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Have you picked up a couple weights recently? Started walking, or jogging, or doing pilates? So have a lot of other people. You see the fitness Instagram accounts and gym tips all over TikTok, but how does exercise culture fit into our broader culture? And how does more enthusiasm for exercise square with the focus on fitness in our politics? Brittany gets into it with  Jonquilyn Hill, host of Vox's Explain it to Me podcast, and Shelly McKenzie, author of Getting Physical: the Rise of Fitness Culture in America.Follow Brittany Luse on Instagram: @bmluseFor handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR's Pod Club newsletter at npr.org/podclub.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Some hauntings don't crash through doors or scream in the night. Some begin quietly—with a voice that already knows your name. For her, it started while folding laundry in an old house filled with light and silence. A man's voice whispered her name from just behind her shoulder—low, calm, and close enough to feel the breath of it. That was only the beginning. Over the weeks that followed, it returned: a cool hand brushing her cheek, invisible fingers threading through her hair, the air thickening until it seemed to breathe with her. At first, she thought it was harmless. Maybe even lonely. But the moment she said “no,” the haunting changed. The touch became pressure. The whispers turned to weight. And in the darkness, something began to claim her—not violently, but possessively, the way obsession wears the mask of affection. What she once pitied began to follow her—to friends' homes, to family visits, even into reflections where no one should be standing. It learned her habits, her hours, her fears. And every time she set a boundary, it found a way to step just behind it. This is the story of a haunting that wasn't about death, but desire. A spirit that didn't want to harm her—it wanted to own her. #RealGhostStories #TheUnexplained #PossessiveSpirit #ParanormalEncounter #HauntedHouse #AttachmentHaunting #TrueHaunting #ShadowMan #DarkEntity #UnexplainedMystery Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Some hauntings don't crash through doors or scream in the night. Some begin quietly—with a voice that already knows your name. For her, it started while folding laundry in an old house filled with light and silence. A man's voice whispered her name from just behind her shoulder—low, calm, and close enough to feel the breath of it. That was only the beginning. Over the weeks that followed, it returned: a cool hand brushing her cheek, invisible fingers threading through her hair, the air thickening until it seemed to breathe with her. At first, she thought it was harmless. Maybe even lonely. But the moment she said “no,” the haunting changed. The touch became pressure. The whispers turned to weight. And in the darkness, something began to claim her—not violently, but possessively, the way obsession wears the mask of affection. What she once pitied began to follow her—to friends' homes, to family visits, even into reflections where no one should be standing. It learned her habits, her hours, her fears. And every time she set a boundary, it found a way to step just behind it. This is the story of a haunting that wasn't about death, but desire. A spirit that didn't want to harm her—it wanted to own her. #RealGhostStories #TheUnexplained #PossessiveSpirit #ParanormalEncounter #HauntedHouse #AttachmentHaunting #TrueHaunting #ShadowMan #DarkEntity #UnexplainedMystery Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Letting your kid drive is one of the craziest times in parenting - here are some rules to help!

Dave joins me this week to share an amazing testimony of overcoming all that life could throw at a young man. From the start, he has faced challenges, demons, and temptations, but God's hand has guided and protected him through it all, and he's here to give Him glory!Have an experience that you'd like to share?Holler at me: thebumppodcast@gmail.comFeel led to donate to The BUMP Podcast?Check out www.buymeacoffee.com/thebumppodcastWant to be better prepared for whatever life throws at you?Check out www.squatchsurvivalgear.comUse Promo Code: 25bump to save 15% SITE WIDEPick up a copy of my book!https://a.co/d/0S3HttW"Oh, My Soul" Written and Performed by Ray Messer Jr.

In 1727, a small group of believers gathered in a German village called Herrnhut — and what happened there changed the world. The Holy Spirit fell on a divided community, transforming it into a movement of love, unity, and unceasing prayer that would ignite missions across the globe.In this episode, Jack unpacks the powerful story of Count Zinzendorf and the Moravian Pentecost — the revival that led to a 100-year prayer meeting and influenced revivalists like John Wesley and the modern missions movement.If you've ever wondered what real revival looks like… this is it. It doesn't begin with noise. It begins with love.#prayer #revival #faith

** AWS re:Invent 2025 Dec 1-5, Las Vegas - Register Here! **SnapLogic CTO Jeremiah Stone reveals how they evolved from open-source to AI-powered integration platform, doubled AI adoption with one UX change, and delivers measurable enterprise ROI.Topics Include:SnapLogic CTO shares their decade-long journey building AI-powered integration with AWS partnership.SnapLogic drives "human cost of integration to zero" for thousands of global companies.Started as open-source project, pivoted to cloud in 2015 with AWS infrastructure.Began AI workloads in 2018, predicting next steps in integration workflows using models.Became AWS Bedrock launch partner, completely reinventing their product for generative AI era.SnapLogic lives through transformations first, then credibly helps ISV customers do same.Helped Adobe migrate entire CRM from Salesforce to Microsoft over single weekend.Built normalized data architecture using S3, Iceberg, Glue for analytics-ready enterprise data.SnapGPT copilot converts plain language prompts into complete integration pipelines in minutes.Live demo shows generating Salesforce-to-Redshift pipeline with filters using natural language commands.Small UX tweak adding helpful header doubled monthly active users of SnapGPT.Changed legal agreements in 2017 to capture metadata, enabling AI features years later.Agent Creator delivers ROI across customers: Inspirant, Core Plus, AstraZeneca use cases.SnapLogic's own finance team cut order reconciliation from 40 hours monthly to 90 minutes.Key lessons: governance first, understand business impact, use AWS native patterns consistently.Participants:Jeremiah Stone – Chief Technical Officer, SnapLogicOlawale Oladehin – Managing Director, NAMER Technology Segments, Amazon Web ServicesSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/

In this illuminating conversation of Be It Till You See It, aesthetic nurse and biohacker Rachel Varga joins Lesley Logan to discuss how to achieve lasting radiance by aligning health, mindset, and beauty. She shares how lowering inflammation, managing stress, and purifying your environment can help you look and feel your best—proving that confidence and feeling at peace are the real anti-aging secrets.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:How Rachel's nursing career evolved into a holistic approach to beauty and biohacking.The science behind lowering inflammation to boost vitality and radiance.Why redefining vanity as self-respect empowers confidence and self-care.Everyday habits that support graceful aging through stress management and sleep.How cultivating peace and integrity supports inner and outer radiance.Episode References/Links:The School of Radiance Website - theschoolofradiance.comPromo Code: LesleyLogan15 for 15% off one-on-one sessions, tutorial, and membershipSchool of Radiance Podcast - https://www.theschoolofradiance.com/podcastsInstagram: @RachelVargaOfficial - https://www.instagram.com/rachelvargaofficialGuest Bio:Rachel Varga, BSN, RN, CANS, is a Double Board Certified Aesthetic Nurse Specialist. Since 2011, Rachel has been offering medical aesthetic rejuvenation in the specialty of Oculoplastics and is known for providing a natural and healthy-looking transformation and educating through her show "The School of Radiance" podcast. She has performed over 20,000 rejuvenation procedures and is also a trainer for other practitioners on rejuvenation procedures including medical grade skin care, laser skin rejuvenation, injectables including neuromodulators and dermal fillers, and slowing aging in general. Rachel is passionate about delivering the highest standard of care, with a focus on what the patient's specific rejuvenation goals are, and a tailored approach to suit their needs, values, and lifestyle. She has published multiple research articles on rejuvenation protocols for the eyelids, jawline, and overall skin health transformation. Rachel is known for her gentle touch, natural-looking results, and making her patients feel comfortable, and at ease with her caring bedside manner that originated in pediatric nursing before beginning her career in medical aesthetics in 2011. She will guide you in creating your customized rejuvenation plan and skincare routine to achieve your goals through one-on-one sessions, expert 7-week seasonal skincare tutorials, and year-long membership for the deeper layers of being beautifully radiant at TheSchoolofRadiance.com. Rachel Varga is one of the first to blend Western approaches to skin care and rejuvenation, functional insights, and biohacking optimization strategies. By blending the best of these worlds and observing what her most radiant patients are doing she will also help guide you on your path to healthy skin and vibrancy for many years… If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Rachel Varga 0:00  I take this approach of longer lasting beauty through biohacking, because when we reduce inflammation and toxins on all fronts, we then set our body up for success, for being our most radiant versions. And the more radiant we are, the more high vibe we are, the more we can get what we desire out of life, in both our personal and professional lives, and be great people, because our bodies are operating properly.Lesley Logan 0:32  Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started. Lesley Logan 1:11  Hi, Be It babe. Okay, this is gonna be a really fun conversation. I wanted to have this conversation for a while, and it's really like, I'm intrigued by all this, right? I want to, I want to actually look and feel good for as long as possible, but not in like, a crazy, like, change how I look dramatic way, but like, as in a no, this is like, I want to look like me. And so when I met our guest today, because I was on her amazing podcast, Rachel Varga, she's the host of the School of Radiance, and I was like, oh, I vibe with this person. I really like what they're saying. It's intelligent. It's from a place of research and science and methodologies, and she is so knowledgeable about biohacking and things we can do when it comes to med spas and what we're doing with to support ourselves and how we feel and how we look, and then we go on a wide range of topics. We don't hit everything I want to talk about, so I'm going to have to do this again. But I really think you're going to, one, learn a ton and have a lot of permission get granted, because maybe it's not something you have to do to you, maybe it's something you would get to do around you, or maybe it's about changing something in your environment, right? So now I'm going to let Rachel Varga give you all of her amazing wisdom. Lesley Logan 2:26  All right, Be It babe, this conversation is one I've been really wanting to have, but it had to be with a special person, and so I've been waiting the 500 plus episodes to find the person who we can have a conversation about radiance and how we how our how we can age the way we want to, and look good doing it without feeling like we're being vain or going too far. And so Rachel Varga is our guest today. Rachel, can you tell, can you tell everyone who you are and what you rock at? Rachel Varga 2:51  Yes, Lesley, so great to be here, and we had a fantastic interview on my show recently, the School of Radiance podcast. And, so technically, I'm a nurse, and I've been an esthetics nurse since 2011 so I've been in the game for the rejuvenation side of things for a while. Been in that game, published research papers. You can look my name up on PubMed, Rachel Varga, you'll see my eye rejuvenation papers, jawline rejuvenation papers. And then I also teach other doctors and nurses internationally how to do rejuvenation from the non surgical side of things that like injectables. And I know we're going to talk a little bit about that, what we can do that's cleaner options, what's actually going to work and give us the results that we desire. And so I love to teach, and I love to talk about what we can actually do at home. So on this podcast, we'll talk about the lifestyle side of things, and kind of delineate what we can do at home and then what's available in the clinic. But I take this approach of longer lasting beauty through biohacking, because when we reduce inflammation and toxins on all fronts, we then set our body up for success, for being our most radiant versions. And the more radiant we are, the more high vibe we are, the more we can get what we desire out of life, in both our personal and professional lives, and be great people, because our bodies are operating properly.Lesley Logan 4:23  I love this because I love that you can they it's almost like a there's a few different prongs. So if you're someone who's like, I don't want to do surgery, I don't want to do the injectables like people start to look like cat ladies at some point. And I'm sure that's not all injectables do that. I'm sure there's a point which one could stop. But the idea that we there's things we could do at home, it sounds why wouldn't you, like, Why? Why wouldn't you want to do something at home? So before we get into that, though, I do want to kind of know, like, did you always want to get into esthetics? Was this something that you could wear, like, interested as a kid? Like, were you doing makeup? Like, how? Like, what was the journey that got you here?Rachel Varga 4:59  Yeah. Okay, well, practically speaking, my mom's an RN, and I saw how hard she worked, but I also saw that it was a great job. It's a great way to be in that nurturing, supportive, healthy role in the family. It's like something happens to the kiddos, like you know what's going on, or your partner or yourself. It's just great knowledge to have from a nursing perspective for yourself and those you love. My father's are carpenter and so I always had this eye for, oh, that bumper is a little not so straight, or that picture is a little canted. So I had this eye for symmetry and proportions from that, and then also the health side of things. But I saw my mother really struggle as a night nurse. And she did night nursing, so shift work, it's just brutal in extended care for her pretty well entire career, she got breast cancer. She was, at one point, weighed 220 pounds. So she was the type of woman, great woman over gave, did the shift work. So I learned early in my career that I didn't want to be that kind of nurse. And did Pediatric Nursing, pediatric ICU care for a couple years. And during that time in my nursing education, I'd had a few rejuvenation procedures myself too, both surgically and non surgically, and to myself, the aftercare information like the pre post care wasn't great, and for me, going through nursing training, I was obviously watching all the vlogs online. There aren't really a lot of professionals actually talking about this stuff, and I think it's kind of interesting, and people want to know how to get the most out of what they're investing in in the clinic, and, of course, at home, and how to recover before and after non surgical or non surgical rejuvenation options. And thought I wanted to be a doctor. So did all the med school prerequisites, chem, Organic Chem, biochem. And while I was doing prerequisites and applying to med school, which I did for one year, I got a job as an esthetics nurse, did my injectable training, started in ocular plastics in 2011 and just loved the field. I loved the pace. The hours were great, and I would get access to anything and everything. Then something happened. I met my good friend Dave Asprey. Actually helped get his face ready for superhuman so when you look at that book cover, that's my work. Oh, what's this biohacking stuff? This is pretty cool. Started to do some of it myself, cold plunging, intermittent fasting, more protein, adding antioxidants, amino acids, all sorts of great stuff that's in the biohacking world, red light therapy. And then I was in two car crashes. I had to really lean into the biohacking and recovery side of things and supplementation so that I wasn't hurting all the time, and so that I would recover faster. And partner has been a pro athlete as well, so very in tune with the athletic recovery side of things too. Then something interesting happened. The better I cared for myself from an inflammation perspective, I didn't need as much rejuvenation. Scars were fading after just a couple of days post breakout, instead of for months, and I'd have to laser that redness away. I didn't need to do neuromodulators every three months, I would actually go anywhere from like, a year to a year and a half in between.Lesley Logan 8:45  For the people who are like, what's a neuromodulator,Rachel Varga 8:49  The brand names that you probably know about are Botox, Xeomin, Dysport, Nuceiva, Jeuveau. There's always new ones growing up. So the technical term for those is neuromodulators. And then I also started to notice, oh, wow, I'm not burning in the sun in 10 minutes anymore. These deoxidants, this reducing inflammation, is actually allowing me to go outside and enjoy my life more. And I as a researcher, put together a paper for the biohacking community a couple years ago. What are some of the biohacks that actually can support slowing aging in sort of like a methodical framework, kind of way, because there's so many bright, shiny objects in the in the biohacking and wellness space, like, what actually should we start with?Lesley Logan 9:42  This is insane. So this journey that you went on, like, first of all, you met the person. Like, yeah, you were like, you just met them. And then you needed what they had. Like, thank goodness you met them, because you put, who knows how long would have taken you to stumble upon biohacking in that way. And then it got you to see how it worked on the things that you already do. I can it's interesting to me because, like, I think some people in your field would be like, what is the need for me if I could just biohack my way to blemish-free skin that can be out in the sun, you know what I mean. But obviously, like, there's, there's kind of a place for everything. You know, there's also like, what works for you and what helps with what you need. And so I love the idea for those at home who are like, well, what are some like, what are like? Maybe they could Google what an antioxidant is. But like, what are some things that they should be thinking about when it comes to inflammation and things that can affect how they look? Because I think sometimes people go, Oh, I'm just older. And we were taught like, Oh, you're 40, so now you're 50. Like, these things happen. But from what I understand in biohacking, you can actually do a whole lot. It's not about the age, it's kind of about what you're eating and what you're doing.Rachel Varga 10:54  Yeah, you could actually test instead of guess what your biological age is. And I do this usually about once a year, and my biological age, last time I tested it was nine years younger than my chronological age. So doing something right. Lesley Logan 11:11  I love that. Rachel Varga 11:14  When I started to speak on the anti aging, the functional, integrative and wellness sides of things, being an aesthetic nurse, like a traditionally trained nurse, and then in the specialty of aesthetic medicine, I was kind of the odd one out, a little bit misunderstood, especially in the rare community that I'm in, people didn't really get it. It's more like a California and Florida kind of thing, where people in there, in those states in particular, really big into anti aging medicine, and so that was a bit tough for me. But you know what, some of us were just pioneers in the space. And Dave is more of a disruptor, and I'm more of like an encourager. If I can do it, you can do it too. Lesley Logan 11:59  Yeah. And I think, like, you know, the I, what a great place where you can go, okay, here are your options. We can do these things, and here's how often you'd have to do them, and we can absolutely do them, or we can do this thing, and then this is how often, or you could also do this at home. And then it would make whatever we're doing here would support that, or it would reduce your need for that, is that what I'm hearing, like, the biohacking, like, really supports what you do?Rachel Varga 12:26  Bingo. So for me to speak on things, because I am a traditionally trained RN, I have to be able to speak on things that are published in the literature. There wasn't really anything, and I knew this worked. I would see it in my before and after photos. See, you know, 70 to 90 year olds looking fantastic, and they barely need anything. They were aging better. So the jawline paper that I wrote, I basically put in that paper an algorithm for rejuvenation, starting with skin care, then getting into maybe at home peels and at home dermarolling, doing some in-clinic lasers for reds, browns and collagen, you know, resurfacing pore size, polishing the skin, and then the non surgical injectables. So say you guys all probably hear the word Botox, so neuromodulators and fillers and then surgery. So to start from a space of least invasive, you know, do some things, see if you're happy with those results, you might not need the surgery, but surgery definitely does have a place, coming from ocular plastic surgery for the eyelids. And so I wrote a paper on that, basically an algorithm do least invasive to most invasive, and then the Oxidative Stress Status and Its Impacts on Skin Aging paper that was more like a framework of what's the lifestyle stuff that we can do to actually clean up and purify our environment by purifying our air, water, lighting, electromagnetics, testing, instead of guessing the foods that we're eating and then getting into detoxing. And when you do all those things, you should actually be able to get better results from your treatments. And if you go on message boards for people that have issues after injectables or lasers, chances are there was a degree of autoimmune conditions running in the background, or their toxic bucket was really full. They had rejuvenation bucket tipped over, and they had a manifestation of some underlying things that were happening. And then also, during the process of writing those papers, I came across some data. This is why it's not a nice to do. It's a need to do, to look after yourself, that autoimmune conditions, or, more precisely, deaths of unknown causes, which I reached back to the source of you know, what does this category actually mean, autoimmune condition or someone passing away before diagnosis, it actually doubled in 2019 compared to the data six years earlier in Canada, this is Canadian information, and then it doubled again in 2021. So autoimmune stuff for skin is like, eczema, psoriasis, those are typically the skin stuff that we see. Lesley Logan 15:25  It's interesting that you brought that up because it is like, I think people are like, there's so many people with autoimmune it's like, well, now that we know what to test for. The thing about tests, that's the thing, when we it was all, there, it has probably been there for a really long time. The doubling in such a short period of time is scary, but also it, you know, if the tests weren't right arranging or the doctors don't know to test for these things. But I love that you brought that. I like how you bring that up. It's like if you had stuff run in the background, if you were already inflamed, and then you do something that can add to that, like, it is just like the needle that broke the haystack. And so then the things get the blame when it's a whole host of things that are going on. And so I think this is really cool. You know it's and I don't want to be ignorant, so I think it's really, to me, what I find interesting is that, like, I would never have associated a biohacker with someone who would also be doing any of these treatments. Like I would, you know what I mean? Like, I think people think you're either nothing goes in your body except for these things, or you're, like, whatever, It's a free rein, I can do whatever I want. And so to find someone who sits in the middle, I actually think it gives people a lot more permission. And I actually one of the things I want to talk with you about is, like, just permission, like, I think a lot of people feel bad or feel embarrassed or feel like they shouldn't talk about that they want to make any changes to how they look, because we do live in a place now where, thankfully, people are more accepting and people have been taught to not hate their bodies like we should love our bodies. In fact, your body is listening to you. So part of biohacking would actually be to not talk about the things you don't like about your body because your body's listening. But how can we think about like is it vain for us to want to want to change things on our face, or to want to look a little younger, to want to look a little fresher? Is that? Is that a bad thing? Like, should we not be wanting to change these things? We just be happy with how we look?Rachel Varga 17:11  I think that there's a similarity here with this concept of imposter syndrome. Everyone who starts to do something new is like, Oh my gosh. I don't know of like, Can I do this? Am I gonna get laughed at? I think it's that's just as common as the shadow side of beauty, which is, is this vain? Am I doing something that's selfish to care for myself? One of the reframes that I love to talk about is self-care, self-love. I get so many sweet downloads when I'm doing my skincare, I'm blow drying my hair, I'm doing my beautification, my makeup, putting on a cute outfit, looking at myself in the mirror, it's like, Oh, wow. I had three hours of sleep last night. How the heck do I look this good? Well, there's some biohacks that I did to hack a bad sleep and why I had a bad sleep, which is hilarious. So we can definitely talk about that. But the vanity component is essentially the shadow side of beauty and radiance at its core. So I love to investigate the psychological, the energetic things behind everything as well, because everything is energy. And we're seeing a shift now, though. In about 2018, a number of my clients started to ask me, Rachel, what can I do for healthier skin I want to improve my skin health. So I really started to notice the shift. And then now fast forward to the year that we are in now, every med spa, well, the ones that are, you know, up with the current times, are doing things like NAD infusions, they're offering weight loss, they're offering hormone support, and all of these different things that we're now seeing a really exciting time in the med spa industry, the functional space, integrative and biohacking space, coming together. It's almost like this bifurcation point a couple years ago, but I did see the writings on the wall back in about 2018 that this was going to happen, and now this is what the most notable med spas in the world are doing, is they're incorporating all these things because people want to go to a one-stop shop and not necessarily just look at rejuvenation as being vain, but a form of self-care. They're doing other things as well that they're investing time and energy in, or they might have a health spending account that makes them feel better, because when you feel better, you look better, and when you look better, you feel better. So what I like to suggest, if someone is really grappling with, okay, money's tight or I feel vain about doing this, feel like that money should go to my kids or whatever. But if something's bothering you for a while, say, for example, lines between the brows, or lines to the forehead, or hooded upper eyelids, lower eye bags, melasma, pigmentation, red acne scars, large pores, acne scarring, losing sharpness to the jaw, lines, jowls, fullness to the neck, the list goes on. But if something is really bothering you and you're looking at yourself in the mirror, be like, I really love to do something about that, because it's the one thing that kind of bugs me. I think that the benefit of knowing that, hey, there are some really great health non surgical, or surgical things that we can do to actually support those things. But my angle is, okay, what's the least toxic thing that we can do to give the best results? What is going to give the most long term benefits? So that's why sometimes surgery, like eyelid surgery, is one of the most common surgeries performed to remove excess eyelid tissue. That's actually probably even going to cost less money than trying to do all these other non surgical things, and you have a longer result. So it just depends on everybody's situation. But the vanity thing is something I think every single person grapples with, if they're completely honest with themselves, and then they do it. They do their rejuvenation, they bump up their at home skincare routine, they purify their environment, like, Oh, I feel better. I'm gonna keep doing this, because it's something I do for myself, kind of like getting your (inaudible) you always feel so much better after you have, you know, fresh highlights or whatever. Lesley Logan 21:36  Yeah, yeah. Well, I think, like, there's a difference between doing something because you think it's going to get you people's reaction from people, and doing something for yourself. You know, I think if you are do making changes to yourself, because for other people, that would be a problem, but if you're doing it for yourself, like you said, you don't like the way your pores are. I have my mom, she has talked about the eyelid surgery, and I saw her recently in person. I was like, Oh, poor thing. I don't know. Can you see? Get like, you know, like, and that's not a vain thing. It's also like a necessity, necessity thing, but also like in being it till you see it, some of these things are taking up so much brain space that they're holding us back from coming out and showing people who we are like, if you're not putting yourself out there because you have a scar or you have you don't like the way something looks, that that does bother me, because it does mean that the world is missing out on what your gift is. You know, there are people that you're the only person who can do what you do, and if you're hiding yourself for whatever reason, then that is a bummer, because those people miss out on it and they end up getting swindled by somebody else. So I, I'm of the place, like, if it's for you and it's going to help you show up as the best version of yourself, like, you know, you really do have to look, look into that. But I also love your approach of, like, what's the least invasive, least toxic, most long lasting. And I think if we, I think if we go with that approach, as opposed to quick fixes, then we all, and that goes for everything, not just even for the things you do with your face.Rachel Varga 23:11  100% Oh, you touched on so many beautiful things. So we're gonna back this, because there's some nuggets here for everybody. What happens when you go into the wild, you know, if you're, if you're anything like me, you're working from home, you're going to the gym, you're going to the grocery store, going to church, you know, some work in social events, but that's kind of what the lifestyle looks like. But when we and sometimes I want speeches, and that's super fun, I get all glammed up when you go out into the wild and you see two kinds of people, you see the one person that I just have my hair and, like, a cute little dancer's button I got my workout outfit on. You would love it. It's, like, very Pilates appropriate. Lesley Logan 23:56  I saw it when you (inaudible) I was like, that's so cute. I need a little shawl for my my one my jumpsuit.Rachel Varga 24:02  Oh and I love my body, and I work hard. I lift weights, work on the flexibility, stability, cardio, strength, all those things. I feel fantastic because it brings me in my body as well. W e're very grounding at the end of the day, when you see that individual that they got a little bit of makeup on, they brush their hair, they don something cute, even if it's a little bun, and they have a smile, and they're bright, and they're connecting. Compared to the other person that's just schlepping it. They got their PJ pants on or their sweat pants, they're not put together at all, and they just look like they legitimately rolled out of bed. It's like, okay, something's going on with that person. Oh, this person's really showing up for themselves. They're, you know, putting effort into their appearance. What that actually communicates when you show the world that you're valuable because you value yourself, that's powerful. And if you're showing the world that you just rolled out of bed, your life's a mess, people aren't actually going to value you in the same way. I know that sounds really brutal, but you will be more valued in your relationships. In the professional space, you'll have better relationships. You'll probably be able to make more money, because there's also research to show that people actually who care for themselves the way that they look, earn higher income. But the cool part here that you touched on for you know, reactions for other people is it for yourself. I've seen that where ladies have come to me and their boyfriends in the waiting room and they say, I want to get my lips done. And their lips are already like fantasy lips, if you know what I mean. And I just say to them, no, that's gonna go. If I do anymore, it's gonna really put your lips out of the ideal ratios that actually creates beautiful lips. So you're not a candidate for this treatment. Obviously, there's some body dysmorphia that can have too. However, when we do rejuvenation in a way that looks natural, feels good for us. You know, the body's just like, yes, I want to do this. But thinking about it for a while, it helps to build confidence. Something very interesting about confidence, actually, is that the more confident we are, the better able we're going to be in showing up and building our community. And community is a deep survival need. We're not meant to go through life on our own. We're not meant to over give. We're meant to be supported and receive from those around us, and obviously have it be reciprocated. But the there's the value component, there's the confidence component, there's the community component as well. So there's a lot of really beautiful things actually, about beauty and what it does to our lives.Lesley Logan 27:00  Yeah, and I do, I find it's like, so I used to work at a studio when I lived in L.A., I'd have to, like, leave the house and obviously, how I run and how I shop at the gym, different things, but anything before 7 a.m. that's what different. But when I would go to my studio, I would get dressed to work, go to work, I would teach the whole thing. When I started working from home, I noticed like, oh, I'm not in front of the camera today, so I would just kind of like, still be in the same clothes I did my walk and my workout in, and I was like, starting to slowly feel down about myself and having to give myself more pep talks. And I was doing my fake eyelashes, and they kept getting bigger and wrong, and I kept giving them feedback. And I was like, I don't really like how this is looking. So then I got rid of the fake eyelashes, and now I'm like, well, now I'm a bald eagle, and now I think I'm over at and and I was like, hold on. I also could learn how to do makeup for my natural lashes, and I could get dressed each day, like, how would if I got dressed each day? And what I realized is, by using the clothes in my closet and getting dressed and having a routine of putting my makeup on and and things like that. All those things actually made me feel better. So that whole little haze that, like cloud that was kind of like following around, kind of like an oppression commercial. I don't know if you havethem in Canada, but we have them here, where they're, like, trying to sell you like this cloud that just like hovers over this girl as she walks around, the cloud's gone. I was like, oh, over time, I slowly became used to not doing these things that felt like a waste of time or like not a big deal who's seeing me, and the more I actually spent time with myself. It's not to go back to the vanity topic, It's not vain. It actually just made it easier for me to show up as myself and put myself out there. Because I wasn't going, Oh God, my hair is a mess. Like, like, I, like, got ready for the day, just like, as if I went out into the world to go to work. And so I would say, like, it's really easy for us to go, oh, the world expects us to look a certain way. And really, I actually think the world is quite obsessed with people who are confidently walking in front of them, people who are confidently walking in a room like it. Actually, I'm always amazed, like the people who are famous or infamous and things like that, like some of them, I would never consider like a natural form of beauty, but people are excited about them because they're so calm they walk in, they have their head held high. And so I think if we just go back to like, what are you doing for yourself to help you show up to be the person you want to be, like, those things can't be wrong.Rachel Varga 29:25  Very well said, the, I love this show so much. I love connecting with you, Lesley, I think you're fantastic. You're hitting the nail on the head of, like, really deep topics around beauty and rejuvenation and not enough people are kind of talking about this stuff, the concept of feeling down and self-talk. Let's break that down for a second. A lot of us say, Oh, my fine lines and wrinkles, or, you know, my elevens, or my acne scars, or from an injury perspective, because a lot of you listening are ahletic and sometimes injuries can happen when you're doing new things and pushing your limits and building your strength and your resilience and your readiness and adaptability and all those good things. So instead of saying my whiplash, I detach from it, and I don't say my I say, oh, you know, I'm experiencing this or, Oh, I have a blemish, but I'm not reinforcing it into my identity, because a lot of people have these things that they reinforce into their identity, and then it's like, stuck in their field, if you will. Now we're gonna go just a little bit woo.Lesley Logan 30:39  Oh, you know, we used to only be a one woo show, and considering where the world is right now, Brad and I have gone two woos. We're woo woo in it.Rachel Varga 30:50  Yeah, very much grounded in the 3d science, I published papers. I just the other day, was teaching 60 doctors in Vancouver. Super fun. I just can't help but notice this group of patients that I observed in my career. This is why I talk about radiance, men and women aged 60 to 90 that had never done any rejuvenation. They would come to see me, either on a video call like this, or in the clinic, and I would look at them and be like, Wow, you look fantastic. Like, yeah, you know a couple of things like, bother me. I'd love to do something about it, but it was just how they carried themselves. So I started to kind of unpack this. What is this? What is this that I'm noticing it's like this inner glow, this inner vibration, and what are the components in their life that are contributing to that, which you can ground to the key determinants of health, which are recognized globally as being important factors to determining how healthy you're probably going to be depending on the environment around you. They had a certain vibe to them. Their skin shown differently. Their voice was different. They were very present. They had a family life, they had a spiritual practice. They had hobbies, they had a community. So I coined this radiance, and then I started to dive into some Ayurvedic texts, and came across the definition of radiance, which I think is one of the best definitions of that word that I've ever come across. It's the electromagnetic projection of all of your body systems. The radiant body is the 10th body, and then we have our body, mind, spirit, energy. There's some other bodies in there, but the radiant body is basically that electromagnetic projection of you and a reflection of how all your operating systems are running into the world. And when you begin to hone and cultivate this radiant energy, it's kind of like you become a queen, and you enter a room and everybody notices you for all the right reasons, you become a magnet. And with that, when you step into that very powerful, radiant, queen, feminine and (inaudible) energy, you also repel vibes of certain people that aren't going to be in your highest it's like you're a magnet, but you're also very attractive.Lesley Logan 33:22  Yeah, just like magnets also repel the other side. Rachel Varga 33:25  Exactly. Yes. So magnetic to the right people, the right situations, the right opportunities, and telling yourself (inaudible) oh, you know, there's great things coming just around the corner that are better than I even imagined. And I say that all the time, and it happens all the time. So this becomes you. You become like this force. And one of the most cool things about this as a woman is you get respected, and you are revered by men, not just idolized for looking a certain way, but actually respected and revered, and this is getting into some of the more powerful layers of beauty and radiance. And what you mentioned with your self talk, you probably felt some guilt and shame, right? And those are the lowest vibrations we can possibly sit in. The highest ones are peace love, joy, then there's pre enlightenment, then there's enlightenment. So peace, love, joy, channel your inner (inaudible) that is actually setting the stage for all of your cells and inner machinery and operating systems and field, the human biofield, is an emerging body of science to shine brighter, to slow aging, to feel better, to look better.Lesley Logan 34:47  I love this, and I really do believe in it, because there was years ago I listened to a podcast where they said your cells are listening to you, and how you talk about yourself is what you produce. So if you, going back to your like, my scars, my this, it's so important that you do, you don't hold on to those things, because the body is listening and like they actually did some scientific studies, multiple ones. One of them was they took these people, they blindfolded them, they set them in a chair. They were in a room where they could hear a fire burning, right? And they could hear this hot and they could hear like this, when you put, like, water goes right, that whole thing. And they're like, okay, we're gonna take this (inaudible) and we're gonna brand you, right? And these people are like, Oh my God, they're telling, they're describing what the branding mark is going to be. All these things. I don't even know how they clear this, because it sounds like trauma and torture and all the things, however they did it. And what they would do is they would like make the sound, and then they touch the person with a pen, a pen, and the person develop the welt in the shape of the description of what the branding was going to be. Right? Like, now, whether it lasts or not, wasn't part of the thing, but like they the body was like, so prepared for what it was told it was going to become. And another doctor was trying to figure out if it was a scraping of the knee or the drain of the knee that actually was healing these knee issues. So of course, he has to take three groups of people, one where nothing happens, one where they scrape and one where they drain, and then compare the three and the people who had nothing they were just put into they were put under anesthesia. They played, they played a video of a knee surgery happening so that they would hear in their subconscious they were sent to do all the same post surgical protocol as everyone else. They had the same results as the people who had had surgery, because they told themselves, I had surgery, my knee is fixed, and their body did these things. And so I became so conscious of like, what are we actually talking to ourselves about? Because before we go into all the things we could do to change our bodies, before we go into the biohacking foods, and then what type of treatments we could do, how you're talking to yourself, is literally free. It's a, it's a, it's a free thing you can change. It costs nothing.Rachel Varga 37:01  when you think of a monk, what are they doing all the time? Lesley Logan 37:03  Oh, we get to see them in Cambodia all the time. They are meditating and they're praying. They give blessings. That's what they're doing, just sitting there meditating.Rachel Varga 37:15  And you said something very profound, giving. Lesley Logan 37:19  Blessings. Rachel Varga 37:23  Who you are, depending on what really your reason is for being here. For mine, it's really to activate and initiate men and women around me to be their best versions. I'm very clear on that. So for me and my presence, that's how I serve. That's how I offer. It's how can we be in this state where we engage with others and we brighten their day, we say something kind to them, the way that we move through life is like an offering and a blessing. We first need to fill our cup first, though, that's very important. One of the things that you can channel next time you're in your Pilates or a heavy lifting situation, I do this all the time at the gym. I actually do breath work because for activity as women, especially if you're around that pre perimenopausal, perimenopausal, menopausal and postmenopausal, the body's going through transmissions, and what breaks down collagen and elastin quickly is elevated cortisol, which results in a drop of estrogen. When estrogen falls, collagen, elastin, fall too the more at peace you are, the more in that parasympathetic state you are, the less you're in the sympathetic state with high cortisol, adrenaline, you're going to age slower. You're going to have a slowness of the collagen elastic breakdown. And you could actually just do things to stimulate it, right? Like good skincare, sunscreen on the high real estate areas, mineral only at home, dermarolling, in clinic, lasers to get that collagen back up. Consuming collagen is also great. 10 to 12 grams a day is what's in the literature to actually create those visible skin changes in a month. But what I do when I work out is something hilarious, and I actually did bench press with the bodybuilder gym (inaudible) crew at the gym. I was included. They respect me. They revere me. They see my dedication and hard work. So, you know, I was right there with them get it spotted and encouraged, and here I am elevating their presence as well. But when I work out, and I was actually sharing this with one of the bodybuilders, because they'll do like smelling salts to get them in the sympathetic state, which could be good for the masculine, but for the feminine, we don't want that. We want to keep that cortisol down, what I do, actually, between sets of working out, is go right into parasympathetic breathing. Breathe in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, exhale for four seconds. And you can do this, do like four to five cycles of that. You can drop into that at any point during the day when you get some news of a task that you need to do. I run like 13 businesses. So there's always, you know, these kind of small fires, and I have to figure out, like, who to delegate what I need to do, blah, blah, blah. But there's always something. So no matter what, I just always drop into that. Have those dates, have that honey, so I have that glycogen. Take those adaptogens to support the adrenals. Do the self care. But the biggest thing, I think, for beauty and slowing aging is, what do you think creates peace?Lesley Logan 41:05  What do I think creates peace? In someone's life?Rachel Varga 41:07  Yeah, what do you think creates peace in someone's life? Lesley Logan 41:10  Oh, my gosh. Well, I don't, to be honest, my mind is (inaudible) a few places. One, good sleep, that helps with peace. Two, not taking things personally, that could take, I think that could cover a lot of things. Maybe the whole four agreements would create peace and then self love.Rachel Varga 41:29  That's beautiful. What actually builds our confidence when you make a decision and we're happy with those decisions that we're making, or making them out of integrity. People who make really bad decisions, they have to live with guilt and shame, and they have terrible sleep. They're tossing and turning, and they got night sweats. All sorts of stuff goes on in someone's nervous system when they constantly have that guilt and shame, operating in the background. Ask for forgiveness, but move towards operating in integrity in every single thing that you do, you will have more peace because you're making better decisions. I wouldn't I can't picture a monk acting out of integrity, right? That's like against their code. So to have that, I just think it's gorgeous. Not taking things personally is also great. So you're recognizing that not everybody is taking as good care of you. You might have different values or lifestyles or what's important to you. So not taking things personally and just kind of witnessing that everyone's on their own journey, and just let go, but just have that knowing that the decisions you're making are out of integrity, and self love is such a beautiful component to that as well because you're telling your body when you're doing your skincare in the am and pm, you're washing your face, you're putting great things on that aren't toxic, and you're doing a lot of the personal development stuff as well, to be the best human that you can be, to be the best woman partner that success in your career, and just be a light in the world and think that and bring beauty. Literally, I've done this. I've just had a terrible day, something's going on, and I put on a cute outfit, do my hair and makeup, and I go engage with someone. They're like, Wow, you look so pretty today. It was like, it brightens my day. My beauty brightened their day. And then send and receive. I give them a compliment of something that I see is beautiful in them, too.Lesley Logan 43:35  Yeah, oh my gosh. You know, so many good things. And there was like five, five other things I wanted to get to in today's episodes. We're just gonna have to have you back. We're just gonna have to have you back because I was like, really hoping we could talk about, like, is Gua Sha really working? What are the things I should be doing? So we're just gonna have to do this again, and we're gonna take a brief break and find out how people can find you, follow you, work with you. And you already gave us some good stuff, but some Be It Action Items. Lesley Logan 43:58  All right, Rachel, where do they hang out? Where do you hang out? Where can people like stalk you in the best way, get more information, work with you, talk with you, where can we send them?Rachel Varga 44:08  Absolutely, I hang out on Instagram. I love to engage with those who are you? They say yes to themselves. They know they're worth it, and they're curious about some of the different options I share a ton of very entertaining education, like, I shared some sleep stuff like, why (inaudible) sleeps because I took creatine too late after my workout. But how did I hack that not so great sleep? I took a little bit more in the next day because it fires up your ATP, anyways, funny stuff like that. As a biohacker and also in the med spa space is over @RachelVargaOfficial, that's my Instagram handle. And then the podcast, really great show, the School of Radiance podcast. And then theschoolofradiance.com is my website, where you can book a one-on-one. You can join my seasonal skin tutorials, where I actually show you how to do Gua Sha, do your skincare, your makeup, your dermarolling peels, retinols, what rejuvenation is great to do that time of year, so basic and advanced stuff over six weeks, great. Not a YouTube tutorial. It's way better. Lesley Logan 45:13  I'm already in. I'm like, hold on, I need to. Rachel Varga 45:15  Super fun, super fun, right? And then the membership is more of that high level. How do we actually activate this radiance and stuff so we can enjoy our lives better and make more money in the process? Those are the two key metrics you're gonna get benefits from.Lesley Logan 45:30  Amazing. You guys, we have a promo code for you in the show notes and everything, so make sure that you check that out. I already have an appointment booked because I am really excited. And it's, again, not because of it's like, oh, I'm trying to be vain. I'm trying to be something that the world wants. No, it's so that when I look in the mirror, I feel awesome about myself, and I can show up more and more and do all the things. And so I'm just so grateful that our paths crossed. You have given us a lot of great tips. Ladies, get on the creatine. Okay, it's really amazing. There's tons of research. Oh yeah, muscles also, just like, apparently, tons of work on the Alzheimer space, which I'm very excited about. Thank God I've been doing creatine for years. But bold, executable, intrinsic or targeted steps our listeners can take to be it till they see it. What do you have for us? Rachel Varga 46:16  Yeah, the skincare checklist, actually, over at theschoolofradiance.com when you sign up for my newsletter, I have a free 30 minute biohacking lesson too, and use promo code LesleyLogan15 for 15% off of your one-on-one here with m. Creatine, creatine, creatine, yes, high protein, one gram to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, huge when I started to lift heavy and do those two things, and keep up with the flexibility, mobility that just gave me more inner power, activation, if you will, great for the skin too, and caring for yourself, not just your skincare, not just your rejuvenation, but purifying your environment, air, water, lighting, electromagnetics, eating the right food, then detoxing is a key part, but it's what we do every single day.Lesley Logan 47:07  I love that you brought those things up, because I do a lot of people go on detox all the time, but they don't fix their don't check their water problem. When I lived in L.A., all the water stuff said the pipes were great. Everything is great. You guys, I had arsenic and cadmium in my system. So how, right? So we had to, like, we lived in a 500 square foot apartment and had, like, a $5,000 water system put in, and yes, I took it with me when we moved. But I think it's really important so that you all can support things. Right? These are things you can do at home, with your for yourself and in your environment to help you feel really good. So I am obsessed with these tips. I really am obsessed with you. I can't wait for more conversations together and how people are going to use these tips in your life. You guys, let us know. Tag Rachel Varga, tag the Be It Pod. Share this with the friend who needs to hear it. Sometimes we have friends who are actually overly picking on themselves, and maybe I actually think the words that we talked about here today can really support that and help them understand like, you know what is needed, what is necessary, what is helpful, and then also, if you're starting to feel a little bit out of it yourself, like I, I'm gonna tell you right now, it's really okay to care about how you want to put your hair or how you want to dress, because those things actually help us show up more in the world. And we're we are allowed to take up space. So Rachel, thank you so, so much. And until next time everyone, Be It Till You See It. Lesley Logan 48:23  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod.Brad Crowell 49:06  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 49:10  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 49:15  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 49:22  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals. Brad Crowell 49:25  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Tonight's terrifying tale, “Our First Date Started in a Mall. We Haven't Seen The Sky Since”, takes a haunting turn from ordinary to otherworldly. What begins as an innocent date inside a local mall quickly spirals into a surreal nightmare when the exits vanish, time distorts, and something inhuman begins stalking the trapped couple. As they search for a way out, they uncover a hidden reality far more sinister than they ever imagined. Perfect for fans of Creepypasta, True Scary Stories, Horror Stories, Deep Woods Horror Stories (with an urban twist), and Scary Stories that blur the line between reality and terror, this unsettling story will leave you questioning every familiar place you thought you knew.

The NHL is about a month into the season. The official NHL social media accounts are posting "if the playoffs started today" content. The playoffs start in April, notably five months from now. It's the same deal with the College Football Playoff—there are still several games to be played. These types of hypotheticals are not worth stressing over.And we had a scorigami this weekend with an NFL score that's never happened before! Plus, do you think you could throw for at least 12 yards during an NFL game? Surely not, but, like...it feels kind of attainable, doesn't it?Here's the Jayden Daniels play Sean referenced: https://youtu.be/5X5fC7DSokMSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sports-r-dumb/donations

Brian Waters was destined to work until he was at least 63 years old. Now, just five years after starting to invest intentionally, he's got 16 rental units that can retire him a decade earlier! How'd he do it? A combination of easy, done-for-you out-of-state investment properties and the ever-profitable BRRRR method. Brian's work isn't sitting at a desk or crunching numbers. He's a firefighter and is routinely one serious injury away from his career being over. With a family to support, losing his work wasn't an option. So, in his 40s, he decided to pivot and go all-in on building a real estate portfolio. He bought a couple of properties in his home state of California before Southern California prices began to eat into his limited savings. So, things had to change. By being extremely clear about his plan, Brian began investing out of state, buying over a dozen properties without ever laying eyes on them. He tried a very beginner-friendly strategy that helped him build his out-of-state portfolio before moving on to the BRRRR method, where he gets paid to buy cash-flowing rentals in areas 99% of investors overlook. In five years, he's completely transformed his financial future, using a method you can, too! In This Episode We Cover The best out-of-state real estate investment for beginners (completely hands-off) How to use the BRRRR method even when you're living thousands of miles away from your investing market  Using your primary residence's equity to fund your first (or next) real estate deal  What to do once you've run out of cash to invest (should you raise private money?) Why you do NOT need to wait until you're 65 to finally retire  And So Much More! Check out more resources from this show on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BiggerPockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.biggerpockets.com/blog/real-estate-1198 Interested in learning more about today's sponsors or becoming a BiggerPockets partner yourself? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠advertise@biggerpockets.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Smallville star Allison Mack is headed to court to be sentenced for her role in NXIVM, the sex cult that lured successful women with promises of personal growth—only to enslave, blackmail, and brand them. When the judge hands down his sentence—three years in federal prison—Allison must begin to unravel the beliefs she once evangelized, parsing what was true and what was manipulation. Journalist Natalie Robehmed sits down with her to explore how she got here: from child actor to TV star to a pivotal moment in Albany that changed everything.To hear all episodes now, early and ad-free, subscribe to CBC True Crime Premium on Apple Podcasts. Or, find episodes early via CBC True Crime on YouTube.

One idea, executed well, can send you off on new adventuresSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's conversation starts with a late-night rabbit hole on legendary chef Marco Pierre White and turns into a deeper reflection on obsession, mastery, and meaning. We explore the fine line between excellence and excess—how far to push detail before it stops serving the guest—and what that tension looks like in coffee. It's an episode about passion meeting perspective. From Michelin-level precision to café hospitality, we ask what really defines quality: flawless technique or the feeling it creates for people. In the end, craft only matters if it connects.

(00:00-22:47) What's it all matter anymore, man? Gabe DeArmond of Power Mizzou joins us to try and lift Jackson's spirits. Talking about the final drive of the first half. If you hand the ball off, more likely than not you avoid disaster. Matt Zollers performance in his first career start. Gabe's thoughts on Cayden Green saying A&M knew what was coming at times. The fake punt. Drink staying or going? Jackson has some basketball questions for The Colonel.(22:55-38:08) I'm a dom, you're a sub, that's cool. Everybody nailed The Citadel pick in the SEC picks segment last week. ACC trending downward. What a finish in that Indiana vs. Penn State game. Gaining respect by winning big games and Mizzou hasn't seized that opportunity. Audio of Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza talking about what the win at Penn State meant to him and the team. Oregon salvaged their season with that win against Iowa.(38:18-53:15) Time to get right with a little Warren G. A predictionary for 10 years from now. The three year old True Son didn't wanna leave the game. Tim got grabbed by the lapels. You guys are some weird MFers, but now I get it. Listen, guys are attracted to Doug. Tim met The Dover Sole.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Williams reacts and delivers his thoughts on Iowa's last-second loss to Oregon. Can Iowa get to the next level? Iowa State finally gets back in the win column. Touching on hoops and more presented by Steeple Ridge Bourbon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Started by retired Ford engineer Dave Glickman, John and Mike take you on a tour of this summer's Ford employee Research and Innovation Center car show at the Ford World Headquarters campus in Dearborn.

Howie talks about current events and takes viewer questions. Streamed on 11/8/25Watch the video at: https://youtube.com/live/2msK6tFHUj0Green Socialist Notes is a weekly livestream/podcast hosted by 2020 Green Party/Socialist Party presidential nominee, Howie Hawkins.  Started as a weekly campaign livestream in the spring of 2020, the streams have continued post elections and are now under the umbrella of the Green Socialist Organizing Project, which grew out of the 2020 presidential campaign.  Green Socialist Notes seeks to provide both an independent Green Socialist perspective, as well as link listeners up with opportunities to get involved in building a real people-powered movement in their communities.Green Socialist Notes PodcastEvery Saturday at 3:00 PM EDT on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.Every Monday at 7:00 AM EDT on most major podcast outlets.Music by Gumbo le FunqueIntro: She Taught UsOutro: #PowerLoveFreedom

Our guest on Episode #75 of the TGG Podcast, in association with Teamworks, is Merijn Zeeman. Merijn is the General Manager of AZ Alkmaar - a team that regularly compete at the top of the Eredivisie, despite having a budget that's dwarfed by their bigger rivals. Prior to joining AZ, Merijn was the Sporting Director at Dutch cycling outfit Team Visma, helping them create history by winning all three Grand Tours in 2023. In this episode, Merijn told us about the lessons he has taken from cycling into football, about how AZ have managed to outsmart the opposition and about their recent collaboration with Teamworks and Luke Bornn. We hope you enjoy this episode and if you do, please follow us via your preferred podcast provider. SHOW NOTES => 02:18: Big clubs in Holland have a budget 4 to 5x that of AZ. 03:30: Started at AZ in December 2024. Came in from cycling, where he was Sporting Director. Spent 10 years there.  05:08: How Team Visma were transformed from also-rans to winners of three Grand Tours in one season. Culture had been bad/ still had one of lowest budgets. 08:55: How they transformed the culture. "It is not logical to expect a group of people will work good together." 14:22: Bringing in influences from outside cycling and why. 17:51: Move into football with AZ. How it came about. 19:07: General Manager role - not one we hear about often in UK football. What does it involve? 21:54: What makes AZ special and even unique as a club? Average finish of 3.8 in the Eredivisie in last 10 years. 26:27: Was the transition from cycling to football difficult? Originally from Alkmaar, which helped. Relationship with Dave Brailsford and also Erik ten Hag, who invited him to watch training at Manchester United. 29:33: How club use data. Influence of Billy Beane and Luke Bornn. Team Visma used data to overcome one outstanding rival rider. Use of Teamworks Intelligence and how it has helped. "One of the ambitions is that in maybe five years we can win games because we understand the game better through data than any other team."  35:06: Big thing has been making data more accessible to the coaches at the club.  36:48: How AZ use Teamworks Intelligence. Big thing is merging event and tracking data. Previously the club had tried to develop their own model.  39:23: Using objective data to counter biases in decision-making. "For a lot of coaches it is about opinions or visions, not about objective information. It is very hard to progress if you don't have objective information." 42:25: How Team Visma used data to usurp a dominant rival rider. Taking this lesson into football. 45:35: What are the club's ambitions for the future?

62 MinutesPG-13Thomas777 is a revisionist historian and a fiction writer.Thomas joins Pete to continue a series examing the work of Viktor Suvorov (Vladimir Rezin) and Joachim Hoffmann who sought to prove in their books, "Icebreaker," and "Stalin's War of Extermination," that Stalin orchestrated the beginning of World War 2.Thomas' SubstackRadio Free Chicago - T777 and J BurdenThomas777 MerchandiseThomas' Buy Me a CoffeeThomas' Book "Steelstorm Pt. 1"Thomas' Book "Steelstorm Pt. 2"Thomas on TwitterThomas' CashApp - $7homas777Pete and Thomas777 'At the Movies'Support Pete on His WebsitePete's PatreonPete's SubstackPete's SubscribestarPete's GUMROADPete's VenmoPete's Buy Me a CoffeePete on FacebookPete on TwitterBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support.

Started the week off by talking about Saudi Arabia's staggering pace of executions, and then talked about the President of Mexico getting publicly groped. Also Sudan cease-fire offer, French cops accused of rape in courthouse jail, Nigeria rejects US invasion plan, Election Day aftermath, and a guy in the UK arrested after trying to coerce underage girls into a thressome; admit he has a micropenis. Music: Meshuggah/"Demiurge"

Welcome back to Snafu with Robin Zander. In this episode, I'm joined by Kevan Lee and Shannon Deep, co-founders of Bonfire – a creative studio reimagining what it means to build brands, tell stories, and live meaningful lives. We talk about how Bonfire began as a "Trojan horse" – a branding agency on the surface, but really a vehicle for deeper questions: What does fulfilling work look like? How do we find meaning beyond our careers? And how can business become a space for honesty, connection, and growth? Kevan and Shannon share how their partnership formed, what it takes to build trust as co-founders, and how vulnerability and self-awareness fuel their collaboration. We explore their path from tech and theater to building Bonfire, hosting creative retreats, and helping founders tell more authentic stories. We also dive into how AI is changing storytelling, the myth of "broetry" on LinkedIn, and why transparency is the future of marketing. If you're curious about what's next for creativity, leadership, and meaningful work, this episode is for you. And for more conversations like this, stay tuned for Responsive Conference 2026, where we'll be continuing the dialogue on human connection, business, and the evolving role of AI. Start (0:00) How Bonfire Started (14:25) Robin notes how transparent and intentional they've been building their business and community Says Bonfire feels like a 21st-century agency – creative, human, and not traditional Invites them to describe what they're building and their vision for it Kevan's response: Admits he feels imposter syndrome around being called an "entrepreneur" Laughs that it's technically true but still feels strange Describes Bonfire as partly a traditional branding agency They work with early-stage startups Help with brand strategy, positioning, messaging, and differentiation. But says the heart of their work is much deeper "We create spaces for people to explore what a fulfilling life looks like – one that includes work, but isn't defined by it." Their own careers inspired this – jobs that paid well but felt empty, or jobs that felt good but didn't pay the bills Bonfire became their way to build something more meaningful A space to have these conversations themselves And to invite others into it This includes community, retreats, and nontraditional formats Jokes that the agency side is a Trojan horse – a vehicle to fund the work they truly care about Shannon adds: They're agnostic about what Bonfire "does" Could be a branding agency, publishing house, even an ice cream shop "Money is just gas in the engine." The larger goal is creating spaces for people to explore their relationship to work Especially for those in transition, searching for meaning, or redefining success Robin reflects on their unusual path Notes most marketers who start agencies chase awards and fame But Shannon and Kevan built Bonfire around what they wished existed Recalls their past experiences Kevan's path from running a publication (later sold to Vox) to Buffer and then Oyster Shannon's shared time with him at Oyster Mentions their recent milestone – Bonfire's first live retreat in France 13 participants, including them Held in a rented castle For a two-year-old business, he calls it ambitious and impressive Asks: "How did it go? What did people get out of it?" Shannon on the retreat Laughs that they're still processing what it was They had a vibe in mind – but not a fixed structure One participant described it as "a wellness retreat for marketers" Not wrong – but also not quite right Attendees came from tech and non-tech backgrounds The focus: exploring people's most meaningful relationship to work Who you are when you're not at your desk How to bring that awareness back to real life — beyond castles and catered meals People came at it from different angles Some felt misaligned with their work Others were looking for something new Everyone was at a crossroads in their career Kevan on the space they built The retreat encouraged radical honesty People shared things like: "I have this job because I crave approval." "I care about money as a status symbol." "I hate what I do, but I don't know what else I'd be good at." They didn't force vulnerability, but wanted to make it safe if people chose it They thought deeply about values – what needed to be true for that kind of trust Personally, Kevan says the experience shifted his identity From "marketer" to something else – maybe "producer," maybe "creator" The retreat made him realize how many paths are possible "Now I just want to do more of this." Robin notes there are "so many threads to pull on" Brings up family business and partnerships Shares his own experience growing up in his dad's small business Talks about lessons from Robin's Cafe and the challenges of partnerships Says he's fascinated by co-founder dynamics – both powerful and tricky Asks how Shannon and Kevan's working relationship works What it was like at Oyster Why they decided to start Bonfire together And how it's evolved after the retreat Kevan on their beginnings He hired Shannon at Oyster – she was Editorial Director, he was SVP of Marketing Worked together for about a year and a half Knew early on that something clicked Shared values Similar worldview Trusted each other When Oyster ended, partnering up felt natural – "Let's figure out what's next, together." Robin observes their groundedness Says they both seem stable and mature, which likely helps the partnership Jokes about his own chaos running Robin's Café – late nights, leftover wine, cold quinoa Asks Shannon directly: "Do you still follow Kevan's lead?" Shannon's laughs and agrees they're both very regulated people But adds that it comes from learned coping mechanisms Says they've both developed pro-social ways to handle stress People-pleasing Overachievement Perfectionism Intellectualizing feelings instead of expressing them "Those are coping mechanisms too," she notes, "but at least they keep us calm when we talk." Building Trust and Partnership (14:54–23:15) Shannon says both she and Kevan have done deep personal work. Therapy, reflection, and self-inquiry are part of their toolkit. That helps them handle a relationship that's both intimate and challenging. They know their own baggage. They try not to take the other person's reactions personally. It doesn't always work—but they trust they'll work through conflict. When they started Bonfire: They agreed the business world is unpredictable. So they made a pinky swear: Friends first, business second. The friendship is the real priority. When conflict comes up, they ask: "Is this really life or death—or are we just forgetting what matters?" Shannon goes back to the question and clarifies  Says they lead in different ways. Each has their "zone of genius." They depend on each other's strengths. It's not leader and follower – it's mutual reliance. Shannon explains: Kevan's great at momentum: He moves things forward and ships projects fast. Shannon tends to be more perfectionist: Wants things to be fully formed before releasing. Kevan adds they talk often about "rally and rest." Kevan rallies, he thrives on pressure and urgency. Shannon rests, she values slowing down and reflection. Together, that creates a healthy rhythm.  Robin notes lingering habits Wonders if any "hangovers" from their Oyster days remain. Kevan reflects  At first, he hesitated to show weakness. Coming from a manager role, vulnerability felt risky. Shannon quickly saw through it. He realized openness was essential, not optional. Says their friendship and business both rely on honesty. Robin agrees and says he wouldn't discourage co-founders—it's just a big decision. Like choosing a spouse, it shapes your life for years. Notes he's never met with one of them without the other. "That says something," he adds. Their partnership clearly works—even if it takes twice the time. Rethinking Marketing (23:19) Kevan's light moment: Asks if Robin's comment about their teamwork was feedback for them. Robin's observation  Notes how in sync Shannon and Kevan are. Emails one, gets a reply CC'd with the other. Says the tempo of Bonfire feels like their collaboration itself. Wonders what that rhythm feels like internally. Kevan's response  Says it's partly intentional, partly habit. They genuinely enjoy working together. Adds they don't chase traditional agency milestones. No interest in Ad Age lists or Cannes awards. Their goal: have fun and make meaningful work. Robin pivots to the state of marketing (24:04) Mentions the shift from Madison Avenue's glory days to today's tech-driven world. Refers to Mad Men and the "growth at all costs" startup era. Notes how AI and tech are changing how people see their role in work and life. Kevan's background  Came from startups, not agencies. Learned through doing, not an MBA. Immersed in books like Hypergrowth and Traction. Took Reforge courses—knows the mechanics of scaling. Before that, worked as a journalist. Gained curiosity and calm under pressure, but also urgency. Admits startup life taught him both good and bad habits. Robin notes  Neither lives the Madison Avenue life. Kevan's in Boise. Shannon's in France. Shannon's background Started in theater – behind the scenes as a dramaturg and producer. Learned how to shape emotion and tell stories. Transitioned into brand strategy in New York. Worked at a top agency, Siegel+Gale. Helped global B2B and B2C clients define mission, values, and design. Competed with big names like Interbrand and Pentagram. Later moved in-house at tech startups. Saw how B2B marketing often tries to "act cool" like B2C. Learned to translate creative ideas into language that convinces CFOs. Says her role often meant selling authentic storytelling to risk-averse execs. Admits she joined marketing out of necessity. "I was 27, broke in New York, and needed a parking spot for my storytelling skills." Robin connects the dots  Notes how Silicon Valley's "growth" culture mirrors old ad-world burnout. Growth at all costs. Not much room for creative autonomy. Adds most big agencies are now owned by holding companies. The original Madison Avenue independence is nearly gone. Robin's reflection  Mentions how AI-generated content is changing video and storytelling. Grateful his clients still value human connection. Asks how Bonfire helps brands tell authentic stories now that the old model is fading. Kevan's take  Says people now care less about "moments" and more about audiences. It's not about one viral hit—it's about building consistency. Brands need to stand for something, and keep showing up. People want that outcome, even if they don't want the hard work behind it. Shannon adds Notes rising skepticism among audiences. Most content people see isn't from who they follow, it's ads and algorithms. Consumers are subconsciously filtering out the noise. Says that's why human storytelling matters more than ever. People crave knowing a real person is behind the message. AI can mimic tone but not authenticity. Adds it's hard to convince some clients of that. Authentic work isn't fast or easily measured. It requires belief in the process and a value system to match. That's tough when your client's investors only want quick returns. Robin agrees  "Look at people's incentives and I'll tell you who they are." Shannon continues Wonders where their responsibility ends. Should they convince people of their values? Or just do the work and let the right clients come? Kevan says they've found a sweet spot with current clients. Mostly bootstrapped founders. Work with them long-term instead of one-off projects. Says that's the recipe that fits Bonfire's values and actually works. The Quarter Analogy (35:36) Robin quotes BJ Fogg: "Don't try to persuade people of your worldview. Look for people who already want what you can teach, and just show them how." He compares arguing with people who don't align to "an acrobat arguing with gravity – gravity will win 100% of the time." The key: harness momentum instead of fighting resistance. Even a small, aligned audience is better than chasing everyone. Kevan shares Bonfire's failed experiment with outbound sales: They tried reaching out to recently funded AI companies. "It got us nowhere," he admits. That experience reminded him how much old startup habits – growth at all costs, scale fast – still shape thinking. "I thought success meant getting as big as possible, as fast as possible. That meant doing outbound, even if it felt inauthentic." But that mindset just added pressure. Realizing there were other ways to grow – slower, more intentional – was a relief. Now they've stopped outbound entirely. Focused instead on aligned clients who find them naturally. Robin connects it to a MrBeast quote. "If I'm not ashamed of the video I put out last week, I'm not growing fast enough." He says he doesn't love the "shame" part but relates to the evolution mindset – Looking back at work from six months ago and thinking, I'd do that differently now. Growth as a visible, measurable journey. Robin shifts to storytelling frameworks: Mentions Kevan and Shannon's analogies about storytelling and asks about "the quarter analogy." Kevan explains the "quarter" story: A professor holds up two quarters: "Sell me the one on the right." No one can – until someone says, "I'll dip it in Marilyn Monroe's purse." That coin now has emotional and cultural value. Marketing can be the same – alchemy that turns something ordinary into something meaningful. Robin builds on that: You can tell stories about a coin's history – "Lincoln touched it," etc. But Kevan's version is different: adding new meaning in the present. "How do you imbue something with value now that makes it matter later?" Shannon's take: It's about values and belonging. "Every story implicitly says: believe this." That belief also says: we don't believe that – defining who's in your tribe. Humans crave that – community, validation, connection. That belonging is intangible but real. "Try selling that to a CFO who just wants ROI. Impossible — but it's real." Kevan adds: Values are one piece – authenticity is another. Some brands already have a genuine story; others want to create one. "We get asked to dip AI companies into Marilyn Monroe's purse," he jokes. The real work is uncovering what's true or helping brands rediscover it. The challenge: telling that story consistently and believably. Robin mentions Shannon's storytelling framework of three parts – Purpose → Story frameworks → Touch points. Shannon breaks it down: Clients usually come in with half-baked "mission" or "vision" statements. She uses Ogilvy's "Big Ideal" model: Combine a cultural tension (what's happening in the world) with your brand's best self. Then fill in the blank: "We believe the world would be a better place if…" That single sentence surfaces a company's "why us" and "why now." It's dramaturgy, really — same question as in theater: "Why this play now?" "Why us?" Bonfire's own version (in progress): "We believe the world would be a better place if people and brands had more room to explore their creativity." Kevan adds: it's evolving, like them. Robin relates it back to his own story: After selling Robin's Café, he started Zander Media to tell human stories. He wanted to document real connections — "the barista-customer relationships, the neighborhood changing." That became his north star: storytelling as a tool for change and human connection. "I don't care about video," he says. "I care about storytelling, helping people become more of who they want to be." Kevan closes the loop: A good purpose statement is expansive. It can hold video, podcasts, even a publishing house. "Maybe tomorrow it's something else. That's the beauty — it allows room to grow." Against the Broetry (49:01) Kevan reflects on transparency and values at Bonfire He and Robin came from Buffer, a company known for radical transparency — posting salaries, growth numbers, everything. Says that while Bonfire isn't as extreme about it, the spirit is the same. "It just comes naturally to invite people in." Their openness isn't a tactic – it's aligned with their values and mission. They want to create space for people to explore – new ideas, new ways of working, more fulfilling lives. Sharing their journey publicly felt like the obvious, authentic thing to do. "It wasn't even a conversation – just who we are." Shannon jumps in with a critique of business culture online Says there's so much terrible advice about "how to build a business." Compliments Robin for cutting through the noise – being honest through Snafu and his newsletter. "You're trying to be real about what selling feels like and what it says about you." Calls out the "rise and grind" nonsense dominating LinkedIn: "Wake up at 4 a.m., protein shake at 4:10, three-hour workout…" Robin laughs – "I'll take the three-hour workout, but I'll pass on the protein shake." Shannon and Kevan call it "broetry" The overblown, performative business storytelling on social media. "I went on my honeymoon and here's what I learned about B2B sales." Their goal with building in public is the opposite: To admit mistakes. To share pivots and moments of doubt. To remind people that everyone is figuring it out. "But the system rewards the opposite – gatekeeping, pretending, keeping up the facade." Shannon says she has "no patience for it." She traces that belief back to a story from college Producer Paula Wagner once told her class: "Here's the secret: nobody knows anything." That line stuck with her. Gave her permission to question authority. To show up confidently even when others pretend to know more. After years of watching powerful men "fail upward," she realized: "The emperor has no clothes." So she might as well take up space too. Transparency, for her, is a form of connection and courage – "When people raise their eyes from their desks and actually meet each other, that's power." Robin thanks Shannon for the kind words about Snafu. Says their work naturally attracts people who want that kind of realness. Then pivots to a closing question: "If you had one piece of advice for founders – about storytelling or business building – what would it be?" Kevan's advice: "Look beyond what's around you." Inspiration doesn't have to come from your industry. Learn from other fields, other stories, other worlds. It builds curiosity, empathy, and creativity. Robin sums it up: "Get out of your silos." Shannon's advice: "Make the thing you actually want to see." Too many founders copy what's trendy or "smart." Ask instead: What would I genuinely love to consume? Remember your audience is human, like you. And remember, building a business is a privilege. You get to create a small world that reflects your values. You get to hire people, pay them, shape a culture. "That's so cool, and it should make you feel powerful." With that power comes responsibility. "Everyone says it's about making the most money. But what if the goal was to make the coolest world possible, for as many people as possible?" Where to find Kevan and Shannon (57:16) Points listeners to aroundthebonfire.com/experiences. That's where they host their retreats. Next one is April 2026. "We'd love to see you there."   Companies/Organizations Bonfire Buffer Oyster Vox Zander Media Siegel+Gale Interbrand Pentagram Reforge Robin's Café Books / Frameworks / Theories Traction BJ Fogg's behavioral model Ogilvy's "Big Ideal" Purpose → Story Frameworks → Touch Point People Paula Wagner BJ Fogg MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) David Ogilvy Newsletters Snafu Kevan's previous publication  

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Kevin Fitzgerald, veterinarian and author, sits down with The Colorado Sun's Kevin Simpson to discusses his memoir "It Started with a Turtle"See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today Pastor Stan shares the full script of New York City’s new Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Speech. What kind of changes can we expect from New York from now on? 00:00 Started in Bible Prophecy 02:43 NYC Mayor 05:48 Angel to Dumitru Duduman 17:56 Revelation 18 23:07 Leave America 25:15 From the Heart

Today Pastor Stan shares the full script of New York City’s new Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Victory Speech. What kind of changes can we expect from New York from now on? 00:00 Started in Bible Prophecy 02:43 NYC Mayor 05:48 Angel to Dumitru Duduman 17:56 Revelation 18 23:07 Leave America 25:15 From the Heart

Started great, we all agreed, but not enough pace for Speed.Next week: Speed Racer (152 - "Race Around the World, Part 2")Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.comSupport Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/CordkillersYouTube: https://youtu.be/BHWOZHl4ohA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I share why I decided to start logging my food again after a long stretch in maintenance. Not from a place of restriction — but awareness.I talk about noticing shifts in my training motivation, how consistent eating affects my energy levels, and why tracking macros is less about perfection and more about curiosity.I also touch on the role of self-monitoring, small healthy habits, and even how sleep and “fun” fit into the bigger wellness picture.If you've been feeling a little off or wondering where your energy's going, try logging your food for a few days — you might be surprised by what you learn. And if you need a little guidance, I'm here to help.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mary-southernJoin my newsletter for weekly resume and LinkedIn growth tips you won't find anywhere else: https://www.resumeassassin.com/newsletter/You've spent 20 years building expertise. You close major deals. You sit in boardrooms where million-dollar decisions happen before lunch.But on LinkedIn? 7 likes. Three from your team. One from your mom.I break down exactly why executive LinkedIn posts get ignored—and more importantly, what to do about it.What you'll learn:-The 3 fatal mistakes executives make with LinkedIn content-7 proven frameworks that actually get engagement (with examples)-Why these work (algorithm + psychology breakdown)-Client results: $25M real estate deal, $400K in board opportunities-My contrarian view on where LinkedIn is heading-Your 90-day action plan to turn expertise into opportunitiesThis isn't theory. This is the exact playbook I use with clients who've generated millions in opportunities from LinkedIn.Timestamps: 0:00 - Hook: Why Your Posts Get Ignored 1:30 - The Executive Content Trap 8:00 - 7 Frameworks That Actually Work 22:00 - Why These Frameworks Work 30:00 - Real Client Opportunities ($25M Deals, Board Seats, etc.) 38:00 - Your 90-Day Action Plan 42:00 - Where LinkedIn Is Really Heading 44:30 - Wrap UpResources: Website: www.resumeassassin.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@resumeassassinInstagram: @resumeassassin TikTok: @resume_assassin_marySubscribe for weekly videos every Wednesday where I break down resumes, LinkedIn strategies, content frameworks, and real growth tactics.

Started great, we all agreed, but not enough pace for Speed.Next week: Speed Racer (152 - "Race Around the World, Part 2")Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.comSupport Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/CordkillersYouTube: https://youtu.be/BHWOZHl4ohA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If I could go back and start my travel creator business from scratch here's everything I'd do differently — from setting up systems, to skipping the 10-page website, to actually treating my content like a business (not just a job).If you've ever thought, “I wish I knew this sooner,” this episode is going to hit home. Today I'm diving into the real talk on what I'd change if I had to start my business all over again. Whether you're just starting to monetize your travel content or you've been creating for years and want to operate like a real business owner, this episode is your permission slip to slow down, reflect, and build smarter.We're talking about:Why you should make time to work on your business, not just in it The systems I wish I'd built earlier (and the chaos I could've avoided)Why you don't need a five-page website on day one The power of “learning days” and how to actually use all those free webinars and masterclassesHow to stop wasting time on tasks that don't tie to your goalsPlus, I share why I created the Travel Creator Business Program — the only business-building community for established travel creators who want to save time, scale sustainably, and make a bigger impact online.

This week I'm joined by the wildly well-traveled UK based model, Jade Kitty Dawson: a full-time touring art nude / fashion / alt model who has shot over countless photo sessions across Europe. She and I finally found a moment to connect despite the 7-hour time zone difference between the US and the UK. We talk about the realities of modeling in the UK vs mainland Europe (and why the rates are often lower in the UK), how she strategically chooses where she tours so she can still walk away with profit, and her upcoming major leap: planning her very first tour to Australia, where she'll be flying 22+ hours for a 2–3 week run. What I love about Jade is her willingness to take those big, scary leaps purely in the name of growth - even when she's nervous - because, as she says, “you always regret the chances you didn't take.”   We also dive deep into the beginning of her career — she started doing “site modeling” at just 14, styling, shooting, and editing her own photos as a one-woman creative outlet, which genuinely helped her come out of a dark period of bullying, depression, and anxiety. From there we follow her path into professional modeling, the encouragement she received to try art nude, navigating family reactions, and the harsh lessons she learned about safety while traveling internationally as a freelance model. (She's had to deal with both genuinely kind photographers who lay out a full spread of snacks… AND the rare creeps who prove that even a photographer you've known for years can cross a line.) All in all, this is such a raw, honest, truly global conversation about independence, self-trust, taking risks, and staying safe in a wildly unconventional career. Check her out!  Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jadekittydawson/ and on her website https://www.kittydawson.com/ 

Started great, we all agreed, but not enough pace for Speed.Next week: Speed Racer (152 - "Race Around the World, Part 2")Subscribe, get expanded show notes, and past episodes at http://Cordkillers.comSupport Cordkillers at http://Patreon.com/CordkillersYouTube: https://youtu.be/BHWOZHl4ohA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A listener from Salt Lake City, Utah, recounts a lifetime of escalating paranormal activity inside a normal-looking 1960s home — a house her parents dismissed, but one that seemed fully aware of her. As a kid, her bed shook violently in the middle of the night. Every time she ran to her parents, she was told it was “just a truck.” But the shaking didn't stop. Then came the dread. Standing in the hallway. Using the bathroom at night. Feeling a hand reach for the light switch when no one was near. Something was there. Something that wanted her to know it. This wasn't just a haunted house. It was an oppressive, intelligent haunting — one that fed on isolation, grief, and return. She later realized: if she had stayed, it might have convinced her to end her life. If you've ever wondered why some people go back to the place that hurt them — this episode explains it. Some houses don't just haunt… they groom, they pull, and they don't let go. #trueghoststory #hauntedhouse #paranormalactivity #realghoststoriesonline #shadowfigure #sleepparalysis #poltergeist #supernatural #ghostencounters #demonhaunting Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

As we approach episode 100 of Tiny Matters, we wanted to talk about how it all got started nearly 4 years ago and where we are headed! How did Sam and Deboki become co-hosts? What have they learned about the types of stories and episodes they are drawn to? What happens if an interview goes poorly? What is the American Chemical Society (ACS)? How about Multitude? Will we get 100 MORE episodes of the show? And more... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, host Diana Winkler interviews Pastor Mark Sowersby, who shares his powerful testimony of overcoming childhood abuse and finding forgiveness and healing through faith. Mark recounts his early life filled with abuse, meeting Jesus at 16, and wrestling with his identity as a victim. Through the love of his church community and personal determination, he not only found freedom but also pursued education and ministry. He also speaks about reconnecting with his birth father and how the loss of his mother catalyzed the launch of his ministry, 'Forgiving the Nightmare'. The episode serves as an inspiring account of transformation, resilience, and the power of unconditional God's love. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:47 Welcome to the Podcast 01:25 Introducing Pastor Mark Sowersby 01:40 Technical Difficulties and Apologies 02:17 Pastor Mark's Testimony 05:49 Childhood and Abuse 07:10 Finding Faith and Forgiveness 18:06 Weight Loss Journey and Healing 23:08 Dyslexia and Education Struggles 24:42 Writing a Book and Ministry 28:14 Reading the Bible: Audio vs. Written 28:27 A Life-Changing Christmas Story 29:20 Overcoming Illiteracy with Help 30:14 A Love Story Blossoms 30:56 College Journey and Divine Guidance 32:49 Answering the Call to Ministry 33:13 Struggles with Self-Worth 35:15 Finding Confidence in God 35:56 Weight Loss and Self-Love 40:01 Victim to Victor: A Personal Transformation 45:00 Reuniting with Birth Father 48:20 Launching Forgiving the Nightmare Ministry 54:40 Final Thoughts and Prayer   website: www.forgivingthenightmare.com email: mark@forgivingthenightmare.com    Bio:  Reverend Mark Sowersby has been married to his wonderful wife Jennifer for 17 years and is the father of four children. Mark has been an ordained minister with Assembly of God for over 25 years and is currently the Pastor of Christian Assembly of Schuyler in beautiful upstate New York. Pastor Mark holds a BA in theology from Zion Bible College/Northpoint Bible College. In 2019 Pastor Mark went through a time of great healing. He began speaking about the experiences of his past and God's grace and the transformational work of forgiveness in his life. He now speaks about his story through his ministry, Forgiving The Nightmare. When he isn't serving his congregation and his community through ministry, teaching, and support, you can find him on all the trails and lakes in Upstate New York, spending time with his family.   Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/ Transcript: [00:00:00] Special thanks to 7 5 3 Academy for sponsoring this episode. No matter where you are in your fitness and health journey, they've got you covered. They specialize in helping you exceed your health and fitness goals, whether that is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or nutritional coaching to match your fitness levels. They do it all with a written guarantee for results so you don't waste time and money on a program that doesn't exceed your goals. There are martial arts programs. Specialize in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. They take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Sign up for your free class now. It's 7 5 3 academy.com. Find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, [00:01:00] Diana Winkler. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Welcome back. You made it well. I have a great guest for you today. I told you about him last week. Pastor Mark Sowersby and he has knocked this interview out of the park, and we had an amazing time. We did not have an amazing time with the Zoom platform. I could not hear him, but he could hear me, and it was a half an hour of back and forth trying to get it to work. So I wound up having to record this episode on our phones with the earbuds. So I don't normally do [00:02:00] that. I usually have my $300 studio microphone. So if it doesn't sound as good, I apologize. But this content is so great that I think you'll forgive me, but I'll try to do some, post-production, to make it sound better. So without further ado. Here is Pastor Mark. Yeah. Nice. Nice to meet you. Yes, nice to meet you also. And I saw your wife there too, so, and I think you saw my husband's beard anyway. Yes. And my wife is the strength and the brains of this operation around us. I'm blessed. I'm a blessed man there. Amen. Thank you. Yes. So we got the, um, the technical, uh, demons outta the way. Well, I appreciate that. We tried two computers and my Apple phone. And I have to tell you, I am a novice at computers at best, so Yeah, me too. So we're kindred spirits for sure. Amen. Amen. And I read your testimony about your [00:03:00] website and your faith and your podcast and everything. What a beautiful testimony you have. Oh, thank you so much. So you, you're in Arizona, is that correct? Yes. Wow. Wow. Well, I have to tell you of one of my bucket lists because I'm a northeast guy. I'm a New England, New York. We have snow. It's freezing. They're saying we could have a possible blizzard tomorrow. Uh, I love that. Go to the Grand Canyon. That's my, on my bucket list. My, my family. Hear me speak about that all the time. I've never seen it. But I long to, let me tell you, it's more breathtaking than you can imagine. The pictures don't do it justice. I've been there many, many times, of course. And yes, you should come as soon as you're allowed to travel. I would be over here. Yeah. There's so much more to see. We long to go. We really want to see it. You know, if somebody said, you really see the significance when you look at that great canyon and you see how [00:04:00] small you are, it humbles you and reminds you of what a great big God we serve. So, you know, we just, uh, amen. Thank you for hearing my story and my testimony, and it's an honor to be here with you and celebrate the victories that we have in Christ. Amen, brother. We're gonna get to know you a bit here for my listeners. So why don't you tell the, listeners a little bit about yourself. My name is Mark Sowerby. I'm a husband, a father, a friend. I'm a sports fan. I eat too much. I talk too much, but I'm a pastor and a servant of Jesus Christ. I was looking at all your pictures and stuff, and I saw your progression of your weight loss. That is so amazing. Thank you. Thank you. And my weight loss journey is really just a symptom. Or result of the greater healing that's taken place in my life. Uh, I'm very proud of it. It's something [00:05:00] I have to work hard for and be very disciplined in. So yes, there's a work towards it, but really it's the sub to the main plot. The main plot is what Jesus did in my heart to help me forgive and help me heal the abuses and the pains. And as that began to fill my life, this weight loss journey with the discipline and that burning good habits and exercising, and I'm up to running, uh, six miles a day on the treadmill. So, wow. Six miles. Yeah. So well, remember, we're not in Arizona heat, so it's not hot, well, I have a treadmill. That's usually what I exercise on. I have an exercise room, I don't run unless somebody's chasing me or the laxative has started working. Those are good reasons to run. so let's start at the beginning. So what was your childhood like? Well, unfortunately I have a story of brokenness, pain, and sorrow. I was born from an affair. Uh, so my [00:06:00] father never really had a relationship with him. I am assuming that as soon as he, uh, got the news, he, he left. So I was raised by my mom. I have two siblings that my mom had from a prior marriage. So the three of us kind of lived together at my grandmother's house, and that's what I knew. That was what life was. I was seven years old. A young man came into our family, and that young man eventually married my mom 20 years, her younger, and when he came into our home, he brought abuse and pain. He brought death and destruction. He brought lies and poison. And as any abuser, those abusers have touched many people. And as not only did he abuse my mom in a and. With just vulgarness and pain, but he also abused me and with sexual abuse and physical abuse and emotional abuse. And it was just a very difficult time in my life. So from seven to 14, that's kind of the world I knew. Not only did he abuse my body, not only did he steal from [00:07:00] me, my dignity, my value. Not only did he try to control me, but he also sold me for other men to abuse me. Mm-hmm. Other men to take my body. He stabbed me and beat me and burnt me. And at 16, I was invited to church, I ran into a youth group. And, uh, there's a whole story in that. But let me tell you, I ran into youth group and I ran into Jesus. Jesus was Amen loving. Amen. Jesus's loving arms. He wrapped him around me and started me on the journey, journey of forgiveness. And it's been a journey up. I just turned 50. We just lost my mom earlier this year. Wow. They say a flu. Some say COVID, but we lost her earlier this year and it was really kind of a season for me to walk through some even deeper, deeper healing. We have a lot in common. 'cause I just lost my brother this week. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for your loss. Yeah. So we both have losses today. Yes. Yes. I'm so [00:08:00] sorry for your loss. You as well. Thank you. Your mother was a believer? She was at the end of her life. As we say, the 11th hour of Thief on the cross remember me. Mm-hmm. My mom did have one of those kind of conversions. Unfortunately, she never, the last few years of her life, she came to understand Jesus, but she never forgave herself or forgave. Her pain. She lived with the regrets and the shames and the guilt of her pains. She knew the love of Christ, and I believe that when she closed her eyes on this earth, she opened her eyes there because of what Christ did for her. But she carried this burden of shame and guilt and hurt. But I forgave her, not because I'm special, not because I'm better. I forgave her because Christ forgave me. And in that journey of learning with to forgive people say to me, how could you forgive such a great thing? I just forgave what was in front of me. That's it. Step by step, precept by precept. That's how I forgave. I [00:09:00] couldn't think about the whole journey all at it was too hard. What's in front of you? Well, we'll definitely get into, your process of forgiveness. Would it be okay to, circle back to your stepfather coming into your life? Now it sounded like it was a very violent to way he treated you. Did he do any grooming of you to start the abuse or was it violent right away? I believe there was grooming, again, being so young and, uh, being so, uh, naive. I probably didn't recognize it, but I'm sure there was grooming you know, there was this natural longing. From a child without a father to find a father figure. Mm-hmm. Um, being so young, not understanding the process of that, and any person that would gimme attention, I would run to them to try to find somebody who would govern me or lead me or [00:10:00] guide me or accept me. So I'm sure there was some manipulation in that, as I became more groomed or broken or became more pliable, if you would, because of my young immaturity. He began to have more of his way on it, just so you know. And I always refer to him as my mother's husband. Never as my stepfather? Yes. Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. Oh, no, you didn't offend. No, I have forgiven him. I think in forgiveness, it's okay to have, uh, some boundaries. Sure. I think that, to have some healthy boundaries, I've forgiven him. I've put him in the hands of God, and I pray the grace of God will meet him and his pain and his sorrow, and only God can reach him. Uh, but again, there's some healthy boundaries around my life and my families. So what was your relationship with God when you were going through all this abuse? We grew up in a very religious home. I was a New England Protestant, so most of New England are [00:11:00] Irish Catholic, Italian Catholic, Polish Catholic, French Catholic. But I was the rare Protestant. And I remember saying to my grandfather one day, I asked him, I said I, well, let me back up and say, I always knew what I wasn't. I knew I wasn't a Catholic, but I didn't know what I was. So, grandpa used to tell us we weren't Catholic. He announced that pretty clearly. But one day I asked him, I said, then if we're not Catholic, what religion are we? And all he said was, go ask your mother. So, you know, we didn't really grow up in any kind of. Formal faith-based community, uh, you know, sometimes went to Christmas Eve service, you know, those kind of what we call Sea Easter and Christmas. The CE. The CE crowd. That's right. But it really wasn't, a church was not a part of my life. We knew God was there, be good and you go to heaven, be nice to people, you go to heaven. But there really wasn't a faith-based situation. I'll be honest with you, uh, the [00:12:00] only religion I got, or the only faith I got was the one album that was played in our home. It's not a Christian album, it was Jesus Christ Superstar. I'm a kid of the seventies. Yes, I'm very familiar with that. Yeah. And but God's name is so powerful now as a Bible college graduate, as a pastor, I could see all the holes of the theology in that and how it was really written, dragged down the gospel. They say Jesus Christ, and as a child, that name is so powerful. So, I mean, I didn't know anything. So here I was, I, I remember seven years old with a big headset on sitting in front of the speakers and listening to Jesus Christ Superstar. And, and now I realize what a mockery it was. But then just the name has power. Yeah, there was no resurrection in that movie. No, no, no. You know, when you have Mary Magdalene sing to, to him and say, you're just a man, [00:13:00] only a man. I mean, it's such a mockery. But again, at eight years old, 10 years old, I thank God that all truth belongs to God. Amen. And his name is so, amen, powerful. Amen. That every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. And as that name, Jesus was smoking, it pierced my darkness. Now, I didn't know about crying out. I didn't know about prayer, but God was preparing me for such a time. And at 16 the lifeguard at the apartment complex invited me to church. She was a pretty girl, and I didn't wanna say no. Uh, she invited she invited me and picked me up with her boyfriend. Oops. We went, yeah, we went to church that night and there began my journey into meeting Christ, knowing his mercy and grace into my faith walk and it's been a journey ever since. So is that when you, met the Lord for real [00:14:00] and got saved? Exactly, I was 16 years old. It was the early part of the summer and I went to that youth group and everybody told me that. To throw away my rock and roll music and to cut my hair and take my earring out. And everybody wanted to hug me and I didn't wanna be hugged by anybody. It's an evangelical Pentecostal church. And I was like, I don't, yeah. But come to find out, the youth pastor lived in the same apartment complex I did. I had a ride to church anytime it was open. So, later on that summer, mid-August, I remember a man inviting me, a young man from the youth group. It was raining. He was giving me a ride home. We got into his car and he asked me right there, uh, mark, do you wanna ask Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior? And we prayed right there the sinner's prayer. And I recognized the grace of God and the mercy of God and the Spirit of God. And at 16 years old, I asked Jesus Christ to be my Lord. And I thank him that he was calling me at such a time. So, and then I [00:15:00] had to grow up. Wow. And then I had to grow. I was still 16 with a messed up background and, still was spilling life all over myself. But that church loved me. They hugged me and kicked me in the can at the same time. Now were you out of your mom's house? Away from your abuser? Well. When the abuse first became, and I don't wanna say public, but when it became outside of the family when I meant the first person I confessed it to or, or shared it with, was my uncle. And I think that people have to remember my abuse happened from 19 7 7 to 1984. And the awareness and the advocacy that's out there today wasn't there then. And things like this happen behind closed doors. And I think culturally, not everybody, but culturally in most families said, we keep that stuff behind closed doors. We don't share it. We handle it as families. I told my uncle at [00:16:00] 14 years old. He was the first person I confessed to, and I ended up living with my uncle for about a year. He became my defender. So from about 14 to about 15 and a half, I lived with my uncle, and about 15 and a half I moved back with my mom. And yes, her husband was still there. But he, uh, he was very sickly at this time. So, he wasn't able to hurt me physically anymore. And I was strong enough to not allow anybody to hurt me anymore. So Now you said the word confess. Well, you didn't do anything wrong. Thank you. I, yeah, I just meant, I told. You shared your story, your abuse, uh, your victimization. So yeah. You don't have to apologize for anything. Amen. Thank you. That's right. It was probably a poor choice of words. I was just reading. I announced to my uncle, or I, I shared out, I took it out. I took it outta that simple family unit that I would tell my mom, [00:17:00] my mom having so much hurt and pain in her life, didn't know how to handle that. And just would say, well, he promises not to do it again. And he promised not to do it. And of course, so in a lot of ways I felt like my mom was a victim. And, and. Even though I've had to learn to forgive my mom because of what she allowed to happen, but in some ways, not that I justify it, but I've begun to understand it. Because she was abused by her first husband who broke her heart because, uh, just pain who had many affairs on her, and she was so broken down, so hurting and she did not understand love. I think she, um, interpreted love in a very, uh, trying to think of the word here you know, an enabling way. My mom was more of an enabler and I think she interpreted her love in enabling. So she enabled people. I mean, it sounds like [00:18:00] codependency. Was that the word you're looking for? Yes. Okay. Yeah. Thanks. So you struggled with your weight for years. Was that a symptom of your. Abuse your childhood? I, I think it was, you know, I'm, I'm not a psychologist or, a social worker. I'm a preacher, but you know, I think what I was trying to find in food was comfort, friendship. It always accepted me, uh, it comforted me when I was having a bad day and it rewarded me when I was having a good one. But like any drug, if you would, it lies to you. And it says, Hey, is everything will be okay. Just have a little bit more, have a little bit more, and, it just is. So for me, food became my drug of choice. Mm-hmm. Uh, it became where I found comfort, found peace, found acceptance. I punished myself with it. Boy, I'm no good. I'm going to eat ice cream. Oh, I'm having a great day. I'm gonna eat [00:19:00] ice cream. So, you know, it was one of those things. Uh, what I tell people is that I wish I could say to you that, that God has taken away all the hurt, all the pain, all the sorrow. It's still there in my life. It's still a familiar. Familiar pain that continues to call to me. But what God did is he became bigger. He became bigger than the pain. He became bigger than the shame. He became bigger than the hurt. So is it still there? Sure. And the flesh wants to run to it. And the psyche wants to run to it because I know it, it's comfortable. I, I know my role there. I, I understand what my protection and my manipulation that I can find there. But God became bigger. God became bigger. You know, I was telling a friend today, and I climbed a mountain after I lost about 50 pounds. I climbed a mountain. And it was about a half a mile long. And to me it was Everest. It was the biggest mountain in the world. And it took me hours [00:20:00] to go up and I had blisters on my feet and bruises on my toe. I was very proud that I climbed it. But after I lost about a hundred pounds, I climbed the biggest mountain in the state of New York called Mount Marcy. And what was the difference between those two mountains? One was bigger and I think that's the same thing. What happened to me is that even though that sometimes the enemy wants to try to bring me back to those familiar pains, those familiar insecurities, those familiar foes, God became bigger. His word, his spirit his love all became bigger. And I have to hold onto that and I have to claim, not claim it, but I have to run into it. You know, I have to run into that every day. So. Oh, you would love the mountains here. We have so many mountains to climb. So yeah. If you come to Phoenix, then we'll have to go hiking together. Yes. I wanna see that Grand Canyon. I wanna come to Phoenix. I am a New Englander, but it's cold [00:21:00] all the time here. But I hear that you guys leave for the summer and go back in the winter. We leave for the winter to warm places because it's so hot in Phoenix in the summer. Yeah. We're not snowbirds. We are here all year. Now we get to 110 every year. That's, that's normal. It gets to 120 here every summer. But this year it was 55 days of 110 degrees. Wow. Which, um, that killed all my plants and, uh, two of my trees, so Wow. Yeah, it's 70 degrees outside now, but in the summertime it's brutal. Wow. Don't come in the summer. Come in the winter. Okay. I, um, I did get to do a mission chip for Juarez, Mexico, which is obviously south of you guys and a little east, but at the same time, I got a touch of hot weather and I have done a lot of missions trips to Central America and the Caribbean, but they do have a different climate because of the sea and the water. So it's not that dry heat. [00:22:00] It's, definitely that, more moist, heat. Yeah, I think you'll do fine. Like I said, I looked forward to it. We were just in Israel in, November November, 2019, and it was 85 degrees. In Jerusalem and I roasted, I had such a hard time because the elevation was different and the humidity from the from the sea. Yeah. I don't know if you've been to Israel, I have not. Another, another bucket list, yeah yes, definitely recommend that for sure. Thank you. My wife and I, we love to travel. You know, we, we have four children, so right now our kids are in the ages of 15 to seven, so we are right in the midst of it. You know, we're, we're mom and dad, taxi and, and we homeschool. So my wife is going a hundred miles an hour all the time. Pastor wife. Homeschool mom and she's taking care of [00:23:00] me. So, I mean, this is, God bless her. If there's a hero in this story, it's my wife. Your wife's a homeschooler. Um, you had said in your story that you had dyslexia growing up. What was that like? Well, you know, I think that I still have it. Uh, God hasn't, hasn't healed me from it. So what happens is, is I tell people when the way I was raised, I survived my childhood. I wasn't raised, you know, I didn't have parents that, that looked out for me. I didn't have somebody who wanted to govern my experiences or, or was an advocate for me. So I, I really just kind of survived my childhood and one of the casualties of that. Was my education. Uh, it was the early seventies, so I think there was a lot going on with sight reading and some different kind of philosophies of teaching. So here I was in a broken home with a learning disability. I [00:24:00] was being bullied at school because the way I felt about myself and, you know, so yeah, reading has always been a chore for me. It still is a chore today. But again, the lord, he helps and he, he brings me through and he gave me a brilliant wife. Uh, she is a, a teacher by education. And my children love to read. My son will walk into walls. He reads books this thick. I mean, and I remember holding him the moment he was born, praying, Lord, give him just a heart for reading. And he does. I mean, my son 15 says, dad, can we go to the library? Love the library. Oh, he, yeah, we're friends with the librarian. Uh, if they need somebody to help him out, move books and they call him. But yes, reading has always been a chore and I, believe it or not, I'm in the midst of writing a book. Oh, I was just gonna ask that if you had a book out or not. We are just started to speak to a publisher, it's self-publishing company. Uh, so we're definitely in [00:25:00] conversations. We have written, just kind of let it pour out of me. It's been there for 50 years, so just kind of. And, uh, now we've kind of put it in front of people who really know what they're doing. I tell everybody, I wrote it my ways, I handed it to my wife and she interpreted it and made it legible. And, uh, we have some local friends who have done some basic editing, so they're kind of editing for us, and now we're sending it to the publisher who knows how to edit in a professional way. So, so, you know, the Lord told me years ago that this testimony would be written down. I remember I chuckled when he told me that because I said, Lord, I can barely read or write. And I remember saying to the Lord, Lord, if you want this written down, what am I gonna call it? He said, you'll call it Forgiving the Nightmare. So that's why the name of the ministry, the name of the book, the name of the website is called Forgiving the Nightmare. I think everybody uh, regardless of [00:26:00] how one came, you know, yours and I came in by probably hands of other people's, but sometimes nightmares come in by all different ways. Loss, regrets pains, hurts. And we all have to kind of say, Lord, how do we go through that? And I know as Christians, we want it instant, you know, we wanna stand on the word, we wanna claim it, we wanna save. Lord, give it to me. But I think sometimes we have to, uh, go through the process. I think of Jacob and how he wrestled with God, or he wrestled with the angel and they wrestled all night long. And, and God, the angel touched his hip and then he said, what do you want? And Jacob said, I want a new. And he became Israel, the promise. Mm-hmm. So he left deceiver, as you know, and he became Israel promise. And I think sometimes in that journey of forgiveness as much as Christians and people, we want it and we want it so true and so earnestly, [00:27:00] but sometimes we have to wrestle. We have to wrestle with the past. We have to wrestle with ourselves, we have to wrestle with the fears, and wrestling doesn't make us bad, doesn't make us sinners, doesn't mean God has left us. I think God's working with us, the process as a pastor, I've seen so many people who are unwilling to go through the process. And they get stuck. They get stuck in the cycle, in the the hurts and the pains of life. Just kind of build up on them. And I know God wants to set 'em free, but again, it, you have to learn to die to self crucify the old man, you know, tame the tongue. And it's hard. It's hard, especially when everything in the, especially when everything in the world tells you you're okay to have that. It's okay for you to hate. It's okay for you to be angry. It's okay for you to, when God says, for us to let him go first, let Him lead us. And God is, if we forgive those who trespass against us, he'll be faithful and just to forgive us. [00:28:00] And that scripture boy haunted me for a long time because I said, Lord, I'm not ready to begin. I'm sorry I'm preaching. No, you're awesome. I'm enjoying this. Um, I'm curious how you read your Bible. Do you use an audio bible or do you, um, do use an actual written Bible? Well, I do read Bible. I like the ESV, I like the NIV, I like those verses. I do read it. I do listen to audio at times. What happened was, is about 20, I was in my early twenties and a woman at church asked me to read the Christmas story out of Luke in front of the youth group. Now, when I say youth group, we had about a hundred youth in our youth group, maybe even 150. It was a large youth group and she was the kind of woman who would not take no for an answer. You know, the church lady? Yeah. I think every church has one of those. Yeah. And you know, I tried to give her every excuse in the [00:29:00] book, I lost my glasses. I was too embarrassed to say that I couldn't read. So I got up in front of the youth group and I read out of Luke chapter two and I. Stumbled over my words and I read slowly and I read broken up. And people were very kind to me that day. The youth pastor and the youth group, they were not cruel. And after service, that woman came back to me and said that she homeschooled her children and she would like to homeschool me if I'd want to. Now I was, I was a grownup. I was 23 and I went back to her house and there I sat with her 6-year-old, five-year old as she was teaching her 5-year-old, 6-year-old how to read. She was also teaching me phonics. I never learned phonics. I tell everybody, when I learned TION and Sean and not ion, it changed my life. Unbeknownst to me that church lady had an older daughter [00:30:00] and that older daughter watched me. Watch me struggle over my words, watch me go to the house and sit with her five-year-old sister and learn ae IOU and learn the rules of bowels and phonics. Well, years later, that older daughter would become my wife. Oh. Oh. So, yep. So, you know, she told me that she fell in love with me and she watched me there. And so that, that's a little bit of our love story. But yeah, she watched me from afar and, and now today we have four kids together and she still helps me read. So I do read. I a much stronger reader than I ever was. Uh mm-hmm. So I, I can read a much better than I could then. Well, I certainly can see looking back that you had so many people in your corner to that God sent to help you, and what a blessing. Now, did you go to college? I did. I [00:31:00] graduated from what's now called North Point Bible College. At the time, it was called Zion Bible College. It was in Barrington, Rhode Island. It was a very focused school for ministry only. Uh, so I did go there. I didn't wanna go there. I'm a New Englander. I knew about the school. It was in my backyard. I wanted to go to Southeastern to Florida. I wanted to go to pennsylvania and go to Valley Forge. Uh, those doors were not open to me. I remember saying, the Lord, I'm done. Lord, I've tried. Everybody's rejecting me because of my education. And he said, go to Zion. I went in and I met with the Dean of students. In that meeting, the dean of students said to me, mark, do you have a call? I said, yes, I believe I do have a call. He got up from his desk and he went to a big picture window, a woman who was walking in front of his picture window, and he tapped onto the window and he called this woman in. As she came [00:32:00] into his office, he introduced me to a woman named Jan Kruger. He let me know that Jan was led by God to go to school, to go to Zion the week earlier than me to start a learning center. And Jan and I became our first student in the learning center and we worked hard. The first year, most of my, classes were uncredited 'cause I had to learn how to be a student. I didn't know what a syllabi was. I didn't know how to take tests. Uh, we sat in that learning center. I cried, I complained. She was a mom. She hugged me sometimes and she told me to. To suck it up sometimes. And, uh, that was the best advice I could get. So yeah, i'm a proud graduate of Zion Bible College, and I'm ordained with the Assembly of God. So when did you get called into the ministry? Well, pretty much after, it was about my 17th year, 16 years old, I got saved and 17 years old, I was [00:33:00] at a Youth convention, and I pretty much felt like the Lord called me then. Now, I ran from that call for a long time because of my insecurities, my fears, my inabilities. See, when I walked into the room, I always felt like I was junk. Like I was dirt. Like I could offer nobody, nothing. And I was, no, you know, I, that's how I felt about myself. So who would let me be that pastor? What do I have to offer? I could barely read. Look what happened to me. So. For many years I wrestled with it and about 24, 25 years old, I had a brand new truck, little S 10 pickup truck. They called it Bernie because it was purple. I was listening to Petra, remember a Petra? I love Petra. And I was, I was listening to Petra from the seventies not the nineties. Petra and I remember I was listening to Petra and the Holy Spirit filled with the cab of that car and that truck I had to [00:34:00] pull over. I was on old post road. I'll never forget tears coming down my face. The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, mark, choose this day whom you'll serve. I've called you and I will equip you. And I said, God, I want you. That's when the journey of. Colleges, and I wish I could tell you it was all roses and cherries after that. It wasn't, you know, there's still a lot of growing up and a lot of overcoming, and a lot of dying to self. And, and there still is. But yeah, that's how I got called and I went to that school and they loved me. They were honest to me. You sound like you had a lot , in coming with Moses with his speech impediment. He was, exiled to be a goat and a sheep herder. They're not gonna listen to me, Lord. You know? Did you feel like that? Oh, sure. I sure did. Like I said, I, for most of my life, I felt like what can I offer? So what I did is I put a facade on myself or I, I lived up to the role that I [00:35:00] thought people wanted from me, or a role to, to find acceptance or protection. So, if I had to be the clown, I was the clown. If I had to be the fool, I was the fool. If I had to be the weak, I was the weak because I felt those things about me. Recently in this weight loss journey and this giving, God has given me confidence. And I say that with much humility because I know it's not my confidence, it's confidence in him. But I've never had confidence before. I feel like a carpenter with a new tool. I feel like, you know, a businessman with a new suit that I've never had confidence before. Now again, it's not confidence in what I have. Because I'm still weak, but it's a confidence going, my Abba father makes a way for me. My Abba father heals me and, and goes before me. So it's, it's a kind of a new season for me to be confident and say, you know what? I can live a healthy life. People ask me why I lost the weight. [00:36:00] And I remember I was reading the scripture, and you're probably familiar with it, is when the Pharisee comes to the Lord or it says to him, Lord, how does one enter the kingdom of heaven? And the Lord says, well, what is written? He says, Lord, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength, and with all your spirit, and love your neighbor as yourself. I've read that a million times. I've preached on it. I've studied it. One day I was reading it, he said, Lord, I know you love me, mark, but you don't love your neighbor, and you don't love yourself, so you can't love your neighbor. And I realized because I didn't love myself, I wasn't taking care of myself. I love my children. I love my wife. I wanna take care of 'em. They don't need me. I wife can, but I want to. I wanna do things for, I wanna take care of 'em. I wanna help 'em be better and stronger and smarter and wiser, and love the Lord. And I realized I didn't love myself. So the weight loss journey, forgiving the nightmare, forgiving my mom, forgiving the abusers, forgiving those [00:37:00] who betrayed me as a child, helped me begin to love myself again. No visions of grander. I'm still a just a normal guy saved by grace. Uh, I still put my big foot in my mouth, my wife can come in and tell you all the stories, but, uh, but you know, I started to love myself and. It sounds like, you found your self worth in the Lord Jesus because Jesus sees you as his child. You are a child of God, and that's where your worth is. So it sounds like your healing journey brought you to that place. Yeah. It's not self-confidence like the world says it is. It's how God sees you. You're precious and you're loved. Amen. And you're valuable. He died for you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. You're gonna get me going now. Hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I want others to [00:38:00] experience this. You know, I, my whole ministry, I've been surrounded by hurting people and hurting churches. I've worked with people that have had major traumas in their life. Not that I ever sought it. I can't. I think the Lord just led me to it. And as I've worked with people, people say that I've been able to bring comfort. I'm easy to talk to. I thought, well, okay, Lord. And I want people to find that freedom that I have. I understand being shackled to pain in the past. I understand allowing those things to form the way you think about and believe about yourself, and never truly being set free. Waking up with that numbing feeling of brokenness all the time. All the time, just constantly. But God truly set me free. He set me free. And because he set me free, I'm nobody special. And being a pastor, I see so many people that have a [00:39:00] form of this and they don't. They haven't gone through it. So they're still living with a confession in Christ, but still the hurts of the past. Blame them. I don't, I'm not putting fingers, I'm not taking the log out on my own eye before I take the twig from their eye. But I'm saying the freedom that God has for his people. Uh, and again, do we still stumble? Yeah. Do we still need refining? Sure. Are we still the clay? And he's still the potter of court, but there's a freedom that we find as a pastor. I've just met so many people who will say, pastor, I'm killed. I'm delivered. And you realize it's, it's only an inch deep. It's, you know, as soon as they get tested, as soon as they get, get bothered, it just spills out. It pulls out of them in, in a defense or in, in a rejection or in a way they, they have a self view of the world or of themselves. Now God's consent is free. God can set [00:40:00] us free. So, what's the difference between being a victim and being victorious? Hallelujah. Well, in my humble opinion, a victim is somebody who always sees themselves broken, sees themselves in a way that, that that allows them to stay in their victimhood. For a long time, my victimhood became my identity. I remember one day when the Lord brought me to the altar and he said those words to me. He said, mark, I want you to give this up. And I literally said, in an audible voice, Lord, if I'm not a victim, then what am I? Because all I knew was the, the role of being a victim. Oh, my victimhood was good. I could manipulate with it. I could win every argument with it. Oh, when I was 16 years old, my mom, who was a single mom with not much money she bought me a car. I had a phone in my room. I had cable on my own [00:41:00] tv. She made me breakfast in bed. Why she owed that to me. Why? Because I was a victim. And I got to see how I could win every argument at school. I could put my head down and I could lift up my head and go, well, who here else was molested? I was, and no one would say anything. And the Lord rebuked me at that and said, said, yeah, that's what victims do. At least that's what I did. He said, I wanna make you victorious. And I remember him saying, me saying to the Lord, if I'm not a victim, what am I? And he said, you're victorious in me. I had to learn what it meant to be victorious. Amen. I had to learn to let that facade go. Let that personality go, let that old man die and let the new man of Christ rise up inside him. That is awesome. I just love that. I've never heard anybody describe it like that. Now, I prefer the, word survivor instead of victim. But I think you took [00:42:00] it up another notch. We are, victorious in the Lord. Well, my victimhood, you know, as much as I was a victim, but I used it for my own gain. Mm-hmm. Which made me just as not guilty of what happened to me, but made me not a healthy place. It put me in a Right. But it's all I knew, you know, I could manipulate, I could win the argument. Right. I was the guy. Who else here was stabbed and burnt and abused? I could show you my scars where they stabbed me. I could show you the burn marks. I was prostituted for other men to abuse me. Boy, you know, I could really win the, the argument. But that was wrong. Yeah, it was wrong. It was wrong to put that on my mother, it's wrong to put that on my family. It was wrong to put that on others. And the Lord had to rebuke me and, uh, wow. And he did, because he loves, he rebukes the ones he loves, so he rebuked you. I just so appreciate your raw [00:43:00] and honest, telling of your story. Because, you've heard stories where they just put the fluff or they put the stuff that's gonna, bring up the ratings or whatever. But you really, kept it real. And I think you're a great pastor because people see that you're a real person. You're not some fake up there that can't relate to your congregation's problems, do you feel that way? Oh, definitely. You know, my congregation, as you know, like we talked earlier, I wrestle with dyslexia and every once in a while I'll stumble over a word while I'm reading the Bible and in front of my congregation. And, and that really bothered me for a long time. My Lord, I'm a pastor. How can I not read this and now. When I stumble over a word, my congregation yells it up to me. So I'll be on the platform. And you know what? They'll see me stumbling and you know, they'll yell it up to me and it's just a term of endearment. [00:44:00] It's not been one of rejection or shame, and I say, you know what? I'm doing that just to make sure you're in the Bible. That's what I tell 'em. But I'll be reading the scripture and, and my dyslexia kick in, or, or the word will be all scrambled. And, and they're the kind voices. Oh, pastor, that's, that means this. And, and it's kind of a nice direction. I tell people the church I pastor is a real church with real people serving a real God. Wow. So, wow. Fancy fluff. Church don't come to us because, you know, we're real and we cry together, we do life together. We step on each other's toes. We don't always agree, but we always love God. That is so awesome. Pastor of Christian is Alia Scott. That's right. I didn't announce your church name. I wanted to ask you to tell another story about. You said that you met your birth father at one point. What happened during that reunion Union? [00:45:00] Well, I was 45 years old and I wanted to reach, I wanted to know, I tell people my birth father and I met at the right place in life. I think if I would've met him younger, I would've still been angry. Rejected Kyle, but I was 45. I was the father of four. I've made my own mistakes, my own problems. I learned to mature a little bit. To be really frank, my father's wife passed on, so he was more ready to meet me. So his wife that he had the affair on to si me, if you would, she passed. So he was more open to meet me and uh, I just didn't meet him, but the whole family met him together. We met in a restaurant, we met in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and the family came in and the kids instantly. Started to call him grandpa. I thought, I don't know if I'm okay with that. And he never rejected it. So the last few years of [00:46:00] life, we just lost him. I, I had him for about four years. It wasn't warm and fuzzy, daddy and son, but it was something, we had a relationship. We'd talk about sports, we'd talk about life. He was a snowbird from Massachusetts to Florida and he just kind of let me know. So I'm very thankful for the four years I had. Again, it wasn't, Hey buddy, I'm proud of you kind of moment, but I got to find out a little bit about. Who my dad was and who some of my relatives are on my father's side. I got to learn about some of the health conditions of, of my father. And you know, he said he was pretty, he made it to 84. He liked to drink and he liked ladies, I like Jesus, I like one lady, Wow. That's an incredible story. I tell people it was the right time. Again, if I would've met him at 25, I would've been angry. I would've said, you know, why did you abandon me? 45 was a good time because. You know what, by that [00:47:00] time I, I stepped in enough life of my own to, to not, to be slow to judge, oh, God does have the perfect timing. I haven't spoken much about my story at all on here, but my husband and I talk about, boy, I wish that we had met, long time ago, you know, and skipped all the pain because we were both victims of abuse from our previous spouses. I'm sorry. And, um, but we thought about it and we thought we were different people. If we met at that time, I don't think I would've been interested in you and you wouldn't have been interested in me. And, I think that God brought us together this time of our life. No, we've been married 11 years. Congratulations. Thank you. So, God brought us together at our time of life because that was the perfect time and Sure. We're best friends. We never even have had a real fight. We didn't disagree, of course, but now you should write a book [00:48:00] about that. Okay. I mean, we disagree and, um, get on each other's nerves, but the Lord has just, you're normal. Just blessed us. Yeah, we're definitely normal. Um, especially during pandemic. It's like you learn about your spouse when you're stuck with them 24 7. Right? That's true. That's true. Yeah, we had to make some adjustments. Amen. And, um, we still love each other, and that it's great when you're talking about times of life, you know, for such a time as this, and I think for me, the Lord spoke to me years ago about forgiving the nightmare ministry. He actually spoke to me when I was in college about this. I didn't know it was gonna, uh, blossom or what it was gonna look like, but he spoke to me years ago about writing it down and it was always inside me. And I kept, my wife knew about it. We would always think, how's the, what's the Lord gonna do with this? Is it distant inside me to guide me through life? Is it more for others? Is it, Lord, how's it, how's it [00:49:00] gonna? Blossom if you would manifest. And we lost my mom and I have to tell you that, not immediately, but pretty quick. After losing my mom, I felt like this ministry could just launch. And it has launched. God has brought, brought a web designer into our life. He's brought some, um, producers into our life to help me tell the story. We're talking with a, an editor and a publisher. All this has happened fairly quickly. And I think, Lord, why now? And I think, to be honest with you, and this is just my opinion, I, I don't know if I have chapter and verse to back this up, but my mom was so embarrassed. She was so full of shame because of my upbringing every time for the last 20 years of my life, every time me and my mom were alone together, she would just apologize. And I don't just mean say, sorry. She would grovel and I would say, mom, I forgive you. I forgive you, [00:50:00] Marky. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. And if my mom knew that I was speaking to podcasts or writing a book, she would've been so, so embarrassed. So she may, it would've just troubled her so much. So I think outta the grace of God, and again, don't have chapter and verse, but I think upon her passing released me to be able to share this story, to be able to bring others into it, to just think God was being merciful to my mom on her journey. And again, it was almost pretty instant after her, uh, her own passing that I remember being on the treadmill one morning and the Lord just kind of. Just impressing upon me by giving the nightmare. Remember those words? I spoke to you. This is where it's gonna take place. And since then, we've made a couple videos, uh, we've launched a website. I'm talking to wonderful people like yourself and just trying to get the [00:51:00] story out of forgiving the Nightmare and trying to say to people whatever that nightmare was. Was it physical and sexual abuse like mine? Was it a tragedy in your life? Is it regrets? Is it fears? Is it the loss of a child or a loved one? Whatever that pain is that your nightmare. I want you to know that God can help you forgive it and overcome it and break the shackles so we don't have to be the man or the person. The hurt tried to make us. We no longer have to be Jacob. We can become Israel. Your mom would be so proud of you. And I think that, thank you. If, the Lord's probably told her, you know, the good things that have come out of a terrible situation, she said she had, you said she had some shame. Oh. I think if she was looking down at you now that, that shame would be gone. [00:52:00] That shame is no longer there. Look how God's using my son, my, my wonderful son to spread the gospel and to help people. And so Well, thank you. I'm so thankful for you, brother. Thank you for saying those words, sister. It's very kind of you. I used to say to my mom, even up to her last days, I would say, mom, who's your favorite? And she would say, I love you all, all the same. And I'd say, mom, stop lying to my siblings. I'm the youngest of three. My older brother and my older sister never made me feel like a step or a half brother. Uh, we just kind of always lived in the same house. We got real family problems and just life, but they've never left, never met me, felt, never let me feel like I was less than even to today. So I'm very thankful. My oldest sister, who is, a second mom to me, my oldest sister, she is my second mom and I'm thankful for her. So. Wow. Well, we [00:53:00] just had just a great time tonight. When your book comes out, please contact me. I would love to have you on the show again, to promote your book because obviously you, your story is so powerful and we wanna get it out to as many people as we can. So, tell the folks how to connect with you. Well, the best way to connect with me is@forgivingthenightmare.com. Forgiving the nightmare.com. Forgiving the nightmare.com is the best way to connect with me. If you go there, you'll find a email, it's called mark@forgivingthenightmare.com. That comes directly to me, right on my phone. So that's the best way to connect with me. Also you can go to our Facebook page called, forgiving the Nightmare. For giving Nightmare Facebook page. I try to put up pictures and little devotions there and stories there. So that's the two. Best way through Facebook, after Giving the Nightmare, after giving the Nightmare do [00:54:00] com, those are the best ways to connect with me. And I hope to get so Arizona someday. You have an open invitation. Wow. I'll be a tour guide for you. I know that Arizona like the back of my hand. Wow. Wow. Now my children could hear you in the background, so they're gonna be pretty excited about that invitation. There's so much stuff for, for their Edge group as well. So, we will hook you guys up. So thanks for being patient with the tech stuff and I'm glad we pushed through and didn't let the devil get the victory tonight. We found a way to get you on here. That's right. May I pray for you as we close. Oh yes, please. Thank you. Father God, we just come to you tonight and we thank you again for your son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we thank you for the sacrifice that he gave to us upon the cross, Lord. And we pay the price we could not pray, Lord. And we thank you for the gift of life [00:55:00] and life more abundant. Lord, we thank you for the promises. It says in this life there will be many troubles, but fear not because you are with us always. And Lord, tonight I pray for my sister. Father, I thank you that you're using her Lord. To spread the gospel to share, hope to be a light and a dark place. But Father, now, I pray that you come beside her father as she's shared that she's lost her brother this week, Lord. And I pray you comfort her. Lord, you said you had to go so the comforter could come. I pray, the comfort of the Holy Spirit will come beside my sister and be with her and her family as they grieve their loved one, their family member, their friend, Lord. So Lord I pray peace upon my sister. I pray Lord that you use her, continue to bless her. I thank you for the testimony of her and her husband, 11 years that you've brought together for such a time as this. I pray, Lord God, that they grow closer to you so they can grow closer to each other. And Lord, we thank you tonight [00:56:00] that Lord, we're no longer Jacob. You've made us Israel Father, no longer do we have to be shaped by our past, but now we can hold on to the promises. Lord, no longer does, we have to be shackled by somebody else's abuse, and we can be set free by your word. So, Lord, I pray that you fill us. You lead us, and may we be the light and may we be the salt, and may we lift up your name. We pray for a unity across our nation. We pray for a healing across our land, and we pray, Lord, for a revival of your salvation to come to our our country again, in Jesus name, amen. Thank you so much, brother. God bless, sister. Thank you. Take care yourself. Bye now. Bye. Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you, please hit the subscribe button and tell a friend. You could connect with us at [00:57:00] DSW Ministries dot org where you'll find our blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week.

In today's video, we break down why the housing market crisis may have only just begun and how Bitcoin could play a major role in what happens next. A top Bitcoin expert explains what the mainstream media is ignoring: rising mortgage stresses, collapsing affordability, surging debt, and the hidden risks sitting beneath the property market. Follow Leon on Twitter/X: https://x.com/leonwankum Please Like, Share, and Subscribe to my channel!

Ben Harburg made history earlier this year when he became the first foreigner to take ownership of a Saudi Pro League side after his acquisition of little-known Al Kholood. Speaking to The Asian Game Podcast, the 41-year-old US investor talks openly and honestly about why he bought Al Kholood, the perilous state the club was in, his ambition for the future, while he also shares a frank assessment about the challenges facing the game in Saudi Arabia. Follow Ben Harburg on X: https://x.com/BenHarburg  Be sure to follow The Asian Game on all our social media channels: X: https://x.com/TheAsianGame  IG: https://instagram.com/theasiangame Facebook: https://facebook.com/TheAsianGamePodcast 

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Craig Siegel was The Walking Dead. Thirteen years on Wall Street. Making good money but the lights were on and nobody was home. Depleted at the end of every day. Not tired from a job well done. Depleted from being completely out of alignment. Then he started running marathons. Those miles became his connection time. Tapping into divine inspiration without caring about anything else. The pandemic hit and Craig shut his office for two weeks. Used that time to get quiet and reassess. Realized his obsession with personal development wasn't just passion. It was assignment. Built a ten-lane highway strategy. Coaching. Speaking. TED talk. Podcast. Book deal. Started with zero following. Zero connections. Here's what gripped me. Craig said going back to his old life equated to death. Not metaphorically. He actually associated death with choosing to return to Wall Street. He went back one day after starting CLS. Came home and said never again. Burned the ships. All in or die trying. The difference between pressure and stress became clear. Pressure is a flashlight showing massive growth on the other side. Stress means you're in the wrong arena. Out of alignment. Soul contracting. When you feel drained depleted tired in that deep way it's your signal to reassess everything. The transformation included his entire identity. Got engaged to his soulmate. Got a new puppy. Everything reinvented. Before that he wasn't even himself. Created a persona based on nothing. When he reinvented he gave himself permission to be less than perfect. Journey back to actual him. People would gravitate or they wouldn't. He could live with that. The money story is crucial. Craig makes more now than he ever made on Wall Street. Difference is it's a byproduct and energetic exchange. You can have purpose and love what you're doing while unapologetically doing business too. Most people think what made them successful was the arena not themselves. Wrong. You make everything successful. Those characteristics transfer. The Reinvention Formula released last August. Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller. Fifteen years of personal development condensed. First step is getting clarity. Realizing you're not in alignment. Understanding you have a choice. This is your movie. You're the main character. If you don't like the plot the pen is in your hands to rewrite the next scene.We Meet: Craig Siegel, Global Keynote SpeakerConnect:Connect with Rick: https://linktr.ee/mrrickjordanConnect with Craig: https://www.instagram.com/craigsiegel_cls/Subscribe & Review to ALL IN with Rick Jordan on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RickJordanALLINAbout Craig: Craig Siegel, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best-Selling Author of 'The Reinvention Formula,' is a global keynote speaker, coach, TEDx speaker, and host of The CLS Experience podcast. Endorsed by luminaries like Jim Kwik and Ed Mylett, Craig, a 7-time marathoner, left his Wall Street job during the pandemic to pursue his true purpose. His mastery, energy, and inspirational impact have made CLS one of the most engaging communities globally. Craig focuses on removing limiting beliefs, fostering positive mindsets in both business and personal realms, and encouraging a wholehearted commitment to one's true purpose. He believes the riskiest thing we can do is to play it safe.

In this conversation, Tim Bowman shares his journey from being a successful musician to achieving financial independence through real estate. He discusses the challenges he faced in the music industry, his first real estate deal, and how he scaled his investments to create generational wealth. Tim emphasizes the importance of mindset, location, and strategic planning in real estate, and he also highlights his mission to coach others, particularly musicians, on building wealth through property investment.   Professional Real Estate Investors - How we can help you: Investor Fuel Mastermind:  Learn more about the Investor Fuel Mastermind, including 100% deal financing, massive discounts from vendors and sponsors you're already using, our world class community of over 150 members, and SO much more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/apply   Investor Machine Marketing Partnership:  Are you looking for consistent, high quality lead generation? Investor Machine is America's #1 lead generation service professional investors. Investor Machine provides true 'white glove' support to help you build the perfect marketing plan, then we'll execute it for you…talking and working together on an ongoing basis to help you hit YOUR goals! Learn more here: http://www.investormachine.com   Coaching with Mike Hambright:  Interested in 1 on 1 coaching with Mike Hambright? Mike coaches entrepreneurs looking to level up, build coaching or service based businesses (Mike runs multiple 7 and 8 figure a year businesses), building a coaching program and more. Learn more here: https://investorfuel.com/coachingwithmike   Attend a Vacation/Mastermind Retreat with Mike Hambright: Interested in joining a "mini-mastermind" with Mike and his private clients on an upcoming "Retreat", either at locations like Cabo San Lucas, Napa, Park City ski trip, Yellowstone, or even at Mike's East Texas "Big H Ranch"? Learn more here: http://www.investorfuel.com/retreat   Property Insurance: Join the largest and most investor friendly property insurance provider in 2 minutes. Free to join, and insure all your flips and rentals within minutes! There is NO easier insurance provider on the planet (turn insurance on or off in 1 minute without talking to anyone!), and there's no 15-30% agent mark up through this platform!  Register here: https://myinvestorinsurance.com/   New Real Estate Investors - How we can work together: Investor Fuel Club (Coaching and Deal Partner Community): Looking to kickstart your real estate investing career? Join our one of a kind Coaching Community, Investor Fuel Club, where you'll get trained by some of the best real estate investors in America, and partner with them on deals! You don't need $ for deals…we'll partner with you and hold your hand along the way! Learn More here: http://www.investorfuel.com/club   —--------------------

Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com   Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com  **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102   See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire   See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/  

This week, we dive into how defining your personal and professional values can simplify the choices you make every day. From career goals to family priorities, values act like a compass — helping you decide what to say yes to, what to let go of, and where to focus your time and energy. We explore how setting clear intentions can bring more meaning and alignment to your work, your relationships, and even how you plan for the year ahead. At its heart, this episode is about clarity and purpose. When you know what truly matters to you, decisions get easier, opportunities become clearer, and your sense of fulfillment grows. Whether you're running a business, raising a family, or just trying to stay grounded in a busy world, leading with your values turns day-to-day choices into something intentional and deeply rewarding.

In this episode of the Arc Junkies Podcast, Jason Becker sits down with welding historian Tim Kinnaman for a fascinating look at how modern welding was born. Tim walks us through the incredible journey from ancient discoveries of static electricity to the development of arc power sources and early machines built by companies like Lincoln Electric, GE, and Hobart. He shares the stories of forgotten inventors, rare books, and technological breakthroughs that still influence the trade today. If you've ever wondered where welding really began, this episode connects the dots between science, industry, and craftsmanship to show just how our trade sparked into existence. Arc Junkies Podcast: Instagram: @Arcjunkiespodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@arcjunkiespodcast9253 Email: Show@arcjunkies.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-becker-45407b72?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BKipEwR3uQXCmCjaEfNzo6w%3D%3D Arc Junkies Website: https://arcjunkies.com Arc junkies Merch: https://shop.threadmob.com/arcjunkie/shop/home Underground Metal Works: https://www.underground-metalworks.com/   Friends of the Show: American Welding Society Conferences Pipeline Conference https://www.aws.org/community-and-events/conferences-and-events/pipeline/ Use ARCJUNKIES at Checkout and get a free gift at the event.   Outlaw Leather LLC Outlawleather.com Instagram: @outlawleatherusa Use ARCJUNKIES for 15% off all in-stock leather goods     Everlast Welders Instagram: @everlastwelders  YouTube: Everlast Welders         Online: https://bit.ly/37xJstI Use Codeword ARCJUNKIES at checkout to get upgraded to a free Nova Foot Pedal and TIG Torch with the purchase of any machine that comes with a stock foot pedal and TIG Torch. Fronius: Instagram: @FroniusUSA Website: https://bakersgas.com/collections/fronius-accupocket ISOTUNES: Instagram: @isotunesaudio Online: https://shop.isotunes.com/arcjunkies10.  Use ARCJUNKIES10 at checkout and save $10 on your purchase    

A lot of lawyers believe they shouldn't feel burned out because they haven't been practicing very long. But burnout isn't measured by years in the profession. For many lawyers, it started long before their first legal job. Sarah hears from people who have only been in practice a few years and are already exhausted, overwhelmed, or checked out. They feel embarrassed or confused because they can point to colleagues who have been doing it longer. But measuring burnout by the calendar misses the reality of how it develops—especially for high-achieving perfectionists who have been pushing themselves for years before they ever set foot in a law firm.See show notes at formerlawyer.com/288

We have exciting finished projects to talk about and updates on current projects. Our Home-A-Long and Winter Weave-A-Long are in full swing and we have project ideas to share Full notes with photos and links can be found in the podcast section of our shop website: TwoEwesFiberAdventures.com Join the community on Ravelry or become a patron and support the show on our Patreon Page. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Subscribe on Android. Marsha's Projects Deer Scarf: Finished! Ben and his roommates rescued a concrete deer lawn ornaments. I made a red scarf for the deer to wear this holiday. Including fringe, the scarf is about 9' long. Socks: Using Red Heart Heart and Sole in colorway Black Jack. Finished first sock and knitting on leg of the second sock. Mountain High: Heidi Kirrmaier. Using my handspun Flowers From My Garden. I decided to put the body on waste yarn and knit the sleeves. Of course color work is different because sleeve circumference is smaller than body. Occasionally breaking yarn to manage color. Sheridan Flats Spinning: Purchased 24 oz of 80/15/6 wool/mohair/silk roving in the colorway Kaleidoscope. The owner said to spin at a worsted weight for best results. Mill is Olympic Yarn & Fiber located in Cosmopolis, WA. I've filled two bobbins to date. Rag Rugs: Wound warp for four rag rugs and yesterday started warping loom. Warp will be 4" and 6" stripes in royal blue, green, and orange. Weaving Studio: It's a work in progress.  Kelly's Projects Natural Dyeing Experiments  I started spinning the orange CA Red fiber dyed with toyon that had been steeped for 24 hours.  Spirit Yarn Hat #9 is finished. I did some free style color work with the rest of the white and the bright pink. Made Xs and Os and some border designs.  Solid pink hat #8 and color work hat #9 were both gone in two days.  Finished two chenille rugs. Still have warp, but no more chenille. I need to figure out the best way to use up the remaining warp (weft-faced rug, resley for towels?) and then make more chenille for more of these rugs.  Started my Sleeveless Vest by Lone Kjeldsen with handspun from Jazzman, "Judith says perfect fleece." I've finished the bottom ribbing, the lateral stitch and I'm a couple inches into the body ribbing. Home-A-Long October 1st to December 31st Make a home decor item in your craft of choice…knitting, crocheting, weaving, or any way "you can think of to play with string." Recent ideas: pumpkins in the bundle, lots of gnomes in the thread, two Lindas in PA are both making Christmas ornaments, and Autumn is making a bunting with swatches. WEFT magazine has a whole issue out devoted to items for the table.  Winter Weave-a-long Now through March 31

*Note: This episode is about my goal to reduce the tension between those who stay in the Church and those who leave** My friend Andy Newman (married father of three, Ex-Mormon, therapist, LGBTQ ally, bridge builder) joins for a series of episodes. In this episode, Andy talks about “the shame train” during his youth including: Porn, substance use, and working with his church leaders Shame around the “addiction label”, restrictions (temple trips), and falsely seeing himself as a “terrible addict” How porn/substance use was more about self-medicating from the shame and trauma than a desire to displease God How his worth become dependent on church leaders All the people who helped him along the way Andy then talks about his road to be an LGBTQ ally: Started in high school in Iowa with proximity to queer people Felt he had to choose the Church over queer people Powerful post-mission experience giving a blessing to a queer student at BYU-I Fully taking on the ally role following the pulse nightclub shooting Staying in the church as an ally What led him to eventually leave the Church Andy also talks about why he isn't trying to get other people to leave the Church—but trying to build bridges of understanding. In the next episode, will talk about his mixed-faith marriage (Andy's wife is active LDS) and how they have a beautiful/supportive marriage—including Andy attending church. Thank you, my friend Andy, for being on the podcast and your great heart and clinical skills to help heal others and bring us together as the same human family. You are a good man and friend. Links: Psychology today: www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/andy-newman-gilbert-az/974441 IG: www.instagram.com/andynewmanlpc/ TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@deconstruction_therapy

Started off with the police shootout in Brazil, and then talked about the Sudan militias murdering hundreds of people in a hospital. Plus Trump's Asia trip recap, France First Lady trial kicks off, election results for Holland, Argentina, and the Ivory Coast, and an "asylum seeker" in Germany pushed his drinking buddy out a two story window, then proceeds to go down to injured dude and publicly sexually assault him. Music: Joe Buck Yourself/"Dig a Hole"