Podcasts about pivoting

In this episode of Living Off Rentals, Mike and Caroline Neubauer of the Our Family Invests podcast join us to share how they built financial freedom through real estate investing and short-term rentals in Maui. Starting with an ADU on their primary home, they eventually built a short-term rental business that allowed Mike to leave the fire department. Along the way, they learned some hard lessons about financing, renovations, cash flow, and building systems. Listen as Mike and Caroline share how they got started, the challenges they faced with their first short-term rental, the impacts of COVID and the Maui fire, and how having a clear family goal helped them keep moving forward. Enjoy the show! Key Takeaways: [00:00] Introducing Mike and Caroline Neubauer [03:18] Building financial freedom in a really expensive market [07:52] Building an ADU on their primary residence [13:58] From being a firefighter to discovering short-term rentals in Maui [23:00] The different path to financial freedom [24:20] The lessons learned from landlording short-term rentals [26:01] Finding and purchasing their first short-term rental [29:30] How COVID affected their real estate operations [31:09] Pivoting their short-term rentals during COVID [33:36] Investing remotely and funding new properties [40:44] Deciding when to leave the fire department [46:18] How their real estate goals have changed [48:18] Moving toward more passive investments [53:16] Choosing properties based on location and lifestyle [55:51] Mike's experience with the Maui fires [01:00:59] The impact of the Lahaina fire [01:03:06] Mike and Caroline's advice for those starting in real estate investing [01:04:20] Connect with Mike and Caroline Neubauer [01:05:13] Outro Guest Links:  Website: https://ourfamilyinvests.com/  Show Links: Living Off Rentals YouTube Channel – youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentals  Living Off Rentals YouTube Podcast Channel - youtube.com/c/LivingOffRentalsPodcast  Living Off Rentals Facebook Group – facebook.com/groups/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals Website – https://www.livingoffrentals.com/  Living Off Rentals Instagram – instagram.com/livingoffrentals  Living Off Rentals TikTok – tiktok.com/@livingoffrentals  Want to start investing in short-term rentals? Book a call to see if my STR Blueprint program is a good fit for you: livingoffrentals.com/call   

Investor Q&A: Garden Suites, Ontario Real Estate, Exit Plans & More Today's episode of the Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show is a full investor Q&A. Wayne and Gabby answer questions live from Canadian real estate investors about: How to eventually exit a real estate portfolio Capital gains and tax planning When to use a financial planner Ontario real estate investing Variable vs fixed mortgage rates Corporations and rental properties Saskatchewan real estate Garage door replacement costs Assignment deals Edmonton garden suites And how investors can use education to recognize opportunities faster The biggest theme throughout today's show is simple: Ask better questions, get better information, and keep moving forward. What Does an Exit Plan From Real Estate Look Like? Craig asks: What is a realistic exit plan when you're done investing in real estate? Or are you ever actually done? Wayne's answer depends heavily on what the investor wants next. Some investors may want to: Sell everything Convert the portfolio into cash Move into lower-maintenance investments Create retirement income Keep real estate but simplify Hand assets down to family Continue holding for cash flow If the plan is to fully liquidate, Wayne recommends building the plan with the right professionals before selling. That could include: An investor-focused accountant A qualified financial planner A wealth-planning professional A real estate coach who understands long-term portfolio planning The key is knowing what the money is supposed to do after the properties are sold. Don't Forget the Tax Bill Wayne emphasizes that investors should not assume every dollar from a property sale becomes spendable cash. There may be: Capital gains tax Capital cost allowance recapture Legal fees Realtor commissions Mortgage discharge costs Other closing costs If you sell several properties at once, those tax implications can become significant. Talk to an investor-focused accountant before liquidating so you know what your actual net proceeds will be. Selling Is Easy. Planning What Happens Next Is Harder. The mechanics of selling real estate are relatively straightforward. Hire the appropriate broker or realtor. List the properties. Sell them. The harder part is deciding what happens to the capital afterward. If somebody sells a portfolio and ends up with several million dollars, they need to know whether that money is intended to: Grow. Generate income. Preserve wealth. Fund retirement. Support family. Or move into another investment vehicle. The answer should be based on the investor's goals, not a generic product recommendation. Be Careful Who You Take Financial Advice From Wayne also warns investors to be cautious with titles like: "Wealth planner." "Investment strategist." "Financial expert." A title does not automatically mean somebody has real experience. Make sure the person has actual qualifications and understands what you are trying to accomplish. The goal should be building the right plan, not simply moving your money into whatever product that person happens to sell. Kyla and Fabian Complete Their First Assignment Deal Kyla shares a big win during the live show. She and Fabian recently completed their first wholesale assignment. The deal came through a lead-generation system they originally built to find properties for their own fix-and-flip business. Normally they would have purchased the property, renovated it, and sold it. Instead, they recognized a different opportunity. They assigned the contract to another investor for: $10,000. No renovation. No construction risk. No holding costs. No resale risk. Just fast cash. Wayne explains that this is exactly what happens when investors understand multiple strategies. As Barry McGuire says: "If you understand the strategies, you recognize the opportunities." Pivoting vs Giving Up Wayne also talks about why he generally dislikes the word "pivot." Too often, people use "pivot" to describe quitting when something gets difficult. They start moving toward one goal. Hit resistance. Then change direction. Hit resistance again. Change direction again. Eventually they never reach any destination. That is different from recognizing a genuinely better path. Kyla and Fabian were not abandoning their business. They recognized that assigning the contract produced a faster, easier return with less risk. That is not quitting. That is making a better business decision. Garage Door Replacement Costs A live viewer asks about the rough cost of replacing a garage door. Wayne estimates approximately: Single garage door supplied and installed: $2,000–$2,700 plus applicable tax Insulated double garage door supplied and installed: Approximately $2,700–$3,500 plus applicable tax Labour-only costs may vary significantly by contractor and location. These are rough estimates and should be confirmed locally. Would Wayne Invest in Ontario? Another listener asks: What do you think about Ontario real estate? Would you invest there? Wayne's short answer: He has researched it. But he does not personally want to operate a rental-property business there. The biggest issue is not necessarily the individual property. It is the regulatory environment. One of Wayne's core investment fundamentals is investing in a jurisdiction that supports the operation of the business. If the landlord and tenant laws create too much operational risk, that can be enough for Wayne to move on. Real Estate Is a Business Wayne explains the distinction again: He is not simply buying an asset and hoping it goes up in value. He is operating a rental business inside that asset. That means the laws governing the business matter. If the province limits: Rent increases Lease termination Enforcement Non-payment remedies Control over the asset Then that becomes a major part of the investment risk. Ontario Real Estate Is in an "Ice Age" Wayne describes much of Ontario's real estate market as being in an "ice age" right now. That does not mean every market in Ontario is identical. It means affordability has become severely disconnected from property values in many areas. After the pandemic, very low borrowing costs and pent-up demand caused prices to accelerate rapidly. Prices then moved beyond what many households could realistically afford. Now the market needs time to rebalance. Wayne believes the long-term opportunity may return, but affordability, borrowing costs and income all need to move back into a healthier relationship. Garden Suites Explained Another listener asks: How do garden suites work? A garden suite is an additional residential unit built on the same property as an existing house. It can be: Ground-level Above a garage A garage suite A duplex-style garden suite Multiple units, where municipal rules allow The exact rules depend on the municipality. Edmonton's Garden Suite Opportunity Wayne explains that Edmonton currently offers a very unusual opportunity because recent zoning changes allow multiple garden-suite units on certain lots. This allows investors to do something that is not currently possible in the same way in most Canadian cities. Instead of simply building one small backyard suite, investors may be able to create: Duplex garden suites Multiple ground-level suites Multi-unit garage suites Four-plex garden suites Wayne and his team recently completed their first four-plex garden-suite project. Why Wayne Built Edmonton Garden Suites Wayne explains that he began developing this strategy when he saw traditional investment opportunities becoming harder to find. He spent approximately two years working through: Design Zoning Permits Construction Builder selection Cost control Financing Appraisal strategy Rental projections The result became Edmonton Garden Suites. Four-Plex Garden Suites Wayne says the multi-unit model is where the investment economics become substantially more attractive. Rather than building one unit in the backyard, multiple units create much more rental income. Wayne says certain projects may be able to create approximately: $250,000 in equity upon completion with some projects potentially creating even more. He also discusses potential cash flow of more than: $1,500 per month when the right property, development model and financing are used. These results are project-specific and depend heavily on acquisition cost, construction cost, financing, appraisal, rents and execution. Edmonton Garden Suites Is a Limited Window Wayne believes this opportunity exists because of current City of Edmonton zoning rules. Those rules can change. If the city changes the rules in the future, the strategy may no longer be available in its current form. That is why Wayne sees the current period as a window of opportunity. For more information: www.edmontongardensuites.com Should Rental Properties Be Owned in a Corporation? A listener asks: How many rental properties should you own before creating a corporation? Wayne's answer: Zero. For passive rental properties, Wayne generally prefers personal ownership or joint ventures using personal ownership where possible. His view is that corporate ownership often creates less favourable tax treatment for passive rental income. He says corporate ownership can become relevant when an investor can no longer qualify personally or when the structure is required for another reason. Before making any ownership decision, investors should speak with a qualified accountant and lawyer about their specific situation. Variable or Fixed Rates? A listener asks whether they should move out of variable-rate mortgages. Wayne explains that he personally remains in variable mortgages. He does not present that as a recommendation for everyone. The correct financing decision depends on: Risk tolerance Cash flow Portfolio structure Time horizon Future purchases Mortgage terms Personal financial situation Tomorrow's Morning Show will feature investor-focused mortgage broker Keaton Kirkwood to discuss rising fixed rates and how investors can prepare their portfolios. What About Saskatchewan? Wayne says he likes Saskatchewan. He believes Regina and Saskatoon can offer strong real estate and rental fundamentals. But if he compared Saskatchewan with Alberta today, he would still choose Alberta. His reasoning is simple: If two markets are relatively close in quality, Wayne prefers investing in the market that currently produces the strongest overall result. He will continue investing there until that changes. Then he will move to the next market. Tomorrow: Rising Interest Rates Tomorrow's Morning Show will feature: Keaton Kirkwood of Kirkwood & Brennan Mortgage Group The conversation will focus on rising fixed mortgage rates and what real estate investors can do to: Protect cash flow Prepare for renewals Structure financing Continue buying Avoid letting higher borrowing costs derail the long-term plan REI Masters Mentorship Work directly with Wayne and Gabby on acquisitions, financing, market selection, joint ventures, wholesaling, property management, garden suites and building a profitable Canadian real estate portfolio. www.reimasters.ca Edmonton Garden Suites Learn more about Wayne's multi-unit Edmonton garden suite strategy: www.edmontongardensuites.com The 5% Rule™ Learn Wayne Hillier's rental-property cash-flow framework. Search The 5% Rule by Wayne Hillier on Amazon. Watch the Morning Show Join Wayne and Gabby every weekday morning at 7:00 AM Mountain Time on YouTube. Follow Wayne Hillier – Real Estate Investing Coach on YouTube. Questions: info@reimorningshow.com Upcoming Event REI Masters Annual Retreat Edmonton, Alberta October 17–18, 2026 www.reimasters.ca Sponsors Calvin Realty – Edmonton Investor-Focused Realtor Team www.calvinrealty.ca Finngo Bookkeeping & Tax Specialized bookkeeping and tax services for Canadian real estate investors. www.finngo.com/rei Kirkwood & Brennan Mortgage Group Investor-focused mortgage planning for Canadian real estate investors. www.kbmortgages.ca keaton@kbmortgages.ca

AI is rapidly making its way into healthcare — helping clinicians identify deteriorating patients earlier, improving hospital flow and discharge planning, reducing administrative work, and beginning to change how and where care is delivered. But as hospitals adopt more and more AI tools, a new challenge is emerging: how do you manage, monitor and govern all of it?In this episode of The Unlimited Podcast®, Brian speaks with Mara Lederman, Co-Founder of Signal 1, a healthcare technology company building the infrastructure health systems need to manage AI at scale.Brian and Mara discuss her more than two decades as a professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, her experience leading the Toronto site of the Creative Destruction Lab, and what she learned working alongside early-stage technology founders as AI began transforming industries. They also explore Mara's own leap from professor to entrepreneur: why she left academia to co-found Signal 1 with Canadian AI entrepreneur Tomi Poutanen, how the company evolved from developing individual healthcare AI applications to helping health systems manage their broader AI portfolios, and what she has learned from making the transition from advising entrepreneurs to becoming one herself.Mara Lederman is Co-Founder of Signal 1. She previously spent more than two decades on the faculty of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management and served as Site Lead of the Creative Destruction Lab in Toronto, where she worked extensively with early-stage technology companies and helped develop CDL's health-focused programming. Mara holds a PhD in economics from MIT and an undergraduate degree in economics from Western University.Timestamps0:00 Intro and Disclaimer4:38 Mara's path into academia7:46 Teaching as the world evolves11:38 Mara's role at the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)18:04 The beginning of Signal 124:55 "Pivoting" Signal 131:30 How is AI being used in healthcare?37:03 Mara's vision of future healthcare40:19 Setting students up for success47:28 If Mara could do anything, what would it be?49:50 Outro

Investor Q&A: Garden Suites, Ontario Real Estate, Exit Plans & More Today's episode of the Canadian Real Estate Investing Morning Show is a full investor Q&A. Wayne and Gabby answer questions live from Canadian real estate investors about: How to eventually exit a real estate portfolio Capital gains and tax planning When to use a financial planner Ontario real estate investing Variable vs fixed mortgage rates Corporations and rental properties Saskatchewan real estate Garage door replacement costs Assignment deals Edmonton garden suites And how investors can use education to recognize opportunities faster The biggest theme throughout today's show is simple: Ask better questions, get better information, and keep moving forward. What Does an Exit Plan From Real Estate Look Like? Craig asks: What is a realistic exit plan when you're done investing in real estate? Or are you ever actually done? Wayne's answer depends heavily on what the investor wants next. Some investors may want to: Sell everything Convert the portfolio into cash Move into lower-maintenance investments Create retirement income Keep real estate but simplify Hand assets down to family Continue holding for cash flow If the plan is to fully liquidate, Wayne recommends building the plan with the right professionals before selling. That could include: An investor-focused accountant A qualified financial planner A wealth-planning professional A real estate coach who understands long-term portfolio planning The key is knowing what the money is supposed to do after the properties are sold. Don't Forget the Tax Bill Wayne emphasizes that investors should not assume every dollar from a property sale becomes spendable cash. There may be: Capital gains tax Capital cost allowance recapture Legal fees Realtor commissions Mortgage discharge costs Other closing costs If you sell several properties at once, those tax implications can become significant. Talk to an investor-focused accountant before liquidating so you know what your actual net proceeds will be. Selling Is Easy. Planning What Happens Next Is Harder. The mechanics of selling real estate are relatively straightforward. Hire the appropriate broker or realtor. List the properties. Sell them. The harder part is deciding what happens to the capital afterward. If somebody sells a portfolio and ends up with several million dollars, they need to know whether that money is intended to: Grow. Generate income. Preserve wealth. Fund retirement. Support family. Or move into another investment vehicle. The answer should be based on the investor's goals, not a generic product recommendation. Be Careful Who You Take Financial Advice From Wayne also warns investors to be cautious with titles like: "Wealth planner." "Investment strategist." "Financial expert." A title does not automatically mean somebody has real experience. Make sure the person has actual qualifications and understands what you are trying to accomplish. The goal should be building the right plan, not simply moving your money into whatever product that person happens to sell. Kyla and Fabian Complete Their First Assignment Deal Kyla shares a big win during the live show. She and Fabian recently completed their first wholesale assignment. The deal came through a lead-generation system they originally built to find properties for their own fix-and-flip business. Normally they would have purchased the property, renovated it, and sold it. Instead, they recognized a different opportunity. They assigned the contract to another investor for: $10,000. No renovation. No construction risk. No holding costs. No resale risk. Just fast cash. Wayne explains that this is exactly what happens when investors understand multiple strategies. As Barry McGuire says: "If you understand the strategies, you recognize the opportunities." Pivoting vs Giving Up Wayne also talks about why he generally dislikes the word "pivot." Too often, people use "pivot" to describe quitting when something gets difficult. They start moving toward one goal. Hit resistance. Then change direction. Hit resistance again. Change direction again. Eventually they never reach any destination. That is different from recognizing a genuinely better path. Kyla and Fabian were not abandoning their business. They recognized that assigning the contract produced a faster, easier return with less risk. That is not quitting. That is making a better business decision. Garage Door Replacement Costs A live viewer asks about the rough cost of replacing a garage door. Wayne estimates approximately: Single garage door supplied and installed: $2,000–$2,700 plus applicable tax Insulated double garage door supplied and installed: Approximately $2,700–$3,500 plus applicable tax Labour-only costs may vary significantly by contractor and location. These are rough estimates and should be confirmed locally. Would Wayne Invest in Ontario? Another listener asks: What do you think about Ontario real estate? Would you invest there? Wayne's short answer: He has researched it. But he does not personally want to operate a rental-property business there. The biggest issue is not necessarily the individual property. It is the regulatory environment. One of Wayne's core investment fundamentals is investing in a jurisdiction that supports the operation of the business. If the landlord and tenant laws create too much operational risk, that can be enough for Wayne to move on. Real Estate Is a Business Wayne explains the distinction again: He is not simply buying an asset and hoping it goes up in value. He is operating a rental business inside that asset. That means the laws governing the business matter. If the province limits: Rent increases Lease termination Enforcement Non-payment remedies Control over the asset Then that becomes a major part of the investment risk. Ontario Real Estate Is in an "Ice Age" Wayne describes much of Ontario's real estate market as being in an "ice age" right now. That does not mean every market in Ontario is identical. It means affordability has become severely disconnected from property values in many areas. After the pandemic, very low borrowing costs and pent-up demand caused prices to accelerate rapidly. Prices then moved beyond what many households could realistically afford. Now the market needs time to rebalance. Wayne believes the long-term opportunity may return, but affordability, borrowing costs and income all need to move back into a healthier relationship. Garden Suites Explained Another listener asks: How do garden suites work? A garden suite is an additional residential unit built on the same property as an existing house. It can be: Ground-level Above a garage A garage suite A duplex-style garden suite Multiple units, where municipal rules allow The exact rules depend on the municipality. Edmonton's Garden Suite Opportunity Wayne explains that Edmonton currently offers a very unusual opportunity because recent zoning changes allow multiple garden-suite units on certain lots. This allows investors to do something that is not currently possible in the same way in most Canadian cities. Instead of simply building one small backyard suite, investors may be able to create: Duplex garden suites Multiple ground-level suites Multi-unit garage suites Four-plex garden suites Wayne and his team recently completed their first four-plex garden-suite project. Why Wayne Built Edmonton Garden Suites Wayne explains that he began developing this strategy when he saw traditional investment opportunities becoming harder to find. He spent approximately two years working through: Design Zoning Permits Construction Builder selection Cost control Financing Appraisal strategy Rental projections The result became Edmonton Garden Suites. Four-Plex Garden Suites Wayne says the multi-unit model is where the investment economics become substantially more attractive. Rather than building one unit in the backyard, multiple units create much more rental income. Wayne says certain projects may be able to create approximately: $250,000 in equity upon completion with some projects potentially creating even more. He also discusses potential cash flow of more than: $1,500 per month when the right property, development model and financing are used. These results are project-specific and depend heavily on acquisition cost, construction cost, financing, appraisal, rents and execution. Edmonton Garden Suites Is a Limited Window Wayne believes this opportunity exists because of current City of Edmonton zoning rules. Those rules can change. If the city changes the rules in the future, the strategy may no longer be available in its current form. That is why Wayne sees the current period as a window of opportunity. For more information: www.edmontongardensuites.com Should Rental Properties Be Owned in a Corporation? A listener asks: How many rental properties should you own before creating a corporation? Wayne's answer: Zero. For passive rental properties, Wayne generally prefers personal ownership or joint ventures using personal ownership where possible. His view is that corporate ownership often creates less favourable tax treatment for passive rental income. He says corporate ownership can become relevant when an investor can no longer qualify personally or when the structure is required for another reason. Before making any ownership decision, investors should speak with a qualified accountant and lawyer about their specific situation. Variable or Fixed Rates? A listener asks whether they should move out of variable-rate mortgages. Wayne explains that he personally remains in variable mortgages. He does not present that as a recommendation for everyone. The correct financing decision depends on: Risk tolerance Cash flow Portfolio structure Time horizon Future purchases Mortgage terms Personal financial situation Tomorrow's Morning Show will feature investor-focused mortgage broker Keaton Kirkwood to discuss rising fixed rates and how investors can prepare their portfolios. What About Saskatchewan? Wayne says he likes Saskatchewan. He believes Regina and Saskatoon can offer strong real estate and rental fundamentals. But if he compared Saskatchewan with Alberta today, he would still choose Alberta. His reasoning is simple: If two markets are relatively close in quality, Wayne prefers investing in the market that currently produces the strongest overall result. He will continue investing there until that changes. Then he will move to the next market. Tomorrow: Rising Interest Rates Tomorrow's Morning Show will feature: Keaton Kirkwood of Kirkwood & Brennan Mortgage Group The conversation will focus on rising fixed mortgage rates and what real estate investors can do to: Protect cash flow Prepare for renewals Structure financing Continue buying Avoid letting higher borrowing costs derail the long-term plan REI Masters Mentorship Work directly with Wayne and Gabby on acquisitions, financing, market selection, joint ventures, wholesaling, property management, garden suites and building a profitable Canadian real estate portfolio. www.reimasters.ca Edmonton Garden Suites Learn more about Wayne's multi-unit Edmonton garden suite strategy: www.edmontongardensuites.com The 5% Rule™ Learn Wayne Hillier's rental-property cash-flow framework. Search The 5% Rule by Wayne Hillier on Amazon. Watch the Morning Show Join Wayne and Gabby every weekday morning at 7:00 AM Mountain Time on YouTube. Follow Wayne Hillier – Real Estate Investing Coach on YouTube. Questions: info@reimorningshow.com Upcoming Event REI Masters Annual Retreat Edmonton, Alberta October 17–18, 2026 www.reimasters.ca Sponsors Calvin Realty – Edmonton Investor-Focused Realtor Team www.calvinrealty.ca Finngo Bookkeeping & Tax Specialized bookkeeping and tax services for Canadian real estate investors. www.finngo.com/rei Kirkwood & Brennan Mortgage Group Investor-focused mortgage planning for Canadian real estate investors. www.kbmortgages.ca keaton@kbmortgages.ca

Pivoting for SuccessExploring how to streamline work for better business outcomes.In this episode, we dive deep into the importance of pivoting in business, inspired by the iconic Dolly Parton and her insights on job sharing from the movie Nine to Five. Staci, Jennifer, and Jack discuss how identifying and addressing areas of dissatisfaction can lead to a more streamlined and fulfilling work environment.The Catalyst for ChangeStaci reflects on a pivotal moment when Jennifer expressed her frustration with the HR aspect of her salon business. This conversation sparked a transformation in how she approached her work."I hate doing this part of my business. It was the HR part." — Jennifer FaithJennifer candidly shares her journey from feeling overwhelmed by micromanagement to empowering her employees with freedom. By giving her stylists keys to the salon and flexibility over their schedules, she created a win-win situation for both her and her team.Embracing FlexibilityJennifer recounts a specific instance where one stylist, managing a busy family life, found success by working unconventional hours."She can do in two days what maybe other stylists can do in a full week." — Jennifer FaithThis approach not only improved productivity but also allowed her employees to balance their work and personal lives better. Jennifer emphasizes the importance of trust in her business model, stating:"If I don't trust you, then you just don't work for me." — Jennifer FaithThe Bigger PictureBoth Staci and Jennifer reflect on how the traditional work schedule is evolving. With more clients blending work and personal time, the salon environment is adapting to meet these changing needs.Staci notes:"To find some level of balance creates better work out of people." — Staci J DempseyThe discussion leads to a broader conversation about how businesses can support their employees in achieving a better work-life balance.Final ThoughtsThis journey underscores a critical lesson for entrepreneurs: recognizing when something isn't working and having the courage to pivot is essential for growth. As Jennifer puts it, the transformation took time, but it has led to a smoother operation where she can even take vacations without worry."I didn't get one phone call from the business, not one text message... Everything ran smoothly." — Jennifer FaithReflecting on these insights, it's clear that embracing change and fostering a culture of trust can lead to a thriving business environment.For more in-depth discussions and stories, listen to the full episode of the Business of Business Podcast!

Greetings Glocal Citizens! This week's encore episode revisits a conversation with a fellow teammate and black woman in real estate, motivational speaker, 5-time Olympian representing the Bahamas, and #ChocolateCardinal, Jacqueline "Jackie" Edwards-Flowers. As an adjunct to our collaboration with Black Women in Real Estate, which, so far taken us from London, via Nigeria and Barbados, to The South Bronx in the United States. Keeping local in the US, we're traveling across the country from New York to California, via the Bahamas (and Jamaica) where we get into real estate from the value-added perspective. With a professional background spanning competitive sports, personal training, entrepreneurship--she founded a compressions socks company, and event planning, Jackie's path in real estate is grounded in the know how and passion to apply her marketing, design and project management skills in getting to “Sold!” Be sure to continue following our #BorderlessBuilding series, back next month, with another scaffolding conversation and Pan-African women's real estate story (pun in tended

Today, I'm joined by Danny Yeung, CEO of IM8. Pivoting from diagnostics, parent company Prenetics has scaled its science-backed supplement brand co-founded with David Beckham to a $400M+ market cap with just two core SKUs. In this episode, we discuss building IM8 from the ashes of a billion-dollar collapse. We also cover: From billion-dollar IPO to $50M valuation in 18 months Simple products, simple messaging General Catalyst's revenue-based financing   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    IM8 Website: https://im8health.com/  IM8 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/im8health/    The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.   Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    (00:00) Introduction (01:31) Danny's background (01:50) Prenetics diagnostics journey (02:09) COVID testing boom and collapse (06:03) Meeting David Beckham (02:09) From $1B to $50M (08:58) Prenetics to IM8 pivot (12:28) Organizational strategy (16:22) Product development approach (27:58) Retention and data focus (25:55) Marketing and messaging (29:39) Scaling challenges (30:30) General Catalyst financing model (34:55) Product roadmap (38:11) Where to follow (39:35) Conclusion

J.J. McCarthy is now the emergency Quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings and Kevin O'Connell just might be “pivoting” his offensive philosophy in 2026. A reliance on the run game? We'll see. How does Kyler Murray impact Justin Jefferson in 2026 and welcome back Harrison Smith! The fun starts on Sunday afternoon when the Vikings host the Green Bay Packers. Purple Daily's Judd Zulgad and The Minnesota Star Tribune's Chip Scoggins are together again on Purple Access. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes, the thing you're nervous about never even happens. In this talk, I share a story about preparing for a business meeting, feeling nervous about what I had to discuss, and then watching the entire conversation pivot. It's a reminder that things can change quickly. CONQUER SHYNESS

Stop fighting over the same saturated direct-to-seller lists and start making real estate agents work for you. In this high-energy, live-action episode, Brent Daniels hits the phones to show you exactly how to bypass the competition and become the go-to cash buyer for top-producing realtors. He reveals his strategy for finding the 1,000 ugliest houses in your market, how to squad up if you need earnest money, and the top skip-tracing tools his team uses daily. Listen in as Brent makes live calls, pitches backup offers on pending deals, and expertly networks with a realtor who flips houses on the side. Be a part of the TTP training program now.---------Show notes:(0:00) Beginning of today's episode(1:45) The two absolute fastest ways to land your next wholesale deal(4:15) How to squad up with established cash buyers if you lack earnest money(5:50) The best premium skip-tracing services for tracking down elusive owners(14:36) Live Call #1 and pitching a backup cash offer on a pending property(22:20) The "Hell Island to Heaven Island" framework for choosing exit strategies(28:06) Live Call #2 and negotiating a gutted, corporate-owned listing(36:20) Pivoting your pitch when the listing agent is also an active flipper(41:20) The Top 30 strategy and why finding 30 agent partners guarantees a consistent pipeline----------Resources:TTPReal SupermarketBeenVerifiedSkip GenieWholesalinglaunch.comTo speak with Brent or one of our other expert coaches call (281) 835-4201 or schedule your free discovery call here to learn about our mentorship programs and become part of the TribeWant to know how top real estate wholesalers and investors are finding and closing deals in today's market?Join Brent Daniels, Todd Toback, Logan Fullmer, Gal Shmukler, Ryan Zolin, Brandon Jarvela and Brian North LIVE in Phoenix, October 8–9. Learn what's working now with MLS deals, novations, title deals, multifamily, raising capital, sales and negotiation.Seats are limited! Reserve yours before they're gone: https://www.wincsuperstarretreat.com/

Laura Hackney is the founder of AnnieCannons, an organisation that prepares vulnerable, overlooked people for sustainable careers in tech. Plus: The Fintech leader swapping payment platforms for a focus on women’s health.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This one starts in line at Disneyland, waiting for Rise of the Resistance, and ends with me telling you exactly how I landed on high-ticket offers as my thing.Short version: I was at Disneyland with people from my mastermind (yes, they had a spare ticket, yes, I highly recommend that kind of mastermind!), and I said out loud that I believe every single business, whether it's making $50,000 a year or a million, has at least $100,000 hiding in it in the form of a high-ticket back-end offer that they haven't built yet. One of them turned around and told me that was my signature talk. She was right.Six weeks later I was in Boise at the Kit conference, testing that line against a bunch of others. Pivoting your business model resonated, but it stalled people out; the second they pictured actually doing the work, I got the deer-in-headlights look. High-ticket back-end offers did the opposite. People turned around to see who was talking. A friend running a $400,000 membership business told me flat out she didn't want to build one but 100% agreed that people need one!That's the whole story of how I ended up here, and why you're going to hear me talk about high-ticket offers a lot from now on. I think they're the future, full stop, because the personal, high-touch, can't-outsource-it-to-an-algorithm part of your business is the part that's only getting more valuable. And I think building a name around this is going to open doors to all the other stuff I love: sales work, offer suite strategy, even the book and the speaking opportunities.In the next episode we'll talk about my client C, who went from selling an $88 product to booking $25,000 sales calls and sending off a $28K consulting proposal during the High Ticket Offer Bootcamp.More Resources:FREE REPORT: Selling High-Ticket: Strategies That Work NowDownload your free high-ticket offer examplesCreate your high-ticket offer

Learn more about Tina at: https://tinaweiss.com or follow her on her social media accounts:https://www.instagram.com/tinaweiss_author/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/tinaweissauthorhttps://www.youtube.com/@tinaweiss2744https://www.linkedin.com/in/tinaaweiss/SHOW NOTES

Don Saladino is a New York-based coach and health entrepreneur who has trained A-list clients like Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, and Blake Lively since founding Drive495 in 2005.Don Saladino has spent nearly three decades training A-list stars like Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman — and in this episode, he shares the single business lesson he wishes he'd learned sooner. He and Dr. Mike also dig into why Don closed his $2M-overhead NYC gym, how tracking respiratory rate reshaped his approach to Zone 2 training, and the sobering personal loss that changed how he views performance enhancers.Expect to learn why Don stopped over-certifying and started looking at what's leaking in his business, how he built 17 years of trust with a client like Ryan Reynolds, the real financial toll of running a NYC gym (think $1M rent and $2M overhead), what tracking respiratory rate taught him about Zone 2 training volume, his honest take on performance enhancers at 49 (natural), and the personal loss that reshaped how he views unsupervised PED use, and much more.Connect with Don:WebsiteInstagramYouTubeEpisodes you'll enjoy next:#402 — VO2 Max, Zone 2 Training & the Psychology of Human Performance — Ben Skutnik: Listen here#397 — How Elite Bodybuilders Think About Problem-Solving, Business and Nutrition with Coach Cliff Wilson: Listen hereEpisode Timestamps:2:26 — #1 Business Lesson: Stop Over-Certifying, Start Looking at What's Leaking5:43 — “Content Is King, Distribution Is the Kingdom”8:35 — Take Risks Early: Betting on Yourself Before Responsibilities Pile Up10:58 — Learning Business Over Breakfast: The NYC Advantage12:01 — The Art of Adding Value Without an Agenda13:32 — Working With Ryan Reynolds for 17 Years: Trust, Humility & Knowing You're Replaceable21:12 — What It Really Takes to Work With High-Profile Clients26:26 — Actors vs. Athletes: Which Is Harder to Train?28:39 — Performance Enhancers: Don's Honest Take at 49, Natural36:31 — Tracking Respiratory Rate & Rethinking Zone 2 Volume38:37 — Closing the NYC Gym & Pivoting to Digital43:35 — The Real Cost of Running a NYC Gym: $1M Rent, $2M Overhead44:32 — Business Lessons You Can't Learn at Harvard46:09 — The “Integrated Wellness” Facility Trend: Is Anyone Actually Getting It Right?1:05:26 — The Rise of Recovery Studios: New Happy Hour or Legit Wellness?1:08:44 — A Personal Loss & a Stark Warning on Unsupervised PED Use1:16:27 — Where to Find Don Saladino Get the Daily Fitness Insider newsletter (free): https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter

Every Episode of LOKI Revisited! Welcome back to the Road to Doomsday, the weekly Marvel rewatch podcast hosted by Erik Voss and Jessica Clemons of New Rockstars! This week, Erik and Jess revisit the the 12 episodes of LOKI on Disney+. Why is Loki the ONE Marvel Disney+ series that Marvel Studios considers “essential” for Avengers Doomsday? Join the NR Underground for exclusive audio shows: https://nrunderground.supercast.com Check out our merch! http://www.NerdRiot.shop Follow us on Spotify to get updates when we release new music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/00FXqz5AkEpUTJ1aAPj0TA CHAPTERS 00:00 - Loki on the Road to Doomsday 06:03 - Revisiting Loki Season 1 15:56 - Thoughts Revisiting Season 1 27:38 - Legacy and Doomsday 42:36 - Revisiting Loki Season 2 54:31 - Thoughts Revisiting Season 2 1:05:08 - Pivoting away from Kang to Dr Doom EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS GSavvy04 Ethan Chesters Patrick Dailey Ricardo Martinez Michael Horwitz Dante Justin Schoenrock Bro... Paulo Bianca Rick Denmon Jeremy Dunham Frederick Price Crazy Allen Kevin Dconicjxchz Follow New Rockstars​: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@newrockstars_official Instagram: ​https://instagram.com/newrockstars Facebook: ​https://facebook.com/newmediarockstars Twitter: ​https://twitter.com/newrockstars Written by: Alex Berg Head of Content & Executive Producer: Erik Voss Senior Producer: Jessica Clemons Producers: Gina Ippolito, Alex Berg, Patti Chambers Head of Sales: Zach Huddleston Podcast Producer: Brian M Kim Post Production Supervisor: Joshua Steven Hurd Staff Editor: Abby Freel Editors: Eric Gorday For business inquiries please contact business@nrdigitalstudios.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Nick is in the hot seat, breaking down his first months as Senior Vice President and COO of Real Financial.Let us know in the comments what YOU want to hear about next!Episode in a Glance:In this episode of The Nick Hiter Show, I break down my first months as Senior Vice President and COO of Real Financial. I just got back from the desert, where we rolled out the entire new business model in front of more than half the field force at a two day training event, and I share what I saw up close: a president and CEO who wakes up, has a cup of coffee and goes to the office until bed, a building with people everywhere, and a master class in handling problems without losing it. We get into proximity and why being in that environment felt like a big league clubhouse, the Tim Corbin line that separates rules from standards, the six core values that are all number one, the three KPIs that decide whether Real Financial grows, and why anything that does not check all three boxes does not get considered. We talk about what chaos does for character when a church goes from a couple hundred people to thousands in months. Then it gets personal: the Lincoln quote about chopping off a limb to save the tree and what I had to change about the Hitstreak, why I now ask "why would I put you on?", learning to be a distribution channel instead of a doer, the leader who does not negotiate with himself, and my son Ethan, 17, owning his calendar, speaking on stage and staying home alone for the first time.Key Points:- Proximity matters. You get fed in environments like that, and you have to add enough value to stay in the room.- Rules are for people who can't follow directions. Standards are for people who aspire to do special things.- Six core values, all number one: do what's right, own it, tell the truth, become more valuable, think bigger and move faster, protect the house.- There are only three things that grow the company. If an idea does not check all three boxes, it does not get considered.- Standards determine the rules and the KPIs. First you need standards, then you can build rules.- If everyone sells the exact same way, you rob the team of the next great idea.- You cannot chop down the tree to save a limb. There is no business to serve the people if you kill it.- Solving the problem, or getting it solved, is a valuable position. Be a distribution channel, not a doer.- The less you touch, the more you get to speak and think. That is the trade off of leadership.- When a young man owns his calendar and does not depend on anyone to map it out, that is freedom.Chapters:0:00 Vegas, Brad and rolling out the new Real Financial model10:26 Rules vs standards: Tim Corbin and the six core values15:41 The three KPIs and learning to think19:53 Pivoting the content and thriving in chaos27:07 Chop the limb, save the tree: the Hitstreak and life as the integrator35:50 Ethan: standards at homeAbout Nick:Nick Hiter is the host of The Nick Hiter Show and The Hitstreak, the founder of HitLab, and Senior Vice President and COO of Real Financial, where he sits between the field and corporate and turns the vision into execution.Subscribe to Nick's top-rated podcast The Hitstreak on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/NickHiterFollow and Rate us on Spotify: https://spotify.com/NickHiterFollow and Rate us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/NickHiterFollow and Rate us on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/NickHiter

There's a time when whiskey enthusiasm takes it to the next level. I've lived through it. I was a stone cold hobbyist, and I still am, but then I started a podcast and now Ryan and I have Pursuit Spirits. We don't know how to stop taking a hobby too far. And our guest today is no different. Mike Hinds is co-founder of Nashville Barrel Company, Mike takes us back five or six years to NBC's humble beginnings, starting with local charity picks for cancer research, hunting down Jack Daniel's, Weller 12, and Willett single barrels, and making frequent runs to Bardstown to learn the ropes. When he decided to start Nashville Barrel Company there were plenty of operational headaches like sourcing whiskey and dealing with shady brokers but a few mismatched samples unexpectedly got them a hit they kept on playing with Kelvin barrels. Since then they have been expanding into downtown Music City, and have now opened a new spot in NuLu called the Louisville Rickhouse Company. Instead of chasing cheap inventory or relying on marketing gimmicks, Mike shares how their focus cask-strength single barrels built consumer trust and whiskey clubs kept their growth soaring. We also talk about Stella, the official company dog, their VIP club, and how Mike has been one of the few lucky people in history to pick a single barrel of Pappy Van Winkle 15. Show Notes: How a passion for bottle shares, charity picks, and barrel hunting birthed Nashville Barrel Company. Early sourcing realities: broker blunders, mismatched samples, and launching with rye instead of bourbon. Pivoting during COVID from third-party co-packers to brick-and-mortar locations in Nashville and Louisville. The strategy behind building a brand on cask-strength single barrels and authentic community trust over gimmicks. Inside NBC's special releases, including a Pappy 15 single barrel, "The Compromise" blend, and their VIP club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Gaskins Exposes Fake Faith, Toxic Relationship Advice & Ppl Using God For ProfitTony Gaskins joins Ash Cash for one of the most unfiltered conversations yet inside the vault—on relationships, faith, integrity, purpose, money, and the danger of giving advice from a place you have not healed from.Tony opens up about his transformation from the streets to marriage, business, authorship, coaching, and building more than 100 income streams. He explains why he credits his wife with helping save his life, how accountability changed him, and why stronger relationships can also create stronger financial outcomes.The conversation then gets controversial.Tony argues that social media has given broken and unhealed people microphones—and that relationship advice rooted in pain can drive men and women further apart.He also speaks directly about people using God as a business model, false teachers, spiritual manipulation, and why invoking faith for profit without integrity is dangerous.Tony reflects on his disagreement with Kevin Samuels, the responsibility that comes with influencing millions, and why he believes your private life eventually catches up with your public image.He also breaks down how he monetized his gifts across books, courses, apps, products, insurance, and other businesses; why speed matters in entrepreneurship; and how he built longevity through consistency instead of chasing virality.Later, Ash and Tony discuss fake expertise, people teaching before they have actually mastered what they teach, the value of transparency, and why Tony refuses to call himself an “expert” or “guru.”The episode closes with Tony's newest mission: The Destiny App, The Purpose Arc, living your God-given purpose, and why purpose and abundance belong together.Connect with Tony Gaskins:YouTube & Instagram: Tony GaskinsTheDestinyApp.comThePurposeArc.comConnect with Inside the Vault:Instagram: @insidethevaultInsideTheVaultShow.comHosted by Ash Cash:Instagram: @iamashcashIAmAshCash.comABUNDANCE IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT.Join Ash Cash and a community focused on building wealth, increasing income, strengthening your mindset, and creating a more abundant life:TheAbundanceCommunity.comEPISODE TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Stronger relationships can help you make more money02:26 – Welcome to Inside the Vault03:59 – Meet Tony Gaskins05:15 – From football scholarship to the streets06:12 – “I refuse to be with a drug dealer”07:27 – The moment Tony chose his family08:14 – Growing up in a strict pastor's home11:26 – Turning street ambition into purpose12:44 – “Without my wife, I'd be in prison or the grave”14:17 – Why men respect accountability15:45 – Tony on today's relationship landscape16:05 – “Every broken person has a microphone”18:02 – Taking advice from people without experience20:40 – “We are the fix”20:53 – Why marriage and money belong in the same conversation25:55 – Sexual discipline, creativity & business28:03 – Writing and publishing a book in two days with AI29:45 – The speed of the market29:54 – Put your gift in every medium30:46 – Tony's 100+ streams of income33:54 – The secret to staying relevant for decades33:59 – “I live my life in the dark the way I live it in the light”35:00 – Reaching 20M people a week but making less money39:10 – Are people using God as a business model?41:08 – Tony's warning about playing with the name of God42:13 – Tony reflects on Kevin Samuels44:20 – Fake faith, conferences & podcasts45:14 – Using God to get people to open their wallets45:37 – False teachers and spiritual manipulation46:17 – When is someone qualified to teach?50:32 – “As you learn, you should teach”51:02 – Why Tony won't call himself an expert or guru51:45 – Integrity always catches up with you52:22 – Tony admits where he had to get his finances right54:33 – The Destiny App56:00 – The Purpose Arc57:25 – Taking the Purpose Summit around the world58:15 – Pivoting from relationships into God-given purpose58:36 – Ash Cash on “Abundance Is Your Birthright”1:00:40 – Purpose, mindset & claiming your birthright1:01:01 – Doomscrolling is stealing your abundance1:03:10 – Tony's final message: step into your purpose1:04:22 – How to connect with Tony Gaskins1:06:58 – Closing the VaultAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley explores why businesses hit growth plateaus, identifying two key factors: execution and market size. Drawing from his experience scaling an ecommerce brand to eight figures, Josh emphasizes that even skilled operators are limited by their total addressable market (TAM). He advises entrepreneurs to evaluate their market's size and growth trajectory, warning against shrinking niches like keto snacks. Josh recommends pivoting to adjacent or larger markets when growth stalls, citing Simple Modern as a success story, and encourages choosing markets with strong tailwinds to maximize business potential.Bullet Points:Mindset shift regarding stalled business growthTwo primary reasons for growth plateaus: execution and market sizeImportance of selecting the right total addressable market (TAM)Insights from scaling an ecommerce brand from zero to eight figuresImpact of market size on business growth potentialExamples of markets experiencing growth and decline (e.g., keto snacks, med spas)Need for entrepreneurs to evaluate true market size and growth rateRecommendations for pivoting to adjacent or larger marketsImportance of understanding market nuances beyond broad industry dataStrategies for leveraging existing expertise to tap into new growth opportunitiesTimestamps:00:00:00 Introduction: Two Reasons for Stalled GrowthThe host introduces the two main reasons for stalled business growth: execution and the size of the total addressable market.00:01:00 The Importance of Market SizeYour business goals must match the size of the market you're in. The total addressable market is a key predictor of success.00:03:32 Good Operators in Bad MarketsEven the best operators with great teams and processes will be limited by the size of the market they serve.00:06:19 Understanding the True Total Addressable MarketEntrepreneurs should analyze specific, fast-growing niches within a larger market, not just the overall industry data, for maximum growth potential.00:08:37 Aligning Your Goals with Your MarketChoose a market size that matches your ambitions, whether you want a $100 million brand or a smaller lifestyle business.00:10:55 A Personal Example: Recipe CardsThe host shares his experience starting in the declining recipe card market, highlighting the importance of avoiding stagnant or shrinking markets.00:12:04 What to Do If You're in a Stagnant MarketInstead of exiting, analyze your market's growth rate. If operations are solid, the market itself may be limiting your growth.00:13:17 Pivoting to Adjacent CategoriesThe host uses Simple Modern as an example of a brand that expanded into adjacent categories to continue growing after its primary market plateaued.00:15:48 Final Advice and ConclusionTo achieve ambitious growth, focus on large, fast-growing markets, as even average operators can succeed with strong market tailwinds.Links & Mentions:Med Spa Space: "00:03:32"  Creatine and Electrolytes: "00:07:26"  Gummies: "00:08:37"  Poppi Soda: "00:08:37"  Grüns: "00:08:37"  Total Addressable Market (TAM): "00:09:38"  Simple Modern: "00:13:17"  ChatGPT: "00:15:48"Transcript:Josh Hadley 00:00:00  Today, I want to dive into a massive mindset shift that I have had when it comes to stalled growth in a business. Typically, it boils down to two major reasons. Number one is going to be execution, and number two is going to be the size of the market. Today I want to unpack why your brand might not be growing to the level that you want it to be, and how I've seen that happen in my own business. Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast. I'm Josh Hadley. I've scaled my own ecommerce brand from 0 to 8 figures, and I'm actively building towards nine figures in sales. This podcast is where I document that journey and share the systems, the strategies, and the lessons learned in real time so that you can learn what actually matters and scale your own business. My name is Josh Hadley. First and foremost, I am a man of faith. I am a husband to a beautiful wife and the father of four children. I've been playing in the e-commerce space for over a decade, doing over $20 million in annual revenue in multi-million on sales channels such as Amazon, TikTok, Shop and Shopify.Josh Hadley 00:01:00  And last but not least, I am also the host of the number one Business strategy podcast for eCommerce entrepreneurs, and that is E-com breakthrough. Today, I want to unpack something extremely important that honestly took me way too long to discover and actually understand. And it is this sometimes the goals and passions that you have, and the size of business that you want to create does not match the size of market that you are you are currently playing in. And the example is this. Let's say you want to have a $100 million brand before you can say, yeah, I'll be able to create $100 million brand. Even the best operator may not be able to create a $100 million brand. If they pick the wrong drumroll, please mark it. At the end of the day, the total addressable market is one of the number one things that will predict the success and the future growth in your brand More than anything else, I have seen this time and time again, and the lesson comes from this as I continue to go to ecommerce events and different mastermind groups, oftentimes I've been sitting next to an operator that, honestly speaking, I'm not overly impressed with.Josh Hadley 00:02:19  They kind of seem pretty lazy, and they don't really run a very good team, and they might be fairly unethical. Yet guess what I hear? Oh yeah, I'm running this million dollar brand. And guess what? The underlying reason as to why they're running a $100 million brand is they are riding the coattails of a massive trend and a massive opportunity that is growing over 20% annually year after year. The market is growing in a massively meaningful way, and so they only need 0.5% of the market. And honestly, they don't even need to be that good of an operator because like the market's just so hungry for what it is that they are offering. Alex Ramos talks a lot about that today. Right now, which is like the med spa space is just like a massive opportunity. It is growing year over year, month over month. It is a hot space. And honestly, there's a lot of like fairly poor operators that are succeeding massively well in the med spa space just because like it is such a hot and attractive and growing market right now.Josh Hadley 00:03:32  And so the lesson is this you might be one of the best operators that is out there, meaning you're a great leader, you have a great team behind you, you have the right processes, you have the right playbook. But guess what? If you're in the wrong market, you're only going to rise to the size of market that you can actually conquer and however big that market is. So let's take this as an example. Let's say there's a particular market for we'll talk about a specific supplement. Right now let's talk about, like, the Cato market. Okay. So in the Cato market, or let's call it the snack market, not necessarily supplements. Okay. Cato was on a tear, you know, five years ago or so. But Cato as a whole is actually seeing declines year over year now. So now is not...

This week we're sitting down with Anna Rinke, Co-founder of Homebody Studios, for a conversation that covers SO much.We get into what burnout actually felt like for her before anyone else could see it, the delusion it takes to build something from nothing, and the advice she'd give any woman who looks successful on paper but knows deep down she's unhappy. We also dig into how Homebody actually came together, what building a real brand (not just a studio) looks like, and the boundaries she's had to build for herself now that work no longer comes before everything else.Anna has also become a real force online when it comes to AI education, so we get into what people are getting wrong about it, how to actually start using it if you're only using it like a fancier Google search, and how she uses it to level up her own life.We close out talking about what she's reading, watching, and listening to right now — the books that changed her life, the podcasts making her smarter, and the people whose brains she's obsessed with.Here's what we get into:Anna's path from corporate to founding HomebodyWhat burnout looked like for her before anyone else could see itAdvice for the woman who's successful on paper but knows she's unhappyThe delusion it takes to build something successfulHow Homebody actually came together — and why she saw room in a saturated marketThe difference between opening a studio and building a brandWhat real community actually looks likeHer take on the pilates vs. weightlifting debateThe health and fitness non-negotiables she lives by nowHow she became an AI education force online — and what people are getting wrongPractical tips for using AI in your workplace and your personal lifeThe books, podcasts, and people who've shaped how she thinksWhat she's currently obsessed with, reading, and consumingConnect with Anna:Follow Anna: https://www.instagram.com/annanoellerinke/?hl=enFind Anna on Substack: https://annanoellerinke.substack.com/Follow Homebody: https://www.instagram.com/homebody__studios/?hl=enIf this episode resonated, share it with a friend who needs to hear it.

Podcast SummaryWall Street's largest banks are preparing their own stablecoin infrastructure while the London Stock Exchange Group and Kraken work toward tokenized UK stocks. Matt looks at whether bank-issued stablecoins can realistically challenge Tether and Circle, why stablecoin-yield rules could give traditional banks a competitive advantage, and how Robinhood's blockchain activity fits into the broader convergence between traditional finance and crypto-native markets. The infrastructure story extends into AI and security. Hut 8's massive data-center agreements show how quickly Bitcoin miners are becoming AI infrastructure companies, while Ripple prepares the XRP Ledger for future quantum threats and Zcash works to make private transactions dramatically faster. Matt also examines the emerging cybersecurity risk from increasingly capable AI systems that can discover vulnerabilities in publicly accessible software, including the smart contracts, bridges and wallets securing billions of dollars in crypto. Happy HODLing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bitcoin miners are increasingly turning toward AI and data centers, but that shift could create new opportunities for the miners who stay focused on Bitcoin.In this episode, David Sencil sits down with Karun Mackencherry, Senior Director of Mining Services at Compass Mining, to unpack what the AI boom could mean for Bitcoin mining economics.They discuss how major miners leaving the network could reduce mining difficulty, potentially improving conditions for remaining participants. Karun also breaks down the costs that matter most in mining, including hardware prices, hosting, electricity, and infrastructure.The conversation explores why Texas remains one of the most important Bitcoin mining hubs, why Compass Mining has no plans to pivot away from Bitcoin mining for AI, and where the industry could go next.Topics include: Why Bitcoin miners are shifting toward AI and data centers How miner exits could affect Bitcoin mining difficulty Mining profitability and hardware economics Hosting and electricity costs Why Texas remains a major Bitcoin mining hub Why Compass Mining is staying focused on Bitcoin Hash-rate products and mining investment funds How regulatory clarity could shape the industry As AI reshapes the economics of data centers and energy infrastructure, this conversation looks at whether the shift could ultimately strengthen the opportunity for Bitcoin miners who remain.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Amy DuBois Barnett.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Amy DuBois Barnett.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Amy DuBois Barnett.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the beginning of the new application season. Cambridge / Judge is the first top MBA program with their Round 1 deadline, which was last week. This upcoming week, London Business School, Oxford / Said and Duke / Fuqua all have admissions deadlines. Graham highlighted Clear Admit's upcoming events. We plan to do a livestream event this Tuesday, to kick off the new admissions season. This event is for participants to ask any questions they have for their Round 1 strategy. Graham and Alex will be hosting, as usual. You can subscribe to Clear Admit's YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@ClearAdmitMBA Later in September, Clear Admit will also host several more webinar events featuring admissions professionals from all the top MBA programs. Signups for those events are here: https://www.clearadmit.com/events Graham highlighted a recently published deep-dive piece on Adcom's considerations regarding the use of AI in MBA admissions. Graham also noted admissions tips related to GMAT & GRE test waivers and video essays. Clear Admit also published a handy chart that highlights which top MBA programs allow for test waivers. Clear Admit continues its Adcom Q&A series. This week Graham notes a Q&A with Texas / McCombs. Graham also highlighted several podcast Q&As that continue to be released, including Q&As with Harvard, Fuqua, Booth and Stern. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate is planning to apply in 2028. They are a structural engineer and want to use the MBA to pivot to investment banking. This week's second MBA applicant is from India and has a master's in chemistry. They have a 645 GMAT score and we wonder if they should retake the test. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!

Today we're chatting with Ivana Perbi, founder of Wardrobe Affaire, the world's first discovery platform dedicated to pre-loved fashion events, which is on a mission to help secondhand event organizers seamlessly host fashion experiences and help shoppers discover them – all over the world. Ivana grew up in southern Germany, where secondhand wasn't a trend but simply how her family shopped, and where weekends at the flea market where her mother sold clothes shaped her eye for style. After a decade working inside luxury fashion houses like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, a research trip back to her birthplace of Accra, Ghana — and a visit to the sprawling Kantamanto secondhand market — changed everything for her. Ivana left the corporate world, retrained as a UX designer, and launched a fashion rental platform in Berlin.  But after three years of testing, and some incredibly successful event pop-ups, she recognized a much bigger opportunity and pivoted Wardrobe Affaire into what it is today: a platform built to solve the real logistical headaches of hosting and discovering pre-loved fashion events. We're getting into it all — the pivot from rental to events, and her favorite vintage finds, including the vintage Chanel she found for a steal at a Berlin flea market!  Let's dive right in! DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: [02:54] Ivana loved style and collecting fashion magazines growing up [07:04] When sustainability in fashion started to connect with her personal values  [08:20] Learning about Ghana's Kantamanto Market and the scale of secondhand clothing waste  [11:07] Ways to keep clothing in circularity — repair, swapping, and rental  [13:29] What she learned about repair and craftsmanship working at Louis Vuitton and Chanel  [15:23] The origin story of her first fashion rental platform  [16:18] Convincing lenders, consumers, and investors to embrace rental in Germany  [18:08] What she learned about the "attitude-behavior gap" in sustainable fashion [20:52] Deciding to pivot from rental into secondhand events [23:42] The gaps she was trying to fill in the pre-loved events space, including event discovery  [27:47] What's keeping would-be shoppers on the sidelines from attending events  [31:27] Why curation of vendors is everything at a vintage shopping event  [36:03] What the pivot required of her personally as a founder  [38:26] Her personal style and vintage collection  EPISODE MENTIONS:  Wardrobe Affaire @wardrobeaffaire By Rotation HURR Sami Miro Vintage Pre-Loved's original research on secondhand events LET'S CONNECT: 

What if you have been waiting for a title to make you a leader, and everyone around you already sees you as one? This week on the Glow Up, Gyrl Podcast, Kyra sits down with Sharonda Holland, founder of Higher Ground Leaders and a hospitality leader with more than 15 years in the industry. Sharonda says the organization was born out of what she calls failure. There were seasons when nothing was going according to plan, and she was questioning whether she was even on the right path. What she found on the other side was that the encouraging she had been doing for emerging leaders in her community was not a side thing. It was the work. In this episode: Why Higher Ground carries that name, and what constantly climbing actually means Leading before the title, and why leadership is smaller and simpler than most people think The mold most of us picture when we hear the word leader, and how wrong it is Why women struggle with confidence, and the comparison trap social media keeps setting The brag folder that turns a bad day around What to do when you feel stuck, and why analysis paralysis keeps you frozen Pivoting is not failure, and how to spot burnout before it flattens you Active listening as a leadership trait nobody puts on the list Opportunity areas instead of weaknesses, and why the language matters How faith and surrender show up in the way Sharonda builds and leads Her three takeaways: do not be afraid to pivot, do not be afraid to fail, and keep climbing Whether you are waiting on a promotion that has not come, rebuilding after something did not work out, or leading a team without the title to match, this conversation will meet you right where you are. Learn more: highergroundleaders.com Follow Sharonda: @highergroundleaders Stay connected to Glow Up, Gyrl: Website: glowupgyrl.com | Email: hello@glowupgyrl.com Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn: @glowupgyrl | Facebook: @glowupgyrlatl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Dolly Parton, the legendary country singer, songwriter, actress, and philanthropist, has died at 80. Beyond music, she leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of generosity and her work supporting medical research. Shifting gears, the CIA director made an attempted secret trip to Moscow with the plane sitting on the ground for eight hours and no explanation of who Ratcliffe met with or why, with possibilities ranging from hostage negotiations to addressing Russia's recent NATO provocations. Pivoting to the trade war, Canada announced 50% retaliatory tariffs on $20 billion in American goods effective September 8th, matching Trump's tariffs dollar for dollar on dairy, seafood, steel, appliances, and toilet paper, while Trump responded by threatening to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America on a gold-lettered map posted to Truth Social. That'll show them. And since we're on the subject of renaming, the DOJ argued in court that the Kennedy Center will collapse into a "decrepit structure" without Trump's name on the facade. On the Iran war beat, Tulsi Gabbard reportedly warned Trump before he started the Iran war in February that Iran would immediately close the Strait of Hormuz, that killing the Supreme Leader would produce a more hardline regime pursuing nuclear weapons, and that Iran would strike US bases across the region — all of which happened. On “the decline,” the Agriculture Secretary couldn't say where the 300,000 metric tons of mystery ground beef is coming from, saying conversations are "still going on," which is not reassuring. Two unvaccinated people in Lancaster, Pennsylvania died of measles — the first US measles deaths this year — amid a local outbreak of nearly 400 cases, a third of them children, as case numbers continue to break records for the most since measles was eliminated in 2000. Gary, Indiana is entering its second week without power for thousands of residents with no restoration in sight, and Darline Graham won her South Carolina Senate runoff, spending nearly a million Trump-backed dollars to inherit her brother's seat and run against Dr. Annie Andrews in November. Resources/Articles mentioned: NYT: C.I.A. Director Makes Secret Visit to Moscow The White House: President Trump Is Finally Ending Canada's Free Ride AP News: Canada strikes back at US with retaliatory tariffs as trade war escalates Axios: Kennedy Center's survival depends on Trump, DOJ says in new filing WSJ: The Warnings That Came Before a War Now Reaching the Six-Month Mark The New Republic: Trump Team Refuses to Explain Imported Beef Origin as Backlash Grows NYT: Two Unvaccinated People Died From Measles in Pennsylvania, Officials Say CNN: Powerful storms knocked out power in northwest Indiana 2 weeks ago. This majority Black city has suffered the most NBC News: Elections live updates: Darline Graham beats Ralph Norman in South Carolina GOP Senate primary runoff Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denny LaVe joins Brigitte to talk about a life defined by pivots — from a broken childhood in Montana, to a near-fatal heat stroke that ended his Marine Corps dream, to nearly taking vows as a monk, to marriage, fatherhood, and building a construction company from the ground up. He opens up about the "shame culture" he grew up in, the years of stoicism that quietly strained his marriage, and the therapy-fueled journey that led to his bestselling book, "Blue Collar Blessed."The conversation also digs into his run for U.S. Senate in Idaho, the state of the trades, and why he believes learning to love yourself is the real starting point for everything else.Key Takeaways(1) Self-Compassion Drives Healing.(2) Embrace the Power of Pivoting.(3) There is Dignity and Success in the Trades.Ready to rewrite your story? Pick up a copy of Denny LaVe's international bestseller, "Blue Collar Blessed", on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and visit https://NewLionofIdaho.com to learn more.

Today we're chatting with Megan Olson — co-owner and shopkeep of Vice & Graft, a curated vintage shop in the heart of New Orleans' French Quarter specializing in pieces from the Victorian era through the 1970s, with a deep focus on local New Orleans history. Megan's path into vintage was anything but conventional — she spent 15 years as a nurse before COVID prompted her to walk away from a corporate healthcare career and follow her lifelong love of antiques and vintage instead. It all started when she and her husband had the opportunity to buy 5,000 rare band t-shirts, launching them into their first vintage business – Swamp Rags, an 80s-90s-Y2K spot with a focus on tees. Not long after, Megan opened Vice & Graft, now in its fifth year as a brick-and-mortar on Royal Street, where she's built a reputation for sourcing directly from generational New Orleans families — uncovering everything from Victorian day coats to a Mardi Gras queen's entire 1930s wardrobe. Megan is also the owner of Second Line Estate Sales, and together with her husband, she hosts the Louisiana Vintage Festival, which grew into a two-day event this year at the House of Blues French Quarter, featuring over 50 Louisiana vintage dealers. We're getting into it all — her rarest finds and holy grails, the pieces she can't bring herself to sell, and why she believes New Orleans might just be the most singular city in the country for vintage. Let's dive right in! DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: [05:39] The 1997 MTV Music Awards were Mergan's personal style wake-up call.  [06:57] Megan's first big vintage buy of 20 Victorian petticoats. [10:53] Pivoting from 15 years in healthcare into antiques and vintage instead. [17:00] Dividing sourcing and aesthetic between Swamp Rags and Vice & Graft.  [21:11] Vice and Graft's vintage has a deep focus on local New Orleans history. [26:03] How the French Quarter vintage scene has grown since Vice & Graft opened.  [30:27] Opening a new estate sale business called Second Line Estate Sale. [36:36] Launching the Louisiana Vintage Festival. [40:42] Megan's holy grail vintage finds [49:29] Shoutouts to the vintage community she loves.  EPISODE MENTIONS:  Vice and Graft @viceandgraft Swamp Rags Second Line Estate Sales Louisiana Vintage Festival  Junior Varsity Vintage Frenchy's House of Vintage Trash Panic  Cora Violet Walters Newburgh Vintage Emporium   LET'S CONNECT: 

Welcome to another episode of The Cashflow Project Podcast! This episode explores one of multifamily real estate's biggest challenges: rising insurance costs. We dive into group captive insurance—an innovative model that lets owners share risk, gain greater control, and potentially turn insurance from a major expense into a profit center. Tune in to learn how these structures work, who can benefit, and how alternative insurance strategies can improve your bottom line. [00:00] Getting into insurance by accident [05:56] Pivoting to real estate insurance [09:05] Corporate mutual insurance explained [13:20] Understanding Reinsurance and Underwriting Profit [17:17] Aligning interests for private business [19:04] Joining a real estate insurance collective [22:30] Evaluating real estate operators [26:03] Stabilizing insurance costs long-term [29:23] Adopting a systems thinking approach [33:14] Reflecting on personal growth choices [36:18] Managing insurance and taxes Connect with Nicolas Lares! Website LinkedIn Instagram Connect with The Cashflow Project! Website LinkedIn YouTube Facebook Instagram

In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the uncertainty that comes with career pivots and why change often triggers so much self-doubt. My guest this week is Juliana Pereira, community builder and co-author of Pivot Quest.Drawing from her own eight career pivots, Juliana challenges the belief that successful people have everything figured out. We explore how curiosity, self-trust and a willingness to become a beginner can help us navigate change more confidently.We also discuss how to recognize when it may be time for a change, what our energy can teach us about what we want next and why it's important to consider the cost of not pivoting.About My GuestJuliana Naranjo Pereira is a Future of Work Humanist, community builder, and eight-time career pivoter who has spent her life navigating change across cultures, countries, and industries.Born and raised in New York to a Colombian mother and Portuguese father, she learned early that identity is rarely fixed and belonging is something we create. Her journey has taken her from advertising at BBDO and product design to luxury fashion PR for brands including Gucci, Burberry, and Tiffany & Co.; from developing world-class retail experiences to founding and successfully exiting a wellness venture; from building traditions and community for more than 10,000 students from over 160 nationalities at IE University to serving as Global CMO of an international technology consultancy.Through her work building communities and leadership ecosystems around the world, she has helped thousands of people navigate growth, belonging, and transformation.A TEDx speaker, contributor to Harvard Business Review Deusto, and member of the Board of Trustees of UNICEF Spain, Juliana believes that life's most meaningful transformations begin not when we become someone new, but when we uncover who we have been all along.She believes that a pivot is not reinvention—it is revelation.~Connect with Juliana:Book Website: https://pivot-quest.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliananaranjopereira/Instagram: https://instagram.com/houseofpivots~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://www.kimmeninger.com/challengeLearn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroupJoin the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Website:https://www.kimmeninger.com

What happens when the market changes and the way you've always run your design business isn't working quite the same anymore? In this episode, I'm joined by Sascha Lafleur, co-founder of West of Main, for an honest conversation about adaptability, growth, structure, and what it really takes to build a sustainable interior design business. Sascha shares how West of Main has evolved through different economic cycles, from expanding into furniture and décor services and hourly consulting to building e-commerce, retail, and a designer trade program. We talk about why adding more services isn't always the answer, why smaller firms need to protect their capacity, and how financial data and strong systems allow you to make smarter decisions when the market feels uncertain. You'll hear: How to recognize when your design business needs to pivot Why different revenue streams perform differently depending on the market The hidden operational cost of launching something new Why structure becomes increasingly important as your business grows How to choose what deserves your time and attention Why knowing your numbers gives you more freedom as a business owner How West of Main is supporting designers through its trade program If the design market feels different right now, this episode is a reminder that changing course doesn't mean something has gone wrong. Sometimes adapting is exactly how you build a business that lasts.   Resources: Episode 68: Scaling your business & virtually servicing your clients with Sascha Lafleur Learn more about Sascha Lafleur at her website and follow her: @westofmain & @westofmainshoppe. Designer Trade Program Discount code: enter code resilientbydesign at checkout   ---- This episode is sponsored by Programa. Programa is project management software built specifically for interior designers. It's designed to save you hours every week and reduce the errors that come from managing projects across scattered documents and systems. Use code RBD25 for 25% off annual Programa plans. Click to learn more.

I'm so excited to have Kristine of Kristine P. Calligraphy on as our first guest interview in a year! Kristine's story is a perfect example of how a business can transform based on your interests, your physical wellbeing, and what season of life you're in. From chalkboard signs to digital templates to now running a full-service, large-scale wedding signage business, Kristine walks us through every pivot — including the moment in 2025 when she was ready to give up entirely, and how joining my CEO Partner 1:1 coaching program helped her completely reposition her business, leading to a booked-out 2026.In this episode, we cover:How Kristine's business evolved from a 2017 hobby into full-service wedding signage todayWhy hand pain and burnout led her to pivot into a passive digital template shop — and why that pivot didn't stickThe moment she realized large-scale signage installs were her true passion (and the family connection behind it)What we worked on inside the CEO Partner coaching program to rebuild her positioning, pricing, and clientele in just 12 weeksKristine's advice on whether a coaching program is worth it 

AUTHORITY BY EXPERIMENT Authority isn't just earned by showing up. It's built through experiment by iterating and relentlessly maximizing every piece of your content. This week, Erik K. Johnson sits down with Tom Hazzard, entrepreneur and podcast authority, to uncover how a single show can drive exponential influence, visibility, and business growth. Important Links: Free tip library for podcasters: https://podcastersunited.org/tip-library/ www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/tiplibrary Tom's website: https://podcastersunited.org Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedwepod/ Tom on Instagram: https://instagram.com/unitedwepod Subscribe to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: http://www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apple Spotify: http://www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/spotify Website: http://www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/podcasts   Episode Segments: 00:20 Tom Hazzard's journey from product design to podcasting 01:46 Entering the 3D printing podcast space 02:45 Launching WTFFF and building community 05:04 Hitting 30,000 listeners in months 06:57 Producing over 650 episodes and lessons learned 09:01 Pivoting from products to podcasts 10:27 The origins of Feed Your Brand and The Binge Factor 13:12 Comparing authority from solo vs. interview podcasts 14:52 The "ego bait" strategy that gets guests to share your show 16:20 Why long-form blog posts transform discoverability 17:57 Building an SEO powerhouse from podcast episodes 18:12 Turning your content strategy into a client business 21:26 Launching a full podcast services company (almost by accident) 22:50 How "will the dogs eat the dog food" shapes every marketing experiment 25:39 Why audience size isn't everything (how to win with a small but mighty following) 28:27 Tom's game-changing approach to affordable, effective podcast advertising 29:42 The hidden power of mobile app ads and why Apple dominates listening stats 31:18 Free tip library and evergreen resources for every podcast stage   Key Takeaways: - Experimentation Is Your Edge Tom's entire career is a blueprint for entrepreneurial experimentation. From launching a top 3D printing podcast with no industry fame, to running daily shows, to pivoting fully into podcast services, Tom proves that launching first and iterating is the fastest route to growth and clarity. - Authority by Design Tom illustrates how different podcast formats build authority in distinct ways. Hosting interviews amplifies perceived expertise by association, while solo or cohosted shows showcase depth and thought leadership. Both can be leveraged, especially when paired with active content repurposing. - The Power of "Ego Bait" Social sharing explodes when you make your guests the hero. Custom graphics with flattering quotes signal value, trigger virality, and expand authority networks without even asking for promotion. - SEO Isn't Dead... It's Dominant Transforming podcast episodes into rich, human-written blog posts builds enduring organic traffic, positions you for greater Google authority, and multiplies your discoverability. - Service Businesses Start with Value Demand for Tom's services came not from cold selling, but from obsessed fans and entrepreneurs at live events handing him their credit cards, simply because his results created visible impact. - Audience Growth Can Be Measured Tom shares how leveraging a curated mobile app network delivers targeted, affordable podcast promotion, driving measurable listener increases, especially if you publish at least biweekly.   Episode Highlights: Launching and scaling a podcast that becomes a go-to industry resource Turning experiment into a scalable, sustainable business Why niche podcasts can compete with the biggest names through SEO and content repurposing The value of consistent publishing and strategic audience-building   Connect with Tom Hazzard: Podcasters United Tip Library is a fantastic resource for new and experienced podcasters to make progress toward their goals, completely free. Free tip library for podcasters: https://podcastersunited.org/tip-library/ www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/tiplibrary Discover the Audience Accelerator, Tom's innovative growth tool, at https://podcastersunited.org https://www.linkedin.com/company/unitedwepod/ https://instagram.com/unitedwepod   Your Podcast Authority Audit Apply for a coaching chat and podcast audit with Erik at https://podcasttalentcoach.com/coaching  

What does it actually take to move from capable professional to recognised authority? And what happens when someone with a serious corporate track record steps back, strips things down, and builds something far more deliberate?That's what this conversation is about.Ben Robbins spent over a decade at the sharp end of e-commerce and consulting - leading EMEA for a global consultancy, growing a team to 20+ people across Europe, and working with household names like Google, Meta, P&G and Unilever. He didn't leave because it wasn't working. He left because something else was pulling harder.This is a conversation about motivation, subtraction, and what it really means to build a business around the life you want - not the one you assumed you should want.✳️ The presenting problem is rarely the real problem - Ben works by digging beneath the surface to find what's actually driving the challenge. A founder who wanted more sales hires turned out to need a compelling reason for people to join - not a bigger recruiting budget.✳️ More is not always the answer - one of the most consistent patterns Ben sees is people adding when they should be removing. Identifying what's in the way tends to unlock more than piling on new strategies ever could.✳️ True motivation changes everything - asking what someone really wants - not just the revenue target, but what it would actually do for their life - is what turns vague goals into something worth working hard for.Ben's Amplifiers✳️ Start with subtraction - before adding anything new, ask what you could remove that would get you closer to your goal. Strip back what's blocking you before you reach for another tactic.✳️ Design your ideal ordinary Tuesday - not a fantasy week, not your peak day. Just a good, average Tuesday. What does it look like? Who's in it? What work are you doing? That answer tends to reveal far more about what you actually want than any big goal-setting exercise.✳️ Set a notional hourly rate - Ben recommends The Almanack of Naval Ravikant as a read that provokes this kind of thinking. The idea of setting a high hourly rate - not as a billing figure but as a filter - helps you get ruthless about what deserves your time and what doesn't.If you found this useful, please take a second to subscribe or follow the show. It really does help, and it means you won't miss conversations like this one.Ben's website: https://www.ben-robins.com/---Timestamps00:00 - Introduction00:32 - Welcome and context01:32 - Ben joins the conversation02:29 - Ben's background - from Amazon consultancy to global e-commerce leadership05:02 - Why leave a successful corporate career for coaching?06:22 - What was really driving the decision08:07 - The patterns Ben sees repeatedly with founders and leaders09:51 - The presenting problem vs the real problem - a real example11:59 - Why motivation matters more than targets13:55 - Pivoting for joy, not accumulation15:05 - Clayton Christensen and How Will You Measure Your Life?18:10 - Vision, fulfilment, and letting the picture emerge20:00 - Michelangelo, subtraction, and remembering what made it brilliant22:23 - Where business actually comes from - networks, content, and referrals25:17 - How Ben nurtures relationships deliberately28:05 - Authenticity, recall, and making content about the other person31:09 - Social media, face-to-camera content, and genuine connection36:30 - What's next for Ben - group coaching, webinars, and Cambridge38:54 - Amplifier 1 - Subtraction before addition40:10 - Amplifier 2 - Design your ideal ordinary Tuesday41:15 - Amplifier 3 - The Almanack of Naval Ravikant46:28 - How to connect with Ben46:54 - Owner's Trap podcast----Get your copy of my Personal Brand Business BlueprintIt's the FREE roadmap to starting, scaling or just fixing your expert business.www.amplifyme.agency/roadmap----Subscribe to my Youtube!! Follow on Instagram and Twitter @bobgentleJoin the Amplify Insiders Facebook Community : www.amplifyme.agency/insidersPlease take a second to rate this show in Apple Podcasts. ❤ It will mean a lot to me.Mentioned in this episode:Signature StudioGet started today - signtaturestudio.me

Bill Stone, Founder and CEO of SS&C How do you keep buying companies without eventually losing control of the company you built?  SS&C Technologies founder and CEO Bill Stone has spent four decades avoiding exactly that. Rather than treating each acquisition as an isolated transaction, SS&C built a system around protecting ownership, using debt when the economics make sense, paying it down quickly, and creating enough value after close to preserve capacity for the next deal. Bill walks through the decisions behind acquisitions including FMC, GlobeOp, and Blue Prism, his experience taking SS&C private with Carlyle, and the discipline that has allowed the company to keep acquiring across changing markets. What You'll Learn How Bill Stone kept 15% of SS&C through 100 acquisitions The exact revenue-per-head and EBITDA thresholds SS&C screens for Why strategic buyers almost always outbid private equity How to tell a motivated seller from one just fishing for a premium When rollover equity can help retain the management team How Carlyle overruled Stone's own unanimous board vote The one rule that makes Stone walk from a deal every time   Every financing decision changes what you can do on the next deal. If you're financing an acquisition and don't have a hard leverage ceiling you actually stick to, DealPilot, powered by M&A Science, has the deal guidance layer to help you set one before you're over-levered on the next deal. ____________________ This episode of M&A Science is presented by DealRoom. DealRoom is the AI-powered operating system for Buyer-Led M&A™ — one connected system for pipeline, diligence, integration, and reporting. No tool-switching, no manual updates, no data gaps. See how it works: https://hubs.ly/Q04mcGKy0 ____________________ Episode Chapters [00:00] Intro and Guest Bio Check [04:27] Protecting Ownership From Bankers [07:32] Pivoting to the Buy Side [12:12] Cutting a Client's Cost 91% [12:32] Technology Cycles From Excel to AI [15:14] First Acquisition and Going Public [16:26] Balancing Investors and Founder Control [20:08] The Carlyle Take-Private Story [27:23] Screening Deals and Cutting Costs Fast [32:02] Reading a Seller's True Motivation [35:29] Winning FMC Under Canadian Rules [42:10] Beating TPG for GlobeOp [45:22] The Leverage Ceiling and Debt Paydown [49:06] Topping Vista for Blue Prism [53:17] Walking Away From a Lying Seller [54:23] Diligence Speed and Trust But Verify [54:58] Valuations and Capital Abundance

For over two decades, Keli Lee ran talent and casting at ABC and Disney, shaping shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, and Modern Family while building the industry’s first program designed to get overlooked actors in front of the right people, helping launch the careers of Lupita Nyong’o, Chadwick Boseman, and Pedro Pascal. She created Disney’s first international studio from scratch, all while crisscrossing time zones between London, Australia, and LA for four years straight. And then her heart stopped, leading to eight days in the ICU that changed everything. On this episode of She Pivots, Keli talks about the night Viola Davis made history, the toll of nonstop work, how her father’s illness sent her looking into her own family history, and how that journey became the foundation for her brand Kurioscity, built to help others live with more intention. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to She Pivots 00:28 Guest Introduction: Keli Lee 04:28 From South Korea to All Over the USA 10:08 New York City: If You Can Make It Here... 12:39 Getting Into Casting 18:17 Disney and Diverse Representation 27:26 The Toll: A Near-Death Experience 33:13 Pivoting to Women's Soccer Ownership 35:47 The Art of Identifying the Undervalued 39:37 Do You Think You'll Pivot Again? 40:49 Closing Thoughts and Show Information You can Follow Keli on Instagram @kelilee7 and you can scheck out her substack for Kurioscity at https://kelilee.substack.com/ Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration. She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success. Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. She Pivots is proud to be an iHeart podcast.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hello, Voices of the Bench community. This is Casey Baldwin with Ivoclar. If you've been curious about fast-firing zirconia to improve efficiency but aren't convinced it can deliver predictable, high-quality results, I'd encourage you to connect with us. Our new IPS emax Zirconia, offers multiple fast-fire protocols designed to help you save valuable production time while maintaining consistent outcomes. Time is money in every lab. Don't wait. Reach out today and discover how IPS emax Zirconia can help streamline your workflow. As full-arch dentistry continues to grow, so do the demands on today's dental laboratories. That's why Knight Dental recently launched SimplyARCH Studio, a dedicated production environment built exclusively for full-arch restorations. To support this specialized workflow, Knight invested in an XTCERA milling system and carefully evaluated multiple CAM software solutions before choosing hyperDENT. The decision came down to exceptional milling quality, minimal hand finishing, and impressive production efficiency. But what truly set hyperDENT apart was the implementation process. From the very beginning, the team provided more than software training—they shared the knowledge and experience needed to build an optimized workflow for complex full-arch cases. With proven expertise in advanced milling strategies and laboratory production, hyperDENT helped ensure SimplyARCH Studio was designed for long-term success from day one. Join us at the Race For the Future 12 to raise money for the Foundation For Dental Laborary Technology. September 27th in Valley View, Texas! https://dentallabfoundation.org/news-events/race-for-the-future/ Shawn Nowak from Nowak Dental Supplies joins Elvis and Barb to talk all things NOLA LabFest October 15-17th, including the welcome addition to the speaker lineup: martial arts instructor and business coach Jude Grayson. After Jude's keynote at last year's LabFest, the response was strong enough to bring him back for another keynote and a breakout session. The conversation starts with the obvious question: what the heck does a karate instructor know about the dental laboratory industry? As Jude explains, quite a bit. Having practiced martial arts since he was five years old and built a career around teaching, competition, entrepreneurship, and business coaching, Jude draws a surprising number of parallels between martial arts and business. He talks about discipline, competition, confidence, risk, and his “five-year-old board break moment”—the idea that sometimes the ability to succeed is already inside us, and the right coach simply helps unlock it. He also explains how those lessons translate into working with business owners and helping them recognize opportunities they may not see themselves. The conversation then turns toward one of the biggest challenges facing dental laboratories today: knowing when it's time to pivot. With technology, AI, 3D printing, changing doctor workflows, and the evolving DSO landscape continuing to reshape the industry, Jude's NOLA LabFest keynote will focus on how business owners can recognize when change is necessary, decide when to act, and understand the risks that come with being an early adopter. He also shares some great perspective on failure, competition, and why making a bad business decision doesn't necessarily mean you've lost—the real loss comes when you stop competing altogether. Shawn also gives us a look at what else is happening at NOLA LabFest, including education on AI, social media marketing, employee culture, DSOs, and other topics affecting dental laboratories right now. And, of course, there's plenty of the NOLA LabFest fun mixed in, from the masquerade party and distillery tour to the return of Family Feud. It's a conversation about business, leadership, taking risks, and finding ways to keep dental laboratories moving forward—and it all starts with a karate instructor walking into a dental show.Special Guests: Jude Grayson and Shawn Nowak.

Hello hello and happy mid-August, friends! Today we're kicking off a new Biz Refresh series  —  five episodes in five days to get you ready for fall in a fun, aligned way!Press play to hear why I'm embracing a pivot, and tune in this week to learn:How to refresh your brand (for free!)Ideas for updating your home office & work vibeMy guide to more affordable systems & software for your tiny bizA new approach to ambition that let's you dream big without burning outYou'll hear from amazing guests like Alex McGinness, Taylor Apolonio, and Amina AlTai. It's basically a mini-of-the-moment-creative-business-masterclass all for free on the pod feed this week! So please subscribe and share it with a friend xo RESOURCES + LINKS

Apparently we have entered a new phase of political journalism where the same people who spent months telling us Donald Trump was recklessly bombing Iran are now very concerned that Donald Trump doesn't have enough missiles to keep bombing Iran. Think about that for a minute. First, Trump is too aggressive. Then Trump is losing. Then Iran is winning. Then Iran is making demands. Then Iran is supposedly in control of the Strait of Hormuz. Then the Strait is barely moving any ships. Then Iran's economy is being strangled. And now, my personal favorite, Trump is "pivoting" back to economic pressure. Pivoting? No. There was no pivot. That's the absurdity. Trump has been using the American economy as a weapon from the beginning. I've been saying this since Trump's first term: the American economy is one of the most powerful weapons in our arsenal. Trump understands that. The Left doesn't. They think war is a television show. Bombs go up, bombs come down, and whoever has the most explosions wins. Trump understands leverage. You hit the military. You hit the money. You hit the oil. You hit the shipping. You hit the financial system. You squeeze the regime's ability to pay the people who keep the regime alive. And then you give them an opportunity to surrender, negotiate, or collapse. That's not a pivot. That's a vise. And now we're watching the Iranian regime discover something rather unpleasant. They can threaten ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Fine. Ships don't want to get blown up. So they stop coming. Iran thinks it's demonstrating power. But who's losing the revenue? Iran. Kevin Jackson has been called, the "white-collar" Joe Rogan. Given their similar backgrounds in TV, comedy, and martial arts, it's easy to see why people enjoy Kevin's show so much. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Connect With ChazJosh Wilson started at seven years old on a cruise ship, charging his vacation friends a markup to use his grandfather's cruise card. He built a wedding DJ business at 16 and sold it at 19 for $25,000. His only W2 job was two months as a buggy boy at Winn Dixie before he got fired. Since then he has built a 25-million-dollar real estate portfolio, lost over a million dollars on a single investment, and pivoted to M&A where he is now acquiring his seventh company with a goal of 10 companies and 10 million in EBITDA before exiting to private equity.In this conversation with Chaz Wolfe, Josh breaks down the entire M&A framework he uses: what to look for in a target company, why he only buys companies doing at least a million in cashflow, the five reasons a contractor business owner should consider selling to a holding company instead of selling on the open market, why most businesses have not raised prices since COVID, and how the multiple arbitrage game works when you roll your equity into a holding company instead of taking a 3x exit alone.Key Takeaways:The first question in any acquisition: when was the last time they raised prices? Nine out of ten businesses Josh looks at have not raised prices in years. A 10 to 20 percent price increase is often the first value add after closing.Only buy companies doing at least one million in cashflow. Below that threshold, you cannot afford to hire the management team you need to actually run the business. You end up doing everything yourself again.A 3x multiple on your own is a mom-and-pop exit. Roll your equity into a holding company targeting 8 to 10x and you may triple your eventual payout for waiting a few years.PE companies buy cashflow, not hustle. When private equity looks at a portfolio, they want a C suite in place, a back office running, general managers in every entity, and systems that do not require the founder. Build that picture and you become attractive.Going wide to find your vertical is not always a mistake. Josh spent five years acquiring different industries to find where he could go deepest. He is now locking in on transportation. The path was the education.The mentor moment that changed everything: Josh was sitting in a hot tub during COVID, watching his real estate portfolio and wondering if his tenants were going to pay. In that moment he realized he could not keep living his entire life this way. That discomfort drove the pivot.If I can't do it, no one can is a guarantee that you will never scale. Josh learned it the hard way. The C suite he built is the only reason he can now focus exclusively on vision and growth.Pivoting is not failure. Real entrepreneurs master the art of knowing when things are heading in the wrong direction and correcting course before it costs them everything.$25,000 was enough to count as a real exit. The size of the deal does not determine whether the principle applied. Josh knew how to create value and find a buyer at 19 years old. The same principle runs his 7-company portfolio today.Build the right C suite first. CFO, COO, CEO roles need to be filled by people who love operating, not just people who are available. Josh found each one through deliberate relationships, not desperation.If you are a contractor business owner doing $1M+ and you feel stuck in the day-to-day, we built GTK for you.Through peer mastermind and 1:1 coaching, we help you:increase profitinstall real systemsbuild a team that runs the businessget your time backVisit www.gatheringthekings.com for information on how to apply.Connect with Chaz Wolfe (Host):WebsiteFacebookInstagramLinkedInYouTubeProfit Starts with Better Books!Clean books. Clear reports. Monthly bookkeeping built by business owners, for business owners.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showLike what you heard? Share this episode with a friend and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify! Join the conversation by visiting GatheringTheKings.com and apply to connect with other high-performing entrepreneurs and their families.

Join the Millionaire University AI Mastermind at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/AI #1031 What if the future of content creation depends less on algorithms and more on real human connection? In this episode, host Brien Gearin talks with Susie Bulloch — founder of Hey Grill, Hey — about how she grew a $35 WordPress site into a thriving barbecue brand with viral recipes, national retail products, and a deeply loyal community. Susie breaks down how AI is reshaping the creator economy and why she's pivoting toward products, community, and more “analog” experiences that algorithms can't replace. This episode is a must-listen for anyone building a brand in the new era of content creation! (Original Air Date - 12/4/25) What we discuss with Susie: + Origin of Hey Grill, Hey + Breaking into a male-dominated BBQ space + Growing a content business organically + Launching a successful CPG product line + Impact of AI on creators + Shifts in the creator economy + Importance of audience relationship building + Pivoting toward analog and in-person experiences + Building paid communities and memberships + Preparing for the future of content businesses Thank you, Susie! Check out Hey Grill, Hey at ⁠HeyGrillHey.com⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow Susie on all social platforms @heygrillhey. Watch the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠video podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ of this episode! Get your FREE 5 Minute Business Plan at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Plan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ To get exclusive offers mentioned in this episode and to support the show, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MillionaireUniversity.com/Sponsors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Headlines: Todd Blanche was confirmed as attorney general 50-49 at 4am on Saturday — with spineless Bill Cassidy, who already lost his Senate seat thanks to Trump, casting the deciding vote anyway — cementing the man responsible for Ghislaine Maxwell's emotional support puppy as the top law enforcement officer in the United States. On an equally depressing note, Ohio congressman Max Miller, facing allegations of holding his daughter's stuffed bunny hostage among significantly more violent accusations, missed the deadline to drop out of his reelection race. Speaking of people with no shame, Meta was caught paying neo-Nazis through its invitation-only monetization program, including a white supremacist site banned from X for hate speech. Pivoting to international grifts, a Trump-linked oil company literally called Greenland Energy — incorporated last year by a Trump associate, with Dr. Phil retained to document the whole thing — is preparing to drill in Greenland without permission from Greenland, because why ask. On the war beat, the Pentagon is running dangerously low on weapons and gave defense companies three weeks to scale production, while Trump described ongoing Iran negotiations as "lowkeying it" and "like a chess game," and Iran announced it won't reopen the Strait until the US withdraws, ends the war, unfreezes assets, lifts sanctions, and pays damages — so just a few small asks. Netanyahu rejected Trump's 15-point Gaza plan, Hamas won't disarm until Israel leaves, Israel won't leave until Hamas disarms, and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey signed a mutual defense pact declaring an attack on one is an attack on all, which is either stabilizing or the beginning of something much worse. Resources/Articles mentioned: CNN: How each senator voted on Todd Blanche's attorney general confirmation Axios: Max Miller stays in as GOP replacement window closes Futurism: Meta Caught Paying Nazis to Post on Facebook The Guardian: Greenland issues ‘strong warning' as Trump-linked oil firm prepares to drill Reuters: Trump administration to invest $3 billion in minerals projects to boost US defense supply chains WaPo: Pentagon presses defense firms to build weapons as Iran war depletes stocks NBC News: Iran sets out steep demands for reopening Hormuz despite hopes Oman deal could break impasse Axios: Trump to Axios: "We are low-keying it" with Iran NBC News: Israel rejects Trump's 15-point plan for Gaza, Netanyahu says NBC News: Pakistan says new defense pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey is ‘purely defensive' and open to others Subscribe to the Betches News Room and join the Morning Announcements group chat. Go to: betchesnews.substack.com Morning Announcements is produced by Sami Sage and edited by Grace Hernandez-Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pivoting away from podcasting to something way gayerPatreon.com/spaceblood

​Pitch Perfect lived a beautiful life. Bold. Daring. Courageous. Anyone who came across her path left more emboldened.It was rumored Pitch Perfect caused everyone around her to shoot their shots unapologetically, swing for the stars, and Orbit Jump to the moon, which resulted in almost shocking vision-board level opportunities.Podcast guests spots in abundance. Speaking collabs resulting in deep, genuine partnerships. Indie magazine features in the coolest niches. The opportunities overfloweth.​Pitch Perfect passed away peacefully in July of 2026. After a full and colorful life, she is survived by her heir... Audacity!!!In this episode, I reveal the name of the heir with absolute naming genius & strategist Katie Pannell of 26&thensome!We get into:Why I decided to rename Pitch Perfect, despite all its success and brand recognitionHow people perceive names and why it's so important to take your time naming thingsWhen is a good time to rename something? Why change a good thing?How I decided on Audacity (and why it scared me)Names that didn't make the cut (but will still use in my marketing)The emotional rollercoaster of naming precious thingsand SO much more in the world of naming, branding, and pivotingPerfect for anyone whose ready to kill their darlings.Connect with Katie:WebsiteInstagramThreadsConnect with Chelsea:Enroll in Audacity for $900 off til Aug 27th!Get on the Ultimate Pitch Kit waitlist

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Spence Shelton, Lead Pastor of Mercy Church, a rapidly growing multisite church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since launching in 2015, Mercy has expanded to multiple campuses while maintaining a relentless focus on reaching people, developing leaders, and sending them into ministry. In this conversation, Spence shares how churches can intentionally build a culture of multiplication by developing leaders from within, creating healthy sending pathways, and stewarding opportunities for church revitalization. Stop “plucking” leaders. Start growing them. // One of Spence’s biggest challenges to church leaders is resisting the temptation to solve leadership shortages by hiring talent from elsewhere. Just as churches prioritize reaching lost people rather than simply attracting Christians from other churches, they should approach leadership development the same way. Instead of constantly recruiting experienced leaders, churches should intentionally identify, disciple, and develop people already sitting in their congregations. This approach takes longer, but it creates leaders deeply shaped by the church’s culture and mission. The power of the shoulder tap. // Many future ministry leaders never consider vocational ministry simply because no one asks them. Spence encourages pastors to intentionally “tap people on the shoulder” when they observe leadership potential. Some of Mercy’s key leaders—including executive pastors and campus pastors—came directly from marketplace careers like banking, manufacturing, and physical therapy. Rather than waiting for seminary graduates to apply, Mercy helps people connect their existing gifts and experiences to ministry opportunities. Create a clear leadership profile. // To make leadership development intentional, Mercy created a “Lead Pastor Profile” built around three categories: character, competency, and calling. While designed for future church planters, the framework serves as a roadmap for developing leaders throughout the church. By clearly defining what healthy leadership looks like, staff members know exactly what qualities to identify, cultivate, and reproduce in others. Character matters before charisma. // Within the character category, Spence believes self-awareness is one of the most overlooked leadership traits. Effective leaders understand both their strengths and limitations and are secure enough in their identity in Christ to build teams around areas where they are weaker. Without self-awareness, talented leaders can make excellent first impressions while creating long-term organizational damage. Character requires observation over time and not just impressive interviews. Multipliers build movements. // When evaluating leadership competency, the ability to multiply is critical. Can this person develop other leaders? Have they demonstrated the ability to move beyond accomplishing ministry personally and instead equip others to lead? Churches often unintentionally hire capable “doers” rather than leader-builders, limiting long-term growth. Multipliers create healthy ministries because they reproduce leadership instead of accumulating responsibility. Alignment creates unity. // Calling isn’t simply about theological agreement, but also includes ministry philosophy. Spence stresses the importance of ensuring leaders share the church’s convictions about how ministry is carried out. When someone consistently wants to reshape the church into something fundamentally different, the healthiest response may be helping them pursue the ministry God is calling them toward elsewhere. Clear alignment creates healthier teams and stronger long-term partnerships. Let people discover their gifts by leading. // Churches shouldn’t expect to know someone’s leadership potential before giving them opportunities to serve. Mercy intentionally creates pathways where people can lead community groups, coach leaders, and gradually assume greater responsibility. Some will flourish as long-term small group leaders. Others will demonstrate broader leadership gifting and eventually plant churches. The key is creating a culture where trying, learning, and growing are celebrated rather than feared. Revitalization begins with humility. // Spence also shares lessons from Mercy’s experience helping revitalize struggling churches. Successful partnerships require patient relationships, deep humility, and genuine respect for the legacy of existing congregations. Rather than viewing church buildings as opportunities to expand Mercy’s influence, the team approaches every conversation as the stewardship of Kingdom resources. By honoring the faithfulness of previous generations, Mercy has seen older congregations joyfully become part of new seasons of ministry fruitfulness. Faithfulness compounds over time. // Spence closes with an encouragement for church leaders: don’t underestimate what God can do through long-term faithfulness. Leaders often overestimate what can happen in five years while dramatically underestimating what God can accomplish over twenty. Healthy multiplication isn’t built through shortcuts. It grows steadily through consistent obedience, patient leadership development, and a commitment to stay the course. To learn more about Mercy Church, visit mercycharlotte.com or follow Spence Shelton or the church on social media for additional leadership resources and updates. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Risepointe Do you feel like your church’s or school's facility could be preventing growth? Are you frustrated or possibly overwhelmed at the thought of a complicated or costly building project? Are the limitations of your building becoming obstacles in the path of expanding your ministry? Have you ever felt that you could reach more people if only the facility was better suited to the community’s needs? Well, the team over at Risepointe can help! As former ministry staff and church leaders, they understand how to prioritize and help lead you to a place where the building is a ministry multiplier. Your mission should not be held back by your building. Their team of architects, interior designers and project managers have the professional experience to incorporate creative design solutions to help move YOUR mission forward. Check them out at risepointe.com and while you’re there, schedule a FREE call to explore possibilities for your needs, vision and future…Risepointe believes that God still uses spaces…and they're here to help. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. You know, this week is a great conversation and was recommended by one of my favorite church leaders in the country. And so you’re going to love this conversation. It’s going to be super helpful. And I do think it’s going to challenge you and provide you some steps forward. Rich Birch — Excited to have Spence Shelton with us. He is from Mercy Church, a multi-site church with three locations, if I’m counting correctly, in Charlotte, plus Church Online. God is leading Mercy Church into a season of a bunch of expansion and investment in ministry facilities and outreach over a two-year discipleship initiative called All to Him. They have a goal to launch the Mercy Family of Churches in in late 2025, which I think is maybe launched, or we’ll see where that goes, and is aiming to form their own collective within the next five years. Super excited to have you on the show today, Spence.Spence Shelton — Man, such an honor to be with you, Rich. Man, this is, I’m a big, going to say it, I’m a big fan of yours, man… Rich Birch — That’s kind of you to say. Spence Shelton — …because you have produced so much helpful content for me as a leader to lean into and grow little by little. And I can only hope that I can contribute a little bit more to the great work you’ve been doing, man.Rich Birch — Come on, that’s amazing. Honored to have you with us and to learn from you today, Spence. And mutual friend in Andrew Hopper…Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — …who I love, fantastic leader. And so shout out to Hopper. Thankful for what God’s doing in his church as well. So Mercy Church started in 2015. Give us a picture of kind of where things are at today. If we were to come to the church, what would we experience? Kind of talk us through the last season, kind of the last couple of years. What’s that look like?Spence Shelton — Yeah, man. So if you came to Mercy today, what you’d find is a church, you might be surprised to learn how big it actually is because the church is, you know, a couple thousand people, but it’s across seven services and three campuses. And there’s some of some of that’s intentional. Some of that is, hey, we’re just kind of following the Lord where he’s led in this. And we didn’t really plan for it, you know, so. Spence Shelton — Our average service size is not that big, but we’ve the Lord’s been really gracious. If you came what you’d find is especially at our broadcast campus you’d find an old church building that you’d be thinking: wait are all these people how are they you know filling in here, you know. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And you’d see cars parked uh all through a neighborhood and everything else and you’d see a retrofitted old church building, and that’s just the story of God’s grace on us – a building that was given to us and a church family that decided, hey we want to join you guys and they gave us their building. Really cool moment that like a legacy moment of faith in our church. And a couple other spots where we’re seeing similar sorts of things and it’s just it’s awesome, man. Spence Shelton — So we feel blessed. We feel like we are um doing what God has called us to do because we’re seeing that kind of momentum in the ministry that we’re doing. But none of our facilities are going to wow you, I promise. I actually love training church planters because, you know, so many times they come in and they’re like, Oh, ah we can do this. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — I’m like, yeah, you can do it. You know? Rich Birch — That’s normal like us.Spence Shelton — So we are praying and asking the Lord for better wins. Yeah. But you can do it, man. If you can do it here, you can do it anywhere kind of thing. So Lord’s been really gracious to us. And it’s a, it’s been a real joy these past 10 years.Rich Birch — It’s so cool. It seems like you guys are in a bit of a pivotal season or an inflection point season where you’ve got a bunch of things on the horizon, launching Mercy Family of Churches… Spence Shelton — That’s right. Rich Birch — …the 50 Missionary Goal by 2030, a collective. Talk me through those. What is the future look like? What’s driving the urgency? Help us understand kind of what the future looks like.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, I think this happens for any church, both leader and in just the life of a church. You come to those milestone moments. We hit it last year with 10 years, and it was not only a milestone in terms of age. There was some just real growth that had been happening to the church that was forcing some good conversations around long-term you know expansion so that we can continue to facilitate what we believe God, actually, I should say we could steward what God is doing in our church.Spence Shelton — And so we launched an initiative that we called All to Him. I was teaching through the book of Romans all year last year. And so it comes out of Romans 12:1 and 2, because Christ gave his all for us, we give our all to him. That is our living sacrifice that we do. Spence Shelton — And so we said, we got some goals as a church, man. We want to see our church, we got some reaching goals. We got some training up goals. We got some sending out goals. Because when I planted Mercy Church, one of the things that was on my heart: if we’re going to come to Charlotte, North Carolina, we were going to be a sending church. Which means we’re going to build a sending hub here where this thing’s going be like an aircraft carrier that just sends out missionaries all over the place into the battles that the Lord has for us across the world.Spence Shelton — That was just on my heart. Instead of going to, you know, a place that might be, might have a, I don’t know, like a north Pacific Northwest or Northeast, something like that. If we’re coming to the Southeast to the Bible Belt, we’re doing so intentionally. Very intentional.Spence Shelton — So that’s been on our heart um ever since day one and this All to Him initiative. You know, we were hoping that by 2030, we double the size of our church. That’s because Charlotte is growing by 150 people a day.Spence Shelton — So like, we’ve got to, you know, this isn’t like it’s just because it’s something we want to do. It’s a calling, a good stewardship of the moment that we’re in. And we want to we’re launching a seminary certificate program for our members of our church because we want to train them up. Right.Spence Shelton — And we got a goal to see 50 missionaries go on the mission field by 2030. We just planted a couple of weeks before the recording of this, we planted our next church here in Charlotte, and we’ve got plans for several more.Spence Shelton — We are a large family of churches about to become a collaborative. We’re, we’re ah you know, 2028, 2029, somewhere around there, we’ll officially form that collaborative if the Lord continues to do what he’s doing. All because, man, we are convinced that God has brought us here to reach people, train them up, send them out, which I hope does not sound novel to any church leader listening to this.Spence Shelton — I hope it just sounds like, yeah, man, that makes sense.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — It’s like, well, then what’s the the magic or what’s the the secret sauce? It’s just putting your hand to the plow. And now here we are 10, 11 years in, and we’ve been steadily doing that same work. And I think the Lord is, um you know, our buddy Andrew would use the flywheel. That’s his favorite version of that illustration. But you keep putting your hand to the same thing and eventually the Lord starts to bear fruit. And that’s what we’re seeing now.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. And yeah, you know that and you’re a kind leader, you know that for some leaders, the reason why we’re talking to you today is unfortunately, that is more novel than it should be. And so we want to dig into that a little bit.Spence Shelton — Sure..Rich Birch — Particularly, let’s maybe start with that middle section, this training goals, you’re working on trying to train people up. When you’re thinking about the kind of leadership vision you have as a church, you’re thinking about, hey, we’re going to raise up leaders both you know here to and then also sending.Rich Birch — I think we we can fall into this dichotomy around, okay, so do we find these leaders from other places and attract them to come here? Or, do we grow them up internally?Rich Birch — Do we find a way to develop them internally? So it’s this idea of plucking talent rather than developing it. Talk to me through why is training so hard in so many churches? Why do we struggle with that? And we seem to default towards, let’s just find somebody from over there and have them come and help us here.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, I think that mentality starts all the way down to the idea of reaching people that don’t know Christ versus just sheep swapping from one church to the other church. Right.Spence Shelton — So you can grow your church by transfer growth. Um, which I actually am one who, Hey man, if somebody on the sideline in one church and then they plug into your church, I I’m all for it And if the same thing happens with Mercy, all for it. Spence Shelton — But our aim, what we all know as pastors and ministry leaders is our aim is man, let’s reach lost people and then disciple them. Right. Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — The same thing I think should be true with leadership development. For some reason, when it comes into developing leaders, we tend to go a different direction and think, well, let’s just go find where some leaders are and get them to to plug in.Spence Shelton — It’s like, we don’t do that even with discipleship. Why are we switching our mindset? And so I want to just kind of, I have to, I was convicted and wanted to call our church and I would call others to the same mindset that you have with discipleship. Let that carry over into your leadership and your leadership development as well.Spence Shelton — And I think that’s how we’re going to grow, just as how we’re going to grow the kingdom by reaching lost people, how we’re going to grow the leaders in the kingdom, the number of leaders we have, it’s going to be developing them in our church. And I just… I don’t know that we’re even thinking that way and asking the question, is the guy who’s a 27-year-old physical therapist in my church, has anybody ever bothered to tap him on the shoulder and ask, hey, man, could God be calling you into ministry?Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — Because I watch you and no we’re not doing the shoulder tap, man. And so um right now, I just I love it. Just a little bit of the story of our church… Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — …our executive both of our executive pastors and two of our three campus pastors were all in the marketplace. One of our executive pastors was in banking. Another was a plant manager. We have two campus pastors who were both, I use physical therapists because they’re both former physical therapists. And you know, we’re sitting there having these conversations.Spence Shelton — You know what makes a great pastor is someone who has sat with person after person told them, hey, you should do this to feel better. And then they come back to you later and say, hey, I don’t feel better. And you say, did you do the thing I told you to do? And they say, no. And you say, well, you should have done that.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — And a patient, long suffering physical therapist turns out to be a great pastor, but somebody’s got to tap him on the shoulder and say, hey, man, I think God might be calling you into this. And so my my encouragement to anybody who’s a in ministry right now, kind of in that leadership development role, and you’re like, I don’t know, we’re gonna have to go outside to find some talent.Spence Shelton — I promise it’s going to take longer the way I’m talking about. But if you will seek the Lord, ask the Lord, and then start shoulder tapping and giving some opportunities for guys to lead, for men and women to lead there in your ministry and whatever the leadership roles might be, I think there might be more people in there than you realize. Because I believe that God provides for the church that he’s growing, that he’s called you to lead. Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. Spence Shelton — And so I think the same thing is true with leaders as well.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. I love that. And I you know I love the even the vision for, hey, maybe there are some people within your church. We see this statistically, like even if you’re thinking about campus pastors, 9 out of 10 campus pastors are coming from within, which means we’ve got which means we’ve got to get good at this. Spence Shelton — Yeah.Rich Birch — And yeah, if your church has any kind of unique slant on the world, you’ve got to find people who have come up through that culture to ah to ultimately push that culture forward.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — I love this this marketplace to ministry transition. How do we help people do that? That’s a real key transition. I would imagine on your end, you’ve got to help connect the dots for somebody. I love that there, how you even with the physical therapist, we’re able to connect the dots between, hey, here’s what you’re doing. Let me talk to you about the kind of role that we’re thinking about. How do you make that transition? Have you developed anything to try to help make that, you know could you know, connect those dots for people as you’re having those conversations?Spence Shelton — Yeah, I would say we don’t I don’t have a conversational map that I’m doing.Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — I don’t have that yet, though I think that’s just like many things, trial and error, and I’m still in the still cooking to formulate that map.Spence Shelton — But what I do have that we’ve worked through with our staff is something we call, it’s interesting, we actually call it the lead pastor profile.Rich Birch — Okay.Spence Shelton — The reason we call the lead pastor profile is because everything we’re doing, we’re building towards, developing towards planting more churches. And you’ve got to have a lead pastor to go and plant those churches. Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — Now, the thing is actually when you when you look at it, it’s actually just a ministry leader profile, you know? Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — Everything on there, but there may be a couple of things that are nuanced specifically to lead pastors, but it’s kind of like when you go into Timothy and you see what are the characteristics of an elder? Well, every single one of them is just a good Christian, except then you got this thing able to teach. You know what mean? Rich Birch — Right, right.Spence Shelton — So it’s a similar thing is like most of our profile, nine points on it and divided into three buckets, it’s mostly just what makes a good ministry leader. Well, then what I’m doing is what we are doing is we’re taking that and we’re training our whole staff through it and saying, Hey, here’s what we are looking for. Here’s what we’re trying to develop. And then here’s everything. So I do a training monthly with our staff on these points. Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — And then I do it and I say, yeah, I have to verbally say it, never underestimate or never overestimate, I guess just that it’s going to happen without you saying it, always say what you want them to do, you know, just good old preaching point there. But man, Hey, I want you guys to take what I’m teaching you and go teach your volunteers. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — And go teach those that. And I want you to teach your leaders. And then I want your leaders to be able to teach them. And if it doesn’t work, I want you to come back and tell me so that we can get better at making this a multiplying thing. Right. Spence Shelton — So we just got to have a lot of checks and balances along the way. So we’re hopefully training. And it took a while to pull this together in a way that it makes sense to all of us. And now that we’re kind of running it, we can see the value in it of, hey, this is what we’re looking for. And now you can go shoulder tap and say, I know what I’m looking…So the the kids director can go, I know what I’m looking for.Spence Shelton — Now I can go and start shoulder tapping because I know what, you know what i mean? Now that know what I’m looking for, it’s…Rich Birch — Totally.Spence Shelton — Those are probably the the beginnings of a conversational map to to walk somebody through, but at least you know what you’re looking for. You can start to have those conversations. And if you have the relational equity, those conversations can really go somewhere.Rich Birch — Love it. I’d love to double click on that. I love this lead pastor profile idea. I think working to get the clarity I think is in is a great, you know, a great task for all of us to wrestle through.Rich Birch — We think, well, we want to develop our leaders, but then we don’t have any definition of what do we mean by a leader, like at its more most basic level.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — So we don’t need to get into all nine, but are there a couple of them that are either counterintuitive or maybe we miss, or you find yourself coming back to time and again, that are like real dividing points or like ones that kind of stick out to you in the in the framework?Spence Shelton — Yeah. All right. So obviously all nine matter to me or I wouldn’t have had them all. So I’ll do my best.Rich Birch — Yes, exactly.Spence Shelton — I’ll do my best.Spence Shelton — So we divide him into three buckets, character, competency, and calling. So each one of those has three points under it. And I’ll click on one of them, maybe in each, and you can tell me if you want to go further.Rich Birch — Sure. That’s great. Yeah.Spence Shelton — But in character, the one that I find to be the most overlooked is self-awareness.Rich Birch — So true.Spence Shelton — I find that to be the most overlooked characteristic of a good leader is one who is aware of their strengths and aware of their weaknesses and is settled in their identity in Christ so that their weaknesses don’t crush them.Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — You know, they can instead build a team around them, you know. Because the classic thing with a lead pastor is to say, well, I’m good at vision and bad at details. It’s like, OK, man, maybe we need to do something a little more thoughtful than that, because that resonates with me for sure… Rich Birch — Right. Right. Spence Shelton — …that you ask the guys around me for sure. But what what? what about are you better at vision casting or vision creating? And what are the evidences of that in your ministry? You know, so for me, I’m better at vision casting than I am vision creating. That’s probably my my 9 to 10 is actually sharing it.Spence Shelton — But I got to have some help and and love having help in the other side of that. And so there are plenty of other things like that. But when we have someone who’s not aware of their strengths and weaknesses, usually that’s that’s like a stop point for us.Spence Shelton — And so if we’ve got someone we think, oh, man, they they come across because here’s the thing. Unless you have these points, somebody will can make a great first impression and a lot of long term damage in your ministry. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — Not because they have bad intent, but because they’re not aware of what they’re… And you give them a lot of responsibility and maybe they’re not actually, they don’t have the eyes of Jethro in Exodus 18 to know how to build out a ministry.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Spence Shelton — You just thought they did because they gave off a good first impression.Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — So that’s my biggest biggest one in that character, or not biggest one, but that’s a key one, I think, in the character is…Rich Birch — Right. A key one that sticks out.Spence Shelton — …man, are you self-aware? And so whatever we use, we love different, whether it’s the personality assessments, leadership assessments, but we also, and we just, we wanna develop from within because that gives us the ability to see.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — We can see what their strengths and weaknesses are. Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — Because we’ve had people eyes on them for months and years and you can’t really trade that out.Rich Birch — Yeah, and character takes a long time of up-close observation to really get a sense of where where people are at.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — Because, and you know we know this is, this is you know we don’t have to think long. There are lots of examples of leaders who—and all look great—but there’s like a 2% you know, problem in their character that ended up showing itself in the most kind of ugly of ways.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — So I know all nine are super important. I get that. appreciate that. But we can’t be here for three hours. So competency, what was what’s one in there that that that tends to say we’re just trying to whet people’s appetite to kind of help them think through it a little bit.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man. For competency, the one that I would, the the one that, yeah, that spend a lot of time on when it comes to competency, what I would say is the multiplier. Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — I want someone who is a proven multiplier before I move them into an increased um level of leadership and responsibility. I want to see it, man. And if we, otherwise, again, what I’m trying to weed out is someone that talks a good game or someone that just has a, there may be someone I think a lot of leaders that might actually be really strong in the gift of hospitality have found themselves in the arena of administration simply because they are, like generous, kind, easy to talk to people. And they’re great. You want to be around them. They’re probably encouragers, that kind of thing. Spence Shelton — And it’s like, wait a minute, have they multiplied? Do they actually understand what it takes…Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — …to take someone from leading self, to use the old Ramsharan leadership pipeline, from leading self to leading others, have they actually, do they understand what it takes? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Spence Shelton — And do they understand what it takes to go from leading others to leading leaders? And have they, let’s let’s just look behind them. If you wanna go the the Bible route, you just take 2 Timothy 2:2…are they able to train up faithful teachers who can then teach others also? That to me is, especially when we get into who’s going to go out and plant a church…Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — …and I’m not sending somebody out that’s not a builder. Another way to say multiplier would be builder, but I say multiplier because I’m specifically thinking around leadership and leading those who will lead others. Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — If we want to build a movement of churches for the sake of the glory of God, and we want these churches to go and continue to build, there’s got to be multipliers leading this. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Spence Shelton — You know, gotta be. So when it comes to competency, that’s like a a deal breaker for me for who we’re going to send out the plant. And so I want to develop it starting in our student ministry, you know, and working our way through or starting in our college ministry, working our way through.Spence Shelton — I don’t want to wait until we just try to, otherwise we’ve got to go pluck out from the, you know, ether, somebody that we hope is a multiplier. And I don’t want to do that. I’d rather raise them up.Rich Birch — Well, and we see this temptation in churches when they get to, say, 1,000, and then they’re they’re growing you know they’re they’re eyeing 2,000 beyond. There’s a there’s a dangerous temptation that can come in, particularly for our staff teams. I know we’re talking broader than just staff teams, but particularly for our staff teams, we can ah we can forget the Ephesians 4 call to equip others to to ministry.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — And we just become doers. We hire doers rather than multipliers… Spence Shelton —Yes. Rich Birch — …because they get stuff done. And we’re like, oh man, they’re solving problems for us. But that is can then erode a church long-term very quickly. I’ve seen that so many times where they end up with, you know they slow down.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — They’re like, why are we slowing down? It’s well, because you’ve stopped multiplying. You’ve stopped doing what we’re called to do. I love that. Rich Birch — So then the third category calling anything in there that would, that steps that kind of is similar. Again, I know all nine are are really important, but, but any of those that that kind of jumped to the, to the front.Spence Shelton — Maybe I’ll give you one that has we’ve learned through some some painful trial and error, Rich Birch — Okay. Sure. Spence Shelton — And that is, we call it alignment. And what we mean by that is: as you develop a leader, when it comes to their long-term place in your church and leading maybe even beyond your, so in our case, beyond our church to going in and leading ah a church that’s going be a part of the family of our churches, it’s really important that not only are they theologically aligned, but they are philosophically aligned in terms of how we do church.Spence Shelton — So no shade on any other way of doing church. What I’m saying is so that we can continue to be united in one voice internally, so at Mercy Church with how we do discipleship, and then so that we can be united in how we can help and train one another as a family of churches, we got to be aligned not just around our theological convictions, but on our ministry convictions, how we do it.Spence Shelton — I would say to those of you out there who have a promising young leader, but it seems like they just don’t want to do, they want to change your church into their, a different kind of church.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — The best thing you can do is set them free. Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — And I don’t mean like, that’s not like code for firing, by the way, that genuinely that genuinely is like, help them find a way, an off ramp to whatever it is they sense God calling them to. If they’re not, you know, they might be just, they need more season of development. That might be all it is. But when it comes to appointing people towards and, and, setting people into key leadership. So take an elder role at Mercy Church, community group coaching, shepherding, that kind of thing where you’re in now, you are shaping, not just participating. You’re really shaping the DNA of our church. Spence Shelton — We’ve got to be aligned with what we’re doing. It also makes for a much more enjoyable experience. I’m not saying we’re not thinking. We’re always thinking over here about how to do it better and trying to be faithful and everything else.Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Of course. But I’m saying, man, you want to feel like you’re locked arm and arm going together. And when conviction comes that goes a separate way, it’s like best to separate. So we’ve we’ve learned that the kind of the hard way. I think a lot of lessons are hard.Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — And so I offer this as our missions pastor likes to say, we have paid some dumb tax. Rich Birch — True. Spence Shelton — And so wherever we can save another person from paying it, we’d love to do that for you.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. I love that. and And yeah, I think alignment’s a massive deal and and calling it out. And I would think being in a church that is um so focused on sending, you’re you’re hoping that that’s a big part of what’s kind of the outcome of the church. Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — That, you know, having an an outlet for that sending in a way that makes the most sense. Hey, here’s a leader who seems to have the skills and, you know, and and and then you can celebrate, hey, they seem to have some unique ideas that they want to go and see happen somewhere else.Spence Shelton — Yes. Yes.Rich Birch — That’s fantastic. Rather than having to like fight that. I think that’s cool. That’s really good. Rich Birch — So, you know, help me ah pick this apart a little bit. So one of the interesting things I find in this whole kind of leadership pathway, leadership pipeline conversation is there are, so I think we all can be influential. I think in one way we are all called to be leaders, but not necessarily everyone that we’re discipling is necessarily going to be a lead pastor. They’re not all necessarily going to. Rich Birch — Now I understand we’re kind of discipling towards that, but help me understand what are you doing internally with folks that you’re like, I just, they’re just not going to make that jump eventually. How do you have that conversation? I know that’s a hard conversation. What does that look like?Spence Shelton — Right.Rich Birch — Or am I just looking at this wrong? Which could be the case too. Happy to be wrong. Help help me think through that.Spence Shelton — Well, we’ve got to have some freedom that comes from distinctive categories. This will help us a great deal. Helps me in pastoring a great deal. First, we got to have the category of spiritual gift. The Lord has given everyone a spiritual gift… Rich Birch — Yep. Spence Shelton — …and we got to celebrate that. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And we got to be careful not to turn the leadership pipeline into, or that concept of leader development, turn that into a a grading of gifts. Like you’ve got a, you know, you’re, you need to graduate from one gift. Maybe that’s a better way to say it. Graduate from one gift to the other, to the other. It’s like, no, no, no. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — What we’re not talking about is graduating out of your gift set. God has given you that. And the best thing for you and for his church is to get really good at how he’s given you or how he’s gifted you. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — And when we when we conflate those, when we only talk about just you know getting better, it’s like, man, we got to watch out. Instead, let’s say, how can we get better at the giftings God has given us so that we can steward it really well?Spence Shelton — And then we find ourselves able to say, and when it comes to leadership, and here we are as church leaders, we’re now inside of a category. We’re inside of a category of leadership. And how can we develop leaders who are gifted by God as leaders? Well, the good news is maybe take some pressure off everybody, you’re not really going to know if someone’s gifted in leadership until you let them try to lead. Rich Birch — True, yes. Spence Shelton — So you got to let them try to lead, man. And then as they lead and you give them a couple of swings, two, three, four, whatever, and you coach them along the way, hey, here’s what we’re looking for in a leader. Here’s how you can grow from leading self leading others. Take the pressure off. Spence Shelton — This might be how God has gifted you, we don’t know. But the best way to see, based on what we’ve seen so far, is to let you try. So here’s a community group, and here are the things you’re gonna need to be a good community group leader, and we’re gonna coach you and support you.Spence Shelton — Let’s go. And let’s see what the next six months brings, right? Rich Birch — Yep, that’s great.Spence Shelton — Hey, this went really well. We wanna take you out of this community group leader seat and put you in as a coach. Now there’s a different set of skills you’re gonna need to be a coach, but man, it seems like your people responded to your leadership. What do we think about you as a coach? Spence Shelton — Each set of the way, man, do I have the, the way I always say it to our staff—they’re sick of me saying this, so it’s great to talk to you because…Rich Birch — I’m not sick of it. Yeah.Spence Shelton — …[inaudible] fresh person to say this too—is that clarity in expectations creates confidence in execution. The clearer you are with what you are asking someone to do, the more confident they will be in doing it. Another way to say it.Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — So that’s just my my big thing there on on this. Let’s get over now that we’re, and what we’re going to find is some people are going to lead a community group faithfully for 20, 30 years at our church. Rich Birch — Right, right.Spence Shelton — Praise the Lord. What we can’t see is that we can’t see that a failure. Rich Birch — No. Spence Shelton — Others are going to lead for six months to two years. And we’re going to man, this, this person’s a leader and, and we’re seeing it. They already, they’re planting. Spence Shelton — I had someone come up to me the other day at church and tell me, Hey man, I just wanted to tell you, we’re so excited. You challenged me about five years ago to lead a community group. And we just planted our fifth group. And I went, like I went, I was, my mind went so far. I didn’t even have time to be, to be celebrating. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — Cause I was like, does anybody know that there’s a guy out here… Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Who’s just cranking out groups. Spence Shelton — …with the with an apostolic gift just planting groups every year what’s going so so. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s great. Spence Shelton — I was like hey, but so that that was a a great moment the Lord gave me just of, hey this is this is going really well and there will be some that will lead a group and things won’t go well and they won’t go well and you’ll keep trying different efforts. So to my community group leader friends, hey once someone tries and tries and tries, would you maybe tap their shoulder and say hey can we try something else. You know. Rich Birch — Good. Spence Shelton — Like you are not a failure. We just got to find the gift that God has given you. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And the more that’s in the conversation of your church, that’s in the atmosphere of your church—We’re just looking for the way God’s gifted you. And we’re going to try and make you the best you can be at how he’s gifted you.—The easier the conversation is going to be of, I don’t think it’s community group leadership. I don’t think it’s this. I don’t think it’s that. Because we have a culture of, Hey, trial and error, you know?Rich Birch — Right. That’s good. That’s so good. I love that. And I love this has been a great kind of look under the hood of this whole multiplication issue. I think a lot of church leaders out there have the desire. They have the like, oh, we, man, I would love to be a church that has that kind of vision. But then what are the mechanics underneath of that? How do we actually do that?Spence Shelton — Yeah. Yeah.Rich Birch — Super helpful. Pivoting in this totally, well, it’s a related but different direction. Your church has been involved in a number of revitalizations. You talked about on the you know top end, you had a you know facility given to you. And I this is like a super inappropriate, with just a few minutes left, curveball to throw in there. What’s your shorthand thing for us to learn about that? Rich Birch — You know that we’ve seen, particularly from a multisite point of view, this area has grown hugely in the last 10 years. It was 10 years ago, 5% of new campuses came about because multiple revitalization. The most recent study showed showed it was 40%. Spence Shelton — Wow.Rich Birch — I suspect Warren’s out talking right now. I suspect the number is even going to be higher. What are the few things that you’ve learned about, you know, those kinds of conversations and relationships that have allowed it to work for you? And it’s been helpful. It’s been a joy giving part of the story at Mercy. Talk us through that.Spence Shelton — I’m going to do so using another point in my lead pastor profile just to have some fun here.Rich Birch — Love it.Spence Shelton — So one of the things we look for in a leader is confident humility. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — Confident in terms of, man, they believe God has called them to something. You know there’s a there’s a settled confidence there. But the humility to be patient and wait on the Lord and see what he has and to consider others, Philippians, to consider others more important than yourself. Right? This matters a great deal when it comes to this area of revitalization.Spence Shelton — What a leader needs to know that there’s this temptation, and I had it, of why would you not give us your church building? Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — Things are going well for us and struggling for you. Why would you not do that?Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Well, it’s that there’s an unintentional, I’m call it a holy ambition that may be a little bit creating some blinders. Okay, let’s use the positive side of that. The the negative side would be there’s some arrogance there. Rich Birch — Right. Yeah.Spence Shelton — But the positive would be holy ambition. But what you gotta know is, man, often these facilities that are housing these churches, the ones that are remaining, a lot of the times that there are people that have been there for decades and for a generation or two, and they put blood, sweat, tears and money into where they are. Spence Shelton — And we had to take the the approach of slow by my standards, still fast by theirs… Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — …slow by my standards. Conversation after conversation that began with , in both of these cases, began with the church that needed revitalizing coming to us. We didn’t go to them. Spence Shelton — They came to us and said, hey, we’re trying to figure out what’s next. We hear you might be able to help. How can you help?Spence Shelton — And we had to present them. We had to consider that a stewardship process. of a kingdom resource, not a how do we advance the name of Mercy Church.Spence Shelton — And so it’s happened two different ways for us right now. One is a campus of our church. You know, we it took months and months, but they wound up voting to hand us the keys, join our congregation, and we held their hand the whole way through. And it was a really beautiful thing. And it’s where our broadcast campus meets today. Spence Shelton — There’s another one that happened where we decided the best thing was for that to be a, because of the neighborhood it’s in in East Charlotte, to be a church planting incubator where we could plant a church every 18 months to two years. Rich Birch — Love it. Yeah.Spence Shelton — And so that’s what we’re doing right now. And there’s a church plant in there. And that was the best stewardship of that building. And after the conversation with their people, but we kind of, we basically put that with them and say, I had a lot of lunches and dinners that I just I’m going to tell you, if you want to get into this game and you want to do it in a way that’s going to honor the Lord, you got to be ready for the patient handholding that I would say is honoring a legacy of faith these folks are are taking.Spence Shelton — In many ways, the greatest step of faith taken in our church has been a couple of other churches handing us keys…Rich Birch — Yeah, 100%.Spence Shelton — …to something that the Lord was an outpost for the gospel at one point. And now in both of those cases for us and in the others that we’re starting to see that are still too soon for me to talk about, it’s just, man, now there’s an outpouring happening in both of those places. And you got like, man, there’s a couple of folks that are from the original congregation of what is now our, where our broadcast campus now is. And they, they, they’re greeters. They have tears more mornings than they don’t on Sunday mornings.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, for sure.Spence Shelton — It’s beautiful, man. Rich Birch — Yeah, it is.Spence Shelton — I mean, they’re all in. They are way bigger fans of Mercy Church than I am. And I’m the lead pastor of the church. Rich Birch — Yes, right. Spence Shelton — You know what I mean? And they just, they are like, they love, because what they actually are is they, they took a step of faith, a huge step of faith, trusting the Lord. And the Lord has blessed them and renewed a a vigor in their ministry. Spence Shelton — I saw a couple of them, mid 80s, and it was about 11 a.m. weekday and they were leaving the church building. I was pulling up. I just put windows down. Hey, what are you doing? It’s like, well, we just finished prayer walk in the neighborhood a couple of times…Rich Birch — Wow.Spence Shelton — …and it’s getting too hot now. We’re going inside. And I’m like, these are the people I want, man. Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Like just they’re retired and they have chosen they’re going their day prayer walking. It’s like, well, you told us to pray. And I’m like, yeah. Yeah. Rich Birch — That’s amazing. Yeah, that’s incredible.Spence Shelton — Thank you for leading the way you have the time and this is what you do with it. So, man, there are if if all we see is just, Oh a facility to advance my cause. And we miss what has actually been the sweetest thing for our church has been our very young church got some grandparents.Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — It’s beautiful, man. Beautiful. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. That’s so good. Spence Shelton — So that’s just a little bit I learned from that ah from those couple of runs we’ve had. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s amazing. And yeah, that underlines, so it’s definitely the majority—I think it’s three quarters, if I remember the most recent statistics on these sort of revitalizations—are coming about because the joining church is coming to the lead church, not the other way around.Spence Shelton — That’s right. That’s right.Rich Birch — And so you have to position yourself in a way that that confident humility is a great kind of benchmark to be thinking about, friends. How do we you know hold ourselves in a way that we’re here to serve other people, we’re here to care for them in a way. And I say to church leaders when we talk about these things, I’m like, you have to handle these relationships well enough so that then they’ll tell other people, hey, wow, we loved working with Mercy Hill.Rich Birch — Man, there we love working with Mercy Church. Well, we love working with mercy Mercy Hill too. Spence Shelton — Sure. That’s right.Rich Birch — We love working with Mercy Hill, Mercy Church, too many Mercies. Wow, what a great you know interaction that was been. And wow, that’s a life-giving thing.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — And I loved that. That is what ultimately we’ll see more of these happen long-term. Not because you did some, you know, so too many people have these like, You know, like they use merger and takeover and like this kind of aggressive language, which just doesn’t help in the conversation at all.Spence Shelton — No, it doesn’t help at all. Yeah, that’s exactly right. You got to have that humility. And if somebody’s sitting there wondering, okay, man, well, how do I how do I wait on that without, I want to go get it. I want to get started. I’d say two or three things to do if you’re looking and you believe your church might be a good church candidate for helping another church revitalize, whether that’s being a campus of yours or or something to that effect. Spence Shelton — I’d say first start praying and asking the Lord. And that if you’re not fasting, then you’re not praying yet. Rich Birch — Yeah. Love it.Spence Shelton — So I don’t want to hear that you’re praying if you’re not fasting on this. Secondly, man, this is why networks matter. So I would say whatever your denomination or stream is, whatever, however you’re kind of tied to other churches in your community. If you have no relationships with other churches in your community, and then you want to go and be the revitalizer, that’s going to come, that’s probably going to come across a certain way.Spence Shelton — So There are a number of—years and years and years—of meetings that I’ve gone to, conversations I’ve sat in, in order to genuinely try to say, how can we help? How can we help?Rich Birch — Yeah.Spence Shelton — Whether that’s sending a worship leader to go serve at a church one Sunday morning or helping one church with a a building fundy kind of like thing they got to upfit or something, you know.Spence Shelton — Basically, I’m trying to be a team player in the Kingdom here in our little corner of the world in Charlotte. And then that’s going to earn the respect and the trust for when those conversations can happen in the relational network, those conversations can happen. Spence Shelton — So I am one who just in my nature, I do not like meetings. I don’t like them. Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — They feel like necessary evils. Rich Birch — Love it.Spence Shelton — And I’m trying to get better about that. But they are actually what I do love and value is trust and relationships. And again, confident humility. I have to be more about the Kingdom than I do about my own church. And a rising tide lifts all boats, you know.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. Well, this been a great conversation today, Spence. I really appreciate that. And thanks for going with me there with that little you know detour at the end.Spence Shelton — Of course, the joy.Rich Birch — That was fantastic. But anything you’d love to share just as we wrap up today’s conversation?Spence Shelton — I would say too—I don’t know what’s spurring this, but something that has helped me so much in my ministry to the leader out there, especially the young leader, but maybe to all of them—you will always overestimate what you can do in five years and you will drastically underestimate what you can do in 20. Rich Birch — That’s so true.Spence Shelton — And there maybe a way to say it is you will overestimate what God will do and underestimate what God will do. So this is a little plug of me saying, stay the course, stay the course where you’re at. The Lord is going to do a work in honor of your faithfulness to the work. Stay in it, man. Stay in it.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Just to add to that, I’m doing some research on working on a book on churches that break the 2000 barrier. And one of the interesting telltale signs are senior leaders and senior leadership teams that have been in the same church or the same community for 20 plus years. Spence Shelton — There you go. Rich Birch — So going into their third decade, it just takes time. Spence Shelton — There it is. Rich Birch — You know, it’s not it’s it’s not you know’s not overnight. Rich Birch — Well, I really appreciate this. This has been a great a great conversation. Spence, if people want to track with you or with the church, where do we want to send them online? Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, you can go to probably social media is the the day and age that we live in. So @SpenceShelton is my social media handle. It’s Instagram and and those kind of things. Our church is just @MercyCharlotte. And you can go on our website, mercycharlotte.com. Find everything you need there. Spence Shelton — We’re launching a podcast. Praise God, let’s go. You can find all of it, though, just through our Instagram handles, which is usually a good first landing point for folks. And however we can help, man, feel free to reach out. Nothing super shiny about what we got going on over here, but we love being in the game for the Kingdom. However we can help.Rich Birch — All the best as you serve in Charlotte. Thanks so much, man.Spence Shelton — Thank you, brother.

In this week's MBA Admissions podcast we began by discussing the upcoming events Clear Admit is hosting. We plan to do a livestream event on Tuesday, September 1, ahead of the Round 1 deadlines. This event is for participants to ask any questions they have for their Round 1 strategy. Graham and Alex will be hosting, as usual. We hope to roll out these livestream events on a monthly schedule. Later in September, Clear Admit will also host several more webinar events featuring admissions professionals from the top MBA programs. Signups for those events are here: https://www.clearadmit.com/events Graham highlighted a recently published article that focuses on Chicago / Booth's new research center for supply chain and applied technologies. Graham also noted an admissions tip detailing how to identify and prepare recommenders for the MBA admissions process. Clear Admit continues its Adcom Q&A series. This week Graham notes a written and a podcast Q&A from Berkeley / Haas. For this week, for the candidate profile review portion of the show, Alex selected two ApplyWire entries: This week's first MBA admissions candidate has a 3.73 GPA and 675 GMAT. They have what appears to be strong work experience and some decent entrepreneurial experience. This week's second MBA applicant is seeking to pivot away from the Oil and Gas sector. They are from Pakistan and have more than 11 years of experience. This episode was recorded in Paris, France and Cornwall, England. It was produced and engineered by the fabulous Dennis Crowley in Philadelphia, USA. Thanks to all of you who've been joining us and please remember to rate and review this show wherever you listen!