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Kiera is joined by the tooth-healer himself, Jason Dent! Jason has an extensive background in pharmacy, and shares with Kiera where his pharmaceutical experience has bled over into dentistry. This includes the difference between anti-quag and anti-platelet and which medications are probably safe, what to do to shorten the drag time in the pharmacy, how to write prescriptions most efficiently, and more. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: The Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. This is Kiera and today is a really awesome and unique day. It is, think the second time I've had somebody in the podcast studio with me live for a podcast and it's the one and only Jason Dent. Jason, how are you? I'm doing well. Good morning. Thanks for having me. It is crazy. I I watch Instagram real like this all the time where people are like in the podcast and they're hanging out on two chairs and couches and now look at us. We're doing it. Cheers. Cheers.   That was a mic cheer for those of you who are only listening, but yeah, Jace, how does this feel to be on the podcast? It's weird. Like I was not nervous at all talking about it. I got really nervous as soon as you hit play. So if I stumble over my words, please forgive me ahead of time. Well, Jason, I appreciate you being on the podcast because marketing had asked me to do a topic about teledentistry and I was like, oh shoot, that's like not my forte at all. so   You and I were actually chatting in the hot tub. call it Think Tank session and you and I, we have a lot of good ideas that come from that Think Tank. A lot of business. no phones. That's why. We do leave our phones out. But I was talking to Jason and this is actually a podcast we had talked about quite a while ago. Jason has a lot of information on pharmacy. And if you don't know, Jason isn't really, we were going through all of it last night. It's kind of a mock in the tub. And I think it's going to be great because I feel like this is an area, I'm working at Midwestern and   knowing about how dentists, pharmacology was surely not your favorite one. Jason actually helps a lot of dentists with their clearances. And so we were talking about it and I like it will just be a really awesome podcast for you guys to brush up on pharmacology, different things from a pharmacist's side. So Jason, welcome. Thank you. Yeah, no, we were talking about it and here's like, what should I talk about on the podcast next? I have all these different topics and she's like, what do you know? And the only real interaction I have with dentists is doing clearances for procedures. We get them all the time, which makes sense.   Lots of people are on blood thinner, I've always told Kiera, like, hey, I could talk about that. Like, that's kind of a passion of mine. I'm not a dentist. Or my name is Jason Dent. So in Hebrew, Jason means tooth. No, no, no, sorry. Nerves are getting to me. Jason means healer and Dent means tooth. So my name means tooth healer. So, here's a little set. Hold on, on, hold Can we just talk about? I brought that up before you could talk about it more. So.   My name means tooth healer but I did not become a dentist. I know you wanted me to become a dentist. did. I don't know why. I enjoy medicine. I know what you're going to get to already. The things you're going to ask me. There's been years of this. But nevertheless, that's my name. We'll get that out of the way. But you did give me a great last name. So I mean, it's OK. You're All is fair and love here. SEO's up for that. But yeah, Jason, I'm going to get you right into the show. And I'm going to be the host. And we're going to welcome to the podcast show. Jace, how are you?   Good, good, good. Good, good, good. So by getting into clearances, right? This is what you're kinda talking about with you know, before we get to clearances, I actually wanted Jason, for the listeners who don't know you, who haven't talked to you, who don't know, let's kinda just give them like, how did you go from, Kiera wanted you to be a dentist, to now Jason, you are on the podcast talking as our expert on pharmacy. fantastic. I've always really loved medicine, a ton. As a kid getting headaches and taking Excedrin, like you just feel like a miserable pile of crap.   and then you take two pills and all of a sudden you feel better. Like that's amazing, like how does that happen? Also getting ear aches as a kid, just being in so much pain and then taking some medicine and you start feeling a lot better. I always had a lot of appreciation for that. I've always been mechanically inclined. I went to, started doing my undergrad and took biology and learned about ATP synthase, which is a spinning enzyme that's inside the mitochondria, like a turbine engine. I used to work on small engines on my dirt bike and thought that is so cool. So I really got wrapped up into chemistry.   All the mechanics of chemistry really pulled me in. I'm not getting goosebumps. checking. I usually get goosebumps when I think about chemistry. But it's so cool. You think an engine's awesome, like pistons and camshafts and pressures, the cell is the same thing. It's not as loud, so it's not as cool. But it's fascinating. that's why we're like. ⁓   chemistry and really got into coagulation. So I did my residency after pharmacy school. we went to Arizona for three years. ⁓ You did and your main focus, you were never wanting to be the guy behind the counter. No, I haven't done that. Yeah. No, I love them though. I've always really want to go clinical. ⁓ But I love my retail ⁓ pharmacists. They're amazing resources. And ⁓ I use the retail pharmacist every day still to this day, but I went more the clinical route, really love the chemistry aspect of it.   did my doctorate degree and then I did my residency in Reno. Reno's kind That's how we got here everybody. Welcome to Reno. Strategically placed because I was really interested in critical medicine and where we're located we cover a huge area. So we pull in to almost clear, we go clear to Utah, clear to California, all of Northern Nevada. We get cases from all over. So we actually are kind like the first hub of care for lot of areas. So we really get an eclectic mixture of patients that come in that need-   all kinds of different cases that are coming to them. So it's what I really wanted. So I did my residency in critical care there. And then for the next 10 years, I worked in vascular medicine with my final five years being the supervisor of the clinic. Ran all the ins and outs of that. So my providers, two doctors were on our view. So when we talk about dentistry, talk about production, those kinds of things, totally get it. My doctors were the exact same way, my vascular providers. ⁓   There's some pains there, right? You wanna be seeing patients as much as possible, being able to help as many people, keeping the billing up. And had other nurse practitioners, four practitioners, a fleet of MAs, eight pharmacists. We also had that one location we had, going off the top of my head, I think we had eight locations running as well. And we took care of all the different kinds of vascular cases that came to us. Most common was blood clots, ⁓ which is just a...   which is an easier way of saying VTE. There's so many different ways to say a blood clot. Like you might hear patients say, I've had a PE or a DVT or a venous thromboembolism or a clot in my leg, right? They're all clots, but in different locations. Same with an MI, and MI can be a clot as well. ⁓ there's a lot of, everybody's kind of saying the same thing, but sometimes the nomenclature can make it sound hard, but it really is actually pretty simple.   No. And Jason, I love that you went through, you've been in like, and even in your, ⁓ when you were getting your doctorate, you were in the ER. You also worked in retail pharmacy. remember you having a little sticker on your hand. And retail pharmacy, I have a lot of respect for those guys. They have a lot of pressure on them. and then you also, ⁓ what was that test that you had to take that? I don't know. You were like studying forever for it. ⁓ board certification for, ⁓ NABP. Yeah. So I did that board certification as well.   And now you've moved out of the hospital side onto another section in your career. Now in the insurance, right? So it's really, really interesting. So now I'm on the other side reading notes and evaluating clinical appropriateness and trying to help patients with getting coverage and making those kinds of determinations. So yeah, I've really jumped all over. Really love my clinical days. I know. don't I don't I do miss them. But yeah, kind of had a good exposure to a lot of.   pharmacy a lot a lot of dentists actually with all the places that come through which Jason I really appreciate that and honestly I know you are my spouse and so it's fun to have you on but when I go into conversations like this I don't know any of this information and so finding experts and Jason I think here's me talk more about dentistry and my business than I do hear about him on pharmacy so as we were chatting about this I really realized you are a wealth of knowledge because you've been on the clinical side so you've done a lot of patient care and you've seen how   medications interact and I know you've had a few scares in your career and ⁓ you've known some physicians that have had a few scares and ⁓ you've seen plenty of patients pass away working in the ER and gosh in Arizona drownings were such a big deal. I remember when you were in the ER on your rotations I'd be like who died today? Like tell me the stories and you've really seen and now going on to the insurance side I felt like you could just be such a good wealth of knowledge because I know dentists are sometimes so   I would say like maybe just a little more anxious when it comes to medications. I know that dental students from Midwestern were like here was like four months and we had to like pass it, learn it. And Jason, you've done four years plus clinical residency, plus you've been in it. And something I really love about Nevada Medicine is they've been so collaborative with you.   like your heart, your cardiologist, they diagnose and then they send to you to treat with medicine and... Yeah, I've been really lucky being here in Reno too. The cardiology team has been amazing to work with. We started a CHF program, sorry, congestive heart failure program for patients. So we would collaborate with cardiologists. They'd see the cardiologists and then they send them to the pharmacist to really manage all the medications. So there's pillars of therapy ⁓ called guideline directed medical therapy and the pharmacist would take care of all that. So that's gonna be your...   your beta blockers, your ACEs, your ARBs, your Entresto, which would be a little bit better, spironolactone. So just making sure that all these things are dosed appropriately, really monitoring the heart, and make sure that patients are getting better. we've had real positive outcomes when the, sorry, this is totally off topic. do, talk about that study. When we looked at when patients were coming to see our pharmacists in our clinic that we started up, the patients were half as likely to be readmitted. And this was in 2018, and our pharmacists,   We're thinking about all the medications. We're usually adjusting diabetes medications too at the same time. Just kind of naturally just taking care of all the medications because we kind of got a go ahead from the providers, a collaborative practice agreement that we could make adjustments to certain medications within certain parameters. So we weren't going rogue or maverick, but we were definitely trying to optimize our medications as much as possible. And then years later, some studies came out with, I'm sure you've seen Jardins and Farseegh. not trying to, I'm not.   I don't get any kickback from them. I have no conflicts to share. But because our pharmacists were really optimizing that medication, those medications were later shown to reduce hospitalizations and heart failure, even though they're diabetes medications. Fascinating. So it wasn't really the pharmacists. It was just the pharmacists doing as much as they can with all the tools that were in front of them. And then we found out that the patients were going back to the hospital.   half as much as regular patients. So, yeah, being here, it's been so amazing to work with providers here. the providers here want help, want to help patients, don't have an ego. I mean, I just, it's awesome. I love it. I do love how much I think Jason sees me geek out about dentistry and I watching Jay's geek about his pharmacy and how much he loves helping patients. And ⁓ really that was the whole idea of, all right.   Dentistry has pharmacy as a part of it. And I know a lot of dentists are sending in clearances and I know working in a chair side, it would be like, oh no, if they're on warfarin or on their own blood clot, you guys, honestly don't even know half of what I'm talking about because this is not my jam, which is why Jason's here. But I do know that there was always like, well, we got to talk with their provider. And so having Jason come in and just kind of explain being the pharmacist that is approving or denying or saying yes or no to take them off the blood thinners in different parts, because you have seen several dental   I don't know what they're called. What is it? Clarence's? that what comes to you? don't even know. All day my mind, it's like, here is the piece of paper that gets mailed to you to the pharmacist and then you mail it back. So whatever that is. But Chase, let's talk about it because I think you can give the dentist a lot of confidence coming from a pharmacist. What you guys see on that side. When do you actually need to approve or disapprove? Let's kind of dig into that. Yeah. Well, first of all, I think I'm not a replacement for any kind of clinical judgment whatsoever. Every patient's different. But the American Diabetes Association, you   I work with diabetes a lot. American Dental Association has some really great guidelines on blood thinners and I would always reference them. I actually looked at their website today. Make sure I'm up to speed before I get back on this again. They have resources all around making decisions for blood thinners. And I think the one real important thing in putting myself in the shoes of a dentist or any kind of staff that's around a patient that's in a chair, if they say I'm on a blood thinner, right, a flag goes up. At least in my mind, that's what goes up.   Like, okay, how do we get across this bridge? And I think the important thing to really distinct right then when they say they're on a blood thinner is that is kind of a slang word for a lot of different medications, right? Like it's the overarching word that everybody pulls up saying, I'm on a blood thinner. It's like, okay, but I don't know what say. It's like, I have a car. You're like, okay, do you have a Mazda? Do you have?   Toyota, Honda, what do you have? or even worse it'd be like saying I have a vehicle, right? So when somebody says they're on a blood thinner, it opens up a whole box of possibilities of what they're Blood thinners are also, doesn't, when they're taking these types of medications that are quote unquote a blood thinner, it doesn't actually thin the blood, like adding water to the blood, if that makes sense, or like thinning paint, or like thinning out a gravy, right? It doesn't do the same thing. Blood thinners, really what they're doing is they're working on the blood, which.   which is really cool, try not to tangent on that. ⁓ When they're working on the blood, it's not thinning it per se, but it's making it so that the proteins or platelets that are in it can't stick together and make a cloth quite as easy. So whenever somebody's on a blood thinner, I usually ask, what's the name of the blood thinner that you're on? It's not bad that they use that slang, that's okay, on the same page, but it's really broken into two different classes. There's anticoagulant and antiplatelet.   And a way to kind of remember which is which, when residents would come through our clinics, the way that I teach them is a clot is like a brick wall. You know, it's not always a brick wall. Usually the blood is a liquid going through. But once they receive some kind of chemical message, it starts making a brick wall with the mortar, which is the concrete between the and the bricks, the two parts. When it's an anti-quagent, it's working on that mortar part. When it's an anti-platelet, it's working on the bricks part, right? You need both to make a strong clot or strong brick wall.   But if you can make one of them not work, obviously like if your mortar is just water, it's not working, right? You're not gonna make a strong brick wall. So that's kind of the two deviants right there. So that's what I do in my mind real quickly to find out because antiplatelets are usually, so that's gonna be like your Plavix, Ticagrelor, Brilinta. And hold on, antiplatelets are bricks? Good job, bricks. They're the bricks. And so the reason I was thinking you could remember this because I'm, antiplatelets, it's a plate and a plate is more like a brick.   And anti coagulant, I don't know why quag feels like mortar to me, like quag, like, know, it's like slushy in the blood, like it's coagulating. It's a little bit of that, like, honestly, I'm just thinking like coagulated blood is a little bit more mortar-ish. And so platelet is your plate, like a brick, and anti-quag is like.   the gilly between the bricks. Okay, okay, I got it. Yeah, so there's an exception to every rule, but when they're on that Don't worry, this is Kiera, just like very basic. You guys are way smarter listening to this, and that's why Jason's here. No, no, you helped me pass pharmacy school. When we were doing all the top 200, you helped me memorize all know what flexorill is, all right? That's a muscle relaxant. Cyclo? I don't know that part. It's a cyclo, because you guys are cycling and flexing. I don't actually know. just know it's a muscle relaxant, so that's about as far as I got. When we're looking at antitick platelets, so that's the brick part, so that's going to be your, you know,   Hecagrelor, Breitlingta, Clopidogrel is the most common one. It's the cheapest one, so probably see that one the most. Those, I mean, there's an exception to every rule, but that's generally being used after like a stent's placed in the heart. It can be used for VTE, there's some out there, but that's pretty rare. But also for some valves that are placed in the hearts, it can be used for that as well. So antiplatelet, really thinking more like a cardiac event, right? Like I said, there's always an exception to every rule, but that's kind of where my mind goes real quickly, because we're gathering information from the patient.   They're on anticoagulant. Those are like going to be the new ones that you see commercials for all the time. So Xeralto, Alequis, those are the two big ones right now. They're replacing the older one. And also we were supposed to do a disclaimer of this is current as of today because the ADA guidelines do change. this will be current as of today. And Jason, as a pharmacist, is always looking up on that. I had no clue that you are that up to speed on dental knowledge. so just throwing it out there that if you happen to catch his podcast,   a few years back that obviously check those guidelines for sure. But the new ones are the Xarelto and Eloquist. They're replacing the older ones of warfarin. Warfarin's been around for a really long time. We've seen that one. Those are anti-coagulants. So when you're looking, when a patient says that, generally they're on that medication because they've possibly had a clot in the past or they have a heart condition called atrial fibrillation. Those are kind of the two big ones. Like I said, there's always caveats to it, but that's kind of where my mind goes real quickly. And then,   as far as getting patients cleared, the American Dental Association has really good resources on their website. You can look at those and they're always refreshing that up. They even say in their own words that there's limited data around studying patients in the dental chair and with anticoagulants or anti-platelets. It's pretty limited. There's a few studies, some from 2015, some from 2018. There's one as recent as 2021, which is nice. But really, all of those studies come together and it's really more of an expert consensus.   And with that expert consensus, they have kind of simplified things for dentistry, which is really nice. ⁓ comparing that to, we have more data for like total hip replacement, total knee replacement. We have a lot of data and we know really what we should be doing around then. But going back to dentistry, we don't have as much information, so they always say use clinical judgment, but they do give some really great expert guidance on that. So if a patient's on an anticoagulant, ⁓   they generally recommend that it doesn't need to be stopped unless there's a high bleeding risk for a patient. as a provider or as a clinician in the practice, you can be looking at high bleeding risk. Some things that make an oral procedure a little bit lower risk is one, it's in the compressible site, right? Like we can actually put pressure on that site. That's the number one way to stop bleeding is adding pressure. It's not like it's in the abdominal cavity where we can't get in and can't apply pressure. So number one, that kind of reduces the bleeding risk.   is number one. Two, we can add topical hemostatic agents. Dentists would know that better than me. There's a lot of topical ways to do that. So not only pressure, but there's those things as well. And also, but there are some procedures that are a little bit more likely to bleed. And that's where you and dentists would come in hand in What's the word in APO? Oh, the APOectomy. I got it right. Good job. like, didn't you tell me last night that the ADA guideline was like what?   three or four or more teeth? great question. So you can extract one to three teeth is what their expert consensus One to three teeth without. Without really managing or stopping anticoagulation or doing anything like that. I think that's some good guidance from them. I'm gonna add a Jasonism on that though. So with warfarin, I do see why dentists would be a little bit more conservative or worried about stopping the warfarin because warfarin isn't as stable as these newer agents. Warfarin, the levels.   quote unquote levels can go really high, they can go really low. And if the warfarin levels are high, they're more likely to bleed. So I do think it makes sense to have a really recent INR. That's how we measure what the warfarin's doing. I think that makes a lot of sense, but the ADA guidelines really go into the simplification version of all these blood thinners. Generally, it's recommended to not stop them because the risk of stopping them outweighs the benefit of stopping them in almost every case. Almost every case.   ⁓ So when you're with that patient, right, they say I'm on a blood thinner, finding out which kind of blood thinner that they're on, you find out that they're on Xeralto, right? How long have you been on Xeralto for? I've been on it for years. You don't know exactly why, but if they haven't had any recent bleeding, you're only gonna remove one tooth. ⁓ You can do what's called a HasBlood score. That kind of looks at the bleeding risk that they'd have. That'd be kind of going a notch above, but in my mind, removing one tooth isn't a real serious bleeding risk. I'd love to hear from my dentist friends if they...   disagree, right, but ADA says one to three tooth removals, extractions, that's the fancy word. Extractions, yeah, for extracting teeth out. Is not really that invasive. Sure. It's not that high risk, so it's usually perfectly fine. So if a patient was on Xarelto, ⁓ no other, this is in a vacuum, right? I'm not looking at any other factors, which you should be looking at other factors. I would be perfectly fine to just remove one to two.   And when those clearances come in, because dentists do send them, talk about what happens. You guys were working in the hospital and you guys would get these clearances all the time. do. We get them so often. I mean, we get like four or five a day. We'd love to give it to our students, student pharmacists, and ask them what to do. And they would usually look up the American Dental Association guidelines and come up with something. We're like, yep, that's what we say too. In fact, we say it so many times a day that we have a smart phrase.   which just blows in the information real quickly and faxes it right back to the So it's like a copy paste real quick. So what I wanted to point out when Jason told me this is dentists like hearing this and learning this, this can actually save you guys a ton of time to be able to be more confident, to not need to send those clearances on. And we were actually talking last night about how I think this might be a CYA for dentists. like, as we were talking, I think Jason, you seeing so many other aspects of medicine, like you've literally seen patients die, you've seen other areas.   And so coming from that clinical vantage point, we were realizing that dentists, we are so blessed to live in an injury. I enjoy dentistry because possibly there's someone dying, not super high, luckily in dentistry. The only time that I have actually had a doctor have a patient pass away, and it was only when they were completely sedated and doing ⁓ some other things, but that was under the care of an anesthesiologist. And so that's really our high, high risk. And so hearing this, Jason,   That was one of the reasons I wanted him to come on is to give you doctors more confidence of do we have to always send to a pharmacist? I mean, hearing that on the pharmacy side, they're just sending these back and not to say to not see why a to not cover this because you might be questioning like, well, do I really need to? But you also were talking about some other ways of so number one, you guys are just going to copy back the 88 guidelines. So so 88 guidelines. Yeah. And I think that that gives a lot of confidence to a provider or a dentist is that you can go to the 88 guidelines and read them, right? Like you're listening to some   nasally monotone pharmacist on a podcast. Rumor has it, people love him at the hospital. were like, you're the voice, he's been told he has a good radio So for the clinic, I was the voice. Like, yeah, you've reached the vascular clinic, right? And they're like, oh my gosh, you're the voice. But sorry, you me distracted. That'll be your next career, Jace. You're going to be a radio host. OK. I would love that. I love music. But you're hearing from a nasally guy, but you can actually read the ADA guidelines. You just go right to the ADA, click on Resources, and under Resources, it has the   around anticoagulants, I think that's the best way to get a lot of confidence about it because they have dentists who are the experts making calls on these. I'm just reiterating what they say, but I think it makes a lot of sense to help providers. And the reason why my heart goes out to you as well is having the providers that used to work underneath me, they're always looking for our views, which is a fancy way of making sure that they're drilling and filling. Can I say that? Yeah, can say drilling and filling. They're being productive, right? They're being productive, right?   They're always looking to make sure if a patient's canceling, like get somebody in here. Like I need to be helping people all day long. That's how I, we keep the lights on. That's how I help as many people. And so if you have a patient coming in the chair and it has an issue, they say I'm on Xeralto. Well, you can ask real quickly, why are you on Xeralto? I had a clot 10 years ago. my gosh. Well, yeah, we're pretty good to go. Then I'm not worried. We're only removing one tooth or we're just doing a cavity or a cleaning. Something like that. Shouldn't be an issue whatsoever because there's experts in the dental. ⁓   in the dental society, the ADA guidelines that recommend three teeth or less, minimally invasive. They really recommend if it's gonna be really high bleeding risk. And clinically, that's where you would come in, ⁓ or yourself. know, apioectomy is one that's like on the fence line. I don't know where implants set. though, and like we were talking, implants aren't usually like a date of procedure. Most people aren't popping in, having tooth pain, and we're like, let's do an implant. Now sometimes that can be the case, but typically that one's gonna have   a few other pieces involved. And so that is where you can get a clearance if you want to. ⁓ But we were really looking at this of like so many dentists that I know that you've seen will just send in these clearances because they are. And I think maybe a way to help dentists have more confidence is because you know, I love routines. I love to not have to remember things. So why don't we throw it in, have the team member set it up where every quarter we just double check the ADA guidelines. Are there any updates? Are there any other things that we need to do on that? That way you can just see like   getting into the language of this, of what do I need to do? Because honestly, you guys, know pharmacy was not a big portion for it, so, recommending different parts, but I think this is such a space where you can have confidence, and there's a few other things I wanna get to, and I you- I some pearls too. Okay, go. I'm so when she get me into talking about drugs, I'm not gonna stop. So, some other things around that too is these newer blood thinners like Xarelto Eloquist, they now have reversal agents, so a lot of providers in the past were really worried about bleeding because we can't turn it off. We can turn those off. Warfarin has reversal as well, right?   So I'm looking at these patients. It's really low risk. It's in the mouth, generally speaking. Very rarely are they a high bleeding risk. Now if you're doing maxillofacial surgery, this does not apply, right? This does not apply whatsoever. you're like general dentist, you're pediatric dentist. Yeah, yeah, and it's kind of on the fly. So just trying to really help you to be able to take care of those patients on the moment, have that confidence, look at the ADA guidelines, have that in front of you. I don't think it's a bad thing to ever...   check with their provider if you need to. If you're thinking, I feel like I should just check with the provider, I would never take that away from you. But I just want to kind of steer towards those guidelines that I have to help. But what did you want to share? No, yeah, I love that. And I think there were just a few other nuggets that we were chatting about last night that can help dentists just kind of get things passed a little bit easier. So you were mentioning that if they were named to their cardiologist, what was it? was like, who is the last? Great question. Yeah, when a patient's on a blood thinner,   It could be prescribed by the cardiologist. It could be prescribed by the family provider or could have been punted to like a vascular clinic like where I was working. It can go to any of those. And when you send that fax, right, if it goes to the cardiologist and it's supposed to go to the family care provider, like it just kind of goes, goes nowhere, right, from there. So I think it's a really good idea to find out who prescribed it last. If the patient doesn't know who prescribed their blood thinner last, you can call their pharmacy. I call pharmacies all day long.   I have noticed in the last year, they are way easier to get a hold of, which has made my job a lot easier, working on the insurance portion. So reaching out to the pharmacy, finding out who that provider is and sending it to them, because they should be able to help with that. I thought that was a good shift in verbiage that you had of asking instead of like the cardiologist, because that's who you would assume was the one. But you said like so many times you guys would take care of them, and then they go back to family practitioner, and you guys would get the clearances, but you couldn't clear because you weren't overseeing. So just asking the patient.   who prescribed their medication for them last time. That way you can send the clearance to the correct provider. then- And they might not know. You know patients, right? They're like, I don't know, my mom's or else, I don't know who gave it to me. Somebody told me I need to be on this. But at least that could be another quick thing. And then also we were talking last night about-   ⁓ What are some other things that dentists can do when like writing scripts to help them get what I think like overarching theme of everything we discussed is one how to help dentists have less I think drag through pharmacy. ⁓ Because pharmacy can take a little while and so perfect we now know the difference between anti-quag and anti-platelet. We know which medications are probably safe. We know we can check the ADA guidelines so that we were not having to do as many clearances. We also know if they're on a medication to find out and we do need a clearance.   who we can go to for the fastest, easiest result. And now, in talking about prescriptions, you had some really interesting tips that you could share with them. Yeah, so with writing prescriptions, right, pharmacies are pharmacies. So I'm not gonna say good thing or bad thing. There are challenges working with pharmacies. I'm not gonna play that down at all. ⁓ If you're writing prescriptions and having issues and kickbacks from pharmacies, there's some interesting laws around ⁓ writing prescriptions. Say that you're trying to ⁓ prescribe   augmentin, you know, 875 BID, and you tell the patient, hey, I want you to take this twice a day for seven days, and then you put quantity of seven, because you're moving fast, right? You want it for seven days, quantity of seven. Quantity would actually be 14, right? It's not that big of a deal. Anybody with common sense would say if you're taking a pill for twice a day for seven days, you need 14 tablets. But LAHA doesn't allow pharmacists to make that kind of a change, unfortunately. They have to follow what you're saying there. So you're going to get a...   An annoying callback that says, you wrote for seven tablets. I know you need 14. Is that OK? Just delays things, right? So ⁓ I really like the two letters QS. That's Q isn't queen. S isn't Sam. Yeah. It stands for quantity sufficient. So you don't have to calculate the amount of any medication that you're doing. So for me, as a pharmacist, when I was taking care of patients, I hated calculating the amount of insulin they would need for an entire month. So I would say.   Mrs. Jones needs 15, I'd say 15 units ⁓ QD daily. ⁓ And then I say QS, quantity sufficient, ⁓ 90 day supply through refills. So the pharmacy can then go calculate how much insulin that they need. I don't have to even do that. So anytime you're prescribing anything, I like that QS personally. So that lets the pharmacy use ⁓ common sense, as I like to call it, instead of giving you a call. I think that's super helpful. I also thought of one thing too.   going back to blood thinners is when it's kind of like a real quick, like they're not gonna have you stop the blood thinner at all. like you're seeing if you can stop the blood thinner for a patient, there's some instances it's just not gonna happen. And that's whenever they've been, they've had a clot or a stroke or a heart attack within the last three months. Three months. Yeah, that's kind of like the.   Because so many people are like, they had a heart thing like six years ago. And so I think a lot of my dentists that I worked with were like, we got to stop the blood thinners. But it sounds like it's within three months. Yeah, well, I'm just the time. Like this is general broad strokes. What I'm just trying to say is when you want to expect a no real quick. Got it. Right. So because benefits of stopping a blood thinner within those first three months of an event is very, very risky versus the, you know, the benefit of reducing a little bit of blood coming out of the mouth. Right. Like that's not that bad.   when somebody's had a stroke or a heart attack or pulmonary embolism, a clot in the lung, like we can't replace the lung, heart or brain very easily. We can replace blood a lot better. We've got buckets of it at most hospitals have buckets of it, right? So I'm always kind of leaning towards I'd rather replace blood than tissue at all times. So that's kind of a quick no. If they've had one those events in the last three months, we are really, really gonna watch their brain instead of getting.   root canal, right? Like really worried about them. So you'll just say no. And they could the dentist still proceed with the procedure or would you recommend like a three month wait? Or is it provider specific way the pros and cons because sometimes you need to get that tooth out. Great question. think then it's going to come into clinical. That's that's when you send in the clearance, right? Like, and it's great to reach out to the provider who's managing it for you. But I think it's kind of good to know exactly when you get a quick no quick no is going to be less than three months.   ⁓ Or when it's going to be like a kind of a typical, yeah, no problem. If it's been no greater than six months, they're on the typical anticoagulants or alto eloquence. Nothing crazy is going on for them. You're only removing two teeth. This is very, very low risk. But again, I'd urge everybody to read the ADA guidelines. That way you feel more comfortable with it. I'm not as eloquent as they do. They do a real good job. So I don't want to take any of their credit. I think they do a real good job of simplifying that and making you feel confident with providing.   more timely care for patients. Which is amazing. And Jayce, one last thing. I don't remember what it was. You were talking about the DEA and like six month rule. yeah. Let's just quickly talk about that and then we'll wrap this because this is such a fascinating thing for me last night. Yeah. So when comes to prescribing controlled substances, most providers have to have a DEA license. OK. First of all, though, what's your take on dentist prescribing controlled substances? ⁓ I don't think, you know, I worked on the insurance side of things. Right. And I look at the requirements for the   as the authorizations, what a patient, the criteria a patient needs to hit in order to qualify for certain medications. A lot of times for those controlled substances, they have pretty significant issues going on, like fibromyalgia or cancer-related pain or end-of-life care versus we don't, in all my scanning thread, I don't have a ⁓ perfect picture memory. Sure. But I don't usually see oral.   pain in there. There is some post-operative pain that can be covered for those kind of medications but I really recommend to keep those lower and in fact in a lot of our criteria it recommends you know have they tried Tylenol first, they tried, have they filled NSAIDs or are they contraindicated with the patient. So really they should be last line for patients in my two cents but there's always going to be a caveat to the rule right? Of course. comes through that has oral cancer and you're taking   like that would make sense to me. Got it, so then back to the DEA. Yeah, okay. Okay, ready. So as a provider, you should be checking the, if you're doing controlled substances, you should be checking the prescription drug monitoring program, or sometimes called the PDMP, looking to see if patients are getting ⁓ controlled substances from another provider. So it's really just a check and balance to make sure that they're not going from provider to provider to getting too many narcotics and causing self harm or harm to others.   And so with checking that PDMP before prescribing, I think a lot of providers do that. A lot of softwares that I'm aware of, EMRs, electronic medical records, sometimes have links so that you can do that more quickly. However, I don't think it's as intuitive that they need to be checking that every six months in some states. And like here in Nevada, you're supposed to be checking it every six months, not for a patient, but for your actual DEA registration to see if anybody else is prescribing underneath you. Because if you don't check that every six months, you could get in some serious trouble with...   not only DEA, but even more the Board of Pharmacy and your state. Now, I don't know all 50 states, so I check with your state to see if you need to be checking that every six months, but set an alarm just to check that real quickly, keep your nose clean. ⁓ I've had providers, I've had to remind to do that. And if somebody was using your account, prescribing narcotics, you'd never know unless you went and checked that PDMP.   Yeah, I remember last night you were like, and if that was you, I would not want to be you. The Board of Pharmacy is going to be real excited to find you. So that was something where I was like, got it. So, and we all know I'm big on let's make it easy. And Jason, I love that you love this so much and you just brought so much value today. And like also for me, it's just fun to podcast. fun. Yeah. But I got a nerd out on my world a little bit. Bring it into yours. I work with dentists or at least you know, when I was working in Vascular Clinic all day long. Great questions that would come through. Yeah.   So I think for all of us, as a recap on this is number one, I think setting yourself ⁓ some cadences. So maybe every quarter we check our ADA guidelines and we check our, what is it, PDMP. PDMP. so each state, so they call it Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. We need that. Yeah, but there are different acronyms in different states, though. That's just what it's called in Nevada. I forget what it is in California, but you can check your state's prescription monitoring program, make sure that opioids aren't being prescribed under your name. Got it. So we just set that as a cadence.   We know one to three teeth most likely if they're on a blood thinner is According to the 88 as of today is good to go You know things that are going to get a quick know are going to be within the last three months of the stroke the heart attack or the Clot I'm thinking like the pulmonary embolus. Yeah, that's what we're trying to prevent   Those are gonna be quick knows and then if we're prescribing, let's do QS. We've got quantity is sufficient so that we're not getting phone calls back on those medications that we are. And then on narcotics, just being a bit more cautious. Of course, this is provider specific and in no way, or form did Jason come on here to tell you you are the clinical expert.   Jason's the clinical expert on medications. And if you guys ever have questions, I know Jason, you geek out and you want to talk to people so that anyone wants to chat shop. Be sure to reach out and we'll be able to connect you in. we've even talked about possibly, so let me know listeners. You can email in Hello@TheDentalATeam.com of ask a pharmacist anything. I talked to Jason. I was like,   We'll just have them like send in questions and maybe get you back on the podcast or we do a webinar. But any last thoughts, Jace, you've got of pharmacy and dentistry as we as we wrap up today? No, I think that's pretty much it. So check the ADA guidelines. I think it's really good to have cross communication between professions. Right. If you're working with the pharmacy, CVS, Walgreens or something like that or Walmart, I know that it can be challenging. Right. They're under different pressures. You're under different pressure. So I think ⁓ just coming in with an understanding, not being angry at each other.   you know what mean, is super beneficial and working together. When it comes to it, every dentist that I've talked to is actually worried about their patient. Every pharmacist that I've worked with is really worried about the patient as well. So we're trying to accomplish the same thing, but we have different rules and our hands are bound in different ways that annoy each other, right? Like I know Dr. Jones, want 14 tablets, but you said seven. And I know Common Sense says I should give them 14, but I've got to make that change.   knowing that their hands are tied by the law. They can't use as much common sense, which is aggravating. I mean, that's why I love what I gotta do here. I gotta just kind of help a lot more and use common sense and improve patient care. But those kinds of things I think are really beneficial as you work together and then not being so afraid of blood thinners, right? So I think those guidelines do a great job of giving you confidence and not worrying about the side effects. And there's a lot of things that you can do locally for bleeding.   You have a lot of control over that. I think that's pretty cool, the tools they have. Yeah. And at the end of the day, yes, you are the clinician. You are the one who is responsible for this. so obviously, chat, but I think collaborating, talking to other pharmacists, talking to them in your state, finding out what are the state laws, things like that I think can be really beneficial just to give you peace of mind and confidence. And again, dentistry, are maybe a bit more risk adverse because luckily we don't have patients dying That's great thing. Yeah, that's fantastic. I want my dentists to be risk adverse. I think so too. But Jason, I appreciate you being on the podcast today.   And for all of you listening, ⁓ more confidence, more clarity, more streamline to be able to serve and help our patients better. if we can help you in any way or you've got more questions, reach out Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.  

Host: Cindy Allen Show: Simply Trade – Cindy's Version Published: January 30, 2026 Length: ~13 minutes Presented by: Global Training Center Exile: Is the U.S. Being Traded Around? In this week's Cindy's Version, Cindy Allen, CEO of TradeForce Multiplier, unpacks one of the busiest weeks we've seen in international trade—and frames it all through the lens of Taylor Swift's song “Exile.” From fresh tariff threats to shifting alliances and possible government shutdowns, Cindy explains why it's starting to feel like the United States is watching global trade move on without us.​ What You'll Learn in This Episode: New U.S. tariff threats tied to Cuban oil Announcement of tariffs on countries that sell or buy oil from Cuba and why this may largely hit usual suspects like Venezuela and Russia.​ Trade partners going “around” the U.S. How the UK's outreach to China and Canada's new deal with China signal a trend of countries pursuing their own economic interests directly with Beijing.​ Canada under pressure—again Trump's 100% tariff threat on Canadian goods over the China deal and the newer threat to decertify Canadian-made jets until Gulfstream aircraft are certified in Canada—and why both moves raise legal and practical questions.​ Shifting tariff landscapes Guatemala and El Salvador trade deals and expected rate ranges. Possible hike back to 25% on South Korean goods if their trade deal isn't approved. Potential rollback of the 25% tariff on India tied to Russian oil purchases.​ 232 duties and a big valuation court fight Why CBP centers are informally pushing an “all-in” cost model (materials, labor, manufacturing) for steel, aluminum, and now copper derivatives—and how that conflicts with the 232 declaration language. The new Court of International Trade case challenging that interpretation and what it could mean for importers paying 232 on components. Why many companies are considering filing protests now to preserve their rights pending the outcome—and why you need to talk to your own counsel.​ ACE refunds are coming—ready or not Electronic refunds are set to go live February 6. What importers need to do with their brokers and 4811 setup, and why brokers must confirm their own information is on file in ACE. The big question: what happens to refunds if the setup is incomplete?​ EU deal on pause Why the EU is putting its U.S. deal “on hold” and how that could trigger a return to higher tariffs if the U.S. responds like it has with South Korea.​ Hill updates: express couriers and DHS funding A new bill proposal for simplified declarations on express shipments under 600 dollars, and what it could mean if you use or compete with express couriers. The looming DHS/CBP funding issue, the likelihood of a shutdown, and what a shutdown typically means for cargo processing versus outreach and meetings.​ Why “Exile”? Cindy connects the week's news to “Exile,” focusing on the line, “You were my town, now I'm in exile seeing you out.” She explores how U.S. policy is driven by a belief that the country has been taken advantage of and needs to re-shore manufacturing and secure critical sectors, while much of the world sees it as a pullback from free trade and trade facilitation that once underpinned global stability.​ By contrasting these two perspectives—like the two voices in the song—Cindy argues the U.S. risks finding itself “in exile” as trade partners build new frameworks around us, and warns that we've “seen this film before” in history with outcomes that weren't ideal.​ Key Takeaways: Expect more volatility in tariffs and trade relationships as the U.S. pushes assertive trade tools and partners seek alternative paths.​ Importers dealing with 232 duties on steel, aluminum, and copper inputs should closely watch the new court case and coordinate with counsel on protest strategy.​ ACE electronic refunds are an opportunity and a risk—data and 4811 setups must be right to avoid missing money you're owed.​ Even in a shutdown, cargo should keep moving, but engagement with CBP and DHS will be limited.​ Strategically, the U.S. may be drifting into a kind of trade “exile”—and it's critical for companies to understand both the domestic narrative and how the rest of the world is reacting. --------  Presented by: Global Training Center​ Listen & Subscribe Simply Trade main page: https://simplytrade.podbean.com​ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simply-trade/id1640329690​ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/09m199JO6fuNumbcrHTkGq​ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8de7d7fa-38e0-41b2-bad3-b8a3c5dc4cda/simply-trade​ Connect with Simply Trade Podcast page: https://www.globaltrainingcenter.com/simply-trade-podcast​ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/simply-trade-podcast​ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyTradePod​ Join the Trade Geeks Community Trade Geeks (by Global Training Center): https://globaltrainingcenter.com/trade-geeks/ ​

Why does Scripture so often portray women as central to God's work of redemption—even in stories of deep dysfunction and failure? In this episode, Dr. Ingrid Faro, Old Testament scholar and interim president of Northern Seminary, joins Dru Johnson to explore her groundbreaking work in Redeeming Eden: How Women in the Bible Advance the Story of Salvation. Dr. Faro shares how her personal journey through theological trauma, cultic church experiences, and academic discovery led her to reexamine Genesis 1–3 and the women of the Bible. She explains how Hebrew terms like ezer and tzelah (often translated “helper” and “rib”) have been misunderstood, how Eve's story actually radiates hope, and how strategic female figures consistently propel salvation history forward. The conversation also tackles misinterpretations of Genesis 3:16, the patterns of dysfunction and healing across the biblical narrative, and what the Bible really says about evil. This episode is a deep and hopeful reconsideration of gender, power, and goodness within the story of Scripture. You can find Ingrid's "Redeeming Eden" here: https://zondervanacademic.com/products/redeeming-eden We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/give For more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/ Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThought Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthought Threads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthought X: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThought Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.org Chapters: 00:00 The Importance of Women in the Bible 02:58 Challenges and Misunderstandings 05:52 Theological Journey and Discoveries 08:56 Women as Key Figures in Redemption History 12:04 Genesis and the Role of Women 14:53 Understanding the Image of God 18:10 Eve's Story and Redemption 20:58 The Dynamics of Desire and Power 23:56 Women and Men in Collaboration 26:55 The Nature of Evil in the Bible 29:57 Future Works and Closing Thoughts

Interview with Oliver Turner, Corporate Development of Americas Gold & Silver Corp.Our previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/americas-gold-silver-tsxusa-acquires-us65m-crescent-mine-raises-us115m-8579Recording date: 23rd January 2026Americas Gold & Silver has delivered a remarkable operational turnaround, achieving 2.65 million ounces of silver production in 2025 - the highest output in 20 years and the highest grade at its flagship Galena mine in two decades. This represents a 52% year-over-year production increase, demonstrating the effectiveness of new management's operational improvements since taking control in October 2024.The company recently completed a transformative $130 million acquisition of the Crescent Silver Mine, located just nine miles from Galena. Crescent features a resource exceeding 20 million ounces at over 600 grams per ton - double Galena's current mining grade. The proximity enables significant synergies, with ore from Crescent feeding directly into Galena's existing mill infrastructure. Management has already reduced power costs at Crescent from 65 cents to 5 cents per kilowatt-hour and plans to invest $20-25 million in development during 2026, with production expected to ramp through 2027-2028.Executive Vice President Oliver Turner emphasized the company's execution-focused approach: "We just got to execute on what we say we're going to do and deliver, deliver, deliver. That's what we've started to do already at Americas Gold and Silver and will continue to do in the years ahead."Looking ahead, the company plans an unprecedented exploration campaign with 15-20 drills across its asset base in 2026. Recent discoveries include the high-grade 34 vein at Galena, which intersected 983 grams per ton silver with an expanded conceptual target of 6-7 million ounces. The exploration potential extends to Cosala in Mexico, where seven outcropping targets remain untested.Strategically, Galena operates as the largest active antimony mine in the United States, producing continuously since 1942. With new offtake contracts effective January 2026 providing payment for all byproducts and antimony designated as a critical mineral priority, the company offers unique exposure to both precious metals and strategic materials. Backed by over 60% institutional ownership and robust capitalization, Americas Gold & Silver combines operational execution with significant growth catalysts across production, exploration, and strategic mineral positioning.View Americas Gold and Silver's company profile: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/companies/americas-gold-silver-corporationSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

SEGMENT 15: TRADE WITH CHINA REMAINS UNWISE Guest: Alan Tonelson Tonelson argues continued American trade dependence on China remains strategically foolish despite political rhetoric about decoupling. Discussion examines persistent vulnerabilities in supply chains, Beijing's economic leverage, the gap between tough talk and actual policy changes, and what genuine trade realignment would require from Washington.MAY 1939 SHANGHAI

Last time we spoke about the climax of the battle of Lake Khasan. In August, the Lake Khasan region became a tense theater of combat as Soviet and Japanese forces clashed around Changkufeng and Hill 52. The Soviets pushed a multi-front offensive, bolstered by artillery, tanks, and air power, yet the Japanese defenders held firm, aided by engineers, machine guns, and heavy guns. By the ninth and tenth, a stubborn Japanese resilience kept Hill 52 and Changkufeng in Japanese hands, though the price was steep and the field was littered with the costs of battle. Diplomatically, both sides aimed to confine the fighting and avoid a larger war. Negotiations trudged on, culminating in a tentative cease-fire draft for August eleventh: a halt to hostilities, positions to be held as of midnight on the tenth, and the creation of a border-demarcation commission. Moscow pressed for a neutral umpire; Tokyo resisted, accepting a Japanese participant but rejecting a neutral referee. The cease-fire was imperfect, with miscommunications and differing interpretations persisting.    #185 Operation Hainan Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. After what seemed like a lifetime over in the northern border between the USSR and Japan, today we are returning to the Second Sino-Japanese War. Now I thought it might be a bit jarring to dive into it, so let me do a brief summary of where we are at, in the year of 1939. As the calendar turned to 1939, the Second Sino-Japanese War, which had erupted in July 1937 with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident and escalated into full-scale conflict, had evolved into a protracted quagmire for the Empire of Japan. What began as a swift campaign to subjugate the Republic of China under Chiang Kai-shek had, by the close of 1938, transformed into a war of attrition. Japanese forces, under the command of generals like Shunroku Hata and Yasuji Okamura, had achieved stunning territorial gains: the fall of Shanghai in November 1937 after a brutal three-month battle that cost over 200,000 Chinese lives; the infamous capture of Nanjing in December 1937, marked by the Nanjing Massacre where an estimated 300,000 civilians and disarmed soldiers were killed in a six-week orgy of violence; and the sequential occupations of Xuzhou in May 1938, Wuhan in October 1938, and Guangzhou that same month.  These victories secured Japan's control over China's eastern seaboard, major riverine arteries like the Yangtze, and key industrial centers, effectively stripping the Nationalists of much of their economic base. Yet, despite these advances, China refused to capitulate. Chiang's government had retreated inland to the mountainous stronghold of Chongqing in Sichuan province, where it regrouped amid the fog-laden gorges, drawing on the vast human reserves of China's interior and the resilient spirit of its people. By late 1938, Japanese casualties had mounted to approximately 50,000 killed and 200,000 wounded annually, straining the Imperial Japanese Army's resources and exposing the vulnerabilities of overextended supply lines deep into hostile territory. In Tokyo, the corridors of the Imperial General Headquarters and the Army Ministry buzzed with urgent deliberations during the winter of 1938-1939. The initial doctrine of "quick victory" through decisive battles, epitomized by the massive offensives of 1937 and 1938, had proven illusory. Japan's military planners, influenced by the Kwantung Army's experiences in Manchuria and the ongoing stalemate, recognized that China's sheer size, with its 4 million square miles and over 400 million inhabitants, rendered total conquest unfeasible without unacceptable costs. Intelligence reports highlighted the persistence of Chinese guerrilla warfare, particularly in the north where Communist forces under Mao Zedong's Eighth Route Army conducted hit-and-run operations from bases in Shanxi and Shaanxi, sabotaging railways and ambushing convoys. The Japanese response included brutal pacification campaigns, such as the early iterations of what would later formalize as the "Three Alls Policy" (kill all, burn all, loot all), aimed at devastating rural economies and isolating resistance pockets. But these measures only fueled further defiance. By early 1939, a strategic pivot was formalized: away from direct annihilation of Chinese armies toward a policy of economic strangulation. This "blockade and interdiction" approach sought to sever China's lifelines to external aid, choking off the flow of weapons, fuel, and materiel that sustained the Nationalist war effort. As one Japanese staff officer noted in internal memos, the goal was to "starve the dragon in its lair," acknowledging the limits of Japanese manpower, total forces in China numbered around 1 million by 1939, against China's inexhaustible reserves. Central to this new strategy were the three primary overland supply corridors that had emerged as China's backdoors to the world, compensating for the Japanese naval blockade that had sealed off most coastal ports since late 1937. The first and most iconic was the Burma Road, a 717-mile engineering marvel hastily constructed between 1937 and 1938 by over 200,000 Chinese and Burmese laborers under the direction of engineers like Chih-Ping Chen. Stretching from the railhead at Lashio in British Burma (modern Myanmar) through treacherous mountain passes and dense jungles to Kunming in Yunnan province, the road navigated elevations up to 7,000 feet with hundreds of hairpin turns and precarious bridges. By early 1939, it was operational, albeit plagued by monsoonal mudslides, banditry, and mechanical breakdowns of the imported trucks, many Ford and Chevrolet models supplied via British Rangoon. Despite these challenges, it funneled an increasing volume of aid: in 1939 alone, estimates suggest up to 10,000 tons per month of munitions, gasoline, and aircraft parts from Allied sources, including early Lend-Lease precursors from the United States. The road's completion in 1938 had been a direct response to the loss of southern ports, and its vulnerability to aerial interdiction made it a prime target in Japanese planning documents. The second lifeline was the Indochina route, centered on the French-built Yunnan-Vietnam Railway (also known as the Hanoi-Kunming Railway), a 465-mile narrow-gauge line completed in 1910 that linked the port of Haiphong in French Indochina to Kunming via Hanoi and Lao Cai. This colonial artery, supplemented by parallel roads and river transport along the Red River, became China's most efficient supply conduit in 1938-1939, exploiting France's uneasy neutrality. French authorities, under Governor-General Pierre Pasquier and later Georges Catroux, turned a blind eye to transshipments, allowing an average of 15,000 to 20,000 tons monthly in early 1939, far surpassing the Burma Road's initial capacity. Cargoes included Soviet arms rerouted via Vladivostok and American oil, with French complicity driven by anti-Japanese sentiment and profitable tolls. However, Japanese reconnaissance flights from bases in Guangdong noted the vulnerability of bridges and rail yards, leading to initial bombing raids by mid-1939. Diplomatic pressure mounted, with Tokyo issuing protests to Paris, foreshadowing the 1940 closure under Vichy France after the fall of France in Europe. The route's proximity to the South China Sea made it a focal point for Japanese naval strategists, who viewed it as a "leak in the blockade." The third corridor, often overlooked but critical, was the Northwest Highway through Soviet Central Asia and Xinjiang province. This overland network, upgraded between 1937 and 1941 with Soviet assistance, connected the Turkestan-Siberian Railway at Almaty (then Alma-Ata) to Lanzhou in Gansu via Urumqi, utilizing a mix of trucks, camel caravans, and rudimentary roads across the Gobi Desert and Tian Shan mountains. Under the Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact of August 1937 and subsequent aid agreements, Moscow supplied China with over 900 aircraft, 82 tanks, 1,300 artillery pieces, and vast quantities of ammunition and fuel between 1937 and 1941—much of it traversing this route. In 1938-1939, volumes peaked, with Soviet pilots and advisors even establishing air bases in Lanzhou. The highway's construction involved tens of thousands of Chinese laborers, facing harsh winters and logistical hurdles, but it delivered up to 2,000 tons monthly, including entire fighter squadrons like the Polikarpov I-16. Japanese intelligence, aware of this "Red lifeline," planned disruptions but were constrained by the ongoing Nomonhan Incident on the Manchurian-Soviet border in 1939, which diverted resources and highlighted the risks of provoking Moscow. These routes collectively sustained China's resistance, prompting Japan's high command to prioritize their severance. In March 1939, the South China Area Army was established under General Rikichi Andō (later succeeded by Field Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi), headquartered in Guangzhou, with explicit orders to disrupt southern communications. Aerial campaigns intensified, with Mitsubishi G3M "Nell" bombers from Wuhan and Guangzhou targeting Kunming's airfields and the Red River bridges, while diplomatic maneuvers pressured colonial powers: Britain faced demands during the June 1939 Tientsin Crisis to close the Burma Road, and France received ultimatums that culminated in the 1940 occupation of northern Indochina. Yet, direct assaults on Yunnan or Guangxi were deemed too arduous due to rugged terrain and disease risks. Instead, planners eyed peripheral objectives to encircle these arteries. This strategic calculus set the stage for the invasion of Hainan Island, a 13,000-square-mile landmass off Guangdong's southern coast, rich in iron and copper but strategically priceless for its position astride the Indochina route and proximity to Hong Kong. By February 1939, Japanese admirals like Nobutake Kondō of the 5th Fleet advocated seizure to establish air and naval bases, plugging blockade gaps and enabling raids on Haiphong and Kunming, a prelude to broader southern expansion that would echo into the Pacific War. Now after the fall campaign around Canton in autumn 1938, the Japanese 21st Army found itself embedded in a relentless effort to sever the enemy's lifelines. Its primary objective shifted from mere battlefield engagements to tightening the choke points of enemy supply, especially along the Canton–Hankou railway. Recognizing that war materiel continued to flow into the enemy's hands, the Imperial General Headquarters ordered the 21st Army to strike at every other supply route, one by one, until the arteries of logistics were stifled. The 21st Army undertook a series of decisive occupations to disrupt transport and provisioning from multiple directions. To sustain these difficult campaigns, Imperial General Headquarters reinforced the south China command, enabling greater operational depth and endurance. The 21st Army benefited from a series of reinforcements during 1939, which allowed a reorganization of assignments and missions: In late January, the Iida Detachment was reorganized into the Formosa Mixed Brigade and took part in the invasion of Hainan Island.  Hainan, just 15 miles across the Qiongzhou Strait from the mainland, represented a critical "loophole": it lay astride the Gulf of Tonkin, enabling smuggling of arms and materiel from Haiphong to Kunming, and offered potential airfields for bombing raids deep into Yunnan. Japanese interest in Hainan dated to the 1920s, driven by the Taiwan Governor-General's Office, which eyed the island's tropical resources (rubber, iron, copper) and naval potential at ports like Sanya (Samah). Prewar surveys by Japanese firms, such as those documented in Ide Kiwata's Minami Shina no Sangyō to Keizai (1939), highlighted mineral wealth and strategic harbors. The fall of Guangzhou in October 1938 provided the perfect launchpad, but direct invasion was delayed until early 1939 amid debates between the IJA (favoring mainland advances) and IJN (prioritizing naval encirclement). The operation would also heavily align with broader "southward advance" (Nanshin-ron) doctrine foreshadowing invasions of French Indochina (1940) and the Pacific War. On the Chinese side, Hainan was lightly defended as part of Guangdong's "peace preservation" under General Yu Hanmou. Two security regiments, six guard battalions, and a self-defense corps, totaling around 7,000–10,000 poorly equipped troops guarded the island, supplemented by roughly 300 Communist guerrillas under Feng Baiju, who operated independently in the interior. The indigenous Li (Hlai) people in the mountainous south, alienated by Nationalist taxes, provided uneven support but later allied with Communists. The Imperial General Headquarters ordered the 21st Army, in cooperation with the Navy, to occupy and hold strategic points on the island near Haikou-Shih. The 21st Army commander assigned the Formosa Mixed Brigade to carry out this mission. Planning began in late 1938 under the IJN's Fifth Fleet, with IJA support from the 21st Army. The objective: secure northern and southern landing sites to bisect the island, establish air/naval bases, and exploit resources. Vice Admiral Nobutake Kondō, commanding the fleet, emphasized surprise and air superiority. The invasion began under the cover of darkness on February 9, 1939, when Kondō's convoy entered Tsinghai Bay on the northern shore of Hainan and anchored at midnight. Japanese troops swiftly disembarked, encountering minimal initial resistance from the surprised Chinese defenders, and secured a beachhead in the northern zone. At 0300 hours on 10 February, the Formosa Mixed Brigade, operating in close cooperation with naval units, executed a surprise landing at the northeastern point of Tengmai Bay in north Hainan. By 04:30, the right flank reached the main road leading to Fengyingshih, while the left flank reached a position two kilometers south of Tienwei. By 07:00, the right flank unit had overcome light enemy resistance near Yehli and occupied Chiungshan. At that moment there were approximately 1,000 elements of the enemy's 5th Infantry Brigade (militia) at Chiungshan; about half of these troops were destroyed, and the remainder fled into the hills south of Tengmai in a state of disarray. Around 08:30 that same day, the left flank unit advanced to the vicinity of Shuchang and seized Hsiuying Heights. By 12:00, it occupied Haikou, the island's northern port city and administrative center, beginning around noon. Army and navy forces coordinated to mop up remaining pockets of resistance in the northern areas, overwhelming the scattered Chinese security units through superior firepower and organization. No large-scale battles are recorded in primary accounts; instead, the engagements were characterized by rapid advances and localized skirmishes, as the Chinese forces, lacking heavy artillery or air support, could not mount a sustained defense. By the end of the day, Japanese control over the north was consolidating, with Haikou falling under their occupation.Also on 10 February, the Brigade pushed forward to seize Cingang. Wenchang would be taken on the 22nd, followed by Chinglan Port on the 23rd. On February 11, the operation expanded southward when land combat units amphibiously assaulted Samah (now Sanya) at the island's southern tip. This landing allowed them to quickly seize key positions, including the port of Yulin (Yulinkang) and the town of Yai-Hsien (Yaxian, now part of Sanya). With these southern footholds secured, Japanese forces fanned out to subjugate the rest of the island, capturing inland areas and infrastructure with little organized opposition. Meanwhile, the landing party of the South China Navy Expeditionary Force, which had joined with the Army to secure Haikou, began landing on the island's southern shore at dawn on 14 February. They operated under the protection of naval and air units. By the same morning, the landing force had advanced to Sa-Riya and, by 12:00 hours, had captured Yulin Port. Chinese casualties were significant in the brief fighting; from January to May 1939, reports indicate the 11th security regiment alone suffered 8 officers and 162 soldiers killed, 3 officers and 16 wounded, and 5 officers and 68 missing, though figures for other units are unclear. Japanese losses were not publicly detailed but appear to have been light.  When crisis pressed upon them, Nationalist forces withdrew from coastal Haikou, shepherding the last civilians toward the sheltering embrace of the Wuzhi mountain range that bands the central spine of Hainan. From that high ground they sought to endure the storm, praying that the rugged hills might shield their families from the reach of war. Yet the Li country's mountains did not deliver a sanctuary free of conflict. Later in August of 1943, an uprising erupted among the Li,Wang Guoxing, a figure of local authority and stubborn resolve. His rebellion was swiftly crushed; in reprisal, the Nationalists executed a seizure of vengeance that extended far beyond the moment of defeat, claiming seven thousand members of Wang Guoxing's kin in his village. The episode was grim testimony to the brutal calculus of war, where retaliation and fear indelibly etched the landscape of family histories. Against this backdrop, the Communists under Feng Baiju and the native Li communities forged a vigorous guerrilla war against the occupiers. The struggle was not confined to partisan skirmishes alone; it unfolded as a broader contest of survival and resistance. The Japanese response was relentless and punitive, and it fell upon Li communities in western Hainan with particular ferocity, Sanya and Danzhou bore the brunt of violence, as did the many foreign laborers conscripted into service by the occupying power. The toll of these reprisals was stark: among hundreds of thousands of slave laborers pressed into service, tens of thousands perished. Of the 100,000 laborers drawn from Hong Kong, only about 20,000 survived the war's trials, a haunting reminder of the human cost embedded in the occupation. Strategically, the island of Hainan took on a new if coercive purpose. Portions of the island were designated as a naval administrative district, with the Hainan Guard District Headquarters established at Samah, signaling its role as a forward air base and as an operational flank for broader anti-Chiang Kai-shek efforts. In parallel, the island's rich iron and copper resources were exploited to sustain the war economy of the occupiers. The control of certain areas on Hainan provided a base of operations for incursions into Guangdong and French Indochina, while the airbases that dotted the island enabled long-range air raids that threaded routes from French Indochina and Burma into the heart of China. The island thus assumed a grim dual character: a frontier fortress for the occupiers and a ground for the prolonged suffering of its inhabitants. Hainan then served as a launchpad for later incursions into Guangdong and Indochina. Meanwhile after Wuhan's collapse, the Nationalist government's frontline strength remained formidable, even as attrition gnawed at its edges. By the winter of 1938–1939, the front line had swelled to 261 divisions of infantry and cavalry, complemented by 50 independent brigades. Yet the political and military fissures within the Kuomintang suggested fragility beneath the apparent depth of manpower. The most conspicuous rupture came with Wang Jingwei's defection, the vice president and chairman of the National Political Council, who fled to Hanoi on December 18, 1938, leading a procession of more than ten other KMT officials, including Chen Gongbo, Zhou Fohai, Chu Minqi, and Zeng Zhongming. In the harsh arithmetic of war, defections could not erase the country's common resolve to resist Japanese aggression, and the anti-Japanese national united front still served as a powerful instrument, rallying the Chinese populace to "face the national crisis together." Amid this political drama, Japan's strategy moved into a phase that sought to convert battlefield endurance into political consolidation. As early as January 11, 1938, Tokyo had convened an Imperial Conference and issued a framework for handling the China Incident that would shape the theater for years. The "Outline of Army Operations Guidance" and "Continental Order No. 241" designated the occupied territories as strategic assets to be held with minimal expansion beyond essential needs. The instruction mapped an operational zone that compressed action to a corridor between Anqing, Xinyang, Yuezhou, and Nanchang, while the broader line of occupation east of a line tracing West Sunit, Baotou, and the major river basins would be treated as pacified space. This was a doctrine of attrition, patience, and selective pressure—enough to hold ground, deny resources to the Chinese, and await a more opportune political rupture. Yet even as Japan sought political attrition, the war's tactical center of gravity drifted toward consolidation around Wuhan and the pathways that fed the Yangtze. In October 1938, after reducing Wuhan to a fortressed crescent of contested ground, the Japanese General Headquarters acknowledged the imperative to adapt to a protracted war. The new calculus prioritized political strategy alongside military operations: "We should attach importance to the offensive of political strategy, cultivate and strengthen the new regime, and make the National Government decline, which will be effective." If the National Government trembled under coercive pressure, it risked collapse, and if not immediately, then gradually through a staged series of operations. In practice, this meant reinforcing a centralized center while allowing peripheral fronts to be leveraged against Chongqing's grip on the war's moral economy. In the immediate post-Wuhan period, Japan divided its responsibilities and aimed at a standoff that would enable future offensives. The 11th Army Group, stationed in the Wuhan theater, became the spearhead of field attacks on China's interior, occupying a strategic triangle that included Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guangxi, and protecting the rear of southwest China's line of defense. The central objective was not merely to seize territory, but to deny Chinese forces the capacity to maneuver along the critical rail and river corridors that fed the Nanjing–Jiujiang line and the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway. Central to this plan was Wuhan's security and the ability to constrain Jiujiang's access to the Yangtze, preserving a corridor for air power and logistics. The pre-war arrangement in early 1939 was a tableau of layered defenses and multiple war zones, designed to anticipate and blunt Japanese maneuver. By February 1939, the Ninth War Zone under Xue Yue stood in a tense standoff with the Japanese 11th Army along the Jiangxi and Hubei front south of the Yangtze. The Ninth War Zone's order of battle, Luo Zhuoying's 19th Army Group defending the northern Nanchang front, Wang Lingji's 30th Army Group near Wuning, Fan Songfu's 8th and 73rd Armies along Henglu, Tang Enbo's 31st Army Group guarding southern Hubei and northern Hunan, and Lu Han's 1st Army Group in reserve near Changsha and Liuyang, was a carefully calibrated attempt to absorb, delay, and disrupt any Xiushui major Japanese thrust toward Nanchang, a city whose strategic significance stretched beyond its own bounds. In the spring of 1939, Nanchang was the one city in southern China that Tokyo could not leave in Chinese hands. It was not simply another provincial capital; it was the beating heart of whatever remained of China's war effort south of the Yangtze, and the Japanese knew it. High above the Gan River, on the flat plains west of Poyang Lake, lay three of the finest airfields China had ever built: Qingyunpu, Daxiaochang, and Xiangtang. Constructed only a few years earlier with Soviet engineers and American loans, they were long, hard-surfaced, and ringed with hangars and fuel dumps. Here the Chinese Air Force had pulled back after the fall of Wuhan, and here the red-starred fighters and bombers of the Soviet volunteer groups still flew. From Nanchang's runways a determined pilot could reach Japanese-held Wuhan in twenty minutes, Guangzhou in less than an hour, and even strike the docks at Hong Kong if he pushed his range. Every week Japanese reconnaissance planes returned with photographs of fresh craters patched, new aircraft parked wing-to-wing, and Soviet pilots sunning themselves beside their I-16s. As long as those fields remained Chinese, Japan could never claim the sky. The city was more than airfields. It sat exactly where the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway met the line running north to Jiujiang and the Yangtze, a knot that tied together three provinces. Barges crowded Poyang Lake's western shore, unloading crates of Soviet ammunition and aviation fuel that had come up the river from the Indochina railway. Warehouses along the tracks bulged with shells and rice. To the Japanese staff officers plotting in Wuhan and Guangzhou, Nanchang looked less like a city and more like a loaded spring: if Chiang Kai-shek ever found the strength for a counteroffensive to retake the middle Yangtze, this would be the place from which it would leap. And so, in the cold March of 1939, the Imperial General Headquarters marked Nanchang in red on every map and gave General Okamura the order he had been waiting for: take it, whatever the cost. Capturing the city would do three things at once. It would blind the Chinese Air Force in the south by seizing or destroying the only bases from which it could still seriously operate. It would tear a hole in the last east–west rail line still feeding Free China. And it would shove the Nationalist armies another two hundred kilometers farther into the interior, buying Japan precious time to digest its earlier conquests and tighten the blockade. Above all, Nanchang was the final piece in a great aerial ring Japan was closing around southern China. Hainan had fallen in February, giving the navy its southern airfields. Wuhan and Guangzhou already belonged to the army. Once Nanchang was taken, Japanese aircraft would sit on a continuous arc of bases from the tropical beaches of the South China Sea to the banks of the Yangtze, and nothing (neither the Burma Road convoys nor the French railway from Hanoi) would move without their permission. Chiang Kai-shek's decision to strike first in the Nanchang region in March 1939 reflected both urgency and a desire to seize initiative before Japanese modernization of the battlefield could fully consolidate. On March 8, Chiang directed Xue Yue to prepare a preemptive attack intended to seize the offensive by March 15, focusing the Ninth War Zone's efforts on preventing a river-crossing assault and pinning Japanese forces in place. The plan called for a sequence of coordinated actions: the 19th Army Group to hold the northern front of Nanchang; the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi Border Advance Army (the 8th and 73rd Armies) to strike the enemy's left flank from Wuning toward De'an and Ruichang; the 30th and 27th Army Groups to consolidate near Wuning; and the 1st Army Group to push toward Xiushui and Sandu, opening routes for subsequent operations. Yet even as Xue Yue pressed for action, the weather of logistics and training reminded observers that no victory could be taken for granted. By March 9–10, Xue Yue warned Chiang that troops were not adequately trained, supplies were scarce, and preparations were insufficient, requesting a postponement to March 24. Chiang's reply was resolute: the attack must commence no later than the 24th, for the aim was preemption and the desire to tether the enemy's forces before they could consolidate. When the moment of decision arrived, the Chinese army began to tense, and the Japanese, no strangers to rapid shifts in tempo—moved to exploit any hesitation or fog of mobilization. The Ninth War Zone's response crystallized into a defensive posture as the Japanese pressed forward, marking a transition from preemption to standoff as both sides tested the limits of resilience. The Japanese plan for what would become known as Operation Ren, aimed at severing the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway, breaking the enemy's line of communication, and isolating Nanchang, reflected a calculated synthesis of air power, armored mobility, and canalized ground offensives. On February 6, 1939, the Central China Expeditionary Army issued a set of precise directives: capture Nanchang to cut the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway and disrupt the southern reach of Anhui and Zhejiang provinces; seize Nanchang along the Nanchang–Xunyi axis to split enemy lines and "crush" Chinese resistance south of that zone; secure rear lines immediately after the city's fall; coordinate with naval air support to threaten Chinese logistics and airfields beyond the rear lines. The plan anticipated contingencies by pre-positioning heavy artillery and tanks in formations that could strike with speed and depth, a tactical evolution from previous frontal assaults. Okamura Yasuji, commander of the 11th Army, undertook a comprehensive program of reconnaissance, refining the assault plan with a renewed emphasis on speed and surprise. Aerial reconnaissance underlined the terrain, fortifications, and the disposition of Chinese forces, informing the selection of the Xiushui River crossing and the route of the main axis of attack. Okamura's decision to reorganize artillery and armor into concentrated tank groups, flanked by air support and advanced by long-range maneuver, marked a departure from the earlier method of distributing heavy weapons along the infantry front. Sumita Laishiro commanded the 6th Field Heavy Artillery Brigade, with more than 300 artillery pieces, while Hirokichi Ishii directed a force of 135 tanks and armored vehicles. This blended arms approach promised a breakthrough that would outpace the Chinese defenders and open routes for the main force. By mid-February 1939, Japanese preparations had taken on a high tempo. The 101st and 106th Divisions, along with attached artillery, assembled south of De'an, while tank contingents gathered north of De'an. The 6th Division began moving toward Ruoxi and Wuning, the Inoue Detachment took aim at the waterways of Poyang Lake, and the 16th and 9th Divisions conducted feints on the Han River's left bank. The orchestration of these movements—feints, riverine actions, and armored flanking, was designed to reduce the Chinese capacity to concentrate forces around Nanchang and to force the defenders into a less secure posture along the Nanchang–Jiujiang axis. Japan's southward strategy reframed the war: no longer a sprint to reduce Chinese forces in open fields, but a patient siege of lifelines, railways, and airbases. Hainan's seizure, the control of Nanchang's airfields, and the disruption of the Zhejiang–Jiangxi Railway exemplified a shift from large-scale battles to coercive pressure that sought to cripple Nationalist mobilization and erode Chongqing's capacity to sustain resistance. For China, the spring of 1939 underscored resilience amid mounting attrition. Chiang Kai-shek's insistence on offensive means to seize the initiative demonstrated strategic audacity, even as shortages and uneven training slowed tempo. The Ninth War Zone's defense, bolstered by makeshift airpower from Soviet and Allied lendings, kept open critical corridors and delayed Japan's consolidation. The war's human cost—massive casualties, forced labor, and the Li uprising on Hainan—illuminates the brutality that fueled both sides' resolve. In retrospect, the period around Canton, Wuhan, and Nanchang crystallizes a grim truth: the Sino-Japanese war was less a single crescendo of battles than a protracted contest of endurance, logistics, and political stamina. The early 1940s would widen these fault lines, but the groundwork laid in 1939, competition over supply routes, air control, and strategic rail nodes, would shape the war's pace and, ultimately, its outcome. The conflict's memory lies not only in the clashes' flash but in the stubborn persistence of a nation fighting to outlast a formidable adversary. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Japanese invasion of Hainan and proceeding operations to stop logistical leaks into Nationalist China, showcased the complexity and scale of the growing Second Sino-Japanese War. It would not merely be a war of territorial conquest, Japan would have to strangle the colossus using every means necessary.  

Vik Bangia, MCR is CEO of Verum Consulting and Verum's OutsourceUSA where he is a CRE and FM outsourcing advisor, workplace strategist, and author of the book "Tales from an Accidental Corporate Real Estate Leader". Mike Petrusky and Vik reflect on their time together at IFMA's World Workplace in Minneapolis and look forward to a new year with great challenges and opportunities on the horizon. They explore the need for facility management leaders to understand how AI can help them think more strategically with the potential for AI to take over mundane and routine tasks in the built environment. Vik shares his career journey in corporate real estate and encourages listeners to become aware of AI's capabilities and embrace new tools and opportunities in the industry. The role of outsourcing relationships and service providers in leveraging AI is essential, so Mike and Vik offer real world examples and the inspiration you will need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with Vik on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vik-bangia-mcr-0b54522/ Learn more about Verum Consulting: https://verumconsulting.com/ Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: https://eptura.com/discover-more/podcasts/workplace-innovator/ Learn more about Eptura™: https://eptura.com/ Connect with Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepetrusky/ Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J

https://teachhoops.com/ Boosting athletic performance in the middle of a long basketball season requires a shift from "building" strength to "maintaining" explosiveness and optimizing recovery. By January, the initial gains from off-season conditioning often begin to plateau, and the cumulative fatigue of games starts to take a toll on a player's vertical leap and lateral quickness. To combat this, coaches must implement "micro-dosing" of plyometrics and speed work within practice. Instead of long, grinding conditioning sessions, focus on short, high-intensity bursts that mimic the "sprint-and-recover" nature of the game. This approach keeps the central nervous system sharp and ensures that your players maintain their "game-day pop" without overtaxing their bodies before the postseason. Nutrition and hydration are the often-overlooked pillars of performance that can make or break a team's success in February. As a coach, you should provide education on "performance fueling"—ensuring players are consuming the right balance of carbohydrates for energy and protein for muscle repair immediately following games and practices. Monitoring hydration levels is equally critical, as even slight dehydration can lead to a significant drop in cognitive function and shooting accuracy. By treating recovery as a "disciplined skill" rather than an afterthought, you empower your athletes to take ownership of their physical state. This commitment to the "off-court" details ensures that your roster stays resilient, healthy, and physically superior to opponents who may be neglecting their recovery protocols. Finally, boosting performance involves a mental component that is just as vital as the physical one. "Athletic performance" is deeply tied to confidence and mental clarity; a player who is overthinking their rotations or dwelling on a shooting slump will physically play slower. Incorporate "flow state" drills into your practices that encourage instinctive play and rapid decision-making. Utilizing tools like film study or AI-driven analytics can also help players visualize success and understand their efficiency zones, further narrowing their focus. When a team feels physically prepared and mentally unburdened, their performance naturally peaks. By prioritizing these holistic improvements in January, you ensure your program isn't just surviving the season, but gaining a competitive edge that carries you through the championship rounds. Athletic performance, basketball conditioning, mid-season recovery, basketball nutrition, explosiveness, lateral quickness, player wellness, basketball strength training, vertical leap, sports performance, high school basketball, youth basketball, basketball coaching, plyometrics for basketball, recovery protocols, basketball hydration, mental toughness, injury prevention, basketball speed drills, coach development, team culture, basketball IQ, performance fueling, basketball agility, coaching tips, basketball stamina, sports psychology, athletic development, teach hoops, coach unplugged. SEO Keywords Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ever feel like your calendar is packed but your real life lives off to the side? We dig into a simple, no-fluff system to make every commitment visible, merge the hidden to-dos with the scheduled ones, and carve out protected time for sleep, movement, and deep work—without the guilt. The result isn't more hustle; it's a calmer, truer plan that helps us deliver for others while finally honoring the projects and habits that matter to us.We start with a quick refresher on guilt-free future planning: capture big goals, weigh them with a practical matrix, and set a clear order. Then we hit the wall most of us face—there's “no room” to schedule priorities because our calendars only show meetings while errands, caregiving, community roles, and recovery time sit invisible. That's where strategically selfish scheduling comes in. We do a one-week extraction of every commitment, including the off-calendar certainties like grocery runs, bedtime, workouts, and drive time. Seeing it all at once breaks the mental negotiation that keeps us stressed and behind.From there, we run a joy vs obligation scan to expose energy leaks and choose the right lever: eliminate what no longer serves, delegate to someone better suited, automate with tools or templates, or optimize through batching and tighter boundaries. We also make the case for a single master view—overlaying personal and work—so conflicts stop ambushing the day. Finally, we place self-first blocks on the calendar before meetings, naming them clearly and protecting transitions. It's not selfish to do this; it's the maintenance schedule for a life that actually works and a career that compounds.If this hits home, subscribe, share it with a friend who's stretched thin, and leave a quick review to help more people find the show. Want the time management for construction templates and workshop dates? Drop “double D” in the comments and we'll send the link.Get the blueprint to Plan, Commit, and Execute your way into optimal performance: https://www.depthbuilder.com/time-management-webinar-sign-up-page Download a PDF copy of Becoming the Promise You are Intended to Behttps://www.depthbuilder.com/books

Our CIO and Chief U.S. Equity Strategist Mike Wilson discusses key catalysts that investors may be missing, but that are likely to boost U.S. equities in 2026.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Mike Wilson, Morgan Stanley's CIO and Chief U.S. Equity Strategist. Today on the podcast I'll be discussing the converging market forces bolstering our bullish outlook for 2026. It's Monday, January 5th at 11:30am in New York. So, let's get after it. The New Year is usually a time to look forward. But today, I want to take a step back and talk about what the market is missing. A series of bullish catalysts are lining up at the same time, and the market is still underestimating their collective impact. There's been a lot of focus on individual positives—solid earnings growth, further Fed easing—but in our view, the real story is how these forces are reinforcing one another. Deregulation, positive operating leverage, accommodative monetary policy, and increasingly supportive fiscal policy are all working in the same direction. And as we head into mid-term elections later this year, these policy levers are likely to stay supportive.Importantly, this isn't a market that's already priced for the outcomes I envision. Positioning in cyclical trades remains relatively light, and sentiment in economically sensitive areas is far from exuberant. That combination—of improving fundamentals with cautious positioning—is exactly what tends to characterize the early stages of a recovery. I continue to believe these tailwinds are most underappreciated in cyclical areas like Consumer Discretionary Goods, Financials, Industrials, and small- and mid-cap stocks. Many of the indicators we track are only just beginning to turn higher. This doesn't look late-cycle to me—it looks early in what I have deemed to be a rolling recovery. One reason investors have been hesitant is the sluggishness of traditional business-cycle indicators, particularly the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index. There's been a reluctance to press cyclical trades until those gauges clearly re-accelerate; and beneath that hesitation is a lingering anxiety that the U.S. economy could even slip back into a growth scare. My view is different. I believe a three year rolling recession ended with Liberation Day. If that's true, then the moderate softness we're now witnessing in lagging labor data is constructive for equities because it keeps the Fed leaning dovish for longer and more aggressive—a positive for equities. I see the second half of 2025 as the bottoming process for key macro indicators; with 2026 shaping up as a year of re-acceleration. Longer-cycle analysis supports this. Specifically, the 45-month cycle of the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index points to a rebound. That recovery has been delayed—but not cancelled. Another tailwind that doesn't get nearly enough attention is energy prices. Gasoline prices in particular are sitting near five-year lows, which is providing real economic relief for lower- and middle-income consumers. That cushion matters, especially as other parts of the economy firm. This past weekend's events in Venezuela argue for lower oil prices for longer. From a sector standpoint, Financials stand out as the key beneficiary of deregulation and these stocks have been great performers over the past year in anticipation of these changes. I think there is more to go in 2026. Housing could be another important piece of the recovery. Subdued wage growth and falling rents may pressure home prices, while some builders are prioritizing volume over margins. While that may cap profitability for the builders, it could unlock housing velocity and feed into a more dovish inflation backdrop. Of course, there are also risks. Liquidity has been our top concern since September, and markets have reflected that through weakness in speculative assets. The good news is that the Fed has responded by ending quantitative tightening early and restarting asset purchases through the Reserve Management Program. This effectively adds liquidity to a system that was showing signs of stress this past several months. Another risk is a renewed slowdown in AI CapEx, particularly as markets demand clearer payback from debt-funded spending. And geopolitically, the U.S. intervention in Venezuela raises new questions. Strategically, it reinforces U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere and supports our ‘Run It Hot' thesis—but the key wildcard remains whether China chooses to react. Net-net, we think the balance of risks and rewards still favor leaning into this early-cycle recovery and our bullish outlook for US equities in 2026. Thanks for tuning in; I hope you found it informative and useful. Let us know what you think by leaving us a review. And if you find Thoughts on the Market worthwhile, tell a friend or colleague to try it out!

A new year is upon us, and for many that means new goals. Setting your goals strategically goes a long way toward helping you be successful. Check out the full blog post for today's episode at http://DizRuns.com/1328. Are you struggling in a certain area of your training and would like to pick my brain to try and find a way to get back on track? Schedule a consultation call and I'll help you work through whatever is getting you down at the moment. http://DizRuns.com/consultation Love the show? Check out the support page for ways you can help keep the Diz Runs Radio going strong! dizruns.com/support Become a Patron of the Show! Visit Patreon.com/DizRuns to find out how. Subscribe to the Diz Runs Radio Find Me on an Apple Device dizruns.com/itunes
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Find Me on SoundCloud dizruns.com/soundcloud Please Take the Diz Runs Radio Listener Survey dizruns.com/survey Win a Free 16-Week Training Plan Enter at dizruns.com/giveaway Join The Tribe If you'd like to stay up to date with everything going on in the Diz Runs world, become a member of the tribe! The tribe gets a weekly email where I share running tips and stories about running and/or things going on in my life. To get the emails, just sign up at dizruns.com/join-the-tribe The tribe also has an open group on Facebook, where tribe members can join each other to talk about running, life, and anything in between. Check out the group and join the tribe at www.facebook.com/groups/thedizrunstribe/

THE CAMBODIAN INCURSION AND DOMESTIC UNREST Colleague Geoffrey Wawro. In 1970, Nixonauthorized an incursion into Cambodia to destroy NVA sanctuaries and supply lines, but the operation failed strategically as the enemy simply retreated deeper into the country and returned later. While the invasion widened the war and ignited massive domestic unrest, including the fatal shootings at Kent State, it also consolidated Nixon's political base, the "Silent Majority." This polarization was evidenced by the "Hard Hat" riots, where workers attacked anti-war protesters, demonstrating that a significant portion of the country still supported the administration's efforts. NUMBER 14

One of the misconceptions of the enemy is that he is big, loud, and easy to see coming our way. But the truth is, that he is slow, sneaky, and even strategic in how he tries to get us off course. In this episode, Rodney Holmstrom, Global Field Director of Celebrate Recovery, will talk about some things to be aware of and the lies the enemy can feed us as he prowls around like a lion seeking to devour us. Listen in and find some practical ways to combat the enemies sabotage attempts so that we can keep moving and growing forward in our recovery with our forever family, and Jesus Christ as our higher power.

fWotD Episode 3159: Moltke-class battlecruiser Welcome to featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Sunday, 28 December 2025, is Moltke-class battlecruiser.The Moltke class was a class of two "all-big-gun" battlecruisers of the German Imperial Navy built between 1909–1911. Named SMS Moltke and SMS Goeben, they were similar to the previous battlecruiser Von der Tann, but the newer design featured several incremental improvements. The Moltkes were slightly larger, faster, and better armored, and had an additional pair of 28 cm (11 in) guns.Both ships served during World War I. Moltke participated in several major battles with the rest of the High Seas Fleet, including the battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland in the North Sea, and the Battle of the Gulf of Riga and Operation Albion in the Baltic Sea. At the end of the war, Moltke was interned with the majority of the High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow while the ships' fate was being discussed during peace treaty negotiations. The ships were scuttled on 21 June 1919 to prevent their seizure by the Allies.Goeben was stationed in the Mediterranean at the start of the war; she escaped from pursuing Royal Navy ships to Constantinople. The ship, along with the light cruiser Breslau, was transferred to the Ottoman Navy soon after arrival. Strategically, Goeben played a very important role: she helped bring the Ottoman Empire into the war as a member of the Central Powers, and by acting as a fleet in being the ship prevented Anglo-French attempts to force the Bosporus, and similarly stymied a possible advance by the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Goeben was retained by the new Turkish government after the war. Only slightly modified from her original configuration, the ship remained on active service with the Turkish Navy until being decommissioned on 20 December 1950; she was stricken from the Navy register on 14 November 1954. The ship was unsuccessfully offered for sale to the West German government in 1963. Without a group willing to preserve her as a museum, the ship was sold to M. K. E. Seyman in 1971 for scrapping. She was towed to the breakers on 7 June 1973, and the work was completed in February 1976.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:37 UTC on Sunday, 28 December 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Moltke-class battlecruiser on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm long-form Gregory.

On this episode of Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing, Jonathan Greene speaks with Spencer Hilligoss, CEO and co-founder of Madison Investing, about his journey from growing up in a real estate brokerage household to becoming a thoughtful passive investor and investing club leader. Spencer shares how a long career in Silicon Valley tech shaped his approach to risk, cash flow, and long-term financial planning, and why real estate became a critical tool for building stability beyond W-2 income. The conversation explores Spencer's transition from owning rental properties to focusing on limited partner investing, including how capacity, family priorities, and operational realities influenced that shift. Spencer breaks down how he evaluates sponsors, why track record and communication matter more than flashy projections, and what recent market cycles have reinforced about conservative underwriting and disciplined deal selection. Listeners will gain clarity on when passive investing makes sense, how to think about risk and accountability as an LP, and why education and mindset—not deal hype—are the foundation of long-term success. In this episode, you will hear: How growing up in a brokerage family influenced Spencer's investing mindset Why W-2 income alone isn't enough for long-term financial resilience The transition from owning rentals to passive LP investing How to evaluate sponsors, track record, and deal structure Why "passive" investing still requires active due diligence Lessons learned from recent market shifts and recalibrated return expectations Follow and Review If you enjoy the show, please follow Zen and the Art of Real Estate Investing on Apple Podcasts and leave a rating and review. It helps other listeners discover these conversations and supports the show's growth. Supporting Resources Connect with Spencer Website: http://www.madisoninvesting.com/  Website: http://www.spencerhilligoss.com/  Twitter: https://x.com/SpenceHilligoss  LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shilligoss/  Connect with Jonathan: Website - www.streamlined.properties  YouTube - www.youtube.com/c/JonathanGreeneRE/videos  Instagram - www.instagram.com/trustgreene  Instagram - www.instagram.com/streamlinedproperties    Zillow - www.zillow.com/profile/streamlinen​j Bigger Pockets -  www.biggerpockets.com/users/jonathangreene Facebook - www.facebook.com/streamlinedproperties  Email - info@streamlined.properties   This episode was produced by Outlier Audio.

Hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros challenge why so many people work hard yet fail to see real progress in self-improvement. Discipline is not the problem. Consistency is not the problem. The real issue shows up in how decisions are made when no one is watching.This episode cuts through surface-level personal development and focuses on the thinking patterns that quietly determine long-term outcomes. If you care about making better decisions, building consistency that lasts, and growing with intention instead of urgency, this conversation will sharpen how you approach self-improvement.Listen closely. Then ask yourself if your daily choices are actually taking you where you say you want to go._______________________Learn more about:Join our private Facebook community, “Next Level Nation,” to grow alongside people who are committed to improvement. - https://www.facebook.com/groups/459320958216700The “Next Level Hope Foundation” creates meaningful experiences for kids growing up without a father figure and builds a positive, supportive community around them.To support this event, you can donate here: https://gofund.me/5c6abcf7f_______________________NLU is not just a podcast; it's a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.For more information, check out our website and socials using the links below.

In this BONUS live training, Kelly Roach walks you through a 5-pillar mind mapping framework for creating your most aligned, impactful, and profitable year yet. You'll learn why time, not talent, money, or hustle, is the ultimate differentiator between where you are now and where you want to go. This training challenges the two extremes entrepreneurs often fall into: over-planning without execution or over-executing without strategy,  and shows you how to bring both into alignment. Kelly explains why congruence with your calling, intentional life architecture, and clarity of vision must come before business goals if you want sustainable growth without burnout. You'll also hear how faith, family, fulfillment, and finances can coexist, and why your business should fuel your life, not compete with it. This episode is a foundational listen if you're ready to stop grinding and start designing a business that supports your purpose, priorities, and your next million-dollar breakthrough. Timestamps:  03:31 – 07:45: The real constraint in business 07:46 – 12:30: Over-Planning vs Over-Executing (and, finding the sweet spot)  12:31 – 18:45: 5 pillars of million-dollar breakthroughs (overview) 18:46 – 27:30: Aligning Your Business with God's Calling, Your Gifts, and Your Identity 27:31 – 35:15:  The Five Fs: Faith, Family, Fitness, Freedom, Fulfillment, Finances 35:16 – 41:45: Clarity, Purpose, Priorities, and Values  41:46 – 47:30: Why Fewer Goals Create Bigger Results (And, The Power of the Big Three) 47:31 – 52:15: Daily Reps, Metrics, and Sustainable Momentum 52:16 – 56:00:  Invitation to Strategic Planning Intensive Resources:  Join me on Friday, December 19th for my live Strategic Planning Session to map out your million-dollar game plan for 2026 (and get your 2026 Unstoppable Business Planning Tool included with your purchase): https://thekellyroach.com/2026planner  Can't swing the session? Grab your 2026 Unstoppable Planner here: https://unstoppableplanner.myshopify.com/products/2026-unstoppable-planner  Follow Kelly on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/kellyroachofficial/  Follow Kelly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.roach.520/  Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyroachint/  

During a season filled with peace and joy, it’s painful to experience grieving at Christmastime. But that’s what many people do. They celebrate. Simultaneously, they grieve. There are always losses in life. Sometimes, these losses almost consume the space meant to be filled with peace and joy. Strategically, there are ways to keep these spaces free for healthy processes – even at Christmastime. Read More … For more resources and tools that inspire and equip you to live well using God's Word in practical ways each day, visit the Alive and Active Life website.

PREVIEW — Brandon Weichert — Jensen Huang and Nvidia's Geopolitical Influence. Weichert identifies Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as potentially America's most consequential and strategically important technology tycoon, arguing he now surpasses Elon Musk in direct geopolitical influence and institutional power to shape American foreign policy and national security priorities. Weichert suggests that Huang's desire to expand semiconductor chip sales into Chinesemarkets is systematically influencing the Biden administration to soften its national security rhetoric and shift from hawkish threat characterization to dovish diplomatic accommodation regarding Beijing, potentially subordinating American strategic autonomy to Nvidia's commercial interests and market access imperatives. 1958

Dive into what's next for enterprise AI in the latest episode of Tech-Driven Business. Mustansir Saifuddin welcomes SAP expert Andrea Haupfear for an in-depth conversation on how SAP is helping organizations turn AI from hype into measurable business value. If you're navigating transformation across finance, supply chain, or operations, this episode is a must-listen. Andrea breaks down what makes enterprise AI different—why trusted data, business context, and governance are non-negotiable—and how SAP is embedding AI directly into business processes to improve speed, accuracy, and ROI. Tune in for a real-world example and practical guidance on how organizations can start small, prioritize high-impact use cases, and prepare for what's coming next with Agentic AI. Andrea Haupfear is a Business Process Architect with over a decade of experience driving digital transformation through artificial intelligence and advanced analytics. She specializes in designing and implementing AI-powered solutions that enhance operational efficiency, decision-making, and adaptability across diverse business environments. Andrea is recognized for her strategic leadership in translating complex technologies into scalable, real-world applications, making her a trusted advisor in navigating change and unlocking value through innovation. Connect with Us: LinkedIn: Andrea Haupfear Mustansir Saifuddin Innovative Solution Partners X:  @Mmsaifuddin YouTube or learn more about our sponsor Innovative Solution Partners to schedule a free consultation.    Episode Transcript [00:00:00] Mustansir Saifuddin: Welcome to Tech Driven Business, brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. I'm honored to have Andrea Haupfear of SAP. Join me today to break down how SAP is helping organizations leverage AI to drive efficiency, reduce risk and deliver measurable ROI. We'll also look ahead at what's next and how you and your team can prepare as AI moves from experimental to essential for enterprises to thrive. [00:00:35] Hello Andrea. How are you? [00:00:37] Andrea Haupfear: I'm good. How are you? [00:00:40] Mustansir Saifuddin: Doing well, doing well. I'm so excited to have you on our show. So thank you for coming on. Today we would like to talk about the latest SAP's AI journey and the business transformation. And what it really means for SAP customers. How does it sound? [00:00:57] Andrea Haupfear: Sure. No, it sounds great. This is one of my passions that I love to talk about, and so you know, happy and excited to actually share a little bit about what we're doing with AI at SAP and what we've seen in the field with our customers. So, super excited and it's a pleasure being here. [00:01:14] So thank you again for inviting me here. [00:01:17] Mustansir Saifuddin: Awesome. Awesome. Let's get into it, we know we are at an inflection point, right? AI is moving so fast and it's actually turning from experimental to essential, right? For in a lot of different cases. So let's focus in how is SAP's AI strategy fundamentally different from consumer AI? And why does it really matter for enterprises? [00:01:39] Andrea Haupfear: Yeah, absolutely. So a couple of things that I wanna kind of touch on here. So oftentimes, and you mentioned this, right, we, we've used, we've used AI in our personal and daily lives for, you know, the last decade plus, right? I mean, when you think about AI, a lot of people think about Siri or Alexa or ChatGPT, right? [00:02:01] And you know, when I personally think about AI you've got your broad and creative tasks. What we've done in our personal lives, you know, everything from creating a grocery list to, editing a, a photo, right? A family photo. But from a business perspective you know, an enterprise AI, it really has to change those business outcomes. [00:02:26] And really when you think about this, think about, you know, everything from could be closing the books faster or. A faster on time delivery rate or reducing risk in my supply chain. And how do we ultimately do it with the highest level of governance, auditability, cost control. And so SAP's approach is really built around that flywheel of applications, data and that additional layer of artificial intelligence on top of it. [00:02:58] So there's, there's that aspect to it, but then also thinking about it in a couple of other ways of how we're doing this. Is, you know, yes, we're embedding it where your business or where the work happens. So making it easier for our end users to be able to leverage artificial intelligent capabilities and even machine learning capabilities, not just [00:03:23] from a digital assistant or a chat perspective, but how do we integrate it and infuse it within their specific business, day-to-day business processes to make their lives that much easier? But then also thinking about it from a strategic perspective, how can I obtain that high level of ROI by leveraging artificial intelligence. [00:03:47] So we're seeing it in a couple of different flavors from our customers. And then also what we're developing from a, from a product perspective as well. So we're thinking about it from a couple of different angles. [00:04:00] Additionally, thinking about it from a AI operating system for our developers and for our consultants, leveraging the AI foundation on the business technology platform. [00:04:13] So think about what used to be our developers would have to generate thousands upon thousands of lines of code. Now that's no longer the case, right? It can take them you know, a, a minute or so now to develop the, these applications and these lines of code to where it's, it's easier for them to go about their day-to-day jobs and their, their tasks where now they don't have to spend days upon days trying to develop these different applications and agents. [00:04:45] It also lets you and I just mentioned around agents, it also lets you create and govern custom agents to read and write back to SAP and non SAP systems. Thinking about this automation and accountability, not just getting those pointed answers, right? And then last but not least, kind of how I think about this is, yes, you've got your trust. [00:05:09] Think about trust not only in the data from looking at it in your SAP systems, but also think about non SAP systems. Think about your third party applications that you're going in and looking at the data, whether it's geographic information customer sentiment information, or it could even be, asset related sensor information, right? So bringing in that data as well as looking at it from your SAP business data context but then also looking at it with responsibility. So SAP has that responsible AI program in place really aligned to the UN UNESCO principles and the ISO 4 2 0 0 1 certification to really prioritize [00:05:57] those ethics and compliance and human oversight within our, our AI applications such as, you know, AI core and our digital assistant juul. So really taking it from a full spectrum approach and looking at it at the holistic level and how we can bring in artificial intelligence within these, these areas. [00:06:20] Mustansir Saifuddin: I love the way you kind of package it all together, from an overall perspective, especially, you know, the two things that really stuck out to me was. Again, coming from a business side, what is in it for a customer, right? What is the real value? [00:06:35] And you touched upon two things, embedding it. So a person who is currently doing a job and they're used to doing it manually. Now you can. Embed these ai component to their daily work streams, right? And how they can, you know, utilize that. And the second part I really loved it is you talked about ROI really what is the return I'm getting on this investment, right? And then lastly, you talked about data. So let's, let's talk about that. You know, here's the uncomfortable truth. AI is only as good as the data it learns from. We all know that. We all talk about it. And we have always heard this term garbage and garbage out, but what that sort really mean when we are talking SAP AI, making recommendations to customers and we are talking the effect in terms of millions in revenues or supply chain decisions. How would you like to address that? What is, what is SAP's approach on that? [00:07:33] Andrea Haupfear: Yeah, so a couple of things and you know, I've heard that term many times and coming and being an ex consultant. It's, it's definitely right. You're only as good as, as I've heard, you know, as the data that you have. So my thought on this is really when you have an AI agent that recommends, say for example, expediting a shipment or reclassifying a receivable, the truth that it relies on, [00:08:00] is your master data. [00:08:01] It is your transactional history and any sort of process constraints that lie in between. So ultimately, when I think about this, it's not just your, your master data. It's a, it's a multitude of things that ultimately will help the AI model in the end. In the end game to take those three pillars and turn garbage in into good decisions out. [00:08:27] The other piece that, how I think about this are semantics and not necessarily just schemas. So think about when we have some of our solutions such as Business Data Cloud, which carries those semantics and lineage into your AI workloads. So say for example, the customer, the plants, or an open po, it means the same thing everywhere. [00:08:51] And that's really critical for explainability and audit purposes. That's another way how I think about this. And then also just looking at this from a context perspective. So I also think about, you have to train a model when at first go, right? And be able to provide it some context, some instruction, some understanding that says, this is where this particular business process lies. [00:09:17] This is how the process should look and feel. What does good look like? And that's ultimately what we explain and tell our customers is we need to train our model to understand what does good look like, and this is where you have that context, rich retrieval and not just kind of that blind prompting that just says, go do this. [00:09:36] But the model will try to establish what it thinks good looks like, which may not necessarily mean what you think good looks like. This is where SAP HANA Cloud will bring in that vector engine, so those semantic retrievals and documents and notes and images. [00:09:53] Think about a knowledge graph. So it brings in those specific facts and relationships from your ERP, but then also thinking about a rag model as well, reducing those hallucinations and making those citations explainable. So why did the model or an agent be able to go through the process that it did? [00:10:16] Well, that's because there's multiple steps and instructions that the model has to take in order to provide an accurate response. Those are some of the things in, in which we leverage today with our customers and really making it so that way it's, yes, they may not always have the best data, but let's provide additional context to really help, again, make those good decisions coming out. [00:10:41] Mustansir Saifuddin: I liked the way you tied it together, right? We talk about business semantics being so important, BDC, the business data cloud. How is that coming into play in this conversation? And then coming from business semantics into a context. A context really is required for the answers to make sense and be business relevant. [00:11:03] So I really love the way you kind of connected together. Let's zoom in. Let's pick an industry. And there are so many examples that manufacturing, retail, financial services. Can you walk us through one compelling use case where SAP AI is really creating these breakthrough value? [00:11:21] What was the business problem? And how did AI solve it differently? [00:11:26] Andrea Haupfear: Yeah, absolutely. Mentioned at the beginning, SAP is investing heavily within artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities, not just from an embedded AI perspective, but also think about it from a tailored AI perspective. So I mentioned [00:11:41] Business Data Cloud, being able to pull information and data not only from your internal SAP systems, but also external and third party information. And I wanna give you an example in a use case real world use case of a dairy co-op out of Wisconsin that is actually doing this today [00:12:00] from a very innovative approach. [00:12:02] Their challenge was around their performance at the subcontracting level. Ultimately these guys have a dairy co-op with their local farmers or farm base. They bring in the milk to not only from an internal manufacturing perspective to process out milk cheese, butter whey, et cetera cream, but they also subcontract it out as well. [00:12:28] And so this is really where they wanted to be able to get a better understanding, not just insights perspective on their data at their subcontractors from a yield output perspective. How much dairy, how much cheese was being was an output or yield, but what was going in and then going in versus going out. [00:12:50] And so ultimately what they wanted to be able to do was, yes, be able to look at the yield perspective from an insights, but they wanted to be able to leverage and infuse artificial intelligence from this process to ultimately help with their reduce of shrink. And contributing to a 1% KPI, which ultimately makes up to you and I roughly 10 to $15 million. [00:13:16] Okay. So just to kind of put it in perspective here of how much we're talking about. And so what they did was, yes, we have the insights from an analytics perspective, they wanted to be able to make it easier for their dairy supply chain planners to be able to, in real time through natural language processing, be able to chat with a digital assistant to gain insights around, Hey, what is my yield output for specific plant? [00:13:42] Tell me my highest and lowest plants that had the yield output. Tell me un understanding from a scrapping perspective how much waste is going out. So they wanted to be able to look at these specific metrics and be able to get a better understanding, hey, which particular plant is performing the best versus the worst. [00:14:03] So that way they can help to be able to retain and possibly improve some of these plant relationships going forward. Additionally as kind of that part two, what they wanted to be able to do is they receive manual yield output reports on a weekly basis from these subcontractors. It's typically in a PDF format, Excel, PDF format, and oftentimes these can be miskeyed into their S4 system. [00:14:35] And what they wanted to be able to do is be able to have an a little bit more of an automated process. Of, yes, not only uploading these reports that they, they have to manually key in today, but they wanted to be able to provide some intelligence behind it. And so this is where we've put in outlier detection on these attachments to where now I can see, okay, was there a miskey or an oversight that says, okay, you know, this should have been 2,622 versus 6,222. It can detect those mis keys in real time to say, Hey. For my supply chain planner, this doesn't necessarily look right. It's way outta whack compared to what was previously entered in, in the previous weeks. [00:15:24] You should triple check this, right? So it's, it's being able to provide a little bit more of, think of like big brother watching over you before it actually goes and hits into their ERP system. This is ultimately contributing to their supply chain process and has a direct impact on their KPI metrics that they're leveraging. [00:15:44] In this case, it's it's within shrink, so really getting a, a better handle on that. [00:15:50] Mustansir Saifuddin: No, I think the, the way you explained it, it is a great example 'cause now I can see not only does it apply to this particular industry, but it can cut across multiple industries. [00:16:00] Right. Because the example talked about production at a plant level. At the same time, the supply chain mishaps that can happen. [00:16:08] And usually a human eye can take so much [00:16:11] or can detect so much, but you can't try and put it together in a way that you guide your, your workforce to look at anomalies that can really help you steer the ship in the right direction quickly and efficiently. So that's great. [00:16:26] That really leads into my, my next question is, all of this is great, right? This is happening right now, we can see like the example you use, [00:16:35] right? It is in action. It is in motion, and customers are seeing value. Let's fast forward, where is SAP's AI development heading? You know, let's take a time horizon, 18 to 24 months. What capabilities should organizations be preparing for? Because it is all about future proofing ourselves, right? And how should they architect the solutions today to be ready for that feature, you know, coming up so quickly? [00:17:02] Andrea Haupfear: Yeah, absolutely. So a couple things that that come to mind. So number one and we've all been hearing kind of the next and elitist buzzword is around agents and agentic AI. So really how. I think about agents is how do we provide some of those tasks that, you know, may not necessarily whether they're they're still important, but, you know, maybe take up a lot of our time [00:17:29] but being able to provide and have a AI model behind that. To really free up some of the workload and provide some of our end users more on the strategic front. Freeing up some of that time. So I think in my humbled opinion, Agentic AI but Agentic AI at scale. So a lot of our customers are looking at what we have and this is where we're embedding. [00:17:54] Within our SAP applications agents within each one of our lines of business, but also custom agents. So this is something that is going to be released here in the next next several months, is looking at I have my embedded agents, but if I have very specific and unique, maybe differentiated business processes, how can I be able to integrate and infuse custom agents or an agent within this particular process? [00:18:23] And so this is really where I think is gonna we're really gonna see a lot of value coming in from our customers that says, yes, I can use agents in a multitude of different ways. Second is thinking about as an organization, we're becoming more dynamic and, and open source for data and how we can process it in a business context. [00:18:47] So thinking about, yes, I mentioned the Business Data Cloud, but also you know, strong partnerships. That was just announced with Snowflake as well. Right? So bringing in, yes, not only our internal data, but also our external data as well. How can we take that data and be able to normalize it? As far as from an architect's perspective, here are a couple points that I was kind of thinking about in my mind as we were going through this. [00:19:13] Was around keeping the core clean, right? So making sure that, yes, we're using our, our business technology platform various extensions and agents and skills from from JUUL studio and avoiding really those those drastic upgrades. And also kind of how I'm thinking about this is adopting that data product mindset. [00:19:40] So looking at, and I mentioned this as well, like Business Data Cloud, from looking at semantics and lineage, but also looking at retrieval methods. So vector engines and knowledge graphs. But then also thinking about it from a process perspective and [00:20:00] designing agent guardrails. So making sure that you have a much more standardization of an understanding of those roles and permissions. [00:20:10] Understanding human in the loop checkpoints at what point should be automated versus, okay, we need to have a set of eyes on this to actually be able to say, yep, this looks correct. I think that that's extremely important. [00:20:25] Mustansir Saifuddin: Yeah, for sure. And I think a couple of things that really stuck out for me. One is very near and dear to me, is the data part. And you talked about the partnership with Snowflake coming out recently, and I think it's important, especially when we talk about data for an organization. It's not just SAP data, it's like the overall, right? [00:20:42] You know, this, what does it really make up my organization? So [00:20:45] great approach from SAP, how it's trying to bring in like a business context around it, right? You have information within your ERP, outside of your ERP and then using the BTP platform. and the BDC platform to kind of bring it all together. So I think great segue, especially when we talk about agents and you know, we've all been talking about agents you know, for quite some time now, but now we can see the real value, how we can customize it and bring it together from a data perspective. So great conversation. On a personal note, how are you staying up, you know, on top of all these changes taking place in technology and business? What is your secret sauce? [00:21:26] Andrea Haupfear: Yeah, no, it's tough 'cause it's changing daily, weekly, right. And so being able to stay, have it stay top of mind. This is something that is part of, yes, not only my passion and what I do day in and day out, right, but also looking and getting, keeping educated not only from a process perspective by virtue of, you know, our internal processes, what we have in our products and our product offering, but also external with our clients. [00:21:54] To say, okay, what are they doing today with their processes? And then how can we leverage AI within that? So yes, not only from an internal knowledge sharing perspective, from a functional and technical perspective, but also external as well. And then thinking about external blogs, news sources, those are just kind of some of the things that I try to stay up to date. [00:22:16] You know, as best as I can. [00:22:18] Mustansir Saifuddin: No, I hear you on that. It is, it is a constant learning and I think that's the key, right? Educating [00:22:23] and educating and educating and be able to find your sources. I think that's the key. Great conversation. I know we are at time, what would you take out of this conversation that we just had and want to leave a particular takeaway for our listeners and folks who are interested in this topic? [00:22:42] Andrea Haupfear: Sure. Absolutely. So AI is not just like, and, and I meant we mentioned this earlier on, right? AI is not just in our personal lives, but it's also in our workplace and it's very, very real. We are seeing our companies and our customers take advantage of infusing AI into their business processes and receiving the high ROI in their processes. [00:23:05] The key is to start small. Strategically and identify which areas will have AI and will have that high ROI, but then also have the highest value when it comes from an impact perspective. We see this to where we run this as, as ultimately an ideation sessions with our customers and from the takeaway out of those sessions is they can start to craft an internal roadmap that will lead them to AI success. [00:23:38] And ultimately our organization can help them get there along the way, even whether they're just dipping their toe in the AI pool or some, some customers that we deal with already have strong partnerships with large language model providers or they're partnering with universities, things like that. [00:23:57] The end goal in net net is that [00:24:00] our organization can help to not only help identify those high value AI use cases, but also investing in you to create those. We offer a free proof of concept in as much as eight weeks. You mentioned this, you know how frequently this is changing. [00:24:18] AI is changing. Right? And this is where we can develop these proof of concepts to where you, our customers can be able to realize those value in a very quick and short amount of time. And so that's ultimately where I wanna leave the audience with is that we're, we're seeing AI not just in our personal lives, but also in the workplace. [00:24:39] And we're actually showing them and, having them realize it in real time. So you guys can, can feel free to reach out to me. I think we'll have my contact information at the end of the podcast here. But you know, happy to have further conversations with you and your organization. [00:24:55] I wanna thank you again personally for inviting me to the podcast and to discuss a, a very, very close and passionate topic for me. [00:25:04] Mustansir Saifuddin: It's a pleasure to have you, Andrea, and really, I think it was a great conversation. You touched upon so many different things and I think that was the purpose of this, was to kind of bring light to exactly what's going on in, you know, we talk about AI in general, but what is really happening at the inter-enterprise level [00:25:21] and what is the real value when folks are looking at, from a business perspective. How to increase ROI in this new technology and what does really mean in terms of increasing business revenue and across the board improving efficiencies. Right? So it's all together. But thank you so much for coming on our show. [00:25:42] Andrea Haupfear: Absolutely. Thank you for having me. [00:25:44] Mustansir Saifuddin: Thanks for listening to Drug Driven Business, brought to you by Innovative Solution Partners. SAP is helping customers move from AI experimentation to enterprise value by embedding AI where work happens, grounding it in trusted data and business context. And ensuring governance, auditability, and control. [00:26:10] Andrea's Key takeaway? Start small. Focus on the highest ROI use cases and build a clear roadmap because when AI is tied to real processes and real outcomes, SAP customers can unlock faster decisions, lower risk, and measurable impact. We would love to hear from you. Continue the conversation by connecting with me on LinkedIn or X. [00:26:36] Learn more about innovative solution partners and schedule a free consultation by visiting isolutionpartners.com. Never miss a podcast by subscribing to our YouTube channel. Information is in the show notes.        

The Strategic Implosion of China and Global Realignments: Colleague Gregory Copley asserts that the People's Republic of China has strategically collapsed due to economic failure and demographic decline, claiming Xi Jinping is no longer effectively in power, noting that Russia is distancing itself from Beijing and Western leaders like Albanese are pivoting back toward Washington. 1942

If you want 2026 to be your highest-earning, most strategically aligned year yet, this episode is your roadmap. Judy reveals the simple (but profound) annual evaluation process she's used for years — the exact exercise she just walked her private clients through — to help Christian women CEOs plan with clarity, focus, and Holy Spirit–anchored strategy. Instead of setting random goals, "chasing the impossible," or avoiding planning altogether, Judy walks you step-by-step through the 3 evaluation questions every high-level CEO must ask ... — and the 7 business categories you MUST examine to create a grounded, strategic, and reality-based plan for the year ahead. Listen to discover the framework that shapes revenue, hiring, marketing, and offer decisions for the entire year. For the first time outside her private containers—you get access. Next Steps:

Transform your life and thrill yourself by what happens when you start thinking and acting more strategically.  Abandon fantasy as your roadmap.  Why I started supporting President Trump in March 2015.  How learning how the world REALLY works helps you see the future.  Are you ignoring what you know you must do for your Finances by using the escape hatch of doing other good things in Friendship, or even Fitness and thereby distracting yourself from what you should be doing?  How is your 5F balance?  If it's not good, you need a rabbi!     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textAs entrepreneurs we are programmed to think we need to say "yes" to everything, but often, it's the opposite. We need to start saying "no" or strategically quit things that are no longer supporting the vision. My guest today is Alli Ball, founder of Food Biz Wiz and creator of Retail Ready. We have a powerful conversation about why winners quit all the time and how to know what to quit with integrity and excitement for what's next. Follow Alli on IG at @itsalliball or https://www.alliball.com/Want more support saying no and strategically quitting the wrong things so you can go all in the right things that scale your biz? Check out the Make or Break It Year Power Groups for 2026. https://www.foodbizsuccess.com/powergroup Ready to make your 2026 bigger and brighter? Get the Future Self Visualization download here.

PREVIEW — Bill Roggio — Reflecting on the Necessity of the 2021 Afghanistan Withdrawal. Batchelor and Bill Roggio examine whether the 2021 American retreat from Afghanistan was strategically necessary given the resulting humanitarian violence, economic despair, and humanitarian crisis that followed Taliban recapture of the nation. Roggioasserts that the Afghanistan war was systematically "fought on the cheap" utilizing a corrupt, incompetent Afghangovernment model dependent upon American military and financial life support, creating structural fragility and institutional decay. Roggio emphasizes that Afghans bear substantial responsibility for the subsequent collapse because Afghan leadership and civil society chose deliberately not to address foundational governance failures, corruption, and military capability deficiencies despite decades of American resources and institutional support, thereby accepting institutional dysfunction rather than implementing necessary reforms. 1897 KHYBER PASS

Transform your life and thrill yourself by what happens when you start thinking and acting more strategically. Abandon fantasy as your roadmap. Why I started supporting President Trump in March 2015. How learning how the world REALLY works helps you see the future. Are you ignoring what you know you must do for your Finances by using the escape hatch of doing other good things in Friendship, or even Fitness and thereby distracting yourself from what you should be doing? How is your 5F balance? If it's not good, you need a rabbi! 

So, you're looking for a sponsor, or you've got one, and you don't know what to do next. How can you incorporate sponsorship into your YouTube videos to make sure that you are representing them well enough and that you're cutting a good enough deal so that they can be on your platform? Well, look no further… Today, Louie shows you all the tips and tricks that you can deploy to make sure that you are baking sponsorship in well enough into your show to get a deal in the first place or to do them justice. Want to get into podcasting but need a little push? Join our 3-day Podcasting event in Peterborough! – Get in touch for details! Use email: podcast@disruptivemedia.co.uk Episode Takeaways  Choose sponsors that align with your podcast's audience and values. Create partnerships that resonate authentically with your listeners. Use logos, links, banners, and pop-ups in your episodes and descriptions to drive awareness without disrupting your content. Louie shares how. Strategically position sponsor messages and dedicated segments at moments of peak listener attention to maximize impact and the value you provide for sponsors. Share your audience analytics and total platform reach to demonstrate value to potential sponsors. For podcast only platforms, use dynamic ad insertion. BEST MOMENTS “Make it so that your promotion and your sales pitch to the audience doesn't come across as too forced or too contradicting to your podcasts vibe.” “Harness pop ups… the movement the it coming up will draw their attention, and people will see it a little bit clearer.” "Remember, this is your platform. You own it. It's your show. " “Think about that, the timeline and where the advert is. It has more value depending on where it goes.” EPISODE RESOURCES Previous episode on sponsorship - https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-secret-to-landing-your-first-sponsor/id1592722911?i=1000738203125 Analytics and demographics episode - https://podcasts.apple.com/lb/podcast/the-secrets-to-youtube-growth-ctr-retention/id1592722911?i=1000735125063 VALUABLE RESOURCES Website - https://disruptivemedia.co.uk Want to get into podcasting but need a little push? Join our 3-day Podcasting event in Peterborough! – Get in touch for details. Use email: podcast@disruptivemedia.co.uk ABOUT THE HOST Louie Rider https://www.linkedin.com/in/louie-rider1403/  CONNECT & CONTACT Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/disruptivemedia LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/disruptive-media-uk YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@disruptivemediauk Email: Podcast@disruptivemedia.co.uk

Humor in marketing is great in theory. But, it's not great for every brand. If you're using humor in your marketing, it needs to be strategically on-brand for who you are (brand story) and how you communicate (brand character). In this Quick Hit, you'll hear from Emily McGregor, the Founder & CEO of PenguinCat Creative and Scrappy Ads. They're a creative agency of marketing geniuses who craft copy so charming it'll make you dance your pants off. Catch the full episode here

https://teachhoops.com/⁠ The legendary success of Bob Hurley's program at St. Anthony High School was, first and foremost, a product of an unshakeable culture of discipline and accountability. Hurley, a Hall of Famer, ran what he called a "benevolent dictatorship" built on a non-negotiable contract that every player and parent had to sign, outlining expectations for everything from academics to practice effort. This created a program centered on selflessness, toughness, and a "team-first" mentality. For Hurley, character was not a byproduct of winning; it was the prerequisite, and this foundation allowed him to demand a level of commitment and execution that few other programs could match. Strategically, Hurley's teams were famous for their defensive chaos and versatility. He built his teams on a "Multiple Defensive System," believing he could confuse opponents and dictate the game's tempo by constantly changing looks. While his base defense was a hard-nosed, fundamentally-sound man-to-man, he would fluidly switch into various presses, half-court traps, and "gimmick" defenses like a Box-and-1 or Triangle-and-2. He famously used these "surprise" defenses for a single possession or for an entire half, preventing opponents from ever finding a rhythm and forcing them to play in a constant state of discomfort. This complex system was only possible because of Hurley's relentless emphasis on fundamentals and his legendary, high-intensity practices. He believed the sport was "overcoached and under-taught," so he dedicated enormous time to mastering the basics of footwork, passing (famously using weighted balls), and ball-handling. His practices were meticulously planned and run at game-speed, with "WIN" stats charted to reward hustle plays like deflections and charges. By making his practices significantly harder than the games themselves, Hurley ensured his players were prepared, fundamentally sound, and mentally tough enough to execute his demanding system under pressure Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Davis Jaspers, Founder & CEO of VitaLife, joins John Williams to talk about their weight loss and wellness program, how they are able to figure out what the body needs, their focus on getting metabolism working the way it should, what their weight loss program looks like and the typical client they serve, if they […]

Kevin Vaughan is the founder & president of the Men's Let's Talk Network (MLT)MLT network shares technology tools and business strategies that are proven in the global market. Kevin's background includes a B.S. Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology, thirty years in radio broadcasting and programming, twenty years in computer services and training and ten years in online TV/video tool technologies.Contact Kevin Vaughan:I would like to that others who have a good message, products, goods and services be a virtual guest on one of my podcast programs- 15 different podcast shows Website: mltnetworks.net * LinkedIn Page: Kevin Vaughan * TICTOK Page: themltnetwork * Facebook Page: kevin.a.vaughan.7 * YouTube Channel: @mltnetworkDr. Kimberley LinertSpeaker, Author, Broadcaster, Mentor, Trainer, Behavioral OptometristEvent Planners- I am available to speak at your event. Here is my media kit: https://brucemerrinscelebrityspeakers.com/portfolio/dr-kimberley-linert/To book Dr. Linert on your podcast, television show, conference, corporate training or as an expert guest please email her at incrediblelifepodcast@gmail.com or Contact Bruce Merrin at Bruce Merrin's Celebrity Speakers at merrinpr@gmail.com702.256.9199Host of the Podcast Series: Incredible Life Creator PodcastAvailable on...Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/incredible-life-creator-with-dr-kimberley-linert/id1472641267Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6DZE3EoHfhgcmSkxY1CvKf?si=ebe71549e7474663 and on 9 other podcast platformsAuthor of Book: "Visualizing Happiness in Every Area of Your Life"Get on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4cmTOMwWebsite: https://linktr.ee/DrKimberleyLinertThe Great Discovery eLearning platform: https://thegreatdiscovery.com/kimberleyl

Davis Jaspers, Founder & CEO of VitaLife, joins John Williams to talk about their weight loss and wellness program, how they are able to figure out what the body needs, their focus on getting metabolism working the way it should, what their weight loss program looks like and the typical client they serve, if they […]

Davis Jaspers, Founder & CEO of VitaLife, joins John Williams to talk about their weight loss and wellness program, how they are able to figure out what the body needs, their focus on getting metabolism working the way it should, what their weight loss program looks like and the typical client they serve, if they […]

https://teachhoops.com/ The legendary success of Bob Hurley's program at St. Anthony High School was, first and foremost, a product of an unshakeable culture of discipline and accountability. Hurley, a Hall of Famer, ran what he called a "benevolent dictatorship" built on a non-negotiable contract that every player and parent had to sign, outlining expectations for everything from academics to practice effort. This created a program centered on selflessness, toughness, and a "team-first" mentality. For Hurley, character was not a byproduct of winning; it was the prerequisite, and this foundation allowed him to demand a level of commitment and execution that few other programs could match. Strategically, Hurley's teams were famous for their defensive chaos and versatility. He built his teams on a "Multiple Defensive System," believing he could confuse opponents and dictate the game's tempo by constantly changing looks. While his base defense was a hard-nosed, fundamentally-sound man-to-man, he would fluidly switch into various presses, half-court traps, and "gimmick" defenses like a Box-and-1 or Triangle-and-2. He famously used these "surprise" defenses for a single possession or for an entire half, preventing opponents from ever finding a rhythm and forcing them to play in a constant state of discomfort. This complex system was only possible because of Hurley's relentless emphasis on fundamentals and his legendary, high-intensity practices. He believed the sport was "overcoached and under-taught," so he dedicated enormous time to mastering the basics of footwork, passing (famously using weighted balls), and ball-handling. His practices were meticulously planned and run at game-speed, with "WIN" stats charted to reward hustle plays like deflections and charges. By making his practices significantly harder than the games themselves, Hurley ensured his players were prepared, fundamentally sound, and mentally tough enough to execute his demanding system under pressure Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Interview with Richard Young, Chief Executive Officer of i-80 GoldOur previous interview: https://www.cruxinvestor.com/posts/i-80-gold-tsxiau-pitch-perfect-november-2025-8431Recording date: 19th November 2025i-80 Gold (TSX: IAUX) is executing a methodical three-phase development plan designed to transform the company from a marginal Nevada gold producer into a profitable mid-tier operator generating 200,000 ounces annually by 2028 with projected EBITDA of $200 million to $300 million. The company's third quarter 2025 results marked a critical inflection point, delivering the strongest financial performance in company history whilst completing permanent dewatering infrastructure that had previously constrained access to higher-grade mineralisation at the flagship Granite Creek underground mine.President and CEO Richard Young confirmed that permanent dewatering systems installed during Q3 2025 will enable accelerated underground development over the next six months into zones where "grades get better, ground conditions get better, and we expect mining rates to rise." A 47-hole infill drilling programme scheduled for completion in mid-December 2025 is yielding results that Young characterised as "consistently solid. Very good grades over very good widths," with a feasibility study incorporating these results expected at the end of Q1 2026 showing "materially better" economics than previous assessments.Construction of the Archimedes underground mine commenced in Q3 2025, providing the second production centre necessary to justify the strategic refurbishment of i-80 Gold's Lone Tree autoclave facility. The autoclave refurbishment represents the pivotal value creation opportunity in management's development thesis. With current toll milling costs ranging between $1,000 and $1,500 per ounce, i-80 Gold is effectively surrendering $200 million to $300 million in annual EBITDA at the 2028 production target of 200,000 ounces. Young stated unequivocally: "Strategically and economically, that refurbishment is very important for us to move forward with."Engineering firm Hatch has largely completed engineering work on the approximately $400 million autoclave refurbishment, with the board approving a $25 million limited notice to proceed authorising detailed engineering, long-lead equipment orders, and permitting initiation. The company expects to commence pouring gold through the refurbished autoclave before the end of 2027, creating an 18 to 24 month payback period on the capital investment at current gold prices.Beyond Granite Creek and Archimedes, i-80 Gold completed infill drilling at its Cove underground project during Q3 2025, with results showing the total mineralised envelope up between 10 and 20 percent compared to previous estimates. A feasibility study is scheduled for Q1 2026, with permitting targeted for completion before the end of 2028. The company will release three major feasibility studies between Q1 2026 and Q1 2027 covering its core underground operations, each expected to show material improvements over preliminary economic assessments.Management has received six term sheets from financing partners and is advancing toward recapitalisation completion by Q2 2026 to fund both phase one and phase two of the development plan. The company has successfully recruited experienced technical teams across mining engineering, metallurgy, and geology disciplines, a critical leading indicator of execution capability as i-80 Gold transitions from single-asset operator to multi-mine producer.For investors evaluating Nevada-focused gold producers, i-80 Gold offers substantial leverage to successful execution and higher gold prices, with the 2028 target of 200,000 ounces production and $200-300 million EBITDA generation providing a concrete benchmark for measuring management's progress toward transformational value creation.Learn more: https://cruxinvestor.com/companies/i-80-goldSign up for Crux Investor: https://cruxinvestor.com

How do you think strategically when it feels like all you do is put out fires? It's a common challenge among all leaders a in this episode, we'll be learning about how to tackle this from a very unlikely and different perspective: someone who teaches frameworks to military leaders who manage geopolitical crises that can help you build a stronger workplace culture, lead through disruption, and stop feeling so reactive.When disruption becomes the new normal, from AI upheaval to geopolitical instability to constant organizational change, it's easy for leaders to lose sight of workplace culture and long-term strategy. In this episode, Dr. Jill Goldenziel brings an unexpected lens to understanding workplace leadership: lessons from teaching colonels, generals, and senior government officials as a full professor at the National Defense University. You'll learn how to think like a strategist, how to build trust and calm in chaos and how to align people around purpose in times of change. She will also discuss why most leaders are thinking about AI wrong and what that means for workplace culture.This conversation is for leaders who are tired of feeling reactive, who want to move from firefighting to strategic thinking, and who need practical tools to lead their teams through disruption without losing what makes leadership human.She also she also shares her own leadership journey of getting promoted to be the only female full professor at Marine Corps University and being a civilian working in a male-dominated, leadership-focused organization, and teaching strategy to military and government leaders in the context of cyber, information, and disruptive tech like AI.***ABOUT OUR GUEST:Dr. Jill Goldenziel is a leadership coach, speaker, and strategic advisor who helps executives lead smarter in a world on fire. As CEO of JG Strategy, she equips business, government, and military leaders to manage risk and turn global disruption into competitive advantage. She is a professor at the National Defense University, a Fellow at the Fox Leadership International Program at the University of Pennsylvania, and columnist for Forbes and Bloomberg Opinion. Dr. Goldenziel is a recognized expert on leadership, law, geopolitical risk, and disruptive tech whose insights have shaped decision-making across Fortune 500 companies, law firms, and US and allied militaries. She is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. ***Dr. Goldenziel is speaking in her personal capacity. Her views are her own and do not necessarily represent those of her University, the Department of Defense, or any other arm of the US Government.******FIND OUR GUEST HERE:Website: www.jillgoldenziel.comJill's Newsletter The Strategic Lead: bit.ly/jillnewsletterLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jillgoldenziel/Twitter: @JillGoldenziel twitter.com/JillGoldenzielInstagram: @JillGoldenziel instagram.com/JillGoldenzielFacebook: www.facebook.com/JillGoldenziel/Bluesky: @JillGoldenziel bsky.app/profile/jillgoldenziel.bsky.socialThreads: @JillGoldenziel www.threads.com/@jillgoldenzielYoutube: @JillGoldenzielStrategy www.youtube.com/channel/UCGpU8acgBZZb6o3L6yFBWhg***IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR?We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you!Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribeWork with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultationConnect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancuLearn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.comGet practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/booksAdd this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/Website: www.jillgoldenziel.comJill's Newsletter The Strategic Lead: bit.ly/jillnewsletterLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jillgoldenziel/Twitter: @JillGoldenziel twitter.com/JillGoldenzielInstagram: @JillGoldenziel instagram.com/JillGoldenzielFacebook: www.facebook.com/JillGoldenziel/Bluesky: @JillGoldenziel bsky.app/profile/jillgoldenziel.bsky.socialThreads: @JillGoldenziel www.threads.com/@jillgoldenzielYoutube: @JillGoldenzielStrategy www.youtube.com/channel/UCGpU8acgBZZb6o3L6yFBWhg

In this episode, we share a strategic framework we use at Wildsparq to help us get ready for the next year.

When the rules keep changing, great leaders don't panic. They plan.In this episode, Kimberly Williams shares how nonprofit and social impact leaders can prepare for sudden disruptions such as government shutdowns, funding freezes, or policy shifts. Drawing from her experience leading Interfaith Family Services through the recent SNAP benefit delays, she offers a practical 3-step framework for building organizational resilience:Assess Exposure. Identify where your organization is most vulnerable and where demand will spike in a crisis.Allocate Reserves. Strategically reallocate resources to sustain mission-critical services.Align Communication. Keep staff, board, and donors informed and unified when uncertainty rises.Kimberly also explains the difference between “baseline attrition” and “crisis attrition,” helping leaders anticipate how people and systems respond under pressure.You'll leave this episode with practical tools and renewed confidence to lead with calm, clarity, and preparation. No matter how often the rules change.

Awwww S.N.A.P.!

JOIN US FOR THE MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS SHOW IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS MAIN SHOW: https://youtube.com/live/dEueGeiUK84JOIN OUR COMMUNITY! Exclusive Members-only content & perks! Only ~16 cents/day! $5/month! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-GqXHAdxVUVMw2F_7h_X3Q/joinTrump has scored with ANOTHER HUGE political victory for our great nation, this time through his vigorous support of Argentinian President Javier Milei, whose far-right party, La Libertad Avanza (LLA) secured over 41% of the vote. This not only secured Milei another term of president, it vastly strengthened his party's grip over the nation politically. Milei's political position became seriously endangered recently when left-wing political forces began placing substantial bets against the Argentinian peso, threatening to dump the nation's economy, and threatening Milei's narrative of economic prosperity for Argentina. Trump responded by making a huge $40 billion investment to strengthen the Argentinian peso against attack—and now that Milei has resoundingly won re-election, that investment is earning the United States a HUGE financial return, as well. Strategically, this also secures for the US a robust ally in South America for a generation to come, and positions the US to once again enforce an invigorated Monroe doctrine in the Western Hemisphere.Join me LIVE at 11:15 AM ET as I break it all down!I also invite each of YOU to join me in our desperate but worthy mission to save our great nation. The easiest way to do that? SUBSCRIBE! SUBSCRIBE! SUBSCRIBE! EVEN BETTER, BECOME A CHANNEL MEMBER! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-GqXHAdxVUVMw2F_7h_X3Q/join : -)Episode 1058

Every gym owner hears the same advice — but not every piece of advice fits the same stage of growth. Knowing when to apply the right strategy can make or break your momentum.Welcome to Gym Marketing Made Simple, the show designed for boutique gym owners who want to grow their member base, boost revenue, and scale with clarity — all without getting lost in complicated marketing systems.Episode HighlightsIn this episode, Tommy Allen breaks down why gym owners often feel pulled in different directions by mentorship companies — and how understanding which stage of growth your gym is in determines the advice that actually works. From focusing on coaching and retention in the early days to building systems and leadership as you expand, this conversation helps clarify what truly matters at each phase of growth.Key TakeawaysEarly-stage gyms (0–100 members) should prioritize client experience, coaching quality, and retention.Mid-stage gyms (100–200 members) need to develop systems, SOPs, and playbooks to create scalability.Mature gyms should shift their focus to leadership development and effective client-acquisition strategies.Not all mentorship advice is wrong — it's about knowing which advice applies to your current stage.Surrounding yourself with mentors aligned with your gym's growth phase accelerates progress.Episode Chapters00:00 Intro00:34 Understanding Mixed Messages in Gym Growth01:28 Advice for Different Stages of Gym Growth03:12 The Role of Data and Tribalism in Advice04:16 Strategies for Navigating Different Stages Call to Action If this episode helped clarify your next step, share it with another gym owner who might be stuck in the same stage. Subscribe to Gym Marketing Made Simple for more episodes built to help gyms grow smarter, not harder.Supporting Information

In K-12 education, the urgency of children's needs often eclipses strategic thought, resulting in constant reaction and a "whack-a-mole" approach to problems. We talk with co-authors Elizabeth "Liz" City and Rachel Curtis about their new book, Leading Strategically: Achieving Ambitious Goals in Education, which offers a practical, accessible framework for leaders at all levels—from teachers to superintendents—to shift from constant doing to intentional, effective action. Liz City, a Senior Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and Rachel Curtis, a consultant with deep experience in the Boston Public Schools, draw on their decades of work to move beyond the traditional "strategic plan" that often falls flat. We explore their five-part framework that helps leaders navigate the complex emotional, intellectual, and human-interaction challenges of their daily work. This framework emphasizes that effective leadership is developmental, not something people are simply born with, and provides the tools for all educators to grow their strategic capacity. We dive into the importance of anchoring in purpose, making deliberate choices, and cultivating a culture of learning. We discuss why taking a pause and prioritizing listening are among the most strategic actions a leader can take, especially in the face of challenges like polarization and emerging technologies such as AI. Key Takeaways: The Five Elements of Strategic Leadership: We break down the framework's components: Discern: Getting crystal clear on your purpose, what success looks like, and the root cause of a problem to avoid tackling mere symptoms. Relationships: Cultivating care and humanity between one another while intentionally connecting cross-functional elements of work that are often siloed in school systems. Understand Context and History: Being mindful of what is happening both inside and outside the organization, and acknowledging past initiatives and current capacities before moving forward. Harness Power: Recognizing that power is always flowing and learning to leverage both formal and informal authority in service of the greater good. Think Big, Act Small, Learn Fast: Using purpose as an anchor, breaking strategies into manageable pieces, and building a mechanism for learning from both anticipated and surprising outcomes. Moving Past "Leaders are Born": We encourage a shift in mindset, acknowledging that leadership is a skill that is developmental, and we can all get better at it. Strategy vs. Plan: We distinguish between an actual strategy—a focused choice on what to do—and an overstuffed strategic plan that doesn't actually guide daily work. The Joy of Leadership: Despite the difficulty, K-12 leadership is deeply meaningful and joyful work, a narrative that we must not lose sight of. Why You Should Listen: If you are an educator who feels overwhelmed by the day-to-day demands of your role, this conversation provides an actionable framework to step back, discern root causes, and lead with intentionality. We offer concrete tactics for dealing with uncertainty, building the capacity of your team, and making your work more effective and resilient—all of which are essential in the current K-12 environment. Moreover, we help you understand how to cultivate a powerful learning culture for adults, which directly impacts the success of students. Subscribe and Learn Don't miss a conversation about the future of learning. Subscribe, like, and follow Trending in Education wherever you get your podcasts!

What if the chaos and disruption happening right now aren't roadblocks, but the greatest opportunity ever to build long-term wealth? When the world feels uncertain, it's easy to freeze, play it safe, or wait for things to calm down. But the entrepreneurs who are thriving now and will thrive in the years ahead are the ones reading the patterns of change and using them to their advantage. This episode reveals how to recognize those undercurrents before everyone else and turn disruption into strategic opportunity. In this video, you will: Discover how history shows us that the most profitable entrepreneurs in history didn't just survive disruption, they built empires through it. Understand how to read the undercurrents of human behavior during economic uncertainty—so your offers hit right where your audience is most ready to buy. Hear how aligning with your true edge and emotional intelligence doesn't just safeguard your business from automation—although that's important!—but it actually makes your business indispensable in the AI era. Press play now to uncover the five most game-changing concepts that will expand your thinking, simplify your path, and help you thrive on your own uncommon terms. The Uncommon Way helps ambitious women entrepreneurs and leaders rewrite the rules of success with confidence and clarity. Hosted by top business coach Jenna Harrison, this podcast blends high-level strategy with deep mindset work so you can achieve more by doing less—without guilt, burnout, or compromise. Each episode dives into topics like leadership for women, business growth strategy, time freedom, and mindset mastery, giving you practical tools and proven insights to simplify your path to success. You'll learn how to create magnetic messaging, design offers that sell, and step fully into your authority as a visionary leader. If you're ready to scale your business sustainably, elevate your thinking, and finally experience spaciousness and flow while creating extraordinary results, you're in the right place. The Uncommon Way is your roadmap to building a business and life that feel as good as they look—because training your mind to think uncommonly unlocks a whole new level of impact and possibility.   Work with Jenna   The 7-Week Reset — If you're ready to trade the mindset block that's been weighing on you for full-body lightness and excitement, this is for you. The Clarity Accelerator Mastermind — If you want to be surrounded by other visionary entrepreneurs while rapidly aligning your business to the conditions and strategies that let you thrive and excel naturally, this intimate mastermind will stretch you into your next level. Schedule your call today here or visit this page to find out more. Private Coaching — If you're craving the highest level of support, strategy, and partnership to create all the freedom, impact, and success you're designed for, this is the space for it. Schedule you call today at the link Resources Mentioned   McKinsey report: “The Economic Potential of Generative AI: The Next Productivity Frontier” (June 2023). Episodes Mentioned 167. Disruption Is the New Normal—Do This to Lead and Live Well During Chaos and Difficult Times  169. Greatest Hits: 5 Game-Changing Ideas Listeners Can't Stop Talking About Social Media   Find Jenna on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/theuncommonway/  

Fallen leaves in the garden will blanket the soil, slow weeds, and shelter a whole mini-wildlife community. Many native butterflies, moths, beetles, and even some queen bumble bees ride out winter tucked into leaf litter and hollow stems. When we keep some of that litter in place, we're giving next spring's pollinators a head start.That's the idea behind the National Wildlife Federation "Leave the Leaves" campaign. . Each October they put out a campaign to raise awareness around the incredibly valuable habitat for wildlife and nutrients for plants that comes in the form of our yard waste.But what if this season brought a heavy pest infestation to your garden and you don't want to give those pests a place to shelter? That's where a targeted cleanup comes in clutch. So, today on Just Grow Something we're talking about how to leave the leaves strategically. I'll give you pointers on how to keep the fallen leaf layer in your garden to benefit the bevy of butterflies, beetles, and bumblebees without giving sanctuary to the squash bugs and the scales. Let's dig in!Resources:Sign up for my newsletter here: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/newsLeave the Leaves Month info: https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Join-the-Movement/Seasonal-Initiatives/Leave-the-Leaves-MonthFull transcript and show notes can be found here: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/leave-the-leaves-strategically-ep-271

If your job has you feeling drained, anxious, or like you're slowly losing yourself—but you're scared to quit because of money or your résumé—this episode is your wake-up call. Today I am breaking down how to spot the red flags of a toxic workplace, protect your mental health while you plan your exit, and create a strategic, empowered plan to leave without burning bridges. This is the ultimate survival and strategy guide for any high-achieving woman stuck in a toxic work environment. I share own my toxic job experience navigating burnout and stress in my forensics career—and how I finally learned the difference between a challenging job and a harmful one. You'll learn how to: Identify when your “hard job” has crossed into toxic territory. Guard your peace and rebuild confidence before you walk away. Journal and document the facts (and your wins!) like a pro. Strategically plan your financial and career exit—without burning bridges. Leave gracefully, protect your reputation, and step into the next chapter with clarity and confidence. I deep into the emotional, financial, and logistical steps that will help you quit your toxic job like a boss babe—with power, grace, and strategy. Key Moments: [00:03:00] What “toxic” actually means (hint: it's not just a tough boss). [00:08:00] The emotional toll of burnout culture and how to detach from chaos. [00:14:00] The art of documentation—protecting yourself and your peace. [00:18:00] How to prepare financially before you resign. [00:27:00] The do's and don'ts of leaving your job with confidence. [00:35:00] Healing and rebuilding your self-worth after you quit. keypoints: boss babe, toxic job, quit your job, hustle culture, burnout ✨ Take Ericka's Boss Babe Archetype Test to discover your work-life balance superpower and learn how to thrive without burnout: bossbaberest.com/test Follow me: @theerickanicole / @bossbabereset Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean "Diddy" Combs has strategically framed the federal sex trafficking and racketeering charges against him as racially motivated, asserting that his prosecution is an unjust targeting of a successful Black man. His defense team contends that the government's actions, including the alleged mishandling of confidential materials and purported leaks of sensitive information, exemplify a biased legal pursuit. They argue that these prosecutorial tactics not only infringe upon Combs's constitutional rights but also perpetuate systemic racial disparities within the criminal justice system. This defense narrative aims to shift public perception by highlighting potential prejudices influencing the case.Critically examining this approach reveals potential pitfalls. While raising concerns about racial bias is valid, especially given historical injustices, employing such a defense in this context may be perceived as a diversion from the gravity of the allegations. The charges against Combs are severe, involving multiple accusations of sexual misconduct and exploitation spanning decades. By focusing on claims of racial bias without substantive evidence directly linking prosecutorial actions to discriminatory intent, the defense risks undermining its credibility. Moreover, this strategy could detract from broader efforts to address genuine instances of racial injustice, as it may be viewed as leveraging systemic issues for personal exoneration rather than contributing to meaningful reform.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Diddy claims prosecutors are targeting him with a 'racist' law as he seeks to dismiss prostitution charge | Daily Mail Online

If the thought of “showing up on social” makes you want to toss your phone out the window … you're not alone. Here's the truth: social media can help you grow your copywriting business—but not in the way most people think. (And if you're OVER social media, then skip this episode. You DO NOT have to be on social media to have a thriving business, no matter what you may hear from the social-media loving “gurus.”) On this episode of the Build Your Copywriting Business podcast, Kate and I are talking exactly how to:  ✅ Use social strategically (instead of endlessly scrolling) ✅ Pick the right platform for your clients (and ignore the rest) ✅ Post without feeling like you're shouting into the void ✅ Build trust and relationships—without pitching strangers in the DMs Whether you love social or hate it, you'll walk away with a clear, realistic plan for making it work for you (not the other way around). ----------------- Mentioned in the Episode Ep. 239: Do Copywriters Need a Personal Brand?5 Keys for Getting Valuable Connections on LinkedInUse Copywriting Networking to Help Land More Clients Related Links Ep. 173: How to Elevate Your Profile & Land Copywriting Clients on LinkedInWho You're Not Following on Social Media (But Should Be)Ep. 103: Becoming a Social Media Copywriter & Manager—Carli's Story ----------------- Get Free Copywriting Training here

If you've ever wondered how to keep your freelance momentum going during one of the most life-changing transitions—this episode is for you. Jade Wei didn't wait until after having her baby to get back into freelancing. She made the bold decision to start rebuilding *while* she was pregnant. With no recent work, no active portfolio, and a toddler on the way, she used this time to reset everything—from her niche to her mindset. If you're in a season of transition or feeling like you need a fresh start, this conversation is going to light a fire under you.Resources:CLO3DStyle3DChris DoThe Fabricant AILook AINano Banana AI4 Fashion Designers Battle for $500 - Freelancer Pitching ChallengeAbout Jade:Jade is a seasoned 3D sartorial streetwear designer, pattern maker, and product developer who previously contributed her technical expertise at Alexander McQueen. Since 2013, has led design innovation through her creative studio, Atelier WCMF.With over 20 years of experience in pattern engineering and garment construction, Jade blends traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge digital tools (such as Clo3D, AI-enabled workflows, and virtual sampling) to streamline development, reduce waste, and deliver consistent high-quality results across collections.Connect with Jacqueline:Email her at j.w@atelier-wcmf.comCheck out her websiteFollow on Instagram Connect on LinkedIn Download my Freelance Price List just for fashion (it's free!): sewheidi.com/price

Last time we spoke about the Japanese encirclement of Nanjing. As battles erupted around Lake Tai, the Chinese troops used guerrilla tactics and artillery to resist the technologically superior Japanese. However, internal strife and logistical issues began to weaken their defense. On December 1st, Japan's Central China Area Army was ordered to assault Nanjing, and despite heavy resistance, the Japanese forces swiftly captured key towns. By December 7th, with Japanese troops closing in, Chiang Kai-Shek prepared to evacuate the capital. Anxiety and fear gripped the city as civilians witnessed horrific atrocities in the countryside, where Japanese soldiers unleashed violence against unarmed populations. The defense of Nanjing became symbolic of Chinese perseverance against oppression. As the city faced inevitable destruction, hope rested on the courage of its defenders and the belief that they could rally against the relentless tide of attack, knowing their plight was drawing the world's attention amidst a brutal conflict.   #166 Enemy at the Gates of Nanjing  Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. War was steadily creeping toward Nanjing, and the remaining residents understood this grim reality. Starting December 8, the distant sounds of artillery began to echo through the city. The following day, the first shell from a Japanese battery struck downtown, detonating at Xinjiekou square. Amid the chaos and anarchy engulfing much of Nanjing as the population dwindled, looting became rampant. Chinese soldiers were reportedly seen stealing from abandoned stores. Daily life had largely ground to a halt. To this desolate and partially lawless city, refugees from the war continued to arrive. However, on December 8, the influx of refugees came to an abrupt halt. All gates in the city wall were locked, only to be opened for urgent military needs. Even soldiers injured in battles near the city were reportedly denied entry, left to perish just minutes away from desperately needed medical care. As the Japanese forces tightened their grip around Nanjing, more civilians sought refuge in the safety zone. American missionary Ernest Forster wrote in a letter to his wife “I wish you could witness the influx of people into this area from other parts of the city. All the roads leading here are lined with groups transporting whatever possessions they can carry, tireless rickshaws, some even pulled by students, wheelbarrows, trucks, baby carriages, anything with wheels.” On the evening of December 7, bonfires lit by soldiers of Japan's 16th Infantry Division near Unicorn Gate were clearly visible from Purple Mountain, which was defended by the elite Training Division of the Chinese Army. The bonfires presented an enticing target for this division, established as a model to inspire the rest of the Chinese forces, who remained eager to prove themselves even as defeat loomed. Commander Zhou Zhenqiang of the Training Division's 1st Brigade suggested a counterattack and had a plan in place. His brigade would launch a frontal assault while the 3rd Brigade, stationed to his left, would execute a flanking maneuver to encircle the unsuspecting adversary. Although this strategy had potential, it was never put into action. The Nanjing garrison dismissed the proposal, citing that “too many of our troops are already worn down,” according to Tang Shengzhi's staff. They warned that if the counterattack failed, there wouldn't be enough soldiers left to defend Nanjing. Consequently, the Training Division was compelled to dig in and await the enemy's arrival. While Chinese defenders were ordered to hold their ground, the 16th Japanese Infantry Division approached Purple Mountain. The slopes of the mountain were cloaked in conifers, interspersed with dense bamboo thickets that created almost jungle-like combat conditions. As one Japanese soldier of the 20th regiment noted  “Just a few paces ahead, you couldn't see anything. Even worse, you didn't know where the enemy was. When we heard gunfire, we shot back at random. Bullets were flying everywhere.” As the Japanese soldiers ascended the slope, they were halfway to the mountain's summit when they encountered white smoke and the characteristic cracking of burning bamboo. The Chinese troops, benefiting from a favorable wind, had set fire to the bamboo. Swiftly, the Japanese soldiers drew their swords and bayonets, cutting a wide firebreak through the bamboo to halt the flames. At the forefront of Purple Mountain was a key defensive position known as Old Tiger's Cave, located just east of the mountain. As long as this location remained in Chinese control, the Japanese could not capture the mountain itself. Understanding its significance, Chinese commanders stationed a battalion of well-equipped and highly motivated soldiers from the Training Division's 5th Regiment there. Fighting erupted in the afternoon of December 8, when the Japanese commenced a fierce artillery barrage on Old Tiger's Cave, followed by an infantry assault aimed at taking the hill. Under the cold-blooded command of their leaders, the Chinese battalion employed disciplined and concentrated fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the advancing Japanese troops, who were unable to advance that day. The following morning, the Japanese intensified their assault, combining artillery fire and aerial bombardment on Old Tiger's Cave. Their infantry again attempted the treacherous climb, hoping smoke grenades would obscure the defenders' line of sight. Once more, they were thwarted, facing additional pressure as a neighboring Chinese unit launched a counterattack against the Japanese right flank. The successful defense came at a significant cost; by the afternoon, over half of the battalion defending Old Tiger's Cave had become casualties. Given the hill's exposed position and difficulties in resupply, the officers of the Training Division reluctantly decided to abandon the position. The battered battalion, now without its commander, retreated to the second-highest peak of Purple Mountain. While the loss of Old Tiger's Cave was a setback for the Training Division, it also conferred certain advantages. The Chinese soldiers withdrew to a series of prepared defensive lines through terrain they knew intimately. This stronghold centered on Xiaolingwei, a town where the Training Division had moved into new barracks over four years prior. The battalion's soldiers were familiar with every creek, hamlet, bamboo grove, and pond in the region. The Japanese faced a daunting challenge ahead. Due south of Nanjing, the 6th Japanese Division had finally caught up with the 114th Division and was deployed to its left for the final push toward Nanjing. Between the division and the city wall lay a terrain of hills and low mountains dominated by two prominent features known as General's Peak and Ox Head Peak. The task fell to the division's 13th Regiment to proceed north along the highway, while the 23rd Regiment maneuvered left around the mountains before advancing north along the Yangtze River. The division's artillery regiment, functioning at only half its typical strength due to two of its four battalions remaining in the Hangzhou Bay area, was ordered to concentrate its firepower in support of the 13th Regiment as it navigated the terrain beneath the mountain peaks. Unfortunately, the regiment's advance became mired in unexpected Chinese resistance, and with the artillery deployed too far behind to provide adequate support, divisional command decided to halt the advance until the following day, December 9. Under the cover of darkness, the artillery units were repositioned closer to the front, and the artillery commanders established their command on a hill nearby. At dawn, they began firing at the Chinese positions with much greater precision than the previous day. Meanwhile, a column of tankettes rolled down the road between General's Peak and Ox Head Peak in support of the 13th Regiment. The first tank when it came under attack from hidden mountain guns. The enemy scored several hits on the tank, forcing the driver to crawl out of the burning vehicle. The driver's pants were engulfed in flames, and as men attempted to extinguish the fire, enemy machine gun fire ripped into the driver's chest, killing him instantly. The second vehicle also came under fire from shells and burst into flames. The commander and his driver attempted to escape the turret but were trapped when another shell hit, engulfing them in flames. Unaware of the unfolding disaster, the column continued its advance, and two more tankettes were destroyed. This skirmish proved costly, resulting in the loss of four vehicles and seven men. Despite the heavy losses, the coordinated operations involving infantry, armored vehicles, and artillery gradually succeeded in dislodging the Chinese from their positions. By nightfall on December 9, the first Japanese soldiers arrived in the town of Tiexinqiao, just south of Nanjing. Meanwhile, the 23rd Regiment continued its advance north along routes west of the mountain range. This maneuver required the regiment to abandon the relatively solid road it had used thus far, opting instead for primitive trails ill-suited for wheeled transport. The major drawback of this shift was the slow transportation of artillery. The consequences became evident when one of the regiment's battalions was ordered to dislodge enemy positions on a low peak known as Hill 154, situated astride the main route of advancement. With no artillery support available, half the battalion's strength, two companies remained in the rear to safeguard the artillery pieces as they were being repositioned. The battalion ordered the remaining two infantry companies to mount an assault on Hill 154. In place of artillery, they were instructed to utilize small-caliber knee mortars. As the Japanese forces advanced towards Hill 154, the Chinese defenders opened fire with everything at their disposal, heavy and light machine guns, rifles, and mortars. The Japanese were quickly pinned down, moving slowly toward the summit under the cover of fire from the knee mortars. A breakthrough occurred when a Japanese light machine gun crew spotted a large group of Chinese soldiers repositioning on the hill. A sustained burst of fire from their weapon struck true, sending dead and wounded Chinese soldiers tumbling down the slope. Seizing the opportunity, the Japanese platoon commander sprang to his feet and charged up the hill, followed closely by the machine gunner, with the rest of the platoon trailing 10 to 20 yards behind. As they advanced, they encountered four Chinese soldiers raising their rifles to shoot. The Japanese machine gunner was quicker, firing from the hip and killing all four in an instant. The remainder of the skirmish descended into chaos. The Japanese soldiers captured the hill and took aim, firing carefully and lethally at the backs of the defeated Chinese as they fled northward. Other Japanese troops swept through the trenches with fixed bayonets, mercilessly killing all Chinese soldiers present, those who were injured, those who attempted to surrender, and even those feigning death. As Japan's 10th Army advanced on Nanjing from the south, the Shanghai Expeditionary Force was making its way in from the east. The tactical situation was fluid, fast-changing, and unpredictable, with Japanese spearheads penetrating deep into Chinese-held territory, often bypassing large enemy troop formations that would then courageously launch counterattacks from the rear. On December 8th, the 16th Division was advancing into some mountainous terrain north of Jurang where their vanguard ran into an ambush. 200 Japanese soldiers were having lunch over a 300 foot hilltop position when suddenly Captain Akao Junzo heard his comrade shout “Thousands of enemies are coming up from behind! They are heading right towards you!” Rushing outside, Akao witnessed what appeared to be a wall of Chinese soldiers marching down the valley from the rear. He dashed to the next building, bursting through the door to find his soldiers preparing lunch, he shouted at them “The enemy is here! Come with me!” The soldiers dropped their cooking utensils, grabbed their rifles, and followed Akao up the hillside behind the farm buildings. Initially, the fighting seemed evenly matched. However, the Japanese quickly brought up their two heavy machine guns, set up just 50 yards apart. Firing at a rate of 500 rounds per minute, they caught the Chinese troops in a devastating crossfire. Nine light machine guns soon joined the fray. Within moments, the cohesion of the Chinese formation collapsed, and as some soldiers broke ranks and began to retreat, Akao's men eagerly pursued them with fixed bayonets. A young, aggressive officer led the charge, wildly swinging his sword until it snapped in two. Akao watched with satisfaction. This was the kind of warfare he and his men had trained for tirelessly, month after month, and they executed their tactics with precision. However, his attention soon shifted to the hill across the valley where he had previously posted the observation squad. The entire hill was now crawling with Chinese soldiers, all firing at the peak where the small group of Japanese soldiers was entrenched in what appeared to be a desperate battle. Determined to reclaim the hill, Akao led part of his men in a charge uphill but found themselves pinned down by Chinese gunfire halfway up. A force of three squads had arrived, bringing with them what was urgently needed: knee mortars. They were accompanied by the officer with the broken sword. Akao directed the mortar fire towards the top of the hill, watching as each explosive shell detonated among the dense cluster of Chinese soldiers. Taking advantage of this momentary confusion and disarray, Akao and his men rapidly climbed the hill with swords drawn. Upon reaching the peak, they found only a few Chinese soldiers remaining. One of them pointed a handgun at the officer with the broken sword. Realizing he had no means of defending himself, the officer could only shout, “Bastard!” This unexpected outburst caused the Chinese soldier to hesitate for a brief moment before pulling the trigger. That split second marked the difference between life and death. Another Japanese officer, whose sword remained intact, lunged forward and cut down the would-be shooter. Following this, Akao and his men discovered the beleaguered Japanese squad. The soldiers' bodies had been mutilated almost beyond recognition. Some had their eyes gouged out, others had their noses or ears sliced off, and many were missing hands and feet. There were no survivors. In the early hours of December 9, just before dawn, advance units of the Japanese Army's 36th Regiment, consisting of infantry and light tanks, encountered fierce resistance from a battalion of the Chinese Training Division stationed at Hongmaoshan Hill, located southeast of the Nanjing city wall. A prolonged exchange of fire ensued, forcing the Chinese defenders to withdraw after sustaining heavy casualties. The Japanese, eager to capitalize on their advantage, followed closely. As the first light of dawn cut the horizon, they faced the imposing silhouette of the Nanjing city wall, which appeared more like a natural formation than a man-made structure. Despite their exhaustion, the soldiers erupted in victorious cries of "Banzai" and advanced energetically toward an enormous gate in the wall, this was the “Guanghua Men” or “the Gate of Enlightenment”. The Chinese defenders reigned fire, and artillery upon the Japanese columns. At that time, the gate remained shut; the moat surrounding the city was 500 feet wide and up to 15 feet deep, while the city wall towered 40 feet high. The approach to the gate was obstructed by an antitank ditch and five rows of Spanish riders, these are portable wooden frames wrapped in barbed wire. Along the road from the gate to the moat, additional rows of barbed wire further fortified the defenses. Two mountain guns, hastily transported through the rugged terrain during the 36th regiment's rapid advance to Nanjing, were positioned at the Antiaircraft Academy and commenced firing directly at the gate. While they succeeded in damaging the heavy wooden doors, it quickly became apparent that the gate had been reinforced from behind with solid beams and densely packed sandbags, so robust that, as one Japanese soldier noted, “even a row of ants wouldn't be able to make it through.” Shelling alone would not suffice to break through the defenses, prompting the call for engineers to venture into the open, exposed to enemy fire from the top of the wall, to attempt clearing the obstacles and detonating explosives at the base of the gate. While their comrades provided cover fire to keep the defenders suppressed, the engineers maneuvered past the Spanish riders to plant their explosives at the foot of the gates. An ear-splitting explosion shattered the morning air, but when the dust settled, the gate remained largely intact. To the Japanese attackers, the Chinese defenders appeared firmly entrenched; however, the reality was that they were nearing a breaking point. The artillery shelling, coupled with several Japanese air raids earlier in the day, had resulted in over 100 casualties surrounding the gate. Reinforcements were hastily summoned from nearby city sectors, including a platoon of military police cadets led by Lieutenant Xiang Hongyuan. Armed with six ZB vz 26 machine guns, the cadets commandeered a series of buses and made their way to the Gate of Enlightenment.  The hours before sunset dragged on with a tense stalemate around the Gate of Enlightenment, as neither side managed to achieve a decisive advantage. The Japanese engineers made two more perilous attempts to blow up the gate, only to find their explosives insufficient to breach the strong defenses. In a bold move, the Chinese defenders launched a risky assault outside the wall to incinerate a flour mill taller than the city wall, which, if captured, could provide the Japanese with an excellent observation point. The Chinese infantry, sprinting towards the building with jerry cans and wood, became easy targets for the Japanese fire. Despite suffering heavy losses, enough soldiers managed to reach the mill and set it ablaze. As the battle for the gate intensified on December 9, the elite 88th Division of the Chinese military became increasingly involved. The division's 262nd Brigade, comprising the 523rd and 524th Regiments, was tasked with defending the city wall between the Gate of Enlightenment and the Chinese Gate. One battalion from the 524th Regiment was dispatched to bolster the defenses at the Gate of Enlightenment. As the Japanese attacks escalated, this battalion incurred around 300 casualties. One notable instance saw 17 surviving members of a company withdraw from the battlefield, led by a platoon commander after both the company commander and his deputy had been killed. The 36th Japanese Regiment had two battalions positioned on either side of the gate, with a third held in reserve. However, that reserve battalion soon uncovered that their rear was just as perilous as the front. They were consistently attacked by Chinese stragglers from the countryside, who aimed to break through to the city gate. A Chinese unit also maintained control of a hill southwest of the Antiaircraft Academy, directing fire at Japanese soldiers within the campus. This ongoing threat from Chinese stragglers made it extremely challenging for the forward regimental positions to communicate with brigade headquarters at Qiweng Bridge farther behind. Several messengers lost their lives while trying. Ultimately, all communication shifted to wireless methods. On December 9 at noon, a solitary Japanese bomber appeared above Nanjing, but rather than its usual payload of bombs, it carried leaflets. Signed by General Matsui, the leaflets boldly declared the futility of resistance for the Chinese defenders. With Nanjing surrounded, the message conveyed that the Japanese had the power to bring the conflict directly to the Chinese. Instead, the leaflet urged surrender, stating, “The deadline for a response is tomorrow, that is the 10th”.. The Chinese were instructed to submit their response by noon to the Japanese lines near Sun Yat-sen Gate. The leaflet warned that if the Chinese did not comply, the Japanese would have no choice but to launch an assault. The tone was stern and intimidating: “The Japanese Army shall show no mercy toward those who offer resistance, treating them with extreme severity, but shall harm neither innocent civilians nor Chinese military personnel who manifest no hostility.” It emphasized the dire consequences that awaited anyone who did not lay down their arms. In response, Chinese General Tang Shengzhi reiterated his order for all troops under his command to fight to the last drop of blood. At around noon on December 10, a lone car approached Nanjing's city wall along the road from Jurong. Inside was Muto Akira, the vice chief of staff for the Central China Area Army, accompanied by another senior officer and an interpreter fluent in Chinese. Upon reaching the Japanese line near Sun Yat-sen Gate, they halted and waited. Their mission was to meet with representatives of the encircled Chinese garrison and receive their response to the previous day's request for surrender. As the minutes ticked by, there was no movement from the other side. After an hour of waiting, the three Japanese officials concluded their visit had been in vain. The vehicle turned around and retraced its path. Earlier that  morning, the Japanese had deployed a large balloon over the city wall, carrying a large white banner with a simple message in Chinese: “Give up this hopeless fight. Open the city gates and surrender!” However, this effort seemed to prove useless. As the morning progressed, Chinese shelling intensified, confirming that there was no intention among the defenders to surrender. The absence of a formal reply by the established deadline served as confirmation that the Japanese had no choice but to prepare for a massive frontal assault on the fortified city walls. Matsui wrote in his diary that day “Today at noon, we still hadn't received a reply from the Chinese to my offer of surrender. So I issued an order for the two armies to launch the attack on Nanjing beginning this afternoon. The resistance put up by the enemy is almost symbolic at this stage. It will certainly have no real effect.” The Japanese advance was set to occur along the entire front, targeting Chinese positions at Yuhuatai, the Gate of Enlightenment, Tongji Gate, and the heights of Purple Mountain. Still, one final option remained: the proposal for a three-day truce sent to both the Chinese and Japanese governments by Rabe and other foreign representatives from the day before might still be acceptable. However, this hope was dashed later that afternoon. Tang issued an order at 7:00 pm, calling for a fight to the bitter end. He warned that anyone leaving their post without permission would face severe punishment, and those failing to prevent others from withdrawing would also be penalized. Additionally, he dispatched Song Xilian and his 36th Division, his closest equivalent to a Praetorian Guard, to patrol the Yangtze docks and thwart any attempts to escape across the river. “We must defend the city with all our strength. We cannot give up an inch of our soil.” The battle for the Gate of Enlightenment remained fiercely contested. Soldiers of the 9th Japanese Infantry Division, surrounded by Chinese forces, found themselves questioning whether they were the ones laying siege or if it was the other way around. The division's 36th Regiment, entrenched directly in front of the gate, was effectively cut off from the rest of the division, lacking even a telephone line to the 18th Infantry Brigade's headquarters at Qiweng Bridge in the rear. The area was swarming with Chinese stragglers trying to return to their units. Japanese infantrymen who exposed themselves in the open risked being fired upon from all directions by unseen adversaries. Things changed at 8:00 am when the brigade's deputy commander climbed into an armored vehicle at Qiweng Bridge and led a supply column through terrain that was only partially under Japanese control. The column, carrying 500 artillery shells and machine gun ammunition, arrived without incident, replenishing the 36th Regiment, which was dangerously low on supplies. Soon after, signal troops established a telephone link to the regiment, enabling communication to flow freely. B 4:00 pm a breach had finally appeared in the outer gate. The Japanese artillery units could now see well-fortified sandbag positions inside the gate, which would also need to be destroyed, but for now, they had overcome their first obstacle. Cheers erupted among the batteries. Tang Shengzhi understood the significance of the Gate of Enlightenment in the battle for Nanjing. He had entrusted its defense to remnants of the elite German-trained 87th Infantry Division. He also deployed survivors from the 156th Division and dispatched armored cars to the section of the city wall and rolled artillery near the gate to provide close tactical support. Then suddenly cries of banzai rang out as a Rising Sun flag hoisted above the city gate. Major Ito Yoshimitsu, the commander of the 1st Battalion positioned near the Gate of Enlightenment had ordered his 1st Company to ascend the debris-laden slopes flanking the gate that had accumulated during hours of shelling. As the soldiers of the 1st Company infiltrated the gate, Ito quickly instructed the 4th Company to follow closely behind. By the time the Chinese forces recognized the critical breach in their defenses, it was too late. The two Japanese companies secured the gate and moved up to 100 yards inside the city, establishing positions in several buildings. They had created a foothold. A few miles southwest of the Gate of Enlightenment, the elite german trained 88th Chinese Infantry Division, was embroiled in fierce combat. They were defending the rugged hills in front of the Chinese Gate known as Yuhuatai, which were crucial to holding Nanjing. As General Sun Yuanliang, the division's commander, succinctly put it, “The enemy won't die by himself!” The division deployed its 527th Regiment to Yuhuatai alongside two artillery companies, while keeping the 528th Regiment in reserve. Although the 88th Division had once been part of the pre-war elite, it had suffered significant losses during months of grueling fighting, first in and around Shanghai and then during the retreat to Nanjing. The division now comprised only 6,000 to 7,000 soldiers, of which 3,000 were newcomers brought in to replenish their depleted ranks.  The division did possess one notable advantage over its opponents: the terrain. Yuhuatai was a nightmare for attackers. Military planners had long assumed invaders would assault from the south, leading to the fortification of the area. Consequently, the defenses included extensive antitank ditches, concrete-reinforced pillboxes, and rows of barbed wire, all designed to thwart an invasion. Moreover, Yuhuatai had frequently served as a training ground, allowing the 88th Division's soldiers to jump into prepared trenches during maneuvers. When the 6th Japanese Division arrived at Yuhuatai on December 10, it became immediately clear to its officers that the Chinese had transformed the area into a formidable stronghold. Strategically placed Chinese machine gun nests pinned down Japanese infantry, rendering them unable to advance or retreat. To counter this, the 6th Division set up its artillery to provide close tactical support, even at great risk. A battery commander was killed while maneuvering his guns to target a heavily fortified Chinese position. Despite the added firepower, the Japanese forces advanced slowly through the hilly landscape and sustained heavy casualties. They faced repeated obstacles from barbed wire barricades, which could only be dismantled by soldiers exposing themselves to pinpoint enemy fire. The Chinese defenders often fought to the last man; one Japanese officer noted that a pillbox had been locked from the outside, leaving the soldiers inside with no chance to escape. The experience of a company from the 6th Division's 23rd Regiment was typical. They found themselves pinned down in an antitank ditch, barely able to move. At the slightest motion, a vigilant Chinese machine gunner from a pillbox 50 yards away unleashed carefully aimed bursts of fire. Gradually, however, Japanese shelling began to weaken the Chinese positions, prompting the defenders to retreat one by one, even forcing the machine gunner to withdraw. When the Japanese troops finally emerged from cover, they spotted the fleeing gunner in the distance. Eager for revenge, they fired at him as he crossed a low ridge. He initially collapsed, only to rise again and continue fleeing. This cat-and-mouse chase occurred several times, and the Japanese soldiers couldn't tell whether they had hit him. Later that day, as they advanced further, they discovered him dead, still clutching his machine gun. The 6th Division faced the familiar issue of advancing too rapidly and bypassing Chinese units that still posed a threat. A 1,600-foot hill in the path of the 47th Regiment remained occupied by Chinese soldiers, who continued firing into the backs of the advancing Japanese troops. The Japanese forces managed to take the hill in the evening of December 10 and held it throughout the night despite repeated Chinese counterattacks. On the Chinese side, the 88th Division's 527th Regiment was engaged in particularly heavy fighting, but unlike their Japanese counterparts, they struggled with inadequate artillery support. Reluctant to risk valuable materiel, a concern that was rarely matched by a similar regard for personnel, Chinese commanders had positioned their artillery behind a low hill for protection against direct Japanese fire. However, this placement also meant they had no clear view of the enemy. Equipment lost in battle could not be replaced, but men lost were another matter. By the evening, the battle for the Gate of Enlightenment was reaching a critical point. Chinese commanders deployed every available unit to close the gap in their defenses created by the Japanese 36th Infantry Regiment, which had managed to establish a tenuous foothold near the gate. The pressure was immense, as there was no doubt that dire consequences awaited if the gate were lost. By midnight, a squad of southern Chinese soldiers from the 156th Division devised a ruthless plan to eliminate the remaining Japanese defenders, they intended to burn them out. Climbing the wall overlooking the Japanese positions with timber and cans of gasoline, they dropped burning logs onto the Japanese troops below at 1:00 am, trapping them under the heavy, flaming debris and inflicting devastating injuries. This cruel assault may have been driven by revenge, as many in the 156th Division had witnessed their comrades burned alive on the hilltop outside Nanjing just days earlier. By the morning the fight for the Gate of Enlightenment devolved into a stalemate. Nanjing was facing a siege. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. General Tang Shengzhi led a defiant defense of Nanjing and  despite despair, civilians fortified the city, aware that its fall could shatter Chiang Kai-Shek's government. By early December, the Japanese were gradually surrounding the capital. Assaults were made against her walls and now it seemed the capital was about to face a brutal siege.

 A whites-only community has launched in Arkansas under the legal guise of a “private membership association.” The founders claim it's about preserving culture, but Skye and Phil aren't buying it. Then, Brent Leatherwood, head of the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy arm, has resigned after years of pressure from hardline conservatives. What does his departure reveal about the denomination's political realignment? And, this week's guest is Brandon O'Brien, author of The Strategically Small Church. As American Christianity grapples with shrinking attendance and fading influence, O'Brien offers a compelling vision for why small congregations might be not just inevitable, but essential. Also Phil learns way too much about penguin poop.   Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this Episode: https://www.patreon.com/posts/135810167/   0:00 - Show Starts   3:30 - Theme Song   3:50 - Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 40% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout.   4:45 - Sponsor - Hiya Health - Go to https://www.hiyahealth.com/HOLYPOST to receive 50% off your first order   6:15 - Penguin Poop Saves the World?   15:50 - Whites-Only Community in Arkansas?   28:47 - SBC Commission President Steps Down!   43:48 - Sponsor - Blueland - Get up to 25% off your first order by going to https://www.Blueland.com/HOLYPOST   44:55 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month   46:05 - Sponsor - Church at the Crossroads - How should churches respond to the crisis in Gaza? Join a conference to break the silence. Go to https://www.churchatthecrossroads.com and use code HOLYPOST for 20% off!   47:21 - Interview   51:09 - Appetite for Small Churches?   59:00 - Beholden to Budget   1:09:15 - Unanxious   1:20:46 - End Credits   Links from News Segment: All White Community in Arkansas: https://news.sky.com/story/inside-the-whites-only-settlement-in-arkansas-the-group-building-a-fortress-for-the-white-race-13399875   Brent Leatherwood Steps Down:  https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/07/erlc-brent-leatherwood-resign-sbc-southern-baptist-politics/   Other Resources: The Strategically Small Church: Intimate, Authentic, and Effective by Brandon J. O'Brien: https://a.co/d/fgdjXcQ   Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/   Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus   Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost   Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.