Podcasts about Parting

Mel Mattison, a fintech executive with 25+ years in financial services, argues the U.S. is entering fiscal dominance where massive deficits will fuel asset bubbles rather than economic collapse. He correctly predicted the S&P's drop to 5,000 in early 2025 and expects it to reach 7,000 by year-end, driven by Trump administration policies that prioritize growth over spending cuts. Mattison believes the 10-year Treasury rate is irrelevant since 85% of government debt is issued in short-term bills tied to Fed funds, allowing borrowing costs to fall even as deficits rise. With 2025 targets of Bitcoin at $150K and gold at $3,500, plus S&P at 12,000 within years, he sees this as the beginning of the biggest asset bubble since the 1990s dot-com era.Sponsors: Monetary Metals. https://monetary-metals.com/julia Kalshi: https://kalshi.com/julia Links:X: https://x.com/MelMattison1The 10 Year Ain't What It Used to Be: https://x.com/MelMattison1/status/1922710289486627300Website: https://www.melmattison.com/Book: https://www.amazon.com/Quoz-Financial-Thriller-Mel-Mattison/dp/B0CV89VLMYTimestamps: 0:00 Welcome and intro of Mel Mattison0:58 Background and macro framework3:15 Fiscal dominance and deficit spending reality5:37 Salsa and sour cream market theory9:11 Why markets will hit 7,000 by year end10:52 Calling the market bottom at 5,11512:22 Why rate fears are overblown16:10 Monthly treasury statement insights17:05 Budget surpluses signal collapse, deficits signal bubbles18:06 Riding the asset bubble strategy20:41 Government borrowing costs going down despite rising debt23:27 Policy makers have more rabbits to pull out24:04 USD printing machine philosophy26:57 S&P 12,000 target within few years28:32 Biggest asset bubble of our lifetime30:40 Bitcoin $150K and gold $3,500 predictions35:30 Federal Reserve rate cut forecasts38:52 Unlocking home equity through HELOCs42:06 Massive stimulus through front-end manipulation42:21 Trump's oil and energy strategy46:38 Fed funds as baby boomer stimulus53:13 Parting thoughts and where to follow

The Blue-Collar Twins sit down with Scott Nelson, founder of Central-Jersey's iconic Oceanside Service—the turquoise-truck HVAC firm he bootstrapped for 36 years before handing the keys to private equity earlier this spring. Scott unpacks the branding bets, “golden-handcuff” culture, and 20 %-margin playbook that turned a $600 van into a top-1 % contractor (and a life-changing buyout).Buzz EP 203 Scot N Mix … You'll hear: Branding on Wheels – why he painted every truck Caribbean blue (and wrapped the last two).25-Minute Rule – slashing windshield time to keep service profit-positive.Earn While You Learn – duct-cleaning crews as a talent farm for techs and installers.Golden Handcuffs – split-dollar life insurance that locked managers in for 15 years.Pricing for 20 % Net – escaping the HVAC industry's 1.5 % average.PE Negotiations – walking from the table until the acquirer funded his staff's benefits.Life After the Sale – why he turned down a six-figure consulting gig to just be “Grandpa Scott.” Stick around for Dylan's quick CTA to Paul Giannamore's Private-Equity Masterclass playlist—then audit your own “billable hour” before the next heat wave hits. From PE Teachers to Pest Control Owners: The Julio Twins Share Their POTOMAC Experience https://youtu.be/HAx9noqsqTo https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulgiannamore www.potomaccompany.com https://bluecollartwins.com Produced by: www.verbell.ltd Timestamps (podcast.co-ready) 00:00 – Cold-open: “I never worried a second about competition—just do me.” 00:35 – Jason & Jeremy welcome 36-year HVAC veteran Scott Nelson of Oceanside Service 01:40 – One-man startup to 24 trucks & 32 staff: the scale story 03:00 – Turquoise trucks, spotless wheels: branding that sells before you speak 04:50 – The 25-minute territory rule and killing windshield waste 06:20 – Community roots: firefighter networks & word-of-mouth growth 08:15 – Mindset: “The world's easy—people make it hard.” 10:30 – Relationship > transaction: serving three homeowner generations 12:00 – Air-duct crews as a paid training academy (“Earn while you learn”) 14:20 – Recruiting from vo-techs; achieving near-zero turnover 16:25 – Golden Handcuffs: $500 k split-dollar life policies for key managers 19:10 – Overpaying staff & investing in real estate instead of raises for himself 21:30 – Grooming his son to take over; stepping back from fire-service leadership 24:00 – Private-equity courtship, the NDA era, and negotiating staff benefits 27:40 – Charging for value: hitting 20 % net vs. industry's 1.5 % 30:50 – Crushing costs: $500 k in insurance & healthcare, total transparency with crew 33:00 – Advice to a $500 k contractor: know your P&L and ditch new-construction work 35:15 – Tech stack: why ServiceTitan (at $7 k/mo) was worth every penny 37:00 – Recession-resistant revenue: maintenance plans & premium system sales 40:30 – Post-exit life: “Most of my hair, half my sanity—and all my family time.” 42:00 – Parting shot: watch your kids grow up and work on (not in) the business

Today, we sit down with Eamon Dolan, author of the new book:  THE POWER OF PARTING released in April, to demonstrate why adults choosing to break up with toxic relatives may be the only moral solution for those enmeshed in unhealthy or abusive family dynamics. It's a deeply personal, poignant piece that debunks cultural messages and social taboos informing our collective bias towards reconciliation; speaks to the phenomenon's growing prevalence in society (estimated to affect up to 50% of the population) and destigmatizes estrangement for abuse survivors seeking to break the cycle of abuse. The Power of Parting has already racked up impressive acclaim as a well-researched, practical guidebook that positions estrangement as an empowering solution for abuse survivors  seeking to escape cycles of trauma. On this episode, we discuss the four types of abuse, the spectrum of estrangement, the myth of the false idol of family, Eamon's powerful own personal journey to parting with his own mother, his beautiful life now with his wife and child, and leave listeners with feelings of hope for anyone who may be in a similar cycle. Enjoy the episode.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As children, Eamon Dolan and his siblings were regularly beaten and subjected to emotional abuse by their mother. As an adult, Dolan tried to maintain ties with his mum, but she remained a destructive presence. So, 12 years ago, he cut ties and never spoke to his mother again for the rest of her life. Dolan is now the Vice President & Executive Editor at Simon & Schuster publishing. He's helped bring some of the most important literary voices to the page. Now he's using his own voice to challenge the idea that family is always sacred and that forgiveness and reconciliation are the only ways forward. His new book is called The Power of Parting: Finding Peace and Freedom Through Family Estrangement. Jesse spoke to Eamon Dolan.

The market is at a critical point, observes portfolio manager Lance Roberts.If the S&P can hold above the 200 daily moving average over the coming week, then the correction will be officially over and stocks should have an open field to run back up to the previous highs (and possibly higher).If not, then the odds that the recent run have been a bear market rally -- one that will fizzle out and send stocks lower again -- become much more likely.Lance and I discuss the probabilities, as well as bonds, AI, this week's promising data releases, as well as Lance's firm's latest trades in today's Weekly Recap.For everything that mattered to markets this week, watch this video.WORRIED ABOUT THE MARKET? SCHEDULE YOUR FREE PORTFOLIO REVIEW with Thoughtful Money's endorsed financial advisors at https://www.thoughtfulmoney.com#bearmarket #bullmarket #ai 0:00 - Lance 60th birthday wishes3:47 - Status of “sell the rip” strategy8:30 - Technical analysis & market pathways15:06 - Overbought conditions & risk management24:34 - Rising bond yields' drivers30:59 - Bonds' role in portfolios36:02 - TLT & bond investment pitfalls43:38 - Emotional investing & risk reduction49:13 - Sentiment-driven market volatility52:04 - Economic data & tariff impacts1:07:21 - Trump administration's policy momentum1:22:11 - Upside scenario: economic golden era1:29:30 - Downside scenario: policy failure.1:31:17 - Rant: AI's job displacement threat1:41:46 - Lance's recent portfolio trades.1:45:04 - Parting advice: stay unemotional_____________________________________________ Thoughtful Money LLC is a Registered Investment Advisor Promoter.We produce educational content geared for the individual investor. It's important to note that this content is NOT investment advice, individual or otherwise, nor should be construed as such.We recommend that most investors, especially if inexperienced, should consider benefiting from the direction and guidance of a qualified financial advisor registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or state securities regulators who can develop & implement a personalized financial plan based on a customer's unique goals, needs & risk tolerance.IMPORTANT NOTE: There are risks associated with investing in securities.Investing in stocks, bonds, exchange traded funds, mutual funds, money market funds, and other types of securities involve risk of loss. Loss of principal is possible. Some high risk investments may use leverage, which will accentuate gains & losses. Foreign investing involves special risks, including a greater volatility and political, economic and currency risks and differences in accounting methods.A security's or a firm's past investment performance is not a guarantee or predictor of future investment performance.Thoughtful Money and the Thoughtful Money logo are trademarks of Thoughtful Money LLC.Copyright © 2025 Thoughtful Money LLC. All rights reserved.

In dire need of cash, a hobby shop that sells ships in bottles hosts a community event.Season 3, Episode 3Geoff cards played - Old Person, Beach, Unfinished, Meeting, A door creaksMark cards played - Bottle, Book, Parting ways, Ruin, Brave, Tower, TransformingContact us at brotherslessgrimm@gmail.comAnd just to be clear -- we are not affiliated with Atlas games in any way

Jake Kaminski is a two-time Olympic silver medalist in archery and a longtime member of the US Archery Team. He runs a successful YouTube channel, writes training guides, and develops high-performance gear under the Kaminski Archery brand. Sign up for the Kaminski Archery Backyard Championship here.Sponsors:Helix Sleep premium mattresses: https://HelixSleep.com/Tim (27% off all mattress orders) AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.)Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period)*Timestamps:[00:00:00] Start.[00:06:50] A glimpse into the high-precision world of Olympic archery.[00:11:04] How Jake and I connected.[00:18:27] Jake's auspicious introduction to archery.[00:21:15] Why you (Yes! You!) should try archery.[00:22:01] The differences between bows.[00:25:19] The admirable proficiency of Shot IQ's Bodie and Joel Turner.[00:26:24] Ethical bow hunting, performing under pressure, and transitioning from rifle to bow.[00:29:22] Why I wouldn't have cut it as a competitive archer in Korea.[00:30:14] Mindful archery and training hard to make competition easy.[00:37:00] What Jake did when compound bow archery started to get boring.[00:40:00] Meeting legendary Coach Kisik Lee (KSL).[00:43:06] The upsides of having no social life as a kid.[00:45:20] The welcoming weirdness of archery communities.[00:46:33] For the sake of form, Coach Lee shakes things up.[00:51:21] “I am.” — an affirmation for apathy adjustment.[00:58:11] London, 2012 Olypmics: when it all starts coming together.[01:08:28] How does teamwork play out in archery?[01:15:40] My own experience with Coach Lee.[01:19:23] The trials of training and traveling.[01:27:33] Blank bale practice.[01:31:14] Layering, biomechanics, and other early points of focus.[01:33:03] The underrated importance of follow through.[01:36:40] Coach Lee's take on follow through vs. release.[01:37:29] Gauging tension and intention as an instructor.[01:38:52] Attention to grouping over hitting the bullseye.[01:40:57] Making adaptations for physical limitations.[01:43:30] The ups and downs of our patented “Jesus take the wheel” instinctive approach.[01:46:24] Warm-up tournaments, barebowing, black bales, and string walking.[01:50:54] Recovering from the disaster that made me rethink Lancaster.[01:55:15] Rebalancing gear: arrows and arrow rests.[02:00:50] The importance of practicing in tournament-like conditions.[02:04:03] Securing convenient fuel.[02:08:17] Lancaster preparation logistics (with special thanks to Heather Kaminski and Rick Simpson Oil).[02:13:17] The glue that holds us together: note-taking and training logs.[02:16:47] Even counterintuitive consistency is key.[02:18:45] Our experience at Lancaster.[02:28:00] “The goal is to do the least necessary, not the most possible.” — Henk Kraaijenhof[02:31:44] Learning by observation and conversation on the practice range.[02:35:35] What's the Kaminski Archery Backyard Championship, and why should you get involved?[02:40:30] How can you (and why should you) get started with archery today?[02:42:48] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Enjoy this special BONUS episode! This episode was recorded as a live talk delivered on Mother's Day 2025. Key points include: - The Veiled Nature of Women - Scriptural Examples of the True Identity of Women - Seeking Wisdom Latter-day Disciples has recently partnered with One x One! One x One exists to bring hope and healing by breaking the cycles of addiction, resolving ancestral wounds, and restoring hearts burdened by trauma, betrayal, and abuse. Through the transforming power of Jesus Christ, we guide men, women, and couples towards lasting intimacy, wholeness, and freedom -- one by one. "Consider Yourself as Eve: A Guide to Spiritual Development for Women (and the Men Who Love Them)" is available on Amazon in paperback, hardback, and ebook formats. Get your copy today! Scripture Notes - the PERFECT scripture study companion! Sign up today!

A good teacher makes a bad decision to help a student pass. by kotochaos. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories.  Chapter One: First Time Morgan Klein stared, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, when Chris dropped his pants. To say she was impressed would be an understatement. A smile crawled slowly onto her face as she took in his limp manhood-boyhood, really-and found him larger than her husband at her husband's proudest moment. More impressive was the fact that Chris wasn't even hard yet, though he swelled rapidly under her gaze, growing to an even more impressive size when finished. She could hardly believe it when she took him in hand and found that her fingers could not meet around him.This was Morgan's third year teaching. She was a secondary English teacher and had, the year before, tutored Chris after school. Chris was a tall, brooding sort. He came from a broken home with a single mom in their struggling rural community. His mother did what she could, but she was uneducated herself and, between three jobs, hardly had time to help Chris at all. When he had moved on from eleventh grade, his mother had personally told Morgan's principal that Morgan was her savior. Since then, Morgan has taken a vested interest in Chris' development. Moving into twelfth grade when he should have been ready for graduation, Chris began struggling again. Morgan had been patient at first, but she saw her success quickly withering into failure. Desperate to make a turnaround, she had agreed to a deal which she never thought she would have agreed to before. In her desperation, she had agreed to give Chris an orgasm for a good grade, and Chris eagerly accepted. That was how he ended up fully erect in her face, his massive dick throbbing and leaking in her hand. Chris' penis was nothing like any she had ever seen before. It was something out of a practical joke or a legend. Not only was he thick, but he was monstrously long, too, and his crown was shiny red and dribbling precum as he pulsed and throbbed in her palm. Clearly aroused, she was surprised that he hadn't exploded all over her already. Despite her better judgement, she was flattered at his arousal. Chris stammered as Morgan stared down his shaft. She looked him in the eyes, and he looked away, blushing. “Y-you, Mrs. Klein, you don't have to.” Morgan smiled. Staring down this length, she wondered how he could be brave enough to suggest it but frightened when it happened. His bravado drained the moment he gave her the paper, but she was glad to see that he hadn't deflated at all once after his pants were opened. A lesser man might grow limp with anxiety, but Chris' nerves only seemed to make him harder. “No, Chris, a promise is a promise,” she said, stroking him slowly. She met his gaze again, and her smile broadened as she saw his cheeks growing red. “You got the grade, so you'll get your reward for it. I just wasn't expecting, um, it to be such a LARGE task.” She moved her hand to his root and held him at the base so that she could appreciate his full length. Morgan was a small woman, with small hands, and Chris looked only more impressive by comparison. Despite his length and girth, his pubic hair was sparse and thin, possibly due to his age, she didn't know. She felt silly to be in this situation at all, let alone contemplating the logistics of hair growth in teens. In her second year of teaching, she had been instructed to pick a student and make them her cause. Now, holding Chris hard in her hands, she feels even better about her choice. She held him in both hands and stroked him idly, gathering his precum and smearing it along his shaft. Not a virgin, Morgan has always been pretty and enjoyed male attention. She had never been with someone like Chris, though. Despite his youth, Chris was tall and fit. He still held the A in his hand, clutched tightly and slightly crumpled as she stroked him. He was embarrassed, but he was also throbbing and, measuring at least twelve inches in length and twice her husband' girth, he was more man than anyone she had ever met. Thumbing his crown, Morgan chuckled. Chris moaned in her grasp and, smiling at him, she said, “Someone's excited.” She didn't know who she was talking about, though. Her nipples were erect and chaffing her bra, while her pussy was wetting her panties in her arousal. Chris met her gaze and watched breathlessly as she stroked him with her tiny hands. “Sorry,” he choked, and Morgan laughed again. “Don't be sorry,” she said, and she licked her lips staring down his length. “This is all actually very flattering.” Leaning forward in her chair, she breathed along his cockhead and laughed as he throbbed again. He was steel hard, and she was sure he wouldn't last much longer. A hand job would likely be enough but, stroking him, she knew he wanted more. “Now then, I seem to remember that you had asked for a blowjob in exchange for an A.” Chris nodded, his eyes widening as her wet lips approached his manhood. Morgan licked her lips again and stroked him, gathering precum to his cockhead. Glancing down at him, she chewed her bottom lip. She had never been with a man as large as Chris before, and she was curious to see how well he would fit in her mouth. Though a tiny woman, she was excited to try, and thinking about the size difference between Chris and her husband only made her more excited. “Well, lucky you got an A, then.” Parting her lips, Morgan sucked Chris inside. Her jaw ached to accommodate him as she struggled around his girth. Lips tight, though, she took him to the edge of her throat and gagged briefly before meeting his gaze. Chris watched her in awed silence, his dick painfully hard and his balls tight. He had suggested a blowjob as a joke, and he had felt both guilty and afraid as soon as he said it. When she agreed, he had assumed that was a joke, too, all the way up until she had him in her mouth. Morgan, too, is awed in her own way. Despite being a boy by her estimation, Chris was hung like a man. Fully erect and swelling fatter, he was not only larger than her husband, but he had a more pronounced flavor as well. His precum was thicker than her husband's semen, and the taste of it was robust as it spread across her mouth. Closing her eyes, she focused on the way Chris filled her mouth, and as she bobbed her head on him, she grew drunk on his taste. She mewled, sucking him deep and stroking him with both her hands and her lips. With his flavor in her throat and on her tongue, she became tuned into Chris. His presence surrounded her and filled her. She could smell him suddenly, her nostrils burning with his boyish musk. His youth did nothing to counteract her arousal. In fact, that knowledge that he was still so young only served to arouse her further. She whimpered around him and, hearing this, Chris stiffened in response. Finally, his youth betrayed him. Body tight, muscles flexing, Chris quickened and came hard. Morgan had only just started when his thick semen filled her mouth. Her cheeks ballooned. She swallowed on instinct to keep from choking, but his sperm stuck to her throat. Sitting back to cough, she took the rest across her face. Chris stood still, his dick throbbing as he unloaded the thickest load of his life onto his favorite teacher. Chris' dick was easily twice the size of her husband's. His orgasm, by her estimation, was many times more than that and also many times thicker. He covered her in hot, sticky jelly that burned itself into her flesh. He marked her as his woman, as his slut, as his scalding seed cascaded across her face and torso. Morgan rode it out, her hair catching the semen and clinging to her cheeks. She breathed through it, shivering through her own climax as she smacked her lips. Chris' semen remained thick in her mouth and in her throat, and she could feel it warming her belly. Looking up, she met his gaze and held it as Chris pants and whined like the child he is. In all her life, she has never had a man taste so good. Her husband, in particular, could compete. Chris may have been a boy in many ways, but Morgan had come to recognize that he was a man where it counted most. Coming down from his orgasm, Chris panted. “Oh my God, Mrs. Klein.” Morgan, smiling, sucked him back into her mouth and bobbed her head on him. Chris' hands twitched. He thought to stop her, but he was too drunk on her to fight it. “That felt so good,” he whined. “My hands never felt that good.” Grinning, Morgan flourished her tongue, licking around his glans before holding him with her hands and kissing her way down his hard shaft. Even after the thickest, richest orgasm of either of their lives, he remained erect. She attributed it to his youth, though she found herself flattered by both his resilience and his continued interest. Stroking him idly, she licked his crown. “And that's just the beginning, Chris. Get another A, and we'll see what else I can give you.” She punctuated the statement with a wink. Throbbing in her grip, Chris groaned. “Oh, God!” Morgan laughed in response. That night at home, Morgan tried to have sex with her husband but could not find the willpower to follow through. Comparing him to Chris, she felt both disappointed and defeated. Not only did he fail to measure up to Chris, but his body was softer and his hair thinning. Still young, still fit, and having the interest of one both younger and more impressive than her husband, she found satisfaction in her fingers instead. She masturbated in the shower, teasing and tickling herself to a small climax equal to but less satisfying than the one Chris brought her with a facial. Rinsing herself afterward, she teased her small, pink nipples and later smiled at herself in the mirror. What she was doing was wrong, but it helped Chris and would last until he graduated. That is what she told herself, at least, but deep down she knew that this was only the beginning. Good intentions push a teacher to make another mistake. Chapter Two: Double Take Morgan woke up horny the next day. She woke up imagining Chris' fat cock throbbing and pulsing, and she remembered the hot musk of it as he shot across her face and her nose. She came home sticky with his semen and fingered herself in the shower, her husband was hardly a thought in her head as she did it. She fingered herself again in the morning, reaching a quiet but empty orgasm beside her sleeping husband before her alarm went off. He woke up oblivious, and she woke up angry. She remained horny as she dressed, and she eyed her pert body as well, imagining Chris there with her, equally naked. They would complement each other, Chris' big body looking even bigger beside Morgan's own petite frame. Every part of him was built to break her, but she looked young and could likely pass as his girlfriend in the right context. It flattered her that a man like Chris would show interest in her, and then she reminded herself that Chris was not a man but a boy with a man-sized cock, which did nothing to reduce her pride. The morning passed slowly and empty. She spied Chris passing in the halls but could hardly get him to look her in the eyes. That afternoon for tutoring he was quiet, unwilling or unable to speak to her at length. Morgan, meanwhile, kept hoping he had hidden another A from her and thought to just ask him to let her suck his dick again. She needed to come, and she knew her husband couldn't do it. A week passed and nothing. Thoughts and memories of Chris' dick floated in and out of her head. She tried again to fuck her husband but couldn't. He smelled wrong, and she ended up jerking him off to a meager and disappointing climax. By the next Tuesday, she resented her husband and increasingly looked to Chris for relief. Chris, meanwhile, remained the perfect gentleman. Sometimes, she noticed that he was hard, and though it brought a smile to her face, she wasn't brave enough to act on it. His grades weren't improving, and she didn't want to reward bad behavior. So, she just stared and waited for him to ask for help, and he didn't ask for help because of his embarrassment and his arousal. She had always thought he might have a crush on her, but she had never realized how intense his crush was. Tuesday, however, was too much. They passed in the hall and Morgan noted, with some amusement, that Chris developed a sudden limp. Recognizing her own arousal, she realized the truth–she would have to be the one to end this cold war. So, when tutoring started, she approached his desk and stopped beside him. Seated, he was almost as tall as she was standing. She found his pants tented, and she smiled. He looked at her, his eyes lingering on her small bosom before meeting her gaze. She smiled, and he stammered. “Uh–Um–Mrs. Klein?” Morgan shushed him with one dainty finger to his lips. “Shh,” she said, smiling. “You seem to be having a hard time focusing,” she said, leaning over onto his desk and giving him a glimpse of her breasts down her blouse. “Let me help you.” She ended the statement by cupping his swollen manhood through his pants. Chris gasped. “B-But I haven't gotten another A yet.” Hardly listening, Morgan undid his pants with one hand and pulled his hard dick out. He jumped into view, his dick erupting from the open fly of his boxers. Already long and rigid, he seemed massive compared to her husband, and she cooed as she took him in her hand. After days of fantasy, it felt good to hold the real thing again. “Oh! Do you see that, Chris? You're so big and hard right now, there's no way you can focus on what you're reading. At this rate, you'd be lucky to even get an F.” Taking him in both hands, she stroked him slowly. “Oh, you poor thing. It must hurt to be so big and hard all the time.” Pouting, she looked him in the eyes and found him staring at her breasts. “Is this what I do to you, Chris? Do I make it hard for you to learn?” Gasping and whining, Chris shook his head. His long hair danced as he did. “No, Mrs. Klein. No! You help me!” Morgan smiled. Reaching into his underwear, she cupped his balls and marveled at their weight and size. “That is sweet, Chris, but you don't have to lie.” She purred and held him by his root, staring in awe at his full length. Despite his size, he remained a quiet, mewling teen in the hands of a woman far more experienced. The age difference only helped to arouse her more, and her tiny hands around his dick made him appear bigger by comparison. Groaning, she stroked his full length with both hands. “No, the best thing I can do for you now is help you come. Then and only then can we get any real work done.” She made eye contact with Chris and was happy to find him speechless. Her entire life, she has been a good girl who made the right decision whenever faced with a challenge. Holding Chris now and measuring him against her forearm, she felt like this is the first bad decision of her life, and she was glad that she waited for the right one. Purring, she stroked him from base to crown, holding him as if she was tugging him toward her. “Mm, Chris, I made you this hard. So, I have to be the one who takes on the heavy, heavy burden of helping you find relief.” After that, Morgan lost herself in him. She stared at his shaft and reversed her grip, holding him with both hands and stroking him vigorously. Her husband was a tall man and very slender, and though he was not the only man she had ever been with, he was the one she had chosen to marry. To that point, she had been satisfied with him. Though she had been with bigger men, they had never been large enough to adequately outclass him. Chris, however, outclassed all of them. She had attempted to find pleasure and comfort in her fingers and in her husband for days and found each unworthy. Chris, however, has her wet at a glance. Holding him, stroking him, she could not help but imagine the way that he could and would fill her if given the chance. A facial had given her one of the best orgasms of her life. She knew on instinct that opening her legs to him would give her so much more. Staring at his huge dick as her hands glided across him, watching his swollen red crown leak precum, Morgan whined in her arousal. “Darn it, Chris, I can't believe how stinking big you are!” Gasping in her grasp, Chris whined, “I'm sorry!” Morgan stopped stroking him long enough to look him in the eyes and was hurt to find him anxious. His dick was steel hard, throbbing in her tiny hands, and his interest was obvious, but it was animal interest and little more. Chris was still a child, Morgan remembered, too young to understand her praise or to separate it from insult. She was treating him like a well-endowed stud, experienced and virile, and he could be that someday. Today, however, he was only a eighteen-year-old boy with a mammoth hard-on and a horny teacher. Stroking him more slowly, Morgan swallowed her arousal and put on a smile for him. Chris' big dick was confusing for her. It filled her with lust, but that lust was her burden and not his. He was still a boy, and she was his instructor. It was her job to keep him safe and to teach him the truth. Smiling gently, she whispered to him, “No, Chris. You don't need to apologize. You should never have to apologize for having a big dick.” She giggled, watching him thrust and whine as she stroked him slowly from crown to root. “When I tell you that your dick is big, I am complimenting you. Few men are this size, and I think yours is long, and thick, and gorgeous. So, whenever you're horny, whenever you're distract, bring your big, beautiful dick to me, and I promise to take care of it. Chris gasped, thrusting into her hands, leaking precum all over her fingers. "A-anytime?” Smiling at him again, seeing the hope and the shock in his eyes, Morgan squeezed his dick in open affection. Holding him, stroking him, it is easy to imagine him as a man, but looking him in the eyes reveals that he is only a boy with a man-sized cock that required man-sized attention. The girls at school wouldn't have his best interests at heart, and so Morgan resigned herself to taking care of him instead. “Anytime,” she purred. “Even without an A?” She giggled. “Even without an A.” Licking her lips a second time, she turned her attention back to the swollen, throbbing dick in her hands. She could tell he was getting close and could tell from the way he moved and the way he swelled in her hands. Chris could feel it, too, and seemed to be breathing through his arousal, desperate to keep himself together. Morgan found his efforts cute, but she also wanted to see him explode. Kissing his crown, she whispered, “So, what can I do to help you finish, Chris? What do you need from me? What do you want?” Panting like a dog, Chris barked, “Tits! I want to see your tits!” Smiling, Morgan stroked him with one hand while using her other hand to cup one of her breasts. Her hard nipple dug into her palm as she touched herself. “These little things?” Chris whined and nodded. His dick throbbed, producing even more thick, rich precum to spread across her palm. “Yes,” he panted. “Yes. I want to see them. I want to come on them.” “You want to come on them,” Morgan echoed, laughing. “My, my, you are bold, aren't you?” Releasing her breasts, she put a finger to his mouth as he opened it to apologize. He stared down at her, cross-eyed, around her finger. “Don't,” she said, holding his dick firmly in hand as precum wetted her skin. “Don't apologize, Chris. Women like it when a man knows what he wants, and with a big dick like yours, you have a lot of bargaining power. As for my tits.” Reaching down with her free hand, Morgan lifted her bra and blouse up smoothly over her slender stomach and small, plump breasts. Her nipples, more red than pink in color, stood fully erect and sensitive in the open air. Plucking one, Morgan looked down to regard her breasts before looking him in the eyes and finding him staring. “I can accommodate that request, but you'll have to help me out from here.” Guiding him, she turned him to face her instead of the desk and then moved his hand to hold her blouse up as she kneeled to hold hid dick to her breasts. She returned to stroking him, smearing his precum along his shaft with her palms. The mess spilled onto her chest, gathering in the valley between them. Morgan smiled up at him, and he stared back, jaw hanging, eyes wide and unblinking. She laughed in response. “Now, go ahead and come, Chris. Cover me in all your thick, sticky semen. Unload your big, teenage balls into your favorite teacher's bosom.” Morgan made sure to smile as she fed him the dirty talk, and she felt him quicken immediately. Holding him to her chest, she stroked him to his approaching orgasm and all the way to the end. She could feel his semen swell his shaft, surging and spraying, and she had her own orgasm before his semen even touched her. The feel of his hot seed spreading across her body, though, only amplified it. Like sexual alchemy, it transformed a small, buzzing orgasm into a hurricane of pleasure. By the end both were breathless and panting in climax. Chris' semen had gathered across her breasts and her collar bone, soiling her blouse and possibly ruining it. Morgan didn't care, however. She continued to stroke him before pulling him into her mouth on instinct to clean him. The taste of him elicited a long moan from her as she bobbed her head on him dutifully, both grateful for the orgasm he gave her and the one she received across her torso. Comparing him against her husband again only made her more grateful. When finished, she sat back to display the semen she had collected across her chest to him, and she saw his dick twitch before swelling gradually back to life. Taking hold of him again, Morgan stroked him idly. “Now, now, Chris,” she said, chuckling affectionately as he hardened in her hand. “I won't help you a second time today, no matter how distracted you get.” Taking hold of him by the root, she stared at his dick in awe. “At least, not if you don't earn it.” Eying his cock, she gave it a quick kiss before standing. “We don't have much time before your mother gets here, and I need to get cleaned up.” Watching her move, Chris stammered. Mrs. Klein was a tiny thing, not skinny but slender. She kept fit with rigid exercise, and it showed in the subtle way her body flexed as she moved. Breathless, he stammered, “O-Okay.” Morgan lowered her blouse, pulling it down over her cum-soaked breasts and showing off the stains he left in the fabric. She was partway across the classroom, her bare feet stepping lightly across the glossy tiles, before he called to her. Turning, she stared back at him and his hard dick with equal want. “Yes?” Chris, feeling suddenly self-conscious, looked away. “Tha, Thanks.” Morgan smiled. Eyes fixed on his dick, she said, “You're welcome, and put that big thing away before someone sees it and asks questions.” Chris, looking down at his dick, scrambled. “Yes, ma'am!” Morgan laughed from the doorway. “I'll be back soon, and then we can brush up on some key terms before you go home. Okay?” Chris gave a rushed affirmative as Morgan ducked out into the hall. She hurried to the teacher's lounge bathroom to rinse off but hesitated at the sink when she got there. Wearing his semen was oddly comforting and staring at her reflection made her feel somehow more confident in herself. Already a supremely confident woman, she realized that the pride she felt was in having Chris' interest to begin with. Rinsing herself, she watched the way the water molded her blouse to her figure and thought silently how it will be even harder to keep Chris focused. To be continued in a 10 part series, on Literotica by kotochaos, for Literotica [All characters in this story, are over the age of 18 years.]

Over Breakfast

Big Sandy Community Church of God

Ted Oakley, Managing Partner and Founder of Oxbow Advisors, joins Julia La Roche on episode 253 to discuss the economy and markets.Sponsor: This episode is brought to you by Monetary Metals. https://monetary-metals.com/julia In this episode, Ted discusses the concerning deterioration in economic indicators despite ongoing investor complacency, warning that earnings expectations are too optimistic while market multiples remain elevated. He shares his approach to maintaining significant liquidity (currently 55%) while selectively investing in value opportunities like consumer staples. Ted also explains his gold strategy, with bullion as a permanent currency hedge and miners as tradable assets. The conversation concludes with insights from his new book "Second Generation Wealth," where he emphasizes the importance of letting children experience financial independence and adversity before introducing them to family wealth.With more than forty years of experience in advising high-net-worth clients in the investment industry, Oakley implements the firm's proprietary investment strategies and the “Oxbow Principles” to provide a unique investment perspective. He is a frequent guest on FOX Business News, Bloomberg Radio, KITCO News, Cheddar TV, Yahoo Finance, and many more. Oakley is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP). He is a member of the Austin Society of Financial Analysts. He is also a Partner of Herndon Plant Oakley Ltd., an investment company. He is a Board Member of Texas State Aquarium, American Bank, and American Bank Holding Company. Mr. Oakley is a United States Army Veteran. Oakley began his career in Dallas, Texas, over 35 years ago. He is the author of nine books: You Sold Your Company, $20 Million and Broke, Rich Kids Broke Kids – The Failure of Traditional Estate Planning, Crazy Time – Surviving the First 12 Months after Selling Your Company, Wall Street Lies, Danger Time, My Story, The Psychology of Staying Rich, and Your Money Mentality. Oakley's primary philanthropic interest is helping children. He is Chairman Emeritus and Founder of the Foster Angels of South Texas, the largest foster child foundation in South Texas, as well as Chairman Emeritus and Founder of Austin, Texas-based Foster Angels of Central Texas. Also, President and Founder of Advocates for Foster Children Foundation.Links:Oxbow Advisors: https://oxbowadvisors.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OxbowAdvisorsX: https://x.com/Oxbow_AdvisorsBook: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Generation-Wealth-What-Want/dp/1966629168Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction and welcome0:32 Big picture macro view - deterioration and complacency 2:05 Explaining market complacency despite bearish sentiment 3:21 Liquidity and portfolio positioning 4:45 Appropriate liquidity levels by age group 7:42 Boomers' over-allocation to stocks 8:47 Value Line Investment Survey as a market indicator 10:52 Scaling into investments during market downturns 11:55 Fully invested vs. current 55% liquid strategy 14:09 Market risks: shrinking corporate margins and multiples 16:05 Market decline without recession possibility 17:05 Recent market movement - another chance for liquidity 18:35 Q1 GDP insights and market end-of-month action 19:48 Preparing for potential market scenarios 21:26 Retail buyers and leverage in current market recovery 22:35 Current investment opportunities - consumer staples and value24:48 Gold strategy - bullion as currency hedge vs. miners as trades27:45 Gold's purchasing power preservation over time 30:10 Treasury strategy - staying under two years to maintain control31:36 US fiscal situation and future outlook 33:58 Second Generation Wealth - inheritance and teaching kids about money 36:17 Helping children develop self-esteem and independence 39:16 The importance of adversity and work ethic for children 41:37 Setting an example - treating everyone equally 44:13 Parting thoughts

Sara Domek is Wyoming's Migration Program Director for The Nature Conservancy. Sara grew up in the small town of Kemmerer and later moved to Pinedale, giving her a rare, firsthand perspective on Wyoming's working landscapes—both from a natural resources and a conservation standpoint. Her upbringing, paired with years of experience working in nonprofits, agencies, and boots-on-the-ground conservation, makes her uniquely suited to lead TNC's efforts to protect Wyoming's world-renowned wildlife migrations. If you've spent any time driving through Wyoming, you've probably cruised past some of the most important migration corridors in North America—maybe without even realizing it. Sara and her team are working to keep those landscapes permeable, helping mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and other species continue the seasonal journeys they've been making for thousands of years. We talk about the science behind migration, how seemingly small barriers like fences can create big challenges for wildlife, and how collaborative conservation—between landowners, agencies, and nonprofits—can create real, lasting wins. Sara also shares some fascinating details about Wyoming's longest mule deer migration, the importance of building trust with local communities, why cheatgrass is a bigger villain than it looks, and how carefully designed wildlife crossings can benefit both animals and people. We also get into her favorite books, why she's hopeful about the future, and, once again, the simple but powerful idea that success in conservation often comes down to strong relationships. This is a thoughtful and inspiring conversation with someone who truly embodies the spirit of collaborative, community-driven conservation. I hope you enjoy! --- The Right to Roam: Sustaining Wyoming's Migratory Herds Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/sara-domek --- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive. During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy's leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy's impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 2:50 – Intro, growing up in Wyoming and valuing natural resources 6:09 – Pinedale and the Wind Rivers 7:15 – Plan after high school 10:37 – Finding TNC 14:16 – Sara describes her job 17:21 – Mule deer and pronghorn migration corridors 21:57 – Fencing and migration 26:25 – Getting the word out about fencing 29:27 – Migration primer: distance, predators and collisions 35:54 – Valley of the warm winds 42:37 – RCPP programs 45:27 – Cheatgrass 101 48:54 – Important partners 51:08 – Prioritizing projects 54:40 – What Sara's looking forward to 57:57 – Where to learn more 1:00:22 – Book recs 1:03:04 – Parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Paulette Kennedy explores the world of gothic suspense, peeling back the curtain on her writing journey and process. She is the bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain, The Devil and Mrs. Davenport, and Parting the Veil, which received the prestigious HNS Review Editor's Choice Award. She has had a lifelong obsession with the gothic. As a young girl, she spent her summers among the gravestones in her neighborhood cemetery, imagining all sorts of romantic stories for the people buried there. After her mother introduced her to the Brontës as a teenager, her affinity for fog-covered landscapes and haunted heroines only grew, inspiring her to become a writer. Originally from the Missouri Ozarks, she now lives with her family and a menagerie of rescue pets in sunny Southern California, where sometimes, on the very best days, the mountains are wreathed in fog. Paulette's latest novel is The Artist of Blackberry Grange.Learn more at paulettekennedy.comSpecial thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of Paulette's novel. Intro reel, Writing Table Podcast 2024 Outro RecordingFollow the Writing Table:On Twitter/X: @writingtablepcEverywhere else: @writingtablepodcastEmail questions or tell us who you'd like us to invite to the Writing Table: writingtablepodcast@gmail.com.

Episode 57: Show Notes. Sometimes you just need to do some travel banter! And who better to do it with than TravelZork Travel's Michael Trager? In today's conversation, we discuss our recent travel experiences and dig into the nitty gritty of points, upgrades, flight paths, and so much more. To kick things off, we hear all about Michael's recent trip to Madrid and the benefits of American Airlines' ConciergeKey status, which Michael has access to thanks to his wife, Ellen! We then discuss optimal flight paths to Europe from different parts of the US, why JetBlue is on the naughty list this week, and how to optimize your next trip to Vegas. Next, we explore the flagship lounge and dining experience on different airlines, before discussing why it sometimes makes sense to pay for travel (because you can't do everything on points) and the exceptional cases where we break our own rules. We also dive into Marriott points and benefits, including getting the fifth night free, the challenges of hotel hopping, and the importance of a positive arrival experience; especially if you have your family in tow. Finally, Michael tells us the essential details and updates for ZorkFest 2025, including the festival's four-star accommodation, their new miles and points labs, their epic foodie and beverage dining experience, the speakers they have lined up, and much more. Be sure to tune in to hear the full scope of our travel banter conversation with Michael Trager! Key Points From This Episode: [00:00:49] Introducing TravelZork Travel's Michael Trager. [00:03:17] All the details of Michael's visit to Madrid. [00:06:00] The benefits of having ConciergeKey status. [00:12:07] Debating the value of a premium economy cabin. [00:16:09] Optimizing your flight from different parts of the US to Europe. [00:21:09] Reasons why JetBlue is on the Naughty list this week. [00:29:43] Why is Michael saying farewell to his trip to Greece this summer. [00:31:26] Getting special awards and upgrades with American Airlines. [00:34:17] Key considerations for optimizing your trip to Vegas. [00:35:17] Getting access to the flagship lounge and dining. [00:41:38] Words of appreciation for connoisseur classes. [00:44:26] How to balance point accumulation and spending. [00:49:31] Tips for navigating Marriott points and benefits, including fifth night free. [00:53:49] The challenges of hotel hopping and the benefits of a good arrival experience. [00:58:18] Our thoughts on The White Lotus and tourism. [00:59:46] Getting information right in travel content. [01:01:43] Your guide to a positive arrival experience. [01:09:42] Details and Updates for ZorkFest 2025. [01:15:24] ZorkFest events: dining, live podcasting, master classes, hotel bookings, and private gaming experiences. [01:18:03] The speaking lineup you can expect from this year's ZorkFest. [01:20:22] Booking, tickets, and hotel information. [01:22:12] What makes ZorkFest such a unique, unmissable event. [01:25:16] Lessons you can expect to learn on casino loyalty and risk management. [01:36:11] Why Michael refers to himself as an American Airlines fanboy. [01:40:52] Where you can find Michael online. [01:43:07] Parting words for today's travel banter. Quotes: “The amount of trouble to position to JFK and then to leave, like, three, four, five, six, hours between the flight to then get a lie flat seat for a flight that maybe is six hours of which maybe, if all of the stars align, you get four hours of sleep. And that's like, if you're really lucky.” — Michael Trager [17:33] “JetBlue is on my very naughty list, really naughty list this week.” — Michael Trager [21:19] “That has been a thread or a mantra on this podcast, ‘book the flight or book the room you want'.” — @tmount [56:29] “When you hit the ground, that's going to set the tone for your entire trip.” — @tmount [56:57] “Nothing's gonna be as good as a nice, quiet hotel room on the ground for you to recover.” — @TktweetsKim [01:04:34] “Value is so personal, right? People need to respect that, and a lot of people don't. They think that their truth is the only truth.” — @TktweetsKim [01:09:23] “This is the first time we are truly having ZorkFest at a very bougie casino property with a very bougie, true four-star room product.” — Michael Trager [01:11:01] “There are things you learn from casino advantage players like Anthony Curtis, or things that you learn from casino loyalty, that can be parsed to the miles and points world technique-wise.” — Michael Trager [01:25:30] Links Mentioned in Today's Episode: Michael Trager Michael Trager on LinkedIn TravelZork Travel TravelZork TravelZork on Facebook TravelZork on X TravelZork on Bluesky TravelZork on Instagram TravelZork on YouTube TravelZork, ZorkCast (and ZorkFest too!) - Casinos, Vegas, Miles & Points on Facebook Join the Zork Fest Mailing List Yo-11 Podcast | ZorkCast on Spotify BAEC GOLD + GGL + Premier [British Airways Executive Club] Facebook Group Hyatt Privé Deals Facebook Group Cunard | Queen Mary 2 + Entire Line | Cruise Deals, Discussion + Promotions Facebook Group The M Resort and Spa and Casino, Las Vegas Thomas Kim on X Trevor Mountcastle on X

Our Sages teach us that the world stands on three pillars: Torah , Avodah , and Gemilut Chasadim . Rabbi David Najjar found a fascinating allusion to this concept in a Passuk from this week's Parashah, Shemini . The Passuk states: " ואת העולה המציאו אליו לנתחיה ואת הראש ויקטר על המזבח " — referring to the korban olah . Rabbi Najjar notes that the initial letters of the phrase " ואת העולה המציאו אליו " spell out the divine name with which Hashem created the world — suggesting a connection to the creation of the universe itself. Since the Passuk discusses the korban olah , it clearly alludes to Avodah , one of the world's foundational pillars. Furthermore, the first letters of " לנתחיה ואת הראש " form the word " לוה " — meaning "lent," a reference to Gemilut Chasadim . The final letters of the words " אליו לנתחיה ואת הראש " spell out תושיה" " , a term associated with Torah , as seen in the Passuk from Mishlei: " נצור תושיה ומזימה " ("Guard sound wisdom and discretion"). Hence, this single Passuk subtly contains allusions to the three pillars upon which the world stands. Additionally, another Passuk in the Parashah — " וירא כבוד ה' " ("The glory of Hashem appeared") — has the same gematria (numerical value) as " בצדקה וחסד " ("through charity and kindness"), reinforcing the idea that performing acts of kindness and giving charity is a form of honoring Hashem. Hashem often presents us with opportunities to give tzedakah or perform chesed as a test of our faith and character. Parting with our time or money can be difficult, but we must remember: we never lose by honoring Hashem. He is fully capable of repaying us many times over. One individual shared that a rabbi he knew reached out, requesting help with the final $12,000 needed for a down payment on a home. The rabbi promised to repay $1,000 monthly over the next year. Although it was a significant sum, the man agreed to help. Shortly after, an unexpected announcement regarding the tariffs put all of his orders on hold, causing him to reconsider. However, he reminded himself that he had already committed — and more importantly, that the rabbi needed the funds. He overcame his hesitation and sent the full $12,000. A few days later, he unexpectedly received a check from the IRS for nearly $15,000. Neither he nor his accountant could explain it — until it became clear to him: this was all a test from Hashem. He was never meant to have to give up that money, Hashem just wanted to see if he would be able to part with it in the performance of this great Mitzvah of lending money. Another man shared a similar story. A friend urgently needed $315, and without hesitation, he handed over his credit card. Due to a minor credit card fee, he ended up paying $324. Less than an hour later, he returned home to find that the fencing work he'd commissioned had just been completed. The invoice totaled $3,324 — but the contractor offered to reduce the charge to an even $3,000. The amount waived? Exactly $324. These stories beautifully illustrate the divine providence and care Hashem shows those who give generously. Acts of tzedakah and chesed not only honor Hashem — they bring His blessings into our lives. Shabbat Shalom.

Nothing beats the thundering energy and human drama that unfolds across the surface of an automotive racetrack. Photographers who specialize in this adrenaline-fueled niche are best served by nerves of steel and the high endurance to lug multiple cameras and the long lenses needed to freeze the action. In today's show, we plunge headfirst into what it takes to cover the many facets of auto racing with two of the finest professionals in the field, photographers Camden Thrasher and Jamey Price. From stories of unexpected hurdles to access when scouting an unfamiliar course to the mix of visual stimulation and extreme exhaustion that accompanies a 24-hour endurance race, our chat is full of real-world insights. We also discuss the gear these photographers rely on and the wear and tear that comes with hard core use.   And for listeners who've always wanted to try their hand at motor sports photography, Jamey Price shares some parting advice. “You don't build a portfolio by getting credentials,” he says. “You build a portfolio by going to races as a fan, bringing your camera, and making cool pictures from fan areas. Tell stories, do something different.” Guests: Camden Thrasher & Jamey Price Episode Timeline: 3:46: Jamey's start as a jockey and making comparisons between photographing horse racing and motorsports 8:29: Camden's early start attending auto races, then discovering photography through exploring his father's film camera as a cool mechanical device. 10:25: Both photographers share their trajectory from starting out as a motor sports photographer to making it into a career. 18:04: A race day timeline and the many variables involved in motor sports photography. 27:28: Camaraderie & competition between photographers working the circuit, etiquette when shooting, and the importance of individual style. 37:24: The thrill of endurance racing and how photographing these 24-hour-long races differs from other types of motor sporting events. 43:38: Episode Break 45:10: Camden and Jamey's go-to camera gear, the long lenses they lug, plus how often they use manual focus, especially when panning through people or trees. 54:50: Getting otherworldly visuals when faced with adverse weather conditions or unique atmospheric effects, despite the physical challenges.  59:15: Wear and tear on camera gear due to the unfriendly environment at the track, plus using broken gear or common objects for creative visual effects. 1:056:08: Camera settings and creative techniques when panning, plus accounting for variables of relative distance combined with motion and speed to achieve a desired result. 1:16:27: Camden & Jamey discuss the use of their motor sports photos and licensing their images to clients. 1:24:13: Parting advice to fans interested in becoming a credentialed motor sport photographer—bring your camera to a race as a fan, and start making pictures!   Guest Bios: Camden Thrasher is a motor sports photographer with a distinctive ability to capture unique scenes of fast action. Growing up in Vancouver, Washington, it was the sound of engines from a nearby racetrack that first drew him to motor sports. After becoming a fixture at the track with his camera during high school, Camden studied automotive design and engineering in college, expecting to work as an engineer or on a pit crew. But the money he was making as a side hustle with his camera convinced him to stick with photography, and he hasn't looked back since. Using a unique slow shutter speed method, perfected over many exposures, Camden revels in showcasing the abstract qualities of gleaming metal, bright lights, and dynamic action that are hallmarks of this sport. Now based out of Atlanta, Georgia, Camden's work has been commissioned by top racing teams and featured in a wide range of media, from print magazines to automotive branding campaigns. Jamey Price is an automotive photographer based in Charlotte, North Carolina, whose motor sports work has taken him to more than 25 countries, and across most of the continental US. Jamey's photography career began while he was competing as a thoroughbred horse racing jockey and exercise rider. During this time, he completed more than 50 races, notching 11 wins in the saddle. His life in horse racing was eventually compiled into the self-published book Chasing: Racing Life in England & Ireland. Yet, in 2011, Jamey's photography career switched from horses to horse-power. Since he began chasing race cars, his images have been published worldwide in magazines, distributed by sports imagery wire services, and featured by top commercial clients. Additionally, Jamey is a LEXAR Elite Artist, since 2014. Stay Connected: Camden Thrasher Website Camden Thrasher Instagram  Camden Thrasher Facebook  Camden Thrasher Flickr Camden Thrasher on B&H Explora   Jamey Price Website Jamey Price Instagram Jamey Price Twitter Jamey Price YouTube Jamey Price TikTok Jamey Price Lexar   -------- Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein Executive Producer: Richard Stevens  

1. Intro* Thomas welcomes listeners, positions episode as an “alpha drop” on gaming.* Introduces Jorge, a leading voice for Solana gaming and marketing strategist inside the Solana Foundation.2. Why Web3 gaming is finally real* AAA & indie teams have been building since 2021 fund-raise phase; quality titles simply take 3-6 years.* Solana now hosts every genre: AAA (Star Atlas), mid-core (Aurory, Decimated), mobile (Honeyland).* Light at the end of the tunnel: playable builds, user-ready economies, not just white-papers.3. Solana's differentiation for games* Ultra-low fees let studios place gameplay-critical actions (fueling a ship, item craft, marketplace swap) directly on-chain.* Near-instant finality = seamless UX; devs can read on-chain user behavior to fine-tune economies.* Global payments and provably scarce assets remove grey-market risk (eBay skin scams, black-market key reselling).4. The new Gaming on Solana initiative* Mission: aggregate content, surface hidden gems, spotlight devs & streamers.* Weekly Twitter Spaces (+ recorded pods) with founders & players.5. Solana Game Pass alpha* Four-week mint window (Magic Eden) – open entry, no FOMO drop games.* Questing system that retro-rewards late minters so nobody misses out.* Prize pool funded by studios and infra partners (Solflare, Boom, Gamer, Beam, Play Solana, etc.).* Mirrors Xbox/PSN language to avoid NFT jargon and lower friction for mainstream gamers.6. Tackling gamer skepticism* Early “play-to-earn Ponzinomics” poisoned the well; Solana message is fun first, ownership optional.* Blockchain benefits framed in gamer terms (true item ownership, fair markets, instant global payouts).7. Compliance & tooling conversation* Jorge stresses need for legal teams & CFOs in Web3 startups.* Both speakers highlight emerging tax software (e.g., Wakeyn) to wrangle 50k+ on-chain TXs.* Regulatory clarity in US improving; Solana's low-cost chain uniquely positioned for broad retail adoption.8. Outlook & Events* “On-chain super-cycle”: transaction growth > price hype.* Content blitz planned for Accelerate NYC (May 22) – full camera crew capturing live demos, dev interviews.* Breakpoint Abu Dhabi (Dec) to showcase Game Pass results & 2025 road-map.9. Parting wisdom* Jorge: “Shout-out to every builder who weathered the storm—your badge of honor is forged in steel.”* Thomas: encourages listeners to subscribe, leave reviews, and “shield your bags…work for them.”Resources & Links* Mint the Solana Game Pass: (Magic Eden, 3 pm EST launch)* Gaming on Solana Twitter: @gamingonsolana (weekly Spaces, quest updates)* Featured studios: Star Atlas • Aurory • MIXMOB • Honeyland • Decimated • Ian Heroes* Tools mentioned: Solflare wallet • Beam payments • Wakeyn Tax • Meteora LaunchpadCall to Action* Subscribe & Review Solana Weekly on your favorite podcast app.* Mint a Game Pass and complete quests to support early Solana games.* Join the community: follow @gamingonsolana, hop into Tuesday Spaces, and meet Thomas & Jorge at Accelerate NYC. Get full access to The Dramas of Thomas Bahamas at thomasbahamas.substack.com/subscribe

This episode is for anyone who is navigating estrangement. I sat down with Eamon Dolan, the author of the new book, The Power of Parting. We discuss: The hidden epidemic of child abuse at the hands of their family members Why estrangement is so taboo and challenging Eamon's steps for navigating estrangement and how to approach it Why our family members need to treat us like friends If you are an adult who is estranged from one or both of your parents, please complete my Estranged Adult Survey before June 30, 2025. Join The Family Cyclebreakers Club at Calling Home: www.callinghome.co/join Have a question for Whitney? Call in and leave a voicemail for the show at 866-225-5466. Follow Whitney on Instagram: www.instagram.com/sitwithwhit Subscribe to Whitney's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitneygoodmanlmft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, meet professional photographer and book editor Eamon Dolan, creator of the Brave Writer Program Julie Bogart, and cognitive psychologist and podcast host Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD. Hear Eamon Dolan on writing the book about estrangement he had always hoped to read, Julie Bogart on the importance of overcoming our own hangups when teaching writing to our kids, and Scott Barry Kaufman on the one word he would use to describe the process of recording his audiobook. The Power of Parting by Eamon Dolan: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/733809/the-power-of-parting-by-eamon-dolan/audio/ Help! My Kid Hates Writing by Julie Bogart: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/729795/help-my-kid-hates-writing-by-julie-bogart/audio/ Rise Above by Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737413/rise-above-by-scott-barry-kaufman-phd/audio/

It seems the beginning of the end for the Bruins was parting with Cassidy

BIO: Collin Plume, a precious metals expert and serial entrepreneur, helps investors maximize returns with minimal risk.STORY: Collin inherited some money from his grandmother at 18. When two of his college friends came to him with the idea of creating a TV show, but on the internet, he cut them a check that was way too much than what he should have. The business didn't work.LEARNING: If you're going to make a mistake in something, make it yourself and learn from it. “If I'm going to make a mistake, I will make it myself. I will put my blood, sweat, and tears into it.”Collin Plume Guest profileCollin Plume, a precious metals expert and serial entrepreneur, helps investors maximize returns with minimal risk. Founder of Noble Gold Investments and My Digital Money, he champions alternative assets like metals, real estate, and crypto. He is a dedicated family man who prioritizes integrity and client success in navigating complex financial markets.Worst investment everCollin inherited some money from his grandmother at 18. He did some traveling and a few other things with the money. Two of Collin's college friends came to him with the idea of creating a TV show but on the internet. In theory, it made a lot of sense. They raised money, and Collin cut them a check that was way too much than what he should have.Unfortunately, Collin didn't fully engage with the idea beyond writing the check. He didn't foresee the potential pitfalls. The business, however, didn't pan out. Collin's deepest regret in this investment was not actively participating in the business and learning from it. He lost money and the opportunity to grow as an entrepreneur.Lessons learnedIf you're going to make a mistake in something, make it yourself. Don't give money to someone else to make a mistake on your behalf—they will learn from it, you won't.Teach your kids how to make money from an early age.Andrew's takeawaysFamilies should take it upon themselves to protect the next generation.Actionable adviceIf you get that opportunity, take it and learn from it, but know that if you invest, you'll probably never see $1 come back to you. Also, you could jump on the bandwagon of a totally new and exciting idea, but there are some successful businesses out there that you can invest in.Collin's recommendationsCollin advises seeking out new mentors in different areas every year. Continuous learning and growth through mentorship is a powerful tool for personal development, and Collin himself has found it invaluable in his journey as an entrepreneur.No.1 goal for the next 12 monthsCollin's number one goal for the next 12 months is to train some people to take over more of the day-to-day operations in two of his businesses. On a personal level, he wants to go on one of the big hiking trips he's never been able to do.Parting words “I love this show—everything about it. You're a great guy to talk to. I appreciate you having me on; it's been a pleasure to be with you.”Collin Plume [spp-transcript] Connect with Collin Plume

In this miniseries, we're exploring Depthfinding—an easy-to-grasp framework designed to help leaders and teams solve their gnarliest cross-functional challenges. This week, Rodney and Sam zoom out. Because here's the truth: the experience the last few months in the U.S.? It's not an exception. It's the environment we're working in now. From top-down compliance crackdowns to the resurrection of five-layer approval chains, we're watching organizations double down on control just as the world demands more adaptability. Many teams feel stuck waiting for the storm to pass—without realizing that this is the weather now. In this episode, we unpack what's going on, what it means to lead when volatility is the default, and how to stop standing still and get moving. Download the Depthfinding guide to get the template and examples of how to use it. Want to learn more about Depthfinding? Head here: theready.com/depthfinding -------------------------------- Want future of work insights and experiments you can try delivered to your inbox? Sign up here. Follow us on your favorite platforms for more org design nerdery: LinkedIn Instagram -------------------------------- Mentioned references: Mongolian-Manchurian grassland "USAID cuts" "former federal employees as foreign intelligence targets" "diversity in teams leads to higher performing teams" "permacrisis article" Overton window Critical Uncertainties (a Liberating Structure) 00:00 Intro + Check-In: What's a notable wildlife encounter you've had? 05:03 Understanding the moment we're in 07:01 Efficiency in principle vs execution 11:31 Broad cuts that don't acknowledge complexity 14:57 Midnight Zone churn 19:29 Big sky mandates that are a distraction from real work 28:18 Navigating the changing sky within your organization 34:11 Compounding crises are likely, plan for uncertainty 38:34 Parting thoughts 39:33 Wrap up: leave us a review and send us your questions! This episode's theme music is Yaggadang by BG & Coyote Radio. Sound engineering and design by Taylor Marvin of Coupe Studios.

Parting words? This word is of first importance (v1-16) This word comes with tears (v. 17-23) This word is the good news of God's grace (v. 24-26) So… Be on your guard! (v. 28-31) Rest in and be built up by this word (v. 32-33) Work hard to help the weak (v. 34-35) Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace

Elliot Ross is a photographer and writer whose work focuses on the intersection of landscape, identity, and justice in the American West. His images have appeared in Time, National Geographic, and The New York Times, and he's known for deeply researched, long-term projects that combine striking visual storytelling with a journalist's rigor. Whether he's documenting water access on the Navajo Nation or tracing the contours of Glen Canyon as it reemerges, Elliot brings a rare mix of artistry, empathy, and precision to every assignment. Born in Taiwan and raised on the eastern plains of Colorado, Elliot grew up between cultures and landscapes—an experience that shaped both his worldview and his creative path. He picked up a camera early, inspired by his grandmother's family albums, and later earned a full-ride to the Savannah College of Art and Design. After college, he cut his teeth in New York City, assisting some of the most high-profile portrait and fashion photographers in the industry. All the while, he was quietly dreaming about building a career on his own terms—one rooted in storytelling, purpose, and the landscapes he still called home. In this episode, we talk about the early experiences that shaped his artistic voice, the evolution of his career, and how he's learned to navigate the demands of both commercial and documentary work. Elliot shares the backstory of his recent Time magazine cover story on water equity in the West, a project that involved years of reporting, deep community ties, and even a return to the classroom. We also discuss his thoughts on creative endurance, working across political divides, and the role of photography in fostering empathy and connection. I'd encourage you to visit Elliot's website and dig deeper into all of his work, especially his project A Question of Balance, which became the Time magazine feature. You can find links to everything in the episode notes. Thanks to Elliot for the inspiring and timely conversation, and thank you for listening. --- Elliot Ross Time magazine piece A Question of Balance Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/elliot-ross/ --- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation. To whom much is given, much is expected. This value guides the philosophy behind the Mighty Arrow Family Foundation today. Committed to its cause and infused with an entrepreneurial spirit, Mighty Arrow aims to invest in solutions that take action on climate change to build a more vibrant future, repair relationships from farm to market to table, heal our connection to the lands and waters we call home, and demand a more just and equitable society. To learn more about Mighty Arrow's forward-thinking, optimistic, and visionary work here in the American West and beyond, please visit www.mightyarrow.org. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:05 – Elliot growing up in Taipei and how his parents met 6:00 – Few but vivid memories of Taipei 7:09 – The culture shock of moving to eastern Colorado 8:25 – How photography came into Elliot's life 10:29 – Reading influences 13:16 – Travel bug 16:22 – Savannah College of Art and Design 18:07 – Parental pressure 19:49 – Credit to high school art teachers 20:54 – Figuring out photography 27:47 – No wavering 29:54 – Moving into independent business 33:29 – Pitching Carhartt 37:03 – Nat Geo ups and downs 42:10 – Near-death experiences 45:44 – Approaching long-term projects 49:35 – Pulling on threads 51:45 – Humans and landscapes 56:35 – Curiosity as the most authentic de-escalator 58:05 – Writing and shooting and doing it all 1:02:45 – Response to the Time story 1:07:35 – A tale of two places 1:13:45 – Using water in the West 1:16:35 – The Desiderata creed 1:17:05 – Book recs 1:23:05 – Parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

The Kansas City Star's Daniel Sperry drops by to talk about the parting of Peter Vermes and Sporting KC plus his legacy with the club and MLS

Aaron Citron is the Associate Director of External Affairs at The Nature Conservancy, where he leads state-level policy engagement across Colorado. His work spans a wide array of conservation priorities, including water management, healthy forests, renewable energy siting, and partnerships with private landowners and tribal nations. Aaron plays a key role in bridging on-the-ground conservation efforts with the legislative and regulatory frameworks that support them. He also helps shape TNC's strategy around climate and energy policy, working to ensure a rapid but responsible transition to renewable infrastructure. Aaron grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where early exposure to the desert landscape—and its vital, limited water resources—sparked a lifelong interest in the natural world. After studying history and political science at Emory University, he returned west for law school at the University of Arizona, focusing on water and land use law. His career has taken him from local land trusts to national NGOs like Environmental Defense Fund, always at the intersection of policy, place, and practical impact. Along the way, he's built a reputation for thoughtful, collaborative work that reflects both his legal background and his deep connection to the West. In our conversation, Aaron shares a detailed look at how conservation policy gets made—from coalition-building and legislative drafting to navigating complex stakeholder relationships. We discuss examples like Colorado's response to Clean Water Act rollbacks and new tools to support in-stream flows on the Yampa River. He talks about the balance between urgency and patience, the importance of trust in long-term conservation, and how calm, clearheaded engagement can shape better outcomes. It's a compelling look at the behind-the-scenes work that makes public-facing conservation efforts possible. Be sure the check out the episode notes for a full list of everything we discussed and links to everything. Thanks to Aaron for this conversation and thank you for listening. Enjoy! --- Aaron Citron Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/aaron-citron/ --- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive. During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy's leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy's impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:15 – Starting at the beginning, growing up in Tucson 7:42 – Underrated Arizona 11:23 – From environmental history to law school 15:22 – After law school, including a TNC internship 18:11 – Landing at the Arizona Land and Water Trust 21:24 – Path to TNC 24:06 – Aaron's role at TNC 27:42 – Clean Water Act protection project 33:40 – Getting the information to the people 35:29 – Yampa River Fund 40:39 – What makes someone good at policy work? 46:11 – The power of relationships 49:00 – Federal versus state policy focuses 53:40 – Remaining calm 57:21 – Book recs 1:01:53 – Parting thoughts --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

BIO: Stu Heinecke is the author of How to Get a Meeting with Anyone, named one of the top 64 sales books of all time and the #1 sales book ever written on prospecting.STORY: Stu discusses his updated book edition, which caused a worldwide stir when the first edition was released in 2016. He talks about how to get a meeting with anyone.LEARNING: Be audacious and try to get that meeting that seems impossible. “When trying to get meetings, we have to make human-to-human connections. We must be audacious and surprise people and have them just say, wow.”Stu Heinecke Guest profileStu Heinecke is the author of How to Get a Meeting with Anyone, named one of the top 64 sales books of all time and the #1 sales book ever written on prospecting. A hall-of-fame-nominated marketer and Wall Street Journal cartoonist, he is known for oblique perspectives and utterly unique strategies for selling, entrepreneurship, explosive growth, and, of course, getting meetings.Worst investment everIn today's episode, Stu, who previously appeared on the podcast on episode Ep503: Never Cling to One-to-One Leverage, discusses his updated book edition, which caused a stir worldwide when the first edition was released in 2016. Stu shares how his book has inspired a global community, including the founder of Reach Desk, who raised $48 million in funding, and many others who have found inspiration in his work.AI and B2B salesStu highlights the transformative role of AI in B2B sales, a significant development that is miraculously changing the landscape. As AI becomes more prolific, Stu believes there will be a clamor for uniquely human things.He underscores the importance of human-to-human connections and creativity in making audacious and surprising efforts to get meetings in the new AI world, ensuring the audience is well-informed and prepared for the future.Creativity and overcoming self-doubtGetting people to meet you can be overwhelming, and self-doubt may creep in occasionally. Stu encourages people to make breaking through part of their character. He adds that having a sense of mischief and adventure is essential because if you can't get a meeting, you can't sell. Stu urges people to get as good as possible at getting meetings and reaching out to people that they think they would never be able to reach. Just be audacious and try.Stu also emphasizes the importance of involving assistants in outreach efforts and making them part of the process to extend your reach.No.1 goal for the next 12 monthsStu's number one goal for the next 12 months is to get into bodybuilder shape.Parting words “One of the best investments you can make is to get good at getting meetings with people that you might think are completely out of reach. Reach out, and you'll see they aren't out of reach.”Stu Heinecke Connect with Stu HeineckeLinkedInWebsiteBooksAndrew's...

Before it was called Christianity, the "Jesus movement" was born in 1st-century synagogues. In today's episode, Anders Runneson joins Helen and Dave to talk about the important role of ancient synagogues of both civic and religious institutions, and how a better understanding of synagogues can shape our reading of the New Testament. You can download a full PDF of Anders' book for free: Judaism for Gentiles: Reading Paul Beyond the Parting of the Ways ParadigmSUPPORT BIBLICAL TIME MACHINEIf you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting the show through the Time Travelers Club, our Patreon. We are an independent, listener-supported show (no ads!), so please help us continue to showcase high-quality biblical scholarship with a monthly subscription.DOWNLOAD OUR STUDY GUIDE: MARK AS ANCIENT BIOGRAPHYCheck out our 4-part audio study guide called "The Gospel of Mark as an Ancient Biography." While you're there, get yourself a Biblical Time Machine mug or a cool sticker for your water bottle.Support the showTheme music written and performed by Dave Roos

As a property manager, you're familiar with the uncomfortable shuffle when trying to ensure utilities are set up correctly at move-in. What if you could make the whole process easier? In this episode of the Property Management Growth Show, property management growth expert Jason Hull sits down with the founder of Utility Profit, Zac Maurais, to discuss wires, pipes, and signals: Everything you wish you knew about home utilities. You'll Learn [01:48] How Zac Built a $100 Million Business [07:38] Solving Utility Challenges with a Streamlined Tool [15:54] Using Utility Profit to Make Extra Profit [23:26] Integrations and Frequently Asked Questions [30:20] Take Action on The Things You're Avoiding! Quotables “I think the secret to being smart is just being willing to look stupid.” “Done is better than perfect.” “Have a bias for action. Get your hands dirty. Do it yourself.” “ Whatever it is that you think that's holding you back, just start trying to do it.” Resources DoorGrow and Scale Mastermind DoorGrow Academy DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrowClub DoorGrowLive Transcript [00:00:00] Zac: It's almost like we're like taking the Yellow Pages and then putting it online or something. Yeah. I mean, it's kind of a wacky problem that we're solving there.  [00:00:08] Jason: So you're single handedly bringing the utility space into the future. So, All right. [00:00:16] Jason: Welcome DoorGrow Property Managers to the Property Management Growth Show. If you are a property management entrepreneur and you want to add doors, you want to make a difference, you want to increase revenue, you want to help others, you want to impact lives, and you're interested in growing in business and life, and you're open to doing things a bit differently, then you are a DoorGrow property manager and you just don't know it. DoorGrow property managers love the opportunities, daily variety, unique challenges and freedom that property management brings. Many in real estate think you're crazy for doing it. [00:00:47] Jason: You think they're crazy for not because you realize that property management is the ultimate high trust gateway to real estate deals, relationships, and residual income. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management business owners and their businesses. We want to transform the industry, eliminate the bs, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. [00:01:13] Jason: I'm your host, property management growth expert, Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow. Now let's get into the show and I'm hanging out today with Zac Maurais. Did I say it right?  [00:01:25] Jason: That's right, yes.  [00:01:26] Jason: Hey. All right, cool. It's great to have you on the show. So Zac we're going to be chatting today about wires, pipes, and signals, everything you wish you knew about home utilities. [00:01:38] Jason: I think this will be interesting to our listeners because, you know, we get into this stuff as property management people. So, so Zac before we get into that though, give us a little backstory on you. How'd you get into being an entrepreneur? When did you first figure that out, that you maybe were one and then we can get into why you started this business so that you've got going and tell us, tell everybody about it. [00:01:58] Jason: Cool.  [00:02:00] Zac: Let's do it. Yeah. So, quick intro myself, I live here in Austin, Texas. I've been an entrepreneur now for better part of a decade and a half. Right out of college I started a business it was actually a food delivery business called Favor. We ended up scaling that business to having 50,000 delivery drivers in the state of Texas. [00:02:22] Zac: So it was the second largest employer in the state. And over the course of building it up over a couple of years, we were doing over a hundred million dollars of food sales a year. So sizable company and we sold that to HEB grocery and yeah.  [00:02:38] Jason: And if people don't know, HEB I'm in the Austin area, I'm up in Round Rock. [00:02:41] Jason: But if people don't know HEB. HEB consistently wins the best grocery store awards like in America every year. Like it's always winning.  [00:02:51] Zac: It's kind of amazing. I mean, they are an institution. There's so many small towns across Texas where the only show in town, I would kind of say it's akin to like a Walmart or something like that for a national brand that people would be more familiar with. [00:03:04] Zac: Family run business, been around for a hundred years. So it's cool that it had joined forces with Favor. And learned a lot from doing that company. I mean, at the time that we sold it, we had over 140 corporate employees, designers and software engineers and business intelligence people and salespeople. [00:03:24] Zac: So I'm right there with you, Jason, where I like growth. I like growing things and learning about business and learning about new categories. So as I sold it, I was looking for the next thing to do.  [00:03:35] Jason: So people are clear, Favor, and you can correct me if I'm wrong, but Favor competes with like Instacart and like some of these, it's like a delivery service. [00:03:44] Zac: That's right. So the way that the service worked was, it was like an on demand. It was part of the on demand delivery kind of thing that was happening. The gig economy, you know, people will probably remember Lyft coming out and Uber. There wasn't one for delivery of kind of like fast casual food or groceries yet. [00:04:02] Zac: And we brought that into the market. We had first mover.  [00:04:05] Jason: Oh yeah. So yeah, it's kind of like Uber Eats and, you know, these kind of things.  [00:04:08] Zac: Exactly. So you could tap a button, request a Favor, and then someone would go shopping for you, go pick up some tacos or yeah, run at the grocery store or something like that and bring it to you in 45 minutes or less. [00:04:20] Jason: Got it. And is Favor just a Texas thing?  [00:04:23] Zac: At one point in time we tried to go national expansion, but it was a bit of a wartime thing that was going on. Yeah. A lot of VC dollars getting put in. And we had a very strong Texas brand. We had over a million people in Texas using it. [00:04:37] Zac: Yes. So we said we just doubled down on home base.  [00:04:40] Jason: I mean, Texas is like its own little universe. We've got Favor, we've got HEB, we've got, you know, there's all these things that are just specifically Texas. So if y'all come to Texas, you got to like experience the whole Texas deal. You got to go to an HEB, you got to go to Bucky's, you got to go to all these things, right? [00:04:56] Zac: So yeah, right. When you're here in town for Jason's event, go get yourself some Yeti swag.  [00:05:02] Jason: Yes.  [00:05:02] Zac: And then order yourself a Favor.  [00:05:04] Jason: Yes. There you go. Yeah. Cool. Yeah, and people get really religious about their, you know, things like Yeti. It's like Yeti Mecca. Like people, like my brother-in-law comes into town. He is like, "I got to go to the Yeti store." He's like, just like starry-eyed in there. And I'm like, "why? Why?" Coolers, thermases? I don't know. Cool drinks. Yeah. Yeah. It's a thing. So he like collects them, and then sometimes he's flipping them too. Like there's limited edition things, so. My brother-in-law's name is Jason also, so he might listen to this. [00:05:36] Jason: So Jason, I mentioned you on my podcast, so, all right.  [00:05:39] Jason: Shout out to Jason.  [00:05:41] Jason: Shout out to Jason. So, cool. So Zac, I mean, that's a pretty impressive thing. Not many people can say they built a hundred million dollar, you know, business or had an exit or something like that. So, and then what did you do next? [00:05:55] Jason: Like, you sell this thing, did you lose all meaning and purpose in life and decide to start a new business or what happened?  [00:06:01] Zac: I think that happens with some people, right? You sell it, you have somebody, you're like, "what am I going to do with my life now?" I'm going to take a good thing and somehow it becomes a bad thing. [00:06:09] Zac: But I just, I really like building. And I like the process of entrepreneurship where you talk to people, you try to find a problem and you like go hit a whiteboard, you sketch, it becomes more tangible, and then all of a sudden you can partner with an engineer and make it and then bring it back to the customer. [00:06:26] Zac: And I just like that. It kind of just scratches something in my brain, I think. And something else that's been cool for me on my entrepreneurship journey. I had mentioned that I've been doing it now for a decade and a half and the entire time that I've been working and doing startups, I've been doing it with like my best friend Ben from growing up together. [00:06:45] Zac: We  [00:06:46] Jason: best friend Ben.  [00:06:46] Zac: wen to school in New Hampshire. And it's fun to be able to go on that journey with someone like that.  [00:06:52] Jason: Yeah. That's cool. So you and Ben are still doing stuff together then.  [00:06:55] Zac: Right.  [00:06:56] Jason: Yeah. Third company.  [00:06:57] Zac: Third company now, so.  [00:06:59] Jason: Yeah. Dynamic duo. All right. And so I imagine that you have some complimentary sort of skill sets and challenge each other a bit. [00:07:08] Zac: Yeah, I think our brains have kind of been swapped and became more of the same brain. But the way that I explained it originally was like Ben was the left brain engineer, right? He is going to build out the backend database. He was a civil engineer, so he was just constantly doing math. And then I was more of the, you can kind of see there's some paintings behind me, like I was the artist.  [00:07:30] Jason: The right brain guy. Yeah. Got it.  [00:07:32] Zac: But now it just kind of became one, somewhere between now. He kind of went a little bit more right. I went more left, so.  [00:07:38] Jason: Cool. So bring us up towards the present day. So like, what are you and Ben, you know, getting together and working on? [00:07:45] Zac: Yeah, so I guess the way that we got into the property management industry was we were trying to build some leasing automation tech over the last few years. We had something called Sunroom Leasing, and it was like a platform that would help. With self showings, with different things related to collecting some data from renters about the home. [00:08:05] Zac: We had at one point in time, around 8,000 homes that were leasing across the country for some real estate investment trusts and some large scale property managers. And it kind of turned us on to this like, it had some challenges I think of that scale. And so we ended up realizing that's not what we want to do long term. [00:08:26] Zac: And something that it was like a good ride, but I think we were onto something that could be more scalable and a more acute problem to solve.  [00:08:35] Jason: Yeah, this was like a tuition business. You're learning and paying the price of tuition. Yeah. So you got familiar with the property management industry a bit through that. [00:08:44] Jason: That's right. Figured out kind of your target audience and you probably started to see some different problems you like started scheming with your whiteboard on, so.  [00:08:52] Zac: Yeah, and the problem that we zoomed into was around utility setup. And what we thought was kind of a silly thing was, here it is, it's 2024. [00:09:01] Zac: This was last year that we had launched it. We realized that there wasn't like a Google Maps of utilities. We thought it was silly that you couldn't just type in an address online and then see what's the water, what's the electric, what's the gas, what's the internet? There was no transparency for that. [00:09:20] Zac: And when we looked closer, there's like, you zoom in on water, there's over 20,000 water providers and they have really weird setups, you know, or it could be down just by the neighborhood or the zip code or the, you know, it's just wacky the way that the mapping works. And we thought if we could build out the whole mapping infrastructure, that would be a valuable thing, both for owners of the property that just want to have a more streamlined process, property managers that are doing it every day, and then renters. If you kind of think of this problem of setting up utilities while it's annoying and they have to Google around and make a bunch of phone calls, this is just one problem within a whole, you know, iceberg of other things. It's just the tip, small thing that they're doing a ton of things related to the move. We thought that if we could streamline this, then it could have a broad appeal and be something that we could do nationally and do at a big scale. So, over the last year, what we've done is we've built out that infrastructure to be able to do mapping at scale. [00:10:21] Zac: And we have built a platform that streamlines the process of turning on utilities. We're trying to make the utility on switch and it's a cool tool because the property managers using it can get confirmation that utilities have been set up correctly. And this is helpful for them because, you know, if you don't turn on the electricity and it's the dead of winter, you're probably going to have some problems on your hands with pipes bursting, you know, and things like that. [00:10:48] Zac: So, it's a useful tool in the process.  [00:10:51] Jason: So let's talk about this problem, right? This is super annoying. Like everybody that's moved has had to figure out this weird, you know, puzzle to like, which utility providers are available here? Which internet provider can I use? What are my options? Can I get this cool fiber, you know, thing, can I get this? Is there..? Like what's available? Then they're trying to figure out like water, electric. You're maybe trying to find out from the previous owner or somebody and you're trying to like negotiate all this and then like getting things switched and then the timelines like it's a mess. [00:11:25] Jason: Like it's really annoying and yeah, it's like why do we just deal with this and put up with this? We're living in the age of AI and this AI revolution now and. Why isn't there a better solution to this? It seems like it's just like chaos and confusion. Yeah, so.  [00:11:45] Zac: It is chaos and confusion. Yeah. And people waste so much time doing it and oh god. [00:11:50] Zac: Yeah. And I think as a result, like sometimes people will just make sacrifices where they'll be like, well, I was on this telecom company before. Maybe I'll just go back to them. And then I might miss out on being able to be like, well, I could have had faster internet or a better plan that's cheaper or something If they had just...  [00:12:07] Jason: sure. Yeah.  [00:12:07] Zac: ...known that they had options.  [00:12:10] Jason: Right. You're like, man, I'm still using dial up. And I didn't realize Google Fiber was available here. Yeah, right.  [00:12:15] Zac: Throwing that in an old AOL like.  [00:12:18] Jason: Yes, I remember those days. I was such a nerd. Alright, so yeah, and people may maybe get impatient and they just make some quick decisions. [00:12:27] Jason: You know, and all these companies try to give them incentives like, Hey, if you move, like we'll move it and help you get it set up. And they try to make it seamless, but because they're trying to retain their, you know, the customer, but that might not be in the best interest of the customer.  [00:12:41] Zac: Totally. Yeah. So this we're in the spirit of trying to add transparency into the process, make it more streamlined. And and have a really lightweight tool like, you know, not another app you have to download, but just something that seamlessly fits in the move in process. Okay. [00:12:55] Zac: Integrates really well with the tools that the property manager is already using, you know, just is able to sync, in real time, figure out what are the addresses coming up, and then give the property manager a way to both communicate what the utilities are and then check that they've been turned on. [00:13:16] Zac: And then interestingly, there's a lot of places in the US where these telecom companies are competing. And they spent a lot of money to lay down these fiber optic lines, you know, or copper lines, and they're trying to recoup some of that cost. Yeah. And so they'll pay money for more customers. [00:13:35] Zac: And so we're able to generate revenue and then share that with property managers as an incentive to use the tool.  [00:13:43] Jason: Okay, cool. So what's the name of the tool or this service?  [00:13:46] Zac: It's called Utility Profit.  [00:13:48] Jason: Utility profit. Okay. All right. And it's P-R-O-F-I-T I would assume? Yep, exactly. Not like you're prophesying. [00:13:57] Jason: All right, got it. So Utility Profit, and so this really is solving that challenge to just streamline all that, and there's a financial incentive or benefit for the property manager helping to get these things connected.  [00:14:11] Zac: That's right. That's right. Yeah. And one of the...  [00:14:14] Jason: Win, win, win all the way around win. [00:14:15] Zac: Yeah, exactly. And that's the best type of tool. You know, something that it doesn't just benefit one party, but all the people involved. Yeah. And so, you know, it's exciting there. Now there's people across the entire United States using it. We've been helping thousands of renters per month. [00:14:32] Zac: Just in the last year there's been, I think over 750 property managers using it. Some really big ones with thousands of properties all the way down to people that just have a couple homes in the portfolio. I think the average has about 400 homes and, you know, it's really kind of empowering that we bring something to the world and that fast that many people are using it. [00:14:55] Zac: It's cool to see.  [00:14:56] Jason: Yeah. Cool. So. And Ben's leading the nerds on the team making this all work.  [00:15:02] Zac: Yeah, we're both working closely with engineers and, I mean, it's been a big lift. I mean, we've had to do all sorts of wacky things to be able to like get this data because like I said, it didn't exist. [00:15:12] Zac: I imagine. [00:15:13] Zac: We have to like literally go and draw service maps, you know, that were PDFs on old websites and then, you know, turn them into a structured database. Right. I, you know, pull it up correctly. Yeah.  [00:15:26] Jason: You're just doing this ground level legwork to like get... it's almost like you're transferring old records into a digital format. [00:15:35] Jason: You know? Yeah. So that people could play their MP3s or something. Yeah.  [00:15:38] Zac: It kind of feels like that. It's almost like we're like taking the Yellow Pages and then putting it online or something. Yeah. I mean, it's kind of a wacky problem that we're solving there.  [00:15:48] Jason: So you're single handedly bringing the utility space into the future, so.  [00:15:54] Zac: Yeah. And one thing that we've we've been doing over the last couple months that I think is pretty cool is that there's this whole industry that exists for the multifamily apartment space related to what they call as like fiber as an amenity or fiber to the home. [00:16:11] Zac: Yeah. And so the way it would work on multifamily would be, you know, these big telecoms would say, "Hey, we'll sell you a thousand units of internet and then we'll give you a discount for doing so. And then you can either kind of keep that for yourself or you can, you know, share that with your tenants as a way to help your apartments stand out from other apartments." [00:16:33] Zac: The apartments are i identifiable and also you know, easier for the telecoms to spot. The hard thing about homes is it's this long tail of properties and there hasn't been a good way to aggregate them. I think over the last few years there's been some, you know, real estate investment trusts that have got to scale. [00:16:54] Zac: And so it kind of got these telecom companies thinking, "Hey, maybe I should go you know, sell into this market, see if we can apply the same principles of this program from apartments to single family." But it hasn't yet been done at any sort of significant scale. It's kind of a new concept. Now that we have hundreds of thousands of homes, that we are effectively the on switch for, we're helping to source these deals. [00:17:20] Zac: And we're able to bring, you know, significant discount from retail pricing to property managers and consumers. So we we're adding that as a new program that we're doing. We're calling it like Fiber Ready Homes. So it's a cool thing because we can help property managers identify what portion of their portfolio has the underlying technology at the home to have, you know, hyper fast internet speeds. [00:17:47] Zac: Yeah. And then do all of the enrollment process and the billing process to be able to offer a program like this. And and it's pretty gnarly. Like the average property manager that will turn on this program can make tens of thousands of dollars a year. It's roughly $10 per month per door. [00:18:04] Zac: So if you're a 300 door property manager, this is about $18,000. 18,000 per year that you'd be able to generate. And just, you know, kind of free cash flows for enabling something that the renters want.  [00:18:18] Jason: Right. Just making more money and yeah, I mean, high speed internet also being able to bring that to your units. [00:18:26] Jason: It creates a bigger incentive for people to rent it. I mean, it's definitely something I research before I buy a home or move anywhere. I'm always like, what Internet's available there because my life is going to be happening through this. And a lot of more people working from home, especially since Covid. [00:18:41] Zac: True. Yeah, that's a good point. I mean, I think a lot of renters see internet more important than running water in some ways. I mean, it's like everyone's on Netflix and doing work from home calls. You know, it's just, it's super important for renters.  [00:18:55] Jason: Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. That's interesting. And it sucks though when you like if you rent somewhere and that you only have one option and it's not the option that you really want in that area because sometimes they've negotiated like, oh, it's Comcast cable or something like this, and it's low speed or whatever. [00:19:11] Zac: Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Sometimes you're kind of limited by what lines have been laid, and sometimes there's limited options, but it's cool because now we have these two programs. We have one, which is that one I just explained, and then we have a second one. We call it like a marketplace. So it'll truly show you everything that's available, every single company, every single speed all the details of it and help to facilitate just being able to turn it on a lot easier. [00:19:34] Jason: Got it. How does this work? Like a property manager gets set up in your system, they've got their properties, you know, in this, and then they can figure out the tenants when they're onboarding a new tenant, they're like, "Hey, before we give you keys and move you in, we want to make sure utilities are getting moved over." [00:19:49] Jason: So you help streamline this?  [00:19:51] Zac: That's right. Yeah. So it will connect seamlessly with property managers, property management software. Pull in the active listings that they have, and then it will have triggers around the move in date. So once someone's been approved and you have a move in date that's approaching. [00:20:08] Zac: It will send reminders and say, Hey, you know, you're moving in end of the month, like before you move in, please show that you've turned the electric on so that there's not going to be bill back problems and things like that.  [00:20:20] Zac: So, it handles the communication and then what's pretty cool about the tool too, is it's all white labeled. Utility Profit, it's not, you know, like a tenant friendly name, you know? Yeah. It's really for the property manager. And so, okay. We're just helping to facilitate these things. So it's got the property manager's logo, you know, we're more just the underlying technology, which I think is good because like a renter in the process doesn't want to get handed off to another third party. [00:20:48] Zac: They just want to... [00:20:49] Jason: yeah, "Who are these guys? Why should I trust them? I trust you. I'm working with you," but yeah. Got it. No, I think that's really smart. And so your business model then, your growth strategy really is to leverage and support the property managers.  [00:21:02] Zac: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. We're trying to partner with all the property managers in the single family rental space. [00:21:08] Zac: And you know, last I checked, you know, there's at least five to 10 million homes that are managed by third party property managers. And we want to become the main place where where people used to turn on utilities. And you know, we talked about entrepreneurs and having a big vision earlier in the call. [00:21:26] Zac: You know, I think we're solving an important problem by building this Google Maps of Utilities and also just making a better experience. I think anytime we start a business though, you're kind of thinking about like, okay, "Well if I'm able to pull this off, how could this even be even more significant long term?" [00:21:42] Zac: And one of the things that I've been just thinking about as I've been doing it is you know, today we are helping to connect the dots between these things, but I bet in the not too distant future, maybe a few years out, we'll be responsible for millions of homes in helping to turn on these utilities. [00:21:59] Jason: Yeah.  [00:22:00] Zac: We'll probably want to go down the stack of utilities, you know, instead of just directing you to be going to, you know, XYZ local power source. Maybe they get directed to a company that, similar to how we're able to get discounts on internet because we have so much scale, we could buy energy contracts in deregulated markets and, you know,  [00:22:22] Jason: okay. [00:22:22] Zac: Inch down becoming a utility.  [00:22:24] Zac: Okay.  [00:22:24] Zac: And so, I think it's a, it's an interesting thing.  [00:22:27] Jason: So you're saying maybe there's a potential the property manager could be the utility?  [00:22:32] Zac: We'll be able to help the property manager earn more money... [00:22:35] Zac: yeah. [00:22:35] Zac: ...on this process because we...  [00:22:38] Zac: just more margin [00:22:38] Zac: ...want to direct them to like a utility that we own. And we're able to help them monetize these other things like natural gas and electricity.  [00:22:49] Jason: Got it. Love it. Yeah. You're passing the benefit onto the property manager. So, yeah. That gives them quite an incentive to help you grow this. [00:22:55] Jason: Right. So I love it. So, I mean, this really gives property managers a strong competitive advantage over self-management then. [00:23:03] Zac: Yeah, I think so. You know, I think property managers, they have so many things that they're doing and this is one of those set it and forget it types of tools. You know, it's not something you have to have mastery over and like learn another thing, this is like you get on, you set the thing up, you get the logo added and get it synced to your PM software and then you're done with it and it just kind of is happening in the background and then just notifies you. [00:23:26] Jason: Got it. So the setup is pretty easy and then it makes it a lot easier for the property management team to make sure utilities are getting set up correctly. There's visibility into seeing what's been set up and what hasn't, it sounds like. And you mentioned integrations with property management software, and I know everybody listening's like, "but what about my software? The one I'm using?" Yeah. So what integrations do you guys have set up already?  [00:23:49] Zac: It's all the major ones. So what we find is like AppFolio is popular. Rentvine is becoming more and more popular. You know, Propertyware is another one. Buildium's one that we you know, have in the works too, but yeah, I think most people... [00:24:04] Zac: Rent manager? [00:24:05] Zac: Rent manager, yeah. That's one that we work with too. Yeah. I know there's a lot of options for property managers there, but yeah. [00:24:11] Jason: Very cool. Yeah. So everybody listening there. There you go. So they're like, "oh, he mentioned mine. I'm okay."  [00:24:17] Zac: Yeah, that's right. Yeah it's cool that it, you know, just works in a broad way like that. And it's kind of interesting too that the tool even is able to work you know, even if you don't even have a property management software to figure out some ways to you know, even work in that use case. [00:24:32] Jason: Sure.  [00:24:32] Zac: But most people have software.  [00:24:34] Jason: So as long as you can get the properties like into your system, then...?  [00:24:38] Jason: That's right.  [00:24:38] Jason: Got it. Okay, cool. But if they have those then and you have that connection, then it's, yeah, it'll just streamline things. Makes it even more turnkey.  [00:24:47] Zac: That's right.  [00:24:48] Jason: Got it. Cool. So, all right, so you, what else should people know about this? [00:24:52] Jason: Like what are the big questions property managers have been asking you?  [00:24:55] Zac: I think one question is, you know, how much money I earn from this? You know? Okay.  [00:24:59] Jason: They like, they want to know about the money. Let's talk about the money.  [00:25:03] Zac: So the average property manager will, it's a range of 25 to $40 per move that, that happens. [00:25:10] Zac: It ends up being about 25 to, to $30 on average is what we're seeing across the country. And so I think it's one of those things where it's like nice gravy. What we find is that the average property manager, they're like, "this is nice. I can make some extra money from it." But I think it's like, you know, not enough to go, you know, it just adds to the bottom line a little bit. [00:25:32] Zac: Every little thing. Sure. So the main reason why people use it is the time savings, you know? Absolutely. It's just one last thing to have to worry about. So that's that's what we're seeing as we talk to people.  [00:25:44] Jason: Yeah. Yeah, because I mean, just the amount of time you're paying a team member, if they're like 25 to $35 an hour, for example you know, they might be spending an hour or two here or there just calling, trying to negotiate back and forth with the tenant, get these things set up so. [00:25:59] Zac: Property management some days feels like death by a thousand mosquitoes.  [00:26:04] Jason: Oh yeah. I often joke it's, it can be death by a thousand cuts or it can be a really well oiled systemizable machine, but yeah. [00:26:12] Jason: Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, it offsets a little bit at the move in cost and then just the time savings. You're not having to pay your team to do all this communication. And you know, speed in onboarding is a real challenge for a lot of companies that are really in a high growth sort of state. [00:26:28] Jason: Like small companies might have a hard time just onboarding 10 units in a month, you know? Yeah. And larger companies, it can be pretty hairy if things aren't well dialed in.  [00:26:36] Zac: Yeah, I think that's a good point. It's all about having the systems in place. So that they scale.  [00:26:40] Jason: Very cool. [00:26:41] Jason: Well, is there anything else you think people should know about utility profit? And then we can get into like, how can they connect and get something like this going?  [00:26:50] Zac: Yeah. So the website's, utilityprofit.com.  [00:26:53] Jason: Okay.  [00:26:53] Zac: And it has some more information about how it works and has has some videos of the actual product. [00:26:59] Zac: You can see what it looks like from the renter's perspective, from your perspective and the dashboard that gives transparency. And and it kind of just walks you through everything about the product. And then there's a way on the website to be able to either book a demo if you have any questions about how something works. [00:27:17] Zac: And then, what we do is we'll just help you do like an onboarding call where we have people connect their PM software, upload a logo, invite their team members, really simple, straightforward process and then and then it's kind of good to go. So it's very streamlined thing. People typically will do it and it'll be live same day. [00:27:38] Zac: It's not like some big heavy lift or something. You just kind of go through this 15 minute process. We help you get it all synced up and then it's good to go.  [00:27:45] Jason: So, there's competition out there, right? Like this is a new thing in the space, but previously there's all these companies that try to, you know, negotiate and be able to pull in money and by being the person that gets people on a certain internet service or gets people and they get these kickbacks from the companies and that's how they make their money. [00:28:03] Jason: How do you feel like utility profits sort of stands out from those and I mean, my guess is you have the database, you have the data, like your ability to streamline. You're not having to go and start doing research and that you're just much faster.  [00:28:17] Zac: Yeah, I think that's exactly it. So there's been this whole category over the last couple years that's called a home concierge. [00:28:25] Zac: Yeah. And it's historically been like a call center model. Yeah. Where a rep will get the address and they'll, on your behalf, Google around, make some calls, you know, go try to set things up. And I think that was a helpful first step, and it seems like the natural thing that, that the industry would've been doing. [00:28:43] Zac: But this is just the natural progression of it, you know, building that database out, making it something that is like, you know, a true streamlined tool for everybody. And and just digitizing it a lot more.  [00:28:57] Jason: This is the future. This is the future. It's the next step. You're going to be a sponsor at DoorGrow Live. [00:29:02] Jason: So make sure, you know, everybody come to DoorGrow Live this year. Our theme this year is innovating the future of property management. And so we're going to be sharing innovative stuff. Innovative new models of pricing, not doing it the same way everybody else has been doing it, like percentage or flat fee. There's a lot of innovation and that's our goal at DoorGrow. We're always trying to figure out what are the most innovative stuff? We've got AI maintenance coordinators, we've got all sorts of stuff that are going to be showcased at this event. So if you don't want to be behind the times and have your lunch eaten by competitors and startups that are savvier and more focused on the future, make sure you come to DoorGrow Live. You're going to want to be there because the people that are at DoorGrow Live are going to be the ones that are getting a head start on these really effective cost, saving new tools, these ideas, they're going to help you have more profit in your business. [00:29:54] Jason: And so, Zac, we appreciate you being a sponsor. We're excited to showcase you and some other tools at our event, so.  [00:30:00] Zac: It's going to be fun. It'll be here right around the corner, so. [00:30:03] Jason: Check it out at doorgrowlive.com, and make sure you get your tickets. And we're going to be talking a little bit more in the future, probably on our podcast here. And just online about some of the cool things that you will get or learn if you come to DoorGrow Live this year in May at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock, Texas. [00:30:20] Jason: So, cool. Well, Zac, is there anything else you want to share before you go? Parting word of wisdom for entrepreneurs out there that haven't had a hundred million dollar exits and built big giant things and they're just struggling to build their little machine, what would you say to them?  [00:30:36] Zac: I would just say like, whatever it is that you think that's holding you back, just start trying to do it. [00:30:43] Zac: You know? I think a lot of times you build up whatever it is in your head. And you think, "well, I would do it if I had this. Or what if I have to hire this person? Or, you know, I need to have this figured out, or I don't know how this works. Like I'm going to just say no to it." I would just say, just start doing it. [00:31:02] Zac: It doesn't have to be perfect to start. And the more you just take that first step it will become more clear and sometimes, it's harder to see the next 10 steps in front of you, but it's pretty easy to take that first step. So I'd say, have a bias for action. Get your hands dirty. Do it yourself. You have mentioned a lot of these things about AI and how the best companies are using ai. [00:31:25] Zac: We're really leaning into that as an organization. It doesn't matter what people's role is, we're saying. You know, download, ChatGPT three and talk to it. Ask it questions like, you know, there's so many cool resources today. It's the best time to figure things out and do things and and take that first step. [00:31:44] Jason: Yeah. GPT 4.5, we're getting clues of that's dropping and going to be out for everybody soon. And then Grok 3, I've been really geeking out on Grok 3, so it's pretty next level, so, but yeah. Cool. I love the idea. Done is better than perfect. I love the idea of rapid iteration. You know, so many times for those of you that are in the earlier stages of entrepreneurs listening to this, this is great advice because I've seen inside a lot of businesses, a lot of small businesses, and one of the biggest mistakes a lot of them make is they try to make everything perfect before they ship it, before they launch it. "I want to get all my processes dialed in," and they're trying to solve problems they don't even have yet. [00:32:20] Jason: They're trying to solve future problems instead of their current problem. And so rapid iteration really is the secret to growing a business quickly because you learn very fast what does and doesn't work. Just start trying shit. Just do it. Break stuff and you're going to learn way faster and everything's figureoutable, so.  [00:32:39] Zac: Yeah. And in that spirit, it doesn't matter what the thing is, you can always get feedback from it, even if it's not totally built yet, like it can be on a napkin, you know, or it could be the next level of that. But go build the thing in whatever low fidelity way. Yeah. [00:32:55] Zac: And then go talk to your customers about it. And this is going to have different applications for different types of business. because you're going to talk about different things. But you know, maybe you have a new program that you're thinking property owners might want to see, like get their feedback on it. [00:33:10] Zac: Or maybe you want to launch a new website or a new logo or whatever it is. I would just say, it doesn't have to be perfect, bring it but you have to get feedback on it. So definitely go and partner with who it is that is going to see it, and then just talk to them about it and say, "Well, how could this be better? What is this missing? What would be the next thing to do? If you could do anything with this, what would you do?" And, you know, people love to share advice. I mean, I think that's the other thing. Yeah. It's like over the last couple years since I've been doing entrepreneurship, I've been kind of amazed at how many people have been willing to share their time and their advice. [00:33:46] Zac: Yeah. And especially if you get an intro to someone from something. Yeah. You know, I think there's this huge thing of maybe you're afraid to ask for that intro or, you know, have that conversation because it's not perfect yet. I would say, you know, find the ideal person that you want to talk to and then figure out how to work backwards and how to get an intro to them and then have that conversation. [00:34:08] Zac: You know, I think you have to be vulnerable in it because you are going to come across dumb sometimes. You know, people are going to say like, "how did you not know this? Everyone knows this," but like, just lose your ego in that. Be okay with not being okay. And then you're going to feel a lot better because on the other side of it, you're going to learn so much. [00:34:27] Jason: Yeah, I think the secret to being smart is just being willing to look stupid. So, I mean, for sure. Ask the dumb question that you're afraid to ask because you're going to learn way faster. And I really think proximity is power. Like just another reason people should come to DoorGrow Live is I think we attract the most growth oriented property management, business owners in the industry and just being in proximity to all these sort of change makers and people trying new stuff and people experimenting, people willing to invest in themselves and to pay like coaches, like DoorGrow. And then I use all my clients as a mass rapid iteration sort of project. [00:35:05] Jason: Like we're always figuring out more and more stuff and I'm gathering these ideas and so we've got systems in place to just allow us to innovate in this industry a lot faster. And so we're really excited about bringing these kind of things to DoorGrow Live and showcasing it. [00:35:19] Jason: So if you're not part of our program, you're not one of our clients. Come check out the magic at DoorGrow Live. Connect with some of the people there and you might realize you found a home, so yeah, your family might be there. So yeah, entrepreneurs we're different breed of people. We, you know, we take risks, we're willing to try new things, and we're not focused primarily on safety and security. [00:35:39] Jason: We're focused more on fulfillment and freedom and contribution. And so this natural offshoot, entrepreneurs are the most helpful people, especially the healthy ones. When you're in a healthy growth-minded state, you want to benefit and help everybody. You're not gatekeeping information like people are sharing stuff and so yeah, I found the same thing to be true in the high level masterminds, coaches that I work with. [00:36:00] Jason: Like just being around the people in these programs has been probably the biggest benefit more than even learning from the guru or whoever that is sharing stuff sometimes. And so, yeah, proximity.  [00:36:11] Zac: Yeah, I think that's well said. You kind of become an average of the people that you spend most time with. [00:36:15] Zac: So if you're around, you know, someone who's going to be pessimistic about everything, then chances are, not going to try things as much. I mean, that, that was like one of the reasons why I had originally moved from, you know, where I was growing up in New Hampshire. I remember when I was pitching Favor when I was 20 something people were like, "ah, no one's going to pay five bucks for something like that. And how do you know how? You don't know how to code. You can't figure that out. Right? Go get a job like everybody else." And then I kind of moved and found my tribe you know, and in Silicon Valley area and then in Austin, Texas. And then next thing you know, I'm actually doing the thing.  [00:36:53] Jason: I think even if people just come to DoorGrow Live to connect with somebody like you and they can create a relationship with somebody like you or any of the change makers or players that we attract at our event. [00:37:05] Jason: I mean, you've done things that a lot of people would dream of being able to do in business, right. And so come make those connections, come to DoorGrow Live and make some connections because it's going to change your life for sure. So, well Zac, I appreciate you coming on the show. People can connect with your company at utilityprofit.com. [00:37:22] Jason: Do a demo. And it's been great having you here.  [00:37:26] Zac: Hey, thanks so much for having me on Jason.  [00:37:28] Jason: All right, so everybody, if you are struggling to grow your business or you're struggling to deal with operations, reach out to us. Check us out at DoorGrow.com. We would love to have a conversation, see if we might be able to help you with something. [00:37:39] Jason: And that's what we do all day long and we care about our clients. We really want to make sure that everybody succeeds. We only win if you're winning. And so until next time, everybody to our mutual growth, let's all win. Bye everyone. 

Servicing Clients.Based on a post by Ostrich Mack. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.Hotel Guest, Lydia.Lydia Carlson was a businesswoman and operated at senior level for the travel agency which bore the family name. The firm had been founded by her grandfather 50 years earlier and had grown to be one of the most prestigious in Europe.Lydia didn't get to her position because of her family ties, as there was a serious work ethic in the family. If you wanted success, you had to earn it. Lydia had studied at university and had worked in other travel agencies to gain experience before moving back to the family nest. Now she was head of procurement, traveling throughout Europe to contract hotels for her company.Lydia was stunningly beautiful. An only child, with as her name would suggest, a Danish background, she had grown up in England. Despite her Scandinavian background, Lydia was not a typical tall, blond haired, blue eyed beauty, but rather a brunette with deep brown eyes. At 36 years old, she was about 5'9" with a slim athletic figure. Her tits and ass were in perfect proportion to her height and weight. Her skin positively glowed and she was always impeccably dressed.Lydia was always guarded when she made new acquaintances, preferring to listen, and assess who it was exactly she was talking to. To some, that came across as aloof.Knowing this, Peter wondered why she had chosen to reserve in his hotel for a midweek stay.Peter's Hotel was a comfortable family run place with good rooms, and a good restaurant. A quiet place to relax and enjoy the garden and the local countryside, and of course the local delicacies. It was certainly not the high-end luxury resorts that Peter assumed Lydia would be used to.To that end Peter was curious. He had googled Lydia and read extensively about her career. There was very little to glean about her private life as Lydia didn't "do" social media.On the evening of her arrival at the hotel, Lydia decided to dine in their restaurant. Peter was delighted to be able to introduce himself to her. At 6'1" and very athletic, Peter cut an impressive figure. He was a presence wherever he went.Lydia was seated in the restaurant. She was as usual impeccably dressed in a bias cut skirt, which reached to just below her knees, showing off her shapely calves. She wore medium heeled sandals which displayed her perfectly manicured toes. Her blouse was a silk round neck with short sleeves. Her wavy hair tumbled down to just below her shoulder. Around her neck she wore a colorful silk scarf.Lydia smiled at Peter as he approached. Her smile lit up the room."Good evening, Mrs. Carlson." He said."It's Miss Carlson." She replied, "And please, call me Lydia."Peter blushed a little. "My apologies, Lydia." He said awkwardly. "My name is Peter Talbot. I am the owner of the hotel, and I am delighted you have chosen to stay with us. If we can do anything to make your stay more comfortable, please let me know."Lydia raised an eyebrow and laughed gently. "Hmm, anything?" she asked with a grin."Of course." Peter said. "We're at your service. It's lovely to meet you. I'm sure we will see each other during your stay.""Well, I certainly hope so." Replied Lydia, smiling."Great." Said Peter. "Enjoy your meal, I will see you at breakfast tomorrow.""Thank you so much Peter." Lydia replied. "May I call you Peter.""Of course, Lydia," Peter replied. He was a little flustered. Was she flirting or was she just simply an incredibly charming woman.The next day.Peter was, as always, up at dawn to prepare breakfast for the hotel guests. This was his favorite part of the working day. An hour and a half undisturbed work, preparing an extensive breakfast buffet for his guests enjoyment.Breakfast started at 7.30am, but at 7.15 Peter heard someone enter the restaurant. Luckily everything was ready, so he just switched on the lights and the background music.As usual he entered the restaurant, to greet his guests. To his surprise, it was Lydia. Dressed in a simple sweatshirt and shorts, she was as beautiful as the evening before. Her hair was wrestled into a ponytail, which accentuated her pretty face. Her high cheekbones and dimpled cheeks made her even more beautiful than Peter had observed."So, the early bird." Peter joked."Gets the first worm." Lydia replied."Are you calling me a worm?" Peter asked, feigning shock.They both laughed. Peter explained everything on the buffet, and Lydia listened patiently, despite having stayed in hundreds of hotels for her work. She thought it sweet that Peter took the time to show her how everything worked.Peter was excited. He couldn't explain what this beautiful, charming woman did to him, but he felt like a teenager with a crush, in her presence."So, Peter," Lydia said. "I was thinking of going for a hike through the hills today. Can you recommend a route?""How far would you like to walk?" Peter asked."Well, I like to keep in shape, so at least 10k." Lydia replied."No problem." Peter replied. "But you should be aware that the routes are not really well marked. You need to be able to read a topographical map for most routes.""Hmm. That is one thing I am not great at." Lydia replied. "Maybe you could recommend a guide?""Ah," said Peter. "At such short notice, a guide will be difficult. But if you would like me to guide you, I am free at 11.""That sounds lovely. Will you order a packed lunch for us to take away?" Lydia asked."Leave it to me." Peter replied. He was secretly thrilled to be able to accompany Lydia for the afternoon.The walk.At 11 sharp, Peter stood in the lounge, ready with a rucksack containing a lunch he had prepared himself. A bottle of champagne, Pâté de Fois gras, Local cheeses and meat cuts and of course, fresh bread and a basket of strawberries. Peter was laying it on for this walk.Lydia appeared from the lift, a vision to his eyes. She had her hiking shoes on, and long socks. Her shorts were loose around her ass and a sort of combat style. Above her shorts she had a tight Lycra shirt which accentuated her tits. She was clearly not wearing a bra. A silk scarf tied like a bandana covered her head with her hair in a ponytail out the back, and a pair of designer sunglasses completed the look.She looked like a model from a camping catalogue."Peter!" she cried. "How nice of you to go to all this effort for me.""It is my pleasure." Peter replied. "Shall we?"They left the hotel. Peter had chosen a route up into the hills via a number of steep climbs to a perfect picnic spot. At first the going was easy, and they chatted amicably about the local countryside and history.Later as the climbs became steeper, there was little time for conversation as they needed to save their breath. Peter helped Lydia up the steeper paths by leading and offered her a hand when the incline was very steep. Lydia was not inclined to let Peter see that she couldn't keep up, but he was a very experienced rambler.Most of the time, Peter walked behind Lydia furtively admiring her perfect ass.Finally, after about 6k, they reached the picnic spot that Peter had planned. It was a huge rock which balanced on the edge of the highest hill. The view over the countryside was amazing.Lydia, sat down on the rock and stared in amazement at the view. She smiled serenely.Peter made himself busy unpacking the lunch. He laid out a picnic blanket on the rock. When everything was ready, he said in a soft voice."Madam, Lunch is served."Lydia laughed. "I'll bet you think that's how I was raised."Peter replied. "No not at all. I just thought it was funny.""It is funny." Lydia answered. "But let me tell you a little about me."Peter perked up, keen to know more about this beautiful enigmatic woman.Lydia began. "I am an only child. I grew up in a wealthy family and had a wonderful childhood. We had lots of friends where we lived and there were always fun things going on in our house and the neighbors houses.My parents worked very hard to make their business successful, and I learned from an early age that if you want success, you have to work for it.I never really had boyfriends, except for one who broke my heart. I was determined never to feel the pain of giving my heart and soul to someone, only to have them stamp on it. As an only child, I learned to amuse myself, and if I am honest, I like my own company.I have had many casual relationships. Mostly to satisfy my sexual needs. But I don't commit to relationships. That is why I never married. I just like to be alone at the end of the day."Peter blushed. "Wow that is very open and honest. How do you do that? The casual relationship thing?" he asked."Well, I got you to come with me today." Lydia replied, smiling at him. She winked at him.Peter blushed even more."Oh, come on." Lydia said. "You don't think I didn't notice you admiring my ass? Did you think I put on this outfit because it was practical?""I guess not." Peter replied sheepishly. "But you are stunning. Why would you be interested in me?""Peter." Lydia replied. "You are handsome, and very charming. Most of the guys I meet are so full of themselves, and generally looking for some arm candy. That's not me. You seem honest and candid. And you listen without interrupting which tells me you are genuinely interested in what I have to say. That is not only refreshing, but a welcome change."Peter smiled. He poured two glasses of champagne and laid toast with foie gras on a plate and joined Lydia on the rock. They sat there on the blanket enjoying the view, the food and champagne.Peter jumped up. "And now the strawberries."He grabbed the basket and took a strawberry between his fingers. Lydia laid herself out on the blanket.Peter leaned over her and fed her the strawberry. As she opened her mouth, he poured a sip of champagne into her mouth and then a strawberry.Lydia closed her lips around the strawberry and sucked on it suggestively before taking it completely in her mouth.She had Peter's full attention and there was a stirring in his trousers.Lydia looked carefully around, and seeing no one else, she pulled her Lycra shirt up above her head exposing her tits. Peter took a deep breath, she looked amazing.Peter took another strawberry and traced it over her tits, circling her nipples only to finally bring it to her lips.Lydia took a small bite.Peter repeated the action, coating Lydia's exposed tits with strawberry juice and returning to her lips.He bent over Lydia and began to lick the juice from her, concentrating on her tits. Lydia gasped as Peter licked around her nipples, causing them to rise to attention.Lydia groaned in anticipation of the next round."Oh, do go on kind sir," she giggled.Peter moved downward on her body. He planted kisses on her nipples, her ribs, down to her navel. He poured a little champagne in her navel and licked it out with his tongue.He fumbled with her shorts until Lydia helped him by opening the button and pulling down the zipper. Peter pulled on the sides of her shorts. They slid easily down her thighs and to Peter's delight she was not wearing underwear. Her cunt was trimmed short but not completely bare. There was a small triangle of hair just above her mound.Peter slid Lydia's shorts down to her ankles and over her hiking shoes. Now he understood why she had chosen loose shorts.Lydia was lying in her almost naked magnificence on the rock. The hiking shoes and long socks looked almost comical. Peter couldn't believe his luck having this goddess before him.Peter moved further down Lydia's body until he reached her pubic mound.He gently licked the outer lips of her cunt, slowly moving along her weeping slit. As he moved upwards Peter inserted a finger between Lydia's folds. She gasped in anticipation and pulled her gently.Lydia cried out. "Oh! That is so good!"Peter went to work with two fingers in Lydia's sopping cunt. He curled his forefinger upwards to massage her g-spot.Lydia began to buck with her hips. She was getting close to her point of no return.Peter stopped. He knew she was close.Lydia whimpered. "Ah! don't stop."Peter waited. He waited until Lydia's breathing slowed. Then he attacked her cunt again. His mouth on her clit, his fingers moving in and out.

Welcome to the Celestial Insights Podcast, the show that brings the stars down to Earth! Each week, astrologer, coach, and intuitive Celeste Brooks of Astrology by Celeste will be your guide. Her website is astrologybyceleste.com.  

The curtain has fallen on IPC APEX 2025 after an intensive three days that yielded over 50 interviews with industry leaders. As attendees and exhibitors drifted out into the California sunshine, they left behind conversations that revealed the electronics manufacturing industry at a crossroads of political uncertainty, technological transformation, and talent challenges.Tariffs dominated discussions, creating a palpable sense of unease. EMS companies aren't necessarily advocating for specific policies but seek stability to make confident investment decisions. This uncertainty extends to manufacturing locations, with executives questioning whether operations should be in the US, Mexico, Canada or elsewhere. The business decision of where to manufacture has become a complex calculation influenced by shifting political winds.Talent development emerged as a critical focus during the EMS Leadership Summit. Audrey McGuckin delivered a compelling keynote and facilitated discussions on linking business strategy with talent acquisition and development. Companies recognize that addressing the talent pipeline is fundamental to future success, regardless of technological advancement.The AI conversation has evolved significantly. Unlike the overwhelming scope of Industry 4.0 initiatives that left many disappointed, companies now favor targeted AI projects with clear KPIs and solid ROI potential. Many attendees came specifically to identify trustworthy AI partners who could guide them through implementation without expensive missteps. At least, previous work undertaken in the name of Industry 4.0 has provided valuable connectivity and data foundations that are essential for successful AI deployment.European politics also received some attention, with discussions about the recent German elections and defense spending increases. This political focus underscores IPC's crucial government relations work undertaken in Brussels, Washington and around the world.Subscribe to our YouTube channels at https://www.youtube.com/@scooptv3275 and follow the EMS@C-Level podcast to catch all the upcoming interviews as we dive deeper into these industry-defining conversations. The insights shared at APEX 2025 will undoubtedly shape manufacturing strategies around the world.EMS@C-Level Live at APEX is sponsored by global inspection leaders Koh Young (https://www.kohyoung.com) and Creative Electron (https://creativeelectron.com)You can see video versions of all of the EMS@C-Level pods on our YouTube playlist.

In episode 127 of Cybersecurity Where You Are, Sean Atkinson and Tony Sager are joined by Scott Alldridge, President and CEO of IP Services and the IT Process Institute. Together, they use Scott's book, "Visible Ops Cybersecurity: Enhancing Your Cybersecurity Posture with Practical Guidance," to discuss how visible IT operations (Visible Ops) provide a foundation for cybersecurity. Here are some highlights from our episode:01:31. How Visible Ops reflect an appreciation for the original config change release processes10:19. The limitations of treating security as a silo and "new toys" as security cure-alls15:23. How to embrace a dynamic view of visibility and configuration management24:50. The importance of leadership buy-in when shifting left to a security-first mindset27:10. What an effective change configuration management system looks like and how it changes people's view of IT30:20. Parting thoughts and where to find more of Scott's workResourcesIT Process InstituteWhat is ITIL? Your guide to the IT Infrastructure LibraryCIS Critical Security Controls (CIS Controls) ResourcesAn Examination of How Cyber Threat Actors Can Leverage Generative AI PlatformsEpisode 44: A Zero Trust Framework Knows No EndWhy Employee Cybersecurity Awareness Training Is ImportantIf you have some feedback or an idea for an upcoming episode of Cybersecurity Where You Are, let us know by emailing podcast@cisecurity.org.

In this episode of Sparking Success, host Aaron Opalewski speaks with Jessica Woodback, co-founder of Thrive Reality. They discuss the journey of building Thrive during the pandemic, the importance of community and culture in business, and the challenges of managing growth and team dynamics. Jessica shares her insights on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and how it plays a crucial role in communication and leadership. The conversation emphasizes the need for adaptability, the significance of personal well-being, and the value of taking bold actions in uncertain times. In this conversation, the speakers discuss the importance of prioritizing physical health, self-care, and the challenges of sustaining success in business. They emphasize the need for alternative plans to achieve health goals, the significance of self-care for productivity, and the difficulties of maintaining performance over time. The discussion also covers learning from failure, reframing negative experiences as feedback, and the impact of negativity on personal and professional environments. Additionally, they explore the ingredients for effective conversations and strategies for overcoming rejection in sales.TakeawaysThrive was born out of a desire to transform lives.The pandemic provided an opportunity for bold decisions.Change is essential for growth and improvement.Parting ways with team members can be beneficial for all.Growth often comes with discomfort and challenges.Community and culture are vital for business success.NLP enhances communication and understanding in leadership.Leaders must prioritize emotional intelligence and self-awareness.Personal well-being is crucial for achieving business goals.Adaptability is key in navigating team dynamics and change. Prioritize physical health with waterproof systems.Self-care is essential for offering value to others.Sustaining success requires continuous improvement.Learning from failure is crucial for growth.Reframe failure as feedback for better outcomes.Negativity can have a ripple effect on teams.Curiosity, empathy, and courage build trust in conversations.Effective communication can change outcomes in sales.Rejection should be viewed as an opportunity for learning.Understanding the real problem leads to better solutions.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Sparking Success01:31 The Birth of Thrive Reality04:26 Navigating Growth and Change08:01 The Challenge of Evolving Teams12:12 Building Community and Culture16:18 Understanding Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)19:55 Expectations of Leadership and Personal Well-being25:40 Prioritizing Physical Health27:21 The Importance of Self-Care29:00 Sustaining Success in Business31:58 The Challenge of Sustaining Performance33:50 Learning from Failure36:09 Reframing Failure as Feedback38:58 The Ripple Effect of Negativity39:59 Ingredients for Effective Conversations44:05 Mastering Sales Conversations45:47 Overcoming Rejection in SalesJessica's master class https://www.eventbrite.com/e/exactly-what-to-say-the-masterclass-tickets-1234794636999?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Thrive Reality co. https://thriverealtyco.com/

David Cronenwett is the owner of Helena Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and a third-degree black belt under American Jiu-Jitsu legend Rafael Lovato Jr. David started his Jiu-Jitsu journey in Seattle in 1996, back when finding a place to train was like stumbling upon a secret society. Over the years, he's not only refined his own game but has shared this art with hundreds of students in Montana's capital city since opening his academy in 2016. But David's path to Jiu-Jitsu wasn't exactly a straight shot. He grew up in New Jersey, made his way west to study classical guitar at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle right as the grunge scene was taking over, and eventually found himself in Montana, drawn by the wilderness and a deep-rooted need for something more. That “something more” turned out to be a mix of conservation work, backcountry living, and, of course, Jiu-Jitsu—an art that would come to define much of his life. In this conversation, we go deep into the philosophy of Jiu-Jitsu: why it grabs certain people and won't let go, how it humbles you, how it teaches you to remain calm under pressure, and how it can serve as a vehicle for self-improvement. But beyond that, we explore how Jiu-Jitsu teaches lessons that stretch far beyond the mats—lessons about patience, resilience, adaptability, and how to wisely face challenges in life. We also talk about the importance of culture in an academy, how a good training environment can shape people beyond the gym, and how the shared purpose and community of Jiu-Jitsu has a way of bringing together folks from all walks of life. And for those of you who might be on the fence about trying Jiu-Jitsu, David has plenty to say about why it's never too late to start and how it can change not just how you move, but how you see the world. So whether you're a seasoned grappler or just curious about what makes this martial art so addictive, there's a lot to learn from this conversation. Enjoy! --- Helena Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/david-cronenwett/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 2:15 - Getting to know David 4:30 - Seattle to Montana 6:30 - And from music to conservation 7:45 - Early outdoor interests 10:00 - First Jiu-Jitsu memories 12:30 - Getting into Jiu-Jitsu 16:30 - What is it about Jiu-Jitsu? 21:00 - Community on the mat 26:45 - Importance of having new trainees 29:45 - Where the growth happens 31:30 - Maintaining culture 35:30 - Lessons from practicing and teaching 42:30 - Obsessive types 45:15 - Not for the bullies 47:30 - Maintaining the practice as life goes on 53:30 - Self-defense as an insurance policy 1:01:00 - What Jiu-Jitsu gives you 1:04:45 - Losing ego 1:08:45 - Peaks and valleys 1:12:30 - Not about the belts 1:14:45 - Book recs 1:21:30 - Thoughts on therapy 1:23:45 - Parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Rise of The Jellyfish shares the story behind their unique name, the importance of branding, and how mentorship (especially from Wongo (Box of Cats)) has shaped their career. They discuss launching their own label for sustainability, balancing music and business, and Edmonton's house music scene.They highlight the grind required to succeed, even for celebrities, and break down the year-and-a-half evolution of their track with FOOTWURK, "Wait." Collaboration efficiency, personal travel experiences (22 countries), and Edmonton's best food spot.The episode closes with "Wait" dropping April 11th on HustleTrax and a reminder to believe in yourself. Follow ROTJ on Spotify, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Twitch.Episode Show Notes & Timestamps – Interview with Rise of the Jellyfish0:00-1:20 – Introduction to the episode and ROTJ. The story behind their name, born from a bonfire conversation and inspired by SpongeBob.1:20-3:00 – The importance of a unique artist name for SEO and branding. ROTJ ensured their name stood out and wasn't already in use.3:00-6:30 – The value of mentorship. ROTJ has been mentored by Wongo (Box of Cats) for five years.6:30-9:30 – Advice for aspiring artists: Stay open to feedback and build a strong community. ROTJ has benefited from multiple mentors.9:30-12:00 – Mentorship extends beyond music to the business side. ROTJ runs their own record label.12:00-15:00 – The advantages of launching a label early: sustainability, career-pushing gigs, and diversifying income streams.15:00-17:30 – ROTJ is based in Edmonton, Alberta. A look at Canada's house music scene.17:30-20:00 – ROTJ's background: From university athlete to music artist. The importance of grinding and doing what others won't.20:00-22:00 – Even high-profile celebrities must put in the work to succeed in a new career.22:00-25:00 – The story behind ROTJ's track with FOOTWURK, "Wait," which evolved over a year and a half.25:00-28:00 – Collaboration process with FOOTWURK. Keeping creative exchanges efficient—aiming for a maximum of three sessions.28:00-31:00 – Get to know AJ: Travel experiences (22 countries) and family background.31:00-34:00 – Best thing to eat in Edmonton? Bao.34:00-35:00 – "Wait" drops on HustleTrax on April 11th.35:00-37:00 – Parting words of wisdom: Believe in yourself and acknowledge your accomplishments.37:00-39:00 – Where to find ROTJ: Spotify, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Twitch.39:00-end – Closing remarks and a call to action to follow Rise of the Jellyfish. 

What if you could reach financial independence in your 20s? This week on Invest2FI, we welcome Courtney Frazee, a young and determined real estate investor from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Courtney started her journey at 20 years old, turning a rental dilemma into a profitable house-hacking strategy. She shares how she scaled from her first house hack to a thriving rental portfolio, all while living behind a curtain to maximize her investments. In this episode, Courtney opens about her unconventional path, the financial risks she took, and the lessons she learned about property management, tenant screening, and leveraging resources. Her story is a testament to financial resilience, strategic investing, and making sacrifices for long-term rewards. Courtney's journey proves that financial independence is possible with determination, creativity, and the right strategy. Tune in to hear her firsthand experiences and gain insights into making real estate work for you! PODCAST HIGHLIGHTS:[02:19] Courtney's unexpected start in real estate after a friend backed out.  [05:07] Learning to house hack: renting out rooms while living behind a curtain.  [10:22] Buying her first home and financing it with a low down payment.  [12:48] How she handled tenant screening and lease agreements successfully.  [16:02] Managing unexpected roommate challenges and ensuring rental income stability.  [21:35] Transitioning to her second property and overcoming financing obstacles.  [25:20] Key lessons learned from handling maintenance and property management.  [28:45] Scaling her real estate portfolio and shifting her mindset for success.  [30:58] The impact of rising interest rates and how it affected her strategy.  [32:15] Moving from pure profitability to comfort while still house hacking.  [33:52] Parting words of wisdom for the listeners.  [34:31] Final hour discussion on lessons learned and next steps.   [37:25] The importance of risk-taking and getting comfortable with the unknown.  [39:08] Advice for new investors: Start now, stay consistent, and keep learning. HOST Craig Curelop   

The Cognitive Crucible is a forum that presents different perspectives and emerging thought leadership related to the information environment. The opinions expressed by guests are their own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of or endorsement by the Information Professionals Association. During this episode, John Cappello emphasized the importance of collaboration and sharing experiences in the Western United States to combat disinformation and influence social dynamics. He suggested several research areas, including the use of disinformation in the Western Balkans, the impact of disinformation on trust in institutions, and effective strategies for countering disinformation. John also encouraged interested students or researchers to reach out to him for potential collaboration. He recommended the book "Parting the Curtain" by Walter Hickson for a better understanding of the challenges faced in the region. Recording Date: 11 Feb 2025 Research Question: John Cappello suggests an interested student or researcher examine the disinformation tactics actors use within the Balkan region and which strategies have been successful to counter these efforts. Resources: Balkan Security Network Halyard Mission Foundation Parting the Curtain: Propaganda, Culture, and the Cold War, 1945-1961 by Walter L. Hixson Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History by Robert D. Kaplan Tim Judah Noel Malcolm Link to full show notes and resources Guest Bio: John Cappello, a 25-year veteran of the United States Air Force, is a founding partner and Chief Operations Officer of the Balkan Security Network (BSN). Specializing in defense and security issues, with a focus on hybrid warfare and information operations in the Western Balkans, his experience includes serving as Defense Attaché in Belgrade, Serbia, and U.S. Air Force Attaché in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Balkan Security Network specializes in defense and security information projects and disinformation analysis in the Western Balkans, providing fact-based news and analysis on these issues. BSN's content is published across the region. John is also the president of the Halyard Mission Foundation. Founded in 2015 the goal of the Foundation is to educate, commemorate, and increase awareness of the Halyard Mission, the rescue of over 500 US airmen during WWII, and the role the Serbs played in the success of the mission. About: The Information Professionals Association (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the role of information activities, such as influence and cognitive security, within the national security sector and helping to bridge the divide between operations and research. Its goal is to increase interdisciplinary collaboration between scholars and practitioners and policymakers with an interest in this domain. For more information, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. Or, connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell, on LinkedIn. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, 1) IPA earns from qualifying purchases, 2) IPA gets commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

BIO: Elvi Caperonis is a former Harvard University Analyst and Technical Program Manager at Amazon and LinkedIn's top Voice and a career strategist who has mastered the art of storytelling to create a six-figure personal brand on LinkedIn.STORY: Elvi decided to be her own boss and started an e-commerce business for which she had no knowledge or passion. It turned out to be a nightmare that cost her $30,000.LEARNING: If you don't have passion for something, don't do it. Happiness and delivering value should be the ultimate goal, not just making money. “Yes, you want to start a business. But first, sit back and ask yourself, “Will I enjoy this? Is this going to tell the story that I want to live in the world?”Elvi Caperonis Guest profileElvi Caperonis is a former Harvard University Analyst and Technical Program Manager at Amazon and LinkedIn's top Voice and a career strategist who has mastered the art of storytelling to create a six-figure personal brand on LinkedIn.With a track record of helping job seekers land their dream jobs and supporting millions across the globe through her content on Linkedin, Elvi Caperonis has become the go-to expert for those looking to build a personal brand and land their dream job.The ability to connect with her audience through storytelling and content strategies has made an impact and helped build her brand. Elvi is passionate about helping and inspiring others to achieve results similar to hers.Land Your Dream Job and Succeed 10X Faster!: Access the same strategies that transformed my career Growth by landing jobs at top companies like Harvard University and Amazon—all for a fraction of the price.Worst investment everA few years ago, Elvi decided she wanted to be an entrepreneur and her own boss. She discussed it with her husband, who was very supportive. Elvi chose to launch an E-commerce business. She had heard many people say it was a fun and profitable business and believed she could do it.Elvi took an online course and started learning about E-commerce and how to do it step by step. She did her due diligence. Unfortunately, Elvi didn't have a passion for E-commerce. It was a lot of work, and it was a nightmare at the end because she was putting in a lot of hours and didn't turn a profit. She lost about $30,000 in that business.Lessons learnedIf you don't have passion for something, question yourself 1,000 times before starting that business. Passion allows you to tell a story that resonates with your customers.Learn from people who have done it before and get a mentor.If you don't have experience in the kind of business you want to start, don't go all in; be agile and try to sell a few units of your product, then double down as you continue to grow and adapt.Happiness and delivering value should be the ultimate goal, not just making money.Andrew's takeawaysWhatever job or business you start, ensure it's built around the core thing you do naturally today.No.1 goal for the next 12 monthsElvi's number one goal for the next 12 months is to spend more time with her kids, husband, mom, sisters, aunts, and whole family.Parting words “Even if you cannot see it now, whatever you are going through will be okay. Just keep reminding yourself of this.”Elvi...

Helen Augare Carlson and Dylan DesRosier are leaders, community builders, and proud members of the Blackfeet Nation. Helen, the Chair of the Piikani Studies Division at Blackfeet Community College, has dedicated over two decades to education, cultural preservation, and building pathways for future generations. Dylan, the Blackfeet Program Manager with The Nature Conservancy, brings a wealth of experience in conservation work rooted in respect for Indigenous knowledge and long-term community collaboration. In addition to their official roles, they both wear many hats when it comes to serving their communities—mentoring youth, engaging in policy discussions, telling stories, and working on grassroots initiatives that strengthen cultural and environmental resilience. In this episode, we explore the profound relationships between land, language, and stewardship. Helen shares the moving story behind her Blackfoot name, Dylan reflects on his time working in Glacier National Park and how it shaped his conservation approach, and we dig into the groundbreaking Chief Mountain Initiative—an effort that weaves together conservation, education, and cultural revitalization. We also discuss the evolving role of conservation organizations, TNC's comprehensive approach to supporting Blackfeet initiatives, the importance of holistic thinking, and why Indigenous leadership is crucial for the future of land stewardship. As usual, we wrap up with some incredible book recommendations that will deepen your understanding of these topics long after the episode ends. This conversation is rich with wisdom, humor, and insight, and Helen and Dylan make quite a team, bringing their unique expertise and shared passion for their community to this important discussion. I'm so excited for you to hear it. So let's dive in—here's my conversation with Helen Augare Carlson and Dylan DesRosier. --- Helen Carlson Dylan DesRosier Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/helen-dylan/ --- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive. During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy's leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy's impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:03 - Introductions, starting with Helen 7:18 - Helen's Blackfeet names 12:18 - When to use “Blackfoot” or “Blackfeet” 13:33 - Dylan's bio and Blackfeet name 17:48 - Community health and education 23:03 - Why Dylan wanted to plug into TNC 26:48 - Blackfeet connection to land 30:33 - Helen's thoughts on TNC 36:03 - Face-to-face trust 38:48 - Chief Mountain initiative 45:48 - Measuring progress on a huge timeframe 50:48 - Progress in Helen's view 56:03 - Like biodiversity, human diversity is important, too 1:01:03 - What Dylan's learned from Helen 1:03:03 - And what Helen's learned from Dylan 1:06:33 - Book recs 1:12:33 - Parting words 1:15:03 - A Land Back addendum --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Dr. Keith Baar is a Professor at the University of California, Davis in the Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology. During his Ph.D. studies, his research revealed that mechanical strain on muscle fibers activates the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, a crucial regulator of muscular hypertrophy. Subsequently, he studied the molecular dynamics of skeletal muscle adaptation to endurance training under the guidance of Dr. John Holloszy, a legend in the field of exercise physiology, considered the father of modern exercise biochemistry. Building on all of this experience, he conducted research into tendon health and the potential for engineering ligaments, which could have implications for treatment and recovery from injuries.Sponsors:Cresset prestigious family office for CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs: https://cressetcapital.com/tim (book a call today)AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement: https://DrinkAG1.com/Tim (1-year supply of Vitamin D (and 5 free AG1 travel packs) with your first subscription purchase.)Shopify global commerce platform, providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business: https://shopify.com/tim (one-dollar-per-month trial period)*Links to everything discussed: https://tim.blog/2025/02/26/dr-keith-baar/Timestamps:[00:00:00] Start [00:07:12] How I discovered Keith's work through a tweet about tennis elbow and rock climbing.[00:07:54] Emil Abrahamsson's hangboard training protocol.[00:09:20] The fundamental principles of strength training and connective tissue adaptation.[00:10:36] mTOR complex 1 and its role in muscle growth.[00:12:06] Engineered ligaments and the discovery of minimal effective doses for tendon adaptation.[00:13:50] The refractory period between optimal tendon loading sessions.[00:16:42] Rapamycin's effects on muscle hypertrophy.[00:18:49] Protocols for tennis elbow rehabilitation.[00:20:28] Why isometrics work better than eccentrics for tendon healing.[00:22:14] Stress shielding and how load distribution affects tendon healing.[00:29:07] The misconception about eccentric loading for tendon injuries and why velocity matters.[00:29:58] Ideal duration for isometric holds (10-30 seconds) based on injury status.[00:33:50] My elbow issues and current rehab approach.[00:36:02] Overcoming vs. yielding isometrics and optimal loading strategies.[00:47:11] Dr. Barr's movement prescription for my tennis elbow.[00:52:18] Loading timing post-surgery and RICE protocol criticism.[00:56:58] Achilles tendon rehabilitation after surgery.[01:00:18] Critique of orthopedic suturing techniques and recommendation for resorbable sutures.[01:04:02] Multiple position isometrics for tennis elbow rehabilitation.[01:07:26] Collagen synthesis, supplementation, and vitamin C timing.[01:12:59] Critique of BPC-157 and other injectable peptides for tendon healing.[01:18:19] Evaluation of orthobiologics' (PRP, prolotherapy, stem cells) effectiveness.[01:21:37] JAK-STAT inhibitor drugs and their effects on tendon growth.[01:25:35] Drugs that increase risk of tendon ruptures (fluoroquinolones, AT-1 receptor drugs).[01:29:33] How estrogen affects tendon stiffness and injury risk in women.[01:32:48] Testosterone's opposite effects on tendon compared to estrogen.[01:35:31] Protein intake recommendations and timing.[01:40:11] Ketogenic diet effects on mitochondrial biogenesis and longevity.[01:41:57] Comparison of ketogenic diet, low protein diet, and rapamycin for longevity.[01:47:19] Inflammation's role in adaptation and when to reduce it.[01:51:17] Timing of ice baths relative to training for optimal recovery.[01:52:33] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim's email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim's books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

George Hodgin is a former Navy SEAL turned entrepreneur who is revolutionizing the world of medical cannabis research. George is the founder and CEO of BRC - Biopharmaceutical Research Company, one of the only federally legal cannabis research organizations in the United States. His company is leading the charge in developing safe, regulated, and scientifically-backed cannabis-based therapeutics—offering alternatives to opioids and other pharmaceutical treatments. This is George's second time on the podcast—our first conversation was almost exactly five years ago, back when his company was in its early stages, the pandemic was just beginning, and he was navigating the uncharted waters of federal cannabis regulations. Since we last spoke, BRC has made huge strides—partnering with leading medical institutions, earning FDA orphan drug designation, and paving the way for legal, cannabis-based medications. If you haven't already, I highly recommend going back and listening to that first episode, where George shares the full story of his fascinating career trajectory—his time as a Navy SEAL, his MBA at Stanford, and his undergraduate experience as a Morehead-Cain Scholar at the University of North Carolina. That conversation is a great companion to this one and provides even more insight into his unique journey. In this episode, George and I dive into the evolution of BRC, the shifting cultural and political landscape around cannabis, and what it's like balancing an entrepreneurial mindset with the slow, methodical world of federal drug approval. We also talk leadership, risk assessment in business and combat, humility vs arrogance, and what it's been like to watch his wife, bestselling author and culinary powerhouse Caroline Chambers, build an incredible career of her own. Be sure to check out the episode notes for a full list of everything we discussed, plus links to resources, books, and more. George is one of the most insightful, driven, and humble people I know, and I always learn a ton from our conversations. Whether you're interested in business, science, leadership, or just a great story of perseverance and innovation, this episode has something for you. Hope you enjoy! --- George Hodgin Biopharmaceutical Research Company George's first M&P episode Caroline Chambers Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/george-hodgin-2/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 2:36 – Reconnecting with George 3:51 – George's BRC elevator pitch 6:51 – City of Hope collaboration 10:36 – Choosing partnerships and plans 13:36 – What makes a successful idea 16:06 – Company mechanics 18:21 – Energy balance 22:06 – Cannabis in the name 23:51 – Cannabis sentiments culturally shifting 26:36 – But not legally 28:06 – Regulations and competition 32:21 – Different schedules of drugs 36:36 – Betting on the idea versus the team 41:21 – Risk framework 46:51 – When do you stop planning? 51:06 – Favorite failure 55:36 – Not seeing the forest for the trees 59:06 – Does cockiness play a role? 1:02:06 – George's wife's cooking journey 1:07:06 – General Mattis' influence 1:08:51 – Book recs 1:11:06 – Parting words, asking Ed a question --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

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Betsy Gaines Quammen is a Montana-based historian and writer whose work explores the history and myths of the American West and how those stories have endured and shaped life in the region today. Betsy joined me on the podcast several years ago to discuss her amazing book, American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, and Public Lands in the West, and since then, she's published another must-read: True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America. In True West, Betsy meets face-to-face with a wide range of folks here in the West– from militia members to hardcore environmentalists– and seeks to understand why they believe what they do. Combining these conversations with her deep understanding of history, Betsy is able to demonstrate the fascinating complexity and contradictions that define many of the people and issues in today's West. We recorded this conversation on stage at the 2024 Old Salt Festival, where Betsy was nice enough to join us for the three-day festival of music, food, and conversation. As you'll hear me say in the episode, Betsy and her work have played a huge role in my never-ending quest to try and understand this region, and I consider her to be a great friend and mentor. But even if you don't have any interest in the West's history or modern-day conflicts, there are big lessons to be learned from Betsy's approach to her work. She is committed to finding the humanity in everyone– even people she completely disagrees with. Rather than attack them and their ideas, she approaches them with genuine curiosity, really trying to understand what they believe and why. And even when no common ideological ground can be found, there is still mutual respect. And I think most people will agree that we need more of these types of respectful interactions these days. In this conversation, we talk a bit about Betsy's background and why she is so fascinated with understanding myths and the West. We talk about her commitment to having deep conversations with people across political and socio-economic spectrums, and she describes one of the unlikely friendships she built with a man whose views on politics, public lands, and the environment could not be further from her own. We discuss the importance of getting off the internet and having face-to-face conversations, how real estate development is changing the ecology and economics of the West, her thoughts on the future, and more. We also took questions from the audience, which was a lot of fun. Again, I can't thank Betsy enough for joining me onstage for this conversation, but more importantly, for the wisdom she has shared with me over the years. If you haven't read True West, I encourage you to pick up a copy as soon as you can, and I'd also encourage you to listen to our first conversation, where Betsy talks a lot about her life and career journey. And tickets for the 2025 Old Salt Festival are on sale now, so if you'd like to experience conversations like this in person– plus music, food, Western makers, and more– follow the link in the episode notes to grab your tickets. --- Betsy Gaines Quammen True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America American Zion: Cliven Bundy, God, and Public Lands in the West Old Salt Festival Betsy's first M&P appearance Sign up for Ed's Good News from the American West Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/betsy-gaines-quammen-2/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:15 - Introducing Betsy at Old Salt 7:45 - Why the West? 10:15 - Discussing myths 14:15 - Betsy talks across the aisle 17:30 - Betsy's relationship with Lance 19:45 - Lance's email 23:15 - Creating conversations outside the internet 26:00 - Real estate development in the West 30:00 - Covid as a catalyst 34:30 - Predicting the future 35:45 - Q&A 39:15 - Should we trust the government? 41:30 - Lance's takeaways 43:30 - A ‘real' Montanan 49:45 - Our energy future 53:00 - Parting thoughts --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts  

Chris Pague is the Senior Conservation Ecologist at The Nature Conservancy, and he is deeply involved in so many of the topics we discuss here on the podcast– grasslands, bison, endangered species, landscape-scale conservation, and more. For many decades now, Chris has been working on the frontlines of TNC's science-based conservation efforts, and during his tenure, he's accumulated a mind-blowing amount of knowledge about everything from the tiniest prairie plants to the plains' largest mammals. But what makes Chris so special is his ability to translate complex ecology into inspiring, impactful stories– stories that resonate with everyone from the most committed conservationists to people who are just beginning to learn about the West's wild places. Chris grew up in Virginia, and for as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with the outdoors, wild creatures, and all varieties of plants. He eventually moved West to take a job in Colorado with the Nature Conservancy, where he's been an invaluable member of the team ever since. I personally credit Chris for helping me in my own journey to understand the importance of grasslands and connected landscapes across the Southern High Plains, thanks to a presentation Chris gave at an event I was attending over a decade ago. I know there are countless other folks just like me who credit Chris with helping them to better understand and appreciate pressing conservation issues— and more importantly, to take action. Between his on-the-ground ecology work and his gift of storytelling, it's difficult to fully wrap my head around the scale of the positive impact Chris has had over his career. So, I was long overdue in having Chris join me for a podcast conversation. We could've talked for many hours, but in this chat, we still managed to cover a lot, including: Chris's upbringing in Virginia and some of our shared favorite Virginia landscapes; his decision to move to Colorado; the decades-long shift in thinking around grasslands conservation; the importance of storytelling to communicate critical science, TNC's Southern High Plains initiative; optimism and the wisdom of Ted Lasso; partnerships and relationships; favorite books, and much more. Be sure to visit the episode webpage for a full list of topics discussed, links to everything, and a new short film that features Chris and some of the landscapes he works to protect. A huge thanks to Chris for this wonderful conversation, but more importantly, thanks to Chris for his many decades of inspiring work. Enjoy. --- Chris Pague TNC's Southern High Plains Initiative Short Film: Connecting the Big Wide Open Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/chris-pague/ --- This episode is brought to you in partnership with the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy and TNC chapters throughout the Western United States. Guided by science and grounded by decades of collaborative partnerships, The Nature Conservancy has a long-standing legacy of achieving lasting results to create a world where nature and people thrive. During the last week of every month throughout 2025, Mountain & Prairie will be delving into conversations with a wide range of The Nature Conservancy's leaders, partners, collaborators, and stakeholders, highlighting the myriad of conservation challenges, opportunities, and solutions here in the American West and beyond. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy's impactful work in the West and around the world, visit www.nature.org --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 3:45 - Introducing Chris 8:30 - Chris's favorite Virginia spots 9:45 - Making the decision to work for TNC 12:45 - Grassland evolution 17:30 - Why are grasslands important? 21:15 - Science and storytelling 24:15 - 50 years of land conservation history 28:00 - TNC's Southern High Plains Initiative 35:15 - Protecting land 42:30 - Keep or sell? 47:45 - Building relationships 52:45 - Ted Lasso and optimism 56:45 - Increase in partnerships 58:45 - What Chris is excited about 1:03:45 - Book recs 1:06:45 - Parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Nicole Qualtieri is an outdoor writer and editor, a conservationist, and a committed outdoorswoman. Over the past decade, she's worked with some of the most notable brands in the outdoor industry, including MeatEater, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and GearJunkie, and she has bylines with many well-known outdoor publications, such as Outside, Modern Huntsman, and Backcountry Journal. But despite being plugged in with many of the best names in the outdoor business, she and a few creative friends decided to go out on a limb and start their own outdoor publication– one that focuses on substance over clickbait, depth and vulnerability over the silly quest for virality and search engine optimization. The name of the project is The Westrn, and it combines the best parts of online writing and journalism with a printed, hold-it-in-your-hands newspaper that ships to subscribers four times per year. As you'll hear Nicole describe, the topics covered by The Westrn's include hunting, conservation, and a wide range of outdoor adventure. But the deeper point of it all is to build a tight-knit community of engaged outdoor enthusiasts of all stripes, who appreciate the value of nuanced writing, thinking, and publishing. As many legacy outdoor media brands have become controlled by private equity and now focus on scalability over creativity and quality, the role of people like Nicole and her partners at the Westrn are all the more important— they are taking a real risk to make the Westrn a reality, and I greatly admire their vision and commitment to action. Nicole and I connected online– she was at her home in Anaconda, Montana and I was here in Colorado Springs– and we had an enlightening conversation filled with lots of laughs about her fascinating life, career, and the creation of The Westrn. We discussed her upbringing in what she describes as a high-control religious cult and how hunting and the outdoors were her way of working through some of that childhood trauma. We discussed her non-traditional career path, which included a stint as a stand-up comic, and how she worked her way into the outdoor industry. We discuss the importance of hard work, preparation, and grinding, and how self-confidence is generated from those activities. We discuss the current state of the outdoor media industry, the financial challenges of making it as a freelancer, her writing process, contentment vs happiness, favorite books, and of course, her goals for The Westrn. Nicole was also kind enough to offer some discount codes for M&P listeners, so follow the appropriate links in the episode notes or on the website to get 20% off annual memberships to The Westrn and/or 20% off single issues of the print newspaper. A huge thanks to Nicole for the conversation and thank you for listening. Enjoy! --- Nicole Qualtieri The Westrn 20% Discount off the Annual Subscription Link for M+P Listeners will auto-populate discount:  https://www.thewestrn.com/mtnprairie 20% Off Pre-Order Single Issues:  Use link to use code: https://thewestrnstore.com/discount/MTNPRAIRIE?redirect=%2Fproducts%2Fthe-westrn-individual-issue Or use code MTNPRAIRIE Ed's Book Recommendations Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/nicole-qualtieri/ --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 4:30 - Nicole and Ed's first convo (shared Roadhouse appreciation) 6:15 - Nicole's background 8:15 - How writing's been a part of Nicole's life 13:15 - Getting out West 16:30 - College degrees 19:15 - On writing On Killing Animals 21:00 - The grind and the craft 28:00 - Taking the pain 30:15 - Outside's rejection of On Killing Animals 34:45 - The corporatization of outdoor media 44:30 - The Westrn 54:30 - Taking a good idea and running with it 59:45 - Etymology of happy 1:02:30 - Nicole's book recs 1:07:00 - Parting words --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Tonight, my special guest is Rev. Barry Downing who's here to discuss why he believes aliens pulled off some miracles mentioned in the Bible.At Mysterious Radio, we're on an exciting journey to create a space fully supported by our amazing fans, moving away from advertisements altogether! We're thrilled to offer our content exclusively to our wonderful community of Patreon members and Apple Subscribers. You'll get to enjoy every episode without any pesky ads, and we can share our shows with you without any censorship. Plus, joining us unlocks over 900 bonus segments and episodes that will blow your mind! While the price is set to rise to $9.99, you can jump on board right now for just $5, and that's forever! Come be part of The Brain Trust now.Follow Our Other ShowsFollow UFO WitnessesFollow Crime Watch WeeklyFollow Paranormal FearsFollow Seven: Disturbing Chronicle StoriesJoin our Patreon for ad-free listening and more bonus content.Follow us on Instagram @mysteriousradioFollow us on TikTok mysteriousradioTikTok Follow us on Twitter @mysteriousradio Follow us on Pinterest pinterest.com/mysteriousradio Like us on Facebook Facebook.com/mysteriousradio]   The Reverend Barry Downing's credentials are impressive, adding scholarly weight to his theories regarding anomalous and miraculous events as portrayed in the Old and New Testaments. Downing holds a Ph.D. in the relation between religion and science from the University of Edinburgh of Scotland. He also has a bachelor's degree in physics from New York's Hartwick College as well as a degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Dr. Downing has studied the Bible most of his life. . .  Not unusual for a pastor, but what makes his evangelistic career unique is that he has also studied the UFO phenomena since the mid-1950s. The combination of both pursuits resulted in the 1968 publication of his controversial book, “The Bible and Flying Saucers,” which would lay important groundwork regarding the blending of the divine with the theory that earth has been visited by extraterrestrials in ancient times and that these visitations continue to this day. This work is his long awaited sequel in which he expands upon the polemic issues previously put forth, including that the –  ** Parting of the Red Sea in the Bible's Exodus was accomplished by a cylindrical UFO, a cigars haped ship whose kind is still reported.  ** That Jesus was an extraterrestrial sent to earth to rid the world of sin and wickedness, quoting Biblical text to support his claim.  ** That Jesus left earth in a spaceship to another planet, or perhaps another spatial dimension.  ** That angels were actually aliens and that the “angelic aliens” spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai where he boarded a UFO to receive the Ten Commandments and specifications for the construction of the Tabernacle. It was aliens who guided the ancient Israelites, providing them with manna in the wilderness.  ** In the modern world, Downing contends with mainstream religion's refusal to take the subject seriously. Christian liberals don't want to hear the miracles of the Bible were real and Christian conservatives don't want the miracles credited to simple aliens in flying saucers.