Podcasts about summers

Missin Curfew Episode 500 Missin Curfew celebrates their 500th episode with a set of Curfew Calls sent in from the fans!  What were Summers like as a kid and in the minor leagues?  Who were the Fellas' favorite people to go out with in the NHL? What was it like to be cut as a youth player? What are the Fellas' top music festivals to attend? (0:00) Intro (4:38) Getting Cut As a Youth Player (24:29) Call #1: Summers As a Kid & Minor League Player (38:39) Call #2: Best Music Festivals (51:41) Call #3: Favorite NHL Players to Party With SAUCE HOCKEY MERCH | https://saucehockey.com/collections/missin-curfew YOUTUBE | www.youtube.com/@MissinCurfew SPOTIFY | https://open.spotify.com/show/4uNgHhgCtt97nMbbHm2Ken APPLE | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/missin-curfew INSTAGRAM | www.instagram.com/missincurfew TWITTER | www.twitter.com/MissinCurfew TIKTOK | www.tiktok.com/@missincurfewpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jerry and Fliegs: Most memorable summers and could you survive without a cell phone?

Jerry and Fliegs: Most memorable summers and could you survive without a cell phone? -- plus, warmup

Remember when summer used to feel full of magic, joy and potential? When did that stop? And can we get any of the magic back? That's what I'm exploring in today's episode…   Download your free values guide   Find Your Thing waiting list   More Great Days Club waiting list   Subscribe to my Substack    CONTACT SOPHIE:   Coaching - Find out more Buy My Book - Choose Joy: Relieve Burnout, Focus on Your Happiness, and Infuse More Joy into Your Everyday Life Instagram - @sophiecliff Email - sophie@sophiecliff.com 

What if grace isn't a reward for climbing a religious ladder, but a gift that meets you right at the bottom? Pastor of Spiritual Formation Matt Summers continues our Let's Be Honest series by exploring the theology of the Latter-day Saints Church and the idea of grace after all we can do. In a system where salvation is treated as a partnership of human effort and divine supplement, it is easy to get trapped in the anxiety of never knowing if you have done enough. While modern prophets offer frameworks to reach godhood, Christianity points to a God who came down the ladder to reach us. Instead of an endless checklist of requirements, the gospel offers the life-changing freedom of a grace that cannot be earned. We look at the core differences regarding who God is, who Jesus is, and how we are saved, discovering that our worth does not live on the next rung of performance. Join us as we learn to trade striving for the security of a Savior, realizing that when the frameworks falter, Jesus alone is enough. Listen to the Menlo Midweek Podcast Want to dive deeper into this week's message? Tune into the Menlo Midweek Podcast, released every Wednesday, where we break down the major themes and share behind-the-scenes personal insights that didn't make it into Sunday's sermon. Listen now at menlo.church/podcasts. Need Prayer or Have Questions? Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 Connect With Us Follow Us on Social Media Instagram: @menlo.church Facebook: Menlo Church Website: http://www.menlo.church Musicbed Sync ID: (MB014RCECFXJCWL) | (MB01EKBUICB4NLC)  

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.Every summer, one question comes up again and again: what Elin Hilderbrand book should I read next? This week, Laura teams up with Julianne Buonocore of Friday Night Readers to answer it once and for all.Laura and Julianne each count down their personal Top 5 Elin Hilderbrand novels — from Nantucket scandals to a St. John getaway gone sideways — then hand over a list of read-alike authors for anyone who's already blown through the backlist. Perfect for beach bag planning, TBR building, or anyone debating where to start with the Queen of Beach Reads.

This episode covers a new anthology from Wayne State University Press. Titled Black Summers: Growing Up in the Urban Outdoors, this vibrant collection invites readers to breathe deeply and return to that "carefree" season from an urban perspective. These emerging and award-winning creators of all ages recount the struggles and triumph of staking their claim to public spaces. Ranging from poetry to essay, creative nonfiction to comics, this collection blends nostalgia with struggle and resilience. DESIREE COOPERDesiree Cooper, the book's editor, was born in Japan as a military dependent and spent her adulthood in Detroit. She now lives in coastal Virginia where she is raising her grandchildren. She is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist, and among her accolades are a 2017 Midland Authors Award Winner in Adult Fiction, a 2017 Michigan Notable Book, a 2016 Midwest Book Award Finalist, and inclusion in the Poets and Writers 5 Over 50.NANDI COMER Our next author is Nandi Comer, an award-winning poet and essayist. She served as the 2nd Poet Laureate of the state of Michigan 2023-2025, during which time she spearheaded Michigan Words and the video series Michigan in Verse. She is the author of the chapbook American Family: A Syndrome. Her debut poetry collection, Tapping Out, won the 2020 Society of Midland Authors Award and the 2020 Julie Suk Award. Her poems and essays have appeared in American Poets, Callaloo, Crab Orchard Review, and others. She currently serves as the 2025-2026 Jay C. and Ruth Halls Poetry Fellow at the University of Wisconsin's Institute for Creative Writing and co-director of Detroit Lit. ROCHELLE WILSON-ELLISNext we have, Rochelle Wilson-Ellis. She is a U.S. Navy veteran whose journey has been shaped by service, resilience, and care for others. Having served aboard the USS Ross and USS George Washington, Rochelle has carried that same spirit of dedication into every chapter of her life. A loving mother of two and a certified baker and pastry chef, she has also spent years working in healthcare. In 2021, Rochelle was trained as a citizen journalist through the Sarah E. Ray Project, helping preserve the oral histories of those who attended Detroit's legendary Action House in the 1970s and '80s. LILLEN WALLEROur final reader is Detroit native Lillien Waller, a poet and essayist. Her poems have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best New Poets, and, in 2015, she received a Kresge Artist Fellowship in Poetry. In 2023, Lillien was awarded an Arts Writers Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Her essay “Listen Children, All Is Not Lost” appears in the anthology Black Summers: Growing Up in the Urban Outdoors. For more information on the book and the authors, please see the Wayne State University Press website. 

The Season 4 Finale — is live! Mallory Malonson and Alexa Summers reflect on an incredible season, share their journeys, and reveal the new co-host for Season 5!

Sam Clements is curating a fictional film festival. He'll accept almost anything, but the movie must not be longer than 90 minutes. This is the 90 Minutes Or Less Film Fest podcast. In episode 168 Sam is joined by Dr Sam Summers, Lecturer in Animation and Co-host of the Disniversity podcast.  Dr Sam has chosen Belleville Rendez-vous [aka The Triplets of Belleville] (78 mins). Directed and written by Sylvain Chomet, the 2003 animation went on the receive two Oscar nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.  Sam and Sam discuss his PhD in Shrek Studies, how Belleville Rendez-vous manages to be both dreamy and nightmarish, and why Annie Lennox is in the wrong.  Thank you for downloading. We'll be back in a couple of weeks! If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, review and share with your friends. We're an independent podcast and every recommendation helps - thank you!  Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.  Show your support for the podcast and help us stay truly independent by leaving us a tip at our Ko-fi page: https://ko-fi.com/90minfilmfest Website: 90minfilmfest.com Blue Sky:  @90minfilmfest.bsky.social Instagram: @90MinFilmFest Produced by Sam Clements and Louise Owen. Guest stars Sam Summers. Additional editing and sound mixing by @lukemakestweets. Music by Martin Austwick. Artwork by Sam Gilbey.  We are a proud member of the Stripped Media Network.

I'm excited to bring you this bonus episode with my friend Michelle Byrd from The Busy Vibrant Mom podcast and a regular guest on Moms Overcoming Overwhelm. It's the 15th episode of Coffee and Tea with M&E! Grab your coffee or tea, pull up a chair, and join us as we chat about: ✨ How to navigate BIG transitions like moving and see it as a “blank slate” for strategic family ✨ Navigating a packed summer as a busy mom ✨ Making a fun summer “bucket list” without stressing out about doing all the things …and more! Hope you enjoy this honest conversation between two moms who GET IT!   *** I help moms declutter their homes, heads, and hearts. Contact - > info@simplebyemmy.com  Podcast -＞ https://www.simplebyemmy.com/podcast Learn -＞ https://www.simplebyemmy.com/resources Connect -＞ Join our free Facebook group Decluttering Tips and Support for Overwhelmed Moms Instagram -＞ @simplebyemmy and @momsovercomingoverwhelm   *** Don't Know Where to Start? *** 5 Steps to Overcome Overwhelm -＞ https://simplebyemmy.com/5steps/ 5 Mindset Shifts for Decluttering -＞ https://simplebyemmy.com/mindset/   Wanna work with me to kick overwhelm to the curb, mama? There are three options for you! Step 1: Join a supportive community of moms plus decluttering challenges to keep you on track at the free Facebook group Decluttering Tips and Support for Overwhelmed Moms Step 2: Sign up for the weekly Decluttering Tips and Resources for Overwhelmed Moms Newsletter and see samples here: https://pages.simplebyemmy.com/profile Step 3: Get more personalized support with in-person decluttering and organization coaching (coming soon to Pittsburgh)! https://www.simplebyemmy.com/workwithme

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Ireland is experiencing its third round of unusually hot temperatures in just six weeks. Is this summer heat going to become the new normal, and is Ireland prepared for that? Anton discusses this further with Darren Clarke, Assistant Professor in Climate in DCU.

Welcome to a beautifully gentle edition of Books at Bedtime on the Calming Anxiety podcast. Tonight, let the soft, hypnotic rhythm of a timeless classic carry you away from the noise of the day and into a deep, effortless sleep. We are drifting into the warm, reflective world of Kate Chopin's beloved short story, "A Pair of Silk Stockings." Follow the quiet journey of little Mrs. Summers, a devoted mother who unexpectedly finds herself with fifteen dollars. As she sits down to rest her tired feet, her fingers brush against a simple luxury that changes her entire day. Let the soothing, dreamlike quality of this gentle narrative slow your breathing, quiet your mind, and completely dissolve your nighttime restlessness. Wiggle your toes into a state of total comfort, release the burdens of tomorrow, and let this peaceful tale lull you into the restful sleep you deserve. An absolute sanctuary for those fighting insomnia, managing evening anxiety, or simply looking to fall asleep fast to a comforting story.Stay ConnectedThe Anchored App: Keep your peaceful routine unbroken. The Anchored App is officially in open testing on iOS—join today to discover an exclusive library of mindfulness tools and ad-free sleep audio.Listen More: Subscribe to the Calming Anxiety podcast on Apple Podcasts or your preferred network for gentle breathing techniques, anxiety management, and nightly bedtime stories.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/calming-anxiety-guided-meditation-sleep-hypnosis-panic-attack-relief--4110266/support.Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.

Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Today is Tuesday, July 14, 2026. #1 – From WV ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – West Virginia's aerospace sector continues to soar West Virginia's aerospace industry is emerging as one of the state's fastest-growing economic sectors. New investments in aviation maintenance, aircraft manufacturing, airport infrastructure, and workforce training are strengthening the state's position in commercial aviation, defense, and advanced aerospace manufacturing. State leaders say West Virginia's strategic location, skilled workforce, and expanding education pipeline continue attracting companies looking to grow in the aerospace industry. Read more: https://westvirginia.gov/elevating-opportunity-west-virginias-expanding-aerospace-sector/ #2 – From WV BUSINESSLINK – Almost Heaven is becoming a destination for entrepreneurs West Virginia is building momentum as a place where entrepreneurs can launch, grow, and scale successful businesses. A feature from WV BusinessLink highlights the state's growing network of business coaches, funding resources, startup organizations, and entrepreneurial support programs. Together, these partners are helping innovators access the tools they need while creating new opportunities across the Mountain State. Leaders say collaboration and a strong statewide ecosystem are making West Virginia an increasingly attractive place to build a business. Read more: https://wvbusinesslink.com/2026/07/06/almost-heaven-for-entrepreneurs-west-virginias-moment-is-now/ #3 – From WV EXPLORER – New River Gorge region builds beyond tourism Five years after the creation of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, southern West Virginia is leveraging that success to build a more diverse economy. A new regional impact report highlights investments in entrepreneurship, manufacturing, workforce development, infrastructure, and business recruitment across Fayette, Nicholas, Raleigh, and Summers counties. Regional leaders say the goal is to turn increased visitation into long-term economic growth and expanded opportunities for residents and businesses alike. Read more: https://wvexplorer.com/new-river-gorge-economy-growth-nrgrda-beckley/ Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty, and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo. That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.

Fluent Fiction - Mandarin Chinese: Secret Summers: The Warehouse Adventure Awaits Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/zh/episode/2026-07-14-07-38-19-zh Story Transcript:Zh: 夏天的下午，空气中弥漫着一丝懒散的热气。En: On a summer afternoon, the air was filled with a hint of lazy heat.Zh: 琳娜在学校的走廊上快步走着，心中期待着即将展开的冒险。En: Linna walked briskly down the school corridor, her heart filled with anticipation for the upcoming adventure.Zh: 她的目标是放在镇外被遗弃的旧仓库。En: Her goal was the old, abandoned warehouse outside of town.Zh: 这地方对她来说是一个神秘而充满可能性的世界。En: To her, this place was a world full of mystery and possibilities.Zh: 琳娜来到学校的一个角落，找到她的好朋友易。En: Linna reached a corner of the school and found her good friend, Yi.Zh: 易正在低头阅读，抬头看到琳娜来了，微微一笑。En: Yi was reading with his head down but looked up and smiled slightly when he saw Linna approaching.Zh: 琳娜坐下来，迫不及待地开始说：“易，我有一个计划。En: Linna sat down, eager to begin speaking, "Yi, I have a plan.Zh: 暑假不应该只是被家里困着。En: Summer vacation shouldn't just be spent cooped up at home."Zh: ”易好奇地问：“什么计划？En: Curiously, Yi asked, "What plan?"Zh: ”“我们去那个老仓库，组成一个秘密俱乐部！En: "We go to that old warehouse and start a secret club!"Zh: ”琳娜的眼中闪烁着兴奋的光芒。En: Linna's eyes sparkled with excitement.Zh: “那地方可不怎么安全，”易冷静地说，“你一直想要刺激，但这有点过头了吧？En: "That place isn't very safe," Yi calmly replied.Zh: ”就在这时，直也走来了。En: "You always want excitement, but isn't this a bit much?"Zh: 他是新转来的学生，在班里沉默寡言，但琳娜察觉出他也有追求冒险的心。En: At this moment, Zhi approached.Zh: “我听说你们要去仓库？En: He was a new transfer student, quiet in class, but Linna sensed he also had a heart yearning for adventure.Zh: ”直开口。En: "I heard you guys are going to the warehouse?"Zh: 琳娜点头：“是的，你要加入吗？En: Zhi spoke up.Zh: ”“当然，听起来很有趣。En: Linna nodded, "Yes, do you want to join us?"Zh: ” 直简单地回答。En: "Of course, it sounds interesting," Zhi answered simply.Zh: 终于，三个年轻人决定在周末晚上行动。En: Finally, the three young people decided to act on a weekend night.Zh: 星期六的晚上，他们悄悄赶到了仓库。En: On Saturday evening, they quietly made their way to the warehouse.Zh: 一到现场，琳娜就感受到了另一种自由。En: Once there, Linna felt a different kind of freedom.Zh: 仓库里，到处都是积满灰尘的旧箱子，破窗户洒下斑驳的阳光，像一个隐蔽的乐园。En: The warehouse, filled with dusty old boxes and broken windows letting in dappled sunlight, felt like a hidden paradise.Zh: 然而，一个不明来源的声音打破了宁静。En: However, a mysterious noise broke the tranquility.Zh: 是一阵轻轻的脚步声。En: It was a soft patter of footsteps.Zh: 三人屏住了呼吸，心跳加速。En: The three held their breath, their hearts racing.Zh: 琳娜心中打起了退堂鼓，但她努力镇定下来。En: Linna felt a twinge of doubt but tried to stay calm.Zh: “会不会是风？En: "Could it be the wind?"Zh: ”易小声问到。En: Yi whispered.Zh: 直摇摇头，脸上显得严肃起来。En: Zhi shook his head, his face turning serious.Zh: 他们屏住呼吸，小心翼翼地靠近声源。En: They held their breath and cautiously approached the source of the sound.Zh: 最终，他们发现原来是一只小动物——一个迷路的猫咪。En: Eventually, they discovered it was just a small animal — a lost kitten.Zh: 三人心头的大石落下，轻轻松了一口气。En: The weight on their hearts lifted, and they sighed with relief.Zh: “看来我们没有人打搅，”琳娜微笑道，眼神坚定，“我们可以开始我们的秘密俱乐部了！En: "Looks like we won't be disturbed," Linna said with a smile, her eyes firm, "We can start our secret club now!"Zh: ”当夜色渐浓，三人坐在仓库的角落里，畅谈大胆的计划与梦想。En: As night fell, the three of them sat in a corner of the warehouse, discussing bold plans and dreams.Zh: 琳娜在这一刻意识到，她有能力带领大家追寻自己的方向。En: In that moment, Linna realized she had the ability to lead everyone in pursuing their path.Zh: 她并不需要再拘泥于日常的桎梏，而是可以创造一个属于自己的冒险世界。En: She no longer felt bound by the shackles of daily life but instead could create her own world of adventure.Zh: 从那天起，琳娜不再害怕追求自己的激情，齐心协力的三人也在悄然中建立了他们独特的夏日记忆。En: From that day on, Linna was no longer afraid to pursue her passion, and together, the three of them quietly built their unique summer memories. Vocabulary Words:summer: 夏天afternoon: 下午hint: 一丝lazy: 懒散anticipation: 期待upcoming: 即将abandoned: 被遗弃warehouse: 仓库possibilities: 可能性corridor: 走廊curiously: 好奇地sparkled: 闪烁excitement: 兴奋calmly: 冷静地approached: 接近transfer: 转interesting: 有趣dappled: 斑驳paradise: 乐园tranquility: 宁静patter: 轻轻breath: 呼吸twinge: 打起了退堂鼓doubt: 疑虑source: 声源kitten: 猫咪relief: 松了一口气bound: 拘泥shackles: 桎梏memories: 记忆

Summer has a funny way of becoming another thing to accomplish. The perfect vacation. The perfect family memories. The backyard projects. The bucket list. The pressure to make every sunny day count. But what if we've been measuring summer all wrong? In this episode, Dr. Kimberly DeSimone explores the surprising science behind micro moments of joy…those small, seemingly ordinary experiences that quietly restore our minds, calm our nervous systems, and remind us what it feels like to simply be present. Drawing from Attention Restoration Theory, positive psychology, and Barbara Fredrickson's Broaden-and-Build Theory, you'll discover why a walk outside, an iced coffee on the porch, a favorite song, or ten uninterrupted minutes in the sunshine may be more restorative than we realize. This isn't about escaping your life. It's about finding tiny moments of joy within the life you're already living. Because sometimes the smallest moments change us the most. In this episode: Why our brains need "micro moments" of restoration  The science behind nature, joy, and resilience  Why savoring ordinary moments strengthens well-being  Five gentle ways to experience more joy this summer, without adding another item to your to-do list An Invitation: Steal back ten minutes this week. No multitasking. No guilt. No productivity. Just ten minutes that belong completely to you. Then ask yourself: What is your favorite micro moment of summer joy? Consider sharing your favorite micro moment on the Advancing Women Podcast Instagram Post! Let's Connect: ·        Instagram: @AdvancingWomenPodcast  ·        Facebook: Advancing Women Podcast  ·        LinkedIn: Dr. Kimberly DeSimone 

Mac and Gu dive into their latest draft series! Movies, TV Shows, Music, Video Games & anything else with the word Summer or Summers in the title Ice Cream Flavors Summer Activities Join the conversation... FacebookInstagramTwitterTikTokYouTubeRate/Review/Subscribe:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve ever wondered whether alcohol permanently damaged your body—or you’ve quit drinking and found yourself asking, Why am I so anxious? Why can’t I sleep? Why do I still have brain fog?—this episode is for you. Today I’m walking you through what actually happens inside your body after you stop drinking. Not the social media myths. Not the gimmicks. The real biology. You’ll learn how alcohol changes your brain chemistry, why early sobriety can feel so intense, and what your body is doing behind the scenes to restore balance. We talk about the science behind sleep disruption, why your liver is one of the most remarkable organs in your body, how alcohol affects your gut, heart, immune system, and hormones, and why so many people begin feeling physically better long before they feel emotionally healed. One of the biggest messages I want you to take away is this: feeling worse after you quit drinking doesn’t mean alcohol was helping you. It means your body is recalibrating after years of adapting to alcohol. But we also have an important conversation about what sobriety doesn’t magically fix. Trauma, stress, anxiety, menopause, low testosterone, nervous system dysregulation, and emotional healing don’t disappear simply because you stopped drinking. Recovery is bigger than removing alcohol—it’s learning how to build a life you don’t want to escape from. In this episode, you’ll learn: 01:25 Your brain: GABA, glutamate & early sobriety 05:56 Alcohol and sleep: why you wake up at 3 AM 13:38 Your liver’s incredible ability to heal 19:07 Gut health, nutrient absorption & inflammation 24:22 Your heart, immune system & hormones after alcohol 36:26 Physical healing vs. emotional recovery If you’ve been wondering whether your body can recover after years of drinking, I hope this episode gives you something so many people desperately need in early sobriety: hope. Your body isn’t working against you. It’s been fighting for you all along.   Links mentioned in this episode:  Book A Call with Angela: addictionunlimited.com/call Join Sober Society: addictionunlimited.com/society Related Episode: Worried About Your Health in Sobriety? Here's How Your Body Heals After Drinking Instagram:  @addictionunlimited Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/addictionunlimited     Prefer to read instead of listen? Here's the full transcript of this episode. Angela (00:11.96) Hello, my friend. Welcome back to Addiction Unlimited Podcast. I’m your coach, Angela Pugh. If you’ve ever wondered whether alcohol permanently damaged your body, or you’ve quit drinking and found yourself asking, like, is this normal? Why am I so tired? Why am I anxious? Why can’t I sleep? Why do I still have brain fog after a month? Then this episode is for you. Because here’s what I want you to know right from the beginning. Your body wants to heal. In fact, healing begins within hours of your last drink. And while every person’s recovery looks a little different depending on how long they drank, how much they drank, age, genetics, nutrition, overall health, the human body is remarkably resilient. Today we’re going to walk through what alcohol actually does to different systems in your body, what happens when you remove it, what kind of timeline you can realistically expect. And why some parts of recovery happen on a calendar while other parts happen because of the work you choose to do. Angela (01:24.884) Here’s the thing about alcohol that almost nobody explains right. It’s not a substance your brain tolerates, it’s a substance your brain adapts to. Every single time you drink, your brain has to do damage control. And alcohol is a depressant. And before we go any further, I want to clear up one of the biggest misconceptions about that concept. When we say alcohol is a depressant, We don’t mean it makes you depressed or sad. We mean it depresses or slows down the activity of your central nervous system. Think of your central nervous system as the command center for everything your body does. It’s your brain and spinal cord communicating with every other system in your body. It controls your thoughts, your reaction time, your breathing and heart rate. Your coordination, your judgment, memory, emotions, everything. Alcohol comes in and starts turning the volume down on that entire system. Your thoughts and reflexes slow down, your reaction time slows down, your coordination gets worse, speech changes, your judgment becomes impaired. That’s what a depressant does. It slows the activity of your nervous system. But here’s where it gets really interesting. Your brain is obsessed with one thing, keeping you alive. And more specifically, it wants balance. Scientists call this homeostasis. Your brain wants everything operating within a pretty narrow range. So when alcohol keeps slamming on the brakes, Angela (03:13.194) Your brain wants everything operating within a pretty narrow range. So when alcohol keeps slamming on the brakes, your brain doesn’t just sit there and accept it, right? It adapts. It starts pressing the gas pedal to compensate. It ramps up excitatory chemicals, mainly glutamate. And over time it becomes less responsive to the calming effects of GABA because alcohol. Has been providing that calming effect artificially. Angela (03:47.384) Think of GABA as your brain’s brake pedal and glutamate as the gas pedal. As alcohol continues slowing everything down, your brain pushes harder on the gas just to keep you functioning normally. That’s why many people who drink heavily don’t necessarily look intoxicated because they’ve developed tolerance because their brain has adapted. But then one day you stop drinking. Suddenly the artificial breaks disappear. But your brain is still pressing on the gas. That’s why early sobriety can feel so physically and emotionally intense. Anxiety, restlessness, racing thoughts, irritabilities, shaky hands, trouble sleeping, feeling like your skin is crawling. Those aren’t signs something is wrong. They’re signs that your brain is trying to find its balance again. And every day you stay alcohol-free. Your brain begins adjusting in the opposite direction. It gradually turns the glutamate back down, restores its normal response to GABA, and it starts regulating itself without alcohol. That process doesn’t happen overnight, right? But it does happen. One of the biggest mistakes people make is believing that because they feel worse after they quit drinking, like alcohol must have been helping them. But that’s not what’s happening. You’re experiencing life without alcohol. You’re not experiencing life without alcohol. You’re experiencing a brain that’s recalibrating after alcohol. Those are two very different things. Angela (05:56.344) So we talked about the brain. Let’s talk about sleep. One of the biggest lies alcohol tells us is that it helps us sleep. I cannot tell you how many people say to me, Angela, I have to have a few drinks or I’ll never fall asleep. And I get it, I was exactly the same way. It certainly feels that way. Alcohol can absolutely make you fall asleep faster, but falling asleep and getting quality sleep are two completely different things. Think about it this way: if someone put you under anesthesia, Would you call that a great night’s sleep? Of course not. You were unconscious, but your brain wasn’t cycling through the normal stages of restorative sleep that your body needs. Alcohol works in a similar way. It sedates you, but it disrupts the quality of your sleep. One of the biggest problems is that alcohol suppresses REM sleep. REM stands for rapid eye movement, and it’s the stage of sleep. That is incredibly important for learning, memory, emotional processing, and just overall brain health. It’s also the stage where most dreaming happens. So even if you’ve slept for eight hours after drinking, your brain may have missed out on some of the most restorative parts of sleep. Alcohol also causes your sleep to become fragmented. Like you may fall asleep quickly, but as your body metabolizes the alcohol during the night, your brain becomes more active. It gets agitated. That’s why so many people wake up at two or three in the morning with their mind racing, heart pounding, feeling Wide awake, even though you’re exhausted. Your heart rate stays higher, your body temperature is less regulated, your breathing can become less stable, and your nervous system is working much harder than it should while you’re supposed to be recovering. The good news is this starts to improve surprisingly quickly. During the first few days after quitting drinking, sleep sometimes can get worse before it gets better. That’s completely normal. Angela (08:03.212) Because your brain is learning how to fall asleep without alcohol, and that recalibration takes time. But over the next few weeks, your sleep architecture, right? The normal pattern of moving through different stages of sleep, all of that starts to recover. Many people begin noticing they’re sleeping more deeply, they’re waking up fewer times during the night and actually feeling rested in the morning. And that’s a huge difference. Because when you were drinking, you may have been unconscious for eight hours, but now you’re actually sleeping. And I also want to be really transparent about something because I think we do people a great disservice when we oversimplify recovery. Better sleep is one of the most common benefits of quitting drinking, but it isn’t a guaranteed, but it isn’t guaranteed on some magical timeline. Right. And I know this firsthand because I’ve never been a great a great sleeper. Not when I was drinking, and honestly, not long before I ever took my first drink. I’ve struggled with sleep since I was a young teenager. As I got sober, I started real recovery and healing, and I learned that alcohol wasn’t the only problem I had with sleep. I had a lot of problems with my nervous system. Years of chronic stress, trauma, and living in survival mode. Like all of that just taught my body it wasn’t safe to fully relax. And I know I’m not alone in that. Many people discover that alcohol wasn’t the root cause of their sleep struggles. It was just the way they were trying to cope with a nervous system that had been dysregulated for years. That was certainly my story. But once the alcohol was gone, I could finally see the other factors that were affecting my sleep. That’s why I want you to be careful about comparing your recovery to someone else’s timeline. There are so many variables. There are so many variables that affect sleep, right? Your history, stress levels, trauma, anxiety, depression, hormones, perimenopause and menopause, cortisol, blood sugar, caffeine, medications, sleep apnea. Angela (10:13.036) Like there are dozens of things that influence how well you sleep. But here’s what I can tell you without hesitation. The quality of my sleep improved dramatically. There’s a huge difference between spending eight hours unconscious because of alcohol and spending eight hours moving through the natural stages of restorative sleep that your brain and body are designed to have. Even if I still have a rough night here and there, I function better as a sober person, getting sober sleep than I ever did as a person who drank myself unconscious. My brain works better, my body feels better, I have more energy, my mood is more stable, my memory is sharper. I’m actually recovering while I sleep instead of asking my body to recover from what I drank. And that’s really the theme of this entire episode. Sobriety doesn’t remove every challenge from your life. It removes one of the biggest obstacles standing between your body and its ability to do what it was designed to do, and that’s heal. And once you’re finally getting real restorative sleep again, something else starts happening. Your body can begin repairing itself more efficiently. And one of the hardest working organs in that process is your liver. So let’s talk about what happens there. Angela (11:44.61) You know, one thing I always try to be honest about is that sobriety didn’t magically make me a perfect sleeper. I’ve struggled with sleep since I was a teenager. So anything that helps create a calmer, more comfortable sleep environment, I am all about it. I’ve been sleeping on cozy earth sheets for a while now, and they really are as good as everyone says. They didn’t make it to Oprah’s favorite things list for no reason. Okay, they’re incredibly soft. And honestly, they make getting into bed at the end of the day feel like its own little luxury. And since we’re talking about recovery, I think this fits perfectly. Recovery isn’t just about removing alcohol. It’s about taking care of yourself in ways that actually support healing. And creating a bedroom that helps you relax and get quality rest is one of those things that’s worth investing in. I also love that Cozy Earth stands behind what they make. Their sheets come with a hundred-night sleep trial, their clothing has a lifetime warranty. And if something isn’t right, returns are hassle-free. That tells me they’re confident in their products. And I appreciate companies that stand behind what they sell. Summers should feel easy for everyone in the house. Cozy Earth’s bamboo sheet set, the men’s everywhere pant, the women’s joggers. They’re all amazing, comfortable, and designed to keep you relaxed all summer long. Head to cozyearth.com and use my code ANGLE for an exclusive 20% off. That’s code ANGLE for an exclusive 20% off. And if you see a post-purchase survey, mention that you heard about Cozy Earth right here on Addiction Unlimited. Angela (13:38.166) Okay, back to the liver. I have to tell you, I’m absolutely fascinated by the liver. If you’ve listened to this podcast for any length of time, you already know I’m a total brain nerd, right? I can talk about the brain for hours. But the liver, it is a very close second. It’s one of the smartest, hardest working, most dynamic organs in your body, and it doesn’t get nearly enough credit. The liver performs more than five. Hundred different functions every single day without you having to think about a single one of them. Like I say that and it makes me feel lazy. You know? It filters your blood, processes nutrients, stores vitamins, helps regulate blood sugar, produces bile so you can digest food, it makes proteins your body needs, it metabolizes medications, it supports your immune system. It just quietly goes about its business keeping you alive. Every second of every day. Then alcohol shows up. You know, the liver’s number one priority becomes breaking down that alcohol because, from your body’s perspective, alcohol is a toxin. And here’s the catch. While your liver is busy processing alcohol, many of its other jobs get pushed to the back burner. It’s like pulling your best employee away from everything they should be doing because they’re dealing with one emergency after another. If drinking becomes frequent or heavy, that emergency never really ends. Fat begins to accumulate in the liver. That’s what’s known as fatty liver disease. And it’s often the first stage of alcohol-related liver damage. the the important thing to know is that fatty liver doesn’t usually hurt, right? Most people don’t feel it happening. There may be no symptoms at all. That’s why a lot of people have no idea it’s developing. But if drinking can Continues, that fat can lead to inflammation. And over time, repeated inflammation can lead to scarring called fibrosis. If enough scar tissue builds up, it can eventually become cirrhosis. And that’s where that healthy liver tissue is permanently replaced by scar tissue. Now, I don’t tell you that to scare you. I tell you because understanding what’s happening inside your body helps make you. Angela (16:06.134) I tell you because understanding what’s happening inside your body helps you make better decisions. And here’s the hopeful part: the liver is one of the few organs in the body with an incredible ability to regenerate. In many people, healing begins within days of stopping drinking. Fat accumulation can begin to decrease within just a few weeks. And over the following months, many people with fatty liver disease can see significant improvement. It can be completely reversed if permanent damage hasn’t already happened, right? Inflammation goes down, liver function improves, your body becomes more efficient at processing nutrients and eliminating waste. Now, if someone has advanced cirrhosis, that’s a different conversation. Scar tissue that’s already formed generally can’t be reversed. But even then, stopping alcohol can slow or stop further damage. And obviously it’s gonna dramatically improve quality of life. So wherever you are on that spectrum, removing alcohol is one of the best gifts you can give your liver. Angela (17:21.354) And did you know that the liver actually has the capacity to regrow healthy tissue? Like surgeons can take a portion of a healthy liver for a living donation, and both the donor’s liver and the recipient’s transplanted portion will grow to meet the body and that body’s needs over time. I mean, think about that for a minute. It it’s amazing. It’s such an amazing organ. But so many people come into recovery believing they’ve ruined their bodies forever. And while none of us can erase the past, you have to understand the human body is amazingly resilient. If we give it the opportunity, it starts moving toward healing almost immediately. Like your liver is not just sitting there hoping for the best. You know, it’s constantly adapting, constantly repairing, constantly trying to keep keep up with whatever we throw at it. The problem is that every time alcohol shows up, your liver has to stop what it’s doing and deal with the emergency in front of it. And if alcohol keeps showing up day after day, your liver never gets the chance to fully catch up on all of its other incredibly important jobs. So the greatest gift you can give it isn’t some expensive detox tea or a cleanse you found on Instagram. Your liver already knows how to detox your body. That’s literally its job. It doesn’t need help doing its job. It just needs you to remove the thing that’s been monopolizing all of its attention. Every day you don’t drink, it can just get back to work trying to heal. And I love that because there’s a lesson in that for all of us, right? Our bodies. Angela (19:06.998) Are often far more willing to forgive us than we are willing to forgive ourselves. Your brain wants balance, your liver wants to heal. Your body is constantly trying to move you toward health. Our job isn’t to force the healing. Our job is to stop getting in its way. Okay, let’s keep following the path that alcohol naturally takes through the body, because alcohol doesn’t just affect your brain and your liver. It affects your digestive system from the very first sip. Your mouth, your esophagus, your stomach, your intestines, every step of the journey. Alcohol is incredibly irritating to the lining of your digestive tract. And over time it creates inflammation and it makes that lining more permeable. You may have heard the term leaky gut. And that phrase gets used a lot online. The medical concept behind it is what’s called increased intestinal permeability. And here’s what that means in plain English: the lining of your intestines is designed to be selective. Think of it like a really smart security guard or a coffee filter. It’s supposed to let the good stuff through things like vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients your body needs. While keeping larger particles, toxins, and bacteria out. Alcohol can damage that protective barrier over time. Instead of being as selective as it’s supposed to be, it becomes a little more leaky. Things that normally wouldn’t pass through can slip into the bloodstream. And that triggers inflammation and forces your immune system to work harder than it should. At the very same time, your body may become less efficient at absorbing some of the nutrients it desperately needs. The protective barrier in your intestines just doesn’t work quite as well as it should. And that matters because your digestive system isn’t just responsible for digesting food, it’s responsible for absorbing nutrients. And if your body can’t absorb nutrients efficiently, it doesn’t matter how healthy you’re eating. Angela (21:25.206) You’re not getting everything your brain and body actually need. Angela (21:35.286) And alcohol interferes with the absorption of a lot of nutrients, especially B vitamins, folate, magnesium, zinc. These nutrients are involved in everything from energy production to nerve function to brain health. So when people say they feel exhausted all the time while they’re drinking, alcohol itself is part of the story. But nutritional deficient, but nutritional deficiencies can be part of that story too. Then there’s the microbiome. Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria. And I know that sounds a little gross, but you actually want them there. Those bacteria help digest food, they provide certain vitamins, they support your immune system, and they communicate with your brain. Researchers call it the gut brain axis because your gut and your brain are in constant communication. So when alcohol repeatedly disrupts that environment, it can throw the whole system out of balance. And that contributes to bloating, digestive issues, inflammation, and even mood changes. The good news is your digestive system is another one of those parts of the body that starts responding pretty quickly once alcohol is removed. Many people notice less bloating in the first week, right? And Digestion becomes more regular over the following weeks. Acid reflux may improve, stomach irritation calms down, your body becomes better at absorbing nutrients again. Angela (23:18.862) And when your body starts absorbing nutrients more efficiently, you’re giving your brain better raw materials to work with. That’s another reason people will often notice improvements in energy and concentration and mood over time. It’s not one magical thing, it’s dozens of systems all getting a chance to do their jobs again. And I do want to make one thing clear because I don’t think because I don’t want anyone listening to think sobriety automatically fixes every digestive issue you’ll ever have, right? If you have food sensitivities, IBS, celiac, gallbladder problems, another medical condition, those don’t magically disappear because you quit drinking. Again, life is still going to be life, but removing alcohol eliminates one major source of irritation. It gives your digestive system a chance to calm down and work the way it was designed to work. Angela (24:21.804) And I love that idea because it keeps coming back to the same theme. Your body isn’t sitting around waiting to fail you, it’s constantly trying to heal you. Sometimes it just needs you to stop interrupting the process. So let’s talk about your heart. Your heart has one job, right? Keep blood moving. Every minute of every day, it’s delivering oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body and carrying away waste products. And just like your liver, it never takes a day off. Alcohol asks a lot of your heart. Even a single night of heavy drinking raises your heart rate and your blood pressure. That’s one of the reasons so many people wake up after drinking feeling like their heart’s pounding out of their chest. It isn’t just anxiety. Your cardiovascular system is working harder than it should. And when drinking becomes frequent, that extra workload starts adding up. Alcohol can contribute to high blood pressure, irregular heart rhythms, inflammation, and over many years, it can weaken the heart muscle itself. It also increases your risk for heart attack, stroke, especially with long-term heavy drinking. The encouraging news is that your heart responds surprisingly well when alcohol is removed. For a lot of people, heart rate begins settling down within days. Blood pressure often starts improving in a matter of weeks, although that depends on a lot of factors too: genetics, weight, medications, diet exercise, other health conditions, blah, blah, blah. Again, I don’t want to oversimplify it. Sobriety isn’t a cure for every heart condition, but removing alcohol takes a tremendous amount of unnecessary stress off your cardiovascular system. Your heart isn’t Constantly trying to compensate anymore. It gets to just do the job it was designed to do instead of cleaning up after alcohol all the time. Angela (26:29.242) And when your heart is pumping efficiently, then your circulation improves, and oxygen and nutrients are getting where they need to go. And every other system benefits from that. Your muscles recover better, your brain gets better blood flow, your energy improves, even your skin looks healthier because of improved circulation and reduced inflammation, right? Everything in your body is connected. That’s something I hope you’re starting to hear throughout this episode. We tend to think about alcohols affecting one organ at a time or whatever, but your body doesn’t work that way. Your brain talks to your gut, your tu your gut talks to your immune system, your liver supports metabolism, your heart delivers oxygen and nutrients everywhere. They’re all part of the same team. And when alcohol is out of the picture, it’s not just one player that gets better. The whole team starts working together again. And then there’s your immune system, right? I think this is another one of those systems that doesn’t get enough credit. Most of us only think about our immune system when we catch a cold or the flu. But your immune system is working every single day. It’s identifying viruses and bacteria, it’s repairing damaged tissues, cleaning up injured cells, helping wound. Helping wounds heal, monitoring for abnormal cells. It’s constantly scanning, communicating, and protecting you. And alcohol throws a wrench into that entire process, right? One of the biggest things alcohol does is increase inflammation throughout your whole body. Now, inflammation isn’t automatically a bad thing, right? If you cut your finger, inflammation is what helps it heal. If you catch a virus, inflammation is part of your body’s defense system. Angela (28:25.282) The problem is when inflammation never really gets the chance to turn off. That’s what chronic inflammation is. It’s like having your home’s smoke alarm going off all day, every day. Eventually, the whole system becomes stressed. Alcohol can keep your immune system in that constant state of activation. It’s responding to the alcohol itself. It’s responding to damage in the liver. It’s responding to changes in the gut. It’s responding to disrupted sleep. Everything we’ve talked about so far is connected. And over time, that chronic inflammation can contribute to fatigue, slower healing, increased risk of getting sick, and a higher risk for a lot of chronic diseases. Alcohol doesn’t just overactivate parts of your immune system. It can also weaken your ability to fight infections effectively, right? So if you’re in this strange situation where your immune system is working overtime in some ways while becoming less effective in others, it’s busy, but not necessarily efficient. When you stop drinking, that constant alarm finally starts quieting down. Inflammation begins decreasing, your immune system isn’t spending all of its energy responding to alcohol anymore. And it can start focusing on what it’s actually designed to do. And a lot of people notice they don’t get sick anymore. That was huge for me. I had like clockwork a few times a year. I would get super sick and be in bed for, you know, seven, eight days. And I’ve been sober 20 years. I hardly ever get sick. I don’t even get sick when my whole family is sick. Лайк ітскрази the difference it makes. Angela (30:16.588) But even when you do get sick, you recover more quickly too, right? Cuts and bruises heal faster. You just feel better. And while you can’t see inflammation the way you can see a cut on your hand, you definitely notice its absence, right? Like you wake up feeling less puffy, your face looks, your face looks less swollen, your joints don’t ache quite as much. Like your body feels lighter. Again, it isn’t magic, it’s biology. Your body’s been trying to restore balance all along. Removing alcohol just gives it one less battle to fight every single day. I think that’s one of the most hopeful things about recovery. Your body isn’t waiting for permission to heal. It’s been trying to heal from the very beginning. And sometimes the greatest act of self-care isn’t adding another supplement or buying another wellness product. Sometimes it’s simply stopping the thing that’s keeping your body stuck in survival mode. Angela (31:20.832) Okay, and then there are hormones, fucking hormones, ruining lives all day, every day. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but only a little. When most people hear the word hormones, they immediately think about women: estrogen, PMS, perimenopause, menopause. And yes, we’re definitely going to talk about that. But hormones aren’t just a women’s issue. Every single one of us is running on hormones. They are your body’s chemical. Messengers. Okay, think of them like tiny text messages traveling throughout your body, telling different organs and systems what to do and when to do it. They help regulate your mood, your stress response, appetite, metabolism, sleep energy, sex drive, reproductive health, blood sugar, muscle mass, your body temperature. They influence almost everything we’ve talked about in this episode. And alcohol has its hands in all of it. So let’s start with cortisol. That’s your body’s primary stress hormone. Remember back in the beginning of the episode when we talked about alcohol slowing your nervous system down and your brain trying to compensate? Well, alcohol also disrupts your stress response. It can temporarily make you feel relaxed while you’re drinking, but as it wears off, cortisol often rises. That’s one of the reasons so many people wake up at two or three in the morning feeling. Anxious and restless and sweaty or like their heart is racing. It’s not just anxiety. Your stress hormones are literally shifting while you’re sleeping. And then there’s blood sugar. Alcohol can cause blood sugar to swing up and down, especially if you’re drinking on an empty stomach or you’re drinking sugary drinks. Those swings don’t just affect your energy, they affect your mood, your cravings, your concentration, even your ability to sleep well. And then there are sex hormones. Ladies, if you’ve ever been in perimenopause or menopause, you probably don’t need me to tell you that hormones can make life interesting, let’s say. Hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, brain fogs, sleep disruption. I mean, sound familiar? Alcohol makes every one of those symptoms worse. Angela (33:44.852) It can intensify hot flashes, fragments your sleep even more, increases anxiety, it adds another layer of inflammation to a body that’s already going through enormous hormonal changes. So if you’re wondering why that nightly glass of wine doesn’t seem to be helping anymore, or why you suddenly feel worse instead of better, that may be part of the reason. But I also want to say something to the men listening: alcohol affects your hormones too. Heavy drinking can lower testosterone levels over time. And that affects energy, mood, muscle mass, strength, recovery after exercise, sex drive, even fertility. So if you’ve been feeling tired all the time or struggling to build muscle despite working out, or you’re noticing a lower sex drive, or you just feel like you don’t have the same drive and motivation you used to have, alcohol may be playing a much bigger role than you think. Again, it’s about understanding what’s happening inside your body. The encouraging thing. Angela (35:05.214) And many of these hormonal disruptions begin improving once alcohol is removed, right? Cortisol becomes more regulated, blood sugar becomes more stable, sleep improves, which supports healthier hormone production, inflammation decreases, your body starts communicating with itself more effectively again. And again, I don’t want to oversimplify this because if you’re in menopause, alcohol isn’t the only reason you’re having hot flashes. If you’re a man with clinically low testosterone, Quitting drinking isn’t guaranteed to bring your levels back to normal. Hormones are complicated. Age matters, genetics matter, medical conditions matter, stress matters. Just like we talked about with sleep, life is still going to be life. But removing alcohol gives your endocrine system one less obstacle to overcome. It gives your body the opportunity to find its natural rhythm again instead of constantly reacting to a substance that throws the whole orchestra off tempo. And that’s really what hormones are all about: communication, coordination, and balance. When alcohol leaves the picture, your body finally gets a chance to start having the conversations it was designed to have. Angela (36:25.866) As we wrap up this episode, I hope there’s one thing you take away from everything we’ve talked about today. Your body is incredibly intelligent. It is constantly working to protect you, adapt to whatever you give it, and move you toward healing. Your brain adapts, your sleep begins to recover, your liver regenerates, your gut repairs, your heart gets a break, inflammation starts to come down. Your hormones begin finding their rhythm again. None of that happens because your body is punishing you, right? It happens because your body has been fighting for you all along. Alcohol didn’t stop your body from wanting to heal. It just kept interrupting the process. And the beautiful thing is the moment you remove alcohol, your body gets back to doing what it’s always wanted to do heal. Now, I also want to make one really important distinction before we finish. Everything we talked about today is biology. Your body does this work automatically, but your emotional healing is different. Learning how to regulate your emotions without alcohol, building confidence, healing your relationships, setting boundaries, managing stress, working through trauma, learning who you are without alcohol, creating a life you don’t want to escape from. Those things don’t happen on a timeline. There isn’t a study that says 47 days in, your confidence comes back, or after six months, you’ll finally forgive yourself. Right. That part of recovery depends on something completely different. It depends on the work you’re willing to do. And honestly, I think this is a part that people miss. They quit drinking and start feeling physically better. And then they hit this point where they think, okay, now what? I’m sober, but I still feel stuck. I don’t know what I’m supposed to be working on. I don’t feel confident. My sobriety doesn’t feel solid. And if that’s where you are, I want you to know you’re not doing anything wrong. You’ve just reached the next stage of recovery. Your body’s been healing. Now it’s time to help the rest of you heal. Angela (38:41.068) And that’s exactly the work I love, right? It’s the work I’ve been doing with clients for years because quitting drinking isn’t the finish line, it’s the foundation. Once alcohol is out of the way, we get to build a life that actually feels good to live. A life where you have the tools to handle stress without reaching for a drink. A life where you trust yourself again, a life where sobriety doesn’t feel fragile. It feels like freedom. So if you’ve been sober for a while and you’re wondering what comes next, or your recovery feels a little uncertain and you want guidance, I would love to help. You can book a call to talk to me about working together and what that looks like. You can do that at addictionunlimited.com forward slash call. Angela (39:34.742) And if you’re still in those early days of sobriety, be patient with yourself. Healing is happening even when you can’t see it. Your body is doing what it was designed to do. Give it time, give it support, and most importantly, understand you are healing. And I’d love to talk to you if you’re ready to get to work and actually enjoy your sobriety. Addictionunlimited.com forward slash call. That link is always in the show notes. Addictionunlimited.com forward slash call. I love you guys. I hope you’re having a fantastic day and I will see you next week.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and wondered, "Why is it so much harder to lose weight than it used to be?" Maybe you've tried the diets... counted the calories... exercised faithfully... only to watch the scale refuse to budge. What if the problem isn't a lack of willpower? What if we've been asking the wrong question all along?Today on Call IT in With Dar, I'm joined by Dr. William Summers, a physician with more than 36 years of experience helping people understand the science behind obesity. As a board-certified OB/GYN and medical weight management specialist, Dr. Summers believes it's time we stop blaming ourselves and start recognizing obesity for what it truly is—a complex medical condition influenced by biology, hormones, metabolism, and our modern environment.  In this myth-busting conversation, we'll explore why obesity has become one of the greatest health challenges of our time, what new research is revealing, how medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro are changing the conversation, and most importantly, why compassion and understanding are far more powerful than guilt and shame.  Whether you're struggling with your own weight, supporting someone you love, or simply wanting to separate fact from fiction, this episode offers clarity, hope, and practical insight.  Let's come together for this important conversation about obesity! Call It in with Dar! Support the showFull Show Notes can be found at CallITInPodcast.comPhoto credit: Rebecca Lange Photography Music credit: Kevin MacLeod Incompetech.com (licensed under Creative Commons)  Production credit: Erin Schenke @ Emerald Support Services LLC.Grab Dar's Flight Deck Oracle Card DeckTake Dar's Archetype Quiz

Tiffanie and Nikki share what dental practices should be looking at it now that we're halfway through 2026. Such milestones or touchpoints can include the goals you set at the start of the year, production numbers, the metrics ranges for healthy practices, and so on. From there, Tiff and Nikki talk about how to turn your midpoint numbers into game plans for the remaining six months. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Tiffanie (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team listeners. We are back at you again. ⁓ we do four of these ish a month. We do one a week. myself, Tiffanie, and the consulting team. And I always pick from my consultant crew ⁓ whoever can be the best cohort on the topic and also their schedules, which is a fun.   little alignment of ⁓ situations here regarding our topic of choice today. So today I have Nikki. Nikki, thank you for making yourself available this morning for pivoting with me. I know I had some ⁓ travel stuff last week and had to move calls around so we had to move this call around and I just appreciate you so much Nikki and for pivoting and and Nikki I'm gonna I'm just gonna say it. It's funny.   And we all kind of podcast from wherever we can. We try to ta stay as centralized as we possibly can, but we all at some point or another are in a very different place than our norm. And Nikki has had so many fun spots. So if you are a an avid podcast listener, you've heard Nikki's and you've not watched, I want you to go back and like look through all of Nikki's and see all of her different backgrounds because it's just so fun.   Nikki Mack (00:55) Yeah.   Tiffanie (01:09) you're like our Carmen San Diego, Nikki. How are you doing today in ⁓ your new space today that is a very temporary and then you'll have a new new space, but how are you doing over there?   Nikki Mack (01:20) Yeah, doing great today. ⁓ this may just be my thing. I may have to find somewhere new to podcast from every time. We'll just yeah. Yes. ⁓ I did love Carmen San Diego, so absolutely I'll just wear a red hat. You'll see me out and about. That would be amazing. ⁓ yes, doing good. super happy to be back. I can't get enough of doing podcasts and   Tiffanie (01:27) I like it. Or pop something in there that people have to find, like what's different.   I don't know.   I love it   Nikki Mack (01:47) No matter where we are, absolutely we're here for our listeners and we're gonna get it done. So I'm ready.   Tiffanie (01:52) I love   it. I love it. thank you. And listeners, you guys know if you've listened to us at all that we truly do love what we do, that we are here to ensure that we give as much information out to the dental world and beyond. We have listeners who aren't even a part of the dental world because entrepreneurship is all the same. Business is business is how I describe it. So whether you're dental, whether you're outside of dental, I know we've worked with podiatrists and optimists.   And chiropractors and all kinds of different businesses. We've helped CPAs and financial advisors and all kinds of different organizations because at the bottom of everything, business is the foundation here and dentistry is what you do on top of that foundation. So we're excited for you guys to be here. We're excited to be ⁓ hosting this podcast to be delivered in July.   July is one of my favorite months of the year for multiple reasons. Brodie's birthday is in July. He's actually eighteen ⁓ this year. The the recording of this podcast, he will be eighteen in almost a month from now. So that's crazy and scary. And for those of you who have been listening for as long as we've been doing this, you probably remember when little Brodie, who's like nine or ten, maybe not even yet, eight, ⁓ came on and he talked about having a working mom. So really cool.   If you've been listening for a long time, you know who he is. But July is also one of my favorite months of the year because this is really kind of our reset month. This is where I just kind of slow down in life and in business and really take a look at what are the things I said I wanted to accomplish this year and where am I at in relation to those things? Do I need to pivot? Are did things change? Did I have things on my docket that I was like, gosh, that's kind of arbitrary or   Too much or you gosh, I'm really just not gonna get to that this year and that's okay too. So have we changed things that maybe we need to reevaluate and reset? for me personally, I said I'm gonna do a pull up this year, and you what, it's still on my docket, but six months, seven months into the year, not having made ⁓ a lot of progress on even attempting to do one, I think I'm a little behind the wheel on that. So needing to reevaluate, but that's really what we're talking about today. So whether it's personal goals, business goals   Family goals, whatever they are, this is a really great time of year to just take a step back and really, really, really push forward on what we want our life to look like. So we brought Nikki on today to help us with that as far as the dental industry and the and the dental business. And Nikki, from your perspective, consulting practices, I know this is the time of year as well that we're gonna take a look with our clients and we say, Hey, how was Q2?   So we've already done a how is Q1. We go through, we evaluate quarter one in comparison to last year at the same time. Well that now our consultants are all going through for their clients and really evaluating quarter two in comparison to quarter one and also in comparison to the projections that we made with them earlier this year. So as we're prepping for that and as we're getting ready to have those conversations with our clients, Nikki, what are some of the key indicators, the KPIs that you have always loved watching for your practices? ⁓   in consulting, in managing, in working within the DSL world, all of your different spaces, what are the ones that you really like to take a look at in July?   Nikki Mack (05:16) So for me, I mean, production's the obvious one, right? Like we never really take our eye off of production ever. Q one, two, three, four, always. ⁓ but I think deeper than just production, it's looking at those metrics that drive production, especially that we started the year with the intention of working on. So a lot of my offices this year, it's case acceptance. Like 2026 is all about case acceptance.   Tiffanie (05:23) Yeah.   Nikki Mack (05:42) And so for me at this halfway point, that's where I'm really like digging into that number. So what does the percentage look like? And there's metrics, right? And there's ranges and there's healthy offices and things like that. But like I tell my teens a lot when we first start, the biggest thing I'm looking at is just where are we? So like January, ⁓ if we've been together for a while, where our starting point is, your percentage now is what I care about. And then how are we going to increase it? So hopefully by July.   We've seen some movement in that number and production would reflect it. But if we don't understand how we're driving that production, how do we keep doing it or make those changes? Like we said, going into Q3 that we need. So ⁓ I would say case acceptance is a huge one. Are you tracking dollars? Are you tracking percentage? Whatever we've been looking at, let's really dive into it. And then honestly, another one that I've seen a lot lately is ⁓   New patient retention. So we a lot of doctors have expanded or brought in associates or we have a lot of new practice owners, right? And so new patients, we know it, they matter, they're super important. But if we're bringing a ton of women and they're all just leaving and not like staying with us, then like that's a lot of time invested. ⁓ so we've I've seen a lot of focus this year with what's our new patient numbers and then who came back.   So July is a perfect time to really be dialed in on that because we're going to start to see those six month recares come back, the ones from the end of last year. So that's a super good number, in my opinion, to really get an eye on the health of your practice and how some of our systems are working. Because I love a system.   Tiffanie (07:27) Right. All right. That's what we're here for, right?   Yeah, I I totally agree. And I love the new patient spot too, like in conjunction with the case acceptance that you said both of those, because oftentimes we will look at the case acceptance and we'll say, Gosh, I w our case acceptance is really high, but our we're still not meeting production, or our case acceptance is really low. We've got to   Gotta do more ⁓ case ex you know, case acceptance, whatever. But when you start to really dive into it, a lot of times our case acceptance will tell us every time our case acceptance will tell us what our diagnosis is as well, right? So if we're only looking at what is our percentage of case acceptance, whether it's dollar or yes or no, it doesn't really matter. But if we're only looking at that number and we're never looking at how much have we diagnosed, we kind of miss the boat there on the in between. So as you're taking that mid year.   Check-in here in July. I think that that is a great place to start. I totally agree, Mickey. Because at that point you can say, do we have the opportunity to meet the goals that we are projecting towards? So where are we at? We always say go look at what your full goal was or is, right? So what are we supposed to do by December 31st, 2026, or whatever year you're listening to this in? What are we supposed to do by the end of the year? And where are we at in relation to that? So six months.   Nikki Mack (08:39) Ha ha   Tiffanie (08:46) Seven months, you know, into the year, are we six months worth of production towards that goal, or do we need to re-establish a different goal moving forward to account for missed opportunities? Now I'm gonna say something here, and my team members just know I love you. Doctors, make sure you do this. So if you're tracking, you're like, all right, guys, I listened, Nikki, I heard you, and I'm actually ahead on my goal, and I'm ahead by $50,000 this year.   Keep your goal the same. Do not adjust your goal down to meet that other goal. And I know that that sounds kind of obvious, but I want to just state it because there are a lot of people that are like, ⁓ awesome. This month is short, so like it's okay, we don't really have to push. Like, no, no, no. Keep pushing and hit for that top tier goal every time so that you have that buffer if it's ever necessary. Or best case scenario, we end out ahead. Now, the other flip side to that is that.   A lot of times what we'll see is we might be short by like 20,000 or 10,000, something not like massive. It might not be a whole month's worth of production, but it might be that like ten to twenty thousand dollar mark. So then what we're doing is we're saying, okay, great, this is what we've done. This is where we're gonna go, where we need to be. That gap is now added to the months coming. So if you've got ten thousand dollars that you're short, divide that by the next six months, add that crown cost, by the way.   Add that extra crown into your monthly goal and then reestablish what that will look like. That's your mid year check-in. So then to Nikki's point of the case acceptance, I love that, Nikki, because if we know where we're going, now we can say, okay, how are we gonna get that? Like, how do I get now to 145 instead of that 143 mark? How do I get that extra couple thousand dollars a month? And why was I short to begin with? So what happened there that   Nikki Mack (10:11) Right.   Tiffanie (10:41) caused that that mishap and it could have been hours, it could have been days closed, but it could have also been in that case acceptance and diagnosis. So then we start really looking in. So production, collections should match your productions or at least be 98%, right? And then in order to hit those, what does our case acceptance look like? And do we have enough opportunity to hit those goals? And if the opp the opportunity isn't there, now we're gonna say, okay, great, why aren't my new why aren't I getting enough new patients? Or   Nikki, one of my favorite ones is we have a slew of new patients, sometimes too many, and we're not diagnosing what we need to diagnose from them. And I'm and I think Nikki this can be misconstrued sometimes because it's like, well, I diagnose what my patients have. Super cool. I totally agree with you. We are never, ever, ever going to be the consulting company that's like, no, no, no, there's more, find it. Maybe there is, but I don't know. I'm not sitting in your chair and dentistry is, you know, it's completely objective. So   Nikki Mack (11:16) Yeah.   Tiffanie (11:39) I'm not gonna tell you how to dentist. I'm just gonna say, do we have the right opportunities then? So if you've got clean patients coming into your practice and you're hitting new patient numbers, but we're still not hitting diagnosis, are we reaching the target audience that you need in order to sustain and grow your dental practice? And Nikki, I think that falls into play where we've got now   the KPIs, you know, production collections, those are those are hand in hand, case acceptance and then that new patient mark. Are we getting the right new patients? Because to your point, Nikki, in July, if that first six months of new patients didn't give me the bucket that I needed, I have time now to reevaluate and say, okay, well what does this need to look like? How does my hygiene department need to grow and do my new patients need to shift and change with that? And is that something, Nikki, that you've seen like   all over the place. Is that like how how often are you seeing that we just arbitrarily kind of grab the new patients that we can and then miss marks and are like, wait a second, what's going on?   Nikki Mack (12:42) Yeah, I think because a lot of times it's easy to feel like, well, a new patient is a new patient and that's a win, you know, like we hit 45. But to your point, we have to be intentional, right? And there is a degree of we market, you know, to the audience, right? We hit the keywords, we're the Google search, we know what we're looking for. But most of the marketing companies that our offices work with, they say those similar things. Like, what are you trying to bring in?   Tiffanie (12:49) Yes.   Nikki Mack (13:10) I had an office, for example, that was changing some of their insurance, you know, contracts. And their emergency ads were bringing in a lot of those insurance-driven patients. So they were having a real struggle with maintaining the schedule they were trying to build with where they were trying to go and who was coming in. And we realized it's the ads, right? You know, that's why this number is so high and it's so hard. So we pivoted, which   Ironically enough, on the flip side, I had another practice just a couple weeks ago. We were having this new patient conversation. They're focusing on some emergency dentistry targeted ads because they do have a little bit of flexibility. We've got a new associate, which is, you know, always great for opening up schedules. And so we realize that we can accommodate some emergencies, right? And ideally be able to take care of those patients the same day, which is just not always the case, right? We've we've busy practices, we can't always do it.   So we wanted to capitalize on that opportunity both for the practice, but also what great patient care, right? To consistently be able to see some emergencies, build new patient relationships, and get them taken care of as quickly as possible. It just presents that kind of opportunity. So that to me, actually, funny enough, emergency patients ends up being a really good example of no two offices are the same and no one answer works for everyone. So what could be the like   symptom in one practice is the solution in another. So that's why it's super important to take these deep dives and not wait till the end. ⁓ any of my practices or teams that are listening, they hear this all the time, but especially around this time of year, ⁓ we have to sometimes make decisions like we're a speedboat or sometimes like we're a cruise ship. And sometimes there's a quick pivot and it's an easy fix. And those are some of my favorites as a consultant, right? Those are easy   Tiffanie (15:01) Yeah.   Nikki Mack (15:02) Victories, changes, challenges overcomes. Some we're more like a cruise ship and it's a bigger strategy and tactics that we need to use to change course. So if we don't take a look now while we're halfway through the year, it's gonna be October, November, and all of a sudden, like we don't have time to make an impact in twenty twenty six or the year, you know, when you're listening. So   Tiffanie (15:23) Totally agree. Yeah. Yeah, whatever yeah.   Nikki Mack (15:27) You it's very important to decide what that looks like and that's how we make decisions. Our numbers tell a story. I know I didn't invent that, but I do say it a lot 'cause it's so true. And so we have to read that story and that's how we make the decisions that are gonna either turn things around for us or keep us on that course to just finish super strong.   Tiffanie (15:47) Yeah, I agree. Thank you. And I think that July presents a really big opportunity ⁓ for that, for ch making changes. And and previously marketing marketing still is is like a a beast that's really hard to know. Like you nobody knows marketing. Even marketing companies are like we're still trying to figure it out. And it's just like this beta test constantly. So it's it can be very frustrating in that way, but it's also really cool because what's happened now, I know years ago it was like, okay, well, if we're gonna change marketing.   Nikki Mack (16:04) Yeah.   Tiffanie (16:16) It takes six months to even see the product of that marketing switch. But thank goodness we live in a progressive ⁓ future. And we're here in the future where it doesn't take weeks, months, you know, six months or so to see that change. Right now we can make a change in the marketing and the online presence and it's shifting things immediately. And so to your point, Nikki.   A practice that's like, gosh, we need to fill this doctor's schedule. Let's get some emergency patients in that has the right systems that can convert. So that would be, I think if if you're in July and you're like, yep, you're right, guys, I need to shift my marketing focus and I need to look at my new patients. If you're gonna go the emergence any new patient route, but especially the emergency kind of limited exam new patient route, make sure you've got solid systems and that now you're tracking on top of that our new patient conversion.   rate, right? Because a new patient coming in on a limited exam 0140 in emergency is still a new patient to your practice, but your numbers can get skewed if they're not staying. Because it's adding to your active patient count today. But if they don't come back in 18 months, like it was just a waste, right? So we don't want to waste your dollars. We want to make sure that's where Nikki comes in clutch right now with that with that team because she's not only helping them see, okay, great, let's shift to this emergency new patient.   kind of standpoint to fill the associate's schedule, but she's also helping to train and see how do we track the new patient conversion and what are we saying now? This patient calls as an emergency, cool. How do we get past just a PA? How do we get to that full series of x-rays, the panoramic, the CT, to make sure that we're looking at everything and fully establishing them as a patient in your practice, not just that emergency. So   Those things go in tandem and this is the perfect time of year to look back and say, these are the things that I wanted. What are the systems that have gotten me to where I'm at? And where do I need to tighten those systems up, maybe shift them a little bit? Or are there systems that I don't know yet that I'm losing things out the back end? And honestly, your patient base is a huge space for that. Your recare is your hygiene full summers upon us, summers rough in most general practices. ⁓   Nikki Mack (18:31) Yeah.   Tiffanie (18:35) I think pediatrics, you guys are you guys are flying high. These are your biggest months. But for GP world, and even oral surgeries flying high right now. But our GP world, our period worlds, those worlds kind of endo ⁓ we see a slowdown and we've gotta reestablish what that looks like. So reactivation campaigns are huge right now, but we're looking at   what were our goals and what is it gonna take for the rest of the year to get us there is gonna be massive. And Nikki, I love that you started us with that case acceptance piece and the new patients because truly this is a great time of year to look at that. And I think everyone thinks it's kind of like that the diet thing, right? Like I'll start on Monday. Everybody's like, well I'll start in January. Like I have a practice that hats off to them. I love it. They actually redo their fees in July because they're like, I don't like   Summers is fine. Like summer's less busy. We're doing so much in December, January, February, all the way through to April. Realistically, it's crazy. So they're like, why not do it in the summer when it's slow? I'm like, wow, that's actually really freaking smart. So to piggyback off of that, like waiting until January to say, let's change our patient base, let's change our avatar, let's   wow, we didn't quite make it, so let's add it to this year. And instead of a seven to ten percent increase, we need to do a 12% increase over last year. Like start now, reestablish in July and say, time out, where are we? Where are we trying to go and what's that gap in between? And then evaluate what are the systems or the processes that I need to change or increase that are gonna get my team there and how do I get that training. Now for your leadership team, they need to be doing that within their departments as well.   So each department should have their own KPIs, which doesn't have to be hard, you guys, even for our our clinical team. Like it could just be schedule full. It could just be ⁓ diagnosis chair side, right? Or I love nothing more, Nikki, actually on your limited emergency. I love dental assistance tracking. They're like comp, they're limited to comp.   conversion. So did they take a 0140 and convert it to 0150 chair side? What is that conversion? So we really don't have to make it difficult. We just have to make it impactful. It needs to make a direct impact on our overarching goals and it needs to be trackable and measurable. So with that, I think Nikki, what would you say if you could only give we're going to say production collections is the same because to me there's there it's ridiculous you track them both, right? They're the same.   Nikki Mack (21:10) Wait.   Tiffanie (21:11) So if you could only   Nikki Mack (21:11) Yeah.   Tiffanie (21:12) give three KPIs knowing production collections is one, what are the other two KPIs that you would insist that everyone takes a look at in July?   Nikki Mack (21:21) Ooh wee. ⁓ so I am a big clearly you can tell I'm a big fan of new patient reappointment. ⁓ did they come back for six months? Are they scheduled? Did we complete treatment? Right, there's a few pieces to it, but adding them to the patient base and getting them sticky. ⁓ that would be my number two. And then number three, I don't know, Tiff. I I kind of feel like I have to go case acceptance because it's   Tiffanie (21:29) Yeah.   Yeah.   Nikki Mack (21:48) It's pretty all encompassing. there's so many parts to it, but it just the direction of your case acceptance is such a good indicator of the health of your practice. So those are my those are probably the first three that I look at. If I if I didn't know anything about your practice, your goals, or where you were headed, those are three places I'm definitely digging in right away.   Tiffanie (21:52) Yeah.   Awesome. Thank you. I love those. Yes. And I will say in tandem, case acceptance. I like to group things. ⁓ Kiera and I like to say that we get away with a lot because we will group things together. So that's where my production collections comes in. And I think in tandem with the case acceptance, I say diagnosis because I just really harp on, I think from a team member standpoint of tracking case acceptance for so long and having to   really dig in as a treatment coordinator and as an office manager to figure out why aren't we hitting these goals and then seeing these trends. So tracking the trends within your diagnosis to lead to your case acceptance is huge. I would have, you know, a doctor gets he's ready for vacation. He's worked too hard. He needs a vacation and his case ex or his case acceptance dropped and his diagnosis dropped as well or ⁓ somebody's killing it. So making sure that we're watching all of those pieces is huge. So no matter what, you guys, it is mid year and you're   Nikki Mack (22:52) Yeah.   Tiffanie (23:05) well into potentially your Q3 at this point. So I hope you're listening to this early. ⁓ but really take an assessment and look to see where have I been, where am I going and what's that gap. And if you're a few weeks into Q3 already, that's okay. ⁓ do it before Q4 as well. You need to be doing this literally every quarter, every month, every week, but for sure mid-year. And look at those areas where where   you need a little bit of help. And if you do need help, we're here for you. You know, we're we're right here. We've got a freaking thousand podcasts or something that you can listen to. They're all here, they're all available to you, but we're also available at Hello@TheDentalATeam.com and at TheDentalATeam.com, you guys, we have a free assessment call that you can schedule with us where we can take a look at your systems, ⁓ some of your overarching KPIs and really help to direct and guide you and also assess if you are a good fit.   For Dental A Team consulting and if you're ready for it. And if you if you're not, ⁓ or if we're like, you know what, you're almost ready, you're you're not quite there, we will keep in touch and we will still always share all of the information. But we would love to chat with you and really see where you're at and how we could best serve you in our mission to ⁓ benefit the world of dentistry. So Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. Also, drop us a five star review below. Let us know what your KPIs are. People do read those and they like to look in there for extra.   Help. So Nikki, thank you so much for being here with me today. I know that we pivot and ⁓ that used to be one of our core values. Kiera and I removed it because we're all really good at pivoting, but we realized that that is a core value made it like we were pivoting too much. But we really do pivot a lot as dental consultants, and it's something that we're great at because we're problem solvers and we do it with our with our clients constantly. So thank you for being here. Thank you for pivoting and having a new Carmen San Diego background.   And you all thank you so much for being here. Thank you for listening and we will catch you next time.   Nikki Mack (24:58) Bye.  

Figgy Baby joins The Rodriguez Show for a conversation about identity, creativity, and what it means to make art that actually reflects who you are. We talk about growing up surrounded by music and dance, why performing is their favorite part of being an artist, opening up about living with bipolar disorder and OCD, and why joy can be just as powerful as protest. Figgy also shares the story behind their new single "Summers in LA," collaborating with Pretty Papes, building a loyal fanbase, and why artists shouldn't be afraid to let their values show through their work. @figgybaby

Floods in Manitoba, wildfire evacuations in Northwest Territories, and heat alerts across the country. This summer is starting to feel more like a stress test. Canadians share how extreme weather has upended their summer and in some cases, their lives. Plus, the latest climate analysis on the summer of "super" El Niño.

Today, we’re bringing you the best from the KUOW newsroom. In Tukwila, a class of fourth graders ended the school year with a big, public art show full of mixed emotions. The school is a hub for new immigrant students, and the artwork celebrates some of their journeys. As KUOW’s Gustavo Sagrero reports, the show came at the end of a tough year, as immigration enforcement took a toll on this classroom. It’s been five years since a record-shattering heat wave hit the Northwest, killing an estimated twelve-hundred people. As the world’s climate keeps warming, we can expect more heat—and more deaths. John Ryan looks at efforts to make our next heat wave less deadly. Road trash cleanup often involves people along a highway in orange vests with those little grabbers and plastic bags. But in Oregon, there’s an annual trash pickup event that’s more like a party. Thousands of people come together to drive hundreds of miles of forest service roads picking up trash by day and camping out with live music and fun at night. Matt Martin was there last weekend. We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us. Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed. Got questions about local news or story ideas to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at seattlenow@kuow.org, leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Will your next loan be underwritten by an AI agent? EnFi CEO Joshua Summers and CTO Scott Weller explain how AI agents are transforming lending, what regulators expect, and why this could be the biggest operational shift banks have seen in years Plus, X Money edges closer to reality. https://www.enfi.ai Click Subscribe to keep up … Continue reading Ep 288- EnFi CEO Joshua Summers and CTO Scott Weller

This Week your hosts Hall of fame Referee JHawk JGold & Charly Butters discuss Butters road trip to Detroit with Summers, Butters roasts Jgold's interview style and Jhawks tommy Bahama shirts, Sponsorships, Jhawk's Youtube Popularity then we sit down with the Current AIW Intense Champion Isaiah Broner to talk about, Wrestling while injured, The JBoujii twitter beef, working with Josh Prohibition, not being a "Cool Heel", Death Match Wrestling, the triple threat match at Absolution, working with the newer AIW students, Basketball talk and so so so much more!   Merch https://brainbustertees.com/other/iwtv-guide/ Patreon http://patreon.com/iwguide all other links https://linktr.ee/iwguide    

Niamh O'Reilly looks back with rose tinted glasses at past childhood summers. For more from Niamh visit niamhoreilly.ie and you can read her ‘Raising them Right' parenting columns on TheJournal.ie

Is 41.9 degrees Celsius the new normal for Czech summers? Record temperatures in Czechia prompt calls for summer protection of homeless, Prague Zoo welcomes great-grandson of sea lion Gaston, Prague exhibition revisits the legacy of Vojta Náprstek

The guys got a chance to sit down with authors Bruce & Carson Summers. Both of them are writers for the Legends of Greyhawk. An organized play campaign that is run at conventions that continues stories in the Dungeons & Dragons greyhawk setting.

I sit down with Jon Gustin, creator of Tired Dad and author of The Tired Dad, to talk about the realities of modern fatherhood. We explore what it means to be an emotional provider, why repair and vulnerability matter more than perfection, and how dads can avoid isolation while raising resilient kids.Jon also shares simple daily rituals that have strengthened his relationship with his children and offers an honest perspective on the challenges and rewards of parenting. If you're a father—or preparing to become one—this conversation is full of practical wisdom and encouragement.SHOW HIGHLIGHTS00:00 - Welcome to the Show01:43 - The Reality of Being a Tired Dad02:17 - What Fathers Need Today04:11 - Becoming an Emotional Provider10:19 - Building Emotional Safety with Your Kids13:25 - Why Repair Matters More Than Perfection19:02 - Teaching Accountability Without Shame23:33 - Handling Big Emotions at Home30:46 - The Loneliness of Modern Fatherhood35:18 - Why Kids Need Other Male Role Models40:11 - Should Your Child Be Your Best Friend?44:19 - Daily Rituals That Strengthen Family Bonds45:03 - The Meaning Behind "18 Summers"51:27 - Jon's Book and Final Thoughts***Tired of feeling like you're never enough? Build your self-worth with help from this free guide: https://training.mantalks.com/self-worthPick up my book, Men's Work: A Practical Guide To Face Your Darkness, End Self-Sabotage, And Find Freedom: https://mantalks.com/mens-work-book/Heard about attachment but don't know where to start? Try the FREE Ultimate Guide To AttachmentCheck out some other free resources: How To Quit Porn | Anger Meditation | How To Lead In Your RelationshipBuild brotherhood with a powerful group of like-minded men from around the world. Check out The Alliance. Enjoy the podcast? Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Podchaser. It helps us get into the ears of new listeners, expand the ManTalks Community, and help others find the tools and training they're looking for. And don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | SpotifyFor more, visit us at ManTalks.com | Facebook | Instagram

Summer can pass in a blur of activities, leaving little room for meaningful connection with the people who matter most. In this episode, Chris shares practical ways to slow down, savor the moments, strengthen relationships, and keep joy at the center of your summer.

Warum haben so viele Menschen das Gefühl, nicht gut genug zu sein – obwohl sie so viel richtig machen? Wir optimieren unseren Körper, unsere Karriere und unser Leben. Und doch fühlen wir uns ständig unzulänglich. Warum ist das so? Leon und Atze tauchen ein in die Gedanken des Psychologen Alfred Adler, der schon vor über 100 Jahren eine überraschend aktuelle Antwort auf diese Frage fand. Sie sprechen über Minderwertigkeitsgefühle, Selbstzweifel, den ständigen Vergleich mit anderen – und darüber, warum genau diese Gefühle sowohl unser größter Antrieb als auch unsere größte Belastung sein können. Außerdem geht es um die Frage, wie wir aus dem Kreislauf des "Nicht-genug-Seins" ausbrechen können. Fühlt euch gut betreut Leon & Atze Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leonwindscheid/ https://www.instagram.com/atzeschroeder_offiziell/ Mehr zu unseren Werbepartnern findet ihr hier: https://linktr.ee/betreutesfuehlen Tickets: Atze: https://www.atzeschroeder.de/#termine Leon: https://leonwindscheid.de/tour/ Quellen SWR Kultur. Alfred Adler und die Individualpsychologie. https://www.swr.de/swrkultur/wissen/alfred-adler-und-die-individualpsychologie-100.html Adler, A. Social Interest: A Challenge to Mankind. Internet Archive. https://archive.org/stream/in.ernet.dli.2015.172648/2015.172648.Social-Interest-A-Challenge-To-Mankind_djvu.txt Deutschlandfunk. Vor 150 Jahren geboren: Alfred Adler – Vater der Individualpsychologie. https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/vor-150-jahren-geboren-alfred-adler-vater-der-100.html Health. What Is the "Maxxing" Trend? https://www.health.com/maxxing-trend-11949928 The New York Times. On Language: Maxxing. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/magazine/on-language-maxxing.html Wikipedia. Individualpsychologie. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Individualpsychologie Mulsant, B. H. (2016). Using Evolutionary Theory to Guide Mental Health Research / Utiliser la théorie évolutionniste pour guider la recherche en santé mentale. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 61(3), 159. Blanchard, D. C., Summers, C. H., & Blanchard, R. J. (2013). The role of behavior in translational models for psychopathology: Functionality and dysfunctional behaviors. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 37(8), 1567–1577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.06.008 Meule, A., Richard, A., Schnepper, R., Reichenberger, J., Georgii, C., Naab, S., et al. (2021). Emotion regulation and emotional eating in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Eating Disorders, 29(2), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2019.1642036 Macht, M. (2008). How emotions affect eating: A five-way model. Appetite, 50, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2007.07.002 Titze, M., & Kühn, R. (2012). Das Konzept der Identität in Theorie und Praxis der Individualpsychologie Alfred Adlers. In Identität: Ein Kernthema moderner Psychotherapie – Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven (S. 245–270). Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. Adler-Institut Mainz. Individualpsychologie Alfred Adlers – Eine Einführung (PDF). https://www.adler-institut-mainz.de/uploads/media/Individualpsychologie.pdf Dijkstra, P., Kuyper, H., Van der Werf, G., Buunk, A. P., & van der Zee, Y. G. (2008). Social comparison in the classroom: A review. Review of Educational Research, 78(4), 828–879. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654308321210 Matthews, M. J., & Kelemen, T. K. (2025). To compare is human: A review of social comparison theory in organizational settings. Journal of Management, 51(1), 212–248. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063241266157 GEO. Wie sich ein Minderwertigkeitskomplex erkennen und überwinden lässt. https://www.geo.de/wissen/gesundheit/wie-sich-ein-minderwertigkeitskomplex-erkennen-und-ueberwinden-laesst-35837822.html Reaktion: Julia Ditzer Produktion: Murmel Productions

Jeffrey Epstein's entanglement with Leon Black and Larry Summers runs through the Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation and its flagship project, the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET), born out of the wreckage of the 2008 financial crisis. Black, the billionaire Apollo founder, bankrolled INET with roughly $25 million and installed himself as its chief patron, while Summers — fresh off his controversial presidency at Harvard and a career bouncing between Wall Street and Washington — became one of its intellectual faces. Epstein, already a convicted sex offender by 2008, quietly emerged as a financial conduit and behind-the-scenes broker for INET and its affiliates, using donor networks, shell foundations, and elite access to move money and cultivate influence. Through Epstein's foundation, funds were routed into academic projects, conferences, and research hubs that placed him back inside elite academic circles that had supposedly shut him out, laundering his reputation through economics, philanthropy, and intellectual respectability.What makes the IPI/INET web so corrosive is how thoroughly it fused money, power, and reputational cover. Black would later admit paying Epstein $158 million for “tax advice,” an explanation so implausible it collapsed under its own weight, while Summers maintained institutional ties to projects and donors connected to Epstein long after his 2008 conviction was public record. Epstein was not a peripheral donor — he was a facilitator, recruiter, and fixer who connected hedge-fund money, Ivy League legitimacy, and political access in a closed loop that insulated all participants from scrutiny. The IPI ecosystem gave Epstein exactly what he needed after Florida: proximity to young academics, international travel, visa sponsorships, and an elite shield that made him look like a disgraced financier turned reformed intellectual benefactor. It wasn't an accident, and it wasn't ignorance — it was a deliberate system where billionaires, former Treasury secretaries, and a convicted predator all found mutual benefit inside the same polished academic machine.to contact  me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.com

Eoghan Corry, editor of Travel Extra, joins Richard to discuss vacation trends as thousands of Irish holidaymakers head overseas on one of Dublin Airport's busiest weekends.

Mike and Charlie recapped the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, explaining why the Pelicans didn't maneuver into last night's lottery. Erin Summers, the host of the Bleav in Saints podcast, joined Sports Talk. Summers discussed her observations from the Saints' offseason camps, highlighting RB Travis Etienne, the team's OL depth, and DE Cam Jordan. She also evaluated the Saints' DB depth and rookie WR Jordyn Tyson.

On this episode of the Deal Farm®, Kevin and Ken sit down with bestselling author and real estate entrepreneur Jim Shields to explore his journey from buying foreclosures in Bakersfield, California to becoming a partner in one of the top five largest builders in the U.S. Jim shares how spotting an overheated California market in 2005 led him to Jacksonville, how the 2008 crash reshaped his strategy, and why he made the leap from rehabbing old homes to pioneering the build-to-rent model before it even had a name. He also dives into how partnering with a 300-year-old Japanese conglomerate unlocked the ability to offer investors in-house financing at 3.5%, making today's tough numbers actually pencil. And if that wasn't enough, Jim opens up about his bestselling book 18 Summers — a surprisingly simple framework that's helped over 300,000 families stay grounded while chasing big goals. If you're looking to understand how to scale smart in real estate without losing what matters most at home, this episode delivers on both fronts.

In today's business world, we're often told that success comes from being tougher, louder, more aggressive, and willing to outwork or outmaneuver everyone around us. But what if that advice is wrong?On this episode of Late Night Health, Mark Alyn sits down with public relations executive, entrepreneur, and bestselling author Amy Summers to explore a different path to success—one built on mentorship, leadership, and helping others rise.Amy's new book, Lift: 10 Mentorship Touchpoints to Empower Your Team and Accelerate Your Own Career, challenges the old-school belief that success is a zero-sum game. Instead, she argues that leaders who invest in others often discover that their own careers grow faster as a result.Drawing on more than two decades of building teams and mentoring young professionals, Amy shares the lessons she's learned about developing talent, creating healthy workplace cultures, and why kindness and accountability can coexist. She explains why toxic leadership still exists, why so many people stay trapped in unhealthy work environments, and how a new generation of leaders can create something better.The conversation also explores the rapidly changing world of technology, media, and communications. Amy discusses how mentoring can help leaders stay relevant, why picking up the phone is becoming a competitive advantage again, and how meaningful relationships remain the foundation of successful public relations and business growth.Along the way, Mark and Amy share stories from a friendship and professional relationship that spans more than three decades, creating an engaging and often humorous conversation packed with practical insights for professionals at every stage of their careers.Whether you're a business owner, manager, entrepreneur, mentor, mentee, or simply someone looking for a better way to succeed, this episode offers a refreshing reminder: helping others succeed may be one of the smartest career moves you'll ever make.Watch, listen, and discover why lifting others up might be the key to lifting yourself higher. Learn more about LIft at: https://lifttolead.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/late-night-health-radio--2804369/support.

Following the news and developments in AI and tech, one thing becomes clear: we are at the very beginning of a brand new tech revolution. This week we cover some of the latest innovations promising to make life better for some, but not so much better for others. Also, the Iran "deal" seems to be changing faster than anyone can follow. We break it down into bite-sized chunks, and we continue with some sports coverage! ________ ** Fly to Israel direct in comfort, class and safety from an Israeli carrier! Arkia is THE choice for flights to Israel! **   Visit: https://www.arkia.com/ ________ ** Chumash and Rashi as you've never learned it before!  ** Download the free app for iOS or Android and spend your free time enlightening yourself with innovative Torah (instead of wasting time listening to this cast!) Visit: https://www.klomar.org/ Call: (347) 212-0050 ________ ** Own a gorgeous luxury home in Orlando at Eden Gardens and set yourself up for Yomim Tovim, Summers and more! ** Featuring on-site shul, eruv, kosher grocery store, mikveh, and other heimish families to keep your entire family and extended family entertained for days! Visit: https://edengardensorlando.com Call/Whatsapp: (407) 777-9488 ________ ** Medical weight loss made simple and affordable! Skip the waiting rooms and start losing today with SlixRxCenter.com !** Featuring personalized plans with medical providers, and a team that understands the frum community and its unique lifestyle challenges. Visit: https://slimrxcenter.com/ Call: 845-414-6499 ________ ** Town Appliance - For All Of Your Appliance Needs! ** No matter the budget, Town Appliance will get you the right appliance for your needs and give you the most value for your money. Visit: https://www.townappliance.com/ Call/Text/Whatsapp: 732-364-5195 ________ We have a call-in number where you can hear the cast! Tell your friends and family who may not have internet access! 605-417-0303 To Call In From Israel: +079-579-5087 To Call In From UK: +03-333-66-0768 Also! Subscribe for our bonus content by phone! Available at the same number. ________ Get official KC swag and show your support to the world! https://kiddushclubmerch.com ________ Subscribe now to keep us going and access bonus content! https://buymeacoffee.com/kiddushclub/membership   Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiddushclubpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kiddushclubcast Join our WhatsApp chat: https://whatsapp.kccast.com Send us you thoughts comments and suggestions via email: hock@kiddushclubpodcast.com  

Erin Summers, the host of the Bleav in Saints podcast, joined Sports Talk. Summers discussed her observations from the Saints' offseason camps, highlighting RB Travis Etienne, the team's OL depth, and DE Cam Jordan. She also evaluated the Saints' DB depth and rookie WR Jordyn Tyson.

Chill some sodas, grab a bag of Popcorn and get ready for the list of the summer movies we're looking forward to. Join Dreamfinder Cody Havard, Conductor Dan Hansen and Capt. Stan Solo as they talk whats coming to a theatre near you this summer. Are you excited? Do you like to see movies in the theatre or on streaming? Let us know in the comments. And now, passengers, ALL ABOOOOOOARD!  Follow us on Facebook at Disney Friends of the Grand Circle Tour Podcast for live shows every Thursday night, on Instagram at @grandcircletourpodcast  and on YouTube at @grandcircletour Brought to you by https://celebratingflorida.com/  and https://mei-travel.com/ The Grand Circle Tour Podcast is in no way part of, endorsed or authorized by, or affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or its affiliates. As to Disney artwork/properties: © Disney. Disclosure | Privacy Policy  

The most faithful people in the room are often the ones nobody's talking about. Joseph shows us that strength doesn't require volume; it requires presence, obedience, and the willingness to play a long game you'll never see completed. Text Our Team (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

A return to her family summer camp unearths long kept secrets that some would do anything to keep buried.

What if working parent life did not have to look the way we were told it should? In this episode of When Mommy Grows Up, I share a story from 10 years ago, when a quiet conversation with my mom planted a question that changed everything: Why?That one question sparked a long path of reflection, creativity, hustle, and reinvention. From full-time work to a side business to a portfolio career built for flexibility, I'm talking about what it can look like to build a professional life that supports your family, your values, and the seasons you are in.This episode is a reminder that there is no one right way to do work and motherhood. With clarity, imagination, and some hard work in the right season, it is possible to create something that gives you both purpose and room to breathe. And in this season, that means summer belongs to the kids.-----------------------------You are one click away from boosting your career clarity and confidence!Head over to whenmommygrowsup.com where you'll find the free Career Clarity Kickstart. With this free on-the-go guide, we'll walk you through 5 clear action steps you can take to go from confused about next steps to confident about what you want and need from your career.Get started today!

For nearly 15 years, I've looked up to Jenelle Summers as one of the most trusted voices in health, fitness, and wellness. So when even she found herself struggling with the unexpected changes of midlife—low energy, shifting hormones, stubborn weight gain, cravings, and simply not feeling like herself—it got my attention. In this conversation, Jenelle shares what happened when the strategies that had worked for decades suddenly stopped working, how she navigated perimenopause and hormone changes, and what she believes women need to know if they want to feel strong, energized, and confident in this season of life. This isn't another conversation about trying harder. It's about learning to work with your body instead of fighting it.   In this episode, we talk about: • What perimenopause can actually feel like—especially when you've always been motivated and healthy • Why HRT/BHRT was a game changer for Jenelle, and why getting the right labs matters • How hormones, thyroid health, sleep, energy, cravings, and motivation are all connected • Why midlife nutrition may need to shift toward protein, fiber, gut health, and lower-glycemic foods • The truth about added sugar and why it may be affecting your cravings, mood, and energy • Why restriction is not the answer—especially for women with a history of dieting • How Jenelle approaches fitness now, including strength training, walking, and interval training • Why social media advice can be helpful, but your body still needs an individualized approach • The most important reminder: prioritize your health, happiness, confidence, and wellbeing over chasing a certain aesthetic   If you've been doing all the things and still wondering why you don't feel like yourself anymore, this conversation will leave you feeling informed, empowered, and hopeful.   Because midlife isn't the beginning of your decline. It may just be the beginning of a completely different approach. Join the Energy Institute Today: https://info.theenergyexam.com/the-energy-institute Subscribe To My Newsletter: https://moira-kucaba.kit.com/ Learn more about MAKE Wellness Peptides:  https://meet.makewellness.com/?referral=74249EEEC5 Learn more about becoming an Affiliate: https://themakeexperience.com/74249EEEC5 Follow Me On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moirakucaba/?hl=en Watch On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@moirakucaba5802 Free Resources: https://moira-kucaba.kit.com/freebielibrary

The Ridgefield Raptors are off to one of their best starts in years - and on this episode, we dig into why. After missing the WCL playoffs for the first time since their 2019 inaugural season, the Raptors came into 2026 with one goal: get back to the postseason. Through the first month of the summer, they've delivered, capping a stretch of series wins with three straight over the second place Walla Walla Sweets. We take a deep dive into the team and several players in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with another On the Journey episode! Pam, Anna, and Erika had a powerful conversation with Living Joyfully Network member and unschooling dad Sam. Sam shared deeply about his journey with his daughter through autistic burnout. We talked about Sam’s experiences in both PDA and unschooling parent communities, the depth of the inner work that this journey involves, and some of the major paradigm shifts that Sam has made along the way. It was a really meaningful conversation and we hope it resonates with you! Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube. THINGS WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE We invite you to join us in the Living Joyfully Network, a warm and welcoming online community of like-hearted parents. It's a non-judgmental space where you can steep in these unconventional ideas around parenting, relationships, and learning, and explore what they might look like day-to-day in your uniquely wonderful family. We offer a free month trial so you can see if it's a good fit for you. Click here to join us. Sign up to our mailing list on Substack to receive our email newsletters as well as new articles about learning, parenting, and so much more! Check out our website, livingjoyfully.ca for more information about exploring unschooling and navigating relationships. EPISODE TRANSCRIPT ANNA: Hello, everyone. I’m Anna Brown from Living Joyfully and today I’m joined by my co-hosts Erika Ellis and Pam Laricchia, as well as our special guest today, Sam. Hello to you all. I really appreciate Sam joining us today. He’s a member of the Living Joyfully Network and it’s been really nice getting to know his story and watch how things have unfolded. He brings that thoughtful, intentional energy that I love about the Network. That energy helps fuel my own personal growth and create a beautiful, supportive environment where we can dig deeper and question the prevailing narratives. So, Sam, to get us started, can you tell us a little bit about you and your family and what everybody’s interested in right now? SAM: Sure, yeah. Well, I live in Minneapolis with my wife Kate and my daughter. I recently retired from work early. I did the early retirement thing. I had been working part time for the year previous to that. And so, I guess I can start a little bit with what my daughter’s into. I mentioned to her that this was going to be one of the questions and she said interior design and interior decorating and games. And then I would add a few things to that, too. Right now, she’s super into making slime, large amounts of slime in many different permutations. There’s lots of experimentation happening with different ingredients and add-ins and colors and that kind of thing. So, that’s kind of fun and messy. She has a wide doll collection and she’s been really into making her own rooms. She calls them mini rooms and they’re essentially like dollhouse rooms, like a kitchen or a bedroom. She makes one room at a time and adds them on to each other and buys these little, tiny little Mini Brand versions of real life products that she stocks in the doll refrigerator really intricately. And I guess that ties into her interior design interest, as well. She’s super creative. She really likes to do drawing. She makes videos and she actually, I’m kind of amazed at some of the videos that she makes because she’s, I don’t even think I said she’s nine. And so she uses her iPad to make videos and she has her own YouTube channel. She has two YouTube channels, which are not updated too frequently. It’s something she’ll get really into and then completely abandon and then six months later be really into it again. And so, that’s fun. And then she likes building forts. She likes playing with our dog Lucy, and various other things. And she watches videos. She loves YouTube and learning. She’s really into watching videos about Minecraft and Toca Boca World, which is the other game that she’s really into at the moment. She watches videos about all kinds of things like science and history. It's interesting. She’ll frequently tell me very random facts that she’s learned by watching videos and I, being skeptical, when I look at the videos she’s watching then I’ll Google it and be like is that really true? And it’s interesting because it almost always is accurate and so that’s been an interesting learning for me because I’m the kind of somebody who’s avoided YouTube and never wanted to have anything to do with it for many years. And now I watch quite a bit of it just to keep up with what she’s doing. So that’s kind of fun. And my wife Kate, she works in public policy. She’s an environmental climate scientist, and she works on making and contributing to the creation of policy to help us in the state of Minnesota adapt to climate change. And she is super engaged and super smart. And she also likes to compete in triathlons a couple of times a year. She and I are very different in the sense that she needs to have some kind of external motivator to do things and so she really thrives on deadlines and procrastination and that sort of thing and I’m completely the opposite of that. And then we just hang out a lot. We do a lot of hanging out at home, reading, and that kind of thing. And then, for me, I always have a hard time talking about myself, but I read a lot. I’m currently really interested in reading 19th century British novels, and I’m not sure why, I’ve just been really obsessed with it over the past year or so. So, I’m always reading a couple of books. I’ve really been into reading poetry from different periods, and I’ve been writing for most of my life. My first career was as a professional writer, which kind of drained the fun of writing out of me for a good long time. But I’ve been writing, some creative writing and some poetry which I haven’t done in a very, very long time so that’s been really fun. And then, my daughter and I, we just hang out pretty much every day. And we just kind of roll with it and see what happens. We don’t really have a lot of plans. We never really know what’s going to happen. But that’s how we approach it, one day at a time. PAM: I think that’s so fun. I loved the little YouTube story that was tied in there as well. I love the interest piece for you wanting to see what she’s enjoying about this because it’s a way to connect with her, no matter the interest. And I loved that you could share the various things that she’s watching rather than saying, she loves YouTube and cutting it off there. It makes such a difference like you were saying, even just in that little synopsis, the variety of things that she’s engaging with, right? SAM: Yeah, well that was a big change for me because at the beginning of our unschooling journey when we started allowing unlimited screen time, which was a huge, huge hurdle for us to get over, for me to get over. I was definitely in the mindset of, oh my god, she’s just watching YouTube all day and not caring what it was. It was just YouTube bad, whatever, internet stuff. And now, she doesn’t like me to watch with her but she’s happy to have me, like not review but just kind of check out what she has watched and then we talk about some of the videos and I tell her what I liked and she tells me what she was into and we talk about which things were silly or which things were interesting. So, that has been a huge growth for me to just spend more time to really understand what these things are that she’s interested in, in a level of detail that I can actually see it and get it and relate to it in some way, rather than dismissing it, which is what I would have done previously. ERIKA: I loved all of your shares about all of your interests. I always think when people share about family member interests, it’s like, that’s only three people in the whole world and you’re already covering so many different areas and there are so many ways and things are kind of interacting and you’re learning from each other and you’re all so different. And I just love that and I loved the slime phase. We had that big time with my youngest too and it’s pretty messy, but it’s a lot of fun. ANNA: I know the slime thing was actually after our time. Did you have slime, Pam? We didn’t have slime. It wasn’t a thing. I have friends from the Network that have younger kids that I get to visit and it’s a whole thing, right? It’s just unbelievably amazing and messy, but it’s incredible. I love that. And just that again, the diversity of interest with the three of you is just, wow, this is how rich life is when we’re just exploring these things that are interesting to us. PAM: I love that. And so, Sam, you kind of alluded to this, so I’d like to dive in a bit more, but I would love to hear a bit more about how you actually discovered unschooling and what your family’s transition to unschooling looked like. SAM: This will be good to talk about because this was definitely a big journey for us and not something we ever would have imagined, conceived of, anticipated in any way. And so I guess we were just, I mean, for me, I hadn’t really put that much thought into it. Maybe this sounds terrible, but I didn’t really think that much about what it would be like to be a parent. And I had no plans, I had no ideas of how it should be, or the right way to do it or anything like that. I just kind of, I don’t want to speak for Kate, but I just made assumptions that like, okay, you have a kid, kid goes to daycare, until they’re old enough to go to kindergarten, and then they go to kindergarten. And so, we were following that path. And I think we’re lucky that we found out about this daycare pretty close to our house that was, I think, a generally positive thing for our daughter at the time. It’s a Montessori daycare. And it ended up having just some really wonderful teachers, but also some really wonderful friends, and several of whom live just within a couple blocks of us, and have become, in her short life, lifelong friends of our daughters. So, her closest friends in the neighborhood she’s been with since they were three months old, which thinking back on it, I’m like, oh my god, I can’t believe we dropped her off when she was three months old, and just went to the office. But you know, at the time, Kate and I were both in very busy parts of our careers. And I was very, very career focused. And, generally, our daughter did great with other kids, did great in daycare. And then there were a few times like towards the end when she was around five, and we were getting close to the kindergarten transition, she started having days where she just really didn’t want to go. And she would be literally kicking and screaming. I would literally carry her kicking and screaming, which is something that looking back on and I’m kind of mortified that I did. But my mindset at the time was, this is not optional. I've got to go to work. And you've got to go to school, this is the deal. Welcome to the world. And I really felt like I was leaving her in a safe place. And then we live about two blocks from a public school, and we are here in Minneapolis, and we really wanted to send her to that school, and we just kind of made that choice. We didn’t talk to her about it. We didn’t tour schools. And then it turned out most of the neighborhood kids including all her friends were going to the school that’s just a mile down the road but it’s in the suburban district. So, when she was at this school in kindergarten she didn’t know anybody there. And socio-economically and demographically the school that she went to for kindergarten is very different from her. And it was pretty rough. She encountered a lot of bullying. She encountered a lot of what was probably traumatic talk about what they call live shooter drills, and the discussion around that was extremely explicit and extremely scary. And so it was overall not a positive experience for her and within the first month, she was refusing to go and really upset about it. And we realized pretty quickly, though we did this whole, “No, you've got to go, there’s not a choice.” We did that for a little while and then finally she was literally just begging us to send her to the other school. And so we said okay, we’ll do that. It still didn’t occur to us that not going to school was an option. That was definitely not on the radar, but we were able to transfer her to the other school. They put her in the class with her friends, and she had this great group of friends. It seemed like everything was fine. It seemed like it was a total 180. We really didn’t have any more school refusal. The rest of the kindergarten year seemed good. And then we went through first grade and that seemed good. Summers were challenging because there’s this whole world of summer camps that’s super competitive and you have to sign your kid up for camps in January for the summer and my work schedule was so intense, and I was traveling a lot for work. So, Kate was alone with our daughter for a lot of the time. And so we signed her up for every week that we could. In retrospect, that was pretty intense. So, at the end of first grade. And while we went through first grade there were various signs, but nothing that was really telling us definitively that this is not working for her. And she really had a wonderful teacher in first grade, who really got her. And what we realized is that the teacher was really providing our daughter with a lot of accommodations, without her or us having to ask for them, and sort of would bend the rules of the school, just to make her more comfortable. And so that was super helpful and, and I think also pretty unusual. But after first grade ended that summer. We signed her up for a camp, a couple camps, and something happened in the course of that, where she really didn’t have a break at all between school and the camps, and she hit a wall, and we just started to see a dramatic, dramatic change in her. That was really frightening, because it was so intense. And so, at first it was not wanting to leave the house, I’m not going to go to camp, that sort of thing. Which was okay, by that point we were already into the pandemic so my travel had stopped and that was actually a big relief. I was still working a lot but I was at home, so it wasn’t like the end of the world if we couldn’t drop her off somewhere. But we started seeing a lot of physical aggression, and just anger and rage really. And it was something that was just very scary and challenging. And then that summer between first and second grade, she stopped wanting to get out of bed, and would not get out of bed the entire day. Wouldn’t comb her hair, bathe, brush teeth, none of those things were happening. It really felt like we’re in a crisis. And so, we sought medical help. But she wouldn’t go, she would not go to see a doctor. So we did virtual sessions with psychiatrists and that was extremely unhelpful. We were really approaching it through this medical model of, this is a crisis, our daughter is having some kind of like so far unexplained psychiatric episode. And like the psychiatrist basically said, you should commit her to some kind of inpatient thing. Everything about that just felt wrong to me. That was the point at which it was like, okay, we’re not going to talk to the psychiatrist anymore. This whole time I’d been Googling kind of ferociously trying to figure out what’s happening here. What I came across was all this content about PDA. It felt like, wow, this really sounded like it was describing what we were experiencing. So, I signed up for a class for parents who have PDA kids. And that was an interesting experience. On the one hand, it was like this huge relief because the class was from a parent who had gone through this experience and had taken a very scientific approach to trying to understand what was happening and how to readjust their lives to deal with this. In that class, which I generally had very mixed feelings about, but that’s the class where I heard the term unschooling for the first time. So to get to the question, I guess, that was definitely a phrase that I had never heard. In this class, there were 400 parents in this virtual class. I was just astonished at how many parents there were. And we would have these calls and the stories that people shared were all very similar, definitely very relatable. The thing I noticed is that everybody similar to us was approaching it as a crisis, like as a problem that has to be solved. One of the big lessons from the class was this is not something you can change. This is something you have to adapt to. So that definitely got me thinking and it was a real shift of mindset for me. It’s like, okay, this is it, life is not going to be the way we thought it was. And we have to make changes. And it was the facilitator of that class who first mentioned the term unschooling. There was lots of talk about homeschooling because so many of the kids whose parents were in this program were refusing or unable to go to school. In the school world, they label it school refusal. And I think the way I would talk about it now is just, unable to go to school really. So, then I started Googling unschooling and wondering, what the heck is this? Because I was not interested in being a teacher. I actually tried being a teacher in an early career. I had several, false starts, I guess I would say. And one of them was in education and I kind of left that thinking, okay, that is not something I can do. I am never going to do that again. My conception of homeschooling, and I think Anna, you were just talking about this in one of the recent discussions was like, homeschooling means you’re sitting at the kitchen table with workbooks and curriculum and you’re going through the whole thing. And I was like, I don’t want to do that. And I’m 99% sure that my daughter is not interested in that. And so that’s where the unschooling thing came in, I'd like to learn more about this. And so through Googling, I found this podcast (Exploring Unschooling) and it was a totally life-changing experience. I think just listening to the podcast, because I think the thing that really struck me is that I was immersed in this PDA community, which was very much using the medical model for looking at things and the deficit lens of looking at things. And then in the podcast, you all were taking this totally different lens. You’re not doing this because it’s a last resort and you have no other choice. It’s this intentional way of approaching life differently. And then just kind of turning all these things that I never questioned, like school is required and just asking, well, why? Let’s actually think about that. Is that actually true? What’s the goal of education and what are other ways of achieving that goal? And so just listening to stories of parents who were making this choice was really a really transformational experience. And then I went back into this class that I was taking, this class spanned a period of three months. And so in those three months was a huge learning for me, I would go back into these calls with these other parents and their voices are all just filled with panic and fear. And I was just like, I’m not feeling that anymore. When I went into it, I was all panic and fear. That was the deal. And then after listening, and I probably listened to like 150 episodes of the podcast, I’m just walking around the house, the headphones all day, just episode after episode, after episode, everything I’m doing, I’m listening to it. I was just like, I’m not afraid of this anymore. Then I joined the Network, really not knowing what to expect, but one thing that really struck me when I joined the Network is nobody in the network was using any of the same language that I had learned in my PDA curriculum that I had found. But a lot of people were describing similar things that sounded like similar experiences. And I was just like, wow, this is like a parallel universe over here where we’re dealing with the same human things, but this group of people is taking a completely different mindset and a completely different approach to it. It’s not a crisis. It’s not a problem. We’re just rolling with the phases of life and making adjustments that we have to make. I got really excited about unschooling and I was like, this is great. And then I wanted to be talking about it all the time, but I quickly found that people who are not unschooling are not interested in hearing about unschooling. That is a lesson I learned very quickly. So, it’s not something that we talked about at the park or at the neighborhood gatherings very much. So, that’s kind of the long winded story of how we arrived at this point. ERIKA: That gives me goosebumps. PAM: I know. I do appreciate you sharing the details of it because I mean, it is a very familiar journey for me. I remember the years, the two years where we had a great teacher. I was in the same place, working with my kids. I had no clue that this was a choice. This was something we had to figure out and having those teachers who were not as rigid and who saw my child and celebrated them and thought it was really cool and just accommodated. It was only night and day when then the next year you’ve got another teacher who was very, very fixated. But yeah, I super appreciate that whole journey and the comparison, the language and the approach, right. With these kids, I don't even like saying these kids, but with these kinds of situations, this way of moving through the world. We don’t see the deficit side because I hadn’t thought of it that way, but it is completely a choice. It’s like we’re introduced to it maybe because something has gone sideways. Because we grew up with the narrative of, this is the way we do things. We have kids, they go to daycare, they go to school, et cetera. And then something knocks us to ask that first question. But yeah, once you open that up and then you recognize all the different questions that you can ask and that shift to just being in the world with the people who are part of our families and, and it’s hard to explain fully respecting them and just living together and coming and going and, and understanding each other, and shifting to that perspective versus, oh my gosh, here’s all the accommodations I need to make to try to fix it. And then eventually, hopefully, they’ll work enough that we can go back to the life that we had. It’s still holding that because it’s revisiting the questions, revisiting the assumptions that we have been basing our life on that this is the good stuff to do. And what are all the things, even the super hard things, that we have to do to get ourselves back to that. ANNA: I think one of the things I really appreciate was you sharing the whole journey, because I think it will actually resonate with a lot of people. Just hearing how many people were in that PDA group is kind of amazing to me. But one of the things I love, when you first came to the Network and other people that have had a similar journey, because like you said, you’ll hear similar stories to yours very often in the Network, but it’s that first moment of relief, because I think so often you’re really focused on all the things that are happening that feel terrible. This is so serious, this is so terrible, but then really opening up to really seeing the gifts in your child. I mean, oh my gosh, from the beginning, your daughter just delighted me, she just had so many interesting things about her and the way she moved through the world. And I think when we can bring that perspective and I think parents are craving that, right? It’s why those teachers that were so kind felt so great because they saw the thing that you see in your child. And I think that is something that I love about the Network where we just celebrate all these amazing kids for the things that they bring to the table because it’s amazing. We don’t need to make everybody look the same and do the same thing. So, I loved that piece and just that little spark that happens when it’s like, yeah, she is amazing. And I love that we can be in a place where we can all see that. ERIKA: Yeah. When you’re too in the tunnel vision of a certain paradigm, the school paradigm where it has to look like this, and it’s not looking like this, and this is an emergency, it can be really hard to even imagine anything outside of that. But right, I feel like I remember when you first came to the Network, just the idea of what if there’s nothing wrong, actually, and we just are who we are and that’s okay. I think that feels so good, especially when we’re hearing all these messages about something being wrong. And then, for me, with my neurodivergent kids, I just have found being in the Network so validating and reinforcing and positive for me, because I just keep seeing all these similar experiences, they get it, they’ve been there with these same things. And everyone is just really appreciating the uniqueness of each of each child. And that just feels so much better. And I mean, we could try to fix things for our whole lives and just be in constant conflict, and nothing would necessarily even get better or change. And so, I think it’s just so much nicer to be in a nice relationship, in a positive relationship with their kids. And I know you’ve talked about a lot of shifts already. But the question I wanted to ask is, what has been like the biggest mindset shift for you in this journey so far? SAM: I think it’s got to be around the school. There are so many things around this. And I was thinking about this on the most basic level, just the idea that school was optional, or that there were different ways to approach it was a big learning. I think one thing that I left out of the story is that as we were approaching second grade, our daughter was enrolled. And as we were getting closer and closer, I just couldn’t picture how this was going to happen. I think at the end of the summer, on the day after Labor Day, which is when school starts, it was like, I don’t think things are going to be magically different. And we can't just pick up and go back to where we were. But our daughter was, I think she also had the message already ingrained that school was not optional. And so she did rally. We went and got her haircut, and we got clothes. And she went that first day. First, we went to the open house. And that went okay, and we met her new teacher. And then she went to the first day. And everyone in the school said that they were amazing. And that second day, she woke up, and she said, “I am not going back to that school.” And it was firm, this is the deal. And so then I went through a lot between that early September, and probably mid October, which is right around the time, this would have been 2024, which was right on the time that I joined the network. I was calling our daughter in sick every day. And keeping in touch with the school, having weekly calls with the school, trying to explain to them what’s going on. And then I switched her from the school district that we had enrolled her in, and had a virtual only. It is a really innovative virtual-only option that they developed during COVID, and then really invested a lot in. And it seemed really cool, actually. So we switched her to that program. And that did not help at all. She was not going to get on those classes. And she was not going to log in. But I had calls with the teacher every week. And the teacher told me, “I went through the same thing where my daughter refused to go to school. I am totally with you. I totally get it. I totally get where you are.” And I mean, these people at the school could not have been more supportive. But then as soon as we hit the 30 day mark, they were like, well, it’s been 30 days. And now we got to call the county, we got to get the county in there. Suddenly, it was like, okay, we’ve been accommodating, but time’s up, it’s been 30 days, and it can’t go on for this long. At that point, we had had our daughter assessed for neuropsychological evaluation and had all of these assessments done and found a really knowledgeable doctor who specialized in autism in girls. And I felt more confident that what our daughter really needed was rest, and was in a state of burnout that she was not going to recover from quickly. And the psychologist said you should think about it as a year, at least, that she’s going to be in this reduced-capacity state. But it wasn’t until the school said, we got to call the county, that I was like, okay, we've got to make a decision. And at that moment, the decision is we are not going to try to work through this medical deficit lens to try and get our daughter back on track to return to the environment which put her into this state. And so, I think it really took that for me to have that internal shift or transformational kind of moment of, we have to make a different decision. And so, from that point, instead of being like, okay, this unschooling thing sounds great and we’re gonna do this until we no longer have to, I think that’s where my mindset had been, and then I moved into more of what I would call acceptance of no, no, no, we’re going to really choose this path. And it wasn’t until that point that I really started to embrace unschooling and get excited about it and actually think about it as a deliberate choice. And I think the other shift that I think is important was more about me and my worries and my career, because I have always had this sense of financial insecurity and just kind of fear around that. When I was insisting that she go to school, forcing her to go to school, it’s true that I had to go to work and it’s true that my work was very busy and that I had to travel a lot for work, but I didn’t have to work that job. And that was really the way I had approached work. I worked really hard. Work was a top priority in my life before meeting Kate and thinking about having kids and all that. And I was achieving a lot of recognition and success at work and there was no part of me, any new opportunity that I was given at work I said yes to any new challenge I was given. I said yes to anything. If I was given negative feedback at work, I was going to overcome that and do whatever I had to do. And I just was in this mode of thriving on the validation systems of the corporate world and just moving up that ladder. And I had ended up in a leadership position and there was really no part of me that was like, this is optional or I don’t have to. It was like, no, I have to do this. And so, I think that when I started to go through the shift about school, it really made me think about, why am I spending so much time at work? When I was working from home, I had like 12-14 meetings back-to-back on Zoom every day. And I was anxious and frustrated all the time and I was super stressed out and it’s like, no matter how hard you work, there’s always more work. It's just never finished. And so, I started to think that I don’t have to have this career path. It just doesn’t have to be this way. And so, then I started making decisions at work to pull back from work and first I changed into a lower stress job. I stepped down from the leadership role and I took a different kind of role and then I reduced my hours and then eventually it was like, I’m just going to stop working. And there’s definitely a privilege involved with that and there was also, it really was in in the case of our family, I think it was a huge mindset mindset shift for me about how important work really is and how important money is and what you need to do versus what you want to do and all these different things. So that was like a pretty huge thing. And I think that’s the other piece. I often think this related to unschooling now, is that I feel like and I really like that the name of the network is Living Joyfully, because I feel like the term unschooling just doesn’t quite do it, because school is just one part of it or how we approach learning. It’s just one part of it. But really it’s been a total change of how I approach life on a daily basis, right? In big ways and in small ways and so that’s really just a huge transformation that this journey has involved for me. PAM: I love it and yes, the name of the Network was very intentional because absolutely unschooling was my window to this world. It was that the school was the first question when I eventually discovered that it wasn’t the law that there were other options than just dropping your kids off at school or else you go to jail. And it is just so brilliant how you asked that question. You start diving into that and how it opens up It’s like oh, well if I can question school, maybe I can question work. As I am questioning school I am starting to have different perspectives and thoughts about relationships and the value of relationships and the value of my child, a different way of seeing my child as a human being versus somebody I need to train and who needs to learn that you go to school and then that becomes work. I remember there was a season where I noticed when I was writing blog posts many years ago that every blog post I wrote that started about unschooling, obviously, by the end of a thousand words, fifteen hundred words was and that’s life because really the perspective can be applied across every aspect of life. It’s not just school, yes or no, when you want to dive deeper. When you discover it’s not so much that I need to fix all these things so that the kid can enjoy school so that I can enjoy work. Thinking there’s something wrong with me if I’m not making these conventional systems work for me versus questioning the systems in the first place And just I love the journey of how you tweaked it, right? It’s like oh, I’m gonna change my job to release some of the stress. Now I’m gonna lower my hours. That was the same approach with school, right? Those 30 days you’re just calling in sick because it’s keeping your doors open, keeping the possibilities open until there was a moment where that door is closing and now we really want to make an actual choice. Are we going to force through this or are we going to decide to step out of that system? ANNA: I think, for me, I mentioned at the top, questioning the prevailing narratives and I think that’s the big piece for me. We have a lot of narratives, school is a have to and school is hard, you just have to do hard things and work is hard and you have to do hard things and we need to be productive and all of these kinds of beliefs that end up not necessarily serving us individually or as a family but end up serving the system that we’re in. That is one of my favorite parts of this, really just questioning all of it and you may still choose to work in some way or to go to school in some way but boy does it feel different as a choice and an intentional path than it does as a have to and the drudgery. That is why it's called Living Joyfully, why we so intentionally chose that and why Pam really really resonated for me. It's questioning, why do we have to have these hard things? Why does life have to be hard? Why does work have to be hard? Why does school have to be hard? Maybe it doesn’t. And so once we can start asking that question and really examine the answers, I think everything changes so dramatically. ERIKA: Yeah, I love that your answer to the question is basically everything. I just completely changed into a new person. I totally remember that part of my journey as well. When it’s just this ripple effect of one little thing that doesn’t have to be like that and then it just all kind of ripples out from there and I just love it. PAM: One thing I just wanted to say, I think at first like when I remember way back when we started, when I first heard the term unschooling and you hear of people describing living joyfully, making choices from that perspective rather than, life is hard. We have to do these hard things. At first, I remember thinking- well, if I step back and start choosing not to do hard things, won’t my life or my kids be so boring because we won’t be doing all those things. But like Anna said, you’ve discovered and shared Sam, it’s that shift to the motivation behind the choices. The fact that they are now choices, we see our kids choosing to do hard things all the time. Challenging things that get them right up at the edge. Tipping over into frustration, but the fact that they’re choosing them intentionally makes all the difference in the world. That was just something out there because at first you can think oh well then we’re going to be doing nothing but that’s one of the feedback we get to our questions. We used to get so often well, they’re never gonna do anything if you don’t make it do these hard things, right? They do all kinds of things! ANNA: We’re about to wrap up, but I feel like because you’ve shared this journey I just want to and hopefully this isn't too much of a surprise. I know you’re about a year and a half into your unschooling journey, maybe just give a brief glimpse into, things really do feel better, right? Your daughter really feels better, you see her kind of coming back into the person you felt like before and even more so I just maybe that would help give the arc for people that are feeling like it’s hard and it’s scary right now. SAM: Yes, and I thank you for that opportunity because if I think back to where we were. If I think back to a year and a half ago, I was scared. I guess on the one hand I would hear stories of parents who’ve been through something similar and were in a different, better place now was helpful, but on the other hand the voice in my head was like, but that’s not going to be your situation. This is the rest of your life. And it was slow and I think you, Anna, said something really helpful to me at one point. We were probably six months in and I was saying something and I can’t remember what we were talking about but it was in one of our weekly calls. I was commenting on being in burnout and what it was going to be like after and you said, Sam, I think you have some thinking to do about what it means to be done with burnout or what is life going to be like after burnout? What does that even mean? That was super helpful and I’ve thought about that a lot because going into burnout felt very sudden. It just felt like one day we woke up and we were in a different universe. That’s how it felt. But when I think back, there were lots of signs. And if I go back and read, I’m a journaler, and if I go back and read my journal entries from three years ago, the signs are there in my journal or even from longer ago than that. So, it really wasn’t sudden and the sort of transition out and now our daughter does talk about how she was in burnout and she talks about that sometimes. She talks about it as in the past tense and sometimes. She’s still a little bit in there, but she knows she’s in a better place. It really is just very incremental one day at a time, but things have changed dramatically. And we’re just in it as a family. I think we’re just in a way, way, way better place and it doesn’t look anything like it looked before. I think it’s better than it was before but I could never have imagined or thought that this is what we would want. But now I just think things are great. I just feel more confident that we can deal with whatever challenges come up as they come up and we just have a new approach and a new lens for life. ANNA: I think one of the cool things about her and some of the other kids that we’ve seen transition in that way is just how they teach us how to regulate. I want to do this thing and then I want some time off and wait, I don’t want to do this thing. I’ve loved watching her journey of really understanding herself because I think she was pushing herself beyond her limits, sometimes with a little help from you all. But sometimes I think she was just reading the signs and saying okay, I need to do this. But now with this freedom you see her just being so intentional and expending a lot of energy on some things and then saying hey, I need to dial it back. I just feel like that’s great for all of us to learn and remember and normalize that that’s actually how humans like to move through the world. That fast, linear pace is really hard for most humans and our nervous system. So, I love what these kids have to teach us as well. I appreciate you just sharing a little bit more of that arc. Thank you so so much for being here. It’s been really interesting and powerful and I hope everyone enjoyed the conversation and maybe had their own kind of aha moment or just resonated with the feelings that we’ve been talking about. If you enjoy these kinds of conversations and want to come hang out with us. We’d love to have you join us on the Living Joyfully Network. We invite you to check it out and see if it fits with our free month trial and you’ll find the link in the show notes. And also at livingjoyfully.ca. The link will be on the home page. Thank you so much for being here and for everyone for joining us. PAM: Thanks so much, Sam.ERIKA: Thanks, Sam. SAM: Thank you.

As the Memorandum of Understanding becomes public, Israelis and Jews worldwide are left scratching their heads, asking "all of it, for this?!" Well, we have a bit of a different take this week on that exact question. Also this week - they did it! The Knicks won the NBA Championship and our hosts were all over it. Some follow ups too including the mushrooms that make folks see little people, and we finally answer whether the "kick it in the face" method actually works with a real-life example. ________ ** Fly to Israel direct in comfort, class and safety from an Israeli carrier! Arkia is THE choice for flights to Israel! **   Visit: https://www.arkia.com/ ________ **  Skip the airport and get away to a KOSHER luxury hotel, with food, mikvah, shul and more! Book at the Armon Hotel in Stamford! **   Visit: https://linkly.link/2SB6v ________ ** Chumash and Rashi as you've never learned it before!  ** Download the free app for iOS or Android and spend your free time enlightening yourself with innovative Torah (instead of wasting time listening to this cast!) Visit: https://www.klomar.org/ Call: (347) 212-0050 ________ ** Own a gorgeous luxury home in Orlando at Eden Gardens and set yourself up for Yomim Tovim, Summers and more! ** Featuring on-site shul, eruv, kosher grocery store, mikveh, and other heimish families to keep your entire family and extended family entertained for days! Visit: https://edengardensorlando.com Call/Whatsapp: (407) 777-9488 ________ ** Medical weight loss made simple and affordable! Skip the waiting rooms and start losing today with SlixRxCenter.com !** Featuring personalized plans with medical providers, and a team that understands the frum community and its unique lifestyle challenges. Visit: https://slimrxcenter.com/ Call: 845-414-6499 ________ ** Town Appliance - For All Of Your Appliance Needs! ** No matter the budget, Town Appliance will get you the right appliance for your needs and give you the most value for your money. Visit: https://www.townappliance.com/ Call/Text/Whatsapp: 732-364-5195 ________ We have a call-in number where you can hear the cast! Tell your friends and family who may not have internet access! 605-417-0303 To Call In From Israel: +079-579-5087 To Call In From UK: +03-333-66-0768 Also! Subscribe for our bonus content by phone! Available at the same number. ________ Get official KC swag and show your support to the world! https://kiddushclubmerch.com ________ Subscribe now to keep us going and access bonus content! https://buymeacoffee.com/kiddushclub/membership   Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiddushclubpodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kiddushclubcast Join our WhatsApp chat: https://whatsapp.kccast.com Send us you thoughts comments and suggestions via email: hock@kiddushclubpodcast.com  

From the Last Cast Lodge on the Kvichak river, the Walton family shares their favorite fishing memories, commercial fishing, buying and running their Bristol Bay lodge, family traditions, and the decisions that made their dream possible. The episode covers guiding moments on the water, financial discipline and legacy, community ties, conservation concerns like Pebble Mine, and how family bonds keep the lodge and lifestyle thriving. Check out the On Step Alaska website or subscribe on Substack for articles, features and all things Alaska. Thanks to the sponsors: Sagebrush Dry (Alaskan-owned business that sells the best dry bags you can buy.) Alpine Fit (Premium outdoor layering from another Alaskan-owned business.) Backcountry Hunters and Anglers  

In this episode, we sit down with entrepreneur, investor, and fintech innovator Joshua Summers to discuss startups, venture capital, private credit, artificial intelligence, and what founders need to know to survive today's fundraising environment. Josh is a serial entrepreneur with successful exits to PayPal and AT&T, and the co-founder of EnFi, a company modernizing credit risk assessment for the rapidly growing $2+ trillion private credit market. He is also the co-founder of TBD Angels, an angel investing community that has grown to more than 300 members and invested in over 80 startups. The conversation explores lessons learned from multiple exits, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the evolution of fintech, how AI is changing startup economics, and what separates companies that survive difficult markets from those that disappear. In This Episode From Startup Founder to Multiple Successful Exits Josh reflects on his entrepreneurial journey and the major lessons learned from building and scaling companies that were ultimately acquired by PayPal and AT&T. The discussion covers: What changes after a successful exit Common founder mistakes during growth phases Building teams that scale Why culture matters more than most founders realize The Silicon Valley Bank Collapse and the Birth of EnFi During the SVB crisis, Josh worked directly with startups attempting to move funds and navigate uncertainty in real time. What he discovered exposed a major weakness in modern lending infrastructure: Opaque credit monitoring Manual underwriting processes Covenant complexity Limited real-time portfolio visibility These insights ultimately led to the creation of EnFi, which is focused on transforming risk analysis and monitoring in private credit markets. Building an Angel Investing Community As co-founder of TBD Angels, Josh shares insights into what it takes to build and sustain a successful angel investing organization. Topics include: How to start an angel group Why most angel groups fail Creating long-term engagement and trust The benefits founders gain from becoming investors themselves Building a high-quality investment community Fundraising in a Difficult Market The episode dives into the realities founders face when capital markets tighten. Josh discusses: How founders can "manufacture momentum" during fundraising The psychology of investors in difficult markets Managing down rounds and flat rounds Maintaining team morale during capital pressure The KPIs investors now consider mandatory Investment Bankers: Advisors or Expensive Middlemen? Many founders question whether investment bankers truly add value during fundraising or M&A processes. Josh offers a candid perspective on: The real role of an investment banker What bankers do behind the scenes Why process management matters How founders should evaluate potential banking partners The difference between a transactional banker and a strategic advisor The Future of Fintech The conversation explores how financial technology continues to evolve and why many businesses are increasingly becoming fintech-enabled companies. Topics include: Embedded finance Infrastructure APIs Lending technology Risk management AI-driven financial products The convergence of software and financial services AI-Enabled vs AI-First Companies One of the most important discussions in the episode focuses on the difference between: Companies adding AI features to existing products Businesses fundamentally built around AI from day one Josh explains: Why the distinction matters Which companies may have defensible advantages The risks of superficial AI positioning What investors are really looking for Key Themes Entrepreneurship • Venture Capital • Angel Investing • Private Credit • Fintech • Artificial Intelligence • Startup Fundraising • Silicon Valley Bank • Investment Banking • Company Building • Leadership • Risk Management About Joshua Summers Joshua Summers is a serial entrepreneur, fintech founder, and angel investor with successful exits to PayPal and AT&T. He is the co-founder of EnFi, a company focused on modernizing credit risk assessment and monitoring for private credit markets, and co-founder of TBD Angels, a 300+ member angel investing network that has invested in more than 80 startups. Josh is passionate about combining technical excellence with human insight to build companies that create meaningful impact. #Fintech #ArtificialIntelligence #PrivateCredit #Startups #VentureCapital #AngelInvesting #Entrepreneurship #JoshuaSummers #InvestmentBanking #Fundraising #AI #FintechInnovation Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are for informational purposes only. They do not constitute financial or legal advice, nor do they necessarily reflect the views of Finalis Inc. or Finalis Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.