Podcasts about opportunities

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On the #amwriting podcast's Margin Notes, host Jennie Nash talks with Dr. Diana Hill, author of Wise Effort, about how writers handle mishaps and self-talk when juggling book-related obligations. Hill describes accidentally booking two plane tickets to a Washington, DC conference, prompting a discussion about shifting the story from “I'm disorganized” to one of abundance and opportunity. Hill introduces Buddhism's “wise speech” filters—helpful, kind, timely, and true—and distinguishes guilt (which motivates clean-up and repair) from shame (which labels the self as bad and can paralyze writers). They share examples of painful feedback and feelings of insignificance, discuss the “worldly winds” (fame/insignificance, pleasure/pain, blame/disrepute, gain/loss), and conclude that choosing to “pay the price” of a busy, opportunity-seizing life can be healthier than spiraling into blame or defensiveness.#AmWriting is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.TranscriptJennie: [00:00:00] Hi, I'm Jennie Nash, and you're listening to the #amwriting podcast, the place where we help writers of all kinds play big in your writing life, love the process, and stick with it long enough to finish what matters most. This is Margin Notes, the place in the podcast where we talk about the big decisions writers face in their work or creative lives.Jennie: And I'm here again with Dr. Diana Hill, author of Wise Effort, and we're gonna talk about a really interesting reality that you and I have both noticed, Diana, which is that when you're out there in the world with your book as a writer and you're juggling all the things, you're ... You have interviews, you're putting, you know, inquiries out, you're showing up for conferences or workshops or events or things, and sometimes things don't always go the way that you planned.Jennie: So today you have a little experience [00:01:00] with that, which is why we're even talking today.Diana: Well, it's, it's more like things don't go the way that I plan. It's more like I had no idea about my own plans because I'm juggling so much. Bec- I, I'm on my way to this pretty, uh, big conference in Washington, DC, and I'm going to present on a book that I wrote, uh, called I Know I Should Exercise, But: 44 Reasons Why We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them.Diana: And I'm going to present to a bunch of researchers and therapists about this sort of model of what gets in the way of us exercising. And I open up my American Airlines app and realize I have booked myself a ticket today and a ticket tomorrow. I bought two plane tickets to this conference without any awareness that I had already bought one.Diana: And so I had to decide, am I gonna go tomorrow or gonna go today? And, uh, I canceled and said, “Hey, I'd rather...” And I called you, I texted you right away, “Hey, I have an open af- afternoon. Do you wanna meet up, Jennie?” But this is the case, right? [00:02:00] W- when you have so much on your plate because you're, you are moving pieces around to make things happen, little bits of sand drop through the cracks.Diana: I think, yes, that's, that is a problem. But what's the bigger problem is how we treat ourselves after that or during that, or the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and our capabilities. I think I said, “I'm so disorganized,” and you said, “Oh, I'm so disorganized.” And then we said, “Wait a minute, maybe we need to change our script.”Diana: Right? Which is hilarious because that's what your entire book is about, is telling yourself a different story, not believing the first story that y- comes into your head, which is, oh, well, what happened was you told me that you did this and I laughed and I said, “Oh, I, I do things like that all the time. I c- I think of myself as a terribly disorganized person.”Diana: And that's when we both stopped and said, “Well, wait a minute. What would the other story here be?” So that's what- Yeah ... we thought we would talk about. Yeah. I often [00:03:00] think of the Lucille Ball episode when the chocolates are coming down the conveyor belt, and they start speeding up, and she's stuffing them in her bra, and she's stuffing it in her face, and they're, and they're flying off.Diana: And then you realize, well, wait a minute here, there's an abundance of chocolate coming your way. Like, this is, this may be a good thing, you know? Like, you have a conference that you're going to, or you have all these different opportunities that you're juggling. And we could start there with, uh, shifting to that type of a story, which is a story of there's so much ‘cause it's an experience of abundance.Diana: It's an experience of opportunities, of possibilities, which already shifts our mind into a different place. And you could notice that even in your body when you shift from, “I'm a disorganized mess,” to, “Oh, I have so many opportunities and possibilities right now.” Well, and what's interesting in your case is that you, it, it wasn't like you didn't have a plane ticket.Diana: You had two plane tickets. So in some ways there's a story of [00:04:00] you're quite organized. You were gonna get yourself to this conference no matter what. Or a story of I didn't trust myself, that I bought the plane ticket. So I had, I had to do it twice. But yes, I mean, the, the nature of the human mind is that it's a story-making machine, and actually everything that we experience comes through the, our, our mental filters, and we get to be the chooser of which stories are most helpful.Diana: In Buddhism, there's something called wise speech, and wise speech has these four qualities to it. The first quality is, is it helpful? The next one is, is it kind? The next one, which I think is a very useful one, is, is it timely? Like, is it a good time for m- for me to tell myself this story? Sometimes you might wanna tell yourself the story that you're disorganized and you need to go get organized.Diana: You need to, you know, clean stuff up, do a little , spring cleaning. But telling yourself that when you're in the middle of a ton of other things and now you have to deal with your low mood and feeling bad about yourself isn't helpful. And then the fourth [00:05:00] quality of wise speech is, is it true? Sometimes we do need to question, is it true?Diana: Is it not true? But most of the time, if we're getting all wrapped up with the, is it true? Is it not true? Am I disorganized or not? We're just doing black and white thinking, and it's m- usually more a little bit of both. That type of questioning our thoughts or questioning our stories and asking ourselves what would be the most helpful, what would be the most kind, what would be the most timely, and maybe what would be the most true, is a better angle to take with it, I think.Diana: I love that. I love that so much. I know another thing that happens when writers are juggling all the things is sometimes we, we drop one of the balls and w- we disappoint someone. So let's say in a different iteration of this that you actually were supposed to fly yesterday, and so you missed the conference.Diana: You know, that, that happens when you have a whole bunch of things going on, or you wrote the time wrong down for the podcast interview, or you missed [00:06:00] some critical deadline, and now you have on top of that like, “Oh, I, I let these people down. I said I was gonna show up, and I'm not.” Or, you know, what, what do we do when the disorganization leads to those kinds of thoughts?Diana: Mm-hmm. Well, if, if there is something you need to clean up, sometimes we do need to clean up. Yeah. I mean, that's kind of getting radically honest with ourself, and there's, there's t- two layers to that. Guilt is a, actually an emotion that we evolved as humans for a good reason, to clean stuff up. I made a mistake, I feel a little guilty, I go apologize.Diana: Um, I've, I had a, I gave, I did a white lie about something, I got caught, so I admit it. You know, whatever it is. That happened this morning. My son took my AirPod and he, he wouldn't fess up. And finally he fessed up. I'm like, “See, doesn't it feel better just to be honest?” Like, it's just be honest about it.Diana: But there's a, there's a distinction between guilt, [00:07:00] which motivates us to just, just to clean stuff up, and shame. Shame is I am bad. There's something wrong with me. I'm a bad person because I scheduled two flights or because I, you know, had, said a white lie to my mom for taking her AirPod. Shame is pretty detrimental, and it's the type of emotion that makes us climb back into a hole and not put ourselves out there.Diana: And as writers, we need to be putting ourselves out there a lot. We need to be making lots of mistakes. Maybe every once in a while feeling a little bit guilty for something that we need a course correction on, but we course correct and we move on, as opposed to shame of I am bad, and then we're paralyzed, frozen, and we go nowhere.Diana: Yeah. Yeah. Gosh, you're making me think of something that happened to me one time when I was out there promoting a book, and I had been invited to do the keynote speech at a big conference. And- There was a process in place where [00:08:00] my presentation was vetted. Like, I had to submit it and, um, and it was vetted and, and we were really clear on what I was talking about and what I was doing there vis-a-vis what some other of the speakers were doing.Diana: So there was this nice work on the whole presentation, and I felt really confident about what I was doing. And I, I did the, um, presentation and, and it was sort of s- short and, um, I thought it was awesome. And then I got feedback from the conference presenters that I had completely misunderstood my role, that I should have spoken three times longer than I had, that I had delivered something sort of thin and not what they were expecting and what they had hired me for.Diana: I, I just remember I... Actually, what I did was I gave the money back that they had paid me. [00:09:00] I felt so bad. I felt so shameful that I, that I said, “I, I can't take the money if, if it didn't go well. You know, I'm giving it back.” I was so freaked out about it. But as... This is years and years ago. As the years have gone by, I've thought about it a lot, and I've thought, it wasn't actually my fault.Diana: Like, I did i- all the steps that I did to make sure I was doing what I thought I was doing, and somehow I told the story that it was my... I did something bad. So- Yeah. Yeah ... that's kinda, that's what's coming up for me when you said that. Isn't that amazing? I think that that can be, um, our experience in so many different ways where we can fall into feeling bad, we can, um, we have experiences of feeling insignificant.Diana: I mean, especially when you're putting yourself out there, and we take one little thread of feedback, and it can destroy us, especially where that feedback is coming from. Because you're getting that feedback from the presenter, you know, whatever committee. The person who hired me, yeah. Who hired you.Diana: Imagine if w- if we went around and [00:10:00] we passed a microphone to the people in the audience. You would have been gotten a l- very different, you know, perspectives. And the, the question becomes, like, who, who am I doing this for? And, um, there was in- unclear communication. The last time I was at a big, uh, conference, uh, just a few months ago- I gave what I thought...Diana: It was on, on the book Wise Effort, and I gave what I thought was, like, the best talk I'd ever given, ever, on this. I was, I was flying high. I got great feedback. I thought it was, I thought it was pretty amazing. And it was- You're like, “I'm so good at this.” Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, “I, I finally nailed it.” Yeah. Like, so many times.Diana: I finally said it the way I wanna say it. And, and when I give these talks, I- there- I- a la Jennie Nash, I bring in a giant notepad and a Sharpie, and I sometimes I do these little one-on-one exercises with people in the audience demonstrating Wise Effort. Like, draw what it feels like in your body and, and then I hold up the notepad for everyone to see.Diana: And so it was the day after, I'm leaving the conference, and I had the notepad under my arm, and [00:11:00] I'm getting a coffee, and this guy comes up to me looking like a very stately psychologist. He comes up to me, um, in line and he's like, “Oh, did you go to the conference?” And I said, “Yes.” I said, “I...” And he said, “Oh, big notepad.”Diana: I said, “Yeah, actually, I presented yesterday.” And he said, “Oh, yeah, great. What did you present on?” And I said, “Well, I- uh, my name's Anna Hill. I presented on Wise Effort.” And he said- ... “Oh, I think I went to that workshop.”Diana: It sounds like it made a mark. Insignificance. Insignificance. And i- in Buddhism, there's something called the, um, the four worldly winds, which are the, the, the things that push... Or sometimes they say the eight worldly winds, but they're things that push us off our game, right? And they are fame and insignificance.Diana: Ah. When you're on either one of those, right, you're- you got, you got, you got a chance that you're gonna get knocked off. Another one is pleasure and pain. Another one is, um, blame and disrepute. Ooh. Ooh. Which is what you're talking about there, blame. I feel like I was blamed. It knocked me off. [00:12:00] And then the last one is gain and loss.Diana: Hmm. And so as writers, we're constantly, like, facing those winds, right? I get pr- I get, I feel famous, I feel insignificant. Oh, this is so great, so much pleasure. This sucks. This is the most painful thing I've ever been through in my life, right? Oh, I got the book deal. Ooh, it's with this, you know, kinda crappy publisher.Diana: So f- you know, all up and down, up and down, up and down. And the question becomes, I mean, back to the story of juggling all the things. If you're juggling all those things, where are your feet planted? Are you stable? Even, even if you're dropping stuff right and left. And that doesn't really matter if you're dropping stuff, if you feel planted in who you are, what you have to offer, you know?Diana: And yeah, you're gonna ... It's gonna go high and it's gonna go low, and you'll double book. Well, that's what I thought was remarkable about what you did today. You pivoted so fast. I think you texted me, might have been before 8:00 AM. You were just, just like, “I have a whole day.” You know, do, like you just started making meaning of your new [00:13:00] reality, which was you're not on an airplane today.Diana: You're on an airplane tomorrow, and it seemed like it took you no time at all to, like you said, your feet were so planted that you sort of just shook it off and moved on. Is, is that what it felt like? Yeah, it felt like carpe diem. You know? It was one of those, I was mad, I was disappointed, I was ... I, I hate those airline apps, and then I'm calling the airline.Diana: I was in the struggle for a little bit, and then, and then I just dropped it and said, “Okay, then what do I wanna do today?” So already today I, I've been to yoga, I went to I went to Savoy to get my favorite salad, I'm talking to Jennie Nash. I'm like, “This is a great day. I'm so glad I'm not in Washington DC.”Diana: Wait, is your favorite salad the kale blueberry? At Savoy? It's ... No. Yeah I go s- I go to the salad bar because they, I think they're the only salad bar that has like the, the most amazing salmon, like in the salad bar. Like, you can just like, you know, put wild salmon- Pile it on. Okay, okay ... yeah, pile it on. So that's what I do.Diana: Yeah. All right. We're talking about [00:14:00] a little deli in our town. Um- Down in Santa Barbara. You gotta go ... I mean, it does sound like a great day. And then- Yeah ... we're recording a podcast, ‘cause why not? So that, um, that's really instructive. You, you sort of let the struggle be, and, and then you said being solid on your feet and not spiraling into the blame, um, of it.Diana: Yeah. Choosing ... You know, you get to be the chooser of the story that you tell. And, um, and so, you know, choose, choose ones that are kind and ones that are, you know, for the most part true, but also ones that are helpful and timely. Yeah. And then when you do that, you can kind of n- weather stuff a little bit better I think.Diana: And I'm curious what happens if this kind of thing happens to you and other people say, “You're so disorganized. You need to slow down. You need to stop saying yes to so many things.” What do you say about that? ‘Cause that happened to you. Jennie, are you... I was gonna say, are you, are you only asking that because this happens to you?[00:15:00]Diana: Yes. Does this happen to you sometimes, Jennie? It happens to me all the time. What do you do when people ask you that? Oh, dang. You're putting it on me. Um, I usually totally take it in and think, “Oh yeah, there's something wrong with me. I should say, say no more often. I should go slower. I should, uh, should, should, should.”Diana: Mm-hmm. I do. That's what I tend to do. Yeah. And then what are the, the costs and consequences of that for you? I lose faith in my own knowing, my own intuition. I like to be busy, I like to be challenged, I like to have all the balls in the air. Um, and so I lose faith in that, and it doesn't feel good. Uh, then I, I also feel like I have to get defensive, um, why I do that.Diana: And, uh, so then I'll bring that defensiveness into my relationships. So it, it impacts me both inside and it impacts my [00:16:00] relationships. And then I think I second-guess the next time I say yes to something that feels like too much. So there's like- Mm ... a lot of repercussions. Mm-hmm. There's like dominoes falling from, from that.Diana: Mm-hmm. And then if I were to say, that happens to me, you know, what you just described in terms of people are telling me, “Diana, Diana, you're doing too much. You're taking on too much. You're, um, juggling too much. That's why you messed up the plane ticket. You need to be more organized”- Yeah ... what advice would you tell me?Diana: Gosh. Um I don't think that I would've gotten to where we got together. Um, I think, I think I might be a person who would say that, who would say, “Yeah, you're moving too fast. What are you, what are you doing?” Hmm. “Slow down. Take a minute.” I think I- Mm-hmm ... I think I might say that [00:17:00] to you. Mm-hmm. That was in fact the first thought that came through my head when you told me what happened to you.Diana: I was like, “She's doing too much. She's ta- she's got too many irons in the fire.” Mm-hmm. I put that... I did have that blame thought. Mm-hmm. Um- So it's a, it's a really interesting thing, this, you know, sort of the blame, or even if you're s- what you're saying has a, has a kernel of truth to it. When you tell it to somebody, you don't necessarily get back, “Oh, you're right, Jennie.”Diana: What you get back is what, what you just described, which I said, what are the costs and consequences to you? Well, I go into either self-blame, blame, or defensiveness, right? So the question becomes, if, if there's a kernel of truth or maybe there is a shift in, in, you know, I'm juggling too much, that's why I booked two plane tickets, yeah, you know.Diana: Um, or you're juggling too much and your friends are noticing it. There's also another kernel of truth in there, which is there's a reason why you're juggling all those things. Yeah. And, [00:18:00] and, and I would be... I'd actually go for that first. Hmm. So I would go for, in, in asking of you, uh, if I were your friend and I was noticing this, or if a friend were noticing it of you, to ask yourself, why am I juggling so much?Diana: Hmm. What is important to me? Like, what, what... You know, why are you so busy, Jennie? What's important to you? Oh, gosh. Um, I feel like I could answer that very easily. I hate missing opportunities, and the opposite of that is I love seizing opportunities. Things, really good things have come to me from... I'm gonna use the word impulsive, and there's a reason I'm using that word, but impulsive decisions.Diana: A lot of what I've built has, has come from that. I'm really good at that. Um, I think I'm good at juggling a lot of things. Uh, I like the feeling of, [00:19:00] uh, fast decision-making. I think I do better making decisions under pressure than I do when I have a lot of time. Yeah. So there's a lot of reasons why I like having a lot of irons in the fire.Diana: Mm-hmm. It doesn't scare me. It usually energizes me if I were, uh, able to do them all without the blame or the defensiveness. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's a quality I actually like about myself. Yeah. I, I, I've, I've gotten a sense of that from you, and there's also a bit of... And I'm willing to have the, I'm okay maybe more than some other people may be okay with having a little bit of that, you know- a, a tousled hair experience of things are kinda moving at me quickly, fast, you know?Diana: And, and there's a little bit of feeling like I'm kinda juggling too much. Like I- Yeah ... I'm willing to tolerate [00:20:00] that feeling because of these other things that you, that you care about. And the, it's the, it's the second arrow. It's the layer on top of the blame and defensiveness that is the problem, not necessarily the layer of, I juggle a lot, it's kind of a mess sometimes, and then it's also exhilarating and I, I, I, it's impulsive and, and I found that that's actually a secret to my success.Diana: Yeah. And there's, um, it's, there's a, there's a thing in psychology where they talk about, um, are you willing to pay the price? And what that means is like, you know, for example in, in a relationship, you're never gonna get everything that you want. Are you willing to- You're not ... you're, are you willing to pay the price of like, you know, he has all of these qualities, but then there's this aspect of him that wouldn't, you know, he has that too.Diana: Am I, am I willing for, because I love all of this, to also have that? Yeah. And if you love the intensity and the, um, uh, um, you know, the, [00:21:00] the level of feeling and impulsivity, then you have to be willing to pay the price of sometimes things being in that tousled hair state. And I'm, and I'm, I'm the same. You know?Diana: I don't, I'm not meticulous with things like plane tickets. Yeah. I don't spend my... Like, my husband, he would spend like, you know, double check, triple check, put in the code for everything kinda guy. Yeah. Make sure we don't have any credits. I'm like, I'm just... I'm just booking my flight ... No, what, what's the harm?Diana: What, what harm was done? Yeah. No one died.Diana: And I can pivot quickly, so it's fine. You know? And, and that's, so I'm willing to pay the price. I love that so much. So that's the story. The story is not, look at Diana, she's so chaotic. Look at Jennie, she's got too many irons in the fire. It's we've chosen to pay that price- Mm-hmm ... for being this way, for working this way, for moving through the world this way.Diana: I love that. Yeah. [00:22:00] Yeah, absolutely. I love that. Well, I feel like that is a great place to end, and you get to continue on with your great day, ‘cause it's still the afternoon, so who knows what will come out of this day for you. Maybe something good. Yeah, surprise. Thanks for joining us, and have a good, uh, conference.Diana: And for our listeners, until next time, stop playing small and write like it matters.Diana: The #amwriting podcast is produced by Andrew Perilla. Our intro music, aptly titled Unemployed Monday, was written and played by Max Cohen. Andrew and Max were paid for their time and their creative output because everyone deserves to be paid for their [00:23:00] work This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe

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Join Ashutosh Garg in this insightful episode of The Brand Called You as he sits down with Peter Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Emmis Acquisition Corp. and acclaimed author of The Investor's IPO: Navigating Risk and Opportunity in the Global IPO Market. With over 35 years of experience in capital markets and five business exits, Peter Goldstein shares:His entrepreneurial journey from building companies to mastering the U.S. capital marketsThe realities and challenges behind IPOs—beyond the ringing of the bellKey lessons from market downturns and the importance of resilienceHow AI is reshaping IPOs, due diligence, and investment bankingEssential tips for retail investors, including the three sections of a prospectus they shouldn't skipThe evolving IPO landscape and strategies for the futureWhether you're a founder, investor, or simply curious about capital markets, this episode is packed with actionable insights, real experiences, and valuable advice. Don't miss this IPO masterclass

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Gregory Richardson. A cybersecurity expert and AI consultant. The conversation explores cybersecurity best practices, the rise of AI, and how Gregory is helping churches and nonprofits leverage technology to spread the gospel.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Gregory Richardson. A cybersecurity expert and AI consultant. The conversation explores cybersecurity best practices, the rise of AI, and how Gregory is helping churches and nonprofits leverage technology to spread the gospel.

On this week's episode of “Jesuitical,” Zac Davis and Sebastian Gomes speak with America's President and Editor in Chief, Sam Sawyer, S.J. to discuss the impact that U.S. bishops are having on politics, AI, and more. Bishops are speaking out against war, mass deportations, the death penalty and racism, and their voices are breaking through. In this episode, Zac, Sebastian and Sam talk about why they're having a moment, the influence of Pope Leo, and the opportunities for shaping the future of A.I. Chapters: 00:00 Growing influence of Bishops on US politics 04:35 Opposing mass deportation  10:30 Engaging with the Trump Administration 14:05 Bishops are finding new ways to talk about issues 18:00 The influence of Pope Leo 22:43 Where Bishops stand on A.I. 29:54 How U.S. Bishops can implement Magnifica humanitas 32:55 Opportunities around A.I. Links:  The U.S. bishops are speaking out forcefully on politics—and finally being heard Top US bishop writes letter to Trump urging end to mass deportations of Haitians Why are there so few African American bishops? ‘The short answer is racism' says Bishop Boxie Bishop Olson on racism Pope Francis to U.S. Catholic bishops: Oppose mass deportations Analysis: The U.S. bishops showed their unity on behalf of immigrants—and may have repaired their relationship to Rome Artificial Intelligence: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops  USCCB Positions on Artificial Intelligence Support Jesuitical by becoming a digital subscriber to America magazine at americamagazine.org/subscribe You can follow us on X and on Instagram @jesuiticalshow.   You can find us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/jesuitical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the latest Midlife Minute. This episode unpacks ongoing research on Lp(a), explores how women's lipids change during the perimenopause-to-menopause transition, and clarifies what we can do about it. Stay tuned for more! IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN: How total cholesterol, LDL, and ApoB tend to rise most steeply around the final menstrual period, rather than increasing gradually with chronological aging Why women should have their Lp(a) checked both before and after menopause How oral and transdermal estradiol can affect LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and Lp(a) differently Why I recommend including ApoB when checking your lipids during the perimenopause window How your lifestyle can reduce your cardiovascular risk, even when your Lp(a) is elevated Why omega-3 fatty acids and commonly used lipid medications do not lower Lp(a) Why supplements are not replacements for statins in genuinely high-risk patients  I review the various PCSK9 inhibitors currently available, how they are administered, and their effects  How a CAC, a CT angiogram, and an AI-assisted CT angiogram can help women and their providers determine how aggressive their approach should be when Lp(a) is elevated Connect with Cynthia Thurlow   Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website. Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com  Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow.  Purchase Cynthia's book, The Menopause Gut. Cynthia's Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book The Midlife Pause Supplement Line References: 1. Menopause Transition and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Implications for Timing of Early Prevention: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.Circulation. 2020. El Khoudary SR, Aggarwal B, Beckie TM, et al.Guideline 2. Menopause: A Cardiometabolic Transition. The Lancet. Diabetes & Endocrinology. 2022. Nappi RE, Chedraui P, Lambrinoudaki I, Simoncini T.Review 3. Dyslipidemia Across the Menopause Transition: Mechanisms, Trajectories, and Opportunities for Cardiovascular Prevention. Maturitas. 2026. Castaneda R, Tatit CP, Hurtado Andrade MD, Faubion SS, Shufelt CL.RecentReview 4. Lipoprotein(a) and Women's Cardiovascular Health: A Review. JACC. Advances. 2026. Michos ED, Saucier S, Mehran R, Koschinsky ML. 5. Lipid Metabolism in Women: A Review. Atherosclerosis. 2025. van Oortmerssen JAE, Mulder JWCM, Kavousi M, Roeters van Lennep JE.Review 6. Are Changes in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Midlife Women Due to Chronological Aging or to the Menopausal Transition?. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2009. Matthews KA, Crawford SL, Chae CU, et al.Observational 7. Trajectories of Lipids Around the Menopause Transition in Chinese Women: Results of the Kailuan Cohort Study. Fertility and Sterility. 2023. Dai Q, Wu S, Cao Z, et al. 8. Lipid Management in Patients With Endocrine Disorders: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2020. Newman CB, Blaha MJ, Boord JB, et al.Guideline 9. The Effects of Menopause Hormone Therapy on Lipid Profile in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Pharmacology. 2022. Nie G, Yang X, Wang Y, et al.SR 10. Perspectives on Dyslipidemia and Coronary Heart Disease in Women. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2005. Bittner V.Review 11. Dyslipidemia in Midlife Women: Approach and Considerations During the Menopausal Transition. Maturitas. 2022. Torosyan N, Visrodia P, Torbati T, Minissian MB, Shufelt CL.Review 12. Effects of gender, age and menopausal status on serum apolipoprotein concentrations.13.Lipoprotein(a).The Journal of the American Medical Association. 2025. Mora S, Kronenberg     14. Why, how and in whom should we measure levels of lipoprotein(a): A review of the latest evidence and clinical implications. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism. 2025. Razavi AC, Bhatia HS, Blumenthal RS, Shapiro MD, Mehta A.RecentReview 15. Red Yeast Rice for Hypercholesterolemia: JACC Focus Seminar. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2021. Cicero AFG, Fogacci F, Zambon A.Review 16. Overall and Sex-Specific Effect of Berberine for the Treatment of Dyslipidemia in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trials. Drugs. 2023. Blais JE, Huang X, Zhao JV.SR 17. Non-Genetic Influences on Lipoprotein(a) Concentrations. Atherosclerosis. 2022. Enkhmaa B, Berglund L.Review 18. NHLBI Working Group Recommendations to Reduce Lipoprotein(a)-Mediated Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Aortic Stenosis. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2018. Tsimikas S, Fazio S, Ferdinand KC, et al.Review 19. Consumption of a defined, plant‐based diet reduces lipoprotein(a), inflammation, and other atherogenic lipoproteins and particles within 4 weeks. Clinical Cardiology. 2018. Najjar RS, Moore CE, Montgomery BD. 20. Lipoprotein(a): Current Evidence for a Physiologic Role and the Effects of Nutraceutical Strategies. Clinical Therapeutics. 2019. Santos HO, Kones R, Rumana U, et al.Review 21. Effect of Lipid-Lowering Therapies on Lipoprotein(a) Levels: A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Atherosclerosis. 2025. Xie S, Galimberti F, Olmastroni E, et al.Recent 22. Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on the Postprandial Metabolism of Apolipoprotein(a) in Familial Hypercholesterolemia. Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis. 2023. Ying Q, Croyal M, Chan DC, et al.RCT 23.Lipoprotein(a) and Cardiovascular Disease. Lancet. 2024. Nordestgaard BG, Langsted A.Review 24. Lipoprotein(a): A Genetically Determined, Causal, and Prevalent Risk Factor for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2022. Reyes-Soffer G, Ginsberg HN, Berglund L, et al.Guideline 25.Clinical Trial Design for Lipoprotein(a)-Lowering Therapies: JACC Focus Seminar 2/3.Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2023. Malick WA, Goonewardena SN, Koenig W, Rosenson RS.Review 26.2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia: A Report of the American Collegeof Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2026. Writing Committee Members, Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, et al.Guideline 27. Noninvasive Coronary Atherosclerotic Plaque Imaging. JACC. Cardiovascular Imaging. 2023. Kwiecinski J, Tzolos E, Williams MC, et al.Review 28. Computed Tomography Angiography Versus Agatston Score for Diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Stable Chest Pain: Individual Patient Data Meta-Analysis of the International COME-CCT Consortium. European Radiology. 2022. Wieske V, Walther M, Dubourg B, et al.SR 29. Association of Coronary Artery Calcium Score With Qualitatively and Quantitatively Assessed Adverse Plaque on Coronary CT Angiography in the SCOT-HEART Trial. European Heart Journal. Cardiovascular Imaging. 2022. Osborne-Grinter M, Kwiecinski J, Doris M, et al.Clinical Trial 30. AI-Guided Quantitative Plaque Staging Predicts Long-Term Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients at Risk for Atherosclerotic CVD. JACC. Cardiovascular Imaging. 2024. Nurmohamed NS, Bom MJ, Jukema RA, et al.Observational 31. The Lancet Commission on Rethinking Coronary Artery Disease: Moving From Ischemia to Atheroma. Lancet. 2025. Zaman S, Wasfy JH, Kapil V, et al.Review 32. Efficacy and safety of novel lipoprotein(a)‐targeted therapies: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism. 2026. Santana AUL, Yusufzai MO, Freitas APS, et al. Recent Opinion

Ethel Mickey reveals how the everyday relationships we foster, both in and out of work, shape who gets ahead.— YOU'LL LEARN — 1) Why networking by the books leads to nowhere 2) Why certain “time-wasting” interactions are actually critical 3) The right and wrong ways to build visibility Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep1181 for the full transcript! — ABOUT ETHEL — Ethel Mickey is a sociologist who studies why inequality persists in workplaces that claim to fix it. She is an assistant professor at California State University, San Bernardino and a faculty affiliate at Stanford's VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab. Her research—and her book Networking to Nowhere—reveals how everyday workplace relationships quietly shape who gets ahead in tech.• Book: Networking to Nowhere• Website: EthelMickey.com— RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Study: "The Strength of Weak Ties" by Mark Granovetter• Book: Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs by Lauren Rivera— THANK YOU SPONSORS! — • Shopify. Sign up for your free trial at Shopify.com/awesomepod• Vinted. Download the Vinted app for free to start selling with no seller fees!• Fitnexa. Get $10 off the SomniPods3 with the link and code AWESOMESee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get to know two LSU gymnasts, Jordyn Lyden and Kylie Coen, on the latest episode of The Real Deal, previewing the upcoming season at the PMAC, talking NIL and branding, and much more. Cohen enters her senior season with the Tigers while Lyden steps onto the mat as a junior transfer looking to make an immediate impact.

Don't Imbibe the Kool-Aid with Kim Kennedy – Americans face rising living costs while political leaders offer flashy checks instead of lasting solutions. Inflation, national debt, and unchecked spending demand honesty and restraint. Financial stability depends on responsible leadership, disciplined saving, and careful financial planning that make everyday life more affordable for families...

David Shifrin of Elite Properties Chicago returns to share how he has scaled his portfolio since his last SUCI podcast appearance in 2024! David opens up by summarizing his portfolio and how he created cash flow in premier Chicago neighborhoods! He breaks down how a 1031 exchange works and gets granular with an example that led to the acquisition of a great multifamily asset in Avondale. David shares some lessons learned from a rough rehab project and talks about strategies to raise rents and property value without having to do significant renovation. He closes with his take on current investment opportunities in West Town and a bullish outlook on Chicago as a whole! If you enjoy today's episode, please leave us a review and share with someone who may also find value in this content! ============= Connect with Mark and Tom: StraightUpChicagoInvestor.com Email the Show: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Properties for Sale on the North Side?  We want to buy them. Email: StraightUpChicagoInvestor@gmail.com Have a vacancy? We can place your next tenant and give you back 30-40 hours of your time. Learn more: GCRealtyInc.com/tenant-placement Has Property Mgmt become an opportunity cost for you? Let us lower your risk and give you your time back to grow. Learn more: GCRealtyinc.com ============= Guest: David Shifrin, Elite Properties Chicago Link: SUCI Ep 280 - David Shifrin Link: David Shifrin's Bio Link: NBOA Chicago Link: Illini Inquirer Podcast Guest Questions:  02:00 Housing Provided Tip - Consider a sump pump system to protect your properties during heavy rain falls! 03:12 Intro to our guest, David Shifrin! 05:40 Finding cash flow in class A neighborhoods. 08:00 Breaking down 1031 exchanges. 11:41 David's recent Avondale multifamily deal! 15:22 Pros and cons of paying down mortgages. 25:14 David's top lessons learned from rapidly building a portfolio. 29:24 Opportunities to be had in West Town. 40:06 David's outlook on Chicago! 44:20 What's your competitive advantage? 44:34 One piece of advice for new investors. 45:00 What do you do for fun? 45:42 Good book, podcast, or self development activity that you would recommend?  46:44 Local Network Recommendation?  47:27 How can the listeners learn more about you and provide value to you? ----------------- Production House: Flint Stone Media Copyright of Straight Up Chicago Investor 2026.

Get the book "A Lightness of Being: Your Guide to Yom Kippur" by DovBer Pinsonhttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFJVYGG9?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

In this episode of The Benefits Brief, host David Saltzman sits down with Lori Martin, principal at Envision Benefit Specialists and chair of NABIP's Long-Term Care Working Group, to discuss America's growing long-term care challenge and the role benefits professionals can play in helping clients prepare. Lori explores the importance of planning before a care crisis occurs, common misconceptions about Medicare and long-term care, and the evolving individual, group and short-term care markets. She also shares how advisors can incorporate long-term care into their practices, partner with specialists, create new opportunities with employer clients, and help individuals and families better prepare for the financial realities of extended care.

Patriots special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer addresses the media on Thursday, September 17, 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few industries have survived as many waves of disruption as music—from vinyl and MTV to streaming, AI, and now virtual artists. The performers who endure do more than react: they anticipate the next curve, reinvent without losing their identity, and keep experimenting before a crisis forces them to change.  In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Sara Murray, Managing Director, International at The Conference Board, is joined by Peter Corijn, Founder and CEO of VUCASTAR Consulting, Senior Fellow at The Conference Board, author, and recording artist under the name Paul Numi, to explore what business leaders can learn from the music industry about disruption and reinvention.  Together, they examine seven strategies for responding to a game changer; how artists including David Bowie, U2, Madonna, and Prince remained relevant; and why curiosity, resilience, diverse teams, and continuous experimentation underpin lasting success. They also discuss how leaders can innovate without abandoning their core identity, which capabilities organizations should develop before the next crisis, and whether generative AI can replicate the creativity and emotional experience that remain distinctly human.  More from The Conference Board:  Beyond AI Pilots: Building Future-Ready Companies  AI Is Transforming Organizations. How Will Yours Change?  C-Suite Outlook 2026: Uncertainty and Opportunity 

Event organizer say the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo will spotlight new business opportunities under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 framework, with more than 3,400 companies from over 70 countries and regions set to participate.

Andrew Selous, Former UK Government Minister and Prime Ministerial Trade Envoy

Stella Cox CBE, FCSI(Hon), DDCAP Group™, Chair of IFMAG, TheCityUK

S-REITs have raised at least S$4.5 billion in equity funding this year, while average distribution yields of around 6.2% continue to tempt income investors. But after years of weak capital performance, are investors still being paid to wait—or overlooking deteriorating assets and balance sheets? Michelle Martin speaks with Kenny Loh, REIT Specialist and Wealth Advisory Director, about where he would average down, which headline yields may be value traps, whether banks and bonds now offer better income, and if data-centre REITs provide genuine exposure to the AI boom.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the GaryVee Audio Experience, I sit down with Master Sommelier Carlo Santos and Angus Locklin on the Got Somme Wine podcast to talk about what I think is thebiggest opportunity in the world right now: there's too much wine being made against the demand, and the buyer has the power, not the producers. I encourage you to do some real homework to find the aggressive discounters, because there's deals running around that are crazy. I also share my 35-year wine journey from the counter of my father's liquor store, whyblind tasting is so humbling, and how monthly wine dinners became a very big part of my business life.You'll learn about:• Why It's A Buyer's Market• How To Find Aggressive Discounters• Using Wine To Build Business Relationships• Why No One Knows Everything• How Wine Styles Found Their Balance• Building And Selling Empathy Wines

Episode 684 Join Carl White, Jim Reed, and the community at the next LIVE event in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Grab your spot at MastermindRetreats.com. Welcome to Loan Officer Freedom, the #1 podcast in the country for loan officers, hosted by Jim Reed. In this episode, Jim Reed sits down with loan officer Mike Graber to talk about why a challenging mortgage market can actually create some of the biggest opportunities for growth. Mike shares why agents are looking for loan officers who bring energy, ideas, and solutions instead of joining in on the negativity. Jim and Mike break down how loan officers can strengthen agent relationships, create more opportunities through education, and stay in front of more referral partners without trying to build a deep relationship with every single one. They also discuss the importance of getting back to the fundamentals, including consistent prospecting, following up with pre-approved borrowers, tracking agent relationships, and using simple text messages to start conversations that lead to business. Mike shares how implementing proven strategies instead of making excuses helped him grow his production significantly, along with the role trust, consistency, and being willing to fail played in that growth. Plus, Jim and Mike lay out what they would do if they suddenly found themselves with an empty pipeline, including calling agents, expanding product knowledge, reconnecting with old leads, and getting their mindset back where it needs to be. If your production has slowed down or you are wondering where the opportunities are in today's market, this episode will give you practical ideas for getting back into conversations and creating momentum.

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence speaks to the media on Wednesday of Week 2 of the 2026 season.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are now in the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah. The Rambam writes that during these days, a person should view himself as a benoni whose judgment is still pending. If he does teshuvah, he will be inscribed for life. That means that the order of the day right now is teshuvah. Every person must think about what he did wrong and try to correct it. The Rambam tells us that teshuvah is easily accepted during these days. Hashem is giving us such a great opportunity. He wants us to succeed, but we have to do our part. We must think about what we did wrong. We have to admit it, feel sincere regret, and then accept upon ourselves not to continue doing it. And when it comes to things that we did wrong to other people, even if we ask Hashem for forgiveness, Yom Kippur will not bring atonement until we ask them for forgiveness. This can be very difficult, but we must build up the strength to apologize to the people we hurt. And an apology must be sincere. If someone goes over to the person he hurt and spends the whole time explaining why he did what he did, giving a hundred reasons why he was justified, it's going to be very difficult for the other person to accept that apology. We have to be able to say, "I was wrong. I feel terrible about what I did. It's bothering me so much that I hurt you, and I'm sincerely asking you to please forgive me." The Chafetz Chaim writes about how important it is not to let the opportunity of Yom Kippur pass us by. We need Yom Kippur to complete our atonement, and that will only happen if we do our part beforehand. And when someone asks us sincerely for forgiveness, we have an avodah as well. We're not supposed to make it difficult for them. We should say, "I forgive you," and really mean it. Sometimes that can be very hard. The person may have truly hurt us, but we can tell ourselves, This is what Hashem wants from me. Hashem wants peace, and with emunah, we know that the person who hurt us was only a messenger, and whatever happened was from Hashem for our best. And if it's still very difficult to forgive, we should realize that we have an opportunity for tremendous mesirut nefesh. We can overcome our nature and put aside our feelings because that is what Hashem wants from us. And when a person is wronged and is able to overlook it, it's an extraordinary et ratzon. We've heard so many stories over the years of people who overcame themselves at such moments and saw great yeshuot. If someone finds himself in a difficult situation and manages to sincerely forgive, he should take advantage of that moment and pray to Hashem for the yeshuah that he needs. There was a wonderful bachur who we'll call Yehuda from Williamsburg, who had so much going for him. He was smart and diligent, had excellent middot, and was very good-looking. But as a young child, he was in a serious car accident. Baruch Hashem, he completely recovered, except that he was left with a noticeable limp. When he reached the age of shidduchim, that limp became a much bigger obstacle than the family anticipated. All of his friends were getting engaged, while very few suggestions were coming his way. His mother maintained her emunah and refused to compromise on the things that really mattered. One day, she decided perhaps she should send a picture of her son to the community shadchanim. If they saw what a good-looking bachur he was, perhaps they would be more willing to overlook his limp. That morning after Shacharit, Yehuda was walking toward the kitchenette in the Bet Midrash when an older man came toward him carrying two hot drinks. Someone rushed past and bumped into the older man, causing one of his drinks to spill. The person who actually caused it kept walking, but the older man mistakenly blamed Yehuda. He began shouting at him publicly, accusing him of not looking where he was going. Then, while angrily waving his hands, the second cup, filled with hot tea, spilled directly onto Yehuda's face. Yehuda had every right to defend himself. He had done absolutely nothing wrong. But just then, someone whispered to him, "Don't answer. This is your opportunity. Pray to Hashem now for a shidduch." Yehuda held himself back and didn't say a word. With his face burning and warm tears coming down his cheeks, he turned to Hashem and prayed for a shidduch. That day, his mother couldn't take the picture because his face was red from the burn. Her plan of hishtadlut had seemingly been ruined. But two weeks later, without any picture being sent, Yehuda was engaged. We don't know the calculations of Hashem, but we know how precious it is when a person is wronged and overcomes his natural reaction for the sake of Hashem. During these Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, we may have that opportunity on either side. Perhaps we need to go over to someone and sincerely say, "I'm sorry," which can be very difficult. Or perhaps someone needs our forgiveness, and it's very difficult for us to give it to him. Both require us to overcome ourselves. But these are the opportunities Hashem is giving us right now. We should take advantage of them, make peace with each other, and pray that in that zechut, Hashem should have mercy upon us and inscribe us for a year of life, berachot, and yeshuot.

ADUs are becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation around housing, rental income, multigenerational living, and real estate development. In this episode of the Massive Passive Cashflow Podcast, Gary Wilson sits down with Peter Brown to explore how pre-panelized construction can make smaller residential projects more adaptable and scalable—and how real estate agents can use these opportunities to create additional value for homeowners, investors, and developers. Peter shares his nearly 20 years of real estate experience and explains the thinking behind Zara Homes' pre-panelized construction methodology. The discussion covers ADUs, affordable housing, rental income, construction efficiency, property development, and opportunities in Florida, Texas, California, and Panama. In This Episode How ADUs can provide additional living space or rental opportunities What makes pre-panelized construction different from traditional construction How construction technology can address difficult-access properties ADU opportunities for homeowners, investors, and developers Multigenerational housing and additional rental income Short-term and long-term rental applications Why zoning, infrastructure, and permitting matter How real estate agents can introduce ADU opportunities to their clients The potential for scalable construction and distribution through the real estate community   Attention Investors and Agents:   Are you ready to scale your real estate business and connect with like-minded professionals?

This week, Steve sits down with Steve Miska, author, former military leader, educator, and founder of Wrangling & Writing, for a conversation about curiosity, risk, leadership, decision-making, and what it means to move forward when you're never truly ready. Miska embraces the idea of the 40/70 rule-- the belief that waiting for complete clarity can cause us to miss important opportunities, while acting with too little information can lead us down the wrong path. Instead, he argues that there is a productive space between the two: a point where we have enough clarity to act while remaining open to what we might learn along the way. The conversation explores how curiosity, empathy, and humility can help leaders navigate uncertainty, manage noise, and move beyond black-and-white thinking. Mellor and Miska also discuss the rescuers' archetype, the responsibility we have for how we show up emotionally and why people need to own their own decisions. In this episode, you'll hear about: • The 40/70 rule and how to act without waiting for perfect clarity • Why curiosity, empathy, and humility are essential to navigating uncertainty • How leaders can separate signal from noise and move beyond black-and-white thinking • Why helping others doesn't mean owning their decisions for them • The rescuer archetype and how high performers can fall into “urgency addiction” • What horses can teach us about emotional awareness, trust, and leadership Whether you are navigating a major transition, making a difficult decision, leading a team, or simply trying to become more aware of how you show up in the world, Steve Miska offers a powerful reminder: you may never feel completely ready-- and you don't have to. Readiness can come from staying curious, embracing uncertainty, and being willing to act with enough clarity to take the next step. Listen now and ask yourself: Am I waiting for certainty when I already have enough clarity to move? About the guest: Steve Miska is currently on what he and his team refer to as the Wrangling & Writing 2026 Horse Farm Sabbatical. He shares writing about horses and lifts stories about hidden gems in communities around the country. He served twenty-five years in the Army, including three combat deployments to Iraq and service in the White House as Director for Iraq on the National Security Council. Most recently, he led the Department of Veterans Affairs' implementation of the PACT Act, the largest expansion of veteran healthcare in over a generation. During the Afghanistan withdrawal, Steve stood up a team in Los Angeles that assisted hundreds of nonprofits and other veteran advocates to get their trusted partners out of Taliban violence. He plans to continue his self-directed equine therapy mission, writing about veterans returning from conflict zones, processing those experiences, and seeking to understand the deep divisions tearing at the social fabric of the United States and humanity. Connect with Steve Miska: Substack: https://substack.com/@wranglingandwriting  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wranglingandwriting/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-miska/  Book: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B094MS98BJ?ccs_id=0a7b6741-645c-4133-a7cc-85e0ee68889c  Send us Fan MailSupport the showConnect with Steve MellorStay connected and keep growing with Steve:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-mellor-cc/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/coachstevemellorBook Steve to speak at your next event → www.stevemellorspeaks.comSupport the GrowthReady Podcast by leaving a 5-star rating → Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growthready-podcast/id1406082163Connect with GrowthReadyJoin the community and keep your growth journey going:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/wearegrowthready/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/growthreadypodcast/Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/growthreadywithcoachstevemellorOfficial Website - https://growthready.com/----This podcast was produced on Riverside and released via ...

For years, the climate movement ran on the promise that, if we all rally hard enough, we could have it all: continue with our current system and save the planet. Yet the events of the past few decades have shown that this isn't quite the case, and in fact, climate is just one crisis among many produced by our growth-at-all-costs system. This raises the question: What happens when a culture built on the certainty of progress has to confront its own uncertainty?  In this episode, Nate is joined by philosopher and author Sarah Wilson for an exploration of the emotions that come from learning about, processing, and then embodying the full extent of the metacrisis. Sarah shares her own emotional arc through this journey, and makes the case that "hope" (at least the version most of us think of) is no longer helpful, since it defers responsibility to some future savior rather than requiring anything of us now. In its place, she argues for truth to ground us, revealing the only path forward is to be "thoroughly human" – grieving, laughing, dancing, showing up for our neighbors. She and Nate also explore why prepping alone doesn't work, and that we should instead be working toward a radical simplification: an intentional shift toward a slower, more communal way of living. Why does the fear of uncertainty run so much deeper than we admit, and what happens to us once we stop resisting it? What emotions and opportunities do we make room for when we let go of false hopes that someone else will solve our crises? And if collapse is actually a slow unraveling of the system we've built our lives around, what would it look like to meet it with the same sense of duty and connection that has always seen humans through hard times? (Conversation recorded on September 10th, 2026)    About Sarah Wilson: Sarah Wilson is a multiple-time New York Times and Amazon bestselling author, social philosopher, international keynote speaker, minimalist, and philanthropist. She edited Cosmopolitan magazine Australia at 29, founded the global I Quit Sugar movement, hosted the most-watched non-sports broadcast TV series in the nation's history – Masterchef Australia – and wrote the bestseller First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, which Mark Manson described as "the best book on living with anxiety that I've ever read." Her book, This One Wild and Precious Life, won the US Gold Nautilus Prize, and she has been ranked in the top 200 most influential authors in the world (two years in a row). Her latest book, I Eat the Stars, is now available globally. Sarah lives nomadically, leading dynamic, global conversations about modern philosophy, creativity, existential risk and climate change via her keynote speaking, Wild podcast, and her Substack and social communities (of 550,000 subscribers).   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee says the special administrative region's first five-year plan will help build a more open, inclusive, and prosperous Hong Kong. He said the blueprint for economic and social development signals Hong Kong's need for strategic planning to align with national development strategies, and to better serve and integrate into overall national development.

In this episode of Coffee & Cap Rates, Shimon Shkury, President and Founder of Ariel Property Advisors, speaks with Sean R. Kelly, Partner at Ariel Property Advisors, about Brooklyn's commercial real estate market in the first half of 2026.The conversation covers the borough's strong development activity, rising land values, the impact of zoning and tax incentives, and growing distress in the rent-stabilized multifamily market.Key topics include:Development: Transaction volume reached approximately $1 billion, up 60% year over year, driven in part by zoning changes and the 485X tax abatement. Rent-Stabilized Multifamily: Rising operating costs, regulatory pressures, and 0% rent increases are prompting more long-term and generational owners to consider selling. Market Outlook: Sean and Shimon discuss continued activity across development, free-market multifamily, and rent-stabilized assets during the second half of 2026. More information is available in Ariel Property Advisors' Brooklyn 2026 Mid-Year Commercial Real Estate Trends report.

Managing inherited legacy private market portfolios is increasingly complex as allocations grow across private equity, credit, real estate, and infrastructure. This episode looks at the hidden operational and liquidity burden of these assets and outlines decision frameworks to hold, sell, or restructure, emphasizing proactive planning, strong execution, clear governance, and tailored solutions aligned to long-term objectives.Capital at Risk. This content was recorded in August 2026. The views expressed are those of the speaker(s). They are current as of the date of recording and subject to change without notice. Podcast guests may be from firms that Marsh evaluates or rates. Podcast guests may have commercial relationships with Marsh. Notwithstanding any separate relationship between Marsh and a guest, no guest receives direct or indirect compensation for their participation in the podcast. For a description of conflicts of interest related to Marsh's investment business, see Conflicts of Interest. None of the material presented in this podcast is intended as a recommendation or endorsement of any particular investment manager or investment. This is provided for informational and educational purposes only. This does not constitute a recommendation or an offer to purchase or sell any securities. This does not contain investment, financial, legal, tax or any other personalized advice and should not be relied upon for this purpose. The discussion is not tailored to your particular personal and/or financial position. No investment decision should be made based on this information. Certain information may constitute forward-looking statements though there is no guarantee that these results will be achieved. Past performance of any asset class or security is not a reliable indicator of future results. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or protect against a loss. There are substantial risks associated with investments classified as alternative investments. Investors considering alternatives should have the ability, investing sophistication and experience to bear the risks associated with such investments.  Marsh makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy or completeness of statements or information contained herein and takes no responsibility or liability (including for indirect, consequential, or incidental damages) for any error, omission or inaccuracy. This material should not be copied, distributed, published or reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. A transcript may be provided for your convenience. Marsh is not responsible for any errors in the transcript. © 2026 Marsh.  All rights reserved. Important notices

GUEST BIO:Seth Friedman is a creative director, writer, lyricist, and composer with over 25 years in the events industry. He's worked with top brands like IBM, Google, and Amazon, crafting memorable corporate, expo, and experiential events. Seth has also earned a Grammy and multiple award nominations for his theatrical work.HIRE THEM TO HOST OR SPEAK:Follow Seth Friedman: LinkedIn ProfileFollow Scott Bloom: eSpeakers BioFollow eSpeakers: eSpeakers MarketplaceABOUT NO MORE BAD EVENTS:Brought to you by eSpeakers and hosted by professional emcee, host, and keynote speaker Scott Bloom, No More Bad Events is where you'll hear from some of the top names in the event and speaking industry about what goes on behind the scenes at the world's most perfectly executed conferences, meetings, and more. Get ready to learn the secrets and strategies to help anyone in the event industry reach their goal of putting on nothing less than world-class events.Learn more at nomorebadevents.com.ABOUT THE HOST:A veteran comedian and television personality who has built a reputation as the go-to choice for business humor, Scott has hosted hundreds of events over two decades for big and small organizations alike. Scott has also hosted his own weekly VH1 series and recently co-hosted a national simulcast of the Grammy Awards from the Palace Theater.As the son of a successful salesman, he was exposed to the principles of building a business at an early age. As a comedian, Scott cut his teeth at renowned improv and comedy clubs. As a self-taught student of psychology, he's explored what makes people tick and has written a book (albeit a farce) on how to get through life. He's uniquely positioned to deliver significant notes on connecting people and making business seriously funny. And who doesn't like to laugh?Learn more about Scott: scottbloomconnects.comPRODUCED BY eSpeakers:When the perfect speaker is in front of the right audience, a kind of magic happens where organizations and individuals improve in substantial, long-term ways. eSpeakers exists to make this happen more often.eSpeakers is where the speaking industry does business on the web. Speakers, speaker managers, associations, and bureaus use our tools to organize, promote, and grow successful businesses. Event organizers think of eSpeakers first when they want to hire speakers for their meetings or events.The eSpeakers Marketplace technology lets us and our partner directories help meeting professionals worldwide connect directly with speakers for great engagements.Thousands of successful speakers, trainers, and coaches use eSpeakers to build their businesses and manage their calendars. Thousands of event organizers use our directories every day to find and hire speakers. Our tools are built for speakers, by speakers, to do things that only purpose-built systems can.Learn more at eSpeakers.com.SHOW CREDITS:Scott Bloom: Host | scottbloomconnects.comJoe Heaps: eSpeakers | jheaps@eSpeakers.com

What tremendous 100% true and amazing memoir for you this week on the Rick Flynn Presents worldwide podcast show.In this riveting memoir, one of the country's leading Africanists shares his story of five decades of work across the African continent at senior levels of government, business, and law.In 1971, months out of high school, Witney Schneidman found himself at a secondary school in Mbarara, Uganda listening on the radio as Idi Amin announced his takeover the country. He soon understood that Africa was a continent of sweeping change-colonialism was ending, independence was on the march, and liberation movements were fighting tall odds to end white rule in Southern Africa- and he made the decision to dedicate his life to fostering strong ties between the United States and African nations.Schneidman details the many risks and setbacks that stood between him and his dream of shaping U.S. policy toward Africa and contributing to progress on the continent. He recalls the isolation of being the only American studying at a university in Tanzania at the height of the Cold War, travel across 30 African countries, and policy successes that formed the cornerstone of U.S.-Africa relations. His inspiring story is a clarion call about the importance of engaging with the continent shaping the future of the world.Published by: Bloomsbury Academic

EYL UNIVERSITY 3 YEAR DEAL! goto https://eyluniversity.com/Tonight on Market Mondays, we're breaking down the biggest developments shaping the markets, artificial intelligence, global investing, and personal finance.We'll cover the War on AI, emerging investment opportunities, and the highly anticipated Dangote Refinery IPO. We'll also share the Investing Fact and Futures Trading Tip of the Week, analyze four must-see charts, and put the crew through a rapid-fire “This or That” Lightning Round.Special guest Caleb Silver joins us to provide expert market insight, followed by a personal finance segment and live audience Q&A.Chapters:#MarketMondays #EarnYourLeisure #CalebSilver #DangoteRefinery #DangoteIPO #ArtificialIntelligence #AIStocks #StockMarket #Investing #FuturesTrading #PersonalFinance #FinancialLiteracy #WealthBuildingAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com   Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com  **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102   See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire   See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/  

Othello – Act III scene 1, 2 Musicians are abused by a clown. A brief glimpse of normal life before villainy takes hold.

Mark Cuban told people that television would eventually be delivered over the internet. Everybody thought he was an idiot.Now, Cuban is making another prediction that runs counter to what we all believe, but this time it's about A.I.Few people have made as many big bets across as many industries as Mark Cuban. The billionaire entrepreneur and investor has built businesses in technology and media, transformed the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, and is now taking on prescription drug companies with Cost Plus Drugs.He discusses:● What everyone may be getting wrong about AI● What he sees happening to jobs and where the real opportunity may be● The one thing he believes AI will never replace● How he decides whether a seemingly crazy idea is actually an opportunity● The quality he looks for after seeing thousands of entrepreneurs● The mistake incredibly smart people make again and again● Why one of his biggest decisions required him to become “the younger Mark Cuban” again● Why being wrong repeatedly may not matter nearly as much as we think● What success means to him now that money is no longer the measure● What he thinks most Americans still don't understand about healthcareMark Cuban saw streaming coming and almost nobody believed him. What does he see now that the rest of us may be missing? 

"The minimum standard is excellence. If you have to ask me whether you should serve a burnt pizza, you've already answered the question." — Rick Rosenfield Rick Rosenfield didn't set out to build a restaurant empire. He was a federal prosecutor who put mob bosses in prison, then left the Department of Justice to open a pizza restaurant in Beverly Hills with his law partner — no restaurant experience, a mortgaged home, and a business plan written on a word processor that declared California-style pizza would become the third great pizza tradition in America. It happened. California Pizza Kitchen grew to 285 locations, over 14,000 employees, and pioneered what the industry came to call polished casual dining. But Rick's telling of that story is not about barbecue chicken pizza or real estate strategy. It's about a culture framework called ROCK — Respect, Opportunity, Communication, Kindness — and why the minimum standard for staying in the organization was excellence, not effort. In this conversation, Rick and Nicky dig into the specific mechanics of building a people-first business: how CPK set written standards before it was fashionable, why they required every server to pass a menu test before being hired, what Ray Kroc's autobiography taught two lawyers about letting the wrong people go, and the moment they fired their star chef one month into opening — and cried on the office floor — before empowering someone from the kitchen who stayed for 12 years. Rick also shares the expensive lesson of growing too fast when PepsiCo pushed them to open 50 to 100 restaurants a year, and why Navy SEAL sniper and bestselling author Jack Carr's advice — trust your instincts, slow is smooth, smooth is fast — turns out to apply just as well to building a business as it does to a combat mission. Learn more and connect: Find Rick Rosenfield on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-rosenfield-9185933a9/ Resources mentioned: The California Pizza Kitchen Story — Rick Rosenfield (available wherever books are sold) Grinding It Out: The Making of McDonald's — Ray Kroc Terminal List series (Amazon) — Jack Carr Chez Panisse — https://www.chezpanisse.com Spago Beverly Hills — https://www.wolfgangpuck.com/dining/spago Visit https://www.eCircleAcademy.com and book a success call with Nicky to take your practice to the next level. https://www.thethoughtleaderrevolution.com/episodes/816

Derek Evans managed a $6 billion REIT lending portfolio at Wells Fargo and structured a $3.5 billion bridge loan before joining Realberry as CFO. Now he’s helping guide the Realberry investment strategy through a move from $300 million to over $1 billion in annual deals. Chris Lopez sits down with Derek in studio to unpack how one of Colorado’s most established real estate firms actually decides what to build, what to buy, and what to walk away from. Derek spent 22 years at Wells Fargo before Chad McWhinney recruited him during COVID. His job now is to institutionalize the firm behind Union Station, Dairy Block, and Centerra without losing what made it work in the first place. The Realberry investment strategy is built on conservative leverage and a layered capital stack. Each investor tier fits a different kind of deal, and the firm is opening up a new digital channel to reach accredited investors for the first time. Derek walks through how those pieces fit together. From there, the conversation turns to the investment committee that decides what moves forward. Eight members, one meeting a week, and a voting rule that has ended more Denver metro deals than most investors would guess. Water rights, business climate, and market fundamentals across Colorado, Austin, and Phoenix all shape what gets a green light. Derek closes with where he sees capital moving next: luxury hospitality driven by K-shaped wealth trends, mixed-use in Loveland and Baseline, the firm’s first 55+ for-rent community, and a downtown Denver thesis that still hinges on getting employees back in office seats. In This Episode We Cover: Why Realberry targets 60 to 65% leverage and puts in 5 to 10% GP capital How ultra-high net worth, family office, and institutional capital each fit different deals The two no vote rule that kills any deal at investment committee Why the firm is actively bidding on multifamily in Colorado, Austin, and Phoenix What Derek looks for in luxury hospitality and 55+ for-rent product Why water rights have killed multiple Denver metro deals in the last five years The Realberry investment strategy behind downtown Denver, office-to-resi, and hotel conversions This episode wraps our three-part Realberry series. If you missed the earlier conversations with Chad McWhinney and Taylor Hazlett, go back and start there for the full picture of how the firm thinks about capital, deals, and Colorado. Watch the Youtube Video https://youtu.be/DvQ4uDlSv5Y Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and guest introduction 01:41 Managing a $6 billion REIT lending portfolio at Wells Fargo 04:49 Unsecured vs secured real estate lending (at a larger level*)  06:17 Why Derek left Wells Fargo for Realberry during COVID 08:06 Growing Realberry from $300M to $1B in annual deals 11:55 The Realberry capital stack and conservative leverage 14:45 Ultra-high net worth, family office, and accredited investor tiers 15:55 Institutional capital and the control rights tradeoff 22:19 Inside the Realberry investment committee 37:30 How two no votes kill any deal 28:47 Why Realberry is bidding on multifamily right now 31:54 Colorado, Austin, Phoenix, and Nashville fundamentals 32:25 Legislation, affordability, and Colorado’s business climate 37:11 Placing capital in Colorado 40:47 Water rights and the deals Realberry has killed 44:12 Luxury hospitality and the K-shaped wealth trend 45:29 Downtown Denver and office-to-resi conversions Links in Podcast Realberry Website: https://www.realberry.com Portfolio: https://www.realberry.com/portfolio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/realberryinvest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realberryinvest Investor inquiries: ir@realberry.com Derek Evans LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-evans-051b80a5/ This is the third and final episode in our three-part series with Realberry. If you haven’t caught the first two, start here. Episode 1 — Chad McWhinney, Co-Founder and CEO. Chad walks through the origin story, from a berry stand in Loveland to Union Station and Centerra. He covers 35 years of building in Colorado, how the firm thinks about long-hold capital, and the vision behind the rebrand to Realberry. Episode 2 — Taylor Hazlett, Senior Director of Private Capital. Taylor breaks down how Realberry filters 100 deals to close 2 or 3. He covers the firm’s multifamily underwriting in today’s market, the gap between replacement cost and acquisition pricing, and early signs of recovery across the Front Range. Together, the three episodes give you the founder’s vision, the deal team’s discipline, and the CFO’s capital architecture. That’s the full picture of how Realberry works. Who is Realberry? Realberry, formerly McWhinney, is a Denver-based real estate investment, development, and management firm founded in 1991 by brothers Chad and Troy McWhinney. For nearly 35 years, the firm has focused on creating places people love, with a portfolio spanning master-planned communities, multifamily, hospitality, industrial, and mixed-use developments. Its work includes Denver Union Station, Dairy Block, the Crawford Hotel, and Centerra, and has earned ULI Awards of Excellence, Michelin Keys, and U.S. News Best Hotels recognition. Realberry is family-founded, community-centered, and future-focused.

Most pet brands sell function. Denzel's Dog Treats built its challenger brand around something very different: Happiness!! In this conversation, I speak with founders James and Nathan about how they spotted an emotional gap in the pet category and used brand strategy, packaging, product format and occasion-based innovation to turn dog treats into something much bigger than a functional purchase.And the commercial results are what make this such an interesting story for founders scaling consumer brands. A Valentine's activation delivered around 15–17x the rate of sale of a normal promotion, with more than 60% of shoppers buying it having not previously bought from pet. Their advent calendar has become their bestselling SKU despite only being available for part of the year. We get into how seasonal innovation moved from “marketing stunt” to revenue channel, why they designed for grocery, hospitality and online from day one, and how becoming obsessive about the brand experience helped Denzel's create genuinely incremental growth.Use code BGH25 for 25% off Denzel's NEW Advent Calendars from https://www.denzels.co.uk/products/advent-calendarDetails below **Redeemable from https://www.denzels.co.uk/products/advent-calendar only25% off Advent CalendarApplies to one-time purchasesNo minimum purchase requirementOne use per customerCan't combine with other discountsEarly bird discount, active from 15 Sept to 22 Sept (23:59)What You'll LearnHow James and Nathan identified an emotional white space in a category dominated by functional positioning.Why Denzel's spent roughly 30–50% of its initial £25,000 startup loan on brand, design and packaging.How Valentine's treats generated around 15–17x normal promotional rate of sale and attracted shoppers who had never previously bought from pet.Why seasonal NPD has evolved into an acquisition funnel that can ultimately drive shoppers into the core Denzel's range.How to design products and formats around new channels and occasions rather than simply competing for space within your existing category.Key Topics DiscussedBuilding a pet brand around the “happiness exchange” between dogs and their ownersBorrowing inspiration from consumer brands such as BEAR rather than the existing pet categoryUsing Denzel himself as the central brand characterStarting the business with a £25,000 loanInvesting disproportionately in packaging and brand from day oneDesigning dog treats to work in grocery, cafés, pubs and onlineCreating selection boxes, Valentine's treats, Easter products, birthday products and advent calendarsBringing a Tesco Valentine's idea from conversation to delivery in only a few monthsDriving incremental category shoppers rather than simply stealing shareSelling more than 30,000 advent calendars through Denzel's own website during an early launchBecoming a bestseller on Amazon at ChristmasBuilding specific hospitality products including peanut butter brownie, banana bread and pistachio cheesecake treatsOutselling a chocolate Florentine in Caffè NeroThe operational pain behind seasonal forecasting and manufacturingTurning seasonal innovation into a repeatable retail growth modelBuilding the UK blueprint before selectively expanding into EuropeWhy packaging has to do more of the selling in crowded grocery categoriesTargeting what Denzel's calls “Gen Zennial pet parents”Useful links https://www.instagram.com/thedenzelstory/?hl=enhttps://www.denzels.co.uk/collections/shop-our-treats?srsltid=AfmBOorqeOYT4jb5u60GQa-AtYmjaba8MHZRynjaGkfn1vmkOy_DcN5ACommunity and review requestDid you get a nugget of value from this chat? If so, PLEASE share your thanks by hitting FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to Brand Growth Heroes on your favourite podcast app, and even LEAVE A REVIEW - both of these actions make a MASSIVE difference to our mission to help more founders just like you.AND by sharing this episode with another founder building a challenger brand, a colleague or a mate who loves business podcasts - or anyone trying to work out how to build a sharper, more focused growth model±Join our community Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/brandgrowthheroes) LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/brand-growth-heroes/ Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@brandgrowthheroes)Fiona Fitz runs lots of great programmes, courses and coaching sessions. Find out more here or contact her directly on Linkedin to find out about booking one of her advisory hours. https://www.brandgrowthheroes.com/mini-mba-2026https://www.linkedin.com/in/fionafitz/Are you a founder leaning in to the value that AI can unlock for your consumer branded business? Then join Fiona's NextGen CPG WhatsApp group for founders leaning in to the value that a leadership approach to engaging with AI can unlock for businesses like yours.Sponsor*** Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes' podcast sponsor — Joelson, the commercial law firm ***If you're a founder, you already know how much energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with consumers.But scaling a CPG business also brings legal complexities that can make or break your growth journey - from contracts and regulatory compliance to protecting your intellectual property.That's why we're proud to partner with Joelson, the leading commercial law firm specialising in helping founders of scaling consumer brands.Joelson works with brands like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze and Pulsin, and advised the innocent founders on their landmark sale to Coca-Cola - and still work with them at JamJar Investments today!Joelson is offering a FREE LEGAL CONSULTATION to all BGH listeners (hello@joelsonlaw.com or https://joelsonlaw.com/contact/) - we highly recommend you take them up on it!CreditsThanks to our Sound Engineer Gyp Buggane at Ballagroove.com

Louisiana duck hunters have a new opportunity this October, and concerns from rice farmers helped move the conversation forward.On this episode of the Louisiana Farm Bureau Podcast, Karl Wiggers visits with Vermilion Parish rice farmer Allen McLain, Louisiana Farm Bureau Commodity and Public Policy Director Andy Brown, and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Waterfowl Program Manager Jason Olszak. They explain how black-bellied whistling ducks damage young rice, why grain facilities have raised concerns of their own, and how farmers, researchers and wildlife officials have worked together to address the issue.The conversation covers Louisiana's new experimental hunting season, why it took years of coordination and how hunter participation and reporting can help shape what comes next. The guests also discuss the connection between productive rice farms and healthy waterfowl habitat.Show Notes:LDWF: Special black-bellied whistling duck season announcement — Official announcement and season details.LDWF: Season information and free permit — Primary listener resource for participating.Louisiana Outdoors — Licensing portal mentioned in the episode. LSU AgCenter: Impacts of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks on the Louisiana Rice Industry — Producer survey relevant to Andy's discussion, with the complete report available to download. Louisiana 2026–2027 Hunting and WMA Regulations — Full regulations.Become a member of Louisiana Farm Bureau today.

  What if I told you there is a way to get your dream opportunities to come to you? In this episode, I share the four things I've intentionally built over the years that are now creating opportunities I never could have predicted or bought. If you want more access, stronger connections, bigger opportunities, and more abundance in your life and business, this episode will show you what to start doing today so you can create the results you want years from now.   HIGHLIGHTS The shift to make when you catch yourself wondering, "Why them and not me?" How to plant more "seeds of opportunity" without keeping score or expecting an immediate return The simple way generosity can create opportunities you could never predict How the reputation you're building today can open doors years from now The networking habit that makes you a valuable person people want in the room How to train yourself to spot opportunities other people completely overlook Why patience is one of the most important ingredients for creating long-term success How solving problems and connecting the right people can multiply your future opportunities RESOURCES Grow your Instagram with The Brand Lab. They helped me gain 10,000 followers in 90 days and took posting off my plate. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BRAND LAB HERE!   Join the Found Trip - there is ONE spot left! DM or text me "Chris, I want to go on that Found Trip."   Have an audio only podcast? Check out Casthouse.ai    Check out upcoming events + Masterminds: chrisharder.me Text DAILY to 310-421-0416 to get daily Money Mantras to boost your day.   FOLLOW Chris: @chriswharder Frello: @frello_app  

John Chen of Fika Ventures joins Nick to discuss Fear and Greed in AI, The Rise of Kingmakers, and Is Seed the Sucker Round?. In this episode we cover: Differences Between Bay Area and LA Founders  Lessons from Emergence and Building Fika  Investing in AI Native Services and Copilots  Challenges and Opportunities in Seed Investing  Founder Profiles and Career Paths Guest Links: John's LinkedIn John's X Fika Ventures' LinkedIn Fika Ventures' Website The host of The Full Ratchet is Nick Moran of New Stack Ventures, a venture capital firm committed to investing in founders outside of the Bay Area. We're proud to partner with Ramp, the modern finance automation platform. Book a demo and get $150—no strings attached.   Want to keep up to date with The Full Ratchet? Follow us on social. You can learn more about New Stack Ventures by visiting our LinkedIn and Twitter.

Professional Organizer Helps Declutter Organize and Beautify Your Home and Your Life an Interview with Nikki Boyd (Episode 299)   Ecclesiastes 5:13 AMP “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being kept and hoarded by their owner to his own misery.”   *Transcription Below*   Nikki Boyd is a professional organizer, author of the Beautifully Organized series, and founder of the At Home With Nikki brand. Known for her elegant yet practical approach to organization, she inspires women to create homes that feel calm, beautiful, and intentionally lived in. Through her books, courses, and social media presence, Nikki shares simple, thoughtful systems that help people simplify their spaces and live more intentionally each day. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Real Simple, and House Beautiful.   LOOKING FOR HELP WITH YOUR LIFE? VISIT OUR WEBSITE | SUBSCRIBE OUR CHANNEL | JOIN OUR MASTER COURSE Ready to get organized? SCHEDULE A VIRTUAL SESSION Grab the books: The Beautifully Organized Series  Connect with Nikki on social: Instagram | Facebook | TikTok   Thank You to Our Sponsor: The Sue Neihouser Team   Questions and Topics We Cover: Where do your clients typically feel most overwhelmed and what is your process for eventually leading them to experience more peace?  Can you give us the best place to begin decluttering today? What is the best way to begin both decluttering and organizing kid spaces in our homes?    Related Savvy Sauce Episodes: Relationships and Opportunities that Arise from Using Your Gifts with Founder of Neighbor's Table, Sarah Harmeyer, Episode 47 Best Cleaning Tips from Clean Mama, Becky Rapinchuk, Episode 128 Experiencing Joy, Nourishment, and Connection at the Table with Abby Turner, Episode 168 Making Your Home a Place of Love and Peace: Special Patreon Re-Release with Devi Titus   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:49) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Thank you to the Sue Neihouser Team for sponsoring this episode. If you're looking to buy or sell a home this season, make sure you reach out to Sue at 309-229-8831. Sue would love to walk alongside you as you unlock new doors.   I am so excited to get to host my guest for today, Nikki Boyd. Nikki is a professional organizer and also a prolific author. If you can see all of these resources, this is part of the Beautifully Organized series. Nikki is also the founder of At Home with Nikki brand. She is known for her elegant yet practical approach to organization, and she inspires women especially to create homes where they feel calm, beautiful, and intentionally lived in. She's going to share more of that with us today. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Nikki.   Nikki Boyd: Hi, I'm so glad to be here. Excited to be here.   Laura Dugger: Well, I'm delighted to get a chat with you, and I have to say your career absolutely fascinates me. So, will you share your path to getting to do the work that you get to do today?   Nikki Boyd: (1:49 - 7:21) Absolutely. It was very unexpected because a little secret, well, it's not a secret because I've been talking about ever since I've written my books, but I was a very messy child. So, as a child, you would have thought I would be doing what I do now. And so, it really was unexpected in the fact that I was a military spouse, just traveling around the world, supporting my husband in his dreams of being in the military and doing what he does. And depending on where we were, I would work different jobs. So, I have a very colorful work history and oftentimes frustrated by the fact of not being able to have a career and feeling like I want a career.   But it's funny how God works, and that's why we have to be patient, and we have to have faith because every last job that he provided added to my career today. And it was a necessity, and I didn't see that back then. And so, when he retired, he was like you supported me all these years. Now, it's time for me to do that in whatever your dream is of what you wanted to do. I had no idea what it was. I didn't know. I was like, what? I mean, I think I was right at 40 at the time, and I was like, okay, what is it I'm supposed to do? I'm trying to find myself at 40.   And so, I remember when we lived in England, I had went over a lady's house, and I had met for the first time, and she was having like this crafting party. And we went into a room in her home, and I had the best day. And she had, I believe it was 10 kids. They were a family of 10, yes. But it was the most peaceful environment. We sat there all day and crafted, heard no kids, had a beautiful time. When she was there, she was telling me back, this was years ago when YouTube wasn't a thing. And she was telling me about how, yeah, I like to film my crafts, and I put them on YouTube. And I was like, what is YouTube? Never thought anymore about it.   When we moved back to the States, I remembered just that experience. And I remember her saying the YouTube thing. And so, when I was trying to figure out what I was going to do, I said, you know what? Let me look into this. And just, I started filming myself, just doing whatever I was doing around my house. And then, the only person watching was my mom. Then over time, she said, put that there, put it out there. And I did. No one watched for the longest time, but I just enjoyed the process of feeling like I had that friend girl by my side in my home, as I went and organized and did the different things. And by this point, my home was my everything as far as providing for my family, a beautiful environment when they came home, and just being able to have a home that served others. And so, it just started trickling from then. People started watching. I started building a brand. And then, 2017 opened the doors to my professional organizing business, then started writing the books, five books in now on a Beautifully Organized series.   And even during that journey, I questioned God about it, because I would say I was about three years in where I wasn't really doing anything but filming. And I was like, Lord, this is not what I'm supposed to be doing. This is not a career. This is not... And I was battling with that. And I remember one night, I was in my bed and I couldn't sleep. And so, I got up and I got on my computer, and I had an email from a lady overseas. And she said, I just want to let you know that I got out of my bed for the first time in two years, because I lost my husband. I have three little ones. And I was just laying in my bed for two years, just numb. And I started watching your videos. And today, I got... You can imagine, I was tears. She said, “I got out of my bed for the first time. I organized my fridge. I set spaces for my kids' lunch. And I went out and bought me a teacup just for myself. And that to me was the first sign that God gave me that, Nikki, this does have purpose.   And so, I went on from that, and I just kept trucking along. And then as human as I am, a few years later, I questioned God again. I wasn't satisfied. And I was like, okay, God, yeah, I know, but I don't feel... I'm not feeling it. And he sent me another sign. I used to love covering. I used to love covering my Bible, making Bible covers. And so, I made a Bible cover on my YouTube channel. I was like, okay, I'm going to give away a Bible. We're doing a giveaway for a Bible. And so, I did the giveaway, just randomly picking someone, doing the thing. And then I mailed off the Bible. And I got a message from a lady, and she said, my goal when I got off work was to come home and to commit suicide. When I came home, your Bible was... I cry every time I tell the story. When I came home, the Bible that was on my doorstep, and I knew that was a sign from God that, hold on, hold on, keep going. And then I told the Lord from there, okay, I'm not questioning you anymore. This is the journey that I'm supposed to be on. And from that point, I just settled into it and grew from there. And that's what I do now.   Laura Dugger: (7:22 - 7:44) Wow. We got tears in my eyes from that story as well. Praise the Lord that you waited on Him, and you were still faithful in that journey, even when He wasn't showing you the whole path. But as a Jesus follower, Nikki, why do you think it is a worthy goal to pursue having a beautifully organized home?   Nikki Boyd: (7:45 - 9:48) Because that's how we serve others. That's how we do His work. That's how, not only when I say serve others, it's serving our family, along with our church, our community. When we establish an environment where we can welcome people in, or even if they're not coming into our home, where we're able to be in a spirit to where we can serve others outside the home. My kitchen is not chaotic, so I can make those cupcakes that I can take to church on Sunday, or I feel motivated and rejuvenated. I always say our home is our rejuvenation space. It's a space we come to to rejuvenate, and so that we can do the work we need to do when we walk outside those doors. And so, it just feeds so many things, along with it saves us time, it saves us money, it saves us from stress. And our God's an orderly God, and so we look to Him for that inspiration.   I always share too, is the first time when we open the Bible, we look at creation, and we see how He's the ultimate designer, and how He's so meticulous, and He's so thoughtful. And so, when I'm organizing my home, or decorating my home, I'm thinking like God did when He was creating the earth. He really took time and thought, and He rested Him. It was very intentional. And so that's a lot of how I like to approach our home, and how we set up systems, and how we work through the space. Because when you have a home that is in chaos, and when you have a home that just is overwhelmed with stuff, you're really just taken away from your family, taken away for yourself. I know I bought a wooden spoon. I know I got a wooden spoon here. Where's that wooden spoon? But then you have to go out and buy another wooden spoon when it's already been provided. Mm-hmm.   Laura Dugger: (9:48 - 10:05) So well said. And so, from your years of experience, where do your clients typically feel most overwhelmed? And then what is your process for eventually leading them into a place where they're getting to experience more peace?   Nikki Boyd: (10:06 - 11:38) So, a lot of spaces that clients are overwhelmed by, garages are big. The shoes at the entryway door, I hear that a lot, especially with families. You come in and the first thing, I always say your entryway is your first impression space. That's the first experience someone has when they walk into your home. And so, a pile of shoes is not the most engaging. And so that's a lot in the kitchen. The kitchen is a big... I guess there's a lot of places. Closets are big. Closets for my ladies, they're big. And so how I usually advise people is we have to start small. If you look at everything, the whole thing, you can get overwhelmed and your motivation can just diminish. So, I say, get those small wins in. Okay. So, we're at the entryway. Maybe just start with one thing. I always say, I like to use my senses to put things together. And so, I say, okay, how can I incorporate my five senses into the entryway? What I see, what I feel, what I smell. And just start with one thing. It may be the entryway table, the top of it. Okay. I'm going to take everything off of that. And I'm going to reset that today. I have that small win and then build on it. Tomorrow, it may be the shoes. Okay. The shoes. I'm going to create a system for the shoes. And the small wins is what equals the big... You know the story of the tortoise and the hare where you run that... You don't run that fast race with organization. You run the small race. Take your time. Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (11:39 - 11:57) Okay. That's helpful. So, when we're taking our time, do you even have a specific time limit? If somebody is just an average person with the average amount of stuff, if they want it top to bottom, their ideal home, is there a regular amount of time that that takes?   Nikki Boyd: (11:57 - 13:50) So, what I like to do, and I do this in my home still to this day, is I assign every room has a month. And so that way I'm very intentional. I'm focused on the whole house. I'm able to be very intentional. So, say the... I always start with the home office in January because that's when we need to go through our home files. That's when it's getting tax season. And so that's a great home office month. And that way you have all month to focus only on the office. So, I usually say, let me take the first three days and just sit in the office and think, okay, what works in here? What doesn't work in here? What do I desire for the space? And just kind of give yourself a couple days for that. And then the next day it'll be, the next few days will be about decluttering. Let me get everything out of this room that does not serve me in my current lifestyle, current life, because we want our homes to represent our life today, not our life 10 years ago. And so, then it's about taking a week and just decluttering the space. And then the next week it's about cleaning. Okay, now that we got all this stuff out, let's spend a couple of days cleaning. So having a whole month for a room, it really allows you to really be intentional, take your time, not stress yourself out, incorporate the family. And it's a great way of maintenance plan ongoing. So even though my home feels organized all the way through, it's great for maintenance because organization is not something that you do and you never have to do it again. It's just like cleaning. I wish I could clean one time and it's clean for the rest of my life, but that's not the reality, especially not with family. And so, the same with organization. So, I would recommend that, just kind of assigning every room in your house a month. Laura Dugger: (13:52 - 18:01) I like that pace. And I guess it's initially surprising, but Jesus always seems to have a certain pace that is wise and sustainable, and it does often surprise us.   We'll come back shortly after a brief message from our sponsor.   With over 28 years of experience in real estate, Sue Neihouser of the Sue Neihouser team is a RE-MAX agent of Central Illinois, and she loves to walk alongside her clients as they unlock new doors. For anyone local, I highly recommend you call Sue today at 309-229-8831.   And you can ask her any real estate questions. Sue lives in Central Illinois and loves this community and all that it has to offer. When unlocking new doors with her clients, Sue works hard to gain a depth of understanding of their motivations and dreams and interests in buying and selling their home.   And then she commits to extensive market research that will give them confidence in their decision. Sue truly cares for each of her clients and the relationship she forms with each family along the entire home buying or selling process. This was absolutely our experience when we worked with Sue and her team.   The house that we desired at the time was actually not even on the market, but Sue had a connection and was able to ask those homeowners if they would be willing to sell. She was timely in her response as she walked us through this whole process, and she helped us sell our home with the right offer coming in hours after it was listed. We kept saying she's thought of everything, and Sue's continued generosity was astonishing.   I remember one afternoon after we had settled into our new home and she was knocking on the door dropping off a goodie bag for our family that came from the local bakery. Our daughters also loved getting to know Ms. Sue as she assisted us in finding truly our dream home. So, whether you're looking to buy a home for the first time or looking to upgrade or downsize or making the big decision to move to an assisted living from your home of many years, Sue will be there to help you navigate the big emotions and ensure the process is smooth and stress-free and that the new doors to be unlocked are ready and waiting for more memories to be made.   So, call her today at 309-229-8831 or visit her website at sueneihouser.com. Thanks for your sponsorship.   Nikki, I love choosing a theme for every episode with a scripture verse, and we always include it at the top of our show notes for each episode on our website. So, the one that I selected for today is found in Ecclesiastes 5:13, and it says, "There is a grievous evil, which I have seen under the sun, riches being kept and hoarded by their owner to his own misery." And that just stood out at me when we were planning this conversation. And it reminds me of something that I noticed about the book written, I think I'm saying her name right, by Shira Gill. And it's the one where you were featured. So, it, for anybody who hasn't read it, it highlights various organizers. But you all seem to share this similar conclusion that in America, the most common problem that leads to disorganization and chaos in all of our homes is simply holding onto too much stuff. So, will you share more of your experience with this, whether that's for yourself or with clients that you've worked with?   Nikki Boyd: (18:02 - 20:46) And it's hard because we live in a society where consumption is encouraged. We can't look, right? And so, it's a hard battle to fight. And then it's multiple people in the home a lot of times. So, you got multiple people bringing in stuff. And so, it's important to really have decluttering as a focus always in our home and having a system to just kind of move things out in a timely way, because it's a struggle because we build this attachment to stuff, you know, and we build it up for different ways. Either we paid a lot of money for it, so we can't, it doesn't fit, but I paid good money for this, so I got to keep it, even though it doesn't fit, you know, or someone gave it to us. I really don't like it, but so-and-so gave it to me. So, I have obligation, you know, that sentimental obligation.   But one tool that I have used over the years that has been really successful in helping me rid myself of clutter is to think about it in a way of, I'm being selfish. And so there, you know, I don't ever use this cup. I do, but I'm just saying, I don't ever use this cup. There's somebody out there that needs a cup that could be blessed by it, but it's sitting right here in my home. And I have the opportunity to move it on to be a blessing to someone else. So, when I look at things in my home that I'm not using, I would say, Nikki, stop. That can be right now blessing. And I pray, but I pray, God, please help this to get where it needs to get. Please help it to go where it needs to get. And so that has really, for me, been a way to really, and not only for myself, but for my family, to encourage my family to say, hey, there's somebody out here that could use this toy. There's a kid out there that really, they don't have any toys, but if we donate it, their parents can afford this toy, you know? So just, you know, really thinking outside of ourselves with the stuff and thinking on how we can really serve others with it. There might be even people in our community, young couples that are just starting out, you know, we have silver pieces that we never used. We might've got it 20 years ago and never used it, move it on to someone else, you know? So that's really helped me with decluttering.   And then having a system for it, you know, having a system in your home where you really, really are actively moving things away from your home, you know? And so, one system that I love to use is having a place where I can just drop things that, like a basket that every time I see something that, oh, yeah, that could bless someone, boom. And then that way you can just kind of put it, keep it in, take it to your trunk of your car. And the next time you pass in through a donation center, you can donate it. Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (20:47 - 21:00) That's good. And that gives us purpose in this process. I really like that. So, can you give us, do you even have a recommendation just for the very best place if we want to start decluttering today?   Nikki Boyd: (21:01 - 23:14) In your home, you mean like where to start? Yes. Okay. Remember I said, start small. So, one thing that I recommend is going in your kitchen because I have not met a person who has not had what they call a junk drawer. And I don't like calling anything in our homes junk because we don't have junk in our homes. We have beautiful homes, right? And so, I like to call it the utility drawer. So go in your kitchen. If all the listeners go in your kitchen today and open that utility drawer, and that is the starting point. And what you want to do is the first step you want to do is you want to give yourself an immediate boost by just taking everything out of that drawer and sitting it on the counter and looking at your beautiful empty drawer. That's that instant motivation that you get from seeing it clean and empty. And then the next step is just to give it a nice wipe down and clean so that you know that this is your new, not junk drawer, utility drawer. Rename it. It's important what we say, you know, how we speak, you know, what we come out of our tongue. So, utility drawer. And then from that point, you have all the stuff there. And the first way to start tackling it is because if you're looking at a big pile of stuff, you don't know what you have a lot of times. So, we have to get like items together so that we can realistically see what we have. And so just take a couple minutes and just at the counter sort like items together, pins, sticky notes, just get all those like items together. And then you have a clear visual of, okay, why do I have 20 lighters? I don't burn candles like that, you know. So, then you say, okay, so I'm going to keep two lighters and then everything else goes to donate and just work your way through each category. But what you've done is you've broken it down, something that's a big blob of clutter into something that's reasonable to assess and then deal with. And then from that point, what's left, you then start with the fun part of putting it in your drawer, creating your sections, and then saying, okay, you know what? How about I donate all these lighters and just keep the pretty green one that I love? So that's how I recommend. So, start with that one junk drawer. And once you have that success, you've built the motivation to then move to another part of your kitchen.   Laura Dugger: (23:15 - 23:31) Okay. That's so interesting too, just even how you say pausing to appreciate that beauty of an empty drawer. And it is true that I think even clearing things out, that is an automatic win that makes the space more beautiful.   Nikki Boyd: (23:32 - 24:42) Yes. It feels good. Because you're feeling lighter, right? You got all the junk and stuff, let's not call it stuff, over to the side and you feel lighter. And even as hard as it is to declutter for a lot of folks, they feel so good after it's done. It feels so good once you get that stuff away from you. So, it's the same, you're feeling lighter. It gives you just a kind of room to breathe a little bit, and you don't realize it because we go through our day just working and living around all this stuff that really is just kind of heavy.   Laura Dugger: (24:43 - 24:47) Absolutely. Yeah. Kind of open up the windows and air it out.   Nikki Boyd: (24:47 - 24:49) Open up the windows. Yes, yes.   Laura Dugger: (24:50 - 25:07) Well, maintaining home order and organization becomes a lot more complex when we add more people into our home. So, what's the best way to begin both decluttering and organizing the kids' spaces in our homes?   Nikki Boyd: (25:08 - 30:07) So, when I work with families, a lot of times they want to jump right in and say, okay, they want to talk about the stuff and all that. And I always kind of say, let's back up a little bit because we don't want to go in and create all these systems and then try to introduce it to the family because a lot of times that doesn't work. We have to get everybody kind of together. And one thing that's huge for me, my parents instilled it in us as family meetings, like weekly family meetings, because just like if you think about a company, a company, if they did not have their team meetings and everybody just came to work and did their own thing, they couldn't be successful. No one's on the same page. No one's communicating. No one understands the mission and the goals, and you can't be successful that way. So, it's the same with our family. If we don't talk about our goals, if we don't have a mission statement for our family, how do we know as a family that we're on the same accord and how do we move? We live in the same space. So, it's important to kind of establish a family meeting, whether you even do it every two weeks, even if it's once a month, but just having that time where you come together as a family so that you can all be on the same page.   And I talk about this in my home planner, Beautifully Organized Home Planner, is establishing that mission statement. And that's so important because, especially for our kids, so that they know kind of how we move within our family. And so, as a child, I actually didn't know this, but as a child, I got my mission statement for my family as a child. The very first scripture, Joshua 24:15, my mom, do you remember the little bread box that had all the scripture? You pick a scripture a day. And the very first scripture I ever learned was, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." The very first, and it's always stuck with me. And so that was when I became an adult, that became our mission statement for our family. And so, it makes it easy to kind of set the tone. And when you have the family meetings, you always want to set the tone with your mission statement to kind of keep reiterating that.   But then you want to also move into having those check-ins. A family is always coming and going all the time, right? And so family meetings give you the time to say, everybody go around, kind of, how are you doing? What's your highlight of the week? And what did you struggle with this week? And that gives you that moment to really make sure everybody is okay. One, the family meetings, you're teaching your kids how to communicate, how to work out problems, how to manage things. Have you ever had that situation where your kid comes to you at nine o'clock at night and said, hey, I got a school project due the next. We need to go to Walmart. I got a school project due. I need a poster board. Family meetings solve that problem because in that meeting, you're talking about, okay, what are our needs for this week? You know, what's the schedule this week? A lot of times as women, we take on a lot of the home responsibilities that really we should be teaching our kids so that when they leave the home, they have it. How to load a dishwasher, how to fold a towel. You can incorporate these small teaching lessons in the family meetings, you know? So, there's so many just benefits from that one, implementing that one system in your home, family meetings. So that's, for your listeners, that's the first thing that I would do. Set a time for family meetings. You may get resistance in the beginning. Push through. Because I tell you, when they get older, they will remember that and they will appreciate the time that you took to really bring the family together and have those meetings, even if they're kind of not appreciating it as young teenagers or kids. But that sets the tone. And even if you're single and you live alone, have your family meeting. You're still a family. You know, have that meeting where you sit down and you look at your budget, you look at your schedule, you look at kind of check-ins with yourself. You know, what was the tough for me this week? What was, you know, so whether you're a family of one or a family of 10, you know, that's the first start in that.   The next start is to not create systems on your own. You want the family to be a part of the process. So, one of the issues, I'll share a real-life issue that I really had in my home was I had, we're empty nesters. And so, it's just my husband and I and our two Yorkies. And my husband, he is who he is. I'm not trying to change him. When he comes in, he's going to put the work shoes here and he's going to drop this. You can follow the trail. And so, I was like, okay, by the front door, we don't need these shoes, you know? And so, I was like, okay, what can I do about the shoes to make him comfortable and me comfortable? So, I came up with, we got family shoes. So, I got these family shoes. They're the same shoe. They look kind of like, what's the shoe? Like clogs, but they're waterproof. What's the ones everyone has?   Laura Dugger: (30:08 - 30:09) I'm blanking on the name.   Nikki Boyd: (30:09 - 31:39) I can't remember. But anyway, they're shoes that, you know, I said, okay, these are home shoes and they're color coded. I have yellow, he has blue, but the simplicity of it being the same shoe takes away the visual color when you, visual clutter when you walk in the house. And it's great because we put them on to go walk the dogs. We go in and out all the time. We put them on and that's the only shoes that stay by the door, but it works. So how I had the buy-in, because if I just bought those shoes and put them there, he would probably walk past the shoes, and you know. So, what I did was I was like, honey, can we make a beautiful tray? I got this idea for us having home shoes. Can we make a tray? So, we Saturday, him and I together, we built this tray. He got out there doing this and he was invested because he built the tray. I ordered beautiful gold labels with his name on it, metal labels and very intentional. And it's gorgeous sitting by the door. It's so cute. He's sitting by the door and he has buy-in now because he made that tray. He's proud of that tray and he uses those shoes. He loves those shoes. And so, when we create systems, we want to make, find ways to incorporate the family so that they have a connection to the system. You don't want to just go put a bin or a basket and they expect the family to all kind of have buy-in with it. So that's how I would kind of move forward with incorporating the family with that kind of thing.   Laura Dugger: (31:40 - 32:30) I love all of that. And really, I just absolutely adored your recommendation for the family home meetings. I loved reading about that in your books. And one of them, it was from the Beautifully Organized Home Planner. You laid out even these titles. I'll just read a few of them. Going over the family schedule, meal planning, home issues, successes and struggles, home needs, like you said, maybe a family need for a field trip or home products to purchase, and teaching time, such as how to budget or how to fold a towel. And I love those practical tips. So, are there any other success stories from your family or others or final tips that you want to share about that home meeting, that family meeting specifically?   Nikki Boyd: (32:31 - 33:40) One tip that I think could be very helpful is when it comes to the meal planning, because that's always a stressor for a lot of families, coming home, what are we going to have for dinner? I didn't meal plan. So, one thing you can do is create a list, a running list of all your ideal meals for your family. It may be spaghetti and meatballs or steak and potatoes, just different meal combinations. And that is your master list of meal combinations. Then in your family meetings, it's not necessarily about trying to figure out meal planning. You just have every family member, okay, pick your meal that you want for the week. So, everybody is kind of contributing. If you're cooking five days out of the week, everybody picks a meal from the list. So, it's like you don't have to kind of think up a combination. You just kind of pick and plug and play. You know what I'm saying? So, I would recommend that creating a master list of combination meals, and then everybody just kind of choose a meal or you can use it solo. You can say, okay, I'm just going to shop my list and put it on the calendar. So that solves a big problem. That's been very useful for a lot of families when it comes to meal planning.   Laura Dugger: (33:41 - 33:55) Okay. I literally am going to start that today. Usually, my husband and I will come together and sync up our calendars and everything for the week, but this is good motivation. I think it'll be so much more beneficial to include the whole family.   Nikki Boyd: (33:55 - 34:27) And also, what's great about that is all of these things have multiple benefits. The other benefit for that is you're teaching the kiddos how to kind of coordinate, how to come together and coordinate together our meal for the family. Also, if you have that picky eater, you can kind of get buy-in because they've had the opportunity to really choose what we're eating. And so, they'll have a little more buy-in because that was their selection. So, there's several benefits from having the family put the meal plan together.   Laura Dugger: (34:28 - 34:40) I love that so much. And Nikki, do you also have suggestions for the simplest ways to stay on top of all the paper that comes into our home?   Nikki Boyd: (34:41 - 39:27) When you asked me in the beginning, what's a big problem? I didn't mention that, but paper clutter is huge. In fact, before the podcast, I had a client session and that's what we dealt with was paper. And so, one thing is just figuring out how can I stop the paper from coming in? Let's stop the problem, try to kind of halt the problem, and then we'll deal with the backlog. So, one is with mail. So, I like to say treat mail like it has a disease, like it has COVID or something. You don't want COVID in your house. So okay, when I go to mail, as I'm walking from the mailbox, I'm kind of like pulling. And then another thing is to have a sorting station. So, if you have family members that multiple people that have mail, or even if you're single and you have mail that's like maybe bills, and then you have maybe magazines, you can have a sorting system right in your kitchen or wherever you tend to drop that mail. But instead of having a basket where it just kind of piles up, have more of a sorting system.   And so, I like recommending... In fact, can I grab it real quick? Because in my session, I was sharing this with my client. Because so say you have, I love something like a box like this. It's an acrylic box and it's multifunctional in the fact that you can put your family calendar down in the front. And because it's acrylic, you can use a dry erase to kind of put your calendar items on. So, it's double duty. So, on the counter in the kitchen, you have your family calendar, or you can use it for the meals or whatever you want. But then you have your hanging files, and you can have one for each family member. Because sometimes you have kids in college that live at home and they get mail or your husband or whatever, or however you want to set it up. Everybody has your phone. That way when you come in, it's easy to drop in there. And I would even have one for magazines. What I would not allow in here is junk mail. I would take junk mail directly to the trash. I would also try to kind of eliminate as much junk mail coming into my mailbox. So, if you can stop getting the advertisements and getting the things with your bills, doing more electronic statements versus having to mail the statements, that can always be a game changer too. But this could be a great system for the mail and it's neat and clean and it kind of minimizes the paper clutter when it comes to that.   Another way is paper clutter that outside of mail that a lot of folks have is just like their home files. So, they don't really have a system for keeping home files. And so, it just tends to create piles around the house. And so, I've always, and again, when I told you that, you know, I had all those jobs in the past. And so I was in England, I was a registrar at a school, and I learned about a binder system there. They kept all their files in binders. And that's what I use for my home files ever since, because it was just like a light bulb. It was my aha moment. And it's basically having a binder for kind of the different categories of things that you need to keep on file. So, your home mortgage paperwork. So, I have one file where all the homes that you bought, you keep all of that paperwork in there. You have one for vital records, you know, just different things that you keep, you have in a binder. And it just is a really efficient way to create that home management, you know, that home file system and not have the papers all over.   With that, one thing that, so with that, like even with the system that I showed with the mail coming in, you have to tack on that component of, okay, I have to address things. So even if you come in and you put the mail in there, you have magazines in one, you have your mail, you can't just leave it, or it starts to pile up and that will get crazy. So, what I do is I always say Fridays at 2 PM is my cutoff. So, every Friday at 2 PM, I have to, before I go into my weekend, I have to clear out. So, setting a, just a intentional time that you do a clear out. So that is the component that a lot of people miss. Some people are good about putting things in a system, but that follow-up. And so, with any mail system or any filing system, you have to have that, that component. And I like to tie it to my weekend, just like if you were working a job, you know, you have to, if you don't clock out, you might not get paid. Right. They need to see that timecard, you know, back in the day now. But the same with, with this, before I start my weekend, I gotta clean up the mail bin.   Laura Dugger: (39:29 - 40:49) By now, I hope you've checked out our updated website, thesavvysauce.com, so that you can have access to all the additional freebies we are offering, including all of our previous articles and all of our previous episodes, which now include transcriptions. You will be equipped to have your own practical chats for intentional living. When you read all the recommended questions in the articles or gain insight from expert guests and past episodes, as you read through the transcriptions, because many people have shared with us that they want to take notes on previous episodes, or maybe their spouse prefers to read our conversations rather than listen to them or watch them now that we're offering video rather than just audio. So, we heard all of that, and we now have provided transcripts for all our episodes. Just visit thesavvysauce.com. All of this is conveniently located under the tab show notes on our website. Happy reading.   You also teach that another crucial factor of maintaining a beautifully organized home is keeping it clean and tidy. So, what's a realistic cleaning schedule that we could try out?   Nikki Boyd: (40:52 - 43:11) So, the thing that is just a game changer is the 10-minute sweep before you go to bed. Taking 10 minutes and just walking around your house and in 10 minutes, everybody in the house stops and just do whatever you can do. Put the remote control back, clean up the dinner dishes. Because if you think about it, if you're a family of four, 10 minutes is 40 minutes. That's 10 minutes of work per person. So that's a 40 minutes of cleaning. So that's one thing is incorporate a 10-to-15-minute sweep every night before you go to bed. And that's just walking around doing whatever you can do to pick up. Not structured, just everybody just pick up for 10 minutes, play music, play a song and do it for five minutes.   The other thing that works for a lot of folks that I've shared is when you end your workday or end your day, add on an hour. So, what I used to do is when I worked outside the home, when I got home, I used to love watching Law and Order all the time. And so, I would get on and I would put Law and Order on and that was a one-hour episode. And I would not sit down, and I would do everything for that one hour. I would clean up, I would get my clothes ready for the next day, I would prep dinner. So, I always told myself, I don't get off work at four o'clock, I get off work at five o'clock. And so, I had Law and Order in the background, it made me feel like I wasn't just not miss cleaning. I've grown since then. Now I love my inspirational music more. That was back in my day. We grow. But that one doing it that way, adding, tacking on an extra hour, it was great because the rest of the evening I had for myself. I mean, clothes were picked out, dinner was done, house was clean, no pressure. And so sometimes what we do is we come in and then we get distracted by the kids asking for this or doing this. And then we sit down, let me sit down a minute from work. And it just is, it takes our time. It just, it takes our time. But if we're very intentional about, okay, no, I'm not off work yet. Let me do this. And then I have the rest of the evening.   Laura Dugger: (43:12 - 43:26) So that's good. And I feel like that's kind of low hanging fruit that we can apply right away. Are there also any tips you have for what we should be doing weekly or monthly or quarterly or even annually?   Nikki Boyd: (43:27 - 45:37) Yeah, there's different routine. I think there's there in my book, I have it broken down. I think when you think of cleaning, you want to think of it, you have daily cleaning, you have weekly cleaning, you have monthly cleaning, and then you have quarterly cleaning, seasonal cleaning. Because there's seasonal things that you want to do to, again, go back to saving that time, saving that stress. And it's things like cleaning out the vents and even having the air conditioner service so that when the summer hits, you're not dealing with an issue. So, if we have these systems in place to tackle our cleaning at certain points, then it really solves a problem from having issues.   And so, what I would do is I would sit down and I would say, okay, the sweep that I talked about 10 minutes, that's a daily. So that would be my daily thing. And then I would not create a system at this point for me, I don't like to have to think about outside of my 10-minute sweep cleaning every day. I just don't. And so, I would just say, create a routine where you could maybe have one day a week where that's where you're tackling kind of the bulk of your cleaning, such as if you're mopping floors and handling your floors, handling the deeper items, dusting, those are weekly. So, I would do those weekly. But daily, the sweep, that helps maintain all of the other stuff in dishes daily, you have to do that. I like doing a dishwasher system of my family know, don't put anything in the sink. When you wake up, my job is the dishwasher stays empty for them. And then that way they always know dishes don't touch a sink, dishes touch the dishwasher. And then I make sure to have it unloaded by the morning at the start of their day so that they can then always unload. So, there's little systems like that to help keep things maintained as far as cleaning up, but I just don't encourage having a routine where you feel like every day I have to just spend a lot of time cleaning. But that 10-minute sweep is the secret weapon guys, the 10-minute sweep.   Laura Dugger: (45:38 - 45:57) I love it. And even the dishes example, it really doesn't take more effort to put it into the dishwasher. So, I love time-saving tricks like that. Are there a few more helpful ways that you can share how we can maximize function throughout our home?   Nikki Boyd: (45:58 - 50:39) Yeah, sure. So, God has given us a beautiful thing in our senses and what we see, what we taste, what we smell. And so, I'm always, you hear me say that all the time, use that tool he gave us to implement the systems in your home. So, when you go in a space, say, okay, when I walk in this space, how can I engage what I hear? How can I engage what I see, what I taste? And use that to start implementing the system of organization. And then the first step that I always tell everyone outside of that is, if you have a home right now that you feel it's just overwhelming, you don't know where to start, the family's just all over, it's just, we got a lot going on and I don't have time even at night because I got to go somewhere tonight. So, what I'll say is one, give yourself grace, start there, breathe, it's going to be okay. And remember, you can do this. The next thing is give yourself a small win, just immediately go to the utility drawer and say, that's the first, for everybody, that's the first thing, give yourself, because it's a proof to you, you know you can do it.   And then next, when everybody goes to bed tonight, get you a cup of tea or your preferred drink and go sit in the first space that's frustrating you, the main space. And don't put pressure on yourself to try to figure it out. Don't run out to the store trying to buy things and say, I'm going to get this place in order, the worst thing you can do. Just go have a cup of tea and sit in that space and breathe. And I promise you, and I think it's the point of just letting God, let you relax and give you the information you need to do what you need to do. And I find that when I sit in the space, it saves me money, it saves me time because I'm not going on my own accord, going out, running the target. I'm sitting here and I'm thinking, okay, this is a lot, this is a lot, help me figure this out. And when, after I just sit there and be, I start the process of just trying to figure it out and say, okay, the first step I'm going to do is I'm going to go get a box and everything that's trash, I'm going to put in here and get rid of all the trash and just steps, incremental steps, trash, then things. Okay. I'm going to shop. And I like using that word shop. I'm going to shop my room, this room, this is the room of the month. I'm going to shop this room for help. Who can I bless? Who can I, what can I take and bless? You know what? I really don't, I don't use this. Let me send that off. And then you'll start lightening your load. So that's kind of the steps I would take. It's not the traditional step of walking in and it's just, let's declutter. Sometimes you got to sit back, and you got to be a little bit before you, you jump in so that you make smart decisions.   One thing, please don't ever, I never encourage anyone to just kind of get motivated and say, okay, run a target and buy a bunch of bins and baskets. And I'm going to come back and organize the pantry. It's a temporary fix because you haven't given yourself the opportunity to just really think out what you really need. And a lot of times you have what you need right in your home. It's about thinking outside of the box. For example, yeah, I could go out and buy an expensive jewelry box, but this is my jewelry box. I had this beautiful bowl in my kitchen. I was like, oh, this is the perfect jewelry. I love it. It's easy. It functions. I don't have to open anything when I want my bracelet. It has just my jewelry that I'm wearing in this life. It's gorgeous. No one knows what it is. It works. So, a lot of times in our home, things are multifunctional and we don't even think about it. For example, I like sitting out little games and cards in my office to remind me to do something fun before I start work. This is a soap dish I had. This is where I keep my little cards in my soap dish. It used to be a soap dish, but now it's a beautiful card rest and it looks so cute. So, I challenge you not to go out into the store and consume more, but think about how can the things that I do love, how can I bring new life to them and use them to incorporate in my home to help function? So, there's so many things, even that tray that I talked about for the shoes, you might have a tray that's sitting on your dining room table that you could use for a shoe tray. So that's another thing to think about when you're implementing systems in your home.   Laura Dugger: (50:40 - 50:50) I love that. Okay. So that answers some of the function, but you're also starting to tie in beauty. How can we level up our style in our home as well?   Nikki Boyd: (50:50 - 54:24) Yeah. So, the thing with style is everybody's style is different. And so, what I find a lot of times when I'm working with folks is they Pinterest and they'll see all of these things and that's what they feel they want, but they seem to never can achieve it. And it's actually because I find a lot is because they have their own style and they need to tap into that instead of tapping into everyone else's. I think it's good to use inspiration. I love inspiration but use it as that to bring you back to what you truly love, because you don't want to go paint your wall green and think, oh, I really don't like green. I forgot about that. So that's one thing is to really know that we all have our own, God's given us all our own. We're all different. We're all special. We all have a beautiful style about ourselves.   And I'm going to say it again, because it's such a powerful tool. Those senses, that is the secret weapon to incorporating style in your home. So, when you come in and you say, okay, let's take the entry way, for example, again, we go to the entry way, because that's such an important part. That's the first space that welcomes people. Okay. When someone comes into my home, how can I engage their sense of taste? Ah, I'm going to create a little drawer. I have these little bowls here. I'm going to put little bowls in the drawer and I'm going to put mints in different candies so that when guests come over, I can say, hey, before you leave, make your little candy bag or grab some candy taste. What can I do with the sense of touch? Now, so I always like to have a bench in my entryway because I love to sit and look out the door when I have my coffee in the morning. So, I put a nice cozy blanket there so that I can have that sense of touch. So just walk your way through and challenge yourself. Okay. What I see. Okay. Oh, flowers. We need something that... So, use those senses and then say, okay, I'm going to incorporate one for each one. And that's a great tool to use to help if you're... Because some folks are like, I don't have, I don't know how to incorporate beauty. That's a way, a tool you can use to help you kind of try to implement it.   And then challenge yourself to only shop your home. Don't go outside the home for it. I did that with my recently with my entryway. I was like getting bored with how it was looking and I was like, ah, okay, Nikki, challenge yourself. How can you totally redecorate your entryway and beautify your entryway without buying the thing? And so, I had in my attic, my old kitchen table and its white kitchen table from my previous home. I said, oh, let me use that. Instead of having a bench in my entryway, I have a center round table now. And it's just a whole different look. I went to my guest and then I was like, okay. And this is the other thing. I was like, oh, I want a different color in here. Well, I was like, hmm, I got yellow in my guest bedroom. So let me shop my guest bedroom and pull a few of those and I can add it into the entryway. I took some books. I took some things and I had a new entryway in no time. So that's a wonderful way to do it. And a lot of times too, if you have a lot of books in your home, take those covers off of your books. You would be surprised how they have beautiful linen and embossed gold and different colors. And that's just such a beautiful way to display, create beauty in your home. It's just kind of looking behind those covers and then displaying your books that way. Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (54:24 - 55:03) I'm a book lover. So that speaks to me for sure.   Nikki Boyd: (54:28 - 54:28) Yeah.   Laura Dugger: And so, speaking of books, then I loved your quote on page 15, where you talk about this process of decluttering and organizing that leads to a place where, here's your quote, where life becomes more meaningful and enjoyable and it all starts at home. So, Nikki, we've talked about how to start with our home, but if we consider our whole lifestyle as well, are there any other additional ways to elevate both our function and our delight?   Nikki Boyd: (55:04 - 57:46) Yes. So, when you are living within your home, you want to think about it being your vacation spot. You know, when we go on vacation, we have expectations, right? We want to feel good. We want to relax. We want the nice hotel room. But ideally the thought process should be, we want that at home because that's where we're at most of the time. That's, you know, where we, you know, our family nurturing, we nurture our family, all the things. So, step one is to think about how do you start your day. If you, for me, I can't do the alarm clock. You, you wake up to this banging. That's a stressful way to wake up. So, think about how can I wake myself up and make it on time without it being so stressful? And what I've come up with is I have a clock that is, it's a sunrise clock where it wakes you up slowly with the light. It kind of just eases you into your day like sunlight. And it has been a game changer for that. Even if you don't do that, does your spouse get up before you? Talk with your spouse and say, “Hey, I want to get away from the alarm clock. I know you get up before me. Can you just wake me up by kissing me on my cheek?” Just wake me up with a kiss. That's, you're going to be my alarm clock. Okay. You'll find those creative ways to have a better start to your day.   You know, even that night, my husband and I, we started a while ago where we sleep to inspirational Christian music. And it is a game changer for how you wake up. And it's just listening to that all night, not too loud, just softly on. It just, when you wake up, you are just in a whole different mood, you know? And so that's one simple thing to implement to have a great start to your day. And even playing instrumental worship music all day throughout your house, it changes the atmosphere. It changes the environment, you know? So again, going back to those senses, what do we see? What do we hear? So just your routine is so important. You know, we talk organization but incorporating that routine in our home is so important. You know, even when our kids come home from school, do they run into chaos? We're fussing. No, get that, get that. No, no, no, no. Say it's, no, don't get me wrong. It can be hard as a mom. It can be hard, but we have to, before we walk in the door, talk to ourselves and say, okay, I'm going to set the tone for my children when we come in. We're going to set the tone. And it may be sitting down and laughing before we get into homework and doing the things. And so, but being intentional about creating those routines. Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (57:47 - 58:04) So much wisdom packed in. And one other thing that I appreciate about you is the high value that you place on the hospitality. So, will you share all of your best practices and motivations as it relates to hospitality?   Nikki Boyd: (58:05 - 1:01:36) Yes. In fact, I just did this weekend at my, I'm the hospitality coordinator at church. And so, I just did a training with my hospitality team. So, I'm fresh off of this. So it was, we had a blast, but you know, it's hospitality. And I want to say this to anybody, anybody, we all have that ability to do it. And you don't have to have a big, beautiful home. You can live in a cardboard box and have a beautiful time. I've had my most beautiful experiences have been in small apartments where we're all sitting there and we're just having a great time. And that's the best memories. So, it's about, how can I create a beautiful experience for anyone who walks through this door? And so that's what you want to think about when you're trying to create a home that has a beautiful element of hospitality embedded in it.   And so, for me, again, simplicity. One thing I said in the training this weekend is I had a white serving bowl and I said, take two minutes and give me 20 uses for this bowl that does not pertain to food. And so, they thought about all kinds of things. A simple bowl with a little intention can do great things. So, something you have in your home, as simple as it is, it can have the opportunity to serve so many people, can be so hospitable to so many people. So, it's just about using that creativity with the things that we have and also about being present. When people come in our home, you want to be present. It's not about, you know, because I, whenever I'm asked, who do you, what woman in the Bible do you most connect with? And a lot of times I say Martha, because I can tend to be that person. I'm so busy trying to get everything right and doing, I'm missing the point. The point is to be with that person. The point is to sit down and be hospitable and to just create that memory. And so, I always tell people, I'm trying to get away from my Marthism and just really, really, when someone comes over, it's about really sitting down and being with them and creating that memory. And so just have fun with it, you know, and don't feel like, I always tell people, don't feel like you have to have the best or have to have the biggest menu. That's not, that's not what you need.   Now, one thing, a tip that a friend did share with me that is a good tip to share is always have something out small, like a bowl of nuts or a little charcuterie cheese, something on your table, because it's a good tool. If you see people grabbing for it, that means they're hungry. So, then that cues you, let me offer them something to eat. Or let me, you know, so if people are snacking, that means they're hungry. You know, if they're grabbing content, so it's a good little tool to see if you need to kind of just put something else out or offer something else. You know, also having water, just simple things, having water right in your entryway, having on a tray as they walk in. I always like to have a welcome beverage. So, when you come in, if it's winter, having hot chocolate, a craft with some hot chocolate, when people come in, giving them a, you know, a nice welcome gift that tells people that, you know, I'm happy you're here, you know, so just, you know, and be creative. There's so many things that you can do with what you have that can just really make people feel so special.   Laura Dugger: (1:01:37 - 1:01:42) I'm not surprised that you're the hospitality coordinator at your church. That's amazing.   Nikki Boyd: (1:01:43 - 1:01:44) I love it. I love it.   Laura Dugger: (1:01:44 - 1:01:57) And if we want to continue learning from you, can you share the places where we can go to follow you for more inspiration and more about the work that you offer that we could reach out or inquire about?   Nikki Boyd: (1:01:58 - 1:02:28) Yes, yes. I'm At Home with Nikki all online and it's, I spell my name N-I-K-K-I and my website is athomewithnikki.com and then social media and all the places At Home with Nikki is the brand. And I do virtual organizing sessions. So, I work with women all over the world in their homes every week. And so, on my website, you can learn more about that. And yes, I do YouTube over 900 videos of talking about all the stuff. So, you definitely check that out too.   Laura Dugger: (1:02:29 - 1:02:49) That is incredible. We will add links to all of those places in the show notes for today's episode. But Nikki, you may be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your savvy sauce?   Nikki Boyd: (1:02:50 - 1:03:23) I would say my savvy sauce, and you probably, Nikki, you've been talking about it the whole time, but it's just so, it just so is, is the senses. Like everything I do, I'm always like, how can I engage that? And I'm so thankful to God for that, because it's like, it helps me solve problems all of the time. So, whether I'm planning a meeting, okay, how do I engage their senses? If I'm entertaining, how do I engage their senses? If I'm organizing, okay. So that is my savvy sauce is those senses that God gave me. So, it's the tool that I use all the time.   Laura Dugger: (1:03:24 - 1:03:59) I love it. Even with you using the visual aids today that came alive, but Nikki, you are just an absolute joy. And I wish I lived closer and could come be a guest in your home and learn firsthand from you. And have a cup of coffee around the table. But this has just been a treasured conversation. And so, I just want to say thank you for boldly stepping into this calling that the Lord gave you. You're clearly blessing so many of us through exercising your gifts. So, I just want to say thank you for being my guest.   Nikki Boyd: (1:04:00 - 1:04:02) Oh, thank you for having me. I'm blessed to be here. Thank you.   Laura Dugger: (1:04:02 - 1:07:18) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his o

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