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In this episode we'll talk about:Why studying trends too much weakens your instinctsThe difference between observation and participationHow iteration builds originalityWhy craft is developed through repetition, not researchHow to respond honestly to feedback from your own workWhy attention + reps = masteryThe hidden advantage of staying in when it's not glamorousAnd more… CONNECT WITH ME…→ Instagram — @mattgottesman→ My Substack — mattgottesman.substack.com → Apparel — thenicheisyou.comRESOURCES…→ Recommended Book List — CLICK HERE→ Masterclass — CLICK HEREWORKSHOPS + MASTERCLASS:→ Need MORE clarity? - Here's the FREE… 6 Days to Clarity Workshop - clarity for your time, energy, money, creativity, work & play→ Write, Design, Build: Content Creator Studio & OS - Growing the niche of you, your audience, reach, voice, passion & incomeOTHER RELATED EPISODES:Faith Isn't Knowing the Whole Path… It's Taking the Next Honest StepApple: https://apple.co/3MB62IuSpotify: https://bit.ly/4rZw3RN

In this episode of the Open Bar Podcast, we tap into another world — literally. Our special guest, Dre'sha Dior, artist and creator of Alien World, opens up about her journey through music, business, and self-discovery. From Virginia to Atlanta, Dre'sha has built her brand by saying what others only think — unapologetically and authentically.We talk about:

If you're still looking for the “easy” way to lose weight after 35… this episode is your wake-up call.There is no easy path to lasting weight loss.There is only the choice between the wrong hard and the right hard.In this episode, I break down why sustainable weight loss for midlife women will never be effortless — but it can absolutely be strategic, simplified, and worth it.We talk about:Why strict diets, 75 Hard, and overrestriction are the wrong hardWhy metabolism slows during weight loss (and what to do about it)The truth about GLP-1s and habit changeWhy giving up alcohol or carbs isn't the real solutionHow complacency becomes the sneakiest form of hardWhy behavior change feels uncomfortable — and why that's normalIf you're a woman over 35 who is:Tired of dieting harder every yearFrustrated with plateausSuccessful in life but stuck with your weightOver Googling for the “magic fix”This episode will help you stop chasing easy and start choosing strategic.Because the worst hard?Staying stuck.If you're ready for a smarter approach to fat loss that works with your metabolism instead of against it, head to: 

Episode KeywordsEducation • Innovation • Leadership • Learning • Professional Growth • Storytelling • Educators • Curiosity • Meaningful Experiences • CommunitySummaryIn this episode of Lassoing Leadership, Jason Rogers and Garth Nichols zoom out—and then right back in—on why education remains one of the most exciting, challenging, and hopeful industries around. Drawing inspiration from George Couros' work, including The Innovator's Mindset and Forward Together, the conversation explores what it really means to build learner-centred schools in a world that keeps changing the rules.Jason and Garth unpack innovation not as a buzzword, but as a posture—one rooted in curiosity, relationships, and the courage to keep things fresh. From professional learning that actually energizes educators, to the power of networks beyond our own schools, this episode is a reminder that meaningful growth happens when we stay open, tell better stories, and refuse to get too comfortable with “the way it's always been done.”Take AwaysEducation is evolving—and that's what makes it thrilling if we lean into it.Learner-centred schools don't happen by accident; they're built intentionally.Innovation isn't a program—it's a habit we practice together.Great professional development should spark curiosity, not compliance.Meaningful experiences matter just as much for adults as they do for students.Growth accelerates when we learn with and from people beyond our own buildings.Change doesn't arrive on its own—we have to go after it.Schools innovate best when communities are part of the story.Capturing mantras, moments, and stories keeps learning human.Staying fresh requires noticing when the “smell” has changed—and responding.“The future ain't what it used to be.”“Don't get used to the smell.”“Kids these days… kids these days.”Chapters00:00 – Welcome to Lassoing Leadership04:28 – Rethinking Innovation and the Innovator's Mindset08:15 – What Educators Owe Learners in a Changing World12:15 – Culture, Curiosity, and Continuous Learning13:59 – Forward Together and Paying Attention to New Smells18:05 – Learning Beyond Education and the Power of Networks20:50 – What's Ahead: Guests, Ideas, and Staying Curious

#940: Join us as we sit down with Martha Stewart & Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali — co-founders of ELM Biosciences. Martha Stewart is a New York Times-bestselling author, Emmy Award-winning TV host, entrepreneur, & lifestyle expert who has taught billions the joy of homemaking. She's best known for turning her passion for everyday living into a global business empire & becoming a household name. Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali is a board-certified dermatologist, laser surgeon, & biotech entrepreneur recognized as one of the most influential dermatologists in the industry. In this episode, Martha shares the evolution of her entrepreneurial journey, her thoughts on trad wives, gives a behind-the-scenes look at her day to day lifestyle, insights on her efficiency techniques, & shares her lasting impact on the lifestyle & homemaking space. Then Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali joins the conversation as they discuss their bond over skincare science, how they've protected Martha's skin over the years, the truth about skincare treatments, their tips on how to stay youthful, & share the launch of their skincare line, ELM Biosciences.   To Watch the Show click HERE   For Detailed Show Notes visit TSCPODCAST.COM   To connect with Martha Stewart click HERE   To connect with Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali click HERE   To connect with ELM Biosciences click HERE   To connect with Lauryn Bosstick click HERE   To connect with Michael Bosstick click HERE   Read More on The Skinny Confidential HERE   Head to our ShopMy page HERE and LTK page HERE to find all of the products mentioned in each episode.   Get your burning questions featured on the show! Leave the Him & Her Show a voicemail at +1 (512) 537-7194.   To Shop ELM Biosciences go to https://go.shopmy.us/p-42895165 and use code SKINNY for 10% off.    This episode is sponsored by The Skinny Confidential The beauty tool that started it all, redesigned to evolve with you. Shop Ice Roller at https://bit.ly/IceRollerSilver today.   This episode is sponsored by FRE Nicotine Try FRE Nicotine Pouches today at http://FREpouch.com and use code "SKINNY" for 25% off for NEW customers only.    This episode is sponsored by Kion Visit http://getkion.com/skinny for 20% off.    This episode is sponsored by Hiya Health Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to http://hiyahealth.com/SKINNY.    This episode is sponsored by Legacy Box Visit http://Legacybox.com/SKINNY for 55% off. That's Legacybox dot com slash SKINNY to save 55% when you digitize your memories.   This episode is sponsored by Veracity  Head to http://VeracityHealth.co and use code SKINNY for up to 45% off your order.   This episode is sponsored by HERS Start your free intake at http://ForHers.com. Produced by Dear Media

Actor, creator, and entrepreneur Luke Cook joins Gabby Reece for an honest, funny, and deeply reflective conversation about creativity, rejection, faith, and building a meaningful life.Luke shares his unconventional journey from growing up in Australia as the youngest of five, to chasing comedy and acting in Hollywood — including seven years of near-constant auditions with little visible success. He speaks candidly about rejection, identity, and why loving the craft itself matters more than external validation.The conversation moves fluidly between creativity and discipline, faith and doubt, ego and humility. Luke reflects on fatherhood, marriage, and the grounding power of family — as well as the importance of play, presence, and not taking success (or failure) too seriously.They also explore Luke's entrepreneurial ventures, including building a “no-weird-stuff” protein shake brand, creative coaching for founders, and using humor to communicate without shame. Throughout, Luke emphasizes curiosity, integrity, and joy as essential ingredients for longevity — in work and in life.This episode is about staying in the game, trusting the process, and remembering that success isn't a destination — it's how you live along the way.⏱️ CHAPTERS- Intro & meeting Luke- Growing up the youngest of five- Early love of performance and comedy- Discipline, training, and loving the craft- Moving to LA & chasing the dream- Years of auditions and rejection- Ego, ambition, and humility- Faith, doubt, and finding a north star- Marriage, fatherhood, and family grounding- Creativity vs. external validation- Building a values-driven business- Content, comedy, and honest communication- Relationships, partnership, and play- What success really looks like- Staying joyful in uncertainty- Closing reflections WHAT STAYED WITH MELoving the work matters more than loving the outcome.Rejection doesn't end careers — quitting does.Discipline follows passion.When you care deeply enough, showing up becomes natural.Ego needs humility to stay healthy.Confidence fuels performance; humility keeps you grounded.Family changes the definition of success.Responsibility, presence, and play become the real markers.Faith doesn't eliminate doubt.It gives you somewhere to return when things feel unstable.Joy is a choice.Especially when the path forward isn't clear.WHY IT'S WORTH SLOWING DOWN FOR THISWe live in a culture that celebrates instant success and overnight wins — often ignoring the long, invisible seasons of work that come before them.Luke's story is a reminder that staying in the game matters.That creativity doesn't expire.And that meaning is built through patience, integrity, and connection — not applause.If you're navigating uncertainty, rejection, or a season of waiting, this conversation offers perspective worth sitting with.FIND LUKELuke CookInstagram & TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/thelukecookProtein brand: https://getshakewell.comFOR MORE ON GABBYInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GabbyReeceThe Gabby Reece Show Podcast: Available on all major platformsEpisode sponsors:Get up to 30% off OneSkin with the code GABBYREECE at https://www.oneskin.co/GABBYREECE #oneskinpodDon't let another year go by feeling less than your best. Grab 35% off your one month subscription of Mitopure Gummies at Timeline.com/GABBY35, while the offer lasts.Now, it's easier than ever to try Manukora Honey. Head to MANUKORA.com/GABBYREECE to save up to 31% plus $25 worth of free gifts with the Starter Kit, which comes with an MGO 850+ Manuka Honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook!Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ever had your brain just go blank at the worst possible moment? You can see where you need to go, but you have no idea how to get there. I had this happen at 3,000 feet while flying my daughter home from college. The airport was right in front of me, but I was completely disoriented. Terrifying. What I did next saved the day. In this episode, I share the three-rule framework pilots use in moments of confusion that works just as well when your brain quits on Tuesday afternoon. Ready to stay steady when everything feels uncertain? Featured Story I was flying my Cessna to pick up my daughter from the University of Florida. Clear day, smooth air, nothing special. About 15 minutes from landing, the heat and drone had me snoozing. Then suddenly, I had this overwhelming sensation that I had no idea where I was. The airport was right in front of me, but I couldn't figure out how to get lined up. Panic kicked in. I was minutes from controlled airspace and hadn't called the tower. I could have faked it, but instead I keyed the mic: I'm confused and need help. Within minutes, they vectored me to a perfect final. Worst landing ever, but I got it stopped. Not bad for a lost pilot. Important Points When your brain goes blank and you feel disoriented, stabilize first before making any dramatic decisions or changes. Small confusion turns into a catastrophe when people stop flying the airplane, spiral, overreact, or pretend they're fine. Procedure beats panic every time—training kicks in when thinking shuts down and your brain switches to threat mode. Memorable Quotes "Just because you feel lost doesn't mean you are. Sometimes you're just a little south of the field you're looking for." "Aviate, navigate, communicate. Fly steady, get clear, speak up early. That's how you land the plane in daily life too." "Ask for help before it becomes an emergency. Don't wait until it's a catastrophe to open your mouth and communicate." Scott's Three-Step Approach Aviate first—stabilize your behavior and don't make dramatic decisions that could make your situation even worse. Navigate second—once you're stable and nothing's getting worse, get clear on where you are and the path forward. Communicate third—ask for help early before it becomes an emergency, whether with clients, vendors, or your spouse. Chapters 0:02 - Happy Monday (yes, Mondays can be happy too) 1:43 - When your brain goes blank at the worst moment 3:03 - Flying disoriented at 3,000 feet (a true story) 5:25 - The three rules pilots use when confused 8:05 - Asking for help when you don't want to admit it 10:26 - How to apply aviate, navigate, communicate daily 11:35 - Using this framework in your personal relationships Connect With Me Search for the Daily Boost on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify Email: support@motivationtomove.com Main Website: https://motivationtomove.com YouTube: https://youtube.com/dailyboostpodcast Instagram: https://instagram.com/heyscottsmith Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/motivationtomove Facebook Group: https://dailyboostpodcast.com/facebook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you stay audacious in a world that's noisier and more saturated than ever? How might the idea of creative rhythm change the way you write? Lara Bianca Pilcher gives her tips from a multi-passionate creative career. In the intro, becoming a better writer by being a better reader [The Indy Author]; How indie authors can market literary fiction [Self-Publishing with ALLi]; Viktor Wynd's Museum of Curiosities; Seneca's On the Shortness of Life; All Men are Mortal – Simone de Beauvoir; Surface Detail — Iain M. Banks; Bones of the Deep – J.F. Penn. This episode is sponsored by Publisher Rocket, which will help you get your book in front of more Amazon readers so you can spend less time marketing and more time writing. I use Publisher Rocket for researching book titles, categories, and keywords — for new books and for updating my backlist. Check it out at www.PublisherRocket.com This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Lara Bianca Pilcher is the author of Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World. She's also a performing artist and actor, life and creativity coach, and the host of the Healthy Wealthy Wise Artist podcast. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes Why self-doubt is a normal biological response — and how audacity means showing up anyway The difference between creative rhythm and rigid discipline, and why it matters for writers How to navigate a saturated world with intentional presence on social media Practical strategies for building a platform as a nonfiction author, including batch content creation The concept of a “parallel career” and why designing your life around your art beats waiting for a big break Getting your creative rhythm back after crisis or burnout through small, gentle steps You can find Lara at LaraBiancaPilcher.com. Transcript of the interview with Lara Bianca Pilcher Lara Bianca Pilcher is the author of Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World. She's also a performing artist and actor, life and creativity coach, and the host of the Healthy Wealthy Wise Artist podcast. Welcome, Lara. Lara: Thank you for having me, Jo. Jo: It's exciting to talk to you today. First up— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing. Lara: I'm going to call myself a greedy creative, because I started as a dancer, singer, and actress in musical theatre, which ultimately led me to London, the West End, and I was pursuing that in highly competitive performance circles. A lot of my future works come from that kind of place. But when I moved to America—which I did after my season in London and a little stint back in Australia, then to Atlanta, Georgia—I had a visa problem where I couldn't work legally, and it went on for about six months. Because I feel this urge to create, as so many of your listeners probably relate to, I was not okay with that. So that's actually where I started writing, in the quietness, with the limits and the restrictions. I've got two children and a husband, and they would go off to school and work and I'd be home thinking, ha. In that quietness, I just began to write. I love thinking of creativity as a mansion with many rooms, and you get to pick your rooms. I decided, okay, well the dance, acting, singing door is shut right now—I'm going to go into the writing room. So I did. Jo: I have had a few physical creatives on the show. Obviously one of your big rooms in your mansion is a physical room where you are actually performing and moving your body. I feel like this is something that those of us whose biggest area of creativity is writing really struggle with—the physical side. How do you think that physical practice of creativity has helped you in writing, which can be quite constrictive in that way? Lara: It's so good that you asked this because I feel what it trained me to do is ignore noise and show up. I don't like the word discipline—most of us get a bit uncomfortable with it, it's not a nice word. What being a dancer did was teach me the practice of what I like to call a rhythm, a creative rhythm, rather than a discipline, because rhythm ebbs and flows and works more with who we are as creatives, with the way creativity works in our body. That taught me: go to the barre over and over again—at the ballet barre, I'm talking about, not the pub. Go there over and over again. Warm up, do the work, show up when you don't feel like it. thaT naturally pivoted over to writing, so they're incredibly linked in the way that creativity works in our body. Jo: Do you find that you need to do physical practice still in order to get your creativity moving? I'm not a dancer. I do like to shake it around a bit, I guess. But I mainly walk. If I need to get my creativity going, I will walk. If people are stuck, do you think doing something physical is a good idea? Lara: It is, because the way that our body and our nervous system works—without going into too much boring science, although some people probably find it fascinating—is that when we shake off that lethargic feeling and we get blood flowing in our body, we naturally feel more awake. Often when you're walking or you're doing something like dance, your brain is not thinking about all of the big problems. You might be listening to music, taking in inspiration, taking in sunshine, taking in nature, getting those endorphins going, and that naturally leads to the brain being able to psychologically show up more as a creative. However, there are days, if I'm honest, where I wake up and the last thing I want to do is move. I want to be in a little blanket in the corner of the room with a hot cocoa or a coffee and just keep to myself. Those aren't always the most creative days, but sometimes I need that in my creative rhythm, and that's okay too. Jo: I agree. I don't like the word discipline, but as a dancer you certainly would've had to do that. I can't imagine how competitive it must be. I guess this is another thing about a career in dance or the physical arts. Does it age out? Is it really an ageist industry? Whereas I feel like with writing, it isn't so much about what your body can do anymore. Lara: That is true. There is a very real marketplace, a very real industry, and I'm careful because there's two sides to this coin. There is the fact that as we get older, our body has trouble keeping up at that level. There's more injuries, that sort of thing. There are some fit women performing in their sixties and seventies on Broadway that have been doing it for years, and they are fine. They'll probably say it's harder for some of them. Also, absolutely, I think there does feel in the professional sense like there can be a cap. A lot of casting in acting and in that world feels like there's fewer and fewer roles, particularly for women as we get older, but people are in that space all the time. There's a Broadway dancer I know who is 57, who's still trying to make it on Broadway and really open about that, and I think that's beautiful. So I'm careful with putting limits, because I think there are always outliers that step outside and go, “Hey, I'm not listening to that.” I think there's an audience for every age if you want there to be and you make the effort. But at the same time, yes, there is a reality in the industry. Totally. Jo: Obviously this show is not for dancers. I think it was more framing it as we are lucky in the writing industry, especially in the independent author community, because you can be any age. You can be writing on your deathbed. Most people don't have a clue what authors look like. Lara: I love that, actually. It's probably one of the reasons I maybe subconsciously went into writing, because I'm like, I want to still create and I'm getting older. It's fun. Jo: That's freeing. Lara: So freeing. It's a wonderful room in the mansion to stay in until the day I die, if I must put it that way. Jo: I also loved you mentioning that Broadway dancer. A lot of listeners write fiction—I write fiction as well as nonfiction—and it immediately makes me want to write her story. The story of a 57-year-old still trying to make it on Broadway. There's just so much in that story, and I feel like that's the other thing we can do: writing about the communities we come from, especially at different ages. Let's get into your book, Audacious Artistry. I want to start on this word audacity. You say audacity is the courage to take bold, intentional risks, even in the face of uncertainty. I read it and I was like, I love the sentiment, but I also know most authors are just full of self-doubt. Bold and audacious. These are difficult words. So what can you say to authors around those big words? Lara: Well, first of all, that self-doubt—a lot of us don't even know what it is in our body. We just feel it and go, ugh, and we read it as a lack of confidence. It's not that. It's actually natural. We all get it. What it is, is our body's natural ability to perceive threat and keep us safe. So we're like, oh, I don't know the outcome. Oh, I don't know if I'm going to get signed. Oh, I don't know if my work's going to matter. And we read that as self-doubt—”I don't have what it takes” and those sorts of things. That's where I say no. The reframe, as a coach, I would say, is that it's normal. Self-doubt is normal. Everyone has it. But audacity is saying, I have it, but I'm going to show up in the world anyway. There is this thing of believing, even in the doubt, that I have something to say. I like to think of it as a metaphor of a massive feasting table at Christmas, and there's heaps of different dishes. We get to bring a dish to the table rather than think we're going to bring the whole table. The audacity to say, “Hey, I have something to say and I'm going to put my dish on the table.” Jo: I feel like the “I have something to say” can also be really difficult for people, because, for example, you mentioned you have kids. Many people are like, I want to share this thing that happened to me with my kids, or a secret I learned, or a tip I think will help people. But there's so many people who've already done that before. When we feel like we have something to say but other people have said it before, how do you address that? Lara: I think everything I say, someone has already said, and I'm okay with that. But they haven't said it like me. They haven't said it in my exact way. They haven't written the sentence exactly the way—that's probably too narrow a point of view in terms of the sentence—maybe the story or the chapter. They haven't written it exactly like me, with my perspective, my point of view, my life experience, my lived experience. It matters. People have very short memories. You think of the last thing you watched on Netflix and most of us can't remember what happened. We'll watch the season again. So I think it's okay to be saying the same things as others, but recognise that the way you say it, your point of view, your stories, your metaphors, your incredible way of putting a sentence togethes, it still matters in that noise. Jo: I think you also talk in the book about rediscovering the joy of creation, as in you are doing it for you. One of the themes that I emphasise is the transformation that happens within you when you write a book. Forget all the people who might read it or not read it. Even just what transforms in you when you write is important enough to make it worthwhile. Lara: It really, really is. For me, talking about rediscovering the joy of creation is important because I've lost it at times in my career, both as a performing artist and as an author, in a different kind of way. When we get so caught up in the industry and the noise and the trends, it's easy to just feel overwhelmed. Overwhelm is made up of a lot of emotions like fear and sadness and grief and all sorts of things. A lot of us don't realise that that's what overwhelm is. When we start to go, “Hey, I'm losing my voice in all this noise because comparison is taking over and I'm feeling all that self-doubt,” it can feel just crazy. So for me, rediscovering the joy of creation is vital to survival as an author, as an artist. A classic example, if you don't mind me sharing my author story really quickly, is that when I first wrote the first version of my book, I was writing very much for me, not realising it. This is hindsight. My first version was a little more self-indulgent. I like to think of it like an arrowhead. I was trying to say too much. The concept was good enough that I got picked up by a literary agent and worked with an editor through that for an entire year. At the end of that time, they dropped me. I felt like, through that time, I learned a lot. It was wonderful. Their reason for dropping me was saying, “I don't think we have enough of a unique point of view to really sell this.” That was hard. I lay on my bed, stared at the ceiling, felt grief. The reality is it's so competitive. What happened for me in that year is that I was trying to please. If you're a new author, this is really important. You are so desperately trying to please the editor, trying to do all the right things, that you can easily lose your joy and your unique point of view because you are trying to show up for what you think they all need and want. What cut through the noise for me is I got off that bed after my three hours of grief—it was probably longer, to be fair—but I booked myself a writing coach. I went back to the drawing board. I threw a lot of the book away. I took some good concepts out that I already knew were good from the editor, then I rewrote the entire thing. It's completely different to the first version. That's the book that got a traditional publishing deal. That book was my unique point of view. That book was my belief, from that grief, that I still have something to say. Instead of trusting what the literary agent and the editor were giving me in those red marks all over that first version, I was like, this is what I want to say. That became the arrowhead that's cut into the industry, rather than the semi-trailer truck that I was trying to bulldoze in with no clear point of view. So rediscovering the joy of creation is very much about coming back to you. Why do I write? What do I want to say? That unique point of view will cut through the noise a lot of the time. I don't want to speak in absolutes, but a lot of the time it will cut through the noise better than you trying to please the industry. Jo: I can't remember who said it, but somebody talked about how you've got your stone, and your stone is rough and it has random colours and all this. Then you start polishing the stone, which you have to do to a point. But if you keep polishing the stone, it looks like every other stone. What's the point? That fits with what you were saying about trying to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one. I also think the reality of what you just said about the book is a lot of people's experience with writing in general. Certainly for me, I don't write in order. I chuck out a lot. I'm a discovery writer. People think you sit down and start A and finish Z, and that's it. It's kind of messy, isn't it? Was that the same in your physical creative life? Lara: Yes. Everything's a mess. In the book I actually talk about learning to embrace the cringe, because we all want to show up perfect. Just as you shared, we think, because we read perfect and look at perfect or near-perfect work—that's debatable all the time—we want to arrive there, and I guess that's natural. But what we don't often see on social media or other places is the mess. I love the behind the scenes of films. I want to see the messy creative process. The reality is we have to learn to embrace the messy cringe because that's completely normal. My first version was so messy, and it's about being able to refine it and recognise that that is normal. So yes, embrace it. That's my quote for the day. Embrace the cringe, show up messy. It's all right. Jo: You mentioned the social media, and the subtitle of the book mentions a “saturated world.” The other problem is there are millions of books out there now. AI is generating more content than humans do, and it is extremely hard to break through. How are we to deal with this saturated world? When do we join in and when do we step away? Lara: I think it's really important not to have black and white thinking about it, because trust me, every day I meet an artist that will say, “I hate that I have to show up online.” To be honest with you, there's a big part of me that does also. But the saturation of the world is something that I recognise, and for me, it's like I'm in the world but not of it. That saturation can cause so much overwhelm and nervous system threat and comparison. What I've personally decided to do is have intentional showing up. That looks like checking in intentionally with a design, not a randomness, and then checking out. When push comes to shove, at the end of the day, I really believe that what sells books is people's trust in us as a person. They might go through an airport and not know us at all and pick up the book because it's a bestseller and they just trust the reputation, but so much of what I'm finding as an artist is that personal relationship, that personal trust. Whether that's through people knowing you via your podcast or people meeting you in a room. Especially in nonfiction, I think that's really big. Intentional presence from a place where we've regulated ourselves, being aware that it's saturated, but my job's not to be focused on the saturation. My job is to find my unique voice and say I have something to bring. Be intentional with that. Shoot your arrow, and then step out of the noise, because it's just overwhelming if you choose to live there and scroll without any intentionality at all. Jo: So how do people do that intentionality in a practical way around, first of all, choosing a platform, and then secondly, how they create content and share content and engage? What are some actual practical tips for intentionality? Lara: I can only speak from my experience, but I'm going to be honest, every single application I sent asked for my platform stats. Every single one. Platform stats as in how many followers, how many people listening to your podcast, how many people are reading your blog. That came up in every single literary agent application. So I would be a fool today to say you've got to ignore that, because that's just the brass tacks, unless you're already like a famous footballer or something. Raising and building a platform of my own audience has been a part of why I was able to get a publishing deal. In doing that, I've learned a lot of hard lessons. Embrace the cringe with marketing and social media as well, because it's its own beast. Algorithms are not what I worry about. They're not going to do the creativity for you. What social media's great at is saying, “Hey, I'm here”—it's awareness. It's not where I sell stuff. It's where I say, I'm here, this is what I'm doing, and people become aware of me and I can build that relationship. People do sell through social media, but it's more about awareness statistically. I am on a lot of platforms, but not all of them work for every author or every style of book. I've done a lot of training. I've really had to upskill in this space and get good at it. I've put myself through courses because I feel like, yes, we can ignore it if we want to, but for me it's an intentional opting in because the data shows that it's been a big part of being able to get published. That's overwhelming to hear for some people. They don't want to hear that. But that's kind of the world that we are in, isn't it? Jo: I think the main point is that you can't do everything and you shouldn't even try to do everything. The best thing to do is pick a couple of things, or pick one thing, and focus on that. For example, I barely ever do video, so I definitely don't do TikTok. I don't do any kind of video stuff. But I have this podcast. Audio is my happy place, and as you said, long-form audio builds trust. That is one way you can sell, but it's also very slow—very, very slow to build an audio platform. Then I guess my main social media would be Instagram, but I don't engage a lot there. So do you have one or two main things that you do, and any thoughts on using those for book marketing? Lara: I do a lot of cross-posting. I am on Instagram and I do a lot of creation there, and I'm super intentional about this. I actually do 30 days at a time, and then it's like my intentional opt-in. I'll create over about two days, edit and plan. It's really, really planned—shoot everything, edit everything, put it all together, and then upload everything. That will be 30 days' worth. Then I back myself right out of there, because I don't want to stay in that space. I want to be in the creative space, but I do put those two days a month aside to do that on Instagram. Then I tweak things for YouTube and what works on LinkedIn, which is completely different to Instagram. As I'm designing my content, I have in mind that this one will go over here and this one can go on here, because different platforms push different things. I am on Threads, but Threads is not statistically where you sell books, it's just awareness. Pinterest I don't think has been very good for my type of work, to be honest. For others it might. It's a search engine, it's where people go to get a recipe. I don't necessarily feel like that's the best place, this is just my point of view. For someone else it might be brilliant if you're doing a cookbook or something like that. I am on a lot of platforms. My podcast, however, I feel is where I'm having the most success, and also my blog. Those things as a writer are very fulfilling. I've pushed growing a platform really hard, and I am on probably almost every platform except for TikTok, but I'm very intentional with each one. Jo: I guess the other thing is the business model. The fiction business model is very, very different to nonfiction. You've got a book, but your higher-cost and higher-value offerings are things that a certain number of people come through to you and pay you more money than the price of a book. Could talk about how the book leads into different parts of your business? Because some people are like, “Am I going to make a living wage from book sales of a nonfiction book?” And usually people have multiple streams of income. Lara: I think it's smart to have multiple streams of income. A lot of people, as you would know, would say that a book is a funnel. For those who haven't heard of it, a way that people come into your bigger offerings. They don't have to be, but very much I do see it that way. It's also credibility. When you have a published book, there's a sense of credibility. I do have other things. I have courses, I have coaching, I have a lot of things that I call my parallel career that chug alongside my artist work and actually help stabilise that freelance income. Having a book is brilliant for that. I think it's a wonderful way to get out there in the world. No matter what's happening in all the online stuff, when you're on an aeroplane, so often someone still wants to read a book. When you're on the beach, they don't want to be there with a laptop. If you're on the sand, you want to be reading a beautiful paper book. The smell of it, the visceral experience of it. Books aren't going anywhere, to me. I still feel like there are always going to be people that want to pick it up and dig in and learn so much of your entire life experience quickly. Jo: We all love books here. I think it's important, as you do talk about career design and you mentioned there the parallel career—I get a lot of questions from people. They may just be writing their first book and they want to get to the point of making money so they could leave their day job or whatever. But it takes time, doesn't it? So how can we be more strategic about this sort of career design? Lara: For me, this has been a big one because lived experience here is that I know artists in many different areas, whether they're Broadway performers or music artists. Some of them are on almost everything I watch on TV. I'm like, oh, they're that guy again. I know that actor is on almost everything. I'll apply this over to writers. The reality is that these high-end performers that I see all the time showing up, even on Broadway in lead roles, all have another thing that they do, because they can still have, even at the highest level, six months between a contract. Applying that over to writing is the same thing, in that books and the money from them will ebb and flow. What so often artists are taught—and authors fit into this—is that we ultimately want art to make us money. So often that becomes “may my art rescue me from this horrible life that I'm living,” and we don't design the life around the art. We hope, hope, hope that our art will provide. I think it's a beautiful hope and a valid one. Some people do get that. I'm all for hoping our art will be our main source of income. But the reality is for the majority of people, they have something else. What I see over and over again is these audacious dreams, which are wonderful, and everything pointing towards them in terms of work. But then I'll see the actor in Hollywood that has a café job and I'm like, how long are you going to just work at that café job? They're like, “Well, I'm goint to get a big break and then everything's going to change.” I think we can think the same way. My big break will come, I'll get the publishing deal, and then everything will change. The reframe in our thinking is: what if we looked at this differently? Instead of side hustle, fallback career, instead of “my day job,” we say parallel career. How do I design a life that supports my art? And if I get to live off my art, wonderful. For me, that's looked like teaching and directing musical theatre. It's looked like being able to coach other artists. It's looked like writing and being able to pivot my creativity in the seasons where I've needed to. All of that is still creativity and energising, and all of it feeds the great big passion I have to show up in the world as an artist. None of it is actually pulling me away or draining me. I mean, you have bad days, of course, but it's not draining my art. When we are in this way of thinking—one day, one day, one day—we are not designing intentionally. What does it look like to maybe upskill and train in something that would be more energising for my parallel career that will chug alongside us as an artist? We all hope our art can totally 100% provide for us, which is the dream and a wonderful dream, and one that I still have. Jo: It's hard, isn't it? Because I also think that, personally, I need a lot of input in order to create. I call myself more of a binge writer. I just finished the edits on my next novel and I worked really hard on that. Now I won't be writing fiction for, I don't know, maybe six months or something, because now I need to input for the next one. I have friends who will write 10,000 words a day because they don't need that. They have something internal, or they're just writing a different kind of book that doesn't need that. Your book is a result of years of experience, and you can't write another book like that every year. You just can't, because you don't have enough new stuff to put in a book like that every single year. I feel like that's the other thing. People don't anticipate the input time and the time it takes for the ideas to come together. It is not just the production of the book. Lara: That's completely true. It goes back to this metaphor that creativity in the body is not a machine, it's a rhythm. I like to say rhythm over consistency, which allows us to say, “Hey, I'm going to be all in.” I was all in on writing. I went into a vortex for days on end, weeks on end, months and probably years on end. But even within that, there were ebbs and flows of input versus “I can't go near it today.” Recognising that that's actually normal is fine. There are those people that are outliers, and they will be out of that box. A lot of people will push that as the only way. “I am going to write every morning at 10am regardless.” That can work for some people, and that's wonderful. For those of us who don't like that—and I'm one of those people, that's not me as an artist—I accept the rhythm of creativity and that sometimes I need to do something completely different to feed my soul. I'm a big believer that a lot of creative block is because we need an adventure. We need to go out and see some art. To do good art, you've got to see good art, read good art, get outside, do something else for the input so that we have the inspiration to get out of the block. I know a screenwriter who was writing a really hard scene of a daughter's death—her mum's death. It's not easy to just write that in your living room when you've never gone through it. So she took herself out—I mean, it sounds morbid, but as a writer you'll understand the visceral nature of this—and sat at somebody's tombstone that day and just let that inform her mind and her heart. She was able to write a really powerful scene because she got out of the house and allowed herself to do something different. All that to say that creativity, the natural process, is an in-and-out thing. It ebbs and flows as a rhythm. People are different, and that's fine. But it is a rhythm in the way it works scientifically in the body. Jo: On graveyards—we love graveyards around here. Lara: I was like, sorry everyone, this isn't very nice. Jo: Oh, no. People are well used to it on this show. Let's come back to rhythm. When you are in a good rhythm, or when your body's warmed up and you are in the flow and everything's great, that feels good. But what if some people listening have found their rhythm is broken in some way, or it's come to a stop? That can be a real problem, getting moving again if you stop for too long. What are some ways we can get that rhythm back into something that feels right again? Lara: First of all, for people going through that, it's because our body actually will prioritise survival when we're going through crisis or too much stress. Creativity in the brain will go, well, that's not in that survival nature. When we are going through change—like me moving countries—it would disconnect us a lot from not only ourselves and our sense of identity, but creativity ultimately reconnects you back into life. I feel like to be at our optimum creative self, once we get through the crisis and the stress, is to gently nudge ourselves back in by little micro things. Whether it's “I'm just going to have the rhythm of writing one sentence a day.” As we do that, those little baby steps build momentum and allow us to come back in. Creativity is a life force. It's not about production, it's actually how we get to any unique contribution we're going to bring to the world. As we start to nudge ourselves back in, there's healing in that and there's joy in that. Then momentum comes. I know momentum comes from those little steps, rather than the overwhelming “I've got to write a novel this week” mindset. It's not going to happen, most of the time, when we are nudging our way back in. Little baby steps, kindness with ourselves. Staying connected to yourself through change or through crisis is one of the kindest things we can offer ourselves, and allowing ourselves to come into that rhythm—like that musical song of coming back in with maybe one line of the song instead of the entire masterpiece, which hopefully it will be one day. Jo: I was also thinking of the dancing world again, and one thing that is very different with writers is that so much of what we do is alone. In a lot of the performance art space, there's a lot more collaboration and groups of people creating things together. Is that something you've kept hold of, this kind of collaborative energy? How do you think we can bring that collaborative energy more into writing? Lara: Writing is very much alone. Obviously some people, depending on the project, will write in groups, but generally speaking, it's alone. For me, what that looks like is going out. I do this, and I know for some writers this is like, I don't want to go and talk to people. There are a lot of introverts in writing, as you are aware. I do go to creative mixers. I do get out there. I'm planning right now my book launch with a local bookstore, one in Australia and one here in America. Those things are scary, but I know that it matters to say I'm not in this alone. I want to bring my friends in. I want to have others part of this journey. I want to say, hey, I did this. And of course, I want to sell books. That's important too. It's so easy to hide, because it's scary to get out there and be with others. Yet I know that after a creative mixer or a meetup with all different artists, no matter their discipline, I feel very energised by that. Writers will come, dancers will come, filmmakers will come. It's that creative force that really energises my work. Of course, you can always meet with other writers. There's one person I know that runs this thing where all they do is they all get on Zoom together and they all write. Their audio's off, but they're just writing. It's just the feeling of, we're all writing but we're doing it together. It's a discipline for them, but because there's a room of creatives all on Zoom, they're like, I'm here, I've showed up, there's others. There's a sense of accountability. I think that's beautiful. I personally don't want to work that way, but some people do, and I think that's gorgeous too. Jo: Whatever sustains you. I think one of the important things is to realise you are not alone. I get really confused when people say this now. They're like, “Writing's such a lonely life, how do you manage?” I'm like, it is so not lonely. Lara: Yes. Jo: I'm sure you do too. Especially as a podcaster, a lot of people want to have conversations. We are having a conversation today, so that fulfils my conversation quota for the day. Lara: Exactly. Real human connection. It matters. Jo: Exactly. So maybe there's a tip for people. I'm an introvert, so this actually does fulfil it. It's still one-on-one, it's still you and me one-on-one, which is good for introverts. But it's going out to a lot more people at some point who will listen in to our conversation. There are some ways to do this. It's really interesting hearing your thoughts. Tell people where they can find you and your books and your podcast online. Lara: The book is called Audacious Artistry: Reclaim Your Creative Identity and Thrive in a Saturated World, and it's everywhere. The easiest thing to do would be to visit my website, LaraBiancaPilcher.com/book, and you'll find all the links there. My podcast is called Healthy Wealthy Wise Artist, and it's on all the podcast platforms. I do short coaching for artists on a lot of the things we've been talking about today. Jo: Brilliant. Well, thanks so much for your time, Lara. That was great. Lara: Thank you.The post Audacious Artistry: Reclaiming Your Creative Identity And Thriving In A Saturated World With Lara Bianca Pilcher first appeared on The Creative Penn.

(00:00) The guys talk about Bad Bunny's halftime performance. (12:25) Zo and Joe react to the news that quarterback coach Ashton Grant is staying in New England in the same role despite interest from other teams. (20:53) The guys have a take on Barack Obama saying aliens are real.(36:28) More aliens talk.Please note: Timecodes may shift by a few minutes due to inserted ads. Because of copyright restrictions, portions—or entire segments—may not be included in the podcast.For the latest updates, visit the show page on 985thesportshub.com. Follow 98.5 The Sports Hub on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Watch the show every morning on YouTube, and subscribe to stay up-to-date with all the best moments from Boston's home for sports!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, Britten LaRue is joined by Caroline Durlacher and Mellie Test for a conversation on staying with your magic when it's unclear, inspired by the Eight of Swords. Together they reflect on what it's like to be in a long creative process - where clarity doesn't always arrive on the timeline the mind wants - and how The Magician's Table can function as a container that supports devotion, experimentation, and self-recognition. They explore the tension between money as feedback and the ways it can distort our relationship to magic, while naming the relief and power of letting your practice be emergent: trusting transmission, honoring cave time, and creating without needing permission, justification, or proof.   Topics They Cover: Returning to The Magician's Table twice: resistance, refinement, and the intelligence of coming back Money as feedback vs. money as proof and how tying magic to material success can cloud clarity Devotion to process: luxuriating in the process, experimentation, and letting your work evolve moment to moment Cave time, invisibility, and staying with your magic during unclear or non-linear seasons Self-recognition as the true initiation and claiming you are magical without needing external validation   About Caroline Durlacher: Caroline Durlacher is a former literature & philosophy PhD candidate turned Emergent Business mentor for divergent thinkers & creative visionaries. She helps what she calls "Artists under Capitalism" & "Emergent Practitioners" turn their deep devotions & uncontainable work into online business ecosystems that generate wealth, visibility, and cultural power. When you're ready to make money by building worlds with your art, her work is for you. INSTAGRAM: @carolinedurlacher SUBSTACK: Ways of Knowing About Mellie Test: Mellie is a playful, multi-disciplinary practitioner and catalyst whose work spans movement, fitness, visual art, and design. She simultaneously holds the energies of The Fool and The Tower. Through her business, Magic with Mellie, magic becomes a lived practice of presence, perception, and showing up outside the box on a daily basis. Whether leading a class, creating artwork, or supporting clients through branding and web-related work, she is known for her catalytic impact. Rather than delivering fixed outcomes, she luxuriates in evolving processes to open perception, shift fields, and offer magic that continues unfolding long after a moment has passed. Mellie is a single mom and sole provider for a brilliant teenage son. They currently live in the mountains of Western Colorado, surrounded by landscapes that continually inspire. WEBSITE: Https://magicwithmellie.com INSTAGRAM: Https://instagram.com/magicwithmellie   +++   Learn More about The Magician's Table:  The Magician's Table is a 3-month container for personal growth, community connection, and practice growing one's tools as an intuitive and magical practitioner. Doors open on Sunday, February 22nd, with an early bird window and a Pick Your Tuition model offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Britten invites you to take your time attuning to the container, exploring the course page, and feeling into whether this experience is a true yes for you. Join the waitlist: ​​https://mailchi.mp/brittenlarue/tmt-2026-waitlist  Visit the course page: https://brittenlarue.com/course/the-magicians-table/    +++   Introducing the 13th Readers for 2026:  Arizona Smith: @arizonasmithhealing  Leanne Thurogood: @oftheearthesoteric Lily Hussey: @goodhussey Suprasensory Shahir: @suprasensoryshahir   +++   Learn More about The Dream Real: Coming February 20, as you may well know, we have a major astrological moment in time. The planet of Dream (Neptune) conjoins the planet of Realization (Saturn) at the ZERO degree of Aries, the very first degree of the whole zodiac. This is rare. This matters. This is the moment. You are invited to join us for The Dream Real: a global spell for personal and collective dream-realizing. We're doing BIG MAGIC. It'll be wild, and weird, and effective.  Sign up via the TMT Waitlist here: https://mailchi.mp/brittenlarue/tmt-2026-waitlist   We hope to see you there!   +++   E M E R G E N C E  A S T R O L O G Y ⁠⁠https://brittenlarue.com/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@brittenlarue Order Living Astrology Join my newsletter here Check out my new podcast CRYSTAL BALLERS on Spotify, Podbean, and Apple.   +++   Podcast art: Angela George. Podcast music: Jonathan Koe.  

We communicate every day, yet we rarely stop to think about what we are actually doing when we enter a conversation. In this episode, Trisha and Elissa explore the basics of communication through a simple but powerful metaphor: conversation as a game of catch. What does it mean to throw well? To catch well? To take turns? To play generously? Together they unpack how conversations flow, how they break down, and how we can become more mindful, generous participants in the everyday exchanges that shape our relationships at work, at home, and in our communities.   Conversation Overview Conversation as a game of catch Throwing and catching: sending and receiving skills Interrupting, over-talking, and holding the ball Asking good questions and keeping the game moving Generosity, anxiety, and when catch turns into dodgeball Staying in the game instead of taking the ball home   Guest Bio Elissa Lappenga is a professional educator, trainer, and coach with over 20 years of experience in education, non-profit, corporate, and community settings. Elissa earned her Master of Education (M.Ed.) from UCLA with a concentration in counseling and was one of the first facilitators of the university's Intergroup Dialogue program. She also maintains a SHRM-CP certification with the Society for Human Resources Management and is a PROSCI certified change management practitioner.   Resources and References Mentioned Elissa on The Leaders Journey Register for the Upcoming Zoom: How to Have a Converstation

What's going on family, welcome back to SAUNAIE.Last week we talked about consistency.Showing up when motivation is gone.Building systems.Staying disciplined.But here's what happens next — and nobody prepares you for this part:When you start changing…Your environment doesn't always change with you.Your habits shift.Your mindset shifts.Your priorities shift.And suddenly…You feel alone.So today we're talking about something a lot of Black men experience but rarely say out loud:Loneliness while leveling up.Because growth is powerful…But it can also feel isolating.

Reality Is Breaking?! The Truth About Timelines, Mandela Effects & Parallel Lives ExplainedWhat if reality isn't as fixed as you think? In this episode of Spirit Sherpa, Kelle and Josh explore the mind-bending concept of timelines—how every choice creates new realities and why your life may shift in ways you can't always explain.Key Topics Include:How parallel timelines worktimeline collapseVibrational influences on your realityMandela EffectsConflicting memories00:00 Welcome to Spirit Sherpa (and some goofy banter)01:17 Panama life update: painting clouds & new creative skills03:19 Community vibes in Panama: Thanksgiving, seasons, and rainbow weather07:16 Today's topic: What are timelines? Choice points, splits, and convergence09:37 Cultural timelines & the Mandela Effect explained11:08 Vibration and timeline shifts: why “highest timeline” takes consistent work14:20 When people feel like different people: relationships, eyes, and “possession” vs shift18:20 Don't skip the work: guided meditations, tower moments, and higher-quality problems21:42 Conflicting memories & reality as mutable: holding it lightly (Walkabout stories)25:35 Timeline collapse in real life: the relationship memory that rewrote itself28:06 Staying grounded during awakening: childlike flexibility, tethers, and trauma lenses31:59 What happens to the “old” timeline—and closing notes & calls to actionKeywords:timelines explained, parallel realitiesparallel universe theorymandela effect explainedquantum realityspiritual awakening podcastreality shiftinglaw of attraction vibrationconsciousness expansionmultidimensional realitytimeline shiftingspiritual growth podcastmetaphysics explainedquantum consciousnessmanifestation techniquesraising your vibrationenergy healing podcastspiritual journey podcastpsychic developmentalternate timelinesreality is an illusionquantum jumpingmanifestation mindsetpersonal transformationspiritual podcastmind blowing conceptsawakening symptomstimeline collapsefrequency and vibrationspiritual coachingIf you would like to learn more please book a Discovery Call here: https://kellesparta.com/discovery-call/Licensing and Credits:“Spirit Sherpa” is the sole property of Kelle Sparta Enterprises and is distributed under a Creative Commons: BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. For more information about this licensing, please go to www.creativecommons.org. Any requests for deviations to this licensing should be sent to kelle@kellesparta.com. To sign up for, or get more information on the programs, offerings, and services referenced in this episode, please go to www.kellesparta.com

Send a textHunter Jensen of Barefoot Solutions, and Sid unpack why AI is moving so fast and the important basics leaders skip during implementation and use: data quality, governance, and a focused strategy that targets real ROI. Hunter shares practical use cases across support, HR, and sales, plus how to deploy secure, private LLMs with RAG for reliable answers from your own data.• Three Cs of data: clean, current, complete• Difference between generative AI and legacy machine learning• Strategy vs policy vs plan vs governance• Risks of public LLMs and data exposure• Practical use cases: documentation, support, HR, sales• RAG explained for secure document search• ROI modeling to pick a killer use case• Hunter's pivot to product and Compass platform• Staying current with daily newsletters over booksReferences:Rocky Mountain Marketing Podcast Ep 410 -Is Your Team Putting Business Data at Risk with ChatGPT with Hunter Jensen https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/is-your-team-putting-business-data-at-risk-with/id1506956667?i=1000727063525The Rundown AI Newsletter - https://www.therundown.ai/Connect with Hunter:Barefoot Solutions - https://www.barefootsolutions.com/Barefoot Labs - https://www.barefootlabs.ai/Email - hunter@barefootlabs.aiThe workplace is changing faster than the conversations guiding it. We're stepping up with a sharper plan for Season Seven: weekly episodes designed to spark action, challenge assumptions, and give you practical tools to build spaces and businesses that actually work. Connect with Sid: Home Page: www.sidmeadows.comPodcast Website: https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast Sid on LinkedInSid on InstagramSid on YouTube The Trend Report introduction music is provided by Werq by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4616-werq License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In this episode of The Black Men Think Podcast, the fellas unpack the real cost of staying comfortable. What feels like peace and stability can sometimes be fear in disguise. We dive into how comfort can quietly become a cage, keeping us in jobs we've outgrown, relationships that no longer challenge us, and routines that feel safe but limit our growth. We talk about the hidden price of playing it safe, from missed opportunities and creative stagnation to the regret that can build over time. The conversation also explores why change feels so heavy, especially for Black men navigating generational survival mindsets and the pressure to protect what we've built. In our Ask A Black Man segment, we answer the question: How do you know when it's time to leave something that's no longer challenging you? This episode challenges you to reflect on where you might be choosing comfort over growth and what it could be costing you.

What happens when your body forces you to slow down — and you didn't plan to? In this deeply personal Superwoman Diaries segment, Jessica shares the aftermath of her recent car accident — not just the physical pain of a trapezius strain, but the emotional ripple effects that followed. Because sometimes it's not just the injury. It's the irritability. The exhaustion. The vulnerability. The way stress sneaks into family conversations. The way the world already feels heavy — and then something personal tips the scale. Jessica and Kelly explore what it's like to move through physical pain while still being a mom, a therapist, a partner, and a human trying to stay regulated in a polarized world. This episode is a reminder that even Superwomen get knocked down sometimes — and that slowing down isn't weakness. It's wisdom. It's about honoring your limits. Staying connected. And choosing compassion — for yourself and for others. Inside This Conversation: Jessica shares her experience of being in a car accident and the physical pain that followed. The conversation highlights the emotional toll of chronic pain and the importance of self-care. Jessica emphasizes the need for gratitude, especially after a traumatic event. They discuss the impact of family dynamics on emotional well-being during stressful times. The importance of recognizing and validating the struggles of others is highlighted. Jessica mentions the need to manage stress in a polarized world. They explore the idea of taking breaks from news and social media to protect mental health. The conversation emphasizes the balance between self-care and social responsibility. Jessica reflects on the importance of not letting external stressors overwhelm personal well-being. They conclude with a reminder to stay connected and support one another. 

What happens when the stage you prayed for becomes the altar your family needed?In this powerful episode of the Rooted in Christ Podcast, Eric Stephens sits down with Christian hip-hop artist Craig Wallace for a raw and heartfelt conversation about purpose, obedience, and the true mission behind the music.Craig shares how a dream of performing on big stages wasn't about fame—but about seeing his family saved. After performing at Beyond the Walls, that dream became reality when his uncle gave his life back to Christ. From that moment, the mission was clear: this isn't about lights, platforms, or applause—it's about souls.The conversation dives deep into:Craig's transformation from secular music to fully surrendered faithTurning down pressure to “water down” the name of JesusNavigating pride, platforms, and “celebrity culture” in Christian spacesThe importance of servant leadership and humilityOvercoming rejection in the industrySeeking the Kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) as an artistWhy fruit matters more than fameCraig also opens up about his journey as a former D1 athlete, walking away from worldly identity, embracing marriage and fatherhood, and recently receiving his late grandfather's community award—an honor that meant more than any Grammy ever could.If you're an artist, leader, or believer wrestling with calling, comparison, or culture—this episode will challenge and encourage you to stay rooted, stay humble, and keep Jesus at the center.

Staying strong with your investments as the stock market continues to be volatile. Why precious metals seem to hold their value. AI having impacts on Wall Street. Bruce Helmer is the President and co-founder of Wealth Enhancement Group and has some tips for your finances.

Landing a job is one thing. Staying in the right job is another. Beyond pay and titles, the right role aligns with your values, supports growth, and doesn't drain you in the name of ambition. Many people leave not because they aren't good enough, but because they ignored the signals of misalignment.Knowing when to stay, when to grow, and when to move on is a career skill we're rarely taught, but one that shapes everything else.Note: This episode contains music used solely for illustrative and work-related purposes as part of a live broadcast recording. All rights to music belong to their respective owners, no copyright infringement is intended.

Staying strong with your investments as the stock market continues to be volatile. Why precious metals seem to hold their value. AI having impacts on Wall Street. Bruce Helmer is the President and co-founder of Wealth Enhancement Group and has some tips for your finances.

In this episode, you will discover:How we are wired for comparisonThe pitfalls of spiritual comparisonWhy no one's journey is better than someone else'sHow angels guide us on our journeyThe way spiritual envy stalls our progressHow to avoid spiritual driftWhat most people are asking for when they come to youWhat empaths, healers, and intuitives need to be aware ofThe difference between sharing and advisingWhat spiritual identity isWhy it's important to allow yourself to changeHow to weave all of this into your daily lifeNext Sunday's Topic: Angel Visitations in DreamsThe Angel Room is a weekly podcast- A place for those who love angels and want to know more about them. Enjoy spiritual, healing, personal growth, enlightening and empowering topics. Named one of the top 10 Healing With Angels Podcasts in 2025 by PlayerFM.Named one of Top 10 Best Angel Podcasts by Feedspot. ListenNotes.com ranks it in the top 3% of most popular shows globally. Host, Ivory LaNoue is a respected angel communicator based in central Arizona. She is also the author of Let Your Angels Lead, Archangel Sachiel's Guide to Abundance and other spirituality books. Learn more on her website.You can learn more about Ivory and her services at IvoryAngelic.com.Email: ivoryangelic@outlook.comYouTube Channel: Ivory LaNoue

Send a textThe world feels sharper than it used to. Conversations cut faster. Systems feel colder. And many good people feel tempted to harden—not because they don't care, but because they're tired.In this final bonus episode of The Kindness Matters Podcast, Mike shares why staying soft in a harsh world is not weakness—it's courage. Drawing from his new book, Still Changing A World: Small Acts of Kindness That Make a Big Difference, he explores how we can protect our humanity without burning out, disappearing, or becoming bitter.This episode is about boundaries instead of walls, rest instead of retreat, and why small, everyday acts of kindness matter more—not less—when big systems feel broken.In this episode, you'll hear:Why the urge to harden your heart is often about exhaustion, not lack of compassionThe difference between boundaries and emotional wallsHow staying “soft and strong” helps you remain human without self-erasureWhy small acts create real change, even when they don't go viralHow to keep showing up with kindness without carrying the weight of fixing everythingFeatured readings from the book:“When You're Tempted to Harden Your Heart”“Small Acts Matter More When Big Systems Feel Broken”Key takeaway:You are not responsible for fixing the whole world. You are responsible for how you show up in the part of it you touch.Kindness doesn't require perfection, consensus, or constant output. It requires presence, boundaries, and the courage to stay human—especially when the world makes that hard.Resources & Links:Still Changing A World: Small Acts of Kindness That Make a Big Difference by Mike Rathbun (Available wherever books are sold — link in show notes)If this episode resonated:Share it with someone who feels tired but hasn't given upLeave a review to help others find the showOr do one small act of kindness today—those still countThank you for listening. Thank you for caring. And thank you for staying soft in a sharp world.If you would like to purchase this book in either Kindle format or Paperback you can do that here.Support the show

What does it really take to build a successful novel? Kate Broad discusses leaving her romance author career to write literary fiction and how her debut novel, Greenwich, required multiple drafts and rewrites. She shares what it's like to scrap early drafts, rebuild the story from the ground up, write complex characters that are hard to like, and what she tells herself when the writing feels hard. If you need a reminder that your first draft can become something magical, that struggling is just part of the work and process of bringing a novel to fruition, and that you're not doing anything wrong, you'll enjoy our conversation. Timestamps 00:00 – Why Revision Is Where the Magic Happens 00:19 – Welcome to Write It Scared 01:29 – Meet Kate Road 03:20 – Writing Greenwich and Starting Over 05:03 – Themes of Wealth, Power, and Privilege 07:34 – Crafting Complex, Unlikable Characters 15:47 – How the Book Changed in Revision 21:40 – Self-Doubt and Staying in the Work 30:25 – Resilience and the Reality of the Writing Life 39:43 – Final ReflectionsKate Broad holds a BA from Wellesley College and a PhD in English from the CUNY Graduate Center. She is a Bronx Council on the Arts award winner for fiction, and her writing has appeared in The Rumpus, No Tokens, Electric Literature, LitHub, The Baltimore Review, and elsewhere. Her debut novel, Greenwich, was released in 2025 from St. Martin's Press and was named one of People Magazine's Best New Books, a Vanity Fair Summer Read, and an Amazon Editor's Pick for Best New Literature and Fiction. Originally from Massachusetts, she lives in the Bronx.  GREENWICH - Out now from St. Martin's Press / Macmillan!https://katebroad.comHave a comment or idea about the show? Send me a direct text! Love to hear from you.Support the show To become a supporter of the show, click here!To get in touch with Stacy: Email: Stacy@writeitscared.co https://www.writeitscared.co/wis https://www.instagram.com/writeitscared/ Take advantage of these Free Resources From Write It Scared: Download Your Free Novel Planning and Drafting Quick Start Guide Download Your Free Guide to Remove Creative Blocks and Work Through Fears

Introduction: Matters of Marriage: A Word for Each of You. (1 Corinthians 7:8-16) Singles: Enjoy the GIFT of SINGLENESS or GET MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:8-9) Single & Want to Get Married? 3 Don'ts: Don't SETTLE. Don't Look for the RIGHT PERSON. Don't Seek MARRIAGE – Seek LOVE. Married Christians: STAY MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:10-11) Married to a NonChristian (Who Wants to Stay Married): STAY MARRIED. (1 Cor 7:12-14) Married to a NonChristian (Who Wants to Leave): LET THEM GO. (1 Cor 7:15-16) Romans 7:2 – For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Matthew 19:8 – He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce...” Matthew 19:9 - “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! AUDIO TRANSCRIPT 00:36-00:39Open up those Bibles, 1 Corinthians chapter 7.00:41-00:42Chapter 7.00:44-00:47We're in the third section of 1 Corinthians.00:48-00:51Chapters 1 through 4 is about unity.00:52-00:54Like church, get it together.00:56-00:58Chapters 5 and 6 are about purity.01:01-01:08And then when we get to chapter 7 verse 1, you see that Paul is addressing some questions that they had.01:10-01:17And the first subject of this Q&A session is marriage.01:20-01:22So that's where we are.01:22-01:24We go where the text takes us.01:24-01:33I'm going to ask that you would please just quiet your heart before the Lord for a moment and pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's Word.01:33-01:44This is a passage that is going to get a reaction, and it's not about really my opinion or your opinion, it's what did God actually say?01:45-01:46That's what we're going after, right?01:48-01:52So pray for me to be faithful to clearly communicate what God said.01:52-01:57I will pray for you to have a heart open to receive what it is that God said.01:57-01:59All right, let's just take a moment and pray.02:02-02:16Our Father in heaven, I know that many times in my life I've had strong opinions about things that have had to change because of what your Word says.02:22-02:26Because at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter what any of us think, Father, It only matters what you think.02:27-02:42So I just pray that you would give us wisdom, that you would eliminate any distractions in our hearts and minds so we can just lock into what your Word has to say here.02:44-02:45It's for the glory of your name.02:46-03:00We pray in Jesus' name, and all of God's people said, "Amen." If you've been with us at all through our series in 1 Corinthians, we've seen that everything was a mess, right?03:00-03:06So now Paul's talking about marriage and no surprise, marriage was a mess.03:07-03:09We talked about this last week.03:09-03:16There were people strong on the single side and there were people strong on the marriage side.03:16-03:17Which one is good?03:17-03:21And the answer is both of them are good.03:23-03:28Marriage was a mess in Corinth, and if we're going to be honest, we're not doing so hot here today either.03:31-03:38As I was preparing this, I get an email that has just short news articles in it and updates and things like that.03:39-03:42And I just read this on Friday, I wanted to share part of this article with you.03:43-03:50This is the newest craze, I haven't heard of this one, maybe you have, but the newest craze is divorce rings.03:51-03:52Have you heard of divorce rings?03:53-03:54Raise your hand if you've heard of divorce rings.03:55-03:57Okay, a couple of you have, all right.03:58-04:04This is new as far as this article told us, but I just want to read part of it.04:04-04:18It says, "The diamond ring Alex Weinstein," that's a female, "wears every day is a reminder that once upon a time she said, "I do," these days she happily says she does not.04:20-04:45Weinstein got divorced last March and tossed her engagement ring in a drawer for a few months. Then the Tampa, Florida-based content creator decided to make herself a divorce ring. She reset a radiant three-carat stone from her ex- husband into gold, turning it east to west in a bezel." I should have looked up what that meant.04:45-04:46Anybody know what a bezel is?04:47-04:48Okay, nobody?04:49-04:50All right, I shouldn't have said anything, huh?04:51-04:53I was safe until I just said that.04:53-04:55All right, noted.04:55-04:56That helps me for the second service.04:58-05:07The shame and stigma, the article goes on, "The shame and stigma of divorce has been replaced for some women with empowerment and celebration.05:10-05:17While diamond rings have long been a cultural signifier of marriage, some women are also choosing to mark the end of their matrimonies with a little bling.05:21-05:26Weinstein says, "I'm not proud of getting divorced, but I am proud of putting myself first.05:28-05:34Why shouldn't I celebrate this chapter of my life?" Why am I sharing this article with you?05:36-05:49Because I think if anything sort of personifies how far we have drifted as a culture from God's ideal, I think this kind of nails it.05:50-05:53We are celebrating divorce.05:55-05:56We are celebrating it!06:00-06:04You know, we look at Corinth and we're like, "Man, those people were messed up." Us people are messed up.06:08-06:20Back to Corinth, though, some would say...some in Corinth had said, "Excuse me." Some said, "You know, being single is actually being more devoted to God." And they actually had married people get a divorce.06:21-06:36Like, "Hey, you'll be more devoted to God if you get the divorce." And then there were some that said, "Look, if you want to be devoted to God, you can't have intimate relations with a woman.06:36-06:48So if you want to stay married, just don't have any intimacy." Those were some of the thoughts they had in Corinth, and both of those are wrong.06:50-06:54In the previous passage, again, Paul said, "Staying single is good.06:54-06:56Marriage is good.06:56-06:59And intimacy in marriage should be a regular thing.07:03-07:05But what if I'm not in a biblical marriage?07:09-07:12What I mean is, what if I'm not married to a Christian?07:13-07:29I mean, you could go through the last couple of messages and say, "Oh, that's well and good for two people who love Jesus Christ, have the Word of God as their authority, and Oh yeah, like easy for them.07:31-07:33But what about me, Paul?07:34-07:38My spouse isn't a believer, so what am I supposed to do?07:40-07:41Should I just get a divorce?07:44-07:44What should I do?07:46-09:17Well, in this section we're looking at today, Paul clarifies matters of marriage addressing everyone in the church. Literally everyone in the church and everyone in this church. So this is kind of a good news/bad news thing. We're not having one sermon today. You're like, "All right, we are having four sermons today. All right, four sermons." Because each of these are very specifically addressed to a different group. So first up, matters of marriage, a word for each of you. You can take notes on the other ones if you like, but pay attention into the category you fall. Number one, singles. Singles, a word for you, here it is. Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married. Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married. All right, so if you're here and you're single, if you're streaming and you're single, if for you. All right? If you're single, enjoy that if it's a gift or get married. Look at verse 8. Paul says, "To the unmarried and the widows, I say that it is good for them to remain single as I am." Unmarried for any reason, right? Paul, once again, this is a We're going to go through this quickly.09:18-09:19We talked all about this last week.09:19-09:21Paul said being single is good.09:23-09:23Right?09:23-09:24Being single is good.09:24-09:26Why is he circling back to that?09:26-09:34Because there were Jews in Corinth that said, "You couldn't be holy unless you were married." That was a common Jewish mindset in that day.09:35-09:36You couldn't be holy unless you were married.09:36-09:41Paul's like, "That's not true." All right?09:41-09:43It's a gift for some people.09:45-09:47And Paul listed himself as one of those people.09:48-09:50Paul here very clearly says that he was single.09:51-09:52Like what happened to Paul?09:52-09:52Did he get a divorce?09:53-09:54Did his wife leave him?09:54-09:55Is he a widower?09:56-09:57We have no idea.09:59-10:03We don't know the details, but we know from this verse that he was single.10:06-10:07Okay, so single people, listen.10:10-10:27not denying that there are pressures to being single that married couples do not have. Things like loneliness, things like trying to manage a household yourself.10:28-10:34There are pressures that single people experience that married people don't.10:35-10:39But Paul is reminding the single people again, it is not wrong.10:40-10:44You don't have to feel like you're a second-rate Christian because you're not married.10:44-10:46It is not wrong.10:46-10:51And we're going to see later in this chapter, there are actually some advantages to being single.10:52-10:54All right, but look at verse 9.10:56-11:05He says, "But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry.11:06-11:16For it is better to marry than to burn with passion." So Paul's like, "Okay, you're single, but you have those urges.11:19-11:20You can't control yourself.11:20-11:23You like want to be with a person so badly.11:24-11:27Like you found that being single really isn't for you.11:27-11:28What should I do?11:28-11:29Paul's like, get married.11:30-11:31Get married.11:32-11:35He says it's better to marry than to burn.11:36-11:37Again, we talked about this last week.11:37-11:40If you have the gift of singleness, you aren't burning.11:42-11:47But if you have those desires, God gave the right context to use them.11:48-11:49That's why he says get married.11:50-11:50Get married.11:50-11:54You have the passion, you have the desire, get married.11:57-12:07I've got to say a couple of things about that, unless somebody runs out of here today, runs right across the street to Pantera Bread, and is like, "Look, Pastor Jeff said to get married.12:07-12:10Are you single?" No, okay, "Are you single?" "No, I'm going to find somebody.12:10-12:11Pastor Jeff said to get married.12:12-12:12It's right in the Bible.12:13-12:15I've got to find somebody today." Let's pump the brakes for a second.12:17-12:17All right?12:17-12:21If you're single and you want to get married, I'm going to give you three don'ts here, all right?12:23-12:27He says to get married, yes, but I want to caution you on a couple of things here.12:27-12:28Three don'ts.12:29-12:30Letter A, don't settle.12:32-12:33Don't settle.12:36-12:38I know being single can be hard.12:39-12:40Do you know what's harder than being single?12:42-12:44Being married to the wrong person.12:46-12:54Rushing into a marriage, not really knowing somebody, not understanding they don't really love you, they don't really love the Lord as they should.12:58-13:02It is absolutely heartbreaking how many times I've seen that.13:02-13:14Somebody wanting marriage so badly that the first single person that comes along that looks eligible and there's some kind of interest, we're rushing right into it, and oh, the regret that comes from that.13:15-13:16I've made a huge mistake.13:17-13:18What do I do now?13:20-13:30settle. Letter B, don't look for the right person. Don't look for the right person.13:34-14:46Like, wait a minute, you just said it was bad to be married to the wrong person, now you're telling me not to look for the right person? Yeah, don't look for the right person. You need to focus on trying to be the right person, all right? Try to to be the right person. In the early days of this church when we were really teeny tiny we had a single guy that came to me. He came up to me, he goes, "Pastor Jeff, I think I'm going to go to another church." I'm like, "Oh, why? What's the matter?" He goes, "I love this church so much, but I really want to meet somebody and I just really want to get married." Not a lot of single people in that tiny church. And I said, "That's a terrible way to pick a church. You know, who's got the best single scene? I said, "That's a terrible way to pick a church." I said, "You need to find a church where God is feeding you and where God is using you. You find a church where that's happening, you trust God to do the rest." He's like, "You're right." He goes, "You're right." And it wasn't long after that he did find a single lady, even in her teeny tiny church, and they're married. They since moved away and they have like, I I don't know, 20 or 25 kids, I don't know.14:47-15:03But the point was he was willing to trust God and seeking God first and seeking to be the person worth marrying, not just trying to find the right person for him.15:04-15:06So try to be the right person for somebody else.15:08-15:12Letter C, I read this great advice from a pastor this past week.15:12-15:19He said, "Don't seek marriage, seek love." Don't seek marriage, seek love.15:20-15:24Because ultimately, you're going to marry the person that you fall in love with.15:26-15:27All right?15:27-15:33So when Paul here says, "Look, if you have the desire," he goes, "Don't burn with passion." He goes, "Go get married.15:33-15:41Go get married." But again, let's temper that with, let's not rush into anything.15:43-15:44It's going to bring regret.15:45-15:52God has called you, God has called all of us to be content and thankful in every chapter of life we find ourselves.15:54-15:56So singles, this sermon's for you.15:56-15:58Enjoy the gift of singleness or get married.15:59-15:59All right?16:02-16:04All right, next sermon.16:04-16:06This is for married Christians.16:07-16:09Are you and your spouse both Christians?16:10-16:38a word for you. Stay married. Very simple. Very simple. Look at verse 10. Paul says, "To the married I give this charge, not I, but the Lord. The wife should not separate from her husband." Not separate, obviously, he's talking about divorce. So he's talking here specifically to Christian couples.16:40-16:46We know this because he talks about mixed couples in verse 12.16:46-16:49And by the way, let's get this out of the way.16:50-16:56When we talk about mixed couples, or we talk about intermarrying, that has nothing to do with race.16:58-17:00There's only one race, there's the human race.17:01-17:10So as long as you're marrying another human of the opposite sex, oh, the things I didn't think I'd have to say.17:14-17:15Race doesn't matter.17:15-17:16Okay?17:16-17:21So when we talk about mixed marriages, biblically there is no such thing except for mixed faith.17:22-17:26That's what the Bible forbids, mixed faith marriages.17:26-17:28He talks about them in a second, all right?17:28-17:29I felt like I had to say that.17:35-17:50So Christian couples, Paul says, "I get a word for you," he goes, "not I, but the Lord." Meaning Paul's like, "Look, what I'm about to tell you came straight from the mouth of Jesus Christ Himself." This is the Lord's charge, all right?17:52-17:57The Lord's charge is, Christian couples, no divorce.17:59-18:00Divorce isn't an option.18:00-18:02Divorce isn't a word that's said in your home.18:04-18:10Jesus talked about this so many times, Matthew 5, Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 16.18:11-18:15Jesus taught over and over that marriage is meant to be lifelong.18:16-18:16All right?18:18-18:45So we're going to try you out for a year or two, if it's not going to work, we have our exit strategy. That's not how marriage is designed according to our Lord. Marriage is meant to be lifelong. And remember, there were some Corinthians that thought, "Yeah, but if you really want to be devoted to God, you've got to get a divorce." And Paul here is just saying, "You know, God's not on board with that." I mean, just imagine for a second.18:48-19:08for a second if that sentiment was legitimate. Let's just pretend for a second that you could be more devoted to God, you could be more devoted to Jesus if you got a divorce. Do you see what would happen? Everyone that's looking for an out would just use that excuse.19:11-19:13They'd be like, "You know what, sweetheart?19:14-19:27I think we should get a divorce because I just want to love Jesus more." Right?19:27-19:28It'd start a new phrase.19:28-19:36It would be, "It's not you, it's Him." Right?19:36-19:37But that was the mindset they had.19:37-19:38And Paul's like, "No, no, no, no.19:40-19:42The words of our Lord are quite clear.19:43-19:52Don't get a divorce." But then you have the person that's like, "Oh, Paul, I wish you would have wrote this letter two weeks ago, because I did buy it.19:52-19:53You know what?19:53-20:00Yeah, we are both believers, but I bought into the idea that getting a divorce would benefit my walk.20:00-20:05So what do you do if you are both Christians and you did get a divorce?20:05-20:09What do you do about that?" Well, look at verse 11.20:09-20:18He says, "But if she does get a divorce, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.20:21-20:28And the husband should not divorce his wife." Okay, so if you're like, "You know what?20:28-20:33I did get the divorce, and now looking back, we are both believers.20:33-20:37I shouldn't have done that." Paul goes, "Okay, well now you have two choices.20:37-20:58You're either unmarried the rest of your life, or go back to your husband and get back on track." Like, "I'm not sure that's possible." Well, if you're both Christians, forgiveness and healing and reconciliation should not be foreign concepts to you.21:01-21:04So if you and your spouse are both Christians, stay married.21:06-21:07All right?21:07-21:11And as we saw last week, verse 3, married Christian couples, pay your debt.21:13-21:13All right?21:14-21:16I know that's the sermon that always gets applied.21:16-21:20I know the nursery is going to be restocked in about nine months.21:21-21:21I know.21:24-21:25So married Christians.21:26-21:26All right.21:27-21:33This is where things get even more difficult.21:35-21:39This is addressed to those of you who are married to a non-Christian.21:39-21:44And I know there are some people in this church that are married to a non-Christian.21:46-21:49But this non-Christian wants to stay married.21:49-22:02Okay, you're like, "Yeah, my husband's not a believer, or my wife's not a believer, and Like, she's okay with me being a believer, and she's okay with me going to church, and she wants to stay married, so what do I do?22:02-22:03What do I do here?22:06-22:11God says, "Stay married." Stay married.22:14-22:21You know, back in, look at the, back in chapter 6 verse 15, we talked about this a couple of weeks ago.22:21-22:32Paul says, talking about those who were being sexually immoral with the cult prostitutes, he says, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?22:33-22:37Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?22:38-23:01Never." You see, there would have been some that heard this principle like, "Okay, so me physically being with a prostitute is like defiling for me, so what about me physically being with a non-Christian spouse?23:02-23:13Well, me being intimate, I mean, isn't it the same principle that I am defiling my body because I'm in this mixed marriage?23:14-23:16We have different faiths?23:18-23:20That's the question on the table.23:23-23:32Regarding mixed marriages, meaning one's a believer and one's not, you're like, "What do you do?" Well, first of all, it's forbidden, single people.23:34-23:42Second Corinthians 6.14, if you're single, listen, if you're single, you are not to get married to a non-Christian.23:45-23:46Corinthians 6.14.23:48-23:50You are not to get married to a non-Christian if you're single.23:52-23:54If you can prevent this, you should prevent this.23:55-24:03That people think, "Well, I'm going to get married to the person and I'll save them, and I'm going to be such a good influence on them," and it usually works the other way.24:07-24:12So if you're single, you are not to marry a non-Christian.24:13-24:23So all right, now with that out of the way, the question is, "Well, what if we were married as non-Christians and I got saved and he didn't get saved?" Or vice versa, man.24:23-24:26You're like, "Well, I got saved and my wife didn't get saved.24:26-24:29What do we do?" Well, look at verse 12.24:29-24:54He says, "To the rest I say, 'I, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her." By the way, when he says here, "I, not the Lord," you know what some people do with that, right?24:55-25:11They're like, "Oh, well, this is just Paul's opinion." So we can sort of disregard this section because Paul here, I mean, he's saying that this is just his opinion, and that's not what he's saying at all.25:13-25:29Back in verse 10, he was saying, "I'm quoting Jesus here." Now in verse 12, he's saying, "This is also from the Lord, but this isn't a direct quote from Jesus, do you see?" He's not saying this is uninspired.25:30-26:06He's just saying, "Before I was directly quoting from the ministry of Jesus, and now this is new revelation from God. That's all he's saying. So what if I'm married to a non-Christian and he wants to stay married? Paul says, "You don't get a divorce, you stay married. That's what you do." Like, really? Verse 13, "If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him." Oh yeah, that question, being with this non-Christian make me unholy?26:06-26:10Like isn't it the same principle as being with the prostitutes?26:11-26:13No, not at all.26:14-26:15Because look at verse 14.26:17-26:26For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband.26:29-26:47You see, when one of you is saved and your spouse is not, it's not that the Christian is made unholy in the eyes of God, it's the unsaved person is made holy.26:52-26:53I want to be clear here.26:54-27:01That does not mean that the unbelieving spouse is saved because they're spouses.27:01-27:03That is not what that means.27:03-27:06The Bible is crystal clear on salvation.27:06-27:09Salvation is an individual transaction.27:10-27:14You can't get saved because of somebody else.27:14-27:18Biblically, you have to make the choice to turn from your sin.27:19-27:20You have to make the choice to repent.27:21-27:27You have to make the choice that you are going to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.27:28-27:35It doesn't matter how good of a Christian your grandmama was, or your mama, or your spouse.27:35-27:36It doesn't matter.27:37-27:38You're not saved.27:38-27:40It's not like group raid here, all right?27:42-27:46You're saved by you making the choice.27:47-27:49You're like, all right, so what's he talking about here?27:50-27:57Well, it's a big fancy theological term that's known as matrimonial sanctification.27:58-28:01Impress your friends, drop that in conversation this week.28:02-28:03Do you have a water cooler at your workplace?28:03-28:04Drop that.28:05-28:08Yes, we were talking about matrimonial sanctification at church.28:10-28:12And they're like, "Oh, what is that?" And you'll tell them.28:13-28:18Well, in God's eyes, if one spouse is saved, there's blessing for everyone in the house.28:20-28:22I mean, think about it this way.28:25-28:26Think about it this way.28:26-28:36Imagine this married couple, you have this married couple, and the wife's parents die, and they leave her an inheritance.28:39-28:40They leave her a speedboat.28:42-28:44Now husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?28:48-28:48No?28:49-28:50All right, let me try something else.28:52-28:55Her parents left her a Harley Davidson.28:56-28:58Husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?29:00-29:02Yeah, some of you.29:02-29:03All right, let me try this again.29:06-29:08Her parents left her a monster truck.29:08-29:11Husbands, are you going to benefit from this inheritance?29:12-29:15Okay, this is really going to help for the second service.29:15-29:17Do you see the point?29:17-29:18You got the inheritance.29:19-29:26You know, you're driving grave digger down the road, but you had nothing to do with that, right?29:27-29:31You were blessed just because your wife received an inheritance.29:31-29:33It's the same principle at play here.29:34-29:35You're blessed by association.29:37-29:43In the same way, in marriage, two become one, and when God blesses one, the other gets blessed.29:43-29:48I mean, it's not salvation, but it's better than two pagans being married to each other.29:49-29:49Right?29:49-30:05Think of the blessing that comes to the non-Christian spouse when the Christian spouse is exhibiting the fruit of the Holy Spirit, when the Christian spouse is showing humility and love and service and selflessness.30:05-30:09And how could you not be blessed being in a house like that?30:13-30:14That's what he's talking about.30:16-30:23Oh, and regarding the salvation piece, look, nobody can deny the influence the believing spouse has.30:23-30:32I've heard the story so many times of people getting saved because of the witness that their Christian spouse has had.30:34-30:39So if you're in this situation, if your spouse is unsaved, God wants to reach them through you.30:41-30:43So let him see Christ in you.30:45-30:48And you're like, "Well, that's well and good, but what if we have kids, right?30:48-30:53I mean, I'm saved, he's not.30:53-30:59Does that make our kids like half pagan?" No, no, it really doesn't.30:59-31:01Look at the rest of verse 14.31:02-31:16Paul says, "Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy." See, even if you have kids with a non-Christian, your kids are also made holy through that.31:16-31:16Same principle.31:17-31:23Your kids are also blessed through that because God sees your marriage as holy, so He's going to see your kids as holy.31:24-31:30So if you're married to a non-Christian who wants to stay married, God's going to bless the family.31:31-31:34Stay married if they want to stay.31:36-31:38All right, one more.31:39-31:42One more group we didn't cover, and that's the last one here.31:43-31:48Let's say someone is married to a non-Christian, and that non-Christian is like, "I want out.31:49-31:55Like look, I didn't sign up for all this Jesus stuff, all this Bible study stuff.31:55-31:57I didn't sign up for all this church stuff.31:58-31:58I'm not interested.31:59-32:00I'm not a religious person.32:01-32:05I want out." So what do you do when you're married to a non-Christian who wants to leave?32:05-32:07The answer is, let them go.32:09-32:10Let them go.32:14-32:15Look at verse 15.32:15-32:33He says, "But if the unbelieving partner separates," that's divorce, look what he says, "let it be so." If the non-Christian spouse initiates a divorce, Paul says they can go.32:37-32:38And I know the reaction.32:38-32:39You're like, "Wait, wait.32:39-32:40Well, that means I'm stuck.32:41-32:49You know, I wanted to save this marriage, and they divorced me, and now I can never get remarried again because they left me.32:49-32:53So I'm stuck, right?" Paul doesn't say that.32:56-32:57Paul doesn't say that.32:57-33:04Paul was clear on situations where you had to be remaining unmarried.33:04-33:05We saw that in verse 11.33:06-33:11He was clear in those situations, and he could have said that here, but he didn't.33:13-33:14You can remarry.33:14-33:22If you are married to a non-Christian that abandons you, initiates a divorce, and leaves you, you can remarry.33:23-33:24Look at the rest of verse 15.33:25-33:30He says, "In such cases, the brother or sister is not enslaved." God has called you to peace.33:31-33:32Not enslaved.33:33-33:34Like, not enslaved to what?33:35-33:37He's talking about free from being bound to the marriage.33:38-33:39That's what he's talking about.33:41-33:53See Romans 7, 2 says, "For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives." That's what he's talking about here in 1 Corinthians 7.33:53-33:55That's the bound to the marriage.33:55-33:57He goes, "You're not enslaved.33:57-33:58You're not bound anymore.34:01-34:19You're no longer bound to the marriage." Now look, I know some sermons are easier to preach than others, and divorce is a very touchy subjects.34:26-34:27It's always painful.34:28-34:29It always brings regret and hurt.34:30-34:30I know that.34:33-34:40So I want to take a moment and I want to be clear on my best understanding on the subject biblically.34:42-34:43All right?34:44-34:46I don't want there to be any ambiguity.34:47-34:48I want to be clear.34:48-35:00I believe that there is only one cause for divorce biblically, and that is hardness of heart.35:04-35:05Like, why do I think that?35:05-35:08Well, Jesus was asked about divorce in Matthew 19, eight.35:09-35:09This is what he said.35:10-35:24He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you to divorce." Jesus said divorce was allowed through Moses, through the law, because of hardness of heart.35:25-35:27Again divorce is allowed, not commanded.35:30-35:30Right?35:31-35:32Allowed not commanded.35:34-35:38But the question is, how do you know when someone is hard hearted?35:40-35:43Towards their spouse or towards their marriage, right?35:45-35:46Kind of a hard thing to gauge, isn't it?35:47-35:52Well Jesus said, "I can divorce you if you're hard-hearted." Well you seem hard-hearted to me, I'm getting divorced.35:52-35:53How do you know?35:54-36:07Well biblically there are two ways that hard-heartedness manifests, and both begin with the letter A. It's affair and abandonment.36:11-36:12Jesus spoke on a fair.36:13-36:30Matthew 19, 9, Jesus says, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality and marries another commits adultery." Now again, divorce is allowed, but not commanded.36:30-36:39Understand this, when this happens in a marriage, that doesn't mean you are required to get a divorce.36:39-36:43I can tell you so many stories of marriages where this did happen.36:43-36:51And there was much repentance and seeking the Lord, and marriages are on track better than they were on their honeymoon.36:55-37:05But when someone is committed to having relations with people outside the marriage, Jesus says that's evidence of hard-heartedness.37:06-37:08Moses allowed for divorce for that.37:08-37:17Here, Paul is addressing the other manifestation of hard-heartedness, and that's abandonment.37:18-37:22That if your non-Christian spouse divorces you, abandons you, you are free.37:24-37:27That's how you know your spouse is hard-hearted.37:29-37:35When they are willing to engage in relations with someone else, they're hard-hearted towards you.37:35-37:41Or when they're like, "I'm fine to just walk away from this marriage.37:41-37:43I'm fine to walk away from our vows.37:43-37:50I'm fine to walk away from that." Those are evidences of hard-heartedness.37:54-37:57And Jesus says abandonment is like adultery.37:57-37:59I'm sorry, Paul says abandonment here is like adultery.38:00-38:01You are called to peace.38:05-38:10You are not called to fighting a non-Christian to stay in a marriage that they are committed to getting out of.38:12-38:13One more verse.38:15-38:20Paul says, "For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband?38:21-38:31Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?" You know, people are really divided on what this verse means.38:35-38:41Some people think this verse means, "Well, you don't know if you're going to save your spouse, so let them go.38:41-38:43I mean, you have no guarantees, just let them go.38:44-38:56There's no promises are going to come to Christ, if they say let them go." That's what some people think, but other people think this means, "No, no, no, you might be the one that God uses to save them, so you should try to save your marriage at any cost.38:59-39:00I lean towards the latter.39:04-39:05There's no guarantees either way.39:05-39:06You don't know.39:08-39:10You don't know what God's doing.39:13-39:18So you better be sure that you did all you could to save the marriage.39:20-39:23I personally believe that this verse pumps the brakes.39:26-39:38This verse, as one person I read this past week said, this verse tempers any tendency that just easily give up on the marriage.39:41-39:45Because some people are just so quick to run to divorce as like option one.39:47-39:56Again, if things are hard now, how do you know that God isn't using you to reach your spouse?39:58-40:00Our worship team would make their way back up front.40:07-40:16Paul continues, and I think he's doubling down on some of these things because some of it's hard to accept and some of it's hard to hear.40:17-40:20But again, Paul reminds us that singleness is God's gift for some.40:23-40:25Marriage is God's gift for the rest.40:28-40:30One of these four sermons applies to you.40:32-40:37So whichever it is, go after it with the reverence and with the sacredness that God has called you to.40:38-40:39Let's pray.40:41-40:52Father in heaven, we're asking today, Father, that your Holy Spirit be at work in our hearts.40:54-41:03When we talk about singleness and divorce and all these things, it's such an emotional subject because there are people here that have been deeply wounded by these things.41:06-41:12And we by no means, Father, wanna kick someone when they're down or rub salt on the wound.41:12-41:15We just, we wanna take an honest look at what your word has to say.41:17-41:19Father, we thank you for your grace.41:19-41:21We thank you that you are the God of miracles.41:21-41:35We thank you, God, that no matter how badly things might have gotten in marriage, whether it was able to be saved or not, God, there's always hope with you.41:35-41:37There's always healing with you.41:39-41:40That's why we come to you.41:40-41:51Father, I pray for all of us that we would take a hard look at the place you have us right now, because there's something in here for each one of us.41:55-41:59And that we would go after it, trusting you to always do what you promised.42:00-42:02We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 7:8-16What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain 1 Cor 7:14. How is the nonChristian spouse made holy because of a Christian spouse? What does that mean?If you are married to a nonChristian who wants out of the marriage (1 Cor 7:15), how do you know when to grant their divorce (when to stop trying to save the marriage, asking for counseling, etc)?Why should you allow a nonChristian to divorce and leave a Christian (v15)? Is the believing spouse free to remarry? Why or why not? BreakoutPray for one another.

Please enjoy this rare bonus Saturday episode with Stefan Gehrig, founder of KNKG - my favourite gym bag and duffel company.Stefan also holds a PhD in Muscle Biology and worked in research studying muscle wasting disorders before pivoting into entrepreneurship. While he no longer works directly in academia, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to ask valuable questions about his expertise in muscular dystrophy, sarcopenia, and other muscle-wasting conditions.We also discuss the leap from research to building one of the most respected gym bag brands in the world - and what it takes to go all-in on a side hustle.THIS EPISODE COVERS:The story behind founding KNKGPivoting from academic research to entrepreneurshipWhat went into deciding to go all-in on a side hustleWhat muscular dystrophy is and who is at riskOther muscle wasting diseases and their individual and societal impactHow lifestyle affects muscle health and disease riskSarcopenia and age-related muscle lossWhy strength training matters for long-term healthNeurological conditions like ALS and MS and their connection to muscle wastingApplying scientific thinking to businessAnd much moreWe'll both be at the Arnold Sports Festival March 6th and 7th at the KNKG booth — come say hello.If you'd like to grab your own KNKG bag, DM me and I'll send you my 15 percent discount code.Instagram: @knkgCHAPTERS00:16 Meet Stefan Gehrig: KNKG founder, PhD, CrossFit Games athlete01:09 How Andrew became a KNKG superfan (Arnold booth announcement)02:23 KNKG's origin story: from PhD research to building bags since 201104:09 From scientist to founder: CrossFit niche + The 4-Hour Workweek spark05:30 Designing without experience: materials, factories, and manufacturing06:21 What was missing in gym bags: organization, shoe compartments, function08:02 The leap: leaving academia and going all-in on KNKG10:22 Why it worked: timing, runway, and applying the scientific method to business12:27 Arnold Sports Festival + 15% discount details13:38 The 80/20 of KNKG: product development, word-of-mouth, long lead times15:44 Muscular dystrophy explained (Duchenne, risks, treatments)19:07 Staying current in research — and why science is all-consuming20:28 Sarcopenia: age-related muscle loss and why strength training matters25:23 Training for life: resistance + cardio, hybrid programming28:18 ALS & MS: neurological causes of muscle wasting31:01 See you at the Arnold: booth details32:12 Wrap-up: where to follow KNKGSUPPORT THE SHOWIf you enjoyed this bonus episode, you can support the show by:Subscribing and checking out more episodesSharing it on social media (tag me — I will respond)Sending it to someone interested in entrepreneurship or muscle healthFOLLOW ANDREW COATESInstagram: @andrewcoatesfitnesshttps://www.andrewcoatesfitness.comPARTNERS AND RESOURCESRP Strength App (use code COATESRP)https://www.rpstrength.com/coatesJust Bite Me Meals (use code ANDREWCOATESFITNESS for 10 percent off)https://justbitememeals.com/MacrosFirst – FREE Premium TrialDownload MacrosFirstDuring setup, answer: How did you hear about us?Type: ANDREWKNKG Bags (15 percent off — DM for code)Versa Gripps (discount link)https://www.versagripps.com/andrewcoatesTRAINHEROIC – FREE 90 Day Trial (2 steps)Go to: https://www.trainheroic.com/liftfreeReply to the email you receive (or email trials@trainheroic.com) and let them know Andrew sent you

In this conversation, I sit down with Trey Jones. Trey Jones is a former convict who spent 10 years in a Tennessee prison, and while in prison, he had a near-death experience that awakened him to a very new and different perspective.While tattooing, Trey was offered a bump, of which turned out to be fentanyl, that put him out for 18 minutes.After six cans of Narcan and three defibrillator shocks, Trey awakened to a new lens on reality. He joins us to share his current teachings on victim mindset, his insights on what he calls ‘inverted narcissism', and his wisdom as a coach - Trey moves now as a Personal Authority Coach under the moniker ‘PrisonToPurpose444' (He's the founder of ‘From Prison To Purpose') - He does 1:1 interventions to dismantle victim identity and rebuild authority. He lives a more grounded life these days, as a proud father with his partner and son in the Great Northwest. I actually met him at the edge of a forest - where a gathering of dancing energy healers, eccentric thinkers, connecting artists, and modern shamans met to evolve together, transmute, and dance through their dharma as one. Please welcome to the podcast: Trey Jones.For more details on what subjects we approached, check the time stamps below>Timestamps:0:00 – Morning rising ritual, meditation, and gratitude practice4:00 – Mobility work, cold showers, and light breakfast for energy7:00 – Why victim mentality is inverted narcissism and manipulation12:00 – Fasting as a mental game and building willpower like a muscle18:00 – The witness state in meditation and observing your thoughts23:00 – Prison life, the fentanyl overdose, and the near-death turning point28:00 – Instant perspective after dying and working through deep regret33:00 – Cutting ties with old energies while allowing redemption38:00 – God as energy, frequency, and universal consciousness43:00 – The double slit experiment and how belief creates reality48:00 – Identity shifts from manual labor to purposeful social media work55:00 – Christ consciousness and the current global awakening1:02:00 – Energetic healing, breathwork, and the power of mindset1:08:00 – Levels of consciousness, empathy, and reading people1:14:00 – Prison lessons on self-care first and real empathy with standards1:22:00 – Synchronicities, interconnections, and past-life loops1:30:00 – Pre-planned journeys, amnesia, and chasing your higher calling1:36:00 – Final reflections and message to listenersNotable quotes from Trey on the show:“Victim mentality is just inverted narcissism.”“Healing isn't being understood. Healing is becoming someone that your past can no longer control.”“Your willpower is a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it is.”“I don't believe everyone has to die to find their true self.”“Empathy without standards creates weak adults.”“Staying hard is the quickest way to never change.”“The true you is the witness behind it all.”“We're all just trying to pick different versions of ourselves up because we're all a little piece of the puzzle.”“If you have a dream or a higher calling, just fucking chase it. Nobody's going to pursue your passions like you are.”“Everything in my life needs to change, because everything in my life up to this point led me to this moment.”“My purpose now is to offer the same perspectives I went through so people don't have to reach the same levels of rock bottom.”“Identity is your subconscious beliefs on who you are. You have to surround yourself with people who believe in the identity you believe in.”“We come down here and everyone gets amnesia. The beauty of life is discovering life itself.”Trey Jones turned: - a decade in Tennessee prisons - a fentanyl overdose that put him out for 18 minutes - and living in victim mindsetinto a complete life reset.Follow him hereInsta - @prisontopurpose444subscribe to stay up to date

Betrayal Trauma Isn't What You Think—Why the Noise After Infidelity Keeps You Stuck If you've ever wondered why betrayal still affects you—even after you've “done the work”—this episode names the real reason. Betrayal trauma isn't just the affair. It's what happens after: the opinions, judgments, bad advice, cultural myths, and even misapplied therapy that flood in when your nervous system is already in shock. That noise keeps you doubting yourself, second-guessing your choices, and feeling stuck—no matter how smart or self-aware you are. In this episode, Lora Cheadle breaks down the noise after betrayal and explains why clarity—not pressure, forgiveness, or forced decisions—is what actually heals. You'll learn how staying after infidelity is often misunderstood, why cheating is rarely about “having your cake and eating it too,” and how even well-meaning professionals can unintentionally re-traumatize you. This is a grounded, trauma-aware conversation for anyone who feels exhausted by everyone else's opinions and just wants to hear their own truth again. Top 3 Takeaways Betrayal trauma intensifies after discovery—not just during the affair. The real damage often comes from the aftermath: judgment, pressure, and narratives that were never built with trauma in mind. Staying after infidelity is not weakness—and it's not letting anyone “get away with it.” Staying can be the harder path, requiring accountability, deep personal work, and nervous-system healing on both sides. Misapplied therapy and self-help can create secondary betrayal. Rushed repair, forced forgiveness, and minimization of trauma often increase confusion instead of clarity. Favorite Quote “Healing begins with clarity. Clarity begins when the noise stops.” LOVE THE SHOW? TAKE THE NEXT STEP Don't just listen—start healing. Get your free downloadable guide on the “The Top Three Ways You Betray Yourself Every Day, and How to Stop” at www.burnoutorbetrayal.com. https://workplace-burnout.com/the-top-3-ways-you-betray-yourself-every-day-and-how-to-stop/ If you're ready to Rise Up & Reign as the creator and queen of your life, let's talk. I will walk by your side and give you the perspective, permission, and wisdom needed to turn your betrayal experience into something constructive, empowering, and transformative in all the right ways.  Learn more at www.loracheadle.com and follow me across all social! Download your Sparkle After Betrayal Recovery Guide at www.BetrayalRecoveryGuide.com, a guide designed to help you take the first steps in feeling better, so you can reclaim your power, own your worth, and start putting yourself, and your life, back together again. About Lora: Lora Cheadle, JD, CHt is a betrayal recovery coach, attorney, TEDx speaker, and author of FLAUNT! and It's Not Burnout, It's Betrayal. After uncovering her husband's 15-year affair, she turned her own pain into purpose—helping high-achieving women reclaim their identity, power, and joy. A trauma-aware coach, somatic therapist, and former attorney, Lora blends legal insight with emotional and spiritual healing for full-spectrum recovery. She is the author of FLAUNT! Drop Your Cover and Reveal Your Smart, Sexy, & Spiritual Self (an International Book Awards Finalist and Tattered Cover Bestseller) and It's Not Burnout, It's Betrayal: 5 Tools to FUEL UP & Thrive. She also hosts the podcast FLAUNT! Create a Life You Love After Infidelity and Betrayal. Learn more at www.loracheadle.com and follow me across all social! Get the support you need to find your footing, begin making sense of it all, and feel better fast. As an attorney, betrayal recovery expert, and survivor of infidelity I can help you find the clarity and confidence to create a life that you love on the other side of betrayal. Book Your Session Here: https://calendly.com/loras-schedule/coaching-session Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this podcast! Take charge of your mental health and get 10% off your first month of therapy at https://BetterHelp.com/FLAUNT  READY TO START A BETTER CHAPTER? Step into the future you've always dreamed of with the power of transformative rituals with the Mindful Subscription Box. Get a monthly box full of crystals, aromatherapy, and other spiritual tools worth $120. You deserve high-quality gems, crystals, oils, and mindfulness tools for self-care that truly work. It's a monthly dose of self-love delivered right to your door! Go to www.Mindfulsouls.com  and use Discount Code LORA25 for 25% off your order!

Taylor Bowker - Mindful Insurance Agency On Common Mistakes in Medical Billing: "She ended up getting a bill for $14,000 for a pee test." Health insurance in the United States is a pain.  We all know that.  As business owners, we often get stuck needing to shop for our own insurance.  Only during certain times of year and only with all of these rules.  But how do you buy health insurance, without going crazy? There is a marketplace, but it isn't exactly like going to buy grapes.  It helps to have an expert on your side, as with most things.  In this case, the expert offers their expertise at no additional cost to you. Taylor Bowker is the health insurance expert.  She started Mindful Insurance Agency to help people navigate the murky waters of health insurance.  As an entrepreneur, a business owner with multi-state employees, or someone simply trying to make sense of the marketplace, this episode breaks down the trends, challenges, and solutions in health insurance. Listen as Taylor offers tips on choosing the right coverage, using HSAs, and understanding group versus individual enrollment periods. Enjoy! Visit Taylor at: https://mindfulinsuranceagency.com/   Podcast Overview: 00:00 "Starting My Own Business" 05:11 Health Insurance vs. Cost Sharing 12:34 Cost Challenges in Employee Insurance 19:59 "Updating Marketplace Applications Challenges" 26:40 "$14K Surprise Medical Bill" 29:26 "Health Insurance Subsidy Reduction Impact" 37:36 Snowbirds, Coverage, and Emergencies 38:45 Healthcare Coverage Tips by Age 45:35 "Streamlined Application Support Platform" 51:59 "Insurance Enrollment Rules Explained" 55:45 Employee Coverage Plan Explanation 01:01:10 "Specializing in Individual Coverage" 01:08:09 QSEHRA Benefits and Marketplace Savings 01:11:50 "HSA Usage and Restrictions" 01:16:07 FSA Contributions and Usage Rules Sponsors: Live Video chat with our customers here with LiveSwitch: https://join.liveswitch.com/gfj3m6hnmguz Some videos have been recorded with Riverside: https://www.riverside.fm/?utm_campaign=campaign_5&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=rewardful&via=james-kademan Podcast Transcription: Taylor Bowker [00:00:00]: I saw the largest health insurance increase of my entire career this past open enrollment because these folks no longer qualified for a subsidy because their income— your income could literally go a dollar over the threshold to receive a subsidy and you no longer qualify for $1,000 a month's worth of savings. You could owe, you know, $12,000, $13,000, $14,000, $15,000 back at tax time if you go even a dollar over. So that's kind of where the issue lies. James [00:00:35]: You have found Authentic Business Adventures, the business program that brings you the struggle stories and triumphant successes of business owners across the land. Downloadable audio episodes can be found in the podcast link found at drawincustomers.com. We are locally underwritten by the Bank of Sun Prairie, and today we are welcoming slash preparing to learn from Taylor Belker of Mindful Insurance Agency. So Taylor, How is it going today? Taylor Bowker [00:00:59]: Hello. Good. Staying warm or attempting to. James [00:01:02]: Wisconsin, here we are. So tell me a story. What is Mindful Insurance Agency? Taylor Bowker [00:01:07]: Oh, sure. So at Mindful Insurance Agency, we assist individuals and businesses get health insurance, health, dental, and vision. And we are a brokerage. So we are essentially the middle person between the members and the health insurance carriers and just try to advise and educate and help people get health insurance. James [00:01:30]: Right on. How do you end up in health insurance? Taylor Bowker [00:01:33]: Well, um, so I started in the insurance industry back in 2012. I was 5 years old. I'm just kidding, I was a little bit older than that. Um, yes, yes, yes. Um, so I started very entry-level job at an agency in Waunakee, around town here. Um, again, just doing very entry-level things. And then I shortly got promoted to a business development role. Um, and then from there, there there was a different agency hiring that was focusing on health insurance, and I was ready for a change. Taylor Bowker [00:02:11]: They needed a customer service rep, front desk person, so I went there to work, and within a year of me working there, they actually asked me if I wanted to become an agent or a broker, and I had never thought that that was something I wanted to do. Insurance, it can be a very just like cutthroat kind of a situation with sales and quotas and things like that. And that always kind of made me a little nervous. But I am very much a people person. So I, you know, I thought, why not? Let's give it a try. So I got licensed and became an agent back in 2016 now. And then, so started as an agent there doing health, dental, and vision, like I said. And then back in 2019, I decided to start my own business. James [00:03:05]: So that's awesome. Taylor Bowker [00:03:05]: Yeah, I've been doing that for 6 years now. James [00:03:08]: So what was the motivator to start your own gig versus just maintaining with where you were at? Sure. Taylor Bowker [00:03:12]: Yeah. Well, I guess I've always kind of just been somebody who works just, I prefer to kind of be on my own. Being my own boss sounded really great. I was in a group of individuals at the time and other business owners, the group that you're in with me now where we met. And again, there were just a lot of business owners there and they were doing a really good job of owning a business. And it just sounded like a feasible option for me and something that I wanted to do. I also felt like I kind of had learned everything I really could being at the place I was at previously. So I figured, you know, why not give it a shot and rip the Band-Aid off? And it's been, yeah, it's been working out well so far. Taylor Bowker [00:04:00]: So that's good. James [00:04:01]: Right on. Taylor Bowker [00:04:02]: Yeah. James [00:04:02]: So has health insurance changed much over the past, what are we talking, 9, 10 years? Taylor Bowker [00:04:08]: Sure. So I would say yes, yes and no. So I think the biggest thing that's changed is rates, insurance rates. James [00:04:19]: They keep going down. Taylor Bowker [00:04:20]: Yeah, that would be amazing. No, similar to a lot of other things, they just keep increasing and by a lot, especially the last couple years. So a lot of other products have come into play to try to help mitigate those premium costs for people. There's a lot of other products out there now that aren't necessarily health insurance as it is defined by, you know, the commissioner of insurance, if you will, or the government. But there are other products out there that are designed similarly to help people, you know, still get the care that they need and save money on their premiums and their out-of-pocket costs. So I would say prices have changed and other products have been developed in the market to try to help with those pieces. James [00:05:08]: And other products, you mean, I guess, help me what you mean by other understand products. Taylor Bowker [00:05:11]: Sure, yeah. So obviously you have typical health insurance. This would be either through, it's all kind of under the Obamacare umbrella as we've known it for a while now. It can be a group plan through an employer that you work with, or it can be an individual plan on the marketplace or direct with an insurance carrier. And that would kind of be your more typical, just average health insurance policy. But as of the last, say, maybe decade, a couple of new products have come out, one of them being referred to as medical cost sharing. So medical cost sharing in layman's terms is essentially a product that you pay a monthly subscription fee for, similar to a premium, and you choose what's called an initial and shareable amount, similar to a deductible, where essentially you're saying, I'm willing to pay this cost upfront in the event that something catastrophic were to happen to me. And so because it's covering you for more catastrophic occurrences and not the full shebang like a regular health insurance policy would,, they tend to be less expensive for certain people in certain situations. Taylor Bowker [00:06:24]: Those types of products also work really well for lucky individuals that are more healthy, that don't necessarily use their benefits all the time, but just want something there in case. That also works well with what's called direct primary care, which is a newer model, at least around the Madison area. It's where you work with a primary care doctor directly. So they're not affiliated with any any hospital systems. You do pay them a small monthly subscription fee to utilize their services. However, it's, it's really very worth it because a direct primary care doctor is always going to make sure they have same-day or next-day appointments available for their patients, which is very unheard of nowadays. Yeah, unfortunately. And then they can also do a myriad of things for you, you know, because you're paying that monthly fee. Taylor Bowker [00:07:18]: They can run labs for a couple of dollars, which is also very crazy to say. They can run prescriptions for people at cost. If you have an appointment with them, it'll be either a 30-minute or an hour-long time block, which again is not very common if you go to a clinic through a hospital system. They can help you with most acute and even urgent care needs as well. So that can just be, yeah, those two things specifically go hand in hand pretty well together. There's also things out there that have been out there for a while, like short-term policies, you know, through UnitedHealthcare or Allstate or something like that. Those can be less expensive for folks,

In this episode of Home in Progress, sponsored by RepcoLite Paints and Benjamin Moore, Dan Hansen kicks things off with a sincere thank-you to listeners and a reminder that the show is always available as a podcast—perfect for catching up anytime.Then comes the embarrassing voicemail fiasco.What starts as a cringe-worthy personal story quickly turns into a surprisingly helpful lesson about home improvement: slow down, think things through, and don't let small mistakes snowball into bigger problems. Dan breaks down how missteps—whether in communication or remodeling—can derail projects, and how a little preparation can save time, money, and frustration.From there, the episode tackles a common household pain point: the laundry room. Why does it become chaotic so easily? Dan explores how workflow design, sorting systems, and simple layout adjustments can dramatically improve efficiency. Whether you're managing laundry for one person or a busy household, he shares practical strategies to prevent bottlenecks and keep the process moving.You'll also hear advice on restoring rusty outdoor metal furniture—what to scrape, what to prime, and how to protect it properly—plus a lighthearted round of Valentine's Day trivia to wrap things up.Practical. Relatable. A little embarrassing. And packed with usable advice.Episode Breakdown00:00 Welcome & Show Introduction 00:46 Listener Questions & What's Ahead 01:31 The Voicemail Disaster 04:34 Lessons Learned: Avoiding Project Pitfalls 06:11 Staying on Track with Home Improvements 13:49 How to Paint & Protect Rusty Metal Furniture 18:27 Why Laundry Rooms Become Chaotic 23:08 Designing an Efficient Laundry Workflow 27:50 Sorting Systems That Actually Work 33:45 Smart Laundry Room Organization Tips 37:06 Valentine's Day Trivia

Today's episode is with professional dancer and Broadway swing McKinley Knuckle.We talk about preparedness — and the quiet mastery behind being a swing. Covering multiple tracks. Staying ready. Trusting your training when the call comes.We get into his dance journey, rejection as part of the process, and the ongoing work of finding balance in an industry built on uncertainty. He's currently on Broadway in Death Becomes Her.Listen now. Photo by Fabian Dicorcia 

Steve Crossman is joined by ESPN's Julien Laurens, Rafa Honegstein and, The Athletic's James Horncastle. The team discuss Roberto De Zerbi's departure from Marseille after less than two years in charge of the French side. The Italian leaves them 4th in Ligue 1, 12 points off leaders PSG who thrashed them 5-0 in De Zerbi's last game and, out of the Champions League.Could he be a good fit for the vacant job at Tottenham? Meanwhile Marseille are now being linked with former Newcastle defender Habib Beye, who was recently sacked by Stade Rennais.Staying in France and former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Gaël Clichy joins the team just over a month into his first managerial job with third division Caen. The club is owned by Kylian Mbappe who brought a majority stake in the club in 2024.TIME CODES 00:00 De Zerbi departs Marseille 20:00 Gael Clichy has his first managerial job5 Live / BBC Sounds commentaries: Fri 1945 Hull v Chelsea, Sat 1215 Burton v West Ham, Sat 1745 Villa v Newcastle, Sat 2000 Liverpool v Brighton, Sun 1200 Birmingham v Leeds, Sun 1330 Grimsby v Wolves, Sun 1630 Rangers v Hearts, Mon 1930 Macclesfield v Brentford.

Your life doesn't change by chance. It changes when you change your mindset.In this powerful motivational compilation, Eddie shares life-changing lessons on growth, resilience, self-belief, discipline, and becoming the strongest version of yourself.You'll hear messages about:• Shifting your mindset to create real change• Overcoming fear, doubt, and setbacks• Building inner strength and confidence• Staying focused through hard seasons• Taking control of your life and futureIf you've been feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or ready to take the next step, this video will help reset your perspective and remind you of what you're capable of.Your mindset shapes your habits. Your habits shape your life. Change the way you think, and everything else begins to follow.More from Eddie Pinero:Monday Motivation Newsletter: https://www.eddiepinero.com/newsletterYour World Within Podcast: https://yourworldwithin.libsyn.com/Stream these tracks on Spotify - https://spoti.fi/2BLf6pBInstagram - @your_world_within and @IamEddiePineroTikTok - your_world_withinFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/YourworldwithinTwitter - https://www.twitter.com/IamEddiePineroBusiness Inquiries - http://www.yourworldwithin.com/contact

Saying yes to God is often presented as inspiring and exciting. What's talked about less is the weight, responsibility, resistance, and formation required to actually carry what God entrusts.   In this teaching, we walk through the realities of stewarding a God dream:   – Why following the Lord can feel lonely in transition seasons – The difference between a personal ambition and a God assignment – What changes relationally when your capacity increases – Why early seasons require more structure, not less – How pressure exposes where formation is still needed – Staying aligned when opposition or misunderstanding surfaces – Guarding your heart and your assignment with maturity   This message is for those in a formation season—when something is being built, stretched, or restructured internally.     If this message resonates with your current season:   Subscribe for weekly teachings on formation, capacity, and Spirit-led leadership. Share this with someone who is stewarding a calling right now. Leave a comment: What has God asked you to carry in this season?     Join the Full Capacity Live Journey: https://julianapage.info/fullcapacity   Register for the Full Capacity Book Launch Event: https://julianapage.info/fullcapacitylaunch

Saying yes to God is often presented as inspiring and exciting. What's talked about less is the weight, responsibility, resistance, and formation required to actually carry what God entrusts.   In this teaching, we walk through the realities of stewarding a God dream:   – Why following the Lord can feel lonely in transition seasons – The difference between a personal ambition and a God assignment – What changes relationally when your capacity increases – Why early seasons require more structure, not less – How pressure exposes where formation is still needed – Staying aligned when opposition or misunderstanding surfaces – Guarding your heart and your assignment with maturity   This message is for those in a formation season—when something is being built, stretched, or restructured internally.     If this message resonates with your current season:   Subscribe for weekly teachings on formation, capacity, and Spirit-led leadership. Share this with someone who is stewarding a calling right now. Leave a comment: What has God asked you to carry in this season?     Join the Full Capacity Live Journey: https://julianapage.info/fullcapacity   Register for the Full Capacity Book Launch Event: https://julianapage.info/fullcapacitylaunch

“How do you tend to respond when you do not know?” We had this question in our Journal Circle a couple of weeks ago. It’s at the heart of many issues in our world right now. How do we hold it?When do we conceal it?Where do we turn for knowledge?And what do we do with it when we acquire it? That’s what we explore in this episode of The Gentle Rebel Podcast. https://youtu.be/QRAS1dib_GM Our Relationship With Not Knowing I find this advert baffling. A couple are wandering around the Leeum Museum in South Korea. They didn't know it was big; they only gave themselves an hour. He thinks a roof tile is a book. Even when his phone corrects him, they skip off giggling without listening to the information. It reminds me of a billboard from the AI company Turing that says the quiet part out loud: “We teach AGI to think, reason, and code—so you don’t have to.” Are we being encouraged to outsource our thinking and reasoning, not to support and deepen our cognitive abilities, but to replace them? Are they saying we don’t have to think or reason anymore? Even if that’s not the intention, it’s certainly the outcome of using many tools like this. There seems to be a disregard for the sacred delight of human consciousness, thought processes, and creativity. And a subtle quest to eliminate mystery, curiosity, and the learning that comes from not knowing. Yet not knowing has always been central to human potential. It is the driving force of creativity, innovation, and deeper connection to the worlds within, around, and between us. Open and Closed Stances As people reflected in our Journal Circle, a thread emerged: openness vs closedness. Closed not-knowing: defensive, protective, secretive. Open not-knowing: curious, relational, exploratory. Closedness can feel tight. Clenched. Like rushing to paint over the threat of embarrassment or being found out. Openness can feel spacious. Physically expansive, deeper, and less pressured. Where the uncertainty is met with an invitation into possibility and curiosity rather than grasping, clinging, and defensiveness. We explore several ways this plays out in everyday life. Pretending To Know One response to not knowing is pretending to know. We’ve probably all done it. Nodding along when everyone else seems to understand. Staying quiet because asking a question feels risky. Research in 2007 found that children aged 14 months to five years ask an average of 107 questions per hour. By the time they reach late primary school, many stop asking questions altogether. In the episode, I share an anecdote from research led by Susan Engel, where a ninth grader is stopped mid-question with the instruction: “No questions now, please; it's time for learning.” Within institutional settings, our natural curiosity and creativity can be left behind, and if questions are deemed disruptive or inappropriate, we may simply pretend to know and struggle quietly. This is especially true for many more introverted and sensitive people, who are already generally disposed to slot in around others without drawing much attention to themselves. Child-like Curiosity A child doesn’t see their lack of knowledge as a reason to be ashamed. It’s underpinned by the electric buzz of connection. Everything is new, mysterious, and waiting to be explored. For an adult moving through and out of a rigid system, not knowing can feel like an exposing story in which their worth as a human is assessed. Pretending to know can become an adaptive strategy. A way to keep the peace. A way to belong. There's also the technological version, prominent in many AI tools people rely on for accurate information. These systems are designed to always produce an answer, even when they are wrong. This reflects the kind of closed pretending that aims to foster a perception of expertise, so those listening believe that the source’s confidence equates to competence. But pretending doesn't only come from intentional deception. It can stem from stories we absorb, linking knowledge with worth: “I must know in order to be useful.”“I must be useful in order to be accepted.” Letting go of that story can be liberating. Saying “I Don't Know” “I don't know” is an option. A surprisingly radical one. When it is open, it creates space to explore our unknowing. An open “don’t know” admits not knowing with hands turned towards learning and discovery. It might come with an inner spark and the freedom from performance. A closed “I don't know” shuts things down. It can signal indifference or defensiveness. Sometimes that boundary is healthy. Sometimes it is armour. Being “In The Know” There is also the social currency of being “in the know.” Trends. News. Other people's business. Ignorance can feel like bliss. It can also feel like exclusion. From a closed place, being in the know becomes about control. From an open place, it can become a source of connection. The ability to link ideas, introduce people, and catalyse collaboration. Knowing What's Best Another response to uncertainty is doubling down on certainty. We are pattern-seeking creatures. We build cognitive maps to navigate a complex world. But when ambiguity feels overwhelming, certainty can feel like solid ground, even if it's forged, manufactured, and brittle. Closedness says “this is how it is”, refuses nuance, and punishes curiosity and accountability as disrespect, insolence, and rudeness. Open wisdom looks different. It sits shoulder to shoulder, acknowledges nuance, and is willing to say, “I don't know the best thing to do here.” Admitting one does not know can be a radical act in cultures that equate doubt with weakness and desperately seek a way to explain and understand everything, even without empirical evidence. Knowing That We Don't Know In a 1933 essay lamenting the rise of the Nazi movement in Germany, Bertrand Russell wrote, “The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure, while the intelligent are full of doubt.” Charles Bukowski said something similar when giving advice to budding writers: “But the problem is that bad writers tend to have the self-confidence, while the good ones tend to have self-doubt.“ These quotes highlight the importance of knowing what we do not know — and recognising the limits of our own perspective. This took us to a detour into the Dunning–Kruger effect, which is the idea that we can speak confidently about subjects precisely because we don't yet know what we don't know. Reading Maps and Navigating Life “I don't know, but I am aware of where to look to figure it out.” In The Return To Serenity Island course, we map elements of life, seeing it as a treasure laden island. Not knowing is a door to connection, curiosity, creativity, and exploration. But it can also feel disorienting, confusing, and alienating at times. Maps help disorientation become orientation-in-progress without strict instructions or someone else’s path to follow. They can bring us home to ourselves.

Send a textAfter 73 surgeries and permanent paralysis, this Marine proves that grit isn't motivation — it's a decision.In this episode of Starter Girlz, Jennifer Loehding sits down with Marine veteran, entrepreneur, and lifelong builder Jay Setchell to explore what it truly means to keep going when life has pushed you to the edge. After surviving multiple near-death experiences and enduring life-altering medical challenges, Jay shares how resilience, discipline, and ownership shaped the way he approaches both business and life.This conversation isn't about surface-level motivation or temporary inspiration. It's about perspective. It's about valuing time differently after facing mortality. It's about choosing strength when surrender would be easier. Together, they unpack what relentless grit actually looks like in real life — not as a feeling, but as a daily decision.This episode is a powerful reminder that while adversity may change your body, it does not have to define your spirit.⭐ What You'll Hear in This Episode✅ How multiple near-death experiences reshaped his outlook on life✅ The physical and mental endurance required to withstand 73 surgeries✅ Navigating permanent paralysis while continuing to build and lead✅ How Marine discipline forged mental resilience✅ Why attitude can outweigh circumstance✅ The role of ownership in both recovery and entrepreneurship✅ Valuing time differently after facing mortality✅ Staying active and engaged despite physical limitations✅ Reflections on grit, responsibility, and choosing perspective daily

This week, a seven-figure attack ad launched in Nevada's governor's race, Clark County School District revealed sweeping budget cuts tied to declining enrollment, and new data spotlighted just how many Las Vegas residents are staying single ahead of Valentine's Day. Join host Sonja Cho Swanson, executive producer Layla Muhammad, and Nevada Independent Opinions Editor Andrew Kiraly to break down the biggest headlines from this week. Check out our new City Cast podcast "Your City Could Be Better" on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted by CEO David Plotz, this week's inaugural episode features the host of City Cast Twin Cities talking about how Minneapolis and St. Paul mobilized so quickly and broadly against the months-long ICE operation there. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Digital health is no longer in its honeymoon phase. The funding boom is over. AI hype is everywhere. Health systems are overwhelmed. And startups can no longer survive on compelling pitch decks alone. In this episode of Faces of Digital Health, Tjaša Zajc speaks with Ruchi Dass, a former dental surgeon turned public health leader, policy contributor, investor, and advisor to startups scaling across the US, UK, India, Africa, and the Middle East. Ruchi describes a fundamental change in go-to-market (GTM) strategy: Workflow integration is non-negotiable (standalone apps struggle). Reimbursement clarity is critical. Regulatory strategy is part of GTM, not an afterthought. Time stamps: 00:06 – Introduction: startups, global markets, and unconventional careers 01:18 – From dental surgery to global public health and digital health 03:05 – The GTM shift: from promise to proof 04:49 – Staying investable: the four pillars 08:22 – AI ROI: clinical vs operational value 12:17 – Enterprise scaling and “sell to the mindset” 15:05 – Responsible AI: transparency, bias, and lifecycle regulation 19:56 – Predictability vs black-box AI in medicine 22:44 – Global innovation differences: Europe, India, Middle East, Africa 26:21 – Pilotitis: why pilots fail to scale 28:40 – Designing pilots for commercialization 30:26 – Capital flows, geopolitics, and reverse innovation 34:25 – The $1 teleconsultation model in India 37:56 – Digital health and equity: design vs digitization 42:43 – How regulators can keep up with AI 46:03 – Advice for Gen Z and Gen Alpha in digital health 48:50 – Grassroots realities shaping policy Watch the full discussion: https://youtu.be/bmvPzz3Ffp4 www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

It's never God's transmitter that's broken; it's our receiver that's the problem. In this episode, Andrew Wommack shares part one of his series, "Discover the Keys to Staying Full of God." He shares how to fill your cup in time spent with God, plug the leaks that might be leaving you feeling drained, and keep it full throughout your life. Join the Fontaine family on Thrive weekdays at 11am MT on Miracle Channel or YouTube! Visit our website to discover new resources that will help you grow closer to Jesus every day. Connect with us on social media: YouTube | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok Follow Andrew Wommack: Facebook | Instagram | Podcast | YouTube

Gentlemen… what if the bar isn't just a place to “blow off steam”… but a system designed to keep you from leveling up? In this episode, we break down a controversial idea: bars aren't evil, but they are efficient. Efficient at sedating ambition. Efficient at normalizing mediocrity. Efficient at keeping men distracted from building legacies in business, family, health, and leadership. We unpack: • How bar culture subtly suppresses masculine drive• Why alcohol reduces ambition while increasing tolerance for mediocrity• The economic machine behind a $1.5 trillion global alcohol industry• How bars keep men predictable, distracted, and emotionally underdeveloped• Why younger men are quietly drinking less and what that means for leadership• The rise of sober social spaces and cultural shifts happening right now This isn't a conspiracy rant. It's a performance conversation. You can't lead your company, your marriage, or your mission if your clarity is being fogged every weekend. Bars aren't just “fun.” They shape behavior. They shape habits. They shape culture. And the real rebellion in 2026?Leaving early. Staying sharp. Building something meaningful. If you care about masculinity, leadership, high performance, sobriety, and building a life that actually matters, this episode will challenge you. Looking for 1 on 1 Coaching? Check out the Sober Executive Performance Reset Join our FREE online men's community — The Victory Circle — for connection, accountability, and real conversations about alcohol, performance, and purpose. Sober Executive Performance Reset: A 12 Week Private Coaching Experience - APPLY HERE https://www.thatsoberguy.com/coaching Invite Shane to Speak - https://www.thatsoberguy.com/speaking Join “The Victory Circle”, our FREE Sober Guy Mens Community at https://www.thatsoberguy.com/offers/SvjjuEQ2/checkout Check out Shanes New Book, Sober Guy How Do I - https://a.co/d/81ZIgtE Tired of Drinking? Try Our 30 Day Quit Drinking Dude Challenge! - https://www.thatsoberguy.com/quit-drinking-alcohol-for-30-days For More Resources go to http://www.ThatSoberGuy.com Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shane-ramer-7534bb257/ Follow us on Instagram @ThatSoberGuyPodcast Follow us on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/thatsoberguypodcast  Follow us on X @ThatSoberGuyPod Music - Going Late courtesy of Humans & Haven Sounds Inc. #ThatSoberGuy #Masculinity #Sobriety #MensLeadership #HighPerformance #AlcoholCulture #SelfMastery #EntrepreneurMindset Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode Title: Friendship, Purpose and the Road to SuccessGuests: Coby Watts and Danilo Overview In this episode Luke sits down with two of his closest friends, Coby Watts and Danilo, for a real, unfiltered conversation about life, ambition, and the power of true friendship. What unfolds is a mix of humor, deep reflection, and honest truth about what it really takes to chase your dreams while staying grounded. Key Topics Covered • How Luke, Coby and Danilo first met and the moments that built their bond• The ups and downs behind Danilo's rise in the music industry• Staying authentic while climbing toward success• Coby's journey with ADHD and how it shaped his creativity• The pull between content creation and returning to full time DJ life• Mental health, setbacks and finding purpose• The importance of having real friends who call you higher• Balancing ambition with enjoying the journey What You Will Take From This Episode • Motivation to stay true to your passion• Insight into navigating self doubt and comparison• Understanding that success is not a straight line• The value of brotherhood and honest conversations• Permission to laugh at the process while growing through it Memorable Moments • Funny behind the scenes stories from their early days• Real talk about fear, identity and pressure to perform• Honest reflections on what success actually feels like• How each of them defines purpose today Connect With Us Luke – https://instagram.com/lukemindpowerDanilo – https://instagram.com/dj_danilo_officialCoby – https://instagram.com/kobewattsmusic Disclaimer This podcast is for entertainment and inspirational purposes only. The views and stories shared are based on personal experiences and are not intended as professional advice. We do not encourage or condone anyone to copy our choices or lifestyle, and any opinions expressed are our own. Please enjoy the conversation with an open mind and a sense of humor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Quinton Lucas, KCMO Mayor, On State of the City, Royals Staying in KCMO and More! | 2-12-26See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Sometimes, the world feels louder, and it seems like chaos is everywhere, but it's in these moments we need to remember the power of stillness."In this episode of Business is Human, Rebecca Fleetwood Hession dives into the importance of staying grounded and connected to truth amidst a chaotic world. She explores how external distractions, fear, and division often trigger our nervous system into a defensive state, making it harder to maintain unity and peace.Rebecca explains how in today's divisive climate, it's crucial to resist the urge to react and instead cultivate a regulated, calm response. She shares insights on how staying connected to God, your purpose, and your community can help maintain inner peace, even when the world feels unstable. This episode provides listeners with practical strategies to remain connected to one another and avoid the disconnection that chaos can bring.In this episode, you'll learn:How chaos and division in the world can trigger fear and disconnection in your nervous systemThe importance of staying grounded and regulated to maintain unity and peacePractical strategies for using your unique gifts to connect with others and avoid division in challenging timesThings to listen for:(00:00) Introduction(01:33) Winter reflections and emotional regulation(03:51) The need for unity in a chaotic world(05:22) Staying grounded amid fear and reactivity(07:09) Truth, discernment, and real connection(08:50) Prayer and stillness in uncertain times(12:42) Using gifts and talents for unity(15:18) Competition versus collaboration in culture(17:44) Regulation, reflection, and response(21:21) Personal reflection and the purpose of the podcastConnect with Rebecca:https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/Get tickets for Stand Tall in Your Story (March 12): https://www.rebeccafleetwoodhession.com/

----- Shout out to all our members who make this content possible, sign up for only $5 a month https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNNTZgxNQuBrhbO0VrG8woA/join Promote Your Music with No Jumper - https://nojumper.com/pages/promo CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! https://nojumper.com NO JUMPER PATREON http://www.patreon.com/nojumper CHECK OUT OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5tesvmDS8h50LkjnSAWMOs?si=j6sJD6DkR4mk5NZZWnlK7g Follow us on SNAPCHAT https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_Jumper/4874336901 Follow us on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4z4yCTjwXa4an6sBGIe7m5 iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/no-jumper/id1001659715?mt=2 Follow us on Social Media: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_Jumper/4874336901 http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper https://www.facebook.com/nojumper http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm Follow Adam22: http://www.instagram.com/adam22 adam22bro on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(00:00) — Getting started: Early interest and a high school health pathway with real certifications(01:35) — Small border town roots: Del Rio, one high school, and limited options(02:35) — Finding a “seed”: Family illness, cancer curiosity, and early research(03:40) — Choosing a college: Looking for rigor, research, and premed support(05:54) — Where guidance came from: Personal research and professional advising(07:35) — Plugging in: Using a premed society to meet advisors and med schools(08:18) — Competition culture: Staying in your lane amid big‑school premed vibes(10:13) — Toughest premed shift: Independence, rigor, and learning to use office hours(11:24) — College to med school: Fire‑hydrant learning and lingering imposter syndrome(13:15) — Asking for help earlier: Seeing peers model it and dropping the pride(13:55) — Biggest time waste: Grind culture and recopying notes vs smarter study(15:15) — How hard to push: Pulling back without tanking performance and pressure talk(19:00) — Pomodoro explained: Focus blocks, real breaks, and building stamina(21:10) — Study tools: Anki, YouTube resources, and iPad drawings for anatomy(22:40) — Sciences reality: Hating Gen Chem, loving visual organic chemistry(25:06) — Getting through hard prereqs: Treating them as a rite of passage(26:00) — App strategy: Using campus visits to set the bar and plan experiences(27:10) — Interviews: First invite joy, MMI's lack of feedback, and virtual hiccups(30:27) — Acceptance: Texas pre‑match call and the relief of a safety net(31:58) — No backup plan: Optimism, gap‑years okay, but eyes on the prize(33:30) — Support in med school: Family, friends, and “trauma bonding” with classmates(34:19) — Hardest part: Setbacks and remembering your why(35:10) — Most surprising: Intensity you can't grasp until you're in it(35:49) — Final advice: Return to your why and stop comparingKaylah, a fourth-year medical student, traces her path from a small border town in Del Rio, Texas to medical school by leaning into curiosity, community, and smarter studying. In high school, a career and technical education program let her earn healthcare certifications that sparked real clinical interest. As an undergrad at Texas A&M, she sought academic rigor and built-in research while learning to ask for help sooner—through office hours, professional advising, and a premed society that brought advisors and medical schools to campus.She shares the toughest moments too: a rocky transition to college, being humbled by General Chemistry (but loving visual organic chemistry), and navigating a competitive premed culture by staying in her own lane. Inside medical school, she talks imposter syndrome, the fire‑hydrant pace of learning, and how Pomodoro, Anki, and visual tools on her iPad kept her grounded. She opens up about the stress of MMIs and virtual glitches, the relief of a Texas pre‑match call after three interviews, and the power of friends and family when things get heavy.If you're weighing how hard to push versus how smart to study, or how to keep your “why” front and center, Kaylah's candid reflections will help you recalibrate.What You'll Learn:- How to plug into advising and support even at large schools- Ways to manage competition by staying in your lane- Smarter study methods: Pomodoro, Anki, and visual learning- Handling MMIs when there's no feedback or affirmation- Keeping your why alive through setbacks and intensity

In EBB 350, Krista DeYoung called in from her hospital room after weeks of inpatient monitoring for partial placental abruption. She and Dr. Rebecca Dekker had just finished a crash course on preparing for a Cesarean, not knowing that information would be needed just 30 minutes later. In this follow-up episode, Krista returns to share what happened next: the urgent decision-making, the move to labor and delivery, and the Cesarean birth that unfolded just days before her scheduled 37-week surgery. Krista walks through the physical sensations of an urgent Cesarean, the grounding techniques that helped her stay calm during surgery, and the emotional reality of recovering after major abdominal surgery. She also opens up about NICU life, bringing her baby home on oxygen, and the unexpected emotional release that came after finally leaving the hospital following more than a month of inpatient care. (04:04) Krista's extended hospital stay & partial placental abruption recap (09:39) Preparing for a Cesarean just hours before it happened (011:07) Realizing there are Cesarean birth options (12:59) Staying calm: grounding, breath, and mental preparation (13:59) Labor begins & the shift to an urgent Cesarean (18:10) Epidural, tugging sensations, and what Cesarean feels like (20:54) Baby Jace is born! (23:40) Focusing inward during surgery (27:25) First moments with Jace & NICU transfer (31:42) Leaving the hospital after a month-long stay (38:10) Feeding challenges after NICU (41:26) Physical & emotional recovery after a Cesarean (45:52) Advice for families preparing for a Cesarean (47:38) Gratitude and shout-outs to nurses & care teams   Resources EBB 266 – Advocating for your Newborn during an Unexpected NICU Stay with EBB Childbirth Class Graduates Priscilla and Nathan Layman EBB 284 – How to Help NICU Families Find Empowerment and Healing During their Challenging Journeys with Hollis Wakefield EBB 305 – A High-Risk Pregnancy and Miraculous Birth with Krista and John DeYoung, EBB Childbirth Class Graduates EBB 350 – Surviving a Long Antepartum Hospital Stay and Preparing for a Scheduled Cesarean with Krista DeYoung, EBB Childbirth Class Graduate EBB 356 – NICU-Informed Doulas: What are they and how can they change the NICU narrative? with Mary Farrelly, RN, Doula, and Founder of the NICU Translator

This week's episode is a little more raw, a little more unfiltered, and very much from the heart. After taking an unexpected week off, I sat down, turned on the microphone, and spoke honestly about what's been weighing on me, personally, culturally, and collectively. This episode is part reflection, part reckoning, and part creative release. I talk openly about what it means to lead with courage instead of pretending to be fearless, especially during times that feel heavy, chaotic, or emotionally charged. We explore spiritual bypassing, tone policing, and the subtle ways women are often encouraged to stay quiet, stay pleasant, and stay in line. This episode also includes a poem I wrote late at night, born from grief, anger, and deep compassion for women whose stories are resurfacing yet again. It's an offering, a witnessing, and a reminder of the power of art to hold what words alone sometimes cannot. Here's what you'll hear in this episode: Why I took a break last week and what brought me back to the mic What spiritual bypassing really looks like and why it's harmful, especially to women and trauma survivors How tone policing and “positive vibes only” culture reinforce patriarchy and silence truth Why emotions like anger, fear, and grief are not negative, just human How emotions act as information and energy meant to move, not be buried Why speaking up now feels necessary, even when it's uncomfortable A deeply personal poem about collective grief, survival, and the resilience of women This episode is an invitation to let yourself feel what you feel without fixing, forcing, or bypassing your own experience. If you're carrying a lot right now, my hope is that this conversation helps you feel less alone and maybe encourages you to make something meaningful from what you're holding. Thank you for being here, for listening, and for bearing witness.  Resources: How to Stop Feeling Like Sht* Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1977, a fledgling magazine startup in San Francisco published a searing story about the Ford Pinto, a car model that executives put on the market knowing its design could cause deaths and serious injuries. That was one of many investigative scoops Mother Jones has published in its 50-year history that established its reputation for holding corporations and politicians accountable. Staying alive in the journalism industry has required some maneuvering, but Mother Jones has managed to set up a sustainable model to continue its mission. We talk with the magazine's leaders about its audience, nonprofit structure, journalism in these times, and what other publications can learn from them. Guests: Clara Jeffery, editor-in-chief, Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting Adam Hochschild, journalist and co-founder, Mother Jones; author, "American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis" and other books; lecturer, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

PGA Tour star Tony Finau shares how he's learned to stay steady in a sport — and a life — built on pressure and uncertainty. Growing up with scarcity shaped his relationship to effort, discipline, and grit, lessons that continue to guide how he competes, recovers from mistakes, and shows up for his family.Tony reflects on the moments between shots, the power of repair after things go wrong, and the quiet role his parents played in helping him build confidence without shame. A grounded conversation about composure, recovery, and what it means to keep moving forward — on the course and at home.This is episode 2/4 of Good Inside Presents: The Playbook, a limited-edition series created in partnership with Nike.Get the Good Inside App by Dr. Becky: https://bit.ly/4fSxbzkYour Good Inside membership might be eligible for HSA/FSA reimbursement! To learn more about how to get your membership reimbursed, check out the link here: https://www.goodinside.com/fsa-hsa-eligibility/Follow Dr. Becky on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinsideSign up for our weekly email, Good Insider: https://www.goodinside.com/newsletterFor a full transcript of the episode, go to goodinside.com/podcast.Thank you to our partners for making this episode of Good Inside possible! -SmartyPants: Shop on Amazon, or at Target or Walmart today. -Skylight: Get $30 off a 15-inch Skylight Calendar at myskylight.com/becky.Leave Me Alone!, Dr. Becky's new picture book about Deeply Feeling Kids, is in stores on February 24th, but you can pre-order your copy today! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It’s easy to assume that being compassionate means carrying everyone else’s emotions as if they’re our own. When we love people deeply, we naturally want to help them through their struggles. We listen, we empathize, we pray, and sometimes we even absorb their fear, anxiety, and heaviness without realizing it. This devotional is a reminder that while God calls us to bear one another’s burdens, He doesn’t call us to be emotionally overtaken by everything happening around us. The world is full of brokenness, and people are often hurting—but we cannot control their circumstances or fix every problem. What we can control is how we respond and how we protect what’s happening inside of us. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us that our heart is the source from which everything flows. If our heart becomes polluted by negativity, bitterness, fear, or constant emotional overload, it becomes difficult to live with peace, wisdom, and spiritual strength. Guarding your heart doesn’t mean shutting people out. It means staying rooted in Christ while you walk with others through their pain. God can help you be compassionate without becoming consumed. When you keep Jesus at the center, your heart stays healthy soil—ready to bear good fruit, even in hard seasons. Main Takeaways Compassion is biblical, but absorbing everyone else’s anxiety is not sustainable. You can support others without letting their burdens overwhelm your spirit. Guarding your heart is essential because your words, actions, and choices flow from it. Scripture helps keep your emotions grounded when life feels heavy. Staying close to Jesus allows you to offer comfort without losing your own peace. Today’s Bible Verse “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23, NIV). Your Daily Prayer Prayer excerpt for listeners: “Help me see when others’ trials have overwhelmed me emotionally. Please provide me with a biblical perspective so that I am not swept away by my emotions.” Listen to the full prayer here, or to read the full devotional and prayer, visit the resources below. Find more encouragement and devotionals here: LifeAudio.com – Christian podcasts, devotionals, and prayer resources Crosswalk.com – Faith articles, Bible study tools, and devotionals This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.orgTrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments, Trinity has the knowledge and resources to make a difference. https://trinitycredit.org Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.