Podcasts about Propel

Summer can be a slower season for many clinics, making it the perfect time to work on the marketing tasks that often get pushed aside during busier months.In this episode, we'll cover seven practical marketing updates clinic owners should make before fall arrives. From refreshing your Google Business Profile and improving your website content to planning blog topics and reviewing your SEO performance, these are the same types of improvements that can help clinics finish the year stronger than they started it.Whether you're a chiropractor, physical therapist, acupuncturist, med spa owner, or another healthcare provider, this episode will help you make the most of the second half of the year.⭐Episode webpage and show notes: https://propelyourcompany.com/mid-year-marketing-moves-every-clinic-should-make/

Craig and Cory discuss the big win for the Reds. They covered the Reds offensive explosion for a 10-2 win over the New York Yankees powered by Sal Stewart's 6 RBI, Edwin Arroyo's four-hit day, a big offensive breakout, and another strong performance from Andrew Abbott. Craig then covers the minors and Sunday's series finale with the Yankees. ------------------------------------ Check out our partners ⤵️   Book your appointment at Richter & Phillips today: https://richterphillips.com/pages/chatterbox-sports    Apply today at Sharefax Credit Union: Sharefax.org or call 513-753-2440   The Anthony Muñoz 78 Cigar! Get your box today: https://www.anthonymunoz.com/anthony-munoz-78-cigars    It's OK not to be OK! Need Help? Call or text 988 DAY OR NIGHT or visit mantherapy.org   Get 20% off sitewide at Homage with promo code CHATTER at checkout: homage.com/CBOX  -----------------------------------

In episode 497 of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb bring the Parable of the Talents to a close with one of the most theologically rich discussions in recent memory. Beginning in Matthew 25:24, they zero in on the one-talent servant — not merely as a cautionary tale about productivity, but as a profound case study in distorted theology. The servant's fatal error wasn't laziness alone; it was a fundamentally false picture of his master. That mischaracterization produced a craven, fearful inaction that the hosts argue maps directly onto the eschatological stakes of the parable. Drawing on Calvin, William Ames, and Reformed confessional commitments, Tony and Jesse make the case that right theology is never merely academic — it shapes the whole of life, and ultimately determines one's eschatological destiny. Key Takeaways The one-talent servant's core failure is theological, not behavioral — he constructs a false image of his master as harsh and exploitative, and that distorted theology governs everything that follows. False theology produces fatal inaction — the servant's fear is not godly fear but a craven dread rooted entirely in his mischaracterization of the master's character. The knowledge of God and the knowledge of self are inseparable — following Calvin's Institutes, the hosts argue that a right understanding of God as gracious and generous will produce active, trusting faithfulness, while a distorted view produces fearful, minimal compliance. The parable is fundamentally eschatological, not merely practical — interpreting the talents primarily as spiritual gifts or ministry opportunities misses the point; the parable is about who belongs to the master's kingdom and who does not. Character precedes action — the faithful servants do not become faithful by producing returns; they produce returns because they are faithful. The wicked servant buries his talent because he is wicked, not the other way around. William Ames understood the servant's sin as a violation of the ninth commandment — by burying his talent, the servant effectively bears false witness against God's own estimation of the gift, rejecting both the gift and the Giver. The "outer darkness" language is not out of place — it is the natural eschatological conclusion for someone who never genuinely knew or trusted the master, making the parable a picture of what it means to be outside the grace and presence of God entirely. Key Concepts False Theology as the Root of Inaction The most striking feature of the one-talent servant's account is not what he did — or failed to do — but what he believed. He tells his master, "I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed." Tony and Jesse point out that nothing in the parable supports this characterization. A master who entrusts his servants with what amounts to decades of wages — hundreds of years' worth of labor between three servants — is not a hard, exploitative figure. He is astonishingly generous and trusting. The servant has constructed a theological fiction, and that fiction becomes the prison of his own inaction. This is not a peripheral observation; it is the interpretive key to the entire parable. What we believe about God determines everything about how we live before Him. The Knowledge of God Shapes the Whole of Life Calvin famously opens the Institutes with the observation that the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self are so bound together that it is nearly impossible to determine which is logically prior. Jesse draws on this insight to show that the one-talent servant's self-understanding — timid, fearful, paralyzed — flows directly from his distorted image of God. A person who genuinely knows God as gracious, generous, and long-suffering will be motivated to active, trusting faithfulness. A person who privately believes God to be harsh and demanding will retreat into fearful, minimalist compliance. This is not merely a first-century observation. It is a diagnostic tool for self-examination: the shape of our obedience reveals the shape of our theology. Reformed orthodoxy has always insisted that right doctrine is not academic — it is the engine of the Christian life. Character Precedes Action — The Anti-Works-Righteousness Reading One of the most important guardrails Tony and Jesse set up in this episode is against a subtle works-righteousness reading of the parable. It is tempting to hear the parable and conclude: do productive things for the kingdom, and you will be welcomed as a good and faithful servant. But the hosts argue that this inverts the logic of the text entirely. The faithful servants are not commended because they generated a return; they generated a return because they are faithful servants. The wicked servant buries his talent because he is wicked — his character drives his conduct, not the reverse. Justification and sanctification alike are received by faith in Christ alone, and no reading of this parable should suggest that our eschatological standing is secured by our productivity. The sheep act like sheep because they are sheep. That punchline, Tony notes, will carry them straight into the sheep and the goats passage next week. Memorable Quotes "Who is it that's not going to be saved in the last day? It's the people who don't recognize the master. The people who think that the master is a hard man who reaps where he has not sown and gathers where he has not scattered. Well, if we think that's who God is, we have a lot of trouble coming our way." — Tony Arsenal "A person who genuinely knows the living God as gracious, generous, long-suffering, with that kind of hesed kind of love — that person will be motivated to active, trusting faithfulness. A person who privately believes God to be harsh and demanding is always going to retreat in this fearful, minimal kind of compliance." — Jesse Schwamb "The sheep act like sheep because they're sheep. They don't become sheep because they do sheep things. They do sheep things because they're sheep." — Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Welcome to episode four hundred and ninety seven of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse  And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear Hey, brother  [00:00:42] Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. We're back at it again. We're hanging out in Matthew's gospel, the 25th chapter, and it's time to, I think, close out the Parable of the Talents, where we've got two servants that double their master's money, and one who buries his in the ground like a Calvinist who's confused predestination with doing nothing. And of course, all of this irony is the faithful servants, they can't even take credit. The master supplied the capital, the ability, and apparently even the bull market. It's grace all the way down. But meanwhile, the one talent guy returns exactly what he was given and he gets absolutely wrecked, and we're gonna dig into that. Gonna dig into- ... that later.  [00:01:26] Affirm or Deny Segment [00:01:26] Jesse Schwamb: But before we do, it's what everybody's waiting for. It's that time in the podcast where we affirm with something that we really like or we recommend or we think is undervalued, or we deny against something that's exactly the opposite. Not worth it, no good, get it out of here. So Tony, are you affirming with or denying against?  [00:01:43] Tony Arsenal: I'm denying against something related to the World Cup. Um-  [00:01:47] Jesse Schwamb: Okay ...  [00:01:48] Tony Arsenal: I am not a purist, so please don't hear me as, like, elitist soccer dude who is resistant to any sort of changes, but, um, I didn't actually even know this was happening. Are you following the World Cup at all, Jesse? [00:02:01] Jesse Schwamb: I'm trying to. I'm not against it, I'm just finding myself- Yeah ... stuck in  [00:02:05] Tony Arsenal: trying to like- There, there's a lot going on.  [00:02:06] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah ... yeah, coordinate everything.  [00:02:07] Tony Arsenal: Um, one of the things that they... And they're at weird times this year too- Yes ... at least so far they are.  [00:02:11] Jesse Schwamb: Exactly.  [00:02:11] Hydration Breaks Rant [00:02:11] Tony Arsenal: Um, one of the things this year that I noticed that I didn't know was happening, and I hate it, hate it, hate it, hate it, is, uh, I, I guess I understand why they're doing it, but they've instituted what they're calling mandatory hydration breaks-  [00:02:25] Jesse Schwamb: Oh,  [00:02:26] Tony Arsenal: I've read about this uh, into the games. Yeah. And essentially what this has done is it's turned a game that used to be, uh, and has always been two 45-minute halves-  [00:02:38] Jesse Schwamb: Mm-hmm ...  [00:02:38] Tony Arsenal: um, uh, with overage time, right? So, like, the, the ref will sometimes just, like, add a couple minutes. Usually it's, you know, three to five, maybe 10 minutes at the most to the end of the, the half. They've turned that from, uh, two 45-minute halves into now four, what is that? Like, 23-minute quarters, 22 and a half- Right ... minute quarters. Um, and they're not always quarters. They're not always evenly split. They sometimes do the hydration break early or later. Um, this is awful. It's just awful, right? One of the, one of the, um, maybe this is me being a little bit of a soccer purist. One of the things about soccer that makes it a challenging sport is the endurance of it.  [00:03:21] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:03:22] Tony Arsenal: Right? And contrary to what I think most people think when they watch soccer, um, it's one of the few games, few professional games that doesn't have a ton of breaks- Right? There's not a lot of times where, where match play actually stops for any real amount of time. Um, and that's what stoppage time is. It's not intended to be something like football, where there often is time on the clock where the clock is still moving, but the game is not, like, actively progressing forward, right? Right. You have to do something special to stop the clock. In soccer, uh, at least historically, 45 minutes of play is 45 minutes of play. It's, it's 45 minutes of actual actionable play. And now, um, you know, they stop the game. The clock doesn't continue, but now the game stre- like, the, the game itself stretches longer 'cause they've introduced these additional breaks. So I'm denying, uh... This just sounds like s- I'm such a ghoul here. I'm denying mandatory hydration breaks, not because I want soccer players to get sunstroke. Uh, they get plenty of water. There's plenty of times they get to stop and get water. It's- And this is... We didn't have mandatory hydration breaks when the World Cup was in Qatar. Right. Right? And everybody, for the most part, was fine. Like, the players were all fine. There were no casualties on the field. I don't even recall, like, major medical problems on the field. We're in LA now. Yeah, it's warm, summer, but come on, guys. Like, let's, let's, let's be real. This is not, uh, this is not rec league. This is not, you know, U15 league play with, with kids. These are adult men who condition for a living. Like, this is their job, is to be conditioned and for their bodies to be in peak performance. So it's just... It just interrupts the game. I don't know. I'm, I'm being a little crotchety here, but I feel like I have a right to be 'cause this is my show, and I can do what I want to. That's absolutely true. So I'm denying hydration breaks, mandatory hydrat- hydration breaks, which change the game. And a commentator actually commented about that on, on the match the other day. Um, it changes the dynamic of the game. It changes the strategy of the game. Um, it changes the whole feel of the game, right from the strategy of how long you have to be able to go, right? This will change how- how footballers have to condition themselves, 'cause they're no longer having to condition themselves for two 45-minute halves. They're having to condition themselves for four 22-and-a-half minute quarters, um, which is not the same game as, as that. So anyway, we'll- it's yet to see, be seen if that has any real impact on the outcome of any games or anything like that. But it was annoying to me, so I'm denying mandatory hydration breaks. [00:05:59] Jesse Schwamb: That's great. We haven't had a good denial in a little while on this podcast. I think that's fantastic. I mean, not the break, but the denial itself. Plus, and I don't wanna be... You'll have to tell me if I'm speaking conspiratorial here, because most of my apparent World Cup and general sports news still comes from The Wall Street Journal, so that might be a weird place to get it. But- ... the, I became aware of this through an article that was lamenting the exact same thing. Yeah. It was just basically all the arguments that you said. Like, it's weird, and the game wasn't designed this way, and it's definitely like an interruption. It's definitely like an insertion.  [00:06:32] Ads and Soccer Purism [00:06:32] Jesse Schwamb: And then, of course, was all the stuff about, isn't this really about just allowing commercial break time, and it's more about that, and we're just conveniently saying that we need the hydration breaks. And what else would they, we have them do if we needed to force them to take a break but say, "You know what? Why don't you guys take a knee and get some water- Yeah ... while we show you some ads?" So I imagine that doesn't sit well with people either.  [00:06:52] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I mean, I'm sure that that's the case. Again, I, I haven't even been able to watch a full, full World Cup match, so I don't, I don't know... I don't even know how long the hydration breaks are, to be honest with you. But yes, it's an interruption in play where they can cut to commercial. And whether that was why they put this in place or not, or whether they're just utilizing it, it's obnoxious. Like, part of the fun of watching soccer is that there is no commercial break for the first 45 minutes. Right. Um, that's just part of- Which is unusual in sports ... part of the joy of the game, is that it's a continual game with no real breaks. Um, even when, like, a player is injured because, you know, there's an injury on the field or something like that, um, even when that happens, they don't cut to commercial because there was no planned commercial. They don't have anything there. Right. So, um, it's changed, like, the way... Y- you know, even, even things like this is gonna change how uniforms are thought out, because sponsorship money through uniforms used to be the m- one of the main commercial-driving, like, sponsorships for, um, for the game. So I'm just annoyed by it. [00:07:53] More Rule Changes [00:07:53] Tony Arsenal: There's an- a couple other things that I'm annoyed by this year. They have this... It's kinda like that automatic up call checker thing we talked about. Right. They have this, like, um- They call it mistaken identity, uh, recheck. Basically where if a player is fouled or appears to be fouled, they can, someone can flag it and it will recheck it and, like, digitally the system tells them whether there was a foul or not. And like I said before when we were talking about this a little bit before, um, there is a real element in the game, or there has been a real element to the game historically, where the ump is almost like, or the ref is almost like a third player, and you have to be wise and play the ref. Um, you have to, you know, there's, there's an element of a little bit of, uh, espionage and subtle- Right you know, subterfuge here going on in the game that I think people outside the game who are just watching, they look and they think like, "Oh, yeah, that guy flopped." But there's a whole, like, art and there's a whole form to that, and there's real cost if you do it poorly. Um, and so, like, we've already had one instance where a yellow card was called on a player. Uh, the other player simulated the foul. Um, and so they reversed it and gave the other guy a yellow card, but they did that after the game. Um, which, which is a whole other thing. Like, you play a whole game, um I could talk about this all night. Like when you get, when you get a red card- ... you're, you're out for an entire game, not just- Right the rest of this game. You're out for an entire game. Your position is out for an entire game, so that might mean you start the next match down a player. Well, what does that mean if you are given a red card sort of posthumously after the match, right? Right. Like, you- it's changed the whole calculation because for the whole game, that player, uh, was playing as though he didn't have a yellow card. And that, maybe that's good, maybe that's bad, but he was playing the game as though he didn't have a yellow card, and then all of a sudden now he does. Um, he doesn't go... I don't think he goes into the next match starting with a yellow card. Um, a- and so I'm kind of like, "Well, what's the, what's the point?" But, um, you know, some of that plays into, like, if there's ties and ties, match, match point ties, then they start looking at who has penalties and stuff. But either way, it's annoying that they, they're introducing this. Like, we didn't need to have... Yes, there's probably a place for reviewing a, a bad ref's calls. Right. They've also added, like, automatic on offsides. There was a whole strategy and a whole part of the game of forcing a person offsides, of drawing a person offsides, being offsides without looking like you're offsides. Some people may look at that and go, "Well, that's cheating," but no, it's actually just part of the game. Right. Like, playing the ref and understanding that is part of the game. And now it's still part of the game, but it's part of the game in a different way, and that's... Maybe I am just being a purist, but I just, I don't like it. I don't like it. Give me back my beautiful game the way it's always been and get off my lawn, get off the turf, get off my pitch, whatever. Um, I'm denying the fact that the World Cup is not as it's always been. But also, like, we don't need this stuff. Like, the World Cup has been fine for how many years?  [00:11:03] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:11:03] Tony Arsenal: We don't need water breaks like this- W- i- you know, if it was like last World Cup, five players died from dehydration in the middle of the... Like, okay, like yeah, let's do some water breaks. But like, nobody died. Nobody even had major medical emergencies. I think a couple people had to come out of the game a little early 'cause they weren't well-hydrated. But like- Right ... run to the side, get a water bottle. Like, you can do that in the middle of a game. There's nothing- Yeah ... against the rules to stand by the sideline, drink when someone's doing a substitution or even in the middle of the game. I've seen that happen, where someone will sprint over to the sideline, they'll take a drink of water, and then they'll throw the cup back over. So anywho, we should move on. This could be my entire, my entire rant of, for a whole episode- Good ... against the weird changes in, in World Cup soccer, so.  [00:11:48] Jesse Schwamb: Listen, I love it.  [00:11:49] Peacock Spanish Hack [00:11:49] Jesse Schwamb: My favorite hack, uh, for World Cup soccer so far this year, and this was given to me by a colleague, uh, and a brother, I think this is fantastic, is right now because my wife is convalescing, we have all the subscriptions temporarily to allow, like, the full healing process to take place. Watch whatever you want, wherever you want. Except for the World Cup, because the, uh... I- it was just, like, where you could actually get it in English was, like, crazy expensive, at least for me. So here's the thing, though. Somebody reminded me uh, that we have Peacock and that because of Telemundo, could just watch and stream the entire World Cup in Spanish. So guess what, loved ones? We're learning a lot more Spanish- I love it ... and we're watching the World Cup with the announcers on. I'm not turning off that, 'cause that's the best part. And, you know, I'm getting, like, 25% of what's being said, but it is awesome. And there's- Yeah ... a lot more energy and excitement. So if for some reason you have Peacock and you're saying, "Oh, I'm missing the World Cup," technically you don't have to. It's all there for you. That's amazing. Just you gotta embrace Spanish.  [00:12:46] Tony Arsenal: That's amazing. And yes, actually, it probably is more entertaining.  [00:12:49] Jesse Schwamb: It is.  [00:12:50] Tony Arsenal: Um, and you don't, you don't need to... You really don't need to understand what the commentator is- No I mean, like 90% of the time the commentator's like, "Oh, he's having a good year," and, uh- ... yeah, like, "Oh, yeah, yeah, he's looking real great. Do you see how his, uh, laces are laced up?" Like, they're just trying to fill time.  [00:13:05] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:13:05] Tony Arsenal: So it doesn't really matter what they're saying. And when it does matter what they're saying, you'll get it just from the-  [00:13:11] Jesse Schwamb: Yes [00:13:11] Tony Arsenal: just from what the announcer's voices are doing. So I'll have to check that out. Yeah, the, the matches are at weird times, at least so far. I think, I think that once we get out of group play, m- a lot of the matches shift to the East Coast, so there'll be, uh, a little bit more normal times.  [00:13:25] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:13:25] Tony Arsenal: But, like, the first, the first, uh, US match was at 9:00 Eastern Time, and then, like, the last one's at 10:00 Eastern Time. Yeah.  [00:13:32] Jesse Schwamb: So  [00:13:33] Tony Arsenal: late. Yeah, super late, and it's a, it's a three-hour match by the time you, you get done with halftime and everything. So yeah, it'll, it'll... It's, it's frustrating. Although historically, um, every time the men, the men's team has won their first match, they've gotten out of group play, and every time they've lost their fir- first match, they have not gotten out of group play. And we, we really, really won our first match. Yes. Yeah. So I think, I think we'll get out of group play. I think probably, depending on how the, the cards roll, um, we'll probably, we'll probably get through our first elimination round, maybe our second, but we're not gonna go much further than that. Um, even, even that would be a, a pretty good victory, so- Anyway, football is life, right? Danny Ross. Um, do, did you watch Ted last night? Yes,  [00:14:24] Jesse Schwamb: I have seen it. Yes.  [00:14:25] Tony Arsenal: That was good. Football is life. Um, that's me this time of year. Like, I wore a soccer jersey to work on Friday, and nobody could tell me I couldn't do that, and I didn't care. So- I  [00:14:33] Jesse Schwamb: love it ...  [00:14:34] Tony Arsenal: uh, nobody even tried. Everybody, everybody's fine. Everybody loves soccer- How dare they ... and loves the World Cup, so. Yeah. That's the truth. Anywho, save me from this. I, I literally could talk about soccer all night. This is the one sport that I get like this. And the... Not even the one sport. The one sporting event that I get like this about is the World Cup. I love it. So you've gotta, you gotta stop me or I'm not gonna, not gonna stop. Let  [00:14:54] Jesse Schwamb: it out.  [00:14:54] Hydration Tabs Recommendation [00:14:54] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I would say, like, we could play that game with our affirmations and denials where it's, like, six degrees of separation, but we only need one. And this is gonna sound like it was planned, but it wasn't. Your denial, of course, as you've just well articulated, was about hydration breaks. Turns out my affirmation is actually about hydration. So-  [00:15:11] Tony Arsenal: Jesse's affirming hydration breaks. We're about  [00:15:13] Jesse Schwamb: to fight. Yeah. No, I'm, I'm definitely not a- affirming hydration breaks, but this might be the kind of hydration they're having. I don't know, but it's the one I'm gonna recommend. So where I live, it is the summertime, and where I live, we get both the heat and the humidity, and that's the oppressive part, isn't it? It's where it feels like the inside of a dog's mouth. And so I actually just came back from a run, and my go-to hydration break for myself is, uh, Nuun, N-U-U-N. And here's the reason why, is I've had Gatorade, I've had all the... I've had Liquid IV, I've had all that stuff. Most of the time it's r- too sweet. Nuun is just these effervescent dissolvable tablets that you drop into water, and it creates this low sugar electrolyte drink. It has all, like, the normal stuff. It has sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, all that good stuff, but there's just one gram of sugar. And it's this convenient little tab. Like, you can just get this whole little roll of tabs. You can carry them with you if you're going hiking or you're camping or you're out and gonna do a run. You just drop them into a bottle of water or whatever size water you want. I usually go 32 ounces is the way I like it. They have all, all kinds of flavors. It's just the right thing. Like, it's... It is like the refreshing thing of water, but when you're like, "You know what? I wanna taste something that's not water." So Nuun is, like, the right thing. I may have referred to it before, so I'm sorry if I did. But I'm referring with you can order it on, like, Amazon or any kind of, I don't know, general kind of camping or sports-oriented store is probably gonna be there. But it's... For me, it's the right thing because I don't know about you, but I find most sports drinks, like, in general too sweet. Like, you, you start... You have one, and then if I get through it, I'm kind of like, "Ugh, now I feel like my mouth is, like, really just coated in sugar, and that's not what I wanted." Yeah. So this feels like you're, you're getting a little less sweetness, but you don't feel guilty afterwards like you've just consumed a bunch of sugar. I will admit, I drink one I guess it's like 12 ounce Gatorade every week, just one. And this is because there's a delightful and loving, like, 72-year-old woman in our congregation who brings, I believe it's her own, she invests this every week. She brings for the team that is doing the worship through music Gatorade, uh, because she thinks we need to be replenished. So really, we have a hydration break- ... right before the service. But she, it's so beautiful and so delightful, I will never refuse it, and I am also on often parched at the time. So-  [00:17:31] Tony Arsenal: Yeah ...  [00:17:31] Jesse Schwamb: it does work out, so.  [00:17:31] Tony Arsenal: Jesse's worship team goes real hard. They need to hydrate in the middle. They do a mandatory hydration break in the middle of the- It's, yeah middle of the service.  [00:17:39] Jesse Schwamb: It's mandatory. Yes. We are strict.  [00:17:41] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And it's an, it's a good time for announcements and commercial breaks. Um, yeah. I, I think, uh, and you're... I don't know if you're gonna believe me when I say this. With all of the Nuun that passes its way around the family home when we're all here- Yeah at summertime, I've never had-  [00:17:57] Jesse Schwamb: Oh, really? ...  [00:17:57] Tony Arsenal: Nuun. Yeah. We never tried it. I think our go-to for, for sort of powdered energy drink or powdered, uh, sports drink is little Propel packets.  [00:18:05] Jesse Schwamb: Um- Oh,  [00:18:05] Tony Arsenal: that's not bad either. Propel's not bad. I like Propel. It's very sweet, but it, it doesn't- Yeah ... um, Propel- doesn't add sugar. I think that they've, they've got their formula where it's a sugar-free formula. Um, but it is very sweet. So sometimes I'll only do, like, a half a packet of Propel- Yeah ... which I know kind of, they, they argue that or they, like, advertise as, like, "It's the perfect balance of electro-" I don't know if it's the perfect balance of electrolytes, but- Um, but some is better than none probably. Yeah. And, uh, Propel is not better than Nuun apparently, so.  [00:18:36] Jesse Schwamb: I, I, I think Nuun is, like, top shelf electrolyte. And you can get it, like I said, in lots of flavors. One of the fun things is you can get it caffeinated or uncaffeinated. I mean, most, most of it is uncaffeinated. But if you're like you wanted to have some, they have a what they call Kona Cola, and it is cola-flavored and has caffeine. It's amazing, because it's, like, just slightly effervescent, a little bit bubbly. Not too much. It's still, like, refreshing, but if you like the cola flavor, which as you know is its own distinct combination of elements and spices, then it's right on. So- Yeah ... it's really nice. So there you go. Yeah. Nuun- I- And if you're gonna take a hydration break because you're being forced to while you're playing soccer, I highly suggest you choose Nuun. That's the way to go.  [00:19:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know what they're drinking. I think most of the time they're just drinking water.  [00:19:26] Jesse Schwamb: Probably.  [00:19:26] Tony Arsenal: So I, I don't... I mean, I, I think you're supposed to drink something with some electrolytes, so maybe they have some electrolyte-  [00:19:32] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah ...  [00:19:32] Tony Arsenal: water in it. I don't know.  [00:19:33] Jesse Schwamb: I don't know. Probably.  [00:19:34] Join the Telegram Group [00:19:34] Jesse Schwamb: Here's the thing. If you wanna tell us what you like to drink or when you are, let's say, serving the Lord's people by participating in worship through music and you're forced to take a hydration break, as I am at times, then you need to go to t.mereformedbrotherhood. Put that into your browser right now. Take a hydration break and put t.mereformedbrotherhood into your browser and that will send you to a link for Telegram, which is just a little chat app in which we have a small corner of the world. It's brothers and sisters listening to the podcast, interacting, and it's about time, actually, we probably had some kinda taste test stuff-  [00:20:11] Tony Arsenal: Yeah with,  [00:20:12] Jesse Schwamb: like, these kinda hydration drinks. There's so many of them now. Some of them are, like, purposely salty. Some of them are really sweet. Some have all these crazy and wild flavors. Some of them have all kinds of caffeine. So let us know what you like, but best way to do that- Please ... is join the Telegram group. [00:20:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And please do not, uh, do not make your church stop their service for a hydration break. Please don't do that. The only hydration break I wanna hear you talking about in your church service is a baptism. So please-  [00:20:38] Jesse Schwamb: I knew that's  [00:20:38] Tony Arsenal: where you were going ... do not interrupt the Lord's day for a hydration break. Just if you need water, just, like, step out of the room, take a drink of water, come back. Or if you're in a church that lets you have water in the sanctuary, like most do, just take a drink. That's true. You don't have to- Yeah ... stand up. You don't need to have- That's good ... anyone interpret. Just take a quick drink and then be quiet. Just  [00:20:54] Jesse Schwamb: go to the sidelines, maybe sub out- Mm-hmm ... with somebody else who can play bass, and take a quick drink.  [00:21:00] Tony Arsenal: Exactly. Come back. Yeah. Or just dump the, dump the Propel powder straight in your mouth.  [00:21:05] Jesse Schwamb: I thought you were gonna say like have somebody come up, preferably like an elder, and just hose you down with a thing of Gatorade while you're, while you're  playing  [00:21:10] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, exactly. Just go up to the baptismal font, take a scoop of water, dump the Propel directly in the baptis- no, I'm just kidding. I shouldn't joke about that stuff. Yeah.  [00:21:19] Back to Matthew 25 [00:21:19] Tony Arsenal: Anyway, Jesse, I'm excited because although we are probably gonna round out this parable, we're not done with these parables because- Oh, yeah, that's  [00:21:28] Jesse Schwamb: right [00:21:28] Tony Arsenal: although we're gonna finish this parable this week, we'll probably finish it and get started talking about, uh, the next, the little chunk of text, which is not a parable, but we can't really, uh, divorce it from these parables 'cause they're all telling, they're all making the same or a very similar point about what the kingdom of heaven will be like in relation to the end times- Mm-hmm in relation to the eschatological, um, outcome of all things. Uh, and, and Christ in his teaching, um, he kind of rounds out this teaching and finalizes what these parables mean by talking to us about the sheep and the goats. Um, which again, is not really formed like a parable, but, uh, but it has very similar structures. It has some similar elements to it. Um, but it, it's so integral to what these, all what this sort of like, uh, anthology of eschatological parables mean in all the discourse. We really have to cover that to, to cover the others fully. But tonight we're gonna finish our discussion about the parable of the talents, which I'm excited about because I think we're gonna, we're gonna round out on some stuff that, um, I, I hope you've heard, uh, is probably not as, um, prominent as it should be. Uh, and this, we talked about last time that this parable has been, uh, not necessarily applied properly in many popular- Right ... teachings. Uh, and so I'm, I'm sure you've heard not so great interpretations. Hopefully we're gonna give you an interpretation that's a little bit more accurate and faithful to what the Bible teaches. [00:23:00] Reading the Parable Text [00:23:00] Jesse Schwamb: And so we're gonna pick it up in verse 24 of Matthew 25, because you'll probably recall, and if you haven't it's because you need to go back and listen, that we talked about the first two of these servants and the return that they were able to garner on the investment which the Lord gave them when He went away. And then there's the third dude. So we're gonna pick it up there and go all the way to the end of this, which allow us to close it out. So beginning verse 24, "And the one also had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you'd be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, have what is yours.' But the master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave. You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed; therefore you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have at least received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has 10 talents. For to everyone who has more, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he does not have,' excuse me, 'what he does have shall be taken away. And throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"  [00:24:18] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  [00:24:19] Textual Notes and Transition [00:24:19] Tony Arsenal: There, there's some, um, some textual things about this that I think, uh, we sh- should at least acknowledge. I don't know that we're gonna dig too deep into them. Um, it is very possible to, um, to read verse 30 Almost as an interpretive statement in itself rather than part of the, um, part of the parable itself. And, and so let me, let me see if I can, can parse that out. So if we read it as though it's part of the parable, then it is the s- the, the master in the parable who is saying, "And cast the worthless servant into the darkness; in the place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." I think that's the most natural reading, so I'll, I'll put my cards on the table that I think that we should read this as part of the parable itself. It's also possible linguistically and grammatically to sort of read this as an explanation, where Christ is now taking this principle of what has happened with the worthless servant, right? That even what he has will be taken away. And then, and then to sort of read this as a commentary that sort of, uh, like we saw before, um, kind of bridges this section with the next. So instead of reading, "And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness," uh, as though it were part of the parable, that it was this master within the parable saying this, we can read this as Christ saying that this is what will happen to those who are worthless servants. And then that follows up with, in verse 31, kind of h- connecting to when the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. Before Him will be gathered all nations. Right. Th- this next sort of, like, more explicit, non-parabolical, um, uh, eschatological teaching. I think that former one is more natural, but just because it's, it's present in a lot of the commentaries that this is there, I wanted to at least call that out. I don't know that it makes a ton of difference in terms of how we understand the parable, but I do think, you know, part of what it means for us to wrestle through this is not just to take a particular position on the text, but to discuss, like, some of these ambiguities that are present. Um, and, and sometimes, um Sometimes I think we need to be cautious and really think through, because, uh, let me, let me rephrase it this way. None of the teaching in the Bible is sort of uninterpreted, untranslated, raw teaching of Christ. All of this is coming to us from the apostles retelling it, and yes, inspired by the Holy Spirit, so all of it's God's Word. But it's not as though, um, it's not as though Christ was first speaking in Greek. That's the big thing. But there are some places in the New Testament, in the Gospels, where it's not always clear whether a passage is Christ speaking or the, uh, the Gospel writer interpreting what Christ is speaking. This is one of those places where there's a little bit of a question mark about that. Um, again, I think the most natural reading is to read this as part of the statement of the master within the parable, but I did wanna just comment on that before we moved on much further.  [00:27:31] Buried Talent Scandal [00:27:31] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's helpful because I think we've gotta understand that end in light of how it's evolving. And we, we're starting with that stark contrast between the first two, which receive this great reward, which receive accolades and praise, and then you have this one talent servant's response is all about hiddenness. He just digs a hole, puts it in the ground, and hides it away. Which by the way, of course, we talked about this in the other parables, like in the ancient world, burying valuables was recognized as a form of safekeeping. I mean, I think even Josephus mentions that. We talk about the pearl of great price. There was something to be known for, well, I have this valuable thing. The best place for me to, the best place for me to put it so that it isn't compromised is in the ground, in a secret place. And there's like a surface level, I guess, reasonableness to that act. But what's interesting and where it comes in with that heat that you're kinda talking about, that ends up being in the end this grand statement of the eschatological, eschatological reality, is that the parable here with this one talent servant treats all that action as like complete catastrophic failure. And I, I think as much as I can understand it, it's because the master did not give him this talent to protect it from loss. He gave it to him for, to use it for gain And so the servant has mistaken the nature of that commission entirely. He substituted like the security-seeking for risk-taking faithfulness. And so I think that informs some of then what happens in these latter verses here, like when we get all the way down to 30. Because I think when we read that, we see the, like the redistribution as scandalous. But the scandal really is in this lack of actions. Like gifts exercised grow, but gifts buried, they just atrophy. So the one t- talent servant's talent is taken because he's, he's already been treated as n- as it was, was nothing. He's functionally like forfeited it by burying it. And so the transfer of the 10-talent servant is the formal confirmation of what his own choices had, had already produced. I think there is something there about like the eschatological reality, reality that will unfold in the judgment, which of course leads to, into the end of this chapter  [00:29:36] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, I think you're right on that.  [00:29:39] Misreading The Master [00:29:39] Tony Arsenal: Um, what we see the problem with the one talent servant is not, um, not that he's not productive.  [00:29:49] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:29:49] Tony Arsenal: I mean, I think that's, that's actually the symptom of the illness, not the illness itself. What we see with the, the one talent servant is that he misunderstands his task, as you're pointing out, but more foundationally, he misunderstands his master, right? And that, that's really the, the main point of the parable when we kinda get... You know, Christ, um, when He's telling a parable, He explains the parable. Sometimes He doesn't explain the parable at all. He just sorta drops the parable and then moves on. Other times He will give the interpretation itself, like directly. We saw that in the parable of the, uh, of the soils or the parable of the sower. Um, and, and other times the kind of like the main explanation of the parable is, is actually embedded in the parable. And I think for this parable, the main explanation is when the, the one talent servant, uh, comes forward and he, when he's explaining why he did what he did-  [00:30:47] Jesse Schwamb: Right [00:30:48] Tony Arsenal: he says, "Well, I knew you were a," uh, let me just find it for sure here. He says, um, "I knew that you were a..." I just lost it. My brain is totally lost here. You ever have that happen where you're trying to find a word- Yes ... on a text and you just can't? He says, "Master," in verse 24, he says, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. So I was afraid. I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours." There's a number of statements in here that just don't make any sense. Like, they're just... Like you said, a lot of these parables have kind of like a chump figure, where, like, he's sort of like the designated idiot of the parable. [00:31:31] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:31:32] Tony Arsenal: In this instance, there's so much wrong that it's almost hard to find something right. And, you know, he starts out, he says, "I knew you were a hard man." There's nothing in the parable, there's nothing that suggests that this is a hard man. There's nothing to suggest that. He, as we said last week, he trusts these servants with an almost unimaginable amount of wealth, right? He just leaves hundreds of years worth of wealth in the, in the, like... And it's not even like he's going off to war and he may never be coming back. He's just going on a journey.  [00:32:05] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:32:05] Tony Arsenal: He's just traveling for a little while, and he's like, "I'm gonna leave 100 years worth of labor with this guy and 40 years worth of labor with this guy and 20 years worth of labor with this guy." He, what, what, in what world is that a hard man who just blesses and trusts his servants with that amount of unimaginable wealth? But then he says, "I knew that you, uh, reaped where you did not sow and gathered where you scattered no seed." First of all, um, what kind of person accumulates this kind of wealth without reaping, uh, without the, like, a- apart from the principle of reaping and sowing and gathering and, and scattering? Like, he obviously is a very successful businessman. Um, the, the fact that this, uh, servant is couching this in agricultural terms, I think it's reasonable to think that this is a very successful landowner who has made good use of his land, has turned a profit Obviously he's reaping where he sows and he's gathering where he scattered or he wouldn't have this kind of money to throw around to leave with his servants in the first place. But the servant doesn't recognize that the fact that he was given one talent is in fact the master reaping or sowing and scattering the seed of these talents. So he's saying like, "Well, you reap where you have not sown," but the fact is like he was sown a full talent worth of resources and he, the, the master expected to reap what he had sown when he gets back. So this servant He's worthless and he's lazy, but he's also just kind of dumb in that he just doesn't- Right ... recognize the reality of what's going on. He has an incorrect understanding of who the master is. He thinks he's a hard man, when actually he's an incredibly trusting and generous master, right? The, the ESV masks this as servants. We're not talking about hired hands here. We're talking about slaves. Right. We're talking about h- probably about household slaves. This is doulos. These are the slaves that work in the fields, um, as opposed to, like, diakonos, which are the slaves that work in the house, right? These are, these are field servants. These are laborers that are indentured or are, are in servitude, and he gives them enough wages, enough labor, enough money, they could just take off and leave with it. They could buy their own freedom with this. Right. He trusts them with that. That's not a description of a hard man, a hard, lazy man who sows w- reaps where he doesn't sow and gathers where he doesn't scatter. So the primary issue here with this servant is not that he's lazy, although he is lazy. It's not that he's wicked. He is wicked. It's that he doesn't recognize who the master is. He doesn't understand who the master is and what is expected of him as a servant of that master, which I think, I think, as I've thought about this over the last week or so, I think that actually says everything about the eschatological import of this, right? Yes. Who is it that's not going to be saved in the last day?  [00:34:56] Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  [00:34:57] Tony Arsenal: It's the people who don't recognize the master. Right on. The people who think that the master is a hard man who reaps where he has not sown and gathers where he has not scattered. Well, if we think that's who God is, we have a lot of trouble coming our way. [00:35:10] Fearful False Theology [00:35:10] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that is the heart, right, of this dude's sin. It's a false theology of God that produces then this fearful inaction. Because, like you said, it's not just that he's been lazy. He has constructed this weird, distorted picture of his master, and then he allows that distortion to govern his behavior. So this, quote-unquote, "fear" is not like the fear of the Lord that is the beginning of wisdom, but it's this kind of craven dread that's rooted in a mischaracterization of the master's entire character. And one of the things that I think, among many, that's really great about the Reformed theological tradition is that it's always assisted, and I th- hopefully we along with it in our conversations, that, like, the right theology is not merely academic. It does shape the whole life, which is why, like, Calvin famously opens his institutes with this observation that the knowledge of God and the knowledge of self are bound together. So- Yeah ... a person who genuinely knows the living God as gracious, generous, long-suffering, with that kind of hesed kind of love, who is good- W- that person will be motivated to active, trusting faithfulness. A person who privately believes God to be harsh and demanding is always, I think, going to retreat in this fearful, minimal kind of minimum champion-type compliance. It's the same thing, I think I always think about this for some reason, and mention it a lot probably, but it's the same thing with Joseph's brothers finding all their money back in the sacks-  [00:36:31] Tony Arsenal: Yeah ...  [00:36:32] Jesse Schwamb: with their food. It's, like, in that instant moment, all they have is fear and dread. And it- for this guy, that's exactly what he has. But it doesn't start, like you're saying, merely because he realizes that he should have done more, or he's comparing his return with that of everybody else, or even that he's going back and taking a look at his own actions and finding them to be full of want or lack. In fact, he does a really good job, at least in his own mind, theologically justifying his behavior. So here, what he, the real crime, the real shame, the real sin is that somehow he views the master as harsh and demanding and exploitative. That's wild. But of course, that was the root of everything else, which I think does give us pause to reflect on our own lives, like I said, as we come to understanding how this parable reads us. [00:37:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:37:21] Red Letters And Commentary [00:37:21] Tony Arsenal: And, um- Part of the reason why I think it's important to understand what I was talking about earlier with, you know, the, the Gospels are an interesting sort of like composite document in that, yes, they contain the true sayings of Jesus, the true, true, um, words of Christ. But this is also, a- and I promise that this will loop back around, this is, um, this is important for us. The red letters are no more God's word than the black letters, right? Mm-hmm. And what I mean by that is, like, the, the so-called words of Christ in scripture are not more inspired or more profitable than the words that are the commentary of the apostles. And I only say so-called, and I'll explain why I say that. As I said, like, Matthew is translating, uh, he- first of all, he's recalling what Christ has said. He's, he's probably not, um, sitting there with a, with a quill and a, you know, a piece of paper or a piece of parchment- Right ... transcribing what's, what Christ is saying as he goes. Right? He's, he was there. Matthew was there. He's recalling what Christ has said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He's making editorial decisions about what Christ taught in terms of like, what of Christ's teaching do I capture? What do I summarize? And I think there's ... It's important because every word is inspired, but also it's understandable. And what I mean here, and what, the reason I'm kind of belaboring that is I think there's an interesting thing that happens in verse 29. It says, "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. And from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken." So this, this concept actually that, um, that verse 30 might be, uh, might actually be Matthew's commentary or even Christ's explanation of the parable, I think that actually, that actually expands to verse 29 in some of the commentators. So if we read it this way, and I think this, this may be valuable for us to at least ponder. If we read it this way, verse 27 is still the master in the parable space. It says, "Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has 10 talents." There's a way of understanding this text, uh, and it's grammatically acceptable. I think theologically it doesn't change a lot, but it's worth us at least considering this. There's a way of reading this text where that's the end of the parable, and then Christ is explaining the parable, or Ma- or even maybe Matthew is commenting on the parable. It says, "For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But to the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away." Now, I think that, um, as I said, the most natural way to read this is that the parable proper ends with verse 30, that all of this is part of the parable, all of this is the master in the parable speaking. But I do think verses 29 and 30 take on a more explanatory, um, uh, explanatory role, and this is the main reason why. The, the one parable, one talent servant in the parable, he's not properly described as the one who has not, right? He had one talent. He was given one talent. Right. It's not as though he had zero talents. The one who has not, even what he has will be taken away, and the one who has, more will be given.  [00:41:01] Has And Has Not [00:41:01] Tony Arsenal: This is actually, I think, where we can go really sideways on this parable. I hear this parable often interpreted as sort of this understanding that, like, God has blessed His people with certain gifts, and we have to use our gifts in the kingdom to be productive, and people who use their gifts in productive fashion will be given more responsibility and more opportunities. People who don't use their gifts, whatever opportunities they have will be taken away from them. Now, I, I would argue that's probably true on a practical level, um, and that's just actually just true in general, right? Right. A person who has responsibility, th- think of, like, your working environment. M- you know, all, most of our listeners are not working in regular pastoral ministry. This is one of those areas where I think, actually, the corporate world is more representative of how things are. Um, in the corporate world, if you are given responsibility and you excel and use that responsibility well and you are a productive servant of your company that you work for, you're going to be given more responsibility, whether that's in the form of a promotion, which is the ideal circumstances, or whether that's just your responsibilities as assigned, a job description expanding without pay. Either way, if you do a good job, if you, if you take the sphere of influence, the sphere of responsibility that you're given and you do a good job and you shepherd that well and you steward that well, that sphere of influence, that sphere of responsibility will expand. Um- If you squander it and you sit in your office watching TikTok videos or listening to music and you don't use that, uh, responsibility well, that sphere of influence will shrink, and ultimately it will shrink until you no longer have a job, right? It works a little differently, I think, in, like, traditional pastoral roles, and I think there are some in our audience that, them, are in those roles that this may not fit. That's a good general principle. I don't think that's what this is teaching. Like, I don't think this, this parable is about, like, productive ministry opportunities. Right. And if it was, we wouldn't be talking about people who have none, have not, right? We would be talking about people who have less. We'd be talking about people who are given less responsibility. The person who has no responsibility is who's in view here. And that's why- Mm ... I think it actually, this is shifting, this ex- explanation, whether it's, uh, sort of like an explanation, an explanatory punchline to the parable that's part of the parable itself, or whether it's Jesus or Matthew commenting on the meaning of the parable. The difference between those two things is important for us to think about. It's not so important in terms of what the actual meaning is. Because the difference here is that what we've now done is we've shifted from the context of a financial grounded analogy in the parable to now a broader discussion about the fact that there are those who have, and there are those who have not. And the people who have will be given more, and the people who have not will be taken away from. And if we were talking strictly financially, then now we're, like, in, like, Occupy Wall Street, 1% kind of era. We're talking about salvation. We're talking about, um, we're talking about the fact that God gives salvation to some, and He does not give salvation to others. He gives grace to some, and He does not give grace to others. And to those who have grace, more grace will be given. To those who have not grace, more will be taken away. And the outcome of that- Is that the worthless servant who is the one who has not, the worthless servant will be cast into the outer darkness, right? This is a, an explanation of what it means to be a worthless servant who ultimately ends their time. Ends is not the right word. Who ultimately has the outcome of s- of outer darkness for all eternity. If this parable is just about how we use our giftings and our skills and our money for the kingdom, and we're expected to be productive and to, like, increase the kingdom through our tithing and through our, like our service, then this comment about, like, the outer darkness is really out of place. Unless, unless we earn our salvation by that. Which of course we know we don't.  [00:45:22] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Right.  [00:45:24] Wicked And Slothful Heart [00:45:24] Jesse Schwamb: Here's how I think everything you said is true, and the scripture actually bears this out because it was exactly where you're going with that, which is we're talking more about the identity. Like, what, what makes this servant or slave worthless? That's the critical question. And then if we understand that, it'll help inform how we then interpret this idea of sheeps and goats, which we'll get to in a whole other episode. But if you look at verses 26 and 27, where the master then responds to this slave calls him wicked and slothful, slothful, right? So that his, his basically lack of usefulness comes embedded or underneath those two terms. So one, obviously the wickedness here is moral. It's a failure to fulfill a covenantal obligation to the master, which we've been talking about. So again, it's not just about laziness. Like there's, there's so much more there. It's as if that's the entry point for the master to bring condemnation on him in two forms. One is that wickedness. The second is this idea of like slothfulness, which is dispen- I was gonna say dispensational, but what I meant to say is dispositional. So it's like, uh, like a subtle inertia of the will, and together they're describing a person, and I think this is a critical point. This is a person whose heart has never been genuinely aligned with the master's purposes. Now, when we understand it that way, I think, then everything that follows makes a lot more sense because it's not just about bad timing in the market. It's not just about being fearful that you're gonna lose money and you're risk-averse, so therefore you hid, hid everything. It's really this idea that this, this s- slave, this one talent slave, he was not on board, not vibing with, not aligned with, however you wanna say it, with the master's purposes from the very beginning. And there is maybe we might say like a minimum of faithfulness, even interest on the deposit that God requires. But the question of course is never am I doing what the five talent servant does, but it's always am I using what I have been given? And in this way, like are we finding ourselves aligned, that our hearts are leaning into, that we find ourselves tilting towards what God has for us, both understanding who He is and who we are in light of who He is. What I find interesting is I found some really unique commentary from the great puritan William Ames in his book Conscience, with the Power and Cases Thereof. That's a title that only a puritan could- ... forward, um, where he actually treats this failure. So getting again to the sense of like why is it so grievous? Like in other words, why does the action of this servant, which we've already kind of touched on, lead into basically a character attack on the servant, and why is the connection between those two things legitimate? What he basically says is that he treats the failure to use one's gifts as God has given as a violation of the ninth commandment, which is bearing false witness against God's own estimation of those gifts. So this slothful servant, by burying his talent, effectively says, "This is not worth using." That is like the thing that God has given me, who God is Himself, I reject fully and outright. So why would that person then not be cast into outer darkness in kind of keeping with both like the, the breadth and scope of this parable, but also essentially what it's teaching about who this last, you know, servant is? [00:48:33] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and you know, as you say that, I think too, um- There's an element of this that is Because it ties to this servant's misunderstanding of the master, and then, a- and I think you're, you're bringing Calvin in here and, and sort of the idea that our knowledge of God and our kn- knowledge of self are so, like, intertwined that it- Right ... it's almost difficult to understand which comes first. Yes. Yes. Calvin concludes that the knowledge of God is logically prior, but he, he also acknowledges that, like, it's really tough to sort of like figure out which one is more logically prior. This servant starts from the understanding that the master is a wicked master, that he is an immoral, lazy master. I- and it's, it's ironic. It does- the text doesn't say this, but I think it's a reasonable extrapolation. Um, the, the wicked, slothful servant projects his own wickedness and his own slothfulness onto the master, right? He, he projects that the master is a wicked man, is a hard man, and also that he's lazy. He, he does- he reaps where he doesn't sow, he gathers where he doesn't scatter. And the action of the, of the, the character of the servant is not derived from his inaction. Right. It's his inaction that- Yes ... causes the, or it's his, his character- Character ... that drives his lack of action, right?  [00:50:12] Sheep Goats Identity [00:50:12] Tony Arsenal: The good and faithful servants, they're not, and this is where we're gonna come when we come next week. Like, this is where we're gonna go when we get to next week's. Just as maybe, like, I, I want you to listen next week, but you probably don't need to, 'cause I'm gonna give you the whole punchline here.  [00:50:27] Jesse Schwamb: Wow.  [00:50:27] Tony Arsenal: The sheep act like sheep because they're sheep.  [00:50:29] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:50:30] Tony Arsenal: They don't become sheep because they do sheep things. They do sheep things because they're sheep, and the goats do goat things because they're goats.  [00:50:37] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:50:37] Tony Arsenal: The wicked, lazy servant does wicked, lazy servant things because he's a wicked lady- lazy servant, right? He buries the talent in the ground because he's a wicked, lazy servant. The good, faithful servants j- just do what good, faithful servants do. They, they make a return on the master's talents because that's what they do, right? And I think where we have to be really careful and where, uh, the other pitfall that this parable can bring us to, and I kinda referenced it a little bit earlier, is there can be sort of this subtle works righteousness that creeps in, that we can believe if we're really good and productive for the kingdom, then that's what will earn us the good and faithful servant commendation when we, we cross into glory. The reality is there are those who cross into glory and hear good and faithful servant, right? There are those who will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master." And there are those who will not. They will have what little they have taken away from them, and they will be cast into the outer darkness where there's weeping and gnashing of teeth, right? That's not a statement on what we've earned. It's a statement on who we are.  [00:51:48] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:51:49] Tony Arsenal: So you can either be the faithful servant who trusts the character of the Lord, who doesn't think Him to be a hard man, who reaps where He doesn't sow and gathers where He doesn't scatter. You can trust the master, and in the act of trusting the master and knowing His character, you just do what good, faithful servants do. You work hard, you follow the servant, the master's lead, and you produce a return on what is there. Right? In, a- and we didn't talk about this too much. In effect, these servants are reflecting the nature of the master.  [00:52:23] Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  [00:52:23] Tony Arsenal: Because you don't get to the point where you can leave 100 years worth of wealth to one servant, and 40 years worth of wealth to another servant, and 20 years worth of wealth to another servant if you have not yourself been a productive, faithful person who knows how to reap and sow appropriately, right? [00:52:42] Gospel Joy Or Darkness [00:52:42] Tony Arsenal: That is the key to this parable,

Jeff Phelps and Spencer German talk about what prospects could propel the Guardians for the near future.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity can help clinics create content faster, but they can't replace a solid SEO strategy. In this episode, you'll learn what AI is actually good at, the common SEO mistakes clinic owners make when relying too heavily on AI, and how to use these tools effectively without hurting your rankings, visibility, or conversions. Discover why successful SEO requires more than content generation and what really moves the needle for clinic websites. Episode page: https://propelyourcompany.com/chatgpt-cant-do-seo/Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!Webinar: The Hidden SEO Mistakes Costing Clinics Patients Right Now (And Easy Fixes You Can Start Making This Week)Save your spot: https://propelyourcompany.com/june/** Can't make it live? Register anyway. You'll get access to the limited-time replay. *** 

Hour 1 - Is it time to give up on Tatum and Brown? Hour 2 - Greg has a gripe with Cambridge. They Said It! Hour 3 - The best fast food desert is back! Wiggy's big concern for the Patriots! Hour 4 - The World Cup has been awesome, but is soccer still boring? Hill Notes!

Most clinic owners know they need Google reviews.What many don't realize is that a few small mistakes in how they ask for, collect, and manage reviews may be limiting their visibility, hurting patient trust, and even impacting how Google and AI platforms understand their business.>> Episode webpage: https://propelyourcompany.com/google-review-mistakes/In this episode, you'll learn five common Google review mistakes clinics make and what to do instead. From asking for reviews at the wrong time to collecting vague feedback that doesn't help your SEO, these simple changes can improve your online reputation, local search visibility, and Google Business Profile performance.Whether you're a chiropractor, physical therapist, acupuncturist, med spa owner, or another healthcare provider, this episode will help you get more value from the reviews you're already earning.Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!Webinar: The Hidden SEO Mistakes Costing Clinics Patients Right Now (And Easy Fixes You Can Start Making This Week)Save your spot: https://propelyourcompany.com/june/** Can't make it live? Register anyway. You'll get access to the limited-time replay. *** 

Most clinics are still putting nearly all of their attention on Google. And while Google is still critical, it's no longer the only place patients are searching. Apple has quietly rebuilt its entire business platform, and that shift is changing how clinics show up across Apple Maps, Siri, and iPhone search. If your clinic hasn't looked at Apple Business recently, or ever, there's a good chance you're missing visibility opportunities that are easier to capture than Google right now. Let's break down what Apple Business actually is today, what changed, and how to use it without overcomplicating your marketing.

Brandon Young has become a stabilizing force in the O's rotation while Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Trevor Rogers continue to round into form. "The Bird's Nest" on the rotation's resurgence and more.

Opening a clinic or planning a rebrand? Discover the marketing foundations that help attract patients, improve visibility, and support long-term growth.⭐ Episode guide and blog post: https://propelyourcompany.com/launching-a-clinic-marketing-priorities/Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!Webinar: The Hidden SEO Mistakes Costing Clinics Patients Right Now (And Easy Fixes You Can Start Making This Week)Save your spot: https://propelyourcompany.com/june/** Can't make it live? Register anyway. You'll get access to the limited-time replay. *** 

Leios is Cardano's scaling solution for the future. It's basically an upgrade of the layer one to make it faster.What you'll learn:• Leios is Cardano's scaling solution for the future.• It's basically an upgrade of the layer one to make it faster.• And what it will do, will propel Cardano to be on par with our competitors in terms of throughput and capacity to support more and more app…• I'm pleased to tell you, actually, we're in active development now of Leios.• We're working on the original node, the Haskell node.• I'm happy to tell you that it's coming this year in 2026.References:• The Leios roadmap to solving the blockchain trilemma - Input | Output — https://link.learncardano.io/qXHwiO• Ouroboros Leios — https://link.learncardano.io/3pRnD4• Midnight Japan Tour LIVE: Fukuoka Community Event - YouTube — https://link.learncardano.io/NOkdEyChapters0:00 Intro – Leios Scaling Solution0:35 Blockchain Trilemma Explained1:15 Cardano's Approach to Decentralisation & Security2:30 Leios Public Testnet – June 233:45 50x Throughput Improvement5:20 Parallel Transactions & Input Endorsers7:10 Solving the Trilemma for Real

Send us Fan MailProminent music publicist and SiriusXM radio host Eric Alper explores the intersection of the music industry, systemic barriers for Indigenous artists and the way forward for truth and conciliation in Canada.In this conversation with cohosts Jessica Vandenberghe and George Lee, Alper reflects on his 30-year career, his lifelong passion for the magic of storytelling in music, and why he adopts the mindset of a "shameless idealist" when fighting to get musicians heard."I keep saying yes to doing things for no other reason that I just like and love music, and I like being around people that make magic happen, because I can't play a single note," Alper says. "I've never written a song before. You stick me in a recording studio, I've absolutely no idea, zero, what and how anything is done." But what he does know is that the entertainment industry has historically excluded and exploited Indigenous voices. At the same time, he notes that classifying Indigenous music as a distinct genre undervalues the breadth of musical styles within the scene today.Among the Indigenous artists and acts Alper highlights are Francis Baptiste, Tom Wilson, Crystal Shawanda, Northern Cree, Susan Aglukark, Mattmac, Mike Bern, Duke Redbird and Donita Large.Also getting a special shoutout is the non-Indigenous group Sultans of String and its cofounder Chris McKhool for their groundbreaking collaborations with Indigenous acts in Canada, resulting in the album Walking Through the Fire.McKhool has "kind of been a beacon" for people trying to right the wrongs against Indigenous communities and individuals in Canada, Alper says.Support the showJoin our Facebook community: www.facebook.com/UnsettledJourneys/Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unsettledjourneys/Become a paid subscriber: https://ko-fi.com/unsettledjourneysQuestions, comments, suggestions, offers to volunteer:unsettledjourneys@gmail.com

Google's suggested edits to your Business Profile can hurt visibility, confuse patients, and cost revenue.Learn why these changes happen, how to set up notifications, and the exact steps to keep your clinic's profile accurate and patient-ready.

Google and Microsoft Bing have been sharing more details about how AI-powered search works, and the advice may surprise you. Despite all the hype around AI, the fundamentals of strong local SEO still matter.In this episode, you'll learn what Google and Bing are saying about AI search, how Google Business Profiles, websites, reviews, social media, and authority-building influence visibility, and what clinics should focus on right now to improve rankings in Google Search, Google Maps, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI-powered platforms.If you're wondering how AI is changing SEO for chiropractors, physical therapists, acupuncturists, med spas, and other healthcare businesses, this episode will help you separate fact from fiction and focus on the strategies that are actually moving the needle.Episode webpage: https://propelyourcompany.com/how-ai-search-works-for-clinics/Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!Webinar: The Hidden SEO Mistakes Costing Clinics Patients Right Now (And Easy Fixes You Can Start Making This Week)Save your spot: https://propelyourcompany.com/june/** Can't make it live? Register anyway. You'll get access to the limited-time replay. *** 

​Let's say your clinic is based in one city, but many of your patients are willing to drive 20 or even 30 miles to see you. They know it's worth traveling for high-quality care. The challenge is that when those same people search online, they often aren't typing in your city's name. They're looking for services closer to where they live or work.So how can your clinic show up in those searches and attract new patients from surrounding cities or suburbs?That's what we're exploring today: how to expand your local SEO reach the right way. We'll cover how Google determines local relevance, the strategies that actually help you appear in nearby city searches, and what to avoid so you don't hurt your visibility.By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap for building a stronger local presence that helps patients in your wider area discover your clinic and book appointments with confidence.Episode webpages, blog, & show notes: https://propelyourcompany.com/rank-in-nearby-cities-local-seo-for-clinics/Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!Webinar: The Hidden SEO Mistakes Costing Clinics Patients Right Now (And Easy Fixes You Can Start Making This Week)Save your spot: https://propelyourcompany.com/june/** Can't make it live? Register anyway. You'll get access to the limited-time replay. *** 

Seasons come and seasons go. There is a time to rest, rebuild, heal, and help others. God uses everything we've been through for his glory. He can turn all things good! So whatever season you are in just trust his timing, he knows what he's doing! Be encouraged to power through and have joy in the waiting and remember he is intentional.    Freebie- www.simplyjenniferbrown.com  

Frank Nottek is joined by top-ranked money manager Ken Winans, who shares his insights on the market's current state and what's driving the rally. We also dive into the latest developments in the Middle East, where tensions between the US and Iran are escalating. And in Washington, a new national car tax is making headlines, with some lawmakers pushing to impose a fee on electric vehicle owners. We'll break down the details and discuss the implications of these stories and more. This episode is packed with expert analysis and insights from Ken Winans, who shares his thoughts on the market's current state and what's driving the rally. We also hear from Lisa Daftari, a Middle East expert and editor of the Foreign Desk, who provides context on the latest developments in the region. And in Washington, we're joined by Grover Norquist, the President of Americans for Tax Reform, who discusses the proposed national car tax and its potential impact on taxpayers. One of the key takeaways from this episode is the importance of staying informed about the latest market trends and geopolitical developments. Ken Winans emphasizes the need to look beyond the noise and focus on the underlying fundamentals driving the market. Lisa Daph Chari provides a nuanced view of the Middle East situation, highlighting the complexities and challenges involved. And Grover Norquist sheds light on the proposed car tax and its potential consequences. If you're interested in staying ahead of the curve and making informed decisions about your investments, tune in to this episode to hear the expert analysis and insights from Ken Winans, Lisa Daph Chari, and Grover Norquist. Don't miss this engaging conversation and learn more about the latest market trends, geopolitical developments, and tax implications.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Missing Google reviews can be frustrating, especially when patients tell you they left a review and it never appears, or when reviews suddenly disappear from your Google Business Profile.In this episode, we break down the most common reasons Google reviews go missing. You'll also learn what steps to take when reviews disappear, when it makes sense to contact Google Support, and how to build a review strategy that helps protect your clinic's reputation over time.If you've ever wondered why reviews vanish or what you can do about it, this episode will help you separate temporary issues from real problems and keep your focus on what matters most: consistently earning authentic patient feedback.Episode webpage, resources, and show notes: https://propelyourcompany.com/missing-google-reviews/Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!Webinar: The Hidden SEO Mistakes Costing Clinics Patients Right Now (And Easy Fixes You Can Start Making This Week)Save your spot: https://propelyourcompany.com/june/** Can't make it live? Register anyway. You'll get access to the limited-time replay. *** 

My guest today is Tyler Wells, co-founder of Brain Grid.Tyler recounts 25+ years in software, from an early IBM XT to work across military communications, startups, Skype/Microsoft, and seven and a half years at Twilio building video and SRE organizations, before founding Propel Data (which didn't find product-market fit) and then Brain Grid. He describes an experiment-driven approach to building high-performance systems by defining hypotheses, creating a “steel thread” MVP, and prioritizing observability for 2:00 AM incidents. He discusses how AI coding shifts focus from typing code to architecture, documentation, critical thinking, and red-teaming plans, while warning that agents need guidance on separation of concerns and DRY to avoid refactor side effects. Brain Grid emerged from using Cursor agents during Propel's wind-down and aims to generate detailed specs, acceptance criteria, and validation loops so agents implement features reliably, with attention to token efficiency. He also covers co-founder traits, chaos engineering, compliance challenges for solopreneurs, career advice, and staying grounded through exercise, cooking, and family.Tyler Wells is the Co-founder and CTO at BrainGrid, BrainGrid is one of the first platforms built specifically to replace the missing product management role in AI-native software development.He is currently building BrainGrid — helping engineering teams ship faster with AI-assisted requirements breakdown and task management. We're focused on bridging the gap between product ideas and implementation-ready work.His Background: He has spent 25+ years building systems where failure isn't an option—from satellite communications at Hughes Space to real-time video at global scale. I led the team that built Facebook's first video calling feature powered by Skype, then spent 7+ years at Twilio building their Video Platform (WebRTC) and leading SRE/Observability across the company.

We're living longer than ever before, but there's a catch: our health and happiness haven't kept pace. Today, millions of adults are adding years to their lives, yet losing their sense of purpose along the way. But what if longevity wasn't just about surviving—what if we could actually thrive as we age?In this episode, we're joined by bestselling author Dr. Kerry Burnight to discuss extending the fullness of our lives as we age and helping others we might be caring for to do the same.Episode Links:Dr. Burnight's book Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Halfhttps://drkerryburnight.com/joyspanFollow Dr. Burnight on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_gerontologist/Follow Dr. Burnight on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kerry-burnight-5b958434/About Dr. Jeremy PollackDr. Burnight taught Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology for 18 years at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine. Burnight's work has been featured in The New York Times, CBS Mornings, The Guardian, Oprah Daily, BBC News, and Forbes Health.About Propel:Propel is the purpose-built well-being platform designed to help you develop a culture of well-being and bring your vision to life. Propel helps you launch a truly engaging program with flexible technology that tailors the experience to your diverse teams.Create a unique well-being experience from within. See how Propel can help by scheduling a free strategy session at propelwellbeing.com.

Jeff Phelps and Dan Menningen preview a pivotal Game 5 for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors. They highlight the need for defensive adjustments against Scottie Barnes and the importance of increasing offensive involvement for Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

Jeff Phelps and Dan Mennigen preview Cavs-Raptors game five tonight and talk about what the Cavs have to do to fix their problems and win the game. Then, Washington head football coach, Jedd Fisch joins the guys to talk about new Browns receiver, Denzel Boston.

Find out "what's working right now" to turn online searches into booked appointments - FAST! We'll walk through 5 conversion powerplay moves you can start putting into action this week. Grab the weekly + monthly rollout plan and extra resources on the episode webpage/blog post. ✨Turn Online Searches Into Patients: The 2026 Local Conversion Playbook for Clinics --   https://propelyourcompany.com/turn-website-traffic-into-patients-clinics/  If you manage a clinic, this episode shows exactly how to turn online interest into booked visits—this week. From Google Search and Maps to your website, we're covering what's working now to turn traffic into patients. Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!NEW Webinar: How to dominate Google Search, Google Maps, AI-driven search results, and get more new patients.>> Save your spot

Success Circles: How Peers Propel You Forward   In this solo episode, the host makes a compelling case for one of the most undervalued assets in any professional's career: a strong peer group. While mentorship gets most of the attention, it's your peers — the people who are in the trenches alongside you — who challenge your thinking, push you to grow, and give you a space to work through your toughest decisions. Drawing from his own inner circle of trusted peers, the host breaks down exactly what makes a peer relationship real, why they become harder to find as you advance, and the specific qualities to look for — and watch out for — when building your own success circle.   Key Insights You'll Learn ·        Peers and Mentors Are Both Essential — But Different: Mentors guide you from experience above. Peers walk beside you. Both are critical to long-term success, but the peer relationship offers something a mentor cannot: mutual accountability, equal exchange, and a space where nobody has positional power over the other. ·        Finding Real Peers Gets Harder as You Advance: The more senior you become, the smaller the pool of people who can truly meet you where you are. This is one of the most significant — and least talked about — challenges of career growth. Start building your peer network now. ·        A True Peer Relationship Is Never One-Sided: Both parties must contribute. If one person is always leaning on the other, always extracting value without reciprocating, it's not a peer relationship — it's a drain. Equal investment over time is non-negotiable. ·        Eliminate Ulterior Motives Immediately: Real peer relationships have no hidden agendas. The moment someone wants to recruit you, use you for access, or leverage the relationship for personal gain, the dynamic is corrupted. Recognizing this early saves years of misplaced trust. ·        Power Imbalance Kills the Relationship: If one person holds influence, authority, or leverage over the other, genuine conversation becomes impossible. True peers must be able to speak freely, share ideas openly, and trust that nothing will be used against them. ·        Mutual Respect Is the Foundation — Not Optional: There must be warmth, not friction, between real peers. Mocking, condescension, or subtle disrespect — even in small doses — erodes the relationship. Respect is the minimum requirement, not a bonus. ·        Look for Curiosity, Not Just Expertise: The best peer relationships aren't built on who knows the most — they're built on who is actively engaged with the world. A curious peer who researches, asks questions, and challenges their own conclusions is worth more than an expert who stopped learning. ·        Safe to Be Wrong — That's Where Trust Lives: Real peers let you make mistakes. They don't hold past statements over you or weaponize what you said in a vulnerable moment. The ability to think out loud, float wild ideas, and work through messy thoughts without judgment is what makes the relationship transformational. ·        Competitive With the World, Not With Each Other: Great peers want to win — but they want you to win too. Even when you're going after the same opportunity, a true peer competes hard and fairly, never sabotages, and celebrates your success as genuinely as their own. ·        When You Find the Right Peer — Protect It: Real peer alignment is rare. Not every person you meet will mesh with you across every area of life and work. But when you find someone who does — who energizes you, challenges you, and has your back — that is golden. Invest in it.   You will spend much of your career searching for true peers — and that search is worth every effort. When you find the right people, everything accelerates: your thinking sharpens, your confidence grows, and the path forward becomes clearer. Keep searching. Keep showing up. Your success circle is out there.  

Learn how to improve your clinic's local SEO and rank in nearby cities. Discover proven strategies to expand your reach, attract more patients, and grow your visibility beyond your location.Let's say your clinic is based in one city, but many of your patients are willing to drive 20 or even 30 miles to see you. They know it's worth traveling for high-quality care. The challenge is that when those same people search online, they often aren't typing in your city's name. They're looking for services closer to where they live or work.So how can your clinic show up in those searches and attract new patients from surrounding cities or suburbs?That's what we're exploring today: how to expand your local SEO reach the right way. We'll cover how Google determines local relevance, the strategies that actually help you appear in nearby city searches, and what to avoid so you don't hurt your visibility.By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap for building a stronger local presence that helps patients in your wider area discover your clinic and book appointments with confidence.Episode webpages, blog, & show notes: https://propelyourcompany.com/rank-in-nearby-cities-local-seo-for-clinics/Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!NEW Webinar: How to dominate Google Search, Google Maps, AI-driven search results, and get more new patients.>> Save your spot

Why Do Students Walk Away From Their Faith? | Dr. Jonathan Morrow on Welcome to College In this episode of the Impact 360 Institute podcast, host Dakota Powell sits down with Dr. Jonathan Morrow — Director of Cultural Engagement and Student Discipleship at Impact 360 Institute — to discuss his brand new book, Welcome to College. Together they unpack why so many students quietly drift from their faith during the high school-to-college transition and what families, parents, and church leaders can do about it. College is filled with new experiences, learning, and growth, but navigating this landscape as a Christian student is a challenge of its own. If you're a high school student preparing for the college journey, this practical resource will guide and ground you as you step onto campus. Jonathan Morrow pulls from biblical truth and his own experiences with students as he engages with topics like critical theory and social justice, emotional resilience, moral and spiritual relativism, dating and relationships, social media and AI, gender, sexuality, and identity, and discovering God's will.Topics Discussed Why students walk away from faith — The hidden drift that happens on the inside long before it's visible on the outside "Faith that feels real but isn't ready" — How comfort and unchallenged belief create a fragile faith Common pitfalls — Relativizing faith, encountering unanswered questions on social media, and "coloring book Jesus" worldviews College doesn't create a faith crisis — it reveals one  What a lasting faith looks like — Rational anchors, relational anchors, and a compelling mission Practical advice for parents — How to narrate reality, ask good questions, and set the table for faith conversations The 44 chapters of Welcome to College — Topics ranging from apologetics and Bible trust to money, purity, entertainment, gender ideology, dating, alcohol, and more Impact 360 summer experiences & gap year program — Propel, Immersion, and the 9-month Fellows program Realign Conference — September 10th in the Atlanta area featuring Rosaria Butterfield, Alisa Childers, Jeff Morgan, and Dr. MorrowResources & Links Get the book: welcometocollege.org Impact 360 Institute: impact360.org Summer Experiences (Propel & Immersion): impact360.org 9-Month Gap Year Program: impact360.org Realign Conference (Sept. 10, Atlanta area): impact360.org Give to the Multiply Fund: impact360.org → Click "Give" Online Courses — Explore Truth & Explore the Resurrection: impact360.orgBooks Mentioned Welcome to College by Jonathan Morrow (NEW edition) Questioning the Bible: 11 Major Challenges to the Bible's Authority by Jonathan Morrow About the Podcast The Impact 360 Institute podcast explores biblical worldview and servant leadership to equip you for everyday influence. Learn more at impact360.org. Host: Dakota Powell Guest: Dr. Jonathan Morrow Impact 360 Institute — Know. Be. Live.

Is your SEO plan really working—or are you just hoping it is? This episode breaks down the 10 biggest red flags that your SEO strategy might be missing the mark and exactly what to do about each one.You'll discover how to identify issues like stagnant traffic, low conversions, outdated content, and missing local visibility—plus simple ways to fix them. From optimizing your Google Business Profile to improving your keyword targeting and refreshing old pages, you'll get a clear action plan to attract more qualified patient leads and rank higher in search.If your website isn't driving new appointments or your SEO results feel stuck, this episode will help you pinpoint what's broken and how to get back on track.Episode Webpage: https://propelyourcompany.com/seo-red-flagsSend in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!NEW Webinar: How to dominate Google Search, Google Maps, AI-driven search results, and get more new patients.>> Save your spot

Braylon Mullins hits one of the greatest shots in NCAA Tournament history, and the biggest shot in UConn history. Breaking down UConn's historic comeback over Duke in the Elite EightSt. John's Sweet 16 is soured by Duke; Duke played "bully ball" while Ruben Prey sat on the bench.Rick Pitino re-signs with St. John's. What's next?

In this episode, Susan Drumm, a leadership coach and innovator, explores the profound impact of music and rhythm on the modern leader. Susan discusses how certain frequencies and internal rhythms can be used as strategic tools, allowing you to break through barriers. By understanding how to tune your internal environment, you can raise your leadership capacity, maintain composure under pressure, and foster a more resilient organizational culture.

If you've ever wondered how to actually improve your position in Google, get more website traffic, or show up in AI-powered search results, this episode breaks it down in a simple, actionable way.Search is evolving fast. It is no longer just about ranking on Google. Clinics now need to show up in Google Maps, AI Overviews, and even tools like ChatGPT that pull from real websites.In this episode, you'll learn how to build a strong SEO foundation that helps you get found, build trust, and attract the right patients consistently.Episode webpage: https://propelyourcompany.com/seo-101-improve-your-clinic-rankings/Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!NEW Webinar: How to dominate Google Search, Google Maps, AI-driven search results, and get more new patients.>> Save your spot

In this episode, we break down what goeasy’s collapse could signal for the broader Canadian economy and banking sector. We revisit past Canadian bank failures, connect them to today’s rising job losses and economic weakness, and explain why subprime lenders tend to crack first in a downturn. We also discuss whether Canadian banks could face headwinds after a strong run, and compare Goeasy to Propel to assess risks across alternative lenders. Tickers: GSY.TO, PRL.TO, RY.TO, NA.TO, CM.TO Subscribe to our Our New Youtube Channel! Check out our portfolio by going to Jointci.com Our Website Our New Youtube Channel! Canadian Investor Podcast Network Twitter: @cdn_investing Simon’s twitter: @Fiat_Iceberg Braden’s twitter: @BradoCapital Dan’s Twitter: @stocktrades_ca Want to learn more about Real Estate Investing? Check out the Canadian Real Estate Investor Podcast! Apple Podcast - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Spotify - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Web player - The Canadian Real Estate Investor Asset Allocation ETFs | BMO Global Asset Management Sign up for Fiscal.ai for free to get easy access to global stock coverage and powerful AI investing tools. Register for EQ Bank, the seamless digital banking experience with better rates and no nonsense.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If your clinic's website just has a single “Services” page listing everything you offer, you might be holding your SEO back. In this episode, we'll cover one of the simplest (and most overlooked) ways to help Google connect you with the right patients—creating one page per service or condition.You'll learn:Why this page structure boosts your rankings in Google Search, Google Maps, and even AI-powered search resultsThe exact pages every clinic should have for services and conditionsHow this setup improves patient experience and makes it easier for them to book with youA quick action step to start improving your site todayWhether you're a chiropractor, physical therapist, med spa, or other healthcare provider, this strategy works—and it's easier to set up than you think.Episode webpage and blog post: https://propelyourcompany.com/website-pages-that-make-google-send-you-the-right-patients/ Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!NEW Webinar: How to dominate Google Search, Google Maps, AI-driven search results, and get more new patients.>> Save your spot

The fire of Aries season is upon us, which brings an invitation to move from dreaming into inspired action!

The  Moose on The Loose helps Canadians to invest with more conviction so they can enjoy their retirement. Today, I discuss what happened with GoEasy (GSY.TO) and if Propel Holdings (PRL.TO) is next. It's all about dividend growth investing! Subscribe to the best free dividend investing newsletter: https://thedividendguyblog.com/newsletter Get the 20 income products guide for retirees: https://retirementloop.ca/income/

Local link building might sound technical, but at its core it is about relationships, reputation, and smart healthcare marketing. In this episode, Darcy breaks down how clinics can earn high quality local links that boost visibility in Google Search and Google Maps without turning link building into a full time job.You will learn what local link building actually is, why it matters so much for clinic websites, and where to find realistic link opportunities in your own backyard. From referral partners and community organizations to local media and resource guides, you will walk away with a practical plan you can start using right away.In this episode of The Clinic Marketing Podcast, you will discover how to:Turn existing professional relationships into safe, sustainable linksUse local directories, associations, and community involvement to support local SEOCreate simple content that naturally attracts local linksEvaluate which link opportunities are worth your time and which to skipIf you handle healthcare marketing for a clinic and want more “near me” visibility, stronger rankings, and more of the right patients finding you online, this episode is for you.>> Episode webpage and blog: https://propelyourcompany.com/local-link-building/Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!NEW Webinar: How to dominate Google Search, Google Maps, AI-driven search results, and get more new patients.>> Save your spot

From hookless hubs to the latest in 11-speed shifting, the past week of tech has been quite the rollercoaster for the tech-minded.  This week on Geek Warning, Ronan, Dave, and Alex from Escape Collective's tech team catch up to run through the news and offer plenty of thoughts along the way. This one is a little heavier on the news than we typically like to do, but it's been quite the busy week on that front!Of course, members of Escape Collective also get access to the full version of the episode that tacks on Ask a Wrench at the end. Zach Edwards joins Dave in answering a handful of interesting member questions, including one from a former winner of Unbound 200.  Time stamps:    2:40 - The new Cervelo Caledonia  3:34 - OneUp joins the XC SPD pedal game  6:40 - Nobl's new sub-1,000 gram MTB wheels 9:20 - MicroShift's Advent MX 1x11 shifting  10:10 - Shimano Tiagra goes 11-speed  11:50 - Hookless hub failures in the WorldTour  17:00 - Giant's vaguely new Propel  22:00 - Merida's new Reacto is finally released  31:00 - Closely overlapping road range confusion  50:30 - A SPD to flat pedal adapter that's a Good Thing  53:50 - Ask a Wrench (Members Only feed)   54:45 - Getting specific with 2x shifting on Cane Creek EEwings cranks  1:01:50 - Do you need to bleed brakes after undoing and/or cutting hoses?  1:09:40 - Rusty chains, chain wax, and when to replace  1:19:00 - A real fancy bike behind Zach 

In this powerful episode of The Mike Litton Experience, Mike sits down with entrepreneur and model manager Tina Rattigan, founder of Propel Models, to explore her incredible journey from Jamaica to building a purpose-driven modeling agency in the United States. Tina shares her inspiring story of resilience—growing up in Jamaica, moving to the U.S. at 21, navigating cultural shifts, overcoming personal challenges, and ultimately launching Propel Models with a mission to protect, mentor, and elevate talent in the modeling industry. After witnessing firsthand the gaps in model representation—especially through her daughter's international modeling experience—Tina redefined what leadership in fashion should look like. Today, she leads with integrity, strong boundaries, and a deep commitment to guiding models mentally, emotionally, and professionally. In this episode, viewers will discover: • The power of resilience and reinvention• Why boundaries are essential in leadership and business• Behind-the-scenes truths about the modeling industry• How to build a purpose-driven company from experience• What it takes to protect and propel young talent globally• Lessons in entrepreneurship, motherhood, and vision Tina Rattigan is not just building a modeling agency—she's building confidence, strength, and sustainable careers. If you're an aspiring entrepreneur, creative professional, model, parent, or leader, this conversation will challenge and inspire you. Don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE to The Mike Litton Experience for more powerful conversations with leaders, innovators, and difference-makers from around the world. Turn on notifications so you never miss an episode! Welcome to The Mike Litton Experience Podcast! Mike is passionate about being a father, a teacher, a Realtor, an investor and a leader! Everyone has a story and our passion is to help them tell it! We never want you to miss an episode, so please be sure to subscribe. Could we ask you for two quick favors? If you like our program, please tell a friend. Wherever you get your podcasts please leave us a rating. It helps us to connect with quality people just like you! Reach out to Mike on Instagram @themikelittonexperience. Thank you for joining us for The Mike Litton Experience! Who you work with matters and we would be honored to interview with you or anyone you know to sell your home! If you have questions, please reach out text or call 760-522-1227. Thank you! #livinginsandiego, #movingtosandiego, #themikelittonexperience, #homesforsaleinsandiego, #mikelitton, #sellahomeinsandiego, #buyahomeinsandiego, #toptipstogetthebestoffer #themikelittonexperience

If Google Analytics (GA4) leaves you feeling confused, but you still want to know which marketing efforts are actually working, this episode is for you. I am walking you through a simple “analytics stack” for clinics where GA4 stays in place behind the scenes, and Clicky becomes your clear, real-time dashboard for quick decisions that lead to more booked appointments.You will hear what Clicky is, how it pairs with GA4, and which six numbers to check each week so your team can spot trends, fix issues fast, and keep your website and marketing moving in the right direction. I also explain how to set Clicky up in just a few minutes and how to turn the data into practical next steps, even if you are not a numbers person.Webpage, blog post, & shownotes: https://propelyourcompany.com/simple-website-traffic-tracker/>> Get Started with Clicky - https://clicky.com/66422350 We are affiliates for Clicky because we genuinely use and recommend it for clinics. There is a free plan you can start with, and on the episode blog and show notes page, you will find screenshots, step-by-step setup visuals, and more.Send in your questions. ❤ We'd love to hear from you!NEW Webinar: How to dominate Google Search, Google Maps, AI-driven search results, and get more new patients.>> Save your spot

Andrew tells the story of a letter that Indiana University football head coach Curt Cignetti sent to the Indiana student body back in 2024 (and how it helped propel the team to a national championship). Programming Note: Nothing is changing with Andrew's weekly interview episodes. Andrew's interview episodes will continue to be in your podcast feed every Thursday morning. 

For many students, alternative career pathways are the key to unlocking systemic barriers and breaking through rigid environments that keep economic mobility out of reach. Salvatrice Cummo sits down with Jesse Diaz, the Director of Market Development Los Angeles at Propel America to unpack how to build more equitable career opportunities. As a first-generation Latino college graduate and lifelong educator, Jesse brings a powerful personal journey—growing up in Boyle Heights and navigating nontraditional pathways from athletics to nonprofit leadership. Together, they dive into the challenges young adults face in building stable careers, the impact of rising college costs, and the barriers that marginalized communities often encounter. Join us to discover how reimagining career pathways can create more equitable opportunities and build a stronger, more inclusive workforce for the future. You'll learn: Why alternative career pathways—like tuition-free, debt-free training and apprenticeships—are critical for both economic mobility and meeting urgent workforce needs. How mentorship, wraparound support, and innovative community partnerships transform the lives of students grappling with systemic barriers. How educational institutions and community organizations work together to address obstacles keeping marginalized communities out of the workforce. Why it is imperative to challenge conventional views about the connection between education and employment. About the Guest: Jesse Diaz is Propel's Director of Market Development, Los Angeles. He is a proud Los Angeles native from the working-class neighborhood of Boyle Heights. He graduated from Roosevelt High School as a scholar-athlete and went on to pursue his passion for football, earning his Bachelor's at Doane College. Although an injury ended his playing career, it led him to discover his passion for education and supporting our youth facing systemic barriers. Jesse went on to serve as AmeriCorps member with City Year San Antonio igniting his desire to become an educator. He returned to Los Angeles and later earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Administration as a graduate assistant coaching Division 2 football at Eastern New Mexico University. Most recently, he served as a Student Support Specialist with SIATech Academy South, an Independent Studies High School. Engage with us: LinkedIn, Instagram & Facebook: @PasadenaCityCollegeEWD Join our newsletter for more on this topic: ewdpulse.com Visit: PCC EWD website More from Jesse Diaz & Propel America LinkedIn: @Propel America & @Jesse Diaz Instagram: @propel.america Facebook: @PropelAmerica Website: https://www.propelamerica.org/ Partner with us! Contact our host, Salvatrice Cummo, directly: scummo@pasadena.edu Want to be a guest on the show? Click HERE to inquire about booking  Find the transcript of this episode here Please rate us and leave us your thoughts and comments on Apple Podcasts; we'd love to hear from you!

If your rankings feel inconsistent or your visibility seems flat, it may not be because you need more SEO. It may be because your messaging is unclear. In this episode, I recap key insights from a recent live training and explain why AI search is forcing clinics to rethink how they present what they treat, who they help, and where they are located. 

Robin Zander hosted a Snafu webinar for the Sidebar community on non-sales selling—think self-promotion for career transitions, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and product people. The goal: learn to "sell yourself" without the ick factor.   Participants shared fears: follow-ups feel intimidating, sales feels slimy, and success seems like a numbers game. Robin reframed it: selling is really about enrollment—being a chief evangelist for your work, not begging for attention.   Drawing on stories from his childhood pumpkin patch, his time as a personal trainer (where desperation lost him clients), and opening Robin's Cafe in San Francisco (raising $40k, serving multiple stakeholders, training staff with Danny Meyer's principles), he showed the difference between selling from need vs. service. Long-term success comes from genuine connection, curiosity, optimism, and passion.   Attendees explored their "authentic attitude" and reflected on times self-promotion felt good versus slimy. Exercises included mapping all the people who benefit from your work—employees, customers, managers, mentees, community—and practicing generosity in selling (a "Miracle on 34th Street" mindset: help customers even if it means sending them elsewhere).   In Q&A, Robin tackled: Asking for promotions as modeling for others, especially women and minorities Persistence in follow-ups (yes, emailing Mark Benioff 53 times counts) Relationship-based enterprise selling Avoiding fear-based AI marketing by knowing who you serve and what problem you solve Recommended reading: Setting the Table (Danny Meyer), Unreasonable Hospitality (Will Guidara), The New Strategic Selling.   Robin also shared upcoming Snafu conference details (March 5, Oakland Museum of California) and reminded everyone: Snafu = situation normal; all fucked up. 00:00 Start 01:06 Audience Fears About Selling Robin Zander welcomes 93 participants to the webinar Notes the session is interactive with exercises planned Encourages participants to drop questions in chat or interrupt him Last 15–20 minutes reserved for questions Robin introduces himself briefly Focuses on storytelling as a tool for self-promotion Shares experience as a community builder Runs a conference called Responsive since 2016 (not Snafu) Tools, structures, and company cultures for resilient organizations Two-day event each September on the future of work Focus on building resilience in organizations Observations on rapid change Technology and work-life changes happening at a fast pace Questions about resilience in individuals Traits needed in careers, personal relationships, professional relationships Ability to stay resilient through change Robin frames his expertise Emphasizes his strength in asking questions and fostering honest conversations Labels himself a reluctant salesperson Not the world's leading expert on self-promotion or selling Key lessons from research and interviews Two buckets matter in business and life: Example: Sidebar community forming coalitions for learning and action Operational excellence: being competent and at least as good as others Promotion/enrollment/sales: standing up, saying what you want, building coalitions Started interviewing people about influence and persuasion Started a weekly newsletter called Snafu Written by hand, not AI Shares lessons from his life and others about self-promotion and resilience Focus on courage to take action: raising hand, offering something valuable Core characteristics of self-promotion and selling yourself Connecting with others: art of connection Courage to ask: inspired by Amanda Palmer's TED Talk and book The Art of Asking Opposes traditional "always be closing" sales mentality Advocates for simply asking for what you want Current work mostly involves storytelling for large companies Clients include Supersonic, Airbnb, Zappos, and others 12:25 Service as the Core Principle Robin introduces the concept of storytelling for self-promotion Stories used to: Get promotions Build coalitions Propel career or organizational growth Emphasizes turning personal, career, or company stories into "commercials" Focus of today's talk: self-promotion with impact Core principle: service Showing up from a place of helping others Through helping others, also helping oneself Distinguishes between sleazy salespeople and effective self-promoters Childhood anecdote: Robin's pumpkin patch Tended plants all summer, learned responsibility and care Harvested pumpkins and sold them using a small red tin box labeled "money" Ran "Robin's Pumpkin Patch" for five to seven years At age five, father had him plant pumpkin seeds Engaged neighborhood kids for fun, collaborative promotion Explained product (pumpkins) enthusiastically to potential buyers Used scarecrow costumes and creative gestures to attract attention Lessons learned from pumpkin patch: Authentic enthusiasm creates value Helping people do what they were already inclined to do Early experience of earning and serving simultaneously Self-promotion is most effective when it's service-driven, not manipulative Applying childhood lesson to career and business Asking for a raise Persuading companies to choose one service over another Promoting oneself or others (e.g., Evan, web developer) Key principle: approach self-promotion from delight and service, not need or fear Authentic enthusiasm as foundation for: Interactive exercise for participants Not influenced by sleep deprivation or stress Could be inspired by childhood or adult experiences Opposite of fear; personal and unique for each participant Question posed: what is your authentic attitude when self-promoting? Examples shared from participants: Curiosity Passion Inspiration Service to others Observation Possibility Insight Value Helping others Creativity Belief in serendipity Optimism Key takeaway from exercise and story Promoting from delight, enthusiasm, and service Promoting from need or fear Two versions of self-promotion: Effective self-promotion aligns with authenticity and enthusiasm, creating value for others while advancing oneself 18:36 Gym Job and Needy Selling Robin shares the next story and sets up the next exercise Gym culture is sales-heavy Initial motivation: love of fitness, desire to help people Quickly realizes environment incentivizes personal trainers to sell aggressively Timeframe: ~20 years later, at age 20, moved to San Francisco First post-college job: personal trainer in gyms Early experience at gyms Key lesson from early failure Selling from need feels gross Promoting oneself from fear or desperation leads to poor results Recognizes similarity to unwanted sales calls received personally First authentic success in self-promotion Worked at Petro and World's Gym in San Francisco, Pilates instructor Owner confronted Robin after two weeks: no clients, potential clients being lost to others Threatened termination by Friday if no clients acquired Robin froze under pressure, approached clients but with needy, desperate energy Outcome: fired by Friday, left gym Encounters man in pain on Valencia Street, offers help as personal trainer Approach comes from genuine care, desire to serve Leads to three-year working relationship, consistent sessions, good income Next client: world-famous photographer Michael Light at UCSF swimming pool Client comes from natural connection, not pushy salesmanship Dichotomy observed: Pushy, need-based self-promotion → freeze, poor results Service-oriented self-promotion → natural connections, sustained relationships Exercise for participants Prompt: identify two moments: One time self-promoting felt slimy → what were you doing? One time self-promoting felt good → what were you doing differently? Two-minute reflection / chat participation Participant reflections/examples Slimy examples: Interviewing for a job during layoffs, giving desperate energy Selling P&L at a hyperscaler Selling computers and printers in UK post-college Sales emails getting ghosted Feeling inauthentic or performative, taking advantage of someone Good examples: Offering services out of care and love rather than ROI Showing impact of work to junior child Knowing services add real value and solve a challenge Being clear on what the other person needs Key takeaway Self-promotion feels different depending on intent and knowledge Slimy → desperate, inauthentic, unclear value to recipient Authentic → service-driven, clear value, connection-focused Effective self-promotion combines knowing your value and serving others, not just pushing for personal gain 25:35 Miracle on 34th Street Lesson Feeling good in self-promotion comes from genuinely helping, solving problems, and sharing information Santa Claus hired at Macy's to hold kids and give candy canes, but real goal: persuade parents to buy from Macy's Santa instead sends parents to competitor to truly serve them Macy's manager initially furious Outcome: customers feel genuinely served, return praising Macy's, become loyal fans Robin references Miracle on 34th Street (original version) Key insight: providing real value, even if it benefits someone else, eventually returns value to you "Put enough bread across the water, eventually good things come back" Participant reflections Slimy: knowing audience expects judgment, catering to them for approval Good: giving the gift of knowledge, providing service freely Takeaway: authentic self-promotion is rooted in service, generosity, and sharing expertise, not manipulating for immediate gain 27:45 Starting Robin's Cafe Through Service Robin shares a major professional turning point: opening Robin's Cafe in 2016 No restaurant experience beyond college busing tables Opened in three weeks, eventually grew to 15 employees by 2018 Worked in multiple industries: Pumpkin patch, personal trainer, circus performer Opened a café/restaurant in Mission District, San Francisco Courage and conviction came from clear focus on service to others Employees: create a great workplace, go-giver culture Investors: $40k raised from friends/family, provided value and potential return Landlords (ODC, nonprofit dance center): wanted success of business to support community Customers: diverse—tech workers, kids in dance classes, local community Robin himself: financial sustainability, learning, personal growth Key audiences served by Robin's Cafe Approach to challenges Used Danny Meyer's Setting the Table as a service-focused framework for employees Philosophy: "giving in order to get paid" Examples: spouse, kids, dog, manager, peers, mentees, clients, community, customers, extended family, mentors Served multiple stakeholders during crises: break-ins, flooding, city permitting, neighborhood issues Exercise: identify all the people who benefit from your work or success Key idea: the more stakeholders served, the easier self-promotion becomes, because it comes from service, not need or pressure Show up thinking: does this serve the person I'm talking to? Principle: selling yourself from a place of service Consider multiple stakeholders simultaneously Audience question: elaborate on applying this service mindset specifically to asking for a promotion Tying service to self-promotion in career advancement Result: asking for a raise, applying for jobs, pitching clients—all easier and more authentic 38:11 Promotion As Service Asking for a promotion from a place of service Example: doing the role already, deserving recognition, asking for what you believe you've earned. Personal perspective: advocating for yourself is a form of service to yourself Recognize other stakeholders in the process: Modeling courage and advocacy for the next generation Authority enables ideas to be taken more seriously Stories gained from new responsibilities enhance value to clients or teams People you mentor, especially women or underrepresented groups The organization: your promotion can make it stronger Your family or children: showing them what it looks like to advocate Concrete examples Outcome: trajectory of career positively influenced, demonstrated courage, modeled behavior Asking first time for a manager role Later asking for VP title as a director Courage and small steps Courage = acting despite fear, not absence of fear Practice by taking incremental steps toward what scares you Avoid masking or hesitation; direct action builds confidence and results Persistence and follow-up Busy people require patience and multiple nudges Example: Mark Stubbings emailing Mark Benioff 53 times before a yes Persistence = respectful, consistent follow-ups Role modeling for women and minorities Demonstrates that asking is a normal, expected, and service-oriented act Many don't ask for promotions or raises due to upbringing or cultural norms Modeling advocacy teaches the next generation, including children, to speak up Service mindset in practice Approach self-promotion by asking: is this good for the other person? Keep intention aligned with service, not desperation Books for guidance: Setting the Table – Danny Meyer: service-driven sales and employee culture Unreasonable Hospitality – Will Guidara: lessons from the restaurant world on giving value and delight Key takeaways for promotion and asking Serve yourself, your mentees, your organization, and your broader audience Take small, courageous steps to ask for what you deserve Follow up respectfully and consistently; don't assume silence = no Self-promotion becomes easier and authentic when rooted in service, not fear or need Snafu Newsletter Weekly newsletter written by Robin Covers influence, persuasion, and modern workplace dynamics A resource for ongoing learning and practical insights 56:55 Where to Find Robin Robin's newsletter covers influence, persuasion, and modern work. Snafu Conference Responsive Conference Robin Zander on social medias  

Guest: Reggie Brock – Founder, Propel (Culture + Accountability System)Guest Links: Website: https://culturaldisruptor.comThis episode breaks down why culture is not a “soft skill,” but the hidden asset that determines whether a home service company can scale, endure pressure, and keep great people. It explains how most contractors obsess over recruiting and marketing to get people in the front door, but neglect the systems required to keep them from walking out the back door, creating constant churn that quietly destroys time, trust, and momentum. The episode unpacks the “Airbnb mentality” in roofing—temporary teams, transactional leadership, and revolving-door hiring—and contrasts it with building true “residency” where people feel they belong through acknowledged contribution, clarity, and healthy collaboration. It also challenges the hustle-only mindset, showing why more activity doesn't solve misalignment, and why slowing down to diagnose what's actually happening inside the business is often the real growth lever. The episode introduces how Propel helps leaders stop guessing by pulling real feedback from teams, surfacing early warning signals before damage shows up, and guiding companies through six alignment pillars like clarity, communication, collaboration, chemistry, and contribution. Ultimately, this is a blueprint for contractors who want to distribute the weight of leadership, reduce the “ache” that forces owners to sell early, and build a culture strong enough that it becomes an advantage private equity can't buy.

"McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this deeply honest and practical conversation, I'm joined by fellow clinician and creative coach TJ Walsh as we explore what it means to evolve your brand in real time — especially when your identity as a therapist is shifting.TJ introduces a simple but powerful framework:Push. Pull. Propel.It's a guide for navigating professional discomfort, emerging desires, and the momentum that comes from integrating both.We talk about:* Why branding is worked out in real time* Letting go of perfectionism and overthinking* The emotional cost of being “the product” in therapy work* How to know when it's time to pivot* Building Quiet Builder and navigating multiple identities* Intuitive practices for clarity and alignment* Why slow growth is often the greatest giftIf you're in a season of change — whether it's launching a new offer, exploring a new part of yourself, or simply wondering “what's next?” — this one is for you.Resources:Want to launch your online course?Check out our new membership site! Find out more and get on the Haven Waitlist here.

Can Mike Vrabel's catchphrases help propel the Patriots to a championship?

In this inspiring episode of the Payne Points of Wealth, Ryan sits down with Jimmy Chen—founder and CEO of Propel, the groundbreaking fintech company modernizing America's social safety net and serving millions of low‑income families each month. Jimmy shares his remarkable journey from arriving in Kansas City as a four‑year‑old immigrant from China with parents who had just $200, to becoming a Stanford graduate, early product manager at LinkedIn and Facebook, and ultimately the creator of one of the most impactful social‑good tech companies in the country. You'll hear: How Jimmy's childhood shaped his relationship with money, scarcity, and grit—including his early “entrepreneurial” idea to sell his toys to avoid being a burden on his family   His realization that Silicon Valley was building tech for people like themselves, not for the millions relying on programs like SNAP.   The company's 11‑year journey—from 60 investor rejections and a $12,000 Kickstarter, to raise $90 million from top VCs and investors like Serena Williams and Kevin Durant.   Why Jimmy hires self-reliance, resilience, and at least one successful —not pedigree.   The massive role AI now plays in Propel's product, customer support, and internal operations.   What he believes the future of education, work, and technology will look like in an AI‑driven world. Jimmy also opens up about the “chip on his shoulder” to succeed, his father's work ethic, why frugality helped and hindered him, and the music that shaped him as a kid, navigating life in a new culture. This is a powerful story of ambition and purpose—proof that game‑changing ideas don't just come from Silicon Valley, but from childhood uncertainty and a deep commitment to help those less fortunate in our country.   Tune in for a conversation that's heartfelt, eye‑opening, and packed with wisdom for entrepreneurs, parents, and anyone navigating big decisions about money, purpose, and impact