Podcasts about Strategist

What kind of points traveler are you? Are you constantly calculating cents per point, saving every point for the “perfect” redemption, hunting for impossible-to-find award space, or just happy your points saved you money?In this episode, we're breaking down eight types of points travelers: The Maximizer, The Hoarder, The Hunter, The Luxury Convert, The Strategist, The Chaotic Optimist, The Budget Boss, and The Churn & Burner.We're sharing which types we think we are (spoiler: neither of us fits neatly into just one

Guest Dr. Derashay, Kingdom Strategist PUSH Interview with Dr. John E Ross Pt 2

In this episode of the Loan Officer Podcast, recorded live in Nassau, Bahamas at the Unite Caribbean Takeover 2026 event, host Dustin Owen sits down with renowned mortgage coach and industry influencer Rebecca Richardson for an insightful and engaging conversation. Rebecca introduces her innovative "blueprint" concept, which she describes as a personalized framework designed to help mortgage professionals build businesses that are truly aligned with their individual strengths, personalities, and preferred working styles, rather than simply imitating the approaches of others in the field. She explains that this blueprint is structured around five distinct archetypes: Visionary, Strategist, Operator, Communicator, and Advocate, each representing a different set of skills and natural inclinations that can be leveraged for greater success and fulfillment in the mortgage industry. Throughout the discussion, Rebecca and Dustin explore the importance of understanding one's own archetype and how this self-awareness can lead to more authentic and sustainable business growth. They delve into the challenges that many mortgage professionals face, such as burnout, and discuss practical strategies for avoiding it by focusing on activities that play to one's strengths. The conversation also touches on the significance of authenticity in marketing, emphasizing how genuine, values-driven messaging can help professionals stand out in a crowded marketplace and build stronger relationships with clients. Rebecca goes on to highlight the value of focused effort, encouraging listeners to prioritize quality over quantity in both their business activities and personal development. She shares actionable tips for staying motivated and maintaining momentum, even during challenging times. In addition to sharing her expertise, Rebecca provides details about several upcoming events where she will be speaking, including a highly anticipated keynote address and an in-depth, hands-on session at MortgageCon in Orlando. She invites listeners to attend these events to learn more about her blueprint framework and to connect with other like-minded professionals who are committed to building businesses that reflect their true selves. Loan officer looking for a new place to call home?

Tom Shipley went from IDF Special Forces operator to building brands that generate over $2 BILLION in revenue, and his secret weapon isn't what you'd expect. How do you 10x your business without starting from scratch? Tom Shipley, serial entrepreneur and creator of the Add a Zero Growth philosophy, has done it over and over again, and in this episode he reveals the counterintuitive strategy behind it: strategic acquisitions. Not just for the mega-wealthy. For any founder who's ready to stop grinding and start engineering real growth. Tom gets brilliantly real about the moment his company went from three offers to sell for $55-75 million to losing $600,000 a month, and what he did next that saved everything. We go deep on how acquisitions can solve almost any business challenge, why your mindset is the first thing that has to change before your revenue can, and what his wife said to him on a rainy run in Boise, Idaho that completely shifted everything. Tom's Website: www.TShipley.com This one is packed with strategy. Have a pen ready. In this episode: How Tom acquired a $15M company during a cash crisis and turned it into a $100M brand Why building from scratch is like being dragged through asphalt and glass, and what to do instead The Add a Zero philosophy and how any 7-8 figure founder can apply it right now What to look for and what to run from when evaluating an acquisition How to position your business today for a premium exit tomorrow The mindset shift that separates founders who scale from those who stay stuck If this inspired you and you're hitting a ceiling in your growth, and you're truly ready to scale your seven-figure company: Click here: www.MyScaleSession.com to book a one-on-one Deep Dive Scale Session with a CEO Strategist on Allison's team at Pinnacle Global Network. We've helped over 150,000 CEOs scale their companies and build more freedom in their lives. If this conversation lit something up in you, subscribe so you never miss an episode. Pinnacle Global Network is the worlds leading Scaling Advisory and CEO Mentorship Organization helping founders with over $1 million in revenue scale at pace while building a more freedom-filled life. Every member is matched with a 1:1 CEO mentor who has already built a multi-million-dollar company, guides them step by step through the proprietary SCALEit Method®, and welcomes them into a powerful community of driven founders who become their pillars of support along the way. Founded in 2009, this method has helped CEOs turn burnt-out, stuck founders into the visionary leaders of thriving, team-managed companies. What members gain: A 1:1 CEO Mentor who has built at least one 7-9-figure company and provides personalized, year-round guidance tailored to your business and goals A dedicated mentorship team so when you need a fresh perspective or a specialist, your mentor brings in the right expert for the challenge at hand The proven SCALEit Method®, a step-by-step scaling framework built on five pillars: Strategic Vision, Cash Flow, Alliance of the Team, Leadership, and Execution Strategic Vision and Cash Flow mastery to set a Big Picture Vision and build the marketing, sales, and cash flow systems that fuel sustainable growth Alliance of the Team and Leadership development to build a team-managed company that runs without you, led by your strongest self Execution systems that hand the daily grind to your team, giving you back your time, freedom, and headspace.

A 20-year agency founder built his reputation turning Pizza Express back into a cult favourite, then years later made the mistake he now calls his biggest regret. Gerry Hopkinson, founder of Unity and now a cultural strategist, joins Embracing Marketing Mistakes to explain how he sold his agency, why he stayed on for five more years, and the commercial decision that cost him a loyal client.Gerry walks through the Pizza Express "living lab," a real restaurant handed over to customers, chefs, designers, and even an acoustics professor to redesign together, and the customer-psychology insight that made it work. Then he tells the story of Absinthe, the Pernod Ricard brand his agency grew by 300% through a platform called Think Work Play, before admitting he dropped the client to chase a bigger, more famous brand, and regretted it immediately.Send us Fan Mail Struggling to prove marketing's worth to your board? Grab our free one-page Board-Proof Scorecard:

In this episode of Referrals Done Right, Scott Grates sits down with Jennifer Gomez to explore why joy should not be something we wait to experience after success. Jennifer shares her journey as a high achiever who spent years chasing the next accomplishment. Eventually, she realized achievement alone was not creating the fulfillment she expected.Jennifer explains how joy can become a strategy for better leadership and a more intentional life. She shares why alignment starts with being honest with yourself. The conversation also explores trust and clear communication within a team. When leaders understand themselves and create space for others to thrive, stronger relationships can lead to meaningful growth.In This Episode:• Why joy and happiness are not the same thing.• How constant achievement can still leave high performers feeling unfulfilled.• Why alignment begins with getting honest about what you actually want.• How clarity and trust can help leaders stop putting out fires.• Why stronger relationships within your team can become a strategy for growth.---Jennifer Gomez's Links:Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgomez225Website - https://www.thejoyfulstrategist.com---Scott Grates' Links:Referrals Done Right - https://www.referralsdoneright.orgReferrals Done Right FB Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/296359076662332Scott Grates Website - https://www.scottgrates.comLove Living Local  - https://www.instagram.com/lovelivinglocal315Scott's FB - https://www.facebook.com/scott.grates.1Scott's - https://www.instagram.com/scottgratesTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@scott.grates

In episode 395 of The Leader Assistant Podcast, I sit down with Deasha Carter, executive operations strategist and founder of House of Lynn Advisory. We discuss her journey across healthcare, legal, and tech sectors, and why understanding the "how" and "why" of a business is essential for assistants looking to step into strategic roles.We also explore the concept of "diagnosis before design" to tackle actual operational bottlenecks rather than just adding new tools. Deasha also shares details on her upcoming Certified Operations Strategist credentialing program.Show notes -> leaderassistant.com/395 --It's the last day of the offsite and it was exactly what the team needed. The CEO pulls you aside to say, “Thank you. This was next level.”Your secret? You used Offsite. They handled the venues, negotiations, and logistics – so you could focus on shaping the experience.Sound too good to be true? It's actually within reach. (And it can even save you money.)See how at leaderassistant.com/offsite. --Are you ready to level up? Enroll in The Leader Assistant Academy at leaderassistant.com/academy to embrace the Leader Assistant frameworks used by thousands of assistants.More from The Leader Assistant...Free Community -> leaderassistant.com/communityBook, Audiobook, and Workbook -> leaderassistantbook.comAssistant Habits App and Weekly Planner -> assistanthabits.comEvents -> leaderassistantlive.comThe Leader Assistant Academy -> leaderassistantbook.com/academy Premium Membership -> leaderassistant.com/membership

We covered topics - Your journey into Anti-Bias work- What impact do you want to create?- What are your core offers?- What changes in business when you work with them?- Which organisations do you serve and what are their headcount? - What offer felt effortless to sell, and why did it work?- How do you respond to “We don't have the budget”?- How do you explain the ROI of DEI to sceptical buyers?- What's your most controversial belief about culture that most peoplein our field would disagree with?- Finish this sentence: “Most companies are wasting money on culture because…”- What does it really take to hit six figures in this field?- If you had 90 days inside one organisation with no new budget, what would you change first?- What's the hardest part of getting a budget signed off for the work you do?- What does the ROI of DEI mean to you?----Important LinksGuest - LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-verlezza/ ) Website - victoriaverlezza.com ----Download the white paper ROI of DEI, ⁠click here⁠ → ROIofDEI.ai⁠ Any feedback? please email ⁠vikram@73bit.com⁠

Our interview with former Top Gear boss Andy Wilman has passed 200,000 views on YouTube and around 400,000 elsewhere. Justin Crosby asks YouTube strategist Seb Losardo, who has helped grow John Nellis's channel from 600,000 to 16 million subscribers, to explain why, and how to repeat it.Seb explains how to find outlier guests, why an AI-generated thumbnail beat our usual design in an A/B test, and why he tells creators not to be led by their most vocal fans. He sets out his 40/30/30 rule for dividing effort between packaging, the intro and the rest of the video, an approach that turns traditional TV workflow on its head.The conversation also covers why preamble costs viewers, how gaps between sections cause audiences to drop off, how YouTube editing differs from TV, and why brands spending heavily on talent still end up with videos nobody watches.Seb will be speaking at the Digital Content Forum on 5 November at BFI Southbank.TellyCast is produced by Spirit Studios and recorded in London. www.Vuulr.com Sign up for The Drop newsletterEnrol on the TellyCast Digital BootcampBuy tickets for the Digital Content ForumSubscribe to the TellyCast YouTube channel for exclusive TV industry videosFollow us on LinkedInConnect with Justin on LinkedINTellyCast videos on YouTubeTellyCast websiteTellyCast instaTellyCast TwitterTellyCast TikTok

Le molteplici ragioni della debolezza dei corsi obbligazionari e le ragioni per cui nel 2027 potremmo assistere a un loro recupero. Il contesto attuale premia azioni e materie prime, ma i bond continuano a esercitare la loro funzione di copertura nell'ipotesi di un rallentamento della crescita.

Adrian Ellis speaks with cultural strategist Jorge Pinto about a career spent creating the conditions for culture to thrive – and what decades of cultural investment in the Gulf can teach us about moving from buildings to institutions, ecosystems and human capacity.[TRANSCRIPT]External LinksEuropean Commission – Culture and CreativityDepartment of Culture and Tourism – Abu DhabiSaadiyat Cultural DistrictZayed National MuseumGuggenheim Abu DhabiSharjah Art FoundationGuggenheim Museum BilbaoAbout our GuestJorge Pinto is a senior cultural advisor and strategist whose career spans cultural policy, strategy, institutional development, and the creative economy across Europe and the Middle East. Trained in economics and management, he began his career at PwC before moving into cultural policy at the European Commission. He has since worked across government, consulting, and major cultural development programmes, bringing together experience in policy, cultural infrastructure, institutional development, and capacity building. +

This episode touches on addiction and on the loss of a child to a fatal overdose. It's a tender one, so please take care whilst listening. And if that's not something you have capacity for today, it's completely okay to come back another time. What if the person you love is slipping away beneath the weight of addiction, and you're left battling shame, silence, and a culture that blames individuals while ignoring the deeper crisis? In this profoundly moving episode, Anna Donaghey speaks to Katie Rizzo, a mother who lost her son Nicholas to a fatal overdose after years of struggling with alcohol and substance dependence.This is a story shaped by grief, but also by everything that comes after. Katie bravely challenges the stigma and secrecy that surround addiction within families and in society at large. She shares Nicholas's sensitive nature, the anxiety that haunted him, and the relentless pressure to appear happy and successful. Anna and Katie discuss how addiction is viewed as a personal failing, why shame forces families into silence, and what it means to support a loved one with compassion rather than judgement.You'll hear firsthand about the ways social comparison, anxiety, and unrealistic ideals fuel substance misuse in young people and why the myth of individual willpower is so dangerous. Anna and Katie invite listeners to rethink not only how we talk about drinking, but how vulnerability, honesty, and community are the real routes to healing.Highlights:00:00 Trigger warning: addiction and the loss of a child01:13 Who Nicholas was, behind the statistics and labels03:46 How social pressure and anxiety feed substance use07:13 Why “this isn't the real me”: inside the mind of addiction12:52 The myth of willpower, the reality of relapse18:20 Family stigma and shame: breaking the silence28:22 Why addiction is a human issue not a moral failing35:51 Loving a person, not the addiction41:30 “I'm not the mother who failed her son”, the truth about blame44:42 Why compassion, vulnerability, and honesty combat shame.Anna's book "What Are You Thirsty For? Rethinking Alcohol and The Life You Want", is now out in the world for you to buy!Order your copy, access her free tools and explore her coaching programmes at: https://thebigdrinkrethink.com/The Thirsty For More Mindset Lab is Anna's ‘inner circle' - a calm, thoughtful space where conversations continue, patterns are explored, and things begin to make sense. Find out more at: https://thirstyformore.substack.com/If you appreciate the podcast and would like to show a bit of love, you can donate the cost of a coffee here. It helps support the time and care that goes into making the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/bigdrinkrethinkAbout the host Anna:Anna is a certified Alcohol Mindset Coach, trained by Annie Grace of This Naked Mind. Drawing on her own journey out of alcohol addiction, she now helps others explore and control their drinking. With a career spanning 25 years as a Strategist in the Advertising industry, she combines her own lived experiences, with great insight into what makes us tick and what influences us to behave the way we do.Connect with Anna:Website: thebigdrinkrethink.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annadonagheyInstagram: instagram.com/bigdrinkrethinkProduced by winteraudio.co.ukAbout Katie Rizzo:Katie Rizzo is a mother, former high school science teacher, and writer based in Arizona.Her oldest son, Nicholas, died from an accidental overdose after a long struggle with anxiety and addiction - first to alcohol, then to benzodiazepines and prescription opioids.Since his passing, Katie has found her way through grief with the support of Al-Anon and grief communities, and has turned to writing as a way of processing what she's lived through. She is the author of two forthcoming books: Trimesters of Grief (October 1st) and a poetry collection, None of Them Are You (November 1st).Connect with Katie:Website: https://katierizzo.com/

Guest Dr. Derashay, Kingdom Strategist PUSH Interview with Dr. John E Ross Pt 1

To celebrate a decade of Journey Beyond Divorce, we're sharing a special collection of episodes featuring Karen McMahon as a guest on some of her favorite podcasts. Over the years, Karen has joined incredible hosts across the divorce, coaching, and personal growth space to share her story and her expertise. This collection brings those conversations together in one place, offering a look at Karen's voice and message from a different angle, through the eyes of the hosts who welcomed her. Thank you for being part of this journey, and for helping Journey Beyond Divorce grow into what it is today. Karen McMahon on Confessions of a Freebird with Laurie James In this episode, originally recorded for the Confessions of a Freebird podcast, host Laurie James sits down with Karen McMahon, High Conflict Divorce Coach and Strategist with Journey Beyond Divorce, for a candid conversation about thriving after a midlife divorce. Karen shares her own raw divorce story and the mindset shifts she has gained over 15 years, from moving through the emotional rollercoaster and practicing self-compassion to setting boundaries that actually hold. She offers three neutral statements for communicating with a difficult ex without giving in, strategies for co-parenting without becoming emotionally drained, and ways to heal your triggers so toxic patterns don't follow you into future relationships. She also walks through her 3 A's as a path to building a life that aligns with who you truly are. Laurie is a mother, divorcée, recovering caregiver turned author, certified somatic practitioner, and coach who helps people divorce, heal, and date differently in midlife. She is the author of Sandwiched: A Memoir of Holding On and Letting Go, and her podcast is its sequel, a space for women navigating divorce, empty nesting, loss, and reinvention. Learn more about Laurie James and her work at https://www.laurieejames.com/, and listen to Confessions of a Freebird: https://www.laurieejames.com/podcast2 Connect with Karen: Book a FREE Coaching Call: https://www.jbddivorcesupport.com/rapid-relief-call Join Divorce Support Network: Back to school offer, 80% off a full year for $99, plus two strategic calls at no cost, one with a coach and one with a financial specialist: https://bit.ly/jbdpod

It was a pleasure to welcome Amanda Lynam, Chief Credit Strategist in Global Investment Research at Goldman Sachs, back to the podcast. Nearly three years after our first conversation, much has changed! With the extraordinary capital expenditure cycle underway in artificial intelligence, there is no shortage of questions about how the corporate credit market will finance it and what the growing supply of debt means for investors. We begin with Amanda's assessment of the broader credit landscape. She describes a market supported by resilient economic growth, generally solid corporate fundamentals, and powerful demand from yield-oriented investors, including insurers, pensions, and foreign buyers. These forces have kept periods of spread widening relatively brief, even as issuance has accelerated. We then turn to the scale of the AI buildout. Amanda walks us through Goldman Sachs' estimates for hyperscaler capital expenditures and debt issuance, along with the financing needs of data centers, chips and other businesses supporting the AI ecosystem. We discuss why companies are raising debt before an immediate funding gap appears, how much issuance the investment-grade market can absorb and why private markets may take on a larger role as the cycle progresses. Importantly, Amanda sees little evidence so far that AI borrowing is crowding out other corporate issuers. Instead, investors appear increasingly attentive to their total exposure to the theme across equities, bonds, and private assets. That creates a renewed role for sectors such as banks, energy, healthcare and food and beverage as sources of diversification. Lastly, we explore the risks that could challenge today's supportive credit backdrop, particularly an increase in rates volatility that weakens yield-based demand. Amanda also discusses the evolving high-yield market, the software refinancing calendar, and the role of real assets in portfolio construction. I hope you enjoy this episode of the Alpha Exchange, my conversation with Amanda Lynam.

Stephen Carter and Shannon Phillips dive into Alberta's referendum fight and the political chaos engulfing British Columbia. Is Danielle Smith trying to use the nine referendum questions to contain separatism, or simply keep it alive? Should David Eby call an early election while the BC Conservatives are in free fall, or would that risk repeating Jim Prentice's biggest mistake? And is the most complicated part of Alberta politics now just figuring out which Strategists live show you bought tickets for?Zain Velji, as always, picks the questions and keeps everybody in line.The Strategists Live!:Edmonton - October 13: https://strategistliveshow.ca/calgaryCalgary - October 27: https://strategistliveshow.ca/edmontonJoin our Patreon for ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, and access to our exclusive Discord.https://www.patreon.com/strategistspodYou can also watch our episodes on YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/@strategistspod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the second episode of Travillian Next: Investment Banking Edition! Hosted by Dave Yancoskie, Managing Partner & Head of Investment Banking at Travillian, and Adam Yancoskie, Principal, Investment Banking, with guest Avi Upreti, Principal, AI Strategist at Hebbia.Cutting Through the AI FluffFrom Guggenheim fintech banker to building the AI tools he wished he'd had in the seatCoverage to origination: setting triggers across hundreds of sponsor portfolio companies when oil prices movePulling comps, precedents and buyers lists with AI agents, with every number sourced and citedThe VP's job shifts from checking for correctness to checking for relevanceWhy zero manual review is the wrong goal, and why no vendor should promise itUnlocking siloed pockets of intelligence inside banks without breaking complianceFewer juniors per deal, more deals per banker, and review becoming a scarce skillThe new apprenticeship: less model-building, more "what if the synergies don't happen?" Framing the right question is still the differentiator

Society feels more divided than ever. We seem to be talking about this all the time, but it’s exactly these discussions that are pulling us further apart. Professor Betina Szkudlarek says it’s worse than differences of opinion. Today, people are less likely than ever to even hear out someone who’s different to them in some way. So what do we do? Betina points to refugee employment as a case study – and you’ll hear from Karyna, a Ukrainian refugee who now manages a restuarant in Sydney. Businesses are now some of our most trusted institutions, and they’re the place you’re likely to experience the most diversity on a daily basis. Betina explains what we can learn from businesses who are committed to building a more cohesive society, and shares tips on how you can contribute at work, too. +++ The Solutionists is a podcast from the University of Sydney, produced by Deadset Studios. Keep up to date with The Solutionists by following @sydney_uni on Facebook and Instagram, and @sydney.edu.au on Bluesky. This episode was produced by Liam Riordan with sound design by Jeremy Wilmot. Supervising producer is Sarah Dabro. Executive editors are Kellie Riordan, Sladjana Rstic, and Mark Scott. Strategist is Ann Chesterman. This podcast was recorded on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation. For thousands of years, across innumerable generations, knowledge has been taught, shared and exchanged here. We pay respect to elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Social Hour is back after a summer break, and this livestream edition came loaded. Carson Group's Ryan Detrick, Chief Market Strategist, and Sonu Varghese, Chief Macro Strategist, are joined by two technical analysis heavyweights: Jay Woods, Chief Market Strategist at Freedom Capital Markets and CNBC contributor, and Scott Brown, Founder and Strategist at Brown Technical Insights.Fair warning: Scott was cheerfully reminded he was the (second? fifth?) choice to fill in for CNBC anchor Morgan Brennan, Sonu showed up with a Negroni, Jay was stuck with a Dunkin' iced coffee until the closing bell, and Ryan told the story of how he lost a rental car key and somehow got $200 off the bill. But in between? Plenty of substance.They dig into the Fed's recent hike and the dot plot, with Sonu making the case that this Fed is still dovish and Jay pointing to the war, oil, and the White House as the X-factors no one can quantify. Scott and Jay walk through what the charts are saying: weakening breadth, Dow Theory divergences, key S&P 500 support levels, and a consumer discretionary sector that's cracking. They also cover the bull case for Q4 (seasonality, credit holding up, Mag 7 turning up), the AI capex boom and what would signal it's over, Bitcoin and gold setups, oil's next target, and how election-year politics could hit the AI buildout.Key Takeaways:The Fed hiked: A unanimous vote, with most officials penciling in at least one more quarter-point increase by year-endStill dovish? Sonu argues that with core PCE forecasts up 100 bps, unemployment lower, and inflation not back to 2% until 2029, this Fed isn't really hawkishThe X factor: Jay flags the war, oil and diesel prices, and White House volatility heading into the midtermsBreadth is deteriorating: Only 49% of S&P 500 stocks are above their 200-day moving average, and the advance-decline line is rolling overDow Theory warning: Industrials and transports aren't confirming the S&P 500, which sits just 3.5% off its highsConsumer discretionary under pressure: Relative weakness vs. staples and energy is a key concernJump to:0:00 — Disclosures and Quick Reset0:43 — Social Hour Returns with Drinks5:25 — Fed Takeaways and Dot Plot Signal12:50 — Why The Fed Still Looks Dovish15:40 — War, Oil, and the Political Wildcard18:37 — Breadth Weakness and Sector Stress22:31 — Dow Theory Divergences Explained25:49 — A Rental Car Story and Mag 729:52 — Bitcoin and Gold as Market Tell34:32 — Portfolio Reality and Promo Break44:05 — Tech Dominance and AI Capex Boom53:17 — Oil Targets, Yields, and Election Risk59:30 — Key Takeaways and Next LivestreamConnect with Ryan:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryandetrick/• X: https://x.com/RyanDetrick Connect with Sonu:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonu-varghese-phd/• X: https://x.com/sonusvarghese?lang=enConnect with Jay Woods:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-woods-cmt-5972679/• X: https://x.com/JayWoods3Connect with Scott Brown:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-brown-cmt-22b62891/• X: https://x.com/scottchartsQuestions about the show? We'd love to hear from you! factsvsfeelings@carsongroup.com

Howard Dean's presidential campaign manager, veteran Democratic political strategist, and online grassroots pioneer Joe Trippi shares his thoughts on the possibility of a Blue wave in November and whether Democrats can meet the moment.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tavis-smiley--6286410/support.

While pregnant, Kay Tolman had her first memories of satanicritual abuse. Since then, she has had 36 years of healing, helping others heal and training ministers to do the same.  Wecan't live in this world without experiencing some level of trauma. God graciously created us with the ability of our minds to compartmentalize and hold onto trauma until we are ready and able to heal from it. Today Tiffany Jo Bakertalks with Kay, the Founder of Revelation Gateway Ministries, about how broken soul parts play a role in our trauma, life, triggers and healing.Listen in for:What is Dissociative Identity Disorder/MultiplePersonality Disorder, alters, fragmentation, child part, and partsWhere we see broken soul parts in the bibleThe differences between demons and broken soulpartsHow common parts are and the continuum offracturingKey quote:“When there is trauma, the soul can fracture… the younger achild is during the trauma, the more likely they will fracture.” – Kay TolmanFavorite Scripture:Isaiah 61:1 - “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives andrelease from darkness for the prisoners.”To learn more about Kay Tolman, Revelation GatewayMinistries, A Door of Hope Podcast and all that they are doing, go to https://www.rgmconnect.com *Want timely words, resources, and episodes delivered rightto your inbox to help you fuel and fulfill your faith journey? Simply subscribe today to never miss an episode at https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/subscribe (don'tworry, you won't get spam or excessive emails)*If you're looking for perfectly polished people or podcast,this isn't for you.. We're real people, with real good information, and a really great God. Don't miss the next Tiffany Jo Baker Podcast episode as wecontinue to help you GET FREE, LIVE FULL & THANK GOD! You can watch on YouTube and https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/tiffany-jo-baker-podcast or listen in on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player. Ratings and reviews are like high-fives and “go-girl's” on podcasts. Helping you refresh and refocus so you can do all the thingsyou are called and created to do, my 31 Day Devotional “Soul-Care for Go-Getters” is available on Amazon and my website shop here. ( https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com/go-getters-devo ) As a 3x Surrogate, Speaker, Soul-Care and Success Coach andHoly Spirit-led Strategist, I uplift the soul and success of women like you who are walking out your WHY, so you can birth your God-given dreams at home, online, and in the real world. Find me, @‌TiffanyJoBaker, on Instagram,Facebook and https://www.tiffanyjobaker.com. Iwould love to connect with you there!

Amanda Lynam, Chief Credit Strategist at Goldman Sachs, talks credit spreads and shares her outlook for fixed income amid a global bond selloff and relentlessly rising yields. She speaks with hosts Paul Sweeney and Jess Menton.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A year ago, Kate Stewart was doing eye tests and prescribing glasses, but now she's on the boat as a reserve strategist for the Black Foils team in their SailGP campaign.  

The Trump administration's primary agenda has been consolidating power, with Jared Kushner as a key figure quietly orchestrating from behind the scenes. Music by: Looplicator, Luba Hilman, Thomas Koner, Ethan Sloan, Martin Baekkevold, and Brendon Moeller. 00:00: The Fast Erosion of Guardrails02:03: The Albanian Situation05:16: The Beginnings08:57: Following the Money12:05: Ties to Foreign Finance and Government16:43: Affinity Partners20:37: The Master Plan25:55: A Message #JaredKushner #Trumpadministration #powerconsolidation #foreignfinance #AffinityPartners See show notes: https://inlet.fm/epoch-philosophy/episodes/6ab171dff2a428b4190c3dd5 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if the people closest to the work understand what needs to change better than the leaders making the decisions? In Episode 367 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Karli Grove, founder of Kantency Consulting, organizational change strategist, speaker and workshop facilitator, to explore why meaningful transformation rarely begins with immediate action. Karli shares her journey from growing up in small town Alberta and building experience across insurance, community organizations and local leadership to buying a one way ticket to New Zealand, living from a campervan and eventually creating a business devoted to helping organizations navigate change more intentionally.Karli explains why organizations often become overwhelmed by what appear to be thousands of different problems when many of them originate from the same underlying issue. She shares how her Step 0 approach helps leaders pause, step back and map the entire system before deciding what needs to change. Kelly and Karli also discuss the dangers of top down decision making, why employees resist changes they were never invited to understand and what leaders can learn from the people closest to the work. As Karli explains, if you want to understand where waste exists inside an organization, sometimes the first person you should speak with is the janitor.The conversation also examines the importance of shared language, continuous feedback and human connection during periods of uncertainty. Karli introduces her Water Cycle Framework, which uses familiar images such as storm clouds, rivers and waterfalls to help teams communicate the scale, pressure and emotional reality of change. She explains why feedback should be gathered throughout the entire process rather than only at the end, how involving employees during the brainstorming stage creates stronger buy in and why the rise of artificial intelligence may ultimately make genuine human connection even more valuable. Karli also shares how Kantency supports leaders and organizations through speaking, facilitation, coaching and immersive mapping.Key Takeaways:Resistance to change is often a response to being blindsided, excluded or ignored rather than a rejection of change itself.If implementing change is Step 1, Step 0 is the pause required to understand the complete system before taking action.Organizations may appear to have thousands of different problems when many are different expressions of the same root issue.The people closest to the work often possess critical information that leadership cannot see from the top.Leaders make better decisions when they involve employees during the brainstorming process rather than after the decision has already been made.Shared language helps teams recognize when they are discussing the same issue from different perspectives.Metaphors can communicate the scale, pressure and emotion of change more effectively than conventional business language.Feedback should be collected throughout the entire change cycle because waiting until the end means missing the information needed to adjust.Loyalty inside a smaller organization can be powerful but fragile because leadership decisions feel deeply personal to employees.As technology becomes increasingly available, authentic human connection, empathy and in person experiences may become even more valuable.Connect with Karli GroveLearn more about Karli Grove and Kantency Consulting, explore the Step 0 approach and discover how Karli helps leaders and organizations map the bigger picture, strengthen communication and navigate change with greater clarity and confidence.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karligroveKantency Consulting: https://kantency.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtWcw78iQvqjc0mdViZotQSupport Foxx and Our FamilyOur one year old son Foxx is currently fighting cancer, and our family is navigating a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead. If you are able to donate or simply share our GoFundMe with your network, we would be incredibly grateful for your support.❤️ Donate to Support Foxx and Our Family

Go to www.groundnews.com/skinny for a better way to stay informed. Subscribe through our link for 40% off unlimited access to world-wide coverage. The first Fed rate hike since the summer of 2023 hit today, and we went LIVE from New York City to cover it. Minutes after Chairman Warsh wrapped his press conference, we brought on Wellington's macro strategist Mike Medeiros to make sense of the 25bp hike, the unanimous vote, and a statement that leaned unmistakably hawkish. We asked Mike everything we've been dying to know: Was this hike a nod to the political pressure campaign coming from President Trump, or would cutting in this environment have been, in his words, "clinically insane"? Are Warsh and Treasury Secretary Bessent working together or against each other, with the Fed pushing financial conditions tighter while Treasury intervenes in the long end? How does Treasury actually fund those interventions next year — bills, buybacks, or the TGA — and does the debt ceiling take one of those off the table? We also dug into what the hike means for the coming wave of corporate issuance financing the AI buildout, whether the midterms change the policy calculus, where positioning is most offsides, his S&P target for year-end, and what the death of forward guidance means for volatility in the front end of the curve. Plus: what nickname does Trump give "No Cut Kevin" now? Thank you to our sponsor, Ground News — our go-to news aggregator for getting all the headlines moving markets in real time, gauging bias across the political spectrum, and seeing what's factually accurate reporting and what isn't. Go to https://groundnews.com/skinny to subscribe for 40% off their unlimited access Vantage subscription — whether you subscribe yourself or send it as a gift — and use our link so they know we sent you.

What if your business hasn't hit its next level because you're still doing the job you were doing three years ago? In this episode, Maggie breaks down the five stages of business owner evolution, why your role has to change as your revenue grows, and why you need to develop the skills for your next stage before you get there.In This Episode, You'll Hear AboutWhy growing revenue without evolving your role keeps you overworked and burnt outThe five stages of business owner evolution (and what to focus on at each one)Why you need to develop next-stage skills before you reach that revenue levelThe difference between delegating tasks and transferring real responsibilityHow to stop being the person who solves every problem (and why that's selfish)What it actually means to be the CEO of your business at $1M+ and beyondChapter Markers00:00 — Why your business hasn't hit the next level (and what that really means)02:00 — You become the bottleneck when everything goes through you03:00 — You can't wait until the next revenue level to develop the skills you need there04:00 — Stage 1: The Doer ($0 to $250K)09:00 — Stage 2: Seller & Operator ($250K to $500K)13:00 — Stage 3: Manager & People Leader ($500K to $1M)17:00 — Why fixing every problem for your team creates dependency, not capacity21:00 — Stage 4: Strategist & CEO ($1M to $5M)27:00 — The trap of doing your old job at your new revenue level29:00 — Stage 5: Visionary & Culture Builder ($5M+)35:00 — Reflection questions to figure out your next evolutionReady to become the leader your business needs? Book a complimentary discovery call with Maggie:Schedule your call: https://calendly.com/maggie-s2l/consultation-call-1Website: https://stairwaytoleadership.com/

John W. Munsell is the CEO of Bizzuka, author of "INGRAIN AI: Strategy Through Execution" and the creator of the AI Strategy Canvas® and Scalable Prompt Engineering™ frameworks. These frameworks help companies scale AI effectively and efficiently across all departments. Most companies lack a unified approach, resulting in a lack of ability to share knowledge or scale expertise. John's proven frameworks solve this problem by providing every team member with a common foundational understanding of AI, from strategy development all the way through tactical execution. The result is a workplace where people actually want to use AI and spread their enthusiasm and expertise throughout the organization.Connect with John here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwmunsell/https://www.facebook.com/bizzukahttps://www.instagram.com/bizzuka_inc/https://www.bizzuka.comDon't forget to sign up for our limited-space LinkedIn 5-Day Workshop from Sept 28th to Oct 2nd here: https://www.thetimetogrow.com/AtoEonLinkedinWorkshop

Willy sat down with Paul Cheek, Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, serial entrepreneur, AI strategist, and author of the new book, No One Works Here, for a conversation about AI, the future of work, and what it takes to build an AI-driven enterprise. They explored why AI is advancing faster than organizations can adapt, why leaders may be looking at AI ROI through the wrong lens, and why adopting AI tools and training alone isn't enough to drive meaningful transformation. They also dove into Paul's framework for deciding when AI should-and shouldn't-do the work, why organizational redesign is essential to realizing AI's potential, and how leaders can prepare their people and businesses for a future where humans and AI agents increasingly work together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the Federal Reserve beginning a new tightening cycle and markets pricing additional rate increases, investors are reassessing where the Treasury yield curve may be headed next. Ira Jersey, Bloomberg Intelligence chief US interest-rate strategist, discusses this and more in a solo Macro Matters edition of the FICC Focus podcast. Jersey explains why Chairman Kevin Warsh's latest press conference offered a clearer view of the Fed's reaction function, with resilient economic growth allowing policymakers to focus more directly on above-target inflation. Jersey outlines why BI expects another 50 bps of tightening, though likely at a slower pace than markets currently price, and examines how previous Fed cycles suggest further curve flattening could follow the first hike. Jersey also discusses why two- to five-year Treasuries may offer attractive carry and downside protection as the curve flattens, how inflation expectations will influence the Fed's next moves and why solid nominal growth continues to support relatively high long-term Treasury yields. The Macro Matters podcast is part of BI's FICC Focus series.

Media mix modeling can tell healthcare marketers where there may be more opportunity, but it can't answer every question about where and how to spend. In this episode of The Strategists' Corner, Rich Briddock, Chief Strategy Officer at Cardinal Digital Marketing, and Ben Dutter, Chief Strategy Officer at Power Digital, unpack where MMM fits in a modern healthcare measurement strategy. As MMM becomes easier to access, they explore what it does exceptionally well, where healthcare's long patient journeys and fragmented data create limitations, and why the strongest measurement strategies pair modeling with testing and other sources of data. In this episode, you'll learn: Where MMM adds the most value in healthcare and where it falls short Which leading indicators to model when patient revenue takes months to materialize How match market tests validate and add detail to what MMM predicts What to do when the data challenges existing media assumptions If you're evaluating MMM or making media decisions with imperfect healthcare data, this is the episode to queue up next. RELATED RESOURCES A triangulation approach to healthcare marketing measurement - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/triangulation-healthcare-marketing-measurement-framework/ RevRx™: Unlocking the Power of Media Mix Modeling - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/media-mix-modeling-revrx/ The search plateau problem: Why healthcare marketers need incrementality testing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-incrementality-testing/ The healthcare marketer's guide to conversion signal optimization  - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/conversion-signal-optimization-strategy/

In Episode 24 of Season 7 of Driven by Data: The Podcast, Kyle Winterbottom is rejoined by David Castro-Gavino, Executive Director, Head of Data Deployment at AstraZeneca, and joined by his co-author Boyan Angelov, Principal Strategist at Exxeta, where they discuss their new book, Enabling Data, and why the data industry is still stuck in Groundhog Day. The same three arguments – who owns that number, is it right, and why does it take so long – have been repeating for thirty years, and rather than fixing them, the industry keeps renaming the problem.The conversation covers why most complexity in data is self-inflicted, why maturity models are "data theatre" compared to diagnosing friction, and why AI hasn't solved any of this – it has poured fuel on the fire.They also discuss:Why the industry has a short collective memory and keeps rediscovering problems solved twenty years ago.What the three recurring arguments are that every data organisation keeps having.Why renaming the symptom – big data, data mesh, platforms – never fixes the underlying problem.How a simple pizza business becomes a data nightmare the moment it goes digital.Why most complexity in data is self-inflicted, and why that is good news.Why "technology is not the problem, you are" is deliberately provocative.What four questions to ask before going back to the market for a new tool.Why fixing the system, not the tool, is the maxim that matters.Who the "merchants of complexity" are, and why consultants are usually the culprits.Why making things simple is the hardest job in data.What's wrong with using maturity scores as the objective.Why measuring the wrong things promotes the wrong behaviours.How to practically find friction by refusing to accept the first answer.Why friction looks different for an analyst, an engineer and a business leader.Why not every foundational problem needs to be solved, and how to avoid spending forever in the basement.Why data teams that don't understand the business are missing the biggest opportunity.What the cargo cult is, and why copying Spotify's operating model won't make you Spotify.How the enabling model's four pillars – people, governance, technology and enablement – fit together.Why the fragility of senior data leadership is structural rather than personal.Why data doesn't create friction in an organisation, it reveals it – and gets blamed for it.Why a clear mandate matters more than who the CDO reports to.Why the industry needs to stop hiring data leaders on a shopping list of technical skills.How AI has exposed how little progress most companies have actually made on the fundamentals.Thanks to our sponsor, Data & AI Literacy Academy.Data & AI Literacy Academy is leading the way in transforming enterprise workforces with data literacy across the organisation, through a combination of change management and education. In today's data-centric world, being data literate is no longer a luxury, it's a necessity.If you want successful data product adoption, and to keep driving innovation within your business, you need to start with data & AI literacy first.At Data & AI Literacy Academy, they don't just teach data skills. They empower individuals and teams to think critically, analyse effectively, and make decisions confidently based on data. They're bridging the gap between business and data teams, so they can all work towards aligned outcomes.From those taking their first steps in data & AI literacy to seasoned experts looking to fine-tune their skills, our data experts provide tailored classes for every stage. But it's not just learning tracks that they offer. They embed a deep data culture shift through a transformative change management programme.They take a people-first approach, working closely with your executive team to win the hearts and minds. We know this will drive the company-wide impact that data teams want to achieve.Get in touch and find out how you can unlock the full potential of data in your organisation. Learn more at www.dl-academy.com/drivenThanks to our sponsor FOIL AIFOIL are an AI consultancy, and one of the most exciting to watch right now.​Fast-growing, genuinely ambitious, and refreshingly down to earth, with a leadership team who have been doing this for years and are well respected for it.​FOIL push data leaders to claim a voice at the top table, to lead the business rather than trail behind it with a handful of AI productivity tools. They push the point that if every competitor has the same tools, productivity is not an advantage. The real prize with AI is bigger and FOIL have the expertise – both strategic and technical – to push the boundaries of what your organisation can achieve, in a practical way. ​FOIL are a lot bolder and braver that the traditional consultancy. That confidence comes from deep practitioner expertise, and it shows in how they engage with their partnerships.​They are claiming the phrase: the autonomic business. A business that senses what is happening, decides within clear guardrails, adapts as things change, and keeps improving on its own. Intelligence built into how the company runs, and they've just been recognised at the British Data Awards for their work with Welsh Water on exactly this concept.​Learn more at https://foilai.co.uk/

Heather Berger of the U.S. Economics Team hosts Wealth Management Senior Economist and Strategist Sarah Wolfe to discuss what it takes to define the middle class in America today. They break down how factors like rising essential costs and the development of AI are reshaping consumer balance sheets and financial security.Sarah Wolfe is a member of Morgan Stanley's Wealth Management Division and is not a member of Morgan Stanley's Research Department. Unless otherwise indicated, her views are her own and may differ from the views of the Morgan Stanley Research Department and from the views of others within Morgan Stanley.Read more insights from Morgan Stanley.----- Transcript -----Heather Berger: Welcome to Thoughts on the Market. I'm Heather Berger from Morgan Stanley's U.S. Economics Team.Sarah Wolfe: And I'm Sarah Wolfe, Senior Economist and Strategist on Morgan Stanley's Thematic and Macro Investing team in the Global Investment Office.Heather Berger: Today, the K-shaped economy, the middle class, and how AI could reshape both.It's Friday, September 11th, at 10a.m. in New York.The K-shaped economy has been a major theme this year. At its core, it describes an economy where households are experiencing very different circumstances. Those with more assets have benefited from rising wealth, while those with less wealth remain more dependent on income and more exposed to increases in essential costs. But that top versus bottom framing can miss an important part of the story: the middle class. Sarah, you recently wrote about what it takes to make it to the middle class in America. How would you define the middle class today, and how does that differ from the way that households define it themselves?Sarah Wolfe: I think the important thing here is that economists and households define the middle class very differently from each other, and, and I'll get into why that's the case.So if you're an economist, the middle class is roughly defined as two-thirds to twice the median household income, which today means if you're making around fifty-five thousand dollars a year to a hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars a year, depending on where you live in the country, that is roughly the middle class. And that's where about half of Americans sit today.We've actually seen that number decline, so sixty-one percent of Americans in the 1970s were in that middle class definition by economist terms. Now it's about fifty percent, so we have seen it shrunk. But even though it's shrunk, fewer and fewer households feel like they're in the middle class, and they don't define it by necessarily income or a specific number, but they really define it by milestones, I would say.So do you own a home? Have you been able to build a family, and can you pay for childcare? Have you saved enough for retirement? Do you have an emergency fund? Are you constantly stressed about your bills? That feeling is really what the middle class is about today, and I would say that less than fifty percent of Americans actually feel like they're in the middle class once you start to put that definition around it.Heather Berger: What are the key factors that actually make a household feel financially secure?Sarah Wolfe: I think there's four things that determine household security and stability. The first, of course, is income, stable income. Do you have a job, and do you think you're going to continue to have a job six months from now? We love the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment survey that asks consumers this.Do you have affordable fixed costs, like housing, childcare, healthcare, and transportation? Do you own assets? This is critically important because if we look at where gains have come from from the last five years, it hasn't really been that much through the labor income channel. It's been through the asset channel, like home equity, retirement savings, are you invested in the stock market, et cetera.And then the last one is this emergency fund and a manageable debt. What is your debt load? Is it fixed rate, or is it revolving? The more of these pillars that a household has, the more financially fulfilled and comfortable they are, and the more likely they are to feel like they've made it to the middle class, but the reality is, is that fewer and fewer households are meeting these four boxes that define the middle class by historical terms.Heather Berger: And what has made that security harder to achieve? Which of those costs that you mentioned have moved the furthest out of reach?Sarah Wolfe: I think these numbers are going to maybe surprise our listeners, but in some ways feel very real to them as well. So if we look at how much inflation has risen since the 1970s, shelter, the cost of housing, has risen 6.6 times more than the overall inflation basket. Childcare costs have risen by 14 times more than the overall inflation basket, and healthcare costs have risen 10 times more.And if we dig more into childcare, we now like to call it the second mortgage. And we're not being sarcastic or anything. The reality is that to send two children to childcare in America costs more than a mortgage in 45 states, and costs more than rent in 49 states.So it's really, this reality has gotten a lot more expensive, and these baskets, these individual things like childcare, healthcare, shelter, that define the middle class, have risen more than the overall inflation basket, and certainly have risen more than income growth over this period as well.Heather Berger: Right. So the overall inflation measure can kind of understate the increases in some of these essential costs. And when people talk about a K-shaped economy, the middle class itself isn't necessarily moving as one group. You mentioned homeownership a lot. How much do homeownership, age, and geography determine who is moving up and who is getting squeezed?Sarah Wolfe: Homeownership is always incredibly important, right? Because it's this large asset that is more equally distributed across the income distribution, as opposed to if we think about equities, and you've done a lot of great work on this. That is the most highly concentrated asset across the income distribution, right? Where the top 20% is sitting on 70%, at least, of equities. So homeownership remains the best channel towards wealth accumulation. Obviously, though, timing of homeownership matters a lot. If we were all so lucky to have bought a home in 2019 and 2020, we got a low fixed-rate mortgage, and we would've benefited from the tremendous run-up in home prices over the last five years, right, over 50% home price appreciation over this entire period. So that's been really important. Also, geography, where you bought a home, did that benefit from the COVID home price appreciation? And then the geography also matters because someone living in New York versus someone living in the Midwest is living with really different fixed costs, realities of fixed costs, and that's also gonna help define do they feel financially secure, and do they feel like they're in the middle class?The other component I don't wanna leave out, though, equities is really important. And we did some work looking at the Fed's distributional financial accounts, and if you look seven years ago, Gen X was doing way better than Gen Y or the millennials were at that same age 15 years ago. But then, because the millennials were sitting on so much equity wealth because they've built up their 401Ks, they really couldn't get as successfully into homeownership, so they had more stored away in equities. They have now surpassed Gen X at this age, two and a half times. It is a tremendous reversal in wealth and in who's doing well, and it's because of what's happened in the stock market. And it's not because they were better savers. It was just a lot of timing and luck. So I would say that our fate is not prewritten, as we also think about Gen Z entering the workforce and becoming wealth builders.I want to dig in, though, to a really important part of the K-shaped economy, though, and that's AI. We can't talk about anything without talking about AI, for better or for worse. And that the common view is that white collar, high-income workers are the most exposed to displacement, and we're seeing that in some of the job numbers recently, right, where tech and financial services are shedding jobs. But your work, I think, is really unique, and it's the only thing I've seen on this that argues that that's only part of the story. So what are we missing about how AI is going to affect high-income households in the K-shaped economy?Heather Berger: Yes. Yeah, I think it's hard to talk about the economic outlook, the consumer outlook these days without thinking about AI. And as you mentioned, I think really the main focus so far has been potential white collar job loss, and this, of course, is an important channel. Labor income is really the main driver of consumer spending. But there are also several other transmission channels through which AI will affect consumer balance sheets.And so ultimately, you were just talking about equity wealth, AI will also affect asset markets, which we've already started to see. It will affect consumer prices and policy decisions, and each of these will flow through to consumer spending and consumer credit performance. And so since different subgroups of consumers differ in the types of goods and services they buy and the composition of their balance sheets, the effects will not be uniform across the spectrum.As we've seen with past innovation waves, AI has the ability to potentially widen income and wealth inequality, or it could help to close the gaps.Sarah Wolfe: Can you dig a little bit more into some of these other channels outside of the labor market? So what is the wealth channel, and how does it filter through to high-income households? And then what also is the inflation channel that we should be looking at?Heather Berger: Sure. So the wealth channel is really important for high income consumers because they have equity wealth that is very elevated relative to their labor income. So for that top twenty percent cohort, their equity wealth is around six times their annual labor income. Whereas for the lower income groups, they're about in line with each other.And so even if the marginal propensity to consume out of income is higher than that out of wealth, for this high income group, asset markets are still a really important driver of spending. Now, for lower income groups and really across the spectrum, of course, inflation will be important as well and will really help determine purchasing power.When we think about the price channel, we're really thinking in two phases. The first is that in the near term, AI could potentially create price pressures. So if we look at areas like electricity and software, we've already started to see that the demand from AI has led to increases in these prices. But over the longer term, we are expecting that eventually AI will lead to productivity gains, and therefore could lead to disinflation.Sarah Wolfe: In which categories are we expected to see disinflation, and who does that benefit?Heather Berger: So we're really first expecting to see it in the industries that have higher adoption rates. And so far those have been industries like financial services, tech. And so if we think about these services categories of spending, they really make up larger shares for the high income group, the older group. And so we do think they will benefit first from that disinflation channel.Sarah Wolfe: I think if I sum up some of the key takeaways, it seems that the balance sheet is more important than income, and it's going to continue to be so. If you look at the top 1% wealth percentile, they're holding 70 times more wealth than the median wealth group, and that used to be 33 times in 1963, right? So that gap between those in the middle versus those at the top has widened, and this dynamic with AI is only probably going to continue to widen that gap, making people feel less and less secure about their finances, making it feel harder to be in the middle class, and in particular, making it feel unattainable to reach the next class, right, because that gap is so large. And so we'll be watching as a lot of these dynamics play out.Heather Berger: Right. So asset markets will be just as important as labor markets in figuring out how the K-shape economy will evolve.Sarah, thanks for taking the time to talk.Sarah Wolfe: Great speaking with you, Heather.Heather Berger: And thanks for listening. If you enjoy "Thoughts on the Market," please leave us a review wherever you listen and share the podcast with a friend or colleague today.

In this episode, Liz Ann Sonders reflects on four decades on Wall Street, sharing timeless investing lessons that remain relevant in today's market environment. Drawing on wisdom from legendary investors and classic books, she highlights the importance of humility, adaptability, and emotional discipline.Liz Ann and Collin then turn to current market developments, including rising Treasury yields, increased Treasury buyback operations, and the growing competition for investor dollars between bonds and equities. Collin explains why bond yields have been attracting more attention and what upcoming policy decisions from the Treasury and Federal Reserve could mean for markets.Then Liz Ann interviews noted housing market expert Ivy Zelman, executive vice president and co-founder of Zelman & Associates. While she does not see housing signaling an imminent recession, Zelman describes a market that continues to struggle with affordability challenges, elevated mortgage rates, and pronounced regional differences. She explores longer-term demographic trends that could reshape housing demand, including slowing household formation, lower population growth, and the rise of multigenerational living. The conversation concludes with a look at the strongest and weakest housing markets today and a discussion of why demographic shifts may become one of the most important, yet underappreciated, economic stories of the coming decades.You can read Liz Ann's article on reflections from her career here: “Songs of Experience: Reminiscences of a Strategist.”On Investing is an original podcast from Charles Schwab. For more on the show, visit schwab.com/OnInvesting.If you enjoy the show, please leave a rating or review on Apple Podcasts.Important DisclosuresThe comments, views, and opinions expressed in the presentation are those of the speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of Charles Schwab.This material is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. This should not be considered an individualized recommendation or personalized investment advice. The securities, investment products and investment strategies mentioned are not suitable for everyone. Each investor needs to review an investment strategy for his or her own particular situation before making any investment decisions.All expressions of opinion are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market, economic or political conditions. Data contained herein from third party providers is obtained from what are considered reliable sources. However, its accuracy, completeness or reliability cannot be guaranteed.Past performance is no guarantee of future results.Investing involves risk, including loss of principal.Performance may be affected by risks associated with non-diversification, including investments in specific countries or sectors. Additional risks may also include, but are not limited to, investments in foreign securities, especially emerging markets, real estate investment trusts (REITs), fixed income, municipal securities including state specific municipal securities, small capitalization securities and commodities. Each individual investor should consider these risks carefully before investing in a particular security or strategy.Fixed income securities are subject to increased loss of principal during periods of rising interest rates. Fixed income investments are subject to various other risks including changes in credit quality, market valuations, liquidity, prepayments, early redemption, corporate events, tax ramifications, and other factors. All names and market data shown are for illustrative purposes only and are not a recommendation, offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security.Forecasts contained herein are for illustrative purposes only, may be based upon proprietary research and are developed through analysis of historical public data.The policy analysis provided by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., does not constitute and should not be interpreted as an endorsement of any political party.Indexes are unmanaged, do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses and cannot be invested in directly. For more information on indexes, please see ​Schwab.com/IndexDefinitionsThe books A Random Walk Down Wall Street, The Intelligent Investor, The Money Game, Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, and Against the Gods are not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.). Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. (CS&Co.) has not reviewed the books and makes no representations about their content.Correlation refers to investments that tend to move in opposite directions: when one rises, the other falls.(0926-5PCH) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former NEC Director Gary Cohn joins with his reaction to this morning's inflation data and President Trump floating $5,000 payouts to Americans. Then, ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott joins to discuss the latest warnings around AI. Plus, Goldman Sachs Chief U.S. Equity Strategist Ben Snider shares his take on the market and where he sees opportunity right now.Squawk on the Street Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On "Forbes Newsroom," Republican strategist Brittany Martinez reacted to the 2026 Midterm Republican National Convention, and President Trump's speech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The political consultant Sarah Longwell runs focus groups of voters, and she has a lot of advice for Democrats seeking to wrest control of the government from MAGA. Longwell, a former Republican disaffected from Donald Trump's party, presents her playbook to the New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos: go on the offensive talking about corruption; make a positive case for immigration; and adapt to a podcast-driven media environment. “You can go on ‘Joe Rogan' or not go on ‘Joe Rogan,' ” she says. “The question is: can you sit for a long period of time and talk to someone who doesn't know that much about politics and have an engaging conversation? . . . This is how trust is built now, in this screen-to-screen environment.” Longwell's new book is called “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time.”  Further listening:  “Can Trump Voters Still Change Their Minds?,” an episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour “A G.O.P. Strategist on the Republican Voters Who Could Abandon Trump,” an episode of The Political Scene The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine's writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Filling in for The Tara Show on Labor Day, guest host Ryan Wrecker speaks with business strategist Perry Lunsford about worker readiness for retirement. Lunsford addresses the financial pressures leading many Americans to delay retirement beyond age 65, comparing generational shifts in lifestyle expectations, cost of living, and spending habits. They explore practical ways to prepare for long-term financial security, including managing debt, leveraging 401(k) matches and 529 plans, maintaining a disciplined savings routine, and consulting with trusted mentors.

The political consultant Sarah Longwell runs focus groups of voters, and she has a lot of advice for Democrats seeking to wrest control of the government from MAGA. Longwell, a former Republican disaffected from Donald Trump's party, presents her playbook to the New Yorker staff writer Evan Osnos: go on the offensive talking about corruption; make a positive case for immigration; and adapt to a podcast-driven media environment. “You can go on ‘Joe Rogan' or not go on ‘Joe Rogan,' ” she says. “The question is: can you sit for a long period of time and talk to someone who doesn't know that much about politics and have an engaging conversation? . . . This is how trust is built now, in this screen-to-screen environment.” Longwell's new book is called “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time.” Further listening: “Can Trump Voters Still Change Their Minds?,” an episode of The New Yorker Radio Hour“A G.O.P. Strategist on the Republican Voters Who Could Abandon Trump,” an episode of The Political Scene New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Engearment got to attend the first Verde Ventures Media Trip in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, alongside a stacked crew of fellow journalists and content creators. It was a blast! We tested gear from Gregory, Astrol Designs, Thermarest, MSR, Royal Robbins, and Packtowel. We met the following awesome media folks: Engearment got to attend the first Verde Ventures Media Trip in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho, alongside a stacked crew of fellow journalists and content creators. It was a blast! We tested gear from Gregory, Astrol Designs, Thermarest, MSR, Royal Robbins, and Packtowel. We met the following awesome media folks: Paige Triola / Freelance Writer (Bicycling, The Guardian, RUN: by Outside, MSN) @adventures_of_paigetriola Meg Carney / Freelance Writer (SFGate, Seattle PI) & Podcast Host of Outdoor Minimalist @megacarnage Billy Brown / Freelance Writer (WIRED & GearJunkie) @the_billybrown Sean Sewell / Owner & Director of Engearment @sean_sewell_mountain_man, @engearment Sal Vaglica / Freelance Writer (Men's Journal, The Strategist, The Guardian) @salvaglica Melissa McGibbon / Freelance Writer (Business Insider, Matador Network, POWDER, Yardbarker, SnowBrains) @missmliss Lennie Nelson / Creator @the_happihippi Jeanine Romo / Creator @lewildexplorer Alexandria Gallizioli / Creator @she.roams.wild Jessica Butterfield / Creator @jessonthewildway Rob Shearer / Photographer & Filmmaker @robshearerfilm Matthew Connors / Director of Product Creation at Gregory Packs Ashley Korenblat / Founder, Western Spirit, Public Land Solutions ashley@westernspirit.com Mark Sevenoff / Founder, Western Spirit, Outerbike @therealsevy mark@westernspirit.com. Hosted by Verde PR: Kristin Carpenter / Founder and CEO, Verde Brand Communications Jenna Nabors / Account Manager, Verde Brand Communications Becca Katz / Director, Verde Brand Communications Alexa McRoberts / Director, Verde Brand Communications We also cover gear reviews on new Arc'teryx Kopec 2 GTX shoes, Salomon Genesis Mid GTX, Travoca Rigel+ ECooler, and dozens more. Plus, we are days away from a new Engearment.com website (it is going to blow your mind!)  

Barron's Senior Managing Editor Lauren R. Rublin and Senior Markets Analysis Writer Paul R. La Monica speak with Blake Gwinn, head of US Rates Strategy at RBC Capital Markets, about the outlook for financial markets, industry sectors, and individual stocks. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Host Ann Shafer talks with Laura Raicovich about creativity, resistance, and alternative cultural spaces. They talk about Laura's pioneering museum leadership, her upcoming fine jewelry line Istria Napoli, and her fearless advocacy for artistic freedom outside traditional institutional boundaries. From exploring the legacy of the Queens Museum to reimagining sustainable cultural infrastructures like the Francis Kite Club, Laura shares an inspiring roadmap for anyone looking to build a versatile, impact-driven creative life.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Coach Kay Thompson. Shared her journey from corporate layoffs and financial hardship to becoming a seven-figure business coach and digital revenue strategist. The conversation focused on helping professionals, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts identify, package, and monetize their knowledge through digital assets, AI-powered tools, courses, and online education. Her core message was simple: most people are sitting on valuable expertise they have never recognized as a business opportunity. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Educate listeners on how to turn expertise into income. Show entrepreneurs how to create scalable digital assets. Demonstrate how AI can help organize and monetize knowledge. Inspire professionals to build additional income streams beyond their jobs. Share Coach Kay's personal story of resilience and entrepreneurship. Promote financial independence through ownership, education, and innovation. Key Takeaways 1. Your Knowledge Has Value Many people underestimate the value of their experience because it feels routine to them. Coach Kay believes that knowledge gained through work, education, and life experiences can be packaged into products that help others solve problems. Examples include: E-books Online courses Workshops Membership programs Digital toolkits AI-powered resources 2. Stop Trading Time for Money One of her strongest messages was that entrepreneurs often get paid only when they are actively working. Creating digital assets allows people to earn income without constantly exchanging hours for dollars. 3. Serve the Person You Used to Be Coach Kay encourages clients to teach the lessons they've already learned. The fastest path to building a business is often helping someone overcome a challenge you've already solved yourself. 4. AI Creates New Business Opportunities She discussed how artificial intelligence can help entrepreneurs organize their expertise, create content, develop digital products, and scale their businesses more efficiently. 5. Adversity Can Become Opportunity Before becoming an entrepreneur, Coach Kay worked in banking. After being laid off, she faced major financial setbacks, including bankruptcy, eviction, and repossession. Those experiences motivated her to build a business that she owned and controlled. 6. Multiple Income Streams Are Essential She stressed the importance of developing additional sources of revenue outside a traditional job and making productive use of time outside working hours. 7. Marketing and Mentorship Matter Coach Kay introduced her "M&M Method": Mentorship Marketing She believes entrepreneurs need both guidance and visibility to grow successfully. 8. Organic Marketing Still Works Rather than relying heavily on paid advertising, she attributes much of her success to: Authentic storytelling Live social media engagement Relationship building Consistent content creation 9. Build Impact, Not Just Attention She repeatedly emphasized creating meaningful change for others rather than focusing solely on personal recognition. 10. Continuous Learning Is Critical Despite her success, Coach Kay described herself as a lifelong student who invests in mentorship and education to continue growing personally and professionally. Notable Quotes On Coaching "My whole goal is to track and shift performance, increase better behavior. I want you to really have a good outcome, a transformation." On Monetizing Expertise "Take their zone of genius and turn their brilliance into bank." On Entrepreneurship "Entrepreneurs unfortunately only get paid for one thing, what they do, not what they know." On Digital Assets "Asset means it makes me income past, present, future." On Finding Business Opportunities "The quickest way for you to do that is to service the person you once were." On Income Streams "If you only have one income, you're already close to losing." On Time Management "Time is more valuable than money." On Resilience "You had to get out of your feelings. There's no money in there." On Business Fatigue "Most entrepreneurs are shackled to a business that we started for freedom, and now we got fatigue because you got a business you can't escape from." On Impact "Everybody wants to be impressive. Nobody wants to be impactful." On Hard Work "Choose your hard." On Her Mission "I want you to make money from what you know." Bottom Line Coach Kay Thompson's interview is ultimately a lesson in turning expertise into wealth. Drawing on her own journey from financial struggle to entrepreneurial success, she encourages listeners to identify their unique knowledge, leverage modern tools such as AI, create digital assets, and build multiple income streams. Her message is that financial growth often begins by recognizing the value of what you already know and packaging it in a way that helps others succeed. #SHMS #STRAW #BEST Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Coach Kay Thompson. Shared her journey from corporate layoffs and financial hardship to becoming a seven-figure business coach and digital revenue strategist. The conversation focused on helping professionals, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts identify, package, and monetize their knowledge through digital assets, AI-powered tools, courses, and online education. Her core message was simple: most people are sitting on valuable expertise they have never recognized as a business opportunity. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Educate listeners on how to turn expertise into income. Show entrepreneurs how to create scalable digital assets. Demonstrate how AI can help organize and monetize knowledge. Inspire professionals to build additional income streams beyond their jobs. Share Coach Kay's personal story of resilience and entrepreneurship. Promote financial independence through ownership, education, and innovation. Key Takeaways 1. Your Knowledge Has Value Many people underestimate the value of their experience because it feels routine to them. Coach Kay believes that knowledge gained through work, education, and life experiences can be packaged into products that help others solve problems. Examples include: E-books Online courses Workshops Membership programs Digital toolkits AI-powered resources 2. Stop Trading Time for Money One of her strongest messages was that entrepreneurs often get paid only when they are actively working. Creating digital assets allows people to earn income without constantly exchanging hours for dollars. 3. Serve the Person You Used to Be Coach Kay encourages clients to teach the lessons they've already learned. The fastest path to building a business is often helping someone overcome a challenge you've already solved yourself. 4. AI Creates New Business Opportunities She discussed how artificial intelligence can help entrepreneurs organize their expertise, create content, develop digital products, and scale their businesses more efficiently. 5. Adversity Can Become Opportunity Before becoming an entrepreneur, Coach Kay worked in banking. After being laid off, she faced major financial setbacks, including bankruptcy, eviction, and repossession. Those experiences motivated her to build a business that she owned and controlled. 6. Multiple Income Streams Are Essential She stressed the importance of developing additional sources of revenue outside a traditional job and making productive use of time outside working hours. 7. Marketing and Mentorship Matter Coach Kay introduced her "M&M Method": Mentorship Marketing She believes entrepreneurs need both guidance and visibility to grow successfully. 8. Organic Marketing Still Works Rather than relying heavily on paid advertising, she attributes much of her success to: Authentic storytelling Live social media engagement Relationship building Consistent content creation 9. Build Impact, Not Just Attention She repeatedly emphasized creating meaningful change for others rather than focusing solely on personal recognition. 10. Continuous Learning Is Critical Despite her success, Coach Kay described herself as a lifelong student who invests in mentorship and education to continue growing personally and professionally. Notable Quotes On Coaching "My whole goal is to track and shift performance, increase better behavior. I want you to really have a good outcome, a transformation." On Monetizing Expertise "Take their zone of genius and turn their brilliance into bank." On Entrepreneurship "Entrepreneurs unfortunately only get paid for one thing, what they do, not what they know." On Digital Assets "Asset means it makes me income past, present, future." On Finding Business Opportunities "The quickest way for you to do that is to service the person you once were." On Income Streams "If you only have one income, you're already close to losing." On Time Management "Time is more valuable than money." On Resilience "You had to get out of your feelings. There's no money in there." On Business Fatigue "Most entrepreneurs are shackled to a business that we started for freedom, and now we got fatigue because you got a business you can't escape from." On Impact "Everybody wants to be impressive. Nobody wants to be impactful." On Hard Work "Choose your hard." On Her Mission "I want you to make money from what you know." Bottom Line Coach Kay Thompson's interview is ultimately a lesson in turning expertise into wealth. Drawing on her own journey from financial struggle to entrepreneurial success, she encourages listeners to identify their unique knowledge, leverage modern tools such as AI, create digital assets, and build multiple income streams. Her message is that financial growth often begins by recognizing the value of what you already know and packaging it in a way that helps others succeed. #SHMS #STRAW #BEST Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Coach Kay Thompson. Shared her journey from corporate layoffs and financial hardship to becoming a seven-figure business coach and digital revenue strategist. The conversation focused on helping professionals, entrepreneurs, and subject matter experts identify, package, and monetize their knowledge through digital assets, AI-powered tools, courses, and online education. Her core message was simple: most people are sitting on valuable expertise they have never recognized as a business opportunity. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Educate listeners on how to turn expertise into income. Show entrepreneurs how to create scalable digital assets. Demonstrate how AI can help organize and monetize knowledge. Inspire professionals to build additional income streams beyond their jobs. Share Coach Kay's personal story of resilience and entrepreneurship. Promote financial independence through ownership, education, and innovation. Key Takeaways 1. Your Knowledge Has Value Many people underestimate the value of their experience because it feels routine to them. Coach Kay believes that knowledge gained through work, education, and life experiences can be packaged into products that help others solve problems. Examples include: E-books Online courses Workshops Membership programs Digital toolkits AI-powered resources 2. Stop Trading Time for Money One of her strongest messages was that entrepreneurs often get paid only when they are actively working. Creating digital assets allows people to earn income without constantly exchanging hours for dollars. 3. Serve the Person You Used to Be Coach Kay encourages clients to teach the lessons they've already learned. The fastest path to building a business is often helping someone overcome a challenge you've already solved yourself. 4. AI Creates New Business Opportunities She discussed how artificial intelligence can help entrepreneurs organize their expertise, create content, develop digital products, and scale their businesses more efficiently. 5. Adversity Can Become Opportunity Before becoming an entrepreneur, Coach Kay worked in banking. After being laid off, she faced major financial setbacks, including bankruptcy, eviction, and repossession. Those experiences motivated her to build a business that she owned and controlled. 6. Multiple Income Streams Are Essential She stressed the importance of developing additional sources of revenue outside a traditional job and making productive use of time outside working hours. 7. Marketing and Mentorship Matter Coach Kay introduced her "M&M Method": Mentorship Marketing She believes entrepreneurs need both guidance and visibility to grow successfully. 8. Organic Marketing Still Works Rather than relying heavily on paid advertising, she attributes much of her success to: Authentic storytelling Live social media engagement Relationship building Consistent content creation 9. Build Impact, Not Just Attention She repeatedly emphasized creating meaningful change for others rather than focusing solely on personal recognition. 10. Continuous Learning Is Critical Despite her success, Coach Kay described herself as a lifelong student who invests in mentorship and education to continue growing personally and professionally. Notable Quotes On Coaching "My whole goal is to track and shift performance, increase better behavior. I want you to really have a good outcome, a transformation." On Monetizing Expertise "Take their zone of genius and turn their brilliance into bank." On Entrepreneurship "Entrepreneurs unfortunately only get paid for one thing, what they do, not what they know." On Digital Assets "Asset means it makes me income past, present, future." On Finding Business Opportunities "The quickest way for you to do that is to service the person you once were." On Income Streams "If you only have one income, you're already close to losing." On Time Management "Time is more valuable than money." On Resilience "You had to get out of your feelings. There's no money in there." On Business Fatigue "Most entrepreneurs are shackled to a business that we started for freedom, and now we got fatigue because you got a business you can't escape from." On Impact "Everybody wants to be impressive. Nobody wants to be impactful." On Hard Work "Choose your hard." On Her Mission "I want you to make money from what you know." Bottom Line Coach Kay Thompson's interview is ultimately a lesson in turning expertise into wealth. Drawing on her own journey from financial struggle to entrepreneurial success, she encourages listeners to identify their unique knowledge, leverage modern tools such as AI, create digital assets, and build multiple income streams. Her message is that financial growth often begins by recognizing the value of what you already know and packaging it in a way that helps others succeed. #SHMS #STRAW #BEST Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caleb Ralston is a strategist and brand builder for some of the biggest names in business. His breakthrough was back in 2018 when he grew GaryVee's TikTok from 300k to 3.5 million followers in just 3 months. In 2022 he joined Alex and Leila Hormozi's team as content employee #1, where he grew their audience from 1.2 million to 11.5 million. Caleb just doesn't miss – and now that he's out on his own, he's here to help YOU. In this episode, you'll learn the content strategy he used, how to improve your content, and where to start if you're feeling overwhelmed. ⁠⁠⁠Full transcript and show notes⁠⁠⁠ Caleb's ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ / ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ / ⁠Instagram⁠ *** TIMESTAMPS (00:00) The Secret Man Behind GaryVee and the Hormozi's (01:11) How Often Do the Top 1% Post? (03:31) The Brand Journey Framework (05:18) Being Intentional With Your Content (08:51) Is It Possible to NOT Niche Down? (13:55) Say the Same Things in Different Ways (18:07) Tracking and Analyzing Data (22:36) Maintaining Quality While Increasing Quantity (24:27) What it Actually Takes to Perform like the 1% (27:21) Where to Start (30:22) Building a Personalized Team (34:54) Agency vs Full Time vs Contractor (41:58) Developing a Content Strategy (45:15) Width Content vs Depth Content (46:55) Scaling Trust Using Educational Content (50:02) Best Call to Action Strategy (52:10) Email and Web Traffic Strategy (55:27) How Caleb is Going About Hiring His Own Team (58:53) The Correct Way to Give Feedback to Your Team (1:03:17) How to Take Inspiration from Others (1:04:55) Which Platform Has the Biggest Opportunity (1:06:57) Audio Content Strategy (1:08:47) Why You Need to Collaborate with Others *** RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#175: Angus Parker – Ali Abdaal's right-hand man shares a YouTuber's guide to hiring.⁠ *** ASK CREATOR SCIENCE → ⁠⁠⁠Submit your question here⁠⁠⁠ *** WHEN YOU'RE READY

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald, interviewed Danielle Jeter. Founder of Women in Media Global and AOI Events & PR (Affairs of Influence). The conversation explores her journey from Spelman College graduate to entrepreneur, public relations strategist, event producer, and advocate for women in media. Jeter shares lessons on branding, strategic communications, brand activations, niche marketing, entrepreneurship, and the importance of creating platforms that empower others. She also discusses how she built businesses that have impacted thousands of women and professionals worldwide. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Highlight Danielle Jeter's entrepreneurial journey from HBCU graduate to business leader. Educate entrepreneurs about branding, marketing, PR, and brand activations. Explain the importance of strategic communication in a crowded media landscape. Share practical advice for startups and small business owners. Discuss the mission and impact of Women in Media Global. Inspire listeners to create businesses and initiatives that solve real-world problems. Key Takeaways 1. HBCUs Create Leaders and Innovators Jeter credits Spelman College with shaping her leadership skills, confidence, and professional ambition. She described the institution's commitment to educating Black women and fostering a culture of excellence, sisterhood, and achievement. Lesson: Educational environments that challenge and support students can have lifelong impacts on career success. 2. Entrepreneurship Requires Adaptability Jeter's company originally operated under the name Affairs of Isis Events. As public perception of the word "ISIS" changed due to global events, she faced increasing resistance from clients and audiences. Rather than allowing the issue to hinder growth, she successfully rebranded the company as Affairs of Influence (AOI Events & PR). Lesson: Successful entrepreneurs adapt when market conditions or public perceptions change. 3. Strategic Communication Is About Understanding Your Audience Jeter explained that effective communication begins with understanding what matters to consumers and delivering messages in ways that capture attention. She emphasized that businesses are no longer competing only against other brands. Lesson: Today's competition is for consumer attention. 4. Your Brand Is Your Reputation One of the strongest points in the conversation was Jeter's definition of branding. She explained that a brand is not a logo, color palette, website, or marketing material. Lesson: A brand is the reputation people associate with your business when you're not in the room. 5. Brand Activations Create Emotional Connections Jeter described brand activations as opportunities to create meaningful interactions between businesses and customers through events, experiences, partnerships, and community engagement. Successful activations allow consumers to connect emotionally with a brand. Lesson: People remember experiences more than advertisements. 6. Partnerships Accelerate Business Growth Early in her career, Jeter partnered with local elected officials, community leaders, and organizations to expand her visibility and credibility. These strategic partnerships helped her introduce her brand to larger audiences while building trust. Lesson: Borrowing credibility through trusted partnerships can accelerate business growth. 7. Marketing Should Be Planned, Not Reactive Jeter stressed that many entrepreneurs spend too much time creating products and too little time planning how to sell them. She recommends incorporating marketing into business planning from the beginning. Lesson: A great product without a marketing strategy often struggles to succeed. 8. Know Your Audience and Focus on Them Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, Jeter encouraged entrepreneurs to understand the demographics, behaviors, and interests of their ideal customers. Lesson: Niche marketing is more effective than attempting to reach everyone. 9. Customer Feedback Is Valuable Market Research Jeter discussed the importance of surveys, focus groups, think tanks, and direct conversations with customers. She regularly gathers feedback before launching products, services, and initiatives. Lesson: Let customers help shape what you create. 10. Build Solutions Based on Needs Women in Media Global was born after Jeter observed a lack of female representation in media and entertainment. Rather than simply criticizing the issue, she created a platform designed to address it. Lesson: Great businesses and organizations often emerge from solving unmet needs. Notable Quotes Danielle Jeter on Strategic Communication "Our competition is the attention of our buyers." Danielle Jeter on Branding "Your brand is your reputation." Danielle Jeter on Customer Relationships "Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room." Danielle Jeter on Brand Activations "You create an experience for your customers and those who you want to be your customers." Danielle Jeter on Marketing "We have to show up where they are." Danielle Jeter on Entrepreneurship "I don't launch ideas because I think they're great. I launch them because there is a need." Danielle Jeter on Women in Media Global "I created this platform to remind women to own their voice." Danielle Jeter on Female Leadership "I wanted to empower them to advocate, take up more space, and become leaders." Danielle Jeter on Business Growth "You have to learn and understand the demographics of your audience." Overall Message The interview delivers a powerful message about intentional entrepreneurship, strategic communication, and purpose-driven leadership. Danielle Jeter demonstrates that successful businesses are built not only on great ideas, but also on understanding audiences, building strong relationships, creating meaningful experiences, and solving real needs. Through AOI Events & PR and Women in Media Global, she has created a model for leveraging communication, branding, and community impact to build sustainable success while empowering others to find and use their voices. #SHMS #BEST #STRAW Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSteve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald, interviewed Danielle Jeter. Founder of Women in Media Global and AOI Events & PR (Affairs of Influence). The conversation explores her journey from Spelman College graduate to entrepreneur, public relations strategist, event producer, and advocate for women in media. Jeter shares lessons on branding, strategic communications, brand activations, niche marketing, entrepreneurship, and the importance of creating platforms that empower others. She also discusses how she built businesses that have impacted thousands of women and professionals worldwide. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Highlight Danielle Jeter's entrepreneurial journey from HBCU graduate to business leader. Educate entrepreneurs about branding, marketing, PR, and brand activations. Explain the importance of strategic communication in a crowded media landscape. Share practical advice for startups and small business owners. Discuss the mission and impact of Women in Media Global. Inspire listeners to create businesses and initiatives that solve real-world problems. Key Takeaways 1. HBCUs Create Leaders and Innovators Jeter credits Spelman College with shaping her leadership skills, confidence, and professional ambition. She described the institution's commitment to educating Black women and fostering a culture of excellence, sisterhood, and achievement. Lesson: Educational environments that challenge and support students can have lifelong impacts on career success. 2. Entrepreneurship Requires Adaptability Jeter's company originally operated under the name Affairs of Isis Events. As public perception of the word "ISIS" changed due to global events, she faced increasing resistance from clients and audiences. Rather than allowing the issue to hinder growth, she successfully rebranded the company as Affairs of Influence (AOI Events & PR). Lesson: Successful entrepreneurs adapt when market conditions or public perceptions change. 3. Strategic Communication Is About Understanding Your Audience Jeter explained that effective communication begins with understanding what matters to consumers and delivering messages in ways that capture attention. She emphasized that businesses are no longer competing only against other brands. Lesson: Today's competition is for consumer attention. 4. Your Brand Is Your Reputation One of the strongest points in the conversation was Jeter's definition of branding. She explained that a brand is not a logo, color palette, website, or marketing material. Lesson: A brand is the reputation people associate with your business when you're not in the room. 5. Brand Activations Create Emotional Connections Jeter described brand activations as opportunities to create meaningful interactions between businesses and customers through events, experiences, partnerships, and community engagement. Successful activations allow consumers to connect emotionally with a brand. Lesson: People remember experiences more than advertisements. 6. Partnerships Accelerate Business Growth Early in her career, Jeter partnered with local elected officials, community leaders, and organizations to expand her visibility and credibility. These strategic partnerships helped her introduce her brand to larger audiences while building trust. Lesson: Borrowing credibility through trusted partnerships can accelerate business growth. 7. Marketing Should Be Planned, Not Reactive Jeter stressed that many entrepreneurs spend too much time creating products and too little time planning how to sell them. She recommends incorporating marketing into business planning from the beginning. Lesson: A great product without a marketing strategy often struggles to succeed. 8. Know Your Audience and Focus on Them Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, Jeter encouraged entrepreneurs to understand the demographics, behaviors, and interests of their ideal customers. Lesson: Niche marketing is more effective than attempting to reach everyone. 9. Customer Feedback Is Valuable Market Research Jeter discussed the importance of surveys, focus groups, think tanks, and direct conversations with customers. She regularly gathers feedback before launching products, services, and initiatives. Lesson: Let customers help shape what you create. 10. Build Solutions Based on Needs Women in Media Global was born after Jeter observed a lack of female representation in media and entertainment. Rather than simply criticizing the issue, she created a platform designed to address it. Lesson: Great businesses and organizations often emerge from solving unmet needs. Notable Quotes Danielle Jeter on Strategic Communication "Our competition is the attention of our buyers." Danielle Jeter on Branding "Your brand is your reputation." Danielle Jeter on Customer Relationships "Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room." Danielle Jeter on Brand Activations "You create an experience for your customers and those who you want to be your customers." Danielle Jeter on Marketing "We have to show up where they are." Danielle Jeter on Entrepreneurship "I don't launch ideas because I think they're great. I launch them because there is a need." Danielle Jeter on Women in Media Global "I created this platform to remind women to own their voice." Danielle Jeter on Female Leadership "I wanted to empower them to advocate, take up more space, and become leaders." Danielle Jeter on Business Growth "You have to learn and understand the demographics of your audience." Overall Message The interview delivers a powerful message about intentional entrepreneurship, strategic communication, and purpose-driven leadership. Danielle Jeter demonstrates that successful businesses are built not only on great ideas, but also on understanding audiences, building strong relationships, creating meaningful experiences, and solving real needs. Through AOI Events & PR and Women in Media Global, she has created a model for leveraging communication, branding, and community impact to build sustainable success while empowering others to find and use their voices. #SHMS #BEST #STRAW Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSupport the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald, interviewed Danielle Jeter. Founder of Women in Media Global and AOI Events & PR (Affairs of Influence). The conversation explores her journey from Spelman College graduate to entrepreneur, public relations strategist, event producer, and advocate for women in media. Jeter shares lessons on branding, strategic communications, brand activations, niche marketing, entrepreneurship, and the importance of creating platforms that empower others. She also discusses how she built businesses that have impacted thousands of women and professionals worldwide. Purpose of the Interview The interview was designed to: Highlight Danielle Jeter's entrepreneurial journey from HBCU graduate to business leader. Educate entrepreneurs about branding, marketing, PR, and brand activations. Explain the importance of strategic communication in a crowded media landscape. Share practical advice for startups and small business owners. Discuss the mission and impact of Women in Media Global. Inspire listeners to create businesses and initiatives that solve real-world problems. Key Takeaways 1. HBCUs Create Leaders and Innovators Jeter credits Spelman College with shaping her leadership skills, confidence, and professional ambition. She described the institution's commitment to educating Black women and fostering a culture of excellence, sisterhood, and achievement. Lesson: Educational environments that challenge and support students can have lifelong impacts on career success. 2. Entrepreneurship Requires Adaptability Jeter's company originally operated under the name Affairs of Isis Events. As public perception of the word "ISIS" changed due to global events, she faced increasing resistance from clients and audiences. Rather than allowing the issue to hinder growth, she successfully rebranded the company as Affairs of Influence (AOI Events & PR). Lesson: Successful entrepreneurs adapt when market conditions or public perceptions change. 3. Strategic Communication Is About Understanding Your Audience Jeter explained that effective communication begins with understanding what matters to consumers and delivering messages in ways that capture attention. She emphasized that businesses are no longer competing only against other brands. Lesson: Today's competition is for consumer attention. 4. Your Brand Is Your Reputation One of the strongest points in the conversation was Jeter's definition of branding. She explained that a brand is not a logo, color palette, website, or marketing material. Lesson: A brand is the reputation people associate with your business when you're not in the room. 5. Brand Activations Create Emotional Connections Jeter described brand activations as opportunities to create meaningful interactions between businesses and customers through events, experiences, partnerships, and community engagement. Successful activations allow consumers to connect emotionally with a brand. Lesson: People remember experiences more than advertisements. 6. Partnerships Accelerate Business Growth Early in her career, Jeter partnered with local elected officials, community leaders, and organizations to expand her visibility and credibility. These strategic partnerships helped her introduce her brand to larger audiences while building trust. Lesson: Borrowing credibility through trusted partnerships can accelerate business growth. 7. Marketing Should Be Planned, Not Reactive Jeter stressed that many entrepreneurs spend too much time creating products and too little time planning how to sell them. She recommends incorporating marketing into business planning from the beginning. Lesson: A great product without a marketing strategy often struggles to succeed. 8. Know Your Audience and Focus on Them Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, Jeter encouraged entrepreneurs to understand the demographics, behaviors, and interests of their ideal customers. Lesson: Niche marketing is more effective than attempting to reach everyone. 9. Customer Feedback Is Valuable Market Research Jeter discussed the importance of surveys, focus groups, think tanks, and direct conversations with customers. She regularly gathers feedback before launching products, services, and initiatives. Lesson: Let customers help shape what you create. 10. Build Solutions Based on Needs Women in Media Global was born after Jeter observed a lack of female representation in media and entertainment. Rather than simply criticizing the issue, she created a platform designed to address it. Lesson: Great businesses and organizations often emerge from solving unmet needs. Notable Quotes Danielle Jeter on Strategic Communication "Our competition is the attention of our buyers." Danielle Jeter on Branding "Your brand is your reputation." Danielle Jeter on Customer Relationships "Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room." Danielle Jeter on Brand Activations "You create an experience for your customers and those who you want to be your customers." Danielle Jeter on Marketing "We have to show up where they are." Danielle Jeter on Entrepreneurship "I don't launch ideas because I think they're great. I launch them because there is a need." Danielle Jeter on Women in Media Global "I created this platform to remind women to own their voice." Danielle Jeter on Female Leadership "I wanted to empower them to advocate, take up more space, and become leaders." Danielle Jeter on Business Growth "You have to learn and understand the demographics of your audience." Overall Message The interview delivers a powerful message about intentional entrepreneurship, strategic communication, and purpose-driven leadership. Danielle Jeter demonstrates that successful businesses are built not only on great ideas, but also on understanding audiences, building strong relationships, creating meaningful experiences, and solving real needs. Through AOI Events & PR and Women in Media Global, she has created a model for leveraging communication, branding, and community impact to build sustainable success while empowering others to find and use their voices. #SHMS #BEST #STRAW Money Making Conversations Master Class with Rushion McDonald is America's premier entrepreneurship, business leadership, financial literacy, and wealth-building podcast featuring successful entrepreneurs, executives, founders, celebrities, and industry experts sharing actionable insights for professional and financial success. Business Podcast Entrepreneurship Small Business Business Growth Financial Literacy Wealth Building Black Entrepreneurs Minority Business Leadership Executive Leadership Business Funding Marketing Strategies Personal Development Startup Advice Sales Training CEO Interviews Founder Stories Professional Development Economic Empowerment Business Success Networking Brand Building Innovation How to start a business Small business funding Entrepreneur success stories Business leadership podcast Wealth building strategies Black entrepreneur podcast Minority business development Marketing for small businesses Business growth strategies Startup funding opportunities Executive leadership training Financial literacy education Success mindset podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How to Improve EVERY Aspect of Your Life: An Interview with J.R. Briggs (Episode 297)   Proverbs 11:24 (MSG) The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.   *Transcription Below*   J.R. Briggs (DMin) possesses four passions: following Jesus, equipping and investing in hungry kingdom leaders, growing fruit on other people's trees, and creating good kingdom mischief. In short, his calling is to partner with people who are called to follow Jesus while they lead others.   In 2011 he started Kairos Partnerships, an organization committed to help leaders overcome their unique leadership challenges through leadership coaching, consulting, speaking, and writing.   For more than 15 years, J.R. served in pastoral roles in mega-churches, church plants and house church networks. Since starting Kairos Partnerships, he has served and invested in ministry leaders in over 40 denominations throughout North America. In addition to ministry leaders, he has invested in a wide variety of leaders, including business owners, college presidents, military leaders, Division 1 basketball coaches, and non-profit directors.   He serves as a guest instructor in the Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation program at Friends University and the Master of Arts in Leadership program at Taylor University. He has lectured, taught and spoken at over a dozen colleges, universities, and seminaries around the U.S.   He also serves as the Director of Leadership & Congregational Formation for The Ecclesia Network and as a National Trainer & Strategist for Fresh Expressions U.S.   In addition to writing several books on a wide variety of topics, he has also published articles in Christianity Today, Huffington Post, Preaching Today, American Bible Society, N.T. Wright Online, Missio Alliance, and Relevant Magazine.   He hosts the Resilient Leaders podcast.   J.R. and his wife Megan have two sons and live in the greater Philadelphia area. J.R.'s Website J.R.'s Book   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management   Questions and Topics We Cover: Can you contrast Jesus' teaching with field trips to the way we structure a typical Sunday morning in America?  Will you also share how you arrived at asking yourself two questions that have opened numerous doors for you? Once we put this into practice for ourselves, how can we begin to cultivate it in our children as well?   Other Savvy Sauce Episode Mentioned: 219. Training Our Children in Biblical Financial Stewardship with Matt Bell   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:44) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook.   J.R. Briggs is one of the most intriguing humans I've encountered, and it's hard to sum up his bio, as he's had so many experiences in his past through various pastoral roles, and then he became the founder of Kairos Partnerships, where he invests in leaders. He's also a podcast host, in addition to his work as an author. His most recent book is The Art of Asking Better Questions, and it's summed up in the intro, where he writes, "I have a bone-deep conviction that all of us need to ask more questions and better questions. Doing so can change your life and the lives of those around you." So now we get to actually learn how to make this happen with my guest, Reverend Dr. J.R. Briggs.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, J.R.   J.R. Briggs: (1:44 - 1:45) Thanks for having me. I'm looking forward to this, Laura.   Laura Dugger: (1:46 - 2:00) Well, I'd love to go back and first hear a little bit more of your origin story. So, do you attribute your love of questions and your skill for asking great questions more to nature or nurture?   J.R. Briggs: (2:01 - 5:04) That's a fantastic question. No one has ever asked me that, Laura. So, right off the bat, well done. I love good questions like this. I think it's a little bit of both, and I'm not just wimping out on that answer. Here's what I mean.   I grew up in a wonderful home, still great friends with both my parents, and my parents, especially my dad, they were great question askers, and I saw them model this really well in the home. And I think in previous generations, it was, you know, kids are to be seen but not heard. That was not how my parents operated. They very much said, "You know what, we want to know what you think." And so, dinner times were great. Even hearing the way, especially my father would ask questions of people in the lobby at church or our neighbors, or we'd be at some party, and the way he would ask questions, I would just listen and say, "Wow, this is fascinating, the kind of conversations that are happening because of this."   So, modeled really well, but also observed a lot, and more is caught than taught. And I observed my parents doing this really well. And I thought, these are really fun conversations to just eavesdrop in on as a kid. And then also, I began to notice that there were people that were really fun and lived inspiring lives, and they asked great questions. And I noticed the people that had, that lived really small, uninspiring lives, I realized they weren't asking very many questions. And I began to say, "Well, which kind of person do I want to be? I kind of want to be in the first group. Well, what's the difference? These people are asking questions, regular questions, quality questions." And I thought, "Ooh, I need to pay attention to this and actually lean in to do this more."   So, I often learned how to do it too. So, there was the nature piece, the nurture piece, or the nurture, the nature piece there, the nurture piece, I did study. I'm kind of a nerd. And so, I would watch people who ask great questions and say, "Why was that a good question? What did they do? Why did they ask it that way? How did they know to ask that question as opposed to something else?" And so that was really helpful.   But then I began to notice as I read my Bible, I got a red-letter edition of my Bible and began to notice how many red question marks there were. And I began to take a pen and circle all of the red questions, question marks that Jesus asked. And I thought, "Wow, the way the truth and the life, who had all the answers, yet he asked a ton of questions." So that sent me on a deep dive that eventually I studied. And my doctorate, my dissertation for my doctorate was on learning to equip leaders to ask better questions in the way of Jesus. And so, using him as that model. So, there's a very long answer, Laura, to a very short question, is it nature or nurture? I really believe it's both. And I hope I can continue to learn in my own life until my last breath to how to be a better question asker, because it's that powerful.   Laura Dugger: (5:04 - 5:57) Mm-hmm. I agree with that. And I love the humility in that response. Also, as you share it, it reminds me of a scripture from Proverbs 11:24, the Message version, which I believe previous guest Matt Bell had shared this as it relates to finances. But J.R., I hear it through your lifestyle of generosity with questions. And the verse says, "The world of the generous gets larger and larger. The world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller." So, I love how you illustrated that. But you're also the first person that I heard articulate this beauty of asking questions for connection rather than just for information. So, can you explain more of why questions are such a generous gift and an offering of hospitality?   J.R. Briggs: (5:58 - 8:36) Mm-hmm. Yeah. Well, one of the things that really hit me, I touched on this earlier, that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, the second member of the Trinity, who knows everything. Why would he ask so many questions? Well, he also said, "I only do what I see my Father doing." What did he see his Father doing? If you look in the Old Testament, God asks a ton of questions too. So, I said, "Wait a second. Okay. The all-knowing, all-powerful God of the universe, why does God ask so many questions when he already knows the answer?" And that drove me to say, maybe it wasn't just for information.   And I began to think about Adam and Eve in the garden and say, when he says, "Where are you?" It wasn't because God didn't know. And it wasn't a geographical question as much as I think it's a relational and theological question that he wants Adam and Eve to answer. And so, as a result of that, I said, "Why then would God do that?" Well, God already knows, but he desires connection with us. And then I thought, "Ooh, yeah, that isn't just God to us. There are times where I ask questions of my kids when they were younger, or of other little kids at church, where I know the answer already, but I'm asking it as a way of building trust and shared story and connection with them."   And I thought, yeah, there's real connection when it comes to questions. And when we do that, when we offer our full selves, the French philosopher, Simone Weil, she said, "Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity." And as a result of that, that's the hospitality piece. And I think, let's not forget that the word hospital is in the word hospitality, that our questions and our attention can actually be a form of healing that we offer to other people. When we think of hospitality, we often think of, I don't know, making a fresh pie or laying out doilies and sweeping the house before someone comes over. That can be part of it. But the real definition of hospitality is making new people feel comfortable in new situations. And so, what do good questions do? They help people who might feel new or an outsider feel like they're an insider. And I believe that's one of the beautiful benefits of questions where people say, "Man, thank you. No one has ever asked me that." Or "I feel seen. Wow, you really want to care. You care enough to know what I'm thinking." That is an unbelievable gift that we can give to others as a form of hospitality.   Laura Dugger: (8:36 - 8:55) And I think that illuminates what you even say up front in your book, that you do believe that these questions can change our life and the lives of those around us, and especially through this powerful book that you've written. So, can you elaborate on that claim?   J.R. Briggs: (8:56 - 10:33) Yeah, the dimensions of your life expand or contract depending upon the questions that you ask. So, when we refrain from asking good questions, our world gets smaller. And when we start to ask better questions, and more frequently, our worlds begin to expand. And so, what I tell people is we don't have a shortage of information. We have a shortage of wisdom and curiosity and wonder. And so, what we need to kindle in that is that desire for and that ability to ask the right questions at the right time for the right reason to the right people.   And if we want more information, we should just Google it. But if what we're after is wisdom and connection and engagement, we need questions. And questions are, I think we all would admit, Laura, questions are important. I don't think that we would realize just how powerful they actually are. And so, the goal of the book was to unleash and wake up the sleeping giants that exist and say, this can be used for good. There's so many, again, we don't have a shortage of information. But asking good questions is a lost art. And the goal is to try to help people realize its power, that it's more accessible. They're free. They can be used at any time. They don't have a shelf life. But we just need to cultivate the desire for it and then have some skills to lean in, because it really can be such an unbelievable gift. The questions that we ask often reveal the values that we hold. And so that's another way that we can press into that as well.   Laura Dugger: (10:34 - 10:49) Okay, so let's say that the desire is there. Maybe for all of us, probably the skill is a little lacking. How can we begin to get a little bit better at this or just get started with asking better questions today?   J.R. Briggs: (10:49 - 14:18) Yeah, well, we got to start, Laura, by admitting that there are a lot of obstacles that exist that our culture puts in front of us to make it hard to do that. One is we're in an attention-seeking age, right? I mean, the joke says enough about me, what do you think about me? And so, because we live in the social media, look at me, look at me reality that we're in, it's really hard because questions are the opposite. I'm putting the spotlight on you rather than on my own life. But we also are in a culture of great efficiency, and so questions feel inefficient. They feel really inefficient, like it slows things down. How many of us have been in a meeting and we're about to get up and someone says, "Any questions?" And someone, "Oh," and we just say, "No, no, no, we were just about to leave, you're slowing us down." And so that in the business world and in sales, that's the number one thing is questions. We got stuff to do and things to sell. But if we can just slow down, it's better.   But those are some of the obstacles that exist. So, if we're assuming we have curiosity, we have wisdom, we have humility, and we have courage, which are the four components. If those are there, then there are some things that we can engage in that can help us and several practices, like the simplest practice we can do when we hear a good question, write it down. A lot of people feel like two things. They have to come up with all the questions themselves. You don't. I love questions. I'm pretty good at questions, but I don't generate all my questions. I've read them on billboards or heard them on a podcast or overheard somebody in line at Starbucks behind me. And you go, "Man, that's a really good question. Write it down." We think we're going to remember later, Laura, and that's the second thing. We won't. We have to write it down. And I just encourage people, open up the notes section of your phone and just have something on there that says great questions. When you hear of one, think of one, read of one in a good novel, write it on the list. You can always return to it later. So, just awareness, number one, that my radar is up, listening for good questions, can be a great start.   And then also just to reflect later to say, "What was the best question I asked today or in that conversation or in that meeting or over dinner with my family? What was the best question I asked?" So, that's a little bit of reflection, but also preparation. Anytime we go into a meeting, anytime we go into any sort of connection, even if it's coffee with a friend, to always see if I can come with two questions ahead of time. Now, sometimes I write them down, sometimes I don't. I may not even get a chance to ask them, but just coming prepared where I say, "Oh, I'm meeting with my friend, Sam. Oh, Sam's dad just had significant surgery. So, here's an important question. Sam, how's your dad doing? And how are you doing as you care for your dad?" It's a little bit of preparation. It's not an hour. I'm just spending five minutes on my drive to the coffee shop to say, "My first question is going to be, Sam, how's your dad? And how are you doing caring for your dad?" So, just a little bit more thought. It doesn't require three times the amount of effort. Sometimes it's just five or 10% more effort and intentionality that can improve our question asking.   Laura Dugger: (14:19 - 16:29) So much thoughtfulness there. Appreciate that.   And now a brief message from our sponsor.   With over 1,700 apartment units available throughout Pekin, Peoria, Peoria Heights, Morton, and Washington, and with every price range covered, you will have plenty of options when you rent through Leman Property Management Company. They have townhomes, duplexes, studios, and garden style options located in many areas throughout Pekin. And make sure you check out their newest offering; the McKinley located in Pekin is a new construction addition to their platinum collection. Featuring nine-foot ceilings, large spacious layouts, beautiful finishes such as quartz countertops and garages, you won't want to miss this outstanding new property.   In Peoria, a historic downtown location and apartments adjacent to OSF Medical Center provide excellent choices. Check out their brand-new luxury property in Peoria Heights, overlooking the boutique shops and fine dining on Prospect. And in Morton, they offer a variety of apartment homes with garages, a hot downtown location, and now a brand-new high-end complex near Idlewood Park. If you want to become part of their team, contact them about open office positions. They're also hiring in their maintenance department. So, we invite you to find out why so many people have chosen to make a career with them. Check them out on Facebook today or email their friendly staff at leasing@lemanprops.com. You can also stop by their website at lemanproperties.com. Check them out and find your place to call home today.   Clearly J.R., Jesus has been a role model for asking questions. So, can you contrast what you describe as Jesus's field trips that he takes his disciples on versus the way that you view Sunday mornings in a lot of churches in America? Can you kind of contrast those two?   J.R. Briggs: (16:29 - 18:42) Yeah, oftentimes when I'm talking to pastors or leaders, faith leaders, I remind them of this. But yeah, Jesus loved to take his listeners on three field trips, three kinds. First one, he took them on physical field trips. We see that where Jesus says, "You know, look at the birds of the air, look at the lilies of the field," or "Look at the woman putting in two mites in the temple treasury." Life is a classroom. And so, he loved taking people on literal field trips.   Number two, he took them on emotional field trips by telling them stories, not in abstract ways of thinking, but the kingdom of God is like a woman kneading dough. It's like a fisherman who caught fish. It's like a father with two sons. And I think we're wrapped up in that when we watch a good movie, and we cry and laugh and we're scared. Those are all because a beautiful story did something to us. It took us on some sort of emotional field trip.   And then third is a mental field trip, which we're talking about here by asking questions. Jesus asked a ton of questions. And as a result of that, got people thinking in new ways. Now, if the way, the truth and the life, if anyone had the right to just give answers, it would be Jesus. But instead, he chose to ask a lot of questions. And so those three field trips, literal by going on walks, getting outside of a classroom, the mental field trip of asking questions and the emotional field trips of telling stories. Jesus did that all the time. Once you know that and you read the gospels, you'll see it everywhere.   The problem is, as you were referring to, Laura, on Sunday mornings, what do we do? We sit people in a church in pews. Almost all of the teaching or formation happens in the same room. Instead of telling stories, we give abstract information. And instead of asking questions, we just give answers. And then we sit around and wonder, "Why is no one changing?" And my gentle encouragement is, what would it look like if we actually learned to teach others the way Jesus actually taught? Imagine that. So, it's a bit of a stretch because culturally we're kind of drawn in to the way we've always done it in church. And yet oftentimes Jesus did almost the opposite of the way in which we teach today.   Laura Dugger: (18:44 - 18:55) And so, if you see that as an opposite, do you have any practical ideas of just a small tweak that we could make on Sunday mornings to be more like Jesus?   J.R. Briggs: (18:56 - 20:32) Sure. I always try to say, is there any way I can get people's bodies or their hearts up out of the seat? So, "Hey, I want you to stand up and turn to the person next to you." Or, "Hey, we're going to move around the room." Some of you say, "What? We would never do that at our church." And I would say, take a risk. Jesus did all sorts of things that surprise people. So, how can I get their hearts and their bodies up out of their seat? Number one.   Number two, can I tell a few more stories than I have in the past in my teaching or preaching or Sunday morning? And then also, can I engage with questions by asking them questions at the beginning? Can I leave them with some reflection questions in the bulletin or on the website the next week? Or can I actually have them asking questions of each other or of the text itself? And so oftentimes, why do I feel like I'm the one that has to speak the whole time when I'm preaching? What if instead I allow them to ask questions of each other, of God, and even of myself? And sometimes when I preach, I allow the last five or 10 minutes for people to ask questions about the text to myself and everyone else. Now, is that a change? Yeah. Would that freak out some churches? Maybe. But it can be a way that people walk away and say, "Wow, I learned, I was engaged, I was formed, and I encountered God in a new way that I haven't in the past." Which is the whole goal, that we don't just learn more about the Bible, is that we know the God of the Bible. That's the whole point of why we gather together as a church.   Laura Dugger: (20:33 - 20:46) And that would be so memorable. But also, as you're speaking about stories, are you willing to share the story of one of the times that you asked a question, and it turned out better than you could have ever asked or hoped for?   J.R. Briggs: (20:47 - 22:27) Yeah. I could think of several, but sometimes just asking people, "Why is that?" Just as a follow-up. It's amazing what can spill out. And I go, "Oh, that confronted my biases. That confronted my assumptions and what I thought about them." And so sometimes just asking some of that has been incredibly helpful to just ask that follow-up question.   I won't tell the whole story that I recounted in the book, but oftentimes when there are tears, it was Charles Spurgeon that said that tears are like liquid prayers. And so, when people are showing some emotion, I sometimes will say to them, even if they're not a follower of Jesus, even if they're not religious, "I'm curious. It's been said that tears are liquid prayers. Can you put words to the prayers that your face is praying right now?" And I've had some of the most unbelievable conversations where people can identify the prayers that their face is praying. And even in my own life, where I just step back and go, "Why am I, why was I so moved by that novel? Why was I so moved by that movie? Or what just happened in front of me? Or why, where are these tears coming from?" As Frederick Buechner said, we'd be best to pay attention to our tears. And so that question of what are the liquid prayers, can I put words to the prayer that my face is praying has been an unbelievably meaningful and eye-opening thing for me and also with people that I've been with.   Laura Dugger: (22:29 - 22:37) Will you also share about how you arrived at asking two questions that have opened numerous doors for you?   J.R. Briggs: (22:38 - 25:21) Yeah. Yeah. When I was in college, I had the privilege of studying in Israel for the semester. This is fall of my junior year. Absolutely loved it. And our class was on a four-day field trip up around the Sea of Galilee. One night I was down by the lake and happened to notice as the sun was about to set that there was a big fishing vessel that had just come in. And I had always wanted to go fishing on the Sea of Galilee, not just take a boat, not just see fishermen, but like be on the boat and fish with fishermen. I don't even love fishing myself, but I just wanted to experience what Jesus and his disciples experienced on the lake.   And there was a big industrial ship that came in. They brought in their day's catch. And I thought, "Oh, I should ask them if I can go fishing with them." And Laura, and then, you know, the realistic brain in me said, "Why would they ever allow a college, American college student and a study abroad program to go fishing with them tomorrow?" And I had these two questions that hit me, Laura. "Well, what's the worst they could say? No, or heck no, or get out of here. You're crazy." And number two, "Can I handle that? If they were to say that." Those two questions, I thought, "You know, I can handle it now. Let me ask what's the worst he could say. Let me ask."   So, I went up and I said, "Excuse me, can I talk to your captain?" And they said, "Menachem is over here." So, I introduced myself to him and I said, "Menachem, I've always wanted to go fishing on the Sea of Galilee. I'll pay you $50. If I can go fishing for the day, use me as, as I mean, any work me to death. If you want, like I'm here, I just want to." And he looked at me, he said, "I don't want your money." He said, "Join me tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. And you can come fishing with us." And I walked away and went, "Unbelievable. My dream is coming true." And I had an unbelievable day, but I realized I can't say no for someone else. What's the worst they could say? No. Can I just ask and handle it if they said no? Yep, I can handle it. Those two questions, Laura, have shaped me immensely throughout my lifetime. I've really, I've done that in a lot of different ways. And a lot of times people say no, and I can handle that. But a lot of times people said yes. And some doors have opened simply because I asked. And I actually think of that verse often, Laura, where it says you do not have because you do not ask. It's not name it and claim it prosperity gospel. But we just have to realize that sometimes we just need to ask to put ourselves out there and see what people say.   Laura Dugger: (25:23 - 25:55) That is so good. And I have applied those questions since reading that in your book, even as I reach out to ask you if you would do two recordings. So, I'm so grateful that that you said yes, I'm delighted that today's not our only conversation. But I'm curious also, J.R., when you had that experience, a lot of us may not ever get to go fish on the Sea of Galilee. So, did you learn anything that brought the Bible to life or anything about Jesus or anything that you can share with us from that incredible experience?   J.R. Briggs: (25:55 - 27:37) Oh, there's so many, but I'll limit it to one. When we started out that morning, the sea was so calm. I mean, it was like glass. It was beautiful. The sun was rising, not a cloud in the sky. And it was great. But I've always wondered these like storms. You know, the Sea of Galilee is not a sea. It's a lake. It's 10 miles by six miles. It looks like a harp. And that's why it's called Lake Kinneret. In Hebrew, that means harp. So, it's harp lake is the way that we could call it. But I thought it's still a lake. How can there be storms that would have professional fishermen that would be screaming, thinking they were going to die? How is that possible?   Well, wouldn't you know it, Laura? As beautiful as it was, the clouds rolled in. And then later that afternoon, there was a squall of a storm. I have never been in more intense in my life. And it happened right there. Now we're in a maybe two-ton, three-ton fishing vessel. But even that, we had to go below deck because it was so brutal. The waves, the wind, we couldn't see more than 10 feet in front of us. And I thought, "Ah, now I get it. If I'm just in a wooden boat with my fellow, you know, disciples here, I can see why this could get a little panicky." And that was, I think, a little God wink for me to be able to experience both the peace and calm, but also this treacherous storm and go, "Ah, now I won't read my Bible the same again when I hear about the, you know, the disciples freaking out with the storm or seeing Jesus walk on the water approaching them." So, that's one of many, but that sticks out to me a great deal that I got to experience a very intense storm.   Laura Dugger: (27:38 - 28:27) That is so incredible. Even just going back, so those two questions that you were willing to ask led to this incredible experience. And now people from around the world get to benefit from the lessons that you learned at that time. So, I think you're giving us so much encouragement for asking questions.   Guess what? We are no longer an audio only podcast. We now have video included as well. If you want to view the conversation each week, make sure you watch our videos. We're on YouTube and you can access videos or find answers to any of your other questions about the podcast when you visit thesavvysauce.com.   What happens to our brain or within our brain when we're asking or being asked a question?   J.R. Briggs: (28:28 - 30:19) Yeah, this was an incredibly fun part of the research for me was what does this do neurobiologically to us? And so, what neurologists have found is when they put nodes all over your brain to kind of see how the brain activity happens, when you're given information, your brain lights up. But what they found is when someone is asked a question, your brain explodes like fireworks, the synapses that are firing, and it just lights up like crazy, like fireworks in the night. And one of the things they said, as much as we think we can multitask, we can't. We do a lot of switching, task switching, but not multitasking. But they said what happens is they use the word hijack. You can hijack someone's brain when you actually are asking a question of someone, even if it's for two seconds.   And so, if I were to ask your listeners, Laura, "What are the color of the shoes you're wearing right now?" Whether your listeners liked it or not, I just hijacked their brain for a split second there, and they went, "What are the color of my shoes?" And so that's immense amount of power to, quote unquote, hijack someone's brain. So, we need to use that power wisely. But it's an immense amount of power that we can have when we ask someone a question, not just give them an answer, which I love when current neurobiological research matches up with scripture and with the way Jesus taught. How did Jesus teach? A ton of questions. What happened? He engaged with people. They participated with him. They were forced to learn and be participants, not just talking theoretically about faith. And I thought, isn't that just like Jesus? He knew how our brains are wired. And so, he uses questions as a way of maximum connection, challenge, engagement, and formation.   Laura Dugger: (30:20 - 30:43) Wow. And you've cultivated, like you say, this holy curiosity. So, I am curious for you, J.R., when you're in a conversation and you find yourself asking question after question, have you been in a situation like this where they don't reciprocate, they don't ask any questions back? And how do you handle that internally and externally?   J.R. Briggs: (30:44 - 32:41) Yeah, it's hard because we live in a culture that hasn't modeled that well to ask good questions. And sometimes it's been hard. And I admit that sometimes there's a sense of loneliness. When I have a lunch meeting and my wife will say, "How was your lunch meeting today?" We have a code word where I say either waiter or waitress. And it means the waiter or waitress came and took my plate away because I was done with my meal before they had taken one or two bites of their food. And oftentimes that happens where we leave a meal and we realize, "I don't think I was asked a single question this whole lunch." Or we go to a dinner party, no one asked me a single question. And that can be really hard.   And I love asking people questions. And it's not like I'm just ramming it down their throats to ask question after question like Elf with his brother walking through Central Park where he's just rattling off question after question. I was giving pause, I was taking a bite of my food, allowing them to ask a question or two, and they never did. And sometimes people say, "Well, I don't really know, I'm not good at questions." And I say, one of the simplest things you can do is what I call the way question, W-A-Y. It's just to say, "What about you?" I've been talking. What about you? To just hit the ball back over the net and to allow us to engage in some conversational pickleball. It's been on my side, let me hit it. Now it's on your side and you hit it back. That's how all healthy relationships exist. And so, it's been a little disappointing at times to realize you can go, and I'm sure you and others have experienced that. That's really hard. And to have people that can just say, "What about you? What do you think? Have you ever experienced that?" Or "I have another question for you." That's how healthy relationships are cultivated when there's that back and forth in conversation.   Laura Dugger: (32:42 - 32:51) Okay. And so, if we want to cultivate that back-and-forth conversation, can you just share a few more tips for ways that we can level up our questions?   J.R. Briggs: (32:52 - 34:24) Sure. Yeah. There's a unique, almost universal principle when it comes to question asking. If you ask a generic unthoughtful question, you will almost always get a generic unthoughtful answer. "How are you?" "Fine." "How's your weekend?" "Good." But if you ask a thoughtful, specific, engaging question, you almost always get a thoughtful, specific, engaging answer. It's as predictable as a communist election. It's amazing how that works, where we can just, if we can just level up.   So, if a lazy question would be, "How was your weekend?" I encourage people to say, what would 10 or 15 percent of a more thoughtful, specific, or focused question be? So, you could say, "Of your whole weekend, how would you describe your weekend in two or three adjectives?" That's a little bit different than just, "How was your weekend?" Or, "Hey, how are you doing?" That's good. You might say, "What has been the most interesting thing about your day so far?" It just takes a little bit more intentionality. When you ask it that way, you won't get the fine, good. You'll get the, you know, "I had a really interesting sales meeting today at 10 a.m. You know, I bumped into my neighbor, and we had the best conversation at the mailbox." Those are the kinds of answers you get because we ask the more specific, thoughtful question. We'll get more specific and thoughtful answers. So, that's what I encourage people to do. Just level up to be just a little bit more pointed by 10 or 15 percent and see what happens.   Laura Dugger: (34:26 - 34:40) Okay. So, hopefully we're all going to put this into practice. But then also, if we have children in our home, what can we do to be teaching them this same goal of reciprocity and asking great questions?   J.R. Briggs: (34:40 - 37:02) Yes. I'm so glad you brought this up, Laura. There's so much that we can do. I try to do this. We try to do this with our kids when they were younger. Our kids are 19 and 16 now and we still engage in good questions with them. But when they were little, we would do things. I would crawl into bed with each of them at bedtime and we would do question of the night. And so, I would say, "You get to ask dad any question you want and then I get to ask you any question that you want." And so, age appropriate, you know, what's your favorite ice cream color or ice cream flavor or your favorite color? But sometimes they would pull out some really fascinating ones. Like one time, my youngest son said, "Dad, what does God smell like?" And it just made me laugh. I just thought, what a great question from a five- or six-year-old about that. And so just being intentional there at bedtime has been really good.   Car time is really important. And I really try to see if I can ask some questions that I can't ask in other places because now I've got their full attention. We're in the car together. And even as my sons are now older, when they're in the car together, something about staring out the windshield together to be able to talk through some things has been really good. It could be about school, could be about life, could be something trivial, but to know that this is a place where we can talk. And so, car time, bedtime, and the last one I'll give is dinner time. We have a big chalk wall next to our dining room table. And we'll just randomly put up questions, thoughtful questions. And then we'll sometimes say after prayer, "Okay, boys, when they were little, you know, you each get to pick one question off the wall that we talk about tonight." And it just became a real easy way. And you can make up one if you want, or there are questions here. We also found a deck of cards that actually had questions on each one. It was like a questions deck. And so, we'll say, "Great, like you can pick off the wall, you can make up your own, or just pick a question that's in the deck." And just doing that where everybody got a chance to share around the table became such a way, such a rich conversation but a way to remind them questions are okay, encouraged, and a wonderful part of being a part of a family.   Laura Dugger: (37:03 - 37:32) Those are such great ideas. I love that and that we can implement some of that right away. But as we're starting to wind our time down together, I would love to hear one more story about a time that a question dramatically changed the outcome of a friendly gathering that you write about on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home in Washington, D.C. Yeah, I remember reading this story, Laura, and I was so moved.   J.R. Briggs: (37:32 - 39:52) I was moved to tears that I ran over to my wife and I said, "Listen to this story." And we both just sat there crying. Yeah, these families were on the back porch on a wonderful summer evening enjoying some stuff on the grill. And all of a sudden a gunman came up behind one of the teenage girls and held a gun to her head and said, "Nobody move, give me your money or I'm going to shoot." Everyone froze, rightfully so, the terror that they experienced. And one woman just blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. She said, "Why don't you sit down and have some wine with us?" Which is not something that has ever come to my mind if someone were to walk in and rob me. And sure enough, he put his gun in his belt and sat down and had some wine. And he said, "Boy, this is really good wine." And I said, "Why don't you enjoy some more to eat?" And then afterwards, she said, "Can I give you a hug?" And the guy was totally startled. Yeah. And then afterwards, everyone else decided to give him a hug. And as they enjoyed food, you know, they're all tense and not sure what to do or what's going on. At the end, he said, "Can I have a group hug together?" And then he slipped out the back and even the glass, the wine glass that he had, it wasn't even broken. He just set it up right behind the back gate.   And I just was so moved by that. Like, "Do you want a glass of wine? Do you want a hug?" Not things that would come to my mind, but it was so jolting and surprising. I think it humanized him. And before he left, the robber said, "I think I've come to rob the wrong house tonight." It's amazing what a question can do. That was a question of immense hospitality. You're welcome here. That's the last thing that this robber ever expected. So, I just love that story. I love that story because it reminds us once again how powerful questions actually are.   Laura Dugger: (39:53 - 40:09) And I think it illustrates at the heart of questions is love. And that motivates so much of the work that you get to do, J.R. So, can you just share a little bit more about the work you do get to do and share how we can be connected after this conversation?   J.R. Briggs: (40:10 - 41:07) Sure. Yeah. I've been a pastor for 15 years, but in 2011, I started what's called Kairos Partnerships. And it was passionate about leaders because leadership can be lonely, overwhelming, and sometimes leaders feel ill-equipped. And so actually our organization was started based on three questions. Who pastors the pastor? Who leads the leader? Who shepherds the shepherd? So, we work with some pastors, but we work with all sorts of entrepreneurs and businesspeople and Chick-fil-A operators and college presidents and division one men's basketball coaches, anyone who's following Jesus, but leading others. And so, we do that through coaching, through consulting, through writing, speaking, spiritual direction. And so, our team, I have a wonderful team, and the team really walks alongside of leaders who are wanting to be equipped so they can lead with clarity and confidence moving forward.   Laura Dugger: (41:08 - 41:27) I love that. Well, we will put a link to your website and the show notes for today's episode, but J.R., you may be familiar. We are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for you today, what is your savvy sauce?   J.R. Briggs: (41:28 - 42:03) One of the prayers that I pray regularly is, "Lord, would you grant me wisdom, courage, and compassion?" And all three of those are important because if I have wisdom and courage, but no compassion, I'm careless. If I have wisdom and compassion, but no courage, I'm riskless. And if I have compassion and courage, but no wisdom, that can be reckless. But if I have wisdom, courage, and compassion together, that's priceless. And so, I just try to pray that regularly because I say, "Lord, I want to be a wise, compassionate, courageous person for you." And I would encourage your listeners to pray that prayer for wisdom, courage, and compassion as well.   Laura Dugger: (42:05 - 42:20) Those are great words that I would use to describe you, J.R. And you are humble and warm and engaging. And I have greatly appreciated your book. I've already told people it's my favorite book that I've read in recent history.   J.R. Briggs: (42:20 - 42:22) So, thank you.   Laura Dugger: (42:22 - 42:31) Well, thank you. That's very kind of you. Yes, very easy to compliment it. But thank you for being my guest, and I look forward to hosting you again next time.   J.R. Briggs: (42:31 - 42:33) Sounds great. Looking forward to that as well.   Laura Dugger: (42:35 - 45:49) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.