Podcasts about Restructuring

This week, we're taking a close look at what's going on with the National Rifle Association (NRA). The NRA was swamped by its rivals in the gun debate during the 2025 elections just as it was announcing a major restructuring effort that featured dozens of staff furloughs. To provide insight into the group's plans, we've brought on NRA board member Amanda Suffecool. She is a member of the internal reform movement and now sits on the board's Finance Committee. Suffecool said she is confident that reformers are in full control of the NRA and have a specific plan for its future. She argued the restructuring is necessary to put the NRA on a realistic path to resurgence. Suffecool noted the NRA has spent years running deficits under the old leadership, and the cuts to staff and operations under the new plan will bring the group's budget back into the black. She said that would enable them to better compete down the line rather than face potential bankruptcy. She argued that the reforms she and other members of the new NRA leadership have implemented will bring the group up to modern standards. Suffecool said that while the NRA is reducing the frequency of its paper magazines, it's also expanding its digital offerings. She said it is shifting its fundraising and public relations approach to match what works in 2025, rather than sticking with older methods. Special Guest: Amanda Suffecool.

This seems like it could be one of those cases that is structured backwards, or as some English practitioners refer to the backwards case structuring - round tripping of the U.S. debt. The court closes the hearing with that parties shouldn't rely on what the court did in this case as precedent for future cases.Per Google AI:Fossil (UK) Global Services Ltd. is a UK subsidiary of the fashion accessories company Fossil Group, Inc. that has recently been involved in a debt restructuring. It is now the entity used for the UK restructuring plan which was sanctioned by the High Court of Justice in England and Wales, and also recognized by a U.S. bankruptcy court. The restructuring plan involved canceling $150 million in unsecured notes and issuing new notes to create a more durable capital structure. Purpose: The entity was created to implement a restructuring plan in the UK to deal with the company's debt.Restructuring details: The plan was a court-sanctioned restructuring of $150 million in unsecured notes, with the High Court sanctioning the plan in early November 2025.International recognition: Fossil (UK) Global Services Ltd. also sought and received recognition of its UK restructuring plan from a U.S. bankruptcy court under Chapter 15 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. This ensures the plan is binding on U.S. creditors.Legal status: The company was registered in the UK on August 8, 2025. It is a private limited company with a registered office in Milton Keynes.Information: For investors holding the notes, an information agent is available for password-protected website access, and more information can be found on the Fossil Group's investor relations page.

Interview with Shaun Bunn, Managing Director of Empire Metals Ltd.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/empire-metals-loneee-titanium-market-disruptor-targets-2026-pilot-pant-7736Recording date: 12th November 2025Empire Metals is developing the Pitfield project in Western Australia, home to one of the world's largest titanium deposits with a maiden resource estimate of 2.2 billion tons grading just over 5% TiO2. This multigenerational asset positions the company as a potential disruptor in global critical minerals supply chains at a time when the industry faces unprecedented restructuring.The company's strategic advantage extends beyond scale. Pitfield's geology features high-purity titanium minerals formed through weathering processes in sandstone formations, eliminating deleterious elements that typically complicate conventional processing. Empire has already produced 99% pure TiO2 products, validating the ore's metallurgical responsiveness and demonstrating the viability of its innovative hydrometallurgical approach.Unlike traditional titanium processing that relies on energy-intensive smelting and generates substantial waste, Empire's three-stage process bypasses these costly operations entirely. The surface deposit requires no blasting, drilling, crushing, or grinding, with friable material feeding directly into flotation circuits. This technical differentiation, combined with low mining costs, positions Empire to deliver products at significantly lower cost than 90% of existing global supply.Management is pursuing dual revenue streams, targeting both pigment production and strategic metal feedstock for defense and aerospace applications. The company has engaged with Boeing, the U.S. Department of Defense, and other end-users to align product specifications with market demand before finalizing process design. This customer-driven approach preserves optionality while reducing downstream marketing risk.The timing proves strategic. Major producers including Rio Tinto, Venator, and Iluka are retreating from titanium operations amid Chinese price competition and tariff responses. Empire aims to fill emerging supply gaps with government support through Australia's $4 billion Critical Minerals Facility.With £11 million in funding secured and continuous piloting targeted for mid-2026, Empire maintains development momentum toward demonstrating cost competitiveness and securing end-user commitments that could accelerate the project's pathway to production.View Empire Metals' company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/empire-metalsSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

This week on Off the Shelf, Rob Burton, partner at Crowell & Moring LLP, provides his insights and analysis of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO), the ongoing restructuring of procurement operations across government, and the implications and opportunities for government contractors.Burton shares his thoughts on key RFO changes, including the new MAS ordering procedures, FAR Part 19, and the FAR Part 12 changes. He also offers a clear, concise, and compelling outline of the goals for the RFO and the move to consolidate procurement operations across government. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Verizon is preparing to cut roughly 15,000 jobs — about 15% of its U.S. workforce — in a restructuring plan intended to reduce costs under its new CEO Dan Schulman. In this 7-minute podcast, Brent Knight from TC2 joins Tony Mangino to discuss the anticipated impact of the layoffs and what enterprise customers should be doing now to prepare.  If you would like to learn more about our experience in this space, please visit our Strategic Sourcing and Technology Consulting & Strategy Development Services webpages.

Why can't employers find workers when talented people can't find jobs??Dr. Nita Chhinzer from the University of Guelph joins me to unpack what's happening in job markets right now. Employers are drowning in thousands of identical AI-polished resumes while qualified candidates are locked out of opportunities.So how do we fix that? Well part of it is assessments. Nita's research identifies four things employers actually hire for that never show up in job ads: professional maturity, attitude/coachability, willingness to work, and time management. Companies are going back to employee referrals and networking events, essentially crowdsourcing their recruitment because of the problem they have finding good people.On top of that, entry-level jobs have are disappearing which will bite sooner or later. Most promotions are internal... so where are the people they are going to promote? We've eliminated the pipeline and then wonder about bench strength. There's more... like AI. AI is not the sole reason there is so much restructuring. We're seeing the effects of geopolitical uncertainty, demographic shifts, and companies moving from talent hoarding to "just-in-time" hiring to avoid the exposure of carrying so many employees. AI is only a part.For new grads wondering where their entry point went, Nita talks about piecing together a career through contract work, internships, and building your personal brand. It may be tiring but, in today's market, it's what employees need to do. At least, if they do that, they have more control. For HR folks doing hiring, we need to do things different too and some of the answers are in the discussion. But this will continue to evolve.**Find Dr. Nita Chhinzer in the following places**https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitachhinzer/https://nitachhinzer.com/https://www.uoguelph.ca/lang/people/nita-chhinzer**Find Andrea Adams in the following places**https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/https://thehrhub.ca

Tyler Martin, Senior Director of Enterprise Security Engineering & Operations at FanDuel, reflects on revolutionizing security operations by replacing traditional analyst tiers with security engineers supported by custom AI agents. Tyler shares the architecture behind SAGE, FanDuel's phishing automation system, and explains how his team progressed from human-in-the-loop validation to fully autonomous triage through bronze-silver-gold maturity stages.  The conversation explores practical challenges like context enrichment, implementing user personas connected to IDP and HRIS systems, and choosing between RAG versus CAG models for knowledge augmentation. Tyler also discusses shifts in detection strategy, arguing for leaner detection catalogs with just-in-time, query-based rules over maintaining point-in-time codified detections that no longer address active risks. Topics discussed: Restructuring security operations teams to include only security engineers while AI agents handle traditional level 1-3 triage work. Building Security Analysis and Guided Escalation, an AI-powered phishing automation system that reduced manual ticket volume. Implementing bronze-silver-gold maturity stages for AI triage: manual validation, automated closures with oversight, and full autonomous operations. Enriching AI agents with organizational context through connections to IDP systems, HRIS platforms, and user behavior analytics. Creating user personas that encode access patterns, permissions, security groups, and typical behaviors to improve AI decision-making accuracy. Designing incident response automation that spins up Slack channels, Zoom bridges, recordings, and comprehensive documentation through simple commands. Eliminating 90% of missing PIR action items through automated documentation capture and stakeholder tagging in Confluence. Shifting detection strategy from maintaining large MITRE-mapped catalogs to just-in-time query-based rules written by AI agents. Balancing signal volume and enrichment data against inference costs while avoiding context rot that degrades LLM performance. Evaluating RAG versus CAG models for knowledge augmentation and exploring multi-agent architectures with supervisory oversight layers.  Listen to more episodes:  Apple  Spotify  YouTube Website

What does it really take to change your mindset and stick with it? In this episode, Ethan sits down with Paige to explore why lasting change isn't just about making one big decision but about continuously reframing and recommitting every single day. From battling unfairness to redefining success, Ethan shares hard-earned insights into discipline, mindset, and self-acceptance. Whether you're struggling with food, fitness, or any form of personal growth, this conversation will challenge your perspective on what it means to truly change.Sign up for Ethan's newsletter at ethansuplee.substack.com/subscribe.SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 Welcome to the American Glutton Podcast00:19 What does mindset really mean?01:03 Ethan explains why mindset isn't a one-time decision02:50 The struggle of daily reorientation and repetition06:35 Defining the first step toward lasting change07:44 Why wanting something isn't enough11:02 The myth of permanent results and “easy” success13:40 Searching for the one cause behind failure15:48 Ethan's real definition of mindset17:16 Rebuilding from failed diets and methods19:48 The hard truth about sustainable change21:02 The unfairness of the journey22:51 The dessert story that reveals life's unfairness26:58 Life isn't fair – and that's okay27:43 What to do when it feels too hard29:18 Restructuring your life for success31:53 Maintenance and constant upkeep34:29 Adapting to new circumstances35:29 Finding balance in imperfect conditions38:11 Accepting what's realistic for you40:33 Redefining success and celebrating small wins43:08 The antithesis of mindset44:49 Realistic goals versus unrealistic dreams46:39 Finding satisfaction in your own story48:34 Ethan's approach to balance and self-compassion Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Murphy, CEO and founder of Government Procurement Strategies (GPS), joins Off the Shelf for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of the federal procurement market. As a former GSA Administrator, Murphy shares her keen insights regarding the Trump administration's re-engineering and re-structuring of federal procurement. She highlights the administration's overarching policy and operational goals including, but not limited to, increasing efficiency, reducing operational costs, and increasing access to the commercial market and commercial solutions.Topics include the consolidation of procurement operations at GSA, how GSA is responding to its expanded role and the progress and potential impact of the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul (RFO). For example, Murphy addresses the significant changes to FAR Part 8 of the FAR. Finally, Murphy shares her thoughts on key management principles for government leaders. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Julian Dunkerton co-founded Superdry and took it to a £2billion market cap at its height in 2010 - within years the company was fighting for survival, and in 2018 he walked away. A decision he says he regrets.  But with Superdry now valued at just £8million and looking like it might fail, he returned just one year later and wrestled back control of the company he set up, and began turning it around.  After a restructuring, renegotiating rent, and now a rebrand, Superdry has just turned a profit once again.This is the story of that turn around.In it he calls for town centre regeneration and a High Street Renaissance, warning that current policies and Brexit have left British retailers at a disadvantage. He highlights the economic impact of leaving the EU, citing lost free trade and increased costs, and argues that the UK has “gone backwards” since Brexit. In fact he believes a free trade relationship with the EU is possible, and also imperative. Dunkerton also challenges the narrative that young people only shop online, stating that teenagers value physical retail and social experiences, and credits this demographic with driving Superdry's renewed success on the high street.00:00 Sean Farrington and Will Bain introduce the podcast 02:30 Julian Dunkerton joins the podcast, discusses the rise of Superdry 05:25 Stepping aside as Chief Executive & company changes 06:35 Return to profitability 08:44 The turnaround and rebrand of Superdry 10:56 What makes a good shopping experience 13:20 Branding & product quality 14:42 Policy, Brexit & business challenges 20:35 High street policy ideas & town centres 27:24 Tax, globalisation & retail trends 32:13 The future of Superdry & personal projectsPresenter: Will Bain Producer: Olie D'Albertanson Editor: Henry Jones

A reminder mental health crises don't follow timetables. Long-time support service Lifeline will now go unanswered between midnight and 7am. It's asking the Government for help after reducing hours because it has a $2 million annual shortfall. Labour's Reuben Davidson told John MacDonald help's needed at all hours and mental health crises don't work office hours. Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says support is available elsewhere, with other helplines. He told MacDonald that they set an extra $9 million aside for telehealth lines in the 2025 Budget, but it's up to Health NZ to make the decisions on who to fund. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recent research found that about 90% of your daily actions happen automatically, without conscious thought Two-thirds of behaviors are triggered by cues in your environment, meaning your surroundings silently direct most of what you do each day Nearly half of daily actions align with your goals, showing that your brain's autopilot can actually support healthy habits when used intentionally Building new habits takes consistent repetition, with research showing it typically takes between two and six months for a behavior to become automatic Restructuring your environment, anchoring new behaviors to existing routines, and tracking progress will help reprogram your brain's autopilot to work in your favor

OpenAI says it's aiming to build a totally automated AI researcher by 2028... And it has completed its transition from non-profit to for-profit company, paving the way for an eventual IPO. This week, Paul and Mike talk about those stories and more, including a warning from the Fed chair about AI's impact on hiring, a new index measuring how well agents do remote work, and Nvidia's $5 trillion valuation. This week's episode also covers a new report on corporate AI adoption from Wharton, the concerning rise of AI "nudify" apps, and much more. Show Notes: Access the show notes and show links here Click here to take this week's AI Pulse. Timestamps:  00:00:00 — Intro 00:05:48 — OpenAI Sets Automated AI Researcher Goal 00:18:06 — OpenAI Completes Restructuring and Eyes IPO 00:31:49 — Is AI Responsible for a New Wave of Layoffs? 00:41:45 — Remote Labor Index Project 00:47:46 — Mercor Quintuples Valuation 00:52:40 — Nvidia Valuation 00:56:54 — Wharton AI Adoption Report 01:02:01 — Nudify Apps and Public Figures Getting Deepfaked 01:06:55 — Google Labs Introduces AI Marketing Tool This episode is brought to you by MAICON On-Demand.  This year's top breakout sessions and keynotes are now available on-demand. If you missed MAICON 2025 or want to relive some of your favorite sessions, now you can watch them on-demand at any time. Use code AISHOW50 to save $50. Learn more here. Visit our website Receive our weekly newsletter Join our community: Slack LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Facebook Looking for content and resources? Register for a free webinar Come to our next Marketing AI Conference Enroll in our AI Academy 

Stephen Miran isn’t auditioning to run the Federal Reserve. He’s auditioning to destroy it. Like so many in Trump’s sphere, Miran was selected for his ability to appear like he’s doing the right thing and making the tough choices. In reality, he exists to destroy the thing he’s spent his entire life trying to be a part of. Miran is a highly educated and competent analyst whose academic veneer and projection of empathy belie his craven desire for power and to eradicate the independence of the Fed and place it under direct authority and control of the president. And make no mistake, when Jerome Powell’s term is up, this is who will be in charge of the Fed. Chapters Intro: 00:01:00 Chapter One: The Audition. 00:02:10 Chapter Two: The Power and Powers of the Fed. 00:07:15 Chapter Three: Who Is This Numbnut? 00:13:06 Chapter Four: Consistently Inconsistent. 00:18:34 Bring It Home, Max: 00:23:46 Resources Federal Reserve Board: Stephen I. Miran Barron’s: Last Year, Trump’s New Man at the Fed Thought Rates Were Too Low. What Changed Miran’s Articles + White Papers City Journal: Is Having the Reserve Currency Good for the U.S.? Manhattan Institute: The Fed Isn’t as Independent as It Seems Manhattan Institute: The Fed Doesn’t Need to Cut. Financial Conditions Are Already Loosening. Manhattan Institute: The Fed Is Facing a Changed World. The Case Against Cuts. Hudson Bay Capital: A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System Manhattan Institute: Reform the Federal Reserve’s Governance to Deliver Better Monetary Outcomes -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join our Discord at unftr.com/discord. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on China EVs & More, Tu and Lei unpack a scary set of Q3 results for global automakers. Porsche's operating profit nearly vanishes, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen Group struggle, and BYD reports its first major profit decline in years. Meanwhile, Li Auto faces a costly Mega recall after a battery-coolant fire, raising new questions about safety and supply-chain quality.Tu shares insights from the Reuters Automotive Summit, including what executives from Rivian, Lucid, and Mercedes-Benz USA had to say about current challenging environment — plus takeaways from Ganesh Iyer of NIO USA. The hosts also discuss how Chinese tech players like Xiaomi and Geely are resetting global expectations, why CATL's battery dominance will continue for the next decade, and what the West must learn from China's hyper-competitive EV market.Chapters02:16 Halloween Reflections and Market Concerns05:04 Li Auto's Recall and Safety Issues08:00 Financial Performance of Major Automakers11:03 Competitive Landscape in the EV Market13:49 Restructuring of German Automakers16:46 Insights from the Reuters Conference19:59 Level 4 Autonomy and Future Trends30:03 The Evolution of Autonomy34:50 Mapping the Future of Autonomous Vehicles39:51 Marketing Strategies in a Multicultural Landscape44:31 Consumer Data Privacy and Trust54:08 The Future of Battery Technology_____Stay tuned for sharp analysis on involution, layoffs at GM, brand marketing shifts, and how the next generation of EVs from Mercedes, Hyundai, and NIO will shape 2026.Companies & Topics Discussed:BYD | Li Auto | CATL | Porsche | Mercedes-Benz | Volkswagen Group | Audi | BMW Group | Beijing Hyundai | NIO | Xiaomi | Geely | Luxeed | DJI | Momenta | FinDreams | Rivian | Lucid | Stellantis | Uber | Nvidia | GM | Honda | Apple | AESC | Gotion | Calb

Send us a textInvest in pre-IPO stocks with AG Dillon & Co. Contact aaron.dillon@agdillon.com to learn more. Financial advisors only.00:00 - Intro00:08 - Mercor $350M Series C Quintuples Valuation to $10B Amid AI Data Pivot01:47 - OpenAI Restructuring to PBC Unlocks $40B Fundraising at $500B Valuation03:14 - SoftBank Greenlights $22.5B Final Tranche to OpenAI Contingent on PBC Shift04:06 - OpenAI Advances Generative Music Tool to Rival Suno in $200B Media Market05:14 - Poolside $2B Raise at $12B Valuation Backed by Nvidia's $1B Commitment05:49 - Bending Spoons $270M Raise at $11B Valuation Funds $1.4B AOL Buy06:56 - Whatnot $225M Series F at $11.5B Valuation Drives Global GMV Doubling08:08 - Figma $200M+ Weavy Acquisition Boosts AI Media Tools Post-IPO09:07 - MiniMax M2 Tops Global Open Models in Sovereign AI Push10:00 - 1X NEO Robot Preorders at $20K Target 2026 Deliveries11:10 - SpaceX $2B Pentagon Deal Bolsters $11B Starlink Revenue12:15 - Canva Debuts Foundational Design Model in Affinity Free Shift13:28 - Grammarly Rebrands to Superhuman with 40M DAU AI Suite

It's Halloween and a busy week at Sinclair Range. This episode includes the usual segments — Lessons Learned of the Week, Interesting Deal of the Week, and Struggles of the Week — with sharp insights into the real world of deals, debt, and capital.Highlights:• Inside look at The Inner Circle: Deals & Capital — Sinclair Range's free, live biweekly community for founders, executives, and advisors. Next week's meeting features a bridge loan pitch, a private debt lender, and a retired Air Force General discussing emerging warfare technology.• Lesson Learned: What is angel investing really? Scott breaks down the three major risk profiles — private debt, PE-style equity, and VC-style equity — and shares what works (and doesn't) for individual investors.• Interesting Deal of the Week: Sinclair Range is arranging a 5 million dollar DIP financing for a premium and medical-grade cannabis producer in Alberta. Learn how the CCAA process, secured lending, and distressed debt intersect in this real-world turnaround story.• Struggles of the Week: Behind the scenes on Ninepoint Private Debt and its Canadian Senior Debt Fund — and why OPM Wire's coverage caught Scott's attention. Insight into fund-agent structures, liquidity issues, and Sinclair Range's unique perspective from direct industry involvement and ongoing litigation.From angel investing and private debt to active restructuring mandates, this week's episode dives deep into how real deals get made — and sometimes, how they go sideways.

NRA Executive Vice President Doug Hamlin joins Cam to discuss the organization's restructuring. The NRA is consolidating its magazine offerings and its Membership, Marketing and Advancement Divisions; moves Hamlin says are part of the NRA's first balanced budget in several years, and steps that will allow additional resources for NRA's Institute of Legislative Action for the 2026 election cycle.

AGENDA: 05:17 OpenAI's Restructuring: Winners and Losers 17:17 Andreessen Horowitz's Raise $10BN in New Funds 26:38 Mercor Raises $350M at a $10BN Valuation 43:08 Spray and Pray: Does it Work: Data Breakdown 47:04 The Role of Option Checks Venture Capital 48:36 The Three Ways to Win in VC Today 54:26 Why IRR is a BS Metric and What Matters More 01:08:47 Amazon's Struggles: How Do They Return to Greatness in AI

In today's episode, we continue our discussion from episode 688. Today, we discuss redundancy as a ground for termination of employment in Oman, Qatar & the UAE. Stay tuned for a future podcast on performance improvement plans and investigations. Subscribe to our podcast today to stay up to date on employment issues from law experts worldwide.Host: Emma Higham (email) (Clyde & Co / Qatar)Guest Speakers: Gorvinder Pannu (email) (Addleshaw Goddard / Oman) & Elodie Chalhoub (email) (Clyde & Co / UAE)Support the showRegister on the ELA website here to receive email invitations to future programs.

On the October 28th episode of "People Not Titles," hosts Steve Kaempf and Matt Lombardi discuss the U.S. government shutdown's impact on real estate, the National Association of Realtors' internal challenges, and why younger Americans are favoring stocks over homeownership. They also review Midwest market trends, share Halloween-themed real estate stats, and wrap up with sports talk and upcoming events.**Government Shutdown Impact on Real Estate (00:00:00)****Pending Home Sales and Economic Jitters (00:01:07)****Absence of Federal Economic Data (00:02:41)****Loan Processing Delays and Market Fluidity (00:03:12)****NAR Working Group Formation and Purpose (00:04:28)****Background and Motivation for the NAR Working Group (00:05:04)****Brokerage Perspective and NAR's Response (00:07:09)****NAR Working Group Recommendations Overview (00:08:13)****Clear Cooperation Policy Critique (00:09:13)****Three-Way Membership Agreement Challenge (00:10:49)****Financial Transparency and Restructuring (00:12:26)****Independent Governance and Oversight (00:14:04)****NAR's Financial Reserves and Legal Exposure (00:16:05)****Second Century Ventures and Member Benefits (00:18:31)****NAR's Response and Strategic Planning (00:21:34)****Federal Reserve Meeting and Rate Cut Expectations (00:23:22)****Young Americans: Stocks vs. Homeownership (00:24:57)****Homeownership Costs vs. Renting (00:26:36)****Generational Attitudes Toward Real Estate (00:27:48)****Wealth Building and Real Estate (00:30:09)****Barriers to Homebuilding and Housing Shortage (00:32:08)****Coiled Spring Housing Market Thesis (00:34:33)****Mortgage Rate Snapshot and Market Data (00:36:01)****US Existing Home Sales and Inventory (00:36:40)****Illinois Housing Market Update (00:40:27)****Illinois Market Forecast (00:42:26)****Wisconsin Housing Market Update (00:42:50)****Haunted Houses and Homebuyer Attitudes (00:43:40)****Podcast Announcements and Events (00:46:47)****Chicago Bears and Sports Recap (00:47:41)****Podcast Closing and Sponsor Message (00:49:22)Full episodes available at www.peoplenottitles.comPeople, Not Titles podcast is hosted by Steve Kaempf and is dedicated to lifting up professionals in the real estate and business community. Our inspiration is to highlight success principles of our colleagues.Our Success Series covers principles of success to help your thrive!www.peoplenottitles.comIG - https://www.instagram.com/peoplenotti...FB - https://www.facebook.com/peoplenottitlesTwitter - https://twitter.com/sjkaempfSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1uu5kTv...

OpenAI reached a deal with Microsoft to overhaul its ownership structure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

OpenAI said it had completed a long-awaited restructuring, and Tesla's chair has stepped up her campaign to win shareholder support for Elon Musk's $1tn pay package. Plus, South Korea's Kospi is the world's top-performing major stock index by far this year. Mentioned in this podcast:Microsoft valuation passes $4tn as OpenAI completes restructuringTesla chair warns Musk could quit if shareholders reject $1tn pay dealWhat is driving the world's best-performing stock market?Today's FT News Briefing was produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, and Marc Filippino. Our show was mixed by Kelly Garry. Additional help from Gavin Kallmann, Michael Lello and David da Silva. The FT's acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show's theme music is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textRecognizing and TRUSTING your INTUITION regarding your bodily autonomy, utilizing available spiritual energy to restructure aspects of your life, and becoming unified with your true purpose is covered. The conversation ties together the energy reflected in the major stories of the day.  "Science can become a God."  The hosts suggest spiritual perspectives reflected in current stories including the latest on vaccinations, the remodeling of the White House, and the coming together of two major religious faiths. "We need to start fresh." They outline the everlasting process of restructuring your awareness for a more secure existence through time offering insights that can guide through major changes.Season 1 Episode 44 of Spiritual Perspectives: Discerning News...Restructuring through our existence is essential for growth.Trusting one's own intuition, body and guidance is crucial.Science can not overshadow personal wisdom.Unity in diversity is a key to progress.The body has an incredible capacity to heal.Restructuring is a natural part of life cycles.Finding common ground fosters unity and positive collaboration.Discover spiritual truths delivered in a practical way in these three e-books created by The Wayshowers College. Use discount code TNT2025 to receive 20% off the set. Ready to FEEL more FREEDOM within? Access the FREE video series created by The Wayshowers College here! Enjoy the first chapter of The Soul Quake Survival Guide here!Support the showHi! I'm Teresa. I have created this podcast to support "unseen" aspects of your life. You can call this the spiritual side. The podcast offers interviews of authors, healers, and thought leaders, for a positive higher spiritual perspective. Including ourselves! Our mission is to stimulate your inner wisdom, meaning, and enthusiasm for your unique journey. My husband Tom and I are also certified Spiritual Educators, and Consultants, who help make spirituality practical. We work spiritual awareness and sensitivity in all areas of our life for positive living. Through TNT ( Teresa n' Tom :) SpiritWorks, we can help you tap into your own Inner Guidance system on a daily basis, create a healthy balance between Thought and Feeling, and discover a stronger connection between you and your personal Spirit Guides through your Inner and Outer communication system: your Four Spiritual Gifts. Unlock ways to make the spiritual part of life practical. Connect with us at TNT SpiritWorks today! Follow us on:

What started in 2014 as a simple robot trade advisor is now an all-time Canadian business success story. OpenAI is trying to keep up its whole move-fast-and-break-things shtick without completely abandoning its safety-first roots.

In this episode of The Career Report, Tim Madden breaks down Amazon's latest wave of layoffs following its major internal restructuring - what it signals about the broader job market, and what executives should take away from it.We'll unpack what's really driving these changes, how shifting corporate priorities are reshaping leadership roles, and what professionals can do right now to stay ahead of organizational pivots like this.If you're a Director, VP, or Executive navigating uncertainty in your industry, this episode will help you understand how to protect your position, adapt your strategy, and stay market-ready in a season of corporate change.

Kolbe and Drake talk about early season deer hunts and try a few new bits like ruffled my feathers and piece of the week.

While President Donald Trump did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize this year, he could be the odds on favorite to win the distinguished award in 2026 because of his work brokering peace deals or ceasefires in eight different conflicts this year.  Trump's deal-making diplomacy comes as left-wing critics thought this level of success impossible because of Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio's efforts to completely reform the State Department. The critics were wrong.  State Department Deputy Spokesman Tommy Pigott joins ⁠“The Signal Sitdown”⁠ to provide an inside look at the State Department overhaul and how Trump has managed to find pathways to peace all over the world. The Biden administration's poor prioritization of America and its interests was painfully on display inside the State Department that Trump and Rubio inherited. Things were so bad, in fact, that Trump's political appointees had a difficult time simply tracking down just how many people actually worked for the state department. While many challenges remain, Pigott told The Daily Signal, “I think as Americans, we can be proud that we have a president who is a peacemaker.” Keep Up With The Daily Signal   Sign up for our email newsletters:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.dailysignal.com/email⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     Subscribe to our other shows:    The Tony Kinnett Cast: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2284199939⁠ The Signal Sitdown: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL2026390376⁠   Problematic Women:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL7765680741⁠   Victor Davis Hanson: ⁠https://megaphone.link/THEDAILYSIGNAL9809784327⁠     Follow The Daily Signal:    X:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://x.com/intent/user?screen_name=DailySignal⁠ Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/thedailysignal/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/TheDailySignalNews/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Truth Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://truthsocial.com/@DailySignal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  YouTube:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/dailysignal?sub_confirmation=1⁠    Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 15 Chancellor Gets Boned In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels.             The pursuit of power is pointless unless you know how to use it    The look the Chancellor gave me was filled with hate alright, but it was awash in a desperate sexual hunger too. "You goddamn bastard," she huffed through clenched teeth. My response was to switch finger slamming her, instead rolling her rather large clit between my forefinger and thumb gently. "Gak," she choked out. "You can get on top and ride me," I promised her softly. "You an even tie my hands up with the sash of my robe." "On your back, damn you," Melrose snarled ferociously. As I fell back, she ripped my bathrobe sash off so fast it yanked me off the bed. My ass had no sooner hit the bed again when Bazz pulled my robe open and straddled me. She pulled my arms together and bound my wrists with frightening proficiency. "Not your first time at the rodeo?" I joked. She slapped me across the face; not so hard to break my skin but enough to make me have to rework my jaw to get it set again. "Shut up, Braxton," she gloated over me, "I'm going to treat you like the piece of trash that you are. You are going to regret ever thinking you belonged here." Mel rose up on her knees, maneuvered her hand onto my cock, and aimed it at her cunt lips. "Oh," she gasped as her sex blossomed and let my cockhead in. She slowly began shifting down my cock with ecstatic pleasure written all over her face. "It feels pretty good," I started to say. I was going to finish with 'doesn't it?' but she cut me off. "Shut up!" she seethed. "You exist solely for my pleasure. I don't need to hear your juvenile stumbling at sexual banter." This wasn't the time to start a fight; that would come later. Doctor Bazz kept wiggling her ass down my shaft. She was so lost in her own fulfillment that she almost forgot about me. I grunted when she planted herself down particularly hard as she was humping me. Melrose looked down at me. With one hand she struck snake-like at my throat, squeezing my windpipe shut. "You are just a child," she taunted me wickedly, but then her whole tone changed to a creepy, appreciative voice, "a pretty, pretty child." Okay, I want a psychopath. I want a selfish bitch with no issues beyond insensitivity. I do not want a woman in her forties telling me I'm "a pretty, pretty child." That's just wrong, and that's coming from a guy who screws just about anything that moves. "Is this how you screw those sluts?" she moaned. "Is this how you pack Heaven's tight little ass? Does she scream for you?" Wait; did she call Heaven a 'she'? That's progress! I choked out a non-response. I was getting enough air to breath but not enough vocal freedom to talk, and I had a feeling this was on purpose. "You don't need to answer that," she chuckled eerily. "I've heard reports of their sad little cries as they squirted all over you. You love it when you break their wills to you and this, oh, God, big cock, don't you?" The Chancellor leaned forward, her bra-covered breasts dangling tantalizingly close to my mouth, and rolled her hips so that her clit rubbed against my cock. "You hammer them, hammer them, and hammer them some more until their tight little bodies can't even crawl out of your bed. And you wanted to hammer me with this huge cock of yours; you wanted to make me sweat, make me cry out your name, you wanted to wreck me," she sneered. I reached up with my bound hands and lifted her grip off my throat. "Actually, I'm done. I want you out of my room," I growled back. Melrose's breast heaved and she glared down at me, angry but uncertain. "I was hoping there would be something intriguing about you but seriously, you are just, mediocre. Hell, Heaven is more of a woman than you are and that's kind of pathetic. I wasn't denigrating Heaven, who I cared about, but was using Doctor Bazz's prejudice against the bitch. "How dare you?" she muttered. She hadn't stopped humping me yet. "Get some plastic, a broom handle, I don't care, but get the hell off of me, you evil witch," I insisted. As a counterpoint to that, I began to thrust my cock deeper into her womb. "Ugh, ugh, no," she gasped. "You don't, tell me what, to do." Mel had now positioned her clit so that it received maximum impact with my pelvic bone. I flipped us over; even with her resistance, I was too strong for her. I pushed my bound hands down on her sternum, the fear of sexual frustration written large over her face and burning forth from her eyes. "I want Heaven back," I demanded. "Never," she growled. I began to withdraw my cock from her cunt. She whimpered and tried to hold me to her body by grabbing my shoulders in each hand. "Get off me," I insisted. "Get off of me. If you want some piece of meat between your thighs, go to an over-forties bar and pick up some Momma's Boy who will pop in less than fifteen seconds, then grovel at your feet for an hour like a worm. "It would be better than an immature punk like you," she struggled to insult me and my performance. I took three long strokes inside her, flexing my cock when it was at its deepest, thumping her G-spot each time. I could see tears of pleasure in her eyes. I tried to pull out the fourth time but she hooked her legs behind me and held my shoulders tight. "No," she persisted. "I am going to use you until I'm satisfied." Instead of wrestling with her, I pulled her up so that my hands cupped her ass, her arms remained around my shoulders, letting her kiss me, and her thighs and calves were wrapped around my waist. I bounced her up and down quickly, quickening her passion as each drop onto the fullness of my rod brought her closer to orgasm. "What?" she gasped, "Where are we, " "Outside, so that your security can see us," I explained evilly. "No!" she squeaked. "Heaven," I stated. She shook her head so I took two more steps to the cutback exit in the screens. "No, no," she insisted then as I took the next step. "Fine," she said in defeat, but hating me for it. "You can have her back for the short time she's still here," she seethed. "The Board will support my decision and that will be it for her, and probably the rest of you too." "Don't be bitter, Mel," I teased. "You've been good to me so I'm going to be good to you. How do you want it?" She glared at me so I continued talking as I walked us back to the bed. "You want to be slammed from behind, don't you? It is hard to get those girls you break down to do a convincing job of it, yet you miss being treated like a slut," I verbally prodded her. She'd gone over too fast to face down and ass sticking out for someone who didn't crave it. I gently lowered us down to the bed while keeping eye contact. "Take off your bra, then roll over on your hands and knees right here on the edge of the bed. She was torn; she had hold of me at the moment, but she really wanted to give me my grudge fuck. As she opened her shirt, I dove into her cleavage, kissing and licking. She purred hungrily even as she worked her shirt off and then her bra. While keeping up my torture of her breasts, I hooked her thighs with my hand and hiked up her legs until I had her splayed out, her knees pushed halfway to her breasts. I dove down to her muff and ravaged her clitoris and lips. Doctor Bazz squealed with surprise and pleasure. Right as my vaginal attention got to be too much for her, I yanked her ass over the edge, bent her farther over, and returned to chewing on her nipples. If she was upset that I wasn't immediately fucking her, she was doing a good job of hiding it. The next time I dove on her cunt, I kept my fingers on her engorged nipples, teasing to the point pleasure and pain collided. I tore up her cunt with a total disregard to patience and sensitivity. The Chancellor squealed, squirmed, and thrust against me without inhibition until she growled loud enough to bring any guards, had they been close enough. She hit her second spasm when I rushed one hand down to her twat and began to jackhammer two fingers inside her cunt, unrelentingly driving her eruption from crest to crest. When her eyes rolled back in her head, I released her, but only to move to my next stage. I'd promised her a good hard fucking after all. I took Melrose's hips and repositioned her so that she was face down, her knees on the edge of the bed and her legs dangling over. I knelt between her thighs and began licking her from clit to anus. A few passes into it, I sucked several of my fingers on one hand until they were really slick while working her cunt over with my other hand. I think she was a bit surprised when I pressed my first finger against her anus. As her sphincter gave way, Doctor Bazz finally spoke up. "Don't you dare," she moaned sensually. "Don't do this?" I teased her, as I sunk another half-inch into her rectum. "Oh, God, yes," she groaned like a wanton whore. I wiggled in a little farther; Melrose gasped and shook her big ass in my face. I pulled the finger, she whimpered in need, and I went back to assaulting her cunt with my tongue and teeth. "Put it back," she panted. "If I put it back, I'll have to use two fingers," I informed her. Mel coughed in response. I obliged her quiet acquiescence by teasing her anus once more. "Ugh, bastard," she grunted. It started out angry but transformed to sexual in mid-vocalization. I worked my two fingers in slowly, I didn't want her to scream and I'm basically not a sadist. I also ameliorated the pain by slipping my cock back into her cunt seconds later. I developed a slow rhythm, picking up the pace incrementally until she was really taken aback the moment I bottomed out in her womb, tickled her cervix, and twisted my two fingers 180 degrees in her anus. "Oh, God," she moaned. I began fishing through a list of affections until I found the one that bit - 'Gorgeous'. That word bit into her psyche and I decided to use it. "Oh, fuck, Gorgeous, you are so damn sexy," I whispered to her. Melrose coughed, then growled. I took the moment to lean on her back and cruelly grab a breast and begin to aggressively maul it. "Oh, God, yes!" she exulted heavily. "You are a filthy-minded, little, huge damn delinquent." "And you finally got me to ream you good, didn't you?" I responded. "Play, play all you like," she groaned, "but I know how to break you, now." 'Yes', I thought back, 'but I know you want something too.' About this time I was pretty sure there was no possible way I was getting away with this. I had fucking silk screen walls, for pity's sake. Chancellor Bazz was equally sobbing and cursing into my sheets. One second she was encouraging me to pound her harder, I obliged, and the next second she was telling me how good it felt. I will give her this much; the old bird had a lot of sexual frustration to work out and I was her instrument. Having this game go on and on certainly wasn't going to work so I had to figure out what I could do that I wasn't already doing and what would turn her on. I didn't like my answer. I reached down and took Melrose by the back of her head and pushed her face deeper into the bed. First she moaned louder and then her body started to tremble as she thrust back harder. When the suffocation set in, she struggled to rise but I was too strong and pressing her down with too much force. The Chancellor reached back from her vulnerable position and tried to push me off and remove my hand holding her head down. She became more and more frantic, undoubtedly fuelled by her own sense of rage upon the world and mirroring my own hatred of her as my motivation. Her last explosion of air was a scream into the bed. A fear-fueled orgasm overwhelmed her with her whole body going rigid, then lurching about. Now that I'd gotten her off, I let go of her neck, going so far as to grabbing her shoulder and pull her up for a desperate breath. I withdrew my fingers from her ass and my cock from her flooded cunt. Melrose lay boneless on the bed, dazed and incoherent. I put my fists on either side of her shoulders and leaned over my tormentor and victim. "You damn near killed me, you bastard," she moaned heatedly. "Was the orgasm worth it, knowing this might be the last thing you feel in this life?" I whispered to her. "Don't answer because your body told the story already. As much as you hate me, you loved putting everything on the line like that." "Shut up," she wheezed. "You know nothing, Child." "I know you are lying face-first, mostly naked, on my bed, freshly fucked, covered in sweat, my cock resting on your open, inviting ass with your legs spread wide for me, Doctor Bazz. I know I said that the next time we met I was going to fuck you like I owned you, and I think I've done that." "I am, going to, break, all of your girl, friends," Melrose ground out. "We will see who owns who when this is over, Mr. Braxton," she gasped once she'd finally calmed down and she could take an unlabored breath. As I slowly got off of her, she gave out one last sigh. "Remember your promise, Chancellor," I cautioned her. "I remember all kinds of things," she snapped back. Doctor Bazz resumed a standing position but was polite enough not to kick me when I helped her get her panties back on. "Let's not do this again," I cautioned the Chancellor. "If we do, I'm going to have to tie you up and abuse all three of your holes all weekend long." "The only 'next time' will be my last time using you," she growled. "You didn't let me finish, Mel. Next time, after I've got you warmed up, I'm handing you over to Rio who, trust me, will be a lot less compassionate than I am. Like you, she's got some anger issues to work through," I grinned. "Thank you for putting her back on my radar," she sneered back sweetly. "I'm not too worried, Mel," I replied. "You are a pretty smart woman. You know that with Rio, the pain and risk of permanent harm isn't just play. She'll be looking forward to making you beg for your life." The expectant smile she shot my way chilled the soul. God, can't you give me some not-so-crazy women to deal with? For once, he gave me a reply by way of a sudden insight: try not to solve every problem with my cock and appreciate the sane women who do spend time with me. Doctor Bazz moved past me so I gently stroked her ass. "Done?" she snarled while looking straight ahead. Her anger was betrayed by her hardening nipples. "Yes. And I apologize, Chancellor. I was only thinking about your arms bound behind your back while I pounded your cunt at the same time as Rio slammed you from behind," I said softly. She rotated her gaze to me, lust and hate warring across her countenance. "Every time we are alone together, Melrose," I breathed into the side of her face as I rubbed a hand down from her stomach to her crotch, "I am going to have to check out how wet you are." Her hand flashed down and stopped my progress. "Or would you rather I check you from behind?" I added as I ran a hand down her rump. "Fuck you," she sighed. "Is that an invitation?" I teased. This was killing me inside. "Just remember that next time, you are getting that dildo rammed up your ass." "Damn you," she seethed once more. "I have to go before security suspects something." Like they didn't all know precisely what had been going on? How dumb did she think they were? Without another word she strode out of my bedroom into the main area. "What have you found?" she questioned the guards. Of course they had found nothing damning. They had to be suspicious of all the TVs and computer stations without internet hook-ups but no one mentioned a thing. "This was a colossal waste of time," Melrose said in an exaggerated display. "Let's go." Doctor Bazz led the way down the stairs but stumbled on the first step. The last guard in line smirked at me. "Do you miss Dana much?" I inquired quietly. "And how," she rolled her eyes. "Tonight was a total bust. Anyone with half a brain knew you expected a raid tonight and would have everything stashed somewhere else. All this overtime is good for my paycheck but I'd kill for a good night's sleep." "Oh, you are preaching to the choir, ma'am," I chuckled, "preaching to the choir." I went back to my room and lay down. Sleep did not come easy. I knew that the Science Club's cameras had recorded the events of the past half hour; I just had to figure out what to do with them, besides get Heaven back. Rolling Off the Bottom I had grabbed a shower around 2:00 so I wasn't really surprised that a dozen feet came running up my steps at 6:15. I was barely able to prop myself up in the bed when Rio came storming in. "What's up, dude?" she said as she plopped down. "Planning to forgo cleanliness?" "I showered earlier," I told them. Valerie, Iona, Opal, Brandi and Barbie Lynn all came in and sat around me. Barbie Lynn was the first to clue in that something was off. "What's wrong, Honey?" she asked with concern. "My room was raided last night," I answered. It wasn't the total truth but I wasn't sure how I felt about my actions with the Chancellor the night before, much less how my friends would take it. "Well, you are still here so they didn't find anything, so what is it?" Opal prodded. "Ladies, can I keep this plan to myself?" I requested. "Of course," Iona responded. Sadly, she seemed to be the only one who appeared ready to let the situation lie. "Don't make us get all CSI on your ass," Rio teased. "You know we'll eventually figure it out so you might as well tell us." I studied her for a few seconds. "I ass-raped the Chancellor in order to get Heaven back," I told her in a dead-even tone. It was an empty joy to see that most of them realized too late they really didn't want to know after all. "What did she say?" Barbie Lynn came to my rescue. "Are we getting Heaven back?" "She promised me, and I have reason to believe she'll actually honor it," I replied. "Well, Rio finally kicked in, "How was she?" "Why do you think I took a shower earlier?" I pointed out. "I've never used sex that way and I pray it never happens again." "Don't beat yourself up over this," Brandi consoled me. "You did say that being young means you get to do stupid shit?" I don't recall using those exact words but still, "I think we can agree to not talk about this outside of this room," Opal added. "So do you know of any Thai Sexual Cleansing ritual that will help you get over last night?" Brandi grinned mischievously. I chuckled. "We'd love to help," Barbie Lynn chimed in. "Thank you, ladies," I smiled, "but I think I need to get my head on straight before diving back into the pleasurable side of this school. I need to know if I did the right thing or not." On that cheery note we all began to move toward the stairs and out into the world. In the stairwell Valerie cornered me, put a hand on my chest to impede my progress, and motioned to me that she had something to say. "From the discussion in the Chancellor's office Monday I get the feeling that Heaven is a girl-guy, shemale, what have you; right?" she started off. I nodded. "You clearly like girls but you are real close to Heaven; right?" Val continued. "Yes," I replied. "So you risked something you love, namely, the pleasure you derive from sex, to save her; right?" she prodded. "Yes," I sounded curious. "Then you did the right thing," she concluded. "Zane, I'd kill for the people I love and I imagine you would too. What's death compared to a little rough sex with an evil controlling bitch to get her to release someone as close to you as Heaven appears to be?" "Thanks, Valerie," I grinned. "My heart knows you are right but it is going to take my mind a while to accept that. I guess I'm over-thinking things." "Happens to the best of us," Valerie joked, then punched me in the arm. "Let's catch up with the others before Rio does something stupid, okay, does something more stupid than normal." We were halfway through breakfast when I noted a diminishing of noise from the south entrance of the hall. Being taller than the average female student, I was able to make out the cause of the disturbance. I catapulted out of my seat and raced for the lady at the door; I had the vague impression I wasn't alone. I rushed up within a few feet of Heaven, who had dropped her bags and looked at me with fear and expectation. I didn't want to overwhelm or embarrass her so I pulled up short to make sure the moment was special. I'm an idiot!! Rio slipped past me, grabbed Heaven's cheeks, and planted a deep kiss full of longing on MY GIRL's lips!! "Oh, Babycakes, I've missed you so much," Rio panted passionately to Heaven. "Ah, thanks, Rio," Heaven said, "but if you don't let go of me right now, I'm going to strangle you with your own intestines." Heaven untangled herself from Rio, shot a look my way, then rushed into Christina's arms. Rio smirked at me. The rest of Christina's crew swarmed around Heaven and rejoiced at her return. I took a step back to give them some room. I did note Chancellor Bazz glaring at me from the head table. I looked back to catch sight of Dana Gorman giving me a lopsided grin from the door Heaven had come through, a McDonald's bag in hand. I missed Heaven's arm slipping through her knot of friends and pulling me in. She pressed her body against me and looked up into my eyes. "I want you inside of me so bad," she whispered. Why can't a woman look at me and say "I've missed gazing into your eyes" or something romantic like that? "How about we get Heaven squared away in our room before Assembly?" Christina suggested. "We'll get her bags," Hope volunteered. "I'll come too," I joined in, but Chastity quickly put a hand up. "No, you don't," she smiled. "We'd like Heaven to actually get to Assembly." "There is no Assembly today," Iona pointed out. "Great, I can go straight to Zane's room," Heaven beamed. "I don't think we'll mind the company," Paige announced. I was suddenly left trying to figure out how she'd appeared next to me in this crowd, as well as how my arm ended up around her waist. "Holy Hell, Paige," I hissed. "You are going to give me a heart attack if you keep that up." "It isn't worth it unless you pay the price," she teased me. What the hell did that mean, 'pay the price'? Heaven balled up her fists and I was sure blood was about to be spilled. "Paige, we need to figure out what you are wearing to the party this weekend," Valerie intervened. "Party?" Paige sounded intrigued. Valerie edged Paige away and the situation defused. "Heaven, unpack," I began. "Iona, round up the Coach and get her to our place." "Barbie Lynn, could you and Alice watch over the door to make sure we aren't overwhelmed by non-freshmen?" Alice had been standing on the periphery and was clearly stunned that I was addressing her in this manner, but still rapidly nodded and looked to Barbie Lynn to gauge her perception of the request. Barbie Lynn gave her 'replacement' a smile and motioned Alice away from the group as well. "Alright, everyone," Doctor Larson spoke up, "finish breakfast and then back to your rooms. We are still under twenty-four hours of restricted travel so I do not expect to see any of you again until lunch. Please get about your business. Lastly, I expect some of you will be called before the Board of Directors to give testimony or receive a verdict on your status here; make yourself ready and presentable." "Mr. Braxton," Doctor Topaz Larson fixed me with a deadly eye, "that will require you to remain fully clothed most of the time. Do you understand?" "Of course, Doctor Larson; I'll do my best," I swore. "Sweet! That means I get to run around naked!" Rio exalted. "Ms. Talon, are you taking your anti-psychotic drugs?" Doctor Larson said deadpan. "Nope; I've been slipping them into the Chancellor's tea," Rio grinned all crazy-like. "Do you think anyone has noticed?" "If you want to take credit for the past two weeks, by all means do so," Topaz allowed. "I was looking for a cheap and sleazy way to be despised by everybody, she began, but I headed her off. "She'll stay in clothes and we'll make sure that all her pills are changed to suppositories. I know she won't miss any of those," I taunted my friend. "That may be for the best," Doctor Larson snorted disdainfully, but ruined it with a grin. She turned and strode back to the table. I wasn't sure which one of us the Chancellor hated more; Doctor Larson for keeping order or the rest of us for obeying. "Okay, I'm going to the bathroom. Heaven, can I hope to see you once you are squared away in your room?" I asked as I hugged her once more and headed away. I knew the questions would come soon enough. One aspect of a women's college that guys might not appreciate is that there are only stalls in girl's bathrooms, and since FFU has a grand total of two men's rooms on the entire campus (Administration and Athletics), I was always using a female facility. I was about to finish business, the standing-up kind, when my door rattled as someone tried to get in. "Excuse me?" I inquired. "Let me in," hissed my visitor. Since I clearly knew the voice, I zipped up and unlatched the door. She pushed in and latched the door behind her before pushing me down and straddling my lap. "You did, Heaven kissed me ", something." Kiss, kiss. "Christina says it had to be you who got me back." She went back to kissing me. "You are my girlfriend, Heaven. I don't know what I wouldn't do for you, Babe," I told her. She nestled into my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck. "You make me feel so alive, Zane," Heaven related in a soft vulnerable tone. "Don't get all romantic on me," I teased her between light kisses on her lips. "I've got a whole bottle of Viagra showing up at noon and I need someone to work all that sexual energy out on,  and, okay, I missed you." She wiggled into a more snug fit in my lap. "Did you miss me more than Barbie Lynn, or Paige?" she teased. "They aren't you," I countered. I ran my right hand between us, worked up her skirt, and began rubbing her package, which was clearly straining against the strap-down. Heaven began moaning, then slowly rolling her body against mine. "Come on," she panted, "let's have a quickie." "Can't happen," I whispered. To prove my dedication to my statement, I ran my left hand around her hip, under her skirt, and to her covered ass. I pressed a finger between her ass cheeks until I pressed against her anus. Now I was massaging her front and back. "Oh, God, you bastard," she sobbed while she rocked back and forth. "We really need to get going, though," I sighed. "Bazz will send someone after us soon enough." "I, Gurr, I owe you, Zane," Heaven groaned. "You stood by me. Damn, you fought Gorman by yourself for me and somehow you got me back. I know I can be a horrible person but you've always looked past that and saw who I could be." "I could continue being a jack-ass and say that I looked past your horrible personality to that luscious ass but I think I'd rather remind you that I chose you to be my lover and no one else," I smiled at Heaven. "Your lover, she murmured happily. "And you are my bitch," she tacked on that bit from our sexual encounter in the Kappa Sigma closet hardly one week back. We still managed to stand up and get the door open before Ms. Marlowe came in quietly. She frowned at us while we grinned at her, cleaned our hands, and walked past her back to the Dining Hall. Restructuring We sat outside in the hall opposite the main Administrative conference room. There weren't a ton of us; the individual class presidents plus Heaven, Rio and myself. Christina and Rhaine shared the Senior Class spot. "Drink run," I volunteered. "Who wants what?" "Zane, if they call for you and you're gone, it will be big trouble," Christina pointed out. "If I stay here one more minute, I'll strip off my clothes, paint myself blue, and streak across campus," I grinned piratically. "Sprite," Heaven spoke up. A series of orders followed and I hurried off. Upon my return, I handed Rhaine (last in line) a Doctor Pepper, which caused her to give me an odd look. "I didn't ask for, she began muttering. "Nah, but I always see you drinking the stuff so I figured you could use one," I told her. "Ah, thank you," she responded with a cautious smile. "If it makes you horny then it was my idea too, Rhaine," Rio leaned forward so Rhaine could see her and smiled. "Is she hormonal, dropped on the head as a child, or what?" Simone Brady asked the group of us. She was the Junior Class President and nominally a Rhaine supporter. She'd asked for and received a Sunkist. "Tie me up in your room and we'll find out," Rio licked her lips at Simone. "Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?" Heaven quizzed Rio. "No; Simone looks like a slow learner and I don't want to scare her off on our first date," Rio leered. "Now you know what I went through," Rhaine explained to Simone, who sniffed in derision. "Hey, I don't know this crazy woman at all but even I can tell she's playing with you two," Hannah Cartwright, Sophomore Class President, rolled her eyes. "How about we all try to remember we are all here to save our school?" Christina interrupted. The conversation had died down to nothing when Rio nudged me. "There's this old guy coming down the hallway and he looks like he knows you," she whispered. I looked up and my heart nearly stopped. I'd fucked up even worse than I thought. "Uncle Josh," I said weakly, as I stood and faced him. "Dude, I thought you said your family was dead," Rio continued. "Technically, that would be true," the old man rumbled, "and you would be Rio Talon. I'm Joshua Coppersmith, old family acquaintance and the Braxton family executor." "The last time I saw you I was being placed on a plane to Thailand," I stated somewhat bitterly. "It was part of your father's will, Zane. He was my boss and the son of a friend so I owed it to him to trust his judgment concerning his only child," Uncle Josh explained. "I recall wanting to stay with you," I reminded him. I recalled crying a river of tears, hoping to stay. I actually knew who Josh was, where Tim and Jill were virtual unknowns. "A normal life is not allowed for everyone," Christina spoke up; "Past battles and all." I hate being beaten with my own words. "That was one of your father's favorite sayings," Uncle Josh said. "I am glad to see you living by it. Thank you, Ms. Buchanan." She nodded politely. "Who is this old geezer again?" Rio interjected. "He was a close personal friend of my grandfather. They turned the company from a tired little mining concern to something a bit more. He mentored my father and they worked side-by-side when granddad died. Now he sort of runs thing until I inherit," I outlined. "That is somewhat correct but not why I'm here. I could hardly miss the past week's activities here at Freedom Fellowship University. As the child of Victor and Jenna Braxton, I owed it to them both to let Zane sink or swim on his own. As the future head of the corporation I work for, I need to make sure he doesn't end up in prison," Josh clarified. "Dude," Rio scoffed, then came to my side, "your boy went to jail last week. Where were you then?" "Ms. Talon, I do not have spies watching his every move. By the time I became aware of the matter, it had been resolved," my pseudo-Uncle responded. "I seriously suggest you get a 'minder' for Zane," Hannah Cartwright weighed in. "He's a real nutjob." That assessment would have angered me more had I not seen everyone nod in agreement. Instead, I went for the redirect. "You've been in contact with Aunt Jill?" As far as I knew, Jill despised every aspect of my Dad's life. "Zane, Jill has never handled more than two hundred dollars her entire life; of course I'm keeping an eye on her, and you," Josh stared at me. "I carefully monitor both yours and her finances." "Seriously?" Christina asked skeptically. "He bought a warehouse full of furniture and that didn't appear to you to be frivolous?" "Frivolous would be renting a private jet and a penthouse for a weekend in Las Vegas. Since Zane can't use eight sofas, I made the educated guess he was buying them to help out his dorm mates," Josh countered. "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir. I'm Rhaine Ritchie, Senior Class President," Rhaine jumped in. "I am curious as to your purpose here. Are you here to take Zane away or are you going to help him stay here?" "President Presumptive," Heaven growled. "That's good to know," Josh nodded, "and I'm here to represent the corporation's interests, in this case, avoiding embarrassment to the company's executive branch." "If you want an embarrassment, you don't need to go any further than Heaven," Rhaine insinuated. "She's my transgender girlfriend and we have rocking sex," I blurted out to preempt Rhaine. Heaven's eyes flew open; Joshua looked totally nonplussed. "Did you buy her in a Manila slum?" Josh asked me dryly. "Ahh, no?" I stammered. "Oh, that's alright, then," Uncle Josh mused. "I mean, once I had to fly a fourteen-year-old Tanzanian princess back to her home and explain to her parents why she and Victor weren't really married." He looked at Heaven, "Besides, she's clearly an adult and we could do far worse with photo opportunities." "His father dated his share of actresses and models before he settled down and I have every reason to believe Zane will be just as much trouble before some woman steals his heart and reins him in," Uncle Joshua related. "Too late," Rio snickered, but I cut her off with a painful elbow to the ribs. "Ow!" "That would be me," Christina stood and declared proudly. Josh looked her over. "Little lady, I hope you have patience, iron resolve, and the will to exert them both in equal measure," he informed her. "I am not sure I want him yet," Christina retorted. "Ah, then you are intelligent as well," Josh smiled. "Please make sure that if you do marry, you don't murder him until you have a child. Otherwise, the inheritance will be a bear. I like Jill but she comes from a family of nitwits," Josh continued. "That won't be a problem," Rio grinned evilly. "Zane's adopted a daughter since coming to FFU." "Iona is not my daughter," I snarled at Rio, "but I could do worse than making her my heir." Instead of being shocked, Josh rolled his shoulders. "I'll get the paperwork to you next week." "Are you sure you want to do that to Ms. Beckett?" Christina asked me. "Who else would be saint enough to deal with Rio if I was gone?" I explained. "Just for that, you get to wear the ball-gag and restraints next time," Rio warned me. "Mr. Coppersmith?" an attendant from the Board meeting asked when she poked her head out of the conference room. Her eyes flitted from me to my 'Uncle', locking on him. He nodded and followed her into the room. "Umm, he looks like my first husband," Rio mused. "I'm sure his wife, children, and grandchildren will take to that without protest," I joked. "Fine; I'll settle for being his mistress," Rio sulked. The Inquisition "Okay, I am missing something," Rhaine spoke up. "What is going on, Zane? Now that you know Heaven is a guy, how can the two of you still be going out together? You are not gay." "Rhaine, I already knew about Heaven before we actually had intercourse, though I admit to being attracted to her before then," I responded. "But, he's a guy. What do you do?" Rhaine wondered out loud with a quizzical look on her face. "Rhaine," Christina chimed in, "what kind of sex do you think Zane has been having with all the women he takes to bed? He's not taking their virginity, after all." "Oh, that's sick!" Simone declared. "Simone, have you ever had anal sex?" Rio grumbled. "God, no, that's gross," Simone said indignantly. "So what was it like when you walked the Dolorosa?" Rio queried. I was pretty stunned Rio even knew what the path that Jesus took to Golgotha was called. "What? I've never been to Israel," Simone answered. "I bet you'd like to go and I'd bet you think you'd like it," Rio grinned. "Yes, I would want to go, and I know it would be spiritual, but this has nothing to do with homosexuality being wrong," Simone struck back. "Listen, you stuck up bitch," Rio kept grinning, "Jesus was a pretty smart Son of God so we would assume if something was really important to him, he'd have brought it up before the Romans gakked him. Seriously, how long does it take to say 'homosexuality is wrong; no more butt-sex'?" Rio beamed vile unpleasantness at Simone. "You are an immoral soul," Rhaine jumped in. "If that is how you want to describe someone who is honest, fearless, and who thinks for themselves, then I guess Rio and I are both immoral souls," I defended my best buddy. "Count me in," Christina raised her hand. "Me, too," Hannah and Heaven joined in our little heresy. "Hannah, how can you go down the same way they are?" Rhaine complained. "Heaven is gay and Christina has lied for her since the beginning; Rio is a criminal; and Zane is, a boy." "Listen, Rhaine, I don't claim to understand what is going on with Heaven and Zane but I figure if God is pissed, he'll let them know," Hannah stated. "In the past two weeks, short of dodging you and your enforcers, I haven't known Rio to do anything wrong. She's served her time so we should forgive her and give her a chance. St Paul started out persecuting early Christians before he saw the light. What would have happened if Jesus hadn't given him a second chance?" Hannah sighed. "How could I do less?" "And Zane, face it, he's eye-candy, and I've got a list of ten different things I want to do with him when my time to have him for Handmaiden's Duty comes up," she finished with a grin. "Just once I'd like to have a girl here tell me I'm smart, or funny, or that I have a nice personality," I griped. "But No, it is always 'he's got a fifteen inch cock as thick as his forearm; he can screw for two hours straight; or that I have a prehensile tongue that can tickle the ovaries and bring a girl to multiple orgasms." Simone and Hannah's eyes grew larger as my gross exaggerations persisted. "It's not fifteen inches long," countered Rhaine decisively. Simone missed it. "How do you know how big it is?" Hannah clearly didn't. "I, Rhaine choked. "I was coming out of the shower when Rhaine, Joy Jefferson, and Mercy Chaplain intercepted me. My towel accidently fell off and she got a brief view," I volunteered. Rhaine's look of surprise became one of veiled thanks. "Because it wasn't like Rhaine wanted that massive piece of meat rubbing between her legs until she cried out in ecstasy or anything like that," Rio teased. "That's enough," I cautioned Rio, and put an arm around her waist to pull her in. That calmed things down until we were all called into the meeting. Uncle Josh was sitting against the near wall. Against the North wall sat Ms. Lane and a dark-haired fortyish woman with reading glasses I didn't recognize. They both were taking notes. On the South Wall sat a different woman, early thirties with short black hair and what I could best describe as a casual lethality. Both new women looked over us newcomers but lingered on Christina, Heaven, and myself. Looking at the eight men on the Board of Directors was rather anticlimactic comparatively. "Ms. Ritchie and Buchanan, we have decided to uphold Chancellor Bazz's decision to annul the last election of Senior Class President. The matter will be decided during Freshman elections in October. We find both of your behavior to date this semester to be deplorable and a sad example to your fellow seniors. Do you have any comments? Ms. Buchanan?" "Directors, what do we do if the Chancellor once again annuls the elections?" Christina asked. "You appeal the action to the new Vice-Chancellor, Doctor Victoria Scarlett," the head of the board directed our attention to the woman sitting with Ms. Lane. As if my life wasn't hell already. "Oh, you would so do her," Rio whispered to me with her insane grin. I was so busy praying that no one heard her that I missed Simone being read the riot act next. She'd be facing re-election in a few weeks too, a fact she was distinctly upset by. Hannah was given the same news but her reaction was to flick her hair over one shoulder and give a bored sigh. "What was that, Ms. Cartwright?" the Head Director grilled her. "Reverence, Purity, Integrity, this is what our school supposedly stands for," Hannah faced the man down. "I can vote and fight for my country but you are treating us like children, Sir. The Chancellor was wrong and we fought back against her tyranny because that was the only choice our Christian moral code left us." "It is hardly Christian to physically attack your fellow students, Ms. Cartwright," he shot back. "I didn't tell any of my class to attack anyone but I admit that I punched two girls who I knew attacked other students," she admitted. "I figured it was time for a little Old Testament 'Wrath of the Israelites' kind of thing." "Your intransience is not encouraging," a different man on the board stated. "I apologize, Sir. I was hoping my love of justice would not be misunderstood," she sighed. "Hannah, I'm voting for you as my class president," Rio leaned forward and addressed Hannah. "You can't, Rio; you are a freshman and I'm a sophomore," Hannah grinned back at her. As far as I could tell, this was the most either had ever said to the other. "Obviously you've never heard of gerrymandering and ballot box stuffing," Rio snickered. "This is neither the time to joke nor a subject to joke about, Ms. Talon," the Chairman said crossly. "Sorry, Sir," Rio beamed. "I wasn't trying to be frivolous; elections are a good thing. I'm all for seeing more of the girls here, to see them get excited and come together for their mutual enjoyment, I swear I do." While that seemed to satisfy the Board, Hannah had to look down at her lap and Heaven developed a sudden coughing fit. "Um, um, Vickers, umm, you represent quite a quandary. We suspect you lied on your application to this school three years ago and you absolutely understood you would not have been admitted if you had been honest with us," the Chairman of the Board declared. Heaven shivered so I took one of her hands while Christina took the other. Our motions were noted but I doubt the three of us cared. "Now, Vickers, we could deal with this matter if you would submit to a medical examination," he continued. "Why?" Christina replied. "Is every other applicant to this school required to do the same?" "No other student has their gender called into question," a third board member informed us. "She is not going to go along with this blatantly discriminatory policy," Christina retorted. "If I may," Doctor Scarlett raised her hand. After a moment the Chairman nodded. "Mr. Braxton, as a man and someone with a confessed familiarity with Heaven Vickers, would you assert that said person is a woman?" "She's more than woman enough for me," I quickly answered. "Since it is clear that I have the lowest moral threshold in this room, it isn't going to make anyone think less of me if I attest that I've seen Heaven naked and she's got all the girlie parts I like," Rio threw her soul into the struggle. Heaven virtually froze up at that declaration. "Are, are you saying that you've seen Umm, Vickers naked?" the second director stuttered. "Dude," Rio scoffed, "we have communal showers here. Seeing a girl naked is hardly a rare occurrence. Since you seem like a kindred kinky soul, I'll let you know that I've seen Heaven under the sheets and I can give that body my pseudo-lesbian seal of approval." "Have you had homosexual relations?" the Chairman gasped. "With Heaven, definitely not," Rio swore with an upraised hand. "As for anyone else, what does it matter?" she joked. "You already think I'm a whore." "You should watch your language," the third director warned Rio. I put my hand on her stomach to hold her back from saying something that would only make it worse for her. "To the bitter end," she winked at me. "To the bitter end," I smirked back. She was taking one for the team; drawing off the discussion about Heaven by shocking the Board. Unfortunately, I wasn't alone in seeing that. "Mr. Chairman," Doctor Scarlett addressed the Head of the Board, "perhaps we could return to the agenda if you want to stay on schedule." "Very well," the man allowed. "Umm, Vickers, this matter isn't over but since we do not have conclusive proof about your gender, your application will remain under review." "Thank you," Heaven replied softly. "Don't thank us," the man spat. "Your deviancy will reveal itself soon enough. Evil can never hide from God's Truth." "God is with us," I glowered back. I wasn't winning any friends on the far side of the table. "Your time is coming, Mr. Braxton," the Chairman retorted. "Ms. Talon, we find it miraculous that you haven't racked up more infractions in your short time here. Now, your parents and this board agreed, upon your admittance, that you would live with the strictest discipline and you've attempted every trick in the book to circumvent those intentions." "They did this to me on purpose," Rio moaned over the revelation of her parents' role in events. They'd given the Chancellor and Dana Gorman carte blanche in dealing with Rio. "Nothing has changed," I whispered to Rio. She turned and looked at me with tear-brimmed eyes. She nodded once in understanding. "A special guardian will be assigned to see to your physical and spiritual security," he continued. "Who?" Rio questioned quietly. "Administration will decide on who is most appropriate," he responded snidely. "Now for Mr. Braxton." "I would like to say how much we appreciate you ladies and gentlemen taking time out of your busy schedules to deal with matters here today," I interrupted. I earned several glares for my effort. "Mr. Braxton, you are an unfortunate aberration that should never have been allowed to happen. All disruptions that have happened in the past few weeks can be laid at your feet," he opened with. I raised my hand. The man opened his mouth to continue but seemed annoyed with my gesture. "Yes, Mr. Braxton?" "Sir, how did you come to this conclusion? I'm one guy, and a freshman at that," I countered. "You are the man, of course," the Chairman snorted. "It is only natural that the women of this campus would follow your masculine authority no matter how unfounded and perverse." Wait, did he just call every woman in this room mindless sheep? "Still, we are caught in the same quandary that left you here in the first place. Since we have already isolated you in a Solarium, you will also be assigned a guardian," he grumbled. "Oh, okay," I shrugged. "What happens to Dana Gorman?" "Ms. Gorman has been terminated," he shrugged back. "But it wasn't her fault. I'm no fan; she did knock me out during a practice session once after all," I pointed out. "She is good for this school, though." "We have a new Head of Security and the Athletics Department is being suspended for the rest of the semester," the Chairman informed us. "That would be the neo-fascist in black at the end of the table," I directed my attention to the lone woman on the south end of the table. "Ending our sports programs would be a serious mistake for the morale of the school. Ms. Gorman has done a bang-up job and it would show real concern for the students at this school if you would keep her on as Athletics Dean." "Ask around to any of the hundreds of students who participate; ask Rhaine, she's worked closely with the Coach before," I begged. I had no idea which way Rhaine would jump but she was the only trump I had to play. The big guy didn't seem inclined to listen to Rhaine but that didn't stop her. "Coach Gorman gives every girl an active outlet for our energy," Rhaine volunteered. "She also allowed the reliable elements of the student body to aid with security. It was a shame that Zane's masculinity unbalanced the school populace; the student body does not blame her for what Zane and Christina did." "She should hardly be rewarded for such a catastrophic loss of control," the second director stated. "Reinstating Coach Gorman as Athletics Dean would save us the need for creating new creative programs to provide for the physical well-being of the girls," Doctor Scarlett suggested. "This is a matter for the Board to discuss," the Chairman announced. "You students are released to return to your dorms. Thank you for your attendance. Mr. Braxton and Ms. Talon, you will be assigned your guardians before you arrive at breakfast tomorrow." We took that as our clue to leave. We made it out of the room and almost out of the building. "A moment, Mr. Braxton, Ms. Buchanan," the short-haired woman called out. I turned and met her while the rest of the group slowed down behind me as we started to exit the building. "I'm Gabrielle Black, your new Head of Campus Security. I thought it was important to meet you before classes formally resume." She stepped up and shook Christina's and my hand while we studied her. "You may call me Zane," I offered. "I hope this means we are getting off on the right foot despite that whole neo-fascist thing." "I don't see any panty lines 'Gestapo' Black," Rio interjected herself. "Have you gone commando today?" "I usually make someone earn the right to find out, Ms. Talon," she gave Rio a shark-like grin. "I really don't see how that is relevant and I really don't want to know," Hannah spoke up. "Come on, Zane," Rio persisted, "give it a shot." "Hannah doesn't want to go there so why don't we say good-bye to the nice lady and go," I responded. "What exactly is Ms. Talon asking for?" Ms. Black inquired. "Apparently Zane has a thing for figuring out women and woman's lingerie," Christina said with a degree of caution. "I hope Ms. Cartwright will forgive me but I'd like to test this little trick," Gabrielle requested. "If Hannah doesn't mind," I asked the sophomore class President (sort of). She nodded so I looked to Gabrielle. "Give me a second," I requested. "What's wrong, Zane?" Rio wondered when I didn't immediately start reeling off the facts. "She's good at lying," I informed the group, "but, " "But?" Gabrielle smirked. "Lycra, form-fitting, probably a custom job, dull black, and I guess, with some sort of synthetic weave," I stumbled along. "I've never seen anything precisely like it." "I have," Simone muttered. "A woman in the Presidential Detail for the Secret Service talked about having o

Jen Donahoe makes her triumphant return. She's joined by Eric Kress and special guest Stan Kwon from BetaHat.We dig into:Battlefield 6 corrections, marketing takeawaysAndroid's new payment-link era Unity's cross-platform paymentswhat General Intuition's $134 M seed means for spatial reasoning and game dataRovio's restructuring Football Manager deal with FIFA00:00 Welcome03:12 Jen's Update09:17 Industry Insights and Trends14:56 Battlefield Six Analysis23:05 Marketing Strategies and Success26:12 Marketing Choices and Target Audience27:13 Epic vs Google: Legal Battle Update36:42 Unity's New Commerce Management Product41:53 AI and Gaming: General Intuition's Ambitious Plans49:16 Rovio's Restructuring and Industry Trends52:40 Football Manager's Success and Future Plans

Episode #179: Unlock the secrets to turning leads into lucrative business opportunities with insights from Kimberly Lovi's conversation with Mike Bakaic. Prepare to transform your sales approach as we unpack the strategies that have helped entrepreneurs, athletes, and celebrities elevate their personal brands. From utilizing podcasts to build networks and maximize time, to creating high-value offers that compete on quality rather than price, this episode is brimming with actionable advice that promises to elevate your business game. Join us as we explore the powerful influence of figures like Alex Hermosi on modern business strategies, particularly in lead generation and growth restructuring. We dissect the challenges of transitioning from a traditional word-of-mouth model to leveraging physical studio spaces, like our hub in Westlake Village, to attract more clients. Through our engaging dialogue, discover innovative ways to ensure your offerings make a mark in the local area, even amidst hesitations about stepping into the spotlight on social media platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube. Real estate agents, in particular, will find value in our discussion around visibility and social influence, with a focus on digital marketing strategies that capture leads and enhance online presence. We provide practical advice for using video content to showcase success stories and engage audiences, while underpinning these efforts with sophisticated analytics to track growth and impact. Embrace the power of face-to-face interactions, drawing from real-life experiences, and learn how networking events can open doors to new opportunities and drive business success. Whether you're venturing into real estate or any other field, these insights will guide you in harnessing both digital and personal connections for unparalleled growth. Chapters: (00:00) In Studio With Kimberly Lovi (07:11) Transforming High Performers Through Podcasting (19:09) Digital Marketing Strategies for Real Estate (24:17) Maximizing Social Influence for Real Estate (36:00) Maximizing High Ticket Offer Value (43:56) Maximizing Local Market Exposure Through Networking (47:45) Maximizing Real Estate Networking Events (51:50) Developing Scalable Value Propositions (01:00:31) Cyber Confidential Marketing Strategies Find Mike Bakaic on LinkedIn Follow Kimberly on Instagram and TikTok @kimberlylovi or @iconicnationmedia 

Matt Fox achieved a life-changing exit and walked away in 90 days!Matt Fox was 72 hours from a multi-seven-figure exit when COVID killed the deal.What followed: a complete breakdown, 2 years of therapy, and a total rebuild.But he did it differently the second time.Cut from 30 stressed employees to 10 people he loved. Stripped costs. Turned it into a cash machine. By 40, he'd cleared his mortgage and bought Spanish properties with cash.Then, in November 2024, he sold the business and walked away in 3 months.In this episode:Why scaling to 30 people nearly destroyed himThe "cash cow" strategy that made him wealthy before the exitHow to build a team that doesn't need youWhat selling a business actually feels like (the bit nobody warns you about)Why 80% of recruitment founders get exits wrongThis isn't your typical scale-and-sell story. This is what it really takes to lose everything, rebuild on your terms, and exit with your sanity intact.For recruitment founders running 5-30 person agencies, wondering what happens next.Chapters00:03:00 Building Dynamite Recruitment00:09:00 Challenges and Resilience00:15:00 Restructuring for Profitability00:21:00 The Sale Process00:27:00 Lessons Learned and Future Plans__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasAdmin is a massive waste of time. That's why there's Atlas, the AI-first recruitment platform built for modern agencies.It doesn't only track CVs and calls. It remembers everything. Every email, every interview, every conversation. Instantly searchable, always available. And now, it's entering a whole new era.With Atlas 2.0, you can ask anything and it delivers. With Magic Search, you speak and it listens. It finds the right candidates using real conversations, not simply look for keywords.Atlas 2.0 also makes business development easier than ever. With Opportunities, you can track, manage and grow client relationships, powered by generative AI and built right into your workflow.Need insights? Custom dashboards give you total visibility over your pipeline. And that's not theory. Atlas customers have reported up to 41% EBITDA growth and an 85% increase in monthly billings after adopting the platform.No admin. No silos. No lost info. Nothing but faster shortlists, better hires and more time to focus on what actually drives revenue.Atlas is your personal AI partner for modern recruiting.Don't miss the future of recruitment. Get started with Atlas today and unlock your exclusive RAG listener offer at https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: HoxoEvery recruitment founder is investing in LinkedIn.Spending thousands on Recruiter licences.Building connections. Posting content. Growing networks.But here's the question almost no one can answer:How much revenue is LinkedIn actually bringing into your business?Most founders have thousands of connections but no clear process to turn that attention into cash.That's the problem we solve.At Hoxo, we help recruitment founders build predictable revenue systems on LinkedIn, not just noise or vanity metrics.Our clients are turning LinkedIn into £100K–£300K in new billings within months, using their existing networks and a simple repeatable process.To show you how it works, we've created a short training video exclusively for RAG listeners.In less than 10 minutes, you'll learn:- Why most recruiters are getting zero measurable ROI from LinkedIn- How small, niche teams are generating...

John Stackhouse, senior vice-president at the office of the CEO at RBC, and Jackie Pichette, director of skills policy for RBC Thought Leadership, discuss Canada's post-secondary education crisis and its implications for economic competitiveness. They argue that while Canada faces historic nation-building investments in sectors like defence, AI, and energy, universities and colleges are scaling down due to funding constraints and policy neglect, creating a dangerous disconnect between national ambitions and institutional capacity. The discussion explores how post-secondary institutions must shift toward competency-based education, stronger industry partnerships, and greater focus on practical skills training to support Canada's productivity challenges and strategic economic priorities. This episode is presented in partnership with RBC Thought Leadership. The Hub is Canada's fastest growing independent digital news outlet. Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content: https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple) https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify) Watch a video version on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada Want more Hub? Get a FREE 3-month trial membership on us: https://thehub.ca/free-trial/ Follow The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en CREDITS: Elia Gross - Producer & Editor Sean Speer - Host

Drake and kolbe start off with explaining themselves for being gone, deer hunting, ruffled my feathers, duck season, piece of the week, and new ideas for the podcast and youtube.

If your business model no longer fits the life you want or the market you're in, it's time to restructure. In this episode of Millions Were Made, Jessica Marx sits down with Shannon Matson, Founder of The Social Bungalow and multi–seven-figure entrepreneur, to talk about the strategies today's founders need to adapt, scale, and sustain growth in 2025.From building a high-converting signature offer to fixing a “broken” funnel, Shannon shares her process for attracting committed buyers, crafting messaging that cuts through market skepticism, and creating a mid-ticket, evergreen program as the cornerstone of your ascension model. You'll learn how to identify when you've outgrown your business model, restructure without losing momentum, and shift your positioning to meet today's evolved buyer.Jessica and Shannon also unpack how to track and interpret the right marketing data, why most funnels fail before the sales page, and how to balance multiple ventures without burning out. Whether you're downsizing for higher profit or scaling for greater reach, this episode will help you make strategic decisions that create more revenue, more freedom, and more impact.Highlights: (04:10) Shannon's journey from corporate marketing to multi–seven-figure founder (08:15) Lessons from running both a brick-and-mortar coffee shop and an online business (10:42) How to turn expertise into a high-converting signature offer (14:20) The three core pillars every offer needs to stand out in 2025 (17:48) Why most funnels fail and how to fix yours before driving more traffic (20:36) The three types of trust buyers need before they convert (25:15) Using live launches to gather funnel data and improve conversions (29:00) Tracking the right data to identify your best buyers and biggest drop-off points (33:45) Signs you've outgrown your business model and how to restructure (37:58) Building an evergreen, mid-ticket offer as the foundation of your ascension model (43:10) Why constant reinvention erodes buyer trust—and what to do instead (47:12) How to adapt your positioning for today's longer sales cycles (52:25) The “Access, Authority, Attitude” content framework for building your personal brand (56:42) Shannon's free training: Define Your Unique Sales Edge (01:00:14) How building personal wealth has impacted Shannon's life and legacy work (01:06:32) The best piece of business advice Shannon gives her clientsConnect with Jessica:Instagram: @millionsweremade | @thejessicamarxWork with Jessica: Tailored PremierWebsite: Millions Were MadeConnect with Shannon:Website: thesocialbungalow.comInstagram: @thesocialbungalowFree Training: Define Your Unique Sales Edge

Renee Troughton: The Hidden Cost of Constant Restructuring in Agile Organizations Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. "Trust and safety are the most fundamental foundations of a team to perform. And so you are just breaking the core of teams when you're doing this." Renee challenges us to look beyond team dysfunction and examine the "dirty little secrets" in organizations—leadership-driven anti-patterns that destroy team performance. She reveals a cyclical pattern of constant restructuring that occurs every six months in many organizations, driven by leaders who avoid difficult performance management conversations and instead force people through redundancy rounds. This creates a cascade of fear, panic, and victim mindset throughout the organization. Beyond restructuring, Renee identifies other destructive patterns including the C-suite shuffle (where new CEOs bring in their own teams, cascading change throughout the organization) and the insourcing/outsourcing swings that create chaos over 5-8 year cycles. These high-level decisions drain productivity for months as teams storm and reform, losing critical knowledge and breaking the trust and safety that are fundamental for high performance. Renee emphasizes that as Agile coaches and Scrum Masters, we often don't feel empowered to challenge these decisions, yet they represent the biggest drain on organizational productivity. Self-reflection Question: Have you identified the cyclical organizational anti-patterns in your workplace, and do you have the courage to raise these systemic issues with senior leadership? Featured Book of the Week: Loving What Is by Byron Katie "It teaches you around how to reframe your thoughts in the day-to-day life, to assess them in a different light than you would normally perceive them to be." Renee recommends "Loving What Is" by Byron Katie as an essential tool for Scrum Master introspection. This book teaches practical techniques for reframing thoughts and recognizing that problems we perceive "out there" are often internal framing issues. Katie's method, called "The Work," provides a worksheet-based approach to introspection that helps identify when our perceptions create unnecessary suffering. Renee also highlights Marshall Rosenberg's "Nonviolent Communication" as a companion book, which uses language to tap into underlying emotions and needs. Both books offer practical, actionable techniques for self-knowledge—a critical skill for anyone in the Scrum Master role. The journey these books provide leads to inner peace through understanding that many challenges stem from how we internally frame situations rather than external reality. We have many episodes on NVC, Nonviolent Communication, which you can dive into and learn from experienced practitioners.  [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Allen and Rosemary discuss the upcoming Wind O&M Australia 2026 conference, Ørsted's major restructuring announcement, and the BirdVision bird collision avoidance system. They also explore Nordex's new cold-climate turbine for Canada and the ongoing challenges of blade icing protection systems. Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes' YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us! You are listening to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast brought to you by build turbines.com. Learn, train, and be a part of the Clean Energy Revolution. Visit build turbines.com today. Now, here's your hosts. Alan Hall, Joel Saxon, Phil Totaro, and Rosemary Barnes.  Allen Hall: Welcome to the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast. I'm your host, Alan Hall from the Queen City, Charlotte, North Carolina. And Rosemary Barnes is here from Australia. And Rosemary, Joel and I just got back from the Sky Specs customer Form 2025 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and we had a really good time, man. Most of the install base in America. For Wind was up at Sky Specs and interesting discussions. Just a lot going on. Obviously, we're all talking about the changes in legislation we're talking about. Uh, all the moving [00:01:00] targets everybody's trying to reorganize. There's been a number of, uh, shifts from wind into solar that's happening right now in the United States. And lowering operational costs, that's the big one. Getting blades under control, uh, getting gear boxes under control, understanding where some of the risks are. It was a very good. Conference, uh, they do it once a year. It was a full room, uh, and really good people, people we, we don't see all year. You maybe see once a year, maybe see at another trade show. It was nice to spend a couple of days, uh, talking wind turbine o and m. Very similar, much to what we're gonna do in Australia in February. Rosemary Barnes: Yeah, I wish I could have been there, uh, maybe next year.  Allen Hall: Well, we, we met with Matthew Stead. He was there. He had traveled all the way from Australia. And one of the things we did tell everybody were at the SKYSPACE conference was come to Australia February 16th and 17th in Melbourne, and you need to start [00:02:00] registering now. You can go to Woma. 2020 six.com. WMA 2020 six.com and register for that event. Or if you want to, uh, present, you need to put your information into the website and get that rolling. Uh, it, it's gonna, it's getting close to being sold out, so you need to do that now before you lose your spot. We've increased the size of the conference from, it was about 170 odd people last year, and it's gonna be up to 250, but even. By increasing the, the amount of seats we're still gonna be full.  Rosemary Barnes: Yeah. It's a hard, it's a hard cutoff this time as well. Last time we kind of expanded as, uh, we got more registrations in, but we don't have that option this year, and yet that, uh, agenda is definitely starting to get worked out. So now is the time to get in touch. If you, one, want to speak or two, have a, a topic that you think that we should talk about, like one of the big things that we wanna achieve with this event. Is matching people with [00:03:00] problems to people who have solutions and especially, you know, people who are developing solutions. So, you know, it might be that there is no solution available yet, but we still wanna hear about the problems 'cause there's a lot of smart people that know all about developing wind, wind turbine technologies. So that's the place to. Get those sorts of, um, yeah. That kind of information sharing, flowing and get people thinking creatively.

In this episode, we dive into how AI is reshaping Amazon store management and the critical importance of focusing on profitability over just top-line revenue. Jerry Vida, Co-founder of Peak ROAS, shares how his agency helps seven- and eight-figure brands scale by leveraging AI to streamline time-consuming tasks like PPC and listing optimization. He explains why a clean ad account structure eliminates wasted ad spend and offers a 90-day profit guarantee for new clients.Topics discussed in this episode:  How focusing on profitability beats chasing top-line revenue.Why PPC optimization and listing updates are the biggest time bandits.Why manual, repetitive tasks hurt business growth and efficiency.How internally built AI agents streamline listing copy and A/B testing.What an aggressive A-B testing schedule does for conversion rates.How restructuring a messy ad account leads to massive profit jumps.What is required for an ideal customer for high-impact changes.Why an ad account restructure redirects up to 70% of wasted spend.How new sellers can use ChatGPT to get up to speed fast.What a 90-day no-risk profit guarantee means for new clients.Links & Resources Website:  https://peakroas.ai/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-vida-255719126/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/peakroas/Get access to more free resources by visiting the show notes at https://tinyurl.com/mr2rpb9u______________________________________________________ LOVE THE SHOW? HERE ARE THE NEXT STEPS! Follow the podcast to get every bonus episode. Tap follow now and don't miss out! Rate & Review: Help others discover the show by rating the show on Apple Podcasts at https://tinyurl.com/ecb-apple-podcasts Join our Free Newsletter: https://newsletter.ecommercecoffeebreak.com/ Support The Show On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EcommerceCoffeeBreak Partner with us: https://ecommercecoffeebreak.com/podcast-sponsorship/

In this 75th episode of the Paul Zimnisky Diamond Analytics Podcast, independent mining journalist David McKay joins the show from Johannesburg, South Africa. The conversation begins with Paul recounting a multi-week journey he took through South Africa in 2023 and David sharing his views on the current economic and political state of the nation. Next, the two discuss the surge in gold prices and how this is impacting the gold mining industry. They then analyze the recent news of CEO departures from two of the top three largest gold miners, Newmont and Barrick, and then briefly touch on the platinum market. Finally, the conversation switches to Anglo American's restructuring aim to be more copper focused and the recent news of its merger of equals with Tech Resources. Paul and David finish with a deep dive on the current ongoing sales process of De Beers.   Hosted by: Paul Zimnisky Guest: David McKay Guest plug: www.miningmx.com More information on PZDA's State of the Diamond Market report: www.paulzimnisky.com/products A special thanks to this episode's sponsor A Diamond is Forever. This holiday A Diamond Is Forever is introducing Desert toned Diamonds, more information can be found here: www.adiamondisforever.com   Show contact: paul@paulzimnisky.com or visit www.paulzimnisky.com.   Please note that the contents of this podcast includes anecdotes, observations and opinions. The information should not be considered investment or financial advice. Consult your investment professional before making any investment decisions. Please read full disclosure at: www.paulzimnisky.com.

We have an announcement. We are restructuring the podcast. Starting very soon WORK will be getting published more than once a week with multiple different segments. Stay tuned! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

HEADLINES:♦ London Dairy Owner IFFCO Hires Rothschild for $2 Billion Debt Restructuring♦ Naguib Sawiris Named in Tony Blair–Linked Postwar Gaza Governance Plan♦ DoorDash Completes Deliveroo UAE Takeover♦ London Court Rules in Favor of DP World in $685 Million Djibouti Port Dispute Newsletter: https://aug.us/4jqModrWhatsApp: https://aug.us/40FdYLUInstagram: https://aug.us/4ihltzQTiktok: https://aug.us/4lnV0D8Smashi Business Show (Mon-Friday): https://aug.us/3BTU2MY

This discussion takes a closer look at the changes Meta is making to strengthen its AI teams. This episode sheds light on both strategy and execution.Get the top 40+ AI Models for $20 at AI Box: ⁠⁠https://aibox.aiAI Chat YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JaedenSchaferJoin my AI Hustle Community: https://www.skool.com/aihustle

We continue to build on the idea that white Christian nationalism is, was and has always been the foundation of this country. To suggest otherwise is to be both ahistorical and absent in our politics today. The violent response to a concept so utterly innocuous such as “Black lives matter” should tell us everything. Before it was a movement (of sorts) it was a simple statement. But the reality is that they don’t. We need to stop calling it “Trump’s America” and just call it what it is. America. Resources The Ezra Klein Show: Ta-Nehisi Coates and Ezra Klein Hash Out Their Charlie Kirk Disagreement New York Times: Charlie Kirk Was Practicing Politics the Right Way Democracy Now!: Project 2025 Co-Author Lays Out "Radical Agenda" for Next Trump Term in Undercover Video Hudson Bay Capital: A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System Manhattan Institute: Reform the Federal Reserve’s Governance to Deliver Better Monetary Outcomes -- If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join our Discord at unftr.com/discord. Become a member at unftr.com/memberships. Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com). The show is hosted by Max and distributed by 99.Support the show: https://www.unftr.com/membershipsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the breakthrough your team needs isn't about working harder or chasing the latest trend, but about leaning into courageous, authentic leadership? In this episode, I sit down with leadership expert Dan Tocchini, who has spent more than 35 years helping leaders and teams transform. From executive boards at ESPN and Interstate Batteries to nonprofits like Homeboy Industries, Dan brings a refreshing, no-fluff approach to building teams that thrive. Together, we talk about: Why “magic” in leadership isn't magic at all, it's about clarity, courage, and commitment How to navigate creative conflict without avoiding the hard conversations What it really takes to build teams that aren't held hostage by circumstance or history If you've ever felt stuck as a leader or if your team feels weighed down by unspoken tensions, this conversation will encourage and challenge you. About Dan Tocchini Dan Tocchini has been helping leaders bring some magic to their teams for over 35 years. He has worked with executive teams from Interstate Batteries and ESPN, to Smarty Pants Vitamins and Impulse Space, as well as with non-profits like Homeboy Industries and Defy Ventures. Dan gives a no-fluff approach by helping transform leadership teams without any pixie dust—just courageous leadership, creative conflict resolution, and relevant restructuring. No conversation is too difficult, no situation too conflicted, because a leader with a vision cannot be held hostage by circumstance or history. Links & Resources mentioned in the show Connect with Dan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dantocchini/ Free eBook: The Change Imperative — at TakeNewGround.com Take the Free Confidence Quiz Find out what the #1 thing is that's holding you back from leading confidently with this short and free quiz! Take the free quiz here: https://womenoffaithinleadership.com/quiz/ Have a listener question? Submit it at https://womenoffaithinleadership.com/podcast Join the Free Community for Female Christian Leaders Join a community of women who are all navigating the same challenges as you are. Let's share, connect and support one another. Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenoffaithinleadership

Welcome to Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, sponsored by Mirakl. In today's Retail Daily Minute, Omni Talk's Chris Walton discusses:Amazon agrees to pay up to $2.5 billion to settle FTC claims it tricked customers into Prime memberships using deceptive website designStarbucks closes underperforming stores and cuts 900 non-retail jobs in $1 billion restructuring under CEO Brian Niccol's turnaround strategyCostco beats earnings expectations with strong membership growth and 13.5% e-commerce sales increase, attracting younger shoppers with digital improvementsPlus, Chris also shares his "One Big Thought" for the day.The Retail Daily Minute has been rocketing up the Feedspot charts, so stay informed with Omni Talk's Retail Daily Minute, your source for the latest and most important retail insights. Be careful out there!

On this Healthy Waves episode, host Avik Chakraborty speaks with Dr. Dean Howell (joined by his partner, Rebecca) about how infections, food choices, toxins, and cranial structure may influence mental clarity, mood, and day-to-day energy. We unpack the idea of “root-cause” care—stabilizing blood sugar, reducing inflammation, supporting detox pathways, and improving fluid dynamics in the head and neck—while keeping the conversation grounded in practical lifestyle moves listeners can evaluate with their clinicians. The discussion is direct, sometimes controversial, and focused on thinking clearly, feeling calmer, and building a sustainable plan rather than quick fixes. About the Guest  : Dr. Dean Howell is the developer of NeuroCranial Restructuring (NCR). Over three decades, he has worked with a wide range of clients—from chronic pain sufferers to elite performers—aiming to relieve pressure patterns, improve posture, and optimize blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow to support overall function. Key Takeaways: Many people report “brain fog” and mood swings; the conversation highlights nutrition, sleep, stress load, infections, and environmental exposures as overlapping drivers to assess with a qualified professional. Blood-sugar stability matters: reducing refined carbs and spacing carbohydrate intake may help avoid sharp insulin spikes and the inflammatory swings that can follow. Protein and fats (including dairy/eggs for vegetarians, or animal proteins for omnivores) were discussed as tools for satiety and steadier energy; listeners should individualize with their health providers. Detox capacity is finite; supporting liver/kidney health (hydration, fiber where appropriate, movement, and clinician-guided protocols) is presented as a prerequisite before any intensive “cleanse.” Structural inputs (jaw/cranial alignment, posture, breathing mechanics) can influence comfort, sleep quality, and perceived clarity; address with licensed, evidence-based practitioners. Behavior change is easier when you start small: track meals, identify trigger foods, and monitor how you feel 1–3 hours after eating. Mental health is multifactorial; counseling, medical care, movement, community, and nervous-system regulation can all be part of a responsible plan. Safety first: avoid self-prescribing medications or extreme protocols; partner with your clinician for testing, diagnosis, and treatment choices. How to Connect with the Guest   Website: DrDeanHowell.com Wellness Coaching & Biochemistry Support: AngelReadings.live Email: info@cods.land Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM - Send me a message on PodMatch DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third-party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer. This podcast and its show notes are for educational and informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, nutrition, supplements, detox protocols, or mental-health care. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you heard here. No doctor–patient relationship is created by listening to this podcast, reading the show notes, or contacting the hosts/guests. The hosts and producers of Healthy Mind By Avik™/Healthy Waves do not provide individualized medical care through this program. Any views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, producers, or sponsors. Discussion of specific products, protocols, diets, devices, medications (including off-label or investigational uses), or therapies is for general information only and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation. Do not start, stop, or change any medication, supplement, or treatment plan without first consulting your licensed clinician. Health information evolves. While we aim to present accurate, up-to-date content, no guarantee is made regarding completeness or accuracy. Reliance on any information provided is solely at your own risk. If you are experiencing a medical or mental-health emergency, call your local emergency number immediately. For public-health guidance (e.g., vaccines, infectious disease), consult your clinician and your country's health authority (e.g., WHO, CDC, or local health ministry).   Healthy Mind By Avik™️ is a global platform redefining mental health as a necessity, not a luxury. Born during the pandemic, it's become a sanctuary for healing, growth, and mindful living. Hosted by Avik Chakraborty—storyteller, survivor, wellness advocate—this channel shares powerful podcasts and soul-nurturing conversations on: • Mental Health & Emotional Well-being• Mindfulness & Spiritual Growth• Holistic Healing & Conscious Living• Trauma Recovery & Self-Empowerment With over 4,400+ episodes and 168.4K+ global listeners, join us as we unite voices, break stigma, and build a world where every story matters.

From Wall Street to Main Street, the latest on the markets and what it means for your money. Updated regularly on weekdays, featuring CNBC expert analysis and sound from top business newsmakers. Anchored by CNBC's Jessica Ettinger. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to the Leading Edge in Emotionally Focused Therapy, hosted by Drs. James Hawkins, Ph.D., LPC, and Ryan Rana, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC—Renowned ICEEFT Therapists, Supervisors, and Trainers. We're thrilled to have you with us. We believe this podcast, a valuable resource, will empower you to push the boundaries in your work, helping individuals and couples connect more deeply with themselves and each other. The episode focuses on working with the negative view of self in Stage Two of EFT therapy, exploring the deep, vulnerable process of helping clients confront and share their most painful self-perceptions. Main Points: 1. Negative View of Self Characteristics: - Goes beyond just emotions - Represents core identity messages - Often rooted in past traumas and attachment injuries - Involves believing fundamental negative things about oneself 2. Stage Two Therapeutic Approach: - Linger and excavate the deepest negative self-messages - Use enactments to reveal core identity beliefs - Help clients share their most vulnerable self-perceptions - Create opportunities for partner acceptance 3. Key Therapeutic Strategies: - Slow, careful exploration of negative self-view - Validate and reflect deeply - Allow partners to provide compassionate, attuned responses - Avoid rushing or trying to immediately "fix" negative beliefs 4. Goals: - Help clients reveal their most painful self-perceptions - Create space for partner acceptance - Gradually restructure negative self-beliefs - Support healing from past relational wounds The episode emphasizes that working with a negative view of self is a profound, delicate process requiring patience, depth, and compassionate therapeutic skill. To support our mission and help us continue producing impactful content, your financial contributions via Venmo (@leftpodcast) are greatly appreciated. They play a significant role in keeping this valuable resource available and are a testament to your commitment to our cause. We aim to equip therapists with practical tools and encouragement for addressing relational distress. We're also excited to be part of the team behind Success in Vulnerability (SV)—your premier online education platform. SV offers innovative instruction to enhance your therapeutic effectiveness through exclusive modules and in-depth clinical examples.  Stay connected with us: Facebook: Follow our page @pushtheleadingedge Ryan: Follow @ryanranaprofessionaltraining on Facebook and visit his website James: Follow @dochawklpc on Facebook and Instagram, or visit his website at dochawklpc.com George Faller: Visit georgefaller.com If you like the concepts discussed on this podcast you can explore our online training program, Success in Vulnerability (SV). Thank you for being part of our community. Let's push the leading edge together!

Plus: Volkswagen will invest $1.2 billion in artificial intelligence by 2030. And Mistral AI doubles in valuation to $14 billion following an investment from ASML. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices