Podcasts about Structuring

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Selling to owners is different and more powerful. In episode 526 of the Smart Buildings Academy Podcast, we dive deep into the owner-direct BAS sales process, from targeting your ideal accounts to closing deals and supporting long-term relationships. This episode is for sales professionals ready to move beyond quoting and toward real consultative selling. If you're ready to increase margins, influence scope, and create lasting customer impact, this is your blueprint. Topics Covered Building a qualified owner-direct pipeline Identifying and equipping internal champions Navigating stakeholder complexity in facility teams Structuring first meetings for credibility and trust Following through post-sale to earn future work Master the process. Win more than just the project.

Apply for coaching here00:00 Introduction and Client Questions03:02 Understanding Portion Sizes and Gender Expectations06:23 The Truth About Anti-Inflammatory Diets08:27 Sleep Adaptation and Its Effects10:29 Creatine Use During Breastfeeding13:53 Caloric Deficits and Metabolic Adaptation15:58 The Role of SAD Lamps17:58 GLP-1 Drugs: Pros and Cons21:52 Navigating Social Meals and Caloric Balance25:44 Protein Timing and Hormonal Balance27:36 Sticking to a Caloric Deficit29:44 Priorities for Overweight Individuals32:24 Structuring Effective Workouts34:21 The Value of Fiber Supplements

Following on from last week's episode ("How to Train for IRONMAN in Six Months"), Coach Rob continues the Six Months to Ironman series by breaking down how to structure the perfect Ironman training week so you actually absorb the work, stay healthy, and arrive on the start line ready to perform.This is the exact framework we use with hundreds of busy age-groupers juggling work, family, travel, and real life.In this episode, you'll learn:The golden rule of Ironman week design - why protecting tomorrow matters more than smashing today)The four key sessions you must protect every week when life gets busyHow smart session placement can reduce injury risk and improve performanceWhy more training isn't better if you can't absorb and recover from itHow to use a weekly recovery day properly (and why it's the most important day of the week)What to do when you miss a sessionWhy Ironman race pace almost always feels too easy in trainingHow planned walk breaks make you a stronger long-course runner, not a weaker oneHow to use indoor platforms like Zwift without sabotaging your long ridesThe discipline of finishing most weeks thinking: “I could have done more”Whether you're training for your first Ironman, your first 70.3, or you simply want a smarter, more sustainable way to train alongside a full-time job and family life, this episode will help you build a week that actually works.* * * * * * *SPONSORS* * * * * * * *Thinking about your first Ironman or 70.3 in 2026? At ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Team Oxygenaddict,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ we specialise in helping busy professionals fit high-quality training around demanding jobs and family life. We've just reopened for new athletes with only a handful of slots available. Book an application call today to find out if you'd be a good fit for Team Oxygenaddict for the coming season here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://team.oxygenaddict.com/consultation-call/ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠* * * * * * * * * * * *⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠precisionfuelandhydration.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Precision Fuel & Hydration help athletes personalise their hydration and fuelling strategies for training and racing. Use the free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fuel & Hydration Planner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a personalised race nutrition plan for your next event. And then⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ book a free 20-minute video consultation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a member of the PF&H Athlete Support Team to refine your strategy.Listeners get 15% off their first order of fuel and electrolytes with Precision Fuel & Hydration. Simply click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and the discount will be auto-applied at the checkout.* * * * * * * * * * * *⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch on youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen on Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen on Apple Podcasts⁠

In this episode of the Capital Raiser Show, Richard C. Wilson sits down for a live fireside chat with Todd from Ridgeline Capital Group, a single family office built on the back of a $600M entrepreneurial journey. Todd shares how he co-founded Express Locations, a T-Mobile retailer he scaled from zero to 150+ stores, 1,400 employees, and over $600M in revenue—without using traditional bank debt. He walks through the early days of the wireless industry, the decision to leave a secure corporate career, and the mindset required to move from operator to founder to family office principal. You'll hear Todd's lessons on: Working "smart" by surrounding yourself with exceptional people Structuring true partnerships and sharing equity to attract A-players Growing fast with discipline and simplicity across 10 states Surviving four major economic downturns and why patience is a competitive advantage Why his family office prioritizes relationships, off-market deals, and quality of life over maximum leverage How he brings his adult children into the family mission, vision, and values—and uses formal family meetings to align across generations If you're an entrepreneur, capital raiser, or future family office looking to scale without losing your sanity, this conversation is packed with real data points and practical frameworks you can apply immediately. To meet investors in person and learn directly from decamillionaires, ultra-wealthy investors, and centimillionaires, review the schedule of our 30 in-person live events a year and our membership options at https://familyoffices.com/ 

Welcome to EVEMAS 13! Today's episode is all about the healthy habits I'm bringing with me into 2026 — the routines, mindsets, and daily choices that have genuinely changed my life. This is your sign to slow down, reset, and step into the new year with intention.In this episode, we talk about:

Ian Korgel, from Scratchwerkes.com, shares his journey from starting a detailing business in North Dakota, to expanding into various sectors including agriculture and aviation. On this first episode of the 5th season of the Calling All Detailers Podcast, Ian also discusses the challenges of working in extreme cold, strategies for attracting clients, and the importance of word-of-mouth marketing. Ian also delves into his new consulting services aimed at helping other detailers succeed, emphasizing the significance of confidence in sales and the necessity of deposits. The discussion highlights the intricacies of polishing techniques for different substrates and the importance of building trust with clients. The Takeaways: Ian started detailing while in college, inspired by a friend's advice. He operates a mobile detailing business in North Dakota, often in heated shops. Word of mouth and social media have been key to attracting agricultural clients. Polishing techniques vary based on the type of paint and substrate. Ian has expanded his services to include aviation detailing. He launched a YouTube channel (  @IanPolishes  ) to showcase his work and educate others. Consulting services are available for new and experienced detailers. Structuring service packages as good, better, best can help clients choose. Traveling for work has opened new opportunities in warmer states. Confidence and action are crucial for success in the detailing business. Sound bites "Confidence sells." "Keep it short and sweet." "Life happens, stuff happens." Podcast Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Ian Korgel and His Journey 02:13 Navigating the Cold: Detailing in North Dakota 03:58 Attracting Agricultural Clients: Strategies and Insights 05:47 Polishing Techniques for Agricultural Equipment 07:55 Expanding into Aviation: Ian's Experience with Planes 10:02 The Barn Find: Reviving a Vintage Airplane 11:00 Consulting Services for Detailers: Sharing Knowledge 14:01 Good, Better, Best: Structuring Service Packages 16:05 Future Plans: Expanding Services Beyond North Dakota 20:21 Polishing Techniques and Challenges 22:49 Sales Strategies for Detailers 26:35 The Importance of Deposits 30:11 Pricing and Value in Detailing 32:28 Networking and Collaboration in the Industry Calling All Detailers include Detailing Enthusiasts - DIY and Detail Professionals. Our goal is to help Detailers earn more money, by helping then Create more SUCCESS through Knowledge, Motivation and the 10X Mindset, Plus incorporate Common Sense and Sales & Marketing Strategies to their business plans. Be sure to use the best Detailing Supplies and Ceramic Coatings in the world. Pearl Nano. Grab your free Wholesale account at CallingAllDetailers.com Links to the websites are below. Watch my free, 16 chapter, online course all about how to 10X your detailing business: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbQrc3JEe48FEqkR1hTNzhAMwDBS_6Y9Y Check out the Calling All Detailers Podcast (Business + Products + Community): https://open.spotify.com/show/2spT8MrFQPrl0rwpjo6cbN Join our Private Facebook group - a community of experienced detailers who use Pearl Nano products: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1071820092849444/ Sign up for your free wholesale account: https://callingalldetailers.com/pages/wholesale Launch your own brand of car care products: https://www.privatelabelcarcare.com/ or apply here: https://callingalldetailers.com/pages/private-labeling ------------------------- Schedule your podcast interview at Calendly.com/Callingalldetailers ------------------------- BEST PRODUCT-RELATED RESOURCES: Selling Car Care Products? Which ones to begin with and why: https://youtu.be/oikt-NbtFL0 Launching Your Own Brand of Amazing Car Care Products: https://www.privatelabelcarcare.com/ Buy Pearl Nano - Retail/ DIY Detailers: PearlNano.com - https://pearlnano.com/ Buy Pearl Nano Wholesale for Detailing Professionals" CallingAllDetailers.com - http://CallingAllDetailers.com ---------- Follow me: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/callingalldetailers/ • Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pearlnano • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@callingalldetailers Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CallingAllDetailers It sounds cliche, but my job is to make you money! I do that by helping, teaching, and mentoring you. From a 10X mindset to motivation and driven dedication. It's all hard work, but it all comes from within. I also offer the best detail supplies in the world. If you don't believe me, order a sample pack and see for yourself. https://pearlnano.com/products/pearl-nano-sample-pack-with-coatings-pro-only For order directly, please contact: Sales@PearlNano.com #AutoDetailing #carcareproducts #privatelabelcarcare #MakeMoreMoney #Detailing #10XDETAIL #PEARLNANO #callingalldetailers #autodetail #ceramiccoating #detailingprofessionals

Dive into real estate funding with Boomerang Capital's Vanessa Montoya! In this episode of the AZREIA Show, Marcus Maloney and Mike Del Prete talk with Vanessa about her journey from T-Mobile to hard money lending, her first flip, lessons from financial setbacks, and how she built her investing career. She breaks down traditional vs. hard money lending, key tips for new investors, evaluating deals, managing budgets, and why communication is critical in every project. Perfect for new and experienced investors looking to understand financing at a deeper level. Key Takeaways: 01:09 Vanessa's Career Journey: From Sales to Lending 03:30 Challenges in Traditional Banking 06:24 Discovering Hard Money Lending 09:25 Transition to Hard Money Lending 13:01 Learning the Ropes of Hard Money Lending 15:53 Tips for New Investors Seeking Funding 18:24 Practicing Deal Analysis 18:56 Navigating Multiple Markets 20:09 First Flip Experience 22:53 Structuring a Partnership 24:46 Overcoming Hurdles and Learning 29:01 Current Projects and Future Plans 31:36 Networking and Events --

In Part 2 of Ship Recycling Insurance Explained, Jamie Dalzell and Paulina, Head of Insurance at GMS, examine how insurance helps manage market volatility, political risk, and compliance pressures in global ship recycling. Many recycling destinations face currency restrictions, regulatory challenges, and shifting geopolitical conditions, and this episode explains how structured insurance programs provide stability and protection throughout the final voyage. Paulina outlines how GMS works with global reinsurers, A rated insurance markets, and experienced local correspondents to secure reliable coverage, even in complex jurisdictions. She also discusses how tailored policy wording addresses sanctions, convertibility and enforceability concerns, and the wider risk environment surrounding ship recycling. The episode highlights the growing influence of ESG standards and how insurance supports verification of safe manning, pollution safeguards, and green recycling requirements. Topics include: • Structuring insurance in markets with currency or political instability • Using strong reinsurance capacity to protect voyage and liability exposure • Managing sanctions, convertibility, and enforceability risk • Insurance as verification of ESG and responsible recycling standards • Coordination between insurance, trading, and operations teams • Monitoring routing, weather, warranties, COFR, SOR, and P and I entries • Emerging risks shaping the next phase of global ship recycling This episode shows how insurance helps GMS navigate uncertainty and maintain safe, compliant, and responsible recycling operations across multiple jurisdictions.

In this episode of the TPR Podcast, Matthew Jarvis and Scott DiGiammarino delve into the complexities of liquidity events, focusing on the decision-making process between internal and external sales. They explore the emotional dynamics of succession planning, the importance of structuring deals creatively, and the significance of having a trained successor in place. The conversation also covers negotiation strategies, particularly around earnouts, and emphasizes the need for clarity in defining roles for the next generation of advisors. In this conversation, Scott DiGiammarino and Matthew Jarvis delve into the complexities of operating agreements, partnerships, and the valuation of financial practices. They discuss the importance of understanding historical agreements, the challenges of partnerships, and the nuances of super OSJs. The conversation emphasizes the need for objective analysis in practice valuation and the significance of ownership in enhancing business value. Scott also shares insights from his TED Talk on the psychology of video content, tying it back to the importance of effective communication in business. Creative Deal Structuring for Advisors With Scott DiGiammarino Resources in today's episode: - Matt Jarvis - Website | LinkedIn- Scott DiGiammarino - Website | LinkedIn - Learn More about our Coaching Programs

Natalia Chappell is the founder of Natalia Chappell & Co, a UK-based consultancy helping luxury and lifestyle brands scale sustainably. Previously, she led marketing for THG's luxury division, working with brands like Coach and Ralph Lauren across price points from hundreds to thousands of pounds.In this episode of DTC Pod, Natalia breaks down what it really takes for US brands to win in the UK—and why so many get it wrong. She shares the full-funnel mistakes she sees premium brands make over and over, why some household US names thrived in Britain while others quietly retreated, and what's actually driving results on Meta right now. She also gets into how to connect with younger consumers who think differently about spending, and why the old playbook of polished content isn't cutting it anymore. Plus, her journey from corporate marketing leader to female founder, and what she wishes more people understood about building a business as a woman.Episode brought to you by StordInteract with other DTC experts and access our monthly fireside chats with industry leaders on DTC Pod Slack.On this episode of DTC Pod, we cover:1. Lessons from high-growth UK e-commerce brands 2. Creating sustainable, holistic marketing strategies3. Using data and analytics to drive channel mix decisions4. Optimizing for paid and organic synergy5. Landing page and website audit best practices6. UGC, influencer, and creator partnership frameworks7. Onboarding and managing creators for conversion and brand fit8. Navigating UK logistics, customs, and local expectations9. How to adapt brand voice and content for UK consumer10. UK cultural moments and how to plan campaigns around them11. Success stories (Drunk Elephant, Ralph Lauren, Coach) and why some US brands flop12. Digital-first approaches to brand building13. Upcoming trends—partnership ads, authentic content, and Gen Z consumers14. Supporting and growing as a female founder in e-commerceTimestamps00:00 Introduction to DTC POD and episode with Natalia Chappell01:18 Natalia's background: fashion, digital marketing, luxury brand experience03:26 Lessons learned building luxury and beauty e-commerce teams05:16 Becoming a female founder and launching Natalia Chappell & Co07:22 The type and scale of brands Natalia's agency works with09:07 Optimizing paid-to-organic mix for sustainable growth12:12 Data, analytics, and the importance of first-party data integrity13:33 Why understanding inventory and offer depth matters before scaling ads16:26 Building a marketing flywheel that feeds itself18:50 Audience segmentation, CRM, and conversion optimization20:08 Attribution modeling and keeping data integrations clean22:29 Organic growth: auditing website, SEO, landing pages, and reviews24:03 Content strategy: authentic UGC, influencers, and the UK market26:58 Equipping creators for conversion, not just reach29:25 Structuring affiliate and creator programs, commissioning vs. flat fees33:01 Logistics: Warehousing, customs, and UK delivery expectations36:54 Adapting voice, copy, and calendar to resonate in the UK38:34 Brand case studies: Drunk Elephant, Coach, Ralph Lauren41:09 Why some US brands struggle in the UK (Forever 21, etc.)44:21 Trends to watch: partnership ads, content authenticity, Gen Z targeting47:25 Where to find and connect with Natalia ChappellShow notes powered by CastmagicPast guests & brands on DTC Pod include Gilt, PopSugar, Glossier, MadeIN, Prose, Bala, P.volve, Ritual, Bite, Oura, Levels, General Mills, Mid Day Squares, Prose, Arrae, Olipop, Ghia, Rosaluna, Form, Uncle Studios & many more.  Additional episodes you might like:• #175 Ariel Vaisbort - How OLIPOP Runs Influencer, Community, & Affiliate Growth• #184 Jake Karls, Midday Squares - Turning Your Brand Into The Influencer With Content• #205 Kasey Stewart: Suckerz- - Powering Your Launch With 300 Million Organic Views• #219 JT Barnett: The TikTok Masterclass For Brands• #223 Lauren Kleinman: The PR & Affiliate Marketing Playbook• ​​​​#243 Kian Golzari - Source & Develop Products Like The World's Best Brands-----Have any questions about the show or topics you'd like us to explore further?Shoot us a DM; we'd love to hear from you.Want the weekly TL;DR of tips delivered to your mailbox?Check out our newsletter here.Projects the DTC Pod team is working on:DTCetc - all our favorite brands on the internetOlivea - the extra virgin olive oil & hydroxytyrosol supplementCastmagic - AI Workspace for ContentFollow us for content, clips, giveaways, & updates!DTCPod InstagramDTCPod TwitterDTCPod TikTokNatalia Chappell - Founder of Natalia Chappell & Co.Blaine Bolus - Co-Founder of CastmagicRamon Berrios - Co-Founder of Castmagic

What if the agencies that crush Q1 aren't working harder in January, they're making one  or two critical decisions right now, in December?In this solo episode, Dan reveals why Q1 consistently catches agencies off-guard and what separates those who stumble into the new year from those who hit the ground running. The secret isn't about working through the holidays or setting ambitious goals—it's about installing a systematic referral system during Q4's quieter moments. What You'll Leave With:Why trust, not awareness, became the scarce resource after 2020 and how it changes your approachThe four stages agencies move through and how to identify which phase you're stuck inThe "high school gym vs. NFL stadium" test for choosing the right lead generation strategy based on market sizeHow to structure connector calls to get 2-5 quality referrals from a single conversationThe simple human emotion that makes people actually follow through on promised introductionsA two-pronged outreach system that keeps your pipeline full even when you're buried in client workWhy making it easier for people to help you eliminates the awkwardness of asking for referralsThe one free data tool you need to get started without expensive SaaS platformsTimestamps:[00:00] Introduction: The strange Q4 gap period and what's coming[02:33] The Cobbler's children phase and why most agencies get stuck there[05:00] The four stages of agency growth and how they're detached from revenue[09:15] The 2020 trust recession and why cold outreach stopped working[12:30] High school gym vs. NFL stadium: Choosing the right strategy for your market[16:45] The systematic referral framework: How to generate warm intros weekly[21:20] Structuring connector calls to get 2-5 referrals per conversation[24:10] The emotional game changer that makes introductions actually happen[27:17] Common objections: "This seems like too much work" and "I'm worried about asking for help"[29:35] How this scales beyond your initial network (sprint, jog, run phases)[31:54] The Referral Engine Program and Referral Network Diagnostic offerQuotes: "A lot of agencies end up in level two, which we call the Cobbler's children phase. They have a track record, they've produced results for clients, but new business is very reactive—it's very much catch as catch can." — Dan Englander"After 2020, we saw a massive shift. Trust became the scarce resource, not awareness. Everyone's inbox is full, everyone's LinkedIn is saturated, and people have gotten really good at tuning out anything that feels like cold outreach." — Dan Englander"If you're getting on a call a day—like an apple a day keeps the doctor away—or five calls a week, that is usually more than enough to hit 99% of sales goals." — Dan Englander

In this episode, The Annuity Man discussed:  Designing dependable inheritances Structuring income for generations Choosing tools for guaranteed legacy streams Partnering wisely with trusted professionals   Key Takeaways:  Integrating annuities into estate plans allows individuals to pass on structured, reliable income rather than lump-sum inheritances, protecting beneficiaries from mismanagement or market risk. Estate plans can specify lifetime payments, joint-income arrangements, or funds designated for annuities, giving families long-term financial stability across multiple generations. Tools like SPIAs and QLACs offer flexible ways to create guaranteed income streams for spouses and heirs, making them valuable components of a well-structured legacy strategy. Working with estate planning lawyers and unbiased annuity professionals—such as firms that operate without commissions—helps ensure these strategies are tailored properly and set up without delay.   "You need to set these things up so that when you die, things are triggered and happen exactly like you want them to happen." —  Stan The Annuity Man   Connect with The Annuity Man:  Website: http://theannuityman.com/  Email: Stan@TheAnnuityMan.com  Book: Owner's Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g  Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator! 

What's on your mind? Let CX Passport know...Jon Deragon brings a global lens to AI product design as the Head of Design at FPT, the sponsor for today's episode. Thank you FPT for collaborating with CX Passport.Jon guides a 140+ person design org building everything from mobile apps to automotive interfaces while navigating the rapid shift into AI and multimodal experiences. This conversation gets into what modern design teams truly need to succeed and how respect transforms the design and development partnership.Here are five insights you'll hear in this episode: • How multimodal input changes the entire UX landscape • Why design literacy helps… but “everyone is a designer” does not • The real fix for design and development friction • Why centralizing design creates more meaningful output • How AI learning happens in layers and why that mattersCHAPTERS00:00 Welcome00:16 Jon's global path and design focus01:52 Designing for AI03:38 Multimodal input05:17 Keeping pace with AI11:12 Should everyone be a designer14:44 First Class Lounge21:01 Structuring a large design org24:15 Making design and development collaboration healthy28:03 Respect as a design principle29:04 Where to learn more about Jon and FPTGUEST LINKSFPT: https://fpt.com/ Jon's website: https://jonderagon.com/THREE WAYS TO KEEP EXPLORING CX PASSPORTListen: https://www.cxpassport.com Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@cxpassport Newsletter: https://cxpassport.kit.com/signupI'm Rick Denton and I believe the best meals are served outside and require a passport.Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the hosts and guests and should not be taken as legal, financial, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified attorney, financial advisor, or other professional regarding your specific situation. The opinions expressed by guests are solely theirs and do not necessarily represent the views or positions of the host(s).

We're all using ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude… but let's be honest — most of what's coming out of these tools is rubbish. Generic, unfunny, over-formal slurry. M-dashes everywhere. Worse still, it's killing brands and cluttering our inboxes with AI-written drivel that nobody reads. So what if you could build an agent that works like a team member? One that understands your tone, writes like you, and plugs straight into your content engine? That's exactly what Reed Hansen helps us uncover in this episode. Reed's a Chief Growth Officer and strategic marketing brain who's helped everyone from Oracle to fast-growing startups. He breaks down exactly how to build and train an AI agent that's not only useful — but actually saves you time, scales your voice, and makes you look smarter. We talk about how most people are doing this all wrong, the real value of AI agents, and how to avoid turning your brand into a slurry cannon. This episode is crammed with practical advice you can use right now — especially if you're trying to do more with less and keep your content engine running without sounding like a robot. How to build your own AI marketing agent (the right way) ✅ Define the agent's role and constraints: Who's it for? What outcome do you want? Be specific about tone, topics to avoid, and the format of the content. ✅ Train it like a new hire: Don't just say “write like me” — give it FAQs, onboarding docs, examples, brand voice guidelines, and preferred content structures. ✅ Attach high-trust sources: Feed it with your own high-quality material — case studies, blog posts, sales copy, anything good. Don't let it guess. ✅ Connect it to your workflow: Use tools like Zapier or Make to push content into Buffer or your CRM. If you're stuck copy-pasting, you're not there yet. ✅ Supplement with your face: AI can't be you. Mix in your voice, your face, your real thoughts. That's what builds trust and gets remembered. Timeline summary [01:54] – Why most teams fail: it's not the reps, it's the ICP or the manager [02:44] – Agentic AI is “the dog's proverbial” — why it's the next step beyond ChatGPT [04:53] – Treat it like an employee: how to shape responses with consistent training [07:44] – The M-dash and the curse of legalese: where bad AI writing comes from [08:44] – What people get wrong: not enough instruction, too much freedom [10:24] – Chat is not enough: agents need to push/pull data to be truly valuable [11:08] – Three-step framework: plan, build the engine, and connect it [14:21] – Structuring your prompts: listicles, tables, tone, formats — get specific [15:31] – Plug into your planner: automate workflows to get daily content out [20:13] – The AI echo chamber: why we're amplifying internet sewage [24:46] – Use AI for hygiene content, but mix in real human posts too [26:02] – “Put your face on the content” — realness beats slurry every time [28:21] – Final advice: your face + your voice = your brand's secret weapon Links & resources The Practical Leadership Academy – Free Parallel Team Playbook Buffer – Social media scheduling tool Zapier – Automation between apps Make – Visual automation builder If you found this episode valuable, please do me a favour — rate, follow and review the podcast. It really helps us get the word out to more sales leaders who need to hear it. And don't forget to share it with someone who's still letting AI write like a UN lawyer with a thesaurus.

Mary and Shannon are joined by Lindsay Kemeny, a returning guest and 1st grade teacher. Lindsay discusses her latest book and shares insights into structuring an effective literacy block. During the chat, Lindsay stresses the importance of routines, transitions, and frequent student responses in her data-driven instruction.  Lindsay also opens up about her personal journey, detailing how her son's struggles with dyslexia transformed her teaching methods. The conversation covers practical tips for teaching phonics, spelling, high-frequency words, and integrating content into literacy.  Listen to the episode to learn valuable tips for optimizing your reading instruction.01:17 Welcoming Back Lindsay Kemeny01:49 Lindsay's Journey and New Books03:36 Implementing Literacy Block Changes07:04 Structuring the Literacy Block08:53 The Importance of Data and Intervention21:09 Green Chef Sponsorship22:07 Phonics and Spelling Integration28:20 Reflecting on Classroom Data28:39 Optimizing Lessons and Routines35:06 The Importance of Student Responses37:08 Focusing on Progress, Not Perfection39:55 A Personal Journey with Dyslexia52:36 Final Thoughts and ResourcesRECOMMENDED RESOURCES RELEVANT TO THE EPISODE:Our Season 6 episode with Lindsay: Best Reading Instruction MovesOur Season 7 episode:  The Reading TeamLindsay's websiteLindsay's podcast: Literacy TalksRock Your Literacy Block by Lindsay Kemeny *Amazon affiliate link7 Mighty Moves by Lindsay Kemeny *Amazon affiliate link7 Mighty Moves Reading Resources (companion book) by Lindsay Kemeny *Amazon affiliate linkReading Rockets: An Example of the 90 Minute Reading BlockAscend (Smarter Intervention):   How Do I Fit It All In?   Reading Rockets:  What Does Your Literacy Block Look Like?  It Depends.Timothy Shanahan:   How Would You Schedule the Reading Instruction?Mississippi Dept of Ed:    Suggested Instructional Routines for Teaching Reading First Through Fifth GradeSupport the show Get Literacy Support through our Patreon Bonus Episodes access through your podcast app Bonus episodes access through Patreon Buy us a coffee Get a FREE Green Chef box using our link

Learn what the ultra wealthy do to write off cash flowing assets and take advantage of the 100% bonus depreciation. In this masterclass you'll understand the dos and don'ts of advanced tax planning, asset depreciation, and see first hand case studies of entrepreneurs and business owners who are taking advantage of these strategies.0:00 - Intro1:07 - Who is Michael Williams?6:01 - The Three Steps to Tax Efficiency8:46 - Who are these Tax Strategies for?11:29 - Prioritizing Low-Hanging Fruit First13:14 - What is Depreciation for Tax Write-Offs?15:50 - Finding the Right Assets for Bonus Depreciation 19:58 - Two Main Risks: Tax Risk and Economic Risk23:54 - Passive vs. Active Income24:58 - Strategies for Writing Off Against Active Income26:56 - Structuring a Trader Business27:43 - Risk of IRS Audits31:21 - Tax Arbitrage32:59 - Understanding the Economic Risk34:02 - Differentiating the Strategies from Real Estate37:55 - Case Study Walkthrough with GPUs40:17 - Turning $150K Investment into $1M Write-Off 43:00 - Recapturing Cash on Residual Value as Ordinary Income45:58 - Cash-on-Cash Return Targets48:12 - After-Tax Return on Investments51:16 - GPUs Residual Value52:20 - Pulling Assets Out of the Revenue Pool53:14 - Services and Fees (Maintenance, Insurance)54:02 - Debt Payment Responsibility55:00 - Tax Implications of Debt Service57:41 - Final AdviceJoin the Tax and Assets Community: https://taxandassets.comConnect with Michael & His Team: Email - michael@trusttpc.comWebsite - https://www.trusttpc.com/Want Us to Review Your Current Tax Strategy Before the End of the Year? Click Here: https://betterwealth.com/tax______________________________________________ Learn More About BetterWealth: https://betterwealth.com====================DISCLAIMER: https://bttr.ly/aapolicy*This video is for entertainment purposes only and is not financial or legal advice.Financial Advice Disclaimer: All content on this channel is for education, discussion, and illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as professional financial advice or recommendation. Should you need such advice, consult a licensed financial or tax advisor. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of the information on this channel. Neither host nor guests can be held responsible for any direct or incidental loss incurred by applying any of the information offered.

Today on the Wholesale Hotline Podcast (Wholesaling Inc Edition), Brent Daniels is joined by his acquisition manager Chad Coulter to do a masterclass breakdown on calling sellers.Today's episode is part of our Throwback Series where we re-air some of our most popular shows. This episode originally aired on 12/26/2024.Show notes -- in this episode we'll cover:Responding quickly to inbound leads, like PPC (Pay-Per-Click) inquiries, greatly improves the likelihood of closing deals within 30 days.Understanding the seller's motivations and timelines allows you to tailor solutions, such as offering flexibility for tenants or handling renovations.Structuring follow-ups and appointments strategically, especially in competitive markets, increases closing rates by allowing you to assess and outperform other offers.PPC leads offer higher conversion rates (1 in 15 vs. 1 in 100+ for cold calls), making them a valuable resource for faster, more motivated deals.Communication and discovery in initial calls are crucial—learn the property's condition, seller's desired price range, and any potential obstacles early on.Please give us a rating and let us know how we are doing!➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖☎️ Welcome to Wholesale Hotline & TTP Breakout

Don't just run; run smarter. In this essential episode, Coach Sara breaks down the fundamental structure of a successful running year. She covers the often-misunderstood Off-Season, dives deep into effective Base Building strategies, and discusses the season between, the flexible season!. Learn the foundation formula that protects you from burnout and sets you up for your best race times ever.Where to Listen:Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube MusicConnect with us:elevateyourrunning.comElevateyourrunning and sayrahrunshappyThe Elevate Coaching Team has  1:1 coaching spots open for spring and fall race season! If you love running and want to get better + faster at this sport, we'd love to have you join our team! You can find more information about our coaching packages at https://elevateyourrunning.com/virtual-coaching or email Sara at sara@elevateyourrunning.comIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review! Share your thoughts on how coaching has impacted your journey on social media using #elevateyourrunning. Do you want to be an inclusive insider? Help support the Elevate Your Running Podcast! Get exclusive content, coaching advice, and more through this platform! PARTNER DISCOUNTS AND LINKS:Dynamic Runner:⁠ code SAYRAHRUNSHAPPY for 10% off your subscriptionCheribundi: code ELEVATE for 15% offRNWY: Use Code Elevate15 for 15% off your orderKETONE-IQ: Your post-run recovery ketones can be found hereCozy Zero:  merino wool running clothes! Save 20% with code SARAM20LEVELLE GELS - Save 10% on all natural gels using code HAPPYRUNNING10 

"It's hard enough doing an ortho startup practice." Connect With Our SponsorsGreyFinch - https://greyfinch.com/jillallen/A-Dec - https://www.a-dec.com/orthodonticsSmileSuite - https://getsmilesuite.com/ Summary In this engaging conversation, Jill Allen speaks with husband-and-wife duo Drs. Lauren Carlson and Mike Seelig about their journey in starting an ortho-pedo practice together. They discuss their backgrounds, the challenges of balancing family life with a startup, and the importance of structuring their practice for efficiency. The couple emphasizes the significance of building a supportive team culture and enhancing patient experiences through convenience and communication. They also share insights on fostering relationships with referring doctors and the importance of clear expectations in collaborative care. Connect With Our Guest Shine Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics - https://shinepdo.com Takeaways Mike and Lauren met in dental school and started their practice together.They faced challenges balancing family life with their startup.Cross-training staff was crucial for their practice's efficiency.They emphasize the importance of a supportive team culture.Patient convenience is a top priority in their practice.Building relationships with referring doctors is essential.They aim to eliminate unnecessary appointments for families.Clear communication with referring doctors is vital.They encourage staff to grow within the practice.Their journey highlights the importance of teamwork.Chapters 00:00 Introduction01:41 Starting the Conversation: Lauren & Mike's Background02:01 The Journey to Opening a Practice03:37 Challenges and Benefits of Working Together07:28 Balancing Family and Business11:04 Structuring the Practice: Ortho and Pedo18:42 Building a Strong Team Culture26:10 Continuous Growth as Leaders29:37 Vision for In-House Patient Experience35:57 Building Relationships Between Orthodontists and Pediatric Dentists45:26 Final Thoughts and Contact InformationEpisode Credits:  Hosted by Jill AllenProduced by Jordann KillionAudio Engineering by Garrett LuceroAre you ready to start a practice of your own? Do you need a fresh set of eyes or some advice in your existing practice?Reach out to me- www.practiceresults.com.    If you like what we are doing here on Hey Docs! and want to hear more of this awesome content, give us a 5-star Rating on your preferred listening platform and subscribe to our show so you never miss an episode.    New episodes drop every Thursday!   

Today on the podcast, I'm lifting the lid on exactly how I'm structuring Meta ad accounts right now. Think of it as a real behind-the-scenes chat about what I'm testing, what I'm keeping, and the small shifts that are helping campaigns run more smoothly. It's simple, practical and perfect to listen to before you head into your next round of optimisation.

How do great trial lawyers build cases that resonate with jurors from the very first conversation? In this season-closing episode of Best Practices with Kenny Berger, Kenny sits down with California trial lawyer Dan Schaar to break down the full arc of trial preparation, starting at intake and carrying all the way through opening, closing, and rebuttal.Dan shares the systems and strategies he uses to design winning cases: identifying the human story early, reframing bad facts, uncovering defendant “choices” rather than “accidents,” and empowering jurors to return the right verdict for the right reasons. They discuss:— Starting trial prep at intake and organizing facts into a working trial framework— How to build the human story and gather authentic, powerful testimony— Reframing defense themes— Structuring openings, closings, and rebuttals as a unified, jury-empowering narrativeWhether you're preparing for your first trial or refining your next opening, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply immediately in your next case. Hosted by South Carolina Injury Lawyer Kenny Berger | Best Practices with Kenny Berger

Intentional Discipleship – Small Circles, Big Impact | Steve McCoy To view Small Circles Resources visit: https://www.smallcircle.com/  The recipe for a culture of discipleship requires some indispensable ingredients and among the essentials are two primary components: intentional strategy and tools. Without these, a culture is rarely developed and disciple making is left to random chance and this is a predicament that smallcircle aims to resolve by providing tools designed to catalyze a one-to-one disciple-making culture within local churches. Join Bobby Harrington (Discipleship.org Founder and Executive Director) as he interacts with Steve McCoy who is a senior pastor and the visionary behind small circle. Key Takeaways  Discipleship in Three Circles | Steve McCoy 00:00 Introduction and Background of Steve McCoy 00:27 The 360 Church and Its Discipleship Philosophy 04:27 Intentional Strategy for Disciple Making 05:07 The Importance of Relational Depth in Small Groups 08:24 Introducing the Small Circle Tool 08:33 The Why Behind the Tool 11:38 Developing Confidence in Everyday Disciple Makers 17:58 Structuring the Discipleship Tools 29:59 The Flexibility of One-to-One Discipleship 30:23 Tools for the Disciple Maker 30:53 Journaling and Scripture Memory 31:36 Additional Resources and Reading 33:36 Purchasing and Costs of Discipleship Materials 34:21 Introduction to the Small Circle App 37:32 Navigating the App and Its Features 44:42 Global Reach and Language Translations 52:56 Final Thoughts and Encouragement Check out Discipleship.org for resources on disciple-making: https://discipleship.org/resources/  Have you subscribed? Click HERE – https://www.youtube.com/@discipleshipdotorg/featured  Take the FREE Disciple Maker Assessment: https://church-multiplication.com/disciplemaker/ Come to the The National Disciple Making Forum: https://discipleship.org/national-disciple-making-forum/ Stay informed - Get our newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/hPViAr Listen - Disciple Maker's Podcast:  https://discipleship.org/resources/podcast/ See below for a longer description:  In this insightful video, Steve McCoy, lead pastor at 360 Church, shares his unique approach to disciple-making that originates from Jesus' methods. McCoy discusses his journey from church planting to leading a thriving congregation that emphasizes intentional discipleship. Central to this approach is the concept of the '360 Church,' represented by three circles: large weekend worship gatherings, mid-sized small groups, and intimate one-on-one or micro-group discipleship settings. This method aims to replicate Jesus' relational disciple-making style, fostering deeper connections and spiritual growth among church members. McCoy outlines the various levels of discipleship at 360 Church, such as congregational worship, deeper discussions in small groups, and highly personalized one-on-one discipleship relationships. He also introduces a discipleship tool called 'Small Circle,' which is available for free on mobile apps and features a range of resources structured to ease everyday people into disciple-making roles. The tool includes detailed lesson plans, scripture, memory verses, and methods for fostering a strong relational depth. The discussion further goes into the importance of practical tools in empowering individuals like 'truck driver Ted' to become effective disciple-makers. Steve McCoy emphasizes the necessity of providing everyday church members with the confidence and resources to engage in discipleship, thereby creating a movement within the church community. Today's video promotes the logical use of discipleship tools that go beyond mere information transfer to achieve life transformation and relational depth. This video is a must-watch for church leaders, pastors, and anyone interested in practical disciple-making strategies. Tune in to learn how intentional and relational discipleship can transform both individuals and entire church communities. We would be honored if you would share this video, to grow our mission of equipping the church to make disciples. Please comment like and subscribe to this video for more tools on disciple making.  Check out our Blogs: https://discipleship.org/blog/ 

This session will walk you through the key legal steps to build a business that's ready for investment and eventually for sale. We will dive into the legal side of raising capital. From friends and family to private investors or venture capital. We will demystify the capital raising process – covering commonly used private placement exemptions like Regulation D (Rules 506(b) and 506(c)), basic compliance responsibilities, and the kinds of disclosures and filings that may be required to stay on the right side of the law. Next, we'll look ahead to your exit strategy. Whether you are planning to retire, sell to a competitor, or transition the business to current owner, we will discuss what makes the business sellable, what buyers expect, how deals are structured, how businesses are valued, and the professionals who can help you do it right. This session is ideal for business owners who want to grow with intention, raise money the right way, and make choices that keep their options open for a successful exit. Megan Farley is a partner at Allen Stahl & Kilbourne, PLLC where she focuses her practice on business, nonprofit, alcoholic beverage law, intellectual property (trademark) law, and creditor rights.She regularly advises business clients on a range of matters from formation, contracts, commercial lease review and negotiation, mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, applying for and maintaining trademark registration, and other business operational matters. Megan also assists craft beverage business clients with federal, state, and local ABC permitting, compliance, contracting, intellectual property licensing, and through the nuances of buying and selling ABC-permitted businesses.Megan has sat on the board of directors of the North Carolina Craft Beverage Museum and Invest Collegiate Imagine charter school. Her practical nonprofit experience helps her guide nonprofit clients through the unique challenges they face. In addition to advising nonprofit clients, Megan provides workshops for boards and facilitates strategic planning meetings to assist nonprofits in defining clear goals and strategies to further their missions.Alison Kinnear is a seasoned corporate and securities attorney with nearly 30 years of experience advising clients on complex business matters. Her practice focuses on business transactions, corporate governance, private placements, and compliance with state and federal securities laws.Alison's work spans a wide range of legal areas, including corporate structuring and restructuring, governance, commercial contracts, and private placements under Regulation D, with deal sizes ranging from $500,000 to $50 million. She regularly handles partner buyouts, buy-sell agreements, and mergers and acquisitions involving transactions from $10,000 to $100 million. Her experience also includes business succession planning and overseeing legal due diligence for major transactions.In addition to her transactional work, Alison serves as outside counsel to startups and growing companies, providing both strategic input and practical legal guidance that supports their long-term success.Join us in person for CBP Connects New OrleansDecember 8–10, 2025It's never been more important to connect: https://cbpconnects.com/

Should You Sell Your Defaulted Notes?  Process, Pricing & Insights - #310 As a private lender, the big question eventually comes up: does it ever make sense to sell a defaulted note? The answer… it depends. In this episode of the Private Lenders Podcast, Chris and Jason break down the real strategy behind selling non-performing notes (NPNs), who buys them, when it's worth considering—and when it's better to ride it out yourself. If you're a private lender navigating late payments, defaults, foreclosure timelines, capital deployment, or debt fund pressure, this conversation will save you time, money, and headaches.

Have you ever held yourself back in your jewelry business because you didn't want to seem like a "sellout"?  In this episode, I sit down with jewelry industry pioneer Tracy Matthews to unpack the mindset blocks that stop so many creative entrepreneurs from growing the business, and life, they truly want. We talk about letting go of guilt around success, stepping into your role as a chief visionary officer, and building structure that supports your creativity rather than stifles it. Tracy shares her story of starting her jewelry business in the '90s, overcoming rejection, and helping thousands of designers grow thriving brands through her coaching work. If you've ever questioned your worth or struggled to show up consistently, this conversation will remind you: wanting more doesn't make you a sellout…it makes you unstoppable.     What You Will Learn in this Episode:  How to stop abandoning your vision and start owning your worth as an artist The mindset shift from "maker" to chief visionary officer Why structure gives creatives more freedom, not less How to overcome fear of judgment and rejection in your business   Topics Discussed: Overcoming the "sellout" stigma in the jewelry industry Subconscious beliefs and self-sabotage among creatives Structuring your week for growth and flow Handling rejection and building resilience Partner support and navigating unsupportive relationships Reinventing your business and staying aligned as you grow   __________________________ Ready to grow + scale your jewelry business? Work with me → jewelrybusinessacademy.ca/fast-track If you loved today's episode, hit subscribe so you never miss a strategy drop. DM me your biggest takeaway on Instagram → @robynclarkcoaching Grab my free business guides → linktr.ee/robynclarkcoaching Tracy's Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/flourish_thrive/ https://www.instagram.com/iamtracymatthews/    Tracy's Podcast | https://creativesruletheworld.com/   

In this episode, Tracy welcomes Colin Brisebois, VP of Products & Market Strategies at Farm Credit Canada, to talk about one of the most important topics in Canadian agriculture today: transition planning.  Colin walks through why farm transition is becoming more urgent, the industry pressures behind it, and how FCC is stepping up with tools, resources, and the innovative Transition Loan to help both founders and young farmers navigate the shift. He breaks down what makes this loan unique, what features farmers need to know, and shares real-world storytelling examples showing how it can work in different farm scenarios.  Whether you're on the buying or selling side of a farm transition, this episode provides practical clarity and direction. Episode Highlights & Timestamps 0:00 – Welcome & Guest Introduction Tracy welcomes Colin and has him share more about himself and his role at Farm Credit Canada. 4:12 – Why Transition Planning Matters More Than Ever Colin discusses why farm transition planning is essential for Canadian producers. 6:45 – Key Industry Trends Driving Urgency Rising land values, aging producers, consolidation, and delayed succession conversations. 10:09 – FCC's Role in Supporting Transition How transition planning fits into FCC's mission to strengthen Canadian agriculture. 14:25 – What Makes FCC's Transition Loan Unique Colin explains the purpose behind the loan and why it fills a gap in the Canadian market. * Extended disbursement periods * Down payment financing options * Seller guarantee pathways * Structuring for both family and non-family transitions * Two pathways for buyers (Equity Building Path & Cash Flow Optimization Path ) 17:23 – Benefits for Founders/Sellers How the loan helps outgoing farmers with flexibility, retirement planning, and smoother handoff. 17:59 – Advantages for Young Farmers/Buyers Reducing upfront strain, improving cash flow, and enabling earlier, smoother ownership. Plus he shares more on the two pathways to ownership for buyers. 19:45 – Transition Loan Examples Through Storytelling  Explore two distinct pathways that illustrate how the Transition Loan can be tailored to meet the needs of both buyers and sellers. Colin shares the two pathways to ownership (Equity Building Path & Cash Flow Optimization Path) showing how the loan can be adapted for different needs. 29:00 – Tools & Resources Available Calculator tools, planning resources, and how farmers can model their options. 29:26 – Where to Learn More & Show Closing How producers can connect with FCC or access information online. Whether you're on the buying or selling side of a farm transition, this episode provides practical clarity and direction on how Farm Credit Canada is supporting Canadian farmers to transition their legacy to the next generation. Thanks for tuning in friends, Tracy SHOW RESOURCES FCC Transition Loan: https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/financing/agriculture/transition FCC Transition Loan Calculator: https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/resources/calculators#7caxjuU=3 FCC Transition Knowledge Center: https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/knowledge#VfpxFJD=0 FCC Events: https://www.fcc-fac.ca/en/knowledge/events ============ ✅ CONNECT With The Impact Farming Show & Farm Marketer

Are you a licensed health professional who's tired of being at the mercy of insurance reimbursements or feeling stuck on the social media hamster wheel just to attract clients? In this episode, I sit down with Becky Bell, a registered dietitian and alum of the Nourished Business Accelerator (NBA), who has cracked the code to creating a profitable, scalable hybrid practice. Becky shares how she transitioned from a cash-pay model to a blend of insurance and cash-pay services that has doubled her income without burning out or compromising client care. From replacing her Instagram marketing with SEO (and never looking back!) to crafting a high-touch offer that includes reimbursable services, Becky walks us through the process of building an insurance/cash pay hybrid business that supports both your clients and your lifestyle. Whether you're a dietitian, therapist, NP, or another licensed health provider, you'll walk away with inspiration and practical insights to make this hybrid model work for you too. Timeline Summary: [0:00] - How licensed health professionals can double their insurance income while reducing marketing burnout. [1:02] - Meet Becky Bell: how she built a thriving, insurance-based business without relying on Instagram. [4:45] - Becky's journey from an all-cash pay model to integrating insurance without sacrificing outcomes. [8:17] - Why she resisted taking insurance initially, and what finally changed her mind. [12:34] - The step-by-step process Becky used to get credentialed and test her new hybrid offer. [18:10] - Structuring a signature offer that blends insurance-covered sessions with high-value cash-pay services. [24:17] - The secret to successfully selling hybrid programs: it's all about positioning and outcomes. [34:41] - Why Becky ditched group programs and doubled down on one-on-one support. [40:52] - How Becky maintains her high-value services with less than 10 hours a week outside of sessions. [43:56] - The SEO strategy that replaced Instagram and now brings in nearly all of her clients. [52:49] - Final thoughts: why this hybrid model might be the best-kept secret for sustainable health businesses. Top 5 Quotes: "I spend way less time marketing than ever before and I'm busier than I've ever been." "I was starting to feel like I wish I could expand who I serve without sacrificing the level of outcomes I get for people." "Most of my clients right now are coming from Google search. I took a break from Instagram and I never went back." "What insurance companies pay me now is only about 50% of my total revenue. The rest comes from the hybrid model I created." "If I had to start over, I'd start with my website and SEO. That's what's filling my business today." Links & Resources: DM me CASH on Instagram @lauraschoenfeldrd to join the Cash Pay Kickstart (Enrollment Closes 11/30/25) The Nourished Business Accelerator - Apply Here Contact Becky: becky@rootednutritiontherapies.com If you loved this episode, make sure to follow, rate, and review the show! It helps us reach more health pros ready to build a sustainable, profitable business. See you next week on the Nourished CEO Podcast!  

In this episode of The Fractional CMO Show, Casey Stanton dives into what it really means to work as a fractional CMO—and why sometimes that means rolling up your sleeves and doing the work yourself. He's pulling from years of real client experience, from managing multi-million-dollar launches to helping clients navigate gaps in their teams, and he's calling out the patterns he sees: overextending yourself, letting scope creep happen, and trying to do everything instead of delegating strategically.   Casey shares straight-up stories from his work—like stepping in when a key team member's paternity leave threatened a project, or designing a custom data workflow to connect a client's CRM systems. These examples show the fine line between having fun, experimenting, and solving problems that only you can solve as a CMO. Key Topics Covered: -How to handle scope creep without burning out -When it makes sense to roll up your sleeves—and when to delegate -Building systems and teams to work smarter, not harder -Using curiosity and play to maintain an edge and stay sharp -Leading through hard times, not just easy wins -Structuring fractional CMO engagements for maximum impact -Why fewer clients and bigger problems equal better outcomes and higher fees

If you found yourself newly single after not dating since being a teenager, what would you do? Author and AWC graduate Holly Brunnbauer asks that question in her award-winning romance novel, What Did I Miss? –and in this episode she shares what inspired her to write it, her exciting story about getting an agent and book deal, plus the unusual window of time she writes in during each day! 00:00 Welcome02:00 Our SALE is on 05:21 WIN!: ‘Every Day I Read’ by Hwang Bo-reum06:54 Word of the week: ‘Orrery’07:58 Writer in residence: Holly Brunnbauer09:07 What is What Did I Miss? about?10:20 What inspired Holly to write the book12:50 The experience writing it14:55 Holly’s year of writing a novel16:27 Discovering the AWC courses17:15 Getting an agent and a book deal21:44 Pitching to screen professionals24:00 Balancing writing with a busy life26:24 Planning and Structuring a Novel28:55 Documentation31:50 The joy of writing and future plans33:53 Publication surprises and realities35:28 Bonus short interview with Charlotte Barkla38:09 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you be willing to remove an organ just to escape your 9-to-5 and chase your dream? In this episode of the Real Estate Excellence Podcast, Tracy Hayes sits down with Drew Kazemba. Drew shares one of the most unconventional entries into real estate ever told—he voluntarily had his appendix removed to get time off work and take his real estate exam. Drew walks us through how he transitioned from a miserable medical sales job into building a thriving real estate career in Jacksonville, Florida. From cold-calling hedge funds and wholesaling to learning the ropes at DJ & Lindsey, Drew reveals the gritty hustle behind his rapid success. He also dives into how technology like ChatGPT has supercharged his operations, the power of learning from top agents, and why real estate isn't just about selling homes but building wealth and strategic opportunities for clients. This episode is packed with golden insights for both new agents and seasoned pros looking to level up. Are you stuck in a job you hate and dreaming of diving into real estate? Don't wait for the perfect moment—take action now. Subscribe to the Real Estate Excellence Podcast for more inspiring stories and tactical advice. Follow and message Drew Kazemba to learn how you can build wealth through real estate—no appendix removal required.   Highlights: 00:00 - The Appendix Exit Plan & Real Estate Awakening Drew's bold plan: appendix removal for PTO Leaving medical sales for real estate Self-teaching wholesaling after hours Scoring a big deal that never paid, but lit the fire The moment he knew real estate was it 11:59 - 22:59 Building Skills Through Volume Interviewing brokerages and choosing DJ & Lindsey Call time, leads, and sales floor discipline Learning fast through repetition and structure At-bats vs. years: why high-volume matters Outgrowing a lead-based model 23:00 - 32:59 Time-Blocking, Tech, and ChatGPT Mastery ChatGPT as virtual assistant and knowledge base Automating follow-ups with Zapier Using AI to build reports and analyze tax strategies Structuring days with time blocks Why tech-savvy agents have the edge 33:00 - 46:28 From Agent to Developer Meeting Matt Roberts again and joining Someday Learning construction, development, and investment modeling Using project experience to serve investor clients Helping buyers buy smart with long-term mindset Real estate as a launchpad to bigger things 46:29 - 1:00:00 Equity, Cash Flow, and Pitfalls The myth of guaranteed cash flow Evaluating properties like a pro Why break-even deals still build wealth Common investor mistakes and bad flips How Drew calculates cost of money, rehab, and ROI 1:00:01 - 1:16:11 Airbnb Realities & Final Real Estate Lessons Is Airbnb still worth it in NE Florida? Short-term rental logistics and costs How Drew advises on STR vs long-term play Risk management and truth-telling for investors Empowering buyers with education and honesty   Quotes: "I got my appendix removed just to take time off and chase real estate—I'm not kidding." "You win in real estate when you buy the house, not when you sell it." "You're not going to cry about the deal you didn't get; you're going to cry about the one you lost money on." "ChatGPT is my best friend. I vent to it, I time-block with it, and I learn from it." – Drew Kazemba   To contact Drew Kazemba, learn more about his business, and make him a part of your network, make sure to follow him on his Website, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.   Connect with Drew Kazemba! Website: https://www.somedayhomesteam.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewkaz_jaxrealtor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drew.kazemba/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrewKRealty TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dkazemba   Connect with me! Website: toprealtorjacksonville.com   Website: toprealtorstaugustine.com    SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A 5-STAR REVIEW as we discuss real estate excellence with the best of the best.   #RealEstateExcellence #DrewKazemba #RealtorLife #RealEstatePodcast #From9to5ToRealEstate #JacksonvilleRealEstate #Wholesaling #FirstTimeBuyer #RealEstateInvesting #ChatGPTForBusiness #ModernRealtor #LeadGeneration #HomeOwnershipJourney #DJandLindsey #RealEstateMentor #SomedayHomes #TimeBlocking #DownPaymentAssistance #FlipToFreedom #RealEstateTech

Natasha's insomnia journey began during the long grind of the pandemic. Life was full, intense, and stretched thin. She and her husband were working and their young son needed to take school classes online. When their nanny suddenly stopped coming, Natasha brushed it off at first. But that first sleepless night turned into another… and then another. Before she knew it, she was caught in a spiral she couldn't make sense of. Like many people who've always slept well, she didn't expect sleep to suddenly feel impossible. She tried going to bed earlier. She tried teas, essential oils, supplements, white noise, antidepressants, anti-anxiety medication — anything she could find and all the things the internet tells you “should” help. Each attempt only made her more aware of how badly she wanted sleep and how far away it felt. Her nights became long stretches of alertness mixed with exhaustion — awake while everyone else slept — and her days were filled with worry about the next night. Over time, insomnia started to shape her choices. She avoided travel. She canceled early meetings. She relied on her husband sharing a bed with her for sleep to have any chance of happening. Insomnia slowly became the center of her days. The turning point didn't come from a pill or a hack. It came when every one of her “solutions” stopped working — and she realized she couldn't keep building her life around avoiding insomnia. That moment of exhaustion and honesty pushed her to look for a different approach. When we started working together, Natasha began noticing something important: even after a bad night, the next day could go better than she expected. And sometimes, after a good night, the day didn't feel great at all. That simple observation helped loosen the grip insomnia had on her. She also began changing her actions in small, meaningful ways — not to fix sleep, but to take her life back. She scheduled breakfast meetings again. She made evening plans without checking the clock. She traveled. She stopped organizing her days around sleep anxiety. And she created a calmer routine at night by watching shows she enjoyed instead of lying in bed trying to force sleep. Today, Natasha has her life back. Sleep isn't a project. Nights aren't battles. Insomnia no longer runs her life. Natasha runs her own life and sleep takes care of itself. Click here for a full transcript of this episode. Transcript Martin: Welcome to the Insomnia Coach Podcast. My name is Martin Reed. I believe that by changing how we respond to insomnia and all the difficult thoughts and feelings that come with it, we can move away from struggling with insomnia and toward living the life we want to live. Martin: The content of this podcast is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. The statements and opinions expressed by guests are their own and are not necessarily endorsed by Insomnia Coach LLC. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied. Martin: Okay. Natasha, thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to come onto the podcast. Natasha: You are welcome, Martin. Thanks for having me. Martin: It’s great to have you on. Let’s start right at the very beginning. When did your sleep problems first begin and what do you feel caused those initial issues with sleep? Natasha: I think it was 2022 and we were still very much within the pandemic. And so there was of course like bad news all around, but I wasn’t necessarily stressed by that. All our children were outta school in the sense that all the schools were shut down. Natasha: At that point, my like 5-year-old or 6-year-old son, he was having to do his online classes and the day was just relentless, right? Because me, my husband, we were both working, we didn’t have any help at home. And then he had these online classes. So I had found this sort of nanny person who could help out during the day so that we could get our work done. Natasha: And I think she basically just called in sick. And I think like now, and this is all in hindsight, but I think it was some sort of like anxiety from that. And she wasn’t being very specific about whether she was, she had COVID or whether she was just, she said, I’ve hurt my foot. And, I think it was basically the fact that there was a lot of uncertainty about when she would be back and whether she would be back. Natasha: And I couldn’t sleep that night when she said, I’m not coming tomorrow. And, I think that was fine because the next day rolled around, but then the day after that, again, I sort of couldn’t fall back to sleep. And you know what happens when you haven’t slept one night and you feel like you have this huge day to get through the next day you try to overcompensate. Natasha: So I think I probably try to get into bed really early and I couldn’t fall asleep. And then I think I probably still just got out and read a book and got on with it. Natasha: So the days had been quite difficult to get through with a small child and work. I think by the third day I started noticing, I suddenly noticed the fact that I hadn’t slept very well and that I wasn’t being able to fall asleep. Natasha: And so the third night, I just really couldn’t sleep at all because I’d become very attentive to the fact that I was having this difficulty and that I had to. And so I think that’s what set it off. I don’t think there was anything more than that. Once it got started it just became this kind of vicious spiral of crashing pretty much after two or three days of sleeping very badly. Natasha: And then feeling slightly recovered the next day only to not be able to go back to sleep that night. And yeah, I think I started paying so much attention to the fact that I was having difficulty sleeping, that it was just getting harder and I think it, it turned into a huge full-blown problem. Martin: I’m gonna guess that there’s been other times in your life where you might have got a little bit less sleep or a lot less sleep than normal. And then things figured themselves out and sleep got back on track. What do you think was different this time around? Natasha: So I think a few things might have been different. Natasha: One was of course, that I think the pressure in the pandemic was very high on productivity and just somehow getting through the day. So not just, you had a lot of things to do at work. You had very little help and I had a child and I think also because there was this idea that there was some degree of latitude with your partners. Natasha: If for some reason you are sick, then he can pick up the slack more than what he’s normally doing. But I think he was completely slammed as well. As a family I think we’d become very aware of just how we were stretched beyond like capability. Natasha: So I think maybe that was one like predisposing condition that it, it made the need for rest so much higher. And therefore I think there was some kind of a, psychological reaction to the fact that when you thought that you really needed to rest, you weren’t being able to. I also do think, I do think it maybe had something to do with COVID because I did get COVID early 2022. Natasha: And I think I got, ever since then I’ve had COVID twice. And every time I’ve had COVID I’ve had a little bit of difficulty with sleep and a little bit of hyper arousal. So I, I think maybe it was a combination of these two things. But normally now if that happens, it just resolves itself because I don’t sit and, I don’t get too upset about it. Natasha: But at that time, perhaps, maybe some sort of like the physiological part was there, and then there was this huge psychological reality. Martin: Would you say that because it was such a stressful period it felt like maybe the stakes were higher than they were in the past. So as a result, you put more pressure on yourself to get sleep back on track. Martin: There was more trying, more effort, more pressure. Natasha: Yeah. I think there’s also one of the things I have realized and listening to your podcast, it’s something that I’ve observed. There are a lot of people who say that they develop insomnia. Many of them say that they were excellent sleepers. Natasha: They were brilliant sleepers before and they could sleep anywhere, anytime. And that was me as well. I could sleep anywhere, anytime. But the other thing is also that I think there are people who say that, I can’t function without sleep. I need my sleep. I love my sleep. Natasha: And there are others who are like, yeah, I can get on with it. It’s fine. I think you and I feel like if you’re the type who has told themselves for years that, oh, I can’t function without sleep, which is what I used to tell myself, and that’s why I used to sleep very adequately because I’d be like, oh, I need my nine hours and I need like my naps in between. Natasha: I feel like if you’ve spent years telling yourself that you can’t function without sleep and then a stressful situation comes that requires you to compromise with sleep or where your sleep gets affected, perhaps you are more susceptible to then developing anxiety around it, right? Because you’ve told yourself that you don’t know how to kind of function without it. Natasha: So maybe it’s also personality or like prior mindsets. Martin: It’s like the more important we deem something in our lives, quite naturally, the more we’re gonna focus on it. And if it deviates from whatever we want it to be doing that’s gonna immediately generate a lot of concern. Martin: And where we get trapped with insomnia and sleep is really, it’s beyond our direct and permanent control. So it, it kind of backfires, that additional effort. We might not be able to control the thoughts, we might not be able to change the fact that we see it as something important. Martin: It’s okay to see it as something important, but it’s our actions around that. The more we try to make sleep happen the more we can end up struggling with it. Natasha: Yeah, and I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that now there is so much literature and all the things you can do to improve your sleep, right? Natasha: So there is this perpetuation of this illusion that somehow sleep is something you can entirely control and engineer. And I think I was doing so much of that as well. Natasha: You go through this strange, five stages of grief or something through that period of night where, you just, at some point you’re very angry. At some point you’re very depressed with your situation because it’s also this, it is a strange experience of being wide awake when the whole world is sleeping. Natasha: It’s different from being a night owl and it’s different from someone who’s, voluntarily working or relaxing or gaming or whatever. Natasha: You are alert and exhausted. So because you’re alert, you can’t go to sleep and because you’re exhausted, you can’t actually do anything productive. So you’re literally just sitting awake and not being able to do anything and not being able to relax. Natasha: And I think that in that whole process you do end up, of course you start googling feverishly and I’ve done everything right. I think over the last two years, before, before I met you, I think I’ve done everything I must have done. Like the primrose oil, the lavender, the magnesium, the chamomile tea, the Yeah, like I think the white noise and I’ve done, I think you try everything and the more things you’re throwing at it, the worse it’s getting. Natasha: And I think every failure after you’ve tried something and that failure is even harder to reconcile. But some of that comes from the fact that you’re reaching out for answers into Google and Google is giving you some solutions. It’s not telling you that, the way to, to get to sleep is just to let it go. Natasha: It’s not telling you that, it’s actually telling you, do this, and then you start doing it. Martin: The information out there tends to be about doing more, it’s, if there’s a problem, do this. And with sleep, it’s all about doing less. If anyone has a recollection in their own experience of a time when sleep wasn’t an issue or a concern, what did you do to experience sleep in that way? Martin: And it was nothing. It was going to bed. It was getting out of bed, living your life, and it just took care of itself. But then we just exposed to this proliferation of advice and information and hacks and gadgets and gizmos and this and this. And when we are feeling stuck it’s completely understandable that we are gonna be looking for a solution. Martin: And almost everything in life, the solution is do this or do more, put more effort in. Try harder. That sleep is one of those outliers. And we can so easily through no fault of our own, get tangled up in that quick sound, so the more we fight it. The more we struggle with it, the more we try and escape that quick sound, the deeper we find ourselves sinking. Natasha: Yeah. You said this and I think I, this is printed in my brain because I remember in one of our first sessions you said exactly this, you said that most things in life respond well to effort, but sleep doesn’t, sleep does not respond well to effort. And because we all have such a bias for action and effort, you think that if there’s something I can do. Natasha: What happened to me was like one night I didn’t, I think again, my husband, I woke him up at 4:00 AM because I was like, I think I’m having a heart attack. Natasha: Because, ’cause you are just palpitating now obviously your body’s completely dysfunctioning because you’re exhausted and you haven’t slept. And so I was sweating and I was feeling this like pinch in my heart and he got really worried. Natasha: So I said, okay, let me just go and buy sleeping pills. And I didn’t know what that was. So I went to this pharmacy and I was like do you have sleeping pills? And they were like you need a prescription for that. Because in India you don’t need a prescription for a lot of things. A lot of things you get over the counter, but hang on, this one is one that we do need a prescription for. Natasha: So then I started texting you can only get prescriptions from, obviously a licensed doctor or a psychiatrist. And I didn’t know any, so I texted one, a friend saying, do you know? And then she said yes. And so she connected me with somebody. But they said that you have to, you have to have a session with a therapist. Natasha: For her to for them to evaluate you. And I was desperate, right? Because I hadn’t slept all night. And I said, listen, I just, I need something to knock me out and I don’t need therapy. I don’t need a therapist. I’m fine. Literally the only problem in my life right now is that for some reason I’ve developed this mysterious inability to sleep. Natasha: And, but they of course, had the responsible practice was that I should talk to a therapist. So I did. And of course, at the end of the hour she was very sweet and she said it does seem you are fairly self-aware and your relationship with your partner is very good and everything is fine and maybe you just need medication. Natasha: And I was almost like, yes, I told you so then she put me through a psychiatrist. And that person, but that was the interesting thing, right? When I went to the psychiatrist and it was, she spoke to me literally for 10 minutes, and this was on Zoom because we were still in the pandemic. Natasha: And yeah, she was like okay, are you anxious about something? And you, you mentioned one or two things because if you are living life and if you’re adulting, of course you’re anxious about a few things. So I said a few things and she was like, okay, great. And here’s an antidepressant, which kind of surprised me because I’d never taken antidepressants before. Natasha: And I have studied psychology, so I do understand SSRIs. So I asked her, I said, oh, why are you giving me an antidepressant? She was like basically this is, it’s just going to relax you. So I said, fine. Natasha: So I took that, but I wasn’t happy about it because I wasn’t happy taking it. And I think what also what happened was I started taking the antidepressant for a couple of weeks. And predictably. So I slept okay on the first couple of times because it was a sort of a placebo, right? You had this like safety feeling that I’m taking a pill and I’m fine. Natasha: And then I think I was traveling to Delhi for work and it, I had my pill and it didn’t work. And I was up all night and I had to work the entire day. And then the same thing happened the next day. I came back to the hotel, I was exhausted and I was like, I’m going to just absolutely crash. Natasha: I think I fell asleep in the cab on the way to the hotel, but I popped my pill. I got into bed and I couldn’t sleep. And then I was like, okay, this medicine is not working. So I remember being, that, that makes you really worried because you see, I went to a doctor gave me something and now this is not working. Natasha: So then I came back and then I tried different things. When I got back home, I remember that night I went to bed and my husband Suraj was sitting next to me, and that was very comforting. So then began this whole era of me saying, okay, I need you to sleep in the bed with me, right? Natasha: You have to be in bed with me. So whether you are reading or whatever you’re doing, you need to be in bed. Because I wasn’t sure the medication was working. And so I stopped taking that, but then I didn’t have any other crutch, so I said, okay, you have to be in bed with me. And so he would have to get into bed and sometimes he likes to sleep a bit later and I get tired sooner. Natasha: It was adding these layers of something is wrong with me to my sense of self, right? Because you’re like, first you can’t sleep, then you, now you need your husband to come and lie with you. And you’re affecting his life as a result. Natasha: And then I became very averse to traveling as a result. So I said, I don’t want to, I don’t wanna go anywhere because I I don’t know, I, I don’t wanna sleep alone, so I don’t wanna go on business trips and I don’t want to go, but more than business trips, because those couldn’t be avoided. Natasha: I was almost like, I don’t wanna go on personal instead of holidays with my girlfriends, and I just don’t wanna go on a holiday with somebody where if I’m not sure where I would have to sleep alone by myself. So I was supposed to go for this hike and we would go, we were gonna sleep in a dorm. And I was so terrified of the idea of being like, absolutely wide awake at 3:00 AM in a dormitory full of girls, I don’t know, which was not me at all. Natasha: ’cause that, that I was not that type of person ever. So I opted out of that. I said, no, I’m not gonna do that. And it just started adding up right where I stopped making evening plans because I said, oh, if it’s too late, and then I get home late and then it I won’t have enough time to wind down and get to bed. Natasha: So I think all of this was happening and even when I was traveling. In 2022, I remember we went for this, I had this huge event in September or so. And it had been like eight months since my issues with sleep. But I had to go to Bombay for this event for a whole week. And my plan was that I’m basically going to night cap it through I’m going to have a drink every night and then I’m going to somehow knock myself out and just get through the entire week. Natasha: And that’s exactly what I did. Which, in hindsight, that’s, it’s just such a terrible strategy. But there was no other way to imagine being able to do things like this. So I feel like this was carrying on and I had sort of, because I’d already been to a psychiatrist, one I once, I didn’t consider going back to anyone because what I was very aware of was that I really wasn’t struggling with anything in my life in a big way other than sleep, so I. And that was the other thing. ’cause again, anytime you ever told anyone or even hinted to somebody that you find it hard to sleep, the first question they’re like, oh, are you stressed out about something? Or or and that can almost start grating you. ’cause you’re like, no, I’m not stressed about anything. Natasha: I’m not stressed, I’m not per se stressed and I, but this thing that, you’re losing sleep because there must be some something underlying and something subconscious and you’re like, no. The only thing that’s conscious, subconscious and all pervasive is sleep anxiety. And I think the fact that sleep anxiety, again, is its own category of anxiety, of, it’s a type of anxiety that perhaps happens. Natasha: And there are no other underlying hidden, Freudian reasons for why you’re not being able to sleep. You’re really, you’re just having some, you’ve developed a strange relationship with sleep and your bed. So you are passing out on your couch and then the minute you hit the bed you are like wide awake, so I think this thing was something that I have only processed a little bit in hindsight and through, conversations with you and understanding this whole situation. But like throughout 2022, it was just, it was some, it was a hack, just hacking my way through it. And because things were working out really well with having my partner in bed with me I was like, okay, fine, this is fine. Natasha: How bad is it? And even through 23, I think like 23 actually was very stable because like I said, whenever I was traveling, I had become that person where I said, okay, I’m not gonna sleep when I travel. But even then, I think there was. There was a, I remember again, I went for a team retreat and I was up the entire night, like the sun came up and I just got outta bed and we all had, and this was this big strategy retreat, which you had to talk a lot of strategy. Natasha: And that was the, and I was confused about whether I should tell my teammates that I didn’t sleep all night. And so I, but I decided to, ’cause I said I can’t, I’d come to that point where I was like, this is just who I am. This is going to be forever. So I have to start telling people that I find it hard and I’m, I have lovely colleagues and they’re all wonderful people. Natasha: So I said, maybe I can trust them and I could just tell them that I couldn’t sleep all night, because, if I’m spacing out in the middle of the dates, it’s only fair that they know. And I did tell them and and they were very kind about it, but I think I was so tired. Natasha: At the end of that day, I remember, and I was so terrified, Martin, that I was not gonna be able to sleep again. And so I actually asked my one of my teammates who I’m really close with, and I really like her. And I told her, I said, and this is gonna sound very strange ’cause we were all living in a house. Natasha: So it was nice. It was like a large, huge villa. And I said, is it okay if I sleep with you? And she was like, yeah, sure. And she was very sweet about it. And so I actually had went and I slept in her room with her. And I think that there were parts of me that was so embarrassed by this, but also so helpless about it and feeling like what is happening. Natasha: Whenever you tell people they, I mean they are sympathetic, but either they don’t understand or it’s the sort of you’re stressed. Natasha: And again, I think I was talking to someone and they recommended the psychiatrist and this therapist to me. So then I went to her and she prescribed me a whole other set of SSRIs and anti-anxiety medication. And again, I took it for a while and it does make you feel slightly different. So I think I started feeling a little bit. Not okay on some of that medication. Natasha: Especially, I think the worst experience which I’ve had is taking medication, going to bed, not being able to sleep, and then you are waking up with half, slept with this half digested medicine in your brain and you’re just getting through the next day because you know you, ’cause you have to. Natasha: All of us end up going through all these rabbit holes because there is no direction and the experts are actually giving you wrong advice and Google is definitely leading you in the wrong direction. And then you’re just stuck with all of the, this sense of helplessness and this huge sense of the fact that something is broken inside you. Natasha: And it’s funny, because I do actually work in the mental health field and there is a lot that’s said about the stigma associated with depression, with anxiety because even though there has been so much awareness building and conversation still, if your team members or someone in your organization is going through depression and they’re not able to perform, very few people can actually come and say, this is what’s happening to me when it’s happening. Natasha: They can talk about it once they have figured it out and gotten over it. And in a strange way, like insomnia is like that because if I hadn’t slept all night and if I slept at 4:00 AM and I woke up at seven and I had a call at nine 30 in the morning and I had to cancel it, or I had a call at seven in the morning, which I had to cancel. Natasha: I couldn’t be like, I’m sorry, I have to cancel this call because I couldn’t sleep all night. I would say I’m sick, or something else. But it sounded absurd to see, it almost sounds like you’re not a, you’re not a capable functioning adult if you say oh, I couldn’t sleep. And I think that sense that something that everybody else is just doing so effortlessly and everybody else is just doing without thinking and you’re just not able to do. Natasha: And it’s so basic. It’s, I would look at my son he’d just pass out. It feels so basic. I think that was the hardest part, like now in hindsight, right? It was of course the tiredness and all of the other things. But this, the psychological experience of going through insomnia, I think is very difficult. Martin: I completely agree with you. Just the way you were describing it there, you could tell how insomnia or sleep just started to become more of your identity. It was almost like taking over more of who you are. And in a way you were just losing this independence, this independence, this sense of agency that you have over your own life, because so many of your actions became geared towards protecting sleep, avoiding insomnia compensating for difficult nights, all of which is completely understandable. Martin: And when all of that stuff just doesn’t feel like it’s proving to be a long-term solution, it can then feel really mysterious, right? Martin: It can feel like there’s something uniquely wrong. There’s something going on here that is different to what other people might be experiencing, and then we can get all of that kind of self-judgment and maybe some shame and some embarrassment and the negative self-talk, and we can be really harden ourselves that just piles it on and makes things even more difficult. Natasha: Yeah. I don’t wanna start like blaming, Google and blaming the sort of sleep culture, but I think the thing is that scientists the people who are closest to the science are the most humble about the conclusions. But the health industry is the exact opposite, right? There are just lots of claims and there’s lots of stuff. Natasha: And now the algorithms just push it to you because for sure at some point my algorithm figured out that I had, and probably very quickly that I was anxious about this. Natasha: So everything that I was being prompted. Was just like this about sleep and that about sleep and women in sleep and something and constantly actually the reverse, which was the extreme benefits. And so everything from like longevity to dementia to osteoporosis, every single thing is linked to sleep. Natasha: And of course it is, in the sense that, but it’s also linked to diet and it’s also linked to happiness and it’s also linked to genetics. And it’s linked to a hundred thousand things. Natasha: Once the algorithm finds you and finds your weakness, it starts then. And then I actually actively stopped looking at any of that content. ’cause I very quickly realized what it would do to me, right? In the sense that it would just make you feel even worse about where you were. And I think that, that’s one big part of sleep anxiety as well, because you are convinced that you are like hurting yourself. Natasha: You’re convinced that you’re becoming very unhealthy and that you’re going to die, because because you’re not being able to sleep well and that, your brain is going to deteriorate very quickly and everything is just gonna deteriorate. Natasha: I do know people who sleep badly and they run marathons and they just it doesn’t matter, like they just live their lives despite the fact that they sleep badly and they continue to sleep badly and they continue to live their lives. But I do think that there are others. And then me especially I was not being able to reconcile these two things, that I would not sleep well, but I would just get on with my life. I think the, the sense of the control and the pop science was also hurting quite a bit. Martin: When we have a problem, we wanna look for a solution, right? And there’s just so much out there. And I think there is also a lot of misinformation and misleading information out there because that’s what gets the attention. If someone writes an article that just said Sleep, it’s important, you can’t control it. Martin: No one’s gonna read that, right? But if someone comes up with a headline that says 12 Sleep Hacks that guarantee eight hours of sleep, or 12 things you can do tonight to prevent cancer ever showing up in your life, loads of people are gonna read that. Natasha: Over those two years I did lots, I accomplished lots. A huge part of life was continuing. Natasha: But the point was that I was not entirely myself and that’s the bit that I was missing. It had become a new mutation on my identity, the sleep thing, right? So 99% of my identity was still the same, but there was this new 1% that had just emerged from somewhere. Natasha: You’re not accepting your situation. You’re quite distressed by it. That’s another thing that comes with insomnia. Martin: It becomes more powerful the more we try to resist it. You can find yourself acting in ways that don’t really reflect who you are or who you want to be. Natasha: Actions are a powerful way to signal to your brain what, where your attitude lies, so I think that sometimes you can’t just intellectualize your way out of a problem. Natasha: Like sometimes you have to change the way you’re behaving. In that sense, this kind of almost subterranean signal to your brain that your attitude towards something has changed because now your body’s doing different things than what it was doing. Martin: You’d already tried so many things. You had a strategy, a roadmap that you were following with kind of mixed success. Martin: What made you think it would be productive or there would be an opportunity here for you to get something from us working together? Natasha: What happened in 2024, which is when we met, was that everything just started failing. And I don’t know why necessarily. I think we went on this holiday for New Years in 20 23 we went to this holiday. Natasha: And at that holiday, our entire day routine was starting very late. And we were not sleeping before 12 or 1230 every single night as a family. And I think because we’d lived that kind of routine for about two weeks, when we got back home early 24 I think I was like, I have to go to work, so I should get to bed at night. Natasha: And obviously your body was in attuned to sleeping at nine. And and then that, and this time I went to bed. My husband and I went to bed. He promptly fell asleep. I don’t know his bo his body can sleep as much anytime. I dunno, it just doesn’t seem to bother him. But I couldn’t. And then there was that like, oh shit moment, right? Natasha: That, oh my God, my last standing hack has stopped working. And there was all this legacy of failure as well in the past. And so then I think basically I went through a couple of weeks where I, it was exactly as bad as your peak struggles where you’re just not sleeping before you had figured out your placebo or your hack or your safety behavior before any of that, ’cause once I figured some of those out in 22 and 23, then there was a whole period of stability. But again, I was back in this tumult and we had to go for, to celebrate a function for the same sweet teammate of mine who had shared her hotel bed with me. And she, her sister was getting married and we went and we flew to another town for this. Natasha: And again, basically all of us landed. We got to the hotel really late. Everyone’s exhausted, husband and child pass out. I don’t sleep at all. At 5:00 AM I think he woke up to get a glass of water. And he saw, and I was reading and he said, oh, why are you up? And I said, I haven’t slept all night. And so I think for him, he was like, oh my God. Natasha: What is, this is bad. Because, I think he could really empathize saying You must be exhausted. And I was tired and I was just, I was so upset because I’d come for this wedding and I’d been really looking forward to it. And I didn’t feel like participating in anything because like literally my body, my brain, everything was hurting. Natasha: So he then said we should go to, he found some sleep clinic and we went there when we got back. When we got back home again, it was the same, it was the same thing. So again, I went to the sleep clinic, the doctor prescribed me some other, like tricylic or some other cocktail of drugs. And even as the doctor was talking, and this was like a neurologist who literally told me, and I have no issues saying that, this is what he said to me. Natasha: He was like, oh, that’s really strange. Oh, you should be able to sleep, but if you’re not, here are some pills. And if these don’t work then you’re going to be on sleeping pills your whole life. There’s no other solution. He said that. He was like, oh, come back to me in a month because if this doesn’t work, then, and he literally shook his head and said, oh, then there’s no hope. Natasha: And then you’re just gonna have to be having sleeping pills for the rest of your life. And even as he was seeing it, I think something in me just got really pissed off. I was like, this is ridiculous. He didn’t even listen to my story. Natasha: It was just like, oh, you have sleep problems? Okay, here you go, here’s some drugs. So as soon as we got home, I told Suraj, I was like I don’t think he, he doesn’t know what he is talking about at all. I have actually had this situation for the last two years and I don’t think he knows what he’s saying. Natasha: And Suraj of course, trying to be the very like, supportive person. He said no, you should not. Don’t reject the doctor’s thing, just take the medication. You will be fine. And sure as hell, it didn’t work. Like after three, four days it stopped working. Natasha: And then basically I think I, in one of my, fever dreams at 2:00 AM 3:00 AM like as I was awake I was just typing into Spotify ’cause I was listening to different podcasts to to keep myself entertained at night. Natasha: And I was like, oh, there must be some podcast. Somebody must have talked about insomnia. And I typed that into Spotify, and then I found your podcast, and then I started listening to it. And Martin, for me, I was so desperate by then, I was so tired and so desperate that I said that I won’t even bother listening to all these episodes. Natasha: And, piecing together the wisdom. I said, I’m just going to write to this person and I’m just gonna directly reach out to him. Because at that point, I was very sure that I really needed like somebody to work with me, somebody to talk to. I couldn’t do some sort of self-paced, self-help. I really had to feel like I had shared my side of the story with somebody and then they understood and then they were going to kinda help me. Natasha: So that’s how I actually, I found you. And that’s what brought me. So in some sense, it was the ultimate failure of everything that got me here. Martin: When we started working together what kinda concepts did we explore or what kind of changes did you make that were different, that you feel helped you move forward and start emerging from this struggle? Natasha: One of the things that I really appreciated was that you actually asked me to list out my own strengths, right? And I think when you did that, one of the things that you noted was the fact that I do actually lead with intellect to some extent. And so for me, being able to understand like psychologically and cognitively understand things. Natasha: And once I see them in a new light, I think that’s very powerful. So that was the first thing where I think I still, this was like, I still remember our first conversation right where you said that sleep doesn’t respond to effort. And that line, it just almost like immediately, I think I just completely changed my behavior almost immediately in response to that. Natasha: I remember you mentioned in the early days itself was the fact that you can sleep really badly so you can have a bad night, but you could have a good day and you can have a good night and you can have a bad day. And so I started attending to that. Natasha: And I actually started noticing that was true. Like I could have had a very bad night, but the next day many things went well. Many things went my way, and the day was pretty effortless, even if I was slightly tired and whatever. Natasha: And then there were other times where I’d slept perfectly well and I was like, whatever, restless or fidgety or the day had gone badly. And so this dissociation of sleep is this thing that, produces this perfect day for you the next day, and you are just like this perfect person the next day. Natasha: I think for me the dissociation of those two things was also very important from, again, a kind of intellectual lens. Natasha: And then of course there was the whole bit around how do you change your actions, right? What will you do differently? And why I mentioned these two reframing sort of points is that I think they help you take those actions because sometimes you can’t take an action without conviction. Natasha: If you’re not convinced or if you don’t understand why you’re taking the action may not yield very much, but if you do understand why you’re taking that action, it helps. Natasha: I was always so conscious about like setting up breakfast meetings. I would never set up breakfast meetings. I had stopped doing that ’cause I was like no. I don’t know. Natasha: I started setting up breakfast meetings. I started like setting up dinners. I said, that’s fine. I’ll deal with it like however it goes. Calendaring your life the way you would if you did not have any issues with sleep. There was perhaps something powerful about that. Martin: It sounds like in terms of that perspective, really when we were working together, it was just a process of teasing out what you already knew, what was already inside you. This idea that sleep doesn’t need or want or require all of these kind of efforts or attention or rules or rituals or accommodations, it just wants to take care of itself. Martin: And as we explored that, you were able to reflect on your own experience and you realized, huh, yeah, that is the case. Like my experience has been telling me that, but because I’ve, my superpower of problem solving is the dominant force right now that has almost been clouded in a way. And you got this pressure to continue trying to problem solve, continue putting effort in, even though the experience says that might not be useful for you. Martin: And then the second approach was the actions you started to chip away at that power and the influence that sleep was having by focusing more on actions that served you rather than serving insomnia. And as you did that it kinda lost some of its power and influence over you. Martin: So maybe in turn you might have been less inclined to put that effort in, and so it becomes a cycle again, but maybe a more positive cycle compared to before. Natasha: Yeah, very true. I also of course, owe a debt of gratitude to K-Dramas because I one of the things that we discussed and we talked about was also like, I think nighttime awakening is a very unpleasant experience, right? Natasha: And that’s the other thing that people who struggle with insomnia will talk about that. Just the experience of being awake at night is for some reason really unpleasant. But if you flip that and if you start looking at it as some sort of invitation to binge watch K-Dramas, and for me it was fine because you the day is very busy and you’re, you’ve got children, you’ve got work, and so you can’t exactly just watch silly television all the time. Natasha: So for me, I tried to, I started thinking that so I actually intentionally found certain series and. I said, okay, I’m gonna watch these at night and I’m not gonna watch them through the day or at any on the weekends. I’m not going to and I’m gonna watch this at night. And I, and the other thing I told myself was also this idea of, a little bit of like sleep consolidation, I think. Natasha: Which did help with the hyper arousal part because I think that’s so physiological. It had to be trained out. Was this fact that no matter what, I’m not gonna sleep before 1130 or 12 even, so I’d start watching like my TV at, nine 30 and then I almost used to feel, I was almost looking forward to the TV time. Natasha: ’cause I said I have two and a half hours to watch tv. I have so much like time, actually, I don’t have to turn it off. I could just watch the next episode and the next episode. Because, I’d get up and I’d make myself a beverage and I’d come back, I’d make myself a snack, so it became this I have this whole day, which is relentless, and then I have these three hours that are just mine. Natasha: So looking at it from that point of view did help because once I told myself that I’m not gonna try to sleep before 12 I think it helped because then, yeah, by the time it was 12, I was quite tired and I hadn’t spent two or three hours in bed trying to sleep, working myself up, on the kind of arousal lad because when you’re tossing and turning, you get kinda worked up in a way that’s very different from when you’re just watching like Korean tv and then you’re genuinely tired. Natasha: And then by 12, 12 30, I was so there were many nights where I started successfully falling asleep at the time that, I decided to fall asleep at, which was 12 or 1230. And I think that also helped quite a bit because this idea that your relationship, like I was saying, that relationship with your bed literally and your body’s own cues that, when it lies down, it starts to feel like this. Natasha: I think it suddenly started changing because of accepting the night. I am accepting the fact that the night is going to be long, and so why don’t you make it nice? Martin: Your relationship to being awake at night had changed through your actions. So even if sleep was exactly the same, in other words, you never fell asleep before, let’s say three o’clock in the morning. Martin: The difference is one time you might have been in bed tossing and turning, really struggling, battling away until three o’clock in the morning. This alternative approach involved watching some TV shows that you like doing stuff that’s more pleasant, setting aside time for yourself making it a more useful way to spend that time awake and that in turn. Martin: Although there’s obviously no guarantee that’s gonna make sleep happen because it’s out of your control. It just makes that time awake more pleasant. It doesn’t get you so exhausted and tangled up in that struggle. And it can also help train your brain that maybe being awake at night isn’t such a threat that we need to be on action stations to try and protect you against. Natasha: Exactly that. Martin: What would you say if someone is listening to this, and we’re talking about making being awake more pleasant, we’re talking about accepting that sleep might be out of your control, that the difficult thoughts and feelings might be out of your control. But someone’s listening to this and they’re thinking, I’m not interested in any of that. Martin: I just want to sleep. I don’t want to. Read a book or watch tv, I need to get rid of these thoughts and these feelings. I don’t wanna learn how to deal with them. I just wanna sleep. How do you respond to that? Natasha: I would say that’s a perfectly understandable reaction. So the first thing is that, that’s a completely understandable thing to feel when you’re going through this. Natasha: And I felt exactly that. I think I also had this, you have to go through your arc because you do go through this like resistance and anger and you feel very, yeah, you feel resentful at the fact that you’re being asked to accept something that you don’t like at all. Natasha: But, I think there is, again I think humans are very resilient in the way that at some point I think you realize that there is no choice. There is no option but to accept because not accepting this is not serving you very well. And so that was the other thing that I think this feeling that you should not be having negative emotions about insomnia. Natasha: That’s not true at all. Like of course you’re going to feel bad. Recovering from insomnia requires you to not think that sleep is important? No, it’s none of that. Because of course you, you’re not gonna think sleep is not important or you’re not gonna value sleep. Natasha: You do value it and it is important. And it is. It’s perfectly fine to exist in that contradiction of, knowing that this is important, wanting it, desiring it, but not becoming completely agitated. I think because that’s the really important part. How do you find routines and rituals, and how do you find maybe just the first level of acceptance. Natasha: That’ll help you feel a little less agitated. And then I think that, these are positively reinforcing loops because when you experience that slight, like release from not feeling very agitated, from that first level of acceptance, you accept a little further, and then you practice acceptance and it gets better and better. Natasha: And the funny thing is, it is true. There are times of course, and I am sure that many of your other like people might have said the same thing, but when you start sleeping better again, there’s a part of you that’s I should not be noticing this. I should not be noticing that I’m sleeping better, that this is working because I don’t wanna notice it. Natasha: A part of you is noticing the fact that, okay, I’m relaxing and I’m, I’ve let go. I’ve just let go now. So I’m gonna watch TV and I’m just gonna stay awake and I’m gonna embrace whatever this is. And then you’re like, and it tends to work. And the more you do that, the more it works, so I think it’s a com. It’s this whole like positive loop. Martin: All thoughts and all feelings are okay. So much of our struggle can come from this belief that we shouldn’t have certain thoughts or we shouldn’t have certain feelings, and that can just set us up for a struggle. Martin: The alternative way forward is to acknowledge all of our thoughts and our feelings as normal valid human. That as human beings we experience the full range. Some make us feel good, some don’t. Some are useful, some aren’t. Some are true, some maybe not. We have the power to decide how we choose to respond to them, and I think that’s really what you’ve encapsulated so well because it’s when we respond with resistance, which is completely understandable, it feeds into it and it gives that stuff more power and more influence, and it just gets as tangled up. Martin: If we’re feeling stuck, if things feel mysterious, perhaps there’s an opportunity here to respond in a different way with a little bit more acknowledgement, acceptance, and letting go, as you said, not holding this all so tightly just opening up to it a little bit more. Martin: If nothing else, perhaps that would just free up a little bit of energy and attention that otherwise would’ve been consumed by battle for you to do more of the stuff that really matters to you. Natasha: Yeah, and if anyone’s listening to this, I think they’re already halfway there in the sense that they have at least found something that’s giving them, that’s helping them square their own experience with some amount of knowledge. And at least, like I said, for me it was really helpful. Like the hardest part was all the misinformation, like when you are being, when you are consuming something that’s not actually helpful for insomnia and then, and so it’s either lack of information or it’s misinformation. Natasha: But I think once you get the right information, even if there’s resistance initially, resistance gets spent, eventually you are spent, right? Because how much are you gonna struggle? Because you will resist, and you will resist. And then eventually, if it’s not working, you will be tired and you will let your guard down. Natasha: And at that point, at least you’ve got the right information and you are ready to receive it. The problem is when there’s just no information and then you just continue in these loops of confusion. So I think for me, awareness generation is really important. Martin: I remember when we were working together, you had this concern about acceptance. How do we achieve acceptance without it feel like you are in a position of helplessness and you’re giving up, versus how do I achieve acceptance with a sense of power of individual empowerment? Martin: And that can be a bit difficult to wrap your head around, right? Natasha: It is. I remember writing to you and saying that I’m not feeling like I’m choosing acceptance. I’m being forced to accept, in which case it’s not acceptance, it’s just something that’s forced on you. Natasha: But the thing is, like I said, I think that resistance and that friction was required for me to get over the hump as well. And there are people who may perhaps come to acceptance easily and there are others who may not. And I think both reactions or like a whole spectrum of reactions is perfectly natural. Natasha: What I do feel is from my own journey also, is that eventually, like acceptance is inevitable because, the friction doesn’t yield anything that’s helpful in this situation. And so the only thing is that, like I said, having somebody to talk through on when you’re going through this, having someone to talk through with is important because, some of the words and the reframing and the perspectives, they’re there at least. Natasha: And it’s like when your acceptance portal finally opens. It’s available for that information to go inside. If there was nothing there, then you may accept it, but from a place of helplessness or sorrow or just, I don’t know. And then you would have to work a lot harder perhaps to generate solutions and kind of perspectives for yourself. Natasha: But if there is some perspective, initially the door is closed and it’s not going in, but that’s okay because at some point the door will open and then all of that stuff that’s waiting to be heard and understood will go inside. Martin: Yeah. There’s value in every part of the experience, even when it feels like we’re really struggling, there’s always something to be learned from that, and it might not feel like it’s useful at that time, but at some point in the future, we will serve some kind of value as a learning experience or something we can pick and choose from to help us move forward in a different way or to keep us moving forward in the way we want to be moving. Natasha: Yeah. Yeah, that’s true. Martin: What did progress look like for you on this journey? Did you find that as you were starting to get this sense of independence back, sleep just suddenly magically transformed and you were having great nights of sleep and every single night was better than the last? Natasha: I wish I could say that. There is no such thing as perfect sleep. And no one is sleeping perfectly. I mean, you may have less sleep for multiple reasons, right? You’re traveling and then there’s other disruptions and someone is sick and so on, so forth. Natasha: So I think, I think the important, the huge tangible change, I think and it’s not a change that, let’s say that if you just looked at the surface of my life in terms of like, how productive is she and how active is she? And how creative is she? I think a lot of that is probably looks the same because you are still doing things. Natasha: But I think what did change, one of the things that did change Yes, is that I think this idea of traveling definitely came back for me. Traveling for leisure. Not just work, but traveling for leisure. And so I did actually travel last year a couple of times for leisure. And so that was one small change. Natasha: Yeah, like having late nights and it’s totally fine having early mornings and it’s totally fine. And just so that sense of like release with your own. Calendar and not having anxiety about it, so I think for me, there are, of course, even today, there are several times where, you will get, six hours or five hours, because maybe you’re traveling. Natasha: But I’ve noticed that not only I don’t talk about it, like that’s the other thing, right? I don’t, I’m not talking about it with like my husband or my sister or anybody that, gosh, like I wouldn’t see that talk about it at all because I’m yeah, it’s fine, I’ll go to bed tonight and tomorrow or whatever. Natasha: And even if I’m, even if I’m like, I’ve got three straight like events and for some reason the three straight nights I’m going to be pulling like late nights, I’m okay. I’m not very stressed about that. So I think basically there’s a certain sense of relaxation and I will say that, look, this journey is not linear, right? Natasha: And I suppose like the longer you’ve struggled with it or the harder you’ve struggled with it, and the more intensely you have felt about it, like it is gonna take you some time to feel like this isn’t a theme in your life at all. And like for me, for instance, even like this showing up here to talk about it and to have it recorded, there was for a long time I thought that I wanted to write about it actually for last year, early last year, I started wanting to, when I experienced a lot of these benefits, I said I should write a whole piece. Natasha: And then I just couldn’t because I said that, I don’t want to jinx it. And so there were these lingering feelings, right? Saying that if I talk about it, if I, and if I go out and announce that I’m fine and I had this problem and I no longer have it I don’t wanna say that. But then, over time it just faded away. Natasha: Even that, even holding onto that kind of goes away. Time actions, consistency and of course this underlying reframing is the journey. It happens in fits and starts, but I think eventually you do get to a point where. Your relationship, like you said, the relationship with sleep changes. Natasha: One of the things I do appreciate about this journey has been that I have actually learned a lot about sleep. There is no perfect, there is no eight hour, eight and a half, seven or whatever. There is no, you have to find your rhythm and the more you dissociate with the sleep dogma that has become a culture I think the better off everyone is. Martin: In terms of the timeline here, how long would you say that it took you to get to a point where you felt like you’d left the struggle behind? Natasha: I think there was this whole period of, there, there was also like micro progress and then there was like a little bit of a slide back and there was frustrations. Like I said, it was non-linear. So I would say that it was probably only by the summer, so about maybe four months or so, four or five months. Natasha: And I did actually start scheduling like work trips and travel and so on so forth. And the more I did that, I think by the time summer rolled around, I was starting to feel like I could plan my days and plan my weeks and plan my time the way I wanted to. And yeah, and it’s been like a steady stabilization from that point all the way, till now. Natasha: I do wanna again stress that when somebody says that they no longer struggle with insomnia, it doesn’t mean that they sleep like nine hours or eight hours every single night consistently all the time. That is not the, that’s not what resolution looks like. Natasha: Resolution is you’re not controlled by it. Martin: It’s very rare that someone tells me that they’re able to change everything and transform their lives in a few days or a few weeks. And it often requires ongoing practice too, right? There’s ups and downs. Martin: We’re always gonna get pulled back into a struggle, whether it’s with sleep or insomnia or anything else that goes on in our lives. It’s just that awareness when that’s happening and being able to change course to refocus on actions that matter to us and to live our lives and allow sleep, the opportunity to take care of itself rather than trying to fix sleep so that we can live our lives. Martin: If we can just flip that around, it can just be such a transformative way of approaching this. Natasha: Yeah, I agree. Martin: Your whole learning experience, your whole journey maybe comes down to this realization through action that you have the ultimate power over your life. And as you reinforce that, sleep just becomes a thing. It doesn’t just, it doesn’t become the most important thing in your life when you are not resisting it so much when you’re just accepting sleep is gonna turn up and do whatever it wants or insomnia’s gonna turn up, do whatever it wants. Natasha: And you do start sleeping much better. I think the listeners especially need to hear that if they’re going through it right now, they don’t want to, feel like the takeaway of this is that, oh, you’re just gonna reach some radical acceptance, but your sleep is not gonna change. Natasha: The truth is that the sleep does change and you do feel rested and you do sleep more and you get back to sleeping normally. The idea is to just not expect that. That every, you’re going to be in some sleep paradise all the time because that’s just, that’s not even normal life, and I think by the time, if you’re going through a lot of insomnia, what you want is that you want sleep paradise. Natasha: You just want something where every day you’re just knocked out cold beautifully because you develop that kind of a, sensitivity to sleep. But once you get over it, you realize that most of the times you’re sleeping well, sometimes you’re not. And irrespective, it’s just not on your mind anymore. Martin: Natasha, I want to thank you for all the time you’ve taken to share your experience with us. I do have one last question for you. If someone is listening and they just feel like they cannot end the struggle with insomnia, that there’s nothing they can do, what would you say to them? Natasha: The first thing I would really say is that it’s understandable to feel that. And it’s hard. It’s very hard feeling that, it’s a really hard place to be in when you are feeling like that. But I would say that there are many people now who have figured out how to come out of this. Natasha: It’s not a pharmacological technical solution, it’s something that’s inside you, everybody has it. Your sleep is not broken. Your brain is not broken. Like nothing about you is broken. It’s a phase and I think like everything this will pass and some of just a little bit of intentionality and just to some amount of, perhaps, hopefully perspective and reframing and then just changing your actions a little bit and a combination of all of that and patience will get you through it, so I think that’s probably what I’d like, anybody listening who’s struggling to take away. Martin: Thank you so much again for coming on. Natasha: Yeah. Martin, thank you so much. Thank you for what you do. Martin: Thanks for listening to the Insomnia Coach Podcast. If you're ready to get your life back from insomnia, I would love to help. You can learn more about the sleep coaching programs I offer at Insomnia Coach — and, if you have any questions, you can email me. Martin: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Insomnia Coach Podcast. I'm Martin Reed, and as always, I'd like to leave you with this important reminder — you are not alone and you can sleep. I want you to be the next insomnia success story I share! If you're ready to stop struggling with sleep and get your life back from insomnia, you can start my insomnia coaching course at insomniacoach.com. Please share this episode!

Jesse's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-padilla-931021a2/Inato: https://go.inato.com/3VnSro6CRIO: http://www.clinicalresearch.ioMy PatientACE recruitment company: https://patientace.com/Join me at my conference! http://www.saveoursites.comText Me: (949) 415-6256Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7JF6FNvoLnBpfIrLNCcg7aGET THE BOOK! https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Guide-Clinical-Research-Practical/dp/1090349521/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Dan+Sfera&qid=1691974540&s=audible&sr=1-1-catcorrText "guru" to 855-942-5288 to join VIP list!My blog: http://www.TheClinicalTrialsGuru.comMy CRO and Site Network: http://www.DSCScro.comMy CRA Academy: http://www.TheCRAacademy.comMy CRC Academy: http://www.TheCRCacademy.comLatinos In Clinical Research: http://www.LatinosinClinicalResearch.comThe University Of Clinical Research: https://www.theuniversityofclinicalresearch.com/My TikTok: DanSfera

Kym Tolson is a traveling therapist who shares her journey of transitioning from a brick-and-mortar practice to a fully remote therapy model. She discusses the challenges and logistics of practicing therapy while traveling, including navigating licensure and insurance issues. She also shares insights on evolving her business model to include multiple income streams, embracing AI technology, and the importance of marketing strategies. Kym emphasizes the significance of creating a life that aligns with personal desires and encourages listeners to take action towards their dreams.Key Takeaways:Hiring help early on can accelerate business growth.Flexibility and adaptability is crucial in remote work as well as navigating licensure and insurance requirements.Develop income streams from your own experiences.Creating a Facebook group can be a helpful marketing strategy.Podcasting can serve as an organic lead magnets for your business.Structuring her schedule contributes to a balanced lifestyle.Pursue their dreams and live fully. Kym's Links:WebsitePodcast

Join the Social Sales Society now: https://www.lindsaydollinger.com/mastermind In this episode of the Passports, Profits, and Pixie Dust podcast, host Lindsay introduces her signature MAGIC Method, a comprehensive framework designed to help entrepreneurs streamline their business strategies. The MAGIC Method stands for Mindset, Action & Accountability & Attraction, Growth Game Plan, Investing in You, and Consistency & Content & Connections. Lindsay explains how each component of the method contributes to building a successful business, from developing a strong mindset to creating a detailed growth plan. She also highlights the benefits of joining her newest program, the Social Sales Society, which offers structured support, monthly coaching calls, and access to a variety of business resources. Listeners are encouraged to join the program for a curated game plan and enhanced business success. 00:00 Introduction to the Social Sales Society 00:34 Identifying Common Entrepreneurial Challenges 01:01 The MAGIC Method: Mindset 01:46 The MAGIC Method: Action, Accountability, and Attraction 03:09 The MAGIC Method: Growth Game Plan 04:10 The MAGIC Method: Investing in You 04:32 The MAGIC Method: Consistency, Content, and Connections 06:52 Structuring the Social Sales Society 09:09 Invitation to Join the Social Sales Society 10:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Join the Social Sales Society now: https://www.lindsaydollinger.com/mastermind

Thanks to our Partner, NAPA Autotech Training and Pico TechnologyWatch Full Video EpisodeIn this episode of Diagnosing the Aftermarket A to Z, Matt Fanslow uses a famous Michael Jordan quote, a heartbreaking Minnesota Vikings loss, and a rant from Jeff Compton of The Jaded Mechanic Podcast to dig into a big question:When did we get so impatient with young people—and what is it costing our industry?Matt reflects on how we treat new, entry-level mechanical and technical specialists in our shops, how “common sense” isn't actually common, and why our own backgrounds make it easy to forget what it's like to start from zero. He draws parallels between sports, restaurants, and auto repair, and makes the case that if we want to “grow our own,” we must build patience and structure into our businesses.Along the way, he talks about failure as a prerequisite for greatness—using Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Muhammad Ali, and even win–loss records and batting averages to remind us that the “greats” failed a lot before anyone called them great.Highlights & Topics CoveredMichael Jordan's failure quote and what it really says about successA recent Vikings–Bears game:JJ McCarthy's rough day, clutch fourth-quarter drive, andHow special teams and defense actually lost the gameThe internet meltdown: instant calls to replace a young quarterback who's essentially still a rookieA short video rant from Jeff Compton (The Jaded Mechanic Podcast) about having patience with young peopleThe core question: When did we get so impatient—and were we always this way?Generational shifts in handling criticism, shame, and feedbackWhy “common sense” isn't common:How background, upbringing, and exposure shape what feels obviousGrowing up around farms, equipment, and shops vs. growing up with screensHomemakers, latchkey kids, and how changing family structures change what kids bring into the workplaceThe reality of today's entry-level hire:No mechanical backgroundDoesn't know a hex from a Torx… yetThe shop's responsibility if you want to “grow your own”:Structuring the business to shoulder an apprentice who isn't producing much at firstDefining basic expectations (showing up, being on time, not repeating the same mistake endlessly)Skill decay and repetition:Lab scopes, training classes, and how fast proficiency fades without regular useHow we criticize: sharp scalpel vs. rusty spoon; cutting people apart vs. building them upRemembering that apprentices didn't choose their childhood or start point—but are choosing this careerThe sports angle on failure and greatness:Michael Jordan getting cut from his high school teamPat Riley's quote about last shot vs. “save my life” shot (MJ vs. Larry Bird)Muhammad Ali's losses, UFC careers, and the obsession with “perfect records”Baseball batting averages: greatness at 30% successA teaser for a future episode: how this profession can play a role in the “war on young men”Key TakeawaysFailure is part of greatness. The people we call “the greatest” in sports failed repeatedly. Expecting perfection from a first-year tech is delusional.Common sense is built, not born. What feels obvious to you probably came from years of exposure, mistakes, and stories you grew up around. Your apprentice didn't get that same download.If you want to grow your own, structure for it. Shops that bring in entry-level mechanical/technical...

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

Explore the podcast → https://ibm.biz/BdbbwtEvery company is sitting on a mountain of data, but only a few know what to do with it. In this episode of AI in Action, Madison Faulkner talks with David Levy about turning data chaos into clarity. She explores how agentic AI depends on strong data management and data governance, and why unstructured data and big data only create value when they're organized with purpose. In other words, the real competitive edge isn't the AI itself; it's the data behind it. Because in the end, intelligent systems are only as powerful as the data that trains them.0:00 Intro1:35 Madison Faulkner's journey 2:40 The birth of data science4:00 Bridging Silicon Valley hype with real-world industries8:40 Structuring unstructured data for agentic AI12:00 Automation, knowledge graphs and agentic sourcing16:40 Tactical and organizational failures in data strategy20:30 Data as code: The next wave of infrastructure24:00 Rethinking data foundations for agentic AI30:12 Turning data governance into a real business advantage33:45 Final takeaways: Clarity over chaos in the AI eraThe opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the participants and do not necessarily reflect the views of IBM or any other organization or entity. AI news is moving fast. Keep your business ahead with updates about AI advancements, strategies and expert perspectives → https://ibm.biz/Bdbbw6#DataStrategy #EnterpriseAI #AIforBusiness #DataLeadership #BusinessIntelligence #AgenticAI #DataDrivenBusiness #DataManagement #MadisonFaulkner #DavidLevy

Guest: Brian Gustason, Operating Partner at Craig Group Host: Alex Rawlings, Founder of Raw Selection

Jeffrey Epstein's longtime attorney and financial fixer, Darren Indyke, has been repeatedly linked to the intricate structuring of Epstein's vast financial network — a labyrinth of trusts, shell companies, and opaque entities that concealed the flow of money used to fund his operations and, allegedly, pay off victims and accomplices. “Structuring,” in financial terms, refers to deliberately breaking up large transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act. Investigators have long suspected that Epstein and Indyke employed similar tactics to mask the source and movement of Epstein's wealth, from offshore accounts to foundations like Gratitude America Ltd., which funneled millions in donations and “grants” to scientific and philanthropic fronts that enhanced Epstein's public image. Indyke's deep involvement in setting up and managing these entities made him not just Epstein's lawyer but a key architect of the financial smoke screen that protected Epstein's empire for decades.After Epstein's death, Indyke's role came under heavier scrutiny, as he continued to act as co-executor of the estate — even while being named in multiple civil suits accusing him of enabling or facilitating Epstein's criminal conduct. Plaintiffs argued that the same structuring tactics used to obscure Epstein's finances were now being repurposed to shield assets from victims' compensation claims. Indyke has denied wrongdoing, asserting he merely executed Epstein's instructions as a lawyer and fiduciary. However, investigators have questioned how much he knew — and how complicit he was — in maintaining the secrecy that allowed Epstein's trafficking network to operate unchecked for years. Whether by legal design or deliberate obfuscation, the structuring overseen by Indyke remains one of the most revealing examples of how Epstein's financial crimes were hidden in plain sight, wrapped in the legitimacy of corporate paperwork and professional discretion.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Caleb Christopher is a real estate investor, entrepreneur, and one of the foremost minds in creative financing for residential properties. He's the founder of Creative TC, a consulting firm helping investors structure safe, legal, and ethical creative finance deals—including subject-to, seller finance, and wrap mortgages. He's also the creator of tools like the underwriting calculator and the partnership evaluator, and he's raising capital for ventures like his title company via innovative vehicles such as investment clubs. Caleb is passionate about building tools where none exist, solving complex problems, and creating upward mobility for the people around him.     Make sure to download our free guide, 7 Questions Every Passive Investor Should Ask, here.   Key Takeaways Always start creative deal conversations with the end in mind—even if the path is uncertain Get the seller's full story before pitching terms; relationship-building is critical Flexibility and an outcomes-oriented mindset are essential for creative structures Investment clubs can be a powerful capital-raising alternative to traditional syndications Solving the seller's future needs is often more important than hitting your own price targets     Topics From Builder to Problem-Solver Caleb builds systems and solutions when existing tools don't meet his standards Created Creative TC to become an authority in ethical creative deal structures Creative Finance 101 Most deals start with a pricing mismatch—terms become the bridge Key is understanding the seller's backstory and aligning on a shared outcome Being Outcomes-Oriented Investors must learn to zoom out and focus on results, not just checklist tasks Knowing multiple exit strategies allows for creative flexibility Common Seller Profiles Single-family deals often involve financial distress High-price sellers may not be distressed but hold strong pricing expectations Structuring for Mutual Success Price vs. terms: the seller gets one, you get the other Options like cash-out timelines, exit plans, and shared management responsibilities help mitigate seller risk Challenges with Brokers Brokers often limit creative structures—direct seller conversations are more fruitful Investors must proactively communicate how brokers still get paid on creative deals Raising Capital Legally Differentiates between syndication types (506b, 506c) and investment clubs Advocates for active participation structures and tools like Fractional to stay compliant Investor Mindset and Scaling Many investors forget to consider the seller's needs—this kills deals Demonstrating good faith and offering safeguards builds trust and credibility Lead Flow and Brand Positioning Caleb's unique positioning in creative finance draws complex deals his way Word-of-mouth and online presence help others know "this is the guy for creative"    

Jeffrey Epstein's longtime attorney and financial fixer, Darren Indyke, has been repeatedly linked to the intricate structuring of Epstein's vast financial network — a labyrinth of trusts, shell companies, and opaque entities that concealed the flow of money used to fund his operations and, allegedly, pay off victims and accomplices. “Structuring,” in financial terms, refers to deliberately breaking up large transactions to avoid federal reporting requirements under the Bank Secrecy Act. Investigators have long suspected that Epstein and Indyke employed similar tactics to mask the source and movement of Epstein's wealth, from offshore accounts to foundations like Gratitude America Ltd., which funneled millions in donations and “grants” to scientific and philanthropic fronts that enhanced Epstein's public image. Indyke's deep involvement in setting up and managing these entities made him not just Epstein's lawyer but a key architect of the financial smoke screen that protected Epstein's empire for decades.After Epstein's death, Indyke's role came under heavier scrutiny, as he continued to act as co-executor of the estate — even while being named in multiple civil suits accusing him of enabling or facilitating Epstein's criminal conduct. Plaintiffs argued that the same structuring tactics used to obscure Epstein's finances were now being repurposed to shield assets from victims' compensation claims. Indyke has denied wrongdoing, asserting he merely executed Epstein's instructions as a lawyer and fiduciary. However, investigators have questioned how much he knew — and how complicit he was — in maintaining the secrecy that allowed Epstein's trafficking network to operate unchecked for years. Whether by legal design or deliberate obfuscation, the structuring overseen by Indyke remains one of the most revealing examples of how Epstein's financial crimes were hidden in plain sight, wrapped in the legitimacy of corporate paperwork and professional discretion.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

In this episode of the Second in Command Podcast, guest host Sivana Brewer sits down with Matthew Rathje, Chief Operating Officer of TrueNorth Companies and long-time member of the COO Alliance.From starting in payroll and claims management to leading operations for a $165M insurance and professional services firm, Matt shares his journey of scaling from the ground up, balancing structure, culture, and human leadership. He offers practical insights on bringing clarity and accountability to fast-growing organizations, structuring meetings that actually move the needle, and building trust without falling into “artificial harmony.”Matt also opens up about navigating personal and professional adversity, from weathering the 2020 derecho storm that destroyed his family's home, to leading through COVID-19, and how those experiences shaped his leadership philosophy rooted in humility, collaboration, and optimism.Timestamped Highlights[00:01:20] – Matt's journey at TrueNorth and how he helped the company grow from a local firm to a $165M organization.[00:05:16] – Lessons from moving between individual contributor and leadership roles.[00:07:00] – How TrueNorth's leadership transition inspired a more unified executive vision.[00:09:20] – Preparing to step into the COO role and finding mentors in the process.[00:10:44] – Why Matt joined the COO Alliance and what he learned from peers in other industries.[00:13:00] – Building clarity and accountability through RIMs and RIOs (Relatable Impact Metrics & Objectives).[00:15:00] – Starting TrueNorth's organizational health journey with Patrick Lencioni's Table Group.[00:17:34] – How Lencioni's framework helped the team prioritize what's most important right now.[00:18:46] – Team effectiveness workshops and how vulnerability-based trust builds healthy organizations.[00:20:35] – How to identify “artificial harmony” and address it before it erodes team commitment.[00:24:32] – Balancing collaboration with decisive leadership.[00:26:03] – Structuring meetings for clarity, speed, and results.[00:29:40] – How personal adversity (a devastating storm) strengthened Matt's leadership perspective.[00:33:54] – Leading with empathy, gratitude, and perspective through crisis.[00:38:52] – Building trust and vulnerability across teams.[00:40:31] – Strengthening the CEO-COO relationship and defining complementary strengths.[00:42:42] – Using Vivid Vision to align the entire company around purpose and feeling.[00:46:14] – Launching The TrueNorth Way: the company's roadmap for a world-class client experience.Resources & MentionsThe Apple Experience by Carmine GalloUnreasonable Hospitality by Will GuidaraMeetings Suck by Cameron HeroldThe Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni (and the related Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team framework)About the GuestMatthew Rathje is the Chief Operating Officer of TrueNorth Companies, a Midwest-based insurance and professional services firm dedicated to protecting and maximizing its clients' assets, resources, and opportunities.Since joining TrueNorth over a decade ago,...

From pro-snowboarder to America's #1 Money Mentor, Chris Naugle has built his career on the belief that success isn't about the resources you have, but how resourceful you can be. His journey from humble beginnings to financial success has fueled his mission to teach others a better way to build and preserve wealth. Over the years, Chris has built and owned 19 companies, with features in Forbes, ABC, House Hunters, and even his own HGTV pilot in 2018. He is the founder of The Money School™ and serves as Money Mentor for The Money Multiplier, where he empowers entrepreneurs, business owners, and real estate investors with the knowledge of how money truly works. His expertise also extends to managing tens of millions of dollars in assets across financial services and real estate. As an innovator, speaker, author, and podcast host, Chris has shared his wealth-building strategies with over ten thousand Americans nationwide. His teachings continue to inspire those seeking lasting financial freedom and a path to creating true generational wealth. During the show we discussed: Entrepreneur journey shaping money and success Resourcefulness in wealth creation Creative deal-structuring insights What makes a deal attractive to lenders Strategies to get lenders to say yes Value of in-person borrower/lender connections Lessons from building 19 companies Common wealth-building mistakes Using Money School™ principles for freedom Real estate's role in long-term wealth Impact of money mindset Financial basics everyone should know Resources: https://www.chrisnaugle.com/ https://privatemoneyclub.com/   

Send us a textIn this episode, Colin (@colinfrompdr) and Josh (@thelifestylecrna) take listeners behind the scenes of one of their most creative and hard-fought mobile-home-park deals — one that nearly fell apart more than once.They break down how they turned a near-dead lead into a successful purchase by structuring a seller-partnership deal, what it's really like to balance family, friendship, and business, and why “communication and creativity” matter more than capital in real estate. Along the way, they share insights on their mentorship experiences with GoBundance, Panetta's WealthCon, and business coaching that shaped the way they now invest and manage risk.The conversation flows from the highs of making the deal work, to frustrations with lenders, to a cliffhanger that sets up next week's episode — when Josh reveals what really happened to one of his biggest investments.

You're listening to a men's self-help podcast so it's safe to assume that you're interested in becoming more disciplined, structured, and productive. But there is a side of discipline that many of the self-help gurus won't talk to you about – when discipline becomes a liability more than an asset. My guest today, Craig Ballantyne, joins me to talk about what that even means, what it looks like, and what to do about it. We also cover why it's so important that you plan your days out months in advance, how to keep yourself from distractions but building in flexibility to your day, how much a man can get done in what he calls, "slivers of time," and why you should never paint yourself into a box you don't belong. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 - Introduction 01:12 - Discipline and rigidity: the downside of structure 03:30 - Parenthood, resilience, and slivers of time 07:30 - The balance between discipline and flexibility 10:00 - Craig's life in Mexico and bilingual family life 14:30 - Managing distractions and time boundaries 17:30 - The true cost of meetings and decision-focused teams 21:00 - Structuring family and bedtime routines 25:00 - Delegation, priorities, and focusing on purpose 28:00 - Fear of delegation and how to fill your reclaimed time 30:00 - Deep work, planning, and monthly focus blocks 35:00 - Combating boredom and sustaining focus 37:00 - The myth of "always enjoying the grind" 41:00 - Planning the next month and long-term thinking 46:00 - Changing self-talk and removing limiting language 49:00 - Childhood patterns and self-imposed boxes 51:00 - Overcoming introversion and building social confidence 55:00 - Selflessness, service, and growth through discomfort 56:00 - Craig's books and where to connect Battle Planners: Pick yours up today! Order Ryan's new book, The Masculinity Manifesto. For more information on the Iron Council brotherhood. Want maximum health, wealth, relationships, and abundance in your life? Sign up for our free course, 30 Days to Battle Ready

Jen Abel is GM of Enterprise at State Affairs and co-founded Jellyfish, a consultancy that helps founders learn zero-to-one enterprise sales. She's one of the smartest people I've ever met on learning enterprise sales, and in this follow-up to our first chat two years ago (covering the zero to $1 million ARR founder-led sales phase), we focus on the skills founders need to learn to go from $1M to $10M ARR.We discuss:1. Why the “mid-market” doesn't exist2. Why tier-one logos like Stripe and Tesla counterintuitively make the best early customers3. The dangers of pricing your product at $10K-$20K4. Why you need to vision-cast instead of problem-solve to win enterprise deals5. Why services are the fastest way to get your foot in the door with enterprises6. How to find and work with design partners7. When to hire your first salesperson and what profile to look for—Brought to you by:WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUsLovable—Build apps by simply chatting with AICoda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace—Where to find Jen Abel:• X: https://x.com/jjen_abel• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/earlystagesales• Website: https://www.jjellyfish.com—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Welcome back, Jen!(04:38) The myth of the mid-market(08:08) Targeting tier-one logos(10:50) Vision-casting vs. problem-selling(15:35) The importance of high ACVs(20:45)  Don't play the small business game with an enterprise company(25:09) Design partners: the double-edged sword(28:11) Finding the right company(36:55) Enterprise sales: the art of the deal(43:21) The problem with channel partnerships(44:41) Quick summary(50:24) Hiring the right enterprise salespeople(56:49) Structuring sales compensation(01:01:01) Building relationships in enterprise sales(01:02:07) The art of cold outreach(01:07:31) Outbound tooling and AI(01:14:08) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• The ultimate guide to founder-led sales | Jen Abel (co-founder of JJELLYFISH): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/master-founder-led-sales-jen-abel• Mario meme: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/missing-meme-led-me-woman-johann-van-tonder-im6df• Kathy Sierra: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathy_Sierra• Cursor: https://cursor.com• The rise of Cursor: The $300M ARR AI tool that engineers can't stop using | Michael Truell (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rise-of-cursor-michael-truell• Justin Lawson on X: https://x.com/jjustin_lawson• Stripe: https://stripe.com• Building product at Stripe: craft, metrics, and customer obsession | Jeff Weinstein (Product lead): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-product-at-stripe-jeff-weinstein• He saved OpenAI, invented the “Like” button, and built Google Maps: Bret Taylor on the future of careers, coding, agents, and more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/he-saved-openai-bret-taylor• OpenAI's CPO on how AI changes must-have skills, moats, coding, startup playbooks, more | Kevin Weil (CPO at OpenAI, ex-Instagram, Twitter): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kevin-weil-open-ai• Anthropic's CPO on what comes next | Mike Krieger (co-founder of Instagram): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/anthropics-cpo-heres-what-comes-next• Linear: https://linear.app• Linear's secret to building beloved B2B products | Nan Yu (Head of Product): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/linears-secret-to-building-beloved-b2b-products-nan-yu• Gemini: https://gemini.google.com• Microsoft Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com• How Palantir built the ultimate founder factory | Nabeel S. Qureshi (founder, writer, ex-Palantir): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-palantir-nabeel-qureshi• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com• Deloitte: https://www.deloitte.com• Accenture: https://www.accenture.com• Building a world-class sales org | Jason Lemkin (SaaStr): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-world-class-sales-org• Peter Dedene on X: https://x.com/peterdedene• Hang Huang on X: https://x.com/HH_HangHuang• Hugo Alves on X: https://x.com/Ugo_alves• A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting• Clay: https://www.clay.com• Apollo: https://www.apollo.io• Jason Lemkin on X: https://x.com/jasonlk• Gavin Baker on X: https://x.com/GavinSBaker• Jason Cohen on X: https://x.com/asmartbear• Baywatch on Prime Video: https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Baywatch/0NU9YS8WWRNQO1NZD5DOQ3I8W6• Playground: https://www.tryplayground.com• ClassDojo: https://www.classdojo.com• Jason Lemkin's post about Replit: https://x.com/jasonlk/status/1946069562723897802—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

This is an Impact Pricing Blog published on September 1, 2025, turned into an audio podcast so you can listen on the go. Read Full Article Here: https://impactpricing.com/blog/packaging-ai-structuring-features-and-placing-ai-in-offers/ If you have any feedback, definitely send it. You can reach us at mark@impactpricing.com.  Now, go make an impact.   Connect with Mark Stiving: Email: mark@impactpricing.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/

Today, I sit down with my good friend Wiley Curran to break down the story behind CPC, a family-built perpetual holding company that buys and holds businesses indefinitely. We also discuss how CPC approaches acquisitions, management incentives, and organizational design to create enduring value across industries. We discuss: The evolution of CPC from a family chemicals business to a multi-company holding group Why long-term ownership outperforms short-term investing strategies How to build companies around customer intimacy and employee satisfaction The “five key battles” CPC uses to evaluate and improve every business Lessons learned from buying, integrating, and supporting 14 companies over time Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:03:12) - Running a CEO search (00:08:26) - The story behind CPC (00:23:39) - The importance of customer intimacy (00:37:02) - CPC's long-term vision and employee engagement (00:40:33) - Executive ownership and equity (00:41:29) - Structuring equity buyouts (00:42:58) - Valuation and liquidity rights (00:44:49) - Investment strategy and business acquisition (00:47:11) - Sourcing and evaluating business opportunities (00:50:14) - Onboarding and integration of new businesses (01:03:09) - Customer lifetime value and profitability (01:09:13) - Board meetings and CEO summits (01:14:36) - AI experiments and business impact (01:18:30) - Future vision and personal goals Support our Sponsors Ramp: ⁠https://ramp.com/fort⁠ Collateral Partners: ⁠https://collateral.com/fort⁠ Chris on Social Media: Chris on X: ⁠https://x.com/fortworthchris⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thefortpodcast⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://bit.ly/45gIkFd⁠ Watch POWERS on YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/3oynxNX⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://www.powerspod.com/⁠ Leave a review on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/45crFD0⁠ Leave a review on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Krl9jO⁠  POWERS is produced by ⁠https://www.johnnypodcasts.com/⁠

In this episode of the HVAC School podcast, Bryan Orr sits down with Bert and Leanna to discuss Kalos's first official cohort apprenticeship program, dubbed the "Launch Program." What started as Bryan's persistent idea—one that the team initially resisted as too expensive and logistically challenging—evolved into a transformative three-month training experience that brought 15 green apprentices through intensive classroom, lab, and field work across HVAC, electrical, and building automation systems. Bert, who graded himself a B for his first attempt at leading the program, shares candid insights about the challenges of planning and execution. While he meticulously mapped out the first two weeks hour-by-hour, the remaining time was far less structured, leading to valuable lessons about the importance of ongoing planning and verification. Leanna, who came to Kalos with both teaching experience and a commercial HVAC background, brought crucial support that Bert initially didn't think he needed. Her contribution proved essential in managing the group of 15 and ensuring hands-on engagement. Of the original cohort, nine graduated, with two additional apprentices added later who showed exceptional promise. The conversation reveals critical insights about what makes training effective in the trades. Both trainers emphasize the importance of hands-on experience over lecture, with Bert noting his biggest mistake was spending an entire day lecturing on refrigerant circuits before showing apprentices actual equipment. The most successful exercises involved real-world scenarios, like Leanna's mock dispatch day where apprentices handled service calls from start to finish, including customer communication. The program also incorporated broader trade skills beyond HVAC—carpentry, ladder safety, and tool confidence—recognizing that many young workers today lack the tactile experience that builds confidence in using tools and solving problems independently. Perhaps most importantly, the discussion highlights the value of verification and confidence-building over knowledge dumping. Bert learned that making diagnostic exercises too complex early on destroyed apprentice confidence, while starting simple and building up created self-motivated learners. The cohort model's unique advantage lies in its competitive yet supportive environment, where apprentices can gauge their progress against peers who started at the same level, creating natural motivation to improve. While expensive and demanding, the program represents a long-term commitment to developing well-rounded tradespeople who can think critically and solve problems—not just perform repetitive tasks. Topics Covered: The origins and initial resistance to implementing a cohort-style apprenticeship program Structuring a 90-day training program with classroom, lab, and field components The critical importance of planning and having adequate instructor support Selecting apprentices: key traits including self-motivation, adaptability, and humility Balancing lecture, hands-on training, and real-world field experience The power of verification and skills checklists over pure knowledge transfer Teaching broader trade skills (carpentry, ladder work) to build overall confidence Creating realistic scenarios like mock service calls for soft skills development Managing group size and the challenges of keeping all apprentices engaged The role of confidence-building in safety and long-term success Starting simple with diagnostic exercises and building complexity gradually Using field feedback and peer comparison as motivational tools The cost and commitment required to run effective cohort training programs   Have a question that you want us to answer on the podcast? Submit your questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/hvacschool. Purchase your tickets or learn more about the 7th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/symposium. Subscribe to our podcast on your iPhone or Android. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Check out our handy calculators here or on the HVAC School Mobile App for Apple and Android