Podcasts about Reader

The common method of treatment in the healthcare system is to look at what medicine the patient can take to help with their symptoms. However, in this watch and wait system, there are so many things that are skipped over that people could be doing that could get them to the point of not needing medication. Dr. Meg Mill is joining me today to discuss the importance of finding the root cause of health issues. Dr. Meg Mill is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, bestselling author, podcast host and speaker. In her virtual Functional Medicine practice, she works with patients worldwide to heal the root cause of their health struggles through advanced diagnostic testing and personalized support. She has been seen on Fox News Channel, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, in Reader's Digest, Health Magazine, and has appeared on many podcasts. In her podcast A Little Bit Healthier she discusses simple things you can add to your life every day to live a healthier, more fulfilled life. Meg is particularly passionate about helping people end headaches and migraines, increase energy and restore mental clarity without drugs or overwhelming protocols with her proven E.A.T. Method. In this episode, Dr. Meg Mill is discussing the current watch and wait system of healthcare, why she chose to focus on headaches in her practice, the importance of looking at the unique individual to determine root causes, different causes of headaches, and possible ways to get relief from headaches. In this episode we discuss: How getting to the root cause of health issues would decrease the usage of medications Why Dr. Meg Mill chose to focus on people suffering from chronic headaches Common foods that may trigger headaches or migraines The difference between a food sensitivity and a food allergy How hormones relate to headaches and migraines What common signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance are Things you can do if you are experiencing headaches due to severe fluctuation in hormones How magnesium may help with headaches How stress plays a role in headaches and migraines and what to do to help with that Resources: www.megmill.com Discount code from my sponsors: Navy Hair Care Shampoo + Conditioner: use code LYNZY for 30% off Navy Hair Care Charcoal Mask: use code LYNZY for 30% off Earth Breeze: save 40% at www.earthbreeze.com/lynzy Connect with Lynzy: Instagram: @motherhoodmeetsmedicine Sign up for the weekly newsletter here lynzyandco.com Disclaimer: This podcast does not provide medical advice. The information on this podcast is for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listeners are loving hearing Annie Grace answer coaching calls inside The PATH: 365. She's back again this week addressing a subject that can be a trigger for so many. A PATH member wants to know “Why do I end up drinking by myself whenever I am bored or stressed?” Annie shares not just the science that influences why we drink alone as a response to boredom and stress, but also her personal experiences with it, techniques that can help you navigate this trigger, and how to avoid letting it derail your alcohol-free journey.   Thank you so much for listening to this episode. If you're ready to see how This Naked Mind can help you on your personal health and wellness journey and wanna learn more. Go to ThisNakedMindpodcast.com to learn more. Again, that's ThisNakedMindpodcast.com. We have all of our free resources, programs,  social links and more available for you there. Plus, if you have your own Naked Life Story, you can submit it there as well. Until next week, stay curious.    

Joining Ben to break down some of the news of the week is Salem Collo-Julin, editor of Ben's beloved Reader. Where's he worked for almost 40 years! And so they talk…the first week of Mayor Johnson, the Reader's Best of Chicago party, Reader reader favorite pols, and the MAGA meltdown over bathrooms. Salem's riff is priceless. And more…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The importance of emotional and mental health is often overlooked in the pursuit of success. However, emotional and mental well-being is crucial to being an effective leader. Leaders must pay attention to their emotions and strive to be whole.   On this episode, Alan sits down with author, leadership coach, speaker, and clinical mental health expert Dr. Mark Mayfield. Mark shares about his new book The Path to Wholeness and why our emotional and mental well-being are crucial if we are to live and lead from a health and wholeness. About Dr. Mayfield   Dr. Mark Mayfield is an author, speaker, leadership coach, counselor, and professor. He has extensive experience in executive leadership as former founder and CEO of Mayfield Counseling Centers a 501c3 non-profit in Colorado Springs which serves over 25,000 appointments a year. Dr. Mayfield is an executive leadership coach, helping churches and organizations navigate the complexities of their mental and emotional health. Clinically, Dr. Mayfield is an expert in working with families affected by trauma. He is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at CCU and also partners with the AACC as the Director of Practice and Ministry Development and Editor of Marriage & Family: A Christian Journal. Dr. Mayfield is the author of three books, “HELP! My Teen is Self-Injuring: A Crisis Manual for Parents” which addresses his own suicide survival story, and provides practical tools to help your child who may be struggling, “The Path Out of Loneliness: Finding and Fostering Connection to God, Ourselves and One Another”, and “The Path Toward Wholeness: Managing Emotions, Finding Healing, and Becoming Our Best Selves” which will release in 2023. He has been featured in prominent media outlets including Woman's Day, Hello Giggles, NBC, Reader's Digest, Byrdie, and more. Dr. Mayfield is on a list of mental health professionals that was invited to the White House in December 2019 and has had periodic calls with the White House to discuss mental health in America. Dr. Mayfield is currently working on research in Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Veterans, and in Social Justice and the church. Dr. Mayfield lives in Texas with his wife of 15 years and their three children. Follow Dr. Mayfield: on Instagram and Facebook: @thedrmayfield on his website: www.drmayfield.com. Pick up his book

In a world that is littered with false information and blatant lies, especially when it comes to health and nutrition, it is so important to seek the truth.  Matthew Rees is a treasure trove of facts and commentary about food and health at his website, foodandhealthfacts.com. As a longtime journalist, speechwriter, and author, Rees has written for such esteemed publications as The Economist, The New Republic, and The Wall Street Journal. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, Reader's Digest, and more.  He's also co-authored several books, but his personal passion lies in nutrition. He pulls information and research from recent scientific studies, interviews, books and more, and makes them all easily digestible nuggets of truth on our toxic food culture and how it's contributing to massive rates of disease and death throughout the country. It is his mission to help us better understand how consuming unhealthy foods leads to the mess of chronic health issues we're facing today as a society, but also provide understanding and solutions.  Episode Resources Episode Website Watch the Full Episode on YouTube Visit and bookmark foodandhealthfacts.com PLANTSTRONG Meal Planner - use code: STARTFRESH to receive free two weeks Join our PLANTSTRONG Sedona Retreat - October 9-14, 2023 To stock up on the best-tasting, most convenient, 100% PLANTSTRONG foods, including our cereals, granolas, pizza kits, broths and soups, check out all of our PLANTSTRONG products HERE. Give us a like on the PLANTSTRONG Facebook Page and check out what being PLANSTRONG is all about. We always keep it stocked full of new content and updates, tips for healthy living, delicious recipes, and you can even catch me LIVE on there! We've also got an Instagram! Check us out and share your favorite PLANTSTRONG products and why you love it! Don't forget to tag us using #goplantstrong

Dr. Keira Barr blends science with soul as a somatic coach, breathwork guide and dual board certified integrative dermatologist empowering women around the world with the tools needed to help them gain the control, clarity and confidence they crave during their midlife experience. As the host of the Skinny Dipping Prescription podcast and creator of Somatic Skin Science, she's redefining skincare as the embodiment of our lived experience through conversations, straight-up truths, and tangible, actionable advice. Her work has been featured in MindBodyGreen, Better Homes and Gardens, Reader's Digest, Glamour, SELF, Oprah Magazine, and more. In this episode, Dr. Barr shares her best tips for a skincare routine that goes way beyond the surface.   Links Dr. Barr's Skincare Quiz Dr. Barr's Website   Timestamps [02:25] The Most Common Issues People Deal With [08:53] What She's Seen While Using This Approach [11:14] Her Favorite Practices to Help People With [18:02] Vitamin D and Sun Exposure [26:50] These May Make Your Skin Worse [38:43] Warning Signs You Should Be Aware Of [41:44] This Is Her Story   DISCLAIMER – The information presented on this podcast should not be construed as medical advice. It is not intended to replace consultation with your physician or healthcare provider. The ideas shared on this podcast are the expressed opinions of the guests and do not always reflect those of Margie Bissinger and Happy Bones, Happy Life Podcast.

The PATH: 365 is This Naked Mind's revolutionary membership program designed to make alcohol small and insignificant in our members' lives. One of the most valuable resources within the program is a monthly group coaching call with This Naked Mind founder Annie Grace. This podcast offers a sneak peek inside this call while tackling a question about the wide range of emotions accompanying this journey. You might be able to relate to feeling hopeful and motivated one day as a non-drinker, only to wake the next day wondering why do I feel sad when I don't drink alcohol? Annie Grace shares the insight on the beliefs that cause these feelings, the science behind these thoughts and emotions, and actionable steps you can take to continue your journey as a non-drinker.   Thank you so much for listening to this episode. If you're ready to see how This Naked Mind can help you on your personal health and wellness journey and wanna learn more. Go to ThisNakedMindpodcast.com to learn more. Again, that's ThisNakedMindpodcast.com. We have all of our free resources, programs,  social links and more available for you there. Plus, if you have your own Naked Life Story, you can submit it there as well. Until next week, stay curious.  

This is Episode 27 of Season 3. I decided to do something a bit different with this episode. While I'm mostly a journalist, I have had some fun dabbling a bit with fiction. This story was published in my first book A Rider's Reader. You can find it exclusively in the Cayuse Communication library. Scroll to the bottom.  I think it's a good one for Mother's Day. If you enjoy it, let me know. A few notes from sponsors: We have several discounts going on. Check out Best Horse Practices sister site, NickerNews, for codes to stuff, including: Bobo's Bars for your saddle bag. Zealios for your glamping. And Chill Angel, for your apres ride. Our title sponsor is Lucerne Farms, producers of quality forage feeds.  Forage is chopped, packaged hay. Sometimes it's alfalfa, sometimes timothy, sometimes blended, and sometimes with a touch of molasses. Always scrumptious. After hay and grass, it's pretty much the best alternative and a great way to supplement feed for your hard keeper. Big thanks to Redmond Equine and Pharm Aloe – for generously sponsoring our podcast. Check out Pharm Aloe's aloe pellets and Redmond's Rock on a Rope. We think you'll love ‘em. Also thanks to Patagonia WorkWear for their continued support. Check out the all season vest or the light and soft but tough ranch jacket – two great tops for this time of year. Both are made of hemp which has an already-broken in feel while also being super durable. Give us feedback, suggest a topic or guest, or make a donation and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two free Patagonia WorkWear items that we give away every month. Don't forget that Redmond Equine is sending a complimentary syringe of Daily Gold Stress Relief to everyone who drops a tip in our donation jar. Pretty cool and a $15 value. If you get something of value from our podcast, please consider making a donation. We sure would appreciate it.  That's it. Another episode in the can and out of the barn. Thanks for listening, y'all!

King Charles was seen sitting in his coach alongside Camilla, waiting for the all-clear to enter Westminster Abbey to begin the coronation ceremony. Britney Spears has been guzzling energy drinks and staying awake for “three consecutive days,” according to a new report. When asked about the Nick Jonas' ex-girlfriends the actress said she does not “give a f–k” — and never did. Rob is joined by the charming Marc Lupo. Don't forget to vote in today's poll on Twitter at @naughtynicerob or in our Facebook group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on From the Front Porch, it's another episode of From The Bookshelf Files! In this episode series, Annie and The Bookshelf's Community & Public Relations Liaison Felicia Dilbert talk about the ups and downs of owning and running a small business. Today, it's all about ideas and creativity in small business. If you have a business-related question you'd like Annie and Felicia to explore in a future episode of From The Bookshelf Files, please email Felicia here. Discover new details about Annie's delightful journey as the owner of The Bookshelf in the feature article "A Reader's Delight" published in Southwest Georgia Living Magazine here. Felicia Dilbert is the author of Beautiful Healing, Volume 1-Seven Love Letters for the Truth Seeker's Soul, and The Beautiful Healing Journal. You can purchase both books from The Bookshelf, in the store or online: Beautiful Healing, Vol. 1  The Beautiful Healing Journal  What does creativity mean to you? To learn more about Felicia's Creativity Playshop mentioned in today's podcast, click here. From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram at @bookshelftville, and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today's episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is reading Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen. Felicia is reading Feeding The Soul by Tabitha Brown. If you liked what you heard in today's episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Or, if you're so inclined, support us on Patreon, where you can hear our staff's weekly New Release Tuesday conversations, read full book reviews in our monthly Shelf Life newsletter and follow along as Hunter and I conquer a classic. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We're so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Cammy Tidwell, Chanta Combs, Chantalle C, Donna Hetchler, Kate O'Connell, Kristin May, Laurie Johnson, Linda Lee Drozt, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Stacy Laue, Stephanie Dean, Susan Hulings, and Wendi Jenkins.  

Today's episode features an interview with real estate investor, Al Curiel, who specializes in performing notes. The interview covers Al's background in real estate, his decision to focus on notes, and how he scales his note investing business.  -------------------------------------------------------------- Al's Real Estate Journey [00:01:03] Investing in Notes [00:03:33] Avatar and Mentorship Program [00:05:38] Building a Virtual Assistant System [00:08:29] Scaling with Trial and Error [00:10:08] Getting Meaningful Deal Flow in the Note Space [00:13:37] Buying Non-Performing Notes [00:16:58] Pricing Changes in Non-Performing Notes [00:19:17] Rehabbing Strategies for Non-Performing Notes [00:21:40] -------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with Al: Web: www.AssociatesinRealEstateHoldings.com Email: info@associatesandrealestateholdings.com   Connect with Sam: I love helping others place money outside of traditional investments that both diversify a strategy and provide solid predictable returns.     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowtoscaleCRE/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samwilsonhowtoscalecre/ Email me → sam@brickeninvestmentgroup.com   SUBSCRIBE and LEAVE A RATING. Listen to How To Scale Commercial Real Estate Investing with Sam Wilson Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-scale-commercial-real-estate/id1539979234 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4m0NWYzSvznEIjRBFtCgEL?si=e10d8e039b99475f -------------------------------------------------------------- Want to read the full show notes of the episode? Check it out below: Al Curiel (00:00:00) - I don't want to be a process junkie, right? I, I do what I do best, which is raising capital, talking to customers, shaking hands, and kissing babies sort of thing. Um, the, the, the, the other stuff, the day-to-day grind, I lead to someone that is going to be managed by a supervisor that is going to give me results at the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of the month. And we compare those in a gigantic spreadsheet as to what our production goals are for that specific quarter.   Intro (00:00:28) - Welcome to the How to Scale commercial real Estate Show. Whether you are an active or passive investor, we'll teach you how to scale your real estate investing business into something big.   Sam Wilson (00:00:42) - Al Curiel is a real estate investor that focuses on performing notes, and he also has a mentorship program that focuses on investing in real estate using the power of meditation. Al, welcome to the show.   Al Curiel (00:00:53) - Thank you, Sam. Good to be here.   Sam Wilson (00:00:54) - Absolutely. Al the pleasures mine. There are three questions I ask every guest who comes in the show in 90 seconds or less. Can you tell me where did you start? Where are you now, and how did you get there?   Al Curiel (00:01:03) - Started back in 19 90, 83 when I was, uh, 22 years old. Started with my first, uh, building, uh, it was a rental building, and, uh, I learned quickly that, uh, you need a whole lot more than just money to, uh, to succeed. And, um, my brother and I started the business. We, uh, survived through some of the corrections and, uh, eventually became wholesalers fixed and flippers, renters and all that stuff. And then finally in 2008, as a result of the waterfall from the 2008 debacle of the, uh, subprime market, we started focusing on performing and unperforming notes.   Sam Wilson (00:01:45) - Wow. So you've been in real estate. Gosh, you're going on four decades at this point. That's   Al Curiel (00:01:50) - Exactly right. I hate to admit it, Sam, but that's exactly right. .   Sam Wilson (00:01:53) - Hey, luck to you. Some people, some people don't make it that long, so, you know, there, there, there is that bright side to it. Um, but you've seen a lot. I mean, you've seen the savings in loan crisis. You've seen the.com bust. You've seen the oh eight crisis and now on, on the verge of who knows what right now, uh, just we see banks starting to collapse and things like that. So, I, I, I don't wanna dig in too far really into each of those sections. We just don't have time on the podcast. I'd love to hear kind of all the different things that you've done in that, but tell me why you do what you do now. I know we talked about this a little bit off air, and you kind of gave me some insight into the mess versus message or mess being your message sort of thing. So if you don't mind, give us some insight on that.   Al Curiel (00:02:36) - Not at all. I'll try to be as brief as, as I can, given the, the time constraints that we have, Sam. But basically what happened was I, being in, in so many markets and seeing so many adjustments, I couldn't tell, I didn't have a, a, a, a crystal ball to predict the future. But I certainly had a rear view mirror to see where he had been with, as you mentioned, the, the, the, the dark, uh, Monday of October 29th, 1989, that what happened in, with the doc, with the, uh, Y2K anticipation, with the savings and loans collapsing and, uh, now the 2008, nine and 10 issues with, with subprime markets, that made me realize that I was not gonna have time to recover from what I had seen in the past. So I decided to research for something else. And that's when I discovered that, uh, uh, the passive income that you realized from investing in performing and unperforming notes is where it's at.   Al Curiel (00:03:33) - Um, and that was a result of, of, again, what happened in 2008. Um, so they had, they had, they had the fallout of that mess still happening. Now you have Covid that happened in 2020. So we had a revival of that. You had the waterfall of 2008 that was still not resolved. The world stops, but commerce didn't stop. Commerce continued to work. So you had the supply supply chain issue. You had the perfect storm of covid and then the fallout of 2008. So what was gonna happen to all that inventory of, of properties? And the answer was in the banks inventory that were not being sold. So we did some research. My brother decided, you know, he's had a family, so he says he couldn't, he couldn't withstand the rigors of, and the stress of, of not having inventory to flip. So I, I did it along and, and, uh, I discovered that investing in notes was a lot easier than investing in, in fixed and flipping, because you can make money with a pen instead of swinging a hammer. Right. And that's what bedwin focus in for the last, uh, well now 10 years now.   Sam Wilson (00:04:40) - Wow. That's really, really cool. And are you buying just performing or performing and non-performing nodes?   Al Curiel (00:04:46) - We, yeah, we, we, we purchase a performing notes for our P portfolio. We pur we purchase those for our retirement. Hmm. Um, through your, through our, our Roth IRAs and the nonperforming notes, we rehab, we rehab them. Just like you can rehab a house, you can rehab a loan, right? Um, you can, you have three, three different ways of, of rehabbing, quote unquote a loan. And, uh, those we sell to our customers by way of partials. So let's just say, Sam, for instance, you have a, I bought, I buy a 30, 30 year loan from, let's just say Bank of America. Bank of America, send me a loan that is not performing. I buy it at a discount. I fixed it a little bit, and then I flip it to Sam. So outta that 30 year loan, I sell Sam 10 years. At the end of the 11th, uh, month, the 11th year, the, the note comes back to me.   Al Curiel (00:05:38) - So why do I do that? Two things. I share the risk with my customer and, uh, the customer gets the truly passive income that he wants for a certain period of time while he tries it out. If he likes it, he'll continue on with it. If he doesn't, we part company friends and everything is cool. So that's our mantra, that's our model. Um, my avatar, our personal avatar is as I, I told you before, the, the start of the show, uh, is somebody in, at or near retirement age that has three concerns. His health not of living his income and, uh, establishing a legacy for his descendants and his descendants. So that, that was my, that was my issue. So I figured that this is something that most people in my age group would, would probably want to hear about. And that's what we created the mentorship program.   Sam Wilson (00:06:27) - Yeah, I mean, cuz I, I can only imagine, you know, I think you shared, I don't know if you said your, your age here on the show, or you told me that beforehand, but either way, you know, you know who your avatar is and you know what their concerns are mm-hmm.  and I would imagine mm-hmm. , the, the, the note space is something that, like you said, you can, you can make money with a pen, not with a hammer. And the person in your, your avatar. That's, that's   Al Curiel (00:06:52) - I'm 62, Sam, I'm full disclosure. I'm 62. I'm not afraid to say it.   Sam Wilson (00:06:55) - You're not afraid to say it. Great. I didn't, I didn't wanna I didn't wanna, you know, air your dirty laundry. No, I'm joking. It's not dirty laundry , uh, here on the show. But I think that's a really powerful thing cuz you, you've defined who your avatar is and what it is that they need. And I think so many people haven't, especially as we are raising capital as we are doing deals, don't necessarily know who our investor base is necessarily. They haven't figured out what their areas of concern are, and then they can't appropriately bring a product necessarily to market that that particular person may need. Tell me, I I guess from a more, more, um, just just the nuts and bolts of what you do, how, how do you scale the node investing business?   Al Curiel (00:07:37) - We have, um, I, I reali initially it was just a one minute operation, right Sam, and then with the editor of my brother, after we, we decided that our spark company, because we ran out of inventories and we found ourselves empty handed after 89, after 2000, he just couldn't stand it. So he says, we have no inventory. What, what now Einstein? And I said, I says, I got a family, I gotta, I got offend him. He says, okay, God bless you. Go. So I had to be a one man operation, and as I started investing in it, it was, it was just me. But as I started to get more properties and I started raising more money and I started getting more investors, then I had to seek the services of virtual, uh, assistance. So now for that, I have specific, I have, I have, I have several, um, assistant firms that, that help me with different tasks.   Al Curiel (00:08:29) - I have an acquisitions manager, I have a sales manager, I have a due diligence manager, and then I have a sales manager. Those sales, and these are people that are in the Philippines and do some of my calling. Um, I have people in India that do some of my systems and social media management. And then I have people in Jamaica that do the actual negotiations, and the sales manager is there so that I hold everyone accountable. We have meetings every Tuesday afternoon. We, uh, we find where we were last year, how many leads came in, where we're at right now, how we are in raising money and where we go next month. So we have to keep everything in a journal. And I write, I mean, I dunno if you can see, but I got back here. I got journals that go back about 35 years of everything that I do every single day of my existence. I journal every day. I meditate every day, and I draft a plan of action for how my day is gonna shape out and how it ended up looking at the end of the day. So that's keep, that keeps me focused and allows me that flexibility and the latitude to pivot if I make changes to my scaling business.   Sam Wilson (00:09:36) - Wow, that's really, really cool. I, I, I would the, the building the system with that many, uh, or building your systems around virtual assistance, I think that's one, you know, you hear a VAs handling, you know, certain repetitive tasks, data mining mm-hmm. , you know, whatever it is. But scaling it the way you have done it, it's, it sounds pretty powerful. I mean, what are, what are some of the, what are some of the tips or maybe challenges that you faced when scaling with VAs and how did you overcome those? Because I think   Al Curiel (00:10:08) - It was, it was, it was a, it was a trial and error, uh, uh, enterprise, um, uh, Sam because you, I initially started with one individual and I thought this person was going to be the be all and all. And, and it's trial and error, Sam, because sometimes they don't work out. Sometimes they do. And so what I try to do is I try to keep them motivated and have three of everything. If I have, if I have a, a solid, lemme just give it, for instance, without getting too deep in the weeds and, and bore you to death. But basically, let's just say for my due diligence, I have someone that is, uh, I got hired somebody that is really good. And then, uh, through this other website that I, that I go for Upwork or, uh, assistant.com or something like that. I get a mediocre one and then one that is, it is okay, but it's a workforce by works when he or she wants, which is not really effective.   Al Curiel (00:11:02) - So I have three of those so that I'm constantly hiring. So if the, if the bad one falls off, then I have another bank of, of of VAs that I can pick from that is going to replace the not so good one with a mediocre one. Well then if the mediocre one in the middle falls off, then I have a, a, uh, the really good one to, to replace them. And I just keep con I continue to mix an experiment with their motivation with, with what, what Dr. Their why. You gotta find out your why. And then I let 'em, and then I let 'em go with, uh, with, with what they do, always keeping them on task and always having meetings to, to hold them accountable. It was really difficult, but we had the system down really good so that I know who I can call on what task on any given day. And when you motivate 'em like that, when you keep 'em on a, on a, I don't wanna say short leash, but it is a short leash, then you know what the ex they manage your expectations and you manage theirs.   Sam Wilson (00:12:01) - Right? No, I think that's super powerful. And that's, uh, I like the, the the doing things in in in duplicate or duplicate there where if some something isn't working out, you're not dead in the water because you've put all your eggs in one basket and, and they move, you know,   Al Curiel (00:12:17) - It, it, it, it is huge when you, you know, when you realize, I mean, and I'm paying these, these folks, uh, you know, nominal amounts by, by by us compare standards. But still, nevertheless, I need the activity. I need to continue to be out there. I I don't want to be a process junkie, right? I, I do what I do best, which is raising capital, talking to customers, shaking hands and kissing babies sort of thing. Um, the, the, the, the other stuff, the day-to-day grind, I lead to someone that is going to be managed by a supervisor that is going to give me results at the end of the day, at the end of the week, at the end of the month. And we compare those in a gigantic spreadsheet as to what our production goals are for that specific quarter. And we match those. And if we need to tweak it, we tweak it.   Sam Wilson (00:13:03) - That's really, really powerful. I love, I love the thought process behind that. And also just the idea that it's trial and error. I think. So oftentimes thank you. We get right the first time where it's like, okay, we're gonna do this and this is the way we're gonna do it. Whereas it's, it's probably more of an iterative process than we want, uh, want to admit. Let's, it   Al Curiel (00:13:20) - Usually is   Sam Wilson (00:13:20) - . Let's talk a little bit about deal flow. I mean, how, how do you, uh, when it comes to the scaling side of things, how do you get meaningful deal flow in the note space? Like, who sells 'em, who buys 'em? How do you get in front of sellers? It seems like an obscure market.   Al Curiel (00:13:37) - Yeah, it is a rather obscure market. Not many people know about it. It's a specialized niche that again, was, was found through trial and error and, and just investigating. And I'm one stubborn son of a gun. I, you know, the more you tell me you can't do something, then the more I'm gonna try and, and, and prove you wrong. So that's, that's part of my stuff. That's my makeup, that's my father's teachings. And, and, and us and, and what have you. He was an entrepreneur himself, so I don't give up easily. And so I decided to look as to, into what was the problem, getting inventory of houses to rehab in 2008 and through again, research and research. And I found out that banks and hedge funds have a specific asset managers that are tasked with getting rid of, of pro inventory, of notes that they don't want, that are not working, that are not performing, or that are performing.   Al Curiel (00:14:32) - And the bank and the hedge fund needs capital to redeploy to be able to lend for cars, uh, personal items, appliances, whatever, what have you. So I decided, let's just say for instance, one day I decided to call the Bank of America, of the world the asset manager or the Wells Fargo, uh, person of the world or at digital capital hedge fund on any given day. And say, Mr. Asset Manager, this is Al Curiel from the name of my firm, blah, blah, blah. Do you have any, uh, assets that you wish to get rid of this quarter? And initially, Sam, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna sugar code. It, it was, it was a lot of rejection. They didn't know me from Adam, but I stayed consistent. I decided when it was a good time to call, I ne I decided, hmm, let, let's be smart here about this curio, I don't call on Monday.   Al Curiel (00:15:17) - I didn't call on Tuesday, I didn't call on Wednesday. I started to call them when the week was kind of dying down Thursday and Friday at two o'clock, they're more likely to pick up the phone. So I started establishing more dialogue. So after a, you established report, more dialogue, then one day, one day, Sam boom, I got an inventory of 20 non-performing loans. And lucky for me, I was able, I had capital that I had raced before that I was able to buy in bulk. So now I have a set of 20, 20 a list, or what they call a tape, I don't know what they call it, a tape. It's a spreadsheet of 20 loans. And they said, all right, pick whatever you want here and uh, if you want to buy 'em all, we'll give you a greater discount then buying on a per piece basis.   Al Curiel (00:16:03) - I, we'll sell you the case and you can sell 'em off by the bottom. I said, okay. So I, I had enough, I had enough of a discount built into it because we're still talking 2008 when you can get a hundred thousand dollars loan for $13,000. I was able to do that. I bought all 20 of 'em. I established a rapport with that company. All I need is five. All I need is five for the number of investors that I have. So I established rapport with another one and another one and another one. And that's how the scaling came about. I'm, I'm, I'm giving you the Reader's Digest version of it. It's this lot more that goes into it, Sam, but for our purposes, that's basically how it happened.   Sam Wilson (00:16:41) - That's, that's really, really fascinating cuz that, that was gonna be one of my questions was when you're dealing with Wells Fargo, bank of America, I mean they, I can't imagine that they'd wanna sell one at a time loans off. That's, that just seems just not, it's not the way they're gonna do business.   Al Curiel (00:16:58) - Correct. They don't, um, and they give you, when, when those asset managers, those asset managers are people like you and me, they get up in the morning, they have families they have to feed, and they have quotas to get rid of loans that they need to get rid of. And if they don't, there's hell to be paid, right? So, uh, it, it behooves them to work with as many investors and to show how these investor, how serious these fit investors are. So if they offer me a bulk of a, a a lot of twin 25, whatever, maybe commercial loans, I have to have enough backing meaning capital so that I can build my credibility, continue to keep that credibility so that, uh, the inventory keeps coming. So that's why on the, you have to anticipate, you have to plan how much money you're gonna raise before you approach these people.   Al Curiel (00:17:46) - And, and I'm just using the example of, of Bank of America, regional banks are very good for that. Regional banks sell assets that, that sweet, that sweet spot for us is anything between 25 and $120,000. Hmm. Right. That's our sweet spot. That, and you find those mostly in the Rust Bell states. Right? All right. It's hard for investors in New York and in California to re to get their minds wrapped around the low ban assets in those states. And I'm talking about Michigan, I'm talking about Indiana, I'm talking about Ohio, maybe some Georgia, maybe some South Carolina, and definitely some Texas. And so I can get an answer again, to give an example, to be very simple about it, a hundred thousand dollars loan that I can now I can, I can pick up for about maybe 40 cents on the dollar.   Sam Wilson (00:18:37) - Wow.   Al Curiel (00:18:38) - So, you know, when I, when I have these people in, in San Francisco, the investors in San Francisco were in mailbox is $150,000 . Right? I mean, they, you can see how there's like, oh, okay, well then I don't have to, I don't have to deal with toilets trash or non paying tenants. Right? I can be the owner, I can take the place of the bank, be the bank, right, and not worry about servicing anything. And I get the monthly income. All I get, all I get is a servicing company that is going to allocate your escrows your taxes and your insurance. And then the difference goes in Pocket National Bank every month.   Sam Wilson (00:19:17) - How th this is really fascinating. And I, and I love, uh, I love personally the, uh, non-performing note strategy. I think that's, that's, it's a great one. It's, it's where there's opportunity, I think still. And I'm, I'm invested as a passive investor, uh, in some other non-performing note funds. Even one I think's spaced outta your hometown there in Chicago. Um, okay. But, but the, how, I guess, how has that pricing changed? I know you mentioned before and you said maybe in 2008, like 10 to 20% maybe was the range that you were buying those on, and now you're saying it's, you can still pick up NPNs in the 40%.   Al Curiel (00:19:54) - 40%. Yeah. And the reason for that is because now, now that it's, now that the catch outta the back, so to speak, it's a sexy thing to invest in. Now most people are now finding out about non-performing notes, right? As you get more demand, the pr obviously the price goes up, right? So that's, uh, that's what happened. But with volume, with volume now you continue to have the discount. So I'm beginning to see those, it, it used to be 65 to 75% for non-performing known. Now they're, they're coming down to like 55, 45, 40, 40, 40 cents on a dollar. That's how I'm able to get 'em. Um, but initially in 2008 they were, because they were virtually unknown by anybody, right? Um, that this discounts were greater. But now with, with time or more invest investors being involved, more mentorship programs out there, more gurus teaching this kind of thing, it's become more of a, of a, of a, of a sexy thing to invest in.   Al Curiel (00:20:50) - And not as readily available as, as it was. But still, you can make very, very healthy, very healthy returns. And the, if I may share with the, with the group, what, what with your group, what, what some of those Strat rehabbing strategies are. Yeah. One is to modify the loan. Yep. Um, if, if you can modify the loan and, and if the person loses his job, person stops paying his mortgage for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is divorce, loss of a job, loss of some kind of loss of income, right? But they, they, they love the house. They, you know, they, you see flowers are on the flower bed and mama don't wanna move, right? She just wants to do whatever they want, whatever they need to do to make it. That's, that's number one thing. So you modify the loan, even though they get a job at a lesser paying thing, you can reduce the mortgage, you can reduce the interest rate, you can modify it, period.   Al Curiel (00:21:40) - The other thing is, if, if they, if they modify the loan and they are still not able to, um, to pay it, then I like to be really tough on the problem and soft on the people, Sam. So I say, why don't we part friends? You know, you've clearly you've been, we've tried this modification of the loan, you can't pay it. Um, I'll tell you what I'll do. I will not report those, those four or five months that you're behind to the credit bureau. I will back up the U-Haul. You put all your stuff in there, you leave the house just as clean as when Bank of America or Wells Fargo sold it to you when you got your loan. And upon inspection, if everything is, is copacetic, I'll drop you a check for a thousand dollars. You gimme the keys, you gimme the deed, and we're we're good. Right? That's,   Sam Wilson (00:22:26) - They avoid a foreclosure on the record that way.   Al Curiel (00:22:29) - It's a deed and lie. Exactly right. Cash for key de and lie. That's what they foreclosure. And there's no deficiencies that I de demand. So we all, we we leave in good. He's, he has a chance to start life, I knew. And the third thing, which is more, the more drastic, uh, uh, measure is, is foreclosure. Um, and that, for that, and that is the reason why I do not buy in judicial states. Judicial states like Illinois. I do not buy in my own backyard because in Illinois, foreclosing on somebody is gonna take me about 298 days. I can't afford that. Cuz I deal with the velocity of money with my investors. They can't sit there waiting for their money to be, to be, to be returned. Right? So I go to non-judicial states like again, Texas, um, uh, Michigan, Indiana, even though it's, it's traditional non-judicial, there's special ways that you can do to, to speed up the process. Georgia and one of the car Carolinas, that's where we focus our investments in. And, uh, so that's, that's how we are able to, to scale how you were to rehab the loans. And, um, if somebody's not paying, I'm taking it all the way to foreclosure, I can wait no more than 120 days.   Sam Wilson (00:23:37) - That's fantastic. Al I'm I, I got about 25 more questions for you. We're at the end of the show. This has been absolutely fascinating. I love your strategy. I love the way you do it. You've shared with us systems, you've shared with us the value of non-performing notes. You've shared with us the ability, a a and kind of the mindset behind finding who your investor avatar is and how you solve their problems. If our listeners wanna get in touch with you or learn more about you, or maybe even the notes that you guys are working on right now, what is the best way to do that?   Al Curiel (00:24:05) - You can contact, uh, our website. You take a look at our website, it's Associates and real estate holdings.com. I know it's a long one, but it's Associates and Real estate holdings.com. Or you can, uh, uh, get a, on our, our list, it's info at associates and real estate holdings.com, we're gonna have our, our our first, uh, three day, uh, event coming up at the end of of May. So if anybody wants to get details, they can find 'em at info.   Sam Wilson (00:24:32) - Fantastic. We'll make sure we include that all there in the show notes. Al thank you again for coming on the show today. I do appreciate it,   Al Curiel (00:24:38) - Sam. Take care.   Sam Wilson (00:24:40) - Hey, thanks for listening to the How to Scale Commercial Real Estate podcast. If you can, do me a favor and subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, whatever platform it is you use to listen. If you can do that for us, that would be a fantastic help to the show. It helps us both attract new listeners as well as rank higher on those directories. So appreciate you listening. Thanks so much and hope to catch you on the next episode.  

Break free from self-sabotaging survival patterns and transform your life• Discover the six keys to empowerment and take ownership of your life• Activate the healing power of your subconscious mind to accelerate change and growth and eliminate the root causes of chronic anxiety, depression, and other limiting mental and emotional challenges• Learn effective brain-rewiring methods and practical tools based on neuro-linguistic programming and clinical hypnotherapyWhen you're struggling with anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, just keeping your emotions in check seems like a full-time job. Yet, what may hold you back in life even more are your survival patterns. Have you ever wondered why you make yourself invisible, procrastinate, or please others to get their approval? Our subconscious employs survival patterns like these to protect us from rejection, failure, and hurt. However, living in subconscious “survival mode” has significant downsides: when we live “just to survive,” we become disconnected from our true selves and our innate ability to live an empowered life of purpose, fulfillment, and self-reliant confidence.In this step-by-step guide, Friedemann Schaub, M.D., Ph.D., explores how to break free from the six most common survival patterns—the victim, invisibility, the procrastinator, the chameleon, the helper, and the lover—by engaging the part of the mind that created them in the first place: the subconscious. Providing research-backed insights and brain- rewiring methods based on his 20 years' experience, Dr. Friedemann details how, through activating the healing power of the subconscious, you can throw off the shackles of these self-sabotaging patterns and “flip” them into the six keys to self-empowerment, allowing you to take self-reliant ownership of your life. Revealing how to work with the subconscious mind and become the leader of your life, the author details how to free yourself from living in survival mode, learn to love and accept yourself, and make authenticity and confidence your everyday way of being.Friedemann Schaub, M.D., Ph.D., is a physician, researcher, personal development coach, and the author of the award-winning book The Fear and Anxiety Solution. His research and advice have been featured in many publications, including Nature Medicine, Oprah Magazine, Huffington Post, Reader's Digest, Teen Vogue, and Shape. He is the host of the Empowerment Solutions podcast and lives between Seattle, Washington, and the South of France.

How could widowhood happen to both Debbie Weiss and her dad?  What are tips for dating midlife?  Better Call Daddy: The Safe Space For Controversy. Debbie got a masters degree in fine arts at 56!  She's is a lawyer turned writer, and has a special bond with her dad too!  Her essays have been published in The New York Times, Huffington Post, Woman's Day, Elle Decor, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. Her blog The Hungover Widow offers empathy to those who find themselves alone middle age. Debbie Weiss is a former attorney who earned her MFA in creative nonfiction from Saint Mary's College of California in 2020. A native of the Bay Area, she turned to writing after George, her husband and partner of more than three decades, died of cancer in April 2013, and she found herself single and living alone for the first time in her life. Weiss's essays have been published in The New York Times's “Modern Love” column, HuffPost, Woman's Day, Good Housekeeping, Elle Décor, and Reader's Digest, among other publications. She lives in Benicia, CA with her second life partner, Randal. Connect with Debbie: Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/debbieweissauthor/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debbie_weiss_author/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DWeissWriter Website: https://thehungoverwidow.com/ Purchase “Available As Is”: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1324017.Debbie_Weiss Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Available-As-Midlife-Widows-Search/dp/164742237X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JLADG9KGH13C&keywords=available+as+is+debbie+weiss&qid=1665773224&qu=eyJxc2MiOiIwLjkxIiwicXNhIjoiMC4zNiIsInFzcCI6IjAuNTEifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=available+as+is%2Caps%2C255&sr=8-1   Ronit Plank episode mentioned https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/finding-the-themes-in-your-story-featuring-debbie-weiss/id1612365112?i=1000604083470 Huffington Post article https://www.huffpost.com/entry/husband-32-years-widow-grief_n_641866eae4b0fef1524533ed   Connect with Reena bettercalldaddy.com linkedin.com/in/reenafriedmanwatts twitter.com/reenareena instagram.com/reenafriedmanwatts instagram.com/bettercalldaddypodcast   Ratings and reviews make our day!  Subscribe and let us know what you like and who we should have on! ratethispodcast.com/bettercalldaddy podchaser.com/bettercalldaddy  

Dr. Meg Mill is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, bestselling author, podcast host and speaker.  In her virtual Functional Medicine practice, she works with patients worldwide to heal the root cause of their health struggles through advanced diagnostic testing and personalized support.    She has been seen on Fox News Channel, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, in Reader's Digest, Health Magazine, and has appeared on many podcasts. In her podcast A Little Bit Healthier she discusses simple things you can add to your life every day to live a healthier, more fulfilled life. In this episode we dive deeper into a holistic approach to treating migraines at the root cause. Some highlights from this episode: What it means to take a holistic approach to migraines Common migraine triggers you may not be aware of Heavy metals and the role they play in migraines Rapid relief for migraines Gut health and migraines The role histamine plays in migraines Posture and your headaches You will find all Dr. Meg Mill's resources and ways to connect with her. Thank you Dr Meg!! 8 Step Guide to Say Goodbye to Headaches Naturally: www.HelpMyHeadaches.com Hormone Symptom Checklist:  Discover & Fix Your Hormonal Imbalances: www.HormoneFixer.com Head Strong: www.happinessbeyondheadaches.com and the webinar for it:www.headachefreedom.com Website: www.megmilll.com Podcast A Little Bit Healthier Instagram: www.instagram.com/drmegmill Facebook Group: A Little Bit Healthier   All podcast guest inquiries can be emailed to kellyrompelcoaching@gmail.com

Follow Stef on IG: https://www.instagram.com/_stefaniejoseph/Book a Gene Keys Reading with Stef: https://youdowoo.mykajabi.com/gene-keys-reading-stefanie-josephAllison's Links:Join Alchemy to get access to all of my courses + monthly hot seatsClick here for your FREE Human Design Cheat SheetApply For My MastermindConnect with me on Instagram HereWays To Work With MeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Would you love to get a sneak peek of what it's like to get coached by Annie Grace inside The PATH:365? Here's your chance to do just that and witness Annie offering her insight, experience, compassion, and research to guide a member through their journey to be alcohol-free. The question today is - “What do you do when the desire to drink is overwhelming?”. Listen and learn as Annie shares how to stop feeling overwhelmed by alcohol. Thank you so much for listening to this episode. If you're ready to see how This Naked Mind can help you on your personal health and wellness journey and wanna learn more. Go to ThisNakedMindpodcast.com to learn more. Again, that's ThisNakedMindpodcast.com. We have all of our free resources, programs,  social links and more available for you there. Plus, if you have your own Naked Life Story, you can submit it there as well. Until next week, stay curious.  

Many long-dead authors have had their works scrubbed by so-called "sensitivity readers," the latest of which is P.G. Wodehouse. Why? Writer Christian Schneider discusses the new scrutiny aimed at old books. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode #90. This week on the podcast, I am thrilled to be joined by Katherine Morgan Schafler. Katherine is a New York City-based psychotherapist, author, and speaker, formerly an on-site therapist at Google. Katherine earned her Bachelor's degree in psychology at UC Berkeley before obtaining two Master's from Columbia University, one focused on clinical assessment and the other on psychological counseling. Additionally, she completed post-graduate training and certification at the Association for Spirituality and Psychotherapy in New York City. She contributes as a mental health expert to a variety of popular publications like The Huffington Post, Forbes, ELLE, Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Reader's Digest, Bloomberg Businessweek, and In Style, etc. During the pandemic, she wrote her first book, THE PERFECTIONIST'S GUIDE TO LOSING CONTROL. In our conversation today, we talk about the different types of perfectionism, and how perfectionism isn't a bad thing. I never realized I was a perfectionist until reading Katherine's book. I had so many ‘aha' moments while reading her book and loved having the opportunity to talk about it with her on the podcast today.  Connect with Katherine: Website Connect with Lupe: Website Instagram

Here's what we're talking about today: NYC Chokehold Death-via AP NewsNorth Carolina Advances 12-Week Abortion Ban-­via CNNEd Sheeran Wins Court Case-via ABC NewsProud Boys Found Guilty-via CBS NewsTrump Crime Update Time-via NY TimesA full transcript (with links) is available at kimmoffat.com/hwh-transcriptsAs always, you can find me on Instagram/Twitter @kimmoffat and TikTok @kimmoffatishere

In today's episode, Ronny shares with Angela how she came to focus on mental health, plus-size travel, solo female travel, and Black American culture in her writing.   Follow Ronny's life and work here: https://thelifeofronny.com/ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/thelifeofronny/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thelifeofronny?lang=en TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelifeofronny   Mental Health and Hygiene: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/mental-health-and-hygiene-victories-tiktok-134050775.html 17 Mental Health Resources to Support BIPOC:  https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/mental-health-resources-bipoc-tips-resources-181429800.html Discussing Mental Health articles: https://thelifeofronny.com/freelance-2/ Black Lives Matter: https://www.thedoe.com/narratives/black-lives-matter-protests Amtrak: https://www.insider.com/why-train-travel-better-for-plus-size-people-than-flying New Orleans: https://www.neworleans.com/ Colombia: https://colombia.travel/en Fat Girl Traveling: https://fatgirlstraveling.com/  Thank you for listening!  Please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe to the Media in Minutes podcast here or anywhere you get your podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/media-in-minutes/id1555710662 

Join Drake and Marie in a discussion of connecting the reader to the character in writing fantasy, why it matters, how to do it and strategies for appealing to different readers.Give us feedback at releasingyourinnerdragon(at)gmail(dot)comDrake's Contact Details:Starving Writer Studio: https://www.starvingwriterstudio.com/Drake-U: https://class.drakeu.com/  - Use RYID25 for 25% off!Snurs: https://a.co/d/670MElYMarie's contact details:Books: https://mariemullany.com/workJust In Time Worlds: https://www.youtube.com/c/JustInTimeWorlds?sub_confirmation=1

These holy martyrs were husband and wife. During the persecutions of Diocletian, the governor Arian demanded that Timothy hand over his sacred books (these were rare at that time, and as a Reader he was entrusted with their care). Timothy refused, saying that he would no more do so than a father would hand over his own children to death. He was brutally tortured and, when he refused to yield, the governor summoned Timothy's wife Maura, thinking that she would urge her husband to bow to the idols, but instead she confessed herself to be a Christian too. She in turn was subjected to many tortures, and finally the couple were crucified facing one another, where they hung for nine days, encouraging one another in the Faith, before they met their blessed end. They had been married for less than a month when they received their crowns.

War Is a Racket is a speech and a 1935 short book by Smedley D. Butler, a retired United States Marine Corps Major General and two-time Medal of Honor recipient. Based on his career military experience, Butler discusses how business interests commercially benefit from warfare. He had been appointed commanding officer of the Gendarmerie during the 1915–1934 United States occupation of Haiti.After Butler retired from the US Marine Corps in October 1931, he made a nationwide tour in the early 1930s giving his speech "War Is a Racket". The speech was so well received that he wrote a longer version as a short book published in 1935. His work was condensed in Reader's Digest as a book supplement, which helped popularize his message. In an introduction to the Reader's Digest version, Lowell Thomas praised Butler's "moral as well as physical courage". Thomas had written Smedley Butler's oral autobiography.According to the HathiTrust online library, the book published in 1935 is in the public domain. A scanned copy of the original 1935 printing is available for download, in part or in whole, on the HathiTrust website, along with a detailed description of the copyrights.

Ora Nadrich is the founder and president of the Institute for Transformational Thinking and the author of Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity, named in the 100 Best Mindfulness Books of All Time by BookAuthority. She is a certified life coach and Mindfulness teacher, specializing in transformational thinking, self-discovery, and mentoring new coaches as they develop their careers.Ora's rare combination of insight, intuition, compassion, and charisma has made her one of the most effective and sought-after coaches in Los Angeles. Her work has been featured in Women's Health Magazine, Reader's Digest, Conscious Lifestyle Magazine, Fast Company, Success Magazine, Spirituality & Health, Elevated Existence, NBC News, LA Yoga Magazine, Yahoo! Health, and many more.Celebrated spiritual teacher and best-selling author Marianne Williamson counts Ora as a source of inspiration, noting, “Ora Nadrich is a treasure. Her voice bears the passion of her own experience; she's able to reach deep into our hearts because she's culled so much wisdom from her own. When she speaks, I listen; when she writes, I read it; when she gives advice, I heed it. Her sparkle and power are not to be missed.”From a very early age, Ora has been a seeker of knowledge, with a particular interest in discovering how our thoughts work. Her lifelong journey towards this inner awareness, along with her distinctive combination of intuition and compassion that allows her to open up avenues of trust and connection, eventually led to her becoming a life coach and developing her simple yet effective questioning method, designed to uncover both the pitfalls and potential our thoughts have in determining our destiny.Her unique method, which has guided her clients to unlock the strength and promise within, allowing them to deal with the fears and other obstacles that have held them back, has thus been successful in helping thousands of people realize their desires and reach their goals.Ora also facilitates highly popular monthly women's groups and mindful meditation seminars, as well as developed and facilitated a Mindfulness program for club leaders at one of the top private schools in Los Angeles.Through the IFTT, Ora plans to get her Mindfulness program into as many schools as possible, which can address and ameliorate the stress and anxiety so many young adults are experiencing today.he currently holds certifications as a Life Coach, a Mindful Meditation teacher through the Open Mind Training Institute, as well as a Wedding Officiant, bringing her brand of practical, mindful awareness counseling to couples embarking on this major life step.Please enjoy my conversation with Ora Nadrich.

We're back with relationships and confessions including a conspiracy theory about two actors, stolen tires, and jokes that could have come right out of a copy of a 1950's Reader's Digest.Follow us on InstagramEmail us at hello@twobitchesandthevoiceofreason.com

Our guest this time is Vanessa Womack who now lives in Richmond, VA. Vanessa grew up in Virginia, but moved to New York to attend college. After college she worked in the publishing world at McGraw Hill for five years. Wait until you hear what she sold for them, something that is today a relic, but I am not giving it away.   Vanessa clearly had a bit of the wanderlust bug as she eventually moved to California for jobs, then moved back to New York for a brief time and eventually settled down in Richmond.   In her life she has created and published several courses on DEI and Leadership. Also, she has written several books. She has worked for a number of nonprofit organizations and clearly has a passion for breaking through culture and inclusion barriers to help people realize much about themselves as well as others.     About the Guest:   Vanessa Womack is a facilitator in leadership, governance, DEI, soft skills, and team dynamics. As an experienced course designer, she developed the successful LinkedIn Learning course “Managing A Diverse Team” which launched in 2018 and has accumulated over 100,000 global learners. In addition to the course, Vanessa publishes a monthly newsletter entitled Pass It On, about diversity, leadership, and education on LinkedIn. She wrote the audio course on Listenable, “Practicing DEI Can Improve Organizational Culture”, launched in 2020. She completed a certificate for training from the University of South Florida – MUMA School of Business for DEI in the Workplace.   She has recently taken a contract position of DEI Coordinator for the Alliance for Building Better Medicine, which is part of the Cluster Accelerator for Advanced Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturing (APRM) and Activation Capital. The APRM was launched to fast-track the development of a globally competitive essential medicines manufacturing hub across Central Virginia. The DEI Coordinator will be responsible for driving region-wide DEI strategy to support an inclusive culture for life sciences as part of the DEI plan component of the Build Back Better Regional Competition grant award from the US Economic Development Administration (EDA).   Other experiences include being BoardSource Certified Governance Consultant; Lead Faculty-Area Chair in the School of Business at the University of Phoenix former local campus in Richmond, VA; coaching and facilitating career transitioning clients for future jobs and entrepreneurship; public speaker and radio show host, On Track with Vanessa Womack. Earlier in her career, after being an actual marrow donor, she became the local spokesperson in Virginia for the National Marrow Donor Program (now Be the Match) recruiting and promoting the marrow registry in Black communities. She has facilitated community dialogue through Initiatives of Change/Hope in the Cities' presentation, Unpacking 2010 Census: The Realities of Race, Class, and Jurisdiction.   Vanessa earned her undergraduate degree from Baruch College (CUNY) and MBA from Averett University, (Danville, VA). She is a member of Leadership Metro Richmond (LQ 2006) in Richmond, Virginia.   Vanessa has published two multicultural STEM children's books, ‘Bookie and Lil Ray: In the Game' (2021) and ‘Emerald Jones: The Fashion Designer Diva' (2020). She is the author of the novel, ‘Paint the Sky Purple' (2010) and co-author, ‘The Female CEO: Pearls, Power & Passion' (2014).           About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.   Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards.   https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/   accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/       Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below!   Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app.   Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts.     Transcription Notes Michael Hingson  00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.     Michael Hingson  01:21 Welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset mindset. If I could talk I'd be in wonderful shape. Please forgive me. Today, we get to meet Vanessa Womack, who is a facilitator and leadership, governance, diversity, equity and encourage inclusion and a lot of other kinds of things. And I don't want to give it all away because she's going to be able to tell her story much better than I do. Isn't that usually the way of it? Vanessa, thanks very much for being here. And welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Vanessa Womack  01:50 Well, thanks, Michael, for this opportunity to be here. And now we tried this once but, you know, technical glitches happen. So we're doing it again. Good to see you.   Michael Hingson  02:01 Well, it's good to see you. And yeah, technology happens. And so we do what we do, but glad we're here. So, lots to get to of course, but I'd like to start as usual. Tell me a little bit about you growing up and kind of where you came from, and all that kind of stuff.   Vanessa Womack  02:17 And okay, well, let's see now. I grew up the in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a small city called Danville, Virginia. Where I grew up in a household I was, well, if you look at the, I guess the placement, I am the middle girl or middles girl of three, and I have a brother so and household with mom and dad, pretty typical, and not poor neighborhood. But we had such great values, Christian values, and we were very active in the community, finish high school there. And then started my first year at an HBCU, Tennessee State University. But I became what can I say? Not bored but adventurous and moved to New York City to finish my education at CUNY City University in New York Baruch College, and began my career mostly at corporate New York. My first job in New York was at McGraw Hill publishing company. And after that, I had many other jobs. Say, if you want to ask me about those pretty adventuresome.   Michael Hingson  03:54 Yeah, you've been involved in a lot of different things. Needless to say, well, so you said you started with McGraw Hill. What did you do there?   Vanessa Womack  04:02 I was in the classified not to give my age away. But yes, I am a. We've talked   Michael Hingson  04:09 about this before he asked   Vanessa Womack  04:10 me did I am a boomer. But I started in classified advertising in the early mid 70s, mid 70s, where I did the clippings for some of the magazines like chemical engineering business week. And I did that for a couple of years and then promoted to public affairs where I actually was the editor of the McGraw Hill directory, the worldwide directory, putting that together and even had opportunities to conduct tours in Rockefeller Center. When I was in public affairs, I would do tours for groups that would come in To visit McGraw Hill and the surrounding buildings, take them through the tunnels at Radio City Music Hall. Oh, yes. And one of the groups I remember either educators or students or even some on foreign visitors. There was even a group I hate to say that now I'm not going to hate to say it, but from Russia. So it was exciting to do that. And after that, I was at Saks Fifth Avenue. I even worked at the NFL and water publisher services.   Michael Hingson  05:43 So where you were in New York, did you ever eat at Hurley saloon?   Vanessa Womack  05:50 Yes, I think we talked about that. Yeah, yes. I think I had a drink there.   Michael Hingson  05:57 I'll never, I'll never forget one of the stories that I heard about Hurley's. They leased the Hurley brothers leased the building in the 1890s. And they had 100 year lease. And then when Rockefeller Center was being built, they wanted to buy out Hurley's and her least didn't want to sell. And that's why there's this little four story building on one corner of all of that, but all of the reporters like the NBC reporters who worked in, dealt through Rockefeller Center and BC, would go down there and somehow they connected a phone line and a phone from the newsrooms to a phone behind the bar at Hurley's and so they could be down at the bar and then come A call came in then somebody would get the reporters or whatever, and they get the calls and go to what they needed to do. But they could spend their time in hurleys. Ah, people are creative.   Vanessa Womack  06:56 Yes, yes, we are.   Michael Hingson  06:59 Well, and we talked, and we talked about, of course, talking about classifies I mentioned Conde Nast. And you know, again, another one where it was all about classifieds. And you know, whether it's called classifieds or something else. The fact is that people are still selling advertising today.   Vanessa Womack  07:16 Oh, yes. That's why I say I'm pretty old school, I remember. And there were, and there's old fashioned fax machines, where we were communicate between the McGraw Hill offices, for instance, between New York and Philadelphia. So but, you know, we've come a long way in technology.   Michael Hingson  07:39 Yeah. Now we also have this thing about audiobooks, which course I'm very precious about unlike and I'm glad that most of the major publishers are doing a lot more with that. And it's all electronic. So it's a lot easier to create, and not store so much stuff, because it's now all audio oriented, or even print books are oftentimes electronically oriented as well as print, but I think that there's rightly so a group of people and it's still a very large group that likes to hold a book of their hand and reprint and there's a lot of value to that no matter what someone says a Kindle isn't quite the same as a book.   Vanessa Womack  08:16 That's, that's true, but it's fortunate that we have those options.   Michael Hingson  08:23 Yeah, well and being blind, a Braille device that can have on nonpermanent or refreshable Braille display and you can put a book file on it is still not the same as reading it with paper. But either way, reading is reading and it's still a wonderful thing that we all get to be able to do.   Vanessa Womack  08:42 And I've enjoyed reading ever since I was a young child in elementary school. In fact, one of my I guess, what do you call it nicknames? Was said a bookworm?   Michael Hingson  09:00 That's pretty cool.   Vanessa Womack  09:01 Yes, because I always said I liked. I enjoyed getting lost in the in the novels in the book service read. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  09:10 Yeah. And I still do today. And what did you want to be when you were growing up?   Vanessa Womack  09:16 Well, I wanted to be a court stenographer. Because of the business classes I had in high school. I wanted to be a court stenographer, but at one point, I also want to be an FBI agent. However, I was told either by the teachers that I was not the right color or was also a little girl or female, that I couldn't. I would not be accepted in something like an FBI. So my mother encouraged me to go into business. And I took shorthand all the required business courses in high school and I took shorthand. And I thought, wow, court stenographer would be cool. But then my mom said, No, you need to go to college. So I did continue to take shorthand or practice it for a little while. And I thought was pretty cool. But I went to Tennessee State University for my freshman year and started my, I guess, my curriculum into business management or a bachelor's in Business Administration.   Michael Hingson  10:40 Who influenced you most? Do you think while you're growing up and so on, would it be your mom? Or is there another person who stood out even more?   Vanessa Womack  10:48 I think my mom course might my dad too. But my mom was, she was pretty straightforward. very conscientious about her children being better or being better. And succeeding in life. So she encouraged all of us. And I was very much influenced by her to continue my education. I mean, I was I was smart. But I mean, I didn't know some things came better to me, like writing, which I enjoyed doing. And I enjoyed writing. And I still do I wish I had embarked on writing stories at earlier in life, so. But yes, my mother was a great influencer. And we are also I'm also from a family of faith. So I always have to give, give my God all the glory, and they can for bringing us all so far.   Michael Hingson  12:00 Yep, that's, of course, extremely important to do and makes makes not only a lot of sense, but the reality is God is with us and in us and all around us. And more of us ought to recognize that. But you know, what, what can you do? That's an individual choice.   Vanessa Womack  12:19 Yes. And it's very sustaining. And it gives me and so many who are faithful hope, especially in these such troubling times.   Michael Hingson  12:30 Yeah. And a lot of ways my wife passed away in November. And   Vanessa Womack  12:37 I'm so sorry to hear that, because I remember she was there before going. Yeah, we tried this. Yes. Sorry to hear for sorry, for your loss. Well, her body   Michael Hingson  12:47 was just not keeping up as to 2020 22 went along. And as I tell people, the body doesn't always keep up with the Spirit. But the other side of it is she's still around here. And, and I know if I misbehave, I'm going to hear about it. Yeah, you got to keep on the straight and narrow somehow, which is fine.   Vanessa Womack  13:09 And it's important to keep those who have left this are the ones we've loved, near and dear to us, because they are and will always be a part of us.   Michael Hingson  13:19 Well, I'm, as I tell people, you don't move on from 40 years of marriage, but you move forward. And I think the difference is if you talk about moving on, and you're going to leave it behind and forget it. And that is something that I will not allow myself to ever do and shouldn't   Vanessa Womack  13:34 be very good at. I agree.   Michael Hingson  13:37 So what was growing up like in the South for you in terms of how did that affect or have any influence on what you've done and what you do with your life? Was the south an influence for you?   Vanessa Womack  13:51 Well, I had no choice to grow up where I was.   Michael Hingson  13:54 Yet South Korea course.   Vanessa Womack  13:57 I and it was a good childhood. It was full of fun. sene interesting things like being outside now is I don't know if children get out and play like we did growing up. It was so free willing and and we could explore neighborhoods, we could go into the woods and pick blackberries. Bring them home and mom would make blackberry cobbler and we went to an elementary middle and high schools that were very, you know, they welcome in that especially in elementary was segregated and a segregated school but the teachers and the administration were so nurturing and then in middle school, or what we call back then Junior High in your head. Yes.   Michael Hingson  14:55 I always remember that. Oh, school. None at all. All   Vanessa Womack  15:00 Oh, yes, I still have a young mine and but back then it was at the beginning of the integration. And I walked to school. I mean, we had maybe one school bus. It wasn't consistent on throughout the school year, but I walked to school, like all my other classmates from my segregated neighborhood. And, you know, I was a good student. There were some challenges. I remember when Martin Luther King died in a white classmate had some very awful things to say. And that resonated with me. I was like, This is not right. And, but this is how it is. And that was the awful thing about is like, you know, that's just, that was just a word we grew up in. And high school, I excel and became very active with some of the student groups. Even with the marching band, I was didn't play an instrument, I was one of the I guess you call a major nature it Yeah, majorettes. But I was very active. And my friends were black and white and Asian. So you, one becomes, you live in that world, and you say this, this is, this is who I am in this world. But how can I be effective? How can I make change and make a change meant to make friends and understand them and have them understand me, but it's it was, it was a good time. Yet, it was transformative for me in such a way that it prepares me little prepares us for what we have to deal with what was still dealing with, when it comes to, I guess, diversity and being inclusive and accepting one another. When someone asked, I think you would ask me, What makes me qualified to be a Dei, a consultant is that I live the life. It's the Skin I Live In. It's, it's the world in which we live in and having a voice to affect change. It's so critical.   Michael Hingson  17:46 Well, it is and I love so many things about what you just been saying. I am always amazed at my own experiences, and they really coincide with yours. Somebody made some comment when we were much younger, and it stuck with us and sticks with us or somebody observed something where we were taught something, and how, especially as younger people, when we're searching, and we hear something that really sticks with us. We we don't forget it. And it's unfortunate that somebody said something extremely negative about Martin Luther King, but at the same time, I think history has demonstrated the kind of person he was and the character that he had. But it is it is very true that history is history is. And I think it's so important. We don't forget that. You know, I collect old radio shows as a hobby. And I'm fascinated by the people who want to, for example, Ban Amos and Andy from radio collections. And they want to ban one thing or another and they say well, that's not who we are. It is what we were. And there are other parts about it. Like I wrote one of the authorities on Amos and Andy once a email. Because when I was growing up, I actually first listened to a miss an ad on television. I had absolutely no idea that they were black. And one day Amis nanny was no longer around on TV. And it was years later that I found out that they were taken off here because people didn't like the depiction of black people that Amos and Andy represented and while I appreciated that and and understand it, it is still what we were at the time. But then when I learned about that, and I went back and listen to old radio shows, mostly I didn't hear overt references to being black. Oh yes, there were the accents and so on. But I never heard the really overt references. So I emailed this authority, and I said, so I don't hear a lot of references to Amos and Andy on the radio being black. And she wrote back and she said, Well, when the show first started, and they came to New York, and one of the first questions, they asked us where to the dark people live. And she said, there were some references. But by 1937, references to color had completely gone away. And the reality is, it was a show that everyone listened to and love because of the quality of the humor, it had nothing to do, really with race, unless you allowed it to be. And so we really need to keep our history, because it teaches us so much.   Vanessa Womack  20:43 And I couldn't agree with you more, because it is knowing that history, which is critical for us now, if you don't know history, you're doomed to repeat it. But I listened to Amos. I listen to this show on the radio when I was little. And it just it fascinated me to know that there were people, people of color negros, who were actually acting, and I thought that was very significant as a young, very young child to hear that. And then to see, as I was growing up in the 60s, we had black and white television, but to see some of those shows like Julia and some black actors who were on some of the sitcoms and also like, Maddix, gosh, to see actors get involved, it was very important. And then to know how far we've come now, because we, as a black and brown people, we want to we've advanced so much, and we want to we're so capable, we have done so much. And we have been influenced and we've been encouraged to do even more now, which is exciting.   Michael Hingson  22:18 One of my favorite TV shows growing up was room 222. Do you remember that? Well, yes, I do. Yeah, that's never any reference to race on that show. And it was a show again, that that provided good entertainment. If you chose to focus on skin color, then you did, but the reality is that wasn't really any thing that was referenced in the in the show at all.   Vanessa Womack  22:50 Yeah, the focus is on you. Yes, your students then yeah. And relating to each other, helping each other that was that was the that should always should be the focus. And so anyway, it's it's disheartening now to read about books being banned, or talking about wokeness, which is just, you know, I don't want to say silly, but it is ridiculous, athletic. If you take a word like that, and you just make it sound so horrible. If you're not woke, then you must be asleep. You need to know what's going on in the world, you need to be aware and that's really what it's all about being aware of how our society has disenfranchise so many people to the point where they can lead the racism and discrimination continues. And we should be well beyond that as a society as a as a country and not to go backwards but to go forward to and to embrace and each other is who we are. Anyway, I've try not to get on my soapbox, no,   Michael Hingson  24:12 it's okay. And we should I one of my favorite books, and I think we've talked about it before is To Kill a Mockingbird or corpse which really is as dramatic a demonstration of how people were treated simply because of skin color, and the explorations of scout and learning about it. And, and of course, her father, then the movie, Gregory Peck, who did such a powerful job of dealing with that. how anyone could consider banning that book it. It makes me think that most of the people who want to do that are listening to someone and have never read the book and certainly have never processed it.   Vanessa Womack  24:55 Yes, I think those those folks who are a I think are living in fear of just afraid and afraid to knowing the truth.   Michael Hingson  25:09 Yeah, and that fear manifests itself in so many ways. And it is true that there's a lot of fear. And there are so many people who still get away with things. And hopefully one of these days we can see reality kick in, and that the whole issue be addressed. And it isn't just race. The one of the things about unstoppable mindset as a podcast as the tagline says, We're inclusion, diversity in the unexpected meet. I worded that way because diversity has decided not to include disabilities in any way. Whereas inclusion, either you are going to truly be inclusive, or you're not inclusive, and you can't be inclusive. If you don't include disabilities. Well, we're partially inclusive, we don't, we don't pray, we're not prejudices against race. But disabilities, you can't leave out if you're going to be inclusive. And so it's it is a different animal. And it's why I emphasize inclusion first. And the other part about it is societally speaking, technically speaking, and realistically speaking, everyone has a disability. And we've talked about at some on unstoppable mindset, one of the disabilities for most people is your light dependent, you don't do well, if there isn't a light on, and Thomas Edison and creating the light switch has invented a way for you to cover up the disability. But make no mistake, it's there. And in reality, we we all have challenges. I was at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel around the time of the Oscars, and I checked in and my niece nephew and I were there and we dropped our luggage off in room and then we went downstairs, all of a sudden, people started screaming, and I said what's going on? Turns out we had a power failure not only in the hotel, but in the blocks around it. And, of course, some of us said it was all Jimmy Kimmel's fault, because he's the host of the Oscars. This was the day before the Oscars. But but the reality is people didn't know what to do with lighthouse. And just so many people had such a challenge didn't bother me a bit. We all have challenges. And we should recognize that just because some challenges and some people's challenges are different than ours doesn't make them less than us.   Vanessa Womack  27:29 And I agree, and sometimes by instance said, we become so accustomed to things that or the way we live, or we just don't understand how not having a disability or light or being able to maneuver out of a walk without the assistance of crutches or a wheelchair, we, we need to understand that. This is not something that people can not live with. We have to and we have to embrace those who may not be able to do the same things you are or I could do. And that needs to be in that word inclusive that needs to be recognized with organizations who say that yes, we are inclusive. But then you may ask, do you have? Do you provide accessibility on your website? Do you provide accessibility in your stairways in your office environments? And it doesn't always, of course, have to be a physical disability. It could be autism, it could be some other neurodiversity. Yeah, yes. And you don't visibly see that. So some people will just make assumptions that Oh, you're okay. There's nothing wrong with you.   Michael Hingson  29:18 And and then of course, we have the most significantly group of our significant group of people with disabilities at all, and that's politicians, but their disability is self imposed. Oh, they're fun to pick on though.   Vanessa Womack  29:33 Yeah, yeah. Pick on them anytime you want. Yeah.   Michael Hingson  29:37 But I'm an equal opportunity abuser you notice on me? Yes,   Vanessa Womack  29:39 I am. And say that to my to my students on an equal opportunity picker   Michael Hingson  29:43 honor. Many of them were born into it, and they've been losing ground as ever since as Fred Allen, the old radio comedian used to say, but that's true of a lot of people these days, but you know what it is, what do you do? Have you had any real significant event So stand out in your life that have changed you or really have affected you.   Vanessa Womack  30:06 And I always said, besides be becoming a mother, that will do it. Definitely. There was an opportunity. And I had an opportunity I did, I was a bone marrow donor and saved the life of a little girl spin over 30 years ago. And Katrina's her name, or was her name. She had been diagnosed with leukemia. And the National Marrow Donor Program at the time it was called now it's called Be The Match. Yeah, had numerous campaigns, bone marrow recruitment campaigns in the Washington DC area, putting particularly focus on a teenager who a black teenager, little girl Well, young woman who needed a bone marrow transplant, and no one in her family matched and it became a national campaign to save Joanne. So many people came out from churches, community groups, businesses, to just give a tube of blood or to get into registry. And all of that happened during a time where I had just been married for I don't even know if I was married, we were married a couple of years, a few years, and trying to have half a baby. But I submitted that blood sample for just to go in the registry. And lo and behold, a month or two later, I was called to as a preliminary match for another child, somewhere in the United States, went through all the required follow up tests and became the match for Katrina. And that was in 1991. And during the time that I was being prepped for the bone marrow extraction. Katrina was at the at the time, I didn't know but she was on the other side of the country in Washington, Seattle, Washington, the prepped, removing all of her disease, bone marrow, and I was being prepped to have a my bone marrow are harvested. And during the time that I was they were doing tests in a hospital and I guess I have to give it away it was in Reader's Digest. So story and Reader's Digest. One of the blood tests for me came back that I was pregnant. very ill, and I was, and they said, you can't donate narrow because the test says you're positive for pregnancy. And I said, I am not pregnant. And they said, you have to decide. I mean, I I couldn't stop the process because Katrina was already at death's door. So anyway, I said, I am not changing my mind. I'm going to do this. And you can test me again tomorrow morning before the harvest starts. And they tested again, it was negative. So that whole experience of becoming a bone marrow donor and then having the fear Well, I wasn't fearful. I knew I wasn't pregnant. To go through with it. Regardless of that test result to say Katrina's life, and that's what happened, she survived almost 19 years after that donation and miracle of all miracles, she had a little girl which according to you know, medical statistics once you are you go through a bone marrow transplant you you you lose the ability for fertilization, having children, but she did she had a miracle baby that changed my life.   Michael Hingson  34:34 Why? Why is it that being pregnant is a problem? Do you know? Well,   Vanessa Womack  34:42 the actual harvest standing of the marrow at the time and this was the nut through a stem extract stem cells, but it was through the iliac crest crest the lower back. I think harvesting the bone marrow may have impacted the, the the fetus if there had been. So I don't know how but they said it would it would be dangerous and they would not or could not do it if I was pregnant, but I really knew I was not pregnant.   Michael Hingson  35:19 But I gather you're saying that today it's different. And well, today they are you doing stem cells? And so yeah, different. Yeah. So   Vanessa Womack  35:28 I think it'd be different today. The process is dance since that time, and actually was a poster child for the bone marrow procreate?   Michael Hingson  35:40 Well, and you had children since then?   Vanessa Womack  35:42 Yes, I did. There you go. Yes. And they are adult children. Wonderful, wonderful children, one of each.   Michael Hingson  35:51 And they are probably as Mark Twain would say, so surprised at how much you've learned as they grew up.   Vanessa Womack  35:58 Then they might say he probably didn't learn enough.   Michael Hingson  36:01 It's possible to   Vanessa Womack  36:03 Yes. Yeah. They're they're very. They're wonderful adult kids.   Michael Hingson  36:10 That is really great that you have been able to go through that experience. And obviously, it sticks with you. And it certainly takes courage to be a bone marrow, well, transfer person?   Vanessa Womack  36:25 Well, it did, it did. And that was something that happened well over 30 years ago. But I also had a new one, I want to say probably a more recent or relevant experience. And that relates to my current career as a LinkedIn learning instructor, when I did the course managing a diverse team. And to me, that was a professional career highlight.   Michael Hingson  36:58 Tell us about that, if you would, please.   Vanessa Womack  37:01 Sure the the course is managing a diverse team. And it is on the LinkedIn learning platform. It was recorded back in 2017, and released in 2018. Now it is in along with English in nine languages, which is kind of exciting to see so many global learners who respond that they've taken the course on the LinkedIn platform. And as you can imagine managing a diverse team, it talks about how, you know, team management and being inclusive in embracing the team members, given them opportunities to become voices, functional team members, and how to deal with the conflict, too. And how to deal deal with some precede disagreements that might be discriminatory or an ad, and are racists and how do you work with people who might have different opinions, but I think there are some lessons learned in the course that gives the learners the audience some good information and how to deal with certain situations on the team, how to embrace diversity, how to celebrate diversity, and how to deal with culture in, in the in the organization. So it's called Managing a diverse team. And it's been on the platform now for five, almost five years.   Michael Hingson  38:56 So what is your career today? And where do you work? Or do you focus mainly on the LinkedIn course or what?   39:03 Oh, no, that said, I, it's it's great that people did still take the course but professionally, I navigate in the space of leadership, DEIA, or on the leadership side, I do facilitation consulting for boards of directors in that space and roles and responsibilities, helping them understand what that is and how to work strategically with each other and in the governance. area, and then with the DEIA have been operating or doing consulting work in an exciting industry. that is growing and developing in this region of Virginia, Richmond Petersburg region, which is the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. And there are a cluster of businesses and educational institutions and biotech and biosciences organizations that are building that pharma industry here to make medicines more affordable, and to have that production in the United States, as opposed to outside the United States.   Michael Hingson  40:45 So you have your own company, or do you work for another company?   Vanessa Womack  40:49 Yeah, I have, I'm a small independent, I call myself a solopreneur.   Michael Hingson  40:56 There he goes.   Vanessa Womack  40:59 However, over the last two, three years, I've keep telling myself I need to hire someone, indeed, I do. Not to put a ton of spin on that, but   Michael Hingson  41:12 I get it. You do need   Vanessa Womack  41:18 to grow this solopreneur into more of a bonafide small business by hiring at least part time person to help grow the business. And that that is something I will be focusing on in the next several months to the next couple of years, just growing that part of the business to expand the services of whether it's the governance piece or the diversity piece, beyond the pharma manufacturing industry, in the pharma manufacturing industry, the cluster that's growing here in the Richmond Petersburg area, it is very important to in be inclusive in how we grow that industry to include communities of color, black and brown communities, communities that have been traditionally underrepresented in business growth and development. And that is going to be very important to provide that these in companies that are here, and those that come here, we hope to grow the region by bringing in more companies, that those companies would be diverse in their vendors and to create jobs that help these communities for employment, and to become more trained to build pathways into the jobs that would come at it the growth of the pharma manufacturing industry here.   Michael Hingson  43:10 How did you get involved in doing pharma kinds of things specifically?   Vanessa Womack  43:14 Well, let's be clear. I'm not in the menu. Right. Right. Right, however, but   Michael Hingson  43:21 how did you get involved with them as clients specifically? I'm just curious,   Vanessa Womack  43:25 I'll tell you, it was a heck I have to say it was a godson after I was separated from my full time job in 2021 thing, timing is everything. Yeah. It was time for me to start to look at growing my small gig, consulting solopreneur business. So I was putting out resumes responding to opportunities to bring in more income, and was approached or actually selected by this company called activation capital. And I am very grateful for them, because the President CEO of that organization, said, you know, interviewed me and follow up interview and offered me the consulting contract for the DEI a portion to grow that industry in this area. So it's basically a startup with the Alliance for building better medicine to make medicine more affordable and to make medicine here in the United States.   Michael Hingson  44:48 And you've been doing it ever since.   Vanessa Womack  44:51 Yes, it's been about a little over a year about a year that I've been doing the consulting work that I do have I've had other clients, particularly in the governance world, where I have the utmost for year have done some board a we called huddles, meet with the group in Kentucky. So it's nice to have out of state clients. And that was that worked out really well and hope to continue to grow in that aspect too.   Michael Hingson  45:31 Are you going to overtime update the LinkedIn course? Or do you think it won't need it? Or is it pretty evergreen the way it is?   Vanessa Womack  45:39 It's pretty Evergreen. And I say that because LinkedIn, they they own the course. And they can they recently updated it. And as I had mentioned, it's in different languages. So they have translated into so many languages, Spanish, German, Polish, Italian.   Michael Hingson  46:06 And you had to learn all those languages to run right guys. That is a really cool though, that that it's appeared in so many languages. Well, you know, I know that you also are an author. Tell me about that.   Vanessa Womack  46:21 Oh, my gosh, yes. And let's see my first book, my first novel, I should say, is a combination romance novel and a me what do you call it the growing up in your head? So one who is about a young woman who, who left Hall seven state to move to New York and really try to find her career? Sounds like everybody we've been talking. Yeah. So I'll I did use a lot of my imagination, which made the whole process of writing so exciting. Literary license, yes. And that first book is called a paint the sky purple paper, Sky purple. And I had a writing coach at the time. And she said, Vanessa, you're my first writing author client at the time, and I wrote the book and seven months, she said, I can't believe you did seven months. That was only because I had a little more time and I was excited. And every weekend I would keep writing, keep writing. Anyway. That was my first novel, and I'm still trying to write this second one. But I did publish two children's books on stem. The first one is Emerald Jones, the fashion designer diva, and Emerald downs ECERS. The children's books are for grades three, through five for ages eight to 12. To encourage students and teachers to really promote STEM science, technology, engineering, math and steam art in the classroom. The Emerald Jones is about a little girl who wanted to become a fashion designer, but she wants to quit school. However, she was very good in math. And she was encouraged by her principal and teachers not to think about quitting school, but to advance her math skills. And she did. The other one. The other one is bookie, and little array in the game. And bookie and little array are rivals in school. However they find that they have something in common. They both like designing games or wanted to be a computer game designers. So there's the technology, the engineer and the math skills that require that. So they bonded after some rivalry and became well at the end of the book. They become partners in a successful gaming business.   Michael Hingson  49:37 Cool. What's your next book project going to be then?   Vanessa Womack  49:42 Well, I have been toying around with it with a couple of different ideas. I have one that has been sitting in the computer for the last several years, about to two friends who have been friends since early high school, and they have a disagreement. But they come back together in their adult years and doing a very chaotic disaster, so to speak, where one is trapped in a building, and the other one's nearby to help her. And then they go on an adventure, not to give away most of the plot and they are there on an adventure to save not only family members, but save a company from really poisoning. It's its clients and it had to do with a medical procedure or a a invention that goes wrong. And anyway, well, that   Michael Hingson  51:04 well, you'll have to let us know when it comes out so that we can definitely put it up on unstoppable mindset. So what what's next for you? What, what are your plans going forward?   Vanessa Womack  51:15 Well, I I am working on it, as I said to grow, Vanessa Womack, consulting LLC, that is really what I need to do to as we say the business scale up. And there's another I guess I can call it a startup called broaden your board that would match boards, board of directors with people of color, or diverse to be more inclusive, to bring diverse candidates. That would be a good fit for their board to be, I guess, a match, bring the matches to them?   Michael Hingson  52:06 Well, I hope as you go forward, maybe in addition to color, and so on, you can think about disabilities and so on as being an option of of different Oh,   Vanessa Womack  52:16 absolutely. At boards. Absolutely. And when, when we're, when we want to be inclusive, all that would be part of the, you know, the opportunity to find candidates, that would be a good tip for these boards.   Michael Hingson  52:33 Well, that definitely is a cool thing. And it sounds exciting, and I'm anxious to hear more about it as it grows, as well as when that new book comes out, let us know. And we'll, we'll make it well, we'll have to have you back on Savile bind to talk about all that is as we go forward. But it is definitely exciting. And I'm really glad that we were able to, to spend the time and redo this. And I know you have to leave pretty soon. So we'll go ahead and thank you for being here. And for all the things that we had to say any kind of last words of wisdom you want to tell to people before we end this.   Vanessa Womack  53:14 Now, I want to thank you again for the opportunity to be on the broadcast. And for those who have been or those who will be it's a nice conversation to have to talk about the things that are, you know, life changing, or the important things in life to be in encouraging to, to have the opportunity to share different ideas. It is so important to have that connection. So thank you so much. I appreciate it. And when the book does come out, I'll let you know   Michael Hingson  53:53 you should that will be great. How do people reach out to you if they want to maybe engage your services or learn more about what you do?   Vanessa Womack  54:02 Now, there's my website, Vanessa womack.com. Very easy to remember. Can you spell please V A N E S S A W O M A C K.com They are so so the LinkedIn you can always reach out to me at LinkedIn. You can find me at the Vanessa Womack on LinkedIn or look for the course managing a diverse team. I'll also want to put up put a plug there that right now it's free. So if you want to take manage a diverse team, it's free for just a little bit longer. I can't say how much longer but you can go on and search for it and take it   Michael Hingson  54:53 well thank you very much for being here with us and for all the interesting things the fun things that we've had a chance to talk about and definitely you got to come back on again, when you've got books and other things all set to talk about, we would love to have you be back on here with us again, and I want to thank you for listening to us. You can reach out to Vanessa, we would love that. And you can certainly reach out to me, I want to know what you think about our podcast today. Please email me at Michaelhi M I C H A E L H I as accessibe  A C C E S S I B E.com. Or you can visit www dot Michael hingson.com. And click on podcasts and go there and listen to more episodes of unstoppable mindset. Or you can find them wherever you find any kind of podcast. So iTunes and Spotify and I heart and all those other kinds of places. We really appreciate you taking the time and we do want to hear from you. We want to hear your thoughts, your comments on this or any of our podcasts. And of course if you know anyone in Vanessa as well if you know anyone who might be a good guest to come on and stop by and said please let us know. We'd love to hear from you about that. And once more. Vanessa, thanks very much for being here with us today. And let's do it again soon.   Vanessa Womack  56:14 Okay, very good. You take care and everybody else please take care out there.   Michael Hingson  56:24 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com. accessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.

In the final episode of the season, Marlon and Jake weigh in on their favorite vacation reads, including the ones they started but never finished. Tune in to find out which classic novels Jake took to the beach and which ones Marlon says should have been thrown in the ocean. Subscribe to our River-herd newsletter for sneak peeks of our upcoming books, free giveaways, and exclusive content. https://sites.prh.com/riverhead-reader-newsletterThe Goodbye Look by Ross McDonaldWar and Peace by Leo TolstoyAnna Karenina by Leo TolstoyMoby Dick by Herman MelvilleThe Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre DumasChances by Jackie CollinsThe Year of the French by Thomas FlanaganAll Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria RemarqueThe Golden Bowl by Henry JamesThe Ambassadors by Henry JamesPortrait of a Lady by Henry JamesPronto by Elmore LeonardHowl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne JonesSmallbone Deceased by Michael GilbertThe Mystery of the Stuttering Parrot by Robert Arthur, Jr.Persuasion by Jane Austen 

Looking to master the art of crafting a captivating first chapter?  Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, you've probbaly heard that your book's first chapter is the key to making an indelible first impresison on your reader. The first chapter can make or break your book and convince readers to keep reading, and agents and publishers to take you on as a client. In this episode of the How to be an Author podcast, wriitng coach Karena Akhavein shares invaluable tips and advice on how to hook your readers from the very first line, and keep them engaged until the very end. We'll also explore the common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid when writing the opening pages of your novel or memoir. This podcast for writers is packed with practical insights and actionable steps to help you write a powerful and memorable first chapter that sets the tone for your entire book. Listen in and unlock the secrets to creating a page-turning masterpiece!

Adam Shaw peeks behind the curtain of the consultancy industry. Worth hundreds of billions of pounds, consultants stretch across almost every industry, government department and international border. Since the pandemic there's been an unprecedented demand for their services and many believe our future is determined by what they think and do. Yet little is known about these largely hidden influencers. They are magnetic and mesmerizing yet, to many of us, shrouded in mystery. Adam asks who these wizards, what do they do and how much do they influence our lives. On the one hand, they're talked of as genius solvers of the world's greatest problems and masters of the machinery of management. On other, some think of them in more shadowy terms, whispering their guidance into the ears of the rich and powerful. Adam sets off with missionary zeal to detangle two very different stereotypes. Across the series he hunts for the first ever consultant, finds out how they shape our language and politics and discovers how they bounce back from appalling scandals. He joins a consultancy fair to meet aspirant consultants, hears stories from the glass towers of late nights and rewards, explores FOMO and addition, turnarounds and triumphs. In this first episode he asks what value do consultants add and why are they seemingly opaque. And he pulls out his wand and performs a rather impressive magic trick of his own. With contributions from: Tamzen Isacsson, CEO of the Management Consultancies Association, Andrew Sturdy, Professor in Management at The University of Bristol, Dr Chris McKenna, Reader in Business History and Strategy at the Said Business School, Rosie Collington, co-author of The Big Con, author Eric Edstrom and broadcaster Paddy O'Connell. Producer: Sarah Bowen

Actor-writer John Pick talks about the documentary he's making about the life and work of his father, Grant Pick—one of the all-time great Reader writers.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes we know what we believe but aren't studied enough to defend it. The chorus of Jon Reddick's song "I Believe It (The Life of Jesus)" inspired me to search for Scriptural evidence supporting what I believe about the life of Jesus. Join me as we use this week's song as inspiration to search the Scriptures for why we believe what we believe. In this episode, I discuss the following: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture – this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include: Reader larger chunks of Scripture Consider big themes The Episode Guide for this week's podcast Making a case for creeds The Nicene Creed Combatting bad ideas with truth The life of Jesus is not just a story - GotQuestions.org Article He shows up in extra-biblical texts His followers cataloged his life as eye-witnesses - 1 John 1:1-4 We are blessed in our belief - John 20:29 Jesus holds the keys to death and hell - Revelation 1:17-18 The importance of Christ's resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:14-26 Jesus is coming back again - Acts 1:9-11 Episode 368 Philippians 3:20-21 Titus 2:12-13 Matt 24:44 The Holy Spirit is with us and in us 1 John 4:13 1 Thess 4:7-8 2 Timothy 1:13-14 Galatians 4:6 The Holy Spirit gives us power Acts 1:8 Romans 8:11 Ephesians 3:16 Romans 15:13 Pulling it all together - Romans 1:1-6   If you think we are past all of those bad ideas that plagued the early church so that we no longer need creeds—think again.   Additional Resources Lyrics to "I Believe It (The Life of Jesus)" by Jon Reddick - NewReleaseToday.com "Church History for Modern Ministry: Why Our Past Matters for Everything We Do" by Dayton Hartman - Amazon Paid Link "Exalting Jesus in Revelation" by Daniel L. Akin - Amazon Paid Link "Did Jesus Really Exist" - GotQuestions.org Article "Who Was the Real Historical Jesus" - GotQuestions.org Article "What Does it Mean That Jesus Christ Conquered Death?" - GotQuestions.org Article My new favorite Bible Study Software - Logos Bible Software Affiliate Link This Week's Challenge Start by reading a large chunk of Scripture—1 John is my recommendation, but you could just stay wherever you are studying. Take the chorus of this week's song and see if the large chunk of Scripture speaks to any of the declarations in the creed-style lyrics. You might even commit a verse or two to memory—maybe even a verse for each declaration. It's always a good idea to hide God's Word in your heart.

Common Good and SocietySolidarity and subsidiarity are two principles of the moral teachings of the Church that are absolutely required for a well-ordered and functioning society. In fact, the common good cannot be served without them. It is from this starting point of the common good that we must begin. Pope St. John XXIII said in 1963 that “... civil authority must strive to promote the common good in the interest of all, without favoring any individual citizen or category of citizen (Pacem in Terris, 56).” Pope Leo XIII even said in 1891 that “civil society exists for the common good, and hence is concerned with the interests of all in general… (Rerum Novarum, 51).”Civil society, serving the common good, is ordered towards men establishing of right-relationship with one another and setting up a commonwealth. No man is an island unto himself and the good of each individual is inextricably linked to the good of the society as a whole. The depths of this reality are rooted in the charity of Almighty God. As Pope Benedict XVI wrote in Caritas in Veritate: “To love someone is to desire that person's good and to take effective steps to secure it (Caritas in Veritate, 7).” How else can this be accomplished than in a community, a society, and gathering of individuals united to common purpose, at least to some large degree. SolidarityThe common good is the aim of civil society, but how is it served? The first principle to examine is solidarity. Solidarity basically is the reality that there is an interdependence among individuals and nations. In his work Centesimus Annus, Pope St. John Paul II provides the historical context of the word solidarity. He reports that in the writings of Pope Leo XIII, the Greek philosophical term of “friendship” is employed with the same meaning as what is now called solidarity. Pope Piux XI refers to solidarity with the term “social charity.” And Pope St. Paul VI expanded “the concept to cover the many modern aspects of the social question, speaks of a ‘civilization of love' (Centesimus Annus, 10).” Pope Benedict XVI put it eloquently to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences in 2008 when he said: “Solidarity refers to the virtue enabling the human family to share fully the treasure of material and spiritual goods, and subsidiarity is the coordination of society's activities in a way that supports the internal life of the local communities (Pope Benedict XVI, 2008).”In our modern, interconnected world, with global media, we experience keenly the reality that we are connected. We watch the news and feel personally affected by injustice and human rights violations committed in countries in which we have never stepped foot. There is a moral connotation to this, as well, because we wonder: how can I help? What can I do? The human heart naturally reaches out to the suffering and pain of others and desires justice. Yet, what can we do? Well, in solidarity, we understand that we are interconnected.As St. John Paul II put it 1987:“It is above all a question of interdependence, sensed as a system determining relationships in the contemporary world, in its economic, cultural, political and religious elements, and accepted as a moral category. When interdependence becomes recognized in this way, the correlative response as a moral and social attitude, as a "virtue," is solidarity. This then is not a feeling of vague compassion or shallow distress at the misfortunes of so many people, both near and far. On the contrary, it is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say to the good of all and of each individual, because we are all really responsible for all (Sollicitudo rei socialis, 38).”Committed to the common good, and aware of the interconnectedness of man, we set out in charity to sanctify the temporal order. This is the heart of solidarity. We see the world as God sees it. We recognize the members of society as persons. Seeing the image of God and recognizing opportunities to practice solidarity do not belong exclusively to one class either. As St. John Paul II puts it:“Those who are more influential, because they have a greater share of goods and common services, should feel responsible for the weaker and be ready to share with them all they possess. Those who are weaker, for their part, in the same spirit of solidarity, should not adopt a purely passive attitude or one that is destructive of the social fabric, but, while claiming their legitimate rights, should do what they can for the good of all. The intermediate groups, in their turn, should not selfishly insist on their particular interests, but respect the interests of others (Sollicitudo rei socialis, 39).”In other words, no one is excused from the practice of Christian charity. Likewise, because civil society exists to serve the common good, an essential condition for global solidarity is autonomy and free self-determination. Men organize themselves to constitute a commonwealth. Government should support this swelling of justice and charity, without undermining it by a tyrannical top-down approach.Government and SolidarityThose in government work can support the practice of solidarity by understanding that man's fulfillment comes by using his intelligence and freedom in freely giving of himself to others. Private initiative and ownership are, therefore, to be respected and kept in preeminent position. To quote St. John Paul II from Centesimus Annus:“Man works in order to provide for the needs of his family, his community, his nation, and ultimately all humanity. Moreover, he collaborates in the work of his fellow employees, as well as in the work of suppliers and in the customers' use of goods, in a progressively expanding chain of solidarity (Centesimus Annus, 43).”It is Catholic and just to ensure bonds of solidarity among working people and allow them to practice useful work, without exploitation and being used as a means of making profit only. Man works to provide for the needs of others and his work ought to firstly expand the work and wealth of society, which then can lead to profits but only secondarily. Even at the level of the family, a mutual support of husband and wife ought to be fostered and care given by one generation to the other. The family is rightly ordered as a community of work and solidarity. Solidarity requires seeing the human person. Often today, we might find two prevailing forces which seek to devalue us. On the one hand, the market sees only producers and consumers of goods. On the other hand, the government only sees statistics and objects of State administration. But society serves the life of human persons and the common good; the market and the State are not the final purpose of society. Associations of persons and state agencies should work to promote a deeper vision of human solidarity. By doing so, solidarity can be shown by civil society in a way surpassing that of any one individual. Pope Francis said in 2013 that “As Church we all have a strong responsibility to spread hope through works of solidarity, always seeking to collaborate in the best possible way with public institutions with respect for their respective responsibilities (Pope Francis, 2013).”As St. John Paul II put it in 1995, “Many Christians from all Communities, by reason of their faith, are jointly involved in bold projects aimed at changing the world by inculcating respect for the rights and needs of everyone, especially the poor, the lowly and the defenceless (Ut Unum Sint, 43).”It is this vision of seeing the human person rather than a vague abstraction and respecting the needs of these persons that we enter into solidarity. As Pope Benedict XVI put it:“Only my readiness to encounter my neighbour and to show him love makes me sensitive to God as well. Only if I serve my neighbour can my eyes be opened to what God does for me and how much he loves me (Deus Caritas Est, 18).”Really, solidarity is instantiated in our place of work when we serve the other. If you are in real estate, are you viewing the human purpose of the structure you are helping to buy and sell? In healthcare, are you treating symptoms and diseases or paying care to the whole human person? In government, are you giving due deference to human communities or simply building a more efficient bureaucracy?Pope Francis warned us in 2013 that “This word solidarity runs the risk of being deleted from the dictionary because it is a word that bothers us, it bothers us. Why? Because it requires you to look at another and give yourself to another with love (Pope Francis, 2013).” By practicing solidarity, from the heart of the Church, we are able to work in the public sector and transcend the cultural, political, social, and geographic differences that separate people in an effort to see persons as God sees them. As we encounter persons in the private or public sector in a clinical or service capacity, we grow in solidarity if we see them as persons to be loved. Likewise, from an administrative or policy standpoint, we are provided opportunities to practice the virtue of solidarity and create systems and structures which facilitate the growth in holiness, virtue, and a more holistic view of the dignity of each human person.SubsidiarityThe companion principle to solidarity is the principle of subsidiarity. Subsidiarity can be defined a couple of different ways. The best definition, in my estimation, is this: the best decision is made at the lowest possible level and the highest level necessary. Put another way: any activity that can be performed by a more decentralized entity should be.The principle of subsidiarity comes into play on every level of analysis. We can look at the interplay of the family in a community. Or we can investigate the proper balance between a regional government and a national government. On the level of the State, subsidiarity dictates that the State should not do things which belong properly to the capacity of individuals or private associations operating independently of the State. Again, subsidiarity means that the best decision is made at the lowest level possible and the highest level necessary.We should be careful not to simply see subsidiarity as a conservative/traditional principle that seeks to limit the power of the State. Instead, subsidiarity sets limits on the State but it also justifies the existence of the State. The highest level necessary sometimes means that a national or federal level of oversight is necessary. Think, for example, of the existence of border security, military administration, or policies regarding national patriotism. So, the State is necessary, but it needs to be rightly limited to only those actions necessary to be administered at that level.The heart of the principle of subsidiarity is human dignity. As Pope Benedict XVI beautifully teaches:“Subsidiarity respects personal dignity by recognizing in the person a subject who is always capable of giving something to others. By considering reciprocity as the heart of what it is to be a human being, subsidiarity is the most effective antidote against any form of all-encompassing welfare state (Caritas in veritate, 57).”If we do not allow decisions to be made at the proper level, then power will be exercised in a foolish way on the one hand or in a tyrannical fashion on the other hand. Though the effects of globalization have yielded some fruits on the international stage, there is still a threat of a “dangerous universal power of a tyrannical nature,” to borrow a phrase of Pope Benedict XVI. He acknowledges there should be sufficient global authority to pursue the global common good, but, most importantly, “[t]his authority, however, must be organized in a subsidiary and stratified way, if it is not to infringe upon freedom and if it is to yield effective results in practice (Caritas in veritate, 57).”Pope Pius XI, in 1931, wrote of this reciprocal nature when he said: “The supreme authority of the State ought, therefore, to let subordinate groups handle matters and concerns of lesser importance, which would otherwise dissipate its efforts greatly. Thereby the State will more freely, powerfully, and effectively to do all those things that belong to it alone because it alone can do them: directing, watching, urging, restraining, as occasion requires and necessity demands (Quadragesimo Anno, 80).” The State cannot, however, be all-encompassing and tyrannical, unjustly limiting individual autonomy. In the Second World Meeting of Popular Movements in 2015, Pope Francis said this: “No actual or established power has the right to deprive peoples of the full exercise of their sovereignty (Pope Francis, 2015).”If we do not heed the Church's sage understanding of subsidiarity, then the State will begin to provide everything, even those things best left to a lower level or strata of society. This would inevitably become a mere bureaucracy which can never guarantee the thing needed most by those who are suffering: loving personal concern. As Pope Benedict XVI writes in his encyclical on love:“We do not need a State which regulates and controls everything, but a State which, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, generously acknowledges and supports initiatives arising from the different social forces and combines spontaneity with closeness to those in need (Deus Caritas Est, 28).”Solidarity and SubsidiaritySolidarity and subsidiarity come together as a pair or neither are assured. If we have subsidiarity without solidarity, then we have what Pope Benedict XVI calls “social privatism.” In this situation, the individual is free to operate as they will but with no regard for his fellow man. This does not serve the common good. On the other hand, if we have solidarity but not subsidiarity, then we have what Pope Benedict calls “paternalist social assistance that is demeaning to those in need (Caritas in veritate, 58).”In 1961, Pope St. John XXIII wrote clearly that “Experience has shown that where personal initiative is lacking, political tyranny ensues and, in addition, economic stagnation in the production of a wide range of consumer goods and of services of the material and spiritual order (Mater et Magistra, 57).”This paternalist social assistance could also be called a Social Assistance State or Welfare State. Such a society deprives individuals of personal responsibility. The Social Assistance State, says Pope St. John Paul II, “... leads to a loss of human energies and an inordinate increase of public agencies, which are dominated more by bureaucratic ways of thinking than by concern for serving their clients, and which are accompanied by an enormous increase in spending. In fact, it would appear that needs are best understood and satisfied by people who are closest to them and who act as neighbours to those in need (Centesimus Annus, 48).”The lesson here is an incredibly practical one. For those involved in the public or private sectors alike, we must view people as persons with true value. We need to work towards the common good and ensure that we are keeping subsidiarity and solidarity operative. If we are to avoid tyranny then we must put subsidiarity into practice. If we are to avoid a privatism devoid of charity, then we must put solidarity into practice!For further reading, check the Compendium of Social Doctrine of the Church from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.or Peter Kwasniewski's book A Reader in Catholic Social Teaching.Will Wright Catholic Podcast is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Will Wright Catholic Podcast at www.willwrightcatholic.com/subscribe

Find something that you like to do, get really good at it, and then stick to it.Today's featured dark fiction author is Keith Anthony Baird from the UK. Keith and I had a chat about his books, how he deals with writer's block, and more!!! Key Things You'll Learn:How he became a writerWhere Keith gets his inspiration fromWhy it pays to work on your craft early Keith's Site: https://t.co/Bb8A2c7FDuKeith's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Keith-Anthony-Baird/author/B078TQD1J2?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true The opening track is titled “Check It Out” by Mountaineer from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/mountaineer/check-it-outLicense code: AR6DFPGVXQ9Q1SSY Please support today's podcast to keep this content coming! CashApp: $DomBrightmonDonate on PayPal: @DBrightmonBuy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dombrightmonGet Going North T-Shirts, Stickers, and More: https://www.teepublic.com/stores/dom-brightmon You May Also Like… Ep. 654 – “Inside the Mind of a Horror Western Writer” with KC Grifant (@KCGrifant): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-654-inside-the-mind-of-a-horror-western-writer-with-kc-grifant-kcgrifant/ Ep. 318 – “Beautiful, Frightening and Silent” with Jennifer Anne Gordon (@JenniferAnneGo5): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-318-beautiful-frightening-and-silent-with-jennifer-anne-gordon-jenniferannego5/ Ep. 312 – “Reader to Dark Fantasy Writer” with Liz Butcher (@lunaloveliz): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-312-reader-to-dark-fantasy-writer-with-liz-butcher-lunaloveliz/ Ep. 368.5 – “Hollystone Mysteries” with W.L. Hawkin (@ladyhawke1003): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-3685-hollystone-mysteries-with-wl-hawkin-ladyhawke1003/ Ep. 534 – “Tom's Revenge” with James Edward Webb: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-534-toms-revenge-with-james-edward-webb/ Ep. 653 – “Throwing Shadows” with Jerry Roth (@_JerryRoth_): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-653-throwing-shadows-with-jerry-roth-_jerryroth_/ Ep. 615 – “Champion Martial Artist to Award-Winning Novelist” with Danielle Orsino: https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-615-champion-martial-artist-to-award-winning-novelist-with-danielle-orsino/ Ep. 568 – “The Multi-Hyphen Mystery Author Life” with Diane Bator (@bator_l): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-568-the-multi-hyphen-mystery-author-life-with-diane-bator-bator_l/ Ep. 449 – “House of the Moon” with Donna Conrad (@DonnaDConrad999): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-449-house-of-the-moon-with-donna-conrad-donnadconrad999/ Ep. 375 – “Aces High, Jokers Wild” with O. E. Tearmann (@ETearmann): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-375-aces-high-jokers-wild-with-o-e-tearmann-etearmann/ Ep. 443 – “Buried Beneath” with Kelly Ann Hopkins (@khopkinswrites): https://www.goingnorthpodcast.com/ep-433-buried-beneath-with-kelly-ann-hopkins-khopkinswrites/

From age 7, Jeff Giagnocavo understood the power of small business and the impact it has on those who own the business and the communities they live in.   After selling his first business at the age of 16 to buy a car he's been on an epic entrepreneurial journey ever since and is now a sought out consultant for business owners who desperately want to do life and business on their terms.   Jeff does business in your bedroom. He co-owns Gardner's Mattress & More, the region's premier better sleep store. For 13 years in a row they have been named a Reader's Choice Winner - favorite place to buy a mattress.   He is fanatical about the 5-star experience and has gathered thousands of online and in store 5-star reviews. His book Sleep Better has helped thousands of people wake up happy too.   As a driven entrepreneur he has licensed both his own custom software and educational marketing materials to others in his industry and in other industries. On any given day his marketing ideas, tools and software are in use across more than 500 retail door fronts.   Jeff's marketing skills and knowledge have been featured regularly in Forbes, Target Marketing, Dan Kennedy's NO BS series of books & newsletters, Furniture Today, Sleep Savvy Magazine, Marketing Miracles, Predictable Profits Playbook, Lead the Field, Fox Business News, WGAL and Success Magazine.   Jeff's passion is to unlock the potential of every business owner. Shift them into the investor seat in their business and unlock the true joy and reward of business ownership so they can truly do life and business on their terms and live what Jeff calls their very own Big Ticket Life.

How did liberationist Christianity develop in Argentina between the 1930s and early 1970s? And how did it respond to state terrorism during the Dirty War? How did liberation theology develop in Argentina between the 1930s and early 1970s? And how did it respond to state terrorism during the Dirty War?  Understanding the movement to be dynamic and highly diverse, Pablo Bradbury's book Liberationist Christianity in Argentina (1930-1983): Faith and Revolution (Tamesis Books, 2023) reveals that ecclesial and political conflicts, especially over Peronism and celibacy, were at the heart of the construction of a liberationist Christian identity, which simultaneously internalised deep tensions over its relationship to the Catholic Church. It first situates the rise of a revolutionary Christian impulse in Argentina within changes in society, in Catholicism and Protestantism and in Marxism in the 1930s, before analysing how the phenomenon coalesced in the late sixties into a coherent social movement. Finally, the book examines the responses of liberationist Christians to the intense period of repression under the presidency of Isabel Perón and the rule of the military junta between 1974 and 1983. By exploring these distinct responses and uncovering the heterogeneity of liberationist Christianity, the book offers a fresh analysis of a movement that occupies a major role in the popular memory of the period of state terror, and provides a corrective to narratives that depict the movement as monolithic or as a passive victim of the dictatorship. Roland Clark is a Reader in Modern European History at the University of Liverpool, a Senior Fellow with the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, and the Principal Investigator of an AHRC-funded project on European Fascist Movements. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network