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When does sexual empowerment cross the line into cult control? Following Ellen Huet's OneTaste expose, we sat with Anthia Gillick—former OneTaste “insider,” survivor, and truth-teller—for a deep dive into the mechanics of manipulation inside one of the most controversial so-called “wellness” groups of the last decade. Anthia shares her journey from lost post-grad to commune life, revealing how boundaries were vaporized, “personal growth” was weaponized, and manufactured intimacy masked abuse and exploitation. She breaks down the OneTaste playbook on love-bombing, sales, shame, and consent, plus what helped her finally get out—and how healing (and justice) have looked since. If you've ever wondered how “empowerment” can become a tool for control, or why smart people stay so long, this episode shines a bright and compassionate light on all the gray zones.You can follow Anthia on her website, anthiagillick.com, and follow her on Instagram or X.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual exploitation and assault, psychological abuse, emotional manipulation, and physical violence in relationships.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:Take advantage of this exclusive offer: For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/culty and use code culty.Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code CULTY at monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year.For a limited time, save on the perfect gift by visiting AuraFrames dot com to get $35 off Aura's best-selling Carver Mat frames—named number 1 by Wirecutter—by using promo code CULTY at checkout at AuraFrames.com, promo code CULTY. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast, so order yours now to get it in time for the holidays. Support the show by mentioning us at checkout. Terms and conditions apply.Join the loyalty program for renters at joinbilt.com/culty. Make sure to use our URL so they know we sent you.AG1 has their best offer ever. Head to DRINKAG1.com/CULTY to get a FREE Welcome Kit, Omega 3s, Vitamin D3+K2, an AG1 Flavor Sampler, and you'll get to try their new sleep supplement AGZ for free. It's been a game changer for our nightly routine.Get last-minute hosting essentials, gifts for all your loved ones, and decor to celebrate the holidays for WAY less. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair. Every style. Every home.Find gifts so good you'll want to keep them with Quince. Go to Quince.com/culty for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too.Right now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code CULTY.Shop for everything you need at Whole Foods Market, your holiday headquarters! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to The Don't Cut Your Own Bangs Countdown: Best Lessons of the Year — a special December series celebrating the moments, conversations, and insights that stayed with us long after the episodes ended. This week's theme: Frustration… and Magic. We're kicking things off with highlights from my solocast What Is Your Frustration Telling You? — an episode where we explored frustration not as a problem, but as information. As a whisper. As guidance disguised as discomfort. A favorite moment from the solocast: "Your emotions aren't roadblocks. They're signposts pointing to what matters most." Then we shift into an unforgettable conversation with coach, speaker, and magician John Kippen, pulling some of the most moving and resonant moments from his story of resilience and healing. ✨ A favorite quote from John's interview: "Magic didn't just save my life — it gave me a reason to keep choosing it." This curated "Best Of" isn't linear — think of it like flipping through a scrapbook of the most meaningful moments from the year. If a clip resonates, you can always listen to the full episodes below. Watch or listen to the full episodes anytime: ✨ What Is Your Frustration Telling You? (full solocast) Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-cut-your-own-bangs/id1427579922 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DontCutYourOwnBangs ✨ John Kippen Interview – Magic Saved My Life Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-cut-your-own-bangs/id1427579922 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DontCutYourOwnBangs Please rate, subscribe, and leave a comment — it truly helps the grow our community and connects these conversations with people like you:) Learn More About Today's Featured Guest: John Kippen Website: https://www.johnkippen.com Watch John's TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/john_kippen_magic_saved_my_life Connect with Danielle For the show: Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0VFZulonTvaa2HIPyJa4Tq Podcast on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dont-cut-your-own-bangs/id1427579922 Watch the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DontCutYourOwnBangs For community: Substack: https://danielleireland.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielleireland_lcsw Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielleireland.LCSW TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dontcutyourownbangspod For purchase: The Treasured Journal: https://danielleireland.com/journal Wrestling a Walrus (Children's Book): https://danielleireland.com/wrestling-a-walrus For FREE! https://danielleireland.com/free

Matt Ritter—a former lawyer turned Hollywood multi-hyphenate who's fast becoming the definitive voice of the modern friendship movement. Matt is the creator, writer, producer, and star of The Buddy System, a hilarious and heartfelt Audible Original which has just launched. The special blends personal storytelling with cutting-edge research on social fitness—challenging the idea that friendship is a luxury and making the case that it's actually the most important wellness tool we have. He's also co-host of Man of the Year, the #1 podcast on male friendship, and the founder of Friendship Productions, a creative studio developing original content across film, TV, audio, and social—cantered around the theme of connection in an age of isolation. As a storyteller and performer, Matt is taking centre stage in a new wave of character-driven, friendship-forward content. His current projects include: The Maccabees: A "Remember the Titans meets Moneyball" sports drama, produced by Mayim Bialik Breached: A dark comedy about friendship and betrayal, starring Anna Faris and Tiffany Haddish Doll Wars: A satirical script that landed on the Hollywood Black List A docu-comedy series based on The Buddy System, in which Matt stars and executive produces Matt has previously produced hit unscripted series like Duck Dynasty, Fat N' Furious, Tasteless, and Chained to My Ex, and has been featured on The Today Show, Netflix Is a Joke, NPR, The New York Times, and more. He also recently interviewed the U.S. Surgeon General and is slated to give his first TED Talk in 2026: "Friendship Is the Original Life Hack." We chat about leaving law, being the friendship guy and inspiring others, Fat N' Furious, Man of the Year awards & podcasts, The Buddy system, lying his way into Hollywood + plenty more! Check Matt out on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattritter1 The Buddy System (Audible): https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Buddy-System-Audiobook/B0FSTJLYS4?srsltid=AfmBOorpIhIlEUK2AQ21s_OePo8aSdOVAujuhqth8C9OLKoJZbw0kBhB 7 day Friendship Challenge: https://www.thefriendshipguy.com/seven-day-challenge Man of the year podcast - check it out on all the podcast apps Tour dates/ tickets:  Contact: matt@thefriendshipguy.com ------------------------------------------- Follow @Funny in Failure on Instagram and Facebook https://www.instagram.com/funnyinfailure/ https://www.facebook.com/funnyinfailure/ and @Michael_Kahan on Insta & Twitter to keep up to date with the latest info. https://www.instagram.com/michael_kahan/ https://twitter.com/Michael_Kahan

What does it take to unseat a 20-year incumbent? Raj Goyle — fresh off his successful campaign to ban smartphones in New York schools — returns to Firewall to discuss why and how he's running for state comptroller. First step: Convincing voters that the often overlooked position has untapped power to make real progress on affordability.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City's only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today's episode: info@firewall.media.Be sure to watch Bradley's new TED Talk on Mobile Voting at https://go.ted.com/bradleytusk.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

This is one in a series about possible futures, which will be published in Booch News over the coming weeks. Episode 7 appeared last week. New episodes drop every Friday. Overview Peer-to-peer flavor-sharing platforms enabled home brewers to distribute taste profiles as digital files. Blockchain-verified SCOBY genetics allowed anyone to recreate award-winning kombucha flavors. Traditional beverage companies lost control as open-source fermentation recipes spread globally. This episode follows teenage hacker Luna Reyes as she reverse-engineers Heineken’s proprietary “A-yeast” strain and the century-old master strain used for Budweiser, releasing them under Creative Commons license, triggering a flavor renaissance that made corporate beverages taste like cardboard by comparison. Luna Reyes: The Seventeen-Year-Old Who Liberated Flavor Luna Reyes was brewing kombucha in her Oakland garage when she changed the course of human history. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she had learned fermentation from her grandmother while teaching herself bioinformatics through YouTube tutorials and volunteering at the Counter Culture Labs Maker Space on Shattuck Avenue. By fifteen, she was running the Bay Area’s most sophisticated home laboratory, utilizing jury-rigged DNA sequencers and microscopes constructed from smartphone cameras. Her breakthrough came in February 2043 while investigating why her kombucha never tasted quite like expensive craft varieties and was different again from her grandmother’s home brew. Using Crispr techniques learned from online forums, Luna began reverse-engineering the microbial genetics of premium alcoholic beverages. Her target wasn’t kombucha—it was the closely guarded yeast strains that gave corporate beers their distinctive flavors. Luna hunched over her microscope, examining bacterial cultures from her latest kombucha batch. Around her, salvaged DNA sequencers hummed, fermentation vessels bubbled, and computer screens displayed multi-hued patterns of genetic sequences. Her grandmother, Rosa, entered carrying a tray with three glasses of homemade kombucha. “Mija, you’ve been working for six hours straight. Drink something.” Luna accepted the glass without looking up. “Abuela, your kombucha tastes better than anything I can buy in stores and the ones I’ve experimented with. Why? I’m using the same base ingredients—tea, sugar, water—but mine never has this complexity.” Her grandmother laughed. “Because I’ve been feeding this SCOBY for forty years. It knows what to do. You can’t rush relationships.” Luna’s sister Maya, lounging against a workbench, waved her phone. “Luna, people have noticed your forum post about Health-Ade’s fermentation process. Someone says you’re wasting your time trying to replicate commercial kombuchas.” “I’m not trying to replicate them,” Luna said, finally looking up. “I’m trying to understand why their kombucha tastes different than that I make at home. It’s not the ingredients. It’s not the process. It’s the microbial genetics.” Rosa sat down beside her granddaughter. “When I was young in Oaxaca, every family had their own kombucha culture, passed down generation to generation. Each tasted different because the bacteria adapted to their environment, their ingredients, their care. We had a saying, Hay tantas fermentaciones en el mundo como estrellas en el cielo nocturno – there are as many ferments in the world as stars in the night sky. The big companies want every bottle to be identical. That kills what makes fermentation special.” “Exactly!” Luna pulled up genetic sequences on her screen. “I’ve been reverse-engineering samples from different commercial kombuchas. Health-Ade, GT’s, Brew Dr—they all have consistent microbial profiles.” The Great Heist: Cracking Corporate DNA Luna’s first major hack targeted Heineken’s legendary “A-yeast” strain, developed in 1886 by Dr. Hartog Elion—a student of renowned chemist Louis Pasteur—in the company’s Amsterdam laboratory and protected by over 150 years of trade secret law. Using samples obtained from discarded brewery waste (technically legal under the “garbage doctrine”), she spent six months mapping the strain’s complete genetic sequence in her makeshift lab. The breakthrough required extraordinary ingenuity. Luna couldn’t afford professional gene sequencers, so she modified a broken Illumina iSeq100 purchased on eBay for $200. Her sequencing runs took weeks rather than hours; her results were identical to those produced by million-dollar laboratory equipment. Her detailed laboratory notebooks, later published as The Garage Genomics Manifesto, became essential reading for the biotech hacker movement. The Budweiser project proved even more challenging. Anheuser-Busch’s century-old master strain had been protected by layers of corporate secrecy rivaling classified military programs. The company maintained multiple backup cultures in cryogenic facilities across three continents, never allowing complete genetic mapping by outside researchers. Luna’s success required infiltrating the company’s waste-disposal systems at four breweries, collecting samples over 18 months while evading corporate security. The Decision The night before Luna was scheduled to meet her fellow bio-hackers at Oakland’s Counter Culture Labs, she sat at her workstation, hesitant, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Her sister Maya came in, looking worried. “Luna, I found something you need to see,” she says. “Remember Marcus Park? He tried releasing proprietary yeast information in 2039. Heineken buried him. He lost everything. His daughter dropped out of college. His wife left him. He’s working at a gas station now.” Luna spent the night researching what happened to Park. She found that almost everyone who challenged corporate IP ended up on the losing side of the law. It was not pretty. In the morning, Abuela Rosa finds her crying in her room. “Mija, what’s wrong?” she asks. “Oh, Abuela,” Luna says between sobs. “What am I doing? What if I’m wrong? What if I destroy our family? What if this ruins Mom and Dad? What if I’m just being selfish?” “That’s the fear talking.” Her grandmother reassured her. “Fear is wisdom warning you to be careful. But fear can also be a cage.” That evening at the Counter Culture Labs, Luna assembled a small group of advisors. She needed their guidance. She had the completed genetic sequences for Heineken A-yeast and Budweiser’s master strain on her laptop, ready for release. But is this the time and place to release them to the world? Dr. Marcus Webb, a bioinformatics researcher in his forties and Luna’s mentor, examined her sequencing data. “This is solid work, Luna. Your jury-rigged equipment is crude. The results are accurate. You’ve fully mapped both strains.” “The question isn’t whether I can do it,” Luna said. “It’s whether I should let the world know I did it.” On screen, Cory Doctorow, the author and digital rights activist, leaned forward. “Let’s be clear about what you’re proposing. You’d be releasing genetic information that corporations have protected as trade secrets for over a century. They’ll argue you stole their intellectual property. You’ll face lawsuits, possibly criminal charges.” “Is it their property?” Luna challenged. “These are naturally occurring organisms. They didn’t create that yeast. Evolution did. They just happened to be there when it appeared. That does not make it theirs any more than finding a wildflower means they own the species. Can you really own something that existed before you found it?” Doctorow, the Electronic Frontier Foundation representative spoke up. “There’s legal precedent both ways. Diamond v. Chakrabarty established that genetically modified organisms can be patented. But naturally occurring genetic sequences? That’s murky. The companies will argue that their decades of cultivation and protection created protectable trade secrets.” “Trade secrets require keeping information secret,” Luna argued. “They throw this yeast away constantly. If they’re not protecting it, how can they claim trade secret status?” Dr. Webb cautioned, “Luna, even if you’re legally in the right—which is debatable—you’re seventeen years old. You’ll be fighting multinational corporations with unlimited legal resources. They’ll bury you in litigation for years.” “That’s where we come in,” Doctorow said. “The EFF can provide legal defense. Creative Commons can help structure the license. You need to understand: this will consume your life. College, career plans, normal teenage experiences—all on hold while you fight this battle.” Luna was quiet for a moment, then pulled up a photo on her laptop: her grandmother Rosa, teaching her to ferment at age seven. “My abuela says fermentation is about sharing and passing living cultures between generations. Corporations have turned it into intellectual property to be protected and controlled. If I can break that control—even a little—isn’t that worth fighting for?” Maya spoke up from the back. “Luna, I love you, but you’re being naive. They won’t just sue you. They’ll make an example of you. Your face on every news channel, portrayed as a thief, a criminal. Our family harassed. Your future destroyed. For what? So people can brew beer with the same yeast as Heineken?” “Not just beer,” Luna responded passionately. “This is about whether living organisms can be owned. Whether genetic information—the code of life itself—can be locked behind intellectual property law. Yes, it starts with beer yeast. But what about beneficial bacteria? Life-saving microorganisms? Medicine-producing fungi? Where does it end?” Dr. Webb nodded slowly. “She’s right. This is bigger than beer. As biotech advances, genetic control becomes power over life itself. Do we want corporations owning that?” Doctorow sighed. “If you do this, Luna, do it right. Release everything simultaneously—BitTorrent, WikiLeaks, Creative Commons servers, distributed networks worldwide. Make it impossible to contain. Include complete cultivation protocols so anyone can reproduce your results. Make the data so damn widely available that suppressing it becomes futile.” “And write a manifesto,” he added. “Explain why you’re doing this. Frame the issue. Make it about principles, not piracy.” Luna nodded, fingers already typing. “When should I release?” “Pick a date with symbolic meaning,” Dr. Webb suggested. “Make it an event, not just a data dump.” Luna smiled. “December 15. The Bill of Rights Day. Appropriate for declaring biological rights, don’t you think?” Maya groaned. “You’re really doing this, aren’t you?” “Yes. I’m really doing this.” The Creative Commons Liberation On Tuesday, December 15, 2043—a date now celebrated as “Open Flavor Day”—Luna released the genetic sequences on multiple open-source networks. Her manifesto, titled Your Grandmother’s Yeast Is Your Birthright, argued that microbial genetics belonged to humanity’s shared heritage rather than corporate shareholders. It stated: Commercial companies have protected yeast strains for over a century. They’ve used intellectual property law to control flavor itself. But genetic information isn’t like a recipe or a formula—it’s biological code that evolved over millions of years before humans ever cultivated it. These strains are protected as trade secrets—the bacteria don’t belong to anyone. They existed before Heineken, before Budweiser, before trademark law. The companies just happened to isolate and cultivate them. Her data packages included DNA sequences and complete protocols for cultivating, modifying, and improving the strains. Luna’s releases came with user-friendly software that allowed amateur brewers to simulate genetic modifications before attempting them in real fermentations. Within 24 hours, over ten thousand people worldwide downloaded the files. The Creative Commons community erupted in celebration. Cory Doctorow’s blog post, The Teenager Who Stole Christmas (From Corporate Beer), went viral within hours. The Electronic Frontier Foundation immediately offered Luna legal protection, while the Free Software Foundation created the “Luna Defense Fund” to support her anticipated legal battles. The Legal Assault Heineken’s response was swift. The company filed emergency injunctions in 12 countries simultaneously, seeking to prevent the distribution of its “stolen intellectual property.” Their legal team, led by former U.S. Attorney General William Barr III, demanded Luna’s immediate arrest for “economic terrorism” and “theft of trade secrets valued at over $50 billion.” Anheuser-Busch’s reaction was even more extreme. CEO Marcel Telles IV appeared on CNBC, calling Luna “a bioterrorist who threatens the foundation of American capitalism.” The company hired private investigators to surveil Luna’s family and offered a $10 million reward for information leading to her prosecution. Their legal filing compared Luna’s actions to “stealing the formula for Coca-Cola and publishing it in the New York Times.” In Heineken’s Amsterdam headquarters, executives convened an emergency meeting. “Who is Luna Reyes?” the CEO demanded. The legal counsel pulled up information. “She’s a seventeen-year-old high school student in Oakland, California. No criminal record. Volunteers at a maker space. Has been posting about fermentation on various forums for years.” “A child released our proprietary yeast strain to the world, and we didn’t know she was even working on this?” The CEO’s face reddened. “How do we contain it?” “We can’t. It’s distributed across thousands of servers in dozens of countries with different IP laws. We can sue Reyes, but the information is out there permanently.” An executive interjected, “What about the other breweries? Will they join our lawsuit?” “Some are considering it. Others…” The counsel paused. “Others are quietly downloading the sequences themselves. They see an opportunity to break our market dominance.” “She obtained samples from our waste disposal,” another executive explained. “Technically legal under the garbage doctrine. The sequencing itself isn’t illegal. The release under Creative Commons…” “Is theft!” the CEO shouted. “File emergency injunctions. Twelve countries. Get her arrested for economic terrorism.” Similar scenes played out at Anheuser-Busch headquarters in St. Louis. CEO Telles addressed his team: “This is bioterrorism. She’s destroyed intellectual property worth billions. I want her prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Hire private investigators. Find everything about her and her family. Make her life hell!” By noon, both companies had filed lawsuits. By evening, Fox News was running stories about the “teenage bioterrorist” who “stole American corporate secrets.” Back in Oakland, Luna’s phone rang constantly. Her parents discovered what she’d done. Her mother cried. Her father was furious and terrified. Friends called with either congratulations or warnings. She was convinced that private investigators were photographing their house. Maya suspected she was followed to work. On Wednesday morning, Dr. Webb calls: “Luna, they’re offering me $2 million to testify against you. They’re going after everyone in your network.” Luna has a sickening feeling that she’s put everyone at risk. By Thursday, she is considering taking it all back somehow, sending an apology to the corporations, anything to protect her family. Luna turned off her phone and sat with her grandmother. “It’s started,” Luna said quietly. “Sí, mija. You’ve declared war. Now we see if you can survive it.” Maya burst in, laptop in hand. “Luna, you need to see this. The downloads aren’t slowing—they’re accelerating. Every time Heineken or Budweiser shuts down a website, ten mirror sites appear. People are treating this like a digital freedom fight. You’ve become a symbol.” Luna pulled up her own screen. The #FreeLuna hashtag was trending. Crowdfunding campaigns for her legal defense had raised $400,000 in twelve hours. Academic institutions were publicly endorsing her release, calling it “essential scientific information.” “They’re trying to destroy you,” Maya said, “but they’re making you famous instead.” Rosa handed Luna a fresh kombucha. “This is what happens when you fight for what’s right, mija. Sometimes the world surprises you by supporting you.” Luna’s Fame The corporations’ attempts to suppress Luna’s releases had the opposite effect. Every cease-and-desist letter generated thousands of new downloads. The genetic data became impossible to contain once the academic community embraced Luna’s work. Dr. Jennifer Doudna, the legendary Crispr pioneer now in her eighties, publicly endorsed Luna’s releases in a Science magazine editorial: Ms. Reyes has liberated essential scientific information that corporations held hostage for commercial gain. Genetic sequences from naturally occurring organisms should not be locked behind intellectual property law. They belong to humanity’s knowledge commons. While corporations claim Luna stole trade secrets, I argue she freed biological knowledge that was never theirs to own. There are no trade secrets in biology—only knowledge temporarily hidden from the commons. This is civil disobedience of the highest order—breaking unjust laws to advance human freedom. Ms. Reyes didn’t steal; she liberated. MIT’s biology department invited Luna to lecture, while Harvard offered her a full scholarship despite her lack of a high school diploma. The legal battles consumed corporate resources while generating negative publicity. Heineken’s stock price dropped 34% as consumers organized boycotts in support of Luna’s “yeast liberation.” Beer sales plummeted as customers waited for home-brewed alternatives using Luna’s open-source genetics. The Flavor Renaissance Luna’s releases triggered an explosion of creativity that corporate R&D departments had never imagined. Within six months, amateur brewers worldwide were producing thousands of flavor variations impossible under corporate constraints. The open-source model enabled rapid iteration and global collaboration, rendering traditional brewing companies obsolete. The world was engaged. In some of the most unlikely places. In Evanston, Illinois, a group of former seminary students who discovered fermentation during a silent retreat, transformed Gregorian chants into microbial devotionals. Tenor Marcus Webb (Dr. Webb’s nephew) realized symbiosis mirrored vocal harmony—multiple voices creating something greater than their parts. “In honoring the mystery of fermentation we express our love of the Creator,” he said. Here's ‘Consortium Vocalis' honoring the mother SCOBY. [Chorus]Our SCOBYIs pureOur SCOBYIs strongOur SCOBYKnows no boundariesOur SCOBYStrengthens as it fermentsOur SCOBYIs bacteria and yeast Our SCOBYTurns sucrose into glucose and fructoseIt ferments these simple sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide,Acetic acid bacteria oxidize much of that ethanol into organic acidsSuch as acetic, gluconic, and other acids.This steadily lowers the pHMaking the tea taste sour-tangy instead of purely sweet. [Chorus] Our SCOBYThen helps microbes produce acids, enzymes, and small amounts of B‑vitaminsWhile probiotics grow in the liquid.The pH falls to help inhibit unwanted microbesOur SCOBY creates a self-preserving, acidic environment in the tea [Chorus] In Kingston, Jamaica, Rastafarian’s combined an award-winning kombucha sequenced in Humboldt County, California, with locally grown ganja into a sacramental beverage to help open their mind to reasoning and focus on Jah. Once fermented, it was consumed over the course of a three-day Nyabinghi ceremony. “Luna Reyes is truly blessed. She strengthened our unity as a people, and our Rastafari’ booch help us chant down Babylon,” a Rasta man smiled, blowing smoke from a spliff the size of his arm. The Groundation Collective’s reggae anthem ‘Oh Luna’ joyfully celebrated Luna Reyes’ pioneering discovery. Oh Luna, Oh Luna, Oh Luna ReyesI love the sound of your nameYou so deserve your fame Luna, Luna, Oh Luna ReyesShining brightYou warm my heart Luna, Luna, Oh Luna ReyesYou cracked the codeTeenage prophet, fermentation queenSymbiosis roadA genius at seventeen Oh Luna, Luna, Luna ReyesBeautiful moonMakes me swoon Oh Luna, Luna, Luna ReyesFreedom to fermentYou are heaven sentTo save us Luna, Luna, Oh Luna ReyesYou opened the doorTo so much moreKombucha tastes so goodLike it should Oh Luna, Oh Luna, Oh LunaI love you, love you, love youOh Luna, Luna, LunaLove you, love you,Love Luna, Luna love. In São Paulo, Brazil, MAPA-certified Brazilian kombucha brands combined Heineken and cacao-fermenting yeasts with cupuaçu from indigenous Amazonian peoples, to create the chocolate-flavored ‘booch that won Gold at the 20th World Kombucha Awards. A cervejeiro explained to reporters: “Luna Reyes gave us the foundation. We added local innovation. This is what happens when you democratize biology.” The Brazilian singer Dandara Sereia covered ‘Our Fermented Future’—The Hollow Pines tune destined to become a hit at the 2053 Washington DC Fermentation Festival. Baby sit a little closer, sip some ‘booch with meI brewed this batch with the SCOBY my grandma gave to me.On the back porch swing at twilight, watching fireflies danceYour hand in mine, kombucha fine, the sweetest sweet romance. They say that wine and roses are the way to win the heartBut your kombucha warmed me right up from the start.Fermentation makes the heart grow fonder, truer words they ain’t been saidYour SCOBY’s got a place forever — in my heart, and in my bed. Let’s share our SCOBYs, baby, merge our ferments into oneLike cultures in a crock jar dancing, underneath the sun.The tang of your Lactobacillus is exactly what I’m missingYour Brettanomyces bacteria got this country girl reminiscing. Oh yeah, let’s share those SCOBYs, baby, merge our ferments into oneYour yeasts and my bacteria working till the magic’s doneYou’ve got the acetic acid honey, I’ve got the patience and the timeLet’s bubble up together, let our cultures intertwine. I’ve got that symbiotic feeling, something wild and something trueYour SCOBY’s in my heart, right there next to youThe way your Acetobacter turns sugar into goldIs how you turned my lonely life into a hand to hold. We’ve got the acetic acid and the glucuronic tooWe’ve got that symbiotic feeling, so righteous and so trueOne sip of your sweet ‘booch, Lord, and you had me from the start,It’s our fermented future, that no-one can tear apart. It’s our fermented future…It’s our fermented future…It’s our fermented future… “Luna Variants”—strains derived from her releases—began winning international brewing competitions, embarrassing corporate entries with their complexity and innovation. Traditional beer flavors seemed flat and artificial compared to the genetic symphonies created by collaborative open-source development. Despite the outpouring of positive vibes, the corporations spared no expense to hold Luna to account in the courts. The Preliminary Hearing A preliminary hearing was held in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California on June 14, 2044. Luna sat at the defendant’s table, her hands folded so tightly her knuckles had gone white. She wore a borrowed blazer—too big in the shoulders—over a white button-down shirt Maya had ironed that morning. At seventeen, she looked even younger under the courtroom’s fluorescent lights. Across the aisle, Heineken’s legal team occupied three tables. Fifteen attorneys in matching navy suits shuffled documents and whispered into phones. Their lead counsel, William Barr III, wore gold cufflinks that caught the light when he gestured. Luna recognized him from the news—the former Attorney General, now commanding $2,000 an hour to destroy people like her. Her own legal representation consisted of two people: Rose Kennerson from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a public interest lawyer who’d flown in from DC on a red-eye, and Dr. Marcus Webb, technically a witness but sitting beside Luna because she’d asked him to. Behind them, the gallery was packed. Luna’s parents sat in the second row, her father’s face gray, her mother clutching a rosary. Maya had taken the day off work. Abuela Rosa sat in the front row directly behind Luna, her ancient SCOBY wrapped in silk in her lap, as if its presence might protect her granddaughter. Judge Catherine Ironwood entered—sixty-ish, steel-gray hair pulled back severely, known for pro-corporate rulings. She’d been a pharmaceutical industry lawyer for twenty years before her appointment. “All rise,” the bailiff called. Judge Ironwood settled into her chair and surveyed the courtroom with the expression of someone who’d already decided the outcome and resented having to perform the formalities. “We’re here for a preliminary injunction hearing in Heineken International B.V. versus Luna Marie Reyes.” She looked directly at Luna. “Ms. Reyes, you’re seventeen years old?” Luna stood, hesitant. “Yes, your honor.” “Where are your parents?” “Here, your honor.” Luna’s mother half-rose, then sat back down. “Ms. Kennerson, your client is a minor. Are the parents aware they could be held liable for damages?” Rose Kennerson stood smoothly. “Yes, your honor. The Reyes family has been fully advised of the legal implications.” Luna glanced back. Her father’s jaw was clenched so tight she could see the muscles working. He wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Very well. Mr. Barr, you may proceed.” Barr rose like a battleship emerging from fog—massive, expensive, inevitable. He buttoned his suit jacket and approached the bench without notes. “Your honor, this is the simplest case I’ve argued in thirty years. The defendant admits to obtaining my client’s proprietary biological materials. She admits to sequencing their genetic information. She admits to distributing that information globally, in deliberate violation of trade secret protections that have existed for over 150 years. She did this knowingly, systematically, and with the explicit intent to destroy my client’s competitive advantage.” Luna felt Sarah’s hand on her arm—stay calm. Barr continued. “Heineken International has invested over $200 million in the development, cultivation, and protection of the A-yeast strain. Then this teenager”—he pointed at Luna—”obtained samples from our waste disposal systems, reverse-engineered our genetic sequences, and released them to the world via BitTorrent, deliberately placing them beyond retrieval.” He paced now, warming to his theme. “The damage is incalculable. We estimate lost market value at $50 billion. But it’s not just about money. The defendant has destroyed the possibility of competition in the brewing industry. When everyone has access to the same genetic materials, there’s no innovation, no differentiation, no reason for consumers to choose one product over another. She has, in effect, communized an entire industry.” Luna couldn’t help herself. “That’s not—” Sarah grabbed her wrist. “Don’t.” Judge Ironwood’s eyes narrowed. “Ms. Reyes, you will have your opportunity to speak. Until then, you will remain silent, or I will have you removed from this courtroom. Do you understand?” “Yes, your honor.” Luna’s voice came out smaller than she intended. Barr smiled slightly. “Your honor, the relief we seek is straightforward. We ask this court to order the defendant to provide us with a complete list of all servers, websites, and distribution networks where the stolen genetic data currently resides. We ask that she be ordered to cooperate fully in suppressing the data. We ask that she be enjoined from any further distribution. And we ask that she be ordered to pay compensatory damages of $5 billion, plus punitive damages to be determined at trial.” He returned to his seat. One of his associate attorneys handed him a bottle of Pellegrino. He took a sip and waited. Judge Ironwood looked at Sarah. “Ms. Kennerson?” Sarah stood. She looked tiny compared to Barr—five-foot-three, maybe 110 pounds, wearing a suit from Target. But when she spoke, her voice filled the courtroom. “Your honor, Mr. Barr has given you a compelling story about a corporation that’s been wronged. But it’s not the right story. The right story is about whether naturally occurring organisms—creatures that evolved over millions of years, long before humans ever existed—can be owned by a corporation simply because that corporation happened to isolate them.” She walked toward the bench. “Let’s be clear about what the A-yeast strain is. It’s not a genetically modified organism. It’s not a patented invention. It’s a naturally occurring yeast. Heineken didn’t create it. Evolution created it. Heineken merely found it. And for 158 years, they’ve claimed that finding something gives them the right to prevent anyone else from studying it, understanding it, or using it.” Barr was on his feet. “Objection, your honor. This is a preliminary hearing about injunctive relief, not a philosophical debate about intellectual property theory.” “Sustained. Ms. Kennerson, please focus on the specific legal issues before this court.” “Your honor, the specific legal issue is whether naturally occurring genetic sequences constitute protectable trade secrets. My client contends they do not. She obtained the yeast samples from Heineken’s waste disposal—materials they had discarded. Under the garbage doctrine, she had every right to analyze those materials. The genetic sequences she discovered are factual information about naturally occurring organisms. You cannot trade-secret facts about nature.” Luna watched Judge Ironwood’s face. Nothing. No reaction. Sarah pressed on. “Mr. Barr claims my client ‘stole’ genetic information worth $5 billion. But information cannot be stolen—it can only be shared. When I tell you a fact, I don’t lose possession of that fact. We both have it. That’s how knowledge works. Heineken hasn’t lost their yeast. They still have it. They can still brew with it. What they’ve lost is their monopoly on that knowledge. And monopolies on facts about nature should never have existed in the first place.” “Your honor—” Barr tried to interrupt. Judge Ironwood waved him down. “Continue, Ms. Kennerson.” “Your honor, Heineken wants this court to order a seventeen-year-old girl to somehow suppress information that has already been distributed to over 100,000 people in 147 countries. That’s impossible. You can’t unring a bell. You can’t put knowledge back in a bottle. Even if this court ordered my client to provide a list of servers—which she shouldn’t have to do—that list would be incomplete within hours as new mirror sites appeared. The information is out. The only question is whether we punish my client for sharing factual information about naturally occurring organisms.” She turned to face Luna’s family. “Ms. Reyes taught herself bioinformatics from YouTube videos. She works at home with equipment she bought on eBay. She has no criminal record. She’s never been in trouble. She saw a question that interested her—why do commercial beers taste like they do?—and she pursued that question with the tools available to her. When she discovered the answer, she shared it with the world, under a Creative Commons license that specifically protects sharing for educational and scientific purposes. If that’s terrorism, your honor, then every scientist who’s ever published a research paper is a terrorist.” Sarah sat down. Luna wanted to hug her. Judge Ironwood leaned back. “Ms. Reyes, stand up.” Luna rose, her legs shaking. “Do you understand the seriousness of these proceedings?” “Yes, your honor.” “Do you understand that Heineken International is asking me to hold you in contempt of court if you refuse to help them suppress the information you released?” “Yes, your honor.” “Do you understand that contempt of court could result in your detention in a juvenile facility until you reach the age of eighteen, and potentially longer if the contempt continues?” Luna’s mother gasped audibly. Her father put his arm around her. “Yes, your honor,” Luna said, though her voice wavered. “Then let me ask you directly: If I order you to provide Heineken with a complete list of all locations where the genetic data you released currently resides, will you comply?” The courtroom went silent. Luna could hear her own heartbeat. Sarah started to stand—”Your honor, I advise my client not to answer—” “Sit down, Ms. Kennerson. I’m asking your client a direct question. She can choose to answer or not.” Judge Ironwood’s eyes never left Luna. “Well, Ms. Reyes? Will you comply with a court order to help Heineken suppress the information you released?” Luna looked at her parents. Her mother was crying silently. Her father’s face was stone. She looked at Abuela Rosa. Her grandmother nodded once—tell the truth. Luna looked back at the judge. “No, your honor.” Barr shot to his feet. “Your honor, the defendant has just admitted she intends to defy a court order—” “I heard her, Mr. Barr.” Judge Ironwood’s voice was ice. “Ms. Reyes, do you understand you’ve just told a federal judge you will refuse a direct order?” “Yes, your honor.” “And you’re still refusing?” “Yes, your honor.” “Why?” Sarah stood quickly. “Your honor, my client doesn’t have to explain—” “I want to hear it.” Judge Ironwood leaned forward. “Ms. Reyes, tell me why you would risk jail rather than help undo what you’ve done.” Luna took a breath. Her whole body was shaking, but her voice was steady. “Because it would be wrong, your honor.” “Wrong how?” “The genetic sequences I released evolved over millions of years. Heineken didn’t create that yeast. They isolated one strain and claimed ownership of it. The code of life belongs to everyone. That’s humanity’s heritage. Even if you send me to jail, I can’t help suppress the truth.” Judge Ironwood stared at her for a long moment. “That’s a very pretty speech, Ms. Reyes. But this court operates under the law, not your personal philosophy about what should or shouldn’t be owned. Trade secret law exists. Heineken’s rights exist. And you violated those rights.” Luna did not hesitate. “With respect, your honor, I don’t think those rights should exist.” Barr exploded. “Your honor, this is outrageous! The defendant is openly stating she believes she has the right to violate any law she disagrees with—” “That’s not what I said.” Luna’s fear was transforming into something else—something harder. “I’m saying that some laws are unjust. And when laws are unjust, civil disobedience becomes necessary. People broke unjust laws during the civil rights movement. People broke unjust laws when they helped slaves escape. The constitution says members of the military do not have to obey illegal orders, despite what those in power might claim. Sometimes the law is wrong. And when the law says corporations can own genetic information about naturally occurring organisms, the law is wrong.” Judge Ironwood’s face flushed. “Ms. Reyes, you are not Rosa Parks. This is not the civil rights movement. This is a case about intellectual property theft.” “It’s a case about whether life can be property, your honor.” “Enough.” Judge Ironwood slammed her gavel. “Ms. Kennerson, control your client.” Sarah pulled Luna back into her chair. “Luna, stop talking,” she hissed. Judge Ironwood shuffled papers, visibly trying to compose herself. “I’m taking a fifteen-minute recess to consider the injunction request. We’ll reconvene at 11:30. Ms. Reyes, I strongly suggest you use this time to reconsider your position.” The gavel fell again, and Judge Ironwood swept out. The hallway outside the courtroom erupted. Reporters swarmed. Luna’s father grabbed her arm and pulled her into a witness room. Her mother followed, still crying. Maya slipped in before Sarah closed the door. “What were you thinking?” Luna’s father’s voice shook. “You just told a federal judge you’ll defy her orders. They’re going to put you in jail, Luna. Do you understand that? Jail!” “Ricardo, please—” Her mother tried to calm him. “No, Elena. Our daughter just committed contempt of court in front of fifty witnesses. They’re going to take her from us.” He turned to Luna, his eyes wet. “Why? Why couldn’t you just apologize? Say you made a mistake? We could have ended this.” “Because I didn’t make a mistake, Papa.” “You destroyed their property!” “It wasn’t their property. It was never their property.” “The law says it was!” “Then the law is wrong!” Her father stepped back as if she’d slapped him. “Do you know what your mother and I have sacrificed to keep you out of trouble? Do you know how hard we’ve worked since we came to this country to give you opportunities we never had? And you throw it away for yeast. Not for justice. Not for people. For yeast.” Luna’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s not about yeast, Papa. It’s about whether corporations get to own life. If Heineken can own yeast, why not bacteria? Why not human genes? Where does it stop?” “It stops when my daughter goes to jail!” He was shouting now. “I don’t care about Heineken. I don’t care about yeast. I care about you. And you just told that judge you’ll defy her. She’s going to put you in jail, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.” “Ricardo, por favor—” Elena put her hand on his arm. He shook it off. “No. She needs to hear this. Luna, if you go to jail, your life is over. No college will accept you. No company will hire you. You’ll have a criminal record. You’ll be marked forever. Is that what you want?” “I want to do what’s right.” “What’s right is protecting your family! What’s right is not destroying your future for a principle!” he said. Luna responded, “What’s right is not letting corporations own the code of life!”They stared at each other. Maya spoke up quietly from the corner. “Papa, she can’t back down now. The whole world is watching.” “Let the world watch someone else!” Ricardo turned on Maya. “You encourage this. You film her, you post her manifestos online, you help her become famous. You’re her sister. You’re supposed to protect her, not help her destroy herself.” “I am protecting her,” Maya said. “I’m protecting her from becoming someone who backs down when the world tells her she’s wrong, even though she knows she’s right.” Ricardo looked between his daughters. “Ambos están locos! You’re both insane.” Abuela Rosa opened the door and entered. She’d been listening from the hallway. “Ricardo, enough.” “Mama, stay out of this.” “No.” Rosa moved between Ricardo and Luna. “You’re afraid. I understand. But fear makes you cruel, mijo. Your daughter is brave. She’s doing something important. And you’re making her choose between you and what’s right. Don’t do that.” “She’s seventeen years old! She’s a child!” “She’s old enough to know right from wrong.” Rosa put her hand on Ricardo’s cheek. “When I was sixteen, I left Oaxaca with nothing but the clothes on my back and this SCOBY. Everyone said I was crazy. Your father said I would fail. But I knew I had to go, even if it cost me everything. Sometimes our children have to do things that terrify us. That’s how the world changes.” Ricardo pulled away. “If they put her in jail, will that change the world, Mama? When she’s sitting in a cell while Heineken continues doing whatever they want, will that have been worth it?” “Yes,” Luna said quietly. “Even if I go to jail, yes. Because thousands of people now have the genetic sequences, Heineken can’t put that back. They can punish me, but they can’t undo what I did. The information is free. It’s going to stay free. And if the price of that is me going to jail, then that’s the price.” Her father looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. “I don’t know who you are anymore.” “I’m still your daughter, Papa. I’m just also someone who won’t let corporations own life.” A knock on the door. Sarah poked her head in. “They’re reconvening. Luna, we need to go.” Back in the courtroom, the atmosphere had shifted. The gallery was more crowded—word had spread during the recess. Luna recognized several people from online forums. Some held signs reading “FREE LUNA” and “GENETICS BELONG TO EVERYONE.” Judge Ironwood entered and sat without ceremony. “I’ve reviewed the submissions and heard the arguments. This is my ruling.” Luna’s hand found Maya’s in the row behind her. Squeezed tight. “The question before this court is whether to grant Heineken International’s motion for a preliminary injunction requiring Ms. Reyes to assist in suppressing the genetic information she released. To grant such an injunction, Heineken must demonstrate four things: likelihood of success on the merits, likelihood of irreparable harm without the injunction, balance of equities in their favor, and that an injunction serves the public interest.” Barr was nodding. These were his arguments. “Having considered the evidence and the applicable law, I find that Heineken has demonstrated likelihood of success on the merits. Trade secret law clearly protects proprietary business information, and the A-yeast strain appears to meet the legal definition of a trade secret.” Luna’s stomach dropped. “However, I also find that Heineken has failed to demonstrate that a preliminary injunction would effectively prevent the irreparable harm they claim. Ms. Kennerson is correct that the genetic information has already been distributed to over 100,000 people worldwide. Ordering one teenager to provide a list of servers would be, in technical terms, pointless. New copies would appear faster than they could be suppressed.” Barr’s face tightened. “Furthermore, I find that the balance of equities does not favor Heineken. They ask this court to potentially incarcerate a seventeen-year-old girl for refusing to suppress information that is, by her account, factual data about naturally occurring organisms. The potential harm to Ms. Reyes—including detention, criminal record, and foreclosure of educational and career opportunities—substantially outweighs any additional harm Heineken might suffer from continued distribution of information that is already widely distributed.” Luna felt Maya’s grip tighten. Was this good? This sounded good. “Finally, and most importantly, I find that granting this injunction would not serve the public interest. The court takes judicial notice that this case has generated substantial public debate about the scope of intellectual property protection in biotechnology. The questions raised by Ms. Reyes—whether naturally occurring genetic sequences should be ownable, whether facts about nature can be trade secrets, whether knowledge can be property—are questions that deserve answers from a higher authority than this court. These are questions for appellate courts, perhaps ultimately for the Supreme Court. And they are questions best answered in the context of a full trial on the merits, not in an emergency injunction hearing.” Barr was on his feet. “Your honor—” “Sit down, Mr. Barr. I’m not finished.” He sat, his face purple. “Therefore, Heineken International’s motion for preliminary injunction is denied. Ms. Reyes will not be required to assist in suppressing the genetic information she released. However,”—Judge Ironwood looked directly at Luna—”this ruling should not be construed as approval of Ms. Reyes’ actions. Heineken’s claims for damages and other relief remain viable and will proceed to trial. Ms. Reyes, you may have won this battle, but this war is far from over. Anything you want to say?” Luna stood slowly. “Your honor, I just want to say… thank you. For letting this go to trial. For letting these questions be answered properly. That’s all I ever wanted—for someone to seriously consider whether corporations should be allowed to own genetic information about naturally occurring organisms. So thank you.” Judge Ironwood’s expression softened slightly. “Ms. Reyes, I hope you’re prepared for what comes next. Heineken has unlimited resources. They will pursue this case for years if necessary. You’ll be in litigation until you’re twenty-five years old. Your entire young adulthood will be consumed by depositions, court appearances, and legal fees. Are you prepared for that?” “Yes, your honor.” “Why?” Luna glanced at her grandmother, who nodded. “Because some questions are worth answering, your honor. Even if it takes years. Even if it costs everything. The question of whether corporations can own life—that’s worth answering. And if I have to spend my twenties answering it, then that’s what I’ll do.” Judge Ironwood studied her for a long moment. “You remind me of someone I used to know. Someone who believed the law should serve justice, not just power.” She paused. “That person doesn’t exist anymore. The law ground her down. I hope it doesn’t do the same to you.” She raised her gavel. “This hearing is adjourned. The parties will be notified of the trial date once it’s scheduled. Ms. Reyes, good luck. I think you’re going to need it.” The gavel fell. Outside the courthouse, the scene was chaotic. News cameras surrounded Luna. Reporters shouted questions. But Luna barely heard them. She was looking at her father, who stood apart from the crowd, watching her. She walked over to him. “Papa, I’m sorry I yelled.” He didn’t speak for a moment. Then he pulled her into a hug so tight it hurt. “Don’t apologize for being brave,” he whispered into her hair. “I’m just afraid of losing you.” “You won’t lose me, Papa. I promise.” “You can’t promise that. Not anymore.” He pulled back, holding her shoulders. “But I’m proud of you. I’m terrified, but I’m proud.” Her mother joined them, tears streaming down her face. “No more court. Please, no more court.” “I can’t promise that either, Mama.” Elena touched Luna’s face. “Then promise me you’ll be careful. Promise me you’ll remember that you’re not just fighting for genetics. You’re fighting for your life.” Luna smiled. “I promise.” Abuela Rosa appeared, carrying her SCOBY. “Come, mija. We should go before the reporters follow us home.” As they pushed through the crowd toward Maya’s car, Luna's phone buzzed continuously. Text messages and emails pouring in. But what caught her attention was a text from Dr. Webb: You were right. I’m sorry I doubted. Check your email—Dr. Doudna wants to talk. Luna opened her email. The subject line made her stop walking: From: jennifer.doudna@berkeley.eduSubject: Civil Disobedience of the Highest Order She started to read: Dear Ms. Reyes, I watched your hearing this morning. What you did in that courtroom—refusing to back down even when threatened with jail—was one of the bravest things I’ve seen in forty years of science. You’re not just fighting for yeast genetics. You’re fighting for the principle that knowledge about nature belongs to humanity, not to corporations. I want to help… Luna looked up at her family—her father’s worried face, her mother’s tears, Maya’s proud smile, Abuela Rosa’s serene confidence. Behind them, the courthouse where she’d nearly been sent to jail. Around them, reporters and cameras and strangers who’d traveled across the country to support her. She thought about Judge Ironwood’s warning: This war is far from over. She thought about Barr’s face when the injunction was denied. She thought about the thousands who’d downloaded the genetic sequences and were, right now, brewing with genetics that had been locked away for 158 years. Worth it. All of it. Even the fear. Maya opened the car door. “Come on, little revolutionary. Let’s go home.” The Corporate Surrender By 2045, both Heineken and Anheuser-Busch quietly dropped their lawsuits against Luna. Their legal costs had exceeded $200 million while accomplishing nothing except generating bad publicity. More importantly, their “protected” strains had become worthless in a market flooded with superior alternatives. Heineken’s CEO attempted to salvage the company by embracing open-source brewing. His announcement that Heineken would “join the La Luna Revolution” was met with skepticism from the brewing community, which recalled the company’s aggressive legal tactics. The craft brewing community’s response was hostile. “They spent two years trying to destroy her,” a prominent brewmaster told The New Brewer Magazine. “Now they want credit for ’embracing’ the revolution she forced on them? Heineken didn’t join the Luna Revolution—they surrendered to it. There’s a difference.” The global brands never recovered their market share. Luna’s Transformation Luna’s success transformed her from a garage tinkerer into a global icon of the open knowledge movement. Her 2046 TED Talk, “Why Flavor Belongs to Everyone,” went viral. She argued that corporate control over living organisms represented “biological colonialism” that impoverished human culture by restricting natural diversity. Rather than commercializing her fame, Luna founded the Global Fermentation Commons, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and sharing microbial genetics worldwide. Their laboratories operated as open-access research facilities where anyone could experiment with biological systems. The headquarters of the Global Fermentation Commons occupied a former Genentech facility donated by Dr. Webb. Six continents, forty researchers, one mission: preserve and share microbial genetics worldwide. Luna addressed a crowded auditorium at the organization’s third anniversary. “When I released Heineken and Budweiser’s yeast strains, some people called it theft. Others called it liberation. I called it returning biological knowledge to the commons, where it belongs. Three years later, so-called Luna Variants have created economic opportunities for thousands of small brewers, improved food security in developing regions, and demonstrated that genetic freedom drives innovation faster than corporate control.” She continued. “We’re not stopping with beer. The same principles apply to all fermentation: cheese cultures, yogurt bacteria, koji fungi, sourdough starters. Every traditionally fermented food relies on microorganisms that corporations increasingly claim to own. We’re systematically liberating them.” A World Health Organization representative raised a concern: “Ms. Reyes, while we support democratizing food fermentation, there are legitimate concerns about pharmaceutical applications. What prevents someone from using your open-source genetics to create dangerous organisms?” Luna nodded. “Fair question. First, the organisms we release are food-safe cultures with centuries of safe use. Second, dangerous genetic modifications require sophisticated laboratory equipment and expertise—far beyond what releasing genetic sequences enables. Third, determined bad actors already have access to dangerous biology, enabled by AI. We’re not creating new risks; we’re democratizing beneficial biology.” “Pharmaceutical companies argue you’re undermining their investments in beneficial organisms,” another representative pressed. “Pharmaceutical companies invest in modifying organisms,” Luna clarified. “Those modifications can be patented. What we oppose is claiming ownership over naturally occurring organisms or their baseline genetics. If you genetically engineer a bacterium to produce insulin, patent your engineering. Don’t claim ownership over the bacterial species itself.” A Monsanto representative stood. “Your organization recently cracked and released our proprietary seed genetics. That’s direct theft of our property.” Luna didn’t flinch. “Seeds that farmers cultivated for thousands of years before Monsanto existed? You didn’t invent corn, wheat, or soybeans. You modified them. Your modifications may be protectable; the baseline genetics are humanity’s heritage. We’re liberating what should never have been owned.” “The ‘Luna Legion’ has cost us hundreds of millions!” the representative protested. “Good,” Luna responded calmly. “You’ve cost farmers their sovereignty for decades. Consider it karma.” After the presentation, Dr. Doudna approached Luna privately. “You’ve accomplished something remarkable,” the elderly scientist said. “When I developed Crispr, I never imagined a teenager would use similar principles to challenge corporate biology. You’re forcing conversations about genetic ownership that we’ve avoided for decades.” “It needed forcing,” Luna replied. “Corporations were quietly owning life itself, one patent at a time. Someone had to say no.” “The pharmaceutical industry is terrified of you,” Doudna continued. “They see what happened to brewing and imagine the same for their carefully controlled bacterial strains. You’re going to face even more aggressive opposition.” “I know. Once people understand that biological knowledge can be liberated, they start questioning all biological ownership. We’re not stopping.” The New Economy of Taste Following Luna’s breakthrough, peer-to-peer flavor-sharing platforms emerged as the dominant force in food culture. The “FlavorChain” blockchain allowed brewers to track genetic lineages while ensuring proper attribution to original creators. SCOBY lineages were carefully sequenced, catalogued, and registered on global blockchain ledgers. Each award-winning kombucha strain carried a “genetic passport”—its microbial makeup, the unique balance of yeasts and bacteria that gave rise to particular mouthfeel, fizz, and flavor spectrum, was mapped, hashed, and permanently recorded. Brewers who created a new flavor could claim authorship, just as musicians once copyrighted songs. No matter how many times a SCOBY was divided, its fingerprint could be verified. Fermentation Guilds formed to share recipes through FlavorChain, enabling decentralized digital markets like SymbioTrdr, built on trust and transparency rather than speculation. They allowed people to interact and transact on a global, permissionless, self-executing platform. Within days, a SCOBY strain from the Himalayas could appear in a brew in Buenos Aires, its journey traced through open ledgers showing who tended, adapted, and shared it. Kombucha recipes were no longer jealously guarded secrets. They were open to anyone who wanted to brew. With a few clicks, a Guild member in Nairobi could download the blockchain-verified SCOBY genome that had won Gold at the Tokyo Fermentation Festival. Local biotech printers—as common in 2100 kitchens as microwave ovens had once been—could reconstitute the living culture cell by cell. Children began inheriting SCOBY lineages the way earlier generations inherited family names. Weddings combined SCOBY cultures as symbolic unions. (Let’s share our SCOBYs, baby, merge our ferments into one.) When someone died, their SCOBY was divided among friends and family—a continuation of essence through taste. Kombucha was no longer merely consumed; it was communed with. This transparency transformed kombucha from a minority regional curiosity into a universal language. A festival in Brazil might feature ten local interpretations of the same “Golden SCOBY” strain—one brewed with passionfruit, another with cupuaçu, a third with açaí berries. The core microbial signature remained intact, while the terroir of fruit and spice gave each version a unique accent. Brewers didn’t lose their craft—they gained a canvas. Award-winning SCOBYs were the foundations on which endless new flavor experiments flourished. Many people were now as prolific as William Esslinger, the founder of St Louis’s Confluence Kombucha, who was renowned for developing 800 flavors in the 2020s. Code of Symbiosis The Symbiosis Code, ratified at the first World Fermentation Gathering in Reykjavik (2063), bound Fermentation Guilds to three principles: Transparency — All microbial knowledge is to be shared freely. Reciprocity — No brew should be produced without acknowledging the source. Community — Every fermentation must nourish more than the brewer. This code replaced corporate law. It was enforced by reputation, not by governments. A Guild member who betrayed the code found their SCOBYs mysteriously refusing to thrive—a poetic justice the biologists never quite explained. Every Guild had elders—called Mothers of the Jar or Keepers of the Yeast. They carried living SCOBYs wrapped in silk pouches when traveling, exchanging fragments as blessings. These elders became moral anchors of the age, counselors and mediators trusted more than politicians. When disputes arose—over territory, resources, or ethics—brewers, not lawyers, met to share a round of Truth Brew, a ferment so balanced that it was said to reveal dishonesty through bitterness. The Fullness of Time The International Biotech Conference of 2052 invited Luna to give the closing keynote—a controversial decision that prompted several corporate sponsors to withdraw support. The auditorium was packed with supporters, critics, and the merely curious. “Nine years ago, I released genetic sequences for beer yeast strains protected as trade secrets. I was called a thief, a bioterrorist, worse. Today, I want to discuss what we’ve learned from those years of open-source biology.” She displayed a chart showing the explosion of brewing innovation since 2043. “In the traditional corporate model, a few companies control a few strains, producing a limited variety. With the open-source model, thousands of brewers using thousands of variants, producing infinite diversity. As Duff McDonald wrote “Anything that alive contains the universe, or infinite possibility. Kombucha is infinite possibility in a drink.” And the results speak for themselves—flavor innovation accelerated a thousand-fold when we removed corporate control.” A student activist approached the microphone. “Ms. Reyes, you’ve inspired movements to liberate seed genetics, soil bacteria, and traditional medicine cultures. The ‘Luna Legion’ is spreading globally. What’s your message to young people who want to continue this work?” Luna smiled. “First, understand the risks. I was sued by multinational corporations, received death threats, spent years fighting legal battles. This work has costs. Second, be strategic. Release information you’ve generated yourself through legal methods—no hacking, no theft. Third, build communities. I survived because people supported me—legally, financially, emotionally. You can’t fight corporations alone. Finally, remember why you’re doing it: to return biological knowledge to the commons where it belongs. That purpose will sustain you through the hard parts.” Teaching By twenty-eight, Luna was a MacArthur Fellow, teaching fermentation workshops in a converted Anheuser-Busch facility. As she watched her students—former corporate employees learning to think like ecosystems rather than factories—she reflected that her teenage hack had accomplished more than liberating yeast genetics. She had helped humanity remember that flavor, like knowledge, grows stronger when shared rather than hoarded. Luna’s garage had evolved into a sophisticated community biolab. The original jury-rigged equipment had been replaced with professional gear funded by her MacArthur Fellowship. Abuela Rosa still maintained her fermentation crocks in the corner—a reminder of where everything started. A group of five

The Real Reason Men Shut Down, Pull Away, and Go Blank.Ever dated someone who was warm one minute… and emotionally shut down the next? In this week's Benson Book Club, we break down Chapter 7 of The Untethered Soul - “Transcending the Tendency to Close.”This chapter explains:why people emotionally close offwhy your ex suddenly went coldthe psychology behind emotional shutdown and avoidancehow to recognize when YOU close your heartand how this pattern destroys connectionI also give you a step-by-step Law of Detachment routine for heartbreak that I did to get over bookman!! The exact script to record, what to listen to every night, and a clean way to detach from someone who can't show up for you.If you want to understand why someone pulled away… or you need help letting go fast… this episode gives you clarity, strategy, and the tools to move on.Today's episode is brought to you by:Bellesa: EVERYONE who signs up wins a FREE WhisperVibeTM OR a FREE Rose toy with any WhisperTM order! CLAIM YOUR FREE GIFT HERE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We're back with the second half of our conversation with the unstoppable Heather Gay: housewife, truth-teller, and newly minted slayer of Mormon silence. Heather gets real (and really funny) about what she's gained since stepping away from the church: self-discovery, creative freedom, and the kind of joy 10-year-old her would've fainted over. We dig into her docuseries Surviving Mormonism, the tidal wave of stories she's helping bring to light, and the church's (let's call it) “creative” approach to handling abuse reports. Heather opens up about the personal cost of speaking out, the shocking stories that rocked her the most, and how she's rebuilding her relationship with spirituality from the ground up. And because this is our show, we of course veer into bras, garments, guilty pleasures, and whether Heather might be the Leah Remini of Mormonism (spoiler: yes). We laughed, almost cried, plotted a three-way meetup with Leah, and even talked laser hair removal. Settle in—this one's heartfelt, hilarious, and peak Heather Gay.Follow Heather on Instagram and Facebook, pick up her memoir, Bad Mormon, and catch Surviving Mormonism on Peacock or Bravo.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of child and sexual abuse.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. Will Cole sits down with Cynthia Thurlow, nurse practitioner, bestselling author, and host of the Everyday Wellness podcast, to talk about the evolution of fasting, metabolism, and women's health. Cynthia shares how her views on fasting have shifted since her viral TED Talk that reached over 15 million people, and why flexibility, nourishment, and muscle preservation are key to metabolic health. They discuss the difference between intermittent fasting and “digestive rest,” the truth about OMAD (one-meal-a-day) fasting, and how to approach fasting through every stage of womanhood - from menstruation to menopause. For all links mentioned in this episode, visit www.drwillcole.com/podcast.Pre-order Cynthia's newest book: The Menopause Gut: Balance Your Microbiome to Reclaim Your Health in Midlife and Beyond (Releasing Tuesday, April 28 2026) Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.Sponsors:Visit fromourplace.com/WILLCOLE and use code WILLCOLE for 10% off site wide.Text ABW to 64000 to get twenty percent off all IQBAR products, plus FREE shipping. Message and data rates may apply.When you get the Pu'er Bundle, you'll unlock 20% off for life, a complimentary gift, and an invitation to explore the ancient wisdom behind our teas and wellness rituals. Discover more at Piquelife.com/willcole. For a limited time, you can get 20% off your first order at neurogum.com by using code: WILLCOLE.You can try Nouro and Motus at tonum.com/WILLCOLE and use code WILLCOLE for 10% off your first order.Produced by Dear Media.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

John Kippen is a Motivational Speaker, Resilience and Empowerment Coach, Professional Magician and Bestselling Author. John's 12 + year journey of recovering from the trauma of having his face paralyzed after brain tumor removal surgery, has allowed him to triumph over adversity. He and Max swap stories of adversity and resilience. You don't want to miss it.  For more from John:  JohnKippen.com TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on-IVeZ4M4U For More From Sober Coach/Substance Abuse Counselor Max Njist, visit MaxNijst.org

Family gatherings can be beautiful. They can also feel like emotional landmines, especially when you're an actor. One minute you're passing the mashed potatoes. The next you're answering a pointed question about your career from someone who hasn't watched a show since 1998. In this week's episode of the Acting Business Bootcamp Podcast, I talk about how to stay calm, centered, and grounded as you navigate family dynamics. These tools help you protect your energy so you can enjoy the holiday instead of getting swept up in other people's anxieties. The Question Doesn't Require a Monologue A lot of actors feel pressured to explain themselves. To defend their choices. To prove they're on the right track. But you don't owe anyone an emotional TED Talk over stuffing. A simple, steady answer is enough. "It's going well. Thank you." That one sentence keeps you out of conversations you don't need to be in. You get to keep your peace. You get to protect your space. If someone pushes, you can set a gentle boundary. "I have a few things moving, I'll share when I'm ready." Short. Clear. Done. Their Anxiety Doesn't Belong to You So often the loudest questions are really about someone else's fears. Their need for certainty. Their discomfort with ambiguity. You don't have to take that on. Let their energy stay with them. You return to your own center. Your own path. Your own truth. Anchor Yourself Before You Walk In A holiday gathering is like an unexpected audition. A little preparation goes a long way. Take a few quiet minutes in the car before going inside. Ground your breath. Remember the work you've done. Remember what you're building. Even the smallest wins matter. This simple pause strengthens you more than you think. Use The Bathroom as Your Backstage If you feel yourself getting wobbly, step away. Close the door. Breathe. One minute is enough to reset your nervous system. Here's an affirmation I love for holiday gatherings: "I am my own authority. I love and approve of myself. Life is good." Say it until your shoulders drop. Movement Clears Emotional Static Sometimes the easiest way to break emotional noise is to move your body. A short walk around the block. A quick step outside. Offering to run to the store. Even a loop around the backyard. Think of it as an intermission in the middle of the holiday play. Grace Beats Defensiveness If someone brings up the state of the industry or questions your path, gently redirect. "Things are moving. I'm focused on the work. How are you doing?" It shifts the spotlight off you. It softens the moment. It keeps the energy human. Curiosity Transforms the Room People want to be seen. When you become curious about them, the dynamic changes. Ask how their year has been. Ask a follow-up. Then another. When you listen deeply, conversations soften. Walls come down. You return to connection, not conflict. A Final Reminder Your career is not defined by anyone's holiday opinion. You get to be your own authority. You get to choose peace. And if family stress gets loud this year, you're not alone. Join the "Listening to Invisible Guidance" Class If you've been feeling lost, stuck, or unsure of your next step, I created a one hour class called Listening to Invisible Guidance. It teaches you how to notice the quiet nudges, how to ask for support, and how to actually hear the signs that are already showing up for you. You'll learn why doubt doesn't block guidance and why disruption can be a sign that you're being redirected, not punished. It's simple. It's powerful. And it's only $20. You can watch it as many times as you want.

What if the key to more effective leadership lies not in a new strategy, but in understanding your own biology? In this episode, Kevin speaks with Dr. Scott Hutcheson about an unconventional approach to leadership: biohacking. Dr. Hutcheson shares his behavioral leadership model, built around three biodynamic channels: warmth, competence, and gravitas. He identifies specific, observable behaviors within each channel that send powerful signals to teams, signals that either inspire connection and confidence or lead to disengagement. They also discuss how everyday actions like being punctual, actively listening, and managing workload effectively are more than simple good habits. These behaviors function as leadership signals that directly shape how teams perceive their leaders and, ultimately, how they perform. Scott's Story: Dr Scott Hutcheson, PhD, is the is the coauthor of Strategic Doing: Ten Skills for Agile Leadership and his new book, Biohacking Leadership: Leveraging the Biology of Behavior to Maximize Your Impact – the first in a three-book series on the biodynamics of leadership, teams, and organizations. He is a biosocial scientist and senior lecturer at Purdue University, where he studies leadership, teamwork, and organizational performance through the biology of behavior. After a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis, he turned to biohacking—using data and feedback loops to optimize health—and soon recognized that the same principles could transform leadership. With over 30 years of experience, Scott has advised the White House, Fortune 400 companies, startups, nonprofits, and communities worldwide. He has worked with more than 4,000 leaders across 147 countries. His TED Talk on the "Science of Prospection" has been viewed over 1.3 million times, and his Forbes column reaches millions of readers, ranking in the top 0.1% of contributors. This Episode is brought to you by... Flexible Leadership is every leader's guide to greater success in a world of increasing complexity and chaos.  Book Recommendations Biohacking Leadership: Leveraging the Biology of Behavior to Maximize Your Impact by Scott Hutcheson Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid Like this? Lessons from a Fortune Top 50 Leader with Mitch Daniels Executive Presence with Joel Garfinkle The 8 Strengths that Redefine Confidence with Lisa Sun Leave a Review If you liked this conversation, we'd be thrilled if you'd let others know by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Here's a quick guide for posting a review. Review on Apple: https://remarkablepodcast.com/itunes    Join Our Community If you want to view our live podcast episodes, hear about new releases, or chat with others who enjoy this podcast join one of our communities below. Join the Facebook Group Join the LinkedIn Group  

Governor Kathy Hochul's real edge isn't charisma or disruption, says Bradley, but a deeply “regular” superpower - backing things like universal school meals, subway security, phone bans in schools, childcare tax credits, and a crackdown on shoplifting simply because normal people want them. Plus, Bradley sees Trump and Mondami's buddy act as a masterclass in pure political athleticism, admits he's utterly perplexed by what Marjorie Taylor Greene is doing, and dissects the now-withdrawn White House AI executive order as proof that the administration still doesn't understand how regulation actually works.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City's only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today's episode: info@firewall.media.Be sure to watch Bradley's TED Talk on Mobile Voting at https://go.ted.com/bradleytusk.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

"Do not be tempted to undervalue yourself just because it happens to be something that's fast or easy for you to produce." -Casey Brown In the finale of this two-part series, pricing expert and president of Boost Pricing, Casey Brown, returns to share how bookkeepers can move from fear-based pricing to confident, value-driven conversations. She explains how to stop pre-discounting, test your true pricing ceiling, and communicate your worth with clarity and confidence. In this interview, you'll learn: Why pre-discounting hurts your profits How to identify & attract better, higher-value clients How to package & present your services with confidence Connect with Casey on LinkedIn. To buy her book, Fearless Pricing, click here. Watch her TED Talk, or video on 12 things I Hate About Hourly Billing. To learn more about Boost Pricing, click this link. Time Stamp 02:03 – The two types of discounting: negotiated & pre-discounting 03:52 – How to test your true price ceiling 04:54 – Overcoming scarcity mindset & fear of losing clients 06:02 – Why fewer clients at higher prices can be more profitable 08:44 – Letting go of price-sensitive clients who drain your energy 10:43 – Why bad clients cost more than they're worth 11:13 – The gender gap in business pricing & confidence 12:45 – How women undervalue their services & why it costs them 13:52 – Messaging & packaging your services for higher value 15:17 – Half of pricing success is the number; half is how you frame it 16:52 – Stop obsessing over numbers & focus on context 17:47 – The problems with hourly billing models 18:47 – Why fixed-fee & value-based pricing work better 19:26 – When & how to offer pricing packages 20:47 – Avoid overwhelming clients with too many choices 22:28 – Be the expert—guide your client's decision 24:31 – Why clear messaging builds trust & confidence 25:57 – The Picasso lesson: charge for your experience, not your time 26:58 – How to articulate the process & value you deliver 27:21 – Where to find Casey's free resources, book & programs 28:42 – Fearless Pricing community & how to join This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext! Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place. Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who've already made the switch. If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you! Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!

Ted talk: Ted talks about the Pats' shortcomings versus the Bengals

3 Point Stance: Jaylen Brown is on the warpath again // Ted Talk: Ted goes over the Pats' woes versus the Bengals // Marcus Jones is indispensable to this team //

We're back with another episode in our series on the Missing Middle in Climate Tech in partnership with Spring Lane Capital. This is the fifth episode in the series. If you didn't catch the others, check out InvestedinClimate.com/series and you'll find our other episodes. If you have ideas for other series and would like to partner, get in touch through the website as well.The missing middle is a structural problem – a lack not only of available capital for climate companies, but also of the kinds of firms able to invest in them. New firms with new types of investment mandates are needed, and so I was thrilled to learn about a new fund called All Aboard. It's a truly innovative firm developed by someone who has long had his finger on the pulse of the world's biggest problems and boldest solutions. If you've ever watched a TED Talk you probably know Chris Anderson, who has led TED for the last 25 years. Chris is probably one of the best networked people on the planet, and that he decided to focus on building a new fund designed to address the missing middle in climate finance speaks volumes. Spring Lane Capital Partner and Entrepreneur in Residence Jason Scott gets credit for putting together this episode and joins us in what was a truly fascinating conversation. All Aboard reflects the type of creativity and ambition needed to fill a critical climate finance gap, and I think we all hope their model inspires you in some way. Enjoy.On today's episode, we cover:0:03:31 – Chris explains his shift to climate investing and TED's climate initiatives0:04:53 – Setting the stage: The funding gap in climate tech0:05:23 – Jason describes the three buckets of the "missing middle" and All Aboard fund's mission0:09:33 – Exploring the structural capital problem in the energy transition and limitations of current financial markets0:11:16 – Chris & Jason discuss scale challenges and why current investment models fall short for climate solutions0:14:12 – Impact of collaboration in the climate investing community, with examples from Spring Lane and All Aboard0:16:57 – Chris describes All Aboard: how convening and pooling investors can solve the missing middle0:22:42 – The role of “social proof,” building momentum and ecosystems around climate ventures0:25:12 – Fundraising goals for All Aboard and the scale of opportunity in climate tech0:29:00 – Recognizing growth and potential exits for climate companies; learning from historical performance0:31:14 – How companies may become eligible for All Aboard, criteria for selection, and the practical mechanics of funding0:34:51 – The necessity of both capital and sustained support for scaling climate solutions0:36:30 – Vision for the future: If All Aboard succeeds, expectations for climate tech and financial markets0:37:54 – Other approaches and financial innovations to address the missing middle0:40:24 – The role of government and public-private partnerships in de-risking and scaling clean tech0:42:56 – Closing remarksResources MentionedAll AboardSpring Lane CapitalInvested in Climate – Missing Middle seriesTED and TED Countdown

Heather Gay, Real Housewife, “Bad Mormon,” and faith deconstruction trailblazer, joined us to talk about her journey from devout church girl to outspoken survivor. She shares what made Mormonism so magnetic, how family, secrets, and ritual shaped her upbringing, and the pivotal moments that cracked her certainty wide open, including appearing on past ALBC guest Dr. John Dehlin's Mormon Stories Podcast. From endowment ceremonies and culinary faux pas to finding her voice outside the fold, Heather dishes on the unique mix of pressure, community, and hope that comes with leaving a high-demand religion. This first part of our conversation's raw, real, and unexpectedly relatable—even if you've never worn sacred garments, tried to appease your bishop, or “woken up” because of a frozen burrito.Follow Heather on Instagram and Facebook, pick up her memoir, Bad Mormon, and catch Surviving Mormonism on Peacock or Bravo.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep 136 is personal.I'm back behind the mic after six life-changing months. I became a girl dad. I traveled to Africa for the first time and delivered my first TEDx talk in Uganda. That trip, that stage, and this new chapter forced me to slow down, rethink my identity, and step into a new season of life with more clarity about success, purpose, and what really matters.In this episode, I share the truth about stepping away, stepping into fatherhood, and stepping onto a TEDx stage 7,800 miles from home. I talk about killing hustle culture, choosing intention over pressure, and building a life that feels aligned, not forced. I also break down the Shadow Line Principle and how one tiny shift can unlock real growth in your life and your business.If you are rebuilding, recalibrating, or trying to grow with more intention and less noise, this one is for you.Let's talk life.Let's talk growth.Let's talk about the tiny shift that changes everything.And let's celebrate your friendly neighborhood Strategy Hacker® giving you perspective once again.Tune in. Let's digress. Support The Podcast & Connect With Troy: Rate & Review iDigress: iDigress.fm/ReviewsFollow Troy on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube: @FindTroy.Buy My Book, "Strategize Up": StrategizeUpBook.comDiscover All Podcasts On The HubSpot Podcast NetworkNeed Strategy, Keynote Speaker, Or Want To Sponsor The Podcast? Go To FindTroy.com

Hon blev världsberömd självhjälpsguru med boken Eat, Pray, Love. Men en destruktiv relation och ett beroende fick henne att bara se en utväg döden. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radios app. I det här avsnittet möter P3 ID författaren Elizabeth Gilbert som, hösten 2025, är aktuell med boken ”All the way to the river”. Det är en självutlämnande berättelse om att bli kär i sin cancersjuka bästa vän, för att sedan falla ner i ett mörkt hål av droger och förtvivlan. En historia som var nära att sluta i ett mord.P3 ID om Elizabeth Gilbert handlar om att falla offer - och sedan kapitulera - för ett missbruk. Om självhjälpskulturen, destruktiva relationer och droger. Och om att bekänna allt på det mest nakna vis.I avsnittet hörs också författaren Tone Schunnesson och Malena Ivarsson, klinisk sexolog och terapeut.Ljudklippen kommer från Oprah's Book Club, New York Times Modern Love, New York Public Library, Sydney Opera House, ABC, Border's Media, Ted Talk och filmerna Coyote Ugly samt Eat, Pray, Love.Avsnittet gjordes av Vendela Lundberg.Producent: Sally HenrikssonLjudmix: Fredrik NilssonProgrammet släpptes under hösten 2025 och gjordes av produktionsbolaget DIST för Sveriges Radio.

Ever ask your partner for support and end up getting a TED Talk you never requested? We're exploring how unsolicited advice shows up in partnerships, why it can feel so invalidating, and how well-meaning intentions can still land the wrong way. We're discussing the difference of wanting to help and overstepping, how to to not overstep boundaries (especially in a world with ChatGPT where everyone can be the expert on anything!), and why sometimes, just being there is the best support.Got a dating question you need answered? Hit us up at hello@dateablepodcast.comGet OUR BOOK + take the Dating Archetypes quiz: https://howtobedateable.com/Follow us @dateablepodcast, @juliekrafchick and @nonplatonic. Check out our website for more content about modern dating. Also listen to our other podcast Exit Interview available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.WE WROTE A BOOK! HOW TO BE DATEABLE (Simon & Schuster, Jan 2025) is available now: https://howtobedateable.com/Our Sponsors:* Bioma Health: Get an extra 15% off with the code Dateable at https://gobioma.com/DATEABLE* Happy Mammoth: Try Prebiotic Collagen Protein and Hormone Harmony risk-free AND get 15% off your order at https://happymammoth.com with the code DATEABLE* Quince: Get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/dateable* Washington Red Raspberries: Find more details on where to find American frozen red raspberries, plus recipe ideas and cooking tips at https://redrazz.orgSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/dateable-your-insiders-look-into-modern-dating-and-relationships/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Get ready for another big and brilliant dive into the world of science on this week’s Science Weekly! We’re exploring the incredible science of the human heart, uncovering how it pumps, why it’s so powerful, and the secrets hidden in every beat. In Science in the News, one of the UK’s most critically endangered mammals might be making a comeback, Jeff Bezos’ space mission has taken a major step forward, and Abi Crane from the University of Southampton joins Dan to reveal details of a newly discovered T. rex species. Then it’s time for your questions. Mathew wants to know how allergies work, and James Clark from King’s College London explains exactly why we have a heart. Dangerous Dan returns with a tiny but terrifying creature, the blue ant, one of the most dangerous insects on Earth. And in Battle of the Sciences, TED Talk speaker Chip Colwell steps up to argue why museology, the science of museums, deserves the crown. Plus, Professor Hallux is on a mission to build a better heart, but can he improve on one of nature’s most impressive machines? This week, we learn about:– How the human heart works– Why allergies happen– A brand new species of T. rex– The mysterious and deadly blue ant– How museums help us understand history and science All that and more on this week’s Science Weekly!Join Fun Kids Podcasts+: https://funkidslive.com/plusSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jasbeer Mamalipurath's TEDified Islam: Postsecular Storytelling in New Media (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) is the first of its kind in-depth examination of the TedTalk phenomenon and in particular how Islam and Muslim experiences are represented in these talks. Mamalipurath argues that TED Talks on Islam are part of a larger postsecular (the secular's renewed interest in faith) discourse. The book examines the perspectives of Muslim and non-Muslim TED viewers about TED's storytelling strategies. Finally, the book studies aspects of the authority that both Muslim and non-Muslim TED speakers represent and embody as ‘spokespersons of Islam.' By doing so, this book offers an empirical and context-oriented understanding of postsecular storytelling by problematizing secular translations of Islam that are part of this TED talk universe. Themes the book explores include the nature of storytelling in a postsecular media environment, insider and outsider dynamics in how Islam is constructed and represented in digital media, the impacts of the 20th and 21st century media environment on how Islam and Muslim lives are translated for primarily non-Muslim audiences, the influence of Jewish and Christian frameworks on how stories of Islam get told, and the role of religion as faith in secular storytelling today. Listeners will certainly never look at TedTalks the same way after learning about the strategies, stories, and consequences of TEDified Islam from Mamalipurath's research. Dr. Jasbeer Mamalipurath is a lecturer in media and broadcast studies at the School of Arts, English and Languages, Queen's University Belfast (UK). His research sits at the intersection of media, society, and culture. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Jasbeer Mamalipurath's TEDified Islam: Postsecular Storytelling in New Media (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) is the first of its kind in-depth examination of the TedTalk phenomenon and in particular how Islam and Muslim experiences are represented in these talks. Mamalipurath argues that TED Talks on Islam are part of a larger postsecular (the secular's renewed interest in faith) discourse. The book examines the perspectives of Muslim and non-Muslim TED viewers about TED's storytelling strategies. Finally, the book studies aspects of the authority that both Muslim and non-Muslim TED speakers represent and embody as ‘spokespersons of Islam.' By doing so, this book offers an empirical and context-oriented understanding of postsecular storytelling by problematizing secular translations of Islam that are part of this TED talk universe. Themes the book explores include the nature of storytelling in a postsecular media environment, insider and outsider dynamics in how Islam is constructed and represented in digital media, the impacts of the 20th and 21st century media environment on how Islam and Muslim lives are translated for primarily non-Muslim audiences, the influence of Jewish and Christian frameworks on how stories of Islam get told, and the role of religion as faith in secular storytelling today. Listeners will certainly never look at TedTalks the same way after learning about the strategies, stories, and consequences of TEDified Islam from Mamalipurath's research. Dr. Jasbeer Mamalipurath is a lecturer in media and broadcast studies at the School of Arts, English and Languages, Queen's University Belfast (UK). His research sits at the intersection of media, society, and culture. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

Most leaders talk about transforming hospitality. Bashar Wali actually walked away from a $150 million hotel portfolio to do it. The founder of This Assembly, Wali is building a new kind of hospitality ecosystem, one centered on emotion, belonging, and human connection rather than automation and efficiency. In this episode, Dean Arun Upneja speaks with Wali about why the future of hospitality isn't just digital, but deeply human. From challenging the idea that loyalty can be bought with points to exploring how AI should enhance emotional intelligence, Wali urges leaders to rethink what makes hotels truly memorable. A celebrated thought leader and frequent speaker at BU SHA, Wali is known for his powerful TED Talk on why “humanity matters more than material luxuries” and for his keynote at the 2024 BU Hospitality Leadership Summit. With more than 20 years of leadership experience at companies like Wyndham International, Starwood, and Provenance Hotels, he continues to inspire the industry with his conviction that hospitality isn't a transaction; it's a feeling. And in an AI-driven world, that feeling may be the most valuable asset of all. Email us at shadean@bu.eduThe “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration. Host: Arun Upneja, DeanProducer: Mara Littman, Executive Director of Strategic Operations and Corporate RelationsMarketing: Rachel Hamlin, Senior Marketing ManagerResearch: Lu Lan Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Jasbeer Mamalipurath's TEDified Islam: Postsecular Storytelling in New Media (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) is the first of its kind in-depth examination of the TedTalk phenomenon and in particular how Islam and Muslim experiences are represented in these talks. Mamalipurath argues that TED Talks on Islam are part of a larger postsecular (the secular's renewed interest in faith) discourse. The book examines the perspectives of Muslim and non-Muslim TED viewers about TED's storytelling strategies. Finally, the book studies aspects of the authority that both Muslim and non-Muslim TED speakers represent and embody as ‘spokespersons of Islam.' By doing so, this book offers an empirical and context-oriented understanding of postsecular storytelling by problematizing secular translations of Islam that are part of this TED talk universe. Themes the book explores include the nature of storytelling in a postsecular media environment, insider and outsider dynamics in how Islam is constructed and represented in digital media, the impacts of the 20th and 21st century media environment on how Islam and Muslim lives are translated for primarily non-Muslim audiences, the influence of Jewish and Christian frameworks on how stories of Islam get told, and the role of religion as faith in secular storytelling today. Listeners will certainly never look at TedTalks the same way after learning about the strategies, stories, and consequences of TEDified Islam from Mamalipurath's research. Dr. Jasbeer Mamalipurath is a lecturer in media and broadcast studies at the School of Arts, English and Languages, Queen's University Belfast (UK). His research sits at the intersection of media, society, and culture. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

Jasbeer Mamalipurath's TEDified Islam: Postsecular Storytelling in New Media (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024) is the first of its kind in-depth examination of the TedTalk phenomenon and in particular how Islam and Muslim experiences are represented in these talks. Mamalipurath argues that TED Talks on Islam are part of a larger postsecular (the secular's renewed interest in faith) discourse. The book examines the perspectives of Muslim and non-Muslim TED viewers about TED's storytelling strategies. Finally, the book studies aspects of the authority that both Muslim and non-Muslim TED speakers represent and embody as ‘spokespersons of Islam.' By doing so, this book offers an empirical and context-oriented understanding of postsecular storytelling by problematizing secular translations of Islam that are part of this TED talk universe. Themes the book explores include the nature of storytelling in a postsecular media environment, insider and outsider dynamics in how Islam is constructed and represented in digital media, the impacts of the 20th and 21st century media environment on how Islam and Muslim lives are translated for primarily non-Muslim audiences, the influence of Jewish and Christian frameworks on how stories of Islam get told, and the role of religion as faith in secular storytelling today. Listeners will certainly never look at TedTalks the same way after learning about the strategies, stories, and consequences of TEDified Islam from Mamalipurath's research. Dr. Jasbeer Mamalipurath is a lecturer in media and broadcast studies at the School of Arts, English and Languages, Queen's University Belfast (UK). His research sits at the intersection of media, society, and culture. Dr. Jaclyn Michael is Associate Professor of Religion at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA). She is the author of several articles on Muslim cultural representation, performance, and religious belonging in India and in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/communications

Everything felt perfect… until the rabbit showed up.An emotional shift I couldn't explain, a pullback I didn't see coming, and the moment Bookman and I quietly unraveled. This episode dives into the signs you miss, the distance you feel before it's spoken, and the breakup you don't want to admit is happening.Did I make a mistake walking away… or would you have done the same?You tell me.Today's episode is brought to you by:Bellesa: EVERYONE who signs up wins a FREE WhisperVibeTM OR a FREE Rose toy with any WhisperTM order! CLAIM YOUR FREE GIFT HERE. SKIMS: if you're looking for the perfect gifts for everyone on your list - the SKIMS Holiday Shop is now open. After you place your order, be sure to let them know I sent you! Select "podcast" in the survey and be sure to select Almost Adulting in the dropdown menu that follows :)Face Foundrie: Visit facefoundrie.com and use code ADULTING at checkout for 20% off your first service!Shopify: Start your business TODAY with Shopify! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at SHOPIFYQuit With Jones: Ready to quit for good? Go to quitwithjones.com/ADULTING to start your personalized quitting journey and get $10 off with code ADULTING.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We dive even deeper in Part two with Ellen Huet to unpack what drove OneTaste's inner circle, its culty sales playbook, and the strange tangle of power, personal growth, and manipulation. Ellen reveals the hidden pressures—financial, sexual, emotional—that kept members tied to the group (and often hemorrhaging money), and explains how buzzwords like “aversion practice,” “getting off on any stroke,” and “rapidly changing reality” were really tools for bulldozing boundaries and controlling thought. Our conversation traces OneTaste's journey from wellness trend to federal courtroom, busts modern myths about female-led groups, and highlights why charismatic leadership is always more about the follower than the figurehead. Plus: surprising cult parallels with AI, why new spiritual movements are getting more digital (and more female-fronted), and how lessons from OneTaste can help us spot red flags in even the most unexpected places. If you care about consent, community, or why smart people fall for shiny promises, this is essential listening.For more on Ellen's exploration of OneTaste, read her book, Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult. Also, follow her on Instagram, X, or Bluesky.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brené Brown is a researcher, storyteller, and author who hosts the podcast Dare to Lead and has given some of the most popular TED Talks of all time. In this episode, recorded live at an Authors@Wharton event, Brené and our curator Adam Grant talk about her new book, Strong Ground. They discuss how to identify your core values, what courageous leadership looks like, and whether vulnerability has become more popular. They also address the problems with “executive presence,” compare notes on how to have hard conversations and set boundaries, debate the merits of the “tush push,” and reflect on what Brené learned from working with FBI hostage negotiators. This conversation first appeared on ReThinking with Adam Grant. It's one of our favorite podcasts. Follow it now wherever you listen. ---

Bradley talks to Oliver Libby — venture investor, civic reform advocate, and co-founder of The Resolution Project — about his new book Strong Floor, No Ceiling: Building a New Foundation for the American Dream. They dig into Libby's “radical moderation” framework: the idea that America can rebuild its civic culture by pairing a rock-solid baseline of opportunity and support with an unapologetic embrace of ambition, innovation, and upward mobility. If we get to write our own future, says the self-described sci-fi nerd, it ought be pretty easy to choose between a dystopia where giant companies quietly set the rules and a society like Star Trek, where "people don't really talk about money and everyone has enough and people get to do really cool stuff."This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City's only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today's episode: info@firewall.media.Be sure to watch Bradley's new TED Talk on Mobile Voting at https://go.ted.com/bradleytusk.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

This week, I talk with Dr. Emily Anhalt—a clinical psychologist, founder, and writer who's spent the past 15 years exploring what it really means to be emotionally healthy. You might know her from her TED Talk or her work at Coa, but in this conversation, we go deeper. We talk about growing up in Silicon Valley, the pressure of being a high-achieving kid, and why so many successful people still carry unresolved grief. Emily shares how ADHD shaped her early life, what led her to leave pre-med for psychology, and how emotional patterns from childhood often resurface in our work and relationships. We also dive into what actually makes therapy effective and why hitting your goals doesn't always bring peace. If you've ever built something meaningful but still felt unsettled, or questioned what's really driving your ambition, I think this episode will speak to you. Let's get to it. In this episode: (00:00) - Intro (02:52) - How a beanbag chair and snacks helped Emily unlock her best work (08:01) - Growing up inside the Silicon Valley success machine (09:45) - Why high performers need a different kind of therapy  (11:53) - The story of Emily's parents and how they ended up in the Valley (13:54) - Reframing ADHD as a strength, not a stigma (16:33) - The early experiences that shaped Emily's emotional lens (23:40) - How Emily chose psychology—and what kept her going (28:40) - The moment therapy stopped being about symptoms (33:06) - Why grief is a necessary companion to growth (38:21) - The origin story of a company built around emotional fitness (42:30) - What changes when you go from therapist to founder (45:27) - The qualities of high-integrity therapy (51:26) - How Emily knew it was time to write a book (58:20) - What really keeps entrepreneurs stuck—and how to get unstuck (01:02:09) - What it feels like when success leaves you empty (01:05:32) - How to rebuild when your goals stop making sense (01:07:44) - Why achieving meaning isn't the same as feeling it (01:11:06) - Why therapy often gets harder before it gets better (01:12:47) - Abandoning hard feelings before healing happens (01:13:40) - The isolation of success—and how to find support (01:21:17) - How overachievers get trapped in burnout (01:29:26) - Healthy ways to process anger (01:33:46) - What makes Emily world-class? (01:34:09) - Emily's most beautiful future (01:34:49) - Who Emily is becoming Get full show notes and links at https://GoodWorkShow.com.Watch the episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@barrettabrooks.

Group Therapy centers around a listener who thinks her longtime guy friend might be backdooring her into a date! It's another shocking Can't Beat Kelly, plus some Dude Knowledge, a violent Ted Talk about candy canes and TBT!

You know those stories that live under your skin for decades? The ones that get louder when life gets quieter? This episode is one of those. My guest, my friend - Lenore, isn't here to rehash horror for your shock or sympathy. She's here because she's finally ready to own the story that nearly broke her... and the healing that's reshaped her ever since. We talk about what it means to carry a secret for 20+ years, how perimenopause unearthed a trauma she thought she'd buried, and why surviving something awful doesn't mean you're automatically "over it." From PTSD to parenting, TED Talks to therapy, this is about what happens when your past catches up to your midlife - and how you get your power back anyway. It's raw, it's real, and it's not about voyeurism. It's about visibility. For every woman who's ever wondered if it's too late to speak your truth: it's not. We're not girls anymore. But we've still got big stories to tell.

Saade Aala Radio: Games, Gay Couples, Horses & Haryana Police | Full-On Punjabi MadnessThis episode is pure chaos — comedy, controversy, and classic Saade Aala-style no-filter banter.From Candy Crush to crime, from horse hobbies to Haryana Police — we cover everything that makes Punjab, well… Punjab.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Jonathan H. Westover talks with Alexandria Agresta about why the workplace needs more fun! Disco balls. DJ decks. Dancing queens. Alexandria Agresta brings it all. As the World's First DJing Speaker, she fuses the insight of a TED Talk with the electricity of a music festival to deliver her groundbreaking keynote, The Business Party. Her mission is simple: to spark the next wave of bold leadership and transform the workplace into a WOWplace, where possibility, creativity, and fun take center stage. Now, let's get this party started! Check out all of the podcasts in the HCI Podcast Network!

Coming into this podcast my opinion was that multivitamins are just not worth it. Whether that's for general wellbeing, cardiovascular health, sleep and especially mental health, I just was not convinced that they did anything at all.But I specifically wanted to speak with Professor Julia Rucklidge, clinical psychologist and Director of the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab at the University of Canterbury, because she has a very different opinion.Julia's groundbreaking research and viral TED Talk have transformed how psychiatrists and mental health practitioners think about nutrition and mental illness, especially the potential of broad-spectrum micronutrients to support mood, focus, and resilience.We explore:

This week, I want to explore something most people overlook: the paradox of friendship. I wrote a piece for a new podcast episode called “The Friendship Frequency” - The Paradox of Friendship: How Not Needing Friends Draws the Right Ones Closer Reflecting on the previous conversation on “Validation,” I see a strong correlation between seeking and obtaining friends and the desire for validation. This can get sticky as we find ourselves seeking friends for the wrong reasons, which means getting tethered to the wrong people who not only don't serve you and your goals and dreams, but also cause conflict and unnecessary distraction. I interviewed an extraordinary guest on my podcast named Chris Bailey who has a crazy viral TED Talk on this topic We're taught to find good friends, to look for connection, to build community. But what if the real secret to attracting the right friends isn't about seeking at all? What if it begins with becoming comfortable walking alone, and realizing that we were never truly alone to start with? Here's the paradox: the less we need friendship to feel whole, the more we attract friends who are whole themselves. The person who doesn't cling, doesn't perform, and doesn't chase — becomes magnetic. It's the same principle that applies in business and leadership: the individual who leads with calm confidence, who doesn't exude desperation for clients or approval, naturally draws people in. So today's conversation isn't about loneliness — it's about wholeness. It's about understanding how self-friendship becomes the signal that draws in the right people, and how those relationships enrich our lives when they're built on resonance rather than need. Follow Dr. JC Doornick and the Makes Sense Academy: ► Makes Sense Substack - https://drjcdoornick.substack.com ► Instagram: / drjcdoornick ►Facebook:  / makessensepodcast ►YouTube:  / drjcdoornick MAKES SENSE PODCAST Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. This podcast explores topics that expand human consciousness and enhance performance. On the Makes Sense Podcast, we acknowledge that it's who you are that determines how well what you do works, and that perception is a subjective and acquired taste. When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at begin to change. Welcome to the uprising of the sleepwalking masses. Welcome to the Makes Sense with Dr. JC Doornick Podcast. SUBSCRIBE/RATE/REVIEW & SHARE our new podcast. FOLLOW Podcast - You will find a "Follow" button on the top right. This will enable the podcast software to alert you when a new episode launches each week. Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/makes-sense-with-dr-jc-doornick/id1730954168 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1WHfKWDDReMtrGFz4kkZs9?si=003780ca147c4aec Podcast Affiliates: Kwik Learning: Many people ask me where I get all these topics, which I've been covering for almost 15 years. I have learned to read nearly four times faster and retain information 10 times better with Kwik Learning. Learn how to learn and earn with Jim Kwik. Get his program at a special discount here: https://jimkwik.com/dragon OUR SPONSORS: Makes Sense Academy: A private mastermind and psychologically safe environment full of the Mindset and Action steps that will help you begin to thrive. The Makes Sense Academy. https://www.skool.com/makes-sense-academy/about The Sati Experience: A retreat designed for the married couple that truly loves one another, yet wants to take their love to that higher magical level. Relax, reestablish, and renew your love at the Sati Experience. https://www.satiexperience.com Highlights: 0:00 - Intro 3:17 - The Paradox of Friendship 6:55 - Where are the Friendships that last born? 9:57 - The Juice is worth the squeeze with a good friendship 12:38 - The power of learning to walk alone. 15:15 - The Field of Consciousness 19:23 - Warning - The Flow Burglar Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shai Reshef, founder of University of the People, joins Dustin to share how his radically accessible, tuition-free, accredited online university is scaling globally and rewriting the rules of what college can be. From refugee learners in conflict zones to first-generation students from all over the world, University of the People is serving 170,000+ students with a bold vision: higher ed should be affordable, flexible, and job-relevant. This episode is a masterclass in educational innovation, AI integration, and mission-driven leadership.Guest Name: Shai Reshef - Founder & President of University of the PeopleGuest Social: LinkedInGuest Bio: Shai Reshef is the President of University of the People (UoPeople). Reshef has over 25 years of experience in the international education market. Reshef has been widely recognized for his work with UoPeople, including being awarded the 2023 Yidan Prize for Educational Development, referred to as the Nobel Prize for Education; an honorary doctorate from the Open University, named one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business; awarded an Ashoka fellowship; joined UN-GAID as a High-level Adviser; granted an RSA Fellowship; selected by The Huffington Post as the Ultimate Game Changer in Education; nominated as one of Wired Magazine's 50 People Changing the World; and selected as a Top Global Thinker by Foreign Policy Magazine.An expert on the intersection of education and technology, Reshef has spoken internationally at conferences, including DLD, TED, World Economic Forum, EG5 Conference, Google's Higher Education Summit, ASU+GSV, SXSW, The Economist's Annual Human Potential Summit, Financial Times' Innovation Conference, and the Schools for Tomorrow Event for the New York Times. He has also lectured at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, and Oxford, among others. Reshef's TED Talk and Nas Daily video about the University have over 30M views combined. Reshef holds an M.A. in Chinese Politics from the University of Michigan. - - - -Connect With Our Host:Dustin Ramsdellhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinramsdell/About The Enrollify Podcast Network:The Higher Ed Geek is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too!Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — The AI Workforce Platform for Higher Ed. Learn more at element451.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When markets are kind, anyone can look like a genius. The test arrives when conditions turn—your systems, skills, and character decide what happens next.  What are the five drivers every leader must master? The five drivers are: Self Direction, People Skills, Process Skills, Communication, and Accountability. Mastering all five creates resilient performance across cycles. In boom times (think pre-pandemic luxury hotels in Japan) tailwinds mask weak leadership; in shocks (closed borders, supply chain crunches) only strong drivers keep teams delivering. As of 2025, executives in multinationals, SMEs, and startups alike need a balanced "stack": vision and values (Self Direction), talent and trust (People), systems and analytics (Process), clear messaging and questions (Communication), and personal ownership (Accountability). If one leg is shaky, the whole table wobbles. Do now: Score yourself 1–5 on each driver; identify your lowest two and set 30-day improvement actions.  Mini-summary: Five drivers form a complete system; strength in one can't compensate for failure in another. How does Self Direction separate steady leaders from "lucky" ones? Self-directed leaders set vision, goals, and culture—and adjust fast when reality bites. Great conditions or an inherited A-team help, but hope isn't a strategy. As markets shift in APAC, the US, or Europe, leaders with grounded values and a flexible ego change course quickly; rigid, oversized egos drive firms off cliffs faster. The calibration problem is real: we need enough ego to lead, not so much that we ignore evidence. In practice that means owner-dated goals, visible trade-offs, and a willingness to reverse a decision when facts change. Do now: Write a one-page "leader operating system": purpose, top 3 goals, non-negotiable values, and the conditions that trigger a pivot.  Mini-summary: Direction + adaptability beats bravado; values anchor the pivot, not the vanity. Why are People Skills the new performance engine? Complex work killed the "hero leader"; today's results flow from psychologically safe, capability-building teams.Whether you run manufacturing in Aichi, B2B SaaS in Seattle, or retail in Sydney, you need the right people on the bus, in the right seats. Trust is the currency; without it, there is no team—only compliant individuals. Servant leadership isn't slogans; it's practical: career conversations, strengths-based job fit, and coaching cadences. Climbing over bodies might have worked in 1995; in 2025 it destroys engagement, innovation, and retention. Do now: Map your team on fit vs. aspiration. Realign one role this fortnight and schedule two growth conversations per week for the next month.  Mini-summary: Build safety, match talent to roles, and coach growth; teams create the compounding returns, not lone heroes. What Process Skills keep quality high without killing initiative? Well-designed systems prevent good people from failing; poor processes turn stars into "low performers." Leaders must separate skill gaps from system flaws. Mis-fit is common—asking a big-picture creative to live in spreadsheets, or a detail maven to blue-sky strategy all day. Across sectors, involve people in improving the workflow; people support a world they help create. And yes, even "Driver" personalities must wear an Analytical hat for the numbers that matter: current, correct, relevant. Toyota's jidoka lesson applies broadly: stop the line when a defect appears, then fix root causes. Do now: Run a 60-minute process review: map steps, assign owners, check inputs/outputs, and identify one automation or simplification per step.  Mini-summary: Design beats heroics; match roles to wiring, make data accurate, improve the system with the people who run it. How should leaders communicate to create alignment that sticks? Great leaders talk less, listen more, and ask sharper questions—then verify that messages cascade cleanly.Communication isn't a TED Talk; it's a discipline. Listen for what's not said, surface hidden risks, and test understanding down the line. In Japan, nemawashi-style groundwork builds alignment before meetings; in the US/EU, crisp owner-dated action registers keep pace high without rework. In regulated fields (finance, healthcare, aerospace), clarity reduces audit friction; in creative and GTM teams, it accelerates experiments. Do now: Install a weekly "message audit": sample three layers (manager, IC, cross-function) and ask them to restate priorities, risks, and decisions in their own words.  Mini-summary: Listen deeply, question precisely, and ensure the message survives the org chart; alignment is measured at the edges. Where does Accountability start—and how do you make it contagious? Accountability starts at the top: the buck stops with the leader, without excuses—and then cascades through coaching and controls. As of 2025, boards and regulators demand both outcomes and evidence. Strong leaders admit errors quickly, fix them publicly, and maintain systems that track results and compliance. Accountability isn't blame; it's ownership plus support: clear goals, training, checkpoints, and consequences. In startups, this prevents "move fast and break the law"; in enterprises, it fights bureaucratic drift. Do now: Publish a one-page scoreboard each Monday (KPIs, leading indicators, risks) and hold a 15-minute review where owners report facts, not stories.  Mini-summary: Model ownership, build coaching and monitoring into the cadence, and make evidence a habit—not a surprise inspection. How do you integrate the five drivers across markets and company types? Balance is contextual: tighten controls in high-risk/low-competency zones; grant autonomy in low-risk/high-competency zones. Multinationals can borrow playbooks (RACI, stage gates), but SMEs need lightweight equivalents to preserve speed. Startups should resist the "super-doer" trap by delegating outcomes early; listed firms should fight analysis paralysis by protecting experiments inside guardrails. Across Japan, the US, and Europe, leaders who pair people development with process discipline outperform through cycles because capability compounds while compliance holds. Do now: Build a "risk × competency" grid for your top workflows and adjust oversight accordingly within 48 hours. Review monthly as skills rise.  Mini-summary: Tune people and process to context; move oversight with risk and capability, not with habit. Conclusion: strength in all five, not perfection in one Leadership success is engineered, not gifted by luck. When conditions turn, Self Direction provides the compass, People Skills provide power, Process Skills provide traction, Communication provides cohesion, and Accountability provides grip. Work the system, in that order, and your organisation will keep moving—legally, safely, profitably—even when the weather's foul.  Author Credentials Dr. Greg Story, Ph.D. in Japanese Decision-Making, is President of Dale Carnegie Tokyo Training and Adjunct Professor at Griffith University. He is a two-time winner of the Dale Carnegie "One Carnegie Award" (2018, 2021) and recipient of the Griffith University Business School Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012). As a Dale Carnegie Master Trainer, Greg is certified to deliver globally across all leadership, communication, sales, and presentation programs, including Leadership Training for Results. He has written several books, including three best-sellers — Japan Business Mastery, Japan Sales Mastery, and Japan Presentations Mastery — along with Japan Leadership Mastery and How to Stop Wasting Money on Training. His works have been translated into Japanese, including Za Eigyō (ザ営業), Purezen no Tatsujin (プレゼンの達人), Torēningu de Okane o Muda ni Suru no wa Yamemashō (トレーニングでお金を無駄にするのはやめましょう), and Gendaiban "Hito o Ugokasu" Rīdā (現代版「人を動かす」リーダー).

This week's guest is U.S. Chess Hall of Famer GM Maurice Ashley. Maurice will forever be known as the first African American to earn the Grandmaster title, yet he has gone on to build a varied and distinguished career across all facets of the game. He is a popular author and highly regarded Chessable creator, a teacher, an organizer, and a frequent commentator for major chess events, often from the St. Louis Chess Club. Maurice and I discussed: His perspective on chess improvement as a rare late starter who began tournament play at fourteen and still reached the Grandmaster level What we can learn from the ascent of GM Brewington Hardaway, who recently became the second African American GM at age fifteen The difference between being competitive and striving for excellence We also touched on the lessons Maurice learned from organizing the “Millionaire Chess” tournaments, his passion for salsa dancing and puzzle composition, and whether he has experienced any “pinch me moments” on his journey from “walking barefoot to school in Jamaica” to giving TED Talks and teaching chess to Will Smith. I have long looked forward to interviewing Maurice, and the conversation did not disappoint. https://www.chessable.com/author/GMAshley/ 0:00- Check out Maurice's popular and highly reviewed Chessable courses here: https://www.chessable.com/author/GMAshley/ 0:02- Maurice's chess improvement advice- why people shouldn't focus on doing things “quickly”  Mentioned: New York Times article about the Raging Rooks https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/26/nyregion/harlem-teen-agers-checkmate-a-stereotype.html Maurice's Chessable Q & A- https://www.chessable.com/discussion/thread/1187730/ask-maurice-ashley-anything-special-qa-/ Cover Stories with Chess Life Interview: https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-sskej-f237dc?download=1 0:08- Maurice's observations about young GM Brewington Hardaway, who recently became the 2nd ever African American GM, at age 15.  Mentioned: You can read Maurice's article about GM Hardaway here: https://new.uschess.org/news/inside-story-long-time-coming 15:00- Patreon mailbag question: Maurice's siblings are kickboxing and boxing champions- what did they do to cultivate such achievement?  18:00- Which chess player got GM Maurice Ashley into salsa dancing?  21:00- Patreon mailbag question: What are Maurice's reflection on the Millionare Chess tournaments that he founded?  25:00- What is the vision for Maurice's “Clutch Chess, which took place recently  at the St. Louis Chess Club?  29:00- Is commentating still Maurice's favorite professional activity? 33:00- Maurice's passion for designing chess puzzles and courses  Mentioned: The puzzle that (temporarily) stumped MVL is here: https://x.com/MauriceAshley/status/1609261621247086592?s=20 39:00- Has Maurice ever had a “pinch me” moment?  42:00- Maurice's struggles after earning the GM title 44:00- The origins of Maurice's communication skills  46:00- What does Maurice want his chess legacy to be?  48:00- Maurice's next projects 51:00- Thanks to Maurice for joining me! Here is how to keep up with his many activities: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mauriceashleychess/?hl=en Chessable: https://www.chessable.com/author/GMAshley/ X/Twitter:  https://x.com/MauriceAshley?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While the Mobile Voting Project posted its open-source code to GitHub, where it is available for any jurisdiction to use, the New York Times ran a front-page, above-the-fold story on Anchorage utilizing it for elections next spring. Bradley reflects on what it took to reach this point and where it goes from here. Plus, he offers two strategies for Mamdani — deploying AI to free up billions for the new programs he wants and playing hardball on Staten Island secession —and discusses how a minor confrontation at the gym got him thinking about how our daily lives are shaped by the clash between zero-sum and abundance mindsets.This episode was taped at P&T Knitwear at 180 Orchard Street — New York City's only free podcast recording studio.Send us an email with your thoughts on today's episode: info@firewall.media.Be sure to watch Bradley's new TED Talk on Mobile Voting at https://go.ted.com/bradleytusk.Subscribe to Bradley's weekly newsletter and follow Bradley on Linkedin + Substack + YouTube.

"It's the bookkeeper who has to sell his or her own services, and so they're not a professional salesperson. So a lot of times there's a lot of fear and we get in our heads, we get in our gut, we feel pushy, we feel salesy, we feel weird and we discount. And so to me, it's about arming the person whose job it is to sell this value with the skills and tools to do it." -Casey Brown In part one of this two-part conversation, pricing expert and resident of Boost Pricing, Casey Brown, joins the podcast to help bookkeepers overcome fear, self-doubt, and hesitation around pricing their services. Drawing from her journey as an engineer turned pricing strategist, she explains how your "money story" shapes your pricing decisions—and how to change it. In this interview, you'll learn: How mindset & money stories limit what you charge The biggest pricing mistake small firms make How to handle pricing objections without discounting Connect with Casey on LinkedIn. To buy her book, Fearless Pricing, click here. Watch her TED Talk, or video on 12 things I Hate About Hourly Billing. To learn more about Boost Pricing, click this link.  Time Stamp 00:00 – Why pricing confidence matters for bookkeepers 02:10 – Casey's journey from engineer to pricing strategist 04:38 – Lessons from working at GE & entering the pricing world 05:56 – Shifting from big corporations to small businesses 07:14 – Why analytical pricing models don't work for small firms 08:13 – Helping bookkeepers sell their own value with confidence 10:24 – From pricing analytics to pricing mindset training 12:31 – How training teams led to massive profit increases 13:36 – Why pricing problems start between your ears, not in spreadsheets 15:14 – Common sales beliefs that hold business owners back 17:19 – The myth that "the market sets the price" 18:52 – How changing beliefs can boost profitability 20:18 – Why most people fear talking about price 21:01 – Understanding your personal money story 22:41 – How emotions affect pricing decisions 23:13 – Exercises to detach emotion from pricing 24:22 – Casey's advice for bookkeepers ready to charge more This episode is brought to you by our friends at Dext! Dext handles transaction capture, keeps your data accurate, and even simplifies e-commerce reconciliation, all in one place. Join thousands of bookkeepers and accountants who've already made the switch. If you're ready to save time, reduce errors, and make bookkeeping more efficient, Dext is for you! Go to thesuccessfulbookkeeper.com/dext to book a demo TODAY and see how it can transform the way you work!

Screen Time for Young Children: A Parent's Search for Answers and Options In this day and age of smartphones, electronic billboards, TVs, and the seemingly impossible-to-avoid screen, it's easy to lose connection to what matters most, our community as human beings. We crave connection, and by mindlessly scrolling or putting on a video to appease ourselves or a child, we inherently rob ourselves and our charges of a chance to truly connect, oftentimes causing irrevocable damage to the brain. We know screens are here to stay, so the question becomes how we can shift how we use them to encourage in-person interaction and relationship-building. In addition to researching how to undo the damage to young people's brains, thanks to the addictive nature of shows and games, we need to research how to reduce the harm in the first place. In this episode Sarah Elkins and Will Maurer discuss the how research on screentime for infants has been limited because of the blanket prohibition and shame related to it, and why it's critical to continue this research. (Hint: Infants will be exposed to screentime by parents, older siblings, and others, so let's figure out how to reduce harm and maybe even find value in it!) Highlights Screen time and how it affects infants & children's brains. Taking steps to create a personalized plan for your child or yourself regarding screen time. Doing the research that needs to be done, especially in necessary but difficult paths. What exactly is it that makes certain shows addictive and damaging? What are the consequences of ignoring the obvious - that infants are being exposed to screen time despite the general prohibition?  Quotes "Are they absorbing anything? Is a parent able to co-view and add to that experience?" "As a society we put a lot of money into addressing issues after the fact."  Dear Listeners it is now your turn, What will you take away from this conversation? If you don't have young children at home, what can you do that's a little bit different to connect with the young children you see around you? One of the things I say in my TED Talk is, we can connect with people around us through story easily and with total strangers, and one of the examples I gave is when you sit next to a family at a restaurant and you watch a child playing a familiar game or watching a familiar show and you share a brief story how your kid liked that too. This is your chance, find ways to connect to the people around you, through story. And, as always, thank you for listening.    Mentioned in this episode Dimitri Christakis TEDX Do Policy Statements on Media Effects Faithfully Represent the Science?   About Will As a TEDx speaker and leading voice in children's media reform, Will Maurer is pioneering evidence-based guidelines and solutions that bridge scientific research with real-world execution. His work challenges industry norms, prioritizes early childhood learning, and champions equitable, enriching content for the next generation. Through advocacy, research, and leadership, he is reshaping the future of children's media - driving systemic change and setting new standards for quality, impact, and accessibility on a global scale. Be sure to check out Will's Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram! As well as his LinkTree!   About Sarah "Uncovering the right stories for the right audiences so executives, leaders, public speakers, and job seekers can clearly and actively demonstrate their character, values, and vision." In my work with coaching clients, I guide people to improve their communication using storytelling as the foundation of our work together. What I've realized over years of coaching and podcasting is that the majority of people don't realize the impact of the stories they share - on their internal messages, and on the people they're sharing them with. My work with leaders and people who aspire to be leaders follows a similar path to the interviews on my podcast, uncovering pivotal moments in their lives and learning how to share them to connect more authentically with others, to make their presentations and speaking more engaging, to reveal patterns that have kept them stuck or moved them forward, and to improve their relationships at work and at home. The audiobook, Your Stories Don't Define You, How You Tell Them Will is now available! Included with your purchase are two bonus tracks, songs recorded by Sarah's band, Spare Change, in her living room in Montana. Be sure to check out the Storytelling For Professionals Course as well to make sure you nail that next interview!

If you know the name Dan Meyer, it is because he is the world's foremost expert on sword swallowing.  He has had several appearances on America's Got Talent, he has a famous Ted Talk, and he even has an IG Nobel Prize for his work documenting injuries sustained while swallowing swords.  What people don't know […]

Welcome to our Monthly Zodiac Bonus Episode, dropping the third week of every month! This November, we're giving you the ultimate guide to making a Sagittarius man obsessed with YOU.Get ready to discover:

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.What happens when the pursuit of female pleasure blurs into high-pressure sales, psychological control, and a federal criminal trial? In this two-part episode, we're joined by journalist Ellen Huet for a candid dive into the rise and fall of OneTaste and the controversial practice of orgasmic meditation. Ellen unpacks how a wellness company promising sexual healing and empowerment became a high-control, high-demand group, luring seekers with mindfulness and “goalless” pleasure, then pushing boundaries, demanding loyalty, and turning taboo into currency. We covered OneTaste's celebrity endorsements, culty sales tactics, the “bait-and-switch” of so-called sexual liberation, and the subtle ways a quest for growth can lead to manipulation. Ellen also shared the behind-the-scenes story of her reporting: from her first incredulous meetings through years of deep-dive investigation, to witnessing the courtroom drama firsthand. If you thought you understood “sex cults,” this conversation will bend your notions, shift your Overton window, and leave you thinking twice about what empowerment really means. Stay tuned for part two, where legal fireworks and even wilder revelations take center stage.Be sure to read Ellen's book, Empire of Orgasm: Sex, Power, and the Downfall of a Wellness Cult, and follow her on Instagram, X, or Bluesky.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:This month, don't wait to reach out. Whether you're checking in on a friend, or reaching out to a therapist yourself, Betterhelp makes it easier to take that first step. Our listeners get 10% off their first month at BetterHelp.com/culty.Don't let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code CULTY at monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year.Calm your mind, change your life. Calm has an exclusive offer just for listeners of our show–get 40% off a Calm Premium Subscription at calm.com/culty. This is an amazing value. Go to calm.com/culty for 40% off unlimited access to Calm's entire library. And tell Calm you heard about them from us!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, you'll hear a big talk from Davon Williams at the Speaker Salon Showcase.    Davon is a two-time Anthem Award winner, an international performer, NYCLU Artist Ambassador, and a TED Talk alum.    He authored the Black Theatre Matters Bill—the landmark legislation that passed at the Actors' Equity Association's First National Convention. His work has been covered in Deadline, Forbes, CBS, Playbill, The Daily Beast, BroadwayWorld, 60 Minutes, and numerous other platforms and publications.   In his powerful talk, "Embracing Disruption: A Call to Fortune 500 CEOs," he explores: The dangers of clinging to tradition and resisting change Why solving present problems drives fiscal growth How protest signals engagement rather than opposition The ripple effect of leadership choices on the world More from Davon Williams Website: https://www.davonwilliams.com/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DayWilling#  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daywilling  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCby_daXzNXlBjWcUWXLGo7g    More from Tricia  Publish your book with The Big Talk Press Join me LIVE for my Free Monthly Workshop Explore my content and follow me on YouTube Follow me on Instagram  Connect with me on Facebook  Connect with me on LinkedIn  Visit my website at TriciaBrouk.com

You don't want flowers.You want reassurance.If he can post a story, he can send a sentence that says “I care about you.”This episode is for every woman who feels crazy for needing words - because guess what? You're not clingy. You're not insecure. You're under-affirmed.We're unpacking why hearing “I love you,” “I'm proud of you,” or “I'm here” hits like emotional oxygen… and why silence feels like abandonment.If his silence makes you overthink,if you keep replaying one compliment for three weeks,if you've ever begged a man to just communicate —you're in the right place.Hit play and stop settling for men who “feel it” but can't say it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What actually happens when the world doesn't end, the “shelf” breaks, and the self-proclaimed prince of a doomsday empire is left standing amid the fallout? In this powerful follow-up, Sean Prophet takes us through the final years of apocalyptic shelter drills, shattered prophecies, and how an edict about near-beer triggered a total loss of faith in his mother's spiritual authority at the Church Universal & Triumphant (CUT). Sean shared how leaving wasn't a single dramatic leap but a slow unraveling—pushed by impossible hierarchies, small acts of rebellion, and the radical idea that you get to decide how to live your life. Our conversation explores the difference between healthy community and destructive control, why smart people are NOT immune to cult influence, and the hard-won wisdom that it's okay—vital, even—to put yourself at the center of your own story, but not the center of the universe. If you've wondered about post-cult identity, healing family rifts, or how to build meaning without myths or messiahs, this episode delivers straight talk, survivor insight, and existential laughs along the way.Be sure to pick up Sean's memoir, My Cult, Your Cult, and follow him on Substack.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS: Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The evil eye lives in your group chat. Did I stutter? Ever notice the SECOND you share good news - your life collapses faster than a Nature Valley bar? Same.One minute I'm being loved correctly, soft life era unlocked… Next minute? Like not even 24 hours later - I break my foot, bleed from my privates, and end up crawling around my house like a feral naked raccoon throwing up on my hardwood floors with my milk bags hanging low, while I genuinely wonder how I got here.The evil eye is REAL. But it doesn't come from your enemies… it comes from your friends - the ones cheering the loudest… right until you start winning. Most of them don't even realise they're subconsciously sending you bad energy… just because your happiness reminds them of the places they're not.Protect your wins. Protect your joy. And get ready to laugh your toes off with today's episode. Hit play — and if this episode calls someone out, send it to them. Thank me later ;)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.