Podcasts about Serve

CheckoutThe God Centered Concept Academy Training Community to learn what growth in Christ ishttps://api.tuvu.com/redirectGroup/6a2ac0e2c9f728027338244cCheck out this link to view Kingdom Cross Roads on TV.https://jesussaid.tv/?affiliate=tswright_gccTo get a copy of our new book "Embracing the Truth" or to have TS Wright speak at your event or conference or if you simply want spiritual or life coaching or just a consultation visit:www.tswrightspeaks.comVisit our website to learn more about The God Centered Concept. The God Centered Concept is designed to bring real discipleship and spreading the Gospel to help spark the Great Harvest, a revival in this generation.www.godcenteredconcept.comKingdom Cross Roads Podcast is a part of The God Centered Concept.In this episode of Kingdom Crossroads, TS Wright welcomes author, speaker, ministry connector, and content coordinator Karen Whiting. Karen serves on the board of directors for the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association and helps connect Christian writers and speakers with ministry opportunities. Karen shares how God redirected her life from mathematics into writing, teaching her to simply say “yes” and trust Him to equip her for the work He called her to do. She explains how that obedience led to multiple book contracts and a ministry of writing resources for families, military households, women, and believers seeking peace and purpose.The conversation highlights Karen's book Stories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front, which features one story per day from 1755 to 2012, focusing on women, families, and children during America's wars rather than the battles themselves. Karen shares remarkable stories of courage, including women who served as spies, supporters, fundraisers, and protectors during the American Revolution.TS and Karen also discuss 52 Weekly Devotions for Families Called to Serve, a devotional designed for military families, first responders, missionaries, and others who live lives of service. Karen offers practical encouragement for families facing deployment, separation, uncertainty, and hardship, reminding listeners to trust God and cherish the moments they have together.The episode concludes with a look at Growing a Peaceful Heart, Karen's devotional focused on inner peace, peace in relationships, and becoming peacemakers in the world. Karen closes by encouraging listeners to celebrate the freedoms we have and thank God for them.Featured GuestKaren Whiting Author, speaker, ministry connector, and board member/content coordinator with the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association.Books MentionedStories of Faith and Courage from the Home Front52 Weekly Devotions for Families Called to ServeGrowing a Peaceful HeartTopics CoveredFaith and obedience to God's calling Christian writing and ministry networking Military families and deployment encouragement Women's stories from American history Faith, courage, service, and peacemaking Trusting God during hardship and uncertainty Honoring veterans and listening to their storiesConnect with Karen WhitingVisit: KarenWhiting.comTagsChristian Podcast, Karen Whiting, Faith, Courage, Military Families, American History, Christian Author, Family Devotions, Service, Peacemaking, Trusting God, Kingdom Crossroads

A lot of builders run millions of dollars through the business without a clear view of what they actually make. Shane Durkin talks through construction finance, project money, cash flow, profitability, and why builders need better systems than acting like the bank for every job. Shane's Websites:  https://www.buildpatriot.com https://www.teamledgerwise.com Sign up for the Modern Craftsman Community:

Hey, I Spy listeners. We'll be back with a brand new season later this year, so stay tuned for more details on Season 5. In the meantime, we wanted to share the first episode of I Serve, a new podcast from FP and With Honor.  Hosted by U.K. Royal Navy veteran and celebrity chef Robert Irvine, I Serve brings listeners inside the experiences of the men and women who have served in uniform.  Each episode features a service member recounting the most dramatic and unforgettable moments of their military career—from tank battles in the Persian Gulf and urban combat in Iraq to helicopter extractions in Vietnam. If you like this episode, you can follow the show and listen to more episodes here. I Serve is a production from Foreign Policy and With Honor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pr. Will Weedon, Host of The Word of the Lord Endures Forever The Word of the Lord Endures Forever Celebrating the Saints Thank, Praise, Serve and Obey See My Savior’s HandsThe post The Seven-Fold Graces of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 11, Part 2 – Pr. Will Weedon, 6/24/26 (1754) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

What separates a leader people want to follow from one they're quietly escaping? Mark Miller, longtime Chick-fil-A executive and co-author of the bestselling book The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do, joins Brandon Laws to unpack the timeless leadership framework he helped develop over 25 years of research. With more than 700,000 copies sold and now in its fourth edition, The Secret has reached leaders in 32 languages because it's built on something most leadership books skip entirely: the character beneath the skills. In this conversation, Mark walks through the SERVE framework, a behaviorally grounded model built on five fundamentals: See the future, Engage and develop others, Reinvent continuously, Value results and relationships, and Embody the heart of a leader. He and Brandon dig into why character is the overlooked "turbocharger" of effective leadership, how most leaders learn by trial and error (and why that fails them), and why the best leaders never stop reinventing themselves. Whether you're a seasoned executive or a new leader trying to find your footing, this episode is packed with practical, proven insight you won't want to miss. KEY TIMESTAMPS [00:00:00] Introducing Mark Miller and The Secret [00:01:00] Why The Secret has sold 700,000+ copies and resonated globally across 32 languages [00:02:00] The iceberg model: why character (90%) matters more than skills (10%) [00:05:00] How new leaders typically learn (trial and error) and why organizations fail them [00:06:00] The key question every leader must ask: "Am I self-serving or a serving leader?" [00:07:00] The origin of the SERVE framework at Chick-fil-A [00:11:00] Breaking down all five fundamentals of SERVE [00:12:00] S: See the future and how to make vision and values stick beyond the wall [00:15:00] The storytelling habit that amplifies culture and gets people to take the vision seriously [00:18:00] E: Engage and develop others, starting with who you hire [00:20:00] Fitting vs. fixing people: how to know when someone needs development vs. a different seat [00:22:00] R: Reinvent continuously and why change is the price of progress [00:23:00] What Mark is personally reinventing right now (even after 13 books) [00:25:00] V: Value results and relationships and why you can't pick one [00:29:00] E: Embody a leader's heart and what a "heart transplant" actually looks like [00:31:00] Heart habits you can cultivate and why willingness is everything [00:33:00] The ministry of presence: why just showing up matters more than what you say [00:34:00] The one habit Mark says is "first among equals": thinking others first [00:36:00] Mark's closing challenge: Don't wait. Start today. A QUICK GLIMPSE INTO OUR PODCAST Podcast: Transform Your Workplace, sponsored by Xenium HR Host: Brandon Laws In Brandon's own words: "The Transform Your Workplace podcast is your go-to source for the latest workplace trends, big ideas, and time-tested methods straight from the mouths of industry experts and respected thought-leaders." About Xenium HR Xenium HR is on a mission to transform workplaces by providing expert outsourced HR and payroll services for small and medium-sized businesses. With a people-first approach, Xenium helps organizations create thriving work environments where employees feel valued and supported. From navigating compliance to enhancing workplace culture, Xenium offers tailored solutions that empower growth and simplify HR. Whether managing employee relations, payroll processing, or implementing impactful training programs, Xenium is the trusted partner businesses rely on to elevate their workplace experience. Discover how Xenium can transform your workplace: Learn more Connect with Brandon Laws: LinkedIn Instagram About Connect with Xenium HR: Website LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

What builds trust when you don't have a title or position of authority? SUMMARY According to Lt. Col. Joe Bledsoe '11, it's honesty, integrity, humility presence and action. Tune in as he shares practical leadership lessons learned from the Academy, combat aviation and years of mentoring others.   SHARE THIS EPISODE FACEBOOK  |  LINKEDIN   COL. BLEDSOE'S TOP 10 LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS 1. Leadership starts before the title. People follow your example, ideas, and presence long before you get formal authority. 2. Informal leadership is as real as formal leadership. Class president, wingman, or peer—your influence, credibility, and support role matter even without rank. 3. Be “clay to be molded.” Show eagerness, humility, and effort; people notice fresh attitude and willingness to embrace hard things. 4. You can't lead alone—build a trusted team. Time management and heavy responsibility force you to delegate to people you trust and empower them. 5. Trust has two layers: inherent and earned. Start with inherent trust (shared values, shared background) and deliberately grow earned trust through behavior. 6. Five traits that build credibility fast: Honesty, integrity, humility, presence (actually being there, engaged), and decisive action. 7. Debrief like a fighter pilot: brutally honest, never personal. Separate the person from the performance, do root‑cause analysis, fix errors, and then move on—no re‑litigating. 8. Own your mistakes out loud. Saying “I'm sorry,” “I was wrong,” or “I don't know, but I'll find out” accelerates trust and models humility. 9. Mentors and mentees are non‑negotiable. Continuously seek guidance from those ahead of you and invest in those behind you to sharpen your own thinking. 10. Prioritize relationships and pride in the mission. Treat family and friends well, cultivate the Long Blue Line, and remember you're on the A‑team—act like it.   CHAPTERS 00:00:00 — Opening & Guest Intro Show open, Naviere introduces Lt Col Joe “Paveway” Bledsoe and his career highlights. 00:01:13 — Voluntold to Lead: Becoming Class President Basic cadet training, being “voluntold,” interview gauntlet, and getting elected class president. 00:04:09 — What a Class President Actually Does Informal vs formal leadership, picking the class exemplar (Robin Olds), dining‑ins, spirit missions, and accountability. 00:08:38 — From Future Doctor to Fighter Pilot Arriving at USAFA wanting to be a physician, loving biology and medicine, and the first seeds of doubt. 00:10:03 — Ops Air Force, Powered Flight, and the Pivot Deployed Ops Air Force in CENTCOM, exposure to flying in theater, powered flight, and choosing pilot training over med school. 00:12:22 — Mentors, Family, and Making a Hard Call Mentorship from family, upperclassmen, and permanent party; emotional weight of changing paths and family's reaction. 00:14:08 — Leading Without Rank: Credibility and Trust Informal leadership as a young wingman, lessons from time management and delegation as class president, inherent vs earned trust, and key traits (honesty, integrity, humility, presence, action). 00:22:06 — Fighter Pilot Debriefs & Radical Feedback Culture Brutally honest debriefs, owning mistakes, root‑cause analysis, safety and mission focus, and how that mindset translates beyond the cockpit. 00:27:48 — Leadership at Home: Marriage, Parenting, and ‘Knock It Off' High‑school‑sweetheart marriage, parenting, using accountability and humility with kids, and balancing “fighter pilot” mode with being a husband and dad. 00:30:30 — Future Conflict, Growth, and Pride in the Long Blue Line Risk and future fight, Institute for Future Conflict, exposure to other AFSCs and logistics, daily growth habits (mentors, mentees, reading, writing, running), advice to younger self, and closing message on being proud of USAFA and the A‑team.   ABOUT COL. BLEDSOE BIO Lt. Col. Joseph “Paveway” Bledsoe '11 is a U.S. Air Force Academy graduate and recognized leader whose career has spanned combat operations, advanced airpower development and service to the Long Blue Line. A native of rural Pennsylvania, Bledsoe graduated from the Academy in 2011 with a degree in biology before earning a Master of Public Policy from the University of Maryland.  He is Currently assigned to the Institute for Future Conflict at the U.S. Air Force Academy where he studies the future of airpower, emerging technologies and the challenges of great-power competition. Prior to joining the Institute, he helped lead training and operational planning efforts at the 366th Fighter Wing, contributing to major exercises and the wing's first deployment to the Indo-Pacific region. His work bridges the gap between today's operational realities and tomorrow's strategic challenges. A recipient of the Association & Foundation's Young Alumni Excellence Award, Bledsoe is widely respected for his emphasis on faith, family and service. Throughout his career, he has remained deeply connected to the Academy community through mentorship, alumni leadership and a commitment to developing the next generation of leaders. On this episode of Long Blue Leadership, he shares lessons learned from leading peers, building influence before authority and navigating high-stakes decisions in both the cockpit and the profession of arms.   CONNECT WITH JOE LINKEDIN   CONNECT WITH THE LONG BLUE LINE PODCAST NETWORK TEAM Ted Robertson | Producer and Editor:  Ted.Robertson@USAFA.org Send your feedback or nominate a guest: socialmedia@usafa.org Please note: we are only considering USAFA graduates as guests at this time. Ryan Hall | Director:  Ryan.Hall@USAFA.org  Bryan Grossman | Copy Editor:  Bryan.Grossman@USAFA.org Wyatt Hornsby | Executive Producer:  Wyatt.Hornsby@USAFA.org     ALL PAST LBL EPISODES  |  ALL LBLPN PRODUCTIONS AVAILABLE AT USAFA.ORG/LONGBLUELEADERSHIP AND ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS     FULL TRANSCRIPT Guest, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Joe "Paveway" Bledsoe" '11  |  Host, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz '99    Lt. Col. (Ret.) Naviere Walkewicz 0:01 Sometimes leadership begins long before you've ever been put in charge. It starts when people trust you enough to follow your example, your ideas or your vision. I'm Naviere Walkewicz, Class of '99; Long Blue Leadership starts now. Well, Lt. Col. Joe “Paveway” Bledsoe the Third. Welcome to Long Blue Leadership. Lt. Col. Joe Bledsoe 0:20 Naviere, it's great to see you. Thank you for having me here today. I'm looking forward to the conversation. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:24 So, Joe, your career has been exciting so far, and you're still in it. You know, you have been operational leader, obviously an F-15E Strike Eagle pilot. You've been deployed, you have been a researcher, you're a Young Alumni Excellence Award winner for our Association & Foundation, you've been an AOG board director and a fellow for the Institute for Future Conflict. And that, that's just, you know, a short little list, because you're a student heading back into, over to, is it North Carolina, right? Seymour Johnson.   Col. Joe Bledsoe 0:53 That's correct. Seymour Johnson, yep.   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:54 In the cockpit, yeah. Col. Joe Bledsoe 0:56 Yeah, we're super excited. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 0:59 Yes. Well, we're going to touch on probably many of those places, but I want to dial it back to something that only one graduate in every class experiences, and for you it happened shortly after Basic Cadet Training. Your class selected you as your class president. How did that come about? Col. Joe Bledsoe 1:14 How did that all go down? That's a great question. So there we were, right after basic training. I was in Cadet Squadron 19 for my freshman year, and I got the opportunity — this is one of those voluntold moments, right — where the upperclassmen and BCT cadre said, “Joe,” or “Cadet Bledsoe, report to H-1 during transition week.” That's when everybody's coming back, and you're like, “Sure, yep, yes, sir, yes, ma'am. Here we go.” So I show up with 40, 50 other fourth-class cadets, and we come to find out it was for us, and we were going to go through who was going to be the class officers. So first off, as I look back on that experience, a lot of respect and no humility being asked to go like represent Squadron 19, right? Like, I didn't volunteer, they just kind of pointed me in that direction, so we show up and got to interview with the upperclassmen, class officers, and there's funny interview questions, real serious interview questions. You know, I was just honest, right? Like, I'm here. This is what I think about what being a leader looks like, and how I could help serve the class, not thinking I would ever be selected, right? And as the night is going on, and ACQ is right around the corner, they kind of whittle it down to four or five of us, and we get up in front of the rest of the cadets and classmates that were there, and it was an open forum, like you know, back in Rome times, like you're standing in the gauntlet, Yeah, like it was like Roman voting, right? And asked a bunch of questions, and I remember standing up there with, you know, preppies, prior enlisted, and then me, just like straight off the street, and there's a couple other of us up there, and just answer the questions honestly, and at the end of that, there was a vote, and you know, they read the results, and I was like, "Holy smokes, I'm class president. How did this, how did this happen,” right? And I think there's a lot that — it was daunting at first, right? And then also, like, “This is awesome, I don't know what I'm getting into,” right? I just found out about it. I remember walking back on the Tizo. This was the first time I can say this now, because you know, grad, and I didn't run the strips because the upperclassmen and class officers walked me back, and I distinctly remember to — back to my squadron to — Jordan Kraft and Forrest Underwood walked back and were given some mentorship to me, like here's how to succeed, here's things we would recommend, and it was just an awesome opportunity to like kind of learn what pure leadership looks like, what it means to be in this not org chart that is unique to the Academy, and that's where the, that's where the adventure started for class president. I'm still, I haven't been fired yet, and I still proudly serve the Class of 2011 — Robin Olds' class — as their class president, and it's one of the best jobs that I have the privilege of doing. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 4:10 My goodness. I mean, just to unpack that a little bit, obviously, in basic cadet training, you did enough to impress your cadre, I'm sure that there was probably some sort of cadre selection to bring however many of them forth first. Would you say that you would you agree with that, or is that — am I way off? Col. Joe Bledsoe 4:28 Yeah, I would say —I think when I look back my time at basic training, like I wanted to come to the Academy since I was in your school, right? So, like, I thrived — I'm not saying it was easy by any means, right? We all know that, but I thrived in like this new adventure, right? And I took everything, I embraced everything. I think that may have been something they saw, right? Like I was clay to be molded, right? And I had some prior opportunities in basic to show that to my BCT cadre, and they picked up on it. It wasn't that I was trying, but I think looking back on that experience, there was moments of like my freshness, my eagerness, my like pride in that I made it to basic training, that I wanted to just try as hard as I could, and I think some of that probably shown through, and ultimately may have been why I was selected to go try that interview process, right? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 5:20 So that interview process, at the end of the day, you were elected by your peers, and you know it — to your point — you said in that unusual, the not normal org chart, right, the one that doesn't exist, but yet you have leadership of your class. What did that look like? How did that translate? Because not many of us are class president, I'm certainly not my class president, and so I'm not sure what that leadership role looks like. Can you share a little bit more about some examples? Col. Joe Bledsoe 5:46 Yeah, I think that that leadership role was very different each year, right? As a freshman and a sophomore, as a four-degree and a three-degree, before any official academy leadership position starts to present themselves, that they do for two-degrees and firsties, it was a lot of helping the class stay as a collective whole, right? So one of the first big things as freshmen was selecting our class exemplar, right? And running like — how do, who do we select? How do we come together and figure that process out? How do we then, once we have a name, once we selected Robin Olds, how do we have a formal dining in? Things that I had never even heard of, right? As well as on the other side, the shenanigans, right? So, the spirit missions, right? There was many times I've had to go to the commandant's office and say, I don't know where the class crest is, like, out of pure honesty, right? But, like, that is, that was like a way, as an underclassman, that we kind of got that informal leadership, but also you're the leader by default here, so we're gonna, we're gonna make you accountable for your class. So I got to see both sides, that transitioning a little bit more to two-degree and first a year was now taking a little bit step back in writing in the informal leadership position, so I looked as myself as like a supporting agent, supporting member to our cadet leadership, and I always presented that like, “Hey, if you need our class to do something, I will do that, but if militarily you own that, like, I'm not ever going to step on your toes or push back,” right? The other thing we got, I was able to do is also help provide, like, morale inputs, right? Like you kind of had the pulse of morale, I think, more as the class president sometimes than in the official leadership, so could help provide some inputs along those ways, and there are some, say more shenanigans or morale events that we get to help put forth and present those to the cadet leadership for official approval later on as we firsties. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 8:04 Gosh, well, that was, I mean, it's really insightful for us to understand some of the roles that a class president and class cabinet plays, and so understanding that it's — I like how you put it as a supporting agent to the formal leadership. And we're gonna touch on this a lot more, because I think there's going to be times when you'll share how you build that trust and credibility throughout, both when you're a cadet and as an officer. But before we jump there, I happen to find out, Joe, that you weren't coming to the Air Force Academy to become a fighter pilot, but to become a physician. Can we talk about that for a moment? Col. Joe Bledsoe 8:37 Absolutely, that's absolutely a — I came to the Air Force Academy, wanted to be a doctor. I knew I wanted to be a biology major. I declared, I think, the first day I could declare and went through the gauntlet of getting ready for med school applications, and I loved every second of it. It was awesome. Even my fellow classmates would say he was a huge nerd and studying all the time, because that was my goal, right? I came into the Academy, and I wanted to be a doctor, and I knew the gauntlet that is, that that is required to do such a thing. And I still love medicine, right? I still love — I think medicine is fascinating. Every time my probably get there someday, or in the conversation, but anytime my kids have to go to the ER, like I'm like, “Can I scrub in,” right? All that kind of stuff. Yeah, put me in. I love medicine, and it wasn't till the summer between my two-degree and firstie year did I have that midlife crisis at the age of 21 and then firstie year is when that crisis kind of came to a head, and new doors opened, and here we are today, right? So that, yes, you're absolutely right. Always wanted to be a doctor. I was still fascinated by medicine, but now I'm just a pilot. So, there we go. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 9:57 So, can we, can you expand a bit more on it? So, was it a decision you wanted to make or a decision you had to make? Col. Joe Bledsoe 10:03 Yeah, yeah, that's great. It was a decision I had to make, ultimately, myself. Right? No one, no one said, “Joe, you can't be a doctor.” So, the summer — there's two key things that really happened that helped influence that decision. The first one was the summer between two-degree in firstie year, I had the opportunity to deploy to the Middle East, and we've heard of Ops Air Force. You know Ops Air Force. Well, at that time we had a deployed Ops Air Force, so they sent cadets overseas to deployed locations to see what was, you know, to get the full experience in a deployed location. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:40 Wow. Col. Joe Bledsoe 10:40 So I had the opportunity to do that. Spent the summer in CENTCOM and kind of opened my eyes to… Col. Naviere Walkewicz 10:47 Oh, Central Command. Col. Joe Bledsoe 10:47 Yeah, sorry, Central Command, and got to experience — I got attached to a C-130 unit, right, and I got to see what flying looked like in a deployed environment, and I kind of opened my eyes, where I've been hyper focused on medicine, right? Like, you know, so focused on this is what it takes to be a doctor. I kind of like put my blinders on to what the rest of the Air Force did, right? So I was like, “This is pretty, this is, these guys and gals are doing awesome stuff, like this is this is the pointy end of what was going on.” And that planted a seed, that planted a seed. So it came back, firstie year was doing the med school applications, going through, I had some free time in my academic calendar, and I got to go down to the airfield and do the powered flight program. So, I got to see flying over the summer, and then I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to go fly an airplane, and I was like, “OK, the seed was planted, let's see if I get air sick, like, let's see if there's anything else here that might make me not want to do this.” And I loved it. Right, I fell in love with flying down at the airfield. I came back, and I was like, I'm gonna pause the med school applications and put my name in the hat for pilot training, and the rest was history, right? So, doors open, doors close, right? But that was my story, and I loved getting to talk to cadets about that, because so many can be — so many times we see some that are hyper focused, and like there's always other options out there, and it's OK to have a crisis we can talk you through. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 12:23 I think that's a fantastic lesson that you actually learned early, because you know it's interesting — had you not been sent to Ops Air Force at a deployed location, you might not have taken Alex flight, and so you know when you think about leadership opportunities and lessons, this is one of those moments where it actually steered you in a new direction. So, as we think about that, I'm curious, how your family responded to that, because, you know, you had come to the Air Force Academy to be a doctor. Were they happy for you? Were they surprised, a little nervous? Col. Joe Bledsoe 12:57 Yeah, there was a ton of mentorship there, right? Not just from my family, but from upperclassmen peers, permanent party, like, “What are you doing? Like, you came here telling us this was your goal. Where did this new goal come from?” So, there was a lot of time talking that through, and I needed that myself. It wasn't, as you know, in any decision, like, it wasn't a snap decision. So, a lot of time walking through that decision process and leaning on mentors and kind of asking the questions, like I knew what four years of med school, and then residency, but I knew what that like, what does pilot training look like? How long does that take, right? So, a lot of questions to help answer, or to find answers through, and ultimately, my family was super supportive, super supportive, and they still joke, like, “Hey, how come you're not doctor.” Well, because I fly F-15s now, right? But all supportive all throughout the process, right? And that's where you lean on others, right? Lean on others, because it very much felt like a crisis, like I still have scar tissue over it. But looking back on it, it wasn't just me making — I ultimately made the decision, but they helped me through it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:08 That's fantastic. You know, I think about you as an officer, as a fighter pilot, and obviously there's a lot of steps you took to get there on the road was certainly not easy. Often, though, I think that there can be some misconceptions, or maybe this is accurate, that earlier in your pilot life or your aviator life, there's probably not a lot of leadership lessons where you're leading others. Maybe, maybe that's a misperception, and we'd love to talk about that. You know, how do you find the leadership opportunities then when you are, you know, you're party of one, right? You don't necessarily have any direct reports. What does leadership look like there? Col. Joe Bledsoe 14:43 Yeah, can we take that back to like some lessons I learned at the Academy?   Col. Naviere Walkewicz 14:46 Oh, absolutely.   Col. Joe Bledsoe 14:47 Right, I think, I think that's where I've leaned most heavily in, like, not in there's this difference between formal leadership and informal, positional versus informal, and I was blessed enough at a pretty young age to learn the plus — the how to succeed and how to fail in informal leadership. I've tried to carry that throughout my career. So when you say like the younger days of being a wingman in the F-15 community, it's a lot about credibility. It's a lot about that peer leadership. How do you build the credibility? How do you build the trust to be someone that others look up to in that informal system, right, in that informal system. When they look down their phone, like, “Who do I call? Who do I have to call? Who do I want to call?” Right? and I think that's where you have to balance some of that stuff, and I spent time thinking about that, and trying to lean on lessons that I learned from the Academy, and while formal leadership positions were never handed to me, that doesn't mean you're not a leader, right? Like, you can't beat it, doesn't mean you don't just get to sit back and not lead. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:02 Can you share an example of a time when you learned that about yourself, or what that looked like?   Col. Joe Bledsoe 16:09 In the flying world? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 16:11 Or as a cadet?   Col. Joe Bledsoe 16:12 Yeah, as a cadet, I think the biggest one was — I'll take it back to, like, freshman, sophomore year, where I learned one of the key pillars that I'm convinced the Air Force Academy teaches all us grads about is time management, right? And I thought I was pretty good at time management, and then when you're now the president of 1,000 other cadets, your inbox fills up very quickly, right? Or you're like, “I thought I was good at time management.” And I learned very quickly that you can't do it alone, right? You can't do it alone, and I had to learn to surround myself with people that I trusted and that I could delegate or hand tasks off to, and just say, “I need this accomplished,” and I did that to my friends that I knew would get the mission done, right? And I had to have that level of trust, and I think that is translated throughout my career, where I inherently trust people with a project, right? I think there's two versions of trust, inherent trust and earned trust. When I look at the graduate network, whether that's the Air Force Academy, Navy, West Point, and I see a class ring, I'm like, “I inherently trust you,” and I can, I believe, or I see some other veterans have on — like, “I inherently trust you,” and then in other cases where I've had to learn and work with people, it's now, “I'm earning your trust, and I hope you're earning mine as well,” and that is this unique balance of I inherently trust you, I learned that at the Academy. Now let's build on that as a foundation and get this earned trust to as high as we can. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 17:54 What does some of that earned trust or becoming more credible look like when young leaders don't have the benefit of time? Right, so I, the more time I work with you, the more I learn about you. You build that credibility, etc. How does one accomplish that, maybe either shorten the gap or do that a little quicker or impactfully earlier? Col. Joe Bledsoe 18:18 Yeah, time is always — like we always need more time, right? How often do you say, like, “I only have 24 hours, but I need more time,” right? So, if we're always fighting time, like, and everybody's fighting time, then, like, that's a constant. So, let's not worry about time. So, I look at it as, like, what traits do people bring to the table, or what traits can we can we sharpen? Honesty, right? Honesty is huge. You have to be honest, and that's a pillar of trust. Integrity, right? Integrity first and showing people that you display integrity is really important. Humility, I think, is also really important. Humility is really important. I was listening to a podcast the other day, and it really struck home to me, a sense of humility is — if a leader is able to say three things, they're gonna — I know I could, I can build that trust, no matter what that time gap is. “I'm sorry,” “I was wrong,” or one of the seven basic responses: “I don't know, but I'll find out,” right? I think that's really important with humility. The other one is presence, not with a T, like we're not giving presents, but presence. Being present is really important character trait in my mind, and the fifth one that I try to reflect on a lot is action. Right? I think defaulting to not doing something is not what we want. That doesn't help build trust. Taking action with what knowledge you have and making a decision is really important, and I think those are the traits that help build that credibility, help build that trust in that time gap, whatever that looks like. If you can hit those, the five that I try to hit home. If you can do that, hopefully you're building that relationship that is going to foster — have great fruition out of it. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 20:06 That's outstanding, and that's really helpful, I think. I love how you took out the constant of time being an excuse, right? Like, we don't always have the benefit of time, whether it's time and getting more experience or just time in general, I think those are outstanding examples of how you can build credibility. So, thank you for sharing that. You know, one of the things that I also would love to kind of dig into a little bit of your experiences, Joe — because they've been really vast, right? So, I don't believe that everyone has the same kind of path. How have you grown as a leader in these different experiences that really, again, aren't positional leadership roles? I'm just curious, how your growth has been in that space. Col. Joe Bledsoe 20:47 Think a lot of it's been through failure. I think a lot of it's been through failure. These might not be huge, like we lost a million dollars, or like, not through those kind of failures, but relationship failures, or conversation failure at the micro level, and how I've tried to handle that is surround myself with people that will tell me that the emperor — I'm gonna go back to the, I'm gonna go back to the old fairy tale, or fable, right? If you surround yourself with people that are able to come up to you, and you trust them, and you trust their feedback, that is something I've tried, that was Cadet Bledsoe, advice given to me is Cadet Bledsoe. Surround yourself with people that you will listen to and take their feedback honestly. And sometimes that means if I don't have that person in the room and I know I fumbled a conversation or I made a poor decision, it's going to that individual and saying, “I messed up, I'm sorry, I was wrong,” or “I don't know,” right. And that's how I try to use that to present humility, I think, and that's important, because we're all fallible, we all make mistakes, and if I can't admit that, then, like, we're off to the wrong foot right away. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 22:06 Do you think some of that that skill that you've developed over time has been something that you've learned in, and forgive me, I don't know if it's a fighter pilot community, specifically, or you know, I think about when you do your sorties and you have some sort of debrief, right? I feel what I've heard, I've not actually sat in one, but they're very real. Like, there's no, it's not about making you feel good about it, like it's about the safety and the mission, and so I'm curious, if that skill of humility, and you know, calling a spade a spade, and calling it I'm wrong and I'm wrong, did that come from some of that experience, and maybe you can talk through what that's like, because not everyone, I think, practices at that level of transparency. Col. Joe Bledsoe 22:46 Yeah, the fighter pilot debrief. I learned some of the importance of that through mentorship as a cadet, and then that was sharpened as a fighter pilot. And I learned the importance of that through the form, my formal job, right, the mission, the lives at stake, aircraft, that kind of stuff. And I think I've tried, I've only honed that skill through Air Force training, right? The Air Force has trained me to think like that, and I've tried to translate that into my personal life and leadership positions, because I think there's tons of value to that. There is tons of value in being willing to find a mistake, own up to that mistake with the knowledge and hope that it doesn't happen again, right? And if that is like, if you, if that's your north star, we don't do this again, like, why wouldn't you want to be on that team? Why wouldn't, why don't you want to be? That's how we get better, right? And I think that seed again was planted as a cadet. Like, let's, I tell cadets all the time, like, you're joining the A-team, so put in A effort, right? Like, if you're going to join the A-team, I don't want B-players, and this is what we got to get, like, let's go, right? It's a motivating factor in my mind. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 24:08 What are some of the ways to approach that in a leadership conversation for someone who would be interested in taking on some of those, those learned lessons? Col. Joe Bledsoe 24:18 Yeah, I think the first thing is transparency and honesty right up front. Like this, Naviere, if we were flying together, right and you were my instructor, your job is not to degrade me as a human, but to prove to me that I made a mistake with the ultimate goal of making me better, right? Your job is to always, like — and the relationship you and I have as an instructor and a student is my — I'm gonna sit here in the debrief and go, and Naviere is here to make me better, right? Like, that's your, that's your job, right? Right. So, once you start that as the foundation, like, it can only get better if I know your job is to make me better, and your job is I'm supposed to make this guy better, right. And often we can, when feedback is provided, you're like, this could be a personal attack, or, like, that's all left out, that's all left outside the debrief room, right? Like, we're here to make everybody better, and I think that's where it starts: with that transparency and honesty up front of the expectation. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:15 So you'll actually say that. You would actually… Col. Joe Bledsoe 25:17 No, I think that's just a common, that's a common theme, right? That's the expectation in the community. And not just in the fighter community. I think it's throughout the Air Force, right? I think that's what makes us really, really unique. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 25:32 Because feedback is something that we, we do — although maybe some can do it better than others — I think that's a really fantastic way — before you're giving someone feedback, you're really clear on this is what we're hoping to accomplish by having this time together. And so, I think what you just said can make feedback so much more impactful, because it's not about the person, it's about what are we trying to accomplish and helping you, I guess. It is about you, but ultimately helping you. Col. Joe Bledsoe 25:59 Absolutely, right? Like the where every debrief starts is we had a mission objective and we had tactical objectives. Did we do them? If we didn't, let's figure out why, right? So translating to the business world or private sector, it's a root cause analysis, right? It's a root cause analysis, and we will get down to the nitty gritty of like, what type of error — did you make a decision error? Did you perceive the environment wrong? Did your actions cause the error, right? And we get down to that level, so that when the student, student Paveway walks away, Naviere, knows, Naviere, you gave me the exact, like, you decided wrong, because X, Y and Z; don't do that again. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 26:43 Right. Col. Joe Bledsoe 26:44 Here's your fix. You know, that debrief can take hours, and that's the beauty of it, right? “We're gonna sit there, and we're not gonna let anything not be uncovered, because we're gonna go do this again tomorrow, and we can't make the same mistake tomorrow,” right? “We can't make the same mistake.” Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:01 No, that's, that's fantastic. I mean, to have it that clear, and to know it, like, OK, we're not gonna, we don't stay in that space. We've addressed it, we know we've identified a fix, and we move forward. Is that what you said? Col. Joe Bledsoe 27:12 Absolutely. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:13 There's no like, continue to revisit, like… Col. Joe Bledsoe 27:15 Yep, that's the point, right? Like, “I've learned something, I know, I've acknowledged my mistake. Let's move on. This wasn't personal, this was you making me better.” Iron sharpens iron, right? So, here we go, and then move on. And now that translates, as you asked kind of a couple minutes ago, right, that can translate to so many things in your life, right? And I try to do that sometimes, like my wife will tell me, I go too fighter pilot, but there's versions of that that translate as we are not in a fight or pilot debrief. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 27:50 You literally got in my head because I was gonna say, now I want to put you on the spot, because Joe, you are married to your high school sweetheart, you make a 2% club, right? Like, you actually started the Academy with a sweetheart and ended with the same sweetheart. And now you have three amazing, beautiful children. How do you translate that to, you know, feedback to your family or your personal life? And I love how your wife said too fighter pilot, but how about to your kids? Col. Joe Bledsoe 28:15 Yeah, married my high school sweetheart, Alicia. We started dating our sophomore year, and we've been together ever since. So she is not a grad, but she has a lot of Air Force in her blood, so that's great, and the kids, I would say there's a couple things when it comes to taking some things I've learned or been trained in the Air Force, translating on the home front. The first one goes to accountability, right? I think accountability is really important because in an aircraft, you have to be accountable for your actions, and I think that translates to being a parent, as well as trying to teach the kids some humility. Right, where to be humble, when to own up to your mistakes, and sometimes that works in the fighter pilot way, sometimes it doesn't, and I think that's leadership, right? You can have leadership skills and be consistent in some, in some ways, but other times adaptability is really important, especially with the kids, and each one of my kids is very unique, and we have to cater to each one of them and their unique skills. I will say about my wife, I love her with all my heart, but she knows the words “knock it off” as well, right, because that's a sacred word, not just in the military, but on our, in our homefront, and that usually means stop being a full fighter pilot, like go back to being Dad, right? So she knows, she knows the words and how to make that all go down. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 29:47 I love that it's another language, right? You have your, your fighter pilot language, and you have a home front language. I love that. Thank you for sharing that. You know, I'd like to switch gears a little bit to your time operationally, and maybe this translates into now your work at the Institute, or your most recent work at the Institute for Future Conflict and preparing cadets for the future fight. I'm curious, how all of these skills that you've learned, and these leadership traits that you've continued to develop in yourself, have translated in moments of, you know, like, real conflict, real distress, like when the stakes are high, and how you prepare cadets to think that way, even though maybe they've not experienced that. I'm just curious, what that looks like. Col. Joe Bledsoe 30:31 Yeah, it is hard to translate — like cadets love war stories, right? Like, “So there I was…” but it's hard to translate some of, like, the putting, having the cadets put themselves in the shoes of someone that has 15 years of flying under their belt, right? Like, that's hard for them to grasp, and I understand that, and that's not what I'm asking of them to do, but there are certain skills that I think are really important, and that I've got to experience and talk to cadets and research and spend time thinking about at the Institute for Future Conflict at the IFC. One is risk, right? How do we, how do we think about risk, right? Are we risk prone? We risk adverse? How do we think about risk, not just in this moment, but how does our decision today affect five days from now, a month, right? And, as you remember, because I know it happened to you as a cadet, like you're just in the, like, “What's my next problem,” right? What's my next — OK, how does, like, fixing this problem affect next week? Right. And I think that's what I've got had the opportunity to think a lot about the IFC, as well as try one thing I've learned being back here at the Academy was my experience as a cadet is not the same experience as the cadets now. And what do I mean by that is when I graduated, GWOT, Global War on Terror was the thing we knew what we were getting into. I very much knew flying, going to the Middle East. Now the cadets looked to me and other permanent party, and like, what's our fight going to look like? And right, the question mark is, I don't know, but let me tell you, think about this, and I could be wrong, and I think that is where I've had a lot of time to think about future conflict and what's problems, maybe not nations or adversaries, but like big meta level things they'll have to think about, information access, information sharing, trust, right? How do you, how do you help develop some of these skills in the cadets? And that's where I've spent a lot of time the last two years trying to think and spend, spend some brain bytes, like what does air power look like in this unknown environment? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 32:52 And as you're about to step back into it, I'm thoughtful of that, and so now you're taking what you've helped cadets start to hone in and think about. How are you different now as a leader going back into the cockpit than you were when you came to the Academy? Col. Joe Bledsoe 33:09 Yeah, let me get back to the cockpit, and everyone can tell me what, how I'm different. We'll use that as the test. But here's one thing I think — I've reflected on this recently, going back to the Strike Eagle community. One has been my exposure here in Colorado Springs and at the Air Force Academy, meaning I've learned a lot about what others do that I wasn't — I knew other jobs existed, I knew other AFSCs did things, but not being in a flying day-to-day ops tempo, I've had the opportunity to sit down and, like, “What do you say you do?” “Oh, that has some effects here, here, and here,” and I use a specific vignette would be, I've got to spend a lot of time in the management department and helped teach in the global logistics minor, and like, I knew there was logisticians in the Air Force, and like, that's yeah, right? That's how stuff got here, but like, understanding the importance of, like, that's how my bombs got here, this is how the b…, right, like, truly understanding their frustrations, I think will make me get less frustrated in my day to day, right, and I think that has been one thing that the Academy has given back to me the second time I've been here, is a little bit more exposure to the Air Force, as well as the Space Force, being here in Colorado Springs, like seeing what each team member, like each cog in the machine brings to the fight, right? And I think that's been a blessing here. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 34:42 So those that you will begin to get back working with — your men and women in your community — they won't have had that exposure, and so I'm now going back to our where we started with the sense of informal leadership. How do you help others gain that experience and thought, and maybe thought process informally, since they haven't really been exposed to that? How would you help them navigate it? Col. Joe Bledsoe 35:09 Naviere, I think the best way to do stuff like that is, like, you raised your hand when you said logistics officers, like Naviere, we're doing a podcast with my next squadron, you're coming to talk, right? Col. Naviere Walkewicz 35:19 Right, it's like that was like a long time ago, we need someone more recent. Col. Joe Bledsoe 35:24 But, OK, Naviere, it's not you, but you know people, that's how stuff gets done, right, that's how stuff gets done. And while I by no means want to stand up in front of everybody and say I'm the expert on logistics, but I, I'm not that person, but I trust Naviere, Naviere's contact here, and that's how, like, you create this network of knowledge and this network of trust and credibility. And to my, to the fighter pilots that I'll be flying with, it's somewhat like throwing mud at the wall sometimes, like we're gonna keep throwing mud and see what sticks, but at least they know it's there, right? Like, we're gonna, your job is still to go kill things and blow things up, but at the same time, you know there's this other network out there that you can lean into. But let me be a conduit to make that happen. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 36:15 That is awesome. That's fantastic. So I want to go into this period now, where we talk about you and your continued growth as a leader. What is something, Joe, that you're doing every day to be a better leader? Col. Joe Bledsoe 36:30 I have mentors, and I've tried to find mentees. I think that is where growth can happen, leaning on others for mentorship and mentees to try to talk through some things you've thought through and give experience and exposure to others, right? And that's that network we were just talking about, right? Other things I think are really important is reading and writing. Read a lot, write a lot, nobody writes good anymore, right? Thanks, ChatGPT. But being able to communicate in the written form is really important. So, writing and reading. And the other thing, too, is as a leader, just find an outlet, find something, find a hobby, find something that's fun to do, right. So, I got into running here at the Academy, because we're at high elevation, and I'm, why not, right? But find something that, like, rounds you out, right? It's fine, find an outlet that helps give you some relief from all the stresses that can happen in leadership. That's where I would say I spend a lot of time, or what I think about trying to sharpen my skills. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 37:34 Daily. So, what are you reading right now? Col. Joe Bledsoe 37:37 Oh, that's a great question. I have a couple books that are on the table. Mask of Command is one that I'm reading as I get ready to go back and potentially be in a leadership role. There's a couple other books that come to mind. I'm reading a baseball coaching book, because I coach my baseball, it's a basketball book by Coach K from Duke, as I go back to North Carolina, but it's a book, how to coach kids, right, Leadership on the Court, and it's fun to just think about training and coaching kids and how to keep them inspired. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 38:18 Oh, that's awesome. So, speaking of kids, if you were to go back in time, and talk to younger Joe Bledsoe, the third, what advice would you give him? Col. Joe Bledsoe 38:30 Yeah, if I had to go back, I would say it's worth it. Every second, work hard at the Academy, right? The doors that it opens, that's where my mind went when you asked the question, like, younger me at the Academy. Be good to Alicia, my wife, right? Be good, because she's going to be with you for a long time. So be good to her, as well as foster your, foster your friendships. They're going to mean a lot to you in the future, right? The relationships you build on that hill are going to come back in ways you have no idea years to come. So take time and prioritize the people that you meet. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 39:10 Those are really great reflections. Joe, is there anything that we haven't covered in our conversation that you would love to share with our Long Blue Leadership listeners and viewers? Col. Joe Bledsoe 39:24 Absolutely, be proud of this institution. I'm proud of it. I know you are too, Naviere. Proud of this Academy. Be proud of the cadets, be proud of the permanent party that work here. There's an A-team out there, and this is this is where it starts, right? And it's not just if you're serving in blue or in the Space Force, right? If you're out there doing awesome things for our country on the private, in the private sector, thank you. Keep doing what you're doing. There's no shade of blue in the Long Blue Line, that's my, my phrase for that one. There's no shade of blue. Serve your country, be proud. And that's — just be proud to be an Academy grad. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 40:07 That's fantastic. So, you know, in our time together, I have loved this, this, this leadership conversation, because we really span an area that I don't think a lot of people talk about, and it's, how do you demonstrate leadership in an informal way, you know, without titles and without necessarily key positions or in the hierarchical structure, and so some of the things that really stood with me, Joe, that you've covered, have been being credible, being present, and humble. I really like that, and you didn't say this in these words, but what I took from that was, you know, being honest and truthful is almost one of the most kind ways you can be right, because you're actually helping someone be better, and that really stuck with me, you know. I don't, we have an A-team, we don't need B-players, that I think you exactly said that, so definitely stuck with me. But watching the way that you have led, not with your class, not just the cadets, and, you know, certainly not the squadron that you will have here shortly as a director of operations, but I think you've continued to just be who you've always been, which is someone who leads with integrity through those pillars and certainly by example. So this has been an incredible conversation, and for anyone that is watching us and listening to this, for others that are in their leadership journeys, this is another one you're going to want to share, because it's not just about, you know, Lt. Col. Bledsoe's journey right now, it's been all of these moments and experiences and memories and they really do connect with anyone on a leadership journey. So, be sure to join in on longblueleadership.org or wherever you get your podcasts, not just to see this one, but all of our other conversations. So, Joe, thank you so much for joining us today. Col. Joe Bledsoe 41:46 Thank you Naviere. Go Air Force! Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:48 Go Air Force!   Col. Joe Bledsoe 41:49 There we go. Col. Naviere Walkewicz 41:50 Absolutely, until next time, we'll see you on Long Blue Leadership. KEYWORDS informal leadership, peer leadership, Air Force Academy leadership, USAFA class president, fighter pilot debrief culture, building trust and credibility, leadership humility, future conflict and airpower, Long Blue Leadership podcast, military leadership lessons.     The Long Blue Line Podcast Network is presented by the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation          

As you work today, remember you are serving the Lord.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

¿Aprender español con música realmente funciona? La respuesta no es tan simple. En este episodio, David y Ana analizan los dos lados: los beneficios reales que tiene escuchar y cantar en español, y las trampas en las que caen muchos estudiantes que usan la música como método principal.Checkout our new project: https://www.theraisingbilinguals.comSPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/033ALKFJco2qYvck1HKNMzAPPLE PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-raising-bilinguals-podcast/id1896941585YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@UCOSi3cTNx_qU9tMUErF5uJw

Let's explore some of the main themes in the Mass readings for the 13th Sunday of the Year. (Lectionary #97) June 22, 2026 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

Sometimes freedom begins with questioning a rule you've never challenged. There are so many ways we stay stuck that have nothing to do with discipline, willpower, or motivation. Often, we're simply following rules we inherited long ago—rules about being good, doing things the right way, earning approval, and proving our worth. When I found myself staring at more than 38,000 emails on a beautiful Saturday morning, I realized I was about to spend precious time and energy trying to solve a problem according to someone else's system. In that moment, I stopped asking how I was supposed to manage my inbox and started asking a much more important question: What do I actually want? What followed was a powerful reminder that when a system doesn't work for us, we often assume there's something wrong with us instead of questioning the system itself. Together, we'll explore the underlying commitments that quietly drive our choices, the hidden rules that keep us trapped in old patterns, and how to recognize when something that once protected you has become a cage. This episode is an invitation to release what no longer serves you, reclaim your right to choose differently, and trust yourself enough to create your own path forward. What we explore: How underlying commitments shape your decisions Why freedom begins with honoring what you truly want The Transformation Equation How release, reclaim, and rebirth creates lasting change The power of self-permission in everyday life If you're ready to reconnect with yourself and create meaningful change, join me for my free 5-day experience, Reignite Your Spark, at nancylevin.com/spark Connect with me: Newsletternancylevin.comInstagramFacebook  

In this week's Holy Girl Summer episode, we laid the foundation for understanding spiritual gifts—what they are, why God gives them, and how they help us become all that He created us to be. Together, we explored key passages we'll be studying throughout this series:

Saul was tall dark and handsome. He rose to a position of responsibility and power, and then he failed miserably. This episode reveals three ways that Saul failed. This episode gives us insight into how we can serve God faithfully.

Nominations are now being accepted for farmers and ranchers to serve on local U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency county committees.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erica Goode spent her early career on the traditional accounting track — Big Four, Fortune 50 finance, the late nights and missed dinners that come standard with the path. Then she looked up at the senior leaders above her and realized she didn't want to be any of them when she grew up. That single honest moment set off a decade-long pivot that took her out of corporate, into full-time motherhood, and eventually into building the kind of accounting firm she'd never seen modeled for her. In this conversation with Paul Dio, Erica unpacks what it looks like to bring corporate-level skill — forecasting, cash-flow modeling, strategic finance — to the small businesses sitting right down the street. She talks about her first client, a Taekwondo studio, and how the work she'd built her career on suddenly became the thing standing between that small business and bankruptcy during the early months of COVID. The story is a quiet argument for why human accountants still matter, especially now. The episode also takes a hard look at the million-dollar revenue obsession that's everywhere in the consulting and accounting worlds. Erica makes the case that a business owner pulling $300K can take home almost as much as one chasing seven figures — minus the headcount, the overhead, and the burnout. Million-dollar revenue, in her words, is a vanity metric. What actually matters is what lands in your personal bank account at the end of the month, and how much of your life you got to keep along the way. There's also a fascinating detour into AI. Erica fed her own redacted tax return into Claude this past tax season just to see what would happen — and walked away with a 50/50 hit rate that captures exactly why human advisors still matter. The conversation lands on an optimistic note for the profession: when AI handles the rote work, accountants finally have room to be the human their clients actually need. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction and welcome 01:00 – From Big Four to Fortune 50 to walking away 03:30 – "I don't see anybody I want to be when I grow up" 04:45 – Choosing to be home and not knowing there was a third path 06:00 – Missing accounting and the first client down the street 09:00 – The freedom of choosing your clients 11:00 – Books worth keeping on the shelf 13:00 – Why the Life First Accounting Firm podcast exists 17:00 – The vanity metric of seven-figure revenue 18:30 – Where AI can't replace the human 20:30 – Feeding her tax return into Claude 23:00 – Where accounting goes from here 25:30 – The Taekwondo studio and a cash-flow story that saved a business 30:00 – Where to find Erica Episode Resources Discover how Erica helps small business owners and entrepreneurs build profitable, life-first accounting practices through intentional forecasting, strategic finance, and client-by-client growth: www.ericagoodie.com Legacy Podcast: For more information about the Legacy Podcast and its co-hosts, visit https://businesslegacypodcast.com Leave a Review: If you enjoyed the episode, leave a review and rating on your preferred podcast platform. For more information: Visit https://businesslegacypodcast.com to access the show notes and additional resources on the episode.

Key Truth: God equips us to love and serve others for his glory.Key Verse: 1 Peter 4:7–11Summary: Christ followers find ways to create space in their lives to serve others with their unique and valuable gifts._________________________________Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/legacychurchtx/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join us in person:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://legacychurchhutto.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Products can be copied. Service is much harder to steal. In this episode of The Level Up Podcast, Paul Alex breaks down why customer experience is one of the strongest moats a business can build. Let's be real… A competitor can copy your offer. They can copy your pricing. They can copy your software. They can even copy your marketing. But they cannot easily copy the way your company makes clients feel. In this episode, you'll learn: Why product features alone are not enough to protect your business How poor client experience destroys retention Why onboarding and fulfillment are where loyalty is built How elite service turns clients into referrals, defenders, and long-term believers The truth is simple: Your moat is not just what you sell. It is how you serve. If clients feel abandoned after they pay… They will leave the second another shiny offer appears. But if they feel supported… Heard… Protected… And genuinely taken care of… They will stay. They will refer. They will defend your brand. High-level operators do not just chase new leads. They pour into the clients they already have. They communicate fast. They solve problems quickly. They create trust through every interaction. Because elite fulfillment is the ultimate retention tool. Out care the competition. Serve at the highest level. Build the moat. And keep leveling up. Your Network is your NETWORTH! Make sure to add me on all SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS: Instagram: https://jo.my/paulalex2024Facebook: https://jo.my/fbpaulalex2024YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGhDAD1JyGGzSQUPD9lc9HQLinkedIn: https://jo.my/inpaulalex2024 Looking for a secondary source of income or want to become an entrepreneur? Check out one of my companies below to see if we can help you: www.CashSwipe.com FREE Copy of my book “Blue to Digital Gold - The New American Dream”www.officialPaulAlex.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live Humbly and Serve | Live Free Week 3 June 21, 2026 Message by Jordan Raybon [Riverdale Associate Campus Minister]   Scripture References & Sermon Points Philippians 2:1-11   • Reject Yourself • Reflect Christ  

Gifted to Serve: Saints Equipped for Ministry — Eph 4:7-16 — Father Trevor McMaken by

What Worship Is Jonathan Parnell Download Psalm 100,Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!2 Serve the Lord with gladness!Come into his presence with singing!3 Know that the Lord, he is God!It is he who made us, and we are his;we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,and his courts with praise!Give thanks to him; bless his name!5 For the Lord is good;his steadfast love endures forever,and his faithfulness to all generations.Last Sunday, my family and I had the joy to worship with Kenny Ortiz and his family at Horizon City Church in Orlando. For those of you who don't know Kenny, he was a pastor here at Cities before we sent him out to Florida a few years ago to plant Horizon City. And it was so good to see him and spend a little time with him — and we had a funny moment together …Each of my kids had new backpacks they were toting around, and Kenny had the same kind — I think it's pronounced ‘Os-pree.' It's a backpack for hiking. Well, they have straps that buckle across the front, and my kids figured out right away that there's a whistle attached to the buckle. It's kind of discreet, but the kids figured it out, and so they, of course, were walking around blowing this whistle. Pastor Kenny sees this, realizes he has the same kind of backpack, with that same buckle, and that same whistle, and he says: “Hey, I never knew what that was!” And of course he starts blowing the whistle too. There was a lot of whistling going on! It was a funny moment!And Kenny made this a great moment. Because he thought it was incredible that he had this thing for so long, that was literally right under his nose, and he didn't know what it was. We've probably all been there before about something, but look, one thing I hope we never say that about is worship. This thing we do together on Sundays, and what we're called to do in all of life — we need to know what it is.Because being a worshiper is most fundamentally who we are as humans. Being a worshiper of Jesus is most fundamentally who we are as disciples of Jesus.Our worship of Jesus is the most important action we ever do as humans — so we should understand what we're doing when we worship.Psalm 100 helps us here.Today we're gonna look closely at Psalm 100, and I want to show you three truths about what worship is.The first is this:1. Worship is a declaration of our allegiance. We're gonna see this right away in verse 2, but before we get there, let me remind you about the context: Going back to Psalm 93, we're in a section of psalms all about the reign of the Lord, or the final coming of the Lord in judgment and salvation. And we established (back in Psalm 97) that what's in view here is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. These psalms are talking about the end of the world when Jesus returns in final judgment for his enemies and salvation for his people. And our response on that day as his people, as those saved by Jesus, will be worship — it'll be praise, thanksgiving, gladness, joy, singing — all the happy words we see in these psalms. That's what we're gonna do together with all of creation. Psalm 100 is right in line with this theme we've been seeing.In Psalm 100, the reader is commanded to worship God now with seven different imperatives. I'm gonna read all of them, starting in verse 1, but follow with me and see if you can spot them:Verse 1: Make a joyful noiseVerse 2: Serve the LordCome into his presence (v. 2b)Verse 3: Know that the Lord, he is God!Verse 4: Enter his gatesGive thanks to him (v. 4b)Bless his name (v. 4c)There's no doubt this whole psalm is about worship, but I want to call special attention to verse 2, that first line: “Serve the Lord with gladness!”What does that word “serve” mean?What Does It Mean to Serve?The word for “serve” is interesting because it can literally mean to work and serve as a servant, and it can mean to worship. And in a lot of cases, it has a double sense. To worship God is to serve God, to be submitted to him, to swear allegiance to him. That's what's intended most times when this word is used in the Old Testament. And it was Israel's biggest problem. Their problem was who they served. For example, in the Book of Deuteronomy, first, God is very clear. He says, Chapter 6, verse 13:“take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. You shall not go after other gods …”Then he says, Chapter 8, verse 19:“And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.”11:16,“Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them…”So one thing we know for sure here is that worship must mean more than an experience a few times a month on Sundays. Instead, worship is about an all-of-life allegiance, and it is a choice. It's a choice between two options: You either serve other little-g gods (bad idea), or you serve Yahweh, the one true God. Those are your choices.Those are the choices that Joshua set before the people of Israel in the Book of Joshua, Chapter 24. This is an epic scene in the Old Testament. Joshua gathered all of Israel, and he addressed all the people. He reminded them of their history and all that God has done for them from the calling of Abraham to the rescue from Egypt to the possession of the Promised Land, and he said, to all the people: “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord …” (v. 14) He said:“choose this day whom you will serve … But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (v. 15)It was an amazing moment. Joshua is saying, Me and my house are devoted to the one true God! My allegiance is to him — it's to Yahweh alone. That's what it means to serve the Lord, and that's what Psalm 100, verse 2 is getting at. To worship God, to serve him, is to declare your allegiance to him. It is about loyalty to our true King!A Daily ChoiceAnd we basically have that choice every morning when we wake up … Imagine, when you wake up, that Joshua says to you, personally: Hey, choose this day whom you will serve. Who's it gonna be? …And don't rush the moment . …Of course we know the right answer, but really think about it: at the end of the day if you were to assess your time and your energy, and what you give your best attention to, and what motivates you, who are you serving? Is it comfort? Reputation? Success? Power? Money? Who's it gonna be? To whom is your highest allegiance?Look, when it comes to worship, the real contrast throughout the storyline of Scripture is not worship versus non-worship, but it's who you worship: either you will serve the Lord or you will serve something else.Church, serve the Lord.And that is one reason Sundays are the best day of the week. Worship is more than a Sunday experience, but man, Sundays are important. Because on Sunday, the first day of the week, is the day that launches us into the next six days. We come together to say to God, before one another, “As for me, I will serve the Lord.”And of course we serve him with gladness. Let's not act like it's a hard choice. The way of Jesus is the only way. He alone has the words of life! We are gladly all in with Jesus. Worship is a declaration of our allegiance.2. Worship is congruent to our existence. We see this in verse 3. This is actually the center of the psalm — the center of the seven imperatives. The psalmist says, verse 3: Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.This is very straightforward. Get this: we worship God because he made us.This logic is repeated in all the great Confessions. I love how the 1689 London Confession puts it. This is Chapter 2, paragraph 2. The Confession says: God is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands; to Him is due from angels and men, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience, as creatures they owe unto the Creator, and whatever He is further pleased to require of them.What it means to be a creature is that our Creator has the authority to require our worship. Because: God is God; we are not God; God made us.Resistance to CreaturelinessAnd look: the spirit of the age hates this fact. The mindset of the world, people of the world, hate the fact that they are made. They can't stand it. Because they worship the Self. We've talked about this recently: that in our sin, humans want to be their own gods. They want control over reality — even if it means murdering their pre-born children or mutilating their own bodies. They want to be gods to themselves. And the best explanation I've ever read of this is by the late theologian John Webster. He describes the essence of sin as the despising of our creatureliness. He writes:“To be a creature is to have one's being in relation to God, for ‘to be' is ‘to be in relation' to the creator, and only so to have life and to act. To be a sinner is to repudiate this relation, and so absolutely to imperil one's life by seeking to transcend creatureliness and become one's own origin and one's own end.” (Webster, Holiness, 84)The people of this world, dead in their sins, hate that they are creatures — and we know what this is like. It used to be all of us!In sin, you try to do everything you can to pretend you are not creature, you try so hard to be you're own god … but the problem is that there was a time when you did not exist. You did not exist, and then, when you did come into existence, you had nothing to do with it. That's what it means to be made.Have you ever thought about that?The Wonder of Being MadeI was thinking about this last week. We were having family dinner, and it was a beautiful moment together, it just hit me. I said: Y'all there was a time when none of us existed. …We had no existence at all. We were simply not. But then, we did exist. We do exist. We're here right now. Because we were made!And so what do we do as those who are made? We worship our Maker! It just make sense!The worship of God is congruent to the basic truth that he created us.And here are two very practical things we do with this — First is for parents, for moms and Dads (and since it's Father's Day, I mean this especially for Dads.) Here it is: 1) Teach your children that they are made. When Elizabeth was a toddler and just learning to talk, Melissa and I did a little catechism with her, and one of the first questions was, “Who made you?” Except we didn't ask that way. We would say it like this: “Elizabeth, who made you?” And she would say, “God!”And recently I asked all of my kids that question, and they all got the answer right. They all said God.And look, I know I'm not a perfect dad, and I'd never claim to be, but I feel pretty good about this one. Parents, we can all do it. Teach your children that God made them. And their eye color, and their hair color, and their skin color — it's all wonderful because God did it. And second, for all of us …2) Be amazed that God made you. It is so good to be made! It is so good that God is God; we are not; and God made us! And yes, we owe him everything — like the 1689 says, to Him is due whatsoever worship, service, or obedience he requires. But remember, the worship we owe him is not drudgery for us, but it's actually what satisfies the deepest longings of our soul. It's why we were made! It's why we exist!Psalm 100, verse 3: “It is God who made us and we are his!” Worship is congruent to our existence.3. Worship is grounded in the character of God. This is verse 5. And it's the verse that grounds everything said in verses 1–4. It's the ultimate reason why we … make a joyful noise, and serve the Lord, and come into his presence, and know that he is God, and enter his gates, and give him thanks, and bless his name.The reason we worship God is “for” — verse 5 — or because:the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.We worship God because he is worthy of worship, and his worthiness is evident in his character.That is what this verse is saying, and the grammatical construction makes that clear: Worship God because of his character — and in particular, because of his goodness.And we see this construction and this reason show up over and over again from Psalm 100 onward. Now we're gonna see this, but let me go ahead and tell you:Psalms 106 and 107 start the same way: “Oh give thanks to the Lord ... for he is good.”Psalm 117:3, “Extol him, all peoples ... for great is his steadfast love toward us.”Psalm 118:1, “Oh give thanks to the Lord ... for he is good.”Psalm 135:3 “Praise the Lord ... for the Lord is good.Psalm 136:1 “Give thanks to the Lord ... for he is good.”And then in Psalm 136 the psalmist repeats 26 times that God's steadfast love endures forever.Church, look, the Lord is good; his steadfast love really does endure forever. That's why we worship him. It's because of who he is, and who he is is good.Even in the Valley?But you might say: “Pastor, it doesn't seem that way for me right now.”Maybe you're going through a season of suffering. Maybe you've been battling discouragement and disappointment, and you feel stuck. You're just in the pit and you don't know what to do. You certainly don't ‘feel' the goodness of God where you are, and yet you hear this call to worship God for his goodness — and we just need some help here. I want you to know that even in the valley — in your valley, in your pit — God is still good, and you can worship him. In fact, your praise from the pit has a unique glory and sweetness to it that honors God more, shames the devil, and baffles the world.And I was trying to think here of some historical examples — like who are the saints in church history who have modeled this for us? There are many.But then it occurred to me: God has given us examples within our own church. The Examples God Has Given UsI think about Jen Jacobs, who died in 2022 at 38 years old. She had been diagnosed with cancer and fought hard, and I remember being at her house one day with a small group of people surrounding her, trying to bring encouragement. And Jen couldn't even open her eyes, but she wanted to sing the song “Good, Good Father.” And we did: we all sat there and sang “You're a good good Father, that's who you are!”And then I think about Kayla Rigney, our dear sister who died two years ago at 35 years old. She also battled cancer, and used to help lead worship on Sunday mornings. And one Sunday, the last Sunday she ever sang up here, she stood right there, half her hair was gone, and she led us in singing:I love You, LordFor Your mercy never failed meAnd all my days, I've been held in Your handsFrom the moment that I wake upUntil I lay my headOh, I will sing of the goodness of GodChurch, do we realize the examples God has given us? … right under our nose.And then of course I think of our dear sister Jean Swenson, who for decades was bound to a wheelchair after being paralyzed from the neck down. Jean modeled for years that we don't measure the goodness of God by our circumstances, but that our circumstances must be interpreted through the goodness of God. We start there! We start with: God is good.And because God is good, he therefore must have good purposes in hard things. Jean was an example for us of what her friend, Joni Erickson Tada, has been saying for over fifty years: “God permits what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”And that is his goodness. And church, we're gonna worship him because he's good. No matter where we are. And what God has done to prove his goodness is that he sent his only Son here. While we were sinners, when we deserved nothing but his wrath, God showed us his love in that Jesus died for us. Jesus took our sins upon himself. He suffered in our place. He defeated sin and death, and he has given us himself. We are united to him by faith. We are forgiven and free. Heaven is our home. Eternal joy is our future. Church, we can worship him now. And that's how we're gonna close. I get that there are some moments in life when we might say, about certain things, “Hey, I never knew what that was!” But Cities Church is not gonna say that about worship:Worship is a declaration of our allegiance.Worship is congruent to our existence.Worship is grounded in the character of God. And at this Table, this morning, we worship him. The TableEach week this Table directs our hearts to the cross of Christ where God's goodness displayed. If you're not a Christian, this is a moment for you to believe. Right now, wherever you are, turn from your sin and trust in Christ. Ask Jesus to save you, and he will save you. That is our story as Christians, and that is who this ritual meal is for. This is a soul-reviving cordial where we remember the goodness of God to us through the cross of Jesus Christ.Brothers and sisters, we who trust in Jesus, let us eat and drink together, and give him thanks.

Message:  The Joy of the Lord Psalm 30 Dr. Gary Hollingsworth, FBCO Interim Pastor    Prayer Requests: https://fbco.wufoo.com/forms/m1a1pr9e0v0l9b9/ Subscribe to our Email Messenger (Weekly Newsletter): www.fbcopelika.com/messenger Guest Registration: https://fbcopelika.com/guest-registration/ Online Giving: https://www.fbcopelika.com/give  Serve: https://fbcopelika.com/serve/ Sermon Archives: https://www.youtube.com/ OR fbcomedia.com.

The Joy of the Lord, Psalm 30 Dr. Will Spivey, NextGen Pastor   Prayer Requests: https://fbco.wufoo.com/forms/m1a1pr9e0v0l9b9/ Subscribe to our Email Messenger (Weekly Newsletter): www.fbcopelika.com/messenger Guest Registration: https://fbcopelika.com/guest-registration/ Online Giving: https://www.fbcopelika.com/give  Serve: https://fbcopelika.com/serve/ Sermon Archives: https://www.youtube.com/ OR fbcomedia.com. 

Pastor Andrew Nemeth teaches on the duty we have in Christ to serve others and not seek to be served. He encourages us as believers to give our lives to God first, to lay our lives down for our families, and then to serve our communities with the gospel and good works.

Live Humbly and Serve | Live Free Week 3 June 21, 2026 Message by Kyle Goen [Riverdale Campus Pastor]   Scripture References & Sermon Points Philippians 2:1-11   • Live Humbly • Serve Others  

Sunday, June 21:The Serve Ladies Berlin Open Final by FiredUp Network

Friends of the Rosary,Anxious about the future? Trapped by preoccupations?Christ the Lord reveals in today's Gospel (Matthew 6:24-34) how to face our non-stop concerns:"Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,and all these things will be given you besides.Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.Sufficient for a day is its own evil."Having faith is the answer. Entrusting our lives completely to God. Not worrying and depending on the Divinity for everything.Faith means trust in the presence of the all-powerful, infinite, unconditionally loving God the Father. Serve him, and not the money, knowing we are not in control.He says today,"I tell you, do not worry about your life,what you will eat or drink,or about your body, what you will wear.Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?"Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠June 20, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

The sisters wrap up their Art as Solidarity season with some hopeful reflections. They discuss their creative processes and the season's highlights including the centrality of art in resistance movements in Minneapolis, partnerships and collaborations among artists and the role of art in processing grief, trauma, and hope. And then they plant seeds for next season.---⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TRANSCRIPT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠---⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT OUR SHOW⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/Endoftheworldshow---HTS ESSENTIALS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT Our Show on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/Endoftheworldshow⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PEEP us on IG⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/endoftheworldpc/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Pr. Will Weedon, Host of The Word of the Lord Endures Forever The Word of the Lord Endures Forever Celebrating the Saints Thank, Praise, Serve and Obey See My Savior’s HandsThe post The Seven-Fold Graces of the Holy Spirit in Isaiah 11, Part 1 – Pr. Will Weedon, 6/19/26 (1701) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

In this episode, Kevin explore's one of the most subtle and dangerous traps on the spiritual path: using nonduality, awareness, and awakening as a way to escape life rather than engage with it consciously.Many seekers arrive at profound realizations. They discover they are not their thoughts, not their emotions, not their identities, and not the stories they've spent years defending. They begin to see through the illusion of the separate self and recognize the witnessing awareness that remains unchanged beneath every experience.This realization is liberating.But it can also become a trap.Because once we discover that we are not the character, the mind often asks a new question: "If I'm not the character, why should I participate at all?" Why build a business? Why pursue a relationship? Why create? Why serve? Why care?These questions sound spiritual, but they often conceal a misunderstanding.The purpose of awakening is not to remove you from life. The purpose of awakening is to remove your attachment to life.In this conversation, Kevin examines the difference between spiritual realization and spiritual bypassing. We explore how the ego can hide inside spiritual concepts, using ideas such as "there is no self," "nothing matters," and "everything is already perfect" as excuses for withdrawal, avoidance, and inaction.Using examples from business, relationships, purpose, and service, he explains why conscious participation is the natural expression of true freedom. The awakened man does not leave the game. He learns how to play the game without becoming trapped by it.Kevin also explores the dream analogy, lucid dreaming, the role of the witness, and why many spiritual teachings stop too soon - teaching people how to wake up without teaching them how to live after awakening.The question is not whether the world is ultimately real.The question is how to participate fully while remembering what you truly are.When attachment dissolves, life does not disappear. Relationships remain. Responsibilities remain. Creativity remains. Love remains. Service remains. The difference is that the burden of proving, becoming, defending, and seeking completion begins to fall away.What remains is freedom in action.This episode is an invitation to stop using spirituality as an escape hatch and begin using self-knowledge as a foundation for courageous participation. To love without possession. To create without attachment. To serve without self-importance. To engage without becoming lost.Awakening is not the end of the game.Awakening is the moment you realize you've been asleep while playing it.In This Episode:The hidden danger of spiritual bypassingWhy nonduality is often misunderstoodThe difference between attachment and participationHow the ego survives through spiritual identityConscious business, relationships, and purposeThe lucid dream analogy for awakeningWhy service naturally arises from realizationFreedom in action vs freedom from actionHow to play the game consciouslyKnow. Serve. Protect.

Danielle Hughes, Chief Personality Officer of More Than Words Marketing, a brand and messaging consultancy who helps individuals and institutions turn their personality into their most powerful professional advantage.Through her Genuine Personality Brand work, Danielle helps people articulate who they are and what they do without sanding themselves down, so they can express their message with confidence and clearly stand apart from the competition.Now, Danielle's experience as a well known voice in her space navigating shifting lead generation and noisy platforms demonstrates what it takes to stay true to yourself while still cutting through the clutter.And while learning to stop trying to help everyone and instead serve multiple audiences with clarity and boundaries, she's showing business owners how owning who you are creates freedom, alignment, and control.Here's where to find more:https://www.morethanwordscopy.com/sign-up https://www.morethanwordscopy.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellehughes________________________________________________Welcome to The Unforget Yourself Show where we use the power of woo and the proof of science to help you identify your blind spots, and get over your own bullshit so that you can do the fucking thing you ACTUALLY want to do!We're Mark and Katie, the founders of Unforget Yourself and the creators of the Unforget Yourself System and on this podcast, we're here to share REAL conversations about what goes on inside the heart and minds of those brave and crazy enough to start their own business. From the accidental entrepreneur to the laser-focused CEO, we find out how they got to where they are today, not by hearing the go-to story of their success, but talking about how we all have our own BS to deal with and it's through facing ourselves that we find a way to do the fucking thing.Along the way, we hope to show you that YOU are the most important asset in your business (and your life - duh!). Being a business owner is tough! With vulnerability and humor, we get to the real story behind their success and show you that you're not alone._____________________Find all our links to all the things like the socials, how to work with us and how to apply to be on the podcast here:https://linktr.ee/unforgetyourself

Episode Summary In this episode of Business Coaching Secrets, Karl Bryan and Road Dog get real about what separates truly elite business coaches from the rest. Karl unpacks the mindsets, systems, and beliefs that drive top coaches—and why persistence, identity, and serving before selling are the real secret weapons. The duo also dive into the controversies around billionaire entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, using them as powerful lessons in mindset, resilience, and value creation. If you want a step-by-step breakdown of what it actually takes to get more coaching clients, boost results, and build confidence (for yourself and your clients), this episode delivers the playbook. Key Topics Covered What Makes an Elite Business Coach Three Levels of Coaches: Hiders (avoidant), Wingers (improvising), and Installers (system-driven). Patterns of Success: Top coaches are "all in," keep it simple, focus on systems, and are resilient in the face of setbacks. Embracing Delayed Gratification: Like treasure hunter Mel Fisher, elite coaches believe in the long-term payoff and stick with it when others quit. Thinking in Percentages: Why tracking improvements as percentages—not raw numbers—is a pro's approach to growth and client results. The Mindset Ladder: From Identity to Lasting Results Winning the Battle in the Locker Room: Your mindset isn't just about positive thinking; it's about upgrading your core identity, beliefs, and values. Identity Drives Performance: What you believe about yourself shapes your daily behaviors and long-term outcomes. Action vs. Self-Sabotage: Without an identity shift, short-term wins won't stick open the door for self-sabotage. Lessons from Elon Musk: Mindset, Reinvestment, and Critics The All-In Mindset: Elon's willingness to risk it all, learn from failure, and reinvest in his vision is a playbook for business coaches. Serving Before Taking: Real wealth is created by solving big problems—focus on value and impact over comfort or luxury. Overcoming Fear, Doubt, and Limiting Stories Change How You Talk to Yourself: The stories you repeat about who you are become your reality. Three Powerful Beliefs: (a) It's possible, (b) I am the person for this, (c) It will be worth it. Don't Practice to Practice—Practice to Improve: 1% better every day creates exponential growth over time. Taking Real Action: "Three Conversations a Day" Empathy Isn't Enough: Are you actually reaching out to business owners in pain, or just feeling bad for them? Three Bone System: Always come prepared with three value bombs for every interaction. Serve from a Place of Love and Urgency: Operate from your deepest "why"—not just sales tactics. Notable Quotes "You just gotta go all in, right? Don't practice to practice. Practice to improve." —Karl Bryan "Optimists run the world. The end." —Karl Bryan "If your why doesn't make them cry, you're not done establishing it." —Karl Bryan "What you say to yourself about yourself when you're by yourself absolutely matters." —Karl Bryan "Empathy is great, but are you going to do anything about it?" —Karl Bryan Actionable Takeaways Pick Your Level: Get honest—are you hiding, winging it, or installing a real system with clients? Choose "installer." Track Progress as Percentages: Frame client wins as percentage improvements for real, motivating progress. Upgrade Your Identity: Audit the stories you tell yourself. Change "I struggle to get leads" to "I'm a person who always finds a way." Practice 1% Better Daily: Focus on continuous improvement rather than perfection. Serve Before You Sell: Make three real, solution-focused conversations daily your habit; lead with value, not desperation. Have Three Value Bombs Ready: Be prepared to drop actionable strategies with every prospect, no matter the direction of the conversation. Operate from Your "Why": Reconnect to the deeper reason you started coaching, and let that urgency propel action and outreach. Don't Let Setbacks Stop You: See obstacles as learning moments, not permanent failures. Resources Mentioned Books: Outwitting the Devil by Napoleon Hill Software & Tools: Profit Acceleration Software™ (by Karl Bryan) – for demonstrating instant, tangible value to clients Platforms: Focus.com – For Karl Bryan's daily emails and strategies

How does campus ministry play a role in forming church workers? The Rev. Jay Winters (Pastor, University Lutheran Church in Tallahassee, FL) and second-year students at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Andrew Cheyne, Scott Swanson, and Richard Harry join Andy and Sarah for our Set Apart to Serve series to talk about Pastor Winters' journey into pastoral ministry, how he became a part of campus ministry, how University Lutheran Church is building a culture of church work formation and recruitment, and what is important to him as he serves and cares for students who are considering or preparing for church work. Andrew, Scott, and Richard share their stories of considering pastoral ministry, the conversations they had with others that helped them discern their vocations, their experiences during their first year at seminary, and how field work experience is helping form them into future pastors. Christ's church will continue until He returns, and that church will continue to need church workers. Set Apart to Serve (SAS) is an initiative of the LCMS to recruit church workers. Together, we pray for workers for the Kingdom of God and encourage children to consider church work vocations. Here are three easy ways you can participate in SAS: 1. Pray with your children for God to provide church workers. 2. Talk to your children about becoming church workers. 3. Thank God for the people who work in your congregation. To learn more about Set Apart to Serve, visit lcms.org/set-apart-to-serve. Have a topic you'd like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.

Serve at a Family Retreat today by signing up at joniradio.org. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.     Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Parshas Korach: Called To Serve On Gimmel Tammuz, thirty two years after the Lubavitcher Rebbe's histalkus, we explore one of the Torah's most famous rebellions and one of its most important lessons. Korach argued that if every Jew is holy, no one should stand above another. So where did he go wrong? Drawing on the Rebbe's powerful insight, this episode reveals the difference between equality and sameness, why true leadership is rooted in service rather than status, and how every Jew has a unique mission that only they can fulfill. The question is not whether we are important. The question is whether we are fulfilling the role G-d entrusted to us.

Deacon Victor Valenzuela is assigned to St. Mary Church in Fullerton.  He is married, with two adult children.  He is a licensed social worker who is retired from 31 years of employment at Kaiser Permanente.  He is a former seminarian who has worked in a variety of ministries.  His wife is Diane.  Today, he welcomes guests Myra Encinas and Abraham Villela for a discussion about youth ministry. Support the show

We play "Malo or Malito" with World Cup scenarios, talk about the wildest culture shocks from traveling the world, and find out why Koreans won't let anyone over 30 into the club.  

What does it take for next-generation advisors to become confident in business development without feeling overly sales-focused? And how can they build stronger relationships, have more authentic conversations, and generate warmer leads over time? Kristin Harad is the founder of Full Advisor Coaching, a marketing and coaching firm for financial advisors that teaches all of that and more. In this episode, Kristin breaks down how to make prospecting feel far more natural and effective for newer advisors, as well as how advisors can overcome the fear of sounding "salesy." We also discuss what to focus on instead of products, and what firms need to help newer advisors confidently communicate value. For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/494     

America Out Loud PULSE with Dr. Angelina Farella – America's founding was not casual. It was rooted in hard-won ideas about liberty, natural rights, and the dignity of the individual. Those ideas still matter. They matter when we read the Declaration of Independence. They matter when we remember the women and men who built this country, defended it, and kept faith with it through hardship...

Most companies are rushing to deploy AI faster than their competitors. Alvin Stokes of Princess Cruises says that is exactly the wrong instinct. Speed without emotional intelligence does not create better guest experiences. It creates tools your frontline team will not use, prototypes your customers will not trust, and revenue you will not recover. Alvin has spent two years inside one of the most guest-focused industries in the world, generating a nine-figure incremental revenue gain from AI programs by doing one thing most leaders skip: proving it works before scaling it. This episode is for any leader who wants to move fast with AI without breaking the customer relationship in the process. What You Will Learn About AI, Guest Experience, and Emotionally Intelligent CX: Why emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in most AI deployments, and how Princess Cruises builds it into every tool before agents ever touch it The blueprint Alvin's team uses to prototype fast, pilot heavily, fail quickly, and scale only what actually works, producing a nine-figure revenue gain in 12 months How AI is changing what "listening to customers" means, from three-month-old NPS surveys to real-time sentiment analysis across every channel interaction Why the frontline agents who resist new tools are your most valuable source of feedback, and how to use their input to drive faster adoption across the team How Princess Cruises' Smooth Sailing Squad uses AI-generated daily reports to surface policy and process friction points before they damage the guest experience What new KPIs are replacing NPS as the primary measure of guest loyalty, and why tracking sentiment over 10, 50, or 200 interactions tells you things a single survey never can Have a question or thoughts to share? Leave a voice message: https://www.speakpipe.com/StacySherman Learn more at DoingCXRight.com and subscribe to the newsletter for more actionable strategies.

¿Cuántas veces has empezado un reto de 21 días con todo el entusiasmo del mundo y lo has abandonado a la mitad? No es falta de voluntad — es biología. En este episodio, David y Ana explican la ciencia real detrás de la formación de hábitos y la aplican directamente a tu camino con el español.

Here are some of the main themes in the Mass readings for the 12th Sunday of the Year. (Lectionary #94) June 15, 2026 - Cathedral Rectory - Superior, WI Fr. Andrew Ricci - www.studyprayserve.com  

In this special compilation of The Burn Podcast, Ben Newman brings together two powerhouse conversations that define what it means to live with purpose, resilience, and unrelenting drive.First, Bruce Cardenas takes us through his extraordinary path — from the Marines and LAPD to becoming the Chief Communications Officer at Quest Nutrition, and now a driving force behind brands like Legendary Foods. Bruce shares how his discipline, attention to detail, and relentless commitment to service opened doors he never expected. But beyond his professional success, Bruce's story is about people — the power of building authentic relationships, leading with gratitude, and showing up for others without expectation. His journey reminds us that fulfillment doesn't come from chasing titles but from finding ways to contribute and lift others along the way.Then, Jason Redman, a decorated Navy SEAL, joins Ben to share his story of survival, leadership, and the “Overcome Mindset” that turned one of life's darkest moments into his greatest source of strength. After being severely wounded in combat, Jason refused to be defined by his injuries. Instead, he built a new mission: helping others rise through their own ambushes — the unexpected challenges that test our purpose and perseverance. His story is not just about war; it's about the fight we all face in life, and the power of preparation, awareness, and relentless belief in your mission.Together, these conversations capture the essence of The Burn — the inner fire that pushes YOU to serve, to overcome, and to keep showing up when life demands your very best.************************************Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KOBRaWl5P8UListen on all platforms: https://www.theburnpodcast.com************************************Learn about upcoming events and coaching: https://www.workwithbnc.comGet Ben's latest book The STANDARD:  https://amzn.to/3DE1clY1stWork directly with Ben: https://www.bennewmancoaching.comConnect with Ben Newman:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/continuedfightFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Continuedfight/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ContinuedFightLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-newman-b0b693Qlogix: www.Q-logix.com/benhttps://www.bennewmancoaching.com************************************Learn about our Upcoming events and programs:https://www.workwithbnc.comLet's work TOGETHER https://www.bennewmancoaching.comLet's work together to write YOUR next book- BNC PublishingSend us a messageOrder my latest book The STANDARD: Winning at YOUR Highest Level: https://amzn.to/3DE1clY1st Phorm | The Foundation of High Performance Nutrition1stPhorm.com/bnewmanConnect with me everywhere else:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/continuedfightFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Continuedfight/Twitter: https://twitter.com/ContinuedFightLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-newman-b0b693

Sarah Isgur and David French discuss the three SCOTUS decisions that dropped Thursday morning,  a D.C. Circuit decision on President Donald Trump's ban on transgender military members, and accommodations running rampant at law schools. Oh, and a federal judge charged with battery and destruction of physical property.  The Agenda: –Sign up for the SCOTUSblog newsletter –We are faced with the duddiest of duds –What is estoppel? –You can only try a defendant in the district where his crime was committed –Why is a Church of the Holy Trinity reference basically a backhand? –Transgender people can serve in the military  –We should get rid of accommodations for aspiring attorneys  –Burden of proof: Federal judge caught in altercation Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pr. Will Weedon, Host of The Word of the Lord Endures Forever The Word of the Lord Endures Forever Celebrating the Saints Thank, Praise, Serve and Obey See My Savior’s HandsThe post Looking Forward to Sunday Morning (One-Year Lectionary): Second Sunday after Trinity – Pr. Will Weedon, 6/11/26 (1622, Encore) first appeared on Issues, Etc..

How can we use esoteric systems–astrology, numerology, tarot, manifestation–to better improve our lives? In this next episode of The Pursuit Series, Emily Hickey sits down with Gwyneth to talk about what esoteric systems are, why we are drawn to them, and the systems like Human Design that Gwyneth and Emily have used to improve their lives. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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