Podcasts about Romanian

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I have been selling direct to the consumer in the wine trade for over 35 years. The industry certainly is not what it was; in some ways, better, in other ways,  not so much. I've seen it all...well, at least most of it.  The month and year I started with the Original Wine of the Month Club, my father was featuring a Romanian wine; mind you, Romania was still under Soviet rule. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Marinella Ardelean, expert on Romanian wine. I have to tell you, having Marinella Ardelian on the show took me back, and not just because she reminded me that the first Romanian wine I ever sold—way back in 1989—was a $2.50 Sauvignon Blanc from a winery called Premiat. There's something poetic about opening an episode by unearthing an old newsletter my late father wrote about that wine, especially since it was the same month I joined the family business. Wine really does have a way of sharpening your memory. The nose, the flavor, even the price tag—they stick with you. The conversation started with that kind of serendipity, but Marinella Ardelian quickly brought us to the present. She's based in Venice, waves the flag for Romanian wine, and has this bright, unfussy way of making big topics feel accessible. I love guests like that—insightful without being pedantic, and uncannily good at weaving personal experience into global perspectives. Right off the bat, she fine-tuned the narrative: Romanian wine doesn't need to come "back" to the world stage, it needs to stand in the spotlight it deserves, shoulder to shoulder with France and Italy. I'll admit, I never would've guessed Romania is now in the top six worldwide for vineyard acreage—and domestically, folks there are still drinking 30 liters a year! Sure, the numbers dance around a bit, but the underlying story is about a country with real wine culture. We spent a little time reminiscing about the communist days, when the government controlled everything and Vinexport was king. But the part that struck me most was her clear-eyed take on why Romanian wine isn't chasing the bottom shelf in America. "Romanian wines are not cheap," Marinella Ardelian declared, and she meant it. With high domestic demand and only a sliver of production exported, those who do ship overseas bring quality, not just volume. She's keen on stories and education—Romanian wine, she said, needs context, not just curiosity. This segued beautifully into the broader question of how a wine region markets itself. Marinella Ardelian made a compelling case: you can't just sell the wine, you have to sell the country. Romanian wine, for her, is inseparable from Transylvanian castles, farm-to-table food, and the dramatic scenery. I found that refreshing. Too often, we get obsessed with varietals and forget there's a living culture behind every label. She also explained that since the fall of communism in 1989, a whole generation of winemakers has embraced indigenous grapes like Fetească Neagră—known as the "Black Maiden"—with all the finesse of Pinot Noir and the spice of Syrah. That's the kind of local color I live for. And with the second generation now taking the reins and forming actual cooperatives (something even Armenia, my ancestral homeland, struggles with), you can sense something big is building. Wine tourism, she told me, is finally taking off in Romania. Visitors can ride horses, hunt mushrooms, and sip estate wines in places that wouldn't be out of place in Bordeaux or Barolo. That's the future—experience, narrative, and authenticity. If there's a takeaway, it's that Romanian wine is at a crossroads, one foot in ancient soil, the other in the modern world. Marinella Ardelian has a vision for both—and I left our conversation convinced it's only a matter of time before the rest of the world catches on. I can't wait to revisit this story in a few years and see how far it's come.   Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wine-in-romania-meet-the-expert-and-wine/id1462215436?i=1000647229708 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2kiWrgS5fH8p85I6iS6Gnp?si=McZCVWPEQ6W9T-3jfGGMCQ Wine Talks: https://www.winetalkspodcast.com/wine-in-romania-meet-the-expert-and-wine-comtessse-marinela-ardelean/  

This recap episode reflects on the soulful conversation with tarot reader and spiritual mentor Frances Naudé, unpacking why tarot is best understood as a self-reflection tool. Brad and Lesley explore how intuition is often quiet, subtle, and easy to overlook, and how tarot can act as a structured way to pause, journal, and build self-trust. This grounded discussion invites listeners to see intuition as a daily practice—one that supports clearer decisions and more aligned action over time.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Tarot as guided self-reflection rather than fortune telling.How intuition shows up quietly and builds through daily repetition.Using tarot cards as structured prompts for journaling and self-awareness.How tarot shifted from a self-reflection tool to feared over time.Training intuitive trust through small, low-stakes daily decisions.Episode References/Links:Cambodia Retreat Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.comAgency Mini - https://prfit.biz/miniContrology Pilates Conference in Poland - https://xxll.co/polandContrology Pilates Conference in Brussels - https://xxll.co/brusselsPilates on Tour in London - https://xxll.co/potSubmit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions Online Pilates Classes - https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/youtubeFrances Naude's Website - https://www.francesnaude.comFrances Naude's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@francesnaudeFree Intro to Tarot Online Course - https://beitpod.com/intrototarotEpisode 157: Kate Wind - https://beitpod.com/bitysiep157 If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  There's another way to figure out what's going on inside you, and tarot doesn't actually tell you anything new. It echoes what you already know and maybe what you're ignoring. When you draw a card in tarot, the card has some sort of meaning. Lesley Logan 0:18  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.Brad Crowell 1:02  Take it away. Lesley Logan 1:02  Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life are going to dig into the soulful, soulful, soulful. Brad Crowell 1:10  The soulful.Lesley Logan 1:11  The soulful convo I had with Frances Naudé in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that interview, feel free to pause this now and go back and listen to that one, and then come back to this. You guys, this is the episode that kicked off my hobby. This is the one.Brad Crowell 1:27  And as a bystander of said hobby, I am going to tell you, Lesley has been incredibly consistent with this hobby for, what, four or five months now? Six months? Lesley Logan 1:38  Well, when I interviewed her. Six months? Brad Crowell 1:40  I don't have any idea. Lesley Logan 1:41  From the time that this, they listen to this, and then the time I interviewed her, I think we're at six months, four months. At any rate, I went full in on it, like the ADHD woman that I am, where you buy all the things my life makes so much sense now that I know that that's part of ADHD. You just buy. Brad Crowell 1:58  July. Lesley Logan 1:58  July, right. Brad Crowell 1:59  July. Lesley Logan 2:00  So, and this is January, yeah. So I bought all the things that one would need to study, a tarot, three different study guides and a app. But unlike all the other things that I have tried out, I have still been using all of the things, yeah. And there's a deck in every room. You can draw a card at any time.Brad Crowell 2:19  And you're, you know, reading about it, writing notes and being consistent, it's been great.Lesley Logan 2:25  I really like it, and so by the time you listen to this, I will have started drawing a card for each day so that I can do self-reflection daily. Yeah. So anyways, there we are. But okay, Brad's like, I know. All right, so they don't know. Brad Crowell 2:40  They do not know what is today.Lesley Logan 2:42  Today is January 15th, 2026, and it's Wikipedia Day. Brad Crowell 2:47  Wikipedia Day. Lesley Logan 2:48  So, and just so you all know, you can start getting ready, because my birthday is coming up. It's not yet, but it's coming up January 15th isn't it? Well, they don't know.Brad Crowell 2:57  Just making sure that everyone else, that has nothing to do with Wikipedia Day, but Lesley is preparing for her birthday.Lesley Logan 3:03  If they're gonna send anything, the time is coming down, because it's 11 days away. Brad Crowell 3:07  If they're gonna send something, send it to Wikipedia instead. Lesley Logan 3:11  No. Brad Crowell 3:12  Yeah. Send money to Wikipedia instead.Lesley Logan 3:14  No. Send money to your local SPCA group, not the major one that does the sad commercials, you're local one, okay, or you can send it up to Nevada's, and in my name, they'll, they already know me. Lesley Logan 3:25  Okay, so January 15th is an occasion that celebrates the birth and formation of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. Almost every single person in the world knows what Wikipedia is. When we search for something, a Wikipedia link is the first thing that pops up on our search engines. Brad Crowell 3:40  More often than not. Lesley Logan 3:41  It is also a popular site since it provides in-depth information and presents everything in a user friendly way. I love Wikipedia because of like, who is that person married to? You can just go right to that part, like, it's like a here's the bullet points. Okay, in-depth information and presents everything in a user friendly way. So without further ado, let's dedicate this day to the information provider that has been feeding us with the knowledge since day one. Happy Wikipedia Day, and surprise, I should have a Wikipedia page now. It's been a multi year journey. I think how I don't know how long Brad has been working on this project to gather all the information and create this page. I'm really excited about it.Brad Crowell 4:17  It's because I wanted to create a Wikipedia page that we hired a press person. Lesley Logan 4:22  Years ago. Brad Crowell 4:23  Years ago. Lesley Logan 4:23  Yeah. And by the way, how long? Like, there's rules, like, not everyone could just have a Wikipedia.Brad Crowell 4:28  Yeah, no, it's, it's not, you can't just write a story and put it up there. Everything has to be validated and, you know, credible and linked to other things. It's, you know. Lesley Logan 4:28  Because, like, you can't just go. Brad Crowell 4:29  It's intentionally factual and historic.Lesley Logan 4:39  Like, Charlie next door just can't go, like, I'm gonna make a Wikipedia page for myself. Brad Crowell 4:47  I mean, he could, but then the moderators would take it down the next day. Lesley Logan 4:50  Right. Brad Crowell 4:51  Yeah. Lesley Logan 4:51  Right. Brad Crowell 4:53  Right. And, I mean, it's also, you know, you can actually go onto Wikipedia and make any change you want to any page on there. Surprise, you can do that. That, but then it will be reviewed and either changed back or corrected or updated or whatever, or again validated. So, you know, the pages that are constantly growing, it's because there's external like verification for the source of this new information that's being added. It's very intentional. And the reality is, we didn't have the links back, the backlinks, to be able to say, well, Lesley did this. Lesley did that, or whatever, whatever, whatever.Lesley Logan 5:31  Because you can't just go, I did these things. They have to go. Where is the proof? Somewhere else that someone else can validate. You know that you did those things. Brad Crowell 5:38  Exactly. Lesley Logan 5:38  Yeah. But I'm now old enough. Brad Crowell 5:39  Congratulations. Lesley Logan 5:39  I'm famous enough, yeah. And if you want to, you know, look, Wikipedia does a thing every December where they want money, because they actually are free for you to use. And they need, they do a money drive every year. So if you want to give them their money, they're a worthy cause, yeah.Brad Crowell 5:52  I mean, I think I give them $3.50 a month through PayPal. Lesley Logan 5:57  Oh, well, that's so fun. Brad Crowell 5:58  I've been doing it for years. Yeah. Because if everybody does every time they do their drive every year, they say, if everyone just gave $3 then we would have all our bills paid for, right? And I was like, well, I can do $3 a month. How about that? Yeah.Lesley Logan 6:12  That's so thoughtful. Anyways, Brad and I are driving back from Palm Springs today. Brad Crowell 6:12  Right now. Lesley Logan 6:12  We were on vacation. Yeah, we went on vacation, and we're driving, and it's beautiful. We're probably picking up more cactuses because there is a cactus shop on the way from Palm Springs. Well, at least the way we go from Palm Springs home. So we'll have to see which cactus where we don't have yet that we want more of. And then, right now, the early bird discount for the retreat that is this year is happening.,Brad Crowell 6:12  Yeah, for Cambodia. Pilates Retreat. Lesley Logan 6:18  So if you've got an email about it. You are one of the few people who got it, and there's way too many of you on the waitlist that we could take on this year's retreat. So you definitely want to snag your spot before they're all gone, before the discount ends. Brad Crowell 6:49  Yeah, and no lie, we've already had people sign up. We had, like, secret invitation to some people, and so some spots were already snagged, and then we're already halfway through the early bird, so definitely, if this has been something that's on your radar, do not wait on this. Lesley Logan 7:06  You want to come. Brad Crowell 7:07  Yeah, go to crowsnestretreats.com for more information. But for those of you who are on the waitlist, check your email.Lesley Logan 7:14  Yeah, and if we are in your spam you need to tell your your spam folder that we are important people.Brad Crowell 7:19  Yeah, hello. We've Wikipedia page. Lesley Logan 7:21  Right. What does it take to get out of the promotions folder? Damn it. Okay.Brad Crowell 7:26  All right. Next month, February. Lesley Logan 7:28  Is Agency Mini, and it is for Pilates instructors and studio owners who work for themselves or want to, and they want their business to actually not just make the impact that they want to make, but also more than pay their bills, to have to align with their values, align with their goals, feel like they're more in charge of it all. And it's just a really beautiful program that we do. It's three days of your life, and it has replay access. And we've made some additional changes to this one from last time. So you're gonna want to go to prfit.biz/mini to sign up for the waitlist, because those on the waitlist will get the early bird. The early bird is coming up pretty close, because if it's happening in February, we always do an early bird a couple weeks out, so you don't want to miss that. After Mini, in March, Brad and I are going to go to Poland and then to Brussels. So there's a Contrology Pilates conference in Poland. xxll .co/poland I'm teaching alongside Karen Frischmann there. It's going to be a whole lot of fun. We've done it a couple years before, and then we're gonna be at the Pilates and Friends or the Vintage and Friends event at Els Studio Pilateles in Brussels xxll.co/brussels there are private and group classes, and then there's also these amazing workshops. Oh, and one of my dear friends who I haven't seen in years, is going to be at the Brussels one as well, so I'm super excited to teach alongside him again. It's been, it's been since, like, we were together at Jay's studio, so awesome. And then in April, Brad, so after that, Brad and I are gonna do a little second honeymoon, why not.Brad Crowell 8:53  Well, to celebrate our 10 years of marriage, that's one.Lesley Logan 8:56  Yeah, well, yeah. But like, why not? Is like, of course you would, yeah. And then we're going to be at the P.O.T. in London. xxll.co/pot will get you the information up at the London stuff. The lineup is amazing. It's our first time doing a P.O.T. in London. So that's really exciting. And that's actually also, by the way, these events are the only events outside our tour that you can hang out with us other than the retreat. That's it. Closing the schedule guys.Brad Crowell 9:23  Whoa, whoa, whoa, all right, before we go any further, we had an audience question, and today's question is from YouTube, from The Alternatives to the Pilates Teaser for Lower Back Issues video, Kelly asks, hey, actually, it's kellynyhan7909. Hi, Kelly. She said, Hey, could you share a class that is using a floor or standing using the floor, slash standing and a chair? Could you share a class? If that's possible. I've gone through the list of mat exercises and created my own ie side twist sitting and saw but I'm wondering if more for an aging population. It, if it would be good for all i also use the standing exercises from another video for the 100, the roll up, one leg, single leg, circle marching, etc. Lesley Logan 9:49  Great. So. Brad Crowell 9:50  You're gonna have to break down this question for me, because I don't actually have an idea what this question actually is.Brad Crowell 10:08  So, the idea, so she definitely asked a question has nothing to do with the video, which we tell people that they can do anytime they want. Brad Crowell 10:21  True. Lesley Logan 10:21  So what you want to look at, Kelly, on the YouTube channel is we actually released a entire long form video about how to do Pilates at work. So there's going to be some great suggestions. You can draw some inspiration from there, if not use them completely. We also have on the YouTube channel a standing workout. There's a whole workout you can do standing. There's a wall workout, a real wall pilates workout. And then over on OPC, Mindy created a really great stretch class using a chair. And you can use she was on a Wunda Chair, but Brad was on a regular chair, and it spliced in there. So I would definitely grab that workshop, or maybe it was a stretch class. It was another legacy tab, and that's what I would do. And the other thing I would just give you permission on is, after you've done all that, that's a lot of movements, right? A lot of exercises. And our bodies actually only do so many different movement directions. And so you don't have to keep getting creative. You actually need they can get more curious and more connected. So I would get all those inspirations together, find out the ones that work best for the population you're working with, and then make them get better at it. And if they if that's not just time that's going to help them, then what other exercises outside of those things would help them? What props, what tools, you can use the Accessories Deck and OPC to help you with that. So yeah, I understood the question. Brad Crowell 10:21  Great, amazing. Lesley Logan 10:21  Probably a good thing, since I'm answering it, go to beitpod.questions to send yours in.Brad Crowell 10:50  Nope, beitpod.com/questions Lesley Logan 10:50  beitpod.com/questions and then submit your questions and maybe send up send a win, too. Something to celebrate. Brad Crowell 10:50  Yeah, send us your wins, y'all. Lesley Logan 11:49  You can also text us at 310-905-5534. Okay. Frances Naudé.Brad Crowell 11:58  Yeah, stick around. We will be right back. Brad Crowell 12:01  Okay, now let's talk about Frances Naudé. Frances Naudé is a Reiki Master, tarot reader and spiritual mentor who helps people reconnect with their intuition and live in alignment with their true selves. She's also the creator of the Four Noble Tarot Deck. Tarot Deck.Lesley Logan 12:19  You can see Tarot. Deena says, tarot. Brad Crowell 12:22  Oh, okay, and offers free tarot readings and energy guidance.Lesley Logan 12:28  Frances might say tarot, but.Brad Crowell 12:31  On YouTube, along with regular insights on Instagram from her global community, for her global community, that she affectionately calls The Soul Fam, guided by her belief that intuition is our greatest tool, Frances teaches others to trust their inner wisdom and lead with joy, courage and authenticity.Lesley Logan 12:50  Oh, my God. I was just so excited. I was like, okay, I have so many questions. Tell me everything.Brad Crowell 12:55  I really enjoyed your one question about the history.Lesley Logan 13:00  Oh, are we gonna talk about that today, or is that not in today?Brad Crowell 13:03  We are gonna. Lesley Logan 13:04  Skip it today? Brad Crowell 13:05  Well, no, it's not, it's not on here, but I thought it was very interesting. So yeah, let's just talk about it. Lesley Logan 13:09  Let me tell you something, because I think there's more to the story. And obviously we had a short period of time, so I asked her where tarot, tarot came from, right? And she's like, like, how controversial we want to be. And I said, I want to know the truth. And so she said the church, the church had it, and then the church. Brad Crowell 13:26  She said it was around before the church, but she said the church basically, adoted it. Lesley Logan 13:30  Well, they appropriated it. That's a better word for what the church does, and they appropriated it. And then, you know, you would go to the church to get support over something you were thinking about contemplating, and then they would help you use it as a self-reflection tool. Because the printing press wasn't big, and only rich people could have tarot decks painted for them, right?Brad Crowell 13:50  Right. So can you just say that one sentence? They would help you, using the tarot, tarot cards as a self-reflection tool. They would use tarot cards as a self-reflection tool. Lesley Logan 14:04  Yeah, well, and that's like, that's gonna go into what I love about what we talked about. Brad Crowell 14:13  But let's keep going with the history. Lesley Logan 14:09  Okay, so then the printing press became a thing, and so then people could just print their own tarot decks, and then they didn't need to go to the church. And so obviously that was like, not gonna work for the church, because then they'd be obsolete. So they made tarot decks be like. Brad Crowell 14:25  Well, I'm sure you tithe to have your reading or whatever, to have your self-reflection, so effectively it was costing them money. So what did they do? They made, they demonized tarot decks. Lesley Logan 14:35  The same thing they did with women healers. They demonized those too. They demonized. That's why the reason we have witches, witchcraft, all these things, is like, oh, that one point it served the church, and another point they decided to get rid of it, because it would mean they didn't have as much power. And now it became a witchy pagan thing. And let me tell you, after I heard this, I felt like my whole life was a lie. I was like, oh, my God, everything. I've ever been told that is evil and bad was actually good. It's all been good, right? You know. So anyways, we can talk about the witches they burned on another day. But I talked to Kate Wind, who we've had on the pod before, and I said, Kate, how come I didn't know that tarot decks came from the church? And she said, well, the church, we think the church took them from the Romanians, like, which the word you don't use anymore, but like Romanian gypsies, for lack of a better, like, what we're gonna call them. However, there's also some information that could have been from India as well. Brad Crowell 15:43  Interesting. Lesley Logan 15:33  But you know what? Just like we've been to Cambodia, and you're at the temples, and they're like, exactly the opposite of Machu Picchu what is what is. Brad Crowell 15:43  They're opposite on the globe. Lesley Logan 15:45  Right and so and so, it's like, to me, when I hear these things could be at the same time. It's like, because there was this human knowing that there's another way to figure out what's going on inside you. And so tarot doesn't actually tell you anything new, it echoes what you already know and maybe what you're ignoring. And so when you draw a card in tarot, the card has some sort of meaning. We'll just talk about like the upright position has some sort of meaning, right? And what you're supposed to do is reflect upon that meaning in your own life. And so I've been studying in different ways. Like I was talking to one of my besties on the phone yesterday, and she was talking about how she's doing this inventory in her life, and she's letting go of people who don't like ping back her serve, right? You know, like you gotta, it's gotta be or that she's not pinging back on them. And I was. Brad Crowell 16:36  It has to be mutual. Lesley Logan 16:37  It has to be mutual. Get this, one of the card I was studying yesterday was the moon, and the moon is this card where you're like, okay, what in my life is an illusion? Where am I? Where am I off the I'm on the wrong path. Where am I needing to let go of some things.Brad Crowell 16:53  Sorry, did you say where am I lying to myself? Lesley Logan 16:56  Yeah. Brad Crowell 16:56  Oh, recurring theme from last week's.Lesley Logan 16:58  Yeah, right. Same, same, exactly, well. And by the way, you are just doing the exact same thing you should do with tarot, which is, like you did something today. We recorded last week's show, and now you're learning about this card, and so you're using it as a way to think differently or think deeper about, self-reflection. And so I'm telling you guys right now. I mean, Frances said so many more amazing things, but like, this is the thing, if my therapist had told me pick up a tarot deck and journal, I would have been, my life problems have been solved a long time ago. Because I, this has been like, what am I supposed to reflect on? You know what I mean, like, is that not like the question you, like when people say self-reflect, like you have to do self-reflection. Like, do you ever wonder what that means? I just don't. I was like, what does that mean, though? How do I do that?Brad Crowell 17:46  Yeah, sure, but I mean, I don't know that. I usually, I'm, if I'm self-reflecting, it's because there's something that is wrong, and I'm I'm probably self-reflecting about that thing. I'm not just generally self-reflecting. Lesley Logan 17:59  Okay, well, that's good, but also you're that sounds like you're only doing it when something's gone wrong. You're not doing it when something's gone right. Brad Crowell 18:04  Well, sure. Lesley Logan 18:05  Right, and so in tarot, you could have something going well, or you could or it could be, like there could be you can use it as a yes, no, decision maker like to help you make decisions in your life. But like, everything is about it has guidance and information and the symbols, and, like we talked about that, and it helps you kind of understand, it actually helps you have empowerment. That's what she said. She said it really is all about empowerment and helping people be able to navigate their own inner wisdom and then apply it forward. And I think that's the coolest thing about it. It's like a lot of us have so much goodness, and we can only give it to our friends. We can never give it to ourselves. Brad Crowell 18:38  Yeah. So this is where it's interesting for me, right? Because, like, first off, I think that, like this interview, I found very curious. I actually really like listening to Frances. I think, I think it was revealing. There was also some things that were, like, definitely a double woo on the woo scale that I was kind of like, you know, but, but here's where I also think. Lesley Logan 18:59  Brad, remember, we went to two woos, starting 2025. Brad Crowell 19:02  Okay, but let's, let's, then she's in the 2.5s. So, so here's the thing, she also is not just doing tarot. She's also doing Reiki, right? And yoga. She's a yogi as well, like energy work, all that kind of stuff. So there's definitely she's got a lot going on. And so her answers were not exclusive to tarot. Right? And that's where, like, sometimes I was kind of going, well, you know, like, I've actually, you know, had Reiki performed on me and all that kind of stuff in the past as well. So I don't, I don't discount energy work. I think that it's, you know, we all have, we literally have a scientific magnetic field. I get it. I understand that it can be influenced with things and all the stuff. So I don't, I'm not saying no to that, either. But what I, I think that, having grown up in the church and having been like, told that like, you know, basically, tarot is the devil, you know, and looking at it like you know, effectively, it's almost like fortune telling, like, you know, you look at tarot, it's always in movies put alongside somebody with a crystal ball reading your future, and it's always portrayed as utter bullshit.Lesley Logan 20:10  Yes, I think that was part of the programming. So we would avoid it.Brad Crowell 20:13  I think so, too, you know, but, but that's just the that's where I'm coming from with it. That's the worldview that I've had my entire life, until I'm, you know, watching you do this, and listening to her talk about it. So, you know, I think that there's still that weirdness around well, when I'm having somebody else read my tarot cards, you know, this is not fortune telling, right? And I think that's what we should be very clear. They're not just making shit up. Lesley Logan 20:39  Correct. And even when you have, when you do go get a reading like Kate does them. Brad Crowell 20:43  Is it a back and forth, like you're, you know.Lesley Logan 20:45  You didn't have, you didn't get one from Lindsay? You didn't get one from Lindsay? Eric's place years ago.Brad Crowell 20:51  Maybe I can't remember, I think I did, but I can't remember. But, but the, but, like, the question I had, like, it's not like I'm sitting there in silence. They're flipping cards and telling you what's going to happen. It's more of a conversation and the person is helping you come to these conclusions.Lesley Logan 21:05  It probably depends on the on the facilitator, but essentially, the tarot readings I've had is I had one I didn't really like. I actually asked Kate about it, and she was like, she feels like she's being a little more predicting, versus like, asking you. But the one that Lindsay did, Lindsay (inaudible). Brad Crowell 21:21  She didn't do this. I think I remember it. Lesley Logan 21:21  She did a reading with me, and she pulled these cards. And I don't remember the type of spread it was, but it was basically okay. So in the past, right? She had, like, a past, present, future spread of some sort. And so in the past, she's like, okay, in your past, you had x, y and z, that is currently affecting where you are presently. So what's going on in your present life was like, let's just say you drew the full card, which is the car. Like, this is the person's like, going off doing something. They're not probably prepared for it, but they're excited. And they are like, are just going for it, right? But there's these mountains in the way. They're gonna be obstacles, but they have clear skies ahead, because there's gonna be something amazing, like, that's the full so in your past, you had this opportunity to do something amazing, and that sets you off on your present and then the present card, it could be the moon, okay? But presently, you have some illusions. You might be misaligned, and you know, like this. And then in the future, oh, the future, you've got an emperor, right? I'm just picking cards that I remember by. Brad Crowell 22:22  But the idea here is that there's, like, different positions, and one position is past, one position is present, one position is future. Lesley Logan 22:29  If you do that, yeah. Brad Crowell 22:29  And then, and then the the cards help you reflect on different things from your past, from your present, from your future. Lesley Logan 22:30  Yeah. So then you can ask your and then there's self-reflection questions like, okay, what does this make me think of is there a decision that I need to be making right now that I haven't been making? Is this, is there, is there, like, you could be doing a financial spread, and then the cards could be, you take all the meanings of the cards and it's a financial spread, and you're like, oh, if you get this one, like, there's one card that, if you get it, it's like, oh, you should take more drastic, dramatic action in your investments, right where you could draw a different card that's saying, oh, you should be more careful.Brad Crowell 23:07  But this comes down to the predictive, not the reflection. And that's where, like, that's where. For me, this is weird.Lesley Logan 23:12  So I'm explaining to it in a way that, yes, I could hear how you're saying it's predictive, where you would then take it as going, oh, okay, where can I be more aggressive in my financial investments. Where have I been too like, maybe you got the card upside down. Where have I been too aggressive in my financial investments? So you take the card's meaning , and then you apply it to your life based on the spread you're doing. And this is why we couldn't, didn't have the time to get into this. Brad Crowell 23:38  So it's like in the present, and then the whatever the card is, maybe the card is saying, let's talk about how this, you know, this, you've been too aggressive, or let's talk about how you've been not aggressive enough.Lesley Logan 23:49  You could actually draw a card that is all about intuition. And so then the question is like, okay, what is my intuition saying I should be doing today, or I should be doing right now, like you're.Brad Crowell 23:58  But this is what, okay, now that we're talking about it clarifying in this way, it's bringing me even more on board, because it effectively is almost like talking points. Yeah, each card represents a different talking point, a different analytical way of looking at your own past, present and future. Lesley Logan 24:16  Correct. If you do that spread and so what you are supposed to do is listen to them explain what each card means and the position that it's in, and then go and apply it. Meaning, like, reflect upon it and go, okay, it like, let's say you're doing a spread that has to do with your your career, right? You, right now, Brad, are currently doing a lot more sales in the in our business, right? You could end up with, like, doing a spread where it's in the future, it's showing you as having more leadership roles. Okay? So then it's like, okay, well, if in the future, I might having to take on more leadership roles in this business, then you know, what do I need to be doing today to prepare myself? How much of how, what does that feel like for me? Do, if that is something I was going to take on, what would I like to learn about myself? What would I want to do? What should I be doing now? So that can be even a possibility, right? So, like, it just reflects upon different things. And also, it's not predictive. It's just they're all each card, what it represents is more. It's like, not, I don't want to distill it down to a vibe, but it's a vibe, right? Like, and they represent different feelings. There are some cards that, like, the cups are all about emotions. So when you draw Cups cards in your spread, and maybe it's a day spread, maybe you just do one card a day, you might draw the 10 of Cups, which is all about relationships. So then it's like, Okay, today, where can I invest more in my relationships? So for me, I prefer the Day card, because it's like, okay, it's like a focus for today, but you can use them.Brad Crowell 25:50  It's almost like a journal prompt, you know it's like, it's like a preconceived 365 day journal prompt.Lesley Logan 25:56  Correct, I bought a whole journal that does one a day, and they have stickers. And I was like, fucking in. I'm doing it. I got stickers for I got a tarot card sticker. Brad Crowell 26:03  This is cool. I like this even more now. Lesley Logan 26:05  And so and so, for me, the way I've been studying it is, like, the card I'm studying, I'm literally going, how today did I see did, like, when I was studying, like, the Empress, like, oh, how today was I, like, using these things that she has or, or I wasn't using these things. Oh, there was that moment today where I outsourced my intuition to this person over here. So it just helps you reflect upon yourself and get to know yourself more. And the thing is that we all need if we want to have self-love, prevent burnout, be it till we see it. If you don't know yourself like you, you don't know how to listen to yourself, then it becomes really hard. So I have really got obsessed with it, because I'm like, oh, this is a way for me to have a conversation with myself that is somewhat guided and that it's whatever card I drew, whatever card I'm learning from that day, and that allows me to reflect upon today or my past or whatever, and uncover and almost like an onion, peel back another layer without outsourcing my agency.Brad Crowell 27:06  Well, I was just talking about this. Well, first off, that's really cool, and I and I agree, I think it's awesome that this is like, you're not outsourcing, you're not nothing wrong with going to see a therapist or anything like that. That's not what I'm talking about. But it's nice that this is something that you can do on your own. And I was just talking about this with someone about self-reflection, and I love that this is effectively a self -reflection practice.Lesley Logan 27:29  Yeah, that's and that's like, I really was so pleased that Frances explained it in that way, because correct, like you, I went to a tarot reader thinking they're gonna tell me what could be coming up in the future, and I forgot the time that Lindsay did it. And more was like, okay, you've been through X, Y and Z according to your past. You're it's currently affecting in this way and presenting in this way. And in the future, this could be coming up, and you should be aware of it. And it's like, so that sounds predictive, but also I still have to be the one who goes and does the thing. So I need to reflect upon, what did I learn in the past when it comes to that area that this card is representing? What am I currently going through that this card is highlighting, and then this future card is sharing, is putting this as a thing to be looking at. Doesn't mean it's predictive, but like, if that, like, what do I, where's the gap? What do I need to know? What does that, what feeling does that bring up in me? You know? So it's not, it's more of a guide, it's just a guide. I really like it. And I, and I am so pissed that I this was it took me 43 years of my life to know this is something I could use. I'm so grateful for Frances.Brad Crowell 28:38  Well, nothing like a little anger to make motivate you to learn.Lesley Logan 28:41  Yeah. Oh, and also, people keep asking if I'm going to do a reading, and the answer is no.Brad Crowell 28:46  Okay, so here's the deal that's funny that you say that, you know, how do you you know, I just want to briefly touch on this before we move on to some great Be It Action Items. But because I just hijacked your whole conversation and asked about the process and the belief behind it and how it works, which I am glad we did, because I feel like it was good to clarify that I had also written down some notes about the conversation you had with listening to your own intuition, right, because you asked her questions about how did you know that you could do this full time as a career? How did this turn into a career? And I'm gonna skip a whole lot of my notes, but ultimately, she said, you know, pursuing the unconventional path requires being your own staunchest supporter. Because you were talking about, how was it like at a family picnic with people like you're doing what now are you can I like, pray for you? Lesley Logan 29:32  Oh, I could only imagine. Brad Crowell 29:32  Yeah, right. And so.Lesley Logan 29:32  When I told people I was a Pilates instructor, that was already weird. Can you imagine telling them that you're doing Reiki and tarot?Brad Crowell 29:40  Right. So, you know, and what she said, It's not that you have to have the it's not that you have the confidence already. It's that you trust so deeply that you're that what you're doing is what you're supposed to be doing, which is listen to it, to your intuition, right? She said, you do it scared anyways, which is being it till you see it? Right. And she said that builds your confidence. So I just wanted to make sure we got that in. I thought that was really awesome. But stick around. We'll be right back. We're gonna uncover these Be It Action Items that we got from Frances Naudé. Brad Crowell 30:09  All right, welcome back. Let's talk about those Be It Action Items. What bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted action items can we take away from your convo with Frances Naudé? She said you have to learn how to hear and trust your intuition. Learn how to hear and trust your intuition. And she said, here's a three-part practice for building your intuitive muscle. And this is great, because learn how to hear and trust your intuition is not helpful for me, but here's three steps. Here's how you do that. Start with small daily decisions, things that you do every day, like choosing your tea, picking produce, or selecting which pair of underwear to wear, because that's what she does. She picks it up and she goes, is today, this pair of underwear day, or that pair of underwear day? And she's building this intuitive muscle, you know, like listening to herself, feeling it out, right. And she said, why does she do it then? Because it's something she repeats every single day. She has to make a choice right then, and so she's.Lesley Logan 31:04  I'm obsessed with it, because it goes in line with how habits are created. Brad Crowell 31:08  Hundred percent, yeah. She says, pause and feel after you make the choice, stop and notice what does it feel like in your body, and what energy do you have when you've made that decision. Then recognize the nature of intuition. So this is step three, recognize the nature of intuition. It's quiet. Often feels like a passing thought can lead you down paths that challenge your comfort zone and beliefs. She said, your intuition often will not make logical sense. It might not actually be loud. People always expect these really big moments, but intuition is often really quiet. So she basically, she's reminding us that daily awareness practice will help you build trust in your own guidance long before the big decisions show upLesley Logan 31:48  And to the next step, then ,you have to do that first. You guys don't get to skip ahead, do that first, the next step is to define your highest self. So this is the person we're being it until we see, right? This is a place that exists without ego, she said, without fears, worries, anxieties, and without other people's stories. So yeah, get rid of the other people's stories that are in your head, telling you who your highest self is. And then she encouraged you to clearly define who that self is and live by it. And she, Frances actually shared her three pillars of her highest self, which are, she lets joy lead. She does not let fear get in her way, and she lives in unity with all that's around her. I think that that's those are really tough things to kind of do, because we all want to control how things are. But if you let joy lead hence the going back to last week's episode, I love that these are back to back episodes, and then not letting fear get in the way. That means doing things scared. You know, going back to last week's episode. So so she also said, when you combine a strength and intuitive muscle with a clear vision of the highest self, every decision you make, you are walking that aligned path, even when the noise gets loud. And I just want to say that one more time, when you combine a strength and intuitive muscle with a clear vision of that highest self, every decision you make, you're walking that aligned path. So that's what I want for you guys. And I'm really, really like, I hate how long it took us to get this episode out, Frances, because, like, I've been working so hard on my tarot, but I really am super excited that it's coming out this time of the new year, when people can actually, like, instead of going new year, new me, it's like, what, what, who are, is your highest self. That should be the thing that you're thinking about. And then what can you do every day to walk in alignment with that? And that's going to help you with all the ups and downs and highs and lows. I'm Lesley Logan. Brad Crowell 33:31  And I'm Brad Crowell. Lesley Logan 33:32  Thank you, Frances Naudé. Y'all, how are we gonna use these tips in your life? What were your favorite parts? Make sure you tag Frances. By the way, you guys, she does a weekly drawing every single Monday. It's quite fun to attend live, and I'm sure you can get to know more about her. And look, I probably got some of this information wrong, but this is my interpretation of it. I'm sticking with it. Don't take it from me. All right, until next time. Be It Till You See It.Brad Crowell 33:52  Bye for now. Lesley Logan 33:54  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 34:36  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 34:41  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 34:46  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 34:53  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 34:56  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tyler Spalding is a 2011 bitcoiner whose main focus is payments. As the co-founder and former CEO of Flexa, he has a very unique insight on the cryptocurrency industry. This episode was recorded on the road after visiting the Bear Sanctuary in Romania. 00:00:47 – Introduction & Tyler's Visit to Romania Tyler discusses his trip to Romania, the bear sanctuary, and his passion for supporting bears globally. 00:04:11 – Background: NASA, Payments, and Early Tech Career Tyler shares his background in aerospace engineering, work at NASA, and transition into software and payments. 00:10:09 – Discovering Bitcoin & Early Involvement Tyler recounts learning about Bitcoin in 2011, reading the white paper, and early mining experiences. 00:12:26 – Bitcoin as Payments vs. Store of Value Tyler explains his initial focus on Bitcoin as a payment system and how his views evolved over time. 00:17:26 – Money, Debt, and the Nature of Currency Discussion on the historical relationship between money and debt, and how Bitcoin fits into this context. 00:20:44 – Bitcoin as Commodity, Not Money Tyler argues Bitcoin is more like digital gold than money, and discusses synthetic assets and stablecoins. 00:22:59 – The One Token Dilemma & Use Cases Exploration of Bitcoin's dual role as payment and store of value, and the resulting community debates. 00:28:46 – Spending Bitcoin: Early Purchases & Experiences Tyler shares stories about spending Bitcoin, including buying Cubs World Series tickets and other goods. 00:35:38 – Freedom of Choice & Critique of Maximalism Tyler advocates for utility maximalism and criticizes toxic Bitcoin maximalism and intolerance toward altcoins. 00:39:25 – Bitcoin's Usefulness & 21 Million Narrative Debate on what makes Bitcoin useful, the 21 million supply, and the impact of other crypto projects. 00:41:59 – Altcoins' Positive Impact on Bitcoin Tyler explains how Ethereum and other projects have benefited Bitcoin's growth and adoption. 00:45:38 – Digital Gold Narrative & Custodianship Discussion on the digital gold narrative, Bitcoin's slow/expensive transactions, and the rise of custodians. 00:47:42 – Podcast Sponsors & Wallets Host and Tyler discuss various sponsors, wallets, and services in the crypto ecosystem. 00:55:26 – Use Case Magazine & Documenting Crypto Adoption Tyler introduces his magazine “Use Case,” which documents real-world crypto use cases and includes a hardware wallet. 01:00:48 – Blocksize Wars: Big Blocks vs. Store of Value Tyler reflects on the blocksize wars, his initial support for big blocks, and how his views have changed. 01:09:47 – Forked Coins & Handling BCH Tyler discusses his approach to Bitcoin Cash after the fork and the uncertainty at the time. 01:17:33 – Bitcoin Cash, Scaling, and Miner Dynamics Analysis of Bitcoin Cash's technical progress, miner incentives, and its ongoing relevance. 01:23:10 – Multiple Currencies & Historical Parallels Comparison of today's crypto landscape to historical periods with many local currencies. 01:27:47 – Bitcoin's Uniqueness & Market Realities Debate on whether Bitcoin is truly unique and the challenges of paper Bitcoin and institutional adoption. 01:30:03 – Network Usage vs. Price Focus Tyler emphasizes the importance of real network usage and adoption over price speculation. 01:31:59 – Crypto Celebrities & Community Engagement Stories about working with celebrities and community members in crypto promotional campaigns. 01:46:08 – Five Legitimate Altcoins & Decentralization Tyler lists Ethereum, Zcash, Solana, and others as legitimate projects, and discusses what makes a project a scam. 02:11:55 – Monero, Zano, and Privacy Coins Discussion of Monero, Zano, and the technical and community differences among privacy coins. 02:20:58 – Current Projects: Flexa, AMP, and Anvil Tyler describes his ongoing work with Flexa, AMP, and the Anvil DeFi protocol for collateral management. 02:26:05 – Proof of Stake vs. Proof of Work Tyler explains his preference for proof of stake, its security model, and critiques of Bitcoin's mining centralization. 02:36:08 – Bitcoin Fork Thought Experiment: Privacy & Quantum Resistance Speculation on forking Zcash with Bitcoin's UTXO set for privacy and quantum resistance. 02:43:19 – Quantum Threats & Migration Challenges Discussion on quantum computing risks, migration strategies, and contentious issues around lost coins. 02:51:55 – Lightning Network, Fees, and Network Security Critique of Lightning Network's usability, fee model, and long-term security challenges for Bitcoin. 03:03:00 – If Tyler Could Change One Thing: Privacy Tyler would add privacy to Bitcoin, arguing it's essential for real-world payments. 03:05:05 – Bitcoin's Future & Open Source Innovation Tyler's outlook on Bitcoin's next 15 years, open source growth, and the importance of real-world utility. 03:09:48 – How to Use Flexa Today Practical advice on using Flexa for payments, wallet integrations, and the importance of merchant acceptance. 03:16:36 – Conclusion & Code Word Wrap-up, thanks, and the code word “urs” (Romanian for bear) for listeners who made it to the end.

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Paul Dumitru is an Insurance Specialist at the Financial Supervisory Authority of Romania, President of the CPCU Romanian Chapter, and 2025 CPCU Society International Ambassador, where he will represent the CPCU Society and continue fostering international connections and awareness of the CPCU designation and the CPCU Society.   A CPCU Society member since 2013, Paul earned his CPCU designation in 2017. He is a member of the Europe Chapter, serves as the acting President of the newly forming Romania Chapter, and is a committee member on the Global Virtual Community Steering Committee. Over the past year, he has promoted the CPCU Society through media appearances, conferences, and the launch of the Romania Chapter, helping to expand the Society's reach across Eastern Europe.   Professionally, Paul works at Romania's Financial Supervisory Authority, where he focuses on financial education and strategic insurance initiatives. In this episode of In the Know, Chris Hampshire and Paul discuss insurance in Europe, the CPCU Society Romania Chapter, and some of the factors that have shaped Paul's insurance career, including his CPCU designation.   Key Takeaways Paul's professional journey from chemistry to insurance. Surprising discoveries from within the world of insurance. The intellectual reward of working in risk management. An overview of the Romanian insurance market. Training and developing the next generation of insurance professionals. Strategies for adapting insurance systems as part of the EU. Founding the Romanian CPCU chapter. Paul's message to the next generation of insurance professionals. A five-year look at the future of the Romanian insurance market. The benefits of Paul's CPCU designation.   In the Know podcast theme music written and performed by James Jones, CPCU, and Kole Shuda of the band If-Then.   To learn more about the CPCU Society, its membership, and educational offerings, tools, and programs, please visit CPCUSociety.org.   Follow the CPCU Society on social media: X (Twitter): @CPCUSociety Facebook: @CPCUSociety LinkedIn: @The Institutes CPCU Society Instagram: @the_cpcu_society   Quotes "Working in insurance is one of the most fascinating industries in the world." "Insurance meets at the intersection of finance, law, and human behavior." "In insurance, I learn something new every day of my life." "You only need curiosity to learn about the fascinating insurance industry."  

În această conversație, Crina Okumus împărtășește o poveste profundă despre călătoria unui suflet mic prin viață, subliniind importanța alegerilor, a descoperirii de sine și a drumului de a-ți aminti darurile. Narațiunea explorează teme precum iubirea, dificultățile financiare și impactul influențelor externe asupra dezvoltării personale. În cele din urmă, îi încurajează pe ascultători să se reconecteze cu adevăratul lor sine și cu darurile pe care le aduc în lume.Idei principale (takeaways)Importanța de a crea un pact de a asculta fără judecată.Alegerea unui mediu liniștit îmbunătățește experiența ascultării.Viața este o serie de alegeri care ne modelează călătoria.Dificultățile financiare pot distrage de la descoperirea adevăratelor daruri.Credința că banii sunt echivalenți cu iubirea poate duce la dezamăgire.Izolarea poate apărea atunci când urmărim succesul material în locul împlinirii emoționale.Meditația este un instrument pentru autocunoaștere și pentru a te asculta pe tine.Natura și momentele simple pot declanșa amintiri profunde.Redescoperirea darurilor personale poate aduce vindecare emoțională.Lumea are nevoie de darurile și contribuția unică a fiecărei persoane.............More LinksFor Crina´s website For Crina's Instagram click here!For Dream Again Podcast's Instagram click here!For Youtube Don't Forget is time to DREAM AGAIN

Why did LSU lose the tiebreaker — and what does it reveal about NCAA gymnastics scoring? The judging decisions behind LSU vs. Oklahoma, explain how tiebreakers actually work, and analyze Florida's rise to #1 after the first full week of competition. We also cover Anna Barbosu's historic NCAA debut, notable scores and trends across the country, and why GymCastic is leaving Twitter/X.  HEADLINES LSU gave an explanation of their tie breaker loss from the floor that doesn't match Virtus. GYMTERNET NEWS What happened at the Sprouts Quad meet? Aka January Nationals. We discuss what happened between Oklahoma, LSU, UCLA, and Utah Which team is topping the charts this week? Florida spotlight Kayla DiCello competed for the first time since 2024 Olympic Trials Skye Blakely competed floor for the first time since 2024 National Championships Should this team be able to win nationals? What does this team need to do different this time around to make a national title happen? Spotlight: The Show Why Florida is winning the marketing game with its documentary/commercial show This week's 10.0 club is brought to you by Avery Neff's gorgina Yurchenko 1.5 This week's 9.975 club: Vault: Paige Zancan, Hannah Horton, Ashley Glynn Bars: Azaraya Ra-Akbar Beam: Selena Harris Floor: Cecilia Cooley Our favorite moments of the week Cadence Gormley (Kentucky) went full ninja-mode on beam and saved her front aerial UC Davis has a humongous stick hat and we're here for it  Ana Barbosu has a part in her floor routine where she stabs herself in the stomach three times and uses the blood as lipstick before she throws it into a ravine. Do we think this is social commentary on the state of the Romanian federation? FEEDBACK What was going on with the commentary at the Florida meet? Score tower clarification question We need Spencer to be our beacon of light for the 2026 season University of Washington parking nightmare follow up Could Al Fong continue coaching in the United States? Why we are leaving Twitter UP NEXT College & Cocktails : Friday Jan 16th, 7:45 Pacific after Oklahoma Missouri (SECN) 2026 Cocktail and Mocktail menu here Add exclusive Club Content like College & Cocktails to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). SUPPORT OUR WORK Club Gym Nerd: Join Here Fantasy: GymCastic 2026 College Fantasy Game now open. Never too late to join! Merch: Shop Now Newsletters The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim Resistance Resources Join Our Fantasy League   Chapters 00:00 – Headlines: LSU Loses the Tiebreaker + Anna Barbosu NCAA Debut 00:29 – Sprouts Quad "January Nationals" + How the Tie Happened 01:29 – Lexi Zeiss Beam Score Controversy (Start Value Mess) 06:32 – The Tiebreak Explained: Why Oklahoma Wins 08:50 – College & Cocktails Promo: "Angry Beam" + Weekly Shows 11:23 – Gymternet News: Romania Hires Nikolai Forminte (Again) 13:01 – Chow's Gym Lawsuits + SafeSport Named in Suit 14:00 – Adult Gymnastics Book: Broken to Unbreakable 15:02 – NCAA Week Recap: Utah Beam Disaster + Rankings 18:45 – Florida #1: Kayla DiCello Returns + Skye Blakely Adds Events 25:12 – Jenny Rowland's Silver Pants + Coaches Blocking Judges on Bars 27:20 – Florida "Documentary" = 15-Minute Sponsored Ad (Wells Fargo Vibes) 33:30 – Week's Big Scores: 10.0 + 9.975s Breakdown 40:08 – Vault Trend Watch: More Yurchenko Double Fulls 42:01 – Favorite Things: Cadence Gormley's 6-Second Beam Save 43:22 – Stick Crowns + UC Davis Giant Hat Comedy 45:01 – Anna Barbosu Debuts at Denver + "Stomach Stab Lipstick" Choreo 50:23 – Scary Vault: No Hands Contact… Why Wasn't It a Zero? 53:31 – Listener Feedback: Florida Commentary Was Brutal 55:51 – Scoreboard "Tower" Question: Why Scores Change On Screen 57:14 – GIFs of the Week Pressure Campaign + Parking Trauma Follow-Up 58:53 – Can Al Fong Switch Federations and Keep Coaching? 01:00:15 – GymCastic Leaving Twitter/X (Why We're Done) 01:02:43 – Where to Find Us Now + This Week's Schedule  

In this very sweet episode of BFGE, Sarah celebrates all things Emma by allowing her to choose the film for her birthday.  The ladies order a pie and tuck into the 1988 American romantic comedy-drama film "Mystic Pizza" (d. Donald Petrie), which follows the coming-of-age of three young Portuguese-American waitresses at the titular pizza parlor. Also in this episode:The ladies discuss their first jobsSarah's Romanian seafood pizza PTSDFamous babysitter fuckersEmma: perpetual victim or world's worst waitress?Sarah yearns for a life of measuring lobsters and drinking at the pubCome and grab a slice with us!Like our stupid lil movie parties? Please drop us a rating on spotify/apple and follow us on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/brutalfilmgirlpod/

Zionist vulture capitalist Paul Singer, Trump's mega-Jewish donor, just hijacked Citgo—the only U.S. heavy crude refinery—at dirt-cheap prices after Trump deliberately tanked its value through pirate ship seizures and brutal blockades. Now Trump is siphoning billions in stolen Venezuelan oil directly into Singer's coffers to bankroll Israel's endless wars and globalist schemes.   A white American mom of three was gunned down cold-blood by a faceless ICE agent in Minneapolis. Owen Shroyer teams with Stew to rip open this engineered psyop designed to unleash riots, crush freedoms, and force-feed the AI Gestapo down our throats. Is this the deep-state trigger for martial law? There is no law requiring Americans in the 50 states to file or pay federal income tax—yet trillions are seized to bomb nations for Jewish billionaires and push global degeneracy at gunpoint. Peymon Mottahedeh exposes the century-old fraud and gives you the exact, battle-tested steps to go exempt, keep your earnings, and join the millions already refusing to feed the swamp. Erika Kirk isn't just grieving—she's the centerpiece of a decades-long web connecting Romanian orphanages, U.S. military bases, and accusations of child trafficking that go straight to the top.  

KIT THOMPSON AND THE IMPERIAL AIRSHIP SCHEME Colleague S.C. Gwynne. Gwynne introduces Christopher "Kit" Thompson, an aristocratic Air Secretary obsessed with Romanian Princess Marta Bibesco. Thompson championed the "Imperial Airship Scheme" to link the British Empire technologically; Gwynne suggests this ambition was driven partly by a desire to impress Bibesco and facilitate travel between imperial holdings like India. NUMBER 2

In the turbulent years following the conclusion of the First World War, a young Romanian law student named Corneliu Zelea Codreanu becomes utterly convinced that his nation is under threat by a Jewish-Communist conspiracy. Inspired by the success of the Italian fascists, Codreanu begins working to create a similar right-wing movement in his own country. Email me: perspectivesinhistorypod@gmail.com Podcast Website Follow me on Twitter Facebook Page Buy Some Used Books Bibliography Clark, Roland. Holy Legionary Youth: Fascist Activism in Interwar Romania. Cornell University Press, 2015 Codreanu, Cornelieu Zelea. For My Legionaries. Black House Publishing Ltd, 2015 Hitchins, Keith. A Concise History of Romania. Cambridge University Press, 2014 Ioanid, Radu. The Sword of the Archangel: Fascist Ideology in Romania. Columbia University Press, 1990 Iordachi, Constantin. The Fascist Faith of the Legion “Archangel Michael” in Romania, 1927-1941: Martyrdom and National Purification. Routledge, 2023 Kaplan, Robert D. Balkan Ghosts: A Journey Through History. Picador, 2005. Nagy-Talavera, Nicholas. The Green Shirts and the Others: A History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania. Hoover Institution Press, 1970.  Tiu, Ilarion. The Legionary Movement after Corneliu Codreanu. Columbia University Press, 2009 Sturdza, Michel. The Suicide of Europe: Memoirs of Prince Michel Sturdza, Former Foreign Minister of Rumania. Islands Publishers, 1968. Sima, Horia. The History of the Legionary Movement. The Legionary Press, 1995 Cover Image: Romanian prime minister Ion Antonescu and deputy prime minister Horia Sima at a demonstration memorializing Corneliu Zelea Codreanu, the late founder of the Iron Guard. (Bucharest, Romania. October, 1940.) Closing Theme: “Sfanta Tinerete Legionara,” (Hymn of the Legionary Youth) 

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Dr. Tudor Francu is a Romanian-born anesthesiologist and real estate investor with over 15 years of experience. After immigrating to the U.S. at age 28 and building a successful medical practice, Tudor began investing in real estate—starting with single-family homes before transitioning into multifamily syndications. He has managed 30+ properties, overseen operations on multifamily assets, and now serves as a general partner in large-scale apartment deals. Tudor is the founder of Stellar Multifamily and host of the Stellar Success Podcast.     Make sure to download our free guide, 7 Questions Every Passive Investor Should Ask, here.     Key Takeaways: Investing with the right people is more important than the projected returns Being a passive investor first can be a strategic way to learn syndication before becoming a general partner Vertically integrated operators are more likely to succeed than those who outsource key roles Clear, frequent, and transparent communication is the hallmark of a great sponsor Taking action—even imperfectly—is essential for success in real estate     Topics From Romania to Real Estate How Tudor transitioned from anesthesiologist to real estate investor The financial mindset inherited from growing up in a communist country How Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad Poor Dad shaped his investment journey Starting Small, Scaling Smart Why he began with single-family homes What prompted the leap into multifamily How he built comfort through small wins before scaling Passive Investing as a Learning Strategy Tudor's reasons for starting as an LP What he learned from both good and bad operators Why passive investing is crucial for risk-aware growth Becoming a General Partner What it took to make the transition The critical role of transparency and communication A candid story about walking away from a deal days before closing Vertically Integrated Teams Why vertical integration improves success rates The operational advantages of in-house management Lessons from bad deals with third-party vendors Lessons on Leadership and Communication Why leasing agents are the most important people on-site Structuring compensation to align with asset performance What investors should really ask sponsors before committing    

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Le Monde reports that nearly 20,000 Russians, Ukrainians, and Moldovans gained EU access using fake ancestral documents in a scheme involving €4,000 Romanian passports.View the full article here.Subscribe to the IMI Daily newsletter here. 

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VALUE FOR VALUE Thank you to the Bowl After Bowl Episode 417 Producers: Sharky, harvhat, cbrooklyn, phifer, Tjunta, marykateultra, Boolysteed, ChadF, ericpp PO Box 410154 KCMO 64141 The Great Unthinking Xmas Is Over (Merry Christmas) Intro/Outro: Jaxius - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy FIRST TIME I EVER Bowlers called in to talk about the First Time They Ever gave a Christmas gift. Next week, we want to hear about the First Time YOU Ever took a sick day. TOP THREE 33 Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua drew 33 million viewers (TMZ) 33 million visitors a year flock to Charlotte, especially during the holidays (WBTV) Two more bodies found in Houston bayous, bringing yearly total to 33 (Houston Public Media) BEHIND THE CURTAIN Wiz Khalifa sentenced to 9 months in Romanian prison for bud possession, appealing the ruling (TMZ) Executive order rescheduling pot to Schedule III (White House) with live video (YouTube / FOX) The Heritage Foundation says rescheduling benefits the CCP (Heritage.org) US Department of Transportation issues press release reminding workers drug testing process regulations will not change (Transportation.gov) Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs intoxicating hemp ban, new marijuana regulations into law (Ohio Capital Journal) Ohio SUPCO rules on marijuana metabolites role in crash (WKBN) METAL MOMENT No Moment for three weeks! Follow along with the Rev's adventures @SirRevCyberTrucker@noauthority.social ON-CHAIN, OFF-CHAIN, COCAINE, SHITSTAIN Bitcoin trapped until 2026 as holiday trading drains market liquidity (Yahoo Finance) Bitcoins heads for its worst Q4 since 2018 as traders predict further declines (CoinDesk) Despite a volatile December for Bitcoin, Bullish signals are emerging: VanEck (Bitcoin Magazine) KC Bitcoiners' Calendar FUCK IT, DUDE. LET'S GO BOWLING! One in three Americans 'pre-game' with pot before family holiday gatherings, survey finds (Freeman Recovery Center) Nonprofit CFO who stole $2 million to buy wine, luxury vacations gets 33 months in federal prison (FOX) Steven Drozd splits with The Flaming Lips after 33 years (Relix) Wildlife officials capture wrong bear in California (CBS) Man sings Christmas songs for 42 hours to break world record (UPI) Mom sues Character.AI after 11-year-old son found sexting with Whitney Houston, Marilyn Monroe (Independent) Mystery as hundreds of Victorian shoes wash up on Ogmore beach (BBC) 84-year-old man shoots son in the face for not visiting mother in hospice (Law and Crime) Airplane 'lost' for 13 years turns up in airport parking bay (Independent) Thieves dressed as Santa, elves steal $3K worth of goods from Montreal grocery store (CBC)  

Use promo code: FREEMONTH to get the first month free until the end of 2025.⁠⁠https://taking-the-land.supercast.com/?coupon=FREEMONTHhttps://TakingTheLandPodcast.comPastor Ovidiu Rusu shares the longer, behind-the-scenes version of how God saved him in post-communist Romania. Raised in Brasov under a system that crushed hope and limited the future, Ovidiu hit a breaking point and cried out, “God, if you exist…” Days later, God answered in the most unlikely place: a freezing bread line at 5:00 AM.In this Testimony Tuesday conversation, Pastor Adam and Pastor Rusu talk about life under communism, the early revival among Romanian youth after the revolution, Pastor Richard Brooks' influence, pioneering the Ploiești church, documented healing miracles, and the challenge of raising a new generation with a clear call to preach.If you need hope, faith, and a reminder that God specializes in closed doors and impossible situations, this one is for you.Chapters00:00 Desperation and Hope in Romania02:45 Pastor Ovidiu Rusu's Journey05:22 Life Under Communism07:56 The Struggle for Freedom10:32 The Spiritual Landscape of Romania13:32 The Impact of Religion16:03 A Turning Point: Finding Faith18:39 Revival and Transformation21:22 Pastor Richard Brooks' Influence24:18 Challenges and Triumphs in Faith41:41 Gathering Crowds and Spreading the Gospel43:44 The Call to Ministry and Preaching47:09 Transformative Relationships and Witnessing52:07 Pioneering a New Church56:06 Miracles and Growth in the New Church01:00:55 Leadership Transition and Legacy01:07:11 Current Developments in the Brasov Church01:10:20 Looking Ahead: Future Plans and Prayer NeedsShow NotesALL PROCEEDS GO TO WORLD EVANGELISMLocate a CFM Church near you: https://cfmmap.orgWe need five-star reviews! Tell the world what you think about this podcast at:Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/3vy1s5bPodchaser: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/taking-the-land-cfm-sermon-pod-43369

Leighton is on summer break, so we are highlighting some of his favourite guests from 2025. Romanians are still navigating the difficult path of building democratic institutions and a culture of transparency. At the same time, widespread perceptions of corruption and cronyism have caused many Romanians to see little change from communist leadership. Antonia Colibasanu, a lecturer on International Relations at the Romanian National University, backgrounds Romania's position and future influence in Europe and analyses the difficulties the country is faced with. She also summarises the country's relationship between Russia, Ukraine, Poland and the rest of Europe. File your comments and complaints at Leighton@newstalkzb.co.nz Haven't listened to a podcast before? Check out our simple how-to guide. Listen here on iHeartRadio Leighton Smith's podcast also available on iTunes:To subscribe via iTunes click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Visegrad Insight podcast episode, Wojciech Przybylski speaks with Anna Gielewska of  ⁨@vsquare_project⁩  about a cross-border investigation with Front Story and Context Romania. They discuss alleged undeclared online support linked to Romanian far-right politician George Simion during Karol Nawrocki's presidential campaign, what can and cannot be proven, and why Poland's rules on in-kind support look outdated in the platform era. The conversation also touches on the United States National Security Strategy and the European Union debate on a Democracy Shield.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZTkBEeP9os4

Quake discusses Drake & UMG's mediation in “Not Like Us” lawsuit appeal being delayed, 6IX9INE's home invasion suspect being Arrested, Jam Master Jay's alleged killer getting conviction overturned, Wiz Khalifa facing 9 months in Romanian prison, The Game's reason for his absence from Kendrick Lamar's “Pop Out” show, Young Thug and 21 Savage proclaiming “F**k The Streets”, Billboard announcing rule change that will impact Hip-Hop sales, Charlamagne Tha God & Breakfast Club to stream on Netflix and much more.(00:00) - Intro(02:31) - Drake & UMG's Mediation In “Not Like Us” Lawsuit Appeal Has Been Delayed(09:43) - 6IX9INE Home Invasion Suspect Has Been Arrested(17:05) - Jam Master Jay's Alleged Killer Gets Conviction Overturned(20:12) - Wiz Khalifa Facing 9 Months In Romanian Prison(22:51) - Young Buck Vs Fat Joe The Full Breakdown(41:23) - The Game Justifies His Absence From Kendrick Lamar's “Pop Out” Show(51:58) - Young Thug And 21 Savage Proclaim “F**k The Streets” And Many Respond(01:09:39) - New Music(01:10:09) - Album Sales

The Conference League league phase concluded with a bang Thursday night, and we're breaking down every game! Universitatea Craiova was the day's top story for all the wrong reasons. We discuss the series of unfortunate events that led to their heartbreaking elimination, including the Romanians blowing a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 in Athens, a stoppage time Zrinjski Mostar equalizer, a late Sigma goal, and of course, KuPS' dramatic draw at Selhurst Park. That's right, little old KuPS took it to the South Londoners for a period in the second half to dramatically qualify for the knockouts and force Crystal Palace out of the Top 8 and thus the Round of 16 bye. We give our thoughts on how the Finns accomplished such a feat and debate how serious the setback is for Palace. Meanwhile, there was plenty of other Top 8 drama throughout the continent. Mainz and Rayo secured the bye, and a late AEK Larnaca winner launched the frisky Cypriots into the coveted final spot. Of course, we must also talk about Fiorentina, who lost yet again (this time at Lausanne). We wrap things up with a title-contender power rankings and a look ahead to the knockouts draw in January. Cheers Jarkko Wiss!

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

“Your beliefs govern your reality.” In this episode, Nick speaks with Damon Cart, an NLP teacher and coach, about the transformative power of self-concept coaching. Damon shares his personal journey through depression, the importance of understanding one’s values, and the pitfalls of self-worth. What to listen for: Understanding your values changes how you approach achievement Self-worth is a flawed concept; it’s better to focus on values instead Taking action is crucial for gaining clarity on what truly matters Failure can lead to unexpected success “It has everything to do with your beliefs… Most people don’t believe they are the value that they’re seeking.” When you don't see your own value, you'll constantly search for it outside yourself Confidence and self-esteem are built internally, not earned through achievements Changing your beliefs about who you are opens the door to the life you actually want “If you’re adamant about being a happy and fulfilled person and you’re willing to work for it, you will get there.” You're never permanently stuck unless you stop moving toward what you want Working on yourself is an investment that pays off in how you experience life Happiness grows when you treat it like a priority, not a side quest About Damon Cart Damon is a world-leading expert in creating lasting internal transformations using the Self-Concept model™. As a master NLP practitioner and co-founder of The Self-Concept Research Group, he transformed his own life from a struggling insurance agent to a globally recognized authority in personal development. Mentored by NLP pioneer Steve Andreas, he has spent nearly eight years helping thousands achieve identity-level change. Based in Santa Cruz, California, Damon combines deep theory with practical application to make transformation effortless and permanent. https://selfconcept.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/damon-cart-aa79b122/ https://www.instagram.com/damoncart Resources: Interested in starting your own podcast or need help with one you already have? Send Nick an email or schedule a time to discuss your podcast today! https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/podcasting-services/ Thank you for listening! Please subscribe on iTunes and give us a 5-Star review! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-and-self-mastery-show/id1604262089 Listen to other episodes here: https://themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com/ Watch Clips and highlights: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk1tCM7KTe3hrq_-UAa6GHA Guest Inquiries right here: podcasts@themindsetandselfmasteryshow.com Your Friends at “The Mindset & Self-Mastery Show” Click Here To View The Episode Transcript Nick McGowan (00:01.436)Hello and welcome to the Mindset and Self Mastery Show. I’m your host, Nick McGowan. Today on the show we have Damon Cart. Damon, how you doing today? Damon Cart (00:11.266)Good. How are you? Nick McGowan (00:12.828)I’m good, man, I’m excited. As I told you, this is the first episode of Brand New Office. So if people watch the video and I’m looking around, it’s other stuff in the office. I’m excited that you’re here, man. We were just shooting the breeze a bit before we got started and I’m excited to get into things. So why don’t you kick us off? Tell us what you do for a living and what’s one thing most people don’t know about you that’s maybe a little odd or bizarre. Damon Cart (00:23.182)you Damon Cart (00:35.694)Hmm. Well, I teach NLP and I coach it as well. I do one-on-one coaching and not just NLP. I focus on a specific model called the self concept model. And it was a model that was taught to me by my mentor, Steve Andreas. He created it. And it is a model that models our identity, how we create our sense of self and how to transform that. Most people are not living the life that they would want to be living. And that’s rooted in them not being the person they want to be. And we think that we have to go conquer mountains or defeat dragons until we’re worthy of that. And that’s just not true. It has everything to do with your beliefs and how you organize that information into those beliefs and what in fact you believe about yourself. And most people don’t believe they are the value that they’re seeking. And as a result of that, they experience lower self-esteem, lower confidence and overall just lack of fulfillment. And we can transform that and sometimes as simple as one hour session just by transforming beliefs, restructuring that information. So instead of taking years of willpower and discipline and all of those things, it’s really in how you think about it. And there’s an exact organization to that. And once you understand it, then you can change it. And something about me that is, I don’t know if I’m, I don’t know, I feel like I’m a pretty open book about things, about myself. And I don’t know of anything that I would call bizarre. would say something that probably not a lot of people know about me, unless you really know me very well, is that I’m a rather emotional person. And that can be anything. That can be anger. That can be watching a movie and, you know, feeling emotional because of it, because it’s sad or it’s a great love story or something like that. I tend to be very emotional and be The older I’ve gotten, the more comfortable I am with just being emotional and vulnerable in front of people. But I don’t really show that in my videos. In my persona online, it’s just not, I don’t think it’s really relevant. And it’s not that I’m ashamed of it. It’s just, I don’t see the value in doing that. I’m a teacher and it’s for me, it’s about getting the information out there. Nick McGowan (02:51.884)Interesting. I want to go down that path a little bit because I am emotional. If you watched any videos, you can see some of the emotions come out. There are often times I’ll blame, I’m from Philly, so I’ll just blame the Northeast. I’m like, it’s because of Philly. Like, yeah, yeah. And that’s what everybody thinks about Philly people anyway. They’re crazy or they’re loud. It’s like partially, but some of that’s also generational trauma and they don’t really know how to handle it. And Damon Cart (03:03.854)Why not? Nick McGowan (03:16.787)It’s interesting because also as we get older like you can watch a commercial and you get over 40 and you start crying and you’re like I don’t know why like what the fuck was that what a good 12 second clip of something but it’s interesting that you put that to the side when you make your videos and it sounds really conscious like you’re like I’m not gonna allow myself to be not vulnerable but emotional because you don’t want it to block the message is that about right? Damon Cart (03:43.691)You know, got a comment on one of my videos recently and that one of the live streams I did was very academic. And I was like, well, like as opposed to what, how do you, because they’re, and you’ll hear people throw this word around when it comes to NLP teachers. like, this person’s very academic. And to me, that means like more theory-based and not experiential, but NLP is very experiential. So I was just like, well, you know, how do, Nick McGowan (04:03.638)Mm-hmm. Damon Cart (04:09.358)As opposed to what I’m giving you the steps of a process that you have to go and do and experience and he was like no No, not like that. You should put your personality into your videos more and he referenced a podcast and I went and looked at the podcast and it was one of those kind like bro podcasts where It was a young man and he’s you know, kind of putting a little bit of arrogance out there No judgment on him. Like this is what plays this is what sells and So I haven’t responded to the person yet, but on my video, but basically it comes down to this I I don’t see myself as the brand of what I’m doing. The information that I’m getting out there is the star of the show, not me. And there have been times where I put my personal life on there. I’ve done vlogs and things like that. And you will see me get emotional in those. But I’ve never found it to be like why people are coming to my videos. And if my personality overshadows what I’m teaching, which is you see this in like Tony Robbins, you know, and Nick McGowan (04:46.008)Mm. Nick McGowan (05:06.915)Yeah. Damon Cart (05:06.926)Then I feel like I’m not doing my job. I feel like I’ve the message and what I’m teaching is the most important thing, not who I am. I don’t want my, if I get emotional about something, I don’t want that to hijack the video. I want the information I’m teaching to be the thing that people are coming for and that they’re getting it. Nick McGowan (05:20.653)Yeah. Nick McGowan (05:26.553)That makes total sense. And I guess to people that don’t know that, they’re just going to interpret how they’re going to interpret because we are people and we’ll interpret things how we want and make up a story and go, here’s what it is. But that’s a great way to put it. You’re stewarding it. You’re basically just letting it come through you and kind of work through you. Do you feel like some of it is also channeled in that sort of way specifically? Or are you just saying, I’ve learned this information. I want to package it in the right way so you can get the information and Damon Cart (05:38.466)Yeah. Damon Cart (05:41.826)Yes. Nick McGowan (05:56.342)Never mind how I feel about Damon Cart (05:58.735)So definitely yes to the second part, when you say channel, what do mean by channel? Nick McGowan (06:04.412)There are certain people that channel information from a higher level, from God or from the universe or whatever, and they feel that comes through them. It’s almost like how creatives or artists can say, I don’t really know where that came from, but it just came out of me and it was kind of channeled through. And I’ve seen different people and I’ve talked to different people that are like, I don’t let my vessel really, or like the being get in the way because it’s being channeled through. And it sounds like you’re taking more of the conscious approach of like the information is the information. So take the information and me being yelly or emotional about it or whatever is not going to do you a bit of good. Here’s the information. But it also sounds like that person who’s like, I want I want you to be emotional because they probably are, you know. Damon Cart (06:46.668)Yeah, and yeah, so I’ve had those moments on, because I like to do live streams. So yeah, I’ve had those moments where I felt like, yeah, I was just channeling. But majority of it is, I’ve felt this my entire life. If I was struggling to solve a problem and I solve that problem, I know that there are other people who are trying to solve that problem and they’re really frustrated. And I know what that frustration feels like. So I just want to go to them and say, here’s the key or here’s. Here’s the information you need so that you don’t need to struggle with this anymore. And I feel like that’s really my job. My channel started with one of the things I realized very quickly when I was going to like one NLP training after another, especially getting into more and more advanced NLP trainings that I was attending, not teaching, was how many people didn’t actually know basic NLP. And it was like, okay, they’re spending thousands of dollars learning all this. And it is true. Like you just don’t really get a lot of practice in NLP trainings because that would make Nick McGowan (07:34.966)Mm. Damon Cart (07:43.299)the training’s extremely long and that wouldn’t be very competitive in the market. So people aren’t really practicing and then they hand you a certificate and say, now you’re certified. And it’s like that is completely meaningless. You have to go and practice it. And so what I was doing is I was practicing every single day on myself. was practicing, I had a practice group and I would practice with them once a week and had a practice partner who I practiced with once a week. And I was practicing on people and they didn’t even realize it. I was just making the world my NLP classroom. Nick McGowan (07:44.983)Yeah. Damon Cart (08:11.054)So I was understanding NLP rapidly. And a lot of this, was not getting the help of a teacher or a mentor up until I met my mentor, Steve Andreas. And so I started my YouTube channel being that the whole point of it was I’m going to teach people what they should have learned in their NLP training. And actually to this day, when I’m going, when I’m speaking at conferences, actually when I’m shoulder to shoulder speaking with other people who are presenting at these conferences, they will come to me and say, When I was taking my NLP training, I didn’t understand what I was learning and I had to turn to your videos because your videos were the videos that actually taught me what I was supposed to know. And so I get this compliment to this day, which is a huge compliment because that’s exactly what I was set out to do in the beginning. So yeah, I’ve always, the spotlight has always been the information that I’m teaching, not me. Nick McGowan (08:46.155)Nice. Nick McGowan (08:59.383)And it sounds like with everything you’re saying, you’ve just solidified it more and more and more. Like if they were like, you know, it’s a little dry, you would probably open up a little bit in that sort of way. But the fact that you keep getting like, this is what you set out to do and this is what it’s about. That’s awesome, man. And again, I think people are gonna interpret how they want. Like I wanna hear more emotions. Damon Cart (09:17.378)Yeah, and I do share, I’m happy to share like one of the reasons why I’ve had a lot of people come to me for coaching is they would say like, you know, I heard some of what you were saying and it didn’t really speak to me, but when you talked about your depressions or you talked about your divorce and things like that. that is something that I think it helps feed what I’m trying to do here. When I, when I don’t pretend like I’m this perfect person, I think when people are trying to really build a personality brand, that’s what they’re doing. Nick McGowan (09:30.69)yeah. Damon Cart (09:45.133)And there are people who want to follow that. want to believe that there are these sort of like higher than human people that they can follow. I just, that defeats the whole point. So yeah, I want people to know that I’ve worked through problems. I’ve worked through depression. I’ve had a divorce. I’ve had to deal with, you know, trying to maintain relationships with my kids. Nick McGowan (09:45.216)Yeah. Nick McGowan (09:55.851)Yeah. Damon Cart (10:06.222)you know, in these tough times of going through a divorce and moving out of the home, you know. So I do talk about these things because I want people to understand that I’m not just like coming from a place of like, had this all figured out from the beginning. It’s like, what I’m giving you is things that, problems that I’ve solved, things that I had to figure out for myself. that’s how I know that it works. And so now I’m giving it to you. So you don’t have to stay in that frustration. Nick McGowan (10:18.443)haha Nick McGowan (10:31.273)Wait, so there aren’t perfect people on the planet? Like there’s not somebody wandering around? Like all these people on social media? Damon Cart (10:36.426)you would be amazed you would be amazed at how people really buy into that stuff and i just like yeah Nick McGowan (10:41.716)my God, well they want to, you know? Like they really want that. And I can understand like really wanting that, but it’s like self-awareness. Like once you see it, like you can’t not see things. So if you’re like, I want this, why would I want this? Well, you know, and then you kind of work through your stuff. But big thing you’re saying with this is context. Like setting the stage, giving some context to it. Like if you just talked about all these things and you’re like, went through a divorce, but I’m totally good. And like everything’s totally fine. And like everything’s all right. for the people that are out there that would just be like, cool, see, he’s totally good. Like you’re actually hurting those people at that point. And it’s interesting, cause I think there’s a lot of like, there’s a lot of hurt that’s being given out from coaches because they’re not actually working through this stuff that they’re working through. You told me before we even got started, like you were doing the work and kind of almost tripped into this because it made sense to do it when it made sense instead of like where I think 2020 and the whole COVID thing is an easy thing to look back to because a lot of people were like, well, what the fuck do I do now? I guess I become a coach for what? I don’t fucking know. But I guess I’ll do it because I see these other people doing it and like, why the fuck not? And at that point, they’re just like spewing things. I kind of tripped backwards into coaching because I went through a divorce and I had friends that were like, man, you helped me. Can you help a buddy of mine who’s also going through shit? Can you help somebody else? And it’s like Damon Cart (11:46.635)Yeah. Nick McGowan (12:05.334)Yeah, but I need to do so much more work because the more that you learn, the more you understand. Like there’s more to know about it. And likewise, I’m sure with the NLP stuff, like as you started to go into it, I’m sure you got three weeks, three months, three years into it. You’re like, oh my God, there’s so much that I’ve learned from it that you’re then able to turn around. And it sounds like you’ve got a good, I guess mindset, a sense of like, I’m going to help. I want to deliver the information instead of like pushing it upon people. But why don’t we take a little bit of a step back. How the hell did you get here? I know a little bit of the story, but why don’t you share that? Because again, context is important. Damon Cart (12:40.153)Yeah, so I became, well, I had my first depression right after I graduated college and it was, 9-11 happened. It was the first time I was out of school in my entire life. I guess I started going to school like at three and now I’m like 22 and I’m out of school for the first time and just, you know, facing that the rest of your life. Like, what do I do now? Nick McGowan (13:06.409)Yeah. Damon Cart (13:06.734)Yeah, 9-11 happened, which really shook me up because you feel like you’re living, you don’t even question your safety and suddenly something like that happens. And then I got arrested for something really stupid. And it’s really stupid to the point where it’s like, I mean, if you want to get into it, I don’t mind talking about it, but it’s not, I don’t know, I don’t find it that relevant. anyway, those three things happened in one summer. And I just was like, I don’t even feel like walking out my front door. It just feels dangerous. Like, who knows what can happen? Nick McGowan (13:22.1)I’m down. Nick McGowan (13:26.206)Fair enough. Damon Cart (13:35.047)And I gradually just kind of like pulled in more and more and didn’t process the feelings, the negative feelings that I was experiencing. And I just suddenly I realized I’m in a really bad place. And I’ve actually been in this place for months now. And I don’t know how to get myself out of it. And I remembered that I had a professor who taught a class called the philosophy of psychology. And he went through different therapeutic modalities, including hypnosis and gestalt therapy, which NLP is based on. And then at the end, he Nick McGowan (13:57.267)Mm. Damon Cart (14:04.856)pulled out NLP and he said like, this is the mother of them all, because it takes the best of everything that whatever works. And I was just amazed by what this guy could do. And I was, I remember thinking to myself, I got to learn this NLP thing one day. So that was in college and then I was graduated. Now I’m experiencing depression. I don’t have health insurance. I’m a bartender. And so I can’t, I don’t even have the money to hire a therapist. Nick McGowan (14:16.2)Mm. Damon Cart (14:27.502)So I remembered my professor and I called him up and told him what was going on and he said, well, come into my office. He said, I don’t believe in a free service, but I also don’t need your money. So he said, donate your time every time you come to see me to charity or money or whatever. And he’s like, I’m not going to check back with you. I’m just going to trust that you do it. Come back next week and we’ll get to work. I come back next week and in one hour session, months of depression is gone. And I just, my logical mind said, no, no. Nick McGowan (14:45.971)That’s cool. Damon Cart (14:57.056)No, cannot even be possible. But every other part of me was just like, I’m free, like I’m not depressed anymore. And I remember leaving his office and just like I had to stop and sit at a bench on the campus and was just like looking around. like, I walked in there a different person. I walked in there depressed and I’m walking out and there is no depression. just didn’t, it seemed crazy. And so I didn’t get depressed for another 10 years. And when I finally got depressed again, it had nothing to do with what I had gotten depressed with the first time. Nick McGowan (14:58.13)Hehehehe Nick McGowan (15:19.816)Yeah. Damon Cart (15:26.926)But I can say now, knowing NLP, that it was a way that I would think about things. Depression is a process, not like a thing. So, you know, 10 years later, now I’m living in Santa Cruz, California. I have an insurance agency. I’m married and I have two really young kids, like two kids under two years old. And everything is going wrong. And so I slip into a depression again and then even realize it. My wife at the time, ex-wife now, she’s a therapist and she just said, you need help. And I remember Part of me was like well, no, don’t and then I just stopped and I was like, yeah, actually I do I’m not good. And so I found a therapist and this was traditional therapy So I went to traditional psychotherapy and it took me an entire year to come out of depression So we’re talking one session with somebody who knew NLP versus an entire year with someone who’s doing more traditional therapy And when I started to realize even though I was out of that depression I was thinking maybe I can make some progress and some advances here But no, he only knew how to get, this therapist only knew how to get you out of the hole. And then once you were there, then he kind of like kept you there by asking more and more about problems rather than trying to move you to solutions. And I was like, okay, this isn’t working for me anymore. And so I stopped going to see him, but I knew if I didn’t do something different, I was going to end up right back there again. And that’s when I decided it’s time to learn NLP. And there was a training that might still happen here in Santa Cruz where NLP was created up at the university every summer. Nick McGowan (16:31.538)Mm. Damon Cart (16:56.52)And so I went to that training and it just felt like I came home. I was like, this is what I’ve been looking for. And I wasn’t even thinking that I was going to be a teacher or a coach at that point. I was still thinking I’m going to fix my insurance agency and I’m going to fix my marriage and everything’s going to be great. And I just couldn’t stop doing NLP. I would just try to get into a training every chance that I could. Like I mentioned before, I was practicing all the time. And by the time I came back a year later, Nick McGowan (17:00.627)Hmm. Damon Cart (17:22.79)About 75 % of the people who were there the year before returned for the, it was a master practitioner training. And they just kept coming up to me and they were like, why are you so much better than us? And I was like, I don’t know. said, so I started asking them questions and they were like, you we went, we got the same certification you did. So we, you know, we should be at the same level as you. And I was like, did you practice? Have you practiced at all since the last training a year ago? And they were all no. Nick McGowan (17:28.528)Well. Damon Cart (17:51.343)I was like, it’s not a secret. If you don’t practice, you’re not going to get good at it. And that’s why I’m better than you is I’m not, I don’t have any special talents. just practice. And, uh, so, and that’s when people started saying, uh, and then when I go to other NLP trainings, people would be like, well, how long have you been a coach or how long have you been a teacher? And I was like, I’m not, I’m an insurance agent. And they were like, what are you doing here? Cause mostly coaches and you know, teachers go to these trainings. And, uh, so yeah, by that point, after a year had passed, I was like, yes, I’m going to. Nick McGowan (17:53.212)Yeah. Damon Cart (18:20.216)I’m coaching, I’m gonna do teaching. And even still, was more about I wanted to be better at NLP and that was was driving me to wanna do that. So I started just teaching workshops and when that didn’t go very far, that’s when I decided to get on YouTube. A friend of mine actually said, hey, you’ve been to film school, why don’t you try YouTube? And so like, okay, I’ll give that a shot and I did. And yeah, I realized in that whole process that my marriage was not salvageable. was… just, you know, we hit that inroads and it was nothing that was going to make it better. And I also realized that being an insurance agent was making me absolutely miserable and there was no changing that. So it was like, you know, it’s not, I always thought that it was something about me not being good enough. And that’s why I wasn’t succeeding at the insurance business, but it was like, no, it’s just not a good fit. The crazy thing about it, once I realized that, and I realized that it was just going to use the business to keep me afloat until I transferred into this other business. I actually was able to make it successful at that point. was really strange. It’s like when, you know, this thing you’re trying so hard to do and then you finally say, fuck it, I don’t care anymore. Then it, you know, then it was easy. And then it was like, I want to say it easy, but it was, it was working a lot better. And so I was just basically, I moved my office in with another agent. said, can you babysit this while I transition out of this? And he said, yeah, absolutely. And so I was, you know, it took me a few years to kind of figure out this new business. But once I did, I was, I jumped and haven’t looked back since. Nick McGowan (19:20.817)the Yeah. Nick McGowan (19:46.162)I love all that and especially the I mean the real side of it like I joked like yeah You were overnight success took nine years like the amount of stuff that people see that they think like this is Whatever they make it up to be in their own heads and the fact that you were doing the work I mean there are little principles that are through all of this stuff where it’s like You did it in the sense that you just wanted to learn it and you were you even said to me that it was your calling When we feel that and we go in that direction, things will start to get easier, even if it’s the other stuff of like, I need to get this away. And I don’t know the answer to this question, but is it safe to assume that you’re living a better life and more happy life than you did when you had the agency, when you were married, at least to her and like where things are now, is it better? Damon Cart (20:33.742)100 times over. Especially thinking back during the times that I was depressed and I was just like, I guess this is just kind of how life is going to be for the rest of it. And that was depressing to even think about. And that’s what I like to tell people because when I come across someone who’s either depressed or kind of close to that. I want to be respectful. You don’t want to just say, your life is so much better than you. That will make it worse. what I do want to communicate to them is it will get better. It can get better. If you’re adamant about being a happy and fulfilled person and you’re willing to work for it, you will get there. You’re not stuck. This is not how the rest of your life has to be. Nick McGowan (21:02.095)Yeah. Damon Cart (21:25.708)Because yeah, like at this point, it’s like it has exceeded the fulfillment I experienced now has exceeded what I thought was even possible. And still it’s getting more and more fulfilling. So my take on it now is just like, well, how, how good can this get? How deep can I take this? And it’s not like a, it’s not like a greedy thing. It’s more of like a potential thing. What potential do I have to be even more fulfilled and Nick McGowan (21:43.877)Yeah. Damon Cart (21:52.844)more engaged in life and I’m curious to see how far I can take that. Nick McGowan (21:58.124)What a cool aspect of it. Like, well, fuck, let’s see what happens. And like, cool, let’s see how far we can go. And I think to call something out here too, for the people that are listening, isn’t, Damon’s not saying like, well, I was in a shitty spot. I learned this thing and everything worked better. Like that’s just not how life works. Like the amount of work that you had to put in that wasn’t just like curriculum work, but also work on your own. if you… Damon Cart (22:01.698)Yeah. Nick McGowan (22:26.232)If you actually sat back and thought about the amount of hours that you spent just even pondering on it, thinking about it, looking at other people, how they relate to life and what they do. Like you literally enveloped yourself in it instead of saying, well, I really want that. And the reason why I say that is there are people that I hear from the times that are like, man, I’ve tried therapy. I’ve tried this. I’ve tried that. It’s like, great. So what’s next? I’m like, if that didn’t work or if that was a piece of it, like talk therapy, everybody will go into talk therapy and they’re like, This was great and it led me in some direction or it was bullshit and I just yammered to somebody about my problems and they were, they would ask me, how does that make you feel or whatever? It’s like, that’s a part of all of this, but not just the end thing. I think a lot of people do want, they just want that like, what’s the pill that I can swallow and like push all this stuff away instead of trying to break down one barrier to break down another, to break down another, like they’re. There are visuals in my head at times where I’ll climb a mountain only to get to the top of it and go, what the fuck is that? Jeez, it’s another, all right, cool. And you get to a point where you just, you keep trucking along with it. So let’s talk about some of the really tough times where obviously going through a divorce can be a tough time. And for somebody who’s a divorced, it’s one of those things like congratulations or I’m sorry, or a mixture of both, you know? But that can be one of those things that really shapes you in a beautiful way. Like I used to tell people, Damon Cart (23:44.2)All right. Nick McGowan (23:51.65)I didn’t get a divorce to die. I got a divorce so I could live and actually change things. like, I look at life now and think, my God, how did I have that same sort of question that you did of like, well, is this it? I guess this is it. So I guess this is just what life is gonna be like. And it doesn’t have to be that way, but there were still dark times he went through. So were there any that come to mind that you were like, man, that was one of those like super pivotal moments? Like I went through that within my NLP journey and that changed how things shifted. Damon Cart (24:23.212)Yeah, there were a few. When I got a divorce, I was dating for the first time in 15 years. And in my late 30s, that was scary. Things had changed quite a bit. Now there was online dating, and I tried that. And that didn’t go so well, because on these apps, it’s like 70 % men and 30 % women. So the odds are really stacked against you. So I also had my own business, so I wasn’t going to date my employees nor my insurance clients. so I started saying, realizing that I needed, if I saw an attractive woman, I was going to have to go and just talk to her, you know, and that was really difficult to do. And also wanted that choice because I was kept slipping in the relationships, even some of the rebound relationships that I went through, kept slipping in the relationships where the women would turn out to be very passive aggressive and playing a lot of games and really trying to control and manipulate me. And I remember coming to like a choice point thinking, wait, Nick McGowan (25:16.247)Mm. Damon Cart (25:23.126)Is this all women are all women like this or is this just the women I’m attracting? And so I had to be really like honest with myself and I was like, you know what? I’m going to take this on. This is my responsibility. I know that there are good women out there. And so there’s something I’m doing that’s attracting this type of woman. And I want to figure out what that is. And so I just decided I was going to just date and date and date for an entire year. And at the end of that year, if I found someone that I was going to settle down with them. And I did find someone and it was coming up to that year and then the red flag went up and I saw she was doing the same thing. And I was like, oh man, I spent a year doing this and I almost missed it again, almost got slipped into this relationship with this person who was basically going to, it was going to be a rerun of all my relationships. And so was like, I need another year. And so I went another year and I dated a lot. could catch these red flags very quickly. Nick McGowan (26:01.954)Hmm. Damon Cart (26:16.366)And I started realizing that I was putting a certain kind of vulnerability out too early and certain women, was attracting certain women because they thought that they could control me. But once I made it clear that I understood what they were doing, because the last thing a passive aggressive person wants is to be called out. That’s why it’s passive aggressive, right? So I would start calling out what they were doing. They would disappear very quickly. And then I started to develop myself along that way and started attracting much better women. But I do remember like, I was getting to the end of like, Nick McGowan (26:24.066)Yeah. Nick McGowan (26:30.517)Yeah. Damon Cart (26:46.178)I was getting into the third year and I was like, I’m not really finding anyone. was just, I was really getting a bit cynical about it. And I just thought maybe I’m not gonna find someone to share the rest of my life with. And so I quit dating for six months. Like I quit approaching, quit dating. And I was just like, I really needed to focus on my business. Cause that was something that was lacking as well. And I had another big failure in that. Nick McGowan (26:51.243)Hmm. Damon Cart (27:11.756)that I was able to overcome. I was like, you know, less dating, more attention on my business. And that started to work out well for me. And six months later, I had like zero social life. I hadn’t been on a date in, you know, six months. And I was like, OK, I was just finishing up this online training that I had created. I was like, I really need to get out. I need some sunlight. I need some fresh air and I need to see people. And I’m walking down the street downtown here in Santa Cruz. And I just see this really attractive. really young woman and I was trying to talk myself out of talking to her but I was like you know actually no I’m gonna go do this and I just walked up to her and told her I thought you know she was really cute and that I wanted to know her name and possibly go out on a date with her now I’m married to her and you think about those times where you know you almost didn’t do something but you did and then how that changes the trajectory of your life And then that opened a whole new can of worms because she’s from a different country and we got separated by COVID. And she also got her visa taken away. we basically, we eloped in Istanbul, Turkey. The media picked it up and so it was broadcast live in Turkey, our wedding. And then we still couldn’t be together. And so it went on for two more years where the only way we could be together is if I traveled to Romania or we traveled to a country where we could both enter. It was a… Nick McGowan (28:37.42)Mm. Damon Cart (28:38.508)That was another dark time, but with a light at the end of the tunnel. but yeah, that’s, I threw a lot in there all at once. And I also, another dark time was a time that, I, my, business that I have now, had a major failure. And I just thought that was the end of it. All this work that I had done on YouTube for, you a year of doing videos. did a video every single day for eight months straight. And that was a lot of work. And I, that’s how I started to build. Nick McGowan (28:45.366)pain. Damon Cart (29:07.232)my following and then I put out my first training after doing youtube and it just was a spectacular failure and I thought that’s the end of it all this work that I had done and six weeks of I didn’t publish a single video and for six weeks and then suddenly I started getting all these emails and these messages hey we haven’t seen you put a video out in a while we’re worried about you are you sick are you dead let us know you’re okay and I was like you wouldn’t come to my Nick McGowan (29:30.154)Thank What? Yeah. Damon Cart (29:35.235)fucking training and you just want me to keep putting free videos out there. Is that what this is about? So was a little resentful, but then I started making videos again. And then I realized what that was all about. It was, I was promoting a live in-person workshop for a different trainer. And it was like, they, my following didn’t know who he was and didn’t want to see him and didn’t want to show up to a live workshop. They wanted on, they found me on a screen. They wanted me and they wanted me on a screen. And that’s when I realized. Nick McGowan (29:41.654)Yeah. Damon Cart (30:02.734)that they wanted digital products, digital trainings. And so I didn’t know that at the time, but I just thought nobody really wants to know what I have to say and that’s the end of it and it’s time to go move on to a different business. It was quite a relief when I realized the mistakes that I’d made and that actually people did want what I was offering. yeah, so it was a interesting learning curve and very frustrating at the time, but it all ended up being really good. Nick McGowan (30:31.084)So in what was that five minutes seven minutes, maybe you’ve just chunked all this stuff in and I I laugh at times because I think it’s funny how we can we can look in like history books and they’re like from this period to this period like 600 years these three things happened. What the fuck do you mean? Like there were so many other things that happened. You had all these dark times even the six weeks off. I’m sure you still had the body feeling of like why I got to sit down. I could do the video. Wait a minute. And then people come back, be like, are you all right? Are you dead? And be like, what the fuck do you mean? Where have you been? And you’re like… Damon Cart (31:04.15)No, and was so cliche, like whenever that failure happened, had trouble getting out of bed. I stayed in my pajamas most of the day. All the blinds were closed. They had very little light in my apartment. it’s like, because it was so weird. Like, I look back on it now, but it was like, that’s what you would see in a movie because you have to like show, you know, what’s going on inside the character by lighting it the right way and all that. And it was like, that’s what I was actually living through. And I didn’t even realize it at the time, but I was like, yeah, it was a Nick McGowan (31:24.479)Yeah. Damon Cart (31:33.773)It was a dark time and it was literally dark in my home. And that’s the way that it all felt. And finally, I remember just kind of emerging from that. And it was almost like opening the blinds and letting the sunlight in. it was like, you know what, I’m going to pick up my camera. And, yeah, I was just like, you know what? I’m a teacher. This is what I do. So I’m going to put that camera back up and start teaching again. And then eventually shortly thereafter, it led to one of the biggest successes that I had that still creating a training that I’m. Nick McGowan (31:37.685)Yeah. Nick McGowan (31:45.215)Bird singing. Damon Cart (32:02.956)you know, still selling to this day because I put so much effort into it. And, but if it hadn’t been for that failure, I would have never discovered that. And so, you know, it’s how these things often work. Nick McGowan (32:14.994)It’s how life works. Like you have to fail through things. You have to fuck around and find out. You also have to bash your head into the wall, the wrong wall sometimes to go, well, shit, that’s the wrong direction. Let me go back. And you still can learn things from it. I think, I think we can sometimes understand, from an intellectual perspective, like, yes, I get that you need to fail. You need to do this to do that. But then when people get into it can be really, it can be hurtful in a way that isn’t just to the timing that they’re in, but there are so many other things that they haven’t worked through or processed through that it feels like they’re just stacking it on. Like, and now this, and now that, and my God, and now my shoes, and now this. It’s like, you’re just adding things to it. But it can be really easy to do that when you’re in that dark spot. Now, obviously you’ve been through these different things. You’ve fucked around, found out, but you’ve also learned through all this stuff. And I joke with the like, well, here was this short little thing. Like how they even do it in movies. Like all this chaos and craziness happened and like 15 minutes later, it’s like, no, there was a lot of dark times, but there’s still that momentum and that movement. Even if you’re slowing down and you’re resting, you’re still moving in that direction. So the fact that you just didn’t give up, like, let’s be real, man, you had a lot of different times you could have just totally checked out. You could have been like, no, this is too much. I’m not doing it. And now, like, have you thought about that? Like, what have you checked out? You wouldn’t be where you’re at. You wouldn’t be doing what you’re doing. You know, maybe you’re selling insurance again and like, fuck this, I can’t. Damon Cart (33:47.039)And I, you know, when I had that major failure, that’s what I thought. I was like, okay, do I have to go back into insurance? And I was seriously considering that. And, man, it was so painful to just even think about that. what I see with a lot of people, the real difference between people who are living the life that they want to live and really fulfilled by that and experiencing the kind of freedom they want is… They stuck with what they were doing, even if that like evolved, you know, because you try things, they fail, you keep trying new things. And so it evolves, but you’re still sticking with it. And what I would say is, you know, the really important thing is not to be so fixated on how you’re going to get there because I, if I had actually gotten what I wanted the way that I thought I wanted it, it would have been a lot more restrictive. I would have been having to show up, you know, just to keep my money going out, to actually physically show up in many different places and be teaching constantly, which is, you know, that’s what my teachers were doing. So I thought, well, that’s how it’s done. But they hadn’t really tapped into the Internet and YouTube and all that. So now I get the choice if I want to do that. I don’t have to like do that all the time. So I learned enough about, you know, business and everything to make it work the way that I make it work now. But that only came because the way that I thought I was going to do it failed miserably. So had to try to had to find a new way. Nick McGowan (35:06.633)Hmm. Damon Cart (35:08.192)When I think about like, had this weird experience earlier this year, was, so my wife and I, also my wife’s Romanian and we have a home in Romania. So we always go there in January and then we went to Cambodia and then we went to Vietnam. And I remember just like it really hitting me how much I was driven by freedom. And this is another thing that I think is really important to understand is when you, when you focus on values, then you’re not so focused on how you think it has to happen. You become more flexible and you know what. the values are that you’re after. And for a long time, freedom was such an important thing to me. And I remember earlier this year being in Vietnam and just being like, more freedom is not going to make me happier. More freedom is not going to make me more fulfilled. I have really hit that level of freedom that was far more than I expected to ever achieve. I can travel anywhere and go anywhere because I can run my business off of a laptop. And also have a great team of people who I work with who, you know, I don’t have to do everything. Nick McGowan (35:50.761)you Damon Cart (36:07.598)They’re there for that as well. So I have the money I need and I have all the freedom to travel and do whatever. And that was both a victory in that moment that I realized that, but it was also like, okay, so where do I go from here? And it was like a real question for me to sort of contemplate. And that’s, I that might sound a little arrogant, like you achieve all that you want and then you’re kind of like, okay, well, what do I do now? Like that’s a… a first world problem that most people would want to have that don’t even get to that point to have. it’s be prepared for that. Like if you really believe you’re going to be successful and you’re not going to stop until you become successful, be prepared for those moments that you have where you go, wow, OK, I really have it now. What now? And so I thought about all these different things that I could do from that point on. And I was like, well, wait a minute. It’s not about doing something different. I’m so happy with what I’m doing now. I don’t need to do anything different. I just want to do more of what I’m already doing. Nick McGowan (37:05.094)Yeah. Damon Cart (37:05.26)and I don’t need more freedom to do that. And it was a realization of I don’t need to be pursuing freedom so hard anymore because more of it actually can, at this point in my life, would probably be more nihilistic or more escapism. And it’s like, that’s not worth that either because that’s not gonna fulfill me more. So it was an interesting realization to come to that. And it’s like, yeah, okay, freedom doesn’t have to be the main thing here anymore. Nick McGowan (37:22.481)Mm-hmm Nick McGowan (37:33.874)Well, I think we’re also taught in this world with all the systems we have that you have to have a destination. Like think about even being like in high school and they’re like, we, need a five or you need a 10 year plan. That was always so difficult. I remember somebody even years ago was like, well, what’s your five or 10 year plan from now? It’s like, fuck if I know, because anything I come up with is going to be like half-hearted and like what I kind of want right now. But as you’ve moved through things and you do things, you start to see, well, I really want this. I want that. Like freedom is a big thing. I think a lot of people want freedom. I. Damon Cart (37:43.822)Hmm. Hmm. Nick McGowan (38:03.706)I love the freedom that I have. I’m right there with you where it’s like one of those things where you go, well, cool, I have it. Well, that’s cool. But like what’s really fulfilling inside is the thing that actually just drives us and pulls us from basically our chest. So for the people that are on their path towards self mastery and with everything you’ve gone through and especially with NLP, what’s your advice for those folks? Damon Cart (38:26.318)Keep your attention on what’s most important and what’s most important is your values. A value is a generalization about an experience that is important to you. So if happiness is important to you, success is important to you, authenticity is important to you, always keep your eyes on that. And then any goals you set need to be aligned with those values. Most of the time people have no idea what their values are in a particular context and they will be different from context to context. And they just set a goal because they think, okay, like you said, You have to have a destination, right? So here I’m going to set this goal, but they don’t really understand what’s driving the motivation to have that goal. And a lot of times it’s more external values. Well, other people value achieving this, so it must be valuable. Or if I achieve it, then these people will think very highly of me and respect me. Those are, you know, if you’re accomplishing something that does those things, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if that’s why you’re doing it, you’re probably not going to be fulfilled. by accomplishing that. And so a lot of people are chasing goals that are not even fulfilling to them. And whenever they fail at that, because really there’s that inner wisdom that is holding them back, like the inner wisdom that helped me back from succeeding as an insurance agent, because that would have been the golden handcuffs. It would have been really hard to walk away from a very successful business with a lot of money. And I would have probably tolerated that misery. you want to be careful. know, like when you quit at something because you run out of motivation for it. Nick McGowan (39:45.318)Hmm. Damon Cart (39:52.345)Check in with that is that a deeper wisdom that knows better that that’s not really going to fulfill you. But what most people do is they beat themselves up and they say, I should have had more discipline or I should have had more willpower. I’m just not good enough. And they go into this whole self-worth thing, which is not real by the way. It’s something that holds a lot of people back. And then the people who do succeed at it and they get there and they go, wow, this isn’t fulfilling. This feels rather empty. thought it would be great if when I finally Nick McGowan (40:03.791)Yeah. Nick McGowan (40:08.454)the Damon Cart (40:21.39)Achieve this but again, it wasn’t aligned with their values. So no, it’s not going to be fulfilling and Because they feel lost without a goal They set another goal and get back on that treadmill and they do the whole thing over and over again and people come to me for coaching now who are very very successful on paper you would think they would be extremely happy and fulfilled they have all the money they have the family they have the cars the house and everything and they’re coming to me because they feel like imposters or they’re coming to me because they feel so unfulfilled and they can’t understand it because they’ve accomplished everything they’ve ever wanted to accomplish yet they feel so empty inside. And it’s like, yeah, you’re good at accomplishing. The problem was you never really got in touch with what do you truly value? What is really important to you? And so that’s the most important thing is what’s most important to you. And the better you understand that, the more clarity you have around that, the more you’re naturally going to be drawn to that and motivated to do that. The other thing I would say is There is no such thing as self-worth. How this problem comes up is feeling like you’re not good enough, feeling like you deserve it or don’t deserve it. It goes both ways. And so what most people are feeling is a low sense of self-worth. And they feel like if I go and try to achieve something and I fail at it, I will lower my self-worth and I’m already clinging to what little I have. So most of the time people won’t do something and they’ll sit back and say, well, I’m waiting for the right opportunity. what they’re waiting is to feel of higher self-worth so that they feel like they can go do something and if they lose some self-worth, they’ll still be okay. Well, here’s the thing, there is no such thing as self-worth. There is no way to measure your value, which is what worth is. It’s really a metaphor and there’s a lot of problems that happen when we try to apply metaphors literally. And we see this in the Bible. Fundamentalists are people who are trying to apply metaphors in the Bible literally and it causes a lot of problems. So what people do is they have this idea of self-worth. And so they think, well, how do I measure my worth? Well, first of all, there’s no way to do it. There’s no objective scale or person who can be objective and measure people’s worth. So what do we do? We compare ourselves to others and that will destroy you every time. If you compare yourself to others to make yourself feel better about yourself because you think they’re less than you. Now you’re engaging in the superiority that’s going to bring you down. And if you play that game, you can’t only play it in one direction. Damon Cart (42:45.87)when you encounter someone you think is of higher worth than you, now you’re gonna feel bad about yourself. The whole thing, you can kill the whole thing just by stop comparing yourself to others. Now this idea of self-worth, it usually comes about very early in life and we just pile more and more beliefs on top of that whole idea. So the two things that I would recommend is get clear and clear about your values, basically what’s important to you. What does that actually look like to you? And you’re not going have it all figured out. And you’re definitely not going to figure it out all out on paper. You need to take action. And action is the best way to get that clarity, experience. And then the other thing is to dismantle the whole concept of self-worth entirely. When you do that, when you do those two things together, you’re just on the path to living a very fulfilling life, a life of being who you want to be and therefore creating the life you want to live. Nick McGowan (43:38.213)That’s awesome. And I think a lot of people can anchor into like the understanding of action and motivation too. Like you have to take action to be motivated, continue to do the thing. It’s likewise with what you’re saying where you have to take those actions, but you have to understand why you’re doing those things. And it is interesting how a lot of people don’t know what their principles are or they are somebody else’s principles. Like, well, my wife and I, or my partner and I, or my family and I, have these principles. Like, well, where did those come from? Well, you know, they just kind of came up and like, we don’t really think about that or don’t think about it throughout their day to day life of like, well, how do I move about this? And why do I want to do such a thing? I’m really glad that you touched on those two things, man. It’s been great having you on. So I appreciate your time. Before I let you go, where can people find you and where can they connect with you? Damon Cart (44:27.852)Yeah, the easiest place is my YouTube channel. It’s just Damon Cart, Damon Cart NLP. And we’ve got a lot of videos been doing this for quite a while, almost 10 years. So that’s, you’ll find not only my videos, but in my videos, I give a lot of free resources so that you can get started usually on the topic that I’m giving you or the solution to a problem. You can access like free PDFs and things like that. so also I have my website is selfconcept.com. Like I said, I do general NLP, but I also really focus on this one model because your beliefs about yourself determine your beliefs about everything else, you the world around you. And if you haven’t realized already, it’s your beliefs that govern your reality. So what you believe is possible, what you believe is true. lot of, most of our beliefs are deeply unconscious. So when you can understand what the beliefs are, especially the deeply unconscious ones about who you are, when you understand what those are, you understand their limitations and then you transform them so they don’t have those limitations. Then you become that person you value. Your self-esteem goes up, your confidence goes up and you naturally gravitate toward creating that life that you want to live that’s reflective of the value that you are. Nick McGowan (45:45.38)So wait, you putting worth to that? No, I’m just kidding. I’m only kidding. Awesome, man. Well, again, I appreciate your time. Thank you so much for being with us today. Damon Cart (45:48.052)It’s different, worse than the measurement. Damon Cart (45:55.246)Thank you for having me on.

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

learn essential vocabulary about common terms related to taste and texture of food

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welfare Work Without Welfare: Women and Austerity in Interwar Bucharest (De Gruyter Oldenbourg, 2025) argues that women activists, wage workers, and homemakers in the Romanian capital Bucharest became de facto social workers in the interwar period through their "austerity welfare work". Revealing links and tensions between the performers of different types of underpaid or unpaid austerity welfare work, each empirical chapter focuses on a key domain: - knowledge production about social problems by "women welfare activist" (professional social workers, lay experts, left wing militants); - municipal-level social assistance policy, with emphasis on a pioneering generation of women local politicians in shaping welfare practices; - paid household work by underpaid servants; - unpaid household work by homemakers or precariously employed women in working class communities. The book offers a novel interpretation of state-society relations after the First World War, showing that unpaid labor and gender relations were crucial in responding to economic crisis in an Eastern European urban setting and beyond. At once a local and transnational history of women's work, Welfare Work Without Welfare contributes to the historicization of social reproduction work and to the rethinking of the history of welfare states. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/eastern-european-studies

Romania is one of America's key allies in the fight for Eastern Europe. Romanian Special Forces are critical to the success of that mission; and the partnership between United States Special Operations and our Romanian counterparts sits at the center of that strategy.From the Global Special Operations Symposium in Athens, Greece, Fran Racioppi sat down with Major General Claudiu Dobocan, Commander of the Romanian Special Operations Forces, to discuss how Romanian Special Operations are combatting Russian aggression and holding the line in Europe.General Dobocan shared his perspective on strengthening SOF partnerships, advancing interoperability, and building modern capabilities that allow allied forces to operate seamlessly together. He spoke about Romania's place within NATO, the importance of trust and shared mission across borders, and the need for Special Operations units to remain agile and prepared for the full spectrum of emerging threats.From combating hybrid threats to maintaining readiness alongside allied SOF elements, General Dobocan emphasized that success today depends on relationships, shared understanding, and the willingness to stand together in the face of uncertainty.Highlights0:00 Introduction1:26 Welcome to GSOF Europe 20253:21 Mission of Romanian Special Operations Forces8:45 Evolution of technology in SOF10:45 Eliminating Human-in-the-Loop?13:35 Changes in military tactics16:57 Romanian Special Forces Mission18:44 Why Join the Romanian Army?20:06 NATO Alliance Importance25:24 Leading against a Global ThreatQuotes“We were created by cooperation between Romanian Ministry of Defense and US SOCEUR.” “Interoperability, no one really talks about what that really means.” “Words carrying value carry meaning.”“Industry defines the speed of technological development.”“The strategic game changer is generative AI.”“I'm scared of the moment when everything is passed to AI.”“I don't think swarming is going to be the next way of doing battle.”“Our mission is to be a strategic level instrument that helps with reaction to crisis and building partnerships and capabilities in the region.”“10th Group and 20th Group came around and showed us what right looks like so I signed up.”“It's a tool that kind of prevents conflict.”“NATO is the umbrella under which we share a lot of things that otherwise we cannot discuss about.”“When you talk about the good work NATO has done, you have to talk about the standards.”“We have to be deterrent on our part, but capable to move from military assistance type of missions into a very kinetic one.”Special thanks to the Global Special Operations Foundation for hosting us in Athens. Follow the Jedburgh Podcast and the Green Beret Foundation on social media. Listen on your favorite podcast platform, read on our website, and watch the full video version on YouTube as we show why America must continue to lead from the front, no matter the challenge.

Sami Steigmann was born in Romanian controlled territory in December 1939. Before he turned two years old, he was a prisoner at the Mogilev-Podolski concentration camp. He was five when the war ended, but the impact of the Holocaust on his family and his own life carry on to this day. In this edition of Veterans Chronicles, Steigmann, shares the horrible conditions of his father's childhood, how Romania started as a Soviet ally but then aligned with Nazi Germany, and what life was like under both.Steigmann then explains the brutal conditions at Mogilev-Podolski and the desperate effort to find food. He shares what his father gave up for bread and tells us about the mysterious stranger who saved his own life. He was also subjected to medical experiments by the Nazis.We'll also learn about the nightmares Steigmann suffered after the war, why Steigmann's family moved to Israel in 1961, and about his service in the Israeli Air Force before he came to the United States.Now a public speaker about the Holocaust, Steigmann shares why it is vital for all generations to understand what happened and how and why is happened.

The wish came true.Now the consequences begin.Natalie Primavera is trapped in a hospital bed, her body broken, her future uncertain — while her mind is stuck inside Ava Ross, a dancer who was never supposed to be good enough for the spotlight.Ava, meanwhile, is living inside Natalie's perfect body… and discovering that perfection is a prison with great lighting.As Nutcracker rehearsals intensify, the magic destabilizes. Roles are threatened. Loyalties fracture. The Sugar Plum Fairy becomes a battleground. And the line between ambition and identity starts to blur.Friendships turn sharp. Parents get complicated. Romance gets messy. And a Romanian ballet master with secrets of his own begins pushing both girls toward a reckoning neither of them is ready for.Act Two is where the comedy deepens, the stakes rise, and the story stops being about switching bodies — and starts being about who deserves the life they're fighting for.Because wanting something badly doesn't mean you understand the cost.It's still funny.It's still chaotic.But now it hurts in the best way.Written by award-winning writer Jenna St. John.Starring: Kensington Tallman as Natalie Primavera Logan Laurel as Ava Ross Konstantin Lavysh as Mr. Constantine Carson Bolde as Grayson Garcia Sasha Knight as Trevor Rita Dos Santos as Kenzie Samantha A. Smith as Jasmine Kearn Eva Binder as Zoe Dennings Adele Abinante as Bean Ross Avery Clyde as Mrs. Primavera Katherine Brunk as Ms. Ross Brandon Potter as Mr. Primavera Sarah Elmaleh as Miss Lana Miki Yamashita as Miss Miyako Paula Tiso as NarratorOnly on Table Read.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Are you doing all the "right" Christian things but still struggling to feel joy? You're not alone. In this heartfelt conversation with special guest, Asheritah Ciuciu, we talk about what it means to move from duty to delight—from trying to earn God's love to truly enjoying it.  Together we'll explore the simple rhythms that restore joy and the freeing truth that we were created for delight—not performance. If your faith feels weary or stuck, this episode will remind you that joy isn't just for eternity; it's for right now.   RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Connect with Asheritah on Instagram! Connect with Asheritah on Facebook! Delighting in Jesus: Rhythms to Restore Joy When You Feel Burdened, Broken, or Burned-Out Visit Asheritah's Website   ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST Asheritah Ciuciu is a bestselling author, national speaker, and host of the Prayers of Rest podcast. Asheritah is the author of many books, including Full, Prayers of Rest, and Unwrapping the Names of. A Romanian missionary kid, she's passionate about helping people around the world enjoy through creative spiritual habits. Asheritah is married to her high school sweetheart, and together they raise their three spunky kiddos in NE Ohio. Discover your creative devotional type at www.OneThingAlone.com.  

From Restless to Rooted: Joshua Williams on Calling, Repentance, and a Faith That Endures.What happens when the map you drew for your life no longer fits the road God is actually giving you? In this continuation of our conversation with Joshua Williams, we trace a candid journey through disappointment, redirection, and the quiet practices that turn belief into a way of life. This isn't highlight-reel faith; it's the daily, hidden work of following Jesus when the feelings fade and the next step isn't obvious.In this episode you'll hear about:Calling vs. career: how God reshapes ambition into service and steadies the heart when doors close.Repentance as renewal: not shame, but the rhythm that keeps love honest and hope alive.Prayer that holds in storms: learning to pray Scripture when words run out.Community and accountability: why “just me and Jesus” isn't enough when you're tired, tempted, or unsure.Sacrament and Scripture together: how worship and the Word form a faith that lasts beyond trends.Suffering without cynicism: carrying grief to Christ and finding courage to begin again.Why listen: If you're in a season of waiting, change, or quiet rebuilding, Joshua's story offers both clarity and comfort—practical ways to keep moving with Jesus when you're short on answers but rich in questions.If this conversation encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs steadying grace, and leave a quick review with the one practice—prayer, repentance, or community—you're committing to this week.**********What if the road to Jesus runs through a guru? We sit down with Joshua to trace his unlikely path from a Romanian “enlightenment” school to Orthodox Christianity, and we ask the questions seekers rarely say aloud: Do mystical experiences prove truth, or do they force us to ask which spirit we're listening to?Joshua describes leaving the U.S. to “throw himself into the arms of the universe,” clinging to ideas like reincarnation and religious unity while resisting the moral claims of Christ. Inside a syncretic school that blended Hindu and Buddhist concepts, he encountered a compelling teacher, apparent clairvoyance, and a vision of reality where Brahman reigns as impersonal essence. That promise of unity felt expansive—until it demanded he treat personhood, love, and moral responsibility as illusions. We contrast that with the Orthodox claim that God is personal and tri-personal: the Trinity as eternal communion, love that exists before creation, and a God who is everywhere present yet distinct from creation. Rather than absorbing us into a faceless One, God calls us by name and invites real relationship.Across the conversation, we map the turning points: irritation at the name of Jesus giving way to self-awareness, recognition of authentic Christian witness, and a rethinking of “science versus faith” that leaves shallow slogans behind. We explore discernment of spirits, why power isn't proof, and how an impersonal metaphysics drifts toward quiet nihilism. Then we look at the Orthodox vision of personhood that grounds meaning: if we're made in God's image, our capacity for love is not a cosmic trick—it's the point.If you've chased enlightenment and still long for a face behind the light, this story will meet you where you are. Listen, share with a friend who's wrestling with pantheism or syncretism, and leave a review to help others find the show. Subscribe for more conversations that take faith, reason, and experience seriously.Questions about Orthodoxy? Please check out our friends at Ghost of Byzantium Discord server: https://discord.gg/JDJDQw6tdhPlease prayerfully consider supporting Cloud of Witnesses Radio: https://www.patreon.com/c/CloudofWitnessesFind Cloud of Witnesses Radio on Instagram, XPlease leave a comment with your thoughts!

(Presented by ThreatLocker (https://threatlocker.com/threebuddyproblem): Allow what you need. Block everything else by default, including ransomware and rogue code.) Three Buddy Problem - Episode 76: On the show this week, Costin walks through how a single Romanian documentary kick-started nationwide protests, exposing how corruption can be perfectly legal when the law itself is gamed, and why this moment feels different, darker, and more consequential than past flare-ups. Plus, news on the React-to-Shell exploitation wave overwhelming the internet, why patching is structurally hard, and how APTs and criminals are converging on the same fragile dependency chain. Along the way, they take aim at Microsoft's shrinking transparency, the limits of vendor trust, and what it really means when defenders are told (again) to just patch and pray. Cast: Juan Andres Guerrero-Saade (https://twitter.com/juanandres_gs), Ryan Naraine (https://twitter.com/ryanaraine) and Costin Raiu (https://twitter.com/craiu).

Bigfoot Society Members Only Exclusive:In this shocking and emotional episode, a former Canadian student shares the unforgettable series of events that unfolded while living outside Rolla, Missouri—a rugged, wooded landscape hiding far more than wildlife. What began as strange rocks hitting the trailer roof escalated into one of the most disturbing signs of a Sasquatch encounter ever reported: the violent death of the household's pet potbelly pig, found with its neck crushed upward and a hind leg torn clean off.Through firsthand testimony—and the reactions of two Romanian roommates unfamiliar with North American cryptids—you'll hear how repeated encounters, window sightings, tree knocks, and a dramatic riverbank observation painted a chilling picture of something massive sharing their 240 wooded acres.

What happens when you wish you were someone else… and the universe says bet?Natalie Primavera has a million followers, perfect technique, and the lead role in every show. Ava Ross has a cracked phone, a boyfriend who sings like naked Miley Cyrus, and a work-study job sweeping up after other dancers.One ancient snow globe. Two desperate wishes. And suddenly they wake up in each other's bodies.There's just one problem: Natalie's body is now in a hospital bed with a shattered hip. And Ava's body? It's about to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy… with ankles like wet spaghetti.What follows is the funniest, most chaotic Nutcracker rehearsal season in history... zombie cats, possessed dolls, a Romanian ballet master who might actually be a warlock, his terrifying nine-year-old son, and a love triangle nobody ordered.But underneath the chaos is something real: two girls discovering that the lives they envied aren't what they seemed.It's Freaky Friday meets Center Stage, and it hits.THE UNDERSTUDY: ACT ONEWritten by award-winning writer Jenna St. John.Starring: Kensington Tallman as Natalie Primavera Logan Laurel as Ava Ross Konstantin Lavysh as Mr. Constantine Carson Bolde as Grayson Garcia Sasha Knight as Trevor Rita Dos Santos as Kenzie Samantha A. Smith as Jasmine Kearn Eva Binder as Zoe Dennings Adele Abinante as Bean Ross Avery Clyde as Mrs. Primavera Katherine Brunk as Ms. Ross Brandon Potter as Mr. Primavera Sarah Elmaleh as Miss Lana Miki Yamashita as Miss Miyako Paula Tiso as NarratorOnly on Table Read.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hunter Biden, Chinese Spies, and the Monetization of Political Connections: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel reports that following his father's departure from the vice presidency, Hunter Biden faced financial pressure and sought lucrative foreign clients, leading to risky entanglements; one venture involved a corrupt Romanian real estate magnate who hired Hunter along with former FBI Director Louis Freeh and Rudy Giuliani to resolve his legal troubles, with the proposed solution involving selling land including the site of the U.S. Embassy in Romania to a Chinese state-linked fund, and Hunter Biden was aware of the nature of his associates, referring to one as the "spy chief of China." OCTOBER 1, 1949

SHOW 12-8-2025 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR 1895 KHYBER PASS THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE FEDERAL RESERVE  BOARD OF GOVERNORS. FIRST HOUR 9-915 The DC Shooter, the Zero Units, and the Tragedy of the Afghan Withdrawal: Colleagues Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggio discuss recent violence in Washington, D.C. involving an Afghan immigrant that has drawn attention back to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021; the shooter, Ramanula Lakanal, was a member of the elite "Zero Units" of the Afghan National Army, a force that demanded priority evacuation for their families in exchange for providing security at the Kabul airport during the U.S. retreat, and while these units were stalwart allies against enemies like al-Qaeda and ISIS, they fought a "dirty war" and were accused of human rights violations, highlighting the broader failure of the withdrawal which occurred because political will faded across multiple administrations. 915-930 The Vetting Failure and the Lack of an Exit Strategy in Afghanistan: Colleagues Husain Haqqani and Bill Roggioexplain that the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan was exacerbated by the lack of a methodical exit strategy, unlike the British who organized their departure and evacuation lists well in advance; critics argue that the U.S. imported significant security risks by rushing the evacuation, bringing in over 100,000 Afghans without adequate vetting, and while there was a moral obligation to help those who served, experts suggest that wholesale importation of citizens from a war-torn country was not the only solution and that better vetting or resettlement in third countries should have been considered. 930-945 Martial Law in South Korea and the Shadow of the North: Colleagues Morse Tan and Gordon Chang discuss South Korea facing severe political turmoil following President Yoon's declaration of martial law, a move his supporters argue was a constitutional response to obstructionist anti-state forces; the opposition, led by figures previously sympathetic to North Korea, has been accused of attempting to paralyze the government, while accusations of "insurrection" against President Yoon are dismissed as nonsensical, with the political infighting fracturing the conservative party and leaving South Korea vulnerable to the North Korean regime in a way not seen since the Korean War. 945-1000 Japan Stands Up for Taiwan While Canada Demurs: Colleagues Charles Burton and Gordon Chang report that Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi recently declared that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be a "survival threatening situation" for Japan, authorizing the mobilization of self-defense forces; this statement has triggered a massive propaganda campaign from Beijing demanding a retraction, as a successful invasion of Taiwan would likely require violating Japanese sovereignty, while in contrast Canada remains reluctant to support Tokyo or criticize Beijing, hoping to secure trade benefits and diversify exports away from the U.S., leaving Japan isolated by its allies. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 The Survival of UNRWA and the Flow of Terror Finance: Colleagues Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotterreport that despite investigations revealing corruption and ties to terrorism, the UN has renewed the mandate for UNRWA for another three years; the organization's facilities have been used by Hamas and its schools have been implicated in radicalizing children, yet international efforts to replace it have stalled, while Hamas leadership refuses to disarm or accept international oversight, demanding a Palestinian state as a precondition for any change, with financial support for terror groups continuing to flow through networks in Europe and the Middle East. 1015-1030 Greece's "Achilles Shield" and Israel's Iron Beam Laser Defense: Colleagues Malcolm Hoenlein and Thaddeus McCotter report that Greece is undertaking a historic modernization of its armed forces, unveiling a new national defense strategy focused on long-range missiles and a modernized air defense system dubbed "Achilles Shield," allowing Greece to project power more flexibly in the Eastern Mediterranean and counter threats from Turkey; in Israel, a major defensive breakthrough is imminent with the deployment of the "Iron Beam," a laser defense system capable of intercepting threats at approximately $50 per shot, expected to rewrite the rules of air defense by effectively countering drone swarms and missiles. 1030-1045 Hezbollah's Quiet Regeneration Under Naim Qassem: Colleagues David Daoud and Bill Roggio report that since the ceasefire began, Hezbollah has received at least $2 billion from Iran and is actively rearming and regenerating its forces in Lebanon; the terror group is focusing on acquiring drone swarms and other asymmetrical weapons that are cheap to produce and difficult for Israel to counter, while Hezbollah's new leader Naim Qassem is leveraging his "bookish" and underestimated persona to lower the temperature and allow the group to rebuild without attracting the same level of scrutiny as his predecessor. 1045-1100 Fragmentation in Yemen: The Southern Transitional Council Advances: Colleagues Bridget Tumi and Bill Roggio report that the civil war in Yemen is fracturing further as the Southern Transitional Council, which advocates for southern secession, advances into eastern governorates to secure territory and combat smuggling; this move has heightened tensions within the anti-Houthi coalition, as the STC is backed by the UAE while other government factions are supported by Saudi Arabia, weakening the collective effort against the Houthis who control the capital Sanaa and maintain ambitions to conquer the entire country. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 The Druze National Guard and Internal Strife in Southern Syria: Colleagues Ahmad Sharawi and Bill Roggio report that instability is growing in Syria's Druze-majority Suwayda province, where a newly formed "National Guard" militia has begun arresting and killing political opponents; the militia is spiritually guided by Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, who has consolidated power by sidelining other Druze leaders who were open to reconciliation with the Assad regime, with Turkey expressing support for the anti-Assad Druze factions against both the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, while recent violence suggests a hardening of anti-regime sentiment. 1115-1130 The "Variable Geometry" of the Muslim Brotherhood and Its Global Affiliates: Colleagues Edmund Fitton-Brown and Bill Roggio explain that the Muslim Brotherhood operates as a "mothership" for various Islamist movements, utilizing a strategy of "variable geometry" to adapt to local political environments while aiming for a global caliphate; Hamas functions as the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood and despite being severely damaged by the war with Israel remains the dominant force in Gaza, with the Brotherhood finding state sponsorship primarily in Qatar, which provides funding and media support via Al Jazeera, and Turkey, where President Erdogan acts as a leader for the organization. 1130-1145 Ukraine Negotiations Hit a Cul-de-Sac Amidst Infiltration Tactics: Colleagues John Hardie and Bill Roggio report that peace talks regarding Ukraine are currently at a standstill, with the U.S. and Ukraine at odds over Russia's demands for territory in the Donbas versus Ukraine's need for meaningful security guarantees; while the U.S. has pressured Ukraine to concede territory, the security assurances offered are viewed skeptically by Kyiv, and Russia refuses to accept any Western military presence in Ukraine, while on the battlefield Russia employs infiltration tactics using small groups, sometimes single soldiers, to penetrate deep into Ukrainian positions. 1145-1200 The Trump Corollary: Reviving the Monroe Doctrine in Latin America: Colleague Ernesto Araújo discusses a new "Trump corollary" to the Monroe Doctrine reshaping U.S. policy in the Americas, signaling a more assertive stance against foreign influence and authoritarian regimes; this shift is evident in Venezuela, where President Maduro appears to be negotiating his exit in the face of U.S. pressure, while in Brazil the administration of Lula da Silva faces significant instability due to a massive banking scandal linking the government to money laundering and organized crime, with the new application of the Monroe Doctrine suggesting the U.S. will favor political figures aligned with its security strategy. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 Devil's Advocates: Robert Stryk, Rudy Giuliani, and the Business of Influence: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel discusses how in the power vacuum created by Donald Trump's arrival in Washington, unconventional lobbyists like Robert Stryk rose to prominence by marketing access to the new administration; Stryk, described as an "anti-hero" with a checkered business past, hosted a lavish event at the Hay-Adams Hotel to legitimize the regime of Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, successfully delivering Rudy Giuliani as Trump's personal attorney, signaling a new informal channel for foreign diplomacy and highlighting how foreign regimes utilized large sums of money and unconventional intermediaries to seek favor. 1215-1230 The Accidental Diplomat: Robert Stryk and the New Zealand Connection: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel explains that Robert Stryk's rise in the lobbying world was fueled by serendipity and bold bluffs, exemplified by a chance encounter with a New Zealand diplomat at a cafe; the diplomat revealed that New Zealand, having prepared for a Clinton victory, had no contacts within the incoming Trump team and could not arrange a congratulatory call between their Prime Minister and the President-elect, and Stryk, leveraging a connection to a former Trump campaign field director, provided a phone number that successfully connected the embassy to Trump's team, establishing his credibility and launching his career in high-stakes foreign lobbying. 1230-1245 Hunter Biden, Chinese Spies, and the Monetization of Political Connections: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel reports that following his father's departure from the vice presidency, Hunter Biden faced financial pressure and sought lucrative foreign clients, leading to risky entanglements; one venture involved a corrupt Romanian real estate magnate who hired Hunter along with former FBI Director Louis Freeh and Rudy Giuliani to resolve his legal troubles, with the proposed solution involving selling land including the site of the U.S. Embassy in Romania to a Chinese state-linked fund, and Hunter Biden was aware of the nature of his associates, referring to one as the "spy chief of China." 1245-100 AM FARA: From Fighting Nazi Propaganda to Modern Transparency: Colleague Kenneth P. Vogel explains that the Foreign Agents Registration Act was originally enacted in 1938 to counter Nazi propaganda in the United States before World War II; at the time, the Third Reich was paying well-connected American consultants to whitewash Hitler's image and keep the U.S. out of the war, operating without public knowledge, and Congress passed FARA to create transparency, requiring those paid by foreign principals to influence the U.S. government or media to register their activities, with the law remaining today the primary vehicle for accountability in foreign lobbying

LIVE SHOW: Featuring Cecile Landi and Levi Jung-Ruivivar is this Sunday, December 14th at 3 Pacific/6 Eastern. Get your tickets now to ask questions live! The NCAA unveils major rule changes for 2026, and coaches are going to get so many more yellow cards. We break down the new NQS math, the Georgia Collective's NIL lawsuit, Romania's latest retaliation crisis,  Mélanie De Jesus Dos Santos clarifying exclusively to Jessica that she is not in financial distress, plus more info on the American Cup's new mixed-team format. HEADLINES Simone demonstrating why all of us should do gymnastics Five Romanian gymnasts have submitted formal complaints against the Romanian Federation and the Federation is retaliating against their own coaches and athletes What are the conditions the coaches and athletes are facing? How can the FIG continue to allow such a federation to be certified? Thanks to Uncle Tim and his PhD-level gymnastics history research, we know many past Romanian World and Olympic medalists, some with current leadership positions in the Romanian federation, competed with underage or with false birthdays A Melanie de Jesus Dos Santos update. What happened post-Paris Olympics? 2025 World All-Around Champion, Angelina Melnikova, is out of Bundesliga after her club  severed ties with her The American Cup is back! This time as a mixed-team competition When and where will the event be held? How is the format different compared to the European Championships mixed-pairs event? Who are our dream international teams? GYMTERNET NEWS NEW ELEMENT ALERT! The piked full-twisting Jaeger is now the Minamino The Georgia Collective is suing athletes who transferred which could have big implications for the future Athletes.org released a collective bargaining agreement you can see here Max Whitlock has announced his return to gymnastics with the hopes of making it to the Los Angeles Olympics Oksana Chusovitina is training for 2026 World Cups Jayla Hang announced on Instagram she had surgery on her wrist Giovanni Maria Fares, a lawyer formerly at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, is the new head of the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation Lawsuits and Dumpster Fire News Chows is being sued after an investigative piece by Eddie Pells of the AP Former Rutgers coach Umme Salim-Beasley is suing the school for wrongful termination The Trump administration is refusing to administer visas to athletes from Caribbean countries, preventing them from participating in LA28 qualifying events NCAA photo shoot drama Two top schools are using horses as their photo theme... (1) (2) Kaylia Nemour has released a book, ''The Shadow of Gold'' The University of Minnesota Men's Gymnastics Club has a new facility European Gymnastics will allow Russians to participate in competitions as neutral athletes, opening up Olympic qualification paths for artistic and rhythmic gymnasts  Ashikawa Urara has retired after years of battling worsening scoliosis Claire Pease commits to Utah! Dulcy Caylor is deferring her NCAA start at Florida to focus on LA28 GYM NERD SCHOOL - College Gymnastics Rule Changes in 2026 What are updates to the National Qualifying Score? What are the differences between the new and old versions? Do we think the changes are positive? Controversy radar activated: some teams will have to drop 2 high scores and some teams will have to drop 1 The Yellow Card Game - becasue these caoches are going to get yellow cards constantly INTERVIEW Gymnastics Medicine interview: pain myths & better injury care with Dr. Elspeth (Elly) Hart DScPAS and Dr. Ezara Greene DPT SUPPORT THE SHOW: Join Club Gym Nerd: https://gymcastic.com/club/ Merch: https://gymcastic.com/shop/ Headstand Game: https://gymcastic.com/headstand-plugin/ Forum: https://gymcastic.com/community/ UP NEXT: Behind The Scenes: Live Q&A podcast Friday this week only at noon Pacific/8 GMT NEWSLETTERS Sign up for all three GymCastic newsletters  RESOURCES Spencer's essential website The Balance Beam Situation  GIFs of the Week and Meet schedule with links. Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles by Aimee Boorman with Fact Checker. Aimee coached Simone from day one in gymnastics to three back to back World All Around titles, 14 world medals and an unprecedented 5 medals at the Rio Olympics. Get your copy now. And if you loved it, please leave a review

Today I am delighted to welcome activist and scholar Erin McElroy to the podcast. She is the author of a remarkable book, Silicon Valley Imperialism: Techno Fantasies in Postsocialist Times. At the center of this rich and provocative study is the Romanian city of Cluj, which has been dubbed the “Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe.”  McElroy untangles this notion by going back to the socialist period, whose technological advances made Romania a particularly attractive site for foreign tech investment after the fall of Communism. Erin explains how the arrival of what were called “digital nomads” into Cluj was first made possible by the brutal eviction of its Roma population.  As enticing as it is to map these evictions to similar displacements of racial minorities and the poor in the San Francisco Bay Area, Erin explores the fissures and disconnects between the two cases, as well as their eerie convergences. We end by, as McElroy writes, “reflecting on what bringing abolitionist and ant- imperial geographies together in post-socialist contexts can do. Just as global capital connections mapped the Siliconizing moment, other connections scaffold the very possibilities of unbecoming Silicon Valley.”Erin McElroy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Washington, where their work focuses upon intersections of gentrification, technology, empire, fascism, and racial capitalism, alongside housing justice organizing and transnational solidarities. McElroy is author of Silicon Valley Imperialism: Techno Fantasies and Frictions in Postsocialist Times (Duke University Press, 2024) and coeditor of Counterpoints: A San Francisco Bay Area Atlas of Displacement and Resistance (PM Press, 2021). Additionally, McElroy is cofounder of the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project—a data visualization, counter-cartography, and digital media collective that produces tools, maps, reports, murals, zines, oral histories, and more to further the work of housing justice. At UW, McElroy runs Landlord Tech Watch and the Anti-Eviction Lab which produce collaborative research and collective knowledge focused on intersections of property, surveillance, technocapitalism, and technolibertarianism. 

Dr. Marc Lewis is a neuroscientist, psychologist, and psychotherapist who taught developmental psychology at the University of Toronto for over 20 years. He's the author of "Memoirs of an Addicted Brain" and "The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease". Drawing from both his personal recovery journey and decades of research, Dr. Lewis offers a revolutionary perspective on addiction neuroscience.WHAT WE DISCUSSEDNEUROSCIENCE INSIGHTS:Why dopamine isn't a "pleasure chemical" and what it actually does in addictionThe real difference between healthy learning and addictive learningHow the striatum, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex create compulsive behaviorWhy different types of emotional pain lead to different substance choicesThe neuroplasticity principle: "what fires together, wires together"THERAPEUTIC PERSPECTIVES:Why addiction is NOT a chronic relapsing brain diseaseInternal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and how it heals addictionThe three parts: The Critic, The Firefighter, and The Exile (inner child)Why self-compassion is non-negotiable for recoveryHow to talk to the different "parts" of yourselfMark's approach with his 20-30 weekly therapy clientsPERSONAL WISDOM:Mark's 8-10 year journey through heroin and cocaine addictionHis daily practices for staying present and connected at age 74How he faced a terrible year (divorce, family estrangement, illness) with IFS toolsWhy connection (not sobriety) is the opposite of addictionPractical steps for breaking bad habits and building new neural pathwaysPARENTING & PREVENTION:How to talk to kids about drugs in a way they'll actually listenWhy loneliness is the biggest risk factor for addictionThe critical importance of movement, sleep, and feeling understoodWhy some childhood experimentation is actually healthyKEY INSIGHTS:"The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It's connection" - Johann Hari"We have different parts of our personality, and they often polarize in addiction.""You can heal at any age—with presence, breath, and self-love.""Stop thinking of addiction as a disease. It's learned behavior."RESOURCES MENTIONEDBOOKSThe Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease" by Marc Lewis (available in Romanian: "Biologia Dorinței")Memoirs of an Addicted Brain" by Marc Lewis"Chasing the Scream" by Johann HariPROGRAMS & PEOPLELiminal Learning program by Isabela Granic Dr. Gabor Maté - Compassionate InquiryDr. Dick Schwartz - Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapyJohann Hari's TED Talk: "The Opposite of Addiction is Connection"Sat Dharam Kaur - Compassionate Inquiry practitionerTHERAPIESInternal Family Systems (IFS)Compassionate Inquiry (CI)Acest episod este produs și distribuit cu susținerea E.ON Energie România. Episodul este creat în colaborare cu Compassionate Inquiry România, parte din inițiativa ReConnect 2025, un eveniment dedicat tratării și prevenirii adicțiilor. (00:00) Introduction(04:09) Mark's Journey: Addict → Scientist → Therapist(09:50) The Dopamine Myth Debunked(12:52) Addictive Learning vs. Healthy Learning(16:05) Why Some Get Addicted & Others Don't(19:59) Connection: The Opposite of Addiction(23:50) Genes vs. Environment in Addiction(29:20) The Most Important Thing Parents Can Do(36:50) How to Talk to Kids About Drugs(39:55) Different Pain = Different Addictions(46:53) The Neuroscience of Alcohol(51:21) Why Addiction Isn't a Disease(56:27) Different Paths to Recovery from Addiction(01:03:03) Internal Family Systems Therapy Explained(01:05:12) The Three Parts: Critic, Firefighter, Exile(01:07:52) Self-Compassion as the Engine of Healing(01:14:25) Processing Trauma Later in Life(01:17:50) Mark's Daily Healing Practices(01:21:33) The Science of Breaking Bad Habits(01:28:54) Can You Heal Without Self-Love?(01:34:59) Three Questions to Transform Addiction Treatment

SEASON 2 - EPISODE 170 - Cristian Mungiu - Director In this extended episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we speak with director Cristian Mungiu (R.M.N., GRADUATION, BEYOND THE HILLS). Cristian's films—which we deeply admire—largely focus on social issues in his native country of Romania, and though they are told in his own unique voice, his films explore problems many in the world face today. We learn how the fall of communism and Ceaușescu's regime in Cristian's youth enabled him to become a filmmaker, and he reflects on the lingering effects of the country's cinematic culture before and after the Romanian Revolution. We spend much of our conversation discovering how Cristian approaches filmmaking and cinematic storytelling, and he shares how he works on any given day in production. Cristian also reveals how his films are received by Romanian audiences, and we discuss our commitment as filmmakers to presenting the truth as we see it. Plus, Cristian lets us know what to expect in his upcoming feature, FJORD. - Recommended Viewing: R.M.N., GRADUATION, BEYOND THE HILLS - This episode is sponsored by Aputure

THE UNDERSTUDYWhat happens when you wish you were someone else... and the universe says bet?Natalie Primavera has a million Instagram followers, perfect technique, and the lead role in every show. Ava Ross has a cracked phone, a nerdy boyfriend who dresses as naked Miley Cyrus, and a work-study job sweeping the dance studio.One ancient snow globe. Two desperate wishes. And suddenly they wake up in each other's bodies.There's just one problem: Natalie's body is now in a hospital bed with a shattered hip. And Ava's body? It's about to dance the Sugar Plum Fairy... with ankles like wet spaghetti.What follows is the funniest, most chaotic Nutcracker rehearsal season in history. We're talking zombie cats, possessed dolls, a Romanian ballet master with a terrifying nine-year-old son, and a love triangle nobody asked for.But underneath the chaos is something real: two girls discovering that the lives they envied aren't what they seemed, and that maybe the grass isn't greener, it's just... different grass.The Understudy. It's Freaky Friday meets Center Stage, and it slaps.Written by award-winning writer Jenna St. John.Starring:Kensington Tallman as Natalie PrimaveraLogan Laurel as Ava RossKonstantin Lavysh as Mr. ConstantineCarson Bolde as Grayson GarciaSasha Knight as TrevorRita Dos Santos as KenzieSamantha A. Smith as JasmineKearn Eva Binder as Zoe DenningsAdele Abinante as Bean RossAvery Clyde as Mrs. PrimaveraKatherine Brunk as Ms. Ross BrandonPotter as Mr. PrimaveraSarah Elmaleh as MissLana Miki Yamashita as Miss MiyakoPaula Tiso is the NarratorOnly on Table Read.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Marjorie Taylor Greene just dropped the mother of all red pills and resigned from Congress, admitting Trump is a total fraud, both parties are owned by the same Jewish billionaires, and there is NO PLAN to save America. Tonight we go full nuclear on the AIPAC stranglehold, the Epstein blackmail tapes they're hiding, and the child-trafficking orphanages their networks run from Romania to Tel Aviv.   Donald Trump Jr. was caught red-handed in a secret Romanian backroom deal with Israel's ex-intelligence minister whose family built the Hezbollah exploding pagers, while America's children are trafficked and Gaza is bulldozed for Jewish luxury resorts bearing the Trump name. The same Zionist cabal that murdered Charlie Kirk and tried to silence Candace Owens is now running the White House through cocaine-fueled Shabbos goys and their Israeli handlers, proving once again that every road of treason leads straight back to Tel Aviv.   Tonight we rip the mask off the Military Industrial Complex's Zionist pipeline running straight through the University of Cincinnati and right into Charlie Kirk's own bedroom through his handler wife Erika and her Raytheon connected, geofencing spook mother Lori Frantzve.

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: President Trump signals he's ready for direct talks with Nicolás Maduro—even as Washington labels the Venezuelan leader a terrorist. Xi Jinping makes a rare personal call to President Trump to discuss Taiwan and Ukraine. Russia appears set to reject the latest U.S.–Ukraine cease-fire proposal, suggesting the war will grind on through Christmas. And in today's Back of the Brief—a Russian drone breaches deeper into NATO airspace than ever before, triggering a rapid scramble by Romanian and German jets. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.  Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief.  YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Masa Chips: Ready to give MASA or Vandy a try? Get 25% off your first order by going to http://masachips.com/PDBand using code PDB. Lean: Visit https://BrickhouseSale.com for 30% off Birch Gold: Text PDB to 989898 and get your free info kit on gold Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between garlands of garlic on doorways, wolves finding their voice in the dark, and the undead rising from their graves,  Romania's celebration of St. Andrew's Eve (November 29th-30th) blurs the line between the living and the dead. Join Alyson in exploring this magical and uncanny Romanian holiday. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marjorie Taylor Greene just dropped the mother of all red pills and resigned from Congress, admitting Trump is a total fraud, both parties are owned by the same Jewish billionaires, and there is NO PLAN to save America. Tonight we go full nuclear on the AIPAC stranglehold, the Epstein blackmail tapes they're hiding, and the child-trafficking orphanages their networks run from Romania to Tel Aviv. Donald Trump Jr. was caught red-handed in a secret Romanian backroom deal with Israel's ex-intelligence minister whose family built the Hezbollah exploding pagers, while America's children are trafficked and Gaza is bulldozed for Jewish luxury resorts bearing the Trump name. The same Zionist cabal that murdered Charlie Kirk and tried to silence Candace Owens is now running the White House through cocaine-fueled Shabbos goys and their Israeli handlers, proving once again that every road of treason leads straight back to Tel Aviv. Tonight we rip the mask off the Military Industrial Complex's Zionist pipeline running straight through the University of Cincinnati and right into Charlie Kirk's own bedroom through his handler wife Erika and her Raytheon connected, geofencing spook mother Lori Frantzve. While the enemy spikes your food and jabs your arm, John Jubilee and Energized Health are handing loaded weapons back to patriots: lose the gut, kill the pain, ditch the poison pills, and become unstoppable in 88 days even while eating everything on the holiday table.