Podcasts about Terrific

Paulie & Tony tell you why this so-called "historic" Game 4 of the Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals was TERRIBLE, and how these Knicks are RUINING their team's proud reputation. Then they bring on "Nerd Sesh" hosts Logan Camden and Carson Breber (or Carosn, we're still not sure) -- to give these young bucks their biggest platform ever -- but they are so RUDE and UNGRATEFUL and lack such an understanding of sports that Paulie and Tony have no choice but to teach these youth a lesson and KICK THEM OFF THE SHOW. Rate and review the pod 5-stars on Apple Podcasts bro Shop merch store HERE bro and get TERRIFIC products.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paulie & Tony tell you why this so-called "historic" Game 4 of the Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals was TERRIBLE, and how these Knicks are RUINING their team's proud reputation. Then they bring on "Nerd Sesh" hosts Logan Camden and Carson Breber (or Carosn, we're still not sure) -- to give these young bucks their biggest platform ever -- but they are so RUDE and UNGRATEFUL and lack such an understanding of sports that Paulie and Tony have no choice but to teach these youth a lesson and KICK THEM OFF THE SHOW. Rate and review the pod 5-stars on Apple Podcasts bro Shop merch store HERE bro and get TERRIFIC products.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning, Store Nation.   Welcome to the Hacking Self Storage podcast.   Im your host, Dean Booty. Today, we're talking about our weekly figures, including quotes, reservations, move-ins, occupancy, and revenue across all our sites. I also share what's been happening behind the scenes, why last week was a difficult one for our family, and the lessons that come with balancing business and life. Hope you enjoy this episode. Give it a listen.   Mr Self Storage Newsletter: https://www.mrselfstorage.com/   Mr Self Storage YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mrselfstoragedotcom

While on a brief visit to see two of our grandsons and a side trip to Arkansas, I had the chance to watch a few exceptional college softball and baseball games along with a very tense Game 7 NBA Western Conference final. It’s time to enjoy the next couple of weeks as the window is quickly closing on the seasons for these three sports. This year’s NBA Finals began Wednesday night. The surprising San Antonio Spurs and streaking New York Knicks began their best-of-seven title series.  New York came into Game 1 with an 11-game playoff winning streak. The Knicks left the Spurs’ home arena Wednesday night with a 12-game playoff winning streak. The Women’s College World Series softball best-of three finale also got underway Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.  Last weekend, Texas Tech’s never-say-die Red Raiders had to fight back from the brink of elimination twice to defeat #1 seed Alabama just to reach the finals. They will now get a chance to do that once again on Thursday night and, perhaps, on Friday night. That’s because Texas Tech lost to intrastate rival Texas 7-3 in the opening game of the best of three final series.  Texas is the defending national champion. On the men’s side of college bats and balls, this week marks the Super Regional round for the NCAA college baseball season. Eight winners from this weekend’s best-of-three weekend series will advance into the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska next week.  There were a number of surprising winners and losers during last week’s opening round. New York’s Amazin’ Knicks have now won 12 straight playoff games! San Antonio Spurs 7’4” center Victor Wembanyama is ending his third NBA season.  Much like Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal (who, by the way, played his high school basketball in San Antonio), Wemby just led his team into the NBA Finals.  He is now being hailed as the top big man in the NBA. The 5-time NBA champion Spurs are much more than just a one-man show.  They utilize their bench as well as any NBA team and play solid defense for the entire 48-minute game. The New York Knicks are seeking their first NBA title since 1973. To say that New York sports fans are hungry for a title is a huge understatement. “The City that Never Sleeps” is in the midst of a rather lengthy championship drought.  Eli Manning’s New York Giants football last won a Super Bowl title in 2011.  Baseball’s New York Yankees haven’t won the World Series since 2009.  The crosstown rival New York Mets haven’t claimed a baseball title since 1986.  Broadway Joe Namath was the quarterback for football’s New York Jets in their only Super Bowl victory in 1969. NBA’s New York Knicks came into the playoffs as the #3 Eastern Conference seed behind Detroit and Boston.  After losing two of its first three playoff games to Atlanta in Round 1, the Knicks won the final three games to advance.  They would sweep #5 seed Philadelphia and #4 Cleveland in eight straight wins to claim the NBA Eastern Conference title. San Antonio is playing in the NBA Finals for the first time since June, 2014. The path to the championship round has been increasingly difficult for the Spurs.  San Antonio (the #2 seed in the Western Conference) needed just five games to dispatch the Portland Trailblazers in five games.  It then took six games for San Antonio to subdue the Minnesota Timberwolves.  Last weekend, the Spurs required a full seven games to win a tense Game 7 battle against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. Wednesday night’s Game 1 in San Antonio was won by the New York Knicks 105-95 in a game which was much closer than the final score reflected.  The veteran Knicks scored the last 11 points to end the game.  New York stepped-up in the final quarter to score 29 points as the younger Spurs tallied only 19 over the last 12 minutes. New York’s Villanova connection featured guards Jalen Brunson (30 points) and Josh Hart (an incredible 15 rebounds) leading a fourth quarter rally to give the Knicks their 12th consecutive playoff victory. As a result, San Antonio lost its home court advantage after that Game 1 loss.  ABC will televise Game #2 at 7:30PM Friday night from San Antonio.  The series moves to New York’s Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Wednesday next week. Make sure to stick around for the post-game coverage on ESPN. The award-winning “Inside the NBA” show features NBA legends Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal breaking down the action along with host Ernie Johnson.  You never know what’s going to happen. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma City… The Women’s College World Series best-of-three finals began Wednesday night. Defending national champion Texas (52-12) defeated Texas Tech 7-3 in Game 1. The Red Raiders fell to 61-9 and are on the verge of elimination once again.  They have become quite familiar with this position over the past several days in Oklahoma City. The #11 seeded Red Raiders rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth inning on Sunday to vanquish #8 national seed UCLA 8-7.  On Monday, Texas Tech had to defeat #1 seed Alabama twice to earn a spot in the championship finals. The Red Raiders won the opener 5-4 over Bama by scoring a run in the bottom of the 7th inning.  They also grabbed the second game 2-0 on a two-hit pitching gem by two-time college player-of-the-year NiJari Canady to earn a spot in the finals. The second seeded Texas Longhorns didn’t have an easy road into the Women’s College World Series finals, either. They had to defeat #7 Tennessee Volunteers twice on Monday to advance.  Texas won the opener 5-2 and then shut-out Tennessee 4-0 later in the afternoon to advance to the championship round. The Longhorns and Red Raiders competed for the Women’s College World Series championship last year as well.  Texas Tech is trying to avenge last year’s loss to Texas in the best-of-three title series. Game 2 will be played Thursday at 7PM on ESPN.  A deciding Game 3, if necessary, will be played Friday night at 7PM on ESPN. What happened to the top seeds in the men’s college baseball tournament? UCLA had been ranked #1 in college baseball all season long. The Bruins were 51-6 heading into the opening round of the NCAA college baseball playoffs.  They faced #4 regional seed St. Mary’s (35-25) in their opening playoff game at home last Friday. The Gaels scored a run in the top of the ninth inning to shock UCLA 3-2.  On Saturday, UCLA had to score three times in the bottom of the ninth to take a 6-5 win and stay alive against 30-26 Virginia Tech. St. Mary’s and UCLA were matched again on Sunday.  This time, the Gaels scored a run in the bottom of the 10th inning to end UCLA’s season with a 6-5 win. Ironically, St. Mary’s was eliminated on Sunday 5-2 by the Cal-Poly Mustangs of San Luis Obispo.  Go figure. It wasn’t any better for #2 national seed Georgia Tech The 50-10 Yellow Jackets were playing at home in Atlanta and trying to advance into the Super Regional round for the first time in 20 years.  Georgia Tech would have hosted a Super Regional this weekend – if only they had won their own opening round regional. The Oklahoma Sooners rallied in consecutive games to dispatch the heavily favored hometown Yellow Jackets to advance into this weekend’s Super Regional to be played in…Kansas? Kansas has rarely been known for its baseball prowess. This year’s baseball Jayhawks are now 45-16 after winning its opening round of games.  KU will host Oklahoma Saturday in the Lawrence, Kansas Super Regional.  The Jayhawks have made it into only one College World Series (1993) in the school’s long history. Kansas plays baseball in relatively small Hoglund Ballpark.  This stadium features just 2,500 permanent seats.  The school recently took down the left field wall and installed a chain link fence.  That allows about 1,000 additional fans to stand or sit in their own lawn chairs in “The Backyard” to watch Kansas baseball games. Expect ticket prices in Lawrence, Kansas to be sky high for this weekend’s Super Regional. Did you pick the Trojans to make it into the Super Regionals? Last weekend, there were the Trojans from the University of Southern California, the Troy Trojans of the Sun Belt Conference, and the Little Rock Trojans from the Ohio Valley Conference. Incredibly, all three of these Trojans baseball teams will be part of the 16 squads competing in the second round “Super Regional” college playoff games this weekend. At least one Trojans team is guaranteed a spot in Omaha at the College World Series next week.  The 36-30 Troy Trojans will host the Little Rock Trojans (39-26) at 4PM Friday on ESPNU.  Troy shocked #5 national seed Florida 10-2 in the final game of the Gainesville Regional last week.  Little Rock won the Hattiesburg Regional after #9 seed Southern Miss was sent packing after two consecutive losses. The USC Trojans (47-16) will travel across the country to play at the University of North Carolina (48-11-1) on Friday at 2PM CDT on ESPN2. Here are all eight Super Regional match-ups (first game starting times are CDT) Friday’s Opening Games: Morgantown – Cal Poly (39-22) at #16 seed West Virginia (43-15) at 11AM on ESPN2 Chapel Hill – USC (47-16) at #5 North Carolina (48-11-1) at 2PM on ESPN2 Troy – Little Rock (39-26) at Troy (36-30) at 4PM on ESPNU Auburn – Ole Miss (39-21) at #4 Auburn (42-20) at 7PM on ESPN2 Saturday’s Opening Games: Athens – #14 seed Mississippi State (43-17) at #3 Georgia (49-12) at 10AM on ESPN Lawrence – Oklahoma (36-22) at #15 Kansas (45-16) at 1PM on ESPN Austin – #11 Oregon (43-16) at #6 Texas (43-13) at 7PM on ESPN Tuscaloosa – St. John’s (36-24) at #7 Alabama (40-19) at 8PM on ESPN2 The post Enjoy A Week filled with Terrific Games! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Danielle Crittenden is a journalist, author, and former host of the The Femsplainers Podcast and Substack, known for her incisive commentary on women and modern life. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and more. She is the author of five books, including What Our Mothers Didn't Tell Us: Why Happiness Eludes the Modern Woman, and her new memoir, Dispatches from Grief: A Mother's Journey Through the Unthinkable, which chronicles the sudden loss of her 32-year-old daughter Miranda in 2024, and the two interminable years of pain, love, and life since then. Losing a child is a parent's worst nightmare. Danielle joins me to discuss her terrific new book and the profound grief journey she and her family have been navigating following Miranda's death. It's a raw, honest and at times humorous conversation. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Perfect Peter gets the teenage treatment when he spends the weekend with Great Aunt Greta while Henry's battling for the prize of Brainbox of the Year! Welcome to my very own podcast! In each episode, I'll be telling you a story from my life. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode - https://www.youtube.com/@HorridHenrysStories?sub_confirmation=1   Listen to my music on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@HorridHenryandtheKillerBoyRats  Horrid Henry Website - https://horridhenry.me/ Horrid Henry Shop - https://shop.horridhenry.me/ #horridhenry #podcastforkids #horridhenrypodcast #horridhenrystory  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jonathan W. Jordan is a historian and an award-winning author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller Brothers, Rivals, Victors: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, and the Partnership That Drove the Allied Conquest in Europe. He is a regular book critic for The Wall Street Journal and the author of nearly two dozen articles appearing in MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History, World War II magazine, Military History, and World War II History magazine. He has made numerous live, televised, podcast, and radio appearances. Jonathan joins me to discuss his terrific new book, IKE AND WINSTON: World War, Cold War, and an Extraordinary Friendship, and how the events and leadership of that era can be applied to the current international political landscape. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446. Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud Design by Cricket Lengyel

The Magician Terrific Power Terrific Responsibility Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pastor Vince teaches from Psalm 124. The post If – God's So Terrific! appeared first on Immanuel Baptist Church.

A clumsy dinosaur learns that just because he's big and strong doesn't mean he has to be scary! Hear how Rex learns to use his giant body to do all sorts of things to help others!The lesson: Use what's special about you to help others.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on Spotify!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support me by buying Dad's Favorite Coloring Book on Amazon

Do you use your phone to send text messages? According to statistics, around 80% of Americans do. Those text messages are often sent to family, friends, and co-workers. And now, more than ever, millions of children also carry a smart phone.If you've decided to provide your son a phone, make sure he uses it responsibly. But in addition to that, use text messaging as a way to connect with him. If you're out of town during one of his sporting events or other activities, send a quick text:Hey buddy. You're in my thoughts and prayers. Just want you to know that I'm so proud of you!A text message doesn't take long to type, but the encouragement it provides lasts for days.For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Our guests are Seinfeld writers, Seinfeld actors and actresses and Seinfeld crew. We also welcome well-known Seinfeld fans from all walks of life including authors, entertainers, and TV & Radio personalities. We analyze Seinfeld and breakdown the show with an honest insight. We rank every Seinfeld episode and compare Seinfeld seasons. If you are a fan of Seinfeld, television history, sitcoms, acting, comedy or entertainment, this is the place for you. Do us a solid, support the Podcast  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=B939KP43626H4Official⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠         Do us a solid, support the Podcast Use code THIRSTY for 10% off awesome Golf Apparel at ⁠⁠⁠⁠flopshotgolfer.com/THIRSTY⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.seinfeldpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ iTunes:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://apple.co/2RGC89m⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Spotify:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://spoti.fi/3tqDVh6⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Social:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/ThisThirsty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Twitter:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/ThisThirsty⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/thisthirsty/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"This Podcast Is Making Me Thirsty" is The #1 Destination For "Seinfeld" fans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to our series “This Looks Like a Good Place for a Stickup”! Now, we've never met before, have we? Of course not, ha ha! I have in my hand an ordinary deck of playing cards, an electric chainsaw, and a plucked, uncooked goose. I want you to choose a card, any card . . . good, good, don't show it to me, just memorize it. Now put it here into the goose's anal cavity. No, no it's fine, no need for that look. Terrific! How about a hand for our volunteer folks?! Aren't they great? Now, over here we have a perfectly live ordinary pony. You're going to use that chainsaw to saw this pony in half while I hang from my nostrils over . . . excuse me? The card and the goose? Oh, no that has nothing to do with this trick; that was just . . . for me. Now . . . where are you going? You're worried about the trick? Don't worry! I'm perfectly safe! The pony . . . .? I'm perfectly safe! Wait, come back . . . dang it, I still don't see how any of this is supposed to help me rob a bank but today's movie “Now You See Me” should give you a better idea, despite its complete lack of pony mutilation. How do they do it? It's magic! F you! Poll question: who is your favorite cinematic rogue? Not necessary a criminal, but a scoundrel, a scruffy-looking nerf-herder, if you will? Leave a comment or call our hotline at 617-398-7266 and leave a roguish voicemail!

Sam Amick of The Athletic discusses the Warriors' thrilling win over the Clippers in the 10-9 play-in game.We also touch on the Clippers' season, Kawhi Leonard's future, and the NBA's expansion plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Amick of The Athletic discusses the Warriors' thrilling win over the Clippers in the 10-9 play-in game.We also touch on the Clippers' season, Kawhi Leonard's future, and the NBA's expansion plans.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike and Charlie spoke to a WWL listener about LSU CB Mansoor Delane, a top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Lance Zierlein, an NFL Network analyst, joined Sports Talk. Zierlein broke down the best position groups in the 2026 NFL Draft, highlighting safety, edge rusher, and interior offensive line. Zierlein also shared his thoughts on LSU CB Mansoor Delane, the top wide receivers in the draft, and surprise "slide" candidates. Mike, Charlie, and Steve played their daily "Triple Option" segment.

Who is Royce?Royce Blake is a seasoned professional in the radio industry, known for his deep expertise in audience engagement. Drawing on years of experience, Royce specializes in helping podcast hosts and guests connect meaningfully with listeners. Through his insights and practical advice, he teaches how to make each guest feel valued and every audience member feel special. On this appearance on “It's Not Rocket Science: Five Questions Over Coffee,” he shares his proven strategies for keeping listeners captivated, making him a trusted figure for anyone looking to elevate their podcasting game.Key Takeaways* Ever felt awkward hearing your own recorded voice? Royce Blake explains: it's normal! The key is getting comfortable with your true sound—crucial for building real connection, whether you're on air or in the boardroom.* Struggling to keep your audience engaged? Royce Blake says: Be natural. Ditch the “radio voice” and just be yourself. Recording and reviewing yourself honestly will transform your confidence and presence.* Silence feels uncomfortable, but pausing can be powerful. Let moments land. Pauses give your audience space to process and make your next words even stronger, says Royce Blake.* Great podcasts start with research. Asking guests questions they've never heard lets them shine and keeps things authentic. Dig deep—don't settle for surface-level!* Facing trolls? Royce Blake shares: No one more successful than you will ever put you down. Focus on being your authentic self and let the hate go. Keep showing up, every day.Don't forget: If you want to connect, ask questions, or get notified about upcoming guests like Royce, subscribe to the Systemise.Me newsletter here. You only need your first name and email—easy as (coffee) pie!Thanks for sharing a cup with us this week. Here's to strong coffee, smart hiring, and believing in the dreams you're just starting to imagine.And don't forget: keep an eye out for next guest. To submit your own questions, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation!P.S. Loved this episode? Hit reply and let us know what resonated most_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Do You Need a P.A.T.H. to Scale?We help established business owners with small but growing teams:go from feeling stuck, sceptical, and tired of wasting time and money on false promises,to running a confident, purpose-driven business where their team delivers results, customers are happy, and they can finally enjoy more time with their family -with a results-based refund guarantee: if you follow the process and it doesn't work, we refund what you paid.This is THE P.A.T.H. to scale your business.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast.SUMMARY KEYWORDSpodcasting, podcast hosts, podcast guests, audience engagement, radio industry, public speaking, event hosts, speaker training, business leaders, microphone confidence, voice recording, self-assessment, filler words, affectation, natural speaking, pause technique, research, interview preparation, guest questions, press junket, celebrity interviews, social profiles, hobby discussion, body language, hand gestures, listener retention, overcoming nerves, handling trolls, negative comments, authentic communication, podcast improvementSPEAKERRoyce Blake, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:00]:Hi, and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. I'm really pleased that I'm here today with Royce Blake. Now, Royce has got a huge amount of experience in the radio industry, and I think he's going to really help us to understand, as podcast host, potential podcast guests, exactly how you can engage your audience, make sure that you keep hold of them, and do the intelligent thing of making them feel like the special person on your show. So I'm hoping that Royce can do that for me. Royce, welcome to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. I know we're gonna have a great time, and I really appreciate you spending a few minutes with us, making time in your busy day.Royce Blake [00:01:13]:It's my pleasure. Stuart. Got my coffee. I'm ready to go. So let's do this.Stuart Webb [00:01:19]:Terrific. Okay, let's start with. I mean, you've got an absolutely enormous amount of history. Who is your ideal audience at the moment? Who are you trying to help understand how to better engage their audience and keep them held?Royce Blake [00:01:35]:Right now, it's mainly podcasters, but I also help event hosts, speakers, even business leaders that do a lot of speaking before even their employees. Anybody that needs to keep an audience, that's who I help.Stuart Webb [00:01:53]:And tell me, Royce, I mean, you're obviously doing this from a radio perspective, but it's not just radio, is it? You. You. You help people who understand how to appear in front of an audience and. And in. And interact in that way.Royce Blake [00:02:04]:I like to call it mike shy to camera confident, because that's. That's what it is, really, because we're all. It's. It's normal. Do you remember the first time you heard your. Your voice recorded?Stuart Webb [00:02:22]:Never heard it. Royce, don't. Never, never, never. It's never been possible.Royce Blake [00:02:26]:It's human. We all. We all go through the same thing because we hear our voice through bone, and people and microphones are hearing our voice through air, and that's the big difference. That's why it sounds weird.Stuart Webb [00:02:44]:Yes, yes. And unfortunately, that weird makes us all very nervous. Makes us feel somehow as though things are wrong. And that is the. The root of all the problems you get, isn't it?Royce Blake [00:02:58]:Oh, absolutely. And, you know, even, like when I was first on the air, on the radio, you know, you put headphones on, right? And so you're hearing your voice as it appears to other people live in your ears. And that usually causes, in radio, what we call affectation, because you put those headphones on and you say, hey, there, and all of A sudden it sounds weird, right? It sounds. And you say, hey there. And wow, that sounds even better, you know, so pretty soon you're talking like this, and eventually affectation leads to what we call in the radio world, puking. Because you get down to there, how are you? And it sounds like you're really trying to vomit. So we try to avoid that. And luckily these days, especially in the podcast world, people.Royce Blake [00:03:52]:People are kind of swinging back to real, so they appreciate people that are just real. You don't have to have a radio voice. It's be natural. And that's what I help people do.Stuart Webb [00:04:06]:So tell me, Royce, what people, what have people tried to do before they reach out to an expert such as yourself? You know, we've all recorded ourselves. We've all tried to avoid listening to it. Again, what are the things they've done and how have they made that affectation worse?Royce Blake [00:04:25]:Well, see, this is the biggest challenge for me because asking someone to admit they need help when it comes to talking is a big mountain to climb, ego wise, right? So you're like, oh, man, I think I talk good. And, you know, you can get so much better. And if you like, I can jump right into one of the techniques that anybody can do at home.Stuart Webb [00:04:50]:Okay, yeah, why don't we look into that? Because this is. This is the valuable free advice that you are. That you're going to offer us, isn't it?Royce Blake [00:04:58]:Absolutely. All you need is one of these. Use your cell phone, right, and record yourself a lot, and it's going to be very uncomfortable at first. It doesn't matter what you're recording, but you need to record for five whole minutes, because we can all start off, you know, reiterating our elevator pitch or your sales presentation or whatever. And that goes great for a couple of minutes, but after that, you're starting to stress out on what to say, and that's when the magic happens. The real you starts coming out, and that's what we're looking for. So five minutes. It can be about your grocery list.Royce Blake [00:05:45]:One of my favorite topics to help people is talk about a hobby you love and why you got into it and why it's so awesome, or why someone is your best friend, whatever it is. Talk for five minutes. And remember, you can always delete this stuff, right? You don't have to keep it. No one else has to see it. But the key is how you watch it when you record yourself. First time you watch it, I want you to do it with the phone facing down. Don't watch it. Just Listen to it, crank up the volume, and just listen to yourself.Royce Blake [00:06:24]:That's when you'll start to discover little things. In radio, we call them crutches. Things you say that you're not even realizing. Realizing that you're saying the ums, the likes, you know what I mean? Those are all filler words or phrases, and that's when they start to stick out. Secondly, watch it back again, but this time with the sound off. So you're just watching yourself. Do you sway all the time? Are you playing a statue? Do you never move? You know, things like that that you had no idea you were doing? Do you use too many hand gestures? Are you flailing all over the place? That's going to start submitting in your subconscious mind exactly what you're doing, and then watch it entirely. Watch it full screen and rinse and repeat.Royce Blake [00:07:22]:You keep doing that, after five times, you'll be at least 50% better. Maybe. I've seen some people go 90% better because they had no idea what they were doing. And once again, it's a crutch. It's one of those things that personally we're not aware of. But that's what the audience is seeing, and that's the way you get used to you. That's the bottom line right there, is getting used to yourself. And nothing helps more than watching.Royce Blake [00:07:56]:And, you know, it can. It can go away. No one else has to see it, but you're going to start seeing things a lot differently.Stuart Webb [00:08:07]:So, Royce, this is. This is really interesting stuff. Tell me, when you. I mean, you obviously help people a lot with this sort of thing. You help them with those filler words. And I know how embarrassing it was. For the first time, somebody. Somebody did that with me, and I found it intensely embarrassing.Stuart Webb [00:08:26]:How do you get people to understand that? That's just what natural is?Royce Blake [00:08:31]:Because humans. It's a great question, Stuart. Humans abhors silence.Stuart Webb [00:08:38]:Yes, we think.Royce Blake [00:08:40]:We think that if there's silence, oh, man, people are freaking out. Let me tell you something. First of all, an overall view of audiences. People are so afraid of what people are thinking, and that's the real fear. We're not really worried about our voice or even what we're saying. We're worried about being judged. And that's part of. That's part of human nature.Royce Blake [00:09:04]:And so when you abhor a vacuum, right? Silence, you try to fill it with, no matter what. You know what I mean? Do you get that? You guys understand where I'm coming from, Things that mean nothing. One of the Big secrets that most great speakers use is something I did right there, and that is the pause. When you take a pause even for three seconds, it doesn't even have. You don't have to count to three seconds, but if you can just pause and say the letters and A, B, C in your head, that's a perfect pause. And see, I threw in another one right there. Did that feel weird to you?Stuart Webb [00:09:53]:Yeah. The thing is, Royce, it kind of you, you feel, you feel as though you should be saying something, and yet sometimes the audience needs that pause to process what you've just said. And you're being kind to them by actually pausing long enough for them to have that revelation or whatever it is you're trying to give them.Royce Blake [00:10:12]:Right. It lets them ponder it, especially if it's an important point. The other awesome thing about pauses is it makes what you say next much more powerful.Stuart Webb [00:10:25]:Love that.Royce Blake [00:10:26]:So once again, the pause, it's hard to do in your brain. It sounds totally natural to any, any audience, really.Stuart Webb [00:10:38]:Let me just put a link on the bottom because we have got some fabulous stuff that Royce is going to make available to the listeners and to the audience here. If you go to www.systemize.me, free hyphen stuff, Royce, I've already got some of this stuff. The five day course, things like that, where you are going to be taking people from a world, from amateur to professional.Royce Blake [00:11:06]:Right, right. And in, in the course brilliance.Stuart Webb [00:11:12]:Just, just, I just. Thank you so much for making some of that stuff available.Royce Blake [00:11:17]:Absolutely. In the course, I go into all these.Stuart Webb [00:11:20]:Hide that again for a second so that people can focus on what you're saying.Royce Blake [00:11:26]:There you go. Well, in the course, I also go over all this in much more depth. And each, each day it's just a five day email course. Each email also has a video included. So you can see me explaining this more. Are you still there, Stuart? I'll just keep talking. I used to get a. I used to get a lot of money on that for that.Royce Blake [00:11:59]:You know, the other awesome thing that I really want to help podcasters with is research. And if anybody asked me what's the secret to a great podcast or a great radio show? It's research. Figure out something you want to get to, a question a guest has never been asked. And that's the secret. And when you get to research, I'm not talking about like on the radio, for instance, especially when we had a celebrities. The reason that celebrities even appear on, on radio stations or TV stations is they usually have a book to promote. Right. Or, you know, a movie, a brand new movie coming out.Royce Blake [00:12:49]:Well, they're on a press junket. And a press junket is where they sit in one studio and then they do a TV hit in Cincinnati and then a radio show in Cleveland and then off to another radio show in Dallas. And so when you're doing these things, you have no idea. If you're a radio host and you're about to interview a celebrity guest, you don't have any idea what number you are. You could be station number nine for all. For all. All things considered. So, and odds are, whoever it is, they've been asked the same types or sometimes the same exact question nine times in a row.Royce Blake [00:13:33]:And so you don't want to be that host, whether it's on a podcast, an event, or, you know, on radio or tv, you want to be someone that asked them a question they've never heard before. I. I always recall one with boxer Mike Tyson, who was awesome. Obviously, this was at really the height of his popularity. And for those of you that remember the ear biting incident, well, I'm sure he'd been asked that a thousand times at that point. Instead, I had done deep research, and once again, yes, you can look at their social profiles. You can, you know, check into any, any, anything they posted and see where they're coming from. Check their hobbies and all that stuff, but go much, much deeper.Royce Blake [00:14:26]:Anything you can find, even if it's a business owner you're talking to, go back and look at their ads, See what kind of ads they had running. If they had a weird ad or maybe a weird job. Before they, you know, got into the car business, they used to, you know, build porcelain dolls or something, something weird like that. For me and Mike Tyson, it was pigeon racing. Now, I have no idea how you race pigeons, but I knew that Mike Tyson was into pigeon racing. And so what did I do? While everybody else was asking him about the ear biting incident, I asked him about pigeon racing. Hey, champ, how's the pigeon racing environment this year? Everything. You got a shot, and he lit up like a Christmas tree.Royce Blake [00:15:20]:It was amazing. So that's the type of research I'm talking about. Go deep. If I didn't. If I finished an interview and I didn't have at least two pages of questions I didn't get to, then I hadn't done my job. So once again, it's all about research.Stuart Webb [00:15:42]:Brilliant, brilliant stuff, Royce. Thank you so much for that. Royce. There must be one question that you're currently thinking that I haven't in the process of this interview or discussion, asked you what is the question that you think I should have asked? And obviously now you know what that question is, you need to answer it for us as well.Royce Blake [00:16:07]:Well, you know, once again, I, I think, by the way, just talking about. Here's. Here's one for you. We were talking about. I know we're having tech problems here, Stuart, but, you know, if I had a, you know, a question for you to give you an idea of what kind of research, and it doesn't take long, this took me probably.Stuart Webb [00:16:27]:Oh, no.Royce Blake [00:16:29]:I would say, hey, Stuart, I know that. Well, how did you go from like, killing viruses to helping businesses scale? You know, you were in the, in the bio.Stuart Webb [00:16:46]:Do you know the reason. The reason that I did that, Royce, Tell me the reason. The reason I did that, Royce, was because I wasn't very. I. I was. I was actually not a very good practical scientist. I was a very good thinker. A lot of people kept telling me I had brilliant thoughts, but I was very poor at putting them down into an experiment.Stuart Webb [00:17:12]:And so I had to find something where I was able to use my brain to solve big problems, but not necessarily always. Always sort of make those experiments very successful. So it's about finding that thing which you are passionate about, but at the same time, you can actually turn into something people will pay you to do.Royce Blake [00:17:35]:Absolutely. Have you been asked that before?Stuart Webb [00:17:42]:That is not what I have been asked. And I'm going to remember how good you are at turning the. The. The question and answer into a discussion, because you find that way. And that's how you make an engaging podcast guest or host out of people, isn't it? By getting to open up and explore things with an intelligent research question.Royce Blake [00:18:08]:And listen and listen intently. Don't worry about getting to question seven when your guest has just spun gold on your podcast. You know, let them expand, let them go with the flow there. You know, as. As far as questions that, that you didn't ask me, I get this from a lot of podcasters. Well, a lot of people in general is. How do you handle trolls? How do you handle negative comments? Right. People, you know, all this.Royce Blake [00:18:38]:I was lucky, I guess, because I was trained. I. You're. You're old enough to remember. I'm not sure if they have this on the BBC or any of the, you know, any other. But the request line, this radio station request line where you can call in and request a song, right?Stuart Webb [00:18:57]:Yes.Royce Blake [00:18:58]:Well, this is. You got to think about it. This is the only time for free you can reach another human being and say anything you want, because 95 weren't there to request a song. A lot were there to give their opinion. And. And, you know, a lot of times it always amazed me, someone would sit on the request line on hold for a half an hour just to tell me, hey, you suck. So, you know, after you get that a few thousand times, you start. You start losing the nerve that, you know, so.Royce Blake [00:19:34]:But I want people to remember, no one more successful than you will ever put you down. They don't have the time. They don't have the inclination.Stuart Webb [00:19:45]:Brilliant.Royce Blake [00:19:45]:So ignore them. I know it's easy to say and hard to do, but trust me, something's wrong with them, not you, so just let it go.Stuart Webb [00:19:56]:Brilliant, Royce. I love that. And I want to end it there, because I think that is the best advice that you can give anybody. I mean, if I want to take away two things, and I know there have been a couple of technical difficulties, but there are two things I want to take away, one. One of which is, you know, you have just got to get used to the fact that you need to sound natural and need to get over yourself and start behaving like you are just a normal human being. And we all have that problem. And. And the haters.Stuart Webb [00:20:26]:Well, the haters are going to hate, and you just got to let them do it and get away from them and move forward being your positive self.Royce Blake [00:20:33]:I've got a great phrase. You can. You can write down everybody. And it's something I learned from an old radio pro. He said, royce, I don't care if they hate me as long as they hate me every day.Stuart Webb [00:20:49]:I love that one. I love it. Listen, people, I'm gonna. I'm just gonna thank Royce for spending a few minutes with us. If you would like to get an email from me where you can actually just find out who is going to be on the show and listen to the brilliant advice like people like Royce Lake bring to us. Go to Systemize Me, subscribe. That's systemized me. Forward slash, subscribe.Stuart Webb [00:21:20]:Just go there. Simple form, name, email address. We don't ask you for any more than that. Once a week, you get an email from me saying who's coming up? And you really should listen to some of the people that are coming up on this show. Royce, I want to thank you so much for being here and telling us a little bit about this, and I appreciate you keeping going when I know there have been a one or two technical difficulties, but I just think what you've told us is absolute gold about how to engage people and keep them engaged, and I just love it. And thank you so much for spending a few minutes.Royce Blake [00:21:47]:It's been a pleasure, Stuart. Thank you so much. And, you know, once again, this has been awesome. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

BRADY WELLER discusses the intricacies of QSBS rollovers, including eligibility, timing, and strategic planning for founders and investors. The goal is to help the listener maximize tax benefits and navigate the legal complexities of this powerful tool. https://youtu.be/gvQ0ZskvWVI QSBS, tax exemption, startup founders, rollover, legal structuring, investment strategy, tax planning, startup exit, C corporation, Key Topics QSBS eligibility and benefits Challenges in executing rollovers Legal and tax considerations for founders Timing and risk management in rollovers Strategic structuring for maximum benefit “QSBS ROLLOVERS” Sound Bites “60 days is a very short window for founders.” “Rollover continues your holding period clock.” “Partial rollovers are common for founders.” Chapters 00:00 Understanding QSBS and Its Benefits 03:07 Challenges for Founders in QSBS Compliance 05:54 Advising Founders on QSBS Rollovers 08:57 Structuring New Ventures for QSBS Eligibility 12:00 Navigating QSBS for Tech and Non-Tech Founders 14:54 Investor Considerations in QSBS Transactions 17:46 State-Specific QSBS Regulations and Planning 20:57 Future of QSBS and Strategic Planning Resources Brady Weller on LinkedIn qsbsrollover.com qsbsreference.com Frazer Rice and Michael Arlein discuss the nuts and bolts of 1202 QSBS Features for Founders Guest links LinkedIn Transcript Frazer Rice (00:01.314)Welcome aboard, Brady. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (00:03.043)Hey, Frazer, thanks for having me. Frazer Rice (00:04.738)Well, you are the nice compliment to a piece I just did with Michael Arlene on QSBS. We covered some of the nuts and bolts around 1202. You come at it from a little bit different angle. It’s usually where people, founders especially, have issues sort of complying with things like the three and five year rule. And otherwise really maximizing the capability of the rollover and the tax significance for it. Tell us a little bit about who benefits and what you do here. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (00:35.107)Yeah, QSBS is. by far the biggest tax exemption available to individual taxpayers in the U.S. So it’s been something that hasn’t been up. I should say there’s not a massive advisory network around it. So it’s not something that’s been taken advantage of, I think, to its full scope. Michael, who you had on recently, is a top trust and estate planner for founders of companies around QSBS. The specific problem that QSBS rollover solve is for a shareholder of an early stage company. Most often founders or very early investors, say, maybe series A or earlier shareholders. It’s an incentive to basically hold your stock for a quote unquote long time. In this sense, that means, you know, now under some new rules, basically three to five plus years. It’s a tax exemption available to folks who hold their stock for at least five years. Then they can exclude from federal income tax now up to $15 million of gains when they sell that stock. So you have to be a shareholder in an early stage C corporation, early stage company. Frazer Rice (01:50.616).Those founders before three to five years are trying to figure out how to use this tool. What are the challenges in making sure they don’t blow up the transaction by transferring something poorly. Or having their company grow too large or have too much cash or those types of things? Maybe list out a little bit some of the challenges that are out there that that a founder needs to be aware of. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (02:22.509).Yeah. So we don’t have to constantly caveat. I’ll mainly talk as though we’re speaking about the pre July 5th, 2025 rules for QSPS. Anything, any stock issued after that date, middle of last year. is under a slightly different set of rules. They are more expanded rules, but I’ll speak to this sort of from those old rules. And so the old rules state that you have to hold your stock for at least five years. And if you do, you can exclude a large portion from federal income tax, usually $10 million for founders. But if you don’t hold the stock for five years, your only option is to take the cash from that sale. For example, say you sell stock at year three or year four, and purchase new QSBS eligible stock with that cash within 60 days. So it’s sort of like the 1031 exchange. Folks maybe are more familiar with real estate property exchanges. Its sort of like a 1031 exchange for stock. So you take the cash and you purchase a like kind quote unquote asset with it. Now the challenge with that is 60 days is not a very long time. And when you’re a founder of a company who just went through liquidity. You just got your deal done and the whirlwind that that is. Now you’re dealing maybe in a post liquidity world. You’re maybe running another team at the acquirer or you’re otherwise involved. 60 days is not a long time to be able to find and diligence a new opportunity. . It’s just not feasible. Especially for founders to use that cash to say buy stock in someone else’s company. It just doesn’t make sense. Like risk adjusted, I suppose. Frazer Rice (04:05.579)No, it’s a miracle that your company did great. Now you have to go and find another miracle and make it work within 60 days. It’s crazy. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (04:10.143).That that’s the biggest that’s probably the biggest barrier to executing them. For the longest time there just weren’t a lot of people. They hadn’t come alongside founders to help advise them on structured ways that they could do these rollovers. Yeah, the options are risky. It’s like take your money and invest it in Dave’s startup in San Francisco. He’s going to lose your money. So that may be what you want to do with that money. To keep your risk profile sort of moving. But that’s not tax planning in any way. Right. To make that decision just to save on federal income tax might not be the best way to use your rollover. So we’ve seen it much more for angel investors, something that they might use. People who want to maybe have a lot of deal flow. A lot of investment opportunities in front of them. But they want to keep that risk profile moving. I’d say timing and risk are the two biggest challenges when you’re trying to execute a rollover. Frazer Rice (05:13.805).As a detail on that, you’ve got your company. You’ve got $10 million coming to you. Hopefully tax free, similar to a 1031. You don’t have to go into one company, you could go into a basket of companies. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (05:28.579).Yeah, you could take the cash, say you make $10 million from a sale. You could pay taxes on $3 million of it, assuming you haven’t hit your five year requirement. Then, you could roll over the other seven in various other deals. You could put it all into one new company. What the rollover actually does is it continues your holding period clock from the last stock. So if you held for three years in your original company stock, You sell. You’re able to reinvest those proceeds within 60 days. It continues your holding period. Once you’re beyond a combined five the next liquidity event in the second company. Now you have proper seasoning on your shares, for lack of a better word, and then you can sell them under the QSPS exemption. Frazer Rice (06:17.143)So, this gets to what you do on a day-to-day basis. So a founder comes to you and says, all right, I’ve got this situation I think that’s coming. And I need some advice. You’re sort of letting them know what’s happening here. How do you advise them, in a sense, whether it’s through your company or even as a general matter? Do you have a suite of other founders and companies that are out there? And then… Maybe also similar to a 1031, is there sort of an intermediary function that needs to happen in order for the asset or the cash to go into sort of a, for lack of word, like an escrow account to then be deployed correctly into the eligible next company so that you keep that period going. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (06:50.713)Boom. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (07:05.839)That’s a good question. It’s not as formalized as the, you know, in terms of the 1031 world where there’s sort of a designated intermediary and that’s sort of required step in the process. This is very much the wire goes into your checking account for the sale of company A stock. Frazer Rice (07:11.703)Mm-hmm. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (07:22.281)You send a wire back out to purchase stock in company B. When someone comes to us and is looking for guidance on how to do a rollover, sometimes they’ve talked to tax or trust in state attorneys already, or maybe they’re CPA. And there are maybe 50 folks in the US who have, I’d say, Frazer Rice (07:37.463)Sure. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (07:45.07)I call it advanced QSPS planning knowledge, which is they have the trust planning strategies, rollover knowledge, all of these things that sort of at their disposal that they can speak to, but it’s a very small network. so our firm is actually the only non-CPA non-law firm in the country that deals directly with founders on these. And so we ended up kind of playing quarterback, connecting them with the right attorneys, maybe the right CPA, if they don’t have one to make sure that the team is sort of assembled. You know, because the risk profile of taking your money and investing in someone else’s company typically doesn’t align with most founders’ interests at that time, the service that we provide is helping them to roll that money into a new startup of their own. We think these founder-led rollovers where the founder or the shareholder who sold their original stock can now direct the proceeds into a new entity that they own and control. It’s a really great way to execute this. It gives the shareholder, the founder the optimal amount of flexibility and control over the proceeds over time. So they can handle their own risk profile. Frazer Rice (08:57.921)So for the founder who built their business originally, they sell it and you’re sort of with them along the way to roll it over into another founder led situation. Are there any mechanics that you help with to sort of ensure that that takes place correctly? There’s so many, it seems like so many tiger traps along the way that you can stick your foot in and you did every, your intent was there, but maybe you did something weird or incorrect. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (09:26.617)Yeah. Frazer Rice (09:26.721)Maybe a better way to ask this question is what are the things in that receiving new QSBS rollover do you want to see or a founder should make sure they have in place before they go ahead and pull the trigger? Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (09:41.904)We want to make sure it’s a C corporation. First of all, a lot of times when founders start their first companies, they just, you know, incorporate an LLC somewhere and start doing business. A lot of times there’s not even, maybe there’s, you know, two or $3,000 transferred to a checking account, you know, from their personal to their checking. That’s how you start most businesses. But when you’re, when you’re starting a rollover business, we have to see a couple other things. One is we want to make sure it’s a C corp from day one. Frazer Rice (09:58.989)Right. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (10:09.123)You know, it’s okay if it’s a single owner C Corp where the founders, the, you know, only board member, only director. It’s, you know, it’s your entity. That’s fine. but we also want to see a purchase agreement, some kind of stock purchase agreement. So you can’t just transfer money from your chase savings account where the wire landed to the new business account and, know, go on about, about the business. we want to see a stock purchase agreement. And so some of those agreements, and the optimal way to do those for sort of the, the, the long run. Sometimes, we would obviously we have our template docs in ways that we might advise to do it. But very often we refer that out to legal counsel and coordinate there to make sure that just all the purchase agreements and governance docs and those types of things are in a good place. You know, it’s really making sure we have the purchase agreements and that the money gets moved to the corporate bank account, the new business bank account within 60 days. It’s really not a long period of time. And we run into a lot of situations where If someone’s not kind of quarterbacking the process, deadlines get away quickly and then administrative issues with a bank might push you beyond the 60 day window. We’ve seen that a few times and it can obviously cost you a lot of money. Frazer Rice (11:24.468)The, when you get to a point where the next business that this is going into, often the qualifications of being a QSBS eligible business can be a little bit murky. I’m thinking healthcare for instance, where like a hospital or that type of thing would traditionally probably not be a QSBS situation, but a healthcare service provider or a biotech company or something like that is. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (11:46.937)Yeah. Frazer Rice (11:51.029)Do you help founders think about that? in many ways, there’s sort of the which came first, the idea for the company or the company itself. How do you make sure people stay on all fours on that front? Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (12:00.56)Yeah. Yeah, I if you build a startup before, know that the ideas in the early stage sometimes are extremely malleable. And when you start testing things in the market, the business very often changes. You know, we majority work with tech founders and that’s not because, you know, QSBS is well suited for tech. I think a lot of people think that to be QSBS, to be a technology company. That’s not true. It’s just that we most often see QSBS. We run into people who are knowledgeable about QSBS in the venture space. So venture backed start up, like traditional startup businesses, has 80 % plus of those companies are tech businesses. And then the other 20 % is manufacturing, biotech, life science, e-commerce, those types of things. But majority of people that we do these transaction with are in tech. And so by virtue of that, their rollover business ends up being, most of the time, ideas that they have are tech adjacent. So that’s a great place to be. I’d say some things to avoid. What we hear often people coming to us wanting to roll over into real estate in some way or another. And there are ways that the business that you start as part of a QSPS roll over can hold real estate assets long term, depending on the business type. But you have to be really careful there not to, in the eyes of the IRS, look like a real estate holding company or have too much of your assets tied up in sort of like passive real estate holdings. And so I’d say that’s the murkiest stuff that we run into. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (13:37.822).Most of the businesses that we are helping founders start and grow as part of a QSPS rollover are B2B or B2C tech. Either web applications or mobile applications, e-commerce stores. We have a few hardware sort of based companies or like very physical product based companies as well. Frazer Rice (13:58.431)For a lot of tech founders, the idea of taking some money off the table is important. And I would think that maybe partial QSPS situations come up. This isn’t an all or nothing thing. You can take some money off the table and then allocate other parts, maybe half off and then the other half you can roll into the next company. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (14:14.137)Yeah. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (14:18.798)I’d say an extremely common situation that we see is maybe a founder. in New York who is raising maybe a Series B, call it a 50 or $60 million Series B. We saw a lot of these size rounds with the AI kind of boom happening and might be an opportunity to take, you know, four to $6 million off the table as secondary at that stage in the company’s growth. so you have this founder who just got $5 million wired to their bank account, maybe their first money. They’ve been renting in a condo or apartment in the city and they’re still very much like in high growth stage with company so they don’t have a lot of bandwidth to run a new business. And so they’ll really try and de-risk themselves. That is, maybe pay taxes on a million, a million and a half, give themselves a cushion right away, maybe buy a condo or you know whatever, stabilize their life just a bit and roll over the other four, three and a half million, you know, and manage a project on the side that way. That’s a really common situation we see. Frazer Rice (15:19.624)For investors who are invested in a lot of different things and maybe you know, they’ve got six or seven companies that are QSBS eligible and they are sort of rolling the dice on that and sort of picking and choosing which one should go into which that type of thing What’s different about it from an investor standpoint than from an operator standpoint? Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (15:43.758)Yeah, I think the biggest thing investors have to pay attention to is if you receive a distribution that isn’t QSPS eligible because of holding period, you cannot just take that money and invest it back into a venture fund. and call that a rollover. The money can go into a venture fund, but that capital also has to be called and deployed into, an investment from that fund. Meaning you can’t just invest in the, in the partnership at the partnership level in a venture fund and it’s sit there undeployed and be eligible for QSBS. It actually has to be fully deployed into target, target opportunities within 60 days. So that’s something that I think that we’ve run into a couple of times with, with investors is they think, I’ll just, know, Fund2 is open at, you know, XYZ firm. I’ll just roll the money over there. But it does have to be deployed still within that 60 day window. So that’s something that we hear a lot of. You know, if you’re an investor, I would keep, you know, you don’t always have the perfect deal ready at the right time. But keeping good relationships with the founders that… you’re partnering with, you know, you never know when someone might be able to open up a tranche on the side or sell some secondary to you. if you’re trying to still get access to that deal sort of outside of a normal round. Frazer Rice (17:07.445)So for the companies that are in your orbit, obviously you’re probably checking in saying, hey, you didn’t do anything to blow up your QSBS status. But for the companies that aren’t that way, and let’s say you’re a founder and you’ve got a nice situation where you’re able to take some money off the table and maybe put it into. one of the things that your friends put together or something like that. How do you think about a checklist or what are the questions to ask to make sure that the recipient investor or recipient of the investment is QSBS eligible and will sort of stick to it? Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (17:46.48)Yeah, you want to ensure first that the company is small enough. so under the old rules that I mentioned, the company would have to have less than $50 million of gross assets. A really great proxy for that is just how much has that company raised? You know, if you’re trying to invest in a company and they’ve raised $120 million, it’s very likely that they have at some point blown the asset test and they’re not issuing QSPS anymore. It’s very, it’s not always, but it’s very possible. A lot of people confuse that test for valuation. which is a mistake, you could have a billion dollar company in terms of market value, you know, with only 20 or 25 million dollars worth of assets on the balance sheet. It is possible, especially in some of these high multiple high growth tech businesses. And so, yeah, not confusing valuation with gross assets is one thing to pay attention to. the other is ensuring just that the company is a C corp, especially for early stage investors. I’m talking like first money in, maybe before, you know, pre seed or pre seed, would say, ensuring that the right structuring is in place such that, know, you’re getting stock issued directly from a C corporation at that time you’re investing. So I would say that’s something to worry about more if you’re, you know, an angel. who does a lot of sort of direct sourcing of deals and you’re not going through a fund. Most of the time, if someone’s raised capital directly from a venture fund, all the paperwork and things that you’re going to look for as far as QSPS are going to be in place, because most VCs are pretty well acquainted at this point with, hey, let’s make sure this is eligible before we get in here. Frazer Rice (19:27.913)Right. And just to distinguish, an LLC that elects to be taxed as a C Corp versus a C Corp, C Corp, is there any distinction there for our listeners? Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (19:39.673)Yes. Generally, we would say as long as the LLC has made that C-Corp election before issuing more at that stage, guess, membership units of stock, as long as they’ve made that C-Corp election prior to issuing the stock, then we feel generally good about it. But yeah, an LLC, it’s an entity structure whose default taxation is as a pass-through, but an LLC can also be taxed as a C-Corp and can issue quote unquote QSBS eligible shares. or units as well, so it is possible. Frazer Rice (20:12.683)I was gonna say, so for the listeners out there, C-Corp doesn’t just mean C-Corp, but the real operative language is that it’s taxed as a C-Corp component, and that should be part of your checklist as you go down the list of companies to potentially roll into. So for those people who aren’t exactly founders, but maybe are investors or otherwise part of businesses that they’ve been included in, et cetera. Those non-venture-backed businesses, what are the opportunities there for QSBS and then the ability to roll it over into other things? Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (20:48.708)Yeah, I would say it’s very rare that we see a non-venture-backed business in between the coasts, I’ll say, right? Like not one of these like kind of like call them coastal elite tech businesses. I’m talking about your like legacy family business in, you know, North Carolina. Frazer Rice (20:59.488)I mean… Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (21:11.856)Most of the time we’re going to see those as pass-throughs or partnerships, maybe like an S-Corp. You would see that type of structure and those businesses, while they could be amazing businesses, the interest in them isn’t QSPS eligible because it has to be issued from a C-Corporation. Most of the time, the planning opportunity we see with those types of businesses is around the time of maybe a generational transition or other type of transition planning where Maybe the children take over from the parents and they establish a plan. Hey, we’re going to take it over, but we want to plan to sell maybe the next five to seven years. I hear this a lot. And opportunity. If you are in an industry in a sector where stock sales are common in the industry for exiting the businesses, changing, electing to be treated as a C Corp or restructuring to a C Corporation from one of those pass through structures is an opportunity because you could sort of reorganize, reissue stock, now start your QSBS five year time clock. And, you know, hopefully the business keeps doing well and you can have that exit opportunity down the line. And at that point, take advantage of QSBS. Again, the thing you want to pay attention to is that you actually be able to do a stock sale at that time because QSBS requires a sale of stock, not an asset sale. And so that’s a really important distinction. So make sure either that you’re in an industry where that’s common or you’re working with counsel who understands what you’re trying to accomplish before you make those decisions about how you’re setting your entity up at that stage. Frazer Rice (22:41.353)Right. Frazer Rice (22:56.758)I just have a comment for me with the passage of the new law that we sort of alluded to where previously you really didn’t start thinking about this until fully five years. The new law, people can start thinking about it within three. You get 50 % of the benefit of the exclusion at three years. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (23:08.282)Mm-hmm. Frazer Rice (23:15.21)And I’ve run into people where three years suddenly seems like a short amount of time, whereas five years, I think everyone was sort of like, we’ll get there eventually. you know, they’re they’re they’re fighting for their survival anyway. And if that happens to work terrific in this case, I think that the law moving the timeline up a little bit has had an interesting impact on those conversion discussions, because I think people are now starting to say, hey, you know what? I can get to three years. And, you know, with the speed at the and the rate at which things change at this point, it’s much more realistic than I think it might have been going back in time. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (23:50.896)And if you have a stable business where you feel comfortable making projections, say three years out, so to what that business could look like at that time, it’s really becoming more common now to do what you’re calling like choice of entity studies, right? So working with someone who can model out with the difference in taxation, both at the company level and at the point of. Frazer Rice (24:05.482)Mm-hmm. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (24:15.276)selling stock, what the optimal structure may be depending on your time horizon tax it, your expectations for growth or lack thereof. So that’s something that some valuation firms, business advisories, some law firms or CPA tax advisories may be able to do. If you’re in that situation, you’re trying to figure out, hey, what’s the math look like based on my baseline assumptions of what this business will be and can help you sort of make those decisions about how to plan. over the next three to seven years. Frazer Rice (24:47.402)As part of that reorganization too, I’ve talked to a few people who are in, let’s call it personality-based businesses, whether they’re podcasters or influencers or other types of things that are a little bit adjacent to maybe typical software companies. And I’ve brought up the notion that you may be disqualified now, but you may have a future growth opportunity within your business to make it fall more in line with a QSBS-defined business. And so, you if you’ve got the time and the ability and it makes a business sense, it may make sense to start thinking about either sectioning that off or developing that business line for something a little bit later on. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (25:27.95)Yeah, being strategic about where those adjacent businesses, how they’re structured and where they’re built. And I mean, where like in terms of a legal entity level sense, I’m thinking about, for instance, several golf YouTubers, make a lot of golf content online, but now they’re announcing partnerships to, you know, design clothing, you know, have their own clothing line, or maybe they’ve entered a, a joint venture with a golf club maker or maybe an emerging brand and they’re taking equity. Frazer Rice (25:41.983)Mm-hmm. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (25:57.826)Those are really interesting options and I think that you still have the opportunity to leverage your personal brand to grow that business but separating them out so that you know your reliance on your personal brand doesn’t ruin QSBS. That’s actually getting to one of the rules around qualified small business stock which is that the companies can’t be based on the skill or reputation of a single person. And so that’s when we think about Frazer Rice (26:24.938)Mm-hmm. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (26:27.632)Like entertainers, athletes, social media personalities. MrBeast, for instance, couldn’t sell MrBeast, the YouTube channel necessarily, as QSBS eligible interest because of that rule more than likely. And that’s obviously a broad brush, paying attention to where you hold your business interests is important for this if you’re in that space. Frazer Rice (26:53.5)Any state thoughts? I know California QSBS is uncoupled from the federal QSBS and New York threatened it and apparently that got knocked down. New Jersey just coupled with the federal government so that people weren’t scared away from doing that. How does that figure into your analysis? Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (27:04.304)you Yeah. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (27:12.784)It’s sort of a battle of the coast. It’s like which coast of the United States is going to be most investor and founder friendly with relation to these things. Yeah, because California hasn’t followed it for a long time. Oregon and Washington state are close behind there. And then we have the sort of somewhat the opposite happening on the East Coast. So as an East Coast guy, I hope it becomes a hub. But yeah, there is some sort of. Frazer Rice (27:19.528)Right. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (27:36.388)you know, state and local tax planning, strategic planning that you might be able to do if you have the foresight and, you know, the right data to determine where you might become a resident or taxpayer prior to an exit. You might talk with a. assault attorney or assault advisor state and local tax is usually tax advisors CPAs or or tax attorneys who can help you think through Hey, does it make a difference whether or not I move from California to Texas? What does that look like for my family? What does that look like for my post-tax exit situation? because where the company is headquartered, as long as it’s in the United States, doesn’t matter for QSPS, just has to be a domestic USC corporation. And so remembering that QSPS is fundamentally an individual taxpayer incentive means that regardless of where the shareholders are located, you’re gonna be beholden to that specific state of where you live and their roles around QSPS. Frazer Rice (28:36.906)Terrific stuff. Brady, we’re winding down here. How do people find you and your company and any sort of parting thoughts? Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (28:44.516)Yeah, I’m personally very active on LinkedIn. So you can find me there, Brady Weller and our website, qsbsrollover.com. We also have a sort of an open source QSBS advisory referral site called qsbsreference.com. And so you can find us at either of those places. We’d be happy to help you out and point you in the right direction. Frazer Rice (29:05.13)Brady, thanks for being on. Brady Weller (QSBS Rollover) (29:06.874)Thanks, Frazier, appreciate it. Keywords QSBS, tax exemption, startup founders, rollover, legal structuring, investment strategy, tax planning, startup exit, C corporation, legal advice Titles Mastering QSBS Rollovers: Strategies for Founders and Investors The Ultimate Guide to QSBS Tax Exemptions and Rollovers https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

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Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. Good morning. My name is Mike. I'm an elder in training here. Today is Palm Sunday. So we're taking a break from first and Second Samuel, the series we've been doing there. And we're going to be in the Gospel According to John. This is the Sunday before Easter, and this is the time we commemorate Jesus entry into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the final week of Jesus life. Most of the Gospel accounts actually move pretty quickly from his entry into Jerusalem up to his death on the cross. But John is different. In the Gospel of John, the first 11 chapters are about Jesus life leading up to his final week on the earth. The next eight chapters are about his final week of life leading up to his death. So John really slows way down to capture some intimate moments in the life of Jesus. In fact, chapters 13 through 17 are all an account of his last night with his disciples. And so try to put yourself in that moment where you as a disciple, you've left behind your profession, you've left behind your possessions, and you've been living your daily life now with Jesus for several years. And things are starting to shift. Things are getting a little bit emotional, things are getting a little bit intense. And you can feel a sort of heaviness almost in the air. And that's what we're jumping into today. We're stepping into Jesus final conversation with his disciples before the cross. And Jesus knows he's going to die. And what we're going to read is what he chooses to communicate to his closest followers before his death. We're going to pick up today in John chapter 14. This is on page 525 in your blue Bibles. I would encourage you to follow or follow along there. If you, if you don't have a Bible, you can use that. We're going to begin in verse one. But before we do, I am going to pray because I need help. Father, we come before you now as your children, excited to hear from you and from your word. And I stand up here as a desperate man, but I know that you're the God of desperate people. Please help me this morning to forget myself and to teach people about you. In Jesus name, Amen. I'm going to pick up in verse one of chapter 14, follow along with me.> Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.> In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?> And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.> And you know the way to where I am going.> Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"> Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.> If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:1–7, ESV)All right. He starts out by saying, let not your hearts be troubled. That is to say, don't worry. Don't let your heart be anxious. Well, why is he telling them not to worry? In the context of this passage, if you go back to chapter 13, he actually says some really heavy things to them, things that would really shake them. Chapter 13 and verse 21, he tells them that one of them is going to betray him. In verse 33, he tells them he's leaving, and they can't follow, at least not immediately. And in verse 38, he looks at Peter and says, you're going to deny me? Now? Imagine being in that room. Imagine sort of going along together, business as usual. And then one night, you sit down for dinner, and all of that comes out. Oh, think of it like us having family meeting, right? We're singing, we're playing games. We're having a great time together, thinking about all the things that God has done. We're there to celebrate togetherness. And Chet hops up and says, we're planning a church. Mike and Isaac are going, and some of you need to go. And it's like whiplash. Oh, no. We were here for togetherness. And so in some sense, I think there's a feeling in this room where he's telling them all these things that they're going to do or that they're going to be without him. And I think there's a heavy, heavy weight on their shoulders. I think their thoughts are racing, their minds are racing. They're thinking things like betrayal, you're going to leave. Peter is going to just cast you aside, huh? And I think the intensity kind of rings through. And I think if we were sort of in that moment, too, and someone was telling us that's what we'd experience, we would feel that weight as well.So Jesus knows that when hearing this, the disciples would just naturally be anxious. And he says, don't worry. How? Believe in God, believe also in me. And there's two things I think we learned from his response here. One is that Jesus actually contrasts fear with belief. Why because often our anxiety is rooted in untruths, in misunderstandings, in disordered thinking. And how you deal with fear and anxiety is you reorient your mind to what is true. But it's not enough to just reorient your mind to anything. It actually has to be something that's true. Matthew Henry, in his commentary on John, says, the joy of faith is the best remedy against the griefs of sense. So that joy, the joy that comes with faith in God, stands in direct opposition to the pain of our existence. And no matter what life you've lived, you either have experienced or will experience the pain that comes with being human or on this earth. Maybe it shows itself for you in sickness or maybe in toil, maybe in labor, maybe in fractured relationships. Or maybe, like the disciples, it's the impending loss of someone you deeply care about, or the fact that, like Peter, you're about to do something awful to another person, a person that you love, no matter what it is, that makes you anxious. Jesus says, believe in God, believe also in Me. And that's what separates Christianity from the other religions. It's not believe in yourself. It's not buckle down and get through it. It's not serve God better so he'll bless you more. It's believe in God, believe be in relationship with him, and throughout a lifetime of knowing him, be slowly changed to be more like Jesus. There is hope for the anxious heart. There is hope for those dealing with trials, and it's coming from the relationship with Christ.The second thing that we see here is when he says, believe in God, believe also in me, is that he's linking himself with. With God. And this is actually some foreshadowing of what he's going to say later on. But, guys, this is serious. And I think if you've been around the church maybe for a while, you're probably so used to hearing things like this, you know, yes, Jesus is God, that you may not really flinch when you hear it. However, this was an absurd and outlandish statement. How would the Jewish men who are sitting there with him feel? It would be almost to them, like someone saying, well, I played quarterback in high school, so I should be considered alongside Tom Brady. I acted in a middle school play, so I'm expecting an invitation to this year's Oscars. Or maybe me just walking up here and saying, well, hey, we're going to go plant a church. And those of you coming with me, you don't have to worry because I'll do all the work for us. I'll Guide us. I'll lead us. Put your trust in me. I have got this. I think that some of you, even knowing that those are illustrations, would probably recoil a little bit inside at someone getting up there and doing something like that. Just know that if that was something you're a little bit sensitive to, the Jews would be way more sensitive to something like this. They were extremely sensitive to blasphemy, which is claiming to be God, and rightfully so. This was actually, in their. In their law, punishable by death. So him saying, believe in God and believe in me is saying that he is God. And that's a big deal that is included here for us by John because he says later in his book that he is writing so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing you may have life in his name. So John wants to communicate to us that Jesus is God. And he records this claim that Jesus himself makes when he says, believe in God, believe also in Me. And can I tell you actually how great of a thing that is? Because if a church planter or a spiritual leader or a political leader or whoever gets up and tries to act like he is on par with God, run away from that person, he will only let you down. But Jesus, God the Son, perfect in all his attributes, will never. For whoever believes in him will not be disappointed. And to those of you in this room who hold positions of spiritual leadership, pastors, group leaders, church planners, Baptist convention workers, kid city teachers, Sunday school teachers, right people follow you as you follow Christ. Do not lose sight of him on this journey. So Jesus is saying, don't be afraid of the things to come. Instead, believe in God and believe in Me.Let's pick up in verse two.> In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?> And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.> And you know the way to where I am going. (John 14:2–4, ESV)So remember, this ties back to chapter 13, where he's telling them he's going away. The disciples love Jesus and they're concerned because they don't know where he'll be. And he tells them that he'll be in heaven. Now, he doesn't say that to them directly. The metaphor he uses is a house with many rooms. He says, in my Father's house there are many rooms. And this is a beautiful thing to believe that in the Father's house, Heaven, there is room for every disciple. And of course, this is encouraging to the disciples that he is speaking with, but it's also encouraging to the disciples that are reading this in 2026 that the father has room for all of his children. And some of you are excited about that because, you know, it kind of just sounds great. But for some of you, it's probably a little bit different because maybe here on earth, someone did not have room for you. Maybe schoolmates or neighbors, or maybe your actual family. But here, Jesus makes a promise that rests on the gracious love of God, and that is that for his disciples, for his children, there is always room. You'll hear some version of this in the world today, but they'll tell you that you have to group up with people who are like you, who can relate to you, who accept you. But in the Father's house, all of us who believe in Jesus are grouped together and we're all equal. Equal in being undeserving. But because of Jesus, there is room for us all. And we talk like this here. Sometimes we say things like, well, we're going to multiply. We're going to multiply groups to make more room for people. Even though there's some sadness, right, that comes with leaving behind the people that we grow to love. There's excitement in being able to welcome people into the family. But there is going to come a day where we will be in the Father's house, and there is space for all of his children there. And Jesus says, that's where I'm going. And the reason I'm going is to prepare that place, and one day you're going to come and be with me there. And then he says, okay, you know the way to where I am going.Thomas responds in verse five, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? So Jesus is talking about heaven, and they don't really seem to get it. And Thomas speaks up and says, well, we don't know where you're going, so how can we get there? And if you're sitting there with them and you didn't realize he was talking about heaven, well, you might be wondering the same thing. I don't know. Maybe they were thinking geographically. Is he going up to Samaria? Is he going back to Galilee? Are we supposed to take 20 or 26? Is it faster to go over the dam? I don't know. It depends on the time of day. It depends on the day of the week, and it depends on the month of the year. And the disciples don't often follow exactly what Jesus is trying to communicate. But Jesus answers him. He answers him.> Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"> Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:5–6, ESV)So Thomas asks them, how can we know the way? And Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. And this is a classic interaction of God and man, where man is so locked into his own world. What he knows, what he can see, what he can perceive, what he can touch, taste, what he can feel. And Jesus responds from his perspective, his supernatural perspective, by saying that he is the way. If you want to go to the Father's house, you don't have to go north and then turn at the right spot. You go through him, through Jesus. In other passages of scripture, like First Timothy, we read that there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men. The man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all. Jesus is the way to God. And this is turning the minds of men upside down, that they would need to get access to God not by a certain task that they perform, but by a relationship with Jesus. But he's not just the way, he's also the truth.> And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14, ESV)> Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17, ESV)The Word is truth. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Jesus is the truth. He's truth right in front of them. But truth about what reality? That in six days God created the world. And on the seventh, he looked over it and said that it was good. He's the truth about humanity, that they were perfect and how they were created and their desire to elevate themselves to the level of creator. God corrupted them, introduced sin, and brought on them a curse called death. He's the truth about eternity, that those in sin are destined to be forever separated from God. He's the truth about hope. That one day, through the line of David, a suffering servant would become king and reign in peace and righteousness. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life.> For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV)> Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25–26, ESV)Believing in Jesus is life. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And each of those on their own is incredible, but they do almost connect in some way. If he's the way to God, he must be true. God does not lie. If he is the way to God, he must be the life, because God does not die. And God, it must be true, because he does not lie. And if you see him, you've seen the Father. And so he claims to be both equal with the Father and the only way to access the Father.After hearing all of that, Philip has a request.> Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."> Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?> Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.> Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves." (John 14:8–11, ESV)All right, so hereafter, hearing Thomas question, Philip sort of exclaims, show us the Father and it will be enough for us. We just need to see the Father with our eyes and we will be good. And Jesus rebukes him and he challenges him, asking, how can you say, to show us the Father? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? And I think this is another thing where if you grow up around the church or in Christianity, you might be tempted to read it and say, boy, how could Philip be so dumb? I mean, this is so clear, right? And, you know, maybe we would have picked up on this, right? Maybe, maybe not. But the problem here is actually not about hearing or comprehension. And it's not that Philip just needs to get his ears checked or practice his social skills and do some reflective listening exercises. The problem is deeper than that. And it's actually in some way similar to the problem with Thomas's question. It puts too much reliance on the natural and it misses the supernatural. And this is actually deep within all of us, that idea that if we could just see it with our eyes, and it would be so much easier to believe that if God could just tell Us the next step, to take what job, to accept, where to live. It would be so much better for us. And we do what Philip does. We say, do that Lord, and oh, it'll be enough. We won't have any more doubts, we won't have any more struggles. We won't worry. We'll believe anything God says and do anything he wants us to, as long as he just shows us what we need to see. It is that easy. But that is not the system that he has created. He has created man to take what he says in faith, not always being able to prove things. And if you're wondering why he would do it that way, consider this. Consider the ability to know all things and to see all possible ways forward. And how everything on this earth connects together is such a powerful and and weighty thing that there is only one being in the universe who can handle it, and it is not you. If you do not have to exercise faith in God, but could see everything played out, it probably would go one of two ways. One is it might just overwhelm you to the point where you would be crippled because some of you have a hard time choosing what soap to buy when you walk down the aisle in Walmart and see 100 different soaps. The other is it would cause you to rely on yourself, on what you've experienced, on what you've seen, instead of your relationship with Christ. And some of you already struggle with that. You rely on your human experience, on the jobs you've worked or the events you've hosted. And if you and Philip could just see God, that would be enough for you. And how does Jesus respond to that? Have I been with you so long and you still don't know me? Right back to the relationship to knowing Jesus is knowing the Father, that the more you get to know him, the more you realize you don't have to see anything. And that your heart and mind are guarded by his love, not your ability to anticipate all outcomes or understand all the workings of the world. And that out of that heart that's deeply connected in relationship with Christ, you can say that> Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. (Psalm 23:4, ESV, partial)We must reject the temptation to believe that seeing with our eyes is better than knowing through relationship with Christ. Today I want you to understand that knowing Jesus means knowing God the Father, and that he is the way and the truth and the life.So what does that mean for us? How do we live in light of a truth like this? Well, Jesus is the way. He is our access to the Father. And if you've seen him, you've seen the Father. That means that we can be in true relationship with God. Terrific. That's really neat. No, this is the God who spoke the universe into existence. There is no more satisfying relationship than this. Not a best friend that you can laugh with, not. Not a spouse that you can confide in, not a child who you can nurture. No relationship can compare to this. Jesus is the truth. He is the absolute truth. He is true reality. And what he says and how he lives are the standard for how we should view the world. Jesus is the life. He. He is the victor over death. He has overcome this world. Do we need any of this, really? Well, the world would say no. There was an opinion piece written in the Washington Post in 2023 entitled, America doesn't need more God, it needs more atheists. Now, of course, I did not read it because it was behind a paywall. But that line of thinking is not new. In the 1880s, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously wrote that God is dead, meaning that God, religion, and morality are no longer the foundations of society, but instead science and the reasoning of men reign supreme. So do we really need God? We've got the human spirit. We've got ingenuity. But what some call our greatest strength is actually, in fact, our deepest weakness. Because what did the serpent say to Eve when she wasn't supposed to eat of the fruit?> But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4–5, ESV)And she bought it and they ate the fruit because they didn't need a way to God. They would just be God. And sin and death entered the world. And humanity has been falling victim to that same exact desire for centuries. Do we really need the truth? If I say, go ahead and speak your truth, you can probably think of tons of times you've seen a phrase like that on the television or on the Internet. And what do people mean by that? What does that actually mean? It means I feel so strongly about this so much that it is reality whether you agree or not. Is that okay? Is it okay to determine what you think is reality? Can we function without objective right or wrong? Well, the answer probably always just depends on what kind of day you're having. Is that how we actually want to exist? Do we need life? Or maybe better phrased, is there any fear in death? The famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking said, I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers. That is a fairy story from people afraid of the dark. And so if that is true, then why would we need any offer of life? If death is just the end of consciousness and we simply cease, then what really is the big deal? So what do you think? Are you satisfied with all of that? Are you satisfied with the idea that we don't need to access God because we can just be our own God and therefore we can determine what is true for ourselves and then we die and it's just nothingness? Or does something sear hot within your soul? Does something deep within you recoil at the idea of man, makes his own destiny? Does something cry out alongside the philosopher Blaise Pascal, who said that there is an infinite abyss within man that can only be filled with an infinite God? Guys,> The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1, ESV)and he says,> I am the LORD, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:5, ESV, partial)He is real. We are his creation. We need Him. And we're separated from him by our sin, by our insistence that we got this, that we can be in charge, that we can determine the truth. And this intrinsic rebellion causes our separation from Him. And that separation from him, what it really is, is the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's the deepest unrest you've ever experienced. It's total darkness. It's absolute silence. And that's us without him, without any hope. Until one night a few thousand years ago, a child was born. And that night God the Son entered humanity. And he grows up and he lives a perfect life, which we could never do. And he starts saying stuff like, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. And no one comes to God except through me. And I and the Father are one. And he is the only one who could ever actually make those claims. And they want to kill him for it, and he lets them. And he goes willingly to a death on a cross where God crushes him and makes Jesus the one who never sinned to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And if we repent of our sins and put faith in this Christ, this absolute truth, we have a way to God and we have eternal life. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. And when you know him, you know the Father and there is room for you because he guarantees it.And so Christian, if you know Jesus and you know he's the way to God, does your life reflect it. Perhaps you want to believe what he's saying, but deep down you're just a little bit skeptical, like what he is offering is too good to be true and you rather fall back on what you can do, what you can earn, and how many friends you have. If so, repent. Rest in his work do you ever take the relationship for granted? You pray when there's danger, but when things are good, it doesn't really matter to you that you have access to God. If that is you, repent of your self sufficiency and talk to him in prayer. Listen to him through His Word. Enjoy what it means to really know God. To the one today who feels downcast from broken relationship and loss, remember that there is room for you in the Father's house. The band is going to come back up. My hope today is that if you know him, you will respond to this in praise and worship to Jesus because He has reconciled you to God. And that will go into this week with our Good Friday remembrance and our celebration of the Resurrection next Sunday. Absolutely in awe of Jesus. And if you don't know him, please, please take one of those blue Bibles home and read the Gospel of John. You can know him and you can have a relationship with him and nothing will ever change your life like that.Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for Jesus coming to this earth to be the way, to be the truth, to be the life. And we thank you that we have access to you through his sacrifice. We give glory to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Listen to today's Laugh Again with Phil Callway, "Terrific Taco Tuesday." Enjoy!

Who is Mitchell?Mitchell Levy is a passionate advocate for purpose-driven business relationships. Through his work, Mitchell observed a common frustration among professionals on platforms like LinkedIn: many reach out without a clear purpose or differentiation, often leading with sales pitches rather than genuine value. Recognizing this disconnect, he champions the power of having a “North Star”—a clear vision and understanding of the problem you solve and the unique value you bring. Mitchell encourages business owners, regardless of their size, to approach networking with intention and a customer-centric mindset. His insights help professionals articulate their purpose and foster meaningful, effective connections in the digital age.Key Takeaways* Mitchell Levy reveals the power of clarity: leaders and business owners need a simple North Star—a CPOP—in under 10 words. When you know where you're headed, decisions get easier and credibility follows.* Tired of random LinkedIn messages? Mitchell shares why real connection starts when you understand who you truly serve and their real pain or joy. Purposeful outreach beats cookie-cutter pitches every time.* Small business? Big CEO? Mitchell's “executive abundance” works for all. Growth happens when you get clear on your purpose, your people, and the possibilities you can create. Alignment is everything.* Elevator pitches are overrated. What matters is knowing, in a few words, who you're helping and why. That's your true vibration—one you won't need to memorize, just live.* Want credibility? Keep learning, stay coachable, and be willing to reset your focus. Mitchell's path: clarity, purpose, connection. Change your story, and your impact grows—no matter your size.Don't forget: If you want to connect, ask questions, or get notified about upcoming guests like Mitchell, subscribe to the Systemise.Me newsletter here. You only need your first name and email—easy as (coffee) pie!Thanks for sharing a cup with us this week. Here's to strong coffee, smart hiring, and believing in the dreams you're just starting to imagine.And don't forget: keep an eye out for next guest. To submit your own questions, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation!P.S. Loved this episode? Hit reply and let us know what resonated most_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Do You Need a P.A.T.H. to Scale?We help established business owners with small but growing teams:go from feeling stuck, sceptical, and tired of wasting time and money on false promises,to running a confident, purpose-driven business where their team delivers results, customers are happy, and they can finally enjoy more time with their family -with a results-based refund guarantee: if you follow the process and it doesn't work, we refund what you paid.This is THE P.A.T.H. to scale your business.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSexecutive coaching, credibility, LinkedIn sales tactics, business owners, CEOs, executive abundance, fast-growing companies, Inc 5000, Marshall Goldsmith 100 coaches, clarity, North Star, customer point of possibilities, CPOP, marketing cookie cutter, business scaling, founders, path to scale, leadership, business strategy, elevator pitch, business clarity, operating system of credibility, business growth, credibility expert, solopreneurs, company purpose, personal compass, decision-making, business differentiation, referral partners, customer focusSPEAKERMitchell Levy, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi and welcome back to five Questions over Coffee. Here is my coffee. Now be careful spill that, it's quite full at the moment. Mitchell. Yeah, well done. It's a Guinness, so well done. Mitchell Levy here is a leading executive coach, a global credibility expert and I'm looking forward to him walking through his process today talking to us a little bit about how he helps get leaders real credibility. So Mitchell, thank you for making a few minutes available to come and speak to us here on It's Not Rocket Science.Stuart Webb [00:01:06]:Five Questions over Coffee.Mitchell Levy [00:01:08]:My pleasure. Thanks for having me Stuart. Really nice to, really nice to engage with you.Stuart Webb [00:01:14]:Well that's terrific. So let's start by trying to understand the sort of person you're reaching out to with helping them with their credibility.Mitchell Levy [00:01:25]:You know it's interesting, I, I have two distinct audiences. So as an executive coach, so I'm part of The Marshall Goldsmith 100 coaches, some of the top executive coaches on the planet. And for that audience it is fast growing CEOs leading the future with executive abundance. Now in if you were in the U.S. i say Inc 5000, which basically is the, the top five, 5,000 fastest growing companies in the U.S. but yeah, since this is Australian, I'll just say fast growing company. So that is one group of one audience. And, and executive abundance is a new framework I'm introducing into the marketplace.Mitchell Levy [00:02:12]:It's been my executive coaching for years. But one of the things you, you asked me in the green room, how you doing? Last week I advanced to candidacy on my PhD program and so I am actually doing a dissertation and then we'll, we'll write a book, do coursework and chatbots on executive abundance.Stuart Webb [00:02:33]:On your Congratulations. Thank you doctor. Not a, not a, not an easy thing to do as I recall. So tell me a little more about sort of the people that you're helping that you've just sort of described. Give us an example of sort of things that they might have tried before and the ways in which you help them.Mitchell Levy [00:02:54]:Well so by the way, let me do the second audience and then you could tell me which one you want me to.Stuart Webb [00:02:59]:Oh, no problem.Mitchell Levy [00:03:00]:So the second audience is business owners escaping slimy LinkedIn sales tactics. Perfect. Perfect. That's exactly what I want to get right. It's, I've been on LinkedIn since before they were making money. Now a couple hundred thousand people could say that, but there's one thing I could say that nobody else in the planet can say and that is I was in the room with two, with two of the five founders And I was commissioned to have written and published the first book on LinkedIn. I've looked at a couple hundred thousand LinkedIn profiles and I have a system and approach that helps people drive one to one business relationships with people on LinkedIn. And I can do it at scale.Mitchell Levy [00:03:43]:And so it's the 5% on LinkedIn functionality that brings 80% of value. So that sort of answers that question for the business owner side. On the executive coaching side, the question is what sort of things, what have they tried before? You know, I think I'm going to generically say something and then you could, you could drill me in if we need to. Life is, and business is really, really simple.Stuart Webb [00:04:14]:It's not easy, right?Mitchell Levy [00:04:17]:And what's not easy about it is the fact that even if you know the answer in your heart, in your head, in your body, you know exactly what to do. There's chaos out there and there's these experts who have what I call marketing cookie cutter approaches. And so in, in your vernacular, there's a wicked problem they have and they're trying to solve it. They're going to go out and talk to a ton of people and they get such a diverse range of answers and then they hit one they like, but they don't hold on to it. And so for those that I work with on executive coaching, the first thing we need to do is establish the clarity, establish the playground they play and establish what I call their cpop, their customer point of possibilities. And that is in less than 10 words, where they're executing on their purpose. That's for the company or for the individual. And once you have that, then you can deploy an operating system of credibility.Mitchell Levy [00:05:23]:But until you have that, it's really hard to make decisions because you need a compass, you need a personal compassion that you can actually live by. You need your own North Star. And, and so that's, in terms of business, we need a North Star and that's, that's where we start. And after that, when I hang out with somebody who's doing executive coaching, I'm just, I'm just helping them understand how they're making decisions in their North Star, how they propagate it throughout the organization. It's, it's always fun to see and everyone's different. Some are really fast, some take a little bit more time, some need to fall down a couple of times so they can get up. But generally speaking, what I do is extremely simple, but apparently it's not so easy.Mitchell Levy [00:06:18]:Let me just try and link those two customer types together. In some way, I think something like LinkedIn requires somebody to have what you've just described in terms of the Northstar, what they're doing and be very clear about what their problem solution is. I see an awful lot of people on LinkedIn just sort of, you know, reaching out quite randomly to people, sending the immediate, why don't we just. Why don't we just cut to the chase? Buy my. Buy my stuff, buy my thing. And I find myself very frustrated by the fact they don't actually have, as you've just described it, a real purpose, a real point of differentiation, a real customer focus behind that message, because they're not able to actually articulate what it is they're actually going to do. So there's a great deal of sort of overlap between those two things that you've described, because business owners, even if they're small, need to have that North Star about what it is they're reaching out to do with LinkedIn and why they need to do it. Am I wrong?Mitchell Levy [00:07:24]:No, no, no. It's, it's a great observation. Thank you for seeing it. It shows a little bit about who you are. It turns out that if I'm working with a CEO with a couple hundred, couple thousand, tens of thousands employees, there's a lot more what to say, politics and vested interest and vested groups in place. When I'm working with a CEO who's a solopreneur, where they've got five or 10 people in their organization, it's a whole lot easier to make change. And so it's a different price point, a lot less expensive for the LinkedIn work. And it turns out that the lessons I learned in both places apply to each other.Mitchell Levy [00:08:14]:I call the LinkedIn guys mini executive abundance, even though I don't necessarily call it to them. In my mind, I, I'm deploying executive abundance at the individual level as well, which is a great way to. So it's, it's technically the same thing, but most of the time I don't, I don't say it that way.Stuart Webb [00:08:33]:Yeah. And thank you for. Thank you for sort of endorsing the fact that I had misunderstood it, because I do think that this idea of executive abundance applies to some smaller businesses. They just don't know it applies. They just don't recognize it in themselves. And I think a lot of business owners probably don't grow because they don't know how to do that. They don't know how to start to let themselves have that abundance. So talk to me a bit, a little bit Mitchell about.Mitchell Levy [00:09:01]:Well, I know you've got a valuable offer that you're going to put. And we've got this, we're going to have this in our vault, which I'm going to show now on screen, which is a www.systemize sys t e m I s e me free stuff. So you'll be able to get hold of some of the stuff that Mitchell is going to talk about there. So Mitchell, talk to me a little bit about the process that you go through. So if people were thinking I need to get and understand this guy a bit more, talk about the process. Talk about how you help them with this abundance as you're talking about.Mitchell Levy [00:09:38]:So we'll practice on you. Stuart, you've demonstrated that I should do that. What, what I ended up doing. And I'll share. This is actually what I do second, but I'm, I'm sharing on screen. Oh, not working at the moment. Looks like I, looks like I have a small problem with my, my screen sharing. So I will not do that.Mitchell Levy [00:10:00]:I ended up interviewing 500 thought leaders on, on credibility. And with those 500, I was able to articulate the definition of credibility, which turns out to be a good operating system. We live by credibility is the quality which we TR light. And it turned out that I unlocked a superpower. My superpower is deploying the framework of clarity. So I sit with any company, any human, help them articulate in less than 10 words where they're executing on their purpose. Now, I call that a C pop. Your customer point of possibilities, that's, that's that north star.Mitchell Levy [00:10:36]:That's the compass we're talking about. And Stuart, let's create that view. I looked at your LinkedIn, looked at your website. There's nothing wrong with it. There's nothing wrong. What I will promise you is that after you hear your C pop, you're going to go, oh, I have to make changes because it's just going to help focus you right. Now let me say something and I'm going to guess right away. I'm going to guess that you're in a 10%.Mitchell Levy [00:11:03]:And I'll tell you what I mean by that. When I share a C pop with somebody, I'm they. We as humans, we vibrate out of frequency. And so what happens is the, the C pop represents in words, the frequency you vibrate at. It's who you are. It's, it makes you feel aligned with who you are. I've done this over 1200 times and in 1200 cases, the person's Feeling aligned. Now here's the scary part.Mitchell Levy [00:11:37]:In 90% of the cases, they will get unaligned between two hours and two weeks because of the chaos and noise out there. I'm going to assume that you're going to be in the 10%. So we'll see next time we talk.Stuart Webb [00:11:49]:Right.Mitchell Levy [00:11:52]:Now, I also will tell you something else. I will give you the formula. It's a secret formula. And I will gift that to you and we'll go through the exercise together. When I was doing the interviews, I created a video and I would share the formula and say, listen, what I found so far. I created the video somewhere around interview 50. And what I said, what I found so far is even when somebody had the formula, only 2% would actually articulate their C pop. Because even with the formula, it's hard because we get stuck on this marketing cookie cutter stuff.Mitchell Levy [00:12:30]:And even after they got the video, they. There was still only 2% of people could walk in. So I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you in the audience the formula and we'll walk through it together. The C pop is less than 10 words, and it's really two components. The first is the who. And I'm gonna go in and ask you the questions. Who do you serve? If we're credible, we're servant leaders.Mitchell Levy [00:12:55]:So who do you serve? And the second piece is from their perspective. What is their pain point? Or what is their pleasure point?Stuart Webb [00:13:04]:Right.Mitchell Levy [00:13:05]:So let me ask you these questions. So who is it that you serve?Stuart Webb [00:13:10]:So I serve a business leader who has a really bright idea but doesn't know how to get that and make it into a positive business reality.Mitchell Levy [00:13:20]:Now, it's funny because you're LinkedIn says founders.Stuart Webb [00:13:26]:That's true. It is true.Mitchell Levy [00:13:28]:So when you think about where 80% of your revenue comes from, is it from corporate businesses and business leaders, or is it from founders? Or who. Who is it?Stuart Webb [00:13:38]:It's 80% comes from founders.Mitchell Levy [00:13:41]:Okay, so good thing I looked at your LinkedIn. All right, so from the. I think you said it, but I'm going to ask you both pain and pleasure, what's their primary pain point?Stuart Webb [00:13:58]:They have no ability or starting point to make that business strategy or business idea an actual reality in the marketplace. They are unable to articulate, possibly even to themselves, where they start to go from. This would be brilliant to. It is there and it's making me money.Mitchell Levy [00:14:29]:So you're talking about really founders, pre revenue founders.Stuart Webb [00:14:34]:Now, a lot of the people that I deal with are. They've already Got a product, but they've got one product. They need two because they want to scale. And the problem they have is I've got a great idea for my second product, but the way I did it first, but now I've got a small team, it doesn't work the second time.Mitchell Levy [00:14:57]:Interesting. Okay, so they, they have money because they've, they've been able to get something in the marketplace, but now they want to scale. Either scale what they're doing or scale into another product.Stuart Webb [00:15:14]:Essentially, yes.Mitchell Levy [00:15:16]:Oh, oh, Tell me how to get it wrong. Tell me what you got.Stuart Webb [00:15:20]:No, no, no, you're absolutely right by saying essentially, yes. The only other thing that I would add into that is there are. There are sometimes businesses who have managed to get that second product, but it's now tanking because they have got all the wrong. They're trying to do it the way they did it before, and therefore, you know, the, the mechanisms they're using are wrong for where they are because they're now a bigger company. You were talking about politics. They're now sort of saying, it's got to be done by other people, but it's got to be done my way, in the way that I started this. And that just doesn't work if they start instructing in that way. Whilst we're doing this.Mitchell Levy [00:15:55]:While we're doing this, Mitchell, I know you're just doing a bit of typing, such like, I'd invite anybody. If anybody's hearing this and thinking to themselves, I need to make comments or I need to actually sort of, you know, leap in. At this point, Mitchell and I will be monitoring the comments on LinkedIn after this. So if you've got questions or if you're looking at this and thinking, I want somebody to talk to me about this, post your questions there. I can guarantee Mitchell will get onto that and we'll answer your questions because he's that sort of guy.Mitchell Levy [00:16:22]:Thank you, Will. Interesting. Okay, give me a pleasure point, not a pleasure point of working with you, but we'll just fast forward to a period of time after they've had a chance to spend time with you. How are they feeling? What are they doing? What. What makes sense to them?Mitchell Levy [00:16:41]:Let me give you a very real example of that. Working with a company, the founders needed to start to scale something. We turned their service that was poorly defined couldn't be delivered because they couldn't really articulate it. It's now much more of a sort of defined product idea, although it's still a service, but it's got a Logo. It's got a description, it's got a series of processes which their staff can operate, and they're selling that multiple times per week. And it's now. It's now. Then they're now proud of it.Mitchell Levy [00:17:18]:They're now saying, I'll use the name of it. They're now saying, threat sure is a great product. It was a great idea, and now it's something which is actually making us money. And customers love it.Mitchell Levy [00:17:32]:Cool. Nice. Okay, thank you. So yours is easy.Mitchell Levy [00:17:42]:I don't want it to be easy, Mitchell.Mitchell Levy [00:17:44]:Let me rephrase that. Yours was really simple. And it was only after I started talking to you to see who I was seeing this morning that I. Because, remember, we talked in the green room. Should we do this live? And sometimes there's a lot of marketing, cookie cutter stuff that gets in the way, but everything you said reinforced. Wait, let me count the words. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 words. Would you be happy if you could describe yourself?Mitchell Levy [00:18:11]:Wow. Okay, that is now. I will say now. This is where people. If you are watching this live and if you are going to go onto LinkedIn, you need six words. I have never been able to articulate this in six years. Six words. I can articulate it in two or three hours if you ask me to.Mitchell Levy [00:18:26]:But six words, that's impressive.Mitchell Levy [00:18:28]:So let me. Let me say that. Or just say less than 10.Stuart Webb [00:18:34]:Right?Mitchell Levy [00:18:34]:Because if you. If you think about it, and, and this is. This is for people paying attention. When you asked me my two audiences, I gave you my seat, my two C pops. C POP stands for customer Pointed Possibilities. So my executive coaching is nine words. Inc. 5000 CEOs leading the future with executive abundance.Mitchell Levy [00:18:55]:The goal when you share your CPOP is that the referral partner or the prospect says, oh, tell me more, Mitchell, what's this executive abundance thing?Stuart Webb [00:19:02]:Right? Or.Mitchell Levy [00:19:04]:Or the other one when I'm talking to a business owner. By the way, Stuart, you're a business owner, right? So when I talk to your founders or business owners, When I talk to business owners, it's business owners escaping slimy LinkedIn sales tactics. And I either get the laugh that you gave before or the visual reaction because you just remember being slimed recently.Mitchell Levy [00:19:23]:Yeah. Yeah.Mitchell Levy [00:19:24]:In either case, the goal when I share those words or is to paint a compass, to paint a. A playground that I plan. And then when I answer what comes next, I get more credibility because I've been so finite in terms of the playground. So in your particular case, your playground is six words. And I'm Putting it in chat, because I'm a visual person, so you could see it as well. But I'll share it out loud. Founders needing a path to scale.Mitchell Levy [00:20:01]:Brilliant.Stuart Webb [00:20:02]:Right?Mitchell Levy [00:20:03]:And so, by the way, once again, anybody who is watching this, that is such a brilliant summary. I could not. I couldn't have done. I couldn't have done that without Mitchell's help. But that is a fabulous summary.Mitchell Levy [00:20:18]:I'm going to say thank you. And it's. By the way, it's you. Because, by the way, although what happened, you're marketing cookie cutter stuff, which I'm glad I looked at your LinkedIn. You said the word founders, and that seemed important to me, so I had to ask you, where does 80% of revenue come from? Yeah, right. And it's. But other than that, everything you said reinforced. And you already have this on your LinkedIn.Mitchell Levy [00:20:46]:You have a couple other things which I might encourage you to remove. But everything you said reinforced. Having a path to scale. Even the pleasure point was talking about a path to scale.Stuart Webb [00:20:59]:Right.Mitchell Levy [00:20:59]:And so when you now have these six words, and by the way, what I was typing in on the back end is, I have a Mitchell Levy chatbot, and I said, if this is your C pop, what could the acronym path stand for? And I'm putting it in chat. We don't have to talk about it, but this is just my gift for you. You know, path could stand for, you know, basically, purpose, action. Ooh, team, and. And. And harmony. Sorry, I. It didn't cut.Mitchell Levy [00:21:37]:It didn't cut and paste really well. And then it talks about what. That what stuff is. But. But I think. I think the way to think about it for you is, is when you share with somebody. Let me do your. Tell me more, if you don't mind.Stuart Webb [00:21:54]:I'll.Mitchell Levy [00:21:54]:I'll do it. Because we're recorded. Right, so. And now a superpower I have is the ability to do this. It's a formula, and I've just done it over 1200 times, so it's easy. I'm happy for people to grab it. It's the who and the what. Who in the what comes before why.Stuart Webb [00:22:12]:Right.Mitchell Levy [00:22:12]:Just to be clear. Comes before Simon Sinexy. Who in the what comes first? It's a C Pop. And a ancillary superpower is if I know somebody C Pop most of the time, I could do their tell me more better than them until they feel good about it. So let me tell you, Stuart, what I mean by this. When in the future, when you share your cpop now, if somebody says to you, hey, what's your cpop? Now, maybe a couple hundred thousand people know this word, so most likely they're gonna say, who are you?Stuart Webb [00:22:45]:Right?Mitchell Levy [00:22:46]:What do you do? Who are you? And in that particular case, you need to put a.Stuart Webb [00:22:51]:A.Mitchell Levy [00:22:51]:A hook up front. The hook is, hey, there's an audience I spend a lot of time with, or there's an audience I do really well with, or my clients all get success in a certain area.Stuart Webb [00:23:01]:Right.Mitchell Levy [00:23:02]:Whatever the hook is. Then you do a pause, and then you say, founders needing a path to scale. Then you drop the mic, and then you may say something. Oh, let me tell you a little bit more. Listen, I work with a series of founders. A lot of times they've already put their first product out there. They've already been successful, and they need to scale. They need to get to the next level, and they get stuck.Mitchell Levy [00:23:29]:They either don't know how to move forward or they've already moved forward, but they've deployed what worked in the first product to the second, and it doesn't work. What I do is help them lay out the path that will allow them scale going forward.Mitchell Levy [00:23:45]:Mitchell, that is the best way I have ever heard somebody describe what is effectively an elevator pitch. You'd have heard elevator pitch. And they're all. They're all very difficult for people to do, and most of the time, they're not very good. So I'm not going to say that, because there are a lot of people on here will be offended by that. But that.Mitchell Levy [00:24:04]:Oh, I'm gonna say it. I'm gonna say to you and everyone else, if you've memorized an elevator pitch, please forget it.Mitchell Levy [00:24:13]:Yes.Stuart Webb [00:24:15]:Right, stop.Mitchell Levy [00:24:15]:Now.Mitchell Levy [00:24:16]:It comes from here. Your elevator pitch comes from your head. And your goal when you talk to somebody is you want them to feel the energy inside. You want them to feel your heart. So memorize the six words or nine words or three. A couple people have three words, right? So memorize your C Pop. But you won't have to memorize it. It's your.Mitchell Levy [00:24:38]:It's your vibrational energy. And then your.Stuart Webb [00:24:40]:Your.Mitchell Levy [00:24:41]:What would have been your elevated pitch is more the tell me more. Which you custom tailor to the person you're talking to.Stuart Webb [00:24:47]:Yeah, absolutely. I love what you're saying. Look, Mitchell, I could keep you here for another couple of hours, but I have a feeling you have important business to go and speak to other people who need this. Once again, I'm going to invite anybody listening live or in future, when you see this, drop comments into the comments Below, Mitchell, I know, will come back, give you some very, very good advice to try and get this sort of thing into your life, because we need more clarity. I am, as Mitchell has probably managed to sort of convince me. I spend a lot of my time with people who haven't got the clarity they need. And it is always difficult to get that clarity because in their own head, they're trying to rationalize, they're trying to sort of apply a set of rules. You know, they've done all the courses, they've read all the books, they've.Mitchell Levy [00:25:43]:They've been out and seen all the YouTube videos, and somehow that's actually created less clarity than if they just sat down and did a very simple exercise like Mitchell is doing here. So drop your questions, drop your comments. I know we can get some clarity back in the world. But Mitchell, how did you get to this? Where did you come from that this became your mission in life?Mitchell Levy [00:26:07]:It's really interesting, I think, what happened because of time. I'll try to do this super quick. My undergraduate was a Bachelor of Science in Stochastic and Deterministic Models of Operational Research. In essence, I was taught how to model. Well, as long as I could say the words and the syllables come out of my mouth, I'm still happy. And one day I won't be able to do that anymore, right?Mitchell Levy [00:26:34]:So.Mitchell Levy [00:26:36]:But I was taught how to model people and systems and improve them. And what I learned then I got an MBA, and as I mentioned previously, I'm doing the PhD thing, right? So what. What I learned was, although I only speak English and it's American English, and so it's bad English, I don't speak those multiple languages. I do speak multiple languages of functions, you know, so marketing. Funny. Marketing, talking to sales, talking to engineers. I mean, it's just, whoever you are, I could speak your language because I'm feeling the energy of what does it mean to be who you are? And then it was in 2019 that I went on a Napoleon Hill journey And I interviewed 500 thought leaders on credibility between 2019 and 2020. And so I.Mitchell Levy [00:27:27]:It turns out I asked everyone five questions. And the first question that just sort of magically appeared to me is, what's your C Pop? That's the first thing I wanted to. I wanted to learn from people. And. And it took me a couple years, post the interviews, post the TED Talk, post the book that I wrote on it. By the way, I've written 65 books. My 66 is the most important. It's the one I'm writing now called Executive Abundance.Mitchell Levy [00:27:57]:It took a number of years afterwards to really understand. As a matter of fact, what happened is I went to the Purpose Summit. Now, when you go to a summit called the Purpose Summit, you got a lot of people talking about purpose, bringing purpose into corporations, what people's purpose are. And, you know, everyone had a different definition and it meant many different things to different people. And at some point in time, I thought the C pop had to do with purpose. But as it turns out, the C pop is where one is executing on their purpose today.Stuart Webb [00:28:30]:Yeah, brilliant, right?Mitchell Levy [00:28:32]:And I'm like, oh, my God. And then once that started happening, and then. I'll give you one last. One last thing. It was about seven months ago, eight months ago. So, by the way, if you haven't figured this out, being credible means you're always learning, you're always growing, you're always coachable.Stuart Webb [00:28:47]:Right?Mitchell Levy [00:28:49]:About seven, eight months ago, I realized something, and this put everything into perspective. I've known this my entire life. I've been in Silicon Valley, started 20 companies, and sat on the board of a public firm.Mitchell Levy [00:29:01]:And.Mitchell Levy [00:29:01]:And I've known this my whole entire life, but have not ever executed on it until about seven or eight months ago. Sell them what they want, deliver what they need.Stuart Webb [00:29:13]:Yeah, brilliant.Mitchell Levy [00:29:14]:So let me. I'll just finish that. So what's interesting is I ended up spending five and a half years of my life focused on what people need. Clarity and credibility are what people need. It's not what they want. So you sell them something else, but behind the scenes. So I'll make a. I'll make an offer for you.Mitchell Levy [00:29:31]:And listen, there are many people who actually sell clarity, and they could still use the CPOP and what they work. So I do, once a month, I do a clarity session. Have your clients come with your client to one of my clarity sessions. Have them get their CPOP and then do your thing and do your magic, right? And. And it's. It's the. It's the partnership thing that we've been taught not to spend time on and not to focus on. But, you know, if you can bring your client to get a C pop.Mitchell Levy [00:30:03]:And. And then all of a sudden, everything you do from then out in is so much easier. You know, just an offer, if that's interesting here.Mitchell Levy [00:30:12]:Brilliant. Mitchell, I am very aware that there must be a question that you are waiting for that you are begging me to ask, but I haven't yet asked, and I am obviously unable to articulate that question because I don't know what it is. So what's the question you think I should have by now asked? And then clearly you're gonna have to answer it because I haven't yet thought about.Mitchell Levy [00:30:35]:You know, that's always my favorite. That's my favorite question.Mitchell Levy [00:30:39]:It's the one. It's one I like best because I don't have to do any work for that one.Mitchell Levy [00:30:43]:Yeah, you know, I didn't really, given I'm looking at the time, I didn't really have anything. I guess the. Probably the biggest question is it's along the lines of, Mitchell, what you did with Stuart was so simple and so straightforward and so quick. Why is it that Stuart didn't already know that? Or why? Why? If you say you've done this 1200 times and every time they've had the same reaction with Stuart, how come you're not known universally around the world? That would probably be the answer.Mitchell Levy [00:31:30]:And the answer.Mitchell Levy [00:31:32]:I'm still, I'm still grokking. I'm still trying to grok all that.Stuart Webb [00:31:35]:Right.Mitchell Levy [00:31:35]:Still trying to figure that out. The, the. A lot of the answers. There are many people who, who focus on clarity and focus on credibility and, and I think ultimately it's the best way I could think about it now. It really is what people need, but not exactly what they want. What I found is that 90% of. Of. Of people, or let's even go down to the C pop level, 98 of people don't know their C pop.Mitchell Levy [00:32:14]:And if you ask them if they have clarity, they're either going to say yes or they're going to say, I don't care, I don't need it. But 98% of people, 98% of the audience has figured out that. That understanding where they're executing their purpose in less than 10 words is not important to them yet. And so it's hard to imagine that you could sit with somebody and they could look at you and they could. They could actually present a summarized version of how you're showing up in the world so quickly. And, you know, there are people who watch us who would think it's staged, that we did it ahead of time.Stuart Webb [00:33:00]:Right.Mitchell Levy [00:33:01]:And it's not. So. But the answer, I don't. I don't know exactly. I just know that when I talk to somebody, whether it's a CEO of a large company, if, if you're my client, I'm going to stick with you and you're going to play in your playground.Stuart Webb [00:33:15]:Right.Mitchell Levy [00:33:16]:But if you're somebody who I'm just Sort of giving a gift to or you're. You've paid me to be in my clarity session. The it, it's so easy to get off track. It's so easy to get out of alignment that people often do. And they go, yeah, it was good talking to Mitchell for a period of time, but I didn't do anything with it. Right when and, and what I'll say to you is last week was also, it was a great gift. It's when I advanced a candidacy for the PhD. I also had a woman join me and apparently I had talked to her three years, three years earlier.Mitchell Levy [00:33:56]:And the first words out of my mouth, out of her mouth was, Mitchell, I've been thinking about you for the last three years. Which is one of those things that are really, you know, you know, how do I interpret that? And she goes, I was about ready to enter an extremely difficult chapter of my life. And what you gave me, that C pop was the best gift I've ever received in my life because it allowed me to actually pull myself out of that chapter to focus on my business. And I've served 259 clients over a five year period. Most of those came after year two because that's when you and I spoke. And I am just so honored to have spent time with you. That's an example of somebody who heard it, understood it and used it. And I did.Mitchell Levy [00:34:54]:I challenge anyone. If you get your C pop and I'm someone who supports you or where you could take the formula in the 2% and you can make it work for you, I'm going to encourage you to live it and see what happens. I guarantee that your life will be different.Stuart Webb [00:35:10]:Mitchell, that is a brilliant story to end on. I've got nothing very much else to say. I'm going to ask people if they would just go to this link www.systemize.me subscribe. You need to go to that link because that link is a link to a form which will allow me to send you an email and you will then get an email once a week when we have brilliant guests like Mitchell on. And you can just sit and learn from people like Mitchell because they are worth listening to. Mitchell, you have been an inspiration. I have got some words to add to my LinkedIn profile, but better than that, I've got some living to do now because I have now got a challenge from you to live up to something that you have set down as a standard for me. I cannot believe what you do and you should be world famous and I'm going to try and make it so.Stuart Webb [00:36:05]:Mitchell, thank you so much for spending a few minutes with us. I really appreciate it.Mitchell Levy [00:36:09]:Oh, Stuart, my. My pleasure. I. I look forward to whatever our next conversation and seeing who you are the next time I have a conversation with you.Stuart Webb [00:36:19]:Terrific. Thank you. Mitchell. Mitchell, that. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

There is a storm coming with the challenges of navigating the TRUSTEE CRISIS. It is one of the biggest blind spots in the “GREAT WEALTH TRANSFER” and will be the source of mountains of litigation for the unwary, https://youtu.be/hwQev88A03M Summary In this conversation, Frazer Rice and Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey discuss the current crisis in trusteeship, highlighting the shortage of qualified trustees amidst a significant wealth transfer. They explore the importance of modern trust planning, the challenges faced by individual trustees, and the need for better education and training in the field. The discussion also covers the emotional and interpersonal aspects of trusteeship, the functions and responsibilities of trustees, and the necessity of managing risk effectively. They emphasize the importance of building a pipeline for future trustees and improving the perception of the profession, while also identifying opportunities within the trust industry. https://open.spotify.com/episode/4qpkrVdaUa2AfDxgl7j3yN?si=XVgG3jE_Qpqq2JTqi8XLXQ Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠) Takeaways The coming crisis in trusteeship is already here. There is a significant shortage of qualified trustees. Trusteeship requires strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Managing risk is a fundamental aspect of trusteeship. Trustees critically need education and training. The role of a trustee is evolving with increasing complexity. Beneficiaries need to understand their rights and the trustee’s role. Custodial responsibilities are essential for asset protection. There are many opportunities for growth in the trust industry. Trust law and investment management are distinct fields. This Episode is for . . . Anyone that has an estate plan with a trust in it and doesn't know what a trustee does Any advisor who works w/ multi-generational situations (that’s everybody in wealth management) Any RIA looking to sell Financial types worried about compliance world Fiduciary litigators Chapters of “THE TRUSTEE CRISIS: Navigating the Challenges” 00:00 The Coming Crisis in Trusteeship 02:06 Importance of Modern Trust Planning 04:11 Challenges with Individual Trustees 08:03 The Dwindling Pool of Qualified Trustees 10:06 Functions and Responsibilities of a Trustee 12:20 The Emotional and Interpersonal Aspects of Trusteeship 16:05 Managing Risk in Trusteeship 19:07 Building a Pipeline for Future Trustees 22:10 The Role of Education in Trusteeship 25:07 Improving the Perception of Trusteeship 28:19 The Need for Better Trust Education 30:39 Bifurcation of Trustee Functions 33:26 Distribution Functions and Beneficiary Relations 36:52 Custodial Responsibilities in Trusteeship 40:19 Consequences of Poor Asset Management 46:41 Curriculum for Trustee Education 52:13 Opportunities in the Trust Industry Transcript of “THE TRUSTEE CRISIS: Navigating the Challenges” Frazer Rice (00:01.068)Welcome aboard, Jennifer. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (00:02.723)Thanks Frazer, how are you today? Frazer Rice (00:04.782)I am doing great. We’re going to dive into a topic that is near and dear to both of our hearts. And that is what I’m describing as the coming crisis in trusteeship, but I think it’s already here. Which is the concept of qualified trustees being in short supply, right in the face of a gigantic wealth transfer. And first of all, before we get into that, just describe what you do on a day to day basis first. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (00:33.445)Sure, I actually wear a bunch of hats. Day to day, right now, I’m a full-time practicing trust and estate attorney. I’m also an individual trustee for a variety of trusts that need either somebody here physically located in Delaware for a short period of time or even a successor trustee. But I’ve also spent many, many years building programs in trust management and trust administration. Because there is this crisis of human capital that just does not exist. I built multiple programs. They’re housed out of the University of Delaware. So I act as a trust and estate attorney, do planning, administration, I teach in the area, I build programs in the area, and I serve as a trustee. PEAK TRUST MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE Frazer Rice (01:23.182)A full plate to be sure. To me, I came out of Wilmington Trust and another trust company served an individual trustee too. I’ve seen all these different flavors of trusteeship. My general sort of bon mot around that is that the individual trustees. I’d say 95 % or higher don’t really have an appreciation of the risk and responsibility that they’re taking on. And then the corporates have their own issues, which we’ll get into in a little bit. If we pull back even further, modern trust planning in wealth management, why is this so important? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (02:06.275)That’s massively important. It’s not just for the mass affluent or the ultra high net worth. It’s for everybody. We have all of these assets that we have this hyperfocus on building and increasing our wealth. Making sure that we have the ability to sustain ourselves throughout our entire lives. But if we don’t do this type of planning, if we don’t have structures and implementation for when we die, then our assets that we’ve planned so diligently for will fall off of a cliff. We lose the ability to control ultimately what happens to those assets. Layered on top of that, of course, is the tax component for ultra high net worth folks who are trying to really focus and direct their assets to make and create generational wealth transfers. Without this type of functionality and wealth planning and estate planning long-term, people lose control of what they’ve spent so much time building. Frazer Rice (03:13.338)One of the things I tell people as far as trusts are concerned is that, you know, we’re putting these structures together. They’re durable enough to withstand taxation or creditors or other asset protection features, create some guidelines around distributing the assets to the next generation or other constituencies. But also have some flexibility to be able to deal with the things we can’t look into the crystal ball and figure out over time. And that those three things just putting a document together that tries to do all that is hard enough, but then to put it in the hands of somebody or something to administer and to exercise discretion around it. That’s where the real art and science kind of stitched together and create this issue. You know, as we think about that too, the idea, the history of these types of scenarios kind of goes back to, you know, you’d put a structure in place and then you’d go hire a bank and they’d take care of everything. How do you look at that and say, all right, we’ve gone well past banks to individuals and then to dedicated institutions. What is the problem there? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (04:22.956)Now the problem, there’s two problems. In my opinion, what I see is that, you know, your individual trustee by and large is Uncle Joe, right? He’s the guy that everybody goes to in the family. The responsible one. He’s the smart one. The wealthy one who, great, doesn’t know what the fiduciary duties are. He doesn’t know that he has a duty of impartiality. He doesn’t know that… Frazer Rice (04:32.419)Right. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (04:48.475)He can’t self deal unless the instrument says so. Doesn’t understand how the instrument works. He doesn’t understand the nuance and the legalese written into the instrument. But he’s flying by the seat of his pants and everybody looks to him as the respected one in the family. No one knows that they have the ability to challenge him. So with your individual run of the mill trustee named in the instrument, they just don’t have the expertise, they don’t have the technical knowledge. Don’t know what they don’t know. They can get into trouble in that way. The other problem that you have with professional individual trustees oftentimes is that they are not formally trained. They may be an attorney who is working in that area, who’s doing plans for people who may or may not know what the full scope of being a trustee is. They may not realize, I have to get a special insurance policy because my malpractice insurance policy doesn’t actually cover this type of fiduciary engagement. There’s a lot of landmines that individuals can run into when they’re doing this type of work. On the corporate side, the problems that we run into is that there’s just a complete and utter lack. Frazer Rice (05:50.061)Hmm. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (06:12.059)Of available educational programs to teach people the proper way to be able to understand trusteeship. It has always been, and it just has developed over time through, you know, oh, we’ll give it to the bank, the bank will do it. This apprenticeship model, and that just does not scale well because if you learn improperly at the edge of a desk from somebody that learned improperly at the edge of the desk. Then the person that you’re teaching now at the edge of the desk is learning what you learned improperly. So anecdotally, I did karate for a long, long time. And the man who taught me karate, I’m almost a secondary black belt to like, was serious in karate. And the man who taught me karate said, you practice, it makes permanent. Don’t practice wrong. Because when you’re practicing wrong, you’re making permanent wrong things. And that’s what the apprenticeship model has the risk of lending itself to. It’s not that every trustee that learns at the edge of the desk learns wrong, but the risk is too high because the fiduciary responsibilities and the duties are too high to run that risk. The other problem is that we have a dwindling pool of really qualified senior trust officers because of just the nature of the job. You’re a human being, you’re an individual, you age, you retire. And it’s not something that people go to school and say, when I grow up, I want to be a trustee. They fall into it sideways. And unless there are academic programs that are out there that people are aware of and that they can get some formal training, some formal education to enter into the field. Frazer Rice (07:49.742)Yeah Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (08:03.82)Separate and distinct from, I’m in the field and now I want to get a CTFA. I want to earn my certification to really show that I have the chops in this area. We have this shrinking pool of expertise. We have a lack of knowledge, a lack of formal education, and an apprenticeship model that doesn’t scale. On top of, with the individual side and the corporate side, this massive wealth transfer and an explosion of trust complexity that’s all taking place at the same time. Frazer Rice (08:31.918)One of the issues at the corporate level too is that as you say that the impregnance model is not necessarily the best way to do it. They’re cutting back on training programs. The business model around being a trustee or even a specific trustee does not make the big money. And so the ability for those types of institutions to develop the people.who ultimately are now in a very sort of pro-employee environment where there’s such a demand for trustees that they can kind of switch around and get a 10 or 20 % bump each time they go because people are desperate to have them. There’s a real cavern there to try to create the permanence that you’re looking for in a structure that really rewards consistency over time, especially as it relates to discretion and process of decision-making. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (09:23.15)Yeah, that’s exactly right. And that leads to this revolving door in the industry, because people are just trying to make more money and they’re going and bouncing to different trust companies. And there isn’t that backfill. Just because it’s a trust company and there’s policies and procedures, trusteeship is about relationships that you make with your beneficiaries, the relationships that you develop with multiple generations in a family. And when you have somebody that’s acting and serving in that and they move, they leave, they’re no longer acting and serving in that capacity, a new personality comes into the mix and it can really be disruptive. So having that consistency and minimizing the attrition is so valuable. Frazer Rice (10:06.766)The other thing I try to bring up, especially to individual trustees, is that the thing that you’re signing up for is probably going to look a lot different in five or 10 or 15 years when people are aged on, they remarry, they have kids, etc. That the conditions are a lot different than what they were before. And it’s going to be difficult to take on a structure that has eight people when before there were two. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (10:37.517)Yes, and that’s that complexity, that increased sophistication and complexity of trust structures that are available now to people. With the increase in the exemption, these trust structures, they’re not necessarily changed. For example, qualified personal residence trust, if people really need that anymore, but there’s a ton of them sitting around there. Are trustees properly administering it? Did you actually transfer the real estate into the trust at the time? So there’s all kinds of sophisticated structures that the trustees may or may not have the right skills. But they’re saddled with having to do it. Frazer Rice (11:19.47)Let’s take a step back and just talk about the functions of a trustee for a second. I break them down basically into three. Which is the first one. You have to administer the trust, meaning you have to dot the I’s, cross the T’s, make sure things get executed, tax returns are filed, statements get sent out to the extent that that happens, and that the administration of a structure like that occurs. Then I talk about the concept that the investments have to be made monitored moved around decided and that they’re appropriate for all classes of beneficiary that are in there and then the distribution function which is The assets have to be distributed according to the law. First the trust then maybe the intent or the law if everything is silent and that those three things are very different components and that it’s tough to find somebody who’s great at all three housed within one brain. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (12:20.217)Yeah, I agree with that 100%. It is a three legged stool. It’s the investments, the administration and the distributions. And in that administration umbrella in and of itself, there’s a tremendous amount of work that sort of goes unsung. know, it’s not the sexy stuff where you’re investing and making a bunch of money for your income beneficiaries and managing to preserve the corpus for your principal or your remainder beneficiaries. And it’s certainly not the personal interaction that you’re doing with your beneficiary day to day. Making distributions, helping them, seeing the product of that help. It’s the making sure you file ax returns are properly. Understanding how to read that tax return. Even if you’re not preparing it, making a proper selection on the accountant that you’re using to prepare those tax returns if you’re not preparing it. Make sure to set up statements properly, make sure that in this world of silent trust documents that you’re not sending a statement to somebody who’s not supposed to have it. Communicating with beneficiaries on an even keel. Making sure that you’re not inadvertently violating your duty of impartiality because it’s more than just a substantive duty, there’s a procedural duty as well. That’s really, really challenging to find within one human being, let alone add on top of it somebody who’s financially savvy enough to understand investments and all of the different complex investment tools that are out there, as well as having the personality and the interpersonal skills to keep beneficiaries engaged and happy. Frazer Rice (13:56.426)Just on top of that, the EQ, the bedside manner, and the ability to simplify the complex, et cetera. At the same time, that dedicated note taker that is able to document everything that happens within a decision. Whether distribution or investment or otherwise, that it’s just two different people most times. I find that something falls apart as time goes on. Ultimately if things aren’t laid out correctly, that’s when conflict starts to simmer. Then you know if there is something that’s wrong. That’s allowed to compound that’s where you get into a huge problem later on. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (14:36.922)It’s all that feeling. People are behaving in ways that they may or may not be able to articulate their emotional proximity to. When you’re talking with beneficiaries. There’s something simmering under the surface that you inherited because you’re a trustee. You may not even be aware of it because the beneficiaries may not even be able to articulate it. You have to have a certain sense. A gut check of feelings of rntuitively being able to read what’s going on under the surface. To pull it out of people in a very balanced and even keel way. It’s not an easy job by any stretch of the imagination. On top of financial literacy and personal liability and executive functioning skills, being detail oriented, making sure your documentation is not overly explicit. isn’t, you know, scarce. You’re now wondering how and why did you make those decisions? People don’t think about the decisions that they make on a day to day basis. We don’t think in a way to articulate why I made this decision. Why I exercised this type of judgment. And that’s what we’re being asked to do as trustees is to document what is my decision making process? Why am I making the decision? What are my factors involved in making that decision in a way that’s defensible. If we ever need to defend it. Frazer Rice (16:05.292)Well, in favoring one class of people over another is usually where the rubber hits the road on this. People who are used to seeing the income from a trust and don’t want that touched come hell or high water. Then future beneficiaries who’d like to see the trust go from X to 2X to 5X. So that they have something larger to enjoy. You have a natural tension that you have to manage. It’s just not easy. If you don’t document the hows and whys of what you’re doing, you set yourself up for a problem. From one class or another looking at you saying, you you should have done it differently. To go back to that liability component. You’re the only one who sits in the chair of having made that decision. You’re the one with the bullseye on your back when it’s called to account. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (16:53.093)That’s right, that is exactly right. And now add on top of it, you’re just named because you’re Uncle Joe and everybody goes to Uncle Joe. You have no technical background and you just don’t know the landmines that are there. You don’t know what you don’t know. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were able to create a pipeline of really sophisticated entry level employees or folks that are, you know sophisticated in financial literacy that now want to take the job to become trustees, that we were able to give them this technical roadmap for what the job actually is and then have them get the ability to apprentice on all of those policies and procedures. What does this corporation do? How do we document things? When you’re trying to learn it all at one time, it’s like drinking from a fire hose. Let’s give people the ability to really have a chance at doing it successfully. Frazer Rice (17:53.048)So let’s dive into that pipeline issue for a second. We already diagnosed that the, let’s call it the trust companies or the banks are, they’re just not resourced enough. They can’t run people through an internal school to do it quote unquote correctly. The apprentice model really kicks in. Which means you’re at the sort of mercy of what people are good at, not good at, et cetera. People turn over quickly so that apprenticeship doesn’t even work anymore. The RIAs I think are the worst place to learn about this type of thing. They have a completely different modus operandi as far as keeping clients happy. The word fiduciary means something so different to them than it does to an actual trustee. I wouldn’t feel good about the training on that front to sort of create trustees And then so law schools. They’re they’re just trying to create people the trust in the states vertical as a general matter. Let alone trying to delineate into a trustee situation. You’re putting the pipeline together and you put these programs together. How do you stitch together the needs and what does that manifest itself into? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (19:07.642)So that’s a really, really good question. I think that the very first place that we start with answering that question is advising on a trust as an attorney. It’s different from the administration of a trust and the skills that you need for that. So when you create a program like this where you’re trying to teach about trust management. You have to start with the technical skill. The legal side of what is it that we’re even doing? What is a trust? What are the fiduciary duties? Where do they come from? Then we have to, after we teach or create a structure or foundation on what the legality is. Now we go into how does this translate into administration? So when I created the programs, I looked at what’s the law they need to know? What is the level of sophistication of the student? And what do I need to, from a foundational perspective, teach first? What are the building blocks? And then how do I translate that into administration? The one thing that I have found is trust law does not equal investment management. So if people are coming along… Frazer Rice (20:26.254)No question. I’m nodding audibly at that comment. I like that. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (20:31.226)Your fiduciary duties as a trustee are fundamentally different than those of an RIA, where some RIAs are not even fiduciaries by law. They’re not. So being able to delineate and explain where that line is, what makes you a fiduciary, what are those duties, after you know the legal basics. And taught to you at a level that you can understand. I don’t expect everybody to be a lawyer. And people have asked me time and time again, do I need to be a lawyer to know this? No, you don’t need to be a lawyer because you’re not advising on the law. You’re advising on the administration of a legal structure and how that administration affects the fiduciary duties that are inherent in the relationship. Then how those fiduciary duties are translated out to the beneficiary. That’s the way that I’ve always built these programs. Where do I start? Start with the law. Where do I go from there? Start with how the administration translates the law. And then how does that administration get heard by the beneficiary? Where does the RIA come into the mix? The RIA should not be dabbling in advising on trusts. They should know that they need to bring in somebody who has this particular skill. And if they’re not doing that, they’re doing the client a disservice by trying to give one-stop shop advice. Frazer Rice (22:06.85)Yep, no question about it. One of the things that…we delve into the world of trusts and their function, et cetera, is that you’re dealing with an ecosystem from client to outside advisor, whether RIA or even accountant, et cetera, that they’re looking for certainty and airtight. quality to these structures that you put them in place and then everything runs like a clock going forward. When in actuality, I think there is a bandwidth of risk around everything. And so it’s the poor trust officer or individual trustee who sometimes has to be the bearer of bad news to say, yeah, you know, I think this is going to work 98 % of the time, but there’s a 2 % problem here or we’ve got this to fix or something like that and everybody else sort of sighs with disappointment and gets mad at the administrative function when in actuality they’re really doing their job and trying to, you know, keep a lot of things that are spinning out of control kind of within view. How do you get a trust officer or that administrative function or even the full trustee function to be comfortable with that risk and everything that’s involved with that? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (23:20.504)You have to start with explaining that there is risk and we’re not our job is not as a trustee to eliminate risk. Our job is to manage and identify risk. It is inherent in the job. There is going to be risk. No matter what you do, you cannot divorce risk from trusteeship. It’s a matter of identifying perceived risk and actual risk. And if you can teach that, if you can teach These are the things that are going to trigger a likely outcome. They’re gonna trigger a likely risk. Then you can essentially, you can’t foresee everything. I mean, there are things that are just gonna happen. But in a trust instrument, you’ve got contingency plan upon contingency plan upon contingency plan. That’s what the flexibility of those structures are building. We need to, as trustees, be able to recognize What is the risk with contingency plan A? The risk with B? What is the risk with C? How can we minimize the risk? And how can we make sure that we’re managing perception of risk versus actual risk? Frazer Rice (24:29.31)as someone who’s been in trust companies, advised trust companies, advised trustees, and advised clients, the lack of appreciation for the management of that risk and that that as the intersection of the business model of trusteeship and risk management and use of discretion and making hard decisions and even kind of an insurance quality around these structures, how do you fix that, where people place a level of respect on the job that I think is completely lacking in the wealth management ecosystem? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (25:09.089)Absolutely. It’s a tough one to answer. How do you fix it? First and foremost, I think that it’s a top-down fix, especially at a corporate trust company, a bank, and even an independent trust company that’s not affiliated with a bank. The management has to… really understand the function of the trust company. For so long, it’s been just an extra service that we provide and and we’ll do this, the back office trust company. It’s really, really important that the management recognizes what the functionality of the trust company is and stops treating it as sort of a back office stepchild. From the corporate level, I think that’s the very first place we start. Frazer Rice (25:38.478)Mm-hmm. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (25:57.818)The second place we start is investing in our trust officers, investing in the team, giving them the education that they need, continuing to give them education, providing training programs, whether they be in-house, external, bring in trainers. None of this is set it and forget it. At the individual level, I think it’s really, really important to have functions like the Individual Trustee Alliance, groups like that, where you have an ability to talk to other professionals that are doing what you’re doing. That’s another way to impress upon people that we have to manage the risk and we can’t do it all alone. Nobody knows everything. You really have to, you have to talk to other people. You have to engage. have to, what is it called when we were practicing law and we’re a little bit outside of our comfort zone, we have to consult with other people who know more than we do. It’s our obligation as lawyers. It’s the same thing with a trust company, with a trustee, whether you’re an individual or you’re not. Widen that circle. Frazer Rice (27:08.474)I think this is my idea for the day that there’s got to be a bit of a public relations campaign sort of describing what’s going on here because I think especially when we go into the family members that sort of occupy these roles, they have no earthly idea what they’re doing. They’re usually doing it for free. Everything’s hunky dory up until a point and everyone hopes that everyone is not going to sue each other if something goes wrong. But the level of wealth that’s being transferred now is now so significant that everyone sort of talks about, AI is going to get rid of lawyers. Nope, not in fiduciary litigation. I think that’s a medium term growth industry, especially around insurance, around ILITs, around revocable trusts, around elder care. But this is my advertisement for people who are in law school looking for a productive way to go. I think that one is going to be, I think that one’s recession proof, at least for a while until I retire anyway. So my thought is that awareness over these things, and it’s probably going to take a very difficult case or a class action suit, something like that, where somebody really gets hurt in order for that awareness to come up. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (28:24.922)Yeah, I would agree. think that some of the solutions would include better trust education, you know, whether it be for RIAs, lawyers. Trust in the states is a throwaway class in law school. And there are so many law schools that are essentially rolling it back because bar exams aren’t testing it anymore in a variety of states. And ACTEC is definitely working with the law schools to try and increase trust in the states being taught and certainly being tested. So education for lawyers coming out of law school, education for RIAs that are advising on trusts, education for trust officers, for trust administrators, trust professionals in general, clear role delineation. What is the role of the RIA? The role of the trust officer? What is the role of the trustee if they’re an individual trustee? And then creating a culture of collaboration on what we’re doing as a team for the beneficiary, not substitution, but collaboration with the advisors and the trustees. Frazer Rice (29:32.59)Let’s go into the role delineation for a second. About 20 or 30 years ago, the concept of bifurcating or sort of cordoning off the different functions I described before the investment, the administration and the distribution has come into vogue. I think that came out of frustration with bank trust companies where you got one set of advice for every trust that they had as far as investments and distributions and administration and a lot of modern larger families wanted something a little bit more specific to their needs. And that’s really turned, it’s exploded as an industry for increasing sophistication and size of wealth. Along those different functions, where maybe the administration goes to a professional trust company or a trust officer in the state that you want, Then there’s some intersection maybe in the distribution committee. And then the investment side of it is a bit of a free for all, think, depending on what you’re, dealing with. How do you educate the, that continued the delineation, but the coordination within those types of structures. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (30:41.275)Yeah, I think it’s really important. And I’m a Delaware lawyer. I’m licensed in multiple states, but Delaware is my home. It’s where I learned how to be a lawyer. It’s where I grew up as a lawyer. So this directed trust model that you’re describing, where you’re bifurcating, truly bifurcating these particular functionalities of a trustee, it originated in Delaware. sort of, we didn’t, I mean, we invented it, right? We codified it. It was being done, but we codified it. The idea of making sure that everybody understands what their function is and knowing that there’s a limit of liability that’s built into the instrument and communicating what that means to the RIA that is named in the document. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard companies, heard trust companies say, we’re advisor friendly. And I’m like, not unless you’re directed, you’re not. Frazer Rice (31:37.528) “THE TRUSTEE CRISIS: Navigating the Challenges”Yeah. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (31:40.439)If you are directed, you are 100 % advisor friendly because there’s no chance that that trustee is going to try and take the investment management. They’re not a portfolio manager. Not a clerical administrator. They’re not a passive rule follower. We need to identify what does that trustee actually do when they are an administrative or directed trustee. Clarify that role so that people who are engaged in this bifurcation, this structure where we’ve got a distribution committee, maybe it’s individuals who are close to the family, close to the beneficiaries, where you don’t have somebody who’s objectively uninvolved with the family members making decisions as to whether or not there’s a distribution that should be made. But also advising those rolls those advisors that your administrative trustee is not just a pencil put a paper pusher. Not just checking boxes. They really do add value to the role that they provide and making sure that everybody understands what each other are doing, having regular meetings amongst the team instead of operating in a vacuum or operating in a silo. And taking the approach of it’s not my job, misunderstanding trustee powers and the advisor’s authority. So when that’s delineated, when that’s really understood, not just by the advisors, but also by the beneficiaries, there are so many beneficiaries out there, Frazer, that have absolutely no idea that they actually hold all the cards. They don’t know. Frazer Rice (33:25.87)Along that line, so in the administrative, we just walked through pretty nicely. The distribution function is one that, let’s talk a little bit for a second about what it means to ask a trustee for a distribution and maybe the difference between income and principal and why having a steady hand at the wheel within that function, whether it’s a corporate trust company of qualified individual or family input in that function, why real good thought needs to go into how that’s staffed. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (34:04.73)Yeah, absolutely. 100%. In a corporate trustee ship or a corporate trust company structure, there’s always going to be distribution committees, right? So if you are the trustee, you’re going to have to go through a committee that’s looking at what your reasoning is for making that distribution. They’re asking questions about what have been the prior distributions? Have they come from principal? Have they come from income? What is the spend rate on that trust? How is this going to affect long-term spend rate? Is this an aberration? Is this something that’s gonna become a habit? Really understanding what the distribution, the guidelines are in the trust. What is the distribution standard? Making that decision? What are our factors? And how many people are at the table? Who’s communicating that to the beneficiary? Does the beneficiary know that the trust officer alone does not have the ability to say yes or no? That when they’re in this ecosystem of a corporate trust company, they have their checks and balances to make sure that that risk is being managed. So when you’re looking at corporate trust companies, are a lot of layers behind understanding what the distribution standard is, whether it’s hems or if it’s purely discretionary. The other thing that you need to look at when it’s not a corporate trustee and it’s an individual trustee is, how is that individual trustee making that decision? Are they doing it in a vacuum? Alone? Are they favoring one beneficiary over another because they like them more, you need to have some communication to the beneficiaries so that they understand what they are, what their interest is, what they are entitled to, if anything, and why the trustee stands in that position as the gatekeeper. And I really think in my heart of hearts, we need to make a shift from a gatekeeper trustee Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (36:16.708)to a beneficiary enhancement trustee, where the beneficiary is really taking on the understanding that the trustee is there to facilitate enhancing the beneficiary’s life. That even though the trust may have started at the outset as a tax strategy or something that the grantor decided they needed to do with the advice of counsel. At the end of the day, you wouldn’t have been named as the beneficiary if there wasn’t some sense of love or obligation even, that it’s for your benefit. It’s in the name. Beneficiary. Trustees need to understand that and beneficiaries need to be taught. Frazer Rice (36:54.958)Right. Frazer Rice (37:00.646)And it goes to the circle back to the notion of making sure that you write down the whys of the decision because ultimately if the concepts of favoritism or you didn’t communicate this or anything, the idea of having the beneficiary submit a budget but having them understand why they are submitting a budget and then if there is some discretion that’s happening around that decision that the data points that are informing that discretion, that’s gonna keep everybody safe a lot later on. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (37:32.666)Absolutely. I break it down into a couple of different factors. It’s fiduciary decision making. How is that fiduciary making the decisions they’re making? Why are they making those decisions? And who is being affected by the decisions? Document interpretation. Do you understand the document that you’re administering? If you don’t understand the document you’re administering, hopefully best case scenario, you know what you don’t know and you ask. But if you don’t understand the document and you don’t even have the wherewithal to say, hey, I need help to understand the document, it’s really problematic. The third part, balancing beneficiary interests. Really taking on board this idea of the principal income problem that all the assets in the trust are not the same. That some of it doesn’t at all in any way affect a certain class of beneficiaries. And at the same time, it’s inextricably intertwined in the way that it affects another class of beneficiaries. And then risk management and governance. How is this being governed? How are we managing perceived and actual risk as a trustee? Frazer Rice (38:40.13)The investment function, which I alluded to before, I see storm clouds on that horizon, not really at the RIA level, because I think there’s sort of a default mode that investment policy statements are in place. Diversification is a true commodity at this point. And I never really worry about an RIA sort of understanding how to invest to get to a certain expected return and deal with the risks and drawdown and all that stuff. The storm cloud I see is when individuals sit in that role and they are being tasked with, let’s call it quote unquote, overseeing concentration, meaning that trust is holding a building, farmland, a nuclear reactor, crypto, all of these different things that sometimes can be, A, they have their own different maintenance responsibilities that are not just looking at a fidelity statement, but that they also have their own volatility And, you know, in the case of a building, you got to make sure it’s managed correctly. are they going to get sued or the windows kept up, all of that stuff, and that there’s a whole different component there. And I’m waiting for the shoe to drop on some fact pattern there where somebody is sitting in the role of an investment advisor. It doesn’t say trustee in the document, so they don’t really think that they have trustee liability. But. they sit in that role and all of a sudden somebody finds 10 55 gallon drums of green fluid in the basement of a building and all of a sudden the trust has a big set of red brackets that say minus $100 million that you owe to the federal government and the EPA. How do you think about that? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (40:21.454)Hmm. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (40:25.242)That’s a heavy question. so the Delaware stock answer, obviously, direct it, right? It’s just to get the trust, cut off the liability. At the first, at the inception of your hypothetical is bad drafting, right? So if there’s no statement as to whether or not your investment advisor is acting as a fiduciary or not, Frazer Rice (40:35.042)Right. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (40:52.836)What does your statute say? Does your statute impose that they are as a default a fiduciary or not? So that’s the very first step. That’s bad drafting. We need to know. But if it’s silent, let’s say it’s just a lousy document, there’s, God knows. Anybody who’s seen trust documents knows that, you’ve seen them all, right? And everything in between. Some are good, some are bad. If this is a bad one. Frazer Rice (41:13.08)Seen good and you’ve seen bad. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (41:20.079)Then we need to document the statute. If we can correct it, modify the document, let’s modify it. But if all of that can’t happen, then I would say the best way to handle it, make sure you have adequate insurance. mean, over-insure that, over-insure it. Make sure that there’s regular checks on the actual… Assets that are in the trust, if you have a concentration and that concentration is real estate, get the advice of counsel, put that bad boy into an LLC, get yourself some distance from the actual asset itself being held in the trust, hold an interest, hold a financial interest, push it down to the corporate level. But if you can’t do all of that and you’ve got those 500 gallon drums of green fluid and now you’re… Frazer Rice (42:14.286)You Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (42:15.371)You you’ve got a super fun site. What do you do? You don’t shy away from it. Have to address it head on. You got to take the accountability. You got to communicate and document, communicate and document some more. Talk to your beneficiaries. Make sure that they’re aware of where it went wrong, why it went wrong. Because I have found in my exposure in the industry over time and in reading case law, it’s when you’re trying to cover stuff up. Frazer Rice (42:43.913)Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (42:44.027)You’re just making more problems. Bad news doesn’t age well. It doesn’t get better over time. You have to approach it head on and make sure that there’s communication and documentation. Meet with your beneficiaries. If there’s a trusteeship where you are appointed as a trustee individually and you’re not having at least quarterly meetings with your beneficiaries, If you’re not going out and seeing the asset, if you’re not going out and making sure that the asset is properly custodyed, you’re not, you’re violating your fiduciary duty. You are not doing what you’re supposed to do. Frazer Rice (43:21.804)You brought up an interesting word there, custody, which is the administrative function, whether held corporately or individually, one of the major things you have to do is to safeguard the assets. And that’s a big two syllable word that carries a lot of weight with it. That custodial function, how do you teach the trust officers or the individual trustees where that starts and stops? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (43:48.579)Yeah, mean, custody is super, it’s a really touchy, touchy subject, especially with the dynamic way that trusts have developed in the current climate from tangibles. You know, I’ve got artwork and my beneficiary wants to hang the artwork in their house. Well, do you have custody? Has it been assigned to the trustee and how do you maintain that asset? Make sure nothing’s happening to it. Do make an appointment, go over to the, visit your artwork? What if it’s prize horses, you know? What if it’s, you know, a stud that, you know, we’re gonna need to breed and it’s gonna be the next Triple Crown winner? How do you make sure that the barn is properly safeguarded? It’s a really touchy subject, especially with things like tangibles and things like assets held away when you technically custody the asset, but you don’t have control over the asset. I think in the education part for custodying, what I do in my programs and when I teach this is I make sure that we talk about different types of asset classes. And what the risks, again, what are the risks that you run with these asset classes? How can we manage the actual and the perceived risk of holding that asset? Even if you have custody and name only, but you don’t have physical custody, how do you maintain your control over that asset? Because it’s really the C’s, right? The custody and control. Just because you don’t have custody doesn’t mean you don’t have control. So we have to make sure that there’s an education that’s provided about the different asset classes, whether it’s tangibles, intangibles, assets held away, if it’s a concentration of stock, if it’s crypto, and most trust companies are not taking crypto. I think that there’s like a circuitous way that they’re getting in right now, but it all boils down to education, isolating what the issue is and educating people on it. Frazer Rice (45:59.586)I’ll give you a third C, it’s consequences, which is what happens when you don’t understand these functions. on the crypto side of things, Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (46:01.786)Uhhh Frazer Rice (46:11.544)Holds the key to get to the crypto. What happens if that trust officer quits and walks away with the key and they’re like, well, multi-sigil figure this out. I’m like, okay, that’s not that. That doesn’t make me feel great at the moment. And now there have been some advances, which is good, but traps for the unwary to be sure. the good news too for crypto is for people who want exposure, the spot ETFs take away 90 % of the problems with that. But as we start to think about winding down here, because I have a feeling we could probably talk for four or five hours on this subject, when putting your programs together, what does a curriculum look like? And we don’t have to go through it bit by bit, but how does that work when someone comes to your program? How much time does it take? What’s the commitment? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (46:47.172)Yeah, I think so. Frazer Rice (46:54.851)Mm-hmm. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (47:06.33)So the program that I created that’s really available anywhere across the country is called the Peak Trust Management Certificate Program. Peak Trust Company, may be familiar with it. They have name rights because they gave the donation to the University of Delaware for me to build the program. So it’s housed at the Lerner College at the University of Delaware, but bears the name of Peak Trust Company. I look at five different things. The first thing is trust law and administration. So like I said previously when we were talking, you lay that foundation of what is the legal component of this? What is the baseline that people have to know? And then what is the administration? The second component is, and it’s inextricably intertwined as taxation. What is the income tax? What are the deductions? And now let’s take all of that income tax knowledge, individual income tax knowledge, and build on it with fiduciary income tax. What is DNI? What is FAI? How does it go out to the beneficiary? What’s the character of the distribution? How do we manage that? What are we deducting in the trust? So teaching taxation and not because trustees necessarily are tax preparers, but because the trustees obligation is to be able to understand and read that tax return, they need to know how to spot problems. So from my perspective, teaching fiduciary income tax is a critical component. It also helps. Yeah. Frazer Rice (48:38.828)No, no, I was gonna say no question about that. And there are elections to make, just because it doesn’t just go on autopilot, there are choices to be made so that if you’re the trustee, you may not have to prepare the tax return, but you may have to make a choice on the tax return and you’ve got to be informed because that can be an issue. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (48:58.651)65 day elections, perfect example, right? You just, you need to understand what your role is and how it overlaps with that of the CPA. The third part, of course, investments. Investments are inextricably intertwined, whether you’re doing it yourself as the trustee or you’re directed or even delegated, which is like the hairy scaries of every trusteeship known to man, because you’re not actually in control, but you’re responsible. So it’s the gray. When I build a program, because of the, you know, the directed trusteeship being so popular in today’s day and age, we have to talk about not just investments of, you know, marketable securities, not just the custody of tangibles, but also subscription documents, because so many alternatives are held in trust right now. unique assets, need to know how the trustee is actually carrying out their fiduciary duty when it comes to engaging in an investment that is an alternative investment. The fourth component is of course compliance. We cannot ever get away from compliance and I think we could do a whole nother podcast on compliance in trusteeship but. You know, it’s a regulated entity. And even if you’re an individual trustee and you’re not using what those compliance frameworks are, what the guidelines are by OCC, Reg 9, FDIC, if you’re not looking at that and using that as a guideline, don’t do the job. understanding KYC, BSA, AML, all of those compliance components that have tentacles. That’s the fourth part. And then for the fifth part of this program, because it’s specifically geared toward trustee education in trust companies, although it can be applicable, very applicable to individuals, is operations. I was very fortunate that I was able to partner with SCI on building the operations component. So we license their platform called Plato. It’s essentially their training platform. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (51:12.888)so that trustees can see how fees are set up, fees, that’s a whole other podcast, fees, statements, distributions, how are we doing this? How are we documenting everything? What are the logistics of the day-to-day operations? So that’s how I built the program and it’s available anywhere in the country. It’s 10 weeks, how long does it take? I would say from three to five hours a week of an investment that you’re making at a bare minimum. Obviously there’s a whole lot more of depth that you can go into. The resources are built in. But I would say 10 weeks, about 50 hours of time where you’re actually engaging with the material. And then I bring in guest lecturers on each different area of expertise for lack of a better description. And they get a certificate at the end, they get a digital badge, and now they really have something where they can add value day one in a trust company or as a trustee. Frazer Rice (52:17.902)With Delaware being, you one of the real gold standards as far as trust jurisdiction, I assume that everything that comes out of this program is pretty transportable to the other useful jurisdictions, let’s call it, within the country. know, the Tennessee’s, the South Dakota’s, the Nevada’s, the Alaska’s, Wyoming’s, New Hampshire’s, et cetera. Obviously, there are hairs to split with different foibles in their law, but everything that you’re describing sounds like works everywhere else. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (52:47.928)And I’ve always taken the approach, you’re 100 % correct, I’ve always taken the approach of UTC. I base everything off of UTC and if there’s something different or unique based upon the jurisdiction that you’re in, I always encourage people you have to look at your statute, you have to look at the jurisdiction that you’re actually practicing this in and administering in. I use Delaware, South Dakota, Alaska as examples quite often when we’re talking about the directed stuff, but By and large, it’s UTC. Frazer Rice (53:20.966)It just a weird subset. So special needs trusts and islets, which are two types of trusts, very specific. One holds life insurance. The other is designed to really take care of people who can’t take care of themselves. And they are types of trusts that a lot of trust companies don’t like to take on because the liability is harder or the profit margin is less. For those individuals who get the opportunity to participate in those and I put that in air quotes. How would you advise people to get ready for those types of situations? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (53:58.308)People who are in need of those types of trusts. Frazer Rice (54:02.122)Well, maybe both. The people who need those trusts, you know, they’re going to, they, you know, it’s almost like they get set up and then the staffing gets kind of figured out later, barely. And then, you know, the, for the people who end up taking on that role, they really have no idea of what they’re in for in a sense. Is there sort of like a mini, I’m not going to say a full course like you’re describing, but a crash course in, in what’s going on here and what can I do to keep myself safe? Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (54:30.271)Unfortunately, no, I don’t know of one. and there isn’t much built in. there’s, we talk about a little bit in the program that I built, but, those are specialized and eyelets we talk about a little bit more there, you eyelets had their day and sort of they has done ish. but special needs trust. It’s a whole other ball game because It really incorporates state law and social security and Medicaid, all of those government benefits that I think you would need something more specialized than my program that I developed. And I don’t have a great answer for that, I’m sorry. Frazer Rice (55:12.482)No, there’s not a great answer for it because it’s tough. it’s a, all of which is to say for someone who’s involved with those things and feels confused by what’s going on, that’s one where it’s worth it to spend the money to lean on a dedicated Medicaid elder care, special needs type of lawyer on that front because there are traps for the unwary. Okay, now we’re starting to butt up against an hour here of. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (55:29.764)Yes . . . Frazer Rice (55:38.827)Four hours. No, I’m kidding listeners. We’re not going to talk for four hours, but How do people find your program and and then I’ll ask a bonus question at the end Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (55:49.339)So the program is on the University of Delaware’s website. You just type in peak trust management certificate and it’ll pop up. My name will be there. I think my picture might be there. It’s all over my LinkedIn. So if you look me up, you’re going to see the peak trust management certificate program. You can always email me, jennifer at zeldenlaw.com. Happy to push people into it. start, I’m in the new cohort right now. We’re two weeks into a 10 week program. But we have a new cohort starting in May. I think it’s May 4th. So may the fourth be with you. Frazer Rice (56:24.622)Terrific. So the final question here is really more of a crystal ball question. In this trust industry, trustee industry, what are the real, I’m going to say opportunities out there, and we’ve sort of painted a picture of doom and gloom and its low profit margin and things like that. Where can someone who is thinking from a business perspective about this find something? Once they’re properly educated about it and being able to participate in it. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (56:57.582)There are so many opportunities. There is an absolute need for good trustees everywhere. Trust companies from coast to coast, individual trustee alliance. People really, really need trustees. There’s tremendous opportunity with Heritage Institute, not the Heritage Foundation, but the Heritage Institute. There’s opportunities with…various family offices and various trust companies for education, for beneficiary education. So many opportunities out there. Trust companies are just clamoring for people. So if people are interested in becoming a trustee, getting that education, you will not have a hard time finding a job. Like you said, it’s basically recession proof. This wealth is going to transfer. We need sophisticated, knowledgeable trustees. on the receiving end of that transfer so that it happens correctly. Frazer Rice (57:56.578)I’d go so far as to say financial advisors. I just gotta say, a CFP is useful, CFA is on your investment side, but something like this, you know so much more about how intergenerational wealth works than what’s happening in those particular situations that I think it helps people stand out when I see something like that on a resume. Jennifer Zelvin McCloskey (58:00.302) “THE TRUSTEE CRISIS: Navigating the Challenges”That’s all the podcast. I hear you. I hear you. Frazer Rice (58:24.386) “THE TRUSTEE CRISIS: Navigating the Challenges”All right, with that, Jennifer, it’s great to catch up and I will have all of your information on the show notes and I will either see you at the ITA conference in Dallas or what I’m down in Delaware next. More Around “THE TRUSTEE CRISIS: Navigating the Challenges” BUILDING A TRUST COMPANY TENNESSEE AS A JURISDICTION DIRECTED TRUSTEES DELAWARE WELL BEING TRUST THE TRUSTEE CRISIS: Navigating the Challenges https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/ Keywords for THE TRUSTEE CRISIS: Navigating the Challenges trusteeship, wealth transfer, trust management, fiduciary duties, trust education, estate planning, risk management, trust administration, individual trustees, trust companies, the trustee crisis, navigating the challenges, the great wealth transfer,

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Today on the podcast, our good friend and mountain bike enthusiast Josh Saunders joins us for a classic episode. We discuss some interesting new products as well as some exciting news for Trevor before jumping into a tantalizing set of listener questions ranging from how to prep for your first enduro race to some serious tire talk and everything in between. Tune in! Our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCczlFdoHUMcFJuHUeZf9b_Q Worldwide Cyclery YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCxZoC1sIG-vVtLsJDSbeYyw Worldwide Cyclery Instagram: www.instagram.com/worldwidecyclery/ MTB Podcast Instagram: www.instagram.com/mtbpodcast/ Submit any and all questions to podcast@worldwidecyclery.com Join us on epic mountain bike trips that you will never forget. Grab $250 off any All Mountain Rides trip by just mentioning WWC: https://worldwidecyclery.com/blogs/worldwide-cyclery-blog/all-mountain-rides-all-inclusive-mountain-bike-guided-trips-w-worldwide-cyclery-crew

Frazer Rice and Bram Weinstein, the “Voice of the Washington Commanders,” discuss the shift in sports media for entrepreneurs. The current state of sports journalism is in flux, especially with the decline of the Washington Post’s sports section and its implications for local coverage. We explore the opportunities that come from this void. (Including the potential for new media ventures and the challenges of monetizing content in a fractured media landscape). The discussion also touches on the future of the Washington Commanders, the importance of audience engagement, and the evolving nature of podcasting and digital media. https://youtu.be/O0syDGcSkvU https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Ut9QRj7X9QD1pGEA6y6qt?si=39nLO2reQ8SK_nj0zenzDA Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠) Takeaways The Washington Post’s sports section closure is seen as a significant loss. There is a growing opportunity for new media companies to fill the coverage void. Monetizing media ventures requires innovative strategies and diverse revenue streams. Podcasters face challenges in gaining audience traction and monetization. The Commanders’ future depends on effective roster changes and health improvements. Engagement with the audience is crucial for media success. Digital platforms like YouTube provide exposure but limited revenue. The media landscape is rapidly changing, requiring adaptability. Local sports coverage is essential for community engagement. The importance of maintaining journalistic integrity in a changing media environment. SPORTS MEDIA FOR ENTREPRENEURS CHAPTERS 00:00 The State of Sports Journalism 02:59 Opportunities in Media 06:07 Monetizing Media Ventures 09:05 Navigating Podcasting Challenges 11:59 The Future of the Commanders 15:06 Engaging with the Audience DISCOVERING BRAM, THE COMMANDERS, AND AMPIRE MEDIA BRAM on SPOTIFY AMPIRE MEDIA ON YOUTUBE AMPIRE MEDIA WEBSITE Transcript of “SPORTS MEDIA FOR ENTREPRENEURS” Frazer Rice (00:00.686)Welcome aboard, Bram. Bram N Weinstein (00:02.551)Hey, Frazer, how are you? Frazer Rice (00:03.736)Doing great. The last time we spoke it was about three days before the Chicago Hail Mary, so I’m viewing that as good luck. That must have been something having to call that game. Bram N Weinstein (00:14.071)That was part of the most magical season I’ve ever been a part of. Not only first ever for the franchise, but 12 and five, NFC championship game, hadn’t done that in a generation. It was pretty incredible, yeah. Frazer Rice (00:28.652)No, as a skins fan, now commander’s fan, it’s been a long time, but it was a wild ride. One of the things that’s happened recently, which I know strikes near and dear to your heart, and frankly, for people who grew up sort of following it, has been, I guess, kind of the evisceration of the Washington Post sports section. And it’s got all sorts of impacts. But from your perspective, How do you make sense of that and what does it look like going forward for a city essentially that has all the major sports and the major paper not really covering it? Bram N Weinstein (01:09.719)I don’t make sense of it. I don’t understand it. I think at its core, The Washington Post is two things. It’s one of the most important publications in the world as the paper of record in the most powerful city in the world and the democratic center of the world. But it also is a local newspaper for one of the top 10 markets, top five markets in the country. And the idea that it would not cover its sports teams, or Metro desk, which, I know, you know, for our purposes, we focused a lot on the sports desk being shuttered. The Metro desk is too. So the Washington Post not covering the mayor’s office, city council meetings like in especially in these political times where, you know, the district budget is held by the federal government. To me, it doesn’t even it doesn’t compute that that wouldn’t exist. as far as like the sports section goes, which I think is like the lesser of the two real problems with this, but obviously is a real problem is, you I think for me, it feels like a death. I grew up reading the Washington Post. A lot of the reasons why I wanted to do what I wanted to do was through osmosis of reading Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon and Tom Boswell and all of the great writers that came through the Washington Post. And I just don’t really understand how it’s not within the business model to be part of this. At the same time, you know, it does open opportunities for entrepreneurs like myself who have media companies and are always looking for new talent and always looking for openings. And I can tell you that void is going to get filled. But I do think it is sad that the Washington Post could not figure out a way to modernize itself to allow its coverage to continue for its loyal readership. This is a local paper that isn’t covering local news. That is astoundingly terrible in terms of a business practice to me. Frazer Rice (03:14.317)It’s weird because from my perch here in New York, I work across the street from the New York Times building and there’s a little bit of sort of guffawing that the New York Times has turned into a gaming company and sort of a media company second, which has helped to subsidize its continued commitment to long form journalism. But even then, I mean, it’s really focusing on arts and leisure and cookbooks and wordel and all sorts of things like that. And it’s a shame that the Washington Post either couldn’t pivot in that direction or otherwise make sense of things. Bram N Weinstein (03:48.727)Is the business model of media the same that was no. so there are a few things that play here to be fair. I’m not asking Jeff Bezos to lose money. You know, like, or just be the beneficiary to subsidize something, but you do bring up a point, which is. And I read this quote recently from, the old ownership group, the Graham family, who basically said. “You know, the newspaper is a grocery store. Like you are supposed to go in there and pick all the different things that you want. And hopefully there’s something for everybody or hopefully a number of things for everybody. And in modern times, the New York Times has done a very good job of putting together a new modern grocery store for people. So there’s a variety of different things that does subsidize the important work that it does. And in the end, like to me, the New York Times and the Washington Post and maybe the Wall Street Journal. Are the three most important newspaper entities, if you can call them that, in the United States of America. And for one of them to not understand their role in protecting democracy, in covering our world, in informing the readership, whether it’s locally or nationally, to me is an absconding responsibility. So I don’t know what the answer is. Again, I’m not like demanding Jeff Bezos just…money to keep things subsidized. Like it is a business and I understand that, but there must have been better ways to go about it or maybe, you know, sell it to someone who does have ideas because it’s important for its foundations to remain intact. And so I just, you know, for me, it’s, been hard to digest, honestly. And like to your original question of like, like, how do you make sense of it? I really don’t. I don’t make any sense of it. Frazer Rice (05:39.692)Well, you also now have a fledgling media company and I’m a devourer of yours and Kim’s and Standix podcasts and I learned something from it each time. I see an opportunity there if major component of the media establishment in the area is abdicating its role, not only to the major sports that aren’t getting covered as much. There’s an opportunity there. But even like the local hotbed sports like lacrosse, they’re completely ignored, I would imagine. And that might be a way to sort of get some grassroots component going. Bram N Weinstein (06:17.195)Yeah, we also here with my company Empire see the opportunity, unfortunately, but we do. And there’s a lot of talent that is available. There is a void in coverage. We know, you know, the size of our community, the appetite for sports. And so, you know, I don’t want to say too much, but we are actively seeking partners to expand in a pretty large way if possible. So Frazer Rice (06:24.045)Right. Bram N Weinstein (06:46.067)We’re working towards that and I’ve been working towards that and moving very fast in the hopes that we’re not the only ones thinking this like you. There’s a lot of people thinking there’s an opportunity here. I wish it wasn’t the opportunity that it is, but it has presented itself and it’s an opportunity that we intend to see through. So we are actively speaking to a number of different interested parties about funding a major expansion of what we’re doing. Frazer Rice (07:11.379)Really cool. Well, I’ll be sure to keep an eye on that as it develops. When you’re thinking about sort of the money making aspect of it, we don’t do things for free and it’d be lovely if we all had time and disposable income to do that without giving away the playbook because you’re raising money and you don’t want to give that up necessarily. But how do you think about that in terms of delivering value for sponsors or advertisers or the general audience? Have you made any…sort of commitment strategy-wise there. Bram N Weinstein (07:42.197)Yes, digital audio video forward. You know, I also believe in enterprise journalism. I also very much believe in long form journalism, but the audience appetite for it is limited. And so you do have to subsidize it. And that comes in the form of a number of different properties repurposed for different platforms in various ways, podcasts, video shows, YouTube. All offer opportunities to monetize the same content. I have been studying very closely the things the New York Times has done and thought about what kind of engagement tools would be necessary to be an added perk for those who would end up probably subscribing to a situation like this. So there are a lot of different types of financial models. One is subscriptions. in a variety of different ways, whether it’s premium content, newsletters, one of them is obviously advertising, which would come with YouTube or different streaming channel, streaming network, podcasts, obviously, sponsorship, which could go across the board for all of the different categories. And, lastly, live events. And this is something that we are very capable of doing as well. So there are a tremendous amount of different models to make money. None of them are easy. And because the audiences are so fractured, I think you have to find ways to make financial streams in the same content in various different forms. But we’re willing to do that. And we’ve already kind of done that with what I’ve done with Empire on a very limited role, which is why we think we’re ready to make this expansion and move. But we need an investor to buy in and to the investors, I would say to them, we intend to make you money and we intend to be something that could be purchased in a three to five to 10 year plan. So we understand the importance of making sure that the investment is paid off in the end as well. Frazer Rice (09:52.205)Cool. Are you thinking about expanding into other subject matter areas? you’re in DC, so politics, guess, would be a natural fit. Right. Bram N Weinstein (09:59.965)Not really. And I wouldn’t personally, like, I just don’t feel like that’s my expertise. So no, but like, could we be something like the ringer where you’re looking into culture, you’re looking into arts, music, dining, those types of things? Yeah, I think like that’s something I’m not sure that I would move fast into a realm like that. Like we see the void in sports coverage for this marketplace. We would like to fill that void. And whatever we do after that would be dabbling in those spaces to try to, again, find new ways to find new audiences. But we want to go with our core products first. And certainly for me personally, the politics world is completely above my pay grade. So I’m out of that. Yeah. Frazer Rice (10:46.028)It’s above everybody’s I think if anybody could figure it out It’s it’s one of those Rubik’s cubes that it’s not worth solving oftentimes So, you know one of the things I don’t know if I’d struggle with or I’m Would like to expand on my front is just getting my podcast out to more people and the concept of discover ability and one of the strengths that I think you have Is you know your current position in traditional media with the commanders? Keim has it a little bit with ESPN, Ben Stendig has it with his Substack, which isn’t traditional media, but there’s different outflows on that front. How do you view that competitive advantage in terms of getting the message out and almost having a bit of a head start over some of the other possibilities out there? Bram N Weinstein (11:30.175)Yeah, well, I think there was always like, you know, for the podcast world. Yes, anybody can do a show and you know, they could be good. The reality is, though, you know, the people who already have stakes in the marketplace, at least from name value, are always going to have a head start. It’s going to come down to how you market yourself and how you go about getting your show out there as much as possible. The reality is you need some level of a robust social presence to get to as many eyeballs or ears as possible. And if you don’t, then you typically have to kind of go down a paid route of making sure that it gets into algorithms. And so it’s a hard climb, like for sure. You know, like when podcasts and kind of open the gates for everybody, same thing with YouTube, like Frazer Rice (12:14.54)Mm. Bram N Weinstein (12:23.444)You know, there’s going to be a lot of success stories. There’s going to be a lot more people who are either doing it for love of the game, but not for money. And that’s just the reality of how much time any person has to give up to content. And secondarily, who can get to enough of an audience to make it worthwhile? As you probably know, you need thousands of downloads to really make any kind of real money at all on a podcast episode. Getting to thousands of downloads. doesn’t sound like a big, like if I said, you have to get to a thousand, like a thousand doesn’t sound like a lot for one episode, but it’s way harder to do. wager a guess that 90 % of podcasts do not reach 1000 downloads per episode. So it’s a very hard number to reach. And if you really want to make money, money on it, we’re talking about getting 10,000 an episode. Sure, anybody like myself that has various different platforms I can use to promote my own shows has a head start in that manner. And that would always have been for anybody in traditional media who had a following to start with, if they were willing to jump into the digital side quickly, they were always going to have a head start because they already had an audience that was built in. It was just converting them. Frazer Rice (13:39.572)You know, and for me, the conversion isn’t so much, you know, buying pillows or mattresses from the advertising that comes on the show. I don’t have any advertisers. The ROI for me is, in a client, one client, maybe listening to it and then calling up. And all of a sudden that pays for everything, in sort of my day job. Bram N Weinstein (13:52.992)Yes. Bram N Weinstein (13:57.813)Yeah, well, I think you’re actually looking at it the right way. Like, could your show end up having a big audience? Yeah, of course it could. But like, the reality is for most people who are doing podcasts for the other purpose, which is either marketing, client curation, branding, like those have extraordinary value to like my company’s done a lot of B2B type podcasts. And I explained this, you know, to them, and most of the people I work with aren’t looking, they don’t think they’re going to be Pat McAfee. But like, they understand that like, The value in doing this well is going to get paid back exponentially in client curation, marketing, entering new market spaces, expanding business opportunity, because it done well, it can really have that kind of benefit for you. Frazer Rice (14:43.563)How do you make sense of all the different platforms that are out there? You know, I converted to video because ignoring YouTube meant basically ignoring Google and I was like, well, that’s dumb. I know, Spotify’s out there. iTunes has just converted to video. And then you’ve got all the different podcasts, platforms, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. How do you, it just seems like it changes weekly in many ways as to what’s in favor, what’s not. When you’re making a bet on your company, how do you deal with that? Bram N Weinstein (15:06.996)Yeah. Yeah, think. Yeah, it’s hard. Things have changed a lot. Like, for the most part, we double up our podcasts now and they’re taped on video. So they’re disseminated with not a tremendous amount of production value behind them. And of course, you know, used as audio podcasts as well. So it’s a two in one situation. And we find that YouTube. The advertising dollars there are very small, but the exposure, not unlike when we were talking about kind of marketing yourself, the exposure of being there, if you can get thousands of views, often offers up a lot of different opportunities. Sponsors prefer to be visually seen than just audibly heard. So like in both of those cases, they can be beneficial. like we don’t frankly make a lot of like we have on YouTube. We only have two primary shows with Empire Media that are on YouTube on our channel. We have about 18,000 subscribers now and we get on an average month like 127,000 views between just the two shows, which is a lot, know, especially for like a niche thing where we’re really just talking about one thing, the commander. So we’re like, we’re not expanding out much more than that. So it’s a very niche thing and yet we’re getting a really, really sizable number. Frazer Rice (16:11.787)That’s good. Bram N Weinstein (16:25.15)If I told you how much money we get paid for that, you’d laugh like it’s it’s pennies on the dollar. But the exposure of having it and the amount of views and impressions that it generates gets us sponsorship opportunities because people want to be part of that. And that’s where the real opportunity comes with YouTube. As far as like using Facebook Live, IG, like TikTok, I suppose. Like. I don’t know, like I don’t think you can be everywhere. I think the idea is to try to be, I think you’re talking to different audiences on each of these things. So I don’t think it’s one size fits all. And it has to be worth it. For me, it has to be worthwhile. Like, is there a reason why we’re there other than we’re just trying to get people but if there’s no benefit of a carryover beyond it and it just happens to hit their feed, but we’re not getting any sponsorship money out of it or any activation out of it? Well, then what was the point? So I’m always looking for right places to be. But there has to be an incentive structure that makes sense, either true carryover audience growth or obvious sponsorship opportunity. Frazer Rice (17:32.076)The cost of coordination of all of that too starts to overwhelm. I know you’ve got a schedule to keep here. I would be silly not to ask about my commanders a little bit. Two new assistant coaches, offensive and defensive coordinator, lots of changes coming in terms of personnel and hopefully sort of a rethink of Jaden and hopefully a lot better health going into next year. But… Bram N Weinstein (17:36.17)Yes. Yeah. Frazer Rice (17:59.84)Potentially better division in many ways, how do you see things going forward? Bram N Weinstein (18:04.71)I don’t know what their team looks like yet. So this is like a hard question to answer because I think they’re going to be very aggressive in free agency and then obviously they have the seventh overall pick. I kind of need to see what their roster looks like before knowing. I you know, David Blough been here the last couple of years. He is one of these very young, very impressive people. I’m glad they kept him in the building. It’s a big ask to jump from where he was to go to offensive He at least is talking a big game like he’s ready for this and I hope he is, you know, like we’ll have to see. I think a lot of it will have to do with the quarterback stays healthy and that just didn’t happen a year ago and the whole team didn’t stay healthy. So they fell apart and you know, like I don’t think health was the only reason they had the record they had, but I think the health made it worse than it could have been like their record probably would have been a little more respectable if the health wasn’t as bad as it was. Hopefully Jayden stays healthy. He’s fine now. So hopefully he stays healthy and on defense Deonte Jones. This is his first opportunity doing this but he’s actually been in the league for 20 years and he’s worked with every almost every major defensive coordinator up until this point So he feels like someone that’s been overdue for an opportunity. I like the system He’s coming out of does he have the personnel to win with I don’t think right now and that’s why I’m like Let me see what they do in free agency. How much money do they spend at what positions? How are they looking to upgrade that side of the ball? And if they bring in what I think will be two, three, four new starters, whether it’s via the draft and free agency combined, then I think we could have a different conversation about what I think it’s gonna look like, because I kinda need to see what the roster looks like first. Frazer Rice (19:44.691)No, there’s so many holes in the free agency component. Not to pin you down on a record going into next year, because we don’t even know what the components are going to be. To that end, as you said, the injuries were a real problem. Everything that possibly could go right in 2024 didn’t in 2025. How does that work over the course of time in terms of regression to the mean? Is just every season completely different or is there something that carries over? Bram N Weinstein (20:19.542)So 2023 was nothing like 2024, which was nothing like 2025. So we’ve had a roller coaster for sure. Um I last year was a surprise like. If you had told me the beginning of the season look like the schedules too hard. They had too many injuries. They went 9889 didn’t make the playoffs. I would have believed you. You know, like it’s just things were just harder to try to replicate. I didn’t expect what ended up. So can they flip that back around and be more competitive again? I do believe so. I also agree with something you said, which was. Right now and again don’t know what the teams look like exactly yet, but I do think the division on the whole will be better. The Giants will be better coached for sure. They have a lot of defensive talent and we’ll see if Jaxson Dart takes another step. And if that’s the case, the Giants may be more formidable than they’ve been in 10 years. The Eagles are still going to have a very, good roster. No matter Frazer Rice (21:04.938)Mm-hmm. Bram N Weinstein (21:16.106)Whatever they do this off season, even if it includes moving off of a couple of primary people, they still have an extremely strong high level roster. And I like how the Cowboys pivoted from Micah Parsons. I know it hurt them last year, but I do like what they did in the return that they got since. So they play their cards right. They could be in line to really make a jump back this year. Like they’re the ones that feel kind of ready to me. If they play their cards right and if they don’t end up, which is the second part, which is never they avoid, they never avoid this. They turn themselves into a circus. So if they could ever stop turning themselves into a circus, I think it would serve them. You know, I think it would be a very positive outcome for them, but their owner doesn’t live in that world. He likes to be a ringmaster. And, you know, I think that that’s probably more than anything been the hindrance to them winning a Super Bowl over the last. Frazer Rice (21:55.004)You Bram N Weinstein (22:14.422)30 years, they’ve had good enough teams to do it. They just don’t and I think they get in their own way. But you know, maybe this year’s a little different for them. Frazer Rice (22:21.364)No question. Alright, how do people find Ampire and sample all the different media that you’re putting out there? Bram N Weinstein (22:31.766)YouTube is Empire Media AMPIRE. We have our YouTube page. You can find that there. My show is under my name, Bram Weisside Show. John Keim Report covers the commanders and Last Man Standing is Ben Standing’s show. And who knows, maybe in four to six months, we’ve got some new offerings. I’m hoping that’s gonna be the case pretty soon. Frazer Rice (22:51.466)Terrific. Thanks for coming on, Bram, and rootin’ for your success. Bram N Weinstein (22:55.414)Thanks a lot. Take care BRAM on “WEALTH ACTUALLY” three days before the JAYDEN HAIL MARY Keywords: sports journalism, Washington Post, media opportunities, podcasting, Commanders, monetization, audience engagement, digital media, sports coverage, media landscape Titles The Decline of Sports Journalism Seizing Media Opportunities https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/

Who is Joe?Joe Abreu is the creator of the Profit Optimization Program, designed specifically for small to medium-sized business owners striving to bridge the gap between hard work and real profit. After years of working closely with business owners who frequently asked him how to translate increased revenue into greater profits, Joe began collecting and analyzing their recurring challenges. Drawing on these insights, he developed a results-driven program to help entrepreneurs break free from the cycle of endless work and unlock their businesses' true financial potential. Through his work, Joe has empowered countless business owners to move beyond just doing more and instead focus on building businesses that reach their full profitability.Key Takeaways* Many business owners work harder, but profits still lag behind. Joe Abreu reminds us: true success comes from understanding your numbers, not just chasing more sales. Clarity leads to freedom.* Are you slashing expenses without strategy? Joe says test each change. Don't cut blindly—learn what truly moves the needle for your business growth.* Delegation scares a lot of owners—what will I do once I delegate? According to Joe, it's your chance to step back, innovate, and focus on what really matters.* The 80/20 Principle changed Joe's business life: focus on the 20% of tasks that create 80% of results. Systemize, delegate, and start freeing up your time for what counts.* Your business shouldn't be golden shackles. Profit optimization is about designing your business to give you freedom and the life you dreamed of when you started.Don't forget: If you want to connect, ask questions, or get notified about upcoming guests like Joe, subscribe to the Systemise.Me newsletter here. You only need your first name and email—easy as (coffee) pie!Thanks for sharing a cup with us this week. Here's to strong coffee, smart hiring, and believing in the dreams you're just starting to imagine.And don't forget: keep an eye out for next guest. To submit your own questions, subscribe to our newsletter and join the conversation!P.S. Loved this episode? Hit reply and let us know what resonated most_________________________________________________________________________________________________Subscribe to our newsletter and get details of when we are doing these interviews live at www.systemise.me/subscribeFind out more about being a guest at : link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/beaguestSubscribe to the podcast at https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/podcastHelp us get this podcast in front of as many people as possible. Leave a nice five-star review at apple podcasts : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/apple-podcasts and on YouTube : https://link.thecompleteapproach.co.uk/Itsnotrocketscienceatyt!Do You Need a P.A.T.H. to Scale?We help established business owners with small but growing teams:go from feeling stuck, sceptical, and tired of wasting time and money on false promises,to running a confident, purpose-driven business where their team delivers results, customers are happy, and they can finally enjoy more time with their family -with a results-based refund guarantee: if you follow the process and it doesn't work, we refund what you paid.This is THE P.A.T.H. to scale your business.————————————————————————————————————————————-TranscriptNote, this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)SUMMARY KEYWORDSprofit optimization, small business owners, medium sized business, revenue, business profits, expense management, business growth, sales strategies, bookkeeping, financial literacy, accountant, business owner challenges, business expenses, business numbers, business coaching, process improvement, business systems, delegation, 80/20 principle, business mergers, business acquisitions, business sales, business optimization, podcast, business clarity, CRM, AI in business, business freedom, online course, certification course, workbookSPEAKERJoe Abreu, Stuart WebbStuart Webb [00:00:31]:Hi and welcome back to It's Not Rocket Science. Five questions over coffee. I'm here with my guest today, Joe Abro. Joe is the author of the profit optimization program which I'm really excited to learn about. And Joe, I just want to thank you for taking a few minutes out of what I'm sure is a very busy day to spend a few minutes with us talking about this new program and the book you've written.Stuart Webb [00:01:00]:Oh, thank you for having me, Stuart. It is a pleasure to be here today.Stuart Webb [00:01:04]:Terrific. Now listen, let's start why. So who is it that this book is written for? Who is it, if you like the person you're trying to help by giving them access to the profit optimization program?Stuart Webb [00:01:17]:A great question. The profit optimization program was set up to service the small to medium sized business owners. That's pretty much everyone everywhere who's working exceptionally hard, trying to do their best that they can. But the revenue and the profits are just not connecting. We're just doing more work, but we're just not seeing the bottom line. We're not really seeing what we could, how best we can be. And so what I've done is over the years I collected all the information from different business owners that asked me questions over and over. How do I get the revenue to actually create more profit? Because sometimes we put in more business, we create more business, but we never get to the very end.Stuart Webb [00:02:06]:Right. The profit doesn't translate just the same way. And that's where the profit optimization program was born, which is the collection of all these business owners. Over the years. In my experience as a business owner, I've had the opportunity to purchase businesses, to merge them. I have also to sell, so, you know, have sold them. So that's given me a lot of experience to share.Stuart Webb [00:02:28]:And, and Joe, I mean you've obviously been through this, this program yourself, but what have you found when you've been talking to these people? What have they been trying to do to, to help themselves from, you know, the situation where the, the profits are somehow not quite adding up. What, what do you see as some of the common things they try to do, which, which are not, which are not effectively helping them?Stuart Webb [00:02:49]:Oh yes. So we see a few common things happen over and over. The first one I would say is in most business owners, what they do is when they look at their profit, it's not matching the revenue or it's not translating to the profits. They'll just say, well, let's go ahead and just do more sales, let's just increase the revenue side. Right. That's the most common thing. I mean, it makes sense. I mean, that's exactly what we would all do as business owners.Stuart Webb [00:03:14]:So let's just go ahead and put more deals through the pipeline and to see if that translates into profit. The second thing that we often see common mistakes or things that are slowing them down that probably they can improve would be looking at their expenses and not slashing them all at once. Because what happens is they start going through the whole business, all of their expense list, and what they'll do is start slashing everything without testing one thing or another and then impacting the business. The third thing that they do very often is just hand over the books to an accountant or a bookkeeper and not really learning their own numbers. And I'm guilty of that. As a business owner, I just want to do the sales. I want to get out there, I want to get involved, I want to grow, and I don't want to see the numbers all the time. But if we don't learn our own numbers, how do we know how to impact? How do we improve them, how to slash some of the expenses? So we have to learn those numbers.Stuart Webb [00:04:17]:And, you know, lastly, what they do is they try to do all of these things at one time versus trying one step at a time to see what works and what doesn't work.Stuart Webb [00:04:29]:Absolutely, absolutely. I've just put on the screen, you know, if anybody has questions or comments on what you've just said, I. I'd love to see them in the chat, because I know you and I will respond to that. And I'm sure there are people that have got questions about, you know, how do I best get these numbers and what do I understand by them? And I know exactly what you're saying. Too many of us actually don't want to have to look at numbers. We see that as a dull, boring, administrative job. But actually, it's when you start to see those and you understand them that these optimizations become obvious, isn't it? It's the time when you suddenly recognize the, hey, if I actually sort of develop the area that, you know. And we often find that customers are the best sources of these things.Stuart Webb [00:05:15]:If I develop this, that would be a much more profitable area than just chasing the new customer and things like that. That's the sort of insight you get by looking properly at what your numbers, what your CRM, things like that tell you.Stuart Webb [00:05:27]:Oh, absolutely. It's the clarity to see where you are. That's why I say often that at Globis are our company. What we do is we take a look at every step of the business and we break it apart in a very positive way. And we're sort of the lens for the business. We close in or just maybe zoom out a little bit just to show them exactly what they have. Because most business owners, they have the right elements, they have the right tools. It's just that they don't really have the clarity to see which direction they should go where they should actually invest most of their time or money.Stuart Webb [00:06:07]:I love the advice. Joe. I know that you have got a very valuable free offer for us. I'm just going to point people in the direction. If you go to this link, this link is available now, which is if you go to www.systemize me/free hyphen stuff, you'll see Joe has put a very valuable offer which I believe is at the download, seven quick wins, which I think is a really valuable piece of advice that you're going to offer. Tell us about seven. Seven quick wins.Stuart Webb [00:06:37]:Yes, the seven quick wins transformation for a business in 30 days. It's a workbook. It's a small workbook that gets you started in the process. Going back to when I put together the profit optimization program. My idea was that if I can offer a business owner one aha moment, one of those moments where you're like, wow, I didn't, you know, I had heard that before or I can actually multiply my business or multiply my profit based on what I just learned. For me that was that that would be a win. So the seven wins is just the beginning. It's, it's very common things that you can do to start the process of identifying the things that could improve your profit in your business.Stuart Webb [00:07:22]:And if you see that you find one big aha and then you want to move forward, that's what we move on to the course, the POP certification course that we have. And that's pretty much so we have the book which is a self help and then we have the certification course which is an online version and that is more structured. But individuals started to let us know that they wanted a little bit more than just the book and they want a little bit more than just the course. So then we move down to doing some coaching and that's what we do. A little bit more of the personalized version.Stuart Webb [00:07:54]:Brilliant. And even, even if you don't get the personalized version, that seven quick wins could be the one thing that you need to get that one aha moment to move you forward. Joe, I'd just really love to understand at the moment. There's a huge amount of experience you bring to this. You've bought businesses, you've merged, and you said you've sold businesses. Was there one course, an idea, something which sort of brought you to really understand how you could help people in the way that you're helping them now?Stuart Webb [00:08:26]:Yes, I would say the 8020 principle. Oh, my Coke. And I, once I read that, I mean, it blew my mind, really, because I'm thinking, how is it that 20% of our actions actually brings 80% of our results? Then I'm thinking, why am I wasting my time with the other 80%? What am I doing?Stuart Webb [00:08:51]:Wonderful, wonderful.Stuart Webb [00:08:53]:So that really blew my mind. I started to think, okay, well, then in that case, I have to find a way to improve. How to divert or how to channel those 80% in another way.Stuart Webb [00:09:05]:Yes.Stuart Webb [00:09:05]:So I can go ahead and get the other 20% and then maybe I can take the other 80% of the time off and we can do that. That's a lot of what we do with the optimization program. We're identifying how we can improve processes, how can we systemize certain things, how can we delegate? Because that's a huge thing for business owners. We fail to delegate. The 8020 principle really just highlights that. And then once I started to just infuse that into the business, I was, you know, I started to line up everything that I can just say, okay, that's part of my 80%. Let's find a way to delegate to someone else.Stuart Webb [00:09:46]:I. I don't know if you have a comment on this, Joe, and once again, I'd welcome anybody currently listening to us or people who are listening later in the. In the podcast version of this. There is a sense in which. And I was talking to a business owner only this morning that was afraid of the idea of delegation, because as they said, what do I do when everybody else is doing my job? And my answer was, go and do another job, because there must be a ton that's waiting for you, but you haven't currently got time for it. You know, developing your staff, developing your team so that they are the most efficient, the most effective, and effectively allowing them to do your job, to free. Free you up, to do something else. That seems to be a burden, or at least it's.Stuart Webb [00:10:29]:It's a blocker for a lot of business owners who are basically saying, but if I let everybody do my job, then I've got nothing to do. And that's actually just not true, is it?Stuart Webb [00:10:39]:Oh, no, it is not. Actually. If you find ways to delegate all of these tasks, they can be systemized or can be organized in a certain way to give you that freedom, then I think that's when you can come back as a business owner and have that macro view where you can now start to innovate, where you could start to bring in other new processes that. That frees you up to do that. So a business owner's job is never done because we're always looking for the next thing. And now that AI is coming into the picture, we're basically changing processes and systems almost on a monthly basis. Now. By the time that we're done producing a system, we're already thinking how we're going to improve this, how we're going to make this better.Stuart Webb [00:11:24]:Brilliant, Joe, you've been very eloquent. You've explained this brilliantly, and I have a funny feeling there is something in you at the moment that's saying, he still hasn't asked me that one real killer question. So I'm going to assume that I am too stupid to be able to work out what that killer question is and say, Joe, tell us, what is the killer question that I. That I really should have asked you? And. And when you've obviously made that question known, you're gonna have to answer it, because I didn't even think of the question. So what is that killer question that I have failed to ask?Stuart Webb [00:11:56]:Well, I don't know, Stuart, I think you're considered one of the smartest podcasters, so I don't know. But I would say if there's one question that, that often I think that most people should ask is, why now? Why do I have to do this now? Why should I do it now? And I think the number one thing is that we're business owners who are working really hard at growing our business. But ultimately, we are humans and we have to be as successful. We have to meet our dreams. We have to reach that freedom as a business owner, because that's exactly what when we open our business, when we started our business or merged into another business, we had the dream of becoming more successful. So why now? Now? Because we owe it to ourselves. We have to be the best that we can. Sometimes businesses are just golden shackles.Stuart Webb [00:12:51]:They're fantastic because they're providing us a. An income. And that's why they're the golden shackles, because they're beautiful, because we're getting that income. But that's. So that's good. But sometimes, as the saying goes, good is the enemy of great and brilliant. Sometimes we're just missing that part to getting to great. And if we can sit down and really learn our numbers, figure out how can we get rid of these ghost expenses, how do we improve our bottom line? That equals freedom, freedom as a business owner.Stuart Webb [00:13:23]:And that's really the, the ultimate sign of success that you can do what you want when you want.Stuart Webb [00:13:33]:Joe, I love the message. I think it's absolutely brilliant. And I absolutely agree with you because I worked with a business who had to learn how to do a lot of what you've just said. The business owner was very reluctant to sort of go forward with some of these ideas, but they then had a family emergency. And if they had not learned how to delegate how, how to let go, they would not have had the time, the freedom to be able to deal with that family emergency. They would then never have been able to come back after that family emergency, after several months and still had a business that they could get involved in. And I absolutely agree. You trying to help people to understand that their job is about making their business an effective route to, to, to.Stuart Webb [00:14:24]:To their. To their ability to enjoy their life as opposed to being the shackles that keeps them involved in their business forever is a brilliant message. Thank you very much for sharing it with us this afternoon. I really appreciate it.Stuart Webb [00:14:37]:Absolutely. Thank you.Stuart Webb [00:14:39]:So listen, one quick plea for me. I've just put a link on screen. This is WWW Systemize. That's sys T e M I S E. Please go to that link. Just put in your name, your email address. You will get one email from me a week giving you details of the brilliant guests that we have coming up on this podcast to allow you to come find out what the LinkedIn Live will be and to ask questions to get your questions answered about your business growth and the sort of things that people that brilliantly Joe has emphasized today. So just go to Systemize Me, subscribe, get onto the mailing list.Stuart Webb [00:15:25]:And I want to just finish by thanking Joe for taking time out of his. I can only imagine it is a very busy time with a book and a bunch of other things to do. Joe, thank you for coming on and spending a few minutes talking to us and I really appreciate some of the pearls of wisdom you've left us with.Stuart Webb [00:15:40]:Absolutely. Anytime. Thank you so much for the opportunity.Stuart Webb [00:15:44]:That's no problem at all. Thank you. Get full access to It's Not Rocket Science! at thecompleteapproach.substack.com/subscribe

I am going to be honest right from the start. This is a rant. A friendly one. But still a rant. I'm a geek at heart. I love shiny tools, clever plugins, little bits of tech that make my marketing life easier. But lately it feels like some of my favorites have decided to test me. Really test me. It started with my email marketing platform quietly turning off a third-party API I relied on. Their decision, fine. But maybe a heads up would have been nice. Instead, I spent four months wondering why new subscribers were suspiciously quiet. Turns out, the connection was dead. And I only discovered it while building a completely unrelated page on my website. When I reached out to support, they casually mentioned they don't use that interface anymore. Terrific. Then my chatbot decided to hallucinate. I asked it to summarize an interview and create a teaser. Simple request. Except it thanked a guest who wasn't even in the conversation. Not even close. I have no idea where it found that name. Apparently, creativity is a little too free these days. And just when I thought I had hit my quota for weird tech behavior, the tool I use to make reels took a detour. This is the tool I trust to pull clean little snippets and generate accurate captions. Instead, it rewrote my perfectly articulate guest into something that sounded like bro speak. She deserved better. I deserved better. The whole episode deserved better. So yes, this is a rant. But it is also a reminder. No matter how good a tool is, no matter how long you have trusted it, you still need to double check. Tools change without warning. Interfaces break. Technology goes off the rails. And if you are not paying attention, your marketing can end up in a ditch you did not see coming. Takeaways Check your tools regularly. Even the ones you think are rock solid. A quick test can save months of missing data or embarrassing surprises. • Never hand over your voice completely. AI is helpful, but it is not infallible. Review everything before it goes into the world with your name on it. Because in marketing, the only thing worse than tech that fails is not noticing it failed. More than a Few Words - Marketing Conversation  A bite-sized marketing podcast that cuts through the noise and delivers actionable ideas, with no fluff and no jargon.

Leigh Brandon is a Functional Medicine Practitioner, CHEK Practitioner, CHEK Faculty Instructor, Manual Therapist, Energy Worker, author and podcast host. His extensive training and years of clinical experience has given Leigh the ability to provide a truly holistic approach to helping his clients overcome pain over the years, which they have found very effective often times after other approaches hadn't helped. Leigh's mission: "To help as many people as possible lead healthy, productive, fulfilling and happy life". In this fascinating episode, Leigh shares important and valuable information on how to listen to the signals and messages your body is sending you, why pain is actually a gift and an opportunity to heal, and so much more! Terrific conversation and insights on pain, health, and healing! Connect with Leigh: You can find Leigh @: Beyond The Pain 14-Day Programme - https://bodychek.co.uk/beyond-the-pain-programme/ Pain-Free Plate Free Guide - ⁠https://www.bodychek.co.uk/freepainguide/⁠ Consult with Leigh - ⁠https://www.bodychek.co.uk/⁠ Leigh's courses: StickAbility - ⁠https://stickabilitycourse.com/⁠ Mastering Client Transformation (professional course) - ⁠https://www.functionaldiagnosticnutrition.com/mastering-client-transformation/⁠ Previous guest appearance on The FemiNinja Project: https://thefemininjaproject.com/episode-351-functional-medicine-and-the-power-to-heal-with-leigh-brandon/   Want to be a guest on TheFemiNinjaProject? Send Cheryl Ilov a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1620842117560x116520069523704300  

Episode 593 of the Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch features Max Gershberg and Jake Rogal, the co-directors of the new Netflix documentary, "Miracle: The Boys of '80," which re-examines the 1980 United States men's hockey team that won a gold medal at the Lake Placid Games. In this podcast the filmmakers discuss why they thought they could do a unique documentary on a subject that had been previously covered many times; the process of getting the living players back to Lake Placid; the new footage that makes the documentary worth seeing; getting Herb Brooks' children to participate in the piece; filming in Lake Placid; getting Al Michaels for the film; how they will judge success and more. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

*Actors in Both Marvel and DC Movies* @marvel @dcofficial I noticed there were a lot of actors that are in both Marvel and DC movies especially after watching Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.So I decided to compile them and give my opinion on which role was better.0:00 - Intro0:03 - Henry Cavill: Superman & Wolverine0:16 - Ben Affleck: Batman & Daredevil0:30 - JK Simmons: Commissioner Gordon & J. Jonah Jameson0:48 - Ryan Reynolds: Green Lantern & Deadpool1:02 - Willem Dafoe: Vulko & Green Goblin1:16 - Christian Bale: Batman & Gorr1:27 - Tom Hardy: Bane & Venom1:38 - Halle Barry: Catwoman & Storm1:50 - Michael Keaton: Batman & Vulture2:05 - Nicholas Hoult: Lex Luthor & Beast2:18 - Chris Evans: Jensen & Captain America / Human Torch2:32 - Idris Elba: Bloodsport & Heimdall2:43 - David Harbour: Dexter & Red Guardian2:56 - Tommy Lee Jones: Two Face & Colonel Philips3:11 - Nicholas Cage: Superman & Ghost Rider3:22 - James Marsden: Richard White & Cyclops3:35 - Angela Basset: Amanda Waller & Queen Ramonda3:46 - Zachary Levi: Shazam & Fandral3:47 - Laurence Fishburne: Perry White & Dr. Foster4:07 - Russell Crowe: Jor-El & Zeus4:19 - Isabella Merced: Hawkgirl & Anya Corazon4:31 - Edi Gathegi: Mr. Terrific & Darwin4:43 - Daniela Melchior: Ratcatcher & Ura4:53 - Andy Serkis: Alfred & Klaw5:10 - Pedro Pascal: Max Lord & Mr. Fantastic5:31 - Jared Leto: Joker & Morbius5:47 - Outro6:00 - Say That Again?BONUS: Barry Keoghan as Joker & DruigActors in Both DC and Marvelhttps://youtube.com/shorts/0aSokb88ktEhttps://youtube.com/shorts/XOMWiVaUf2Yhttps://youtube.com/shorts/P2X4Hiye0H8https://youtube.com/shorts/pBt9_MvA82Ihttps://youtube.com/shorts/MHRhd-CzpiQhttps://youtu.be/RzgwTqx9PVw#Marvel #DC #ArmanZaidi ____________________________________________https://www.patreon.com/armanzaidi*connect with me*https://instagram.com/armanzdihttps://twitter.com/armanzdihttps://www.tiktok.com/@armanzdi

This cold winter has created excellent conditions for ice skating on local lakes and ponds. Some wild ice skaters in our region have found audiences for their adventures on social media.Today on Vermont Edition, experienced skaters explain how to know when wild ice is safe to skate on and what to do if conditions suddenly shift. You'll hear from the Pawlet-based moderator of the Vermont Nordic Skating Facebook group and a farmer-slash-skater from Barnet.Plus, a Middlebury College alum manufactures Nordic skates in Alaska. He'll explain the art of crafting the perfect blade for getting off the rink and out on remote ice.

John discusses the influence of comedian Nate Bargatze on up-and-coming comedian Mason James and reflects on how comedians often adopt styles from their predecessors. The show also covers notable upcoming comedy events, including a benefit show featuring Dave Chappelle and John Stewart, Taylor Tomlinson's new Netflix special 'Prodigal Daughter,' and Reese Darby's upcoming CBS sitcom 'Regency.' Additional segments include parenting advice humor from Jimmy Carr, Adam Sandler's story about Kathy Bates' involvement in 'The Water Boy,' and a segment on comedy stocks where Mack shares his buys and sells within the comedy industry. 00:35 Mason James and Comedy Influences03:39 Taylor Tomlinson's Upcoming Special06:04 Jimmy Carr's Parenting Advice07:16 Adam Sandler and Kathy Bates Story09:25 Comedy Stock Market10:53 Rhys Darby's New CBS Comedy11:55 All Access Comedy and Jo Koy's Achievement Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/daily-comedy-news-with-johnny-mac--4522158/support.Daily Comedy News is the number one comedy news podcast, delivering daily coverage of standup comedy, late night television, comedy specials, tours, and the business of comedy.COMEDY SURVIVOR in the facebook group.Contact John at John@thesharkdeck dot com For Uninterrupted Listening, use the Apple Podcast App and click the banner that says Uninterrupted Listening.  $4.99/month John's Substack about media is free.This is the animal sanctuary mentioned in the February 10 episode.

Hour 2: Loogy talks about the contributions from Jose Alvarado and how he's been exactly what the Knicks asked for.

Here Isaac is not giving us a technique for moral improvement. He is unveiling an icon. Behind his austere language of toil and Scripture and withdrawal stands a single, luminous vision: the human heart being slowly remade into the dwelling place of God. Asceticism is not a set of behaviors aimed at self mastery. It is the patient clearing of space so that the Trinity may come to rest within us. Everything Isaac names flows from this one mystery. He begins with what looks like a chain of practices. Bodily toil guards purity. Scripture sustains the toil. Hope and fear steady the soul. Prayer and withdrawal from men protect the heart. But Isaac is not describing a ladder that climbs upward by human effort. He is describing how the soul is held open until it can be seized by the Spirit. These disciplines do not save. They keep us available for salvation. They prevent the heart from sealing itself against grace. This is why Isaac speaks so soberly about the Scriptures. Until the Comforter has come and taken up His dwelling in the depths of the person we need the written word to keep us from drifting into forgetfulness and fantasy. The Scriptures are not information. They are a form of remembrance. They press the shape of Christ into the memory of the heart so that when our mind is scattered and the passions begin to speak their lies we are not carried away from our true homeland. But Isaac also knows that even Scripture is provisional. There comes a moment when the teaching no longer comes from without but from within. When the Spirit penetrates the noetic powers of the soul the heart itself becomes the book. The same Word who once spoke in letters now speaks in fire. This is not a rejection of Scripture but its fulfillment. The written Gospel gives way to the living Christ engraved upon the heart. Here we touch the heart of Eastern Christian mysticism. Salvation is not merely a verdict. It is a transformation of perception. The center of knowing shifts. The ego no longer stands as the interpreter of reality. The Spirit becomes the teacher. And because this teaching comes from God Himself it is not lost. It does not evaporate under distraction or suffering. It remains as a living memory of communion. Isaac then strikes at something that terrifies the ego. He distinguishes between good thoughts and a good heart. We are accustomed to judging ourselves by the surface weather of the mind. We watch our thoughts rise and fall like waves and imagine that our worth before God is decided by their movement. Isaac says this is an illusion. Thoughts come and go like sea winds. They stir the waters but they do not constitute the depths. The heart is the foundation. It is the place where we truly consent or refuse. A person may be flooded with thoughts and yet remain rooted in God. Another may have refined ideas and yet be inwardly turned toward self. What matters is not the agitation of the surface but the direction of the ground beneath it. This is a devastating word for the controlling ego. We want to manage our thoughts. We want to produce holiness by technique. We want to ensure our standing before God by monitoring every inner movement. Isaac tells us that this entire project is misguided. If judgment were passed on every thought we would be condemned and justified a thousand times a day. That is not how God sees us. God looks at the heart. He looks at where we have placed our deepest trust. And here the abyss opens. To let go of the ego is not to become passive or vague. It is to cease making ourselves the measure of reality. It is to fall into the love of God without conditions. The heart that consents to this fall becomes a foundation of peace even while the mind continues to be stirred by many winds. This is why the saints can live in such freedom. They are no longer organized around self protection. They have entrusted themselves to the Paschal mystery. For Isaac all of this is Christological. The Spirit who teaches the heart is the Spirit poured out by the crucified and risen Lord. The abyss into which we fall is the same abyss into which Christ descended in His self emptying love. To enter this path is to be drawn into the very life of the Trinity. We are no longer managing ourselves toward virtue. We are being re created from within by divine love. This is the beauty of the ascetical mystical tradition of the East. It does not offer self improvement. It offers transfiguration. It does not promise control. It invites surrender. It does not measure us by the turbulence of our thoughts but by the quiet yes of the heart. Isaac shows us a humanity that has learned to rest in God even while the winds still blow. A humanity no longer driven by fear or fantasy but grounded in the living presence of the Spirit. This is what we have become in Christ. And this is what the desert still calls us to be. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:01:01 Jonathan Grobler: Evening father 00:02:20 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Good evening 00:02:50 Ryan Ngeve: Good evening Father 00:04:37 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 175, # 19, final paragraph 00:04:49 Adam Paige: Happy feast day of Saint Isaac the Syrian to all ! New movie from the writer & director of “Man of God” (about St Nektarios) coming out this weekend: “Moses the Black” ! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_the_Black_(film) 00:05:49 Anna: There was a run on bananas with this last storm 00:06:06 Anna: What movie 00:06:35 Anna: Thanks 00:08:08 Anna: Movie theater for Moses the Black... https://www.fathomentertainment.com/releases/moses-the-black/ 00:08:19 Anna: It's in theaters 00:09:35 Anna: That doesn't look like it 00:10:11 Jonathan Grobler: Excited for Lent, will hopefully be confirmed this Easter 00:10:41 Jessica McHale: 16th of Feb 00:10:41 Bob Čihák, AZ: P. 175, # 19, final paragraph 00:10:53 Angela Bellamy: Is there a resource some place on how Lent is traditionally observed? 00:11:18 Anna: That link is the movie playing on the 30th and so on 00:11:18 Janine: Yes 00:11:22 Anna: https://www.fathomentertainment.com/releases/moses-the-black/ 00:11:30 Janine: Alexander 00:11:45 Jessica McHale: Great Lent: Journey to Pascha by Father Alexander Schmemann 00:14:22 Angela Bellamy: Reacted to "Great Lent: Journey ..." with

Mike Mulligan and David Haugh were joined by Illinois men's basketball coach Brad Underwood to discuss his team's big win at Purdue last Saturday and the Illini's terrific season as they sit at 17-3.

No one knows how to predict the future better than a dynasty guru, so we gathered up Noah Rubin of RotoWorld fame and he has FOURTEEN players to stash now (or later) as we roll into the deadline, silly season, shutdown season, and beyond! PLAYERS COVERED: Jarace Walker, Day'Ron Sharpe, Nolan Traore, 4 Kings, Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski plus 3 more Jazz, Tidjane Salaun TRADE DEADLINE LIVE SHOW PAGE - Bookmark/Like it today and don't miss our 6 hours of mayhem on February 5th! https://youtube.com/live/ldtMbcI9EMQ?feature=share The Old Man Squad has a PATREON now. It's $1 and doesn't get a single benefit. It is entirely to support the mission here but won't change anything we do. https://www.patreon.com/cw/oldmansquad Follow Dan Besbris on Twitter: https://x.com/danbesbris Find Dan on the brand new BlueSky social network: https://bit.ly/3Vo5M0N Check out Dan's Google Sheet with Ranks, Weekly Streaming Schedule Charts & Injury Replacement Adds FREE! https://bit.ly/3XrAdEW Listen and subscribe on iTunes: https://apple.co/3XiUzQK Listen and subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3ACCHYe Float on over to the new Old Man Squad Sports Network YouTube page to watch videos from the network's top talent: https://bit.ly/46Z6fvb Join the Old Man Squad Discord to chat with Dan and all the other hosts: https://t.co/aY9cqDrgRY Follow Old Man Squad Fantasy on Instagram for all our short videos: https://bit.ly/3ZQbxrt Podcast logo by https://twitter.com/freekeepoints ChatGPT Timestamps: 2:43 – Jarace Walker 7:15 – Day'Ron Sharpe 11:55 – Other Nets to Watch 14:55 – Why Sacramento Is a Mess (But Interesting) 15:58 – Kings Stash Candidates Overview 24:04 – Utah Jazz Stash Targets 32:16 – Deep Stash Alert: Tidjane Salaün Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Foreign Options for US Citizens Summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-Jnr3Go2Gg In this conversation, Frazer Rice of Next Vantage and Judi Galst of Henley and Partners discuss the increasing interest among U.S. citizens in exploring global mobility options amidst geopolitical chaos. We delve into the distinctions between residency and citizenship, the implications of U.S. taxation, and the motivations driving individuals to seek alternative living arrangements. The discussion also covers the potential for citizenship through ancestry, popular destinations for relocation, and investment opportunities in countries like New Zealand and Australia. Judi emphasizes the importance of understanding the legal and practical aspects of relocating, as well as the need for personal exploration before making significant decisions. Takeaways Interest in global mobility has surged among U.S. citizens. Many seek residency as an insurance policy rather than leaving the U.S. Understanding residency vs. citizenship is crucial for potential expatriates. Residency can lead to citizenship but often requires time and investment. Tax implications are complex; relocating should not be primarily for tax benefits. Ancestry can provide a pathway to citizenship in several countries. Popular destinations for U.S. citizens include Europe, the Caribbean, and New Zealand. Investment opportunities exist in countries like New Zealand and Australia. Emerging markets in South America and Asia are gaining attention. Practical steps include consulting experts and visiting potential countries. Chapters 00:00 Navigating Geopolitical Chaos: The Rise of Global Mobility 02:55 Understanding Residency vs. Citizenship: Key Differences 06:06 Tax Implications and Motivations for Seeking Alternatives 08:48 Exploring Ancestry-Based Citizenship: Opportunities and Challenges 11:54 Popular Destinations for U.S. Citizens: Europe, Caribbean, and Beyond 15:10 Investment Opportunities: New Zealand and Australia 17:59 Emerging Trends in South America and Asia 20:50 Practical Steps for U.S. Citizens Considering Relocation Transcript I’m Frazer Rice. We’re certainly living in crazy political times right now, and a lot of US citizens are worried about what’s happening here and abroad. And they’re starting to think about other residencies and citizenship options. I talked to Judy Gost at Henley and Partners about what is and isn’t possible on that front. By the end of this, you’re going to understand the locations that are interesting, the difference between residency and citizenship, and why that may matter as you make choices for your retirement and your location long-term, both for yourself and for your kids. Frazer Rice (00:00.874)Welcome aboard, Judy. Judi Galst (00:03.022)Thanks for having me. Frazer Rice (00:04.244)Well, we’re in the midst of a lot of geopolitical chaos, and I think you have seen and I’ve seen a lot of interest in United States citizens looking abroad for either places to live or other situations to either get away from the chaos or try to address some other needs in their lives. What is the state of the union? assume interest has ticked up. Judi Galst (00:27.874)Yes, I’ve seen more business than I could have ever predicted, but it’s not necessarily people that are leaving the United States. For the most part, most of the clients that I’m working with are doing it as an insurance policy. A lot of the conversations I have with a client start out with them saying, I don’t want to leave the United States, but I’m feeling unsettled and the way to mitigate the way that I’m feeling is to have options. So they want to understand what if I did want to have a guaranteed right to go live in another part of the world? What is available to me? How do I pursue this? How long will it take? Frazer Rice (01:08.434)And we’ll get into some of the technical aspects here, but one of the concepts is understanding the difference between being able to reside somewhere else and being a citizen of another country, and then how that interacts with being a citizen of the United States. Maybe take us through the comparison of residents versus citizenship. Judi Galst (01:28.748)Yeah, that’s actually a really important distinction. And it doesn’t mean that one is better than the other, but they do have different benefits. And so it’s important to understand the difference. So let’s start with residents. Residents doesn’t mean the ability to have a house in another country. It means the ability to reside legally in another country. So the US passport is very strong. You can go into a lot of different countries even without having a visa. But we can’t stay there forever. We have limits, for example, in Europe. We can go in for 90 days, but then we have to leave for 90 days before we can go back in for another 90 days. So if you become a legal resident of another country, you have the ability to live there unlimited for a certain period of time. Residency is not permanent unless there’s a path to permanent residency. So usually you’re going to have to renew it and there may be some conditions in order to maintain it. Now, how frequently you have to renew it is going to vary by the country. For example, in Greece, you can become a Greek resident via a golden visa and that is good for five years and you’ll renew for another five years. In Italy, it’s good for two years. Then you renew for another three years. In Portugal, it’s good for two years. Then you renew for another three years. And as I said, there could be conditions. So in Greece, you qualify via purchasing real estate. If you sell the real estate, you’re going to lose your golden visa, not be able to renew it. In Italy, you qualify via purchasing stock. Frazer Rice (02:51.925)Right. Judi Galst (02:55.945)If you sell the stock, you’re not going to be able to renew it. You can get some travel rights by being a resident. Usually this benefit is not as important to a U.S. person because we already have really good travel benefits with our U.S. passport. But it can often be a strategy for someone from a country with a weaker passport, say even someone living in the United States that has only a Chinese passport. If they want to go into Europe, they have to get a Schenken visa. So a strategy for them might be let me become a resident of say Greece and then I gain Schengen access. Not unlimited, but I get that 90 days out of 180 days. Finally, I would say that residency can have a path to citizenship. Usually it’s a pretty arduous path. For example, in Italy, you can become a resident. You have to live in the country of Italy for six months a year for 10 years before you’d be eligible to apply. In Greece, six months a year for seven years. But there is ultimately a path in most residency programs. Frazer Rice (03:56.755)So let’s dive into citizenship, which my predilection on that is that it’s a much more permanent component, but it’s also a much more difficult process in general. Judi Galst (04:05.646)It doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult. It really depends on what program you’re doing. But you’re right. It’s a guaranteed right. It’s very difficult for a country to take away someone’s citizenship. The other big difference is that you get a passport. So in addition to gaining the ability to live in the country that you’re a citizen of, you also get another travel document. So depending upon what treaties have been done between your country of citizenship and other countries, it may really improve your mobility. Again, U.S. passport is pretty strong. you’re U.S. passport holder, unless there’s something unexpected like a pandemic when borders close to Americans, you already have a good travel document. But it can be another mobility option. Perhaps you’re going into a country you don’t want to identify as a U.S. passport holder, or perhaps you have a weaker passport and you want to travel on a secondary citizenship passport that might improve your mobility. Where citizenship is particularly powerful is in Europe. Because if you become a citizen of one country in the European Union, you gain the right to reside and work in any country in Europe. Frazer Rice (05:11.104)And just to distinguish, how does that impact UK people after they Brexited? Judi Galst (05:16.942)Sadly, with Brexit, the UK is no longer part of the EU. So many people in the UK are quite upset about this because no, you’re not going to gain the ability as a citizen of an EU country to live in the UK, nor are citizens of the UK now able to live anywhere in the European Union as they were previously. Frazer Rice (05:36.992)So let’s apply this directly to US citizens. So US citizen taxed on worldwide wealth. Let’s start with that. sure because I just got a Twitter fight with somebody who said, well, if you’re crypto, you can move away and you’re not out of the system. I’m like, that’s just no. We’ll start with that. But taxed on worldwide wealth, good passport can travel, but there are limitations as far as how long you can stay in various countries, probably around Judi Galst (05:52.622)Mm-hmm. Frazer Rice (06:06.578)Investment options, land ownership, things like that, depending on it. Where are the benefits of that U.S. person looking for another place to either reside or gain citizenship? Judi Galst (06:20.312)Well, it’s not a tax benefit. You started out with taxes and I know when someone, a client calls and says, you know, can you tell me what my options are? I’m really sick of paying us taxes. I’m like, well, this isn’t the right call for you. Yeah. So, but it’s important to understand. It doesn’t mean you’re going to be double taxed because that is a misconception that many people have about whether they should pursue a strategy of alternative residents or citizenship, because unlike the U S and Eritrea, Frazer Rice (06:22.079)Right. Frazer Rice (06:30.08)Puerto Rico that that’s it. That’s your best bet if you’re gonna try if you’re gonna try to play games Judi Galst (06:49.774)Every other country in the world, you don’t automatically become a tax resident by being a legal resident or even by being a citizen. Usually, you’re not going to trigger tax residency unless you reside 183 days in another country, but there are some exceptions. Switzerland is 90 days. Some, like New Zealand, will say it’s 183 days, but in a 12-month period, not necessarily in a year. I’m not licensed to give tax advice, so I’m giving high-level answer to this question. But in general, just by pursuing an alternative residence or citizenship, there’s no tax consequences. And if you were to become a tax resident, many of the countries that we support programs in have treaties. So it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re going to pay double tax, but it does mean it has to be looked at. If I am talking to a client and they really have full intention of relocating to another country, immediately I want them to have a local tax consultation, which I set up for them to understand what, if any, consequences they have to be aware of. Frazer Rice (07:50.322)And those consequences can change. did an episode probably about six months ago on the change in law in the UK. And it’s a different environment than it was even six months ago for people either going in or coming out of that country as it relates to their US intersection. So I think that the summary on all of that is, look, if you’re going there, A, don’t do it for tax purposes, B, If you’re going to do it, make sure you get local tax counsel because those relationships can be complicated and will affect your planning. Judi Galst (08:25.198)Let’s talk about why people are doing it because taxes is not the strategy. And I would say, and my clients are almost exclusively Americans. So why are people calling me about this? There’s really four key motivators that tend to come up in the conversation. The first is because they do want another mobility option. They kind of have some PTSD still from the pandemic. They remember that feeling. Frazer Rice (08:27.935)Mm. Judi Galst (08:48.226)We could all work remotely. You had the vacation house in Italy or you had the private plane and all of a sudden you couldn’t take advantage of it because all the borders are closed to you and we could only stay in the United States. So some people are just realizing there is some risk to having one mobility option and they want to have an alternative. But I would say 90 % of the conversations I have there’s some reference to a plan B. People are feeling unsettled for so many different reasons. You know, I talked to people whose family fled the Holocaust. It is literally in their DNA where their family thought it could never happen here. And that comes up in every conversation with them. But I have same sex, you know, couples, have transgender clients, I have people whose family lived in other countries where they saw the fall of democracy. And then I just have a lot of wealthy clients, and they’re diversifying their assets right now. And they want to diversify their mobility. They pay a lot of money in insurance and they say, Judy, this is just another line item. Frazer Rice (09:45.896)You Judi Galst (09:46.703)I’d say some are thinking not just about themselves, but they’re thinking about protecting generational opportunity and legacy. Some say, you know, I’m a student of history and yeah, maybe it’s going to take 10, 15, 20 years, but I’ve seen this happen before. And I want to know that my kids and my grandkids are going to have options to either live a life in another part of the world for cultural or educational opportunities or in a worst case scenario, because the U.S. isn’t where they actually want to be. And finally, I’d say it fits nicely in a diversification of asset strategy, which many, many people are thinking about right now. Maybe they don’t want to hold all their money in the United States. Maybe they don’t want to all their real estate in the United States. And there can be strategies that are separate from what I do in terms of opening bank accounts in Switzerland or Singapore or other parts of the world. But really, all the programs that I do require you to move some assets. You’re either investing in stock or venture capital or private equity or real estate. So it does complement a diversification of asset strategy. Frazer Rice (10:42.911)Cool, so let’s think about, we sort of beat the tax horse to death a little bit here, but relocating versus renouncing. And different things, know, people probably come up to you with questions, do I have to fully leave? Do I have to renounce my US citizenship? How does all of that Judi Galst (10:51.608)Mm-hmm. Judi Galst (10:58.222)Great questions. So I’ve never had a client renounce. The US right now does not limit the number of passports one can have or citizenships one can have or how many residences they can have. Now, there is a congressperson who has just decided he wants to introduce some sort of bill that’s going to eliminate dual citizenship for Americans, although most constitutional scholars feel that’s like dead on arrival. But I have to acknowledge that. So no, you don’t need to renounce. And frankly, if you have a lot of money, renouncing is quite complicated and expensive, and you need really good counsel to make that very, very significant decision. In terms of relocation, almost all of the programs that we support require little to no physical presence. You’re always going to probably have to go for biometrics and give fingerprints. But a lot of these programs, you don’t actually have to come back to that country again, except to renew it. So for people that really want it as a Plan B and have no intention of really going to live in another part of the world at this stage in their lives, there’s not an obligation for you to spend time in order to maintain the ability to live in another country if you so choose. Frazer Rice (12:08.017)One thing that comes up that people ask me about and I only vaguely understand it is the concept of being able to get citizenship via ancestry. Comes up with a lot of people of Irish descent, Germany and Austrian especially. What’s the state of that and how realistic is it across different countries? Judi Galst (12:15.993)Mm. Mm-hmm. Judi Galst (12:26.767)It’s very realistic. And in fact, I’m doing German citizenship for myself. So for anyone whose family fled due to Nazi persecution from Germany and Austria, you and all future generations are entitled to citizenship. And my friends are like, why do you want German passport? But first of all, my kids got it. So my kids can go now live and work in Europe if they want, which is great, tremendous optionality. If you remember, I said before, it’s not just Germany. It’s any country in the European Union. Frazer Rice (12:30.473)Okay. Frazer Rice (12:47.956)Right. Judi Galst (12:56.899)And it’s very affordable if you actually are entitled to it. At Henley and Partners, we have established relationships with experts, lawyers in several countries that specialize in citizenship by ancestry. It’s very complex. And every country has different rules about like, it was passed down on the mother’s side, or if there was a break in the bloodline, or if it was passed a certain generation, or if there was a name change, there’s a lot of complexity to it. But clients who think they may be eligible can contact us and we will have an assessment done. And if there is a case, we’ll refer them to someone that can help them through the process. And, you know, it can cost around 5,000, 7,500 euros versus I have clients getting EU citizenship through, you know, Malta and they’re 1.5 million out of pocket. So if you can qualify via Ancestry, I’d say certainly it’s worth considering. Frazer Rice (13:50.879)Terrific. Judi Galst (13:51.311)But don’t call me and say, like, I did 23andMe and I’m Irish. Because you do actually have to produce documents. Not a humongous list of documents, but you’re going to need naturalization certificates for the descendant. You’re going to need marriage certificates, birth certificates, and other documents. Frazer Rice (13:55.187)Ha ha ha! Frazer Rice (14:10.844)So there’s definitely an exercise involved with it, but if you can legitimately trace lineage, you may have a shot. So let’s talk about what jurisdictions are popular with United States citizens. We talked a little bit about Europe, and I’m sure there’s some, let’s call it, some that are easier than others. But then Caribbean, South America, Australia, New Zealand, maybe even Asia, what comes across your desk as being Judi Galst (14:14.094)Mm-mm. Exactly. Frazer Rice (14:40.488)more reasonable than others maybe. Judi Galst (14:43.246)So I’d say clients that I’m talking to are basically going in one of four different directions. One is Europe. For residency, we’re looking at Portugal, Greece, Italy, and Malta. Those are all great programs because they require little to no time in the country to maintain the residency rights. So for people that really have no intention of spending significant time in another country, they’re really good solutions. And for citizenship in Europe, there very limited options. There’s ancestry, which we just talked about. But the concept of citizenship by investment in Europe essentially was killed by the European Court of Justice in the spring of 2025. To give a little bit of explanation, Malta used to have a citizenship by investment program. And it basically said, do these three things, make a large gift to the Maltese economy, rent a property for six years and spend somewhere around 21 days in the country. And you will have a path. to citizenship in Malta, which is an EU country. And the EU hated it. They felt it was transactional, that the passport was being sold, and they felt that people were being granted citizenship that didn’t show a tie to the country. And when this court ruling came out and deemed Malta’s program illegal, it essentially killed citizenship by investment programs in Europe. So I don’t think you’re going to see any European Union country have a citizenship by investment program, nor any country that wants to join the EU have one. But many countries in Europe have provisions in their constitution that say, if you are an exceptional person that make an exceptional contribution to our country or to humanity, we have discretionary ability to grant you citizenship. And so there are some paths to citizenship via merit, specifically through Malta and Austria right now, as well as some other places. So that’s Europe, snapshot of Europe. Let’s talk a little bit about Caribbean, which you specifically brought up. Frazer Rice (16:35.581)Right. Judi Galst (16:40.862)So Caribbean is a path to citizenship. If you remember, said citizenship, lifelong, right? Not many countries have a path to citizenship. It’s very fast. It’s very affordable. What does it give you? So there are five countries in the Caribbean that have programs St. Kitts, Antigua, Grenada, Dominica, St. Lucia. It gives you citizenship in one of those countries. A passport, another passport that you can travel on. Right now, it’s pretty strong. You can go into Europe with it, the UK, Ireland, not unlimited, same as the US, limited amount of time. Although I’m not sure the strength of the Caribbean passports is always going to be. as strong as it is today. Europe doesn’t love these programs. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the Caribbean passports tend to get weaker. However, for a client that says to me, this is purely an insurance policy. I want to cover my kids and my kids are in their 20s because a lot of times these program kids are going to need their own investment if they’re over the age of 18 or 21. Caribbean wouldn’t be a bad place for us if we felt we wanted to get out of town for a little while. Frazer Rice (17:23.23)Sure. Judi Galst (17:50.031)The Caribbean’s a great solution for a very affordable amount, maybe 400,000 for family. You can get and make an investment in real estate that you can sell in five or seven years and your entire family can gain citizenship. So that’s Caribbean. I can pivot to something else that you want to ask a question. OK, so I actually love the program that New Zealand has out right now, especially for a high net worth person. Frazer Rice (18:05.342)Okay, no, let’s try Australia and New Zealand. Judi Galst (18:18.414)I think every high net worth person should do New Zealand. And for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s purely investment driven. You have to move a lot of money. So it has to be for a high net worth person because they’re going to move three million US dollars to be invested in private equity, venture capital and private credit in New Zealand for around a three year period. And children up to the age of 25, provided that they’re single and not working full time can be included in that investment. There’s very little time that the family needs to spend in New Zealand. As soon as you move the money there, you gain the right to live unlimited in New Zealand. But the main applicant only has to do 21 days, and the other family members only have to enter and exit for one day in the first year. At the end of three years, provided you didn’t invest in things that have a longer holding period, but from an immigration perspective, you can liquidate your investment. And then you can become a permanent resident. So you have a lifelong right at any time to relocate to New Zealand, or you never have to go back again. English speaking, good healthcare, good education. You could have a life there, unlike I don’t think people really want to envision spending 10 years in the Caribbean. But 10 years in New Zealand, you know, there’s many industries and many things that you could be doing. And you could have a quality of life, maybe not akin to the United States, but good. So I love the New Zealand program. Australia used to have a citizenship by investment program. They do not have one any longer. There is a route that they extend to people, which they call sort of like a talent visa. So there are certain sectors that are important to Australia and they would very much like to attract talent in those sectors. Usually it’s younger talent. So when I’m talking to a client that’s over 55, it can be difficult to get you approved for it. But I’ve had people over 55 that have gotten approved. And if you have the background that Australia deems valuable, they’ll grant you a five-year visa for you and your family at no cost. Children have to be under the age of 18 or financially dependent up to age 23 to be included. But this is a visa that’s only good for five years. And if you don’t contribute to Australian society, it’s not getting renewed. Judi Galst (20:38.082)But I’ve had people from Hollywood, I’ve had songwriters, I’ve had producers, directors, people in private equity that specialize in sectors that are important to Australia. People in finance have been approved. So it’s worth considering if the idea of being able to live in Australia means something to you. Interestingly with that visa, you can also live in New Zealand. Frazer Rice (20:58.095)Okay, it’s one of those things too. If people aren’t forcing you to say, don’t hate me because I’m beautiful, that might not be a good route, but if you are talented or bring something to bear, it may be worth taking a stab at. Is it reciprocal? If you’re in New Zealand, can you go to Australia? Got it. So let’s pivot to Asia and or South America, which you hear about Singapore, you hear about… Judi Galst (21:16.194)No. Good question. Frazer Rice (21:27.131)Other different sort of haveny types of places where people place their wealth or establish family offices and South America I think is, know, think about like Uruguay and places like that which, you know, have the reputation of being the Switzerland of South America. What’s the state of play there? Judi Galst (21:44.527)So I have actually had a few clients that have done residency in Uruguay. They don’t have a formalized program, although I think a more formalized program is going to come out of there. Henley and Partners actually has a government advisory line of business, so we design a lot of these programs and we’re very active in South America. There’s a lot of interest in South America to have citizenship and residence by investment programs, so I think you’re going to see a lot coming from that region in the near term. But Uruguay does have a path to residency. You have to spend time there. Frazer Rice (21:58.611)Mm-hmm. Frazer Rice (22:12.893)Judi Galst (22:13.251)And they don’t tell you exactly how much. Yeah. But most of my clients went with the expectation that maybe they’d have to stay for 30 days and they ended up getting the visa approved faster. You have to go back every year for a period of time or not renew renewing it. But yes, there is a path in Uruguay and more in Central America. People are doing Panama. Frazer Rice (22:36.637)Costa Rica. Judi Galst (22:37.773)Costa Rica is really interesting, very affordable. know we wanted to talk a little bit about the range, but in Costa Rica, you can gain temporary residence by demonstrating you have $2,500 a month in passive income. Many people will have that with interest and dividend income. Or you could invest $150,000 in real estate. It’s a temporary residence for two years, and then you renew for another two years. But at three years, you can transition to permanent residence. As a temporary resident, cannot work for a company in Costa Rica, so you’d have to be able to work remotely. And then once you become a permanent resident, that requirement disappears. Once you are approved, you do have to pay into Social Security in Costa Rica that gives you access to health care. So it’s about $300 per application per month. But Costa Rica is very interesting, I think. Frazer Rice (23:26.67)As we go back, pivot back to Asia, are there any countries with Singapore or others that are possibilities for people in the US? Judi Galst (23:33.722)So Singapore is a possibility. However, you have to move a family office with over 200 million there, or investment levels are around 30 million, and you have to relocate, and the ability to renew it is contingent upon how much time you spend in Singapore. So I would say a very niche client could do Singapore. A more affordable option might be Thailand, which you can get a residence permit very… Frazer Rice (23:44.125)Mm-hmm. Frazer Rice (23:52.605)To be sure. Okay. Judi Galst (24:00.782)Inexpensively. mean, a five-year permit for $25,000. Frazer Rice (24:05.159)Wow. And to round out our tour of the world here, Middle East countries, maybe the UAE, you hear about that as a place where a lot of Europeans go to move their wealth. Is that becoming popular with United States citizens? Judi Galst (24:16.463)Mm-hmm. Judi Galst (24:22.381)Golden Visa in Dubai is very popular. Honestly, not so much among Americans. It’s usually people from other parts of the world. mean, my firm has 70 offices around the world and we do a lot of UAE Golden Visas. I don’t have a huge amount of interest from Americans. I’ve done a couple of them. It’s not hard. You do have to spend time, like 30 days as part of the process there. Frazer Rice (24:26.525)Mm-hmm. Judi Galst (24:46.703)You can invest in real estate at 550,000, but there’s like 19 different visa types. You can set up a company. If you’re a member of YPO, Young Presidents Organization, they’re deemed talented and they don’t even make an investment. So, you know, it’s an option and we could certainly help it. But to be honest, I don’t see huge demand among Americans. Frazer Rice (25:03.259)Interesting. So let’s round this out a little bit here. For a U.S. citizen who is feeling unsettled or is just curious what’s out there. They want the ability to go live in Madeira, buy a place there. And to be able to go unfettered or something like that. What’s a good thought process or sequence of events for them to go through in order to make that happen? Judi Galst (25:31.344)I mean, we don’t charge for consultations. So I don’t know if you’re going to share my email at the end of this, but just hit me up. To me, any client conversation is about educating. This is generally a new topic for someone. It’s very rare that someone calls me and they really understand what is available to them and also what would be a good fit for them. They may not understand if they want to include their children. There are going to be some that are going to be better fits for them than other based on the ages of the kids. They may not understand how much time they have to spend in a country to make it happen. How much it’s going to cost, and just learn about it. Learn what your options are. I can usually pretty quickly. Once I understand a client’s objectives, tell them. This is a strategy that I think makes sense for you and exactly how it would Frazer Rice (26:14.206)And it strikes me too, that for people who are exploring different places, it’s probably a good idea to have visited them first before just jumping in, jumping in feet first and sort of solving a problem without understanding what actually implementing the solution looks like. Judi Galst (26:21.111)Yeah. Yeah. Judi Galst (26:29.177)For sure. I because many of the clients that I work with are of higher wealth, they usually have done a fair amount of traveling. So the idea of envisioning, know, residency in Italy, they’ve been to Italy. But when I talk to clients, especially about the Caribbean, where they might be investing in real estate and they have to decide between which country makes the most sense, I always tell them they should try and go because it can be a lifestyle decision. And they want to see where they could actually envision themselves if, in fact, they triggered this insurance policy. Frazer Rice (26:58.59)Judy, great stuff. Here it is. Put your email out there in case people want to reach out and find out more. Judi Galst (27:05.099)Okay, amazing. So my email is my first name, Judy, J-U-D-I dot my last name, GALST, G-A-L-S as in Sam T, at henleyglobal.com, H-E-N-L-E-Y, global.com, or you can give me a call at 646-856-3712. Frazer Rice (27:29.406)Great stuff. We’re going to have that in the show notes too so people can look on webpage, etc. to get that information. Thank you so much. It’s something, you know, when you’re at the desk and dreaming wistfully about what life looks like, what you’re done working, if you’re done working, my calculation is I’ll be able to retire when I’m 127. But it’s great just to sort of envision what that looks like. the expertise is out there. Thanks for being on. Judi Galst (27:56.047)My pleasure. HENLEY & PARTNERS DAVID LESPERANCE ON CITIZENSHIP DIVERSIFICATION DAVID LESPERANCE ON US EXPATRIATION https://www.amazon.com/Wealth-Actually-Intelligent-Decision-Making-1-ebook/dp/B07FPQJJQT/ #familyoffices #citizenship #residency #residencybyinvestment #citizenshipbyinvestment #austriancitizenship #newzealand #portugalproperty #portugalresidency #uscitizens #stkitts #malta #eucitizenship #wealthcitizenship #Californiawealthtax #puertorico #puertoricotax

What score would you get if you took the IELTS tomorrow? Get your estimated IELTS Band Score now with our free 2-minute quiz. Want to get a guaranteed score increase on your next IELTS Exam? Check out our 3 Keys IELTS Online course. Check out our other podcasts: All Ears English Podcast: We focus on Connection NOT Perfection when it comes to learning English. This podcast is perfect for listeners at the intermediate or advanced level. This is an award-winning podcast with more than 4 million monthly downloads. Business English Podcast: Improve your Business English with 3 episodes per week, featuring Lindsay, Michelle, and Aubrey Visit our website here or https://lnk.to/website-sn Send your English question or episode topic idea to support@allearsenglish.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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In the final hour, Leila Rahimi, Marshall Harris and Mark Grote were joined by Jenkins Elite founder Tim Jenkins to break down Bears quarterback Caleb Williams' great performance in a win against the Packers on Saturday in the wild-card round. He also shared why the Rams offense "scares him to death" as the Bears get set to meet them in the NFC divisional round. Later, Rahimi, Harris and Grote reacted to a comment from Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland.

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Reflection is the cheat code most people skip, and it's the very thing that turns a good year into a great life. Before charging into 2026 with more goals, more pressure, and more noise, I wanted to pause, look back, and extract the lessons that actually mattered. Because progress doesn't come from moving faster, it comes from moving forward with clarity.In this episode of The Happy Hustle Podcast, I'm breaking down 25 Terrific Takeaways from 2025, all through the lens of our S.O.U.L.M.A.P.P.I.N framework, the 10 alignments that help you systematically harmonize ambition and well-being. These aren't fluffy ideas or motivational quotes. These are lived lessons. Wins, mistakes, reminders, and truths that shaped my year, and if applied intentionally, can help make 2026 your most aligned, energized, and fulfilling year yet.We start with Selfless Service, because fulfillment doesn't come from accumulation; it comes from contribution. The biggest reminder here? Service is the fastest path to meaning. Giving your time, not just your money, creates real presence, real connection, and real impact. If you want more joy, help more people. It's that simple.From there, we move into Optimized Health, because energy is the real currency of success. Hustling without health always ends in burnout. Your nervous system sets your income ceiling, recovery is a skill (not a reward), and if you don't protect your energy, no amount of productivity hacks will save you. Health isn't a side quest; it's the foundation.Next up is Digital Unplugging, where I get real about distraction, doom-scrolling, and how constant connection is quietly killing creativity. Attention is your most valuable asset, and what you focus on compounds. Creating boundaries with technology isn't about restriction; it's about freedom.When it comes to Loving Relationships, the lesson is clear: success means nothing if you're disconnected from the people you love. Presence beats presents. Dating your spouse matters. Boundaries are love in action. The moments you protect today become the memories that matter tomorrow.In Mindful Spirituality, I share how alignment starts with something bigger than you. Success without purpose feels empty. Stillness creates clarity. Gratitude rewires the brain. Faith, however you define it, provides an anchor when life gets noisy.We then dive into Abundant Financial, where money is reframed as a tool, not a scorecard. Profit creates peace. Lifestyle design beats lifestyle inflation. Generosity unlocks abundance. When money aligns with values, it becomes a vehicle for freedom rather than stress.With Personal Development, the reminder is simple but powerful: who you become determines what you build. Identity precedes behavior. Consistency beats intensity. Reflection accelerates growth. The goal isn't perfection, it's persistent alignment.Passionate Hobbies get their rightful place too, because joy isn't a distraction, it's fuel. Play makes you better at work. You need something in your life that has nothing to do with money. Fun isn't optional; it's strategic.In Impactful Work, clarity creates cash, community is the new moat, and depth beats diversification. Focus compounds. Shiny objects dilute momentum. Doing meaningful work with people you care about is the real flex.And finally, Nature Connection, the ultimate reset button. Time outdoors lowers stress, restores perspective, and reconnects you to what actually matters. Nature doesn't rush, yet everything gets done.The big takeaway? Alignment is the goal. When you align across these 10 areas, success becomes sustainable. More is the myth. Meaning is the shift. And if you build meaning into your days, 2026 won't just look good on paper, it'll feel damn good to live.Let's make this next year your most intentional, fulfilling, and aligned year yet.Keep putting the happy in your hustle.

In this episode of Super Terrific Happy Hour, Steph and I return with our customary blend of easy-going banter coupled with a shameless plug and a sobering assessment of the global financial landscape. What begins with complaints about the cold weather and Seinfeld callbacks, as well as our upcoming live event in St. Petersburg, quickly turns into a candid examination of sovereign refinancing risks, leveraged corporate balance sheets, and a Treasury market increasingly supported not by central banks but by hedge funds and private foreign buyers. As short-term debt dependence grows and refinancing waves collide across governments, corporates, and AI-driven capex, we explain why we continue to sleep better owning gold—and why this moment feels less like a trade than long-term insurance for an unstable monetary age. Every episode of the Grant Williams podcast, including This Week In Doom, The End Game, The Super Terrific Happy Hour, The Narrative Game, Kaos Theory, Shifts Happen and The Hundred Year Pivot, is available to Copper, Silver and Gold Tier subscribers at my website www.Grant-Williams.com.  Copper Tier subscribers get access to all podcasts, while members of the Silver Tier get both the podcasts and my monthly newsletter, Things That Make You Go Hmmm… Gold Tier subscribers have access to my new series of in-depth video conversations, About Time.

Nicolle Wallace on the recent New York Times article, which covers the extensive relationship between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.Later, Nicolle covers the merger between Trump's social media's parent company, Trump Media & Technology Group, and TAE Technologies, a nuclear fusion power company.For more, follow us on Instagram @deadlinewhTo listen to this show and other MS NOW podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. For more from Nicolle, follow and download her podcast, “The Best People with Nicolle Wallace,” wherever you get your podcasts.To listen to this show and other MS podcasts without ads, sign up for MS NOW Premium on Apple Podcasts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It's that time of year, when we highlight some of our favorite new voices in romance! This week, we're talking about eight new writers who are making us excited about what's to come in historical, contemporary, cozy fantasy and more. Here's to reading them all for years to come! From horse girls to divorcees, hair stylists to magical tea shop owners, basketball coaches to jewel thieves, there's something in here for everyone. It's going to be great for you!Don't forget--you can buy the Fated Mates Best of 2025 Book Pack from our friends at Pocket Books Shop in Lancaster, PA, and get eight of the books on the list! Scoundrel Take Me Away and Lazarus, Home from War (independently published) are not in the box. As always, you can add additional romances, or one of Sarah's books to your box. If you want other people to discuss brand new romance authors with, maybe you want to join our Patreon? You get an extra monthly episode from us and access to the incredible readers and brilliant people on the Fated Mates Discord! Support us and learn more at fatedmates.net/patreon. You can also ask for it as a gift, or give it as one at fatedmates.net/gift.Our next read along will be Ruby Dixon's Ice Planet Barbarians (you're welcome). Get it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, from your local indie, or with your monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited.The BooksThe Best Worst Thing by Lauren OkieOnce Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley JordanCosmic Love at the Multiverse Hair Salon by Annie MareHopelessly Teavoted by Audrey Goldberg RuoffSavannah Royals by Lindsay BarrettPlay You For It by Samantha SaldivarThe Trouble with Anna by Rachel GriffithsCelebrity Crush by Christy SwiftNotesCheck out our Debuts of 2024 episode here. It's not frod (Friend + rod), it's frotting. Here's the wikipedia page. Sarah apologizes for not knowing the proper spelling.Jenny Hamilton wrote a terrific piece about

--  For no logical reason, Tom buys a leather, double gun, shoulder holster, for carrying two 1911 pistols.--  More and more companies are making double stack 1911 pistols. What's the attraction?--  Discover the joy of an excellent trigger.Gun Talk 12.07.25 After ShowBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gun-talk--6185159/support.