about the, the future of the industry, yeah, let's do that. The the other thing that I'm, you know, obviously, obviously technology, you know, not just AI, but AI is going to change every industry, including our industry. People are going to find a way to harness it and put it to work and technology is going to change our industries for the better, which is exciting. Scott: Change our industries for the better, which is exciting which is exciting, but yeah, it's exciting but scary. Matt: The way that we're going to be able to. You know, the dream for years, at least on the aluminum front, has been the ability to really dig deep and really be able to sort material to the nth degree, it back to specific alloys, and it feels like we are almost there. We're really. We're probably 90 to 95 percent of the way there and I think that is going to be really awesome for aluminum. Scary, because any change is scary, and but there's always going in. People say well, you know what does that mean? Does that mean that there's going to be the haves and the have nots? People can afford this new technology and people who can't. My guess is that's what they were saying years and years ago about shredders and years before that about whatever the new equipment was that the industry is constantly evolving. It has to evolve to get better from a technology perspective. What I'm very excited about is, over the last I'd say, six, seven years, scott, we've really added some new traders and most of them are younger than you know. We had an older trading team and most of these people are younger, so good, and so they learn things so quickly and they're interesting and they really the future is bright. And because they're so young, I've gotten to know the people that they meet in the industry who are also younger, and I know a lot of times we're guilty, as I was at one point that young, hungry guy. Now I'm the guy with gray in my beard and no hair in my head and um. And a lot of times we are guilty as old people saying the young people, they don't like to do this or they don't do this sure. I will tell you there may be things that they don't do, but there's so much better and so many other things and I think the future is bright for our industry. We've got really good young people who have entered it and are leading it now. Dave: Oh, that is. That is great. Thank you for for adding that. It was actually on my list and I think I just was sidetracked. Scott, how about you? Anything we should have talked about or that you wish I'd asked you about? Scott: Yeah, I mean you know Matt touched on it briefly I mean, I think the whole AI thing is going to make a huge difference. Maybe five years from now, seven years from now. We're not there yet, but but I mean I see that being a huge, a huge change for us in the not so near future. I mean it's you know, some of the stuff that they're working on right now it's going to get us there. But you know, on the financial administrative side, I think that is going to be the biggest change that we're going to see in the future. Dave: And we see it and we all see it every day. And since we drive the same brand of cars, you know I drove, I drove a,400 mile trip with my wife a couple of weeks ago and this was the first time ever that she sat in the passenger seat the whole time. She didn't need to spell me to give me a break and I people don't believe me I drove about four miles of the 2,400 miles and that was probably a dozen times that I intervened for five to 10 seconds, mostly for convenience and politeness. You know I needed to get over three lanes and the exit was a mile away and I just, you know, wanted to just make it happen. But yeah, we've all seen that AI firsthand, haven't? We Sure have Well, excellent, Well, guys, I really appreciate your time and I also really appreciate the trust that you've shown in us and our team, giving us a chance to demonstrate the value, and just really want to let you know how much we value the relationship. So I really appreciate that right back at you. Matt: We value the relationship with you. Thanks for giving us a chance to talk. Dave: Today was fun yeah, that that sounds great. Well, you guys have a great day. In case the listeners haven't figured it out, so yesterday was the US Open, the JJ Spahn victory that Matt was talking about. What an amazing, amazing win that was. That was exciting, that last after the rain delay was. Matt: I mean it wasn't. I'm sure it wasn't fun for any of them, but boy was that fun to watch. Dave: It was. It was at that, well, hey. Well, thank you guys very much, and if I don't see you sooner, I'll see you in St Louis or in Las Vegas next year, all right, Great Thanks. Dave. Special Guests: Matthew Kripke and Scott Chaffee.

Leave an Amazon Rating or Review for my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!At 44, serial entrepreneur Daniel Priestley received a Christmas Eve phone call that changed everything - his doctor warned him about dangerously high pancreas levels, forcing him to confront the health he'd taken for granted while building seven companies. This vulnerable conversation reveals how a successful entrepreneur making millions discovered that true wealth means nothing without vitality, and why he believes comfort is the enemy of greatness in your forties. Daniel shares his raw journey from overlooking health as "self-indulgent" to understanding it as the foundation for everything else, while exploring the deeper lessons he wants his kids to learn beyond money. If you've been coasting in your comfort zone, wondering what skills your kids actually need for life, or feeling like something's off even though your business is doing well, Daniel's brutal honesty will hit you right where you need it.ScoreAppDaniel's book Entrepreneur Revolution: How to Develop your Entrepreneurial Mindset and Start a Business that WorksDaniel's book Key Person of Influence (Revised Edition): The Five-Step Method to Become One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your IndustryDaniel's book Oversubscribed: How To Get People Lining Up To Do Business With YouFollow Daniel on InstagramIn this episode you will learn:Why Daniel believes carrying $2,000 cash in your pocket will reveal every limiting belief you have about moneyThe three core subjects Daniel thinks should replace traditional schooling: health, relationships, and mindsetHow a Christmas Eve medical scare forced a millionaire entrepreneur to completely restructure his prioritiesWhy wanting less money is actually more greedy than wanting more, and how this mindset shift unlocks abundanceThe vitality test: how to know when you're in perfect alignment with your life's purpose and when you're notFor more information go to https://www.lewishowes.com/1795For more Greatness text PODCAST to +1 (614) 350-3960More SOG episodes we think you'll love:Daniel Priestley – greatness.lnk.to/1776SCJim Curtis  – greatness.lnk.to/1755SCRobert Herjavec – greatness.lnk.to/1729SC Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of death, grief, suicide, and suicidal ideation. Please listen mindfully.In this special episode of The Curious Life Podcast, we are re-sharing a powerful conversation originally recorded for The Days That Follow (a grief recovery podcast).Chris Walker is best known for his work behind the scenes of some of Australia's most beloved television programs. But in this raw and moving interview, he opens up about the sudden death of his older brother, Adam, who died on Christmas Eve when Chris was just nine years old.What follows is a deeply honest exploration of childhood grief, unspoken trauma, and the invisible weight of loss carried into adulthood. Chris reflects on the silence that surrounded his family's tragedy, how grief resurfaced later in life, and the ways he's worked to heal while building a meaningful life and career.This episode is a tender, reflective reminder that even the most successful lives can hold private pain — and that healing often begins by breaking the silence.Connect with Chris on socials at @chriswalkertvWatch full interviews on YouTube: The Curious Life PodcastFollow the show on Instagram: @jana.firestoneLove the show? Please leave a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts!This episode was audio engineered and produced by the brilliant Sam Talbot.

1988A selfish, cynical television executive is haunted by three spirits bearing lessons on Christmas Eve.Support the showOETA - Home

What happens when life delivers a devastating diagnosis? For Mitch Matthews, creator of the Dream, Think, Do podcast, it became the backdrop for witnessing six undeniable miracles in a single day. Mitch's powerful testimony takes us through the moment his wife received a cancer diagnosis on Christmas Eve to an extraordinary sequence of events that defied medical explanation. From planes departing early to chance encounters with specialists, Mitch reveals how remaining faithful through darkness opened doorways to divine intervention. With remarkable vulnerability, he shares how this experience transformed not just their health situation but their entire perspective on God's involvement in everyday life.Ready to stop drifting and lead with clarity, conviction, and brotherhood? Our Leadership Mastermind groups launch this July—just 7 men per group. Real discipleship. Real accountability. This isn't for everyone—but if you're ready to be sharpened, we want to hear from you. Step into the man God's called you to be. Your next level starts now. Apply here with our Leadership Mastermind Interest Form We're going live every weekday with our Daily Spiritual Kickoff—free and exclusive inside our community. Join us for a powerful Word, real encouragement, and practical ways to lead with faith at home and work. No cost. No excuses. Just truth, brotherhood, and bold leadership. Claim your free access now It's time to stop sitting on the sidelines.Step into the fight and become the man God called you to be. Join a brotherhood built on truth, strength, and action. Visit thelionwithin.us right now and start leading with boldness and purpose. Iron sharpens iron — let's go.

Brian and Louise Hogan, missionaries and church planters in Mongolia, responded to God's call with obedience. They arrived in the city of Erdenet in the early 1990s; there were no churches in the city. After the conversion of 14 teenage girls, they witnessed the birth and growth of a church community. However, as Scripture reminds us, forward motion in God's kingdom often awakens spiritual resistance. As Brian noted, "Throughout history, whenever the Kingdom has advanced, someone has had to pay a terrible price." For the Hogans, that terrible price was the sudden death of their newborn son, who passed away on Christmas Eve due to sudden infant death syndrome. In the depths of grief and isolation, Brian and Louise felt God's closeness. They were aware that Christians around the world were praying for them. Louise found strength through a question inspired by Elisabeth Elliot: “Was I called? Was I chosen? And did I obey?” She says it should not matter what God does with our obedience; we are simply called to obey. Despite their loss, the Hogans chose to remain in Mongolia, grieving alongside their Mongolian Christian family. Their suffering became a powerful testimony of hope and resurrection in a culture unfamiliar with such concepts. In their loss, they were able to share unshakable Christian hope: “We are going to see our son again.” Brian is the author of There's a Sheep in My Bathtub and An A to Z of Near-Death Adventures.

What does it take to lead at every level and shape the leaders of tomorrow? SUMMARY Long Blue Line podcast host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99 sat with Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman '95, the U.S. Air Force Academy's vice superintendent, for a deep dive into leadership, humanity and building a world-class service academy. This episode is packed with wisdom for aspiring, emerging, and seasoned leaders alike.   SHARE LINKEDIN  |  FACEBOOK   GEN. SHERMAN'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS  - Leadership is a human experience - focus on connecting with and caring about people.  - Love what you do and love the people you lead; passion inspires others to follow you.  - Embrace failures and challenges as opportunities for personal growth and development.  - Set the right culture and values within your team to build trust and mutual support.  - Be present and engaged with your team, understanding their motivations and experiences.  - Leadership is about more than rank or position - it's about earning genuine trust and respect.  - Invest time in understanding different generations, cultural nuances, and individual perspectives.  - Balance professional excellence with personal growth and life experiences.  - Support your team's development by providing encouragement and holding them accountable.  - Your legacy is built through individual interactions and the positive impact you have on people's lives.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Major General Thomas P. Sherman 01:29 Choosing Leadership Over Flying 07:23 The Impact of Mentorship and Values 12:46 Heritage and Evolution of Security Forces 17:43 Personal Growth in Aviano, Italy 24:17 The Importance of Work-Life Balance 29:50 Culminating Command Experience at Bagram 42:25 The Role of Family in Leadership 51:29 Continuous Self-Improvement as a Leader 56:27 Embracing Failure as a Growth Opportunity 01:00:06 Legacy and the Impact of Leadership   ABOUT GEN. SHERMAN BIO Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman is the Vice Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. He is serving as the chief operations officer to the Superintendent and overseeing the Academy's blend of military training, academics, athletics, and character development for cadets. Gen. Sherman commissioned in 1995 from the Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. He built a distinguished career as a security forces officer. He's held command at nearly every level. His key assignments include leadership of the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB and critical staff positions at the Pentagon. In May 2024, Gen. Sherman was tapped to serve as the Academy's Vice Superintendent   CONNECT WITH GEN. SHERMAN LINKEDIN     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS       TRANSCRIPT SPEAKERS Guest, Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman '95  |  Host, Lt. Col. (ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99   Naviere Walkewicz  00:00 Welcome to Long Blue Leadership, the podcast where we share insights on leadership through the lives and experiences of Air Force Academy graduates. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99 today. I'm joined by a leader whose career has taken him from the flight line to the halls of Congress and now back to the very institution that launched it all. Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Sherman currently serves as vice superintendent of the Air Force Academy, where he plays a critical role in guiding the development of our future officers and ensuring the Academy remains a world class institution for leadership, character and Day 1 readiness to win the future fight. A 1995 Academy graduate, Gen. Sherman has spent nearly three decades serving in key operational, strategic and command roles. He's led at every level, from squadron to wing command, and his assignments have included everything from nuclear security enterprise to homeland defense, policy development at the Pentagon, and legislative affairs at the highest levels of the Department of the Air Force. Prior to his role as vice superintendent, Gen. Sherman served in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, where he was a principal military assistant leading policy integration across joint staff, interagency services and combatant commands. He's perhaps best known in command circles for leading the 88th Air Base wing at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, one of the largest and most complex wings in the Air Force, with a focus on people first, leadership and mission excellence. Gen. Sherman, welcome to Long Blue Leadership. We're so glad you're here too.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  01:32 It is great to be here. Thank you.   Naviere Walkewicz  01:33 We're excited and we're going to dive right in, because I think what is so special for our listeners is really hearing these moments that have changed your life. I'd like to start at the Academy. You turned down a pilot slot. You were rated, but said no.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  01:48 Well, actually it was a little bit before that. You know, it's kind of interesting, because that was the draw that brought me here, is I just had this incredible passion to want to fly, and I love flying, and I truly enjoyed it, especially through all the different airmanship programs and things like and things like that we had here. The experiences were fantastic. But, you know, as I was starting to learn more about myself going through the Academy, I was starting to feel my heart getting pulled in a direction of wanting to really lead people and really spend a lot of time working with the enlisted. And I think that came from a couple different areas. I think it was some really unique exposure that I got during my ops Air Force time, which I went to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, during ops, and just had our action officer that worked this, I think just did a phenomenal job. And I really started getting pulled to what was then called security police. That is actually when Laurie and I got together and started dating, because Laurie is here in Colorado Springs, but she grew up as an Air Force brat. My father-in-law is a retired Chief Master Sgt., and so there was a lot of mentorship that was taking place around dining room table when I was a young cadet. And I think one of the things that her parents really taught me was just the value of the enlisted force, and so I was feeling my heart really getting pulled. And so obviously, there's a conundrum. There's a conundrum on what were the root desires that brought me here — what were the things that I was learning as a cadet, my joy of flying, and also, particularly the culture at that time, was that that was really the job that you needed to aspire to be, that was the expectation of cadets. And so then to really kind of run counter to that strong current was really kind of a unique, you know, almost unnavigated area, right? And so to really kind of take the story out to its next level is that I'd really gotten to a point where talking with people there — we hadn't had the AMT program, but there were these NCOs that were kind of tangentially attached to cadet squadrons. And so I got a chance to talk to one of the master sergeants that was there who was a maintainer by background. And I was kind of pouring my heart out to him on, you know, what had I been talking to him with my now in-laws, about where was my heart pulling me? And so he said, ‘Give me just a second.' And he picked up the phone, and he called my AOC and he goes, ‘Hey, you're gonna be there for a little while.' And this was a Friday afternoon. He said, ‘I got a cadet that needs to come talk to you.' And he hangs up the phone and he goes, ‘Now you go tell your AOC what you just told me.' And so I ended up going to my AOCs office that day, and we had about a two-hour conversation about this. I sat down and really, kind of took the time to explain to him what was I feeling, And obviously, I really try to see the best in people. And so I think from a noble place, he was doing his best to convince me that I was making a grave mistake. And went on to talk to me about what his concerns were, the career field that I was looking at, things along those lines. And we can save that conversation for another time, but I think really where the foundation came in is where we started to talk about leadership. And you know, what I was asking him to do was to pull my rated recommendation form, so we had just submitted them, and I was asking him to pull my rated recommendation form. I didn't want to compete for it anymore. And so we started to talk about leadership. And he says, ‘Hey, Cadet Sherman, you need to understand that leadership in this Air Force is being the lead F-16 pilot on a bombing run, you know, putting iron on target.' And that's true. It's a very important part of leadership. It is a very important part of tactical operational leadership in this Air Force. So he's not wrong in that space. But I was looking at it from a different lens, and I was looking at it, I think, on a larger level. And what I don't think he realized is that 30 seconds before I walked into his office, he set me up for success. I just happened to be waiting outside the office, and all of a sudden, I looked on his cork board, and somebody, and I don't know who it was, had pinned a note that was written to Airman Magazineby an airman first class. And this airman first class titled this, “I need a leader.” And this A1C felt so strongly about what they were feeling — and I have no idea who this person was — felt so strongly about it that they put pen to paper, and this would have been the fall of 1994, and sent this into Airman Magazine, and it says, “I need a leader.” Commissioning sources. ‘Send us lieutenants that we can look up to that will hold us accountable when we do wrong, that will encourage us when we do well, that will be an example that we can look up to, that will care about us as human beings, because you are not sending them to us now. Air Force, I need a leader.' Like that 30 seconds just before I walked into his office — that changed my life, and it changed my life, because for me, at that moment, what I was getting ready to go ask my AOC to do, what I was looking at inside myself, that became my charge. And so as we spoke, you know, 20-year-old Cadet First Class Sherman — I might have been a 21-year-old at the time — Cadet First Class Sherman pushed back on my AOC, and I said, ‘Sir, I disagree.' I said, ‘I want to be that guy. I want to be that guy that that A1c is asking for on your cork board outside, because that's leadership in this Air Force.' And so, to his credit, he said, ‘Hey, I want you to go think about this over the weekend. You know, think about what you're doing. Come back to me on Monday. No questions asked. I'll pull it if you want me to.' And I left there, and I remember feeling like, not like a weight had been lifted off my shoulder, but I almost felt like this sense of like, ‘Now I've got my purpose,' because that little article has shaped me my entire career, and I mean to this day, and at a scale. You know, as a lieutenant, my scale is this big on what I'm affecting to help do and be what that A1C needs to a wing commander. I always keep it in the back of my head, and after all of these years, I am still thinking about, Am I doing right by that A1C that 31 years ago, felt so strongly about something that they wrote a note to Airman Magazine, and that became my charge.   Naviere Walkewicz  08:09 That is incredibly powerful. I'm a little bit without words, because I'm thinking about, first off, being brave enough to disagree with an AOC. I mean, I think that takes courage in showing your leadership there. Were you always like that? Have you always been someone that is steadfast in a decision and being able to kind of speak out?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  08:30 So I get that from my parents. And, you know, I grew up in Corona, California. My mom and dad are amazing people. And we didn't grow up with a lot of money, and we grew up from a pretty meager background, and my mom and dad had made a decision early on in their marriage, when they had my sister and I, that my mom was going to focus to make sure that Nancy and I got an education, and my dad was going to work as many jobs as he had to to put food on the table. And sometimes my dad was holding down three jobs to make sure that we had nutritious food to eat, and my mom was working miracles to make sure that we were fed well, but that also that she was dedicated and had the time to volunteer for things like PTA, being involved as a class volunteer, making sure that we were involved in things and had exposure to things that what they did was they also instilled in me this really strong blue collar work ethic. And it was this aspect of, if I just roll up my sleeves and put in the work, anything is possible. And so on that line, this young kid growing up with a West Coast father and an East Coast mother, and just this, really neat family background that things for me, that I believed in I would go after with all of my heart and soul. And so I found out about the Academy when I was 12 years old. And so, you know, when I at 12 years — we were going to a community event there in Corona, and there was an officer recruiter — Capt. Craig. was her name — and we started talking. She says, ‘Hey, did anybody talk to you about the Air Force Academy?' And I said, ‘No, this sounds great.' So from there, I just made this decision as a 12-year-old, and I worked all the way through junior high and high school to get here, because to go to your point like, ‘I made a decision, I'm gonna see this thing through.'   Naviere Walkewicz  10:30 Whoa. OK, so you knew you were going to the Academy before you graduated high school.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  10:35 Yes, in my mind, there was no other option.   Naviere Walkewicz  10:39 And so anyone in your family serve, or were you the first one in your family to serve?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  10:43 So I am the first officer and career member of the family. My dad was drafted and went to Vietnam in 1967 and stayed through Tet of 1968. I had an uncle, Harry Lee Schmidt, who was a C-47 loadmaster in World War II and Korea, and my grandfather was actually a part of the initial kind of what was the foundation of the OSS and the Navy doing beach recon on beaches in the South Pacific, prior to island hopping campaign and island landings. And so there was this real heritage of service, right? Just not career service. But even then, as a kid, I always had in my mind, ‘OK, one way or another, I'm going to serve, and if I do an enlistment and then go to college afterwards —' but I had this idea that, ‘OK, I'm going to serve,' and then all of a sudden, this became this amazing conduit that got me here, right?   Naviere Walkewicz  11:38 And they also had ties to aviation. How did they feel about your decision, your family?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  11:43 It was interesting, because they knew how passionate I was about aviation growing up. I mean, we did not miss an air show at March Air Force Base, the Chino air show, which was planes of fame, which was all historic aircraft. I volunteered as a high school student to work there, and we helped restore airplanes with me and my friends. You know, it was interesting, because my parents were very supportive in ‘OK, where's your heart leading you? And, what makes you feel so strongly about this?' Because when I first talked to him on the phone, I called him from Ramstein Air Base and said, ‘Hey, I think I know what I want to do in the Air Force. I want to go to security police. And my mom was like, ‘What's that? And, so, as time went by and I explained it, I think my parents probably all along knew that that was probably going to be a very good fit. And then after commissioning and at my first assignment, I think that they were certain of it, right? Yeah, they were absolutely certain.   Naviere Walkewicz  12:37 That is amazing. Well, I want to dive into this profession a bit, because it's interesting. You know, you've mentioned, when you came in, it was security police, and, security forces and you hear people saying defenders and peacekeepers. So there's this lineage and this heritage. Can you maybe talk a little bit about that and then maybe lead us into that next transformational moment that you might have had in this role?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  12:58 OK, I'm very proud of the fact that, you know, I am part of an ever decreasing group of folks that came in when we were still security police, and that was really still the peacekeeper days, because this was all kind of the follow on on the Cold War. The peacekeepers were our cold warriors and that was a huge part. Our defenders came in and really, that name started to really grow in 1997 when the name changed from security police to security forces, and we were actually going back to some of our heritage that was in Operation Safeside, which was the combat security police squadrons in Vietnam. So when you think about the courage that was displayed during the Tet Offensive at places like Tan Son Nhat that those were safe side warriors that were a part of these combat security police squadrons. And so the very — part of the lineage of the very beret, and flash that we have is actually a tip of the hat to the lighter blue berets, and that flash with the Falcon and the crossed runways that goes back, actually, to our Safeside heritage days. The beret goes back even farther than that. It goes back to Strategic Air Command, Elite Guard back in the 1950s. So it's this great lineage. And so, you know, for me, part of it was like when I got my first beret, wow, that meant something to me. And then, you know, as we then kind of transformed along the way, and this amazing career field grew, and the aspects of this air based ground defense, which was really, I would say, was kind of the draw that got me into wanting to go into security police, was I really liked this idea of, ‘How do we do base defense?' The law enforcement side was intriguing to me, but it was based defense that just had me just had me captivated.   Naviere Walkewicz  14:44 And was that something that you found out early in your career? After you graduate the Academy, you're now in security police. Is that when you kind of realized, ‘This is where I want to go in, air, base, ground defense.'?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  14:54 It even happened at ops. So as we were spending time with the security police squadron, I ended up spending time with a captain who was heading up the Elite Guard, and there was an interaction we had as I was doing a ride along. He's like, ‘Hey, you need to come see me.' And so I went and met up with him, and he took me around and introduced me to all of his airmen that were part of the guard. He knew something all about them. And then we went to his office and talked, and he had gone to Ranger School and Airborne and things like that, and said, ‘Hey, like, the future of the career field is actually us looking to the past.' And really kind of got me fired up on what we call back then, air base ground defense. So when I got to McChord — McChord Air Force Base was my first duty station. And the great thing about going to AMC first is it AMC is a mobility — I mean, it is all about mobility and the operations associated with it. And so the first thing that that my task was as the second lieutenant in that squadron was, I was the air base ground defense flight commander. So that was, I mean — we would go out to Fort Lewis, and we would bivouac for days. And I had, you know, a 44 person team that was a base defense sector. I had specialized K-9 units heavy weapons. And back in those days, we had 81mm mortar teams and fire direction centers that we would set up. So I just got completely on board with the air base defense piece. And so that was that was very passionate for me, which then made the next step to Korea an absolutely logical next location, going to the wolf pack at Kunsan, not only getting a chance to then stand up Gwangju as a part of the first Air Expeditionary Unit to go back to Korea since the Korean War, but then doing the mobile reserve aspect of it. And it was just a great assignment.   Naviere Walkewicz  16:40 Wow. So you were right in from the very beginning. You got kind of just into it all.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  16:45 So when we go back, when you were talking to me about, ‘Hey, when you make your mind up...' So I had this five-year plan built out. And, you know, my five-year plan was ‘OK, I'm gonna do my first assignment at the first opportunity to PCS. I need to go remote. I need to go to Korea. And then, OK, how can I get another overseas assignment after that? And then what do I need?' So the thought was, “Let me get to as many match comms as I can, as fast as I can in my career, and use that as a place — OK, because I want to build my experience base out. Because even as a lieutenant and young captain, I didn't want to come across as a one-trick pony. So my thought was, “Let me just get as much as I could under my belt early on.' And so after I left Kunsan, I ended up going to Aviano Air Base in Italy, which, for me, when you look at like those moments in life that are transformational, this was transformational on a different level. You know, some assignments you go to are very much professional growth assignments. This assignment, for me, was very much a personal growth assignment.   Naviere Walkewicz  17:52 OK, so tell me more.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  17:55 I mean, when you think about it, four years at USAFA, very uniquely focused on a plate that is overflowing with things that you need to get done. So you are, you're focused on, you know, everything from grades to military training to all of those things. And then I get to my first base, and I am just working, and I'm volunteering for everything, and we have got a heavy ops tempo of exercises and things like that. And my leadership was fantastic, because they were throwing me into every opportunity I could. And then, boom, I go to Korea, and that is a unique warfighting focused — and at Kunsan especially was heavily warfighting focused. So now all of a sudden I am spending really, when you think about it, the last almost seven years being uniquely focused on mission, right? And so I get to Aviano Air Base, Italy, and the first thing that happens is Operation Allied Force kicks off. So I get there in January, boom. Allied Force kicks off. I think it was in end of February, beginning of March. And wow, what? Again, what an amazing, mission focused experience. And then after we finished up Allied Force and the base returned back to more of its steady-state standpoint, it was the Italians that took me under their wings, that because I made a specific choice, because I grew up — my mom's side of the family are all Italian immigrants — and I was always at my Nonnie and Papa's house, and there was just a lot of that growing up, which is that whole, like, you know, West Coast dad, East Coast mom thing, but I didn't know, you know, my mom and her brothers never spoke Italian. And there was a lot of that, that thought back in those days that, you know, ‘Hey, we're here to be American, so we're going to learn English, and we're not going to speak, you know, the language that we came from,' right? And so my mom and her brothers really never learned to speak Italian. And so my thought was, ‘Gosh, I grew up with this as such a strong part of my childhood that I need to put myself in a position where I can learn the language and start to kind of get an appreciation on the culture. Together.' And so I specifically — and really lucked out on a location, but I was about 20 kilometers away from Aviano. I was in an amazing town. I was the only American living in the complex that I was in. So I was like, ‘If I'm going to learn, I need to just dive in the way that you do, in the way that I do, and just start learning.' And so I ended up kind of building this support group of Italian families that all kind of took me under their wings.   Naviere Walkewicz  20:27 Wait, I have to ask you a question, because back when you're at the Academy, you said you spoke to your now in-laws. So was Laurie not a part of this?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  20:35 So Laurie and I, right. So that's an important part of the story. Laurie and I dated for two years while I was a cadet, and when I was in tech school, her and I made the very difficult decision — and as painful it was — to part ways, so her and I actually parted ways for a few years. I was single at the time. Laurie was still here in Colorado Springs, and I was getting a lot of assignments under my belt, which, to be honest with you, you know, in retrospect, it was very fortunate, because I may not have made the same assignment choices had I been married at the time. And because I wasn't married, there were no other variables that I needed to factor in, other than personal experience goals, right, that I wanted to play into, and so I could just put down whatever assignment I wanted, and that allowed me the opportunity to just focus on job. And while Laurie and I stayed in touch, and I stayed in touch with her parents over the years, I was in Aviano, and her and I were not together at that point,   Naviere Walkewicz  21:39 That makes sense. I was like, why were you alone in Italy?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  21:43 It's a fair question. But I also think that being single in that environment allowed me — and that's where I think it helped me develop as a person. And so there are a lot of, I think, really wonderful things that happened during that time, and that was because I was so uniquely mission focused. It was these, this amazing group of Italian friends together, that really kind of taught me about there, there's a time to relax, you know, there's a time to work, there's a time to relax, and there's also a real human need to enjoy life and enjoy time together, which is quintessentially Italian. And so, as my pool of this, these amazing people — that  by the way, for the last 25 years, we've been going to visit. It's the same families that took me under their wings when I was a lieutenant, are the same families that were all tuning in as we were doing a live stream of me pinning on my second star. And so I've never been stationed anywhere else in my career where I felt more at home. And so I think this sense of like, ‘Wow. This like independently as my own person, this feels like home.' And as time went by and I started to get an appreciation for actually things that were a part of my childhood. Because, you know, we would have these long, huge meals, we would spend four or five hours at the table as a family. And for me, this was all normal. Well, that was also a part of kind of normal Italian life and normal Italian culture. You're not going out to dinner with your friends unless you're investing at least three hours at the restaurant. But for me, this was all — this felt normal to me. And so it was about, you know, you don't need to eat your food in five minutes.   Naviere Walkewicz  So contrary to USAFA, by the way.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN You know, you don't need to chew no more than seven times and swallow. So it was about experiencing that, and learning even just some things that became personal passions. Like, you know, how wine is made and why wine pairing matters, and how is this process? And so all of a sudden, this personal experience — and I think growing as a human being was taking place there, and I was maturing as a human being because I had gotten all of this phenomenal job experience under my belt, but this was where I was growing as a human being. And you know what's interesting, as time has gone by, I have noticed just how impactful that time was, because there are things that I've noticed, even as a senior officer, that I feel very strongly about, that I don't think I felt as strongly about as a junior officer, and it was because of that experience, and it was the aspect of when people are on leave, let's let them take leave. There is a part of the human experience that you need to enjoy time with people that you care about, because what it does is you're not slacking off from work. You're not leaving everybody hanging. What's happening is that, because you're taking some time to just enjoy life with people you care about, when you come back, the restorative effects that have taken place because you simply breathe and you enjoyed what it was that you were doing and whatever your passion was, you know, unencumbered, you could enjoy that. And we all realize that there are times, especially as you get into positions of authority, that, hey, they're going to need to call you periodically. But what was interesting is that, especially, I mean, I'll give an example as a wing commander. As a wing commander, despite realizing how important that mission is and how big Wright-Patt was, we, Laurie and I took leave, and we took two weeks of leave, and we went back to Italia and visited our friends and enjoyed life, because the culture helps us to slow down. But what it also did is I gave my staff some parameters. ‘Hey, here are the things that I think are important, like on a scale of one to 10. Here are the things that I think are an eight. So an eight or higher, call me. Don't text me.' I said, ‘Physically call me, because I will answer the phone knowing it's for — and then you have my undivided attention.' But what it also does is it means that my vice wing commander who is there, that I am empowering my vice wing commander and showing to everybody else I trust this leader to lead this wing in my absence. And if it's something that really needs my involvement, they'll get a hold of me. But I think our junior leaders need to see that at the senior most levels, that I can physically trust and emotionally trust my vice, my deputy, to hold things down while I'm gone, and that I'm not irreplaceable, and that if I did my job as a leader, I set the conditions that allowed the wing to thrive in my absence, and didn't mean that the wing had to hang on every decision I made or every word that I said, that I set the conditions that allowed them to be successful and fostered the leadership that allowed them to lead in my absence. And I felt great while I was gone, because I knew the people that we had there, and I knew the investment that we made in them. So that was kind of a long, you know, trip around this…   Naviere Walkewicz  27:26 I mean, I think it was so powerful that you kind of learned that about yourself in Italy. And then would you say that there was anyone that you saw emulating that? Or was it just something over time, you developed this realization that you need to enjoy life and you need to allow people the space to do so.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  27:43 So I would say the people that I was emulating in that aspect were a lot of the families that were there. I have been fortunate that I have worked for some commanders who, at different times in their life felt the same way. Conversely, I also worked for commanders that did not feel the same way. And, you know, an interesting case in point on something that on an experience I had in a command bill and after I had left Aviano — this is when Laurie and I were back together; we were married at this point. I had a group commander that was frustrated about me taking leave and called me every day at 1500; every day at 1500 I got a telephone call. And you know what that does is now all of a sudden, you're eating lunch, and the clock is getting closer to 1500 and you start to get that knot in your stomach and you're like, ‘OK, what are we going to talk about today?' And so, unfortunately you don't see some of the same appreciation for that across the board. So how do we deal with it? The best thing that we deal with it is that that's where the buck stops. We don't pass it down to our people. So after I got the call from him, I didn't call back to the squadron. I got the call from him. We went through the call, we answered the questions, and I didn't then immediately turn around and call back to my ops officer who was running the Squadron at the time, and say, XYZ. And we just left it there, because at that point in time, the bucks got to stop it at that point. So I think that that's kind of the, you know, the alpha and the omega of learning and then also having your own personal resilience and courage to say, ‘I accept that the buck stops here, and I'm not going to let this roll downhill to my people.'   Naviere Walkewicz  29:41 That's an excellent leadership lesson, because I was going to ask you, ‘What does that look like, and how would you how would you handle that?' And so you went right into that. Thank you so much for that. So what has it been like leading security forces — defenders? What's it been like? Has there been a moment in time where — a particular assignment or something's really stuck into your mind or into your heart, because it's just really affected you?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  30:05 Absolutely. I will tell you, as we go back, as we were kind of talking about decisions that you make in your youth, and that critical decision that I made in the fall of '94 I mean, I have worked with some of the most amazing people I've worked in my life. I have gotten a chance to go to places I never thought that I would see. And so, when you kind of roll up, I would say it was my final squadron command, and I would say that that was a real culminating squadron command. So I commanded four squadrons, and we command early, and we command often, and there's a lot of responsibility that that's placed on us as young officers to command as a young officer. And so having the opportunity to command two times as a captain, or one time, you know, as a major-select, then as a major, then as a lieutenant colonel. So that culminating command would have been Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan in May of 2012 to May of 2013 and you know, it was interesting because all of my previous squadron commands had all been vested in either the contingency response or the kind of combat contingency environments. And it was almost like all of those were leading me to this moment. So let me just kind of set the conditions on what Bagram was like at that point in time. We had grown the squadron to about a 1,200-person squadron, huge squadron. And what we were also responsible for is we had taken over battle space ownership from the Army. So the Air Force was controlling 220 square miles of battle space throughout Parwan province, which is a huge. I mean, it's twice the size of Washington, D.C., if you want to try to give a comparison, more or less is fair to look at that level as just a huge amount of terrain in which our airmen were responsible from everything from humanitarian operations and goodwill outreach to engagements to literal kinetic action and combat in the battle space. And so a part of this culmination was, was an environment where as the defense force commander — as that squadron commander to them as a lieutenant colonel at that point — I mean how we are weaving ourselves into their lives, and how we are working with their section commanders, and how we're working and managing the value of our perimeter defenses with our teams that were going outside of the wire doing legitimate patrolling and engagement and things along those lines, was huge. And I think that that is an example. And when you look in the rearview mirror to say, ‘Gosh, now this, a lot of this makes sense, like all of these assignments, whether by design or whether by fate, somehow gave me an experience that at this moment, I needed it most.' And I think, as I talk, we've really enjoyed being here with the cadets and talking to them about, how does a leader really develop trust, and how does trust really manifest itself? And so, through the time that we were there, and the engagement as their leader — not just the leader who's just simply circulating, because that's important, but they also need to see your decision making and your strategic thought. And how do you react under pressure? How are you reacting as we've got incoming in, and what do you do being the person in the joint defense operations center, helping to manage that, and how are you both taking care of people, and how are you managing mission? And they see that. And so I would say that the development of that level of trust, especially in an environment where you are literally dealing with high costs, is huge. And so I think there was one, situation that really rests on my heart that and I don't talk about this to give validation, but I think I talk about it on it's about how people connect, and why do I feel so strongly that leadership is a human experience, like this is a what we are doing as a human experience. And so I was retiring my chief. So I was asked by my chief at Bagram — this was some years later. He's out of the 105th Base Defense Squadron out of the New York Air National Guard, and him and I were a phenomenal team there. Dave Pritchard and I just made a great team. And so he was retiring, and asked me to come back and do his retirement. So we had done the retirement ceremony. We were at the VFW afterwards, having his after-party and so forth. And so I had gone into the bathroom for a comfort break and washed my hands and things like that. And I noticed, as I was kind of moving towards the bathroom, there was kind of a young man who was kind of floating. You know, floating around. And so I came out of the restroom as I was finished, and he was waiting there at the exit of the restroom for me, and kind of, you know, got in front of me, and he stood there, and he looked at me, and he goes, ‘Hey, sir, I just, I needed to let you know this, that I was one of the airmen in one of your patrols that got hit by an IED, and he said, your investment in us, and the words that you used and when you came to talk to us, and the faith that you had in us gave me the courage to go back outside of the wire when you asked us to go back outside.' And so why that rests so heavy is when you think about what, what is the what is the con? The consequence there is that somebody believed in you so much that when you spoke to them and said the word, they were going to go back out and do it again, in spite of what had just happened to you. And I don't think there is any stronger level of trust that you can ask from somebody than to have one of those moments. And so that moment just resides very, very heavy on my soul, because I think it puts into real, tangible context, what is the responsibility of leadership? What is your responsibility of leadership?   Naviere Walkewicz  36:42 I'm letting that sit a little bit, because I can't even imagine the amount of feeling that you had first for him, the courage to share that with you. Because I'm sure that he really wanted to share that. I'm curious if you can remember perhaps, what he might have been referring to, like what you were sharing with the men and women there.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  37:02 So, you know, it was also a part of things that, in times after Bagram have really been used for me as a senior leader on why I reinforced the importance of values. And, this was one particular incident there that really comes to mind is, and I use this when I when I talk to people, because I again, it's the consequence, and it's why our responsibility as leaders to set the right conditions and culture and all of that is so incredibly valuable. And so I talked to people about a story about we had had a situation where we had some real destabilization in the battle space. There was a particular village that we were having some unique challenges with, and we were doing a lot of kind of battlefield shaping, and we were doing some particular village engagement, and the engagement just wasn't happening. And so we were now kind of starting to escalate our interaction with the village a little bit more and as we were doing that, we were now going to start doing more shaping operations. So it just so happens that one of these nights —this was in the late fall, early winter of 2012 — and we were sending one of our patrols outside to do some shaping and engagement operation there. But this was in the evening. This was a different aspect that we were working for this particular mission. And so mounted up that the airmen are ready to go. They're pushing outside, they're right on time, and everything is going according to plan, and they are getting close to what we call the objective rally point. So that was where they were going to rally up before they actually moved into the village after that. And so everything was going according to plan. And the only thing they needed to do before they got to the objective rally point was really kind of go down a small gully over a rise, and then they meet at their objective rally point at that point. And so teams are moving out. First truck over the rise, getting to the point. Second truck over, everything's going fine. Third truck over, fourth truck after that, BOOM, off goes the IED. And what had happened is, they were waiting for this opportunity, and they knew exactly what to do. And that is, if you hit the last truck in the movement, you've got three trucks that are gone ahead of time, and now we've got folks in a very precarious situation. And so what I talk to people about, when we talk about conditions and the real impact that a leader has, is I'll talk to them about who was in that truck, who was in that MRAP that we were sending down at that point in time. And inside that MRAP was the face of America. And the explosion was significant, and it did some considerable damage. It threw the engine out of it, penetrated the hole, ripped one of the doors off the side in the front. And so, you know, the truck commander was National Guard from, actually from Tennessee, and he had gotten injured, broken an arm because that door had peeled back. And as the door peeled back, his arm got caught and broke his arm. The driver, Asian American coming out of the state of California, active duty. He had injuries to his legs because of the penetration of the hole. We had a gunner up in the turret, African American female from the New York Air National Guard. She had a broken pelvis at the time, and she just stayed on the gun the entire time despite her injuries. We had our radio operator. European American female coming from the Midwest. She was actually Air Force Reserve. She had a case of TBI from the explosion, and she was still making calls on the radio. We had two of our riflemen in the back, both came from Hispanic heritage, one of them from Puerto Rican heritage, one of them from Mexican heritage. They were very fortunate that while they got tossed around the back and had some minor TBI issues, they were more or less bumps and bruises, and they were all by themselves. Yeah, because they were all alone, they were in the middle of Afghanistan, they had just gotten hit. And so for me, what's so important about that story is that if we did not set the right culture and the right values and the right expectations and be in a leader by example, and they were harassing each other on Bagram, and they were assaulting each other on Bagram, and they weren't respecting each other on Bagram, and they didn't care about each other on Bagram, they would have died out there that night. But they treated each other like a family, and they cared about each other like a family, and they took care of each other like a family that night, and they lived and they all came home. So for me, if we're going to talk about what is the true consequence of leadership — and I use consequence deliberately, because oftentimes that's used in a pejorative manner — but this is the true result of your actions, that if you don't set those conditions, then you are legitimately putting your people at risk. And so that whole experience at Bagram, and in so many ways that we all carry our scars and our bruises and things like that. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world, but that was tough. And I often describe it as a tale of two cities. You know, it was the best of times. It was the worst of times.   Naviere Walkewicz  42:34 I think a lot of times, when leaders go through experiences like that, they have some more fortunate than others, but a support network. And I would guess it would be your family. How has your family played a role in these moments in your life, in helping you as a leader?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  42:54 So I will say it's primarily my wife. I have got this wonderful support of parents and my in-laws and so forth. And what's been truly fortunate is how close I am with my in-laws. Because when Laurie and I were dating while I was a cadet, anytime I had an overnight or weekend pass, I was over at her mom and dad's house and so I think that being married to somebody that has truly known you from the beginning, you know, where, whether we got a training weekend going on, or something like that, or I'm working first BCT or whatnot, that Laurie was a unique part of all of these things. And I would say that it has been incredibly heartwarming to watch her interact with the cadets here, because it's fun, because her and I do everything together. And so as we're going to events, I'll have a group of cadets that I'm talking to, and then I'll look over and Laurie's surrounded by a group of cadets who are asking her just very insightful questions about our experiences together, and ‘Was it tough sending them away on deployments?' Or how, you know, in those tough times, ‘How do you how do you keep your marriage together?' Just really insightful questions to ask, but she has just been so central to everything that I do. And so going back a little bit and talking about, like the strength of our relationship and how much that helps, we actually needed to have that breakup period as horribly painful as that was, and wow, was I carrying a torch for her all of those years. I mean, I remember, you know, as time was going by, I would talk to my mom, and I'd be like, ‘Mom, I just wish that Laurie could see the man that I become.' But we needed that time because oftentimes, and what we found in ourselves, we didn't know it at the time, because you're living in your environment and you can't see it, right? Is that in youth, things are often absolutes. And you often will get to a place where you're starting your marriage, your relationship is growing. And if you start to talk about marriage, there are things that we have found were absolutes for us. You know, certain things that we did, how we practiced our faith. Did we open up presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but the expectation was somebody was going to have to give up their particular tradition to conform to the tradition of one of the spouses. And in your youth, that seems reasonable, and I think we needed that time to be apart, having had that time together at such an important time in each of our lives here. But we needed that time apart, because I think we needed that frame of reference as we grew as people into adults. Grew as young adults. And now all of a sudden here I'm getting multiple assignments, and now being thrust into leadership positions with accountability and authority, and then coming back to that, all of a sudden, you're realizing, ‘Gosh, the world just isn't always in absolutes. And maybe a marriage doesn't have to be zero sum, but maybe a marriage can be positive sum.' And do we really have to make somebody give up something that is important to them, that is a part of their identity? Because somehow you feel like you have to conform your marriage into one side or the other. And so, I think for us that was that was so incredibly important. So to kind of get to that story is that, you know, I left Aviano and I went to Al Dhafra. I was in Al Dhafra actually for September 11. It was my first squadron command, but it was a squadron command I wasn't expecting, because I came there as a chief of security forces for about a 70-person security forces flight as a part of the 763rd Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron at Al Dhafra. And then all of a sudden, 9/11 happens, and we went from about 400 people on Al Dhafra to about 4,000. And you know, U-2s came in, ISR platforms came in. Everything changed. And all of a sudden, this 70-person security forces flight that I had grew into about a 350-person security forces squadron. And AFSET said, ‘Hey, Sherman, you built it, you keep it, and we'll replace you with a major when you leave.' And I was a six-year captain, and so then finishing up that assignment, and I got picked up for — there was a point to that story — but it was about coming back, is that, hey, I got these new, unique experiences that grew me under my belt. And then I came back to do an AFIT program at Cal State San Bernardino. And that was the moment that brought Laurie and I back together.   Naviere Walkewicz  In what way?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN And so, I had a health scare. Nobody knows what it was. We never figured it out. Doctors never figured it out. But it was one of those things, like, all of a sudden, I shotgun something out to everybody I knew. I said, ‘Hey, doctors are a little bit concerned, you know, keep me in your thoughts.' And so Laurie, Laurie is like, ‘Holy cow, you can't just send a one liner and leave it at that.' So she called my mom and dad and said, ‘What's his phone number?' And so it started to turn into ‘Hey, give me all of your test results after you get it back.' Then pretty soon we're talking a couple times a week, and then pretty soon we're talking every other day, and then we are talking every day. And the beauty of this was that we already knew each other, so we already knew what everybody's favorite color was — by the way, Laurie's is purple. We knew what music each other liked. We knew things about each other. And some of the things that actually drew us together when we were dating here was, you know, we had things like some common family traditions, like, you know, Italian fish on Christmas Eve and sitting around the table for hours and stuff like that were all things that we had in common. So we already knew that about each other. Now, her and I on the phone, we're getting into some real, like substantive discussions, children, faith. How do you how you raise children? How do you know, what are we going to do for different traditions? What happens if I have to take a remote; what does that mean? And so we were getting into these really, deep conversations. And, you know, I would come back from either class or then when I PCs to the security forces center out at Lackland, you know, I would come home from work, and this was in the old flip phone days where you had a battery that came off the back. So I would have one battery in the charger, and then I would have an earbud in, and I'd have the phone in my pocket. Yeah, and I'd come home and to call her, and we would just go throughout the evening. So I'm ironing BDUs at the time, shining my boots and stuff like that, and so, and we were just talking. And then we were just kind of like living life together. And, after that point, it became very clear that those two young people who sincerely cared about each other, now, each of us grew up and had experiences in a place that allowed us to really appreciate each other and really love each other. And you know, we were married just a little over a year after that. And it has been phenomenal, her support. And I think one of the great testaments to that was, 10 days after we got married, I went to Baghdad, but she's like, ‘I grew up in the Air Force. I know how this works. We're gonna move the house. I'll get the house put together.' And she's also a professional in her own right, which is great. So she was working in a legal office here as a paralegal and legal assistant here in Colorado Springs, and has been a GS employee for the last 18-plus years. So what's great is she, too has her own aspect of service. What I love about it is that in the jobs that she's in and then the jobs that I'm in, we can talk shop, and then we cannot talk shop, right? And so she's the first person I go to if I have to ask a question, she's the first person that I'll go to say, ‘Hey, did I do that right? Or do I need to backtrack on that a little bit?' Because she knows me, and she knows me completely, and that level of trust and love and faith that we have for each other has truly enabled me to be able to serve our airmen on a level that I don't think would have been possible without her.   Naviere Walkewicz  51:59 Would you say that she's had a role in your development as a leader, in the way that you lead.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  52:05 Oh, absolutely, absolutely, because, and I love it, because her experience as a brat and her dad as a chief gives her a very unique lens to look through. And so the advice that she gives me she can give me from her teenage self in some way, you know, from that experience, watching how her dad interacted with something or knowing her aspect about this. And then as she's developed professionally, working on the E-Ring at the Pentagon a couple different times, working for very senior leaders, knows how to navigate that space. So then I'll go to her for advice, like, ‘Hey, how did your boss handle something like this?' ‘Well, let me tell you what, how we work through this...' And so I would absolutely say that that Laurie has uniquely influenced and helped me to become the best version of myself that I can be.   Naviere Walkewicz  53:03 Wow. Well, I want to ask you a little bit about developing yourself as well, because one of the questions we like to ask is, what are you doing every day to make yourself a better leader? Can you share what that might be?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  53:17 I've said it a couple times during this: I truly believe that leadership is a human experience, so for me, it's about the interaction. And so oftentimes, advice that I've given to people — like there are amazing resources abound that can help people, give people leadership perspectives, and we can either learn it from history, or we can learn it through study. We can learn it through analysis. We can learn it through books. And I've always talked to people about use the external tools that help to grow you, but make sure that you're using it to influence the personality that you already have. Because oftentimes what happens is, is that people will have this really strong desire to say, “OK, I want to make sure that I do this right. And so in doing this right, let me make sure I've got my checklist, and so I'm going to greet them, I'm going to ask them how their family is, I'm going to ask them if the kid did all right in the baseball game. And I'm going to go through my checklist, and if I do that, I fulfill my leadership obligation.' Now not everybody does, and I'm making generalities on but, but I think that there can oftentimes be the allure that when you are focusing on what may be the theory or the principle of the day, and not using it to supplement and grow and mature your personality, that there is a strong allure to want to wholesale replicate what it was that you learned, and you're doing it in a noble place. It's not nefarious. It's being done in a noble, genuine place. But there's that allure to say, ‘OK, good, I really like what I've learned. I'm going to do these things and step through.' And so why I talk so much about the experience, and why I talk so much about the interaction, is that the more that you know the people that you may be influencing by just simply being there and understanding what that means. It means you're eternalizing the value of your presence. You're listening to their stories, and you're understanding for them, what are the things that are motivating them? What are the things that they value? Because each generation, each environment, each condition is going to require something a little bit different from you, and if you don't take the time to understand your environment or generation or cultural nuances or things like that on where you're at, then you are missing that opportunity to develop trust, where they start to believe in you as a person, and not just the rank and position that you hold, because they'll do the right thing for the rank and position that you hold. That's the caliber of people that we have in this Air Force of ours. They'll do the right thing. But if you transcend that in the fact that they believe in you wholeheartedly and trust you, oftentimes with their own lives, it means that you've invested something into them, where they truly know that you care. And that goes back to that A1C on the cork board that said, ‘I need somebody who cares about me as a person.'   Naviere Walkewicz  56:41 You know, as I think about what you've experienced through your career and the lessons you've learned, both professionally and personally, what would you say to yourself back then that you should be doing back then to get to where you're at now? Because we have listeners that are like, ‘What can I start planting today, that will bloom down the road?'   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  57:03 Absolutely. And so I think if I was to go back and put my arm around Cadet First Class Sherman, I think what I would do is — because it is, it is oftentimes easy to look in the crystal clear mirror of hindsight, right? But I think instead, what I would do is I would put my arm around him and say, ‘Keep following your heart and let the failures happen, because the failures are going to grow and let the stumbles happen and enjoy the triumphs with people and be appreciative for what got you there.' And I think it would be more of the encouragement of like, ‘You have laid out a path for you take the path wherever it goes, the joy, the pain, the triumph, the failure, all of those things, because all of that helps to develop the leader.' And oftentimes you want to go back and say, gosh, if I was going to talk to my previous self, then I would say, ‘Ah, don't do that one thing,' right? But I'm looking at it saying that if I didn't do that one thing, then I'm not sure that I would be where I'm at at a time to make sure I didn't do that thing at a moment that was incredibly catastrophic. And so while we have this desire to want to prevent ourselves from the failure, I think that what we have to do is say you're going to fail and you need to fail, and it's going to sound — relish in the failure, because it is often emotionally troubling, especially those of us that come here because we are Type A perfectionist, and that's part of the draw of coming to this amazing place. Is there a certain personality traits that help us to be successful here, but not all of those personality traits make us uniquely successful in all situations outside, and so you've got to have that failure at some point in time. And the failure that you can get up and say, ‘OK, I did this. This happened. My soul is bruised. My ego is bruised. I may have to take a little bit of accountability for this. OK, now I need to have the courage to take the next step forward again.' Because I could easily retreat back to a safe place, and I could become risk averse, and all that does is hurt the people around you. OK. I have to have the courage to breathe and take the step again and get back in there. So I would tell my — I don't think I would want to prevent myself from doing anything. I think even the growth that took place while Laurie and I were apart — and, like I said, that torch that I carried for her — I think if I had whispered in my ear and said, ‘Hey, just relax, you're gonna marry her.' I think I needed that torch, because that in my own mind and my own emotion was me needing to become a better man, and so I think I needed to go through — like, sometimes you need the struggle, and sometimes the things that are most valuable are the things that you had to go through the struggle for, right? And I think that's where my blue collar ethics background comes in. It's like, I'm just going to roll up my sleeves and I'm going to work through the struggle.   Naviere Walkewicz  1:00:36 Wow. Well, we took a look back. I just want to ask you a question forward. So do you think about legacy? And what do you want your legacy to be? Is that something that plays in your mind as you wake up each morning or go to lead people?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  1:00:50 I think the way that I look at it is, I look at it in a in a different aspect, and the way that I look at it is in a very confined point to point. It's not about what is going to be Tom Sherman's legacy when he retires someday, but was that interaction that I had with somebody to give them some encouraging words when they fell down, did that matter to them at that moment? Because there are people for me in my failures that were commanders, that were leaders, that were mentors, that were senior enlisted, that, you know, grabbed that lieutenant by the arm and helped to lift me up. And their memories are etched in my fabric. And so I think that it's about that individual event that your legacy will live in the people in which you made a difference to them.   Naviere Walkewicz  1:01:49 Well, I'll share with you, I was telling my son — he's a cadet, a third-class cadet, actually, now he's about to be a C2C — that I was doing this podcast with you, and he said, ‘What an incredible leader, Mom, he motivates me. He's so inspiring.' So your legacy is already through my son—   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  1:02:05 Thank you! That means — thank you so much for sharing.   Naviere Walkewicz  1:02:10 —that you really made an impact. So we're going to get to your final thoughts here in a little bit. But before we do, I want to make sure that you know our podcasts publish on every second Tuesday of the month, and you can certainly listen to Gen. Sherman in any of our other podcasts on longblueleadership.org. So Gen. Sherman, what would you like to leave our listeners with today? This has been incredible, by the way. Thank you.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  1:02:32 I have truly enjoyed this, and it's just been — it was just wonderful having the conversation with you, and it's in real honor to be a part of this. I truly believe in what you're doing here.   Naviere Walkewicz  1:02:43 Thank you. It's my pleasure to help share your story and help inspire others. And is there anything we might leave with our listeners that that they can part with tonight?   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  1:02:51 I think, for me, you need to love what you do and love I think, is one of the most powerful words in language. And I don't just say the English language. I say in language because of the strength behind the meaning and how wide the meaning can be impactful. If you love what you do, people will feel that your very presence will make a difference. They'll feel that if you love what you do, then you're being, you know, internally, inspired by the love that you have for what you're being a part of, right? If you love and care about your people, they will follow you to the ends of the Earth, because they know the passion that you have and the belief that you have in them. So I think that as we go back to these things, we oftentimes look at the terms of courage and love may seem diametrically opposed, and I would attest that you can be most courageous and that your courage will be most effective only when it's buttressed by the love that you have in what you do and who you do it with.   Naviere Walkewicz  1:04:08 Thank you, sir, for that. Thank you for being on Long Blue Leadership.   MAJ. GEN. SHERMAN  1:04:11 Absolutely. Thank you. This was a wonderful time. It was a real honor.   Naviere Walkewicz  1:04:14 Thank you. Well, until next time, I'm Naviere Walkewicz. We'll see you on Long Blue Leadership.     KEYWORDS Leadership, Air Force Academy, Major General Thomas P. Sherman, mentorship, personal growth, security forces, work-life balance, family support, continuous improvement, legacy       The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation        

In this raw and powerful conversation, Sean Carey—a transformational success coach and single dad—shares how he went from a custodial crisis to leading with confidence.

Brian and Louise Hogan, missionaries and church planters in Mongolia, responded to God's call with obedience. They arrived in the city of Erdenet in the early 1990s; there were no churches in the city. After the conversion of 14 teenage girls, they witnessed the birth and growth of a church community. However, as Scripture reminds us, forward motion in God's kingdom often awakens spiritual resistance. As Brian noted, "Throughout history, whenever the Kingdom has advanced, someone has had to pay a terrible price." For the Hogans, that terrible price was the sudden death of their newborn son, who passed away on Christmas Eve due to sudden infant death syndrome. In the depths of grief and isolation, Brian and Louise felt God's closeness. They were aware that Christians around the world were praying for them. Louise found strength through a question inspired by Elisabeth Elliot: “Was I called? Was I chosen? And did I obey?” She says it should not matter what God does with our obedience; we are simply called to obey. Despite their loss, the Hogans chose to remain in Mongolia, grieving alongside their Mongolian Christian family. Their suffering became a powerful testimony of hope and resurrection in a culture unfamiliar with such concepts. In their loss, they were able to share unshakable Christian hope: “We are going to see our son again.” Brian is the author of There's a Sheep in my Bathtub and An A to Z of Near-Death Adventures. Listen also as VOM Radio host Todd Nettleton shares information about how you can send VOM Action Packs to persecuted Christians around the world.

A jewel thief (Denis Leary) attempting to evade the police, takes a constantly bickering couple (Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis) hostage on Christmas Eve.

"God takes what they've been through and turns it to good." These powerful words from Eddie Mansfield capture the essence of his extraordinary transformation story shared on Road to Redemption.Eddie's journey begins in Owensboro, Kentucky, where despite a loving Christian upbringing, he veered into substance abuse at age 15. What followed was a 23-year descent through addiction, wasted opportunities, and escalating legal troubles. By age 38, Eddie found himself in an Atlanta jail cell facing a potential 10-year sentence for methamphetamine possession. It was here, at his lowest point, that something unexpected happened—he reconnected with faith through a fellow inmate who knew the Bible intimately.While Eddie studied Scripture behind bars, his mother began having recurring dreams that her son would someday lead a faith-based recovery program—visions that seemed impossible given his circumstances. Then came what Eddie can only describe as divine intervention: three days before Christmas 2006, through an unexpected act of mercy from a retiring district attorney, Eddie was released directly to a rehab facility in Destin, Florida. Christmas Eve became his sobriety date, marking the beginning of a radical life transformation.Today, Eddie serves as director of Path of Grace, a thriving women's recovery ministry with 54 residents and 12 graduates in transition. His personal experience with addiction fuels his compassion and effectiveness in helping others find freedom. With his wife Kayla (herself a recovery success story) by his side, Eddie's life stands as powerful testimony that no one is beyond redemption and that our deepest pain can become our most powerful platform for helping others.For more info on Path of Grace in Miramar Beach FL goto https://www.pathofgrace.net or reach them at:Mailing Address PO Box 9261, Miramar Beach, FL 32550email: PathofGrace@gmail.com Tel. 850.974.4573For more information contact us atrtrdestiny@gmail.com

Learn the story of Guðmundur of Keldur, a farmer who vanished every Christmas Eve and returned as if nothing had happened… Until one day, someone followed him!  This episode unearths a haunting folktale from North Iceland, where archaeological ruins whisper of pagan graves and mysterious forces still linger in the surrounding mountains... Like what you hear?  Give us 5 Stars!  And follow for more... Checkout our website: Eerie Iceland  Follow us on: Instagram  Find our page on: Facebook  Email us: hello@eerieiceland.com Sources & Extras: Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4 Source 5 Episode & Editing By: Ann Irene Peters (Iceland Wedding Planner)

"Beyond Sunday" are episodes from Adam and Narrate staff that dive deeper into our life with Christ.Exciting news! Our worship pastor, Leslie is expecting her first baby in November! Hear about the plan to keep things running smoothly on Sundays, our amazing worship team leaders, guest musicians, Christmas Eve, and available volunteer positions if you feel called to help out. 

Have you ever witnessed something in the sky that defies explanation? In episode 91 of the Alien UFO Podcast, Simon Bown delves into the captivating world of UFO sightings through the eyes of Ben Gordon, as he reads excerpts from Gordon's book "I Keep Not Dying. " This episode promises to take you on a journey through personal experiences that intertwine with the broader narrative of extraterrestrial encounters and high strangeness phenomena.Simon begins by sharing his unique approach to preparing for interviews, emphasizing the importance of immersing himself in the authors' works. This sets the stage for Gordon's riveting account of his first encounter with a TR-3B aircraft in 1995, an experience that would change his perception of the skies forever. While driving with his brother Joe, they stumble upon a large triangular craft adorned with bright lights, hovering ominously near the highway. The craft performs impossible maneuvers, leaving both brothers in a state of astonishment and wonder. As they arrive late to their gig, the mystery deepens when they later discover that what they witnessed was a secret military vehicle, blurring the lines between known technology and craft beyond human understanding.But the intrigue doesn't stop there. Gordon recounts a second sighting of the same enigmatic craft on Christmas Eve, which sparks a family discussion about UFOs and shared strange memories. This conversation reveals the phenomenon of screen memories often associated with abduction experiences, hinting at a deeper connection between personal narratives and the history of UFOs. As listeners, we are invited to explore these captivating tales, which are not only personal but also resonate with historic UFO cases and the ongoing investigation into extraterrestrial life.Throughout the episode, Simon and Gordon navigate the fascinating landscape of UFO phenomena analysis, encouraging listeners to consider the evidence of alien life and the implications of their encounters. With a focus on Scottish UFO sightings and the broader context of paranormal investigations, this episode serves as a reminder that the unexplained phenomena surrounding us may hold keys to understanding our place in the universe.Join us on the Alien UFO Podcast as we unravel these compelling stories of UFO sightings, alien visitation theories, and the mysteries that continue to captivate our imaginations. Whether you're a seasoned ufologist or a curious newcomer, this episode promises to ignite your fascination with the unknown and inspire you to look to the skies with wonder.BioBen has experienced Alien abductions throughout his life. He has been harrassed by black helicopters and over time his fmaily has discussed their own encounters with ETs and screen memories.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DTCTD837https://ikeepnotdying.com/ https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/alienufopodcastMy book 'Verified Near Death Exeriences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP

When a college fabrication lab becomes more than just a place for welding and woodworking, one student starts piecing together something eerie. After multiple run-ins with strange sensations, flickering lights, and mysterious footsteps, a professor finally reveals the truth: the woodshop is haunted by the spirit of a former teacher named Todd, who died unexpectedly in the room. As more students and staff come forward with their own chilling experiences—including disembodied voices and a Christmas Eve scare—it becomes clear that Todd never really clocked out. He's still walking the halls, turning on machines… and watching from the shadows. This is a daily EXTRA from The Grave Talks. Grave Confessions is an extra daily dose of true paranormal ghost stories told by the people who survived them! If you have a Grave Confession, Call it in 24/7 at 1-888-GHOST-13 (1-888-446-7813) Subscribe to get all of our true ghost stories EVERY DAY! Visit http://www.thegravetalks.com Please support us on Patreon and get access to our AD-FREE ARCHIVE, ADVANCE EPISODES & MORE at http://www.patreon.com/thegravetalks

I met Mike Thompson at a Wal-Mart back in May 2022 and it felt like meeting an angel. 3 years later I have We recorded this interview on March 15, 2025. This is the first interview that I have uploaded for the podcast this year! The last one I uploaded was the interview I did with Sam Bailey and I uploaded that back on Christmas Eve 2024!More From Mike:Mike's Scripture Page: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1Hm8epv3UD/More From Me: My Weekly Newsletter - https://dallincandland.substack.com/"God is Trying to Talk to Me" (My First Poetry Book!) -  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN5WS9C8?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_38CAR76S3MTH5M4JMJFHMy YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@dallincandlandTime Stamps:1:00 - How God Put Mike Thompson into My Life 2:20 - The Need to Eat Every Single Day3:30 - Mike's Story of Getting to Know Christ9:43 - The Need to Trust Your Instincts21:45 - Raising a Family in the Gospel24:00 - Staying Close to Jesus Christ27:50 - The Lord Knows Everything Going On32:32 - Making Jesus Christ Your EVERYTHING40:40 - Living a More Abundant Life with Christ Right NOW47:20 - The Willingness to Put Yourself on the Altar53:05 - Mike's Testimony of JesusQuotes:"It just happened and that was it."12:18 - "My parents were SO upset with me for going on a mission."12:58 - "Do what the Spirit tells you and miracles like that can happen."14:45 - "God was able to keep on showing up for us as we kept on showing up for each other."32:32 - "Is Jesus Christ our everything?"36:50 - "Satan wants you to waste your time."37:34 - "God's open windows are open as long as they need to be so that when they close you see that it was 100% your choice, not His."40:10 - "I'd rather have the more difficult path where I will impact more lives and bless more lives and help more people."48:42 - "When we let Christ wipe the slate clean it's like it NEVER happened."52:10 - "You can say any unkind, untrue, and broken thing about yourself but if you are living in line with light then all that person is going to see is light. They're going to know that's old news, that's old garbage, that's not a thing anymore."52:40 - "I would recommend following the Holy Ghost."Support the show

Magnum and the boys are on a mission to spread Christmas cheer when TC's helicopter has to make an emergency landing. They end up on an island used for Navy gunnery practice, but think they'll be safe because it is Christmas Eve. Turns out one Navy captain is determined to have his men practice firing on the same island. Can they make it off the island in time? Listen to find out!

Is EDI broken or just misunderstood? In this reunion episode of Freight Friends, Blythe Brumleve welcomes Grace Sharkey back to the mic to talk about her new role at Orderful, the state of freight media, and why so many companies are still struggling with EDI integrations. From customer horror stories to a Christmas Eve miracle involving Walmart, Grace shares why she's betting big on solving one of freight's most persistent pain points. Key takeaways: Media experience is a hidden weapon for logistics companies trying to build trust and relevance Grace's new role at Orderful focuses on making EDI less painful, faster to implement, and API-friendly Many brokers delay switching tech out of fear of cost when in reality, it's the bad setup that's costing them Freight tech storytelling needs to focus more on the people using it, not just the software Orderful is solving a known problem with actual working tech (that's already saved Christmas at least once)LINKS:Grace's LinktreeNick Stachel's LinkedInOrderful's WebsiteThe Supply Chain Is the ProductThe Logistics of SHEIN: From Imports to InfluencersWATCH THE FULL EPISODE HEREFeedback? Ideas for a future episode? Shoot us a text here to let us know. -----------------------------------------THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS! Are you experienced in freight sales or already an independent freight agent? Listen to our Freight Agent Trenches interview series powered by SPI Logistics to hear from the company's agents on how they took the leap and found a home with SPI freight agent program. CargoRex – Your Logistics Hub. Explore, discover, and evolve with the all-in-one platform connecting you to the top logistics tools, services, and industry voices. Whether you're a leader, researcher, or creator, CargoRex helps you stay ahead. Explore Now Digital Dispatch maximizes your #1 sales tool with a website that establishes trust and builds rock-solid relationships with your leads and customers. Check out our website services here.

Join Fr. Hollowell as he marks 16 years of priesthood with a deeply personal homily straight from his favorite altar—our very own St. Monica/St. Martin campus. In this heartfelt reflection, he:

Icky Ichabod covers - Terrifier 3 2024 Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.   Show is recorded at Grand Forks Best Source. For studio information, visit www.gfbestsource.com Icky Ichabod's Weird Cinema  https://weirdcinema.podbean.com/ #movies #moviereview #classicmovies #grandforksbestsource #belegendary #followers #everyone

In this 2021 episode, after 72-year-old Steve Steele's life partner passes away, his housekeeper, Elizabeth, offers to work as his caregiver. Over time, Elizabeth takes over Steve's finances, even persuading him to deed her his homes. It all comes to a head one Christmas Eve, when Elizabeth accuses Steve, who can hardly stand or walk, of assault, and the police cart him off to jail for months. When the public defender's investigator meets Steve, though, she quickly senses this is elder abuse. The judge agrees and releases Steve, but now he faces an even bigger battle: How does he get his homes back? And will Elizabeth be held accountable for her crimes?

Today we have returning guest Andre Brown. Andre & his legal team joined us at the end of 2022 when he was released from prison. Andre spent 23 years locked up after being sentenced to 40 years for two counts of attempted murder in 1999, but he always maintained his innocence. A Bronx, New York, judge overturned the conviction in 2022, citing ineffective assistance of counsel. That allowed Brown, who trained as a paralegal, to begin a new life with his wife and two children in Connecticut, where he gave back to the community.But Brown's world came crashing in on Christmas Eve 2024, when the Appellate Division reinstated the conviction on a legal technicality — meaning he would have to serve the remainder of the 40 years and be returned to prison for another 41 years. Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark & Governer Kathy Hochul have the power to do what's right. At the very least they can resentence Andre to time served and allow him to be with his family. Let's make sure our support for Andre is heard coast to coast.Links to Crime & Entertainment Like us on Facebook -   / crimeandentertainment  Follow us on IG -    / crimenentertainment  Listen on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/4T67Bs5... Listen on Apple Music - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Listen on Stitcher - https://www.stitcher.com/show/crime-e... Listen on Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0... Listen on Amazon Music - 

VRRRRRRRMMMMMPHHH! Do you hear that?! It's another JetBag: Emergency Landing! And this time, we're shifting from the plane to the plain because 90% of this film is set in an airport! Carry-On (2024) was a surprise hit at the end of last year by our Mixed Bag king, Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop, Jungle Cruise) and starring Taron Egerton and Jason Bateman. But now that the hype has died down, is the movie any good? An airport security officer races to outsmart a mysterious traveler forcing him to let a dangerous item slip onto a Christmas Eve flight. (Sourced from Letterboxd)  When will Juno 2/Jupiter happen? Is Jason ever going to take off that dirty cap? And what was UP with that one car sequence with Danielle Deadwyler?! All this and more in our latest plane movie episode ✈️

In this powerful and deeply moving episode, we sit down with mental health advocate and founder of For Men to Talk, Luke Newman, to explore what it really means for men to open up and embrace their emotions.Luke shares his personal journey through grief, anxiety, and depression—and how those experiences inspired him to create supportive spaces where men can simply show up, be seen, and connect.From coffee shop conversations to fishing meetups and virtual circles, For Men to Talk is redefining what emotional strength looks like.Together, we dive into the societal pressure for men to stay silent, the impact of outdated beliefs about masculinity, and the quiet epidemic of loneliness and isolation.Luke reminds us that talking isn't weakness—it's survival. And sometimes, healing starts not with answers, but with being heard.We also explore the power of community, the importance of emotional literacy for boys, and how finding purpose through service—like Luke's work in Kenya—can breathe life back into the soul.If you're a man, love a man, know a man, or simply want to understand how we can all support each other better, this episode is a must-listen.Because men need to talk and be heard!And it's time we made space for both.Luke Newman is the founder and director of ‘For Men To Talk', a men's peer support company founded in December 2019. They offer physical, virtual, walking and fishing meetings.The idea to start “For Men To Talk” stemmed from Luke's own experiences grappling with anxiety, depression, and grief, feelings that became all too familiar to him after he tragically lost his mother and sister to cancer.Despite having sought out counselling and therapy to cope with his emotional struggles, he couldn't help but notice a glaring absence of support groups specifically tailored to men who needed a platform to voice their emotions and experiences.With the hope of providing a space for men to connect and converse about their feelings, he took the initiative to create a Facebook page for “For Men To Talk” on Christmas Eve in 2019. Not long after, on February 13, 2020, the first group meeting convened at Jones' Café in Biggleswade, with nineteen individuals in attendance.In this welcoming and supportive environment, they discussed a wide range of topics, from casual interests like football, television, and movies to more profound conversations about our emotions and personal experiences. If you want to know more about Luke and his work, check him out online:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ForMenToTalk/X: https://x.com/ForMenToTalkInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/formentotalk/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formentotalkTik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@formentotalkWebsite: https://formentotalk.co.uk/* * *Check out our Patreon for exclusive bonus content and gold nuggets from this episode: www.patreon.com/c/IntoYourLifeWatch the podcast on YouTube here: https://bit.ly/IYLPodcastYouTubeAnd don't forget to subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter to receive insights on how to find more life in your life from our amazing guests: subscribepage.io/IYLPodNewsletter* * *⁠⁠

Cam Heyward sits down with legendary coach/player Dick LeBeau for an episode that's all about football, family, and decades of NFL wisdom. From stories of Troy Polamalu's psychic plays to why the 2008 Steelers defense might never be topped, this one's full of classic Steeler memories. In this episode:

Leave an Amazon Rating or Review for my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Daniel Priestley, one of the UK's top entrepreneurs and founder of seven successful businesses, reveals the harsh truth about what it takes to build a scalable empire in today's AI-driven economy. During our conversation, Daniel opened up about a Christmas Eve health scare that forced him to confront his mortality and completely restructure his priorities, sharing the vulnerable moment when his doctor gave him the news. His philosophy on entrepreneurship challenges everything you think you know about business success - from his military-inspired team scaling model to his controversial belief that less money is actually greedier than wanting more. This episode will transform how you think about wealth, health, and the dying economy versus the new digital age we're entering.ScoreAppDaniel's book Entrepreneur Revolution: How to Develop your Entrepreneurial Mindset and Start a Business that WorksDaniel's book Key Person of Influence (Revised Edition): The Five-Step Method to Become One of the Most Highly Valued and Highly Paid People in Your IndustryDaniel's book Oversubscribed: How To Get People Lining Up To Do Business With YouFollow Daniel on InstagramIn this episode you will learn:The military-inspired scaling model that takes businesses from startup to exitWhy wanting less money is actually greedier than wanting more (mind-bending perspective shift)The exact process for conducting "fast cheap experiments" before launching any businessHow AI will split society into 98% hyper-consumers and 2% hyper-creatorsThe five pillars of becoming a key person of influence in any industryFor more information go to https://www.lewishowes.com/1776For more Greatness text PODCAST to +1 (614) 350-3960More SOG episodes we think you'll love:Chris Camillo – greatness.lnk.to/1771SCAlex Hormozi  – greatness.lnk.to/1723SCCodie Sanchez – greatness.lnk.to/1701SC Get more from Lewis! Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy!Get The Greatness Mindset audiobook on SpotifyText Lewis AIYouTubeInstagramWebsiteTiktokFacebookX

Two teenagers have been jailed for the gangland murder of a gunman who shot dead another man at a restaurant in Dublin on Christmas Eve 2023. Crime Correspondent, Paul Reynolds reports.

When an elderly couple is robbed and brutally murdered in a quiet logging community, accusations fly. No stone is left unturned, but the killer never surfaces, leaving the family of Ed and Minnie Maurin with nothing but unanswered questions and crippling grief. The investigation goes cold for two decades, before a courageous eye witness comes forward with information that cracks the case wide open.Greenlight: Start your risk free trial today at Greenlight.com/coldcaseHomes.com: We've done your homework.Hydrow: Head over to Hydrow.com and use code COLDCASE to save up to $475 off your Hydrow Pro RowerProgressive: Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Who's to blame for the Italian Hall Disaster?This week, The Alarmist (Rebecca Delgado Smith) speaks with comedian, gamer and late-night writer Mike Drucker about the Italian Hall Disaster in Calumet, MI on Christmas Eve 1913. Was this horrible accident, which took the lives of 73 people (mostly children), merely an accident or was there something more sinister at play? Did a mining company's monopoly over the town lead to dangerously high tensions? And when and why did it become a crime to yell fire in a crowded room when there is no fire? Fact Checker Chris Smith and Producer Clayton Early join the conversation. Join our Patreon!Tell us who you think is to blame at http://thealarmistpodcast.comEmail us at thealarmistpodcast@gmail.comFollow us on Instagram @thealarmistpodcastFollow us on Twitter @alarmistThe Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/alarmist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shakespeare ​famously ​wrote, ​what's ​in ​a ​name? ​ ​But ​let's ​say ​it ​out ​loud. ​ ​Jack ​ ​Lemmon. ​It ​says ​it ​all ​right ​there ​in ​the ​name. ​​Jack. Ordinary, ​​the ​guy ​across ​from ​you ​on ​the ​subway. Lemon. The ​one ​that ​got ​the ​broken ​car. ​ ​The ​bitter ​taste, ​yet ​the ​surprising ​brightly ​colored ​yellow ​sun ​inside ​of ​the ​bad ​luck. ​Jack ​Lemmon, ​arguably ​the ​greatest ​comic ​and ​dramatic ​actor ​to ​ever ​grace ​the ​screen, ​who ​is ​unrivaled ​​as ​the ​everyman ​who ​trips, ​stumbles, ​ ​triumphs ​and ​gets ​the ​girl. ​Or ​in ​the ​case ​of ​Some ​like ​it ​Hot, ​the ​guy. ​ ​Starting ​this ​week ​at ​one ​of ​my ​very ​favorite ​movie ​theaters, ​the ​Film ​Forum ​on ​Houston ​Street, ​Jack ​Lemmon ​turns ​100. ​ Can ​you ​believe ​it? ​And ​the ​Film ​Forum ​is ​opening ​its ​two ​week ​tribute ​on ​Friday, ​May ​16th ​with ​the ​iconic ​story ​of ​opposites, ​the ​Odd ​Couple. ​But ​I'm ​not ​here ​to ​talk ​about ​Mr. ​Lemon's ​legendary ​roles ​in ​Days ​of ​Wine ​and ​Roses, ​Glengarry ​Glen ​Ross ​ ​having ​a ​revival ​on ​Broadway ​now ​with ​Bob ​Odenkirk ​reprising ​Lemon's ​unforgettable ​Shelley ​Levine, ​The ​Front ​Page, ​Mr. ​Roberts, ​Bell, ​Book ​and ​A Candle. ​A ​personal ​favorite ​of ​mine, ​Some ​like ​it ​Hot, ​which ​I ​watched ​on ​VHS ​until ​the ​tape ​broke…I ​am ​here ​to ​talk ​about ​one ​of ​the ​greatest ​comedies, ​if ​you ​can ​call ​a ​film ​about ​a ​mid ​level ​office ​drone ​working ​at ​an ​insurance ​company ​ ​who ​lets ​his ​superiors ​bully ​him ​into ​letting ​them ​have ​his ​apartment ​for ​their ​affairs ​in ​hopes ​of ​him ​getting ​promoted ​and ​the ​suicidal ​elevator ​girl ​who ​whom ​he ​falls ​in ​love ​with. ​A comedy ​​The ​Apartment. ​ Legendary ​director ​Billy ​Wilder, ​coming ​off ​the ​wild ​success ​of ​Some ​like ​it ​Hot ​with ​Marilyn ​Monroe, ​wanted ​to ​keep ​his ​collaboration ​with ​Lemon ​going. ​So ​in ​1960, ​Wilder ​and ​I.A.L ​diamond ​(Come ​on, ​is ​that ​the ​coolest ​name?)​ who ​wrote ​Some ​Like ​It ​Hot ​with ​Wilder ​were ​inspired ​by ​an ​infamous ​Hollywood ​murder ​story ​about ​agent ​Jennings ​Lange ​who ​was ​having ​an ​affair ​with ​actress ​Joan ​Bennett ​in ​an ​underlings ​apartment. ​So ​her ​husband, ​producer ​Walter ​Wanger, ​shot ​and ​killed ​Lange. ​Check ​out ​Karina ​Longworth's ​excellent ​podcast ​Love ​Is A Crime from ​You ​Must ​Remember ​This ​for ​the ​full ​retelling ​to ​you ​and ​I. ​This ​might ​not ​seem ​like ​source ​material ​for ​one ​of ​our ​greatest ​comedies, ​but ​in ​Wilder, ​Lemon ​and ​the ​adorable ​Shirley ​MacLaine's ​Hands, ​it ​was ​a ​box ​office ​smash, ​winning ​five ​Oscars ​out ​of ​ten ​nominations. ​Now ​I ​could ​go ​on ​and ​on ​about ​Billy ​Wilder's ​meticulous ​directorial ​precision, ​Lemon's ​unreal ​​comic ​timing ​and ​turn ​on ​a ​dime ​pathos ​why ​Ving ​Rhames ​spontaneously ​gave ​him ​his ​very ​own ​Golden ​Globe ​in ​1998. ​But I'm actually here to talk about a hat, a haircut, and a mirror. Let's rewind to 1960 - President Kennedy just took office, Roy Orbison's ‘Only The Lonely' was on the radio, and the kids were doing Chubby Checker's ‘The Twist'. The very seriously subversive theme and subject of The Apartment can not be over stated in this climate. The film, shot in gorgeous black & white by Joseph LaShelle of Laura and Marty fame, puts us smack-dab in what I'd call ‘Mad Men' central - a heady swirl of cigarette smoke and ‘Tom & Jerry' cocktail mix, office Christmas parties, wives holding on line 2 while executive husbands scheduled accepted trysts before dinner and kissing the kids goodnight. Lemmon plays ‘C.C. Baxter', a hard-working, well-meaning drone who somehow gets himself turned into a sort of brothel landlord. His neighbors wonder how he can withstand being such a Lothario - the sounds coming through the walls everynight don't match C.C. Baxter's unassuming Brooks Brothers suit with a rumpled white shirt with rounded collars and tie-bar to boot.But Baxter is caught in a hilarious cycle of paying his dues to climb the corporate ladder. This is what you must do. You must get out of bed at midnight to allow your boss to wine and bed his mistress in your Upper Westside apartment even if it involves you sleeping on a park bench in Central Park and catching your death (which Lemmon really did on that particular night shoot on location in the chilly fall of NYC). Lemmon's aspiration is to be ‘the youngest junior executive at Consolidated Insurance' so he MUST climb that corporate ladder to get the accoutrements - the windowed office, the carte blanche phone calls to pass on favors, and the bowler hat!He proudly shows it off to Shirley MacLaine's elevator operator, Fran Kubelik, who regards it as the ultimate symbol of the last ‘nice guy' crossing over the river Styx to the underworld of betrayal. She is happy for Baxter, but her eyes register a cultural sadness - this white male corporate culture is a disease and its got it claws in Baxter, and Baxter is completely oblivious to what he is about to sign on the dotted line for. Fran isn't. Despite her absolutely adorable ‘pixie' hair-cut, she has been groped by the best of them, and seems unreachable by the hordes of executives. Fran is the Snow Leopard, the last big game that hasn't been conquered. You can grab her butt, and she firmly pushes you on your way. There is something modern, forward-leaning in her attitude and appearance, punctuated by that hair-cut representing women's liberation, strength, and independence. ‘I don't need long flowing hair to make you like me, pal.' The pixie cut was popularized by Audrey Hepburn in the late 1950's, followed by the model Twiggy, and reaching its apotheosis with Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby in the mid-1960s. But Shirley MacLaine, in my humble opinion, does it best as ‘Fran', the hard-working elevator operator girl who won't fall prey. Fran says in one of the film's most famous lines of dialogue, “When you're alone with a married man, you shouldn't wear mascara.” Shirley MacLaine's tender and deep performance as ‘Fran', lets us - and eventually Baxter - know that all is not well in the corporate system and the culture at large. One of the most ingenious uses of the Hollywood film adage ‘show don't tell' in filmmaking is the use of a simple compact make-up mirror to tell a major plot turn in The Apartment. Baxter's boss, Jeff D. Sheldrake played with brave impunity by silver screen star Fred MacMurray, who was so hated after this performance he would be aaccosted in the street by ladies chasting him for playing such a ‘dirty man'. Sheldrake calls Baxter into his office early in the film for what Baxter thinks is his promotion. Sheldrake says he's heard about Baxter's ‘key' - meaning his revolving brothel. Sheldrake wants in. Baxter obliges as Sheldrake is THE biggest fish. Later, in another summoning to the head honcho's office, Baxter gives him a floral compact he discovered in his couch, assuming it belongs to Sheldrake's mistress. The mirror inside the compact is cracked jagged down the middle splitting the image of whoever opens it in two. Baxter thinks nothing of it until he is modeling his bowler hat - the Junior Executive - for Fran. What do you think? he askes her. “After all, this is a conservative firm. I don't want people to think I'm an entertainer…”. In the midst of this, Fran helpful as ever, opens her compact to show Baxter how the bowler hat looks. To Baxter's deep inner shock, he puts ‘two and two together' and realizes Fran is in fact Sheldrake's mistress. The horror. The one that was ungettable gotten by the biggest fish with a wife and two kids. The shot of Lemmon reacting in the cracked compact is on the of most effective story and visual devices I can think of in cinema. Baxter sees himself split apart - two worlds: the happy go lucky Baxter, and the Baxter that is now privy to some vile stuff involving the one girl he actually likes.Fran sees his reaction and asks ‘what is it? Baxter takes a beat. “The mirror…it's broken.” Then Fran utters one of my favorite lines, “I know. I like it this way…makes me look the way I feel.” WOW. What a subversive revilation! What a profound utterance. Talk about Chekhov. ‘Makes me look the way I feel'. We begin to realize all is not right with Fran. Sheldrake is leading her on. She sets a boundary at the local Chinese restaurant where he apparently takes all his conquests - the back booth. But Sheldrake works her over, and convinces her he WILL leave his wife. After a tryst back at Baxter's apartment on Christmas Eve, Sheldrake must catch his evening train to make dinner with the family. Obviously having forgotten to get Fran anything of real signifigance for Christmas, he opens his wallet and hands her a hudred dollar bill. Even in today's anything goes era, it's a shockingly seedy gesture that is all too real. MacLaine's Fran takes it in stride - just like Baxter leaving his key under the rug for his bosses - and stands to take off her coat and gets ready to disrobe. Fran says something like, ‘well, you already paid for it.' Ugh. My heart broke! For Fran, for Baxter, for the sad inevitablity of it all. Trigger Warning. The last portion of this episode deals with suicide. Listen with care. Fran asks to be left alone. In the bathroom, she finds the hundred dollar bill in her purse, and realizing she will never be able to break this cycle, she sees Baxter's sleeping pills - Seconal - and takes them all. Meanwhile, Baxter is out drowning his sorrows with a hilarious companion, played by actress Hope Holiday. They get drunk and dance, looking for a place to get even closer, they head back to Baxter's apartment - “Might as well go to me. Everybody else does.” Once back at his place, he discovers Fran and races to his jocular doctor neighbor, played by Jack Kruschen (also Oscar nominated for his hilarious supporting role as Dr. Dreyfuss), and Fran narrowly misses checking out. While recovering at Baxter's playing gin rummy (which MacLaine was playing alot of as a peripheral member of the Rat Pack), Fran and him bond, more than bond. They fall into bliss and don't even know it. It's a beautiful chemistry, one that apparently as it evolved dictated the script. Sources say upon commencement of filming, the screenplay was a mere 40 pages, and Wilder liked to work that way and let things evolve. He was also famous for re-shooting after viewing dallies. MacLaine calls him 'sciencentific, brittle and caustic with women but made you better for it'. She tells a story about once such instance during a climactic scene with Fred MacMurray's ‘Sheldrake' where she couldn't get the emotion necessary for their break-up in the Chinese restaurant they frequent. MacLaine's native Canadian accent was coming out literally on the word ‘out.' After viewing the ‘rushes', he concluded they need to re-shoot, even calling MacLaine out in the screening room. MacLaine, much like Fran, didn't buckle under pressure, and they re-shot. On the day, Wilder called ‘Action' and excused himself to give her the privacy to do the scene. She hit it out of the park, uttering the lines from that take that made the final cut, “So you sit there and make yourself a cup of instant coffee while he rushes out to catch the train.”Well, long story short, Baxter and Fran end up together - thank Heavens. I could explain the plot twists to get them there, but I want to leave you with one final remberance of MacLaine's. When asked what it was like to work with Jack Lemmon, she said, “He would say, ‘Magic time!', every time the camera rolled. And then we knew we'd better make some magic.”Check out The Apartment on the big screen at The Film Forum in all its glory this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And all of Jack Lemmon's ‘Magic time' over the next two weeks. You won't be sorry.More about the series here:JACK LEMMON 100Watch The Apartment here:Look Behind The Look is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Look Behind The Look at lookbehindthelook.substack.com/subscribe

An orphaned boy finds his way to a farm who has an interesting Christmas Eve tradition that involves the Hidden People...  Listen to how is life unravels! Like what you hear?  Give us 5 Stars!  And follow us for more... Checkout our website: Eerie Iceland  Follow us on: Instagram  Find our page on: Facebook  Email us: hello@eerieiceland.com Sources & Extras: Source Episode & Editing By: Ann Irene Peters (Iceland Wedding Planner)

What's up, dudes? Wake up guys! It's Christmas and I've hidden all the eggs! Chad Young from Horror Movie BBQ and Vinnie Brezinsky from Huey and Bax are with me to talk ALF “Oh, Tannerbaum!” It's the first Christmas episode of the series, and it's very different front the more famous super depressing special.After ALF cuts down the family Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, Willie goes looking for a new one. After backing out of an auction for the last tree at the last lot in town, run by a man named Fahid, he buys an artificial one. Unable to complete it in part due to the instructions being in Japanese (which ALF claims to be able to read), he decides to travel to McCollun's Tree Farm in the Angeles Forest to buy a real one. Of course, ALF comes along, in hopes of seeing snow.Consequently, with ALF navigating, Willie drives the car off the road and it gets stuck in mud. While they are awaiting help to arrive, Willie takes a nap and has a feverish nightmare about his fake tree. When he wakes up, he finds that ALF has cut one down and tied it to the car. Unfortunately, Willie gets fined by a park ranger.Spending time with the neighbors? Check. Goodwill? Got it. Sharing a little eggnog? Sharing a little eggnog. So grab your chainsaw, drive to your tree farm, and dream about this episode on ALF “Oh, Tannerbaum!” Horror Movie BBQFB: @HorrorMovieBBQTwitter: @HorrorMovieBBQIG: @horrormoviebbqGive us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

Merry Christmas you beautiful people.We dedicate this episode to the delightful Chris Coon.We commence the show with The Quiz. I scored 9, can you do any better?Then it's Do You Hear What I Hear, and Bob Baker looks at the word Constable to describe an officer of the law here in the UK.We have the return of The Muppet Christmas Show and this time we look at the The Bear in the Big Blue House - A Berry Bear Christmas Parts 1 and 2.You can watch them here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WBQ2zqrQvcThen Bob returns with Where Are You Christmas, and this time he's found it in South Korea.Check out Bob's podcast here:  https://4fpodcast.buzzsprout.com/In What The Dickens we take a look at a passage that describes Christmas Eve in London town and a few words and phrases you might not be familiar with. My particular favourite is the 'Flaring Links',This episode's recommendation is Desert Island Discs, I may have recommended it before, but who cares. There are over a thousand episodes to listen featuring all sorts of famous celebs so if you're after a new listen check it out.Get in touch:Email: totalchristmas@gmail.comWeb: totalchristmaspodcast.comMerry Christmas!

Full Text of ReadingsSaturday in the Octave of Easter Lectionary: 266The Saint of the day is Saint Pedro de San Jos BetancurSaint Pedro de San José Betancur's Story Central America claimed its first saint with the canonization of Pedro de San José Betancur. Known as the “Saint Francis of the Americas,” Pedro de Betancur is the first saint to have worked and died in Guatemala. Pedro very much wanted to become a priest, but God had other plans for the young man born into a poor family on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Pedro was a shepherd until age 24, when he began to make his way to Guatemala, hoping to connect with a relative engaged in government service there. By the time he reached Thavana, he was out of money. After working there to earn more, he got to Guatemala City the following year. When he arrived, he was so destitute that he joined the breadline that the Franciscans had established. Soon, Pedro enrolled in the local Jesuit college in hopes of studying for the priesthood. No matter how hard he tried, however, he could not master the material; he withdrew from school. In 1655, he joined the Secular Franciscan Order. Three years later, he opened a hospital for the convalescent poor; a shelter for the homeless, and a school for the poor soon followed. Not wanting to neglect the rich of Guatemala City, Pedro began walking through their part of town ringing a bell and inviting them to repent. Other men came to share in Pedro's work. Out of this group came the Bethlehemite Congregation, which won papal approval after Pedro's death. A Bethlehemite sisters' community, similarly founded after Pedro's death, was inspired by his life of prayer and compassion. He is sometimes credited with originating the Christmas Eve posadas procession in which people representing Mary and Joseph seek a night's lodging from their neighbors. The custom soon spread to Mexico and other Central American countries. Pedro died in 1667, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in Guatemala City on July 30, 2002. Calling the new saint an “outstanding example” of Christian mercy, the Holy Father noted that Saint Pedro practiced mercy “heroically with the lowliest and the most deprived.” Speaking to the estimated 500,000 Guatemalans in attendance, the Holy Father spoke of the social ills that plague the country today and of the need for change. “Let us think of the children and young people who are homeless or deprived of an education; of abandoned women with their many needs; of the hordes of social outcasts who live in the cities; of the victims of organized crime, of prostitution or of drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the elderly who live in loneliness,” he said in his homily during the three-hour liturgy. The liturgical feast of Saint Pedro de San José Betancur is celebrated on April 25. Reflection As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But as Pedro's life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Check out the first episode of CLUES, a Crimehouse podcast that I'm hosting with Morgan Absher of Two Hot Takes. You can find future episodes of Clues on Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts When Laci Peterson vanished on Christmas Eve in 2002, the nation watched closely — but what investigators uncovered was darker than anyone imagined. Morgan and Kaelyn break down Scott Peterson's suspicious alibi, the affair he tried to keep hidden, and the forensic evidence that turned the case. From hair found on his secret boat to disturbing internet searches and a chilling “go bag,” every detail is put under the microscope. This is more than a headline—it's a puzzle that still stirs debate decades later. Join Clues Pod as we unravel one of the most haunting true crime cases in American history. TW: Domestic Abuse, Child Death To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watch on Philo! - Philo.tv/DTHWe meet The Balsano family. They are all getting together at the old family home. It's a huge family gathering, complete with dads talking about robots, baking, grandma, and kids playing video games. We see in the basement, there is a "for sale" sign that's kind of been put in a corner. They all rush outside to cheer as firetrucks speed down the streets, all decked out in Christmas lights. And, of course, Santa Claus. Afterwards, we find out that not only are the parents secretly selling the house, but it's already done. They come back inside, eat dinner , and do Secret Santa. As the rest of the family sits down to watch old home videos, two of the teenage girls, Emily & Michelle, sneak out to hang out with their friends. As they speed down the back roads, we see some police officers going full speed gun mode on Christmas Eve. But they don't care. They don't do anything.They meet up with some other teenagers. They all meet up at a diner and then go get some beers. One of the dumb boys ends up throwing one of the beers which lands on a windshield in the parking lot that shatters. The cops are called but they're too busy talking about their hypothetical feelings for one another to do anything about it. The teenagers scatter and go to make-out point where they all just kind of pair off into the back of cars. Emily grabs her bag of bagels and heads home as one of the family members falls asleep on the piano. 

Gaslit streets, shadowy crimes, and killers who vanished without a trace — these haunting Victorian-era murders remain unsolved more than a century later.Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version of #WeirdDarkness: https://weirddarkness.com/syndicateDISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.IN THIS EPISODE: The fog-shrouded streets of Victorian England – where gaslit alleys concealed dark secrets and justice often remained elusive. From the gruesome "Shakespeare" murder that had London wondering if Jack the Ripper had crossed the Atlantic, to dismembered bodies scattered along the Thames, to high society poisonings that scandalized the nation, the Boxing Day slaughter of the Murphy siblings, the Christmas Eve killing of actress Harriet Buswell, the strange death of Charles Bravo that exposed a scandalous love triangle, and more. In an era of rudimentary forensics and primitive police work, these murderers vanished into history, leaving behind only questions and theories. These crimes from the 1800s remain unsolved today – just as they were over a century ago.CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and East River Shadows” (Short Story Lead-In)00:07:15.256 = Show Open00:10:36.687 = THE GRUESOME MURDER OF SHAKESPEARE: Jack The Ripper In America?, Part 100:25:14.532 = THE GRUESOME MURDER OF SHAKESPEARE: Jack The Ripper In America?, Part 200:39:17.189 = THE GRUESOME MURDER OF SHAKESPEARE: Jack The Ripper In America?, Part 300:50:37.114 = THE THAMES TORSO MURDERS: Victorian London's Forgotten Serial Killer01:13:31.020 = THE BALHAM MYSTERY: The Inexplicable Poisoning of Charles Bravo01:35:48.075 = BLOOD ON BOXING DAY: The Gatton Murders01:47:56.775 = THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF MADELEINE SMITH; Love, Poison, and Mystery02:01:50.405 = BRADFORD BUTCHERY: The Tragic Case of John Gill02:19:09.778 = THE GRIMWOOD MURDER: The Real-Life Crime Behind Oliver Twist's Darkest Scene02:34:00.843 = CHRISTMAS MURDER OF A FORGOTTEN ACTRESS: The Case of Harriet Busman02:49:39.560 = THE PIMLICO POISONINGS: Marriage, Minister, Murder, and Mystery02:59:58.344 = Show Close, Verse, and Final ThoughtSOURCES AND RESOURCES FROM THE EPISODE…(Includes list of sources): https://weirddarkness.com/UnsolvedVictorian BOOK: “Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper — Case Closed" (2002) by Patricia Cornwell: https://amzn.to/3Y51BslBOOK: "Chasing the Ripper" (2014) by Patricia Cornwell: https://amzn.to/3GaZuNs

On today's show, Pat, AJ Hawk, and the boys chat about last night's Play-In games in the NBA, all the different happenings in MLB, and everything happening in the sports world as we are on the Road to Wrestlemania before heading to Las Vegas. Joining the show to chat about the NBA Playoffs, the future of NBA and their broadcasts and digital rights, changes to the playoff format, potential expansion, moving to Christmas Eve, and much more. Later, 4x MVP, Super Bowl Champion/MVP, and current free agent, Aaron Rodgers joins the show to clear the air on a lot of the stories floating around about him, and to chat about the ending of his time in New York, plus plans for his future. Make sure to subscribe to youtube.com/thepatmcafeeshow or watch on ESPN (12-2 EDT), ESPN's Youtube (12-3 EDT), or ESPN+. We appreciate the hell out of all of you. We'll see you tomorrow LIVE from Las Vegas on the Road to Wrestlemania, cheers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Watch on Philo! - Philo.tv/DTH Ethan works for TSA at LAX On the busiest travel day, according to him - Christmas Eve. His pregnant girlfriend, Nora is trying to get Ethan to try to go through the police academy again even though he failed last time. But that seems hard so he decides he going to really try to move upward in the TSA, so he gets to work and asks his supervisor, Phil, to assign him to manage a baggage-scanning lane, cuz that's what the big dogs do.While on duty, Ethan finds an ear bud and is instructed to put it in. He begins to hear the voice of a bad guy we know just as the Traveler, who threatens to kill Nora unless Ethan allows a specific carry-on bag to pass through the scanner without interference. The Traveler's accomplice, the Watcher, monitors Ethan remotely via the airport security cameras, making sure he can't call for help or do any funny business. Ethan secretly tries to alert his co-worker with a message written in invisible ink, but before he can act, the Traveler poisons him and causing him to have a heart attack.Jason's boss notices Ethan is kinda all over the place so he replaces him with his friend Jason. When the Traveler threatens to kill Jason if Ethan doesn't comply, Ethan plants an alcoholic drink at Jason's workstation and rats him out for being drunk on the job. Back in control of the scanner, Ethan lets the instructed carry-on bag through but later finds out that it contains this deadly nerve agent.Meanwhile, LAPD detective Elena Cole investigates a double homicide tied to the smuggling of said nerve gas. She suspects shady doings at LAX so she orders a terminal-wide sweep and Ethan secretly flags the bag guy for inspection. Suspecting Ethan's interference, the Traveler confronts him in a restroom, leading to a scuffle where Ethan manages to seize the Traveler's plastic gun. The Traveler is like big whoop and arms the bomb.So Ethan has to go stop the bag guy from being inspected and hopefully disarm the bomb, which he does but not before his boss is killed by the bag guy who then reveals to Ethan he's also being blackmailed—his husband, Jesse, is being held hostage by the Watcher. The Traveler shows up and grabs the bag case and orders the Watcher to kill Nora, but Ethan uses the original bag guys phone to warn her and she escapes. On the way to the airport Detective Cole realizes this officer she is with is an imposter working for the Traveler and kills him. She then gets to the airport, finds Ethan, only to find out that Ethan is trying to stop the bomb and pleads for her to trust him. They discover the Traveler's target is a Congresswoman who's on a flight to Washington, D.C for a meeting about weapon funding. The planned attack is going to to implicate Russia, and would then get massive defense spending approved and bad guys like that.The Traveler boards the flight, unaware Ethan has swapped the bomb into a similar but larger suitcase, forcing him to stow it in the plane's cargo hold. Ethan sneaks into the hold to disarm the bomb while Nora persuades Cole to let the flight take off, so that the Traveler wouldn't suspect anything shady. but he gets a notification that someone is working on the bomb, so he figures it out and goes down to stop Ethan. Before the Traveler can rearm the bomb and escape via parachute, Ethan locks him in an airtight refrigeration unit with the nerve agent, killing him. The plane safely returns to the airport.A year later, Ethan, now a police officer, travels with Nora, their son, and Jason's family on a trip to Tahiti. At a TSA checkpoint, Ethan places his LAPD badge in the scanning tray, having finally achieved his dream.

Jack Ciapciak is a New York based Playwright & TV Writer originally from St. Louis, Missouri. He studied Acting and Playwriting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, earning a BFA in Dramatic Writing and the 2017 Goldberg Prize for his thesis play Naming The Dog. In 2022 his fiancé Jack Lorentzen died from an undiagnosed heart condition on Christmas Eve at the age of 30. Jack discusses his experience with grief, hoping to help others in their journey too. Reality Life with Kate Casey What to Watch List: https://katecasey.substack.com Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/katecasey Twitter: https://twitter.com/katecasey Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/katecaseyca Tik Tok: http://www.tiktok.com/itskatecasey Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/113157919338245 Amazon List: https://www.amazon.com/shop/katecasey Like it to Know It: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/katecaseySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Christmas Eve in 1991, Dana Ireland is found tucked away in a secluded, hard to get to area of the Hawaiian subdivision Vacationland, barely clinging to life. When she finally arrives at a Hilo hospital, the damage is too severe and they declare Dana dead at 12:25am on Christmas morning. In 2023, the audiochuck team set out to tell you the story of what happened to Dana Ireland and how three men were convicted of her murder. Then in 2024, everything changed. In Chapter 1, Amanda Knox takes you through everything that happened on December 24th, 1991 and why this story is very different from the one we were originally going to tell you.  Follow and listen to Season 2 of THREE wherever you get your podcasts! ---Please consider donating to Ian's GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-ian-schweitzer-after-wrongful-conviction.  You can visit www.hawaiiinnocenceproject.org and click the donate button to support them, their work and their clients. To buy Amanda Knox's new memoir, Free: My Search for Meaning, click HERE. If you have any information about the abduction and murder of Dana Ireland, we encourage you to contact the Hawai'i Innocence Project at contacthip@hawaiiinnocenceproject.org. You can also contact Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300 and the Hawai'i Police Department at (808) 961-2380 or visit their website Hawaiipolice.gov to submit a tip.

Kevin Bacon left home on Christmas Eve 2019 to see a man he met on a dating app that evening. After his parents reported him missing the following day, the police received a tip that led them to the home of Mark Latunski, who was already known to police because of two disturbing incidents earlier that year. Join Mike and Gibby as they discuss Mark Latunski. Before meeting Kevin, two different men called 911 to report that Mark Latunski had kept them chained up in his basement. But both men declined to press charges, and it seems police did little investigation. Could police have prevented the murder and cannibalism carried out by Mark Latunski?You can help support the show at patreon.com/truecrimeallthetimeVisit the show's website at truecrimeallthetime.com for contact, merchandise, and donation informationAn Emash Digital productionSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.