Podcasts about Soper

Barry Soper met with Boris Johnson again - hours after delivering a 'critical' summary of his first meeting with the former Prime Minister. Soper met with Johnson over lunch again earlier today, and Johnson was quick to bring up yesterday's radio recap. "If you're listening at the moment, Boris, you're not a bad bugger. He was pretty good - today's lunch was hosted by General Finance, it was around a table and it really was just a yarn." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lisa Soper is a Canadian production designer on Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and a director on The CW's Riverdale. lInstagram Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/creator-to-creators-with-meosha-bean--4460322/support.

Join host Japhet De Oliveira as he connects with Brent Soper, Finance Officer for IT Services at Adventist Health, for a conversation about Brent's journey from audit to finance, his love of Italy, and how gardening and mentoring others have enriched his life.

The New York Times is calling Donald Trump as the likely winner of the US election, projecting 297 Electoral College seats. Only one President in history has returned to the White House after a break, rather than serving consecutive terms. Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper reminds Heather du Plessis-Allan the Democrat vote often comes in late – and there are lots of votes still to be counted. Plus, the Waitangi Tribunal are being accused of leaking the change in schedule to the Treaty Principles Bill's introduction to Parliament. The Bill will now be introduced on Thursday, more than a week earlier than originally planned. Soper says the Waitangi Tribunal needs to reflect on its position within the backlash that has since ensued. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Paula's guest is a familiar name - Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper. He's Ask Me Anything's first returning guest, but Soper has a story to tell after a year of health difficulties. He discusses what he went through after heart surgery last year, and gives his insights and advice on being a parent, his expectations ahead of his seventh child arriving in January, and his thoughts on the coalition government. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ministry of Health is under fire for failing to declare a conflict of interest. It recently came to light that one of the officials advising Minister Casey Costello on tobacco reforms was the sister-in-law of Labour's health spokesperson, Ayesha Verrall. Verrall is a vocal opponent of Costello's policies. Senior Political Reporter Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan that it's a disgrace. He says that even though the Director General of Health says the Ministry adhered strictly to the rules of conflict of interest, they failed to pass that particular conflict on to Costello. Soper says they've fallen well short, as multiple people were well aware of the conflict and failed to report it. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Royal LePage has released its Q3 Home Price Update and Market Forecast. In this video interview, Phil Soper, President and CEO of Royal LePage, discusses the state of house prices in Canada, demand in the market, inventory levels and what to expect in the future. PRESS RELEASE TORONTO, Oct. 10, 2024 /CNW/ – According to the Royal LePage House Price Survey released today, the aggregate1 price of a home in Canada increased 1.6 per cent year over year to $815,500 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarter-over-quarter basis, however, the national aggregate home price decreased 1.1 per cent, following sluggish activity in most – though not all – markets through the summer months. Coast to coast, sales volumes began to pick up in September, and more than one third (38%) of regional markets covered in the report recorded positive aggregate price gains in the third quarter over the previous quarter. “Despite three cuts to the Bank of Canada's overnight lending rate, buyer demand nationally remains weak, particularly among two key groups: first-time homebuyers and small investors,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer, Royal LePage. “First-time buyers, who are more sensitive to interest rates, are adopting a wait-and-see attitude. With home prices essentially flat and interest rates steadily declining, they perceive no penalty in postponing their purchase. _______________________________ 1 Aggregate prices are calculated using a weighted average of the median values of all housing types collected. Data is provided by RPS Real Property Solutions and includes both resale and new build. “Similarly, small investors who typically buy condominiums to rent out and supply much of Canada's rental housing, are also hesitant. Elevated rates have made the financials unworkable, with carrying costs surpassing rental income. While historically some landlords accept negative cash flow temporarily when properties are appreciating in value, the current flat prices do not justify many investments,” said Soper. “We believe that both groups will re-enter the market in significant numbers as property values begin to rise again. With further rate cuts from the Bank of Canada likely this year, we anticipate prices will appreciate more quickly, eliminating the advantages of waiting for first-time buyers and making calculations more favourable for investors. “Total listings on royallepage.ca, Canada's most visited real estate company website, reached a historical high in September, up 19 per cent year over year,” continued Soper. “Clearly, existing homeowners are ready to move. And, all buyers have more choice and less competition than is typical in our growing nation. The market recovery is underway and will continue to gain strength into 2025.” The Royal LePage National House Price Composite is compiled from proprietary property data nationally and regionally in 64 of the nation's largest real estate markets. When broken out by housing type, the national median price of a single-family detached home increased 2.0 per cent year over year to $850,400, while the median price of a condominium increased 0.5 per cent year over year to $590,200. On a quarter-over-quarter basis, the median price of a single-family detached home decreased modestly by 1.2 per cent, while the median price of a condominium decreased 1.1 per cent. Price data, which includes both resale and new build, is provided by RPS Real Property Solutions, a leading Canadian real estate valuation company. “With rates dropping, we see positive signs for sidelined buyers. As confidence grows and buyers anticipate rising prices, we expect a significant increase in activity. Given the building demand – both organic and from immigration – the 2025 spring market may start as early as late January or early February, a pull-ahead phenomenon we've seen in previous market turnarounds. The stage is set for a busy year ahead.” New lending rules will ease affordability challenges and unlock opportunity for homebuyers In recent weeks, a series of new regulations impacting mortgages and lending practices in Canada were announced. Starting on December 15th, all purchasers of new construction homes and all first-time buyers will be able to acquire an insured mortgage with a 30-year amortization period.2 In addition, the federal government announced an increase to the insured mortgage cap from $1 million to $1.5 million. ______________________________ 2 Federal government announces landmark adjustments to mortgage rules for first-time buyers in Canada, September 17, 2024 Following the announcement of these changes, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) revealed that, beginning November 21st, it will eliminate the mortgage stress test for uninsured borrowers who plan to switch lenders upon renewing their loan, provided they maintain the same amortization schedule and loan amount.3 “These changes will have more impact on the early 2025 market than many anticipate. Expect a material bump in activity,” said Soper. “In addition to assisting first-time buyers, raising the cap on insured mortgages expands opportunities for move-up buyers in higher-priced markets, thereby freeing up inventory for new homeowners entering the market. “While these updated mortgage rules are a timely strategy to alleviate some affordability pressure, they are not a silver bullet for the fundamental issue that persists: Canada urgently needs more housing supply. Continued efforts to boost inventory are essential for fostering a sustainable and healthy real estate market for future generations.” According to a recent Royal LePage survey, conducted by Hill & Knowlton,4 84 per cent of Canadians belonging to the adult generation Z and young millennial cohort – those aged 18 to 38 – believe that home ownership is a worthwhile investment. Among those who do not currently own a home, 75 per cent say they are planning to purchase a property as a primary residence; nearly half (40%) of them say they plan to do so within the next five to ten years. In the report, Soper noted: “The youngest cohort of homebuyers in Canada have no shortage of barriers on their path to ownership. Though the cost of borrowing has begun to come down, chronic supply shortages have kept housing prices from dropping, even as demand softened under the weight of high interest rates. Despite these hurdles, the next generation of homebuyers remains committed to their pursuit of owning real estate, and are remarkably optimistic that they can make their dream a reality.” According to The Conference Board of Canada's latest report,5 consumer confidence is on the rise. In September, the Index of Consumer Confidence increased 3.3 per cent over the previous month, reaching its highest level in over a year. Furthermore, the percentage of Canadians who believe now is a good time to make a major purchase rose. Loans renewing at higher rates Even as interest rates soften, millions of Canadians who secured fixed-rate mortgages in the period of ultra-low borrowing conditions prior to March of 2022, have seen their monthly carrying costs increase upon renewal, or they will soon. _________________________________ 3 OSFI to drop mortgage stress test for uninsured borrowers who switch lenders at renewal, October 3, 2024 4 Gen Zs and young millennials still believe in home ownership, and they're willing to make sacrifices to achieve it, August 22, 2024 5 Canadian Consumers are Regaining Confidence, September 25, 2024 “The Bank of Canada will not be able to cut rates quickly or deeply enough to take away all of the renewal pain for those still on pandemic-era, low-rate mortgages,” noted Soper. “While a small percentage of these families may be forced to relocate to more affordable regions or to a less expensive property, the majority of Canadians are well-positioned to weather this situation, thanks to the strict lending practices and safeguards implemented by our highly-regulated financial institutions.” Currently, the Bank of Canada's key lending rate sits at 4.25 per cent.6 The central bank's governing council has hinted at further rate cuts to come, noting that they are working to balance the risk of stimulating economic growth – specifically inflating shelter prices – with the possibility of weakening labour markets.7 The next interest rate announcement is scheduled for October 23rd. Regional trends vary from coast to coast As was true of the pandemic-era real estate boom, the recovery is not unravelling evenly. Just as two of Canada's largest and most expensive markets reached higher highs and lower lows between 2020 and 2023, Toronto and Vancouver are now lagging behind in the recovery as well. Meanwhile, regional markets in the province of Quebec and in the Prairies have shown greater resilience through the period of elevated interest rates. “It's taking longer for activity and home prices to bounce back in major cities where affordability challenges are greatest. Following subdued activity this spring and summer in the Greater Toronto Area, we've begun to see a turnaround in the fall market with an increase in buyer demand and a boost in sales. Greater Vancouver has yet to catch up,” noted Soper. “The higher cost of living in these regions continues to result in residents migrating to other parts of the country, offset by newcomers who continually choose these cities upon arrival in Canada. Alberta continues to record population growth – made up in large part by inter-provincial migration from Ontario and British Columbia – while gains in Atlantic Canada have stalled since the pandemic rush to the Maritimes.” Forecast Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Canada will increase 5.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. The previously upgraded forecast has been revised down to reflect current market conditions, specifically in the greater regions of Toronto and Vancouver, which recorded lower-than-anticipated activity through the spring and summer months. “The market recovery, albeit uneven across the country, is well underway in a majority of markets. While we may not see significant price appreciation in the typically-slower fourth quarter of this year, we believe our previous forecast will come to fruition in the anticipated early spring market of 2025.” ____________________________________ 6 Bank of Canada reduces policy rate by 25 basis points to 4¼%, September 4, 2024 7 Summary of Governing Council deliberations: Fixed announcement date of September 4, 2024, September 18, 2024 Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 REGIONAL SUMMARIES Greater Toronto Area The aggregate price of a home in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) increased 0.7 per cent year over year to $1,155,800 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, however, the aggregate price of a home in the GTA decreased 2.9 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 1.6 per cent year over year to $1,421,000 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium dipped 0.4 per cent to $722,200 during the same period. “Activity in the third quarter was muted overall. The slower-than-expected spring market gave way to a soft start to fall in Toronto and the GTA, although the tide began to turn in mid-September. While inventory levels continued to rise and the average days on market sat higher than usual, prices came down only slightly in parts of the region in Q3,” said Karen Yolevski, chief operating officer, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. “This indicates that while sellers have come off the sidelines faster than buyers, they're not desperate to sell.” In the city of Toronto, the aggregate price of a home decreased 2.3 per cent year over year to $1,128,900 in the third quarter of 2024. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached home declined 1.3 per cent year over year to $1,672,400, while the median price of a condominium decreased 3.2 per cent to $682,800. “Trends in Toronto's condo market have been marching to a different beat, compared to other property segments of late. A wave of new units has hit the market amid a near-record number of completions this year. And, with some investors offloading rental units that have become too expensive to carry, prices have softened. This could spell opportunity for first-time buyers, with borrowing rates on the decline and new 30-year amortization legislation set to come into effect that will ease the burden of monthly carrying costs,” noted Yolevski. “Looking ahead, as we move further into the fall market and lending rates continue to ease, sales activity and prices will start to edge upward modestly, and housing inventory will get consumed. I believe Toronto, along with most of the country, is set to see a brisk spring housing market in 2025.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in the Greater Toronto Area will increase 6.0 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. The previous forecast has been revised downward to reflect current market conditions. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Greater Montreal Area The aggregate price of a home in the Greater Montreal Area increased 5.2 per cent year over year to $605,400 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, the aggregate price of a home in the region rose 1.0 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 7.1 per cent year over year to $691,500 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium posted a more modest increase of 4.0 per cent to $467,700 during the same period. “Despite three Bank of Canada rate cuts, we have yet to see a buyer rush. On the one hand, buyers are standing by, confident that further rate cuts are imminent and will create a more opportune time to buy. On the other hand, sellers are fine-tuning their strategies, counting on a wave of motivated buyers in the next few months,” said Dominic St-Pierre, executive vice president, business development, Royal LePage. “The Greater Montreal Area real estate market is performing well, with healthy growth in activity and prices, considering that Canada's other two major markets are stagnating.” With another announcement by the Bank of Canada due on October 23rd, additional pent-up demand is expected to be released into the market. According to the latest predictions by economists, October will bring the fourth and penultimate drop in the key lending rate for 2024. “The dilemma that seems to be keeping buyers awake at night is whether to jump in now before prices go up due to higher demand, or keep waiting and take advantage of even more attractive mortgage rates,” St-Pierre added. “We're already seeing an uptick in activity, which began in September.” In Montreal Centre, the aggregate price of a home increased 3.9 per cent year over year to $732,900 in the third quarter of 2024. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 8.1 per cent to $1,147,000, while the median price of a condominium increased 4.4 per cent to $570,700. St-Pierre welcomes the federal government's action to improve access to home ownership for first-time buyers by extending the amortization period on mortgages to 30 years. However, this measure is likely to boost real estate demand and property prices. “The housing affordability issue is a top priority for many, and we owe it to ourselves as a society to provide solutions for future generations who will be faced with the realities of a higher cost of living. That said, these new measures raise the age-old question: what impact will they have on real estate demand in terms of rising property prices in Canada in the context of a chronic housing shortage? In the short term, these measures are likely to fuel existing demand and drive up prices. However, in the long term, this easing of mortgage rules will help many first-time buyers access home ownership and build wealth.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in the Greater Montreal Area will increase 8.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Greater Vancouver The aggregate price of a home in Greater Vancouver increased a modest 0.5 per cent to $1,233,900 year over year in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, however, the aggregate price of a home in the region decreased 1.4 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 0.4 per cent year over year to $1,754,500 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium increased 0.2 per cent to $768,600 during the same period. “The Greater Vancouver market has remained relatively steady through the third quarter, with September showing similar patterns to the summer months. We didn't see a significant bump in activity and prices dipped just slightly compared to the second quarter,” said Randy Ryalls, general manager, Royal LePage Sterling Realty. “The slow activity across all segments can largely be attributed to buyers sitting on the fence waiting for further interest rate reductions, without any real urgency to make a move just yet.” Ryalls noted that the detached home segment in particular continues to experience weaker demand, and remains firmly in buyer territory today. “Interest rates are anticipated to continue their downward trend, and while the cuts so far haven't sparked a surge in activity, a more substantial drop – a 50 basis point decrease – could have a more noticeable impact on the market. Many potential buyers are waiting for the bottom before making their move,” added Ryalls. “With inventory continuing to grow, this is an optimal environment for those who are ready to buy – prices are holding flat and there are more properties to choose from.” In the city of Vancouver, the aggregate price of a home increased 0.6 per cent year over year to $1,409,800 in the third quarter of 2024. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached home decreased 1.1 per cent to $2,244,400, while the median price of a condominium remained virtually flat, increasing 0.2 per cent to $839,600. “Between now and the end of the year, I expect activity to remain fairly flat. However, Vancouver's market trends tend to shift quickly, and if buyer urgency and activity reverse course, I wouldn't be surprised to see an uptick in prices as well.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Greater Vancouver will increase 3.0 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. The previous forecast has been revised downward to reflect current market conditions. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Ottawa The aggregate price of a home in Ottawa increased 1.6 per cent year over year to $775,100 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, the aggregate price of a home in the region remained virtually unchanged, decreasing 0.3 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 1.8 per cent year over year to $894,400 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium increased modestly by 1.0 per cent to $400,300 during the same period. “At the end of the summer, the Ottawa real estate market had approximately three months worth of inventory, teetering between a balanced and a seller's market. Properties tend to stay online for a little over a month these days, which signals a healthy marketplace for both buyers and sellers,” said Jason Ralph, broker of record and president, Royal LePage Team Realty. “Home prices have continued to hold steady in recent months as sellers stick with their listing strategy; they remain confident that they will secure the price they want, even if they have to wait. Buyers are still hunting for a bargain, and are comfortable taking their time to find the property that best suits their needs. Those who are under a time constraint are moving because they have to – many others continue to wait until borrowing rates become more affordable.” Ralph noted that new mortgage legislation is generating some buzz in the market, making first-time buyers more optimistic. Busy open houses and an increase in showing requests proves consumers' confidence in the trajectory of the market is improving. “We expect home prices to trend upward slightly throughout the rest of the year as new borrowing rules improve affordability for first-time buyers,” said Ralph. “Rising prices could be exacerbated if an election is called this year. Whenever there is a changeover in government, the Ottawa housing market tends to react more markedly than other major cities.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Ottawa will increase 4.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Quebec City The aggregate price of a home in Quebec City increased 10.5 per cent year over year to $388,600 in the third quarter of 2024. This represents the highest year-over-year price increase in Canada in Q3, and the highest price gain among the report's major regions for the second consecutive quarter. On a quarterly basis, the aggregate price of a home in the region remained virtually flat, increasing 0.4 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 11.0 per cent year over year to $413,400 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium increased 14.5 per cent to $291,100 during the same period. Historically, Quebec City's real estate market has rarely stood out on a provincial or national scale. Due to the stability of its labour market, which is mainly driven by the provincial civil service, demand for real estate has rarely led to major price surges. “Overall, the province's markets have been relatively unaffected by the post-pandemic correction in real estate prices, compared to Ontario and British Columbia. Where declines did occur, they were slight and short-lived,” said Michèle Fournier, vice-president and certified real estate broker, Royal LePage Inter-Québec. “In Quebec City, the real estate correction simply never materialized. Instead, local and out-of-town demand continued to fuel rising prices without tiring, until late September. Now, buyers seem to have taken a breather, awaiting a possible further boost from the Bank of Canada with a rate cut this autumn, before repositioning themselves in the market.” This pause in activity is likely to be short-lived. With interest rates continuing to fall, and the federal government providing an additional leg-up by extending the mortgage amortization period for first-time buyers by a further five years, activity is expected to pick up quickly. “We view this initiative positively, since young buyers need additional assistance more than ever to be able to access a first home, even if this support will increase the interest portion of their mortgage bill,” said Fournier. “However, this initiative raises concerns about the impact on a real estate market characterized by high demand and limited supply. I think we're in for a very busy start to the year, particularly in the entry-level property market, which will be highly coveted by first-time buyers.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Quebec City will increase 9.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Calgary The aggregate price of a home in Calgary increased 6.9 per cent year over year to $698,700 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, the aggregate price of a home in the region increased a modest 0.7 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 6.7 per cent year over year to $799,200 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium increased 8.2 per cent to $274,100 during the same period. “Calgary's real estate market saw a slight uptick in activity following the most recent interest rate cut by the Bank of Canada, just as the fall market got underway. We're seeing more inventory come onto the market, especially in the $700,000-and-up segment – many sellers who pulled their properties off the market in August re-listed in September to capitalize on the fall market momentum,” said Corinne Lyall, broker and owner, Royal LePage Benchmark. “While this hasn't fully converted to sales just yet, agents are certainly staying busy, which suggests more transactions will occur in the months ahead.” Lyall noted that competition in the lower end of the market remains tight and some homes are attracting multiple offers. While the region remains in a seller's market, conditions are gradually shifting toward more balance. “Looking ahead, we expect prices to remain fairly stable through the remainder of 2024. There is potential for modest growth if further interest rate cuts occur. I expect the region will stay in a seller's market right through the spring across most price points, particularly with continued demand for lower-priced homes.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Calgary will increase 8.0 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Edmonton The aggregate price of a home in Edmonton increased 5.4 per cent year over year to $456,300 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, the aggregate price of a home in the region increased 1.3 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 5.7 per cent year over year to $498,900 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium increased 3.1 per cent to $201,000 during the same period. “Edmonton's real estate market is on track to have one of the most productive years on record. We had an extraordinarily busy summer. Typically, activity dips in July and August, but this year we saw a steady stream of sales right through the summer months. And, it looks like that momentum is being carried into the fall,” said Tom Shearer, broker and owner, Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate. “Inventory remains very tight – among the lowest levels we've seen in nearly two decades – as buyer demand continues to rise, driven in large part by first-time buyers from other cities and provinces relocating to the region. Our healthy job market and access to nature are a huge draw.” Shearer noted that while sales remain strong, the slow and steady pace of the Bank of Canada's rate cuts has helped to keep price gains in check. “Affordability remains a challenge, especially for those purchasing their first home with no equity to leverage. The gradual easing of borrowing rates is beginning to make an impact, and will continue to do so, but we have yet to see a dramatic boost in prices as a result,” added Shearer. “While consumer confidence is up overall, buyers remain cautious and many are waiting for more listings to come online. Activity should begin to plateau in the coming weeks. I expect a strong spring is on the horizon, especially with further rate cuts expected.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Edmonton will increase 6.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Halifax The aggregate price of a home in Halifax increased 2.2 per cent year over year to $510,100 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, however, the aggregate price of a home in the region decreased 0.7 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 1.7 per cent year over year to $574,000 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium increased 4.0 per cent to $422,900 during the same period. “The recent cuts to the overnight lending rate have yet to meaningfully stir up activity in the housing market. Home sales in late summer were quite slow, which is to be expected that time of year. Only in the last few weeks as we've entered the early fall market have we seen an uptick in inquiries. Despite this quieter pace, buying and selling activity remains up compared to 2023 levels,” said Matt Honsberger, broker and owner, Royal LePage Atlantic. “Housing inventory continues to rise throughout the Halifax region, but not enough to meet the backlog of demand. Competition for homes in the lower end of the market remains tight, while those shopping in the move-up segment have the advantage of more listings to choose from. More properties are needed to satisfy the high demand from first-time buyers.” Honsberger noted that population growth in the Atlantic region has slowed to 2015 levels, ending the wave of migration that defined the pandemic real estate boom in 2020 and 2021. This has helped to soften market conditions for locals. “We are anticipating a busy fall market. The new 30-year mortgage amortization rules announced by the federal government, in addition to further rate cuts expected by the Bank of Canada, will help to keep the market steady throughout the coming months and into the spring of 2025,” added Honsberger. “Home prices will start to show upward movement when more move-up buyers jump back into the market, freeing up entry-level inventory for eager first-time purchasers.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Halifax will increase 6.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Winnipeg The aggregate price of a home in Winnipeg increased 4.4 per cent year over year to $402,600 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, the aggregate price of a home in the region remained virtually flat, decreasing 0.2 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 3.9 per cent year over year to $441,000 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium increased 3.2 per cent to $264,400 during the same period. “Buying and selling activity in Winnipeg remained brisk throughout the late summer months and heading into the early fall; home sales are up compared to this time in 2023. Available inventory is down compared to typical levels for this time of year, which could result in steeper price increases in the months ahead as momentum builds heading into the fall,” said Michael Froese, broker and manager, Royal LePage Prime Real Estate. “The recent cuts made to interest rates, though they have improved consumer confidence, have not had a material impact on activity just yet. Rather, much of our market demand continues to be fuelled by a strong local economy and a growing population driven by new Canadians, as well as residents from Toronto and Vancouver who have relocated to Winnipeg in search of more affordable housing.” Froese added that new housing starts have improved from last year's levels as borrowing rates come down, giving builders some much needed financial relief. However, new development remains short of what is needed to meet current market demand. “We expect activity will continue to outperform 2023 levels for the remainder of the year,” said Froese. “Thanks to a combination of falling interest rates and new mortgage incentives announced by the federal government, buyer demand will only continue to grow heading into the new year. Given the amount of demand that will continue to come off of the sidelines as well, now is an ideal time for sellers to enter the market.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Winnipeg will increase 7.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 Regina The aggregate price of a home in Regina increased 5.0 per cent year over year to $387,100 in the third quarter of 2024. On a quarterly basis, the aggregate price of a home in the region increased modestly by 0.6 per cent. Broken out by housing type, the median price of a single-family detached home increased 6.6 per cent year over year to $424,600 in the third quarter of 2024, while the median price of a condominium remained virtually flat, increasing 0.2 per cent to $220,300 during the same period. “We continue to see robust sales activity in our housing market, as demonstrated by frequent bidding wars and homes selling over the asking price. Demand far exceeds the number of new listings, which is keeping prices on an upward trajectory,” said Shaheen Zareh, sales representative, Royal LePage Regina Realty. “All of this demand predates the recent cuts to the overnight lending rate – new immigrants, investors and buyers from more expensive cities in Canada have been major drivers of activity for some time. Though Regina has not historically had a strong condo market, we also continue to see momentum build in this segment, especially as young buyers seek affordable housing options.” Zareh added that Regina's rental market is experiencing strong demand as well, particularly for duplex and low-rise housing types. The majority of development in the region is currently in the rental segment. To prevent an overflow of supply, builders have kept a consistent pace when bringing new rental product to the market. “Based on current conditions, Regina will no doubt record a strong fall market performance. With additional interest rate cuts likely on the cards in the coming months, we expect buyer demand to increase as their borrowing power expands. This will put further upward pressure on home prices, unless we see a material increase in supply.” Royal LePage is forecasting that the aggregate price of a home in Regina will increase 6.5 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same quarter last year. Royal LePage House Price Survey Chart: rlp.ca/house-prices-Q3-2024 Royal LePage Forecast Chart: rlp.ca/market-forecast-Q3-2024 For other regional releases, click here. Royal LePage Royalty-Free Media Assets: Royal LePage's media room contains royalty-free assets, such as images and b-roll, that are free for media use. Media room: rlp.ca/mediaroom Royalty-free assets: rlp.ca/media-assets About the Royal LePage House Price Survey The Royal LePage House Price Survey provides information on the most common types of housing, nationally and in 64 of the nation's largest real estate markets. Housing values in the Royal LePage House Price Survey are based on the Royal LePage Canadian Real Estate Market Composite, produced quarterly through the use of company data in addition to data and analytics from partner company, RPS Real Property Solutions, the trusted source for residential real estate intelligence and analytics in Canada. Additionally, commentary on housing market trends and data on price and forecast values are provided by Royal LePage residential real estate experts, based on their opinions and market knowledge. About Royal LePage Serving Canadians since 1913, Royal LePage is the country's leading provider of services to real estate brokerages, with a network of approximately 20,000 real estate professionals in over 670 locations nationwide. Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation, the Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™, which has been dedicated to supporting women's shelters and domestic violence prevention programs for 25 years. Royal LePage is a Bridgemarq Real Estate Services® Inc. company, a TSX-listed corporation trading under the symbolTSX:BRE. For more information, please visit www.royallepage.ca. Mario Toneguzzi Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada's Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024. About Us Canada's Podcast is the number one podcast in Canada for entrepreneurs and business owners. Established in 2016, the podcast network has interviewed over 600 Canadian entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast. With hosts in each province, entrepreneurs have a local and national format to tell their stories, talk about their journey and provide inspiration for anyone starting their entrepreneurial journey and well- established founders. The commitment to a grass roots approach has built a loyal audience on all our social channels and YouTube – 500,000+ lifetime YouTube views, 200,000 + audio downloads, 35,000 + average monthly social impressions, 10,000 + engaged social followers and 35,000 newsletter subscribers. Canada's Podcast is proud to provide a local, national and international presence for Canadian entrepreneurs to build their brand and tell their story #business #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #HousePrices #smallbusiness

In the second episode in a four-part series, Dre Harrison introduces another interview from Super Touring Power 2, the event that celebrated what many fans consider to be the golden era of Touring Car racing.  In Episode 2, Kevin Turner sits down with two legends of the sport and beyond; 1993 British Touring Car Championship Runner-Up Steve Soper, and two-time British Touring Car Champion in 1989 and 1995, John Cleland. In the episode, Kevin presses Steve and John on the strengths and weaknesses of their cars in a highly competitive environment (Including the startling revelation that Cleland hated front-wheel drive!), dealing with the rise of popularity the series had in the '90s, and asking if there was one Super Touring Car they always wanted to drive, but never did… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel shares with us some valuable information regarding our nervous system and how it relates to our mental wellness. Women in particular have a tendency to take care of everyone else around them first, while putting their own self care and wellness on the back burner. This podcast is designed to give you actionable advice and tools to help you power up your own wellness journey, and live the best life possible!I am your host, Amy Zellmer. I am editor-in-chief of Midwest YOGA Magazine and author of The Chair Yoga Pocket Guide. Additionally I am passionate about yoga, photography, wellness, and all things glittery! You can find out more about me at www.creatingwellnessfromwithin.comFollow me on: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter         Today's guest is: Rachel Soper SandersRachel Soper Sanders is a founder, innovator, and health and wellness expert committed to helping women 30+ achieve vibrant health with simple, practical advice. She is the CEO and co-founder of Rootine, a modern wellness brand offering science-backed supplements and at-home lab testing. She is also a podcast host, investor, and digital creator with 61,000 followers on social media and her newsletter, Glow & Elevate, where Rachel provides practical tips for improving stress, weight, sleep, and productivity.  Her work has been featured in top publications like Forbes and Entrepreneur and she holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and practical health tips she's learned as a mom of 2 and wellness company founder, offering actionable advice to improve overall well-being and achieve optimal health. https://rootine.co/Consider supporting the podcast for $5 though BuyMeACoffeeSupport the show

In this episode, Rachel, founder of Rootine, shares her personal journey and the inspiration behind her brand. She discusses the lack of innovation in the holistic health industry and how Rootine aims to bring science-backed solutions to the market. Rachel explains the customer journey and the different products offered by Rootine. She also talks about the importance of her role as a mom in shaping the brand and connecting with her target audience. Rachel shares her strategy for launching in different channels, including Amazon and TikTok, and the impact of her personal brand on the success of Rootine. She emphasizes the power of content creation and thought leadership in building a strong online presence. Rachel also discusses the challenges and opportunities of expanding into retail and the importance of community building and education in the wellness industry.TAKEAWAYS: - Rootine aims to bring science-backed solutions to the holistic health industry, which is lacking in innovation.- Rachel's personal journey as a mom and her own health issues have shaped the brand and connected with the target audience.- Content creation and thought leadership have been instrumental in building Rootine's online presence and driving organic growth.- Expanding into different channels, such as Amazon and TikTok, has allowed Rootine to reach a wider audience and drive sales.- The challenges and opportunities of retail expansion in the wellness industry require strategic thinking and understanding of the target customer.Don't miss our next episode for more insights into the world of omnichannel marketing!​​Where to find Rachel Soper Sanders: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-soper-sanders/​Website: https://rootine.co/‍Where to find Kait Stephens:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kait-margraf-stephens/Website: www.brij.it ‍SUBSCRIBE TO THE OMNICHANNEL MARKETERwww.theomnichannelmarketer.com

Jo Soper visits us this week to share on 1 John.

The podcast makes another visit to central Utah. UIAAA Connection #193 – Karen Soper, Principal at Manti High School, is now available. Karen, a graduate of South High School, shares her experience of years in the elementary system before taking over at Manti. She shares the love an administrator has for students and coaches. Her advice about doing the important things first is not to be missed. Please Listen, Learn and Share! You can subscribe to UIAAA TV on YouTube! This podcast is also available on Amazon Music, Apple Podcast,  Breaker, Castbox, Google Podcast, iHeartradio, Overcast, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic, Spotify, Sticher and YouTube.

We take a break from the recent events by looking at London's behind the scenes economic situation; and the rise of the importance of what was for a while one of cities most important places- the lost street of Soper's Lane. Why did dozens of merchants move here and what has this to do with the sudden and dramatic changes in the fortunes of London's merchants? And why did the rope-makers of London go from craftsmen to multi-faceted merchants with powerful import/export businesses? All of this in a bumper issue all based around that most golden of rules… follow the money!

Our special episodes from Brands Hatch continue, as Alex and Greg Haines sit down for a brilliant chat with touring car legend, Steve Soper. Steve tells us all about his career with BMW, battles with Rouse, the end of his career with Peugeot and of course, that infamous incident with John Cleland in the 1992 BTCC title decider!Support the Show.GET IN TOUCH: Use the hashtag #SuperTouringPod on X or email pod@1990sbtcc.com or you can send us a text message!Follow @SuperTouringPod on Instagram & X.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters doesn't feel the Greens are doing all they can in regard to Darleen Tana.  The Green Party's asked Tana to resign from parliament after receiving the investigation into alleged migrant exploitation at her husband's business.  Tana doesn't accept the findings, claiming it substantially misrepresents her level of involvement in the business.  She's resigned from the party, but not yet Parliament.  Peters says they could expel Tana, utilising the waka-jumping legislation and forcing her to step down as MP.  Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Kerre Woodham that the Greens should "eat humble pie" and get rid of her through the legislation they're vehemently opposed to.  He said that there's no way that she's going to make one iota of difference to the votes in parliament.  Soper said that if Darleen Tana stays on, it shows that the money is of more interest to her than what is democracy.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we provide you with an update on the sexually transmitted infection: Trichomonas vaginalis, a protozoan which infects the vagina, urethra and paraurethral glands. It is an uncommon cause of vaginal discharge and penile urethritis and can persist for a long time if left untreated. Up to 50% of people with vaginal infections and especially people with urethral infections remain asymptomatic. Persistent trichomonas infection has been associated with facilitating the transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and adverse poor reproductive health outcomes. Dr Christina Munzy, Professor in Infectious Diseases at University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA, will present on published clinical trial data on novel treatment against trichomoniasis. Relevant publications: Van Gerwen OT, Aaron KJ, Schroeder J, et al. Spontaneous resolution of Trichomonas vaginalis infection in men. Sexually Transmitted Infections. Published Online First: 27 June 2024. Muzny CA, Van Gerwen OT, Kaufman G, Chavoustie S. Efficacy of single-dose oral secnidazole for the treatment of trichomoniasis in women co-infected with trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis: a post hoc subgroup analysis of phase 3 clinical trial data. BMJ Open. 2023;13:e072071 Kissinger PJ, Gaydos CA, Seña AC, McClelland RS, Soper, Secor WE, Legendre D, Workowski KA, Muzny CA, Diagnosis and Management of Trichomonas vaginalis: Summary of Evidence Reviewed for the 2021 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Sexually Transmitted Infections Treatment Guidelines, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Volume 74, Issue Supplement_2, 15 April 2022 Howe K and Kissinger PJ. Single-dose compared with multidose metronidazole for the treatment of trichomoniasis in women: a meta-analysis. Sex Transm Dis 2017; 44: 29–34. Kissinger P, Muzny CA, Mena LA, et al. Single-dose versus 7- day-dose metronidazole for the treatment of trichomoniasis in women: an open-label, randomised controlled trial. Lancet Infect Dis 2018; 18: 1251–1259. Sherrard J, Pitt R, Hobbs KR, Maynard M, Cochrane E, Wilson J, Tipple C. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) United Kingdom national guideline on the management of Trichomonas vaginalis 2021. Int J STD AIDS. 2022 Jul;33(8):740-750. STI Guidelines Australia - Trichomoniasis Host: Dr Fabiola Martin, STI BMJ Podcast editor, a Sexual Health, HIV and HTLV Specialist, Canberra & University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Guest: Dr Christina Munzy, Professor in Infectious Diseases at University of Alabama, Birmingham, USA

Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer, Royal LePage, discusses why renters still want to buy a home despite the costs. Video interview can be seen here. Phil Soper PRESS RELEASE TORONTO, June 20, 2024 /CNW/ – One third of Canadians live in rental accommodations, and that figure has been gradually increasing in recent years, as affordability challenges in the resale market persist. According to a recent Royal LePage survey, conducted by Hill & Knowlton, 27 per cent of Canadians who currently rent their home say they plan to purchase a property in the next two years. Among those aged 18 to 34, that figure jumps to 40 per cent. Meanwhile, 69 per cent of renters say they do not plan to buy a home in the near future. Among them, more than half (54%) do not feel their income will be sufficient to afford a property in the area where they wish to live (61% among respondents aged 18 to 34). “The rental sector is not immune to the significant affordability challenges stemming from Canada's acute housing shortage. High mortgage rates have made it difficult for many to purchase a home, forcing some to move into, or remain longer than planned, in the rental market,” said Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer, Royal LePage. “Despite a short-lived decline in prices and demand for rental units during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the available supply of rental properties in most major markets remains ultra low.” Of renters who say they plan to buy within the next two years, half (50%) say they will have a down payment of less than 20 per cent. Twenty-six per cent say they will put 20 per cent down, while 15 per cent say they will have a down payment of more than 20 per cent. In Canada, mortgage insurance is required for homes purchased with less than 20 per cent down. When asked how they will come up with their down payment, 53 per cent of respondents said they will use savings accumulated over the years, while 46 per cent said they will take advantage of the First Home Savings Account (FHSA), and 29 said they will draw on their RRSPs using the Home Buyer's Plan (HBP). Twenty-five per cent said they will use a financial gift from family or an inheritance. Respondents were able to select more than one answer. Forty-four per cent of renters planning to purchase in the next two years believe they will be able to afford a home in their current city of residence, while 37 per cent do not. Among those who don't believe they can buy in their current location, 40 per cent say they will have to travel more than 50 kilometres to buy within their budget, while 21 per cent believe they will have to search for a property within a 31-50 kilometre radius and 18 per cent say they would need to look within a 16-30 kilometre radius. Only 9 per cent of respondents are confident they could buy within 15 kilometres of their current location. According to the Royal LePage 2024 Most Affordable Canadian Cities Report, 50 per cent of people living in the greater regions of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, say they would consider relocating to a more affordable city, if they were able to find a job or work remotely. Among renters in these regions, 60 per cent say they'd be willing to relocate, while 45 per cent of current homeowners say they would consider it. “We know that Canadians widely consider home ownership a worthwhile long-term investment and a quintessential part of the Canadian dream. So much so, that many are willing to relocate in order to make their home ownership dreams a reality. This is especially true for young Canadians and those who have remote work flexibility. I believe we will continue to see migration from southern Ontario and high-priced regions in B.C. to more affordable markets across the country in the future,” said Soper. Nearly a third of renters hoped to buy prior to signing their lease Before signing or renewing their current lease, 29 per cent of Canadian renters say they considered purchasing a property. Among them, 41 per cent say the lack of a sufficient down payment led to their decision to rent instead. “While a third of Canadian adults are currently renting, and there are families who are perfectly content doing so, the desire for home ownership remains strong among a large portion of this segment of the population. Our latest research reveals that a material number of renters wish to transition to home ownership. Understandably, the greatest barrier to entry is the ability to drum up the initial capital for a down payment,” continued Soper. When asked about the motivating factors behind their decision to continue renting rather than buy, approximately one third of respondents said they were waiting for interest rates (33%) and property prices (30%) to decrease. Twenty-two per cent said they are continuing to rent while saving for a down payment, and 20 per cent said they did not qualify for a mortgage. Respondents were able to select more than one answer. “Earlier this month, the Bank of Canada announced its first rate cut in more than four years. Falling borrowing costs will lower the threshold to qualify for a mortgage, helping renters become owners. However, this creates a double-edged sword. Increased competition as they enter the market will put additional pressure on property values. While some will wait for home prices to become more reasonable, Canada's housing shortage will leave them waiting indefinitely,” added Soper. Rising rents and low vacancy rates Nearly four in ten Canadian renters (36%) spend up to 30 per cent of their net income on monthly rental costs. Meanwhile, roughly the same amount of renters (37%) spend between 31 and 50 per cent of their income on rent, and 16 per cent spend more than 50 per cent. In Canada's most expensive housing markets, Vancouver and Toronto, the proportion of renters who spend more than half of their income on rental costs increases to 27 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively. That figure dips to 10 per cent in Montreal. According to the latest Rental Market Report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent nationally for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 8.0 per cent higher than a year prior. Vacancy rates sat at 1.5 per cent and 0.9 per cent, respectively, for purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments. “From coast to coast, Canadians are struggling with housing affordability in the wake of one of the most aggressive interest rate hike campaigns in history. Across many regions, rental demand vastly exceeds supply, making affordable housing a challenge. The housing industry and government must collaborate on innovative solutions to increase inventory, including rentals, and support those most impacted by these escalating market conditions,” concluded Soper. The 2024 federal budget, released on April 16th, announced several measures intended to more effectively protect tenants and strengthen their path to buying real estate. In addition to a renewed commitment to incentivize purpose-built rental buildings, a highlight was the creation of the Canadian Renters' Bill of Rights, which proposed a national standardized lease agreement and the disclosure of a property's rental price history. In addition, and perhaps most intriguing, this bill also proposed a recommendation for financial institutions to allow tenants to report their rental payment history to credit bureaus in order to better their credit scores, thereby strengthening their future mortgage applications. Royal LePage 2024 Canadian Renters Report – Data Chart: rlp.ca/2024-Canadian-Renters-Report-Chart ATLANTIC CANADA In Atlantic Canada, 28 per cent of renters say they considered buying a property rather than renting before signing or renewing their lease. Looking ahead, 22 per cent say they plan to purchase a property in the next two years, while 59 per cent will not. “The rental market is shifting. Construction of purpose-built rental properties has drastically increased as the city's population continues to grow. Government programs and development incentives have encouraged the creation of new rental supply in Halifax. Newer buildings tend to attract newcomers who are not able to qualify for a mortgage right away, but want a high-quality place to live as they get established,” said Scott Moulton, sales representative, Royal LePage Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia. “We saw a wave of residents from Ontario and other parts of the country come to the East Coast during the height of the pandemic. And, as was the case in the resale market, rental prices were also pushed up as demand swelled. This mass migration has since died down.” Moulton added that institutional landlords are the predominant supplier of rental stock in the Halifax region, particularly downtown. Rising interest rates have not had a profound impact on property management companies who have been able to cope with elevated costs compared to smaller-scale or individual landlords. According to the latest Rental Market Report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent in Halifax for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 11.0 per cent higher than a year prior. The vacancy rate in purpose-built rental buildings remained extremely low at one per cent. Among renters living in Atlantic Canada, 29 per cent spend up to 30 per cent of their net income on monthly rent costs, while 38 per cent spend between 31 and 50 per cent of their income, and 24 per cent spend more than 50 per cent. “There is a desire to build rental supply in Halifax, but permitting and application approvals are both time consuming and expensive,” said Moulton. “More rental inventory is required to ease the region's housing supply shortage, but it will take many years for such buildings to be completed.” Royal LePage 2024 Canadian Renters Report – Data Chart: rlp.ca/2024-Canadian-Renters-Report-Chart QUEBEC July 1st is known as moving day in Quebec, the province with the highest percentage of renters per capita in Canada.5 Leading up to this date, 28 per cent of Quebec renters say they considered buying a property rather than renting before signing or renewing their lease. Among them, 42 per cent say they are waiting for property prices to go down, 41 per cent are holding off for interest rates to decrease, and 37 per cent say the lack of a sufficient down payment led to their decision to rent instead. Respondents were able to select more than one answer. Looking ahead, 22 per cent say they plan to purchase a property in the next two years, while more than half (58%) will not. Of those planning to purchase, 40 per cent believe they will be able to afford to buy a property in their current city of residence. Of those not planning to purchase a property in the next two years, 51 per cent say it is because they do not believe their income will allow them to afford the property they desire. “The results of this survey highlight the challenges faced by Quebec renters in the current context of a housing supply shortage,” said Geneviève Langevin, residential and commercial real estate broker, Royal LePage Altitude in Montreal. “However, the desire to become a homeowner persists for many, despite the financial obstacles, which is encouraging since this trend will continue to put pressure on public policy-makers to create housing that meets demand and population growth.” According to the latest Rental Market Report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent in Montreal for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 7.9 per cent higher than a year prior.6 Vacancy rates sat at 1.5 per cent and 1.3 per cent, respectively, for purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments. While 2023 saw record low housing starts in Quebec, CMHC expects the province to see a more vigorous increase than elsewhere in Canada in 2024.7 However, new residential developments will remain too few to meet growing demand. “The gradual easing of interest rates, which began with the first cut in the Bank of Canada's key lending rate on June 5th, should stimulate construction in the rental market. However, this expected increase in housing starts will not have an immediate impact on the province's housing supply,” said Langevin. “I'm pleased to see that the various levels of government have begun to think together about alternatives for rapidly increasing housing supply. Unfortunately, the results of these concerted efforts will take time to materialize.” Royal LePage 2024 Canadian Renters Report – Data Chart: rlp.ca/2024-Canadian-Renters-Report-Chart ONTARIO In Ontario, 30 per cent of renters say they considered buying a property rather than renting before signing or renewing their lease. Among them, 47 per cent say the lack of a sufficient down payment led to their decision to rent instead. Twenty-eight per cent say they are waiting for property prices to go down, while 26 per cent are holding off for interest rates to decrease. Respondents were able to select more than one answer. Looking ahead, 31 per cent say they plan to purchase a property in the next two years, while nearly half (49%) will not. Of those planning to purchase, 43 per cent believe they will be able to afford to buy a property in their current city of residence. Of those not planning to purchase a property in the next two years, 61 per cent say it is because they do not believe their income will allow them to afford the property they desire. “For many, renting is an inevitable step on the path to home ownership, as saving to buy a home in one of Canada's most expensive cities can take many years,” said Gillian Ritchie, broker, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. in Toronto. “In recent years, we have noticed a much-needed increase in purpose-built rental supply in the city. Currently, Toronto's rental market is flush with one- and two-bedroom condos for lease, but does not have an adequate inventory of decent larger units or freehold rental accommodations. This has made it increasingly difficult for families to find suitable rental housing, whether they are waiting for the right time to buy a home or are looking for a temporary residence amid relocation or renovations.” Ritchie added that young professionals and students make up a large part of Toronto's renter demographic. Walkability is a top priority for renters attending post-secondary institutions, while others desire access to amenities, entertainment and their place of work. According to the latest Rental Market Report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent in Toronto for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 8.7 per cent higher than a year prior.8 Vacancy rates sat at 1.5 per cent and 0.7 per cent, respectively, for purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments. By comparison, the average rent in Ottawa for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 4.0 per cent higher than a year prior. Vacancy rates sat at 2.1 per cent and 0.4 per cent, respectively, for purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments, according to CMHC. Among renters living in Ontario, 35 per cent spend up to 30 per cent of their net income on monthly rent costs, while 36 per cent spend between 31 and 50 per cent of their income, and 18 per cent spend more than 50 per cent. “Many investors bought rental units at the onset of the pandemic amid the record-low interest rate environment, and took advantage of low borrowing costs by purchasing multiple properties. As mortgage carrying costs have materially increased over the last two years, we have noticed some investors offloading their units, potentially reducing available rental stock,” noted Ritchie. “Meanwhile, new developments are bringing more inventory to the rental market and putting downward pressure on prices in some communities. With rates now on the decline, we anticipate that many current renters will step into the resale market as the threshold to qualify for a mortgage begins to ease. However, further rate cuts are needed for this trend to fully materialize.” Royal LePage 2024 Canadian Renters Report – Data Chart: rlp.ca/2024-Canadian-Renters-Report-Chart MANITOBA & SASKATCHEWAN In Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 44 per cent of renters say they considered buying a property rather than renting before signing or renewing their lease. Looking ahead, 36 per cent say they plan to purchase a property in the next two years, while 34 per cent will not. “The pandemic was a pivotal turning point for the rental market. Before COVID-19, one-bedroom rentals were in high demand. Now, as working from home has become more common, renters' need for more space has grown. However, the desire to be close to downtown and have access to conveniences both within their neighbourhood and their rental buildings remains strong,” said Laura Foubert, sales representative, Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate in Winnipeg, Manitoba. “Winnipeg rental prices have increased over this past year as landlords and property managers aim to make up for price freezes implemented during the pandemic. Meanwhile, incentives like move-in bonuses, parking spots and top-tier amenities, are being offered on new developments to attract quality, long-term tenants.” Foubert added that many current renters are downsizers who have sold their homes and chosen to rent to avoid the upkeep of home ownership – many have no intention of buying another property. According to the latest Rental Market Report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent in Winnipeg for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 4.4 per cent higher than a year prior.9 Vacancy rates sat at 1.8 per cent for both purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments. By comparison, the average rent in Regina for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 7.9 per cent higher than a year prior. Vacancy rates sat at 1.4 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively, for purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments, according to CMHC. Among renters living in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, 50 per cent spend up to 30 per cent of their net income on monthly rent costs, while 36 per cent spend between 31 and 50 per cent of their income, and nine per cent spend more than 50 per cent. “Some individuals are renting until they buy their first home, while others are renting purely because they enjoy the simplicity and convenience of the lifestyle,” said Foubert. “Demand for rentals is expected to remain strong for the foreseeable future.” Royal LePage 2024 Canadian Renters Report – Data Chart: rlp.ca/2024-Canadian-Renters-Report-Chart ALBERTA In Alberta, nearly a third of renters (29%) say they considered buying a property rather than renting before signing or renewing their lease. Looking ahead, 27 per cent say they plan to purchase a property in the next two years, while 45 per cent will not. “The rental segment has been in transition these past few years. We came out of a balanced market that had healthy vacancy levels and robust demand, and headed into a crunch starting in the spring of 2022. We are now in a scenario where multiple offers on rental properties are being seen more frequently, a new phenomenon in Calgary,” said Andrew Hanney, sales representative and property manager, Royal LePage Mission Real Estate in Calgary. “Demand for rentals in Alberta has been coming from all directions, including residents relocating from Ontario and British Columbia in search of a lower cost of living. One-bedroom apartments have some of the highest vacancy rates, as many renters are choosing to live in larger units with roommates in order to lower their monthly living expenses. This has created difficulties for families looking for multi-bedroom rental options.” Hanney added that purpose-built rentals were common in the 1980s and 1990s, but faded from popularity as developers focused their attention on building condominiums for ownership. Now, developers are creating purpose-built rentals once again, in response to increased market demand and a series of new government incentives. According to the latest Rental Market Report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent in Calgary for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 14.3 per cent higher than a year prior.10 Vacancy rates sat at 1.4 per cent and 1.0 per cent, respectively, for purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments. By comparison, the average rent in Edmonton for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 6.4 per cent higher than a year prior. Vacancy rates sat at 2.4 per cent and 2.5 per cent, respectively, for purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments, according to CMHC. Among renters living in Alberta, 39 per cent spend up to 30 per cent of their net income on monthly rent costs, while 34 per cent spend between 31 and 50 per cent of their income, and 17 per cent spend more than 50 per cent. “Many young Albertans look at housing differently – for those who do not want the responsibility of home ownership, renting is an intentional choice, one that suits their needs and lifestyle,” noted Hanney. “However, there remains an important cohort of Albertans for whom renting makes the most financial sense, while they save up to buy a home. As interest rates continue to fall, we will see more tenants move out of rentals and into home ownership.” Royal LePage 2024 Canadian Renters Report – Data Chart: rlp.ca/2024-Canadian-Renters-Report-Chart BRITISH COLUMBIA In British Columbia, 26 per cent of renters say they considered buying a property rather than renting before signing or renewing their lease. Looking ahead, 27 per cent say they plan to purchase a property in the next two years, while 52 per cent will not. “With a boost in rental supply in Vancouver, competition in this segment is improving, although affordability remains a challenge for tenants facing some of the highest rental prices in the country. Still, demand to live in one of Canada's most popular cities remains consistent,” said Nina Knudsen, property manager,11 Royal LePage Sussex in North Vancouver. “Empty nesters and working professionals make up a significant portion of our renter demographic, as do tenants who are landlords themselves. It is not uncommon for renters to buy an investment property in a less expensive market and lease it out while they continue to save towards the purchase of a primary residence.” Knudsen added that tightening provincial legislation on rentals has caused some would-be landlords to step out of the market, a potential challenge for the creation of rental supply. According to the latest Rental Market Report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent in Vancouver for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 8.6 per cent higher than a year prior.12 Vacancy rates sat at 0.9 per cent for both purpose-built rental buildings and condominium apartments. By comparison, the average rent in Victoria for a two-bedroom unit in October 2023 was 7.9 per cent higher than a year prior. The vacancy rate in purpose-built rental buildings sat at 1.6 per cent, according to CMHC. Among renters living in British Columbia, 23 per cent spend up to 30 per cent of their net income on monthly rent costs, while 42 per cent spend between 31 and 50 per cent of their income. Twenty-five per cent of renters spend more than 50 per cent of their net income on rent, well above the national average of 16 per cent. “As interest rates have increased over the past two years, higher monthly carrying costs have put considerable strain on entrepreneurial landlords, prompting some to offload their units onto the resale market,” said Knudsen. “With rates now beginning to trend downward, some investors may be seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. However, the most recent rate cut by the Bank of Canada will not be enough to encourage those landlords from selling their properties if further cuts are not made in the near future.” Royal LePage 2024 Canadian Renters Report – Data Chart: rlp.ca/2024-Canadian-Renters-Report-Chart Royal LePage resources for aspiring homeowners: To help aspiring homeowners, Royal LePage has published a number of online resources available at the following links: From renter to homeowner: Your complete guide to home ownership in a competitive real estate market 8 new housing policies announced in the 2024 federal budget Real estate terminology 101 Expert Q&A: What you need to know about buying a property pre-construction 6 tips for a seamless moving day Saving for your first home? Here's what you need to know about Canada's First Home Savings Account (FHSA) What is the Home Buyers' Plan? Get matched with Your Perfect Neighbourhood! About the Survey Hill & Knowlton used the Leger Opinion online panel to survey 1,506 Canadians, aged 18+, who rent their primary residence. The survey was completed between June 7th and June 10th, 2024. Representative sampling was done across all provinces (Atlantic provinces were aggregated). Weighting was applied to ensure representation between and within provinces, according to 2021 household renter census figures. No margin of error can be associated with a non-probability sample (i.e., a web panel in this case). For comparative purposes, though, a probability sample of 1,506 respondents would have a margin of error of ±3%, 19 times out of 20. About Royal LePage Serving Canadians since 1913, Royal LePage is the country's leading provider of services to real estate brokerages, with a network of approximately 20,000 real estate professionals in over 670 locations nationwide. Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation, the Royal LePage® Shelter Foundation™, which has been dedicated to supporting women's shelters and domestic violence prevention programs for 25 years. Royal LePage is a Bridgemarq Real Estate Services® Inc. company, a TSX-listed corporation trading under the symbolTSX:BRE. For more information, please visit www.royallepage.ca. Mario Toneguzzi Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada's Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024. About Us Canada's Podcast is the number one podcast in Canada for entrepreneurs and business owners. Established in 2016, the podcast network has interviewed over 600 Canadian entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast. With hosts in each province, entrepreneurs have a local and national format to tell their stories, talk about their journey and provide inspiration for anyone starting their entrepreneurial journey and well- established founders. The commitment to a grass roots approach has built a loyal audience on all our social channels and YouTube – 500,000+ lifetime YouTube views, 200,000 + audio downloads, 35,000 + average monthly social impressions, 10,000 + engaged social followers and 35,000 newsletter subscribers. Canada's Podcast is proud to provide a local, national and international presence for Canadian entrepreneurs to build their brand and tell their story #business #CanadasNumberOnePodcastforEntrepreneurs #entrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #Homeownership #Homes #Housing #RealEstate #small business

This week, the Prime Minister's Air Force plane broke down in Papua New Guinea.  Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper breaks this down, as he wraps the political week.  Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “They're very good planes – but it's like anything – if you don't use them, they'll break down.”  Soper said “They're only used as VIP aircraft about 15% of the time.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Electricity Authority says Northlanders deserve answers - as it launches an investigation into a toppled electricity tower.   The region experienced outages yesterday after a transmission tower fell down northwest of Auckland.  Transpower says its workers were carrying out maintenance at the time and has started an investigation.  Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “It knocked out power to 100,000 users.”   Soper said “Simeon Brown was there today – he said the event was completely unacceptable.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Labour's leader has revealed the previous Government had a major relationship breakdown with the agriculture sector at the end of its term in Government.   Speaking to the Country from Fieldays, Chris Hipkins said he was at the event to listen to the concerns of farmers.  Senior Political Correspondent, Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan farmers are the economic backbone of this country.  Soper said “Farming exports way and above outweigh anything else in this country, so let's look after them.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Te Pāti Māori is asking Police to lead an urgent investigation of allegations made against the Party.   It denies claims Census information collected at Manurewa Marae was used in electioneering.  The Electoral Commission, Stats NZ and Police are investigating - and the Privacy Commissioner is looking into the claims.  Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “Te Pāti Māori have come out, fists flailing, to say we've got nothing to hide”  Soper said the only way to clear this matter up, is by looking into it.   LISTEN ABOVE.       See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is putting $30 million towards free and timely access to radiology services including X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds across the country.   Health Minister Shane Reti made the announcement this morning during a visit to Waikanae Health Centre.  Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Jack Tame “The biggest problem has been in the provinces.”  Soper said “At the moment, you've got to go to a specialist, to be referred for X-rays, CT scans and ultrasounds. You can imagine how long that can take.”  LISTEN ABOVE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Labour Party has suggested its supporters donate their tax cuts.  The request was sent in an email by party secretary Rob Salmond - stating, "You may get a few dollars in tax cuts, but they come at the cost of services that Kiwis rely on".  The statement then asked, "Friend, will you donate some of your tax cut to Labour?"  Senior Political Correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis-Allan “Talk about hypocritical.”  Soper said “The tax cuts have meant a lot to a lot of people – to most wage and salary earners.”  LISTEN ABOVE.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government's Budget centrepiece has passed in the House - and tax cuts will become law.   By shifting income tax brackets, it will give earners earning more than $14,000 dollars an extra $4-$40 a fortnight.   Senior Political Correspondent Bary Soper told Heather du Plessis Allan “We've seen nothing like it in 14 years – since the tax brackets were last moved.”  Soper said they should have been moved gradually over the years, as they don't catch up for where they would've been.   LISTEN ABOVE.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has unveiled a 571-million-dollar funding boost over four years - including 163-million for bolstering pay. The rest will go towards upgrading tech and fleets - including the military's NH90 helicopters, and dated vehicles. Senior political correspondent Barry Soper told Heather du Plessis Allan “It's about interoperability with our defence partners." Soper said “If you look at our spend compared to theirs, it's small – this spend will bring us up to one percent of GDP.”  LISTEN ABOVE.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's it like to work with a wedding photographer?In this series on the Design Your Wedding Business podcast, I'm connecting with one wedding professional each week to talk about how we as wedding planners can better educate ourselves and our clients about different areas of the industry. In this episode, we're learning all about wedding photography from Amy Soper. Amy is a Woodinville wedding photographer capturing joyful photos for all humans who delight in connection, individuality, furry friends, and a good laugh.Topics covered in this episode include:Finding a photographer who is a good fit for your coupleWhat to expect when you're working with a photographerPlanning enough time for photos on the wedding dayIf you have questions about how to reach out to and work with a wedding photographer, you've come to the right place.I would love to connect on Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesignYourWeddingBusiness & Instagram: www.instagram.com/design_your_wedding_business!Resources Mentioned:Visit Amy's Website: www.soperphotography.com Follow @yourfriendtographer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yourfriendtographerFollow Amy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amysoperphotography Show notes available at: designyourweddingbusiness.com/design-your-wedding-business-podcast/Want to find out which of the 8 CEO's your business needs you to be and the tasks that will benefit you the most? Take the 2 minute quiz and find out now: https://bit.ly/DWYBQuiz

On Friday's Rugby Daily, Richie McCormack brings you team news from three of the four provinces ahead of their URC fixtures. The Byrne brothers get a rare start together for Leinster, as Jordan Larmour reaches the century mark for the province. There's a maiden start for a Connacht hooker, and we hear from Cathal Forde. Interim Ulster head coach Dan Soper leans on experience for tomorrow's visit of the Dragons. Emmanuel Meafou is poised to make his overdue French debut next week. And the rugby world bids farewell to the great JPR Williams.

Let's talk comprehensive literacy and AAC!In this episode of SLP Coffee Talk, I sat down with Amanda Soper who is an AAC expert, particularly when it comes to literacy and vision-impaired students. She's here to discuss comprehensive literacy and how we can utilize robust AAC vocabulary to help our students reach their reading goals. Topics covered in this episode include:The importance of high-quality literacy instruction with accommodations for our non-speaking studentsWhy having a robust AAC vocabulary is critical for success Examples of how to incorporate a language-rich literacy activity with a student with AACStrategies you can use to make your lessons more meaningful Tips for working with classroom teachers as a team to help your students succeedAmanda is passionate that all kids, regardless of any disabilities, can learn to read, and I am so excited to share this conversation and all of her tips with you in this episode. Check it out now! Full show notes available at www.speechtimefun.com/212Resources Mentioned: Get a copy of the book Creative Literacy for All:  https://a.co/d/5FAz7x7Check out her website: www.AACreATivelyCommunicating.comCheck out the Infinite Learning Foundation website:  www.InfiniteLearningFoundation.orgFollow Amanda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aacreatively/Follow Amanda on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aacreatively/Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-soper-slp/Visit her TPT store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/AacreativelyCheck out her Boom Learning Store: https://wow.boomlearning.com/author/aacreativelyListen to the CVI and AAC podcast: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-wz7ff-1398d15https://www.talkingwithtech.org/episodes/amanda-soperWhere We Can Connect: Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-coffee-talk/id1497341007Follow Hallie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speechtimefunFollow Hallie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeechTimeFun/Follow Hallie on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/missspeechie/Looking for practical and relevant professional development unlike any other!?March 9th I will be hosting my next virtual Speech Retreat conference for SLPs.What will you get?6 hours of PD that is relevant, practical and funReplays that don't go away$40 digital swagRaffles and funLearn from 9 speakersHead to speechretreat.com to learn more and sign up today!!!

Welcome to The Photography Bar podcast, where we talk all things photography. In this episode we talk about a free alternative to Adobe Lightroom? Plus Hazel Soper the organiser of The Photography and Video show joins us to discuss what's on at the upcoming Photography and Video show in Birmingham. You can check out the show, plus book your tickets: https://www.photographyshow.com/ You can support he channel by leaving us a 5* review on your favourite podcast app like Spotify and Apple podcasts ----- SUBSCRIBE to our new Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePhotographyBar   Support the show by joining our Patron : https://www.patreon.com/thephotographybar ----- Here is everywhere you can find us: Website: https://www.thephotographybar.co.uk/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/thephotogbar Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thephotographybar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thephotographybar1/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thephotographybarpodcast

In this interview, Phil Soper, President and CEO of Royal LePage, discusses the real estate company's latest housing report. Soper talks about where home prices are headed in 2024, what to expect in sales, the impact of increased mortgage rates, the challenge of supply in Canada and affordability. PRESS RELEASE TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2023 /CNW/ – After years of unprecedented irregularity, Canadians may see the real estate market return closer to normal in 2024. According to the Royal LePage Market Survey Forecast, the aggregate1 price of a home in Canada is set to increase 5.5 per cent year over year to $843,684 in the fourth quarter of 2024, with the median price of a single-family detached property and condominium projected to increase 6.0 per cent and 5.0 to $879,164 and $616,140, respectively.2 “Looking ahead, we see 2024 as an important tipping point for the national economy as the majority of Canadians acknowledge that the ultra-low interest rate era is dead and gone,” said Phil Soper, President and CEO, Royal LePage. “We believe that the ‘great adjustment' to tolerable, mid-single-digit borrowing costs will have a firm grip on our collective consciousness after only modest rate cuts by the Bank of Canada.” Home prices are expected to rise next year in all major markets across the country, with Calgary forecast to see the greatest gains. Throughout the second half of 2023, while prices have been declining in other cities, the Calgary real estate market has bucked the trend continuing on an upward price trajectory. Royal LePage's forecast is based on the prediction that the Bank of Canada has concluded its interest rate hike campaign and that the key lending rate will hold steady at five per cent through the first half of 2024. The central bank is expected to start making modest cuts in late summer or fall of next year. Meanwhile, several major financial institutions have already begun offering discounts on fixed-rate mortgages. “For the last year, many Canadians have been fixated on the idea of interest rates needing to come down significantly before they can afford to enter or re-enter the housing market. Acceptance that a mortgage rate of four to five per cent is the new normal should untether pent-up demand as first-time buyers, flush with savings collected during the extended down market in housing, regain the confidence to go home shopping. And, with the return of first-timer demand, we expect families who have put off upgrading their homes to begin to list their properties in much greater numbers,” continued Soper. How we got here Over the last eighteen months, sales activity in most of Canada's major real estate markets has been on the decline, while inventory levels have gradually increased. While transactions are down as much as 20 or 30 per cent in some regions, home prices have only declined modestly during this time, due to a simultaneous drop in demand as buyer hopefuls continue to hold out for lower interest rates. Still, prices remain above 2022 levels. “Canada's real estate market has been on a roller coaster ride for the last four years. A global pandemic briefly brought market activity to a grinding halt in early 2020, followed by a rapid, widespread spike in demand and price appreciation as Canadians sought safety and greater living space in their homes among a world of uncertainty. By the spring of 2022, home prices had reached unprecedented highs, but when interest rates started rising quickly and steeply to combat inflation, the extended market correction began,” said Soper. “Markets take time to adjust. We see a move toward typical home sale transaction levels in 2024, and as the year progresses, appreciating house prices.” Quarterly forecast Nationally, home prices are forecast to see modest quarterly gains in the first two quarters of 2024, with more considerable increases expected in the second half of the year, following the anticipated start of interest rate cuts by the Bank of Canada. The aggregate price of a home in Canada is forecast to be 3.3 per cent higher in Q1 of 2024 compared to the same quarter in 2023, reflecting a 0.5 per cent increase over the fourth quarter of 2023. In the second quarter of next year, the national aggregate home price is forecast to be 0.2 per cent higher year over year and 0.9 per cent above the previous quarter. In the third quarter, home prices are expected to be 3.3 per cent higher year over year and 2.3 per cent higher on a quarterly basis. And, in the fourth quarter of 2024, the national aggregate price of a home is expected to land 5.5 per cent above the same quarter in 2023, an increase of 1.7 per cent quarter over quarter. Based on this forecast, by the end of next year, home prices will have essentially climbed back to their pandemic peak, reached in the first quarter of 2022. Supply shortage and affordability challenges Canada continues to struggle with a chronic housing supply shortage. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the country needs about 3.5 million additional housing units by 2030 to restore affordability, with the greatest need concentrated in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia.3 At the current pace of housing construction and considering the rate of new household formation and immigration projections, inventory will remain out of step with projected demand for years to come. “For many years, condominiums have offered an affordable opportunity for entry onto the real estate ladder, in addition to their ‘lock and leave' lifestyle that is typically attractive to young people. Of late, however, this segment of the market has also become out of financial reach for many in major cities like Toronto and Vancouver, where new construction cannot keep pace with growing demand. And, the elevated cost of construction materials and labour are adding additional pressure on builders,” said Soper. “What's more, with ultra-low vacancy rates, the rental market is not the escape route many would-be buyers hope it could be, with monthly lease rates on the rise from coast to coast.” Competing public policy objectives In the federal government's Fall Economic Statement released last month, billions of dollars were committed and reaffirmed towards increased levels of new housing construction. This includes favourable loan agreements and tax benefits for developers of purpose-built rental buildings and public housing projects, as well as financial assistance for municipalities to crack down on short-term rentals in an effort to push more supply onto the resale market in urban centres.4 “It is encouraging to see policy makers tackling Canada's housing affordability issues and supply shortfall, yet there remains a large accessibility gap for first-time buyers and middle-income earners. Those that have salaries or wages that have not kept up with the cost of living find it difficult to achieve the dream of home ownership. Thankfully, many have received financial help from family or friends, yet this is not something Canadians should have to rely upon,” said Soper. “With competing policy objectives – record-high immigration to combat labour shortages, for example – I see little hope that housing construction will meet that need this decade. The demand/supply imbalance will put further upward pressure on home prices. “While uncomfortably expensive housing in our major markets is inevitable, it is imperative that governments adopt quick and extraordinary measures to mitigate affordability challenges and address the housing supply crisis,” concluded Soper. Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast MARKET SUMMARIES Greater Toronto Area In the Greater Toronto Area, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 6.0 per cent year over year to $1,198,012. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 7.0 per cent to $1,481,950, while the median price of a condominium is forecast to increase 5.0 per cent to $754,845. “There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Canada's economy and the real estate market these days, and that is especially true in the major centres like Toronto. What is certain is that Canadians need housing, they value home ownership and most are willing to prioritize buying a home over just about anything else,” said Karen Yolevski, chief operating officer, Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd. “We know there are still buyers on the sidelines waiting for interest rates to come down. What is unclear is how many can afford to jump back into the market at the first sign of a reduction, and how many truly cannot afford to transact in this environment.” Yolevski added that a lot of future activity will be dependent not only on reduced interest rates, but the timing of mortgage renewals. Many would-be move-up buyers who have enjoyed ultra-low rates for the past few years will be willing to make a move as their current loan terms expire. No longer bound to their current property because of the interest rate, more of these owners will put their properties on the market and begin their search for a new home. “The GTA is Canada's most densely-populated region and continues to be the top destination for newcomers. Despite a temporary drop in sales, there remains a huge gap in the number of homes available and those needed to satisfy demand from middle-income earners. This continues to put significant pressure on the already-tight rental market.” Yolevski also noted that investor-owned properties, namely condominiums, could add supply to the market over the next year or two, as mortgages come up for renewal and owners choose to sell rather than renew at a higher rate. “If tenanted properties are not producing positive cash-flow, investors may choose to sell rather than renew their mortgages in this higher-cost borrowing environment. This, in addition to new legislation that incentivizes the development of purpose-built rental properties, could add some much-needed inventory to the entry-level market,” said Yolevski. “It will not be enough, however, to put downward pressure on prices.” Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast Greater Montreal Area In the Greater Montreal Area, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 5.0 per cent year over year to $610,260. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 4.5 per cent to $684,998, while the median price of a condominium is forecast to increase 6.0 per cent to $471,912. “The real estate crystal ball prediction will be made up of many factors in 2024, but the thing to remember is that the reduction in inflation closer to the target rate will not have been enough to curb the increase in real estate prices for very long, due to a chronic lack of supply,” said Dominic St-Pierre, vice-president and general manager, Royal LePage, Quebec region. “Housing is an essential need, and the still-critical shortage of units required to meet demand and population growth is destined to persist, as long as investments by all levels of government fail to materialize in the urban landscape. However, even if interest rates are expected to start dipping next year, consumers will have to adapt to a new reality, as the days of ultra-low rates are over. In the short term, this should keep property price increases in check while households adjust their purchasing behaviours.” In its fall economic update, the Quebec government pledged $1.8 billion over five years to improve access to housing in the province.5 This investment will include actions to accelerate the construction of affordable housing, as well as assistance to municipalities in the form of increased flexibility in urban planning bylaws, measures to facilitate the construction of secondary suites, and support for the training of the construction workforce. “We welcome any initiative aimed at reducing the gap between supply and demand, and applaud the creativity of the various levels of government in multiplying solutions,” said St-Pierre. “However, the challenge is massive, since Quebec requires the addition of more than 1.2 million units by the end of the decade in order to regain some semblance of affordability.” What's more, Montreal is the Canadian city where housing starts fell the most in the first six months of 2023, a 26-year record, and the prognosis for 2024 is not optimal.6 Rising borrowing costs have taken a heavy toll on builders' and developers' portfolios over the past year. For this reason, it is expected that when interest rates start to decline, the pent-up demand will unleash on the condominium segment in the Greater Montreal Area, which will see an appreciation rate slightly higher than that of single-family homes. “In addition to condominiums, the market for single-family homes priced at $1 million and higher should also see an upturn as expectations of lower interest rates materialize,” said Marc Lefrançois, chartered real estate broker, Royal LePage Tendance in Montreal. “For this category of buyers, moving from one property to another is often not an immediate necessity. Many have therefore preferred to wait in order to take advantage of more favourable financing conditions, but could return to the market quickly when the central bank announces the start of a downward cycle in interest rates.” Economic conditions in the province were heavily weighed down at the end of the year by the outbreak of strikes in the public sector, as well as numerous layoffs across a myriad of industries, which could influence consumer confidence regarding large purchases such as a property in 2024, despite a widely expected drop in interest rates. “Savings accumulated by households during the pandemic have begun to run out, keeping pace with inflation and interest rate hikes over the past 21 months,” noted St-Pierre. “Quebec households have a high level of debt, and despite signs of relief in borrowing costs on the horizon, their purchasing power will remain limited. The downward adjustment of the Bank of Canada's overnight rate, even by a quarter per cent, could send a strong message to consumers about future economic conditions. The pace at which interest rates rebalance will also play a big part in the equation,” he continued. St-Pierre added, “The start of 2024 could see the Greater Montreal Area's real estate market get off to a slow start, following a similar trend to the last quarter of 2023. But, we expect the recovery to get underway quickly once interest rates start to fall. Next year is likely to be more active than 2023 in terms of property sales,” he concluded. Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast Greater Vancouver In Greater Vancouver, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 3.0 per cent year over year to $1,281,732. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 2.5 per cent to $1,778,785, while the median price of a condominium is forecast to increase 4.0 per cent to $795,808. “Activity has slowed in recent months allowing some inventory to build, as buyers hold out for a deal or for interest rates to drop, and sellers continue to expect 2021 values for their homes. While this has resulted in a market slowdown, Greater Vancouver could see a brisk spring if interest rates remain steady or dip even a little,” said Randy Ryalls, managing broker, Royal LePage Sterling Realty. “There is still plenty of demand waiting in the wings, and a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel could easily heat up the market again. Some buyers will rush to transact before the competition gets too tight. Others will wait for multiple rate cuts.” Ryalls noted that while many sidelined buyers are likely to jump back into the market next year if lending rates come down, competition will not be as aggressive as it was two years ago when borrowing costs sat at record lows. “Purchasing power has been deflated. With the rising cost of living and interest rates five or six times higher than they were a few years ago, buyers have less capacity to outbid their competitors. This will keep a lid on price appreciation, even as activity picks up,” said Ryalls. “Some banks have already begun to offer discounts on fixed-rate mortgages, incentivizing some buyers back to the table. Eventually, everyone will have to adjust to the new realities of the market.” Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast Ottawa In Ottawa, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 4.5 per cent year over year to $771,942. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 4.0 per cent to $884,000, while the median price of condominium is forecast to increase 5.0 per cent to $407,190. “The Ottawa market is heavily influenced by interest rates. Even if we see only a modest decrease in rates by the Bank of Canada mid-way through 2024, this move could spark a flurry of buying activity leading into our late summer and early fall market,” said Jason Ralph, broker of record, Royal LePage Team Realty. “These days, only those homeowners who must move for personal reasons are listing their homes. In many cases, those with the luxury of time are staying on the sidelines, waiting for interest rates to come down. This is creating pent-up buyer demand, especially in the always desirable single-family detached segment.” Ralph noted that many first-time homebuyers have been renting as they wait for lower interest rates and improved purchasing power. This is creating a competitive rental market, especially as newcomers relocate to Ottawa for opportunities in the city's thriving public service job market, adding to the already high levels of renter demand. “Though we have returned to a more normalized market post-pandemic, we are not quite in balanced territory yet as demand continues to outweigh supply. As a result, we are expecting a brisk spring market next year,” said Ralph. “Should we see a drop in interest rates, market activity will intensify, resulting in an incline in home prices in the later months of the year and into 2025.” Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast Calgary In Calgary, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 8.0 per cent year over year to $711,612, the highest of all forecast regions. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 6.0 per cent to $803,692, while the median price of a condominium is forecast to increase 9.5 per cent to $286,562. “Although activity has slowed in Calgary, home prices have not dipped like they have in other cities across Canada, due to a sustained shortage of supply,” said Corinne Lyall, broker and owner, Royal LePage Benchmark. “If rates start to come down in the second half of 2024 – as they are predicted to do – it will motivate buyers to jump into the market as their borrowing power improves. Many homeowners will see their mortgages come up for renewal next year, and will be forced to take a higher interest rate. This may push some more inventory onto the market, as overleveraged borrowers downsize in an effort to get some relief from higher monthly payments.” Lyall noted that Calgary has seen a slowdown in the number of interprovincial buyers relocating to the city compared to the past few years. However, investors from other provinces continue to look for real estate opportunities in the Prairies, driving demand in the multi-family segment. “We expect that home prices will rise over the next year, and will outperform other major cities as Calgary's relative affordability continues to attract buyers to the city. A shortage of supply remains a challenge, which will keep prices on an upward trajectory for the foreseeable future as buyers compete for the few homes available,” said Lyall. “Heading into the new year, I predict that we will see a slow start to the market in January and February, a similar pattern to what we saw in early 2023. Once March arrives, buyers and sellers will move off of the sidelines as a brisk spring market begins and consumer confidence strengthens.” Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast Edmonton In Edmonton, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 4.0 per cent year over year to $443,248. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 7.0 per cent to $493,805, while the median price of a condominium is forecast to increase 2.0 per cent to $192,678. “Next year, we expect similar activity to this year, but home values will likely increase as price appreciation falls in line with historical trends. Edmonton continues to experience a shortage of homes relative to demand, which will keep home prices trending upward in 2024. This will only be intensified by the number of residents moving into the city, searching for affordability and work opportunities,” said Tom Shearer, broker and owner, Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate. “We continue to see a gap between buyer expectations and the reality of how far their dollar will stretch. Until they feel that they're getting their money's worth, some buyers will continue to wait on the sidelines, building further pent-up demand.” Shearer noted that Edmonton home prices are largely tied to the oil and gas sector, which continues to be a major driver of employment opportunities. Edmonton has seen a surge in newcomers over the past few years, in addition to Canadians moving to Alberta from other provinces – namely Ontario and British Columbia. “The city's fast-growing population has put upward pressure on home prices,” said Shearer. “In recent years, the province has seen a notable surge in activity and home prices in the city of Calgary, and we believe similar trends are on the horizon for Edmonton.” Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast Halifax In Halifax, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 3.0 per cent year over year to $521,592. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 5.0 per cent to $602,490, while the median price of a condominium is forecast to increase 1.5 per cent to $431,375. “Looking ahead to the 2024 housing market in Halifax, we are feeling quite positive. It is likely that interest rates will be reduced mid-year, which will cause some hesitant or sidelined buyers to jump back into the market,” said Matt Honsberger, broker and owner, Royal LePage Atlantic. “Those in the rental market – who are currently paying higher-than-normal prices due to tight competition in this segment – will be especially motivated to transition into home ownership. Many move-up buyers, who have patiently been biding their time until borrowing rates improve or their mortgages come up for renewal, are also expected to re-enter the market in the new year.” Honsberger noted that investors from Ontario and Alberta are an active buyer group in Nova Scotia. This demand is not exclusive to the investor-friendly condominium segment, but is also present in the single-family and new construction markets as well, despite the non-resident tax applicable to all transactions by out-of-province buyers. “Though we will experience the typical seasonal slowdown in the first weeks of the new year, I expect January will still be up in terms of prices and activity compared to the same time this year. Sales are likely to begin increasing in February and March, as more inventory comes online. And, if we see one or two rate cuts in the fall, a boost of activity will follow,” said Honsberger. Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast Winnipeg In Winnipeg, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 3.0 per cent year over year to $396,447. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 4.0 per cent to $440,232, while the median price of a condominium is forecast to increase 2.0 per cent to $263,568. “Every year, the Winnipeg real estate market follows a similar pattern – slow through the winter months with a rise in activity in the spring, followed by a quieter summer and then a slow decline for the remainder of the year. We expect 2024 will look much like a typical year, resulting in modest price increases as consumer confidence strengthens,” said Michael Froese, broker and manager, Royal LePage Prime Real Estate. “Single-family detached homes will likely see the majority of next year's price growth, especially in the highly-sought-after $300,000 to $400,000 price range.” Froese added that he is not overly concerned that the expected wave of upcoming mortgage renewals will force many homeowners to have to list their homes due to higher monthly costs. “As has always been the case, Canadians value home ownership. When faced with financial strain, most people will cut back on discretionary spending and make other concessions before resorting to selling their homes,” he added. “While it may not be as strong of a seller's market as it was two years ago, prices are anticipated to remain buoyant as buyer demand is expected to continue outweighing available home supply, even in the slower months.” Royal LePage 2024 Market Survey Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024forecast Royal LePage 2024 Quarterly Forecast Table: rlp.ca/table_2024quarterlyforecast Regina In Regina, the aggregate price of a home in the fourth quarter of 2024 is forecast to increase 3.0 per cent year over year to $381,306. During the same period, the median price of a single-family detached property is expected to rise 4.0 per cent to $417,456, while the median price of a condominium is forecast to increase 2.5 per cent to $228,063. “Like many cities across Canada, higher interest rates have prompted buyers to hit pause as their borrowing capacity has diminished. As a result, demand is building on the sidelines as consumers wait anxiously for borrowing costs to come down,” said Shaheen Zareh, sales representative, Royal LePage Regina Realty. “Although it is highly unlikely we will see rates as low as one or two per cent again – at least not anytime soon – I do believe some of that sidelined demand will re-enter the market once rates are cut, even if only by a small amount.” Zareh added that rental prices have climbed in Regina as higher mortgage rates have kept would-be buyers in leased properties for longer. This has constrained rental supply and pushed prices up, making the cost of monthly rent comparable to a mortgage payment in some cases. “Overall, supply remains constrained. I expect prices will see a modest increase in 2024, not only in the detached segment but in the condo market as well. There has been a lot of activity in the condominium segment as of late, despite the property type not being particularly popular in the region, historically. We have seen an uptick in condo sales thanks to first-time buyers who are seeking a more affordable option that will allow them to get a foot on the property ladder sooner.” said Zareh. “Many young buyers would much prefer a new condo for $200,000 over a detached fixer-upper that costs $100,000 more.” Zareh noted that many short-term pandemic-era mortgages are expected to come up for renewal next year, which could have an impact on supply as homeowners weigh the decision to renew or sell their homes and downsize into a more financially manageable property. About the Royal LePage Market Survey Forecast The Royal LePage Market Survey Forecast provides year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter price expectations nationally and for Canada's nine most prominent real estate markets. Housing values are based on the Royal LePage National House Price Composite, produced quarterly through the use of company data in addition to data and analytics from its sister company, RPS Real Property Solutions, the trusted source for residential real estate intelligence and analytics in Canada. Additionally, commentary on housing market trends and data on price and forecast values are provided by Royal LePage residential real estate experts, based on their opinions and market knowledge. About Royal LePage Serving Canadians since 1913, Royal LePage is the country's leading provider of services to real estate brokerages, with a network of approximately 20,000 real estate professionals in over 670 locations nationwide. Royal LePage is the only Canadian real estate company to have its own charitable foundation, the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, which has been dedicated to supporting women's shelters and domestic violence prevention programs for 25 years. Royal LePage is a Bridgemarq Real Estate Services Inc. company, a TSX-listed corporation trading under the symbolTSX:BRE. For more information, please visit www.royallepage.ca. Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada's Podcast. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 as one of the Top 10 Business Journalists in the World by PR News – the only Canadian to make the list About Us Canada's Podcast is the number one podcast in Canada for entrepreneurs and business owners. Established in 2016, the podcast network has interviewed over 600 Canadian entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast. With hosts in each province, entrepreneurs have a local and national format to tell their stories, talk about their journey and provide inspiration for anyone starting their entrepreneurial journey and well- established founders. The commitment to a grass roots approach has built a loyal audience on all our social channels and YouTube – 500,000+ lifetime YouTube views, 200,000 + audio downloads, 35,000 + average monthly social impressions, 10,000 + engaged social followers and 35,000 newsletter subscribers. Canada's Podcast is proud to provide a local, national and international presence for Canadian entrepreneurs to build their brand and tell their story. #business #CanadasNumberOnePodcastforentrepreneurs #entrepreneurship #Homes #Housing #smallbusiness

Alice Soper is one of my favourite humans. Her heart, mind, passion for life, & her ability to create community around women's sport inspires me daily. I don't know many things for certain, but I am certain that anyone who knows Alice knows what it feels like to feel seen. In this episode we talk about gender expression, sexuality, creativity in equity for sport, & about how growing older doesn't have to mean growing up. Buckle up, this is a helluva conversation!!!

This week Stella sat down to interview one of her favorite teachers in the building, our Library Media Specialist Ms. Soper. Listen in as Stella chats with Ms Soper about everything from how she became a librarian to her favorite video games that she is playing right now. Enjoy and be sure you like, subscribe, and leave us a positive review on itunes or Spotify.  Intro/Outro and Ad Music: www.bensound.com/royalty-free-music. Edited by Khloe.

We talk to Dr. Jordan Soper, certified Sex Therapist and Psychologist, about the overwhelming sexualization of goth girls, the relationship of depression to goths, porn and much more! We also hear some new singles from Blood Bells and Gothnetic. Find Dr. Soper on IG, TikTok and Youtube If you enjoy the show and want to hear this months exclusive bonus episode, head over to Patreon! Intro 00:00 Getting into goth 2:45 Are Goths Depressed 12:35 Do Goths Make Better Lovers 26:40 The Goth GF 37:00 Porn 53:45 Neurospicy Sex 58:20 Death and Sex 1:04:10 ACE 1:07:00 Trauma 1:13:00 Tik-Tok Pathology 1:17:50 Recomendations 1:29:30

We talk to Dr. Jordan Soper, certified Sex Therapist and Psychologist, about the overwhelming sexualization of goth girls, the relationship of depression to goths, porn and much more! We also hear some new singles from Blood Bells and Gothnetic. Find Dr. Soper on IG, TikTok and Youtube If you enjoy the show and want to hear this months exclusive bonus episode, head over to Patreon! Intro 00:00 Getting into goth 2:45 Are Goths Depressed 12:35 Do Goths Make Better Lovers 26:40 The Goth GF 37:00 Porn 53:45 Neurospicy Sex 58:20 Death and Sex 1:04:10 ACE 1:07:00 Trauma 1:13:00 Tik-Tok Pathology 1:17:50 Recomendations 1:29:30

The Black Ferns team has been named ahead of the final match of the WXV1 tournament Saturday night against England. The Test between the world's two leading nations at Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium is a rematch of last year's memorable World Cup final at Eden Park, which New Zealand won 34-31. Rugby commentator Alice Soper says the tournament so far shows anything could happen. Soper spoke to Corin Dann.

Dr. Jordan Soper is a certified sex therapist and the owner of the Center for Sexual Health and Wellness in Nevada. Dr. Soper's mission is to normalize conversations about sex and help individuals address a wide range of issues including sexual health and functioning, anxiety, and trauma. The post 1118:  What It's Like to Be a Sex Therapist With Dr. Jordan Soper, Center for Sexual Health & Wellness [Main T4C Episode] appeared first on Time4Coffee.

Ross Halls and Blue Wilson are back with our Ipswich Town Women's podcast. This week they're joined by defender Megan Wearing as they discuss pre-season as whole, Megs' first season, Soper signing and squad numbers.  Plus chat about former players joining new clubs and looking ahead to the opening league game away at Cardiff City. Tractor Girls Talk is sponsored by John Fowlers Solicitors.

It's 1915 and another typhoid fever outbreak, this one in a bustling hospital run by an officious Supervisor (Cindy Cheung), has once again led dogged sanitation engineer George Soper (Matt Park) to the hospital's newest cook, “Typhoid Mary" Mallon (Catherine Curtin). It's been years since Soper reluctantly released her from a forced quarantine on an inhospitable island. Can Mary finally wash her hands of him for good? Playwright Mike Lew's history-inspired comedy TYPHOID MARY, a 2021 Wordsmith Duo Commission supported by the Axe-Houghton Foundation, is directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel and features music by composer Tom Kochan. Stay tuned after the play for a lively conversation with Executive Director Yvie Jones and all the featured artists.

Meet our guest this episode, Cori Fonville Foster. Cori is a market at heart although she didn't start out by founding her own company. However, after experiencing a rare eye disease she left a career in the medical industry and started her own marketing firm. Her story by any definition shows why I call her “unstoppable” and I think you will too. Cori had a wide variety of experiences while growing up since her mother was in the military and, like many, served in places around the world. Yes, Cori got to go along and experience many places and peoples. We have had a number of guests on Unstoppable Mindset who had a relationship with military parents. Pretty much all of them seem to want to learn and grow from their childhood experiences and often end up in fields where they get to serve others. Cori spends time discussing with me her story of losing most of her eyesight and how she came to discover that she was still as normal as anyone. I had no idea when I first met her on LinkedIn that Cori was blind, and again, blindness does not necessarily mean a complete lack of eyesight. Cori's story shows us all just how unstoppable she is. Near the end of this episode Cori and I discussed an organization called Bookshare. This is a nonprofit established to provide a method of providing any book to persons who cannot use print to read. Its services are covered under current copyright laws as you will learn if you visit www.bookshare.org. About the Guest: Cori Fonville Foster is the CEO of IROC Marketable Business Solutions, a small business marketing firm that supports coaches, consultants, speakers, and authors as they learn to unlock their full potential and monetize their passions. Cori has always had a desire for helping others, which led her to pursue a career in the medical field early on. However, after complications from a rare, disabling eye condition, Cori decided to pivot and start her own business. As an entrepreneur herself, Cori quickly realized the gaps in services and support for small business owners with great products and services, who lacked the knowledge and funds to scale like larger businesses. In response, she founded IROC MBS to help small business owners across the U.S. and Canada start, run, and scale their businesses. Through her work with IROC MBS, Cori has helped countless entrepreneurs feel empowered to live life on their own terms. Her expertise in marketing and business strategy, combined with her passion for helping others succeed, has made her a sought-after speaker and consultant. Whether she's delivering a keynote speech or working one-on-one with clients, Cori is dedicated to empowering others to achieve their full potential. Ways to connect with Cori: Website: https://www.irocmarketablebusinesssolutions.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@iroc.mbs https://www.facebook.com/IROCMBS https://www.instagram.com/irocmbs/ https://twitter.com/Cori_Iroc88 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoH8-TfdC7rIkwCPjCUk3LQ https://www.linkedin.com/in/cori-fonville-foster-72750ba8/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can also subscribe in your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i  capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Welcome once again to unstoppable mindset where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. It's fun when we get to do all three of those in one podcast. You know, sometimes we have people who come on who happened to have a disability, which means we can deal with inclusion because a lot of times diversity doesn't. But of course diversity is relevant. And then the unexpected comes along, which is always fun. Today, Cori Fonville Foster our guest, I think can represent all three of those. She can make her own comments about that if she would like. So Cori, welcome to unstoppable mindset.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 01:58 I am so excited to be here for our conversation today.   Michael Hingson ** 02:02 So it's okay to say that you represent all three of those. Yes. safe assumption. Cool. Well, why don't we start by you telling us a little bit about you, kind of where you were born your younger life and the the early quarry and we'll go from there. Oh, my God   Cori Fonville Foster ** 02:22 is the early quarry Well, I'm a native to Virginia. But I only stayed here till I was about seven. My mother was in the army. And so I was lucky enough to get to travel to Texas, we were stationed in Germany, Hawaii, and then back here to Virginia. So we just made a big circle. And I really enjoyed just traveling as a child and exploring other people's cultures and getting to know you know what people wanted to do in life, just hearing the different stories that individuals had. But I did go to high school here in Virginia. And then I went to Virginia Commonwealth University, where I thought I wanted to be a psych major, and then and then found out that was not for me. But even through all that I kind of figured that what I found to be a common theme throughout all of my years was this idea of like of wanting to help people. And so while didn't finish it, VCU, I did find kind of a new passion in the medical field with helping people in that way.   Michael Hingson ** 03:29 What was school like in other countries and so on? How did you cope with all that? Because it must have been a little bit of a challenge moving around.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 03:38 Actually, I really liked it. I was never afraid to be the new kid. Especially because I went to a lot of areas where there was a lot of military. So I was definitely not the only new kid there. Texas Killeen, Texas. People are familiar deep in the heart of Texas. Lots of military there. And the only thing I had to realize that I was I thought I was country being from Virginia, but I was very country. Once I left Texas, Germany, I went to school on base but I did have to take German classes and Hawaii we actually had to take Japanese classes and hula dancing classes. That was part of the curriculum, but all in all school to school. I did. I didn't really like going to school, but school was school. Do you   Michael Hingson ** 04:21 remember any of your Japanese   Cori Fonville Foster ** 04:23 and not not even   Michael Hingson ** 04:26 about hula dancing? Oh,   Cori Fonville Foster ** 04:29 yes, actually, I do remember a little bit of hula dancing. That was fun. But ya know, the language just kind of fell off. I have like a little bit of German last, but not much not even enough to have a whole conversation.   Michael Hingson ** 04:42 Yeah. If you don't use it, it does kind of go away. But I'll bet if you really got put back in that situation again, some of it would come back.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 04:51 Yeah, probably so.   Michael Hingson ** 04:54 So you went to college and tell us then about going into the medical profession.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 05:00 Yeah, so I went to college, like I said, trying to be a psych major. I don't know how I ended up. Getting in there. I was early decision, I knew exactly what I wanted to do got in there my first semester, and found out how long psychologists actually go to school. And I realized, that is not what I wanted to do, I didn't want to spend all this time in school. And so after a year and a half, I left, but I ended up kind of landing myself in a nursing home. As not not as a as a, as a person living there. But as a worker. And I really fell in love with, you know, helping individuals that needed more support that you know, physically needed more support, so needed people to help possibly feed them, help them move around, bathed them, that kind of stuff. I was like, Okay, this is cool, not so much mental concerns, but even physical needs, like everyday needs. And I found that that was a lot more rewarding for me.   Michael Hingson ** 05:54 Ah, so then what did you do with that? So you, you didn't stay in college? Did you go back to college ever? Or?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 06:01 Yeah, I did. I went back to school. I did. I did a lot of home health work for a while. And I realized that I wanted to have more education in the medical field. So I went back to school, I have a associate's degree as a medical assistant. And then I was actually in school to become a registered nurse when my condition flared up. And unfortunately, I wasn't able to complete that degree, I was three credits away from graduating as a registered nurse. But unfortunately, but I guess fortunately, too, I found my true calling after that. But I did have to leave school and leave work, and basically go out on disability. Very, very close to the finish line of becoming a registered nurse.   Michael Hingson ** 06:43 Well, what was the eye condition? What happened?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 06:46 Yeah, so I have a rare condition called UV itis, it's a inflammatory condition. It's very rare. And the kind I have is even more rare, because usually, they can find out like what makes you you know, have this condition. But in my case, they call it idiopathic, meaning they basically don't know why I have it, I just do. So they treat the symptoms. And so I actually got diagnosed in high school, and lost all the vision in my left eye, my first year in college, but then nothing else. It just like, got calm, I had no issues, until I was about 20 to 23, somewhere in there. And that's when it flared up again. And it was just so bad that the doctors couldn't kind of get ahead of it. And they basically sat me down and said that they thought I was gonna go completely blind. From the condition. I did not go completely blind. That's that's a little longer story. But I did have to, like I said, discontinue my studies, and leave the job that I had been working at for quite a while. What did   Michael Hingson ** 07:51 you then go and do them move. So as a result, you you weren't a nurse, you weren't going to be able to be a nurse, although you'd worked at that, but you obviously gained a lot of knowledge and so on. So what did you then go off and do?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 08:02 Yeah, so after I had to go out on disability for about six months, I actually did nothing. I had, I had no coping skills as as a person that was visually impaired. Because before the flare up, that flare up that sent me out, I had 2020 of my right eye. So I was still kind of living life as a very able to visually abled person. And so when my vision quickly dissipated, I didn't really know what to do. I didn't know how to read Braille, I didn't know how to use a cane. I didn't know anything. So I just kind of was sad and depressed for about six months didn't do anything. Didn't know that there was lots of support out there. Unfortunately, I didn't have really great doctors at the time. And now I do thankfully, but I didn't have I didn't know that I could reach out and ask for help and get resources. So I did nothing for six months. And then after the six months, I decided to start a business. Why not? Where you're in the in the pits of despair, I started a business because I wanted something to do. I didn't want to be in the house and I wanted to make income. And again, I didn't know that. At the time. I didn't know that people who couldn't see could work. Now I've learned a lot that we are just as capable as everyone else. But then I back then I didn't know so I started my first business it was called Iraq marketable. I'm sorry, Iraq, my buddy. And so that's what it was called. And I sold like handmade soaps and bath bombs and body butters and you know, just a lot of handmade things for women to take like bubble baths, basically. But it was a cool business and I got to talk to a lot of small business owners, which was really cool to hear all their amazing stories and that kind of led me into starting the business that I run now.   Michael Hingson ** 09:46 So how did you learn how to make soaps and, and all those sorts of things that was totally different than the kinds of things that you had been studying for?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 09:56 Yeah, it was definitely like a complete one ad I like to learn period, like, I just like to learn things. And I needed to find something that I could do with the vision that I had. And so I was just YouTubing different things. And I would see people make, you know, different little bars of soap or make their own body butter, which can be used like a lotion on their skin. I was like, that seems cool. Let me try that. And it wasn't a lot of money to invest, because I didn't have any because I was unemployed. And at that time, I hadn't gotten my first disability check. So I was like, Okay, this seems, you know, easy enough. And my mother was a crafter. So I knew that she knew about like vending events. And I was like, okay, I can do this, I can do it at my own pace, I can do it with the vision that I have. And I just a lot of trial and error. But I got real good at it. I made I made some good money doing it, though. So I'm kind of proud of myself. While it was a little business that kind of came out of nowhere. It definitely was a lucrative business, that game gave me a lot of confidence. Because like I said, before, that I didn't think that, like I had a future because I was like, I can't see, like, this is it for me that you know, I just, it was like the world came crashing down, I really felt like, there was nothing that I was going to be able to accomplish, because I couldn't see. And so that gave me just a little bit of confidence to say, Okay, you're not, you know, helpless, you can do something, you can be productive. And that kind of gave me the confidence also to advocate for myself, I ended up firing my doctors getting a new team of doctors that helped me finding that organizations were out there that can support me, I actually connected with your organization, someone who was completely blind, that was like, girl, you can work you can do different stuff. And I was like, Really, she was like, yeah, she had written a book. And it really opened my eyes that this was not something that was going to limit my capabilities.   Michael Hingson ** 11:47 So what did the doctors tell you? I should have asked that earlier, I suppose. But what did the doctors tell you when they decided that you weren't going to be able to see again,   Cori Fonville Foster ** 11:57 I'm telling you, I had a really bad doctor, she literally just sat me down, it was very matter of fact. And she said, your eyes are angry. That's the words you use. And she says there's nothing we can do about it, we can't do surgery, there's no drop, she said, You need to just go ahead and quit your job, go home and collect disability. That's what that's literally what she told me. And because I didn't know any better, I did believe that for a long while, like a good. I said six months to a year I thought okay, the only thing I have the choice I have was to go home and go blind. And that's it. But like, so once I got a little confidence, and I found new doctors, they told me that, you know, while there was no cure, they could fight. And if I was willing to fight, they would try to preserve the vision I had, and they got me connected with people that can teach me how to live in my new normal.   Michael Hingson ** 12:46 Yeah, and that's exactly what it is, is a new normal. You know, I had a similar experience with a doctor a number of years ago, in that I was dealing with a lot of eye pain, which turned out to be glaucoma, eye pressure, and so on. But the doctor, by the way, I had already secured many years before a master's degree in physics. So I had a little bit of knowledge about one thing or another. And this doctor would only say to me, your eyes are mad at you. They're angry. And, you know, I said, What do you mean, they're, my eyes are mad at me. But they are and there's nothing we can do. And I said, What do you mean by mad at me, he wouldn't deal with the issue. And he couldn't take eye pressure. Because being having been blind since birth, I didn't know anything about controlling my eyes and looking up and looking down. And when he was trying to take high pressure, he kept saying look up and I said, When are you going to understand, I don't know how to do that. You know, when I said if you're going to treat me this way, I'm leaving, I'm not going to pay you a sin. And I'm going to make sure other people know how you treat blind people. And, you know, and that's exactly what I did. My wife was in the room at the time and heard the whole thing. And she agreed. It was it was not a good experience. And there's no need for that. And it's unfortunate that the Optima logical world doesn't get some of the training that they need to recognize that they're not failures just because the person can't see. And that it is high time that we stop preaching here now talking about blind and visually impaired and equating us to vision. You know, blind and low vision is one thing, but when we hear things like visually impaired, why do I need to be creative, equated to how much vision I have or don't have. And blindness is a characteristic and low vision is a characteristic. But doctors don't learn those things and the schools don't teach them that which is so unfortunate.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 14:55 Yeah, I agree. And I've had so many instances where people don't get The condition and they don't, they don't treat us with care I ended up in where you say God call me triggered me. Because I remember I my pressure got really high one time. I mean, it was like at 40. It was crazy. I felt like a giant was squeezing my head.   Michael Hingson ** 15:13 I was 70 Once I know what it is. And yeah,   Cori Fonville Foster ** 15:17 and so for people listening who are not visually impaired, like right now I'm in like the single digits. So So you know, you're not supposed to be in the doubles. But yeah, I went to the emergency room. And the nurse practitioner on call, didn't know how to use the pressure machine, she sat next to me on the bed, I'm in tears. And she pulls out the instructions to the machine that she was about to poke in my eye. And she's like reading it. And I was like, Can you please go out the room, read what you got to read, get yourself together and come back confidently, because you're about to touch my eyeball, which is already in pain, I ended up having to have emergency surgery the next day to get my pressure lowered. And it's just like, that kind of stuff just drives me crazy. Because I again, I was on the other side of that I was in the medical field. I was you know, we're helping doctors see patients and I'm like, why would you do that when somebody is in such need, right? They need you to support them, calm them down, give them reassurance and instead, they make us more scared, or less confident in not only their abilities, but our outcomes. And it's just a horrible place to be because I've had several eye surgeries. Now I've gone through several doctors and different prognosis. And it's just, you know, you want people that at least believe that, you know, they're gonna give you the best care and the best options for you. And sometimes, oftentimes, that's not what we get.   Michael Hingson ** 16:37 Well, and you want people who believe that you're a person. And that eyesight isn't the only thing in town. And that's what's so unfortunate is that so much of our society thinks that without eyesight, you're not really a whole person at all. And that's just not true.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 16:54 Yeah, you're right.   Michael Hingson ** 16:56 And that's one of the reasons that I tend to, when I'm talking with people and hear the term get away from visually impaired, it's like deaf people who will tell you that they don't like the word hearing impaired because they don't want to be acquainted with or compared with its deaf or hard of hearing. And that's really the way it ought to be with blindness. It isn't all about eyesight. And unfortunately, there are too many people who have no vision anyway, that is to say, they may see really well, but they don't have any vision. And that's a different story. But we won't worry   Cori Fonville Foster ** 17:31 about that today. Just a bar right there. I like that one.   Michael Hingson ** 17:35 Yeah. And in my book center dog, one of the phrases is don't let your sight get in the way your vision and it happens all too often. Definitely, it is one one of the major things, it's an issue. So you, you are black women, women woman living with or working with a disability, which you obviously have learned to recognize is not really the disability at all. It's more what the public views it as but how does all that work in your business? And now that you've got IROC up and running, are you still doing Soper? What is IROC morphed into?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 18:14 Yes, IROC is no longer doing so we have grown up at there doing my first business, I found that there was a gap in the market for small business owners trying to market their businesses and get them out to the world. And so now I own IROC markable business solutions. We are a small business marketing, and coaching firm, where we've actually been able to help hundreds of entrepreneurs all over the US and into Canada, market their small businesses and get in front of their target audience. So it's been a definite big change. But like you said, I don't see my quote unquote, disability as a disability, I just consider myself to be differently abled, there are things that I do, and I just have to do them differently than quote unquote, the norm. But that doesn't mean I'm incapable. Very few things have stumped me. And usually, once I'm stumped, I go and find a way to get around it. But it's just like anybody else. Nobody's gonna be good at everything. Nobody's going to get something, you know, done amazingly, their first time through. And so I learned and even since my diagnosis, I've done makeup for people. I've done photos for people. Right before this podcast, I was editing video content for a client. I am not my disability. I really, I definitely use my story to inspire others, because I want people to realize that they're capable of doing amazing things, but I am not consumed or defined by my condition. It's just a part of, you know, the who I am. It's, it's just one little piece. It's not even a big piece. It's one little piece of who Cori is, but it doesn't stop the show.   Michael Hingson ** 19:56 And it shouldn't. On the other hand, Cory Let's get really serious here, Bed Bath and Beyond has just announced that they're going to be going bankrupt, there might be a great soap market out there.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 20:10 I don't know. I'm not gonna lie to you. Because I tried to go back and do it. It's a lot of hands on work. Our team now to help me, I don't want to go back to just being by myself. That's a lot.   Michael Hingson ** 20:23 Yeah, no, I understand. And, and so you're doing that all over the country? Well, tell us a little bit more about what you do.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 20:31 Yeah, so I always tell people, I got into business very untraditionally. Because like I said, I didn't know what I wanted to be, when I grew up at the time, I was just trying to kind of find myself in my new world of, of having this condition and finding a way to still help people because that's always been my mission in life, is to help people in some way. And so through that, and through the business, we're able to do coaching, right, we talk to individuals, and help them identify their goals, figure out who their clientele is, we also help them turn their passion into profit. Meaning that they find something that they're really good at really passionate about, and we help them monetize that thing. And then we offer them marketing services, like building their websites, working on email campaigns, working on their social media management, those types of things to kind of help them along. And I mentioned me being in the business, not traditionally, because that's our target audience, people who didn't come into business with a business degree or come into business with tons of investors and capital, there are people who really just genuinely want to help other people through the thing that is their gift. And so that's really the people that we really enjoy working with them. It has been just an amazing ride thus far.   Michael Hingson ** 21:51 Do you focus a lot on businesses with persons with disabilities? Is that an issue? Do you focus in more on the broad market or what?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 22:03 So we have had many individuals who identify as people with disabilities, seen and unseen. So we've had people with MS, we've had people that just have really bad anxiety, who have come from a lot of trauma, have physical conditions. I mean, the list goes on and on. But again, my disability is just one little aspect of me. So I don't go out searching for individuals that that identify as having disability, but we do definitely welcome them. And I feel that I am uniquely positioned in the fact that I understand there their worries, and their sometimes lack of confidence as they build up their business, because they're worried that people will see them as less than I know, I definitely did. When I started, I said, I used to not even tell people I was legally blind, I would say, you know, I'm just kind of keep going on unless they asked me, because I thought that they would be like, Well, how is she going to get this done? But now that I've been in business, and people have seen my work, I'm like, Look, this is who I am. And guess what, I'm going to be amazing. And I just happen to be legally blind as well. So yeah, don't go on my way looking for but we definitely do attract people who can can resonate with my story for sure.   Michael Hingson ** 23:22 So what specific kinds of things do you actually then do to help companies? Maybe a better way to put it is, what kind of problems do people bring to you? And how do you solve them.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 23:34 So the majority of people who come to us are really struggling with solidifying their marketing plan, they have an idea, they think it's going to work, or maybe they've even been doing it for people for free. Like I work with service based businesses, mostly. So these are coaches and consultants. That's why I said they like to help other people, because they are working with different target audiences trying to solve their problems. So they come to me, they say, Hey, I have this idea, or I've been doing this thing. And I really want to take it to the next level. So through our coaching program, we really work kind of hand in hand, I call it a white glove service. And we help them identify what their goals are, we put times behind it, we keep them accountable. And then we give them tools, techniques, guides, scripts, all the things they need to actually achieve that. So basically, we're a business coaching service, but then we also provide those tangible, practical elements they need to do the thing that is called business.   Michael Hingson ** 24:33 So do you oftentimes end up having to help people maybe even restructure their business, do things more efficiently change their operation to to become better at what they do?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 24:47 Absolutely. A lot of what we do is kind of go in and look at the systems or lack thereof with their systems. We do something called a brand audit, where we go in and kind of look like how are you doing this? How are you structuring it? Because usually a lot of new entrepreneurs are having issues with burnout. They're trying to do all the things themselves, and in the most tiresome ways, and so we teach them about outsourcing, we teach them about working with their CEO mindset. And then of course, building confidence to sell because that is something that a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with as well.   Michael Hingson ** 25:22 Yeah. And we're also afraid of failing, what do you what do you say to somebody who says I'm afraid of failing?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 25:30 That is, that's a great question only because I almost want to laugh. I talked to my clients about this all the time, who say they're afraid to fail, I always tell people, you're not afraid to fail. Because when you know that you have a gift, and that you have a talent or you have a product that people need, and you don't act on it, you're already failing, you're doing it every day that you don't work towards your goal, that you don't strive for greatness. And so you're not afraid to fail, because you're already doing it, what you're afraid of is success. Because if you weren't afraid of success, you wouldn't worry about the what ifs, you would just keep going until you hit that hit that success, and really make that mark that you're trying to make. So I always say people aren't really afraid of fit failure at all. They're definitely afraid of what success will look like on them.   Michael Hingson ** 26:16 Very good point. And the other part about it is that oftentimes people don't recognize that failure is in what they define as failure is probably one of the best learning experiences around because what does failure really means? Alright, something didn't work. So hopefully, you're smart enough to realize I won't do that again, and you start to think about other things to do that may make it more successful.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 26:43 Absolutely. They call it faultless. And failing forward, you take every failure as a learning experience, and you move forward.   Michael Hingson ** 26:51 Exactly what should happen. And all too often, we don't tend to teach people about that, you know, a very strange example of that is guide dogs. For years, even the guide dog schools would say that the dogs that didn't make it as guide dogs failed, and they just didn't measure up. And so they had to go do other things, they finally realized that that was the wrong terminology, because they weren't failures. The reality is that not every dog is meant to be a guide dog. And it's like with people, not everyone can do every particular job, which is what you said before. So the guide dog school started saying their career changed. Some of them have gone on to be cancer, detecting dogs or diabetic detecting dogs or in so insulin reactions and issues, seizure, detections, any number of different things. But they're not failures. And that's one of the things that we really need to get over is recognizing or not recognizing that a failure or our expectation of something that goes a particular way that doesn't go that way, is really the opportunity to explore something different. Absolutely. And you know, all too often, we really need to do some of that. Well, so for a person with a disability and putting it in air quotes, what are some of the challenges that you and others with disabilities have had in starting businesses and moving forward with them?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 28:27 I think for me, I struggled. One was confidence, because I didn't know how others were going to perceive me. Like I said, as someone who, I guess, in my eyes visibly looks like, there's something going on. I think some people don't know that like is like something's off with their face. I'm not sure what it what it is. Because people don't know what blindness looks like. And sometimes I and sometimes people actually will get mad at me because I didn't think I was legally blind. And they were to think I was making it up. And it's, it's been both ways. So I was kind of lost comp will not lost confidence. But I lacked confidence early on, and just that fear of what people were going to think. But then also the practical things of like how I was going to get things done, my eyes get really tired. I've had a lot of surgeries on my eyes and eyes are just like any other muscle where they get fatigued. And now I have really bad light sensitivity. And so I can't sit in front of the computer for a long time. I can't go outside a lot without shades and even with shaved, my eyes get really sensitive. And so I have to be really cautious about the types of activities I do the places I go. So that I can still work. I have to take lots of breaks. And so sometimes that impedes on work. And I have to find a way to make a schedule that allows for those breaks. And that's why one of the reasons why I actually stayed working for myself because I did later find out that yes, people who are blind can work and do work and are amazing workers. But because of my light sensitivity In my fatigue, I decided that it would be best for me and less frustrating if I work from home and work for myself so that I could take breaks and didn't have to worry about explaining myself to others because I'm the boss, and I take a break when I need to. And if my eyes get too much sun exposure, I can go lay down and close my eyes or put a mask over my eyes or whatever I need to do to take care of me. So some of the things I've had to learn a business are definitely how to do everything, how to what computer devices you use, what apps will help, some websites do not allow me to zoom in, it's the most stressful thing ever, different apps will allow me to zoom in. So I can't see how to do things I've had to learn how to do workarounds for that, when I have surgeries and can't see it all, I have to quickly figure out how to listen well, because they have a lot of apps out there that will talk to you. And my condition is a little different than some people who are consistently blind. And that I feel like they get the skills because they use it all the time. But I can go from being able to drive to not being able to see my face really quickly, like within three days time. And so I have to quickly pick up those skills of listening well, so I can use all those amazing apps to help me navigate the TV, my phone, the computer, all kinds of things. And luckily, there are amazing software's out there. But I have had those challenges and just navigating that as I build my business. And as I just live my day to day life.   Michael Hingson ** 31:34 Have you learned to use things like screen readers, such as JAWS, and so on to verbalize what comes across the computer? So you don't have to necessarily strain your eyes as much can I recognize that you can go from not seeing well to seeing fairly well. But have you thought about the concept of maybe using a screen reader regularly might ease some of the eye strain and and make for an easier process and use it to augment what you do get to be able to do when you can see.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 32:04 Yeah, I've been playing more with that lately, since I had a I had an emergency eye surgery a couple of months ago, and I've been trying to use the technology more, I'm just really, I'm really impatient. I'm not gonna lie to you, I am very impatient. And so sometimes I'm like, Ah, it takes forever because a lot of times it'll it'll read. So I've used apps where it'll read to me, like where a button is like when I pass over it. But then I have to hit the button like twice. And this is like ah, so oftentimes I get frustrated and take it off. But I have been getting better at trying out different apps and different software's and trying to use them more consistently. Even like using my walking cane, I try to remember to go back and use it more often. Because what tends to happen is when I really need it, I haven't used it in a month. And then I'm like, oh my god, I gotta learn this fast. And then I have all the anxiety around kind of getting back acclimated. So yeah, I have been trying to use them more consistently, because with consistency comes confidence and the tool. But like I said, I just I'm really impatient. So it's been a struggle, that is definitely something that I continue to struggle with.   Michael Hingson ** 33:12 Well, but the other side of it is that you, you may find that it helps another way. So for example is talking about using a cane. If you're using a cane, and you use it regularly. One of the things is that people will know you're blind, and that may or may not build barriers, but for a lot of people, hopefully it won't, because you're already doing what you do. And worst case had opens up the opportunity to have a conversation about it. Well, the same thing with different technologies you talked about when you find a button and you have to tap it twice. That's when you're using a touchscreen. But on the other hand with your computer, you can use a program such as JAWS, or NVDA, or Microsoft Narrator which is built into Windows and actually verbalize whatever comes across the screen and still use your keyboard the way you normally do. And then the point of doing that consistently, is that you use your your eyesight to complement and enhance what you get with a screen reader or using the technology as opposed to just using one or the other. Because you have the ability and the opportunity to use both. Does that make sense?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 34:23 Well, absolutely. And as I said, I'm just I'm just now trying to do it more often. But I definitely see the benefits and doing it for sure. And I said I I like to be really honest about the fact that I've had this condition now for many years. But over the last, I don't know, four or five years. I've had the harder time because I've had the biggest changes in my vision really fast. And so I've had to get over. People are looking at me and again what did the people think? And I had one lady who was helping me with my came and learning how to do that. And she was like, Why do you care so much? What people? What are people what people are thinking that are looking at you, you can't see them anyway. And I was like, Well, that's true. Because I just felt like they're looking at me. And she was like, but you can't see them. So don't worry about it. And I was like, well, she is right. So it's a it's an emotional and like a mental block that I'm I'm fighting to overcome. And I don't want people to think that, you know, none of us go through that, because I definitely do. Because I do care what people think, and I shouldn't. And that has definitely kind of guided some of the choices I've made in my accessibility. But like you said, it's kind of limiting me sometimes. And so I definitely, like I said, I'm coming to a place now more of acceptance. And now I am learning more and trying to utilize, like you said, all these different things that are available to me so that I can do even more and do it for longer, because they don't know how long I'll have vision and how much vision I'll have. So I definitely will probably forever be using these tools. And I need to get pretty good at them pretty quick really quickly.   Michael Hingson ** 36:11 Yeah, that's the of course major issue that, that especially if your eye condition, or any eye condition deteriorates more consistently, then you need to, or get to depending on how you want to view it utilize those technologies? And isn't it better to really become familiar with them, while you still have access to both worlds rather than waiting until suddenly now you're in a different position? It's it's adopting a different mindset. And you said something interesting when you worry about what people think it caused me to think about something that I hadn't ever really expressed or thought of and that is, should we worry about what people think or worry about what they know. And that's really the issue the problem with most people and what they think is, the reality is they don't know. And they're thinking based on erroneous information and wrong assumptions. And so, like it or not, we all get to be teachers. But that's really it right? It's matter of what they really know, not what they think. So I think your friend was right, it shouldn't really matter to you what they think it's more a matter of what they know. And you know, like you and me in and are and others, there are things that are acceptable in society to do, you don't wear two different colored shoes, or you're not supposed to anyway, or any number of things like that, and you develop develop techniques. So you don't have to do that. But those are our different issues, then you're using a cane to travel around, which should certainly be okay. And even if you do it every day consistently, you get more comfortable with it. But the other part about it is that other people start to recognize maybe it's not such a bad thing after all.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 38:12 Yeah, I agree. It definitely is a mindset shift. And I think most people go through some type of confidence hit when they are seeing or feel that they're different than I hate using the word normal, because nobody's normal, but then what people expect to be the normal thing. But like I said, I am every day, every day, and I'm excited because this is a different feeling. I'm everyday, getting more and more comfortable with me. Right? Like, I'm great at certain things already. Like I've known one amazing business person, I know my grades, I'm a great mom and a great wife. But being a visibly disabled person, I wasn't always the greatest at out of like I said, fear, you know, self doubt, whatever the case may be. And now I'm just like, hey, this is me, you like it or not. And I'm gonna do what I need to do to be amazing and everything. So I love that, you know, I'm getting to meet people like you and others who are out here rocking it, regardless of what people perceive as issues or you know, different things that make life tougher, everybody's life is gonna be different. And this is my life. And I'm excited that I now feel more capable of, you know, doing it on my own terms.   Michael Hingson ** 39:27 The biggest problem, I think, with blindness is that more people haven't tried it. Now, the problem with saying that is, you can't just put a blindfold on and suddenly you're an expert at being blind. You know, that's one of the reasons that a number of us don't like this concept that some organizations and restaurants have started dining in the dark. Because if you go into a restaurant, and it's totally dark, and they take you to a table and they sit you down, and you get your food and things fall off your fork and all that. What have you really learned you certainly haven't learned How to eat like a blind person. You haven't learned the techniques, it doesn't train you, which continues to reinforce misconceptions and the wrong stereotypes. And that's what we really need to get over somehow is dealing with those stereotypes. And so it is important that we all do work toward helping others recognize that blindness isn't what they think it is, and that in reality, it's just another characteristic, like being male or female or being left handed or anything like that.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 40:36 Yeah, definitely. Even though the left handed people are weirdos. Oh,   Michael Hingson ** 40:41 you tell them? Yeah, well, some of them are. But there are some pretty weirdo right handed people too. So I won't go there. But But I hear what you're I hear you know, it's an issue. And you know, that's an interesting question. If you're left handed, is your brain so different that you don't work in function in the world like the rest of us, and I'm not ready to go there. I don't buy that. But I hear what you're saying. And you're picking on your mom, that's what you're doing?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 41:10 Definitely. She's a lefty.   Michael Hingson ** 41:12 She's a lefty. Hey, there's some good lefty baseball pitchers. So be nice. Okay. Well, when you're doing your work, and you're you're working with businesses, and so on, what do you do in general to make sure that as they go forward, they tend to be more inclusive of people with disabilities. And so when do you educate them? Do you have the opportunity to educate them? Does that ever enter into what you do?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 41:43 Yeah, when I have the opportunity, I definitely do. So something that a lot of coaches have right now, our courses, like on demand courses, they're just the thing everybody wants, because it's great passive income. And I do talk to them about that, because people will have courses where there are, there's no way for people who have trouble hearing to access it. Like they're just they have a video with just them talking. So I'll say Well, hey, you know, maybe if you had the the the transcripts available as a form of the course that would be great because it can read it. And then also having maybe captions for those who need captions, making sure they're using technology that like I said, zoom for people like me who struggle to see that you people can zoom in some are more friendly than others. And then just thinking about in general people's learning styles, because again, I work with people who also have that are autistic, have ADD ADHD etc. And so I also talked about that, like making sure that you're thinking about how people learn, some people cannot sit for long periods of time. And so they need quick bites, some people lose focus easily. And so we talked about, just think about who your audience is, and what their needs are, oftentimes, as entrepreneurs, we think about ourselves and what we would like, but you really have to be cognizant of what your audience needs and what they like. And so we talk about accessibility from all the viewpoints, not just, oh, people can go like the most common ones people can't see or they can't hear. It's like, No, how do people think, how do they access information? How do they learn, and make sure that you are addressing those things as well. But we definitely have those conversations about just you know, different things, especially when it comes to websites, like how do people access your website? I'm still updating mine as I learn more things as well. So yeah, when the opportunity presents itself, we definitely have those conversations. But I'll be honest, I'm still learning as well. And I think that if people go into life in general, saying that they're open to learning and growing, that's just where we need to all be because nobody knows everything. Like you said, people go to that dinner and the document like, okay, now I know, but you don't. And it takes really being open to understand listening, and then adjusting as needed. And so I tell my clients just be open to changing and adjusting, just like I'm open to changing and adjusting as I grow as well.   Michael Hingson ** 44:12 One of the things that I've encouraged people to do is instead of doing things like dining in the dark, is get a white cane, and a pair of glasses, since that's part of the typical stereotype. But the whole point is for you to continue to be able to see what's going on around you and walk down the street using a cane and look at how people react to you. That's going to teach you more about the issues that we face as blind people rather than dealing with things that are going to continue to reinforce stereotypes because people will look at you weird people will move away from you and so on. And those are the barriers that we really need to address and deal with and in society and all of us who are born blind or my wife who was in a wheelchair for her whole life or other people in terms of things that they have that are so called disabilities when, especially when they're visible. You see firsthand how people react to you. And that is where the real story is.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 45:17 Yeah, definitely. That's what I said that was one of my biggest issues is like, yeah, people looking at you. Because when I was going through cane training, I could see I wasn't in a flare. And like I said, when people's when I first started, people's head would turn, like you said, they jump out the way or, or they will be mean and not get out the way. It's like, why would you do that? I told you, in our previous conversation about when I traveled by myself, I was treated so horribly, I was lost at the airport, the people forgot about me that were supposed to get me from point A to point B, people were making comments to each other about me, and it's just not nice. Like we should all strive to be good humans. And when in doubt, you don't know what to say Just don't say anything at all. Because we can hear like people will like ants can hear. I don't know why people think we can't. But it's like, Don't talk about me like I'm a child or less van. Because you see that I am moving throughout the world, definitely, then you might assume I should.   Michael Hingson ** 46:17 My wife and I and my inlaws went to Spain in 1992. And I remember, we got to Madrid, I think it was, and the people decided I had to sit somewhere special being blind, not even my wife, and I was separated from them, the rest of the family, and they wouldn't even tell the rest of the family where I was. And finally, we got connected again. But I can tell you that the airline personnel heard a great deal about it, from me and from other people, because it is inappropriate for them to make a lot of the assumptions that they do. And now, of course, part of the problem was that, it would have been a major challenge for me to go wander around and try to find them because even finding people who would speak English that I could communicate with to say, Help me find a lady in a wheelchair or whatever. That tends to be part of the issue. But the bottom line is that you're right, people just don't think. And again, they make assumptions. And so oftentimes, we do have to take stance, I would react differently today, if I were put in the same situation, because I wouldn't even allow us to get separated. And if people didn't like that, then fine. Let them call the police or whoever, and we'll have a discussion about it. But absolutely.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 47:50 And I think that's the thing, too. The more confidence you get, the more you're capable of advocating for yourself, because you're right stuff that happened in the beginning. Even like with doctors, I let them for years, treat me any kind of way. And now it's like, oh, Nah, you can quickly be fired. If you don't believe real easy. You're not gonna try for me good day. For sure, I will not be disrespected anymore.   Michael Hingson ** 48:15 Well, in addition to your business, you I think you do a lot of speaking.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 48:20 Yes, I do. I do a lot of speaking on building your confidence. Because I really think that that's a major cornerstone and being able to achieve anything that you want whether you want to be an entrepreneur, whether you want to be a writer, whether you want to be I don't know, Baker, whatever you want to do. Confidence plays a big role. And so I use something called the aarC framework when I talk and when I teach and train and work with my clients, and it's all about taking small actions to build your confidence now, I don't like people to get stuck in the mindset and the what is the woulda, coulda shoulda us of things. I say, You know what, figure out what your goal is and take action. And those actions will feed your confidence. Because if you never tried that you only are working around the assumption that you won't succeed, right? I was like, Oh, I can't have a business. I can't make money. I can't. I got there was so many things I thought I couldn't do and it wasn't until I started trying to do those things that I was like, okay, all right, I can't do this. And now I can do more. And I can do even more. And so when I do speaking engagements, I'm always talking about building confidence, basically to unlock your full potential as a person in general.   Michael Hingson ** 49:30 Yeah. And it's, it's, of course, still all about education more than anything else. So how do you how do you find speaking engagements and how does all that work for you?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 49:44 It's always a constant battle. Like I don't have a cool story like you do. I was like, Wow, man, your story's amazing. But I do I use my network. And I also pitch to different conferences and apply to different conferences and I also host my own events. I do a lot of podcasting. Like I'm on your podcast today. But I do a lot of podcasting. And I talk about some entrepreneur things. Some does mom things because I'm a mom, I'm a homeschooling mom, too. But like I said, the overall theme for me is always about confidence.   Michael Hingson ** 50:17 You have your own podcast,   Cori Fonville Foster ** 50:19 I do have my own podcast. Yes, it's called I run business with confidence, podcast, let's Sorry, no cute name. But I wanted people to understand the premise. It's about business owners building their confidence. And we have experts that come on weekly, and talk about their business journey hurdles, they've overcome their unique perspective. And then of course, giving people some real tangible things to implement in their business, to move them forward so that we can all have amazing businesses and rock them with confidence.   Michael Hingson ** 50:51 So as a speaker who's been out there, and who's been all over the place, what advice do you have for other speakers, much less other speakers with disabilities? What What kind of advice do you offer for people? Or would you suggest   Cori Fonville Foster ** 51:05 authentically you, I think for any speaker that identifies a have a disability or not, you seen a lot of times you fall into the trap of trying to imitate, or copy or duplicate somebody else's personality or their style, do you and do what you need to get the job done. I, I always worry about what I shouldn't say worried, but I'm always concerned about things like am I going to be able to see time clock since the end of stages and make eye contact or are a little like I'm making eye contact, I should say, with the audience and different things like that, guys, just be you show up people like my personality, I don't think they care if I'm actually looking at them or not. Which is great. Because that used to be a thing like, oh, you know, I have to do this and that, but no, I'm me. I show up as my goofy self. I tell my stories, I I laugh with everybody, you know, I make them feel something, I give them my strategies, my techniques, and then people go away with something that's amazing. And so I would just encourage anyone out there, if you're going to do speaking, be you use your stories, your frameworks and get your point across in your own very special way.   Michael Hingson ** 52:18 And I absolutely agree with you, the most important thing that we as speakers can do is be ourselves. I once was encouraged when I was first starting out, I was encouraged to write speeches and read them. And I didn't like that idea, because I didn't think that that was necessarily my style. But I tried it a couple of times, and then listen to myself and heard how horrible it really was. But more important. What I noticed is that when I talked with an audience that is, as a speaker, I don't talk to an audience, I want to talk with them, they may not be saying anything. But it is important that I connect with them. And that really means talking with them talking at whatever levels that they are at and trying to strike a chord by talking about things they want to hear about, in addition to the things that I would like them to understand. That's all part of being authentic. And that's what's really necessary for any speaker to be truly effective.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 53:23 Absolutely. And it's funny that you mentioned writing down I actually, I don't know if you've heard of Toastmasters, but I was in leadership with their organization for a while and they do a lot of public speaking. So I will work with a lot of new public speakers. And some people were very much like, I must write this down. And some people did bullets. And some people like to speak from the cuff. And I'll just say do what works for you try out different methods for sure. For all our listeners out there, try what works for you. I do have people that really cannot do speeches, if they don't write them down word for word, they won't read them in public, of course, but they really like they want to make sure that they hit all the words that they planned. And they prefer to kind of work off of that. And then I'm a bullet girl, I like to outline my speeches, and then just talk through them. Like I'm talking with the audience. And every time I do a speech, even if it's on the same topic, it's gonna always be a little differently different. Even if there's a like a slide deck that goes with it, I'm going to speak based on the topic, but then kind of change it depending on my mood for the day. And then I like I said, I have some clients that I've worked with who just off the cuff. They know how much time they have, and they just go and I more power to them. I would ramble on forever. And so I prefer to have a little bit of structure, but with a lot of freedom. Well, and   Michael Hingson ** 54:41 you can do that no matter how you speak and there's nothing wrong with that. I will use notes, especially when I'm speaking to an audience and I've interacted with the event sponsors and they talk about certain things they want in the messaging and so on. I will make sure I have notes of that I deal with those issues, but I also believe that again, a speech that is the most effective is one that you're truly having a conversation with the audience over. And so the notes are important. And there's nothing wrong with that. But reading a speech, I've heard some people do that it just doesn't really go over very well. Sounds really nice way to do. Yeah, well, have you written any books.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 55:28 So I haven't, but I'm in the process of writing a book, I'm super excited, it should launch depending on when this podcast comes out. It may or may not be out, but it's gonna be summer 2023. And it's about monetizing your passion with confidence. So same same lines as what I do, but I wanted it available for individuals who want it, to read it on their own and pass it in and you know, do like that first step before they went into like a course or a coaching program. So I'm really excited. My very first book, but it's been a long time coming. So it'll be on the shelves, summer 2023,   Michael Hingson ** 56:03 you have a publisher, are you publishing it yourself?   Cori Fonville Foster ** 56:07 I have a self publishing I am a do it yourself kind of girl. I'm actually trying to figure out how to do the audio part of the book myself. But we're still in the research phases of that, but it'll happen.   Michael Hingson ** 56:18 Well, an audible has a way to do that, where you can actually, if you choose to and can do it. Well, you can read your own book, but you can certainly go to audible and learn about how to do an audio version of your book. So there's a lot of value in doing that. And of course, having an audio copy of it makes it accessible for other people. And the other thing that you could consider Have you ever heard of bookshare.org? I have not Bookshare as there used to be a company called Napster. Are you familiar with Napster? So Napster was the thing where you could go off and share records and all that, and it got to the issue and the point where the problem was people were violating copyrights and so on. Well, Bookshare in a sense, is is the Napster of books for people who have a need to have alternative ways of getting books that are normally in print, the difference is that an organization like Bookshare is covered under the copyright laws. So doing it is legal. And you can take any book provide an electronic version of it, and they will put it out in their system. And it is something that's available, they can also even do on demand, converting it to Braille. So something to look at. But I would also suggest so that you can make some money, looking at if you want to read it or get someone else to read it. Look at doing that on Audible, because you may find that that's another revenue source.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 57:45 Absolutely. That's one of my main things I wanted to build on Audible, because that is how I read books. My eyes do not like trying to read paper books. And there are some there are many times I would say actually 50% of the time, if not more, where I cannot read the print and a book. So it's the only way that I can really enjoy book is through an audible audio version. And so I wanted to make sure that others can read listen to my book as well. I would hate to have a book out that I can't read that would be awful.   Michael Hingson ** 58:15 Have you have you learned any Braille? Or have you tried to do I have   Cori Fonville Foster ** 58:20 not? And it is not even on my to do list? Because yes, that is just it's an undertaking, maybe in the next five to 10 years, but right now I'm just like, I cannot put another thing on my plate. Just kind of be honest. I don't even read regular we'll just like I I get tired fast. So yeah, I'm like, it's definitely something that I know I will have to do eventually. Not yet.   Michael Hingson ** 58:47 Have you become a patron of using the Library of Congress National Library Service and getting books that way? Okay. Yeah, gotten that. That's, and by the way, although that isn't a revenue source, once your print book is out, that is something that you could submit, and they may or may not make that book available through National Library Service, but Audible is a better revenue source anyway.   Cori Fonville Foster ** 59:13 Yeah. And I didn't even know that that existed until I connected with the organization was like, oh, you know, are you able to read books? And I was like, No, I haven't read a book in a year. Like, I'm just sitting around, not doing anything. And they're like, hey, this, this is available, they'll send it to you for free. I was like, Really, I even had a newspaper. It was like a, like a radio station or newspaper that they gave us free echo dots. And so they would read the paper and everything in it that like opened up my world to because yeah, I just didn't have a lot of access. And I shouldn't know when all this was happening in the beginning. I definitely was in a different financial place. You guys can read through the line. So there wa

Over the years we've heard LGBTQ people say that they didn't know what life might look like for them as an adult. Many haven't had LGBTQ role models that provide examples of a potential future, and a lot of fear that parents of LGBTQ children experience comes from the unknown as well. We thought it might be helpful for parents to get to know some of the amazing members of the LGBTQ community, just a few at a time, so that they can provide a realistic view of what life could look like for our children. Today, Jen joins guests Melissa Soper, Whittney Chilcote, and Valerie Green in this episode of World of Possibility. Special Guests: Melissa Soper (she/her) is a mom to four wonderful kids. She has an amazingly awesome wife, Whitt, who she is excited to adventure with together in life. Soper loves the mountains and trail running. She loves to take on a challenge and has completed multiple ultra-marathons. Soper currently works with adolescents and young adults at a residential treatment center and is venturing to earn her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with the prospects of being a therapist for LGBTQ teens.Whittney Chilcote (she/her) is a mom to three incredible souls that she got lucky to have as kids. She recently got married to her crazy beautiful, adventure seeking wife Soper, and she cannot imagine all the crazy and amazing things she is going to have them do together. Whitt has always loved traveling and seeing all that this crazy world has to offer. Born and raised in Utah, she absolutely loves the mountains and lakes and all the seasons they get every year! Whitt has spent the last 8 years of her life working with youth in West Valley, where she has learned so much about trauma, resilience, and what unconditional love means. Valerie Green (she/her) is a transgender woman who is active in her ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Missouri. Before transitioning, she was married for 34 years and is now widowed. She is a parent to five children and grandparent to six grandchildren. After five decades of waiting, she has been fully socially transitioned since January 1, 2019. She loves tennis and pickles (and her family when they're behaving).Links From the Show:Join Mama Dragons at www.mamadragons.org In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you.Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today at mamadragons.org. Connect with Mama Dragons:WebsiteInstagramFacebookDonate to this podcast

In episode 17 we talk to Dr. Soper about the wild-west early days of MIS, surgeons with frickin laser beams, and why SAGES is the best society ever.

Today, I'm joined by Rachel Soper Sanders, co-founder & CEO of Rootine, a personalized nutrition and diagnostics platform. Founded in 2018, Rootine's unique approach to health and wellness combines DNA testing with a genomic algorithm to create customized vitamin subscriptions tailored to each member's specific needs, be it performance, stress-reduction, or everyday health. In this episode, Rachel details the shortcomings of the unregulated supplement industry and how to remove barriers between wellness, nutrition, and healthcare. In this episode, you'll learn: • How Rachel's poor experience with healthcare led her to start Rootine • Why proof of impact is key to reshaping a broken system • How the one-size-fits-all supplement industry is making people sicker Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they're creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:21) Rachel's background (04:58) About Rootine (06:54) Rachel's journey to founding Rootine (10:30) Building products around customer data (13:38) Being a Rootine member (16:45) Future of personalized nutrition & supplementation (19:05) Growth strategies (21:33) Quality of personalized supplements  (24:02) Rachel's opinion on one size fits all supplementation  (27:44) Integrating wellness into healthcare (32:28) Healthcare industry and retail (34:40) Future roadmap (35:47) Conclusion

Sex talk with sex therapist, Dr Jordan Soper. Dr. Soper enjoys teaching the “ins and outs of the in and out.” Topics Covered: The best lubes on the market and why there are so many better choices than KY Jelly. Porn. When is porn helpful and when is porn harmful.? The most common reasons people seek out a sex therapist. What is the difference between intimacy & sex.? Performance anxiety and its link to erectile dysfunction. How long do women want sex to last? Foreplay and its role in the sexual experience. 43% of Americans over 50 say their sex life is just as or more adventurous than it was in their younger days. Dr. Jordan's Lube Recommendations: Überlube Silicone Lubricant | Latex-Safe Silicone Lube Personal Lubrication Sliquid H2O Water Based Lube, Water Based Lubricant for Sex, Natural Sex Lube, Glycerin Free Personal Lubricant Premature Ejaculation Spray: Promescent Desensitizing Delay Spray for Men Clinically Proven to Help You Last Longer in Bed Dr. Jordan Soper Book Recommendations: Sex Without Stress: A couple's guide to overcoming disappointment, avoidance & pressure Better Sex Through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire She Comes First – Ian Kernerhttps Come as you are – Emily Nagoski Dr. Jordan Soper is a Licensed Psychologist, Board Certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist who specializes in providing adults with individualized, evidence-based mental health treatment. Dr. Soper's goal is to provide you with a safe and supportive environment to bravely confront and resolve the circumstances impacting your life. Dr. Soper's Website Dr. Soper's Instagram To contact Amy Stuttle podcast@amystuttle.com To visit Victory Men's Health This podcast is NOT medical advice.