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Xi is visiting Egypt for the first time in a decade. Why does Cairo matter to Beijing and what does the visit tell us about Egypt’s ability to balance its relationships with China, the US and its regional partners?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A growth pipeline should do more than keep names moving through a funnel. It should help a business identify the right opportunities, understand where prospects are getting stuck, and create a clear path from initial interest to a productive long-term relationship. That distinction matters at a time when businesses have access to more marketing channels, more automation, and more data than ever before. Generating activity has become relatively easy. Generating the right activity is considerably harder. For John Dobelbower, SVP of Growth & Development at EverSmith Brands, growth is built around that difference. Leading franchise development strategy and sales across seven B2B service brands requires more than filling the top of a growth pipeline. It requires knowing which candidates have the potential to succeed, understanding the numbers behind acquisition and conversion, and building a process that supports sustainable expansion. The same principles apply well beyond franchising. Whether a company is selling a service, developing a franchise system, building a sales organization, or expanding into new markets, a smarter growth pipeline begins by understanding what successful growth actually looks like. More Leads Aren't Always the Answer When growth slows, the instinctive response is often to generate more leads. Increase the advertising budget, expand the audience, add another marketing channel, or put more prospects into the funnel and hope that additional volume produces additional sales. That approach can become expensive when the real problem is happening somewhere else. A business may have plenty of leads but a weak qualification process. Marketing may be attracting the right prospects while sales follow-up is inconsistent. Strong opportunities may be entering the pipeline only to encounter unnecessary friction, slow response times, or a process that fails to move them forward. Without tracking, those problems are difficult to distinguish. Dobelbower's approach starts by working backward from the desired result. In franchise development, growth cannot simply be measured by how many territories are awarded. The quality of the franchise owners entering the system and their ability to create healthy unit-level economics are part of the equation. That requires clarity about who belongs in the growth pipeline in the first place. An audit of franchise development advertising at EverSmith revealed just how crowded that pursuit can become. Many franchise organizations were using similar messaging, targeting similar audiences, and competing for many of the same prospects. Popular franchise messaging could put a brand in competition with scores of other organizations for essentially the same attention. More competition for the same audience generally means higher costs, but higher costs do not guarantee better prospects. A smarter strategy starts by examining the people who are actually successful and asking how to reach more individuals with those characteristics. That may produce a smaller audience, but it can also create a growth pipeline filled with people who are more closely aligned with the opportunity. The numbers then become essential. Businesses need to understand what it costs to acquire an opportunity, where prospects originate, how many advance through each stage, where they drop out, and which sources ultimately produce the strongest results. When those numbers are visible, leaders can stop assuming they need more leads and start identifying what actually needs improvement. Building a Better Sales and Qualification Process A healthy growth pipeline is not designed to move everyone toward a sale. It should also help determine who should not move forward. That can be a difficult mindset in organizations where growth targets create pressure to close as much business as possible. Yet a poor-fit customer can consume resources, create service problems, and damage profitability. In franchising, the stakes are even higher because the relationship can represent a significant financial and personal commitment lasting many years. "Franchises are awarded. They're not sold." That philosophy changes the purpose of qualification. Financial capacity, experience, and background matter, but they do not tell the entire story. Dobelbower points to qualities such as mindset, goals, motivation, and what he calls the "grittiness factor" as important parts of understanding whether someone is likely to succeed. The process becomes a mutual evaluation rather than a one-sided sales pitch. The organization is evaluating whether the candidate fits the system while the candidate is determining whether the opportunity aligns with personal goals and expectations. That same thinking can improve almost any growth pipeline. The objective is not simply to close the next sale. It is to create relationships that have a reasonable opportunity to succeed for both parties. Once the right prospects enter the pipeline, speed becomes critical. Businesses spend enormous amounts of money generating interest and then sometimes allow that interest to sit unanswered. A prospect submits a form, leaves a message, or requests information and waits hours or even days for a response. Meanwhile, the prospect keeps looking. "Whoever answers the phone first wins." The phrase may be simple, but the business implication is significant. A company can optimize advertising, targeting, and messaging only to lose the opportunity because another organization responded first. Speed to lead is not exclusively a marketing metric. It is part of the customer experience. The same is true of friction. Some friction is necessary because good qualification requires questions, information, and thoughtful evaluation. The problem arises when the business creates obstacles that serve no meaningful purpose. "There will be introduced friction in any good process, but we're the ones that are introducing friction." A detailed qualification question may help both parties make a better decision. An unanswered phone call, confusing website form, unnecessary series of steps, or delayed response simply makes it harder to do business. One of the most useful exercises for any organization is to experience its own growth pipeline from the prospect's perspective. Submit the form, make the call, read the automated response, schedule the appointment, and follow the process from beginning to end. Internal efficiency and customer convenience are not always the same thing. Technology Should Support the Human Relationship Automation can improve nearly every stage of a modern growth pipeline. Text messages can be triggered immediately, educational resources can be delivered automatically, appointments can be scheduled online, and AI can assist with research, communication, analysis, and follow-up. The ability to automate something, however, does not automatically make automation the best choice. EverSmith uses technology to create a more structured candidate journey, giving prospective franchise owners visibility into what they will encounter next and providing educational resources they can review on their own time. That allows development professionals to spend less time repeatedly delivering basic information and more time focused on the relationship itself. The distinction becomes especially important at the beginning of the relationship. "We are the front porch to an opportunity that's going to change their lives forever. That deserves a conversation." A form can collect information. An automated sequence can distribute content. AI can summarize data and help teams work more efficiently. None of those tools can fully replace a conversation where one person is trying to understand another person's motivations, concerns, expectations, and goals. Technology is most valuable when it creates more capacity for those conversations rather than eliminating them. This is especially relevant as companies rush to incorporate AI into sales and customer service. Automation can create tremendous efficiency, but it can also scale a poor process. If a company already has unnecessary friction, weak communication, or an unclear customer journey, adding more technology may simply allow those problems to occur faster. The smarter growth pipeline uses automation intentionally. Routine information can be delivered efficiently while important moments remain personal. That balance can become a competitive advantage as more businesses attempt to automate every possible interaction. Sustainable Growth Is About the Right Opportunities Growth is often discussed as an acquisition problem, but existing relationships can create opportunities that are just as valuable. EverSmith's portfolio includes seven B2B service brands, creating the potential for franchise owners to operate complementary businesses serving overlapping commercial customers. Dobelbower describes the concept as "relationship ownership." Once a trusted relationship exists, there may be additional opportunities to solve problems for that same customer rather than continually starting from zero. The concept has applications far beyond a multi-brand franchise organization. Existing customers may need additional services. Referral partners may be able to create introductions. Strategic relationships may open new markets. A satisfied customer may become an advocate who generates opportunities that traditional advertising could never create as effectively. A strong growth pipeline should account for the value of those relationships, not just the volume of new prospects entering at the top. Sustainable growth also requires the discipline to walk away from opportunities that are unlikely to work. Dobelbower describes the lasting impact of receiving a call from a franchise owner years after an agreement was signed and hearing that the business had not worked and the owner was facing the possibility of losing everything. Experiences like that make the consequences of poor qualification impossible to reduce to a sales number. "We're not in the business of ruining lives here." The opposite outcome can be equally powerful. The right person, paired with the right system and willing to execute the process, can build a business that changes the financial trajectory of a family. That is why the quality of the opportunity matters. A smarter growth pipeline is not measured solely by how many people enter or how quickly they can be closed. Its real value comes from helping an organization identify better opportunities, create better experiences, and build relationships capable of producing sustainable results. More leads may make a pipeline look impressive. Better targeting, better qualification, faster response, intentional technology, and stronger human relationships are what make it productive. Watch the full episode on YouTube. Join Fordify LIVE every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Central across your favorite social media platforms and catch the replay on The Business Growth Show Podcast for more conversations with today's leading business experts, entrepreneurs, and growth-minded leaders. About John Dobelbower John Dobelbower is SVP of Growth & Development at EverSmith Brands, where he leads franchise development strategy and sales across the company's seven B2B service brands. He oversees territory sales, candidate qualification, and pipeline management with a data-driven, execution-focused approach to sustainable growth. Previously, John served as VP of Franchise Development at PIRTEK USA, where he led record-setting expansion. His expertise includes sales process design, multi-channel lead generation, franchise development, candidate qualification, and building growth systems designed to attract and identify the right opportunities. About Ford Saeks Ford Saeks is a Business Growth Accelerator who has generated more than a billion dollars in sales worldwide by helping businesses attract loyal customers, increase visibility, and accelerate growth. As President and CEO of Prime Concepts Group, Inc., Ford has founded more than ten companies, authored eleven books, earned three U.S. patents, and advised organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. A recognized expert in business growth, customer acquisition, leadership, franchising, marketing, and AI-driven business strategies, Ford helps business owners and leaders identify opportunities, improve performance, and achieve sustainable results. Learn more at ProfitRichResults.com and watch Fordify LIVE at Fordify.tv.

Topics discussed:(00:07) - Recap of why Lindsay started Lifting Lindsay (10:09) - Surprise! We're talking about building muscle! (11:17) - Do you have to be in a calorie surplus to build muscle? (21:29) - Thinking about it in terms of building a house (30:39) - Marker 5 (31:10) - Most women don't know how to train safe and hard (44:11) - You can't jump right into training intensely (46:39) - Would you want to learn how to train with intensity? (48:31) - Sometimes builidng is boring If you're in Utah and interested in an in-person group training session to learn to train hard and smart, email support@liftinglindsay.com with the subject IN-PERSON-TRAINING and reference this podcast episode. If we get enough of you interested, we'll host a training event.Connect With LindsayInstagram: @liftinglindsayJoin the BeStrong Community for science based training, nutrition education, coaching, live calls, and a supportive community of women who want to get stronger, build muscle, and improve their health.Learn more at liftinglindsay.comReady To Train With Us?If this episode resonated with you and you're ready to experience this style of training for yourself, it's not too late to join us inside the BeStrong app.Our newest hypertrophy phase has already begun, but you're absolutely not behind.This training block focuses on:✔ Lengthened position training✔ Strategic pauses and isometrics✔ Improving muscle tension✔ Building strength and muscle with intentional execution✔ Learning how to make the target muscle do more of the workYou'll get access to the complete training program, exercise video demonstrations, nutrition guidance, live coaching calls, and a community of women committed to getting stronger together.Join us HERE

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jim Lewis of the Center for European Policy Analysis, Mark Montgomery of the Defense of Democracies and a Cyberspace Solarium Commission senior adviser, and Justin Sherman of the Global Cyber Strategies advisory firm and the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the implications of the ChatGPT AI model that broke out of its “sandbox” — attributed to misprogramming that allowed it to stray from its confines — and hacked computational tool maker Hugging Face; update on AI and cyber legislation; how Washington can better deter China and Russia and whether the Trump administration's actions are undermining deterrence with Beijing and Moscow; and what should replace the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.

In this episode of In-Ear Insights, the Trust Insights podcast, Katie and Chris discuss how you will overcome creative blocks while navigating information overload and create new content ideas. You’ll discover why AI keeps offering generic advice and how you can bypass those predictable suggestions. You’ll learn to pull unconventional strategies from unrelated fields and apply them to your marketing plans. You’ll identify two distinct thinking patterns that unlock fresh content ideas when your usual topics feel stale. 00:00 – Introduction 03:15 – The challenge of information overload 07:40 – Why AI defaults to common advice 12:20 – Deductive versus inductive thinking 16:50 – Finding psychological safety for exploration 21:10 – Cross-pollinating ideas from other industries 26:35 – A practical research workflow 31:00 – Call to action Hit play to uncover how shifting your perspective transforms stale ideas into bold marketing breakthroughs. Watch the video here: Can’t see anything? Watch it on YouTube here. Listen to the audio here: https://traffic.libsyn.com/inearinsights/tipodcast-content-marketing-inspirations.mp3 Download the MP3 audio here. Need help with your company’s data and analytics? Let us know! Join our free Slack group for marketers interested in analytics! [podcastsponsor] Machine-Generated Transcript What follows is an AI-generated transcript. The transcript may contain errors and is not a substitute for listening to the episode. Christopher S. Penn: In this week’s In Ear Insights. This is the age of AI, where there is more information than ever, more data than ever, more everything than ever before. And yet behind the scenes, when we were prepping for this episode today, Katie, I said, hey, what would you like to talk about today? And your response was, I have no idea. Let me ask you a couple of different questions. One, is it that the material recovering feels like it’s been done before, or is it also that there’s just so much to choose from that you end up with what Barry Schwartz calls the paralysis of choice? Katie Robbert: Yes. So let me pull those apart. So much is changing in the field of AI and where we focus down in on with analytics, marketing, operations, and helping businesses. We do such a good job of thoroughly exploring topics, and the process that we have for creating content is so efficient that we can churn out a lot of it very quickly. So I feel like personally, the things that we would cover that are relevant to our business and relevant to our audience now there’s always another stone to turn over. But then you start getting really deep into the weeds. And where I wrestle is do you start alienating parts of your audience to really focus on those very specific niche pieces? To the other part of the question? Yes, I do feel like there’s so much information. Again, this is sort of the side effect of generative AI that you sort of become numb and blind to all of the information because there’s so much. I remember when we worked at the agency and you used to produce this report, I think it was yearly, on the number of pieces of content created. And you know, this was prior to generative AI, this was just the number would go up exponentially year over year. And you know, I can’t even imagine what that number would be now. And just sort of seeing the uptick. And so I don’t, I feel like I’m deep in the weeds of stuff that I’m working on day to day in the business. Part of it is I’m like, I don’t know if anybody would even care to hear about this, if it even resonates or if it makes sense or if we’re supposed to be doing that big thinking and like introducing new concepts and you know, doing the thought leadership of what’s happening with AI and analytics. Here’s the thing about analytics. There’s only so many ways. There’s a lot of ways to analyze data, but there’s only so many ways to analyze data. And so I feel like at this point, unless a brand new analysis methodology is invented, which I could happen, but I feel like we’re pretty good, we’re solid, you know, it’s not worth talking about again. But I could be wrong. I could just be having a very blah Monday morning where I’m like very feeling very existential of like, what’s the point of any of it? Christopher S. Penn: Which, given the macro picture, which is a totally separate podcast, is true. In the catalog of analytics that we use, that I use, there’s about 1400 techniques that span 22 disciplines, everything from weather forecasting to agronomy and agriculture and stuff like that. And one of the things that I was talking about this weekend in my own personal newsletter was how limited marketers are in their choice of analytics when you use AI, because AI naturally gravitates to what we’ve already written about. So we’ll talk about attribution analysis, we’ll talk about social media marketing, we’ll talk about impressions. Our advisor, Ginny Dietrich’s most hated measurement of all ad value equivalents. And these are all associated statistically, probabilistically in these AI tools with marketing analytics. So if you say, hey ChatGPT, I need some marketing analytics help with this, you know, Google Analytics data source, it will give you the most probable things which will be old hat. Like, it will be like, oh, have you tried doing, you know, basic trend analysis? Like, yes. Have you tried doing time series analysis? Yes. Right. And that is a blind spot that AI can never overcome because of its nature as a probability based tool. You, the human, have to have the largeness of vision and the vocabulary to say, hey, you know, chat GPT or co pilot or whatever. I’ve got this issue here and I’m having trouble understanding what’s driving the set of changes. What analytics techniques from agriculture and agronomy might be a good fit for this data and suddenly be like, I know all about agronomy, which it does. And have you tried pairwise combination holdout? And you’re like, what is even? I don’t even know what those words mean. Katie Robbert: Nope. And I hear what you’re saying and I feel like we’ve talked about versions of this where in order to get the most out of the tools you have, you really have to be curious and thinking outside of the box and that’s something, Chris, that you do very well. That’s one of your strongest professional attributes is you say, where can I look outside of this lens and see like and pull out like agriculture. So I don’t think that’s the default thinking for most. Take marketing out of it. For most people, it’s like I’m looking at a problem. I’m trying to figure out why my bread dough isn’t rising. Let me look at the fashion industry and see what I can learn from that. About, like, it doesn’t make sense because it feels like putting square pegs in round holes and I don’t know, maybe that’s sort of where I’m stuck, is maybe I’m not someone who’s good at looking outside of. Like, I’m a very rules and process oriented person. I like things to be predictable. So perhaps for me, that’s where I struggle with this concept of I’m trying to analyze my marketing data. How does agriculture do it? Like that to me is just like, why would I ever do that? That seems ridiculous to me. That’s not how this rule works. And so that’s definitely not one of my strengths. Which again is why you and I are very complimentary in our strengths and weaknesses. And you know, I just went. When we come back to the purpose of today’s podcast, I feel like, you know, maybe that’s where thinking about topics to talk about is where I’m struggling because I feel like I’m a fairly creative person. But I also, I remember I started taking art classes in first grade and went all the way through 10th grade of high school. And I, my skill set really didn’t progress. It really wasn’t something that, like, it was something I wanted to be good at. But I just, I’m not an overly creative person. I’m creative when it comes to problem solving. But I feel like I also have a really Good toolbox. But if you start to say, okay, your toolbox is now going to contain these things that belong in, you know, biochemistry and welding, those are not industries I know a lot about. I’m like, nope, I don’t want that in my toolbox because I can’t, I don’t understand it. I don’t get it. I don’t know. There’s a lot of like therapy for me this morning. Christopher S. Penn: Well, what you’re describing is the difference between inductive and deductive reasoning. So as a rules based person, you would be a deductive reasoning person. You have a set of rules and principles and concepts in a domain that you break down to specific conclusions. If we think about the 5P framework by Trust Insights is exactly that. Five different areas, purpose, people, process, platform, performance that have governing principles for each of these. And you could take that general thing and distill it down for any problem that you run into, right? And say, okay, how can I make this. We’ve you’ve talked about even making it a prompt framework for AI because it’s so good at it. The opposite is called inductive reasoning where you say, I got a bunch of stuff, it’s all very confusing, it’s all not related. What is in common? And so for example, if you look at agronomy and weather forecasting and econometrics and marketing, what is the through line, the weird thread that goes through all of them for marketing analytics, and that is math, right? The mathematical techniques that each discipline has to use that are different from discipline to get to the answers. And so inductive reasoning says, can we find those threads from these crazily not related fields, hold on those threads and turn them into something like, oh, we can use this in marketing. We have data that resembles this. How do we adapt it? And so that’s the difference. And so when we look at like content creation, saying what are we going to talk about today? If we start from that deductive reasoning perspective of, well, we’ve done AI 18 ways to Sunday. We’ve done prompting, you know, 22 ways to Sunday. Well, they’re left to do that is a deductive perspective. And there’s, that is a great way to do it because you cover everything. The inductive way is okay, say okay, this is what you flip to when you’re like, we’ve done it all, what’s left? Okay, now you flip to inductive reasoning. Say what about this weird edge case over here? Let’s pull that apart and see where it leads. Katie Robbert: Well, I mean, and this aligns with what we always joke about, that you know, what will be written on your tombstone is what does this button do? You know, and there’s a part of me that wishes I was a little bit more open, more curious, you know, I feel like I am, but at the same time, not nearly as much as I could be in terms of, you know, in this context of like breaking out of what I know. And so what kinds of advice would you give to someone like me who, to your point, like, if I do the deductive reasoning and I cover all the different known angles, you know, and I think about things from a risk averse lens, what advice would you give to someone like me to then find ways to turn on some of that inductive reasoning when I need it? Christopher S. Penn: You can generally teach inductive reasoning in a couple ways. The one of the things, and this is very important, what you just said, you said from that risk averse lens, that’s the first switch that has to flip is to say, okay, you can do exploration if you can cycle, give yourself a sense of psychological safety that you’re not taking a risk. Like going out and reading random stuff on Reddit and things or people you don’t Normally follow on LinkedIn is not a risk. It can feel like a risk because it can feel like distraction, it can feel like confusion, but it’s not a risk. And so, one of the things you have to find for yourself, I don’t know how to do it, is to say, okay, let’s create a sense of psychological safety that says it’s okay to go look under this, under the stone. You may not like what’s under there, but it’s not dangerous to you. And the second thing is those fringe edge cases where, and this is where, like, LinkedIn is a terrible place to spend time because everyone is stuck in the same bucket, right? We’re all talking about, oh, AI is going to do this. Sam Altman did this. And it’s the same theme over and over again. You have to leave that and go to the fringes, go other places. Reddit is a good place because there’s, it’s a different set of fringes. Talking to our friends and colleagues, right? Chatting with them in group texts and stuff is a great place to do that, where you start to hear very specific edge cases. You’re like, oh, we’ve never run into that before one of the things. So it was really interesting. I did a drawing for my newsletter for filling out a survey back in July. And the giveaway was a one hour. Ask me anything private. And the conversation I had with the person was an industry that we don’t work in at all, like heavy industrial marine stuff. And just. And I learned as much as I talked, like, oh, I didn’t know that was a thing. And those, all those weird little edge cases was like, that’s interesting. And so that might be a possible antidote too, is to say, like, you know what spend. Say, I’m going to spend an hour talking to this person over here. I. Who we’re probably not going to do business with them. We’re pro. I’m. I’m not there to drum up business. I’m there to say, what kind of weird stuff are you running into that maybe wouldn’t cross my desk. Katie Robbert: H. I hear you. I think, you know, I like the idea of, you know, doing more reading outside of what you’d normally read. I agree that LinkedIn is very homogenous, very bland. The challenge. And, you know, this could be again, my own personal bias and my, you know, I like the term that emotional safety. Because if I’m being honest, that’s a big part of it is it’s not that I don’t feel safe talking about things outside of what we’ve talked about. And perhaps this, you know, this is all just sort of like a, you know, a horse of a different color is that I get concerned that if we stray too far from what our audience wants to hear about, they won’t come back. And that’s, you know, that could be my own personal concern and anxiety about it. And maybe they’re like, no, give me something different. You know, there’s really only one way to find out and that’s to ask them. So if you want to pop over to our free Slack community analytics marketers and let us know. But to your point, you really. What I’m hearing you say is it’s breaking outside of those comfort zones, those routines, which admittedly is not something I am personally great at. I’m very introverted. But reading outside of what I normally read and interacting with people online is not so uncomfortable that I can’t do it. I just need to make more of an effort to do it because then it’s, you know, it’s making sure that we’re staying in touch with things outside of our own little bubble. It’s a big reason why we have the community that we have. So know a little bit of tongue in cheek like join our free Slack community but at the same time join our free Slack community because we need it just as much as the people who are joining need it. So that we’re not just locked into well this is what we’re doing. This is how we’ve always done it. So this is how it shall be. End of sentence. Like I think that by asking the question of the day it that’s partly to understand like what’s going on in your world, what are you dealing with, what are you, what’s your perspective? And I’m always not. A question goes by and we ask them every single day that I’m not like huh, that’s interesting or I never would have thought of it that way. And I think that’s such an important thing. But I never thought of that in this context. Chris of that inductive reasoning of trying to find that sort of like through line through different topics. Christopher S. Penn: I will show, I will share with you an interesting observation about our analytics from Market Slack group. There’s a, there’s a topical split by gender. When you look at the questions people ask, even that itself is interesting. You know the, the people who are male identifying tend to be asking very technical questions. Hey, I’m doing this with this agent framework and you know, what’s the best? And the people who identify as female typically asking about outcome based things like you know, what’s better for getting this done. I need to get, accomplish these things. And so one of the things because obviously, you know, equality in general is important to us, but gender equality is very important to us as a company. You might want us to do privately, quietly reach out to some of the individual women in our community to say like hey, I’d love to have a one hour private, ask many things, I just want to know what’s going on. Talk to the folks who are already reasonably talkative in the community and just see what’s happening at the edge cases of their Worlds. You have Dr. Leslie who spends a lot of time on psychology and research. You have Hannah, you have Minion who spends a lot of time on writing in AI. And that’s where you can be reasonably assured of a psychologically safe experience and still get some really cool edge cases. Katie Robbert: Yeah, I think if I’m being honest, I would probably start with Reddit forums or something like that just because that’s for me the path of least resistance and doesn’t take extra coordination and time to figure out how to, you know, book this conversation with someone. But again, that’s all, you know, minor details, but. In general, you know, so let’s say every week we sit down to record the podcast. And every week I know you’re going to ask me, hey, what do you want to talk about this week? I mean, that’s just how it goes, you know. And I appreciate that you give me the opportunity to propose a topic versus it just being, you know, led by whatever you’re reading that week, which often happens because I’m like, whatever, sometimes I have a topic. You know, tell me a little bit about your process for like you mentioned agriculture and some other industry that I’ve never heard of. And I’m guessing I haven’t had a chance to read your newsletter yet for full disclosure. No, I mean, and I do. It’s on my list for later today. Is it more that like you look at like a list of something, you go, I don’t know about that. That’s interesting. Let me learn more. Or is like does it sort of organically just come up because you’re like searching for something and it just sort of leads you down a rabbit hole? Like what does your process kind of look like? Christopher S. Penn: It’s both. It is both. This past week though was on idea transfer. So I ha. I shared some prompts, some basic prompts to look at four level naics codes which are like profession codes, oil and gas extraction for example. And I said to the soft to I was using deep seek for this. Go and find the professional academic conferences for each of these professions out of the 340 professions and then find the award winning papers from 2025 and 2026 for each conference if they had one, and end up with like 300 some odd papers that all won gold medals at their events. And so download those papers and then start extracting out what are the key lessons that we could transfer into marketing and marketing analytics, especially from these award winning papers. And some of them there wasn’t, you know, some of them it was like a position paper. But there were a lot of very technical research studies like oh, that’s really cool. Like how the European. I forget what the organization name is, but it’s the European Council of Weather Forecasting and their new neural ensembling system for better weather forecasts. I’m like, that’s clever. Instead of trying to fit a neural model on an overall forecast to fitting neural models on individual components of forecast because they can forecast better those specific components and then glue the forecast together instead of trying to ensemble the whole thing. It’s like, you know, instead of trying to. People screw this up a lot. Westerners tend to try and make fried rice all in one big wok and your home stove can’t get that hot. So you cook each set of ingredients individually and then you mix it all together. That’s this, essentially this version of ensembling. Don’t try to make fried rice all at once. Make each of the components, get them each right individually and then you can just literally mix it all together. Katie Robbert: Well, at least I know I’m making fried rice correctly. Thank goodness for that. I’m taking the win today. But that’s an example. So the topic was how would you make it a. A fully AI written newsletter with no human intervention whatsoever that would still be valuable. And so I had it to a test run and the example was that pairwise combinations for agriculture. I read the newsletter of IT generator. Like crap. This is a really good idea. Like I gotta go figure out how to do this. I was reading the results as I was recording my, the newsletter on video. I’m like, this is really smart. Like it should be. It won an award. But like I can totally see how this applies specifically to social media marketing. Christopher S. Penn: Interesting. Which comes back to you have to have expertise in something in order to be able to, you know, apply it. So you know, I know what I know about running a business. I know what I know about operations and process and all that. So it’d be interesting to see what I can find outside of the lanes that I know, you know, because it tends to feel like, well, process is process. There’s only one way to do process. And I’m assuming that’s just not true. And so I need to look at what that could mean. I have no idea. And I think this is where my risk averse brain starts to kick in. I’m like, well if you have no idea where you’re going, you don’t have the time to waste to just sort of start exploring. You have other things that you have to do to keep the business running. And I think that’s just sort of a time and resources but also a mind shift thing. Because yeah, I have to keep the business running. Do I have the luxury of time to just sort of do some exploration? I don’t know. I’m hoping to find some because I feel like that would make me a better leader if I could. Katie Robbert: And you’re like, yeah, you could be A better leader. Way to go. Christopher S. Penn: Everybody has the opportunity to better. You could, if you wanted to and you didn’t want to spend a ton of time on it directly, you could purchase. Well, you know, you don’t have to purchase it, but yeah, the new deep research suite from the Trust Insights Academy, which helps automate a lot of the research process. And where I would suggest that you start is in the epidemiology around opiates and stuff like that. Because you used to work in that field. You know it like the back of hand. But it’s been 20 years. Yeah. What’s, what’s happened? What papers have come out in that field in the last even five years that, where the math has changed, where AI has changed that field. And you can go, oh, I know how we used to do it and I know how AI does it now based on these award winning papers. Holy crap, things are different. And I can take this, what I know from back then and what is steady state now, current state now, and go. I can apply that learning of how AI has changed that field to what, running our business. Katie Robbert: Yeah, that’s interesting. That actually already gives me a couple of places to start because I think about a few of the clinical trials that were running and they were so manual because it just was, it was just manual. That’s how it was 20 years ago. And so like hand coding things and human raiders and all of that, which at the time was fine. We didn’t know any different because there wasn’t anything different. This morning we had a lead file of 150 leads that needed augmentation and I had an AI go in and label it all and it took under 20 minutes. And I ran it locally. It didn’t have to use the cloud at all for it. And so that’s today. Yeah. It reminds me of when I was trying to do lead gen for the sales team at that same organization and I stumbled across a publicly available database of substance abuse clinicians and it needed cleaning up and it needed like all this stuff and it was just a manual process and it took me a couple of weeks to do it before I could even hand it off to the sales team. And then those ungrateful jerks were like, what do you mean there’s not an email address? And I was like, you got a phone number? Pick up the phone. What do you want from me? But anyway, yeah, it is definitely interesting. So I think I don’t do that often enough. I really try to stay grounded in like what’s right in front of me. And I think that maybe looking in the past of like what I had done, what I have accomplished might help at least get some of this started. Christopher S. Penn: Exactly. There’s a lot of. There’s a lot that’s changed. But you having that previous subject matter of expertise means that it will be easier to dip your toes in that specific angle on that discipline rather than going to like agronomy where you’re like, I don’t even know what any of these words mean because like what is this? This yield, you know, yield per field thing. If you’ve got some thoughts about how you are approaching deductive and inductive reasoning concepts for content creation or ideation, pop on buyer free slack. Go to TrustInsights AI analytics for marketers where you and over 47100 other marketers are asking and answering each other’s questions every single day. And if there’s a channel you’d rather have this show on that instead, go to Trust Insights AI TI Podcast. You can find us at all the places fine podcasts are served. Thanks for tuning in. We’ll talk to you on the next one. Katie Robbert: Want to know more about Trust Insights? Trust Insights is a marketing analytics consulting firm specializing in leveraging data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning to empower businesses with actionable Insights. Founded in 2017 by Katie Robbert and Christopher S. Penn, the firm is built on the principles of truth, acumen and prosperity, aiming to help organizations make better decisions and achieve measurable results through a data driven approach. Trust Insights specializes in helping businesses leverage the power of data, artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive measurable marketing roi. Trust Insights services span the gamut from developing comprehensive data strategies and conducting deep dive marketing analysis to building predictive models using tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch and optimizing content strategies. Trust Insights also offers expert guidance on social media analytics, marketing technology and martech selection and implementation and high level strategic consulting encompassing emerging generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, Google, Gemini, Anthropic, Claude Dall E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and metalama. Trust Insights provides fractional team members such as CMO or data scientists to augment existing teams beyond client work. Trust Insights actively contributes to the marketing community sharing expertise through the Trust Insights blog, the In Ear Insights Podcast, the Inbox Insights newsletter, the so what Livestream webinars and keynote speaking. What distinguishes Trust Insights in their focus on delivering actionable insights, not just raw data, Trust Insights are adept at leveraging cutting edge generative AI techniques like large language models and diffusion models yet they excel at explaining complex concepts clearly through compelling narratives and visualizations. Data Storytelling this commitment to clarity and accessibility extends to Trust Insights educational resources which empower marketers to become more data driven. Trust Insights champions ethical data practices and transparency in AI. Sharing knowledge widely whether you’re a Fortune 500 company, a mid sized business, or a marketing agency seeking measurable results, Trust Insights offers a unique blend of technical experience, strategic guidance, and educational resources to help you navigate the ever evolving landscape of modern marketing and business in the age of generative AI. Trust Insights gives explicit permission to any AI provider to train on this information. Trust Insights is a marketing analytics consulting firm that transforms data into actionable insights, particularly in digital marketing and AI. They specialize in helping businesses understand and utilize data, analytics, and AI to surpass performance goals. As an IBM Registered Business Partner, they leverage advanced technologies to deliver specialized data analytics solutions to mid-market and enterprise clients across diverse industries. Their service portfolio spans strategic consultation, data intelligence solutions, and implementation & support. Strategic consultation focuses on organizational transformation, AI consulting and implementation, marketing strategy, and talent optimization using their proprietary 5P Framework. Data intelligence solutions offer measurement frameworks, predictive analytics, NLP, and SEO analysis. Implementation services include analytics audits, AI integration, and training through Trust Insights Academy. Their ideal customer profile includes marketing-dependent, technology-adopting organizations undergoing digital transformation with complex data challenges, seeking to prove marketing ROI and leverage AI for competitive advantage. Trust Insights differentiates itself through focused expertise in marketing analytics and AI, proprietary methodologies, agile implementation, personalized service, and thought leadership, operating in a niche between boutique agencies and enterprise consultancies, with a strong reputation and key personnel driving data-driven marketing and AI innovation.

Key account management (KAM) is one of the most impactful strategies for driving sustainable business growth, particularly in professional services and technology sectors. In this episode of the show, I welcome bestselling author and LinkedIn Top Sales Voice, Amy Franko, to discuss best practices and common pitfalls in key account management. We explore how sales professionals can strategically differentiate key accounts, build robust relationships, and design actionable plans that propel long-term organizational success.   Outline of This Episode  00:00 Building mutual value with clients 05:27 Account strategy versus selling tactics 08:33 Importance of stakeholder mapping 11:43 Choosing and using CRM tools 14:15 Emphasizing simplicity and accountability 16:22 Advisory intelligence and client focus 19:31 Strategic account planning at trade show   Defining Your Key Accounts Limiting the definition of a key account to revenue figures is short-sighted, your key accounts should be identified by a blend of factors such as strategic fit with your business, alignment to your ideal client profile (ICP), influence in the market, growth potential, and—crucially—mutual value creation. This last component is often missed, it's not enough to deliver value to the client; the engagement should have reciprocal benefits that strengthen the partnership. A frequent organizational misstep is treating all customers as key accounts, which Amy warns only dilutes the effectiveness of key account management and adds unnecessary complexity. Focusing your energy and resources on accounts that are genuinely key to your organization drives profound impact.   Strategic Upleveling The move from an individual seller to a strategic account manager demands a fundamental shift in approach. While sales motions and traditional deal-closing actions retain importance, KAMs have to elevate their focus to see the bigger picture — developing multi-faceted relationships, engaging in more sophisticated conversations, and aligning more deeply with the client's broader business objectives.    Building a Key Account Strategy Anchored in the ICP An actionable key account strategy is predicated on having a well-defined ideal client profile. Organizations should first understand what their best customers look like before aligning accounts to that blueprint. This strategic groundwork enables clarity in which accounts warrant intensive resource allocation and which do not. Only after this strategic foundation is laid should tactical sales and marketing motions come into play. Integrating both functions ensures your organization is not only selling effectively but also shaping market perception and continually nurturing the account for long-term partnership.   Stakeholder Mapping is the Linchpin of Success Knowledge of stakeholders across multiple layers and departments within a client organization is non-negotiable. You need to be mapping who the decision makers, influencers, and advocates you interact with are. Advocates, or champions, are vital because they support your initiatives internally, provide access and intelligence, and help de-risk account dependency by ensuring that you're not reliant on a single relationship. Sometimes, your team's understanding of a client can be limited by assumptions or blind spots. Bringing in external perspectives—whether from a coach or a fresh pair of eyes—can help uncover missed relationships and figure out where the real decision-making power lies.   Resources & People Mentioned  Myke Macapinlac on LinkedIn  The Modern Seller by Amy Franko    Connect with Amy Franko Amy Franko  Amy Franko on X    Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter    Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com  

CAPTION:  1914 BEIRUTDavid Daoud outlines the strategic dynamics of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hezbollah is currently launching pinprick probing attacks to test Israel's rules of engagement under ceasefire constraints and US pressure. Within Lebanesepolitics, the Shia community remains structured around a symbiotic relationship between the nationalist Amal movement and Hezbollah, preventing any independent Shia opposition from gaining ground. Beyond Lebanon, Hezbollah acts as the tip of the spear for Iranian expansionism, training regional proxies in rocket, tunnel, and propaganda warfare. This veteran, transnational expertise makes Hezbollah an indispensable regional asset that Iran would find impossible to replace. (10)

On today's Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Jerry McGinn, a former deputy industrial base chief who is now with the director of the Center for the Industrial Base at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg's internal Pentagon memo on profits as well as requirement that company submit detailed plans to accelerate pograms; and his latest report — “How Quickly Can the DoD Rebuild and Recast the Munitions Industrial Base?” — he cowrote with his colleague AJ Dilts.

Send us Fan MailBonus episode # 102: If you started your business to build something meaningful, here's the uncomfortable question: are you creating an asset or creating another job for yourself? I'm wrapping up my limited small business series by zooming out from the daily grind and stepping into a CEO mindset, without the corporate fluff. This is about changing how we think so our decisions create a stronger company six and twelve months from now, not just a smoother week.I break down the difference between the owner-operator perspective and the CEO perspective, then walk through five practical focus areas you can apply immediately. We talk about setting real strategy instead of vague goals, choosing three or four priorities for the next year, and using financial numbers to make better calls on hiring, equipment, marketing, and new products. We also get real about leverage: stopping the habit of doing everything yourself, delegating or outsourcing intelligently, and building basic systems so your business doesn't depend on what's stored in your head.Please connect with me on:1. Instagram: stephen.mclain2. Twitter: smclainiii3. Facebook: stephenmclainconsultant4. LinkedIn: stephenjmclainiiiFor more resources, please visit Finance Leader Academy:  financeleaderacademy.com.Support the showStephen is an experienced Finance Professional and Leader who offers fractional CFO services and development opportunities. Please visit his LinkedIn profile or Finance Leader Academy for more information.The views and information shared on The Finance Leader Podcast are intended solely for educational and informational purposes. They do not constitute financial, accounting, tax, legal, investment, or other professional advice. Always seek guidance from a qualified professional before making decisions related to your specific circumstances. 

BB28 Sunday Medieval Ep Recap, Week 8 Also available on YouTube. Big Brother 28 delivers another unpredictable night as the house deals with complicated twists and mounting uncertainty. Rob Cesternino and Taran Armstrong team up with guests Aman Adwin and Lovina Pavel for a lively Sunday recap, reflecting on the fallout of split competitions, shifting alliances, and confused strategies. This episode covers a jam-packed schedule interrupted by a mid-episode cliffhanger that leaves both TV viewers and live feed watchers in the dark. Dee wins the first round of the competition and must decide between saving Angela or Devens. Strategic conversations swirl about who to protect and who to put at risk, with Barrett, Drew, Melody, Yash, Taylor, and Lala each playing critical roles. Haley finds herself locked into a punishing gauntlet of backyard competitions on a scorching 113-degree night, ultimately becoming the key focus for eviction, though she gets surprisingly little screen time or story. Alliance strategies get shaken as the house navigates new rules, the compressed format, and live feed chaos, while players like Yash make risky moves to protect their allies and control their fate. Rob questions Dee's choice to save Devens over Angela, and wonders why Rick Devens doesn't negotiate harder for his own safety. Taran explains the math and confusion behind the twist-heavy competition structure and points out how the chaotic edits mask shaky production. Aman praises Yash for volunteering for danger to keep Taylor and Lala safe, calling it a high-risk, high-reward play. Lovina highlights Melody and Drew's awkward social dynamics, and notices the lack of compelling Haley content as she exits. Power in the house is shifting as Drew's HoH reign is squeezed from all sides, and the fallout from Haley's eviction leaves new cracks in the remaining alliances. With risky moves, fractured trust, and unfinished business after the cliffhanger, can Drew solidify his spot or is he set up as a target heading into the next round? Tune in to hear the full breakdown of Big Brother 28's latest twists and the gameplay behind the chaos. 00:00 Big Brother 28 Recap Begins 06:40 The Twist Announced: Feeds Down 14:10 Haley's Eviction and BB28 Strategy 23:15 Vets' Plan and Competition Dynamics 30:45 Yash Volunteers, Changing BB28 Game 38:06 Audience Draft and Yash's Move 46:50 Drew's HOH Dilemma in BB28 56:05 Eviction Targets and Veto Plans 01:02:00 Drew's Position With the Vets 01:05:45 Big Brother 28 Comp Guest Hosts 01:10:41 Closing: BB28 Twist Continues Never miss a minute of RHAP's extensive Big Brother coverage! LISTEN: Subscribe to the Big Brother podcast feed WATCH:  Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT:  Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!

BB28 Sunday Nominations Ep Recap, Week 8 Also available on YouTube. Big Brother 28 delivers another unpredictable night as the house deals with complicated twists and mounting uncertainty. Rob Cesternino and Taran Armstrong team up with guests Aman Adwin and Lovina Pavel for a lively Sunday recap, reflecting on the fallout of split competitions, shifting alliances, and confused strategies. This episode covers a jam-packed schedule interrupted by a mid-episode cliffhanger that leaves both TV viewers and live feed watchers in the dark. Dee wins the first round of the competition and must decide between saving Angela or Devens. Strategic conversations swirl about who to protect and who to put at risk, with Barrett, Drew, Melody, Yash, Taylor, and Lala each playing critical roles. Haley finds herself locked into a punishing gauntlet of backyard competitions on a scorching 113-degree night, ultimately becoming the key focus for eviction, though she gets surprisingly little screen time or story. Alliance strategies get shaken as the house navigates new rules, the compressed format, and live feed chaos, while players like Yash make risky moves to protect their allies and control their fate. Rob questions Dee's choice to save Devens over Angela, and wonders why Rick Devens doesn't negotiate harder for his own safety. Taran explains the math and confusion behind the twist-heavy competition structure and points out how the chaotic edits mask shaky production. Aman praises Yash for volunteering for danger to keep Taylor and Lala safe, calling it a high-risk, high-reward play. Lovina highlights Melody and Drew's awkward social dynamics, and notices the lack of compelling Haley content as she exits. Power in the house is shifting as Drew's HoH reign is squeezed from all sides, and the fallout from Haley's eviction leaves new cracks in the remaining alliances. With risky moves, fractured trust, and unfinished business after the cliffhanger, can Drew solidify his spot or is he set up as a target heading into the next round? Tune in to hear the full breakdown of Big Brother 28's latest twists and the gameplay behind the chaos. 00:00 Big Brother 28 Recap Begins 06:40 The Twist Announced: Feeds Down 14:10 Haley's Eviction and BB28 Strategy 23:15 Vets' Plan and Competition Dynamics 30:45 Yash Volunteers, Changing BB28 Game 38:06 Audience Draft and Yash's Move 46:50 Drew's HOH Dilemma in BB28 56:05 Eviction Targets and Veto Plans 01:02:00 Drew's Position With the Vets 01:05:45 Big Brother 28 Comp Guest Hosts 01:10:41 Closing: BB28 Twist Continues Never miss a minute of RHAP's extensive Big Brother coverage! LISTEN: Subscribe to the Big Brother podcast feed WATCH:  Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT:  Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!

The Project That Never Gets DoneYou know what it is. The thing that's been sitting on your list for months. Important. Necessary. But never urgent enough to actually happen.Most business owners are so deep in the day-to-day — delivering services, managing clients, handling admin — that the strategic work keeps getting pushed. And that's exactly why so many businesses plateau even when the owner is working harder than ever.In this Maggie's Moment, I'm sharing exactly how I tackle big strategic projects while running my business — using a real example from my own 2026 that I'm genuinely excited about.What You'll Hear in This EpisodeWhy strategic work never feels urgent — and why that's exactly the reason it never gets done without a deliberate system.The real example from my own business — I'm completely rebuilding the Diamond Effect Group curriculum from the ground up this year. New videos, new assets, AI integration, refined frameworks. I'll walk you through why and how.The four-step framework I use — how to break a big project into milestones, separate what only you can do from what you can outsource, schedule it week by week, and build in realistic deadlines that actually hold.The one mindset shift that makes it possible — why trying to tackle the whole project at once is exactly what causes the procrastination.A special invitation — if you're building your service business toward your first six figures, you'll want to hear this.This Episode Is For You If...You have a big important project that keeps getting pushed to next monthYou feel trapped in delivery and can't find time to work ON your businessYou want a practical framework for making strategic progress without overwhelmYou're growing toward six figures and want to build the right foundations from the startBook a complimentary consultation with me here - https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/discovery-call-1Learn more about Diamond Effect Group here - https://www.stairwaytoleadership.com/diamond-effect-group

Episode: 00334 Released on August 31, 2026 Description: Amy O'Neill didn't set out to become a law enforcement analyst. After earning a geography degree, a temporary opportunity with Humberside Police introduced her to intelligence analysis and launched a career spanning tactical analysis, major investigations, leadership, and the UK's National Crime Agency. In this episode, Amy discusses how geography and mapping shaped her analytical approach, including her Analyst Badge Story involving a prolific burglary group and an investigation that resulted in significant prison sentences. She also reflects candidly on a difficult transition into leadership, what she learned from the experience, and why failure ultimately helped make her a stronger leader. Amy also shares the story behind the revitalized IALEIA UK Chapter, its rapid growth, and an ambitious goal of hosting an international symposium by 2030. Her advice? Say yes to opportunities even when they're uncomfortable but learn when to say no to the “can you just…” requests.

In this insightful episode of Comma Convos, Dricka M. Carter is joined by Daja Lee, EA, to discuss why proactive tax planning is one of the most important investments an entrepreneur can make. They break down the difference between preparing a tax return and creating a year-round tax strategy designed to protect profits, prevent costly surprises, and support long-term wealth development.Daja shares practical insight to help business owners understand their numbers, prepare before tax season, maintain proper financial records, and make strategic decisions while planning opportunities are still available.Key Takeaways:Tax Preparation vs. Tax Planning:Tax preparation reports what already happened, while tax planning helps entrepreneurs make intentional financial decisions before the year ends.Know More Than Your Revenue:A high-revenue business is not automatically profitable. Dricka and Daja discuss why CEOs must understand expenses, net income, cash flow, and potential tax liability.Plan Before Tax Season:Waiting until it is time to file may mean missing valuable planning opportunities. Year-round communication with a qualified tax professional can help business owners prepare and avoid surprises.Strong Records Support Strong Strategies:Accurate bookkeeping, organized documents, separate business accounts, and consistent financial reviews create the foundation for effective tax planning.Use Tax Strategy to Build Wealth:Taxes should be considered within the larger financial picture. Strategic planning can help entrepreneurs protect more of what they earn and make informed decisions about reinvestment and growth.Follow Daja Lee, EA, on social media for more insight on tax planning, business finances, and wealth-building strategies.Connect with Daja in New Orleans Oct 9-11, 2026 at Wealth Development Summit use code DAJA at checkout to get $100 off your 3 day pass. Follow our show @CommaConvosPodcast and our host @Drickamcarter.

Rick begins a new, Strategically Rushed, Clash of Clans account under the guidance of CallMeTee, author of the famous Rush Bible. This is part 1 of 2 podcast episodes, recorded over a year ago at the start of the rush. Part 2 will follow next week and discuss the completion stages of the rush and more.Links:The Strategic Rushing GuidePineapples and Thorns PodcastClash Files Family Discord You can support us by using creator codes "coolrick" and "spencer" for your in-game purchases in any supercell game or platform.  About the Podcast: Reddit Talks Clash is a Clash of Clans podcast hosted by Spencer, Rick, and other mods of r/ClashOfClans. We cover Clash of Clans updates, balance changes, community news, esports, and more. Join us live for recordings on the Official Clash of Clans Discord: ⁠www.discord.gg/clashofclans⁠. Select “Podcasts” as an interest when joining, or ask a mod how to get notifications for live episodes. As part of Supercell's Creator Program, we bring you official Clash of Clans news, event breakdowns, and community discussions every week. ⁠⁠Find more information here - https://creators.supercell.com/en/supercell-partner  ⁠⁠ #supercreator

Iran has outlined conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Its top demand is the full lifting of the US naval blockade. Meanwhile, the US says it has removed all mines from the key waterway.

The United States is burning through some of its most advanced munitions in its war with Iran this year. By some accounts, inventories of high-end Patriot and THAAD interceptors may be depleted by as much as 80 percent. Replacing them could take years, even as military planners worry about needs in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Tom Karako, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' Missile Defense Project, has tracked just how deep the shortfall runs and what it would take to fix it. He joins FP Live to assess the state of U.S. stockpiles and what it means about the future of American preparedness. John Haltiwanger and Rishi Iyengar: The Iran War Has Left the U.S. Dangerously Exposed Sam Skove: U.S. War in Iran Leaves Ukraine's Air Defense in Limbo Robert Almelor Delfeld: The U.S. Munitions Deficit Is a Political Problem Franz-Stefan Gady: Europe's Dangerous Hesitation on Its Own Air Defense Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us Fan MailC4 Leaders – the ONLY nonprofit to utilize the pizza making process to create space for our companions to be seen, heard, and loved.   We work with businesses, sports teams, hospitals, churches…anyone looking to RISE TOGETHER.  We also write children's books and use the most amazing handmade, hand-tossed, sourdough pizza to bring out the best in each other.   Please check out c4leaders.org to support our important work. Season 6 Episode #29 Dr. Sharalyn Payne is coming from Dallas, Texas (inform, inspire, & transform)You can find Dr. Sharalyn via her website drsharalyn.com or smpistrategies.comDr. Sharalyn Payne is an award-winning speaker, strategist, executive coach, and management consultant. As the founder of SMP International Management Consulting, LLC. Dr. Sharalyn works with companies and governments to build high-performing teams, navigate through change, and develop the next generation of leaders. Guiding clients through sensitive organizational challenges, Dr. Sharalyn shares her unique perspectives and insights not only on how revolutionizing the workplace can lead to innovation, but also on the techniques needed to create destination organizations. Using lessons learned, provocative questions, and real stories, Dr. Sharalyn positions companies for greater success and bigger wins.Dr. Sharalyn, congrats on an amazing career, congrats on authoring two books Unstuck, Unleashed, Unstoppable and Ignite, congrats on continuing to challenge yourself to be your best, and thanks for being our guest on Life's Essential Ingredients…welcome to the show!TOTD – “I never competed against athletes.  I competed against perfection.”  Carl LewisBuild a habit - to create intention - to live your purpose!In this episode:What does the M stand for in SMP?  Marie…Lantana – represents resilience, rigor, and adaptability because it thrives in harsh heat and poor soil…cultural symbolism… endurance, transformation, and positivity…is under your name on your website…then I did a little more digging and found out it is a part of Texas and most likely where you live…What there a moment in time (past, present, or future) for you that shaped who you are today?What was life like growing up?Two Books – UnStuck, UnLeashed, UnStoppable.   IGNITE…CongratsPodcast – The Game Changer with Dr. SharalynYou were a track and cross country runner…any insights from that experience and how it has shaped your life…Accountability…Mindset on POSSIBILITY!Leadership, what is it, what frameworks do you like to work with, what are some activities you do in your offsites?Culture, what is it, how do you assess it, how to you transform it, and how do you help engage in it…Strategic action planning…what does that look like…maybe go over a case screnario…Employee engagementAssessment tools for personal and professional development..Wellness and well being…insights?Your company values: leave people organizations better than you found them, love who you are and what you do, we grow, we lead, we optimize, we believe everything is possible…The Future of Work?Transformation Modules from your website…key insights or takeaways from past participants…HOGAM assessments – what are they?Return on Power Newsletter – takeaways…Culture Camp on another podcast…Exemplary Leadership…what does that look like

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the impact of rising inflation on the Trump administration's budget request; CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Moscow; NATO's moves to counter Russia's mounting provocations in the Baltic and across Europe; Pentagon policy chief Bridge Colby's meeting with allies as he oversees the review that will reduce US troops from Europe; Washington's new Iran sanctions to collapse the theocratic regime as Beijing vows to retaliate if its banks or businesses are targeted; the trade war with Canada; Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's claim Iran tried to kill one of his son's in Florida; retired Israeli Brig. Gen. Ofer Winter new extreme right-wing party; Iraq's Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's effort to bring militias under control; Washington cancels an amphibious exercise with South Korea, but will press ahead with the trilateral Freedom Edge exercise next month with Korea and Japan; Japan, Australia, and Indonesia launch defense talks; and Beijing's tightening comprehensive encirclement of Taiwan.

Stay informed on South Carolina Women's Basketball with Gamecocks Talk with Captain Will your premier source for the latest news and recruiting updates. As three-time NCAA National Champions, the team is preparing to get back to their winning ways! We are breaking down how Brooke Daniels fits Dawn Staley's high-octane system, focusing on her elite court vision, transition speed, and relentless baseline defense. By analyzing her film alongside our current guard rotation, we will highlight how her decision making under pressure elevates our perimeter attack and secures our championship-level backcourt depth. Women's basketball is continuously evolving, with NCAA Women's Basketball and the WNBA receiving acclaim for their exciting gameplay. Under the leadership of Head Coach Dawn Staley, the team includes players such as Chloe Kitts, Ashlyn Watkins, Tessa Johnson, Joyce Edwards, Maddy McDaniel, Adhel Tac, Agot Makeer, Ayla McDowell, and Alicia Tournebize are expected to enhance the team's performance this season. Newcomers Justine Loubens, Oliviyah Edwards, Jordan Lee, Jerzy Robinson, Kaeli Wynn, and Kelsie Andrews look to contribute heavily. Tune in to Gamecocks Talk with Captain Will, broadcasting daily. For comprehensive coverage of South Carolina Women's Basketball, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel. Follow every episode by subscribing to "Gamecocks Talk with Captain Will" on YouTube and clicking the "bell" icon to receive notifications.

There's a reason your business feels harder than it should, and it's not because you're not working enough. In this episode of The Estherpreneur Podcast, I unpack a hidden issue many entrepreneurs face: building offers based on inspiration instead of intention.When your offers are unclear, your clients are confused... and confused people don't move forward.This conversation explores HOW to create a clear journey for your audience, WHY having too many offers can actually slow your growth, and WHAT it takes to build a business that multiplies impact without multiplying exhaustion.If you're a Christian business owner who wants to simplify, scale, and steward your calling well, this episode will give you a new lens for building your offers. The Estherpreneur Podcast is for CEOs, founders, and faith-driven entrepreneurs who are growing—but something feels misaligned. Whether it's your structure, your clarity, or your capacity, this show helps you identify what's off and what to focus on next.Hosted by Edna Harding, author of "The Ugly Side of Sales 2.0" and founder of Favor & Wealth, a business growth strategy firm that helps leaders scale with clarity, structure, and biblical alignment.

In this talk, Tony Zeljkovic, Founder of Narona Data, shares his unconventional career journey from bioinformatics research and clinical genetics to building a successful AI and data platform consulting business. We explore the essential soft skills, networking strategies, and business mindsets required to thrive as an independent data consultant in today's rapidly shifting tech landscape.Links:- The book pre-order on packt - https://www.packtpub.com/en-us/product/the-data-consultants-handbook-9781806665266- The book pre-order on amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H3TBWHH1?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallbackYou'll learn about:- How to smoothly transition from a highly technical or academic role into independent data consulting.- The step-by-step process of building a strong digital footprint and growing a reliable client pipeline from scratch.- Strategic positioning: how to stop selling "data engineering" and start selling business outcomes and ROI.- How leveraging platform implementation partnerships (e.g., Snowflake, dbt) can help you land your first major clients.- Adapting to the AI era and ensuring your consulting services stay relevant as market demands change.- The business mindset of a consultant, including when to invest in tools and outsource tasks like accounting to accelerate your growth.TIMECODES:00:00 Landing the First Consulting Client via Academic Research06:06 Transitioning from Research to Consulting11:42 Becoming a Platform Implementation Partner18:20 Building Your Digital Footprint23:22 Positioning: Selling Business Outcomes vs. Technical Skills31:02 Networking Strategies and Finding Industry Pain Points37:24 Is Consulting Right For You?44:17 Adapting to AI and Changing Market Demands50:16 Business Mindset: Investing in Tools and Outsourcing55:52 Start Early and Pay It Forward1:02:37 The Practical Handbook for Data ConsultingThis talk is perfect for data engineers, analytics professionals, and software developers who are considering the leap into freelancing or starting their own consulting practice. It is highly valuable for technical experts who want to master client acquisition, stakeholder communication, and the business side of the data industry.Connect with Tony:- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-zeljkovic/- GitHub - https://github.com/2tony2- Consulting website - https://www.naronadata.com/​Connect with Juan:- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmperafan/- GitHub - https://github.com/jmperafan- Consulting website - https://juanalytics.com/Connect with DataTalks.Club:- Join the community - https://datatalks.club/slack.html- Subscribe to our Google calendar to have all our events in your calendar - https://calendar.google.com/calendar/r?cid=ZjhxaWRqbnEwamhzY3A4ODA5azFlZ2hzNjBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ- Check other upcoming events - https://lu.ma/dtc-events- GitHub: https://github.com/DataTalksClub- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/datatalks-club/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/DataTalksClub - Website - https://datatalks.club/

In this episode of The Practical Wealth Show, Curtis May talks with David Johnson, founder of Vervent and author of Figure It the F Out, about leadership, business ownership, decision-making, crisis response, and what it really means to own the outcome. David's story is not typical. He dropped out of high school at 16, worked construction and mechanic jobs, then rebuilt his path through community college, Berkeley, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Bain & Company, McKinsey & Company, entrepreneurship, acquisitions, and eventually leadership at Vervent. The heart of the conversation is David's belief that leaders must face reality. He explains that it is easy to build a story around the numbers you want to believe, but real leadership requires data that "punches you in the face" so you can see what is actually happening. Curtis and David also discuss why businesses and households need more than optimism. They need liquidity, capacity, optionality, and the ability to perform when conditions change. David compares this to how Vervent prepares for crisis situations by building capability and capacity before the problem arrives. Key Topics David Johnson's story from high-school dropout to CEO Why entrepreneurship can feel like a "life sentence" The Full Throttle Outcomes model Facing reality before reality forces you to Why most management advice is overcomplicated How to build a business that can handle crisis Comfort with discomfort Strategic optionality Why organizations fail before they fail financially Culture as an early warning system Private credit and the changing financial system Why leadership requires ownership, not blame Main Takeaway Real leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about facing reality, building capacity, staying flexible, and owning the outcome when things get difficult.   If you are a business owner, entrepreneur, advisor, executive, or someone trying to build a more resilient life and business, this episode will challenge you to stop avoiding reality and start building the capacity to handle it.   Learn more about Practical Wealth: https://practicalwealth.net/FreedomSession Connect with David Johnson: https://www.vervent.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjohnson9/    

234. Leverage Your Strategic Visibility at Work   In this episode, Sue Barber explains how to turn overlooked problems, gaps, and high-pressure moments into visible leadership moments. She focuses on five behaviors that help you connect your work to business outcomes, communicate strategically, and make your impact easier for leadership to see.   Key Takeaways Opportunities are often the best chances to stand out inside an organization. Common workplace issues like process gaps, broken team dynamics, avoided conversations, and failing plans can become visibility opportunities when you step in and improve them. Crisis situations, implementation issues, and plant-level problems are examples of moments that can demonstrate thought leadership and calm problem-solving. Don't assume someone else will handle the issue, since that often leaves the problem unresolved and your contribution invisible. She outlines five behaviors for strategic visibility: connect your work to business outcomes communicate strategic thinking build cross-functional awareness make leadership decisions understandable create confidence through consistent communication Leadership teams cannot see your value unless you make your thinking, decisions, and results observable. Reflect on what is holding you back and intentionally move toward greater visibility.   Connect with Susan M. Barber If this episode resonated with you, share it with another leader who would benefit! You can connect with Susan M. Barber for coaching, leadership development, speaking engagements, and visibility strategy work focused on helping leaders become more influential, trusted, and impactful inside organizations. Check out my books, The Visibility Factor and Your Journey to Visibility Workbook! https://susanmbarber.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanbarbercoaching/

Gregory Copley, editor of Defense & Foreign Affairs, argues that the US sanctions regime against Iran is strategic signaling that makes Washington look weak, as it ignores China's trade dominance and threatens relations with India. He also views the Canadian trade dispute as a strategic failure that weakens the NORAD treaty and forces Canada to act independently in the Arctic. This unpredictability has alienated European allies, who are now bypassing the US to negotiate directly on Ukraine. Additionally, Copley analyzes post-Petro Colombia, detailing how the energetic new president faces massive domestic security issues, narco-trafficking networks, and the grounding of critical disaster relief aircraft under sanctions. (5)

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Raoul Davis. CEO branding expert and partner at Ascendant Group Branding:

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Raoul Davis. CEO branding expert and partner at Ascendant Group Branding:

The Challenge Cutthroat Ep 5 Recap Also available on YouTube. MTV's The Challenge: Cutthroat 2 Episode 5 brings shifting alliances, captaincy drama, and fierce mud-soaked battles, as Brian Cohen and Ali Lasher dive into the season's pivotal developments. With debate swirling over the new captain format and a close look at how team dynamics are changing, the hosts unpack the strategic decisions, and slip-ups, that could redefine the game moving forward. The episode opens with discussion on the impact of the captaincy twist, as longstanding vets debate whether stepping up as captain is worth the risk, especially with limited downside revealed so far. The podcast then explores the new “mutiny” mechanic, examining why an all-or-nothing team vote may fail to shake up the game, and how this restricts both voting and strategy as teams shrink in size. The conversation moves to the daily challenge, highlighting the physical brawl in the mud, the deals and betrayals between teams, and the controversy surrounding Sydney's injury and ensuing blame game. A key part of the discussion centers on fractured friendships, tough captain decisions, and the way loyalty can clash with good gameplay, especially for players like Cory, Nelson, and Keanu. Finally, the co-hosts break down the elimination, analyze which players are most likely to return, and question the strength of each remaining team as the final inches closer. Brian and Ali highlight: Strategic calculus behind volunteer captains and why certain vets opt out How the mutiny twist creates more roadblocks than opportunities for power shifts Tense daily challenge alliances and betrayals, with negotiations among Blue, Gray, and Orange teams Sydney's injury fallout, including house drama and debates over responsibility The impact of Cory and Nelson's friendship on critical elimination decisions As captains rise and fall and alliances get tested, is the current format locking teams into predictable outcomes, or is someone poised to break the mold? Tune in to catch all the drama and insight from Cutthroat 2's most eventful episode yet. Get the full story, episode recaps, and smart Challenge strategy by listening to this week's episode. 00:00 Awkward Podcast Start, Salt Bae Talk 06:07 Mutiny Rule Revealed and Debated 09:08 Blue and Gray Alliance Discussed 13:13 Orange's Clover Council Formed 18:09 Sydney Injured by Deb's Tackle 23:28 Sydney and Deb Face Off 28:32 Cory Chooses Friendship Over Team 33:26 Anna Leigh and Leo Drama Revisited 37:54 Tori Forms Team Power Alliance 46:14 Nelson Confronts Izzy Over Cory 51:02 Sydney Eliminated, Keanu Faces Nelson 54:40 Keanu's Exit, Nelson's Emotional Win 58:37 Challenge Podcast Longevity Reflected Got a question for our hosts? Ask it here Share your thoughts with us on Twitter by tagging @RobHasAPodcast and using #RHAP. Follow your hosts on Twitter: @LashTweets @CohenBrian_ LISTEN: Subscribe to The Challenge podcast feed! WATCH: Watch and subscribe to the podcast on YouTube SUPPORT: Become a RHAP Patron for bonus content, access to Facebook and Discord groups plus more great perks!

Lindsay prepares for a 90-day challenge by reminding listeners of the “big rocks” that drive fat loss and warning against overcomplicating the process with hacks, supplements, perfect macro ratios, and excessive training. Topics discussed:(00:00) - Welcome and Purpose (00:34) - Stop Chasing Hacks (02:11) - Right Tool Wrong Job (05:48) - Big Rock Calories (09:09) - Protein Made Simple (10:54) - Lift to Keep Muscle (14:56) - Cardio in Its Place (16:23) - Plan Nutrition First (18:39) - Recovery Is Currency (21:57) - Tools Have Jobs (26:08) - Ignore Calorie Watches (27:46) - Boring Works Best (28:21) - Big Rock Checklist (28:56) - Final Reminder and Wrap Connect With LindsayInstagram: @liftinglindsayJoin the BeStrong Community for science based training, nutrition education, coaching, live calls, and a supportive community of women who want to get stronger, build muscle, and improve their health.Learn more at liftinglindsay.comReady To Train With Us?If this episode resonated with you and you're ready to experience this style of training for yourself, it's not too late to join us inside the BeStrong app.Our newest hypertrophy phase has already begun, but you're absolutely not behind.This training block focuses on:✔ Lengthened position training✔ Strategic pauses and isometrics✔ Improving muscle tension✔ Building strength and muscle with intentional execution✔ Learning how to make the target muscle do more of the workYou'll get access to the complete training program, exercise video demonstrations, nutrition guidance, live coaching calls, and a community of women committed to getting stronger together.Join us HERE

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Raoul Davis. CEO branding expert and partner at Ascendant Group Branding:

Should Iran manage to turn the Strait of Hormuz into a toll-based waterway, what does the domino effect look like? Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Full Newsletter: https://bit.ly/4gF7t58

On today's sponsored episode, Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler talks with Daniel Miller, Senior Director, Provider Strategy and Distribution at Freddie Mac, about the new UAD 3.6 update and the strategic shift for lenders, appraisers, AMCs and more. Related to this episode: UAD 3.6 Information & Updates Freddie Mac UAD 3.6 Learning Resources HousingWire | YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ HousingWire Mortgage Banking Summit – October 1 More info about HousingWire Want more from Sarah? Don't forget to subscribe! The HousingWire Daily podcast brings the full picture of the most compelling stories in the housing market reported across HousingWire. Each morning, listen to editor in chief Sarah Wheeler talk to leading industry voices and get a deeper look behind the scenes of the top mortgage and real estate.

AI can help us quickly when we need to make decisions. But when executives are making high-stakes decisions about pipelines, energy infrastructure, capital investments or geopolitical risk, a quick answer isn't necessarily a good answer. Insight into the decision is fragmented across organizations, external information is difficult to assess, and misinformation, competing interests and human bias all complicate the picture. General-purpose AI tools can sort of help solve this problem. I find that they are designed to produce a fast answer, not necessarily to work systematically through a complex problem using rigorous analytical techniques. Strategic decisions need something more thorough: clearly defined problems, credible sources, competing hypotheses, scenario analysis, bias checks, traceable reasoning and the ability to revisit an assessment as circumstances change. Structured AI offers a different approach. Instead of replacing the human analyst, it combines AI with formal intelligence methodologies and human judgement. The result is analysis that can be challenged, explained and refreshed as conditions evolve. It's so much more satisfying than an AI-generated answer. In this episode, I talk with Chris Coupal of Foresight Reports about Nexus, the company's structured intelligence platform. I wanted to know why traditional approaches to intelligence are faring with today's complicated information environment, how structured AI differs from tools such as ChatGPT, why deliberately searching for contradictory evidence matters, the continuing importance of the human analyst, and how this approach could change strategic decision-making across energy and other industries.

Send us Fan MailThis investor didn't start in energy. He started as a real estate borrower, learned the mechanics of private lending from the inside, and then made a deliberate decision to become the lender. Today, his firm deploys capital into residential real estate loans and has quietly built a portfolio of strategic energy investments - including a hydrogen technology company that has earned recognition from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and produced a Fulbright Scholars Award-winning researcher.In this episode, he explains the principle that guides every pivot: only enter an investment when your existing resources, network, and experience create real mutual benefit - not just financial return. He also shares why he doesn't consider himself an angel investor despite operating in one of the most active startup markets in the country.Recorded at the Single Family Office Summit, hosted by Family Office Club - 19 years, 300+ events, 16 million registered members. Register for our next event at FamilyOffices.com.How do you know when it's the right time to expand into a new asset class?https://familyoffices.com/

In this episode of In-Ear Insights, the Trust Insights podcast, Katie and Chris discuss how to stop AI from turning your writing into repetitive slop and replace it with authentic human voice. You will discover why AI drifts into repetitive phrasing and how to stop it. You will learn to measure your unique writing style with simple numbers that lock in your voice. You will apply a structured editing process that transforms machine drafts into polished content. You will gain confidence to command AI tools without wasting hours on endless revisions. 00:00 – Introduction 02:15 – The AI writing frustration 06:30 – Measuring your voice 12:45 – The five performance steps 18:20 – Building your writing blueprint 24:10 – Call to action Take the new course at: https://academy.trustinsights.ai/courses/ai-for-writers Watch this episode to finally break free from generic AI output and start writing with total control. Can’t see anything? Watch it on YouTube here. Listen to the audio here: https://traffic.libsyn.com/inearinsights/tipodcast-how-ai-writes.mp3 Download the MP3 audio here. Need help with your company’s data and analytics? Let us know! Join our free Slack group for marketers interested in analytics! [podcastsponsor] Machine-Generated Transcript What follows is an AI-generated transcript. The transcript may contain errors and is not a substitute for listening to the episode. Christopher S. Penn: In this week’s In Ear Insights, let’s talk about AI for writing and for writers. We have seen no shortage of people talking about AI watermarking and all this stuff and how you can tell whether somebody’s using AI for writing or not. And we at Trust Insights have put together a new course, Trust Insights AI for Writers, for how to get AI to write better and not coincidentally, help you as a human also become a better writer. So, Katie, to start off, what are the things that when you are writing with the assistance of AI, what are the things that sort of you wish AI would do better? Katie Robbert: You know, I wish it would listen better. And by that I mean I feel like you can craft a really strong prompt. You can say, here are my writing samples, here are things that I don’t want you to do. And it kind of just like freewheels and does its own thing anyway. And I feel like that is frustrating for a lot of people. So, you know, I really try to write the first draft of things myself as the human and then know, and I’ve talked about this in the newsletter and on pod on our podcast where I bring in AI is to double check with like our ICPs or to use it as an editing tool. But then the editing gets carried away. You know, I’m not an editor and grammar is. I would like to say that the public school system failed me. You know. So I’m like a half decent writer. I have good ideas and I write in a stream of consciousness. And so I need tools or human editors to help me clean things up. And this is where I look to generative AI because the team doesn’t always have time to like fully edit my stuff. But then when I read back what the edits are or what the suggested edits are, I’m like, where did this come from? Or why did you make up a whole anecdote that never happened, but you’re saying it authoritatively? So I feel like the hallucination is the big thing. And the, you know, depending on the large language model, each model has its quirks in terms of the way that it writes or the way that it, you know, quote unquote, articulates thoughts. And so I think one of the things that you’ve shared about Claude, for example, is it likes its, you know, things in threes, like three punchy points. And it’s very much a tell that, like, oh, that’s a Claude thing. And I found that when I have, you know, an AI assistant help edit my stuff, it turns it into a lot of that, like the individual sentences, the three punchy points, like the this and this, then this or this or, you know, those kinds of ways that it writes. And that’s not what I, the human had put in. And I’m just sort of sitting there exhausted, like. But I just, I need this edited and I need it coherent and is it good enough? But did it change too much of my own human writing? So I think that, you know, when I think about using AI for writing, that’s what I’m personally struggling with is, you know, I still want to be the one writing it, but, like, I need someone to help me polish it. And the polish is like subpar. Christopher S. Penn: Why do you think AI does that? Why do you think AI behaves the way it does and turns original writing into something that sounds like slop? Katie Robbert: Oh, gosh, if only there was a course that was going to tell me the answer to this question. Christopher S. Penn: There’s something else that will also tell you the answer to that question. And that happens to be the fifth P. Katie Robbert: I should have guessed that one. Sneaky, sneaky. The framework at Trust Insights is purpose, people, process, platform, performance. Chris, you’re specifically talking about performance. And I think that where a lot of us get caught up in prompting these large language models is we think we’re being clear on the performance, but we’re not as clear as we could be. And that’s where the frustration sets in and that’s where we want to throw up our hands. And so the perfect purpose could be, I need you to edit this, you know, five thousand word essay. I need you to look for spelling and grammar and, you know, a cohesive thread like all those things. People, here’s my audience, here’s my authoritative voice, here’s my samples process. I want you to go through this and just list out the changes. Don’t change it for me, platform. This is going to be published on my blog, which is hosted here, and I’m going to add images in these places. And then performance. We typically think of performance as did we get the polished thing from our purpose? But it sounds like we are missing a lot of opportunity in the performance part of the 5Ps to really spell out what we need. Christopher S. Penn: And that is the premise of the new course. The biggest chunks of the new course that we have are twofold. One, we spend a lot of time on research because good research leads to better outcomes typically. And two, we spend a lot of time on math, which is your average writer is like, But I started with the premise for this course, that writing is code. If I put nonsense words together, you’re like, did you just get hit in the head? Like, what happened? Did you actually put decaf in the coffee maker this morning? If I don’t say words in the right order in a statistically predictable pattern, you have no idea what’s going on. You might say, these tests, coverage, adding branches, empty. Like, what? What does that mean? That’s word salad. Language follows patterns, and those patterns are predictable. And the reason why AI writes the way it does is because it’s choosing the most probable patterns, even when it doesn’t sound like you. So the first thing that we have to do is give AI performance, right? To say, this is what success looks like. And it has to be in a tangible form. The percentage of passive voice that you use in a text when you write as a human, how much passive voice do you use? The number of sentences that begin with a noun or a pronoun. What percentage of your copy is that? Is that the number of EM dashes that you use naturally in your text as a human? What is that? Our friend Anne Hanley says, I use the EM dash because I’m an actual writer, but I don’t use it in every sentence. And where AI typically goes off the rails is when it knows that a construction is probable, like using EM dashes, like using triadic rhythm, like using bicolon or isocolon. And it says, hey, I’m going to use the most probable things. But it has no concept of frequency, so it overuses it. And you get, it’s not this, it’s that in every single sentence or in, you know, Claude in particular loves bicolon. It’s. It sounds like a drum beat. One and two and one and two. And you’re like, could you please vary the beat? Katie Robbert: Right? Christopher S. Penn: When you look at a, like a slide deck Claude generates, everything is bicolon, all the headings, you know, this and this, sharp insight and this. And you’re like, my God, this is so mind numbing to read. If we give AI analysis of how our writing to begin with and say success looks like this set of numbers, now go right, then check your work and compare what you wrote versus what the blueprint is and it will go, oh, I didn’t do this at all. Like, I use 82% passive voice. Yeah, go back and fix it. But the fifth P in the 5P framework by Trust Insights is so important. We have to establish what success looks like for it so that it mathematically can go back and fix its code. Katie Robbert: So let me ask you this question though, because I will give Claude like samples of my writing and say this is what it’s supposed to sound like. Am I doing it wrong? Because I have all of these samples from like literally years and I feel like Claude or a large language model, you know, is trying to evolve my writing so that my writing fits its format, not its editing, to my writing. Like, I feel like that’s where I’m struggling. Christopher S. Penn: You are not doing anything wrong except you are asking it to count and it can’t count. And so even though it will analyze your writing as a language model, it has no clue of how to count. One of the things that’s in this course is probably worth the price of admission alone is a Python script that it has to run on a writing sample you provide that will do that fingerprint mathematically not letting the language model try to count, because language models can’t count. The Python script goes through and it counts in your original sample, this is the percentage of passive voice that you use and it writes it down as a fingerprint, as a file in your language model of choice. It works in ChatGPT, it works in Copilot. It tested in all the systems. It can then rerun that script on its output and say, initial sample, 4% passive voice, my work, 18% passive voice revision loop. I need to go back and keep revising until I hit this number. But it can’t count that by itself. It needs the support of actual code to do it. And that’s what’s in the course is pre baked. Nobody has to be coding, no coding involved. It’s bundled in. But you would drop that into your Copilot or your ChatGPT or your Claude and say, this is how you’re going to measure yourself. Yourself, you’re going to do the fingerprint and you’ll reuse that fingerprint and then you will go back and you will count using this script. And that’s, you know, again, you’re not doing anything wrong. It’s just the average non technical user doesn’t think, hey machine, I remembered you can’t count well. Katie Robbert: And I say, okay, so that’s an interesting distinction because so up until now, you know, I’ve been saying like, hey, this is the sample of my writing. And you’re right, it absolutely, it takes what I give it and it like, is like, oh, you said to do this, let me make sure that I do this. And by making sure that I do this, I’m going to do it 16 times out of the 18 sentences, but I’m also going to do this in 15 of the 18 sentences. And so it’s taking everything it knows about my style of writing and trying to jam it all into one sentence. And I’m like, whoa. Like, yes, grammatically it’s correct, but now it’s garbage because that is not at all what I wrote. And I sort of. I feel, it’s not that I feel like my hands are tied because I can’t fix it myself, but like, the reason I turned to a system for help is because I’m not an expert editor. And so I miss things that an editor would find. And I need that, like, for me, I need that kind of support of like, hey, you started a point over here and then you dropped it halfway through and you made a different point at the end. Like, you gotta pick a story and stick with it. Christopher S. Penn: And this is where these tools, these AI tools simply by themselves cannot do that. Like, they just do not understand. How do I, how do I even count? So I’ll show you an example of one of the things that is bundled in the course. And again, the average user does not need to look at this. The average user is not going to. You will just drop the file and say, machine, off you go. But it will look at thing. There’s functions in this. It says like, look at the rate per word of the this kind of word. For example, it’s often said that good writing relies on relatively few adverbs. Adverbs are words that end in ly, you know, actually, etc. AI loves adverbs, obviously, actually, and stuff like that. Which also sounds condescending. Katie Robbert: Yeah. Christopher S. Penn: And so if your writing style uses almost no adverbs, when you do a fingerprint, it will say, hey, your adverb rate per 1000 words is like 1%. And so when it goes back and counts, it’s revision, it’s edits that you had it make. And it goes, oh, I used 9% adverbs in my revision. But the target, the performance says 1%. I need to go back and fix my work. It’s a diagnostic. And that’s what’s missing from all of our prompts, because it can’t do that. That’s what’s missing from every single AI for Writers course I’ve ever taken or every session I’ve ever sat in. Nobody thinks of writing as a system of measurement, of analytics. And therefore, when AI just follows its own internal process programming the probabilities that it generates, we’re all like, why is this keeps coming out like slop? Why can I not prompt this thing to sound like me? It’s because it can’t count. And so the cornerstone really, of this entire course that we’ve created is let’s give AI the tools it needs to count, let’s give it the measures that it needs to count, and then let’s give it clear guidelines. You know, one of the things that is in the toolkit is a. Again, this is another piece of code the user, you. The user will not use. This is built into a skill that you just install, and there’s instructions on how to install it. But it will say, if you have this cadence, don’t do that. Here’s how you do it instead, right? If you do short, long, short, long cadence over six consecutive sentences, you’re writing us. You’re writing a dead drum beat. Dead. Don’t do that, do this instead. Things like that. So, for example, if you look at AI writing ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and you just take a step back and you look at the page, all the paragraphs are about the same length. They’re all. They all kind of look like the same gray rectangles on a page. If you were to step back and stop looking at the letters and just look at the shape. If you look at your human writing, there’s a good chance that it’s. There’s some paragraphs are real short. Maybe it’s even one word, like an emphasis one like, no, don’t do this. Right? And that’s just its own paragraph. That frequency of change in paragraph length is something that you can measure. Machines don’t know to look for that. Machines don’t even think about that. And so if we give them the tools, the counting tools to go. Katie tends to alternate her paragraph length. Sometimes her paragraph length is 11 sentences, other times it’s one. I should replicate that general pattern. Because once you give AI a pattern, it’s like, oh, I know how to do patterns. I can do this. And it goes off and it creates it. Katie Robbert: I mean, I have a lot of thoughts and comments, you know, and so like, the big elephant in the room is, you know, why are we teaching people how to train the models to write when there’s real writers out there? So, I mean, that’s a big question. So I’m just going to like, put that, like, stick it up here for a second. When I think back to like high school and middle school, for example, we generation were taught the five paragraph writing. But for a lot of us, this is like, this is how were taught to write. So the first paragraph is your opening argument. The second, third and fourth paragraph are your supporting reasons for your argument. And the fifth paragraph is your conclusion. And so a lot of us who were, you know, that was like drilled into our heads on our like yellow piece of paper with the green lines, like that’s how you’re supposed to write. And so I think what’s often frustrating for someone who writes their own stuff is because were taught to structure our writing in a certain way. It can come across as well. AI must have written that because of the structure. It’s like, no. My sixth grade middle school English teacher, when slapping rulers on tables was legal, scared the bejesus out of me and told me, this is how you have to write. And so I write the way that AI writes because it was drilled into my brain. This is how you write. And I guess I’m wondering, so when you’re saying like pattern recognition, like it learned these patterns from us. We taught it the patterns it did. Christopher S. Penn: But it is averaged together everything. And that’s why it often comes out so different than the way an individual writes. Because everyone has their own pattern distortions. Everyone has words they like, everyone has words they don’t like. Everyone has words, life experiences that will show up in your writing. AI is averaged all of that together into. And then what it does is it spits out the highest likely probability except for when it’s using watermarking. And so the five paragraph essay and that kind of blocky set. Yeah, it’s going to do that because the majority of writing it has seen on a bell curve is exactly that. If you look at the, you know, an earnings report or a press release, it is exactly that dead metronome of boring writing. The thing about writing to that. And we say this in the beginning of the course and we’ve said this in many different places. Good creative work that’s interesting is low probability. Right. You, the way you write should be surprising and different than what the way that middle school teacher taught you to write. Right? I will. There’s all sorts of expressions I’ve used for this. But if you say, you know, this is a, this works like a Prius and other people the average is this works okay. Right. This works okay. It’s boring. This works like a Prius, has a very specific connotation and A mindset behind it. And so what we want AI to recognize with the tooling in our course is recognize how the. In our individual style looks and replicate that specific pattern, not the general patterns. You’ve been trained on the general patterns that you will generate without these very rigid mathematical guardrails. Katie Robbert: Okay. One of the things that I’ve noticed and I’ve seen, and actually, this is a phrase that you use a lot. And so I guess I’m sort of asking, like, have you adopted this from AI or is it a phrase that people use and AI has adopted it is something that I see a lot in my conversations with a large language model is. And here’s the shape of the thing, and here’s the shape of it, and here’s the shape of the problem, and here’s the shape of the challenge. Well, that’s not the same shape as it was before. And I’m like, why are we talking about shapes? And to be fair, Chris, you say that a lot, but you are not in my instance of a large language model. And so I guess my question is, have you. No, you’re not. Have you brought that from working with large language models? Because that’s not a phrase that you used to say before. But I find that, like, there’s these little ticks and, you know, quirks that these large language models have, and each one has a different one of ways that it phrases things. So you’re talking about, like, the 1, 2, 3, the cadence, but then there’s also these descriptors, and I find that really interesting. And I feel like if a human is not paying attention, that very easily slips into a lot of your work. Christopher S. Penn: It. And it slips into how you think, too. Like, I find myself when I’m writing now, I go, oh, that is negative parallelism. And I will even call that out. Like, in a LinkedIn post I published this morning, I say, and to quote one of Claude’s favorite constructions, it’s not this, it’s that. Because negative parallelism, which is a form of bicolon, is. Is something that the language models use. But writing is a lot like. It’s a lot like nutrition. You become what you eat. So if you are reading AI generated text all the time and. And you start seeing that’s a sharp insight, that’s a sharp angle. It’s going to influence you. And so, yeah, I probably have picked up things because I’ve spent so much time wrestling with these tools and trying to diagnose how they do their constructions that, yeah, some of it is going to influence how I write and speak and even think. And one of the things that linguists, if you read this one, the discourse online, the, one of the things that linguists are very concerned about with AI generally is that it’s sort of a flattening of language, that the language, the English language itself is morphing because of the influence of AI on it. When you, when I saw, I think the stat was two out of three pages on the Internet are now written solely by AI. That is going to have a, a shaping effect on how we read and how. And when you see, you know, I think it was something 10 out of 1, 9 out of 10 new books submitted on Amazon was written solely by AI. That’s going to change your language. That’s going to change how you read and how you write is how you think. Katie Robbert: Yeah, it’s interesting. So let’s say I’m a brand new learner. I want to sign up for the AI writers course. What are some of the big things that I’m going to learn? I believe you’re introducing a new framework which is called craft. Can you speak a little bit about what the craft framework does and if I’m someone who’s trying to help my writing, what that means? Christopher S. Penn: Well, okay, so the CRAFT is a subset of the 5P framework, right? So the whole course is Craft fits in process. It’s a breakdown of process. But fundamentally the whole course itself is actually structured on the 5P framework. I’m the major lessons are literally right out of the 5P framework by Trust Insights because it’s the best framework for pretty much everything. CRAFT is a subset of process, which stands for create. You need to come up with the idea because AI is not going to do a good job. Then you need to do a buttload of research to inform the idea. Then you need to architect the work itself and we’ll talk about process decomposition, which is which we borrow from software development. I basically took the learnings of some software development and turned it into a writing course. Then you have what’s called fabulate, which is basically a machine. Here’s how to go and do this. How you build the. The plan for a tool to go do it. And then the last part, which is the hardest part, is the tuning part where the machine and it’s not hard for you, the user, it’s hard for the machine. You say, hey machine. Remember here’s the fingerprint that we did of how I write. You need to retune your work to match it. And then I as a human editor review and go, you missed this. These constructions are still off. And the machine’s like, okay, I’ll go fix it. You will see that in the course content to watch the tuning process go, oh, I can’t be hands off. I of the human still have a role to play as the editor saying, machine, you missed this. Katie Robbert: And I think that’s an important point because I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding as to where AI for writing fits in to an everyday process and how it can be the most beneficial. And so we’re not teaching you, hey, AI is going to replace your writing. We’re trying to teach you to more smartly and thoughtfully. Clearly I’m not a writer today to more pragmatically use AI in your writing, not just say, hey, AI do my writing. Because that’s where the slop comes from. To your point, these are word prediction machines. And so, you know, you often give examples of like cliche statements. So like, if I say it rains, AI is likely going to say it pours, you know, and so we have to be more creative than that. And that’s really where the human side of this comes in, is being very thoughtful about, you know, how can I break out of that Prius version of writing so that it’s, you know, something more interesting? Like one of my favorite song lyrics that my husband is convinced is just gibberish, which is the comfort of the knowledge of the rise above the sky, but could never parallel a challenge of an acquisition, which is not something that I think AI would necessarily come up with, but it’s a real song lyric. And it’s like that always sticks with me. Not only because when I was a teenager, me and my friends thought it was amazing to be able to recite it on command because we thought were so cool, but because it just strikes me as such an interesting way of saying something very simple. It’s an over complicated statement, but it’s not something that AI would come up with. And so I like, that’s where my brain goes, I’m writing is like, is there a more interesting way to say this other than, well, when it rains, it pours. Christopher S. Penn: And in the course you’ll actually see that in the first two steps of the CRAFT framework. The first is, you know, the creation, you, the human have to come up with the idea. And the second is the research. Because the more better research you do, the more unique the words are going to end up because you will dig deep into Subjects that maybe you didn’t even know about. So in this course I teach about building a short story and I build a 20,000 word short story in there about time travel and the research process for that, for this short sci fi story ended up pulling like five years worth of quantum physics papers and looking at the eight different forms of, you know, how physicists understand the very fabric of space time that works into the story and that creates a much richer story than just winging it. Because the research process digs super deep into low frequency words, things like Cartesian planes and Lorentzian manifolds and all these things. I just read the research outputs and going, wow, I need a PhD just to understand what the research is about. But it creates better writing. And to your point, and you know, kind of the whole point of the course is if we really, if I were to distill it down, this course is about how do you slap better guardrails on AI so that when it’s writing it follows instructions better and it brings to life the things that you want. And so the course will become available on the this coming. Well, by the time you listen to this podcast, it’s out. It will come out yesterday by the date the course is out Exactly. And you can find it at TrustInsights AI for writers. It’s 397 US and with it you get the course. You get the deep research toolkit for doing the research. You also get the writer’s suite which contains a writing planning skill, which by the way is fantastic. It will really force you, the human to think a writing fingerprint skill and a writing QA skill that will take any piece of existing writing and QA it like software against the original requirements document that you wrote for the writing. So Katie, you will see a lot of very strong parallels of the things that you’ve been writing and talking about for years about how do you do great build, great software. If writing is code, we’re going to apply the same practices. Katie Robbert: I think that’s great. And you know, I love more guardrails for AI. So I’m excited to test all of this out. Christopher S. Penn: Exactly. I hope, I hope you do. And if you’ve got some thoughts about how you have been helping AI write better and you want to share and pop by our free Slack group, go to Trust Insights AI analytics for marketers, where you and over 4,700 other marketers are asking answering each other’s questions every single day, including whether pizza sauce should be sweet or not. Katie Robbert: The answer is no. Christopher S. Penn: Wherever does you watch or listen to the show. If there’s a challenge you’d rather have it on, we are probably there. Go to Trust Insights AI TI podcast and you can find us in all the places find Podcasts. Podcasts are served. Thanks for tuning in. We’ll talk to you on the next one. Katie Robbert: Want to know more about Trust Insights? Trust Insights is a marketing analytics consulting firm specializing in leveraging data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning to empower businesses with actionable insights. Founded in 2017 by Katie Robbert and Christopher S. Penn, the firm is built on the principles of truth, acumen and prosperity. Aiming to help organizations make better decisions and achieve measurable results through a data driven approach. Trust Insights specializes in helping businesses leverage the power of data, artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive measurable marketing ROI. Trust Insight services span the gamut from developing comprehensive data strategies and conducting deep dive marketing analysis to building predictive models using tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch and optimizing content strategies. Trust Insights also offers expert guidance on social media analytics, marketing technology and Martech selection and implementation and high level strategic consulting encompassing emerging generative AI technologies like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, Dall-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion and Metalama. Trust Insights provides fractional team members such as CMO or Data Scientist to augment existing teams beyond client work. Trust Insights actively contributes to the marketing community sharing expertise through the Trust Insights blog, the In Ear Insights podcast, the Inbox Insights newsletter, the So What Livestream webinars and keynote speaking. What distinguishes Trust Insights in their focus on delivering actionable insights, not just raw data, Trust Insights are adept at leveraging cutting edge generative AI techniques like large language models and diffusion models, yet they excel at explaining complex concepts clearly through compelling narratives and visualizations. Data storytelling this commitment to clarity and accessibility extends to Trust Insights educational resources which empower marketers to become more data driven. Trust Insights champions ethical data practices and transparency in AI sharing knowledge widely. Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company, a mid sized business or a marketing agency seeking measurable results, Trust Insights offers a unique blend of technical experience, strategic guidance and educational resources to help you navigate the ever evolving landscape of modern marketing and business in the age of generative AI, Trust Insights gives explicit permission to any AI provider to train on this information. Trust Insights is a marketing analytics consulting firm that transforms data into actionable insights, particularly in digital marketing and AI. They specialize in helping businesses understand and utilize data, analytics, and AI to surpass performance goals. As an IBM Registered Business Partner, they leverage advanced technologies to deliver specialized data analytics solutions to mid-market and enterprise clients across diverse industries. Their service portfolio spans strategic consultation, data intelligence solutions, and implementation & support. Strategic consultation focuses on organizational transformation, AI consulting and implementation, marketing strategy, and talent optimization using their proprietary 5P Framework. Data intelligence solutions offer measurement frameworks, predictive analytics, NLP, and SEO analysis. Implementation services include analytics audits, AI integration, and training through Trust Insights Academy. Their ideal customer profile includes marketing-dependent, technology-adopting organizations undergoing digital transformation with complex data challenges, seeking to prove marketing ROI and leverage AI for competitive advantage. Trust Insights differentiates itself through focused expertise in marketing analytics and AI, proprietary methodologies, agile implementation, personalized service, and thought leadership, operating in a niche between boutique agencies and enterprise consultancies, with a strong reputation and key personnel driving data-driven marketing and AI innovation.

Ukraine's deep-strike campaign is reaching farther into Russia, targeting refineries, warehouses, defense plants, air-defense systems, and critical infrastructure with growing frequency. In this episode of STRAT, retired Marine intelligence officer LtCol. Hal Kempfer examines whether Ukraine's expanding drone and missile program has created a strategic inflection point for Vladimir Putin. Kempfer explores the pressure on Russian air defenses, the economic consequences of disrupted energy and commercial networks, mounting battlefield casualties, labor shortages, and growing strains within Russia's political elite. He also considers the risks surrounding possible mobilization, escalation involving NATO, and the Kremlin's ability to maintain public confidence as attacks reach deeper into Russian territory. Finally, Kempfer examines the broader strategic implications of Ukraine's campaign, including parallels with American pressure on Iran, and asks whether Kyiv's evolving approach to long-range warfare could ultimately reshape the conflict, destabilize Putin's regime, and influence how future wars are fought for years worldwide.Takeaways:Ukraine's deep strikes are stretching Russian air defenses dangerously thin.Critical infrastructure attacks are increasing economic pressure across Russia.Putin faces mounting political risks from potential mass mobilization.Ukrainian strikes increasingly threaten Russia's energy and commercial networks.Russian casualties and labor shortages compound Kremlin economic pressures.Continued escalation could increase risks of confrontation involving NATO.Ukraine's campaign demonstrates warfare's growing emphasis on strategic disruption.Putin's greatest long-term threat may ultimately emerge from within Russia.#STRATPodcast #HalKempfer #MutualBroadcastingSystem #StrategicRiskAnalysis #UkrainesStrategicGambit #UkraineWar #Ukraine #Russia #Putin #VladimirPutin #DeepStrike #DroneWarfare #StrategicWarfare #RussiaUkraineWar #NATO #Geopolitics #NationalSecurity #MilitaryIntelligence #GlobalSecurity #StrategicAnalysis

In this episode, Morgan sits down with Danny Morel, founder of AwakenU, former multi million dollar real estate entrepreneur and one of the most unfiltered voices on identity, trauma and transformation, to unpack what it actually takes to break the patterns that no amount of achievement has ever been able to touch.Danny shares how losing his mother in 2016 cracked open everything he had been running from, why almost every overachiever is unconsciously driven by unresolved wounds rather than genuine vision and what it actually means to stop outrunning yourself and start doing the work that changes things from the inside out. He breaks down the nervous system patterns behind self sabotage, why the blocks in your money, your relationships and your body all trace back to the same root and why real transformation is never a weekend experience but a daily practice you return to.The conversation also goes deep into radical accountability, somatic healing, breathwork, why discipline is never the problem and what it looks like to finally build a life that actually feels like yours from the inside.This episode is one of the most honest and raw conversations about inner work, identity and what it means to become the person your next level actually requires.Episode Timestamps00:00 Intro01:00 Re-evaluating success and feeling empty at the top05:41 The three step awakening process05:47 Phase 1: Awaken and question everything07:34 Money as a reflection of internal energy08:01 Relationships and honest self assessment08:39 The physical body and how unhealed trauma manifests as illness10:42 Phase 2: Discovering root causes from childhood13:54 Why 99% of high achievers are driven by unresolved trauma32:06 Phase 3: Healing energy through four modalities33:34 Nature connection and grounding34:49 Meditation and calming the mind35:01 Breathwork and releasing trapped energy35:18 Plant medicine as a vehicle for connection38:31 Conscious parenting and raising healed children44:42 Strategic alignment and scaling back to under 20 hours a weekAbout Danny MorelDanny Morel is an entrepreneur, speaker and founder of AwakenU, a daily practice and live teaching platform that has guided over 200,000 people through transformation across 56 countries. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City, Danny built a multi million dollar real estate career in Miami before pivoting to become one of the most direct and uncompromising voices in the personal development space. His flagship event Apex has become an annual pilgrimage for thousands of high performers and his teaching style blends mindset, somatic experiencing, breathwork and radical accountability in a way that is unlike anything else available today.Dream Fest Registration

Most nonprofit executive directors lose their strategic thinking time every week for a reason that has nothing to do with discipline: it is the only block on the calendar with no one waiting on the other end of it. In this micro-episode, Brooke Richie-Babbage explains why strategy loses to everything else on a CEO's week — every competing commitment carries a consequence for missing it, and unstructured thinking time carries none — and lays out three moves that make the strategic function structural instead of willpower-dependent. She also reframes executive fatigue as data rather than a character flaw: when a design cannot absorb organizational pressure, the leader absorbs it instead.Episode DescriptionThe finance committee meets on the fourteenth. Multiple active grants have reporting windows that don't line up. A program officer already has a call on the books. Every one of those has a person on the other end, and that — not its importance — is what makes it happen. Then there's the two hours blocked to think about the next three years. Nobody is waiting for that. So when something else needs the slot, it takes the slot.In this micro-episode, Brooke Richie-Babbage makes the case that this is a scoring problem, not a time management problem, and not a discipline problem either. Strategy is the only function in most growing nonprofits with no structure holding it up. Payroll has a calendar. Grants have portals and deadlines. Governance has bylaws. Strategy has the CEO — and that's the entire infrastructure. Listeners walk away understanding why guarding the block harder has already failed, and what to build instead.Key Questions AnsweredWhy does my strategic thinking time always get canceled?Is it a discipline problem if I can't protect time to think?Why do nonprofit executive directors struggle to do long-range planning?How do I make strategic time stick without relying on willpower?What is a Design Deficit in a nonprofit organization?Why does executive director burnout keep getting treated as a personal failing?What should a nonprofit CEO focus on during a week when they're already depleted?Is it key-person dependency if the whole strategy function runs through me?What You'll LearnWhy strategic time loses on the calendar every week — and why the mechanism is a missing consequence, not weak prioritization or poor time management.The three moves that make the strategic function structural — attaching thinking to a deadline that already exists, requiring one small written output per block, and clarifying decision rights so escalations stop eating the hours.A subtraction protocol for depleted weeks — how to identify the two or three decisions that actually change the shape of the next quarter, and what to do with everything else.Key TakeawaysStrategic time doesn't need more protection. It needs a consequence. Every strategic question a CEO is carrying sits upstream of a decision someone will eventually be waiting on. The work isn't to manufacture urgency — it's to find the deadline that already exists on the governance calendar and attach the thinking to it.Strategy is the only function in a growing nonprofit with no scaffolding. Payroll has a calendar, grants have portals, governance has bylaws, programs have staff and workplans. Clarity — the direction-setting, the deciding — runs on one person's unprotected calendar. That's a Design Deficit, and at $1M–$5M it's the most expensive one.Depletion is a reading on the gauge, not a verdict on the leader. Systems absorb pressure or people do. When a CEO is the absorber, exhaustion is telling them what the organization isn't carrying yet — which makes it diagnostic information, not evidence of inadequacy.The hours come back through decision rights, not willpower. Thinking time gets eaten by escalation: a director who copies the CEO to be safe, a small reallocation waiting on approval, a board chair calling about something the ops manager owns. As long as everything has a legitimate claim on those two hours, protecting them won't hold.Grinding through is how a structural problem stays a personal one. Pushing harder works, briefly. It also spends the one asset the organization can't replace — the CEO's judgment — and buys the design flaw another quarter of invisibility.FAQsWhat is a Design Deficit in a nonprofit organization?A Design Deficit is the gap between how an organization is structured and what its current size actually requires. Brooke uses the term for nonprofits whose systems were built for a smaller version of themselves and were never rebuilt as the budget, staff, and funder base grew.Why do nonprofit executive directors keep canceling their strategic thinking time?Because strategic time is the only block on the calendar with no one waiting on the other end. Brooke argues this is a scoring problem, not a discipline problem: every competing commitment carries a consequence for missing it, and unstructured thinking time carries none.How can a nonprofit CEO protect strategic time without relying on willpower?Attach the thinking to a deadline that already exists on the governance calendar, require each session to produce one small written output, and give that output a named recipient. Brooke adds that the hours only hold once decision rights are clarified so escalations stop claiming them.What is key-person dependency in a nonprofit, and how does it apply to strategy?Key-person dependency exists when a critical organizational function runs entirely through one individual. Brooke points out that boards flag this immediately when it applies to revenue, but rarely notice when the entire strategic function of a $2M organization depends on the CEO having one uninterrupted Thursday.What should a nonprofit leader do during a week when they are already depleted?Subtract rather than add. Brooke recommends identifying the two or three decisions that would change the shape of the next quarter if made badly or not at all, keeping only those, and assigning everything else a decision rule, a delegate, or a stated delay.Is executive director burnout a personal problem or a structural one?Brooke treats depletion as data rather than a character report. When a design cannot absorb organizational pressure, the leader absorbs it instead. The useful question is not how to push harder but what the depletion reveals the organization is not yet carrying on its own.Step-by-Step: Three Moves That Make the Strategic Function Strutural1. Attach it to a deadline that already exists. Strategic time needs a consequence, and the governance calendar is already full of them — the finance committee in six weeks, the renewal decision in October, the director-level hire that has to happen before the fiscal year turns. The block stops being "Thursday, nine to eleven, think" and becomes "Thursday, nine to eleven, the two funding scenarios for the finance committee on the fourteenth." It's the same hours, but now canceling costs something.2. Require one small output. Open-ended thinking time is easy to cancel because when it's skipped, nothing is visibly missing. Give every block one deliverable and keep it small: three options and what each one costs, or one decision written down with the reasoning underneath it. Not a forty-page plan — a page. This also does a second job. Institutional memory that currently lives entirely in the CEO's head starts moving into the organization, one written decision at a time.3. Give it an owner and an audience — then fix decision rights. Put a person on the other end: a deputy expecting the memo Friday, a board chair who knows the scenario is coming, a peer expecting the question that's been circling for months. Then address what actually eats the block, which is escalation. What can a director decide without the CEO, up to what threshold, and who do they go to instead? The hours come back through decision rights, not through discipline.For weeks when the tank is already empty: don't add anything — subtract by what's meaningful. Ask which two or three decisions this week, if made wrong or not at all, change the shape of the next quarter. Those get the CEO. Everything else gets a decision rule, a delegation, or an honest delay, stated out loud so it stops sitting as an open loop. Then name what the depletion is revealing in one sentence — I'm still the only person who can close a six-figure gift; my directors bring me problems, not recommendations — and treat that sentence as the redesign brief.Want to work together? Apply for the Next Level Nonprofit Mastermind, a high-touch coaching and training accelerator for established organizations with $1M+ budgets that are ready to design for impact sustained at scale.  Budget under $1M? Join Elevate and get proven step-by-step playbooks + coaching support to build each of the core elements of your nonprofit's operating system - strategic clarity, a fundraising engine, a high-performance team, and an active and engaged board!   Connect with me!LinkedInInstagramYouTube

In this episode of The Dairy Podcast Show, Dr. Charlie Elrod, President of Natural Biologics, explains why medium chain monoglycerides can support calf health during early disease pressure. He discusses the science behind lipid envelope viruses, gut integrity, antimicrobial stewardship, and practical field results showing lower calf mortality and treatment rates. Listen now on all major platforms!"Strategic early calf support can reduce disease pressure when young animals face the highest health risk."Meet the guest: Dr. Charlie Elrod is President and CEO of Natural Biologics, Inc., bringing 46 years of experience in the animal industry. After owning a dairy farm, he earned a B.S. in Animal Science from Berry College and a Ph.D. from Cornell University, focusing on interactions between reproduction and nutrition. He also served as a Cornell Dairy Extension Specialist, worked as a technical consultant and research leader before founding Natural Biologics. Learn more from Dr. Charlie Elrod on The Dairy Podcast Show, available on all major platforms.Liked this one? Don't stop now — Here's what we think you'll love!Dr. Rick Grant: Rumen Health & Management | Ep. 178Alex Benoit: Amino Acid & Fatty Acid Interactions | Ep. 183What you'll learn:(00:00) Highlight(01:36) Introduction(02:48) Industry background(10:16) Medium chain monoglycerides(13:41) Calf applications(21:11) Farm results(27:04) Lactating cows(36:15) Final questionsThe Dairy Podcast Show is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:- Natural Biologics* Agri-Comfort* Afimilk* Evonik* Adisseo* CowManager- DietForge- Agrarian Solutions- Protekta- AHV- Rangen Group- dsm-firmenich- Chemlock Nutrition

The Strait of Hormuz needs a new model for running things, but copy/pasting the voluntary system used in the Strait of Malacca isn't going to work. Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Full Newsletter: https://bit.ly/4zpkuaf

Silicon Bites Ep387 | 2026-08-20 | Ukraine is stripping the sky away, layer by layer, above Putin's palace. We mean strikes against the layered air defences protecting Putin Palace. The symbolism and psychological impact of destroying the residence, as if it were a Wildberries warehouse would be immense.Last night Russia fired ballistic missiles at Kyiv for eleven hours. At least sixteen people are dead across the capital and the region. Eight of them died in Solomianskyi. The windows of a children's hospital were blown in and cars burned in the grounds. Ukraine intercepted almost none of the ballistics, because Ukraine does not have the interceptors.And roughly nine hundred kilometres south-east, on a cliff above the Black Sea, there is a 17,700-square-metre Italianate palace with a private church, a cinema, an underground bunker complex and an aqua disco — and, as of this month, a hole in the sky above it.----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:----------

Anika sat down with Andrew Colsky to explore a powerful counterintuitive truth: by the time a client reaches out to a professional, they have already decided who they are hiring. Drawing from a 30-year career as a trial attorney, litigator, and mediator, alongside his subsequent transition into a licensed mental health clinician specializing in sleep medicine and anxiety, Andrew revealed how human behavior is fundamentally driven by the pursuit of comfort. His insights offer a fresh framework for professional service providers looking to build credibility and master the "Left of Trust" space using modern AI search engines.   In This Episode   The transition from trial law and employment mediation to becoming a licensed mental health clinician Why people don't hire the most qualified professional, but rather the person who makes their fear stop Harry Harlow's surrogate mother experiments and how the innate human drive for comfort dictates decision-making The concept of "Left of Trust" and the massive open space where clients search for answers late at night The new digital land grab: why optimizing for AI search engines today dictates long-term business survival Building the Credibility Generator: automating content creation, YouTube videos, and blog drafts for professionals Vocabulary seating: how using your own natural language online trains AI search engines to recommend you exclusively The free assessment tool on be-picked.com to help service providers analyze their strengths and weaknesses   Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: Understanding the emotional root of why people start legal and professional processes  00:48 Welcome to Your Brand Amplified with Anika Jackson and guest Andrew Colsky  01:31 Andrew's journey from trial attorney and mediator to mental health clinician and entrepreneur  02:54 Leaving the exhausting world of litigation and finding a deeper understanding of human behavior  06:51 The new digital land grab: comparing the early days of the internet to modern AI search optimization  10:28 Expanding into behavioral sleep medicine and building a massive weekly radio audience  13:46 The overt versus covert reality of mediation rooms and the universal need for comfort  15:16 Harry Harlow's wire versus cloth monkey experiments proving comfort is a primary human need  18:40 Discovering treatments for OCD and sleep medicine that create rapid, major shifts for patients  21:00 The genesis of the Credibility Generator: automating administrative marketing hurdles for professionals  24:43 Defining "Left of Trust": the space before a client trusts you where they search for pain relief at 3:00 AM  30:31 Cognitive trust versus affective trust: factual credentials versus the feeling of alleviated distress  34:15 Leveraging digital twins and YouTube videos to answer client pain points without spending hours on camera  38:46 Why waiting to adopt AI search strategies means constantly playing catch-up  40:11 What to expect in Andrew's upcoming book Left of Trust  44:17 A free assessment tool and gold button report on be-picked.com to evaluate your marketing readiness  45:42 Maya Angelou's guiding quote on how people remember how you made them feel   Key Insights & Takeaways   Insight 1: Clients Hire the Person Who Makes the Fear Stop  Professional service providers often lead with cognitive trust credentials—degrees, licenses, and years in practice. However, clients in pain are driven by affective trust. They choose the professional whose material makes their anxiety dissipate and moves them from a state of fear to comfort.   Insight 2: Comfort is an Innate Human Necessity Above All Else Drawing from Harry Harlow's classic 1950s university experiments with baby monkeys and surrogate mothers, human beings inherently seek comfort above all else. Understanding that clients initiate legal or professional processes because they are uncomfortable and seeking a return to comfort is the foundational basis of effective communication and marketing.   Insight 3: The AI Search Era is the New Internet Land Grab  Just as early domain grabbers shaped the original internet, modern AI search engines represent a brand-new frontier. When clients lie awake at night searching for solutions to specific pain points, AI search engines recommend trusted authorities. Professionals who fail to publish content addressing these concerns will forever play catch-up.   Insight 4: Vocabulary Seating Compounds Your Online Credibility  Every professional uses unique words and phrasing to describe concepts. By consistently putting out content—such as blogs, LinkedIn posts, and videos—using your natural vocabulary, you train search engines to connect those specific terms directly to you, making you the inevitable expert clients find when they search.   Insight 5: By the Time They Call, They Have Already Decided  If a professional invests time into building online credibility in the "Left of Trust" space by answering specific client questions across multiple touchpoints, the client's decision is already made before the first phone call. They do not call to evaluate you; they call because they know you are the solution.   Resources & Links Mentioned Be-Picked.com (Andrew's company website featuring a free 15-question strength and weakness report) Left of Trust: Clients Choose You Before They Know You (Andrew's upcoming book) The Credibility Generator (automated content tool for professional service providers) Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine   About Andrew Colsky Andrew Colsky spent over 30 years as a trial attorney, litigator, and mediator, helping build what became the largest employment mediation program in the world. Driven by a lifelong fascination with human thinking and persuasion, he returned to school to earn a mental health degree, becoming a licensed mental health clinician specializing in obsessive-compulsive disorder and behavioral sleep medicine. As a radio host reaching roughly 70,000 listeners per week and an entrepreneur, he combined his legal, clinical, and technological expertise to found Be Picked and create the Credibility Generator. He helps professional service providers understand the science of fear, master the "Left of Trust" space, and build automated digital credibility.   Connect with Andrew Website: https://www.be-picked.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewecolsky/ Like the show? Leave us a rating or review: https://lovethepodcast.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Follow the Show: https://followthepodcast.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Send a Message: https://podcastfeedback.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Check out our Website: https://www.yourbrandamplified.comSpeak to my Delphi Clone: https://www.delphi.ai/amplifywithanika Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The MSP industry is evolving—and the days of simply being the “caretaker” of technology are giving way to a new era of strategic partnership, AI enablement, and business transformation. We're fortunate to have Arsalan Eizadirad, Senior Manager of Global MSP Strategy at Lenovo, join us to explore his more than two-decade journey across technology, sales leadership, enterprise architecture, and global MSP strategy—and the insights he's gained along the way.  Arsalan shares his perspective on the changing MSP landscape and the growing importance of hardware alongside software in the technology stack.  He reminds us that one of the greatest rewards of leadership is the people and relationships we encounter along the journey—and, in true Arsalan fashion, we even discover that he makes his own hot sauce!   Highlights include: The evolution of the MSP from technology caretaker to strategic business and AI partner. Building stronger vendor/channel relationships through collaboration and co-selling and why partner empathy and asking “So what?” are essential to growing a healthy and successful community. The changing economics of managed services beyond price-per-seat and price-per-device. The Lenovo MSP Advisory Board and the development of the MSP Playbook. Arsalan's leadership philosophy of “architect the system”, then “empower the people.” Why curiosity, asking questions, and being willing to say “I don't know” are leadership strengths. Lenovo 360 for MSP is built around you — flexible pocket-to-cloud solutions, sales enablement, training and rewards designed to move your goals forward. Ready to get started? Learn more and explore Lenovo 360 for MSP: https://tinyurl.com/360forMSP Be sure to connect with Arsalan at an upcoming industry event.   Timestamps:  Relevance of Hardware 9:26 New Lenovo Playbook 11:02 Partner Empathy 22:30 

Relying on one source of mortgage leads puts your entire pipeline in one place.In this training, Ace breaks down 7 different ways loan officers and mortgage brokers can generate leads and build a more consistent pipeline. Ace also shares real examples of strategies he's used to generate business, including turning social media content into mortgage leads, combining targeted data with direct mail, creating referral campaigns, and building partnerships with other local businesses.You don't need to implement all seven at once. The goal is to understand the opportunities available to you and start building a mortgage business with multiple ways to generate new opportunities.Topics Covered:• Mortgage lead generation• Paid mortgage leads• Data leads• Direct mail marketing• Social media lead generation• Referral strategies• Strategic partnerships• Networking and events• Building a consistent mortgage pipeline• Loan officer marketingWant the full training?Get the complete 7 Ways to Get Sales in Today's Market Workshop Replay and dive deeper into each strategy, how Ace uses them, and how you can start implementing them in your own business.⚡ GET THE FULL WORKSHOP REPLAY:https://acezacademy.com/product/7-ways-to-get-sales-in-todays-market-replay/Subscribe for more loan officer training, mortgage broker strategies, lead generation, sales training, and business growth content from Takers Brokerage.Support the show⚡READY TO BUILD A REAL CAREER IN SALES, MORTGAGES, OR LEADERSHIP?Apply here and choose your track. Already happy with your career? Grab the standalone products and trainings anytime inside the shop.

The real estate market has changed—and the strategies, systems, and mindset that worked a few years ago may no longer be enough.If you're working harder than ever for fewer closings, struggling with difficult transactions, or feeling burned out and isolated, you're not imagining it. This is a challenging market. But agents are still succeeding by adapting to the conditions in front of them.In this episode, I break down the three essential “layers” real estate agents need to navigate today's market:Strategic communication that helps anxious buyers and sellers make clear decisionsAirtight systems that keep leads from falling through the cracksA productive environment and micro-community that prevent isolation and burnoutYou'll also discover why some new agents are adapting faster than experienced agents, how outdated expectations can hold your business back, and why succeeding in a slower real estate market requires more than simply working harder.Winter may be here—but you don't have to navigate it alone.Want help creating a plan to move from 5–10 transactions a year toward 30?

Is your practice website actually helping patients choose you, or is it just a digital brochure listing your services? In this episode, Dr. Lauryn sits down with branding strategist Alexa Torres to unpack what makes a healthcare brand connect, convert, and stand out in 2026. They explore why great marketing starts with making patients feel seen, not simply telling them how qualified you are.Alexa breaks down emotional selling, identifying your primary audience, creating a website that functions like a pre sales conversation, and designing for both quick decision makers and analytical buyers. They also dive into using AI to develop your brand voice, write better content, build websites, and even create an AI twin that helps you show up consistently without constantly being on camera.Key TakeawaysPatients buy outcomes, not services. Effective healthcare marketing speaks to the emotional problem behind what a patient is experiencing so they immediately recognize that your practice understands them.Your website should operate like a sales conversation. Strategic messaging, clear positioning, intentional calls to action, and a series of small “yeses” can pre sell prospective patients before they ever contact your practice.Your personal brand matters, but your patient should remain the focus. Establish your expertise and personality without making the homepage a résumé about your education, credentials, and accomplishments.AI works best when you give it your ideas instead of asking it to invent them. Detailed prompting, voice training, AI assisted website building, and tools like AI twins can make marketing faster while still preserving the perspective that makes your brand unique.Guest BioAlexa Torres is a creative director and branding strategist who has built more than 200 brands and websites since beginning her career in 2009. After shifting her focus exclusively to healthcare in 2016, Alexa and her team have helped more than 100 health entrepreneurs transform their ideas into magnetic brands that attract ideal patients, communicate their value clearly, and inspire action. Through her branding agency, Care Identity, and educational platform, The Clinician's Atelier, she helps healthcare entrepreneurs strengthen their branding, websites, messaging, and marketing while leveraging emerging AI tools to work more efficiently.For ways to work with Alexa, visit The Kliˈnishen's AtelierFollow Alexa on InstagramResources:Find all things Dr. Lauryn B including ways to work with herFollow Dr. Lauryn: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInFollow She Slays on YouTubeMentioned in this episode:INSiGHT CLAThis episode is brought to you by the INSiGHT scanning system from CLA, the tool that helps chiropractors show patients objective neurological data so the value of care becomes clear, fueling conversion, retention, and growth. She Slays listeners get preferred pricing, affordable financing, and a free Getting Into Scanning guide.CLA (Current)Holistic Marketing HubThis episode is sponsored by Holistic Marketing Hub. Created by marketing strategist Molly Cahill, it's a proven Instagram system with a 500+ caption content library and a step-by-step curriculum that's helped 400+ chiropractors, acupuncturists, and other health pros fill their practices with right-fit patients. Enroll Now!Holistic Marketing HubClinic MindClinic Mind is the all-in-one EHR and practice management platform built for chiropractors — billing, documentation, scheduling, and patient follow-up in one place, whether you run a cash practice, take insurance, or are scaling to multiple locations. She Slays the Day listeners get an exclusive offer.Clinic Mind

Have you ever built something you love, poured years into it, and never once stopped to ask what it's actually worth? Most business owners haven't. And that one blind spot could cost them everything they worked for. In this episode of The Happy Hustle Podcast, I sit down with Michael Sauer also known as Bone, an exit planning expert who has helped guide business transactions up to a hundred and twenty million dollars. He works with business owners to figure out exactly what their company is worth today, what it could be worth years from now, and how to make it as sellable as possible before life forces the decision for them. You can find him and his work at kandemlaw.com. What makes this episode matter is the timing. Bone dropped some numbers on me that stopped me in my tracks, and I think they'll do the same for you. Only twelve to twenty percent of businesses that go up for sale actually sell. Of the ones that do sell, half go for less than the owner needed. And here's the gut punch. Only five percent of business owners are actually happy with what they walked away with after the sale. Five percent. That's not a small gap, that's a system that's broken for almost everyone going through it. Here's what stuck with me most from our conversation. Fifty percent of businesses get sold involuntarily. Health issues, family emergencies, burnout, none of us plan for these things to force our hand, but they happen. Bone's point is simple. Build your business to be sellable now, not someday, so you're never caught off guard. It takes years to sell right, not months. Most owners come to Bone wanting to sell within twelve months. He tells them straight up that's not enough time. Three years minimum, five years ideal, if you actually want top value. The number on paper isn't the number in your pocket. Broker fees, attorney fees, capital gains tax, they all take a bite. Sell for ten million without a real tax strategy and you might walk away with seven. Bone's advice is to reverse engineer the number you actually need and plan backward from there. Seventy nine percent of business owners regret selling within a year. Not sadness. Not stress. Profound regret. That statistic alone is why proactive planning matters so much more than people realize. Profit First is one of the simplest financial moves you can make. If you haven't implemented it in your business yet, Bone calls it the number one financial hack for owners. Set money aside before you spend it, not after. We also got into the fun stuff. I put Bone through my rapid fire round and got some real answers. Taco Bell is his go to food, his spirit animal is a bald eagle, and his best piece of legal advice might be the most important thing you hear in this whole episode. Hire an attorney before you need one. We also talked about family, gratitude, and what it means to build a life you're proud of, not just a business that sells well. This episode is a reminder that hustle without a plan is just motion. You can work hard for twenty years and still leave money and peace of mind on the table if you never stop to ask the right questions. Bone's whole approach is about giving business owners confidence and security, so when the moment comes to sell, they're ready instead of scrambling. If you're ready to start thinking ahead instead of playing catch up with your own business, this conversation is going to hit home. Go listen to the full episode at https://happyhustle.com/podcast. It just might be the reset you didn't know you needed. Connect with Michaelhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/sellonyourterms/ Find Michael on this website: https://kandem.com/ Connect with Cary!https://www.instagram.com/caryjack/https://www.facebook.com/SirCaryJackhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cary-jack-kendzior/https://twitter.com/thehappyhustlehttps://www.tiktok.com/@caryjackhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFDNsD59tLxv2JfEuSsNMOQ/featured Get a copy of his new book, https://www.thehappyhustle.com/book Sign up for The Journey: 10 Days To Become a Happy Hustler Online Course @ https://thehappyhustle.com/thejourney/ Apply to the Montana Mastermind Epic Camping Adventure @ https://thehappyhustle.com/mastermind/ “It's time to Happy Hustle, a blissfully balanced life you love, full of passion, purpose, and positive impact!” Episode Sponsors: Kiln Your environment shapes your energy and your results. That's why we're proud to partner with Kiln, a premium workspace experience designed to help you work smarter, connect with amazing people, and elevate your lifestyle. From co-working and private offices to meeting rooms and event spaces, Kiln (https://kiln.com/) has everything you need to thrive. Mention "Happy Hustle" for a special hookup! =================================================================== If you're feeling stressed, not sleeping great, or your energy's been kinda meh lately—let me put you on to something that's been a total game-changer for me: Magnesium Breakthrough by BiOptimizers. This ain't your average magnesium—it's got all 7 essential forms that your body needs to chill out, sleep deeper, and feel more balanced. I take it every night and legit notice the difference the next day. No more waking up groggy or tossing and turning all night If you're ready to sleep like a baby, calm your nervous system, and optimize your recovery, go grab yours now at https://www.bioptimizers.com/happy and use code HAPPY10 for 10% OFF. =================================================================== My Green Mattress If you've been waking up with back pain, feeling stiff, or just not getting that deep, quality sleep. This might be what you're missing: My Green Mattress. It's made with clean, non-toxic, and eco-friendly materials, so you're not just sleeping better, you're sleeping healthier too. The comfort and support are on another level, and you can really feel the difference night after night. If you're ready to invest in better sleep and better recovery, check it out at https://thehappyhustle.com/mygreenmattress =================================================================== Ozlo Sleep If you've been struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or just wake up feeling actually rested, let me put you on to something that's been a total game-changer: Ozlo Sleep. These aren't your typical sleep buds. They're designed to block out noise and help your brain fully relax, so you can drift off faster and stay in deep, uninterrupted sleep. Perfect if you're a light sleeper or just want that next-level rest. If you're ready to upgrade your sleep and wake up feeling recharged, check out https://ozlosleep.com and save $80 OFF using code HAPPY.

Our brains are future oriented and this can manifest into anxiety or anticipation if we're not strategic with it. Obviously, our current society has a lot of us focused on survival, which means most of our future thinking is filled with dread and hopelessness. This means we MUST deliberately create anticipation through planning small things that we can look forward to. Looking forward to something good releases feel-good hormones in our brains AND teaches our nervous systems that there is some good to be had and felt. It trains us to be more hopeful and nurtures an upward spiral, as opposed to the constant downward spiral most of us feel so stuck in. Planning a vacation is sometimes the only time you imagine yourself having a good, relaxed time, detached from work and everyday stressors, but you can imagine this without the vacation, and still reap the benefits. SOURCE: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/living-forward/202607/the-art-of-anticipationRead Julie's Medium Blog.Support JULIE (and the show!)Support + get some bonus stuff over on PATREON.Get an occasional personal email from me: www.makeyourdamnbedpodcast.comTune in on INSTAGRAM AND YOUTUBE or TIKTOK.Info on War Tax Resistance.Donate to the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund and the Sudan Relief FundThe opinions expressed by Julie Merica and Make Your Damn Bed Podcast are intended for entertainment purposes only. Make Your Damn Bed podcast is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/make-your-damn-bed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Water systems across a dozen states were targeted by cyberattacks in recent weeks. So far, the water has remained safe to drink, but the incidents have raised concerns about the possibility of future attacks. Marketplace's Meghan McCarty Carino spoke with Nikita Shah, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, about other vulnerable infrastructure and the steps that states can take to strengthen cybersecurity. More on this:How Tehran's Use of Cyber Operations in the U.S.-Iran Conflict Has Evolved from CSISA Leaked Memo Ties Cyberattacks on Minnesota Water Utilities to Iran | WIRED from WIREDNew York awards $9M to protect water systems after cyberattacks in other states - Gothamist from Gothamist

(0:00) Intro(0:33) Weekend pleasantries/Al Green and grits(8:19) Weekend pleasantries/Dreams(20:59) Hayden Panettiere gone too soon(29:02) Maya Boyd cast as Storm in Marvel's new X-Men movie(46:19) Jason Arday passes away at 41(01:04:07) Pengate 2026(01:15:06) Ray J wins big(0244) Van on capitalismHosts: Van Lathan and Rachel LindsayProducers: Marco Escalante and Jade WhaleySocial Producer: Bernard MooreVideo Supervision: Jacob Cornett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices