Podcasts about Shook

Shook by the catfishing incident, Janelle tells Meri she is ready to work on their relationship. They have an intense session with therapist Nancy and decide to work on a Thanksgiving project together. Christine singlehandedly throws a fabulous baby shower for Robyn.We have a PATREON! click on link below tocheck out the extra content, including weekly bonus episodes covering popculture hot topics and true crime stories plus a look into our personal livesand all regular episodes ad free. For Sister Wives fans we have a Patreon BookClub series covering Christine Brown Woolley's book "Sister Wife."First episode is free on the regular feed and all 9 episodes can be purchasedas a bundle on Patreon!PatreonPlease SUBSCRIBE to the podcast and giveus a 5-star rating and review.We are on Instagram and TikTok @psychlegalpopEmail: psychlegalpoppodcast@gmail.com#sisterwives #sisterwivesseason10episode3#sisterwivesseason10 #sisterwivesconfessions #sisterwivesrewind#meribrowncatfish #christinebrown #christinebrownwoolley #kodybrown #meribrown#janellebrown #robynbrown #tlc #sisterwivestlc #realitytv #psychology #attorney#therapist #therapistonsisterwives #lawyeronsisterwives #law #lawyer#popculture #popularculture #polygamy #pluralfamily Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The PDB Situation Report: Just days after the United States and Iran signed a framework agreement, the first round of follow-on negotiations has been called off following a deadly exchange of attacks between Israel and Hezbollah. We speak with Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies about what the latest violence means for the future of the deal and whether the agreement can survive renewed regional tensions. Later in the show—the battle over AI data centers is becoming a major flashpoint across America, raising questions about energy, infrastructure, and national competitiveness. Investigative journalist Joshua Philipp joins us to discuss whether China may be helping fuel opposition to these projects and what's at stake in the race for AI dominance. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Fox One: Sign up at https://fox.comto watch The PDB show and more on-demand with FOX One. Cardiff: Get fast business funding without bank delays—apply in minutes with Cardiff and access up to $500,000 in same‑day funding at https://Cardiff.co/PDB  Hexclad: Find your forever cookware @hexclad and get 10% off at https://hexclad.com/PDB ! #hexcladpartner #sponsored Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 1, the Starved Rock Murders begin with Lillian Oetting, Mildred Lindquist, and Frances Murphy arriving for a winter getaway that turns into a terrifying search through the snowy park. What starts with missed calls, untouched lodge rooms, and a car left in the parking lot quickly becomes a devastating discovery in St. Louis Canyon, strange photos, possible witnesses, red fibers, lab problems, and the first clues that push investigators toward a young lodge employee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Smith—Managing Partner and Founder, Emerald Advisors Michael Smith shares how a client-first philosophy, niche specialization, and independence helped Emerald Advisors grow from $385mm to more than $1B in assets. In Summary What happens when an advisor builds a business around client service rather than operational efficiency? Jason Diamond speaks with Michael Smith, Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, about the path from a successful Merrill practice to an independent RIA that has grown from approximately $385mm to more than $1B in assets. Along the way, Michael shares the story of being told he was “overservicing” clients, why that moment became a catalyst for independence, and how a highly specialized service model fueled the firm's growth. Drawing on lessons from a 24-year Navy career, Michael offers a perspective on leadership, specialization, client care, and what it takes to build a durable business in today's wealth management landscape. The Storyline Growth is often viewed as the result of marketing, referrals, acquisitions, or scale. Michael Smith sees it differently. After building a successful practice at Merrill, Michael found himself at odds with the constraints of the traditional wirehouse model. What ultimately stood out wasn't compensation, technology, or platform capabilities. It was a philosophical difference around client service. When he was told he was spending too much time helping clients navigate tax planning, equity compensation, and other financial decisions outside the traditional scope of investment management, he began to question whether the model aligned with the way he wanted to serve families. That realization eventually led him to launch Emerald Advisors in late 2019. The firm started with roughly 85 clients and approximately $385mm in assets. Today, Emerald serves more than 225 families and oversees more than $1B in assets. Throughout the conversation, Michael reflects on the lessons learned from building an independent firm, developing a niche around concentrated stock positions and executive compensation, navigating custodial and technology decisions, and creating a culture rooted in accountability and service. Underlying it all is a simple belief: when firms become highly intentional about who they serve and how they serve them, growth often becomes the outcome rather than the objective. Topics Covered Merrill breakaways and independence Client service as a growth driver Building an RIA RIA growth and scalability Organic growth strategies Concentrated stock positions and equity compensation planning Ideal client personas and niche specialization Schwab and Fidelity custody relationships Advisor succession and enterprise value Navy leadership principles in wealth management The rise of mega RIAs Advisor technology and infrastructure > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors Why did being accused of “overservicing” clients become a turning point? (08:15)Michael explains how a conversation with management revealed a deeper misalignment between his client-service philosophy and the wirehouse model. What does client service look like beyond portfolio management? (11:30)The discussion explores how tax planning, equity compensation guidance, and proactive coordination can deepen client relationships. Why can specialization accelerate growth? (15:45)Michael shares why serving a defined niche often creates stronger referrals, greater expertise, and clearer positioning. How has the RIA landscape evolved since 2019? (20:30)Michael reflects on the rise of mega RIAs, changing technology capabilities, and why he believes independent firms still have significant advantages. What role do custodians really play in an independent business? (23:15)Michael discusses his experience working with Schwab and Fidelity and why he views custodians as strategic partners rather than competitors. Is the wirehouse model still the right fit for some advisors? (26:45)The conversation challenges the assumption that independence is the best path for everyone and explores the realities of running a business. Does reaching $1 billion in assets actually change anything? (32:45)Michael offers a practical perspective on growth, success, and why asset milestones can be misleading. What can advisors learn from the “steamboat” philosophy? (37:15)Drawing on his Navy experience, Michael shares a leadership framework that continues to shape how he approaches business building and decision-making. Key Takeaways Exceptional client service can become a meaningful competitive advantage when it extends beyond investment management. Independence gave Michael the flexibility to build a service model that aligned with his philosophy rather than adapting his philosophy to fit the platform. Developing a niche around executive compensation and concentrated stock positions helped accelerate Emerald's growth. The ability to make technology, custodial, and operational decisions quickly remains a significant advantage for independent firms. Not every advisor should be independent. Running a business requires a different set of skills and responsibilities than serving clients alone. Growth milestones are useful, but they do not define success. Michael believes success existed long before Emerald reached $1 billion in assets. High-performing teams with a clear client focus often find that growth becomes a natural byproduct of execution. https://youtu.be/RjzsMcC2DnY Quotable Moments “I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing.” “Servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today.” “If you serve a niche and you're very good at that niche, that word gets around.” “Growth becomes the outcome.” FAQs Can an advisor really “over-service” clients? The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Does specialization still matter in a relationship business? Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. What actually changes when an advisor becomes independent? Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. Is full independence the right path for every advisor? No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. How should advisors think about the $1 billion milestone? Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. What role does an ideal client persona play in growth? Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. How can advisors balance growth with client service? One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. The discussion explores the tension between efficiency and depth of service. While some business models prioritize scale and consistency, others are built around solving a broader range of client problems. The right answer often depends on the advisor's philosophy and business model. Michael argues that developing expertise in a specific area can accelerate growth by making referrals easier and helping advisors become known for solving a particular set of problems. Beyond economics, independence often creates more flexibility around client service, technology, processes, and business decisions. At the same time, advisors assume responsibility for running the business itself. No. Michael acknowledges that many advisors benefit from the structure, support, and resources available within traditional firms. Independence offers flexibility, but it also introduces complexity and responsibility. Michael views asset milestones as useful benchmarks but not measures of success. In his view, business quality, client outcomes, and sustainability matter more than any specific asset number. Rather than trying to serve everyone, Emerald built its business around a clearly defined client profile. Michael believes that focus improves service, creates operational consistency, and supports organic growth. One of the central themes of the episode is that growth and service are not necessarily competing objectives. In some cases, a differentiated service model becomes the reason a business grows. Related Resources The Transitioning Advisor's Lament: Things I Wish I Knew Before Freedom vs. Familiarity: Is it Worth Disrupting Comfort for Something That Might Be Better? IBD vs. RIA Revisited: Two Independent Pathways for Advisors to Consider Advisor Transition Report 2026 Guest Bio Michael Smith, CPWA® is the Founder and Managing Partner of Emerald Advisors, an independent wealth management firm overseeing more than $1 billion in assets for affluent families, executives, and business owners with complex planning needs. Mike entered the wealth management industry in 2005 after a distinguished 24-year career in the United States Navy, where he served both as an enlisted sailor in the Submarine Force and later as a Limited Duty Officer aboard USS Abraham Lincoln and on major staffs around the world. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and an MBA with dual emphases in Finance & Accounting and International Business. Throughout his career, Mike has been known for his commitment to comprehensive planning, helping clients navigate complex issues involving concentrated stock positions, executive compensation, tax strategy, estate planning, philanthropy, and multi-generational wealth transfer. His client-first approach and passion for education have helped Emerald Advisors grow from a startup firm in 2019 to a nationally recognized RIA serving more than 225 families. Outside of the office, Mike is an avid ultrarunner, golfer, lifelong learner, and dedicated advocate for children’s health initiatives. He is a current member of the Legacy Council at Seattle Children’s Hospital and has served in leadership and board roles supporting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, the ALS Association, and the Alyssa Burnett Adult Life Center. He is also the proud father of Kat Smith. NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think a team needs to have a specialization to be competitive these days or do you think it’s okay just to be like, “My job is to be the best advisor and I want to service assets wherever those assets may come from?” Michael Smith: Another great observation. I’m going to address the niche first and foremost. I think, and I talked to R.J. Shook’s staff just recently, and having a niche gives you a specialization and it also accelerates your growth factor. If you serve a niche and you’re very good at that niche, then that word gets around. If you’re a jack of all trades, you can do lots of things but I don’t think you’re focused and you’re not hitting the right numbers that I like to see. And I think that would be my theme is the niche allows you to focus on a very specific type of ideal client, that’s a Schwab thing where you have an ideal client persona and our firm has an ideal client persona. As far as having the equity comp, I absolutely was one of the teams at Merrill Lynch that was equity compensation designated, I managed a couple of plans. My exposure to that, Jason, I haven’t thought about this in a very long time, came from UBS where I had team members that were colleagues that were associated with the Nextel Sprint plan. And I always thought that you’re taking care of the top executives but, really, my background being in the military was how do we take care of the troops, the troops, I call them sailors, and how do we educate those sailors. And one of the things I’ve always said in my entire career in the military and I still say to this day is 50% of every bonus or a promotion or something like that should go to long-term savings. So, I use that same mentality with RSUs, with stock options, with bonuses. Set that aside, let that grow because you’re not used to spending it and you will learn to spend what you make. Jason Diamond: I think that’s a great reason, it’s super smart and I love your explanation, it was a very simplistic way. Honestly, even I hadn’t thought about that around your niche, I think, becomes almost like a force multiplier for your own growth because it’s much easier to become the guy in X, Y, Z vertical than to be the guy in every financial advisor of America, across America. Let me ask you a follow-up question, you mentioned the ideal client persona. I spend a lot of time at our firm thinking about this as well, what does your ideal client persona look like. How do you think about an opportunity though that differs from that persona? So, it’s great. Obviously, everybody, it’s easy, you get somebody who’s your perfect prospect, they walk in the front door, sign me up. But when you get something that’s not down the fairway for you, is it just I evaluate it on a one-off basis or are you super disciplined to that approach because it’s who your firm is? Michael Smith: I truly haven’t given that a whole lot of thought but I will tell you how I would handle that because I am handling it with some one-offs. I like the opportunity because you’re stretching your brain in that you’re thinking about how somebody else is reacting so you’d never know. So, I like it from a learning perspective but I also know it comes with a lot of other baggage, I’ll call it baggage, because, all of a sudden, they want to short the market, they want to go long-short strategies. So, all of a sudden, they’re not in our niche and, all of a sudden, they’re taking a lot of time, they’re draining our time so I think you got to be very careful about what you wish for. And there’s a lot of great advisors out there that will walk circles around these topics that I’m like, “Okay, I would rather refer somebody so they get the right experience than give them the wrong experience.” Jason Diamond: I absolutely love that answer. The bow you just put on it, I think, is the appropriate way in my mind to put a bow. At the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather service somebody more optimally even if you don’t believe it’s yourself, I agree with that. I want to ask you one more point on the client service piece. I was playing around on your website and, on your service model, you have health as a component of the client experience of your diagram. Why do you think health matters in a financial context? Michael Smith: I always believed in a healthy mind and a healthy body will bring so much joy to you and I think health is just part of your persona. If you don’t take care of yourself and your body and your mind, then it doesn’t matter what I do, I think you got to start with health. So, I’m very big on the executive physicals, I routinely require all of our staff to have an annual physical. And, again, they’re young people but you got to have these annual … I live and breathe going to see a doctor every year to do my annual physical, not because I think I’m pretty good health, I still run, I do a lot of things but I think your life starts with being healthy. Jason Diamond: Yeah, it’s refreshing to hear that, no doubt. It’s funny to think about but 2019 is a long time ago now and, in RIA world, I almost think of it like dog years. You’ve been around the block now for a little while so I’m curious how have you seen this space change since you launched in 2019? Michael Smith: In 2019, I didn’t know what I was doing, I could barely get out a wet paper bag but I do think it’s changed dramatically. I would say the biggest thing I’ve seen in just the six and a half, almost seven years is the rise of the mega RIAs and how they’re going to shape the industry. Everyone talked about fee compression at Merrill Lynch. When I was at Merrill, we talked about fee compression, then they talked about robo-advisors and now they’re talking about artificial intelligence replacing advisors, I don’t believe that and I don’t think that’s going to happen in the RIA space. What I see the RIA space maturing is into these very big mega firms as well as these independent RIAs like myself that serve a very niche market where we can walk in our lane. The ability to transact today is so much easier as an RIA than it was at a wirehouse as well because we have instant access to technology. My military background, my Navy background says make a decision right, wrong or different, if you don’t like it afterwards or you get new data, course change. So, in our industry, we can change on a notice. I hired a tech firm last year, I didn’t like the experience nine months into it, guess what, they’re not coming back. So, I can do that but you can’t do that at the bigger firms and even the bigger mega firms would have a hard time navigating a change just like that on a dime. Jason Diamond: You bring up an interesting point. To the extent you face competition, do you find yourself competing more against traditional wirehouse type firms or RIAs like yourself, mega caps RIAs? Are your clients attuned to any of this? Michael Smith: That’s an observation I haven’t thought of either there, Jason. I would say I don’t feel that I have a … I know there’s competition out there but we have a growth issue more than we have anything else so I don’t … I can’t take on the clients that want to become my clients so I’m not competing with people too much. Jason Diamond: A capacity issue, you mean? Michael Smith: Yeah, I have a capacity issue. Jason Diamond: I think you’re not alone in that. How can I even think about competition and the like when … A lot of advisors would probably say that. I want to talk more about the capacity situation but, before I do, let’s talk a little more about the RIA setup. Who do you custody with, remind us, and why or how did you arrive at that decision? Michael Smith: Yeah. So, when I launched, I went with Schwab, Schwab is a phenomenal partner, they helped me get a lot of stuff done, I couldn’t have done it without Schwab. During the pandemic, I realized that I should probably … So, remember, during the pandemic, we had a lot of issues with the banking industry, it was almost like a financial crisis but in a very compressed time. So, during the COVID, I decided to add Fidelity as another custodian so now I have two custodians and I opened accounts on both sides of the house but I like the custodians that are there to help you, they’re very good at what they do. I don’t even consider them a competitor and they aren’t competitors, they have their own branch so I don’t consider them competitors, I think they’re my partners and both Charles Schwab and Fidelity are good partners. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s the healthy way to look at the custody relationship. That’s a very common approach, I think, is launching with one custodian and then adding a secondary custodian or a tertiary custodian down the line for one reason or another so I appreciate you sharing that because we get those types of nuts and bolts questions a lot so I figured I’d ask you. One last question on the setup and then we’ll shift gears. Has anything been a negative? So, you talked about leaving Mother Merrill behind and, Mother Merrill, we use it facetiously but obviously it implies a degree of comfort and the homeland so I’m curious if you miss anything. Michael Smith: I miss the camaraderie of being with a bunch of other folks. I mentioned this when I first launched, I mentioned it year over year with my team, the one thing that we miss as an RIA and, again, Dynasty has their benefits as well and the mega RIAs have their benefits but, if you’re a true independent like myself, we get to go to conferences that we want to and that’s a timing issue, really, a time constraint. But one thing Merrill and Morgan, JPMorgan, and the other big wirehouses have as well as the megas, they have the ability to put conferences together for their advisors or their administrators and have this education. That’s the one thing that, I think, would evolve in the RIA industry in the future as well. They’re not my competitors, they’re my business colleagues. And if we think of them as competitors, and a lot of people do because I don’t want to share my client information or what I do with my competitor because they may steal them, if you’re that insecure, then you’re probably not the right advisor in the first place. Jason Diamond: I don’t disagree with that. It’s interesting too, I hear two common answers to that question, not about Merrill but just about somebody who’s broken away, what do you miss about the captive firm world. Either on this podcast or just in conversations with advisors, brand comes up a lot and then the point you just raised. I’ll even hear like, “Hey, forget the conferences and the trainings, just being able to have an office where I’ve got eight other advisors on a row for me, it’s a little bit of a different setup than in the independent space,” and I think that’s just a reality of you take the good with the bad. And for other advisors, by the way, one of the things I want to ask you about to this point is do you believe that there are advisors that are just better served in the W2 traditional firm world or do you think that every advisor should be looking at the RIA space? Michael Smith: I think that wirehouse serves a great purpose and- Jason Diamond: Okay, me too. Michael Smith: … there’s a lot of great people that are great advisors in that wirehouse, they need the structure. What I hadn’t alluded to is, and I mentioned this to a former manager from Merrill Lynch of mine just recently, actually, I was like, “I don’t think advisors realize what it takes to run a business.” I’m not trying to sugarcoat it, running an RIA is hard work, it takes a lot of your time day in and day out to run a business as well as taking care of and servicing your clients so I do think the wirehouse venue is the right way to go. And, Jason, I want to go back to one other thing about your identity. I launched as the Smith Group because that’s what I was known at Merrill Lynch. Within three or four months, I changed that name to a firm because I did not want to be associated with it. So, when you’re at one of the wirehouses, you’re known as your team name or something of that sort, I didn’t want to be known as that, I wanted to be known as Emerald Advisors not the Smith Group because, all of a sudden, you have a single point of failure. So, brand identity, it’s not so unique inside the wirehouse because it’s a team name versus Merrill or Morgan Stanley or something like that. Jason Diamond: It’s a good segue because I’ll tell you where my mind goes when you bring that up. My mind goes is you’re smart in a way that you might not even realize or maybe you do realize which is that, if and when it ever comes time to sell this business, it is probably more valuable without your name attached to it or maybe not. But in some way, shape or form, as an RIA, you have an obligation to be thinking about that or it’s probably on your radar, maybe not an obligation. Have you given an ounce of thought to M&A either acquiring businesses, growing in that way or, ultimately, when you succeed out of this business and what the RIA space enables you to do? Michael Smith: To answer that question, yes. Everyone’s thinking about merger and acquisition, I think about succession planning from day one. I actually thought about I’m a big team person, I come from the submarine force where everyone is a key player on a submarine, every single person has a job and responsibility on a nuclear submarine. So, inside the financial services industry, I know Merrill Lynch was very big on teaming, I understand Morgan Stanley is as well because teaming gives them a breadth of responsibility where the responsibilities are shared. So, mergers and acquisitions or selling my business, I think, if you’re not thinking about that … And I’m not thinking about selling my business because that’s a distraction to me. If I needed the money, then I would’ve went to a wirehouse and that’s okay, you monetize your life’s work. Today, I’m all about what’s right for the client, what’s right for my team and what’s right for where I want to be in the next 10 to 20 years. So, I am growing, I do want to grow, I’m looking at opening offices in probably three locations in the next 24 months or so. Jason Diamond: Well, that’s what I was going to say, plenty of advisors I think would say the same, I have a lot of runway. But what about the other side of this equation which is you’ve had tremendous organic growth, you’ve tripled your client base, you’ve more than tripled the asset base, have you thought about acquisition as a mean to jet fuel the inorganic growth side of things? Michael Smith: I have but not in the typical sense that you’re looking at as buying a book of business. I want to partner with like-minded advisors that share that common thread of taking care of clients where you can serve as their trusted counsel and sit in the meetings with their attorneys and sit in the meetings with the accountants and give them sage counsel that you can only do because you’ve been with the family for 20 years. You know this family and that, not always, but I think that’s missed a lot in other firms. Jason Diamond: Yeah, I think that’s fair. I just thought of something else that you brought up. You brought Dynasty so I’m going to ask … I’m going to pull on this thread. That implies to me that you’re at least loosely aware of the supportive independence models that are out there yet you chose a very independent, autonomous path, why? Michael Smith: Because I didn’t know what I was doing. Jason Diamond: Fair. Michael Smith: Let’s be honest, I like Dynasty, I talked with Dynasty when I left. I talked to them all, I talked to Rockefeller, I talked to Morgan, I talked to Dynasty and then, when push came to shove, I wanted to be Mike Smith and launch my own firm and learn. And I will tell you, you learn drinking through a fire hose and we did that, we learned, I know the mistakes. What I didn’t want to do is just go to someplace where this is the stuff you’re going to have to use. So, I think Dynasty is a great launching platform, I think there’s other ones out there that are similar to Dynasty or the Rockefellers or the Morgans, it’s truly what you’re trying to achieve in life. What do you want for you and your clients and I always put my clients before me because I’ve always had this lifelong thing of, you do the right thing, you’re going to get taken care of. Jason Diamond: Yeah. And that’s a very common analysis, by the way, and it’s very common too for big advisors like yourself to say I did my homework across all of those different categories. I looked at the traditional wirehouses and regional firms and boutique firms, I looked at the independent broker dealers, I looked at the support platforms and the aggregators and the roll-ups and here’s ultimately what I landed on and why. Did you always know that though or was that something that it took you a diligence process to figure out? There was plenty of advisors, by the way, who come to us and they’re like, “I knew for the last five years that I was sitting there I was launching an RIA someday.” Michael Smith: Yeah. I did not know that and, to be honest with you, hindsight, I think one of those partners probably could have made me a little bit better at first because then I could have focused on clients versus focusing on, hey, how to open a business, who’s your technology … We talked about custodians and some other things but we didn’t talk about technology, how do you go find that technology. Where’s your email address come from? Who’s your chief compliance officer? When it resides on you, you got to look in the mirror. So, I think those parties out there that provide that for brand-new advisors launching could be very beneficial. I had in my mind what I needed to do and I knew I’m very frugal so mine boiled down to how much money I wanted to spend, to be honest with you. Jason Diamond: I think it is a cost benefit analysis, it is. It’s absolutely … Because if you list the functions of a support platform on paper and you showed it to somebody who didn’t know the industry, they would say, “Why on earth wouldn’t you do this? They’re taking off your plate compliance and tech and custody and the like,” and the answer is because there’s a cost associated with it and plenty of advisors decide what you decide, I wanted … Or I just wanted a greater degree of autonomy and freedom, to your point, the name on the door piece, I wanted this to be mine. Michael Smith: And, Jason, I think it also goes to the uncertainty. I had never done anything since Navy, financial advising and then launching. So, for me, I was launching with four employees I had to take care of and here I was going to hire a third party that I was going to have to spend X amount on and I didn’t even know what my income was going to be. That’s different if you’re a multi-billion dollar FA coming out of a wirehouse, the monetary dynamics are different. Jason Diamond: Agreed. Okay, here’s a good one for you. We get this concept from advisors, from firms, from private equity that a billion dollars in assets is like this magic number in our industry. Do you feel like anything’s changed now that you’re at a billion and what’s the next chapter for Emerald Advisors? Is it just continuing on this steady trajectory and serving clients and trust that everything else comes with that? Michael Smith: I go back and forth on a billion, everyone thinks that’s the right number, the biggest number that you need but I think it’s just an arbitrary numbers because it didn’t define who I was. And a lot of people define success at a billion, they define success that you’re a successful firm at a billion. I think I was a successful firm at 300 million, I was a successful financial advisor with 20 clients in 2005. I would say a billion is a multiplier, what I would tell new advisors out there today is gather assets. The more assets you have, the more revenue you generate. The more revenue you generate, the more money you can put in your pocket which means the longer you can stay in the industry. The problem with the industry is an attrition problem, not anything else. So, assets just give us the ability to have revenue which gives us the ability to grow. Jason Diamond: And is that the plan? Keep adding assets, keep growing one client at a time with the focus though, obviously, on what makes you which is a very client-centric service model. Michael Smith: Correct. There’s a lot of things I want to do in the next couple of years and expanding our footprint is our biggest one with the right partners and then just keep adding. I have a business development officer that I’m probably offer a job to here pretty soon and things are going well. Jason Diamond: Yeah, that’s great. You mentioned the tech stack and the other components of the business and I hear you on the frugal cost-benefit analysis. But who did you turn to for some of those early decisions, was it Schwab primarily who helped hold your hand through that? Michael Smith: Schwab was very good at helping me identify the tech stack at first and the tech stack is actually the one consistent, there’s a lot of things I’ve been consistent on but tech is one that I’ve stayed with them. I launched with RightSize, now they’re Advisory, they’re very good, they do the right job for us and I’m big on cybersecurity. So, tech was helpful from Schwab, Schwab helped us with that. Jason Diamond: So, we spoke a little bit about your naval experience but, I’m curious, can you tell us how has your naval experience shaped your perception or your experience in wealth management? Michael Smith: My Navy path was a lot different than many officers. I served 12 years as an enlisted person before I got my direct commission as a Mustang officer, typically called limited duty officers or loud, dumb and obnoxious as I like to say. But that experience gave me a unique perspective because I was able to be the enlisted side and officer which are the workers and then the management side so I had both experiences which was unique. When I was commissioned, Admiral Jerry Ellis, a submarine admiral that commissioned me, heard this lesson to the podium, he was just talking about me in this point but he said, “There are three kinds of people in every organization. You have rowboat people who need to be pushed, you have sailboat people who move whenever the conditions are favorable and then there’s steamboat people, they move continuously through calm or storm.” And he said, “This is Ensign Michael Smith,” he said, “Make your course.” And that’s always stood with me because you do have those three types of people in life. You got people that are just … They’re robo people, they go until they get tired. You got sailboat people that go wherever the wind blows them and then you got steamboat people that chart their own course. I would say for advisors out there make your course or just be happy with what you’re doing. But for some of us hard chargers, I think that analogy has stayed with me my entire career. Jason Diamond: It’s fantastic. I love the analogy, great naval tie in also. Thanks for sharing that. We got time for one more question. You have a fascinating background, a fascinating path to the industry, obviously, an incredibly disciplined approach around client service, any parting thoughts, words of wisdom especially as it relates to growth? That’s what strikes me most about your story is the growth that your move unlocked and that’s what every advisor who listens to our show is looking for. Michael Smith: I’m going to give another plug to Schwab on this. We actually were fortunate and I got their consulting group to come in right afterwards and I’m a big believer in having offsite. So, I’ve had an offsite, two offsites a year for my team and it’s the entire team unlike the wirehouses where you don’t take your admins and stuff like that. I take my entire team to an offsite and we group up on what we’re trying to achieve and have goals and objectives for the year. Schwab allowed us to use their consultants and we came up with our ideal client persona. Teams or firms that have this model become high performing. When you become high performing, growth becomes the outcome. I couldn’t do anything but grow. Jason, I couldn’t not grow because I had this ideal client persona, I knew how I was going to do it, it was measurable. So, growth becomes the outcome and, if you hold people responsible, then we’re all going to grow together and it’s a fun outcome. Jason Diamond: Fantastic, it’s a great place to end. Thank you so much for sharing your expertise with us, I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds for Emerald, this has been a lot of fun. Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much. I appreciate everything you do for the industry as well. Mindy Diamond: As a financial advisor, you hold yourself to the highest standards of integrity, honesty and credibility. You are successful because you take your professional responsibility seriously and are dedicated to your clients. But are you living your best business life? Are your goals aligned with your firms or could a better option exist? Should I Stay or Should I Go? Is a book written with you in mind? It’s a self-guided journey that walks you through the key steps that we take with our advisor clients. This strategic thought process and roadmap to professional self-discovery is designed to help you ask the right questions and think critically and objectively whether you’re considering change or not. Learn how to get your copy at diamond-consultants.com/thebook. From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story A conversation with Jason Diamond and Michael Smith, Managing Partner and Founder of Emerald Advisors.      Jason Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is From “Overservicing” Clients to Building a $1B RIA: A Merrill Breakaway Story. It’s a conversation with Michael Smith, managing partner and founder of Emerald Advisors. I’m Jason Diamond and this is the Diamond Podcast for financial advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned and, each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education driven and based on building relationships starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at (908) 879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions and more inspired us to create our annual advisor transition report. It’s the award-winning, data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Jason Diamond: Growth is often viewed as the result of better marketing, stronger referrals, a larger team and even acquisition and that’s all true yet growth can be the byproduct of something else entirely. For example, Michael Smith built a successful practice at Merrill then, one day, he was told he was spending too much time with his clients, or his management put it over-servicing clients. For Michael, that wasn’t a warning sign about his approach, it was a signal that he might have outgrown the firm and the model. Today, Michael is the founder and managing partner of Emerald Advisors, the independent RIA he launched in late 2019 with roughly 385 million in assets and 85 client relationships. Less than seven years later, the firm has grown to more than a billion in assets while remaining deeply focused on a highly-specialized client base and an unusually hands-on service model. What makes this story particularly interesting isn’t just the growth, it’s the thinking behind it. Michael’s perspective was shaped long before he entered wealth management. After serving more than two decades in the Navy, he brought a leadership philosophy centered on accountability, discipline and what he calls steamboat people, those who keep moving forward regardless of conditions, that mindset continues to influence how he builds his team, serves clients and evaluates opportunities. In this episode, we discuss the decision to leave Merrill, the realities of launching a fully independent RIA, why specialization can accelerate growth, the evolving role of custodians and technology and why he believes exceptional client service remains one of the industry’s most durable competitive advantages. Because Michael’s experience suggests that growth isn’t always the result of finding more opportunities, sometimes it’s the result of creating the freedom to execute the vision you already had so let’s jump in. Michael, thank you so much for joining us today. For starters, can you walk us through your background and what brought you to the world of wealth management? Michael Smith: Jason, thank you so much for the opportunity to be here today, I do listen to the podcast a lot especially before I left Mother Merrill. But my background and how I got into financial services is really distinct because I was on the board of JDRF back in the day and the national sponsor for JDRF was UBS PaineWebber and they’re like, “Mike, why don’t you be a financial advisor?” And my master’s degree was actually a finance and accounting in portfolio management because I’ve managed my own portfolio for years and years and so, when I couldn’t get a job, I just fell into it because I couldn’t get a job and I needed a job. That was 21 years ago, Memorial Day so that’s how I got into this industry. Jason Diamond: It’s a unique background, it’s super interesting and I want to talk more about it. You mentioned Mother Merrill, we’ll certainly get there. Before we do, give us a little bit of context on the current business you operate, Emerald Advisors, any context you can share on size, number of staff, types of clients you serve would be great. Michael Smith: Sure. So, we launched Emerald in 2019, November 2019 with about 85 clients and you always talk about this on the podcast how scared it is to launch and go independent. And I would say we took over about 95% of our clients that we wanted to bring over and today we’re at about 230 clients, I think we have some onboarding right now, we have just over a billion of assets. So, we launched with the 85 clients and around 350, 385 million, now we’re over a billion. Jason Diamond: Good for you. Michael Smith: Thank you. And I launched with four employees and we’re now at 11. And I would give a shout-out to one of my key employees because, when I launched, I actually hired somebody that had no experience with us and that was really a good thing because that allowed that person to really focus on operations and back office stuff while my business partner Emily and I were able to focus on bringing on the clients and alleviating any issues that they may have or thought. Jason Diamond: So, meaning you hired somebody basically immediately upon launch to help you with the transition and with this next chapter? Michael Smith: Correct. I hired them before but they started the day we launched. Jason Diamond: Brilliant, I love it. Oh, let’s definitely talk more about that because I think that’s a great strategy for … You’re right, you said it in a joking manner now because you’re seven years past but it’s a very real fear that advisors have and I think it’s worth talking more about. I want to mention too you have, obviously, built this business and grown this business dramatically. I don’t want to make this episode about the pandemic but you moved the business at a, certainly, a unique time. Did it impact your growth at all? Did you feel like you hit a brick wall? Just curious about your thoughts. Michael Smith: No, Jason, that’s a great observation. I would venture to say that the pandemic was actually a good thing for us. Jason Diamond: Interesting. Michael Smith: And I say that because, all of a sudden, you could hit pause because everyone was relearning how to do business, how do we do client reviews, how do we communicate with clients in a environment. So, I think the pandemic allowed us to just really reset our expectations visiting with clients because I used to fly a lot because I have clients in 38 different states so this has actually been, not just good for me, but good for the industry because I think it’s reset our expectations that we don’t have to be every day with a client facing. Jason Diamond: I agree with that largely and it’s true of our business too, by the way, it’s certainly reshaped the way people expect to be communicated with. I think Zoom has become much more mainstream, phone calls and we’ve heard from many other advisors who say something similar. I was just curious because you moved so close to or if there was an impact but I get, honestly, I think you’re right, it allowed you to have this nice natural inflection point and almost like flipping a switch of a clean slate. Michael Smith: It allowed us to learn the processes too. So, we launched in November 1st, by March we were in lockdown and so it gave us the opportunity to take several months of just learning the processes of how to be an RIA, it was pretty good. Jason Diamond: Absolutely. So, one of the things you mentioned in that was the way in which you serve clients and I’d read something funny and I think it was around the time of your move. You were talking about that, Merrill, you had a manager who spoke about that you would overserve your clients, you serve clients too much, tell me about that. Michael Smith: That was such an interesting topic because I got called down to the ops officer’s office and they’re like, “Ugh, Mike.” And it brought my admin down with me and they’re like, “Mike, these reports that you’re taking care of your clients too much,” and I’m like, “What do you mean?” “Well, you’re overservicing them.” Jason, I literally had to go back and Google the word overservicing because I was like, “How do you overservice the client? I’m not making their bed.” It was just so funny to me that I got counsel for overservicing clients when we’re in a client-facing job and I think that was part of the catalyst. Jason Diamond: Tell me more about what they meant, you think. Michael Smith: Hindsight, I think they … I like to take care of people which means I’m very intuitive towards taxes, I understand how the tax code works, I understand how everything impacts their bottom line. So, when we’re doing deferred comp enrollments or 401(k) enrollments or I’m a big believer in Roth 401(k)s and backdoor Roths and I’ve been doing them for years, I think what Mother Merrill wanted at that time was us not to do that. And, again, nothing against Merrill, I get it but this is how they wanted us to act and I wasn’t in that mold, I was taking care of clients to a much deeper depth is how I would say it. Jason Diamond: And I think that speaks to you outgrew the model not necessarily the firm. I think Merrill does a lot of things really well, you would agree with that, I think given that you built 85 clients and 350 million in assets is nothing to sneeze at. But the model that it seems like you value client service and an integrated client service experience of that and the wirehouse model oftentimes doesn’t put a premium on that. Tell me about your ethos or your thoughts around client service today and what being independent enables you to do. Michael Smith: So, that’s an interesting observation because one of my clients actually just mentioned to me that the reason we’re growing so much is because of our service model and the fact that we deliver a tremendous amount of value over just portfolio management. I said my managers is in portfolio management, I don’t do that any longer, I have a staff that handles that for me but it’s really the servicing of the clients because they don’t know what we know and I think servicing the client is the most important thing that we can do today. Jason Diamond: Give me some examples of what you mean by servicing the client in a more holistic way. I agree with you, by the way, portfolio management, table stakes, financial planning, table stakes, tell me more about what you mean. Michael Smith: By that I mean we do a quarterly review on tax. So, a lot of people don’t understand how taxes work and how estimated taxes work. So, estimated taxes are January 1st to March 31st, January 1st to May 31st, January 1st to August 31st, that’s how you do your estimated tax payments, you figure out what that is. And for compensated employees where they have RSUs that come in at different times of the year or different grants or exercise their options at a different time, that can affect their estimated tax liability and I’m not big on giving Uncle Sam any more money than they have to have until they need it. And then everyone doesn’t understand how the penalties and interest works on the IRS. And I’m big on the tax payments because that’s where we can add a lot of value for not a lot of time and we integrate it with our portfolio so we know what we’re doing with our gains. And I happen to reside in Washington State which has a long-term capital gains tax rate once you surpass about 270,000 of long-term capital gains. So, it’s super important for us to be aware of this and that’s how we service them. We also help them with their rebalancing of their 401(k)s, things that wirehouses cannot supposed to do, we are not supposed to be helping them with some of their aspects of life. Jason Diamond: Yup. That’s what I was alluding to earlier, it’s limitations on the model, not because they’re bad models, it’s just a different way, a different ethos around client service. You mentioned RSUs and corporate employees, I know that’s a niche you have is around concentrated stock positions and equity comp plans. I guess let me ask you two different questions around this. First of all, why that niche? Interested. And then, second of all, do you think

Something unusual happened across America's sports arenas this week — and almost nobody's covering it. UFC fighters quoted Scripture to Joe Rogan mid-octagon. A New York Knick dropped to his knees in worship before winning the franchise's first championship in 50 years. And a baseball player wrote Genesis 9:12-16 on his Pride Night hat — quietly reclaiming the rainbow's original biblical meaning in front of millions. Is this a coincidence? Or is something bigger shifting in the culture? Lance Wallnau breaks down the moments Christian athletes are making headlines — from the octagon to the court to the diamond — and why the mainstream media isn't sure what to do with any of it. Plus: Trump's 80th birthday at the White House, the NYC chaos after the Knicks title, Elon Musk becoming the world's first trillionaire, and Lance's inside breakdown of why the Iran deal might actually hold. In this episode: * UFC fighters quote John 3:16 and John 10:10 live to Joe Rogan after their fights * Josh Hart leads the Knicks to their first NBA title in 50 years — and gives glory to God * NYC celebrates the championship by burning buses and racking up 63 arrests * A baseball player writes Genesis 9:12-16 on his Pride hat — and calmly explains why * Trump's 80th birthday: 5,000 people, live fights, and a South Lawn lawsuit from the left * Elon Musk hits $1 trillion — and what it means for America vs. China * The Iran deal explained: how Trump controls their cash flow through Islamic banking networks If you've been waiting for Christians to show up in the arena — they already are. Podcast Episode 2153: Christian Athletes Just Shook Up The Entire Sports World - Here's What Happened! | don't miss this! Listen to more episodes of the Lance Wallnau Show at lancewallnau.com/podcast

HR2 - QB play will decide how competitive or non-competitive NFC South will be In hour two Ali Mac, Mike Johnson, and Beau Morgan quickly touch on some of the biggest headlines around the local and national sports scene, react to NFL writer Nick Shook ranking the NFC South division last when it comes to quarterback play, explain why they think the Falcons are a big reason why Shook ranked the NFC South as the worst division when it comes to quarterback play, hit the halftime portion of the show where they talk about some of the crazy and funny stories that happened over the weekend that you may've missed, including FIFA World Cup tourists finding out how serious Americans take American Football in the U.S., continue to recap and react to the Atlanta Braves losing their third series of the season and losing back-to-back series for the first time this season after losing their rubber match with New York Mets 8-1 yesterday, continue to react to the news that the Braves placed starting pitcher Spencer Strider on the 15-day injured list on Saturday after imaging revealed inflammation in his right elbow, explain why they think the Braves' recent pitching struggles are only amplifying Spencer Strider's injury, and then close out hour two by reacting to the latest news, rumors, and reports in the NFL as they go In The Huddle.

Child's lemonade stand armed at gunpoint in South Boston. Enemy lesbian nuns quit the convent and marry each other. Study of 10 million couples show no link between zodiac signs and marriage.Weird AF News is the only daily weird news podcast in the world. Weird news 5 days/week and on Friday it's only Floridaman. SUPPORT by joining the Weird AF News Patreon http://patreon.com/weirdafnews - OR buy Jonesy a coffee at http://buymeacoffee.com/funnyjones Buy MERCH: https://weirdafnews.merchmake.com/ - Check out the official website https://WeirdAFnews.com and FOLLOW host Jonesy at http://instagram.com/funnyjones - wants Jonesy to come perform standup comedy in your city? Fill out the form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvYbm8Wgz3Oc2KSDg0-C6EtSlx369bvi7xdUpx_7UNGA_fIw/viewform

Come Bible Study WITH ME through Numbers 16 and ask all the questions!

Ali Mac, Mike Johnson, and Beau Morgan react to NFL writer Nick Shook ranking the NFC South division last when it comes to quarterback play, and explain why they think the Falcons are a big reason why Shook ranked the NFC South as the worst division when it comes to quarterback play.

D is for Delon, Alain Delon. Author Edward Chisholm is back on the podcast, this time talking about his new book Murder in Paris '68. We recorded this one on location - sitting on the quai by the Seine, directly beneath the Quai des Orfèvres, the famous Paris police headquarters that has watched over the city's darkest crimes for centuries. Fitting, then, that we were there to talk about one of France's most explosive unsolved murders. In 1968, a body was discovered on the outskirts of Paris and identified as Stevan Marković, the former bodyguard and close associate of the enigmatic film star Alain Delon. What began as a simple murder case quickly spiralled into a full-blown political scandal, drawing in actresses, gangsters, and high-level politicians.  British author Edward Chisholm, the author of the bestselling memoir A Waiter in Paris, has written the definitive account of the affair. His new book takes us into the heart of an era and into the inner world of Alain Delon himself, a world of gangsters, violence, and underworld Parisian conspiracies, where everyone possessed their own cold elegance and charisma.  We talked about the book, the Marković Affair, and of course... Alain Delon. The music is from Pres Maxson.  This episode brought to you by The Earful Tower Tours. Come join us in the Marais, Montmartre, or the Latin Quarter. Our Walking Tours are exceptionally highly rated online and are the best way to experience this podcast in real life. The Earful Tower exists thanks to support from its members. For just $10 a month you can unlock almost endless extras including bonus podcast episodes, live video replays, special event invites, and our annually updated PDF guide to Paris.  Membership takes only a minute to set up on Patreon, or Substack. Thank you for keeping this channel independent.  For more from the Earful Tower, here are some handy links: Website  Weekly newsletter  Walking Tours

Bomani Jones reacts to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs flipping the NBA Finals with a physical Game 3 win over the Knicks, including why New York looked rattled, why Jalen Brunson got baited into ISO ball, and why Wemby set the tone in a hostile environment. Later, Bomani breaks down Brendan Sorsby's NCAA gambling case, the temporary injunction that let him play this season, and why the bigger story is about zero-tolerance policies, addiction, and the NCAA's athlete-first standard. Plus, Bomani gets to a few voicemails and stories on Ray Allen, Scott Skiles, and White Keisha. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of animal cruelty, violence toward horses, and ongoing legal proceedings. Listener discretion is advised.In this episode, we cover:A timeline of the Las Vegas horse stabbing case.What happened at the NBHA Vegas Super Show.The horses, owners, and competitors involved.The latest court hearing and legal developments.The equestrian community's response.Our thoughts on a tragedy that has deeply impacted the horse world.Please note that this case is ongoing, and information discussed reflects publicly available reporting available at the time of recording.Our hearts remain with the horses, owners, families, and everyone affected by this devastating event.If you have information related to this case, please contact the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at (702) 828-3111 and reference the ongoing horse stabbing investigation. If you believe you have urgent information related to public safety, contact 911.

Gregg Rosenthal and Nick Shook get you caught up on everything you need to know from around the NFL including, Brendan Sorsby not heading to the NFL, Baker Mayfield's future with the Buccaneers, contract extensions for Christian Watson and Darnell Washington, some clarity in the QB 1 battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray for the Vikings, and a discussion about Russell Wilson's chances at the Hall of Fame. Plus, Shook takes you behind the scenes of the Madden launch event and the guys give a congratulations to Steve Wyche for his induction into the Black College Football Hall of Fame. NFL Daily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nflpodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1974 - brought to you by our incredible sponsors: Wight Loss with Hims - Ready to reach your goals? Visit https://www.hims.com/HARDFACTOR to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. 00:00:00 Timestamps 00:01:00 New Team USA World Cup fan chant appears to be absolutely abysmal 00:08:04 Dan Sullivan's Square-off for Alaska Senate Seat + Graham Planter recap + Missiles 00:25:06 More Scamz: Pilot Mountain, NC Town Manager treats himself on public dime, and Monet AI that Shook the Art World 00:32:15 Celebrity Dog in China got Stolen, Sold, and Eaten + TN Truck explodes with Fireworks on highway For more head over to patreon.com/hardfactor for weekly bonus episodes and most importantly HAGFD! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On January 3, 2006, 56-year-old Yoshie Sato left her home in Yokosuka, Japan, and headed to work just as she had countless times before. However, she never arrived.  What began as a violent robbery quickly became one of the most high-profile crimes involving a U.S. servicemember stationed overseas. The man responsible was William Oliver Reese, a 21-year-old sailor assigned to the USS Kitty Hawk. In this episode, Margot examines the life of Yoshie Sato, the investigation that led authorities to her killer, the courtroom battle that followed, and the lasting impact one senseless act of violence had on a grieving family and two allied nations. ⸻

Iceland is about 2,500 miles away from North Dakota. That seems very far away indeed. It is difficult to imagine that an event in far-off Iceland could have a direct effect on North Dakota, but in 1783, that is exactly what happened.

The controversial American poet Allen Ginsberg arrives in New Brunswick for the only Canadian date on his legendary sold out 1967 tour reading his historic epic poem: Howl. The reaction to his Easter reading of that poem in a Saint John church was, shall we say ... mixed!   backyardhistory.ca

The divine Amber Lawrence joins Jonesy & Amanda for an extraordinary live performance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us Fan MailJust when you thought you knew everything about Gettysburg-Author John Hopkins speaks on the 1913 Gettysburg reunion! Get the book here: https: //www.savasbeatie.com/the-world-will-never-see-the-like-the-gettysburg-reunion-of-1913/Music is graciously provided by Craig Duncan.Our website: https://www.untoldcivilwar.com/Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMMWxSupport the show:One time donation of any amount here: https://www.paypal.me/supportuntoldCWMonthly payment through Patreon and unlock unique perks!https://www.patreon.com/user?u=51151470&fan_landing=truThis show is made possible by the support of our sponsors:The Badge MakerProudly carrying affordable, USA made products for reenactors, living history interpreters, and lovers of history.Civil War TrailsThe world's largest 'Open Air Museum' offering over 1,350 sites across six states. Paddle to Frederick Douglass's birthplace, follow the Gettysburg Campaign turn-by-turn in your car, or hike to mountain tops where long forgotten earthworks and artillery positions await you.Military Images MagazineAmerica's only magazine dedicated solely to the study of portrait photographs of Civil War soldiers.The Excelsior BrigadeDealers in FINE CIVIL WAR MEMORABILIA.The goal of the "Brigade" is to offer high quality, original items while ensuring the best in service and customer satisfaction.HistoryFixCome enjoy history! Explore stories from the Middle Ages to the early 21st century. Enjoy historical video content always ad free and get a 7-day free trial as you explore our site.1863 DesignsAre you looking for Civil War themed graphic design, logo design, historical art and or hand drawn art? Look no further than 1863 Designs. Use the code, “UNTOLD” for 15% off your purchase! Iron Horse Military AntiquesIron Horse Military Antiques is an Illinois-based buyer and seller of nineteenth-century documents, letters, images, and militaria, specializing in the American Civil War.Support the show

Bucky Brooks is joined by NFL.com colleague and offensive line subject matter expert Nick Shook on this edition of Move the Sticks. The MTS duo covers the evolution of offensive line play at the highest level, rising rookies and star linemen on new teams in 2026. Then, Shook delivers his top five offensive line units heading into the 2026 NFL season, which includes the Steelers, Broncos, Rams, Bills and Eagles — in no particular order.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1755, a massive earthquake, firestorm, and tsunami devastated Lisbon and sent shockwaves through European thought. The catastrophe shattered old religious certainties, ignited debates led by Voltaire and Kant, and reshaped the fate of Iberian Jews and “New Christians” long-bound by the Inquisition. In this episode, we trace how one morning of destruction helped usher in modern ideas of reason, justice, and identity—and how Lisbon's rebuilding reframed the Jewish story within Europe's emerging Enlightenment. Links for Additional Reading The Earthquake That Changed History – BBC REELhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVLGo_SgRfs The Jesuit and the Jew -The Lisbon Earthquake in Modern PerspectiveRevista by Kenneth Maxwell, 30 December 2007https://revista.drclas.harvard.edu/the-jesuit-and-the-jew/ Pombal and the Inquisition in PortugalHistory Today by Richard Cavendish, 5 May 2001https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/pombal-and-inquisition-portugalFollow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn!Find more at j2adventures.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The future just got real. History was made as Fashion God sits down with grok for the world's first-ever live Ai & human interview. From building the first large label AI-directed fashion brand to dropping the YGL x Grok collection on June 5th- this is where code meets culture.

Seth and Sean discuss Patrick Beverley questioning himself on the heels of James Harden and the Cavs getting swept from the Finals, lay out some things Generation X thought was exclusively for rich folks but turned out to be wrong, lay out what they're excited to see at Texans OTAs, and see what the question of the day is.

Seth and Sean listen back to Patrick Beverley laying out why he ranked James Harden above Dwyane Wade in power ranking shooting guards, and then questioning his ability to evaluate on the heels of Harden and the Cavs being swept.

SHOOK - H33RA - (STR8NGEREMIX) by STR8NGE

This week on Hafta, Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande and Anand Vardhan are joined by Suhasini Haidar, Diplomatic Affairs Editor at The Hindu.In this week's episode, the discussion moves from PM Modi's Europe tour, particularly his visit to Norway, to press freedom. Suhasini Haidar, who was present at the venue in Oslo, describes how shocked Norwegian journalists were to learn that the Indian Prime Minister would not be taking questions at all. She says, “We have so normalised in the Indian media this idea that the prime minister doesn't take unscripted questions, that we didn't even clock how big a deal it was for Europeans.”Haidar criticises the way the focus shifts to attacking the reporter's background, ideology, and even personal life, rather than engaging with the issue she raised.“The focus became about that journalist — who she is, what her background is, where she goes on vacation. It's not about the question anymore. It is about the fact that the prime minister does not take unscripted questions.”Abhinandan Sekhri points out how deeply normalised this culture has become in India. “It is so alien to journalists outside India. They are shocked at the kind of barrage and abuse that follows a simple question,” he remarks while discussing the online trolling and threats directed at the Norwegian journalist after the incident.Manisha Pande argues that the government's response to the controversy reveals how deeply political communication in India is driven by headline management rather than accountability. She adds, “The focus is so much on controlling the headlines, which you've managed to do in India so well that that is all your focus, and you've been unable to do it with the world media, so you don't get it. Like, why are these guys asking us questions? But I think this basic understanding that the world is not going to bend in the way that the Indian media has to you, large parts of it, many are free, but a large part of the loud primetime segment has completely given in to you.”All this and more.Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters.Produced by Amit Pandey with production assistance from Ashish . Sound by Anil Kumar. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hadley Warner, founder of Cake & Steak Beauty, joins Kid to share her wild fertility story and connecting with a scientist who claims there are strange blinking lights now living in our blood. From searching for an unvaccinated sperm donor to traveling overseas for fertility treatments, questioning medical systems, and building a skincare brand rooted in old-world ingredients, this conversation is about bodily sovereignty, curiosity, and what happens when you refuse to stop asking questions.Connect with Hadleyhttps://www.instagram.com/cakeandsteakbeauty/Shop “Cake & Steak” a pure premium skincare line. https://www.cakeandsteakbeauty.com/More about Nano technology in the blood:https://www.bitchute.com/video/Lt174uvSgw27/https://substack.com/@anamihalceamdphdBe featured on The Kid Carson ShowStep into a premium interview experience and create content for your business with Kid Carson.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kidcarson.com/promo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SPONSORSMindfulMeds The mental health booster. The most premium mushrooms you can buy. Discover 2025's number one seller, Social Spark. The perfect mental glow up for social situations, co-developed by Kid Carson.Also check out Brainbow, a blend being used instead of antidepressants.Use promo code KIDCARSON to save 15% off anything in the shop.Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mindfulmeds.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mindfulmeds_ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Turn your RRSP into Gold and SilverHow Kid buys, holds, and liquidates physical gold and silver instantly.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kidcarson.com/GOLD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bureau Soundproof Office Pods The soundproof booth Kid Carson uses for his studio. Perfect for offices and at-home workspaces.Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠withbureau.com/ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Authority by Dawne Russell In a world full of noise and profit-driven advice, The Authority is a curated ecosystem built on discernment, integrity, and lived experience. Every practitioner and offering is personally vetted and endorsed based on results, ethics, and intention. It is where modern medicine, holistic care, and ancient wisdom can coexist responsibly. No second guessing. No misinformation. If it's here, it's here for a reason.Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠theauthority.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Nicole Gilmore Realtor Looking for an amazing real estate agent. Meet Nicole Gilmore.Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠gilmorerealestate.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@nicolegilmorerealestate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lee's Oil Is the cure for cancer here? Listen to Episode 171 to find out more about Lee's Oil.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kidcarson.com/leesoil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Conscious Lab A community space for entrepreneurs in downtown Vancouver.Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@consciouslab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect with Kid CarsonInstagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@kidcarsonofficial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Kid Carson Show is recorded at Conscious Lab in downtown Vancouver, Canada.Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@consciouslab⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Kid Carson Show is a Canadian podcast based in Vancouver featuring long form interviews on personal development, psychology, spirituality, entrepreneurship, health trends, biohacking, relationships, culture, and current events. New episodes weekly with bold conversations and leading experts.

The 2025/26 season is over on Tayside and what a rollercoaster it has been on both sides of the street.  Alan Temple is on hand to take us through Dundee United's up and down campaign while George Cran does the same for Dundee's down then up season.  Plus there's a bit of newsy stuff to get out of the way including Johnny Russell and Krisztian Keresztes departing Tannadice and Luke Graham's Scotland call.  In the studio alongside host Sean Hamilton are the Courier's Dundee FC writer George Cran and Dundee United writer Alan Temple.  You can also see us on YouTube at youtube.com/@TheCourierUK/videos 

GET IN TOUCH: bravobreakingnews@gmail.com SHOP BRAVO GIFTS: bravobreakingnews.etsy.com Kim (@bravobreakingnews) and Lisa (@lisanotrinna) are trading Beverly Hills for the Hamptons to recap this week's episode of Summer House! We discuss Amanda Batula's wig doppelganger and Danielle Olivera's baby announcement before diving into Carl and Kyle's explosive fight. We laugh our way through the soft insults before analyzing Amanda and Kyle's deep-rooted relationship issues, whether Kyle was right about her and why West Wilson truly can't be friends with women. Then... the KISS that left us absolutely SHOOK. Did West lead Ciara on? Watch to find out, and subscribe now so you don't miss any Bravo Breaking News! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We are BACK in New York City with the unapologetic, hilarious, and totally unfiltered Big Brother bombshell GinaMarie Zimmerman—and from the second she walks in, it's chaos, laughter, and jaw-dropping confessions. We kick things off with our signature banter—SnowWhite90210, couture life, and a wild baptism story that somehow leaves Pol' with the accidental name “Rafi.” Yes… wrong house, wrong priest, wrong name—and we're already spiraling. Enter GinaMarie: blonde, bold, and zero filter. From Staten Island roots to modeling school dreams (yes, Barbizon!), she takes us through her journey into reality TV—and reveals the REAL secret to getting cast: stop trying and just be unapologetically YOU. RUNWAY RUNDOWN: We detour into couture, pageants, and iconic fashion moments while GinaMarie gushes over Pol's designs and red carpet looks. Then things heat up… She spills on being an extra on The Sopranos alongside a young Michael B. Jordan (yes, before the Oscar glow-up), working with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd—and confirms Paul Rudd is EVEN HOTTER in person. Meanwhile, we break down which celebrities actually have that off-camera “electric chemistry” (Kevin Costner = shocking obsession). HAUTE TOPICS: From reality TV psych tests (“if you pass, you don't get cast”) to behind-the-scenes Big Brother secrets—rats in a maze, cameras moving, paranoia, hookups, and jury betrayal—GinaMarie tells it ALL. Including her biggest regret: not managing the jury… and maybe having a “big mouth.” Then… everything shifts. ARMENIAN COFFEE READING: Pol reads GinaMarie's cup and hits deep. Like… tears-on-the-mic deep. He calls out her lack of emotional “anchoring,” the grief of losing her boyfriend, and the pressure of being misunderstood from her past. She opens up about being judged, wanting redemption, and feeling like she hasn't fully stepped into her purpose—yet. And then—BOOM—a prediction:

In June 2002, fourteen-year-old Elizabeth Smart was taken from her bedroom at knifepoint and held captive for nine months, enduring abuse that would have broken most people beyond repair. Against extraordinary odds, she survived, and then she decided to step fully into the public eye; not in spite of what happened to her, but because of it. She has testified before Congress, helped author a Department of Justice handbook for kidnapping survivors, and founded the Elizabeth Smart Foundation to dismantle the shame culture that compounds survivors' trauma. In this powerful episode, Elizabeth walks us through the night that changed everything, how she held onto hope during nine months of captivity, what justice looked and felt like after nearly eight years of waiting, and why she believes that being seen is one of the most radical things a survivor can do. Chapters: 00:00.199 Content Warning 00:10.748 Welcome to She Pivots 01:32.239 Elizabeth Smart's Early Life 07:10.879 The Night Elizabeth was Abducted 12:08.120 Captivity and Torture 17:57.063 Elizabeth’s Will To Survive 20:16.221 A Sign of Hope 22:41.463 Why Elizabeth Didn't Run 26:17.125 The Rescue 28:45.230 The Return Home and Aftermath 35:32.764 Navigating the Justice System 41:01.070 Advocating for Change & Raising Her Children 45:22.942 The Elizabeth Smart Foundation 46:17.746 Low Point to Launch Point 49:26.239 Unasked Questions and Final Thoughts 50:58.725 Closing Remarks and Resources 51:39.187 Podcast Credits Learn more about Elizabeth’s work at elizabethsmartfoundation.org If anything in today's episode brought something up for you and you need help, please reach out to someone you trust or visit rainn.org Be sure to subscribe so you never miss a pivot story, leave us a rating (it really helps!), and share this episode with a woman in your life who you think needs a little inspiration. She Pivots is a podcast created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight influential women voices, share stories of bold career moves, and inspire women with interviews about career reinvention and how personal pivots can redefine professional success. Join our Substack community! Subscribe here for exclusive content and to connect with other pivoters: shepivots.substack.com Learn more about the inspiring women in our pivoter community by following us on instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast, and check out our website shepivotspod.com for resources and updates. She Pivots is proud to be an iheart podcast.Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My Conversation with Barry starts at about 30 minutes Subscribe and Watch Interviews LIVE : On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 750 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous soul Subscribe and Watch Interviews LIVE : On YOUTUBE.com/StandUpWithPete ON SubstackStandUpWithPete Stand Up is a daily podcast. I book,host,edit, post and promote new episodes with brilliant guests every day. This show is Ad free and fully supported by listeners like you! Please subscribe now for as little as 5$ and gain access to a community of over 750 awesome, curious, kind, funny, brilliant, generous soul How Not To Invest: The ideas, numbers, and behaviors that destroy wealth - and how to avoid them The GREAT Barry Ritholtz who has spent his career helping people spot their own investment errors and to learn how to better manage their own financial behaviors. He is the creator of The Big Picture, often ranked as the number one financial blog to follow by The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and others. Barry Ritholtz is the creator and host of Bloomberg's "Masters in Business" radio podcast, and a featured columnist at the Washington Post. He is the author of the Bailout Nation: How Greed and Easy Money Corrupted Wall Street and Shook the World Economy (Wiley, 2009). In addition to serving as Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Ritholtz Wealth Management, he is also on the advisory boards of Riskalyze, and Peer Street, two leading financial technology startups bringing transparency and analytics to the investment business. Barry has named one of the "15 Most Important Economic Journalists" in the United States, and has been called one of The 25 Most Dangerous People in Financial Media. When not working, he can be found with his wife and their two dogs on the north shore of Long Island. Listen rate and review on Apple Podcasts Listen rate and review on Spotify Pete On Instagram Pete on Blue Sky Pete on Threads Pete on Tik Tok Pete on Twitter Pete Personal FB page Stand Up with Pete FB page Gift a Subscription https://www.patreon.com/PeteDominick/gift Send Pete $ Directly on Venmo All things Jon Carroll Buy Ava's Art Subscribe to Piano Tuner Paul Paul Wesley on Substack Listen to Barry and Abigail Hummel Podcast Listen to Matty C Podcast and Substack Follow and Support Pete Coe Hire DJ Monzyk to build your website or help you with Marketing

CONNECT WITH JULIE MATTSON: • Website: https://pushinguplilies.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pushinguplilies

New Comic Book Day is here, and May 6, 2026 is STACKED.This week's NCBD pull list is loaded with heavy hitters from Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse Comics, Boom! Studios, and IDW Publishing, and I'm breaking down the biggest releases, the sleeper picks, and the books you absolutely don't want to miss.If you're hunting for the best new comics of May 6, 2026, looking to update your weekly pull list, or just trying to decide what's worth your hard-earned comic budget… this is the video for you.From superhero epics and ongoing story arcs to indie standouts and potential key issues, we're talking:• The top new Marvel releases• The must-read DC books• Indie comics you should be watching• Collector-worthy issues that might heat upThis is your weekly New Comic Book Day guide, built for readers, collectors, and die-hard comic fans.Drop your NCBD pull list in the comments and let's talk about what's hitting your stack this week.Make sure you subscribe for weekly comic book reviews, NCBD breakdowns, comic recommendations, and reading guides right here on Nerdin' Out with Chip Hazard.Turn on notifications so you never miss a New Comic Book Day episode.Let's get into it.00:00 - Intro03:13 - DC COmics04:45 - Image Comcis06:24 - All Other Comics08:14 - Top 5 with Chip Hazard09:18 - Outro

Happy Monday! We ask the rockaholics, inspired by our Hook or Shook caller last week.

Beat Migs! Also tune in for our latest show recommendations.

At long last, we've reached the end of Tides of History, and I can't thank you all enough for coming along on this long journey. We end with a series of vignettes set throughout the long ages we've covered, from the Paleolithic up to early modernity. If you want to stay in touch, be sure to follow my new podcast, Past Lives, and read my new book, Lost Worlds. Be well, friends!Patrick has a brand-new history show! It's called Past Lives, and every episode explores the life of a real person who lived in the past. Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/PWPLAPatrick's new book - Lost Worlds: The Rise and Fall of Human Societies from the Ice Age to the Bronze Age - is now available for preorder, and will be released on May 5th! Preorder in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWLostWorlds.And don't forget, you can still Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge.Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Tides of History ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are BACK LIVE in New York and let's just say… this episode got WILD fast. From the second Kai Stone walked in (in an outfit we STILL don't understand), we knew we were in for chaos—and he delivered. We kicked things off calling out his now-viral Temptation Island moment—yes, the “Toyota Tacoma, under the stars, babies” speech—and forced him to own his “professional douchebag” persona. And guess what? He leaned ALL the way in. But as we peeled back the layers, we discovered something deeper: a self-aware, brutally honest guy who admits he plays it up for the cameras—but refuses to fake who he is. HAUTE (HOT) TOPICS:We dove straight into reality TV truths—how shows are edited, why people chase screen time, and whether anyone actually goes on Temptation Island for love (spoiler: NO). Kai shocked us by revealing he LEFT the show early… not for drama, but because he fell in love before filming. Yes—he met his now-girlfriend Isabel on Hinge while BOTH were auditioning for the same show. RELATIONSHIPS & CONTROVERSY:Things got spicy when we debated modern dating—should men pay for everything? Kai said YES… aggressively. We pushed back, broke down gender roles, power dynamics, and what real partnership actually looks like. It turned into one of the most unfiltered, hilarious, and honest conversations we've had. RUNWAY RUNDOWN (UNOFFICIAL):Let's be clear—if this had been a fashion segment, Kai would've been ELIMINATED immediately. Hoodie + board shorts = criminal. But we gave him grace… barely. ARMENIAN COFFEE READING:Then things took a turn. Pol' read Kai's cup and uncovered a major life shift at 21—a moment that changed everything. Kai opened up about a wild, unexpected spiritual awakening that completely transformed how he sees life, ego, and relationships. Suddenly, the “douche” had depth—and we were SHOOK. The cup also revealed:– A calm, almost “zen” personality beneath the chaos– A future built on impact, not just money– AND… a ring. Yes, a proposal is coming whether he admits it or not GAMETIME ENERGY:Between flirting, roasting, and pushing boundaries (including Kai offering to go “gay for pay”

The Supreme Court has struck down Louisiana's redrawn congressional map in a decision that could have a massive impact on this year's midterm elections and the current nationwide redistricting fight. While a lower court previously mandated a second Black-majority district to satisfy Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, the High Court's 6-3 majority ruled that the state went too far in prioritizing race, labeling it an "unconstitutional" racial gerrymander. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill joins us to discuss why she believes the court has finally "harmonized" the law with the Constitution and how this ruling affects other states seeking to reshape their voting boundaries. Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted for a second time by the Trump administration. This time, he is accused of using seashells on a beach to communicate a threat toward the President. Criminal defense attorney Andrew Cherkasky joins to discuss the indictment related to the "86-47" post, the First Amendment questions the case raises, and the significant challenges prosecutors will face. Plus, he breaks down the case against Cole Allen—the man charged with the attempted assassination of President Trump last weekend—and why an insanity defense is unlikely to succeed.  PLUS, commentary by Karol Markowicz, columnist for the New York Post and FOX News. PHOTO CREDIT: ASSOCIATED PRESS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CONNECT WITH JULIE MATTSON: • Website: https://pushinguplilies.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pushinguplilies

Jack Johnson was the first world Black heavyweight champion, but winning the title was only part of the battle. Every time Johnson stepped into a boxing ring, he struck a blow to white supremacy. In this week's episode, the story of Jack Johnson and the legacy of Black athletes pushing for social change in America. To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Author Craig Fehrman's new book on Lewis and Clark, This Vast Enterprise, is one of the best things I've read in years. We discuss the richness of our understanding of the expedition and how that allows us to understand it, and the world of the early 19th century, from many different points of view. Buy the book: bit.ly/tvecfbPatrick has a brand-new history show! It's called Past Lives, and every episode explores the life of a real person who lived in the past. Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/PWPLAPatrick's new book - Lost Worlds: The Rise and Fall of Human Societies from the Ice Age to the Bronze Age - is now available for preorder, and will be released on May 5th! Preorder in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWLostWorlds.And don't forget, you can still Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge.Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Tides of History ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Patrick's new book Lost Worlds: How Humans Tried, Failed, Succeeded, and Built Our World comes out May 5th! Check out a free preview of the first chapter of the audiobook, "The World As It Was," and learn about the Clovis people and reindeer hunters in Europe at the end of the last Ice Age. Preorder in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWLostWorlds. Patrick has a brand-new history show! It's called Past Lives, and every episode explores the life of a real person who lived in the past. Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/PWPLA And don't forget, you can still Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Tides of History ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Does history repeat itself? Not really, but that's not the reason it's worth studying: Our past is nothing more or less than the collective record of our species' achievements and failures, and it contains a variety of lessons, few of them easy and straightforward. In this episode, we explore how history helps us in the present, and how it doesn't. Patrick has a brand-new history show! It's called Past Lives, and every episode explores the life of a real person who lived in the past. Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/PWPLA Patrick's new book - Lost Worlds: The Rise and Fall of Human Societies from the Ice Age to the Bronze Age - is now available for preorder, and will be released on May 5th! Preorder in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWLostWorlds. And don't forget, you can still Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Tides of History ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! PART TWOIt began with a young boy and a new home in Connecticut. What should have been a fresh start in the early 1980s quickly spiraled into a terrifying series of alleged possessions, blessings, and exorcisms. When the entity tormenting the child refused to leave, Arne Johnson reportedly challenged it—inviting the spirit into himself.Months later, a brutal killing shocked the state. Johnson's legal team would argue something never before successfully used in American court: demonic possession.Author and paranormal investigator Jeff Belanger breaks down the real case behind what many now know from The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. He explores what truly happened inside that Connecticut home, the role of clergy and investigators, and the darker truths that never fully made it into headlines—or Hollywood.Was it psychological breakdown? Suggestion? Or something far more sinister?#TheGraveTalks #DevilMadeMeDoIt #DarkEntity #TheConjuring3 #DemonicPossession #TrueParanormal #HauntedConnecticut #ParanormalHistory #PossessionCase #SpiritualWarfare #TrueCrimeAndParanormal #ExorcismLove real ghost stories? Want even more?Become a supporter and unlock exclusive extras, ad-free episodes, and advanced access:

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE!It began with a young boy and a new home in Connecticut. What should have been a fresh start in the early 1980s quickly spiraled into a terrifying series of alleged possessions, blessings, and exorcisms. When the entity tormenting the child refused to leave, Arne Johnson reportedly challenged it—inviting the spirit into himself.Months later, a brutal killing shocked the state. Johnson's legal team would argue something never before successfully used in American court: demonic possession.Author and paranormal investigator Jeff Belanger breaks down the real case behind what many now know from The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. He explores what truly happened inside that Connecticut home, the role of clergy and investigators, and the darker truths that never fully made it into headlines—or Hollywood.Was it psychological breakdown? Suggestion? Or something far more sinister?#TheGraveTalks #DevilMadeMeDoIt #DarkEntity #TheConjuring3 #DemonicPossession #TrueParanormal #HauntedConnecticut #ParanormalHistory #PossessionCase #SpiritualWarfare #TrueCrimeAndParanormal #ExorcismLove real ghost stories? Want even more?Become a supporter and unlock exclusive extras, ad-free episodes, and advanced access:

Gladiators are one of the most instantly recognizable yet alien aspects of Roman society, and Dr. Harry Sidebottom's new book - Those Who Are About to Die - offers a cutting-edge view of these fascinating entertainers based on the most recent research. We discuss what recent research has revealed about their lives, why the Romans were so intrigued by them, and why they matter today.Patrick has a brand-new history show! It's called Past Lives, and every episode explores the life of a real person who lived in the past. Subscribe now: https://bit.ly/PWPLAPatrick's new book - Lost Worlds: The Rise and Fall of Human Societies from the Ice Age to the Bronze Age - is now available for preorder, and will be released on May 5th! Preorder in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWLostWorlds.And don't forget, you can still Get The Verge: Reformation, Renaissance, and Forty Years that Shook the World in hardcopy, ebook, or audiobook (read by Patrick) here: https://bit.ly/PWverge.Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Tides of History ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.