Podcasts about texan

Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free "Remember the Alamo" hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/ The Texan's Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion. Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! Got questions for the reporting team? Email editor@thetexan.news — they just might be answered on a future podcast.This week on The Texan's “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses:Texas Secures Temporary Win Against Federal Interference With Razor Wire Border Protections‘Whole New Texas House' Says Phelan's Chief of Staff on Proposed Chamber ReformsTexas Appeals Court Denies Rehearing Motion in 2021 Blackouts Case Against GeneratorsFreeman Martin Sworn In as New Texas Department of Public Safety DirectorTexas Accuses BlackRock, Other Financial Firms of Conspiring to Close Coal Power PlantsTexas Files SCOTUS Brief in Pornographic Website Age Verification LawsuitPaxton Lawsuit Alleges South Austin Homelessness Center is 'Nuisance' to CommunityToday in Texas History: Sam Houston Steps Foot in Texas

Welcome to the second half of my drive in Texas with my old buddy, Paul Weyland.  We're in the hill country north of Austin, and Paul will tell me a lot of interesting stories about this area, Austin, and Texas in general.   See pictures and read blog post here: www.theradiovagabond.com/199-drummer-storyteller-and-texan-paul-weyland/ 

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

There is something about dragonflies. Their brilliant translucence, the variety of colors they come in, their auspicious arrival into your space in unexpected moments. In a word, they are magic. Which is why I immediately noticed this week's guest abundance of dragonflies when we jumped on Zoom. From her jewelry to the artwork in her home. They were everywhere! When you check out her website, they cover the pages.  Beth Jones is an Empowered Survivor. She is also a HEALing Mentor, Bestselling Author, & Inspirational Speaker. Which is why she values the attributes of resilience, survival, flourishing, happiness, healing, and infinite possibilities which the Dragonfly represents. Beth speaks these words of wisdom; Trauma knows no demographic boundaries. It doesn't care who you are or where you come from. Neither age, gender, race, religion, or socioeconomic status can protect you from trauma and survivorship. The only way to protect yourself from unhealthy survivorship—and end your suffering—is to heal.On this guest episode, aside from praising the Dragonfly, Beth and I speak about reframing the hardest parts of healing, including her most soulful and spiritual journey through healing her difficult relationship withher grandfather who was her first abuser and dead by the time she got around to the intense and focused part of the healing journey. Beth also shares the healing truths for survivors of trauma and abuse, including: there are no demographic boundaries to trauma, abuse and unhealthy survivorship; healing is about each of us and only us, no one else; triggers are real; and there are no four, five, eight or ten-steps in a healing process. Beth includes her story of becoming an Empowered Survivor (life-altering event and healing journey; personal transformation; taking off the masks of survivorship and what HEAL means to her (hope, evolve and love in action).Bio:Beth's passion for helping other survivors of trauma and abuse to walk their healing pathways led her to write her bestselling book, Becoming an Empowered Survivor: You, Too, Can Heal from Trauma and Abuse. This book, along with the creation of the Empowered Survivors community, has been a beacon of inspiration for many. As a speaker, her message to her audiences follows the title of her book, You, Too, Can HEAL: hope, evolve, and love. Audiences feel the joy she radiates as a testament to the power of healing, and for some, she will spark the beginning of their transformation.With deep Texan roots, Beth is a citizen of the world, having grown up in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Her thirty-year career in professional services, primarily based in Dallas, Texas, was punctuated by world travels, providing forensic accounting and fact-finding expertise to companies investigating complex fraud and white-collar crime schemes. Through her international experience, she has a global perspective and a deep understanding of human suffering. Currently, she resides in Dallas, Texas.Beth became a bestselling author by contributing a chapter about her life experience to the collaborative book Step Into Your Brave: Uplifting Stories to Inspire Courage, Strength and Growth.Learn more about Beth and work with her here:www.empoweredsurvivors.com

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Beyond the perceptions, are you ready to discover what the specialty of what med-surg nursing is really like? Join Laura, Maritess, Neil, Sam, Sydney, and special guest co-host AMSN President Marisa Streelman as they share their true stories, tips, and honest perspectives about med-surg nursing.  Also, get the inside scoop on the latest AMSN updates.    SPECIAL GUESTS AMSN President Dr. Marisa Streelman, DNP, RN, CMSRN, NE-BC began her career in Chicago as a staff nurse in oncology at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. She progressed into leadership positions, such as charge RN, and clinical coordinator, and then changed specialties as the unit manager of a medicine unit. Her life moved out West to Denver, where she managed a cardiology and progressive care unit at University of Colorado Hospital before returning back to Chicago where she served as medical center unit director at Rush University Medical Center. She currently is a staff specialist with the nursing leadership team at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dr. Streelman was a founding member for the Academy of Medical Surgical Nurses - Chicago Chapter, and she has been involved with the AMSN Volunteer Committees. She was elected to treasurer for the Board of Directors for AMSN in 2015 and continues to serve on the board. She recently earned her doctorate in nursing practice in transformational leadership systems from Rush University.    Alissa Brown, MSN, RN, CMSRN, NPD-BC is a clinical nurse educator from the University of Utah Health. She has been working in the health care industry for almost 12 years, and started her nursing career as a med-surg bedside nurse on an Ortho, Trauma, and Surgical Specialty Unit. It was through that experience in the med-surg unit where she discovered a passion for education, and pursued a master's degree. She is a lifelong learner, and loves to teach.  Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, she's not all work, and definitely enjoys play! She loves to travel, and tries to plan as many vacations each year as she can with family and friends. Alissa loves to read, listen to podcasts, and geek out to documentaries and crime shows on the weekends. She's a total fair weather fan when it comes to Utes Football, but will cheer in all the right places, or get mad when her husband tells her to during a game.    MEET OUR CO-HOSTS Samantha Bayne, MSN, RN, CMSRN, NPD-BC is a nursing professional development practitioner in the inland northwest specializing in medical-surgical nursing. The first four years of her practice were spent bedside on a busy ortho/neuro unit where she found her passion for newly graduated RNs, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional governance. Sam is an unwavering advocate for medical-surgical nursing as a specialty and enjoys helping nurses prepare for specialty certification.    Laura Johnson, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN has been a nurse since 2008 with a background in Med/Surg and Oncology.  She is a native Texan currently working in the Dallas area.  She has held many positions throughout her career from bedside nurse to management/leadership to education.  Laura obtained her MSN in nursing education in 2018 and is currently pursuing her DNP.  She has worked both as a bedside educator and a nursing professional development practitioner for both new and experienced staff.  She enjoys working with the nurse residency program as a specialist in palliative care/end of life nursing and mentorship.  She is currently an NPD practitioner for oncology and bone marrow transplant units.     Neil H. Johnson, RN, BSN, CMSRN, epitomizes a profound familial commitment to the nursing profession, marking the third generation in his family to tread this esteemed path. Following the footsteps of his father, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, and cousin, all distinguished nurses, Neil transitioned to nursing as a second career after a brief tenure as an elementary school teacher. Currently on the verge of completing his MSN in nurse education, he aspires to seamlessly integrate his dual passions. Apart from his unwavering dedication to nursing, Neil actively seeks serenity in nature alongside his canine companions. In his professional capacity, he fulfills the role of a med-surg nurse at the Moses Cone Health System in North Carolina.   Eric Torres, ADN, RN, CMSRN is a California native that has always dreamed of seeing the World, and when that didn't work out, he set his sights on nursing.  Eric is beyond excited to be joining the AMSN podcast and having a chance to share his stories and experiences of being a bedside medical-surgical nurse.   Maritess M. Quinto, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN is a clinical educator currently leading a team of educators who is passionately helping healthcare colleagues, especially newly graduate nurses. She was born and raised in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States with her family in Florida. Her family of seven (three girls and two boys with her husband who is also a Registered Nurse) loves to travel, especially to Disney World. She loves to share her experiences about parenting, travelling, and, of course, nursing!   Sydney Wall, RN, BSN, CMSRN has been a med surg nurse for 5 years. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2019, Sydney commissioned into the Navy and began her nursing career working on a cardiac/telemetry unit in Bethesda, Maryland.  Currently she is stationed overseas, providing care for service members and their families.  During her free time, she enjoys martial arts and traveling.   

The NFL suspended Texan linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair this morning for his brutal hit on Trevor Lawrence on Sunday. The suspension was warranted, but at the same time, there is a reality on defense that players must grapple with in todays modern NFL season.

Azeez Al-Shaair posted to social media that he didn't mean to injure Trevor Lawrence. Unfortunately this guy has a history of questionable play on the field, including attempting to choke Tom Brady.

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Tune in to the latest episode as Troy W. Eckard, Founder & Chairman of Eckard Enterprises, encourages you to reflect on what type of individual you are when it comes to sharing your wealth. He discusses the importance of giving back and how we can make a difference by dedicating just 5% of our efforts to helping others.

Interview with retired DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven WhippleYears of Service: 1985-2021Steve grew up in Texas but spent some of his formative years living in Iran while his stepfather worked in the oil industry.In 1985, Steve was hired by the DEA in the Dallas Field Division and arrived in Quantico, VA, for training at the DEA Academy by December 1985. Being a native Texan, Steve was very unhappy to hear the news that he was being assigned to the New York Field Division and thought about quitting several times on his drive from Texas to New York. Once in New York, the work was so interesting that he decided he would make it work.While in New York, Steve got his first chance to work undercover and was part of a group targeting Colombian importers and distributors.During this same time, Steve learned about Operation Snowcap, which was a new program formed by the DEA to target South American drug traffickers in their home countries. The premise behind Snowcap was to take the fight to the traffickers by locating and destroying cocaine laboratories as well as clandestine airstrips used to smuggle drugs from South America to the United States. Steve served two tours in Ecuador before his wife gave him the ultimatum of his job or family. He said it was one of the only smart decisions he made, and he chose his family.Steve was transferred to El Paso, Texas, where he continued to work undercover but also began working on an investigation targeting the Amado Carillo-Fuentes organization. Because of this investigation, a contract was put out on his life, and he was forced to move.Throughout his career, Steve has worked in New York, Atlanta, DEA Headquarters, and offices throughout Texas, including El Paso, San Antonio, and Houston.During this interview, Steve discusses some of his investigations and his rise through the ranks of the DEA to finally retire as the Special Agent in Charge of the Houston Field Division.

Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free "Remember the Alamo" hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/ The Texan's Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion. Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! Got questions for the reporting team? Email editor@thetexan.news — they just might be answered on a future podcast.Happy Thanksgiving! This week on The Texan's “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses:Trump Nominates Texans Scott Turner, Brooke Rollins for Presidential CabinetPost-Election Breakdowns, Numbers, and History: Smoke Filled Room Ep. 10PUC Crypto RuleEnd of Texas CentennialTexas Supreme Court Halts Trial Court's Depositions of Ken Paxton, Aides in Whistleblower Suit

Podcast Hosts: Grant Broggi: Marine Veteran, Owner of The Strength Co. and Starting Strength Coach. Jeff Buege: Marine Veteran, Outdoorsman, Football Fan and Lifter Tres Gottlich: Marine Veteran, Texan, Fisherman, Crazy College Football Fan and Lifter Join the Slack and Use code OKAY: https://buy.stripe.com/dR6dT4aDcfuBdyw5ks Check out BW Tax: https://www.bwtaxllc.com TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 06:44 - Drill 11:49 - When Should Kids Start Lifting? 20:36 - Audiogram 28:58 - Tim Joins The Show 37:08 - Army Career 43:42 - Meeting Grant 46:20 - Balancing Military and Family 57:50 - Future Plans 01:07:14 - Powerpoint 01:13:38 - Favorite States 01:16:38 - Tom Brady 01:17:45 - Favorite Sports Moments 01:21:15 - Favorite Boston Movies 01:24:34 - Civil War 01:33:15 - Faith 01:37:15 - BW Question 01:39:27 - Tim is OKAY! 01:48:31 - College Football 01:54:00 - Sign Off

Renee King-Sonnen earned her title as “Rowdy Girl” through grit, determination, and hard-earned transformation. Formally a “rhinestone cowgirl,” this Texan is the first documented cattle farmer gone vegan. Now managing 147 acres that countless of animals call sanctuary, Renee and Tommy at Rowdy Girl Sanctuary are changing the ranching industry from the inside out. Listen in for comedy, inspiration, and motivation to dare to push back against supposedly set-in-stone cultural norms. Costa Rica 2025 details: buff.ly/4fpQTTc Calen's Unruly Budget Travel Guide: https://wanderwoman.online/index.php/unrulystore/The-Art-of-Unruly-Travel-on-a-Budget-Printed-Copy-p390907964 Calen's Vegan resources: https://wanderwoman.online/index.php/unruly-veganism/ Rowdy Girl Sanctuary: https://rowdygirlsanctuary.org/ Epic Trips website: www.worldpackers.com/epic - Unruly Travel & Living Blog: unrulytravel.com - Unruly email newsletter: buff.ly/4a1bPwT
 - Join the Unruly Podcast on Patreon: www.patreon.com/unrulytravel
 - Donate to the podcast: SoundCloud - @unrulystories, 
Venmo - @unruytravel
 - Contact: calenotto@gmail.com
 - Unruly Instagram: www.instagram.com/unruly_traveller

  The Derman Murders are the unsolved killings of Russell and Shirley Dermond in Putnam County, Georgia in May 2014. On May 6, 2014, Russell's decapitated body was found in the garage of his Lake Oconee home. He was 88 years old. Over a week later, Shirley's body was found floating in Lake Oconee. She was 87 years old and had been weighted down with concrete blocks. As of April 2024, the murders remain unsolved and Russell's head has not been found. The FBI is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer or killers. Guest Bio and Links: Alice LaCour is a native Texan, a Yale Law School graduate, and a mean fiddler player. (She's been known to go down to Georgia). In another life, she was a dancer, but now the courtroom is her stage. When she's not lawyering she's hanging with her husband and wrangling her three adorable children. Brett Talley is a Southern gentleman who loves abandoned buildings, long walks on haunted beaches, and Cthluhu plushies. His saintly wife tolerates him, while his little girl and son hang on his every word–and love the podcast theme. Listeners can learn more about The Prosecutors Podcast at their website, on IG @prosecutorspod In this episode of Zone 7, Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum, welcomes Brett and Alice from The Prosecutors Podcast to dive into the perplexing double homicide of Russell and Shirley Dermond in Lake Oconee, Georgia. Sheryl, Alice, and Brett cover various aspects of the case including the idyllic setting, Russell and Shirley's background, the brutal nature of the crime, and the intriguing yet cruel methods employed by the killer. With insights from legal experts and firsthand involvement, they explore different theories, investigate motives, and emphasize the critical role of DNA evidence and genetic genealogy in bringing this case closer to resolution. Show Notes: (0:00) Welcome back to Zone 7 with Crime Scene Investigator, Sheryl McCollum   (0:15) Sheryl welcomes Brett and Alice from The Prosecutors Podcast (2:30) Brief background of the Dermond murders  (4:30) Details of the crime scene in Putnam County, Georgia (5:00) Analysis of Shirley's body being found in the lake  (6:00) The brutality and peculiarities of the crime (10:30) Theories of mistaken identity and cartel involvement (14:00) Speculation on why Shirley might have been the target (16:30) Timeline and investigation insights (23:00) Importance of the boat in the crime's execution (27:00) Theories and intricacies of the crime scene (27:30) The lake and docking the boat (35:30) Revisiting the son's tragic murder (42:00) Genetic genealogy technologies  (50:00) Final reflections on the case's solvability Thanks for listening to another episode! If you love the show and want to help grow the show, please head over to iTunes and leave a rating and review!  --- Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnLine, a Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department. She is the co-author of the textbook., Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a collaboration between universities and colleges that brings researchers, practitioners, students and the criminal justice community together to advance techniques in solving cold cases and assist families and law enforcement with solvability factors for unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnapping cases.   Social Links: Email: coldcase2004@gmail.com Twitter: @ColdCaseTips Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum Instagram: @officialzone7podcast   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Jared Sherman of TexanHemp.com a southern cannabis seed bank dedicated to bringing new, rare, and foundational genetics to the Third Coast. Jared will talk policy and farming with us in the first half of the show. https://www.texanhemp.com/ Musical talent Jackson Randolph joins us in studio to talk about his music and give a performance . For his music visit below: https://www.facebook.com/JacksonRandolphMusic https://www.tiktok.com/@jacksonfoxrandolph https://www.instagram.com/jacksonrandolphmusic

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Listen in as Jim interviews Clifford Walker, a Texan and former truck driver turned successful real estate investor and philanthropist. Clifford shares his transformation journey, emphasizing the importance of mentorship, taking action, and the connection between health and wealth. He discusses his philanthropic efforts to feed the community and the significance of investing in oneself. The conversation highlights practical advice for aspiring investors and the mindset needed for success.  3 Key takeaways: The Power of Mentorship: Walker highlights the importance of having a mentor and a clear process, stressing that consistent effort, not reinventing the wheel, is the key to success. Action as a Success Multiplier: Walker and Oliver discuss the value of taking action, noting that true learning happens in the doing. Simplicity in Building Success: Through analogies of fitness and finance, they explore how sticking to fundamental practices in any field can drive long-term success. Walker's story is a reminder that anyone can transform their life by taking deliberate steps, seeking guidance, and trusting the process. Connect with Clifford Walker: Instagram: www.instagram.com/cliffordthecowboycloser/ Download Our FREE 5 Step Process On How To Get Started Today!: www.corralnetwork.com/wholesaleprocess

What if exploring the world could also deepen your sense of community? Join us as we welcome Kimberly Long, a cherished listener and fellow Texan whose recent adventures have taken her through the breathtaking landscapes of Oregon and Washington on an invigorating six-day bike tour. With an e-bike to keep pace and a group of 18 enthusiastic cyclists, Kimberly paints a vivid picture of the joys and camaraderie found when exploring the Columbia River Gorge and the Willamette Valley. Her tales of winery visits and the exceptional organization by three young guides, including a thoughtful gesture from a guide named Nate, offer a glimpse into the magic that travel can unveil.But the journey doesn't stop there. Dive into the highs and lows of personal travel experiences, from unexpected adventures in Costa Rica to the grit-testing challenge of a juice retreat. Kimberly's honest reflections on the struggle of a juice-only diet amidst others enjoying hearty meals bring to light the importance of self-care and balance in new environments. These narratives emphasize finding peace and joy in travel, even when faced with the unexpected, and the lesson that indulgence and comfort should never be sacrificed.Our episode takes a turn towards the future with the introduction of a Christian-centered luxury retreat in Texas Hill Country, crafted especially for women. With activities ranging from pickleball to prayer, this retreat promises a safe haven for relaxation and connection. Kimberly shares her excitement about expanding this vision and her commitment to women's wellness, offering insights into upcoming offerings for adventurous souls in 2025. Engage with this episode to explore themes of travel, community, and personal growth, and be inspired to embark on your own journeys with mindfulness and joy.Sign up for a Luxury Retreat in 2025 hosted in the Hill Country of Texas.https://christianluxuryvacations.com/Get 10% off use code: FIRSTBOOKINGInstagram @solotraveladventures50Facebook community: Solo Travel for Women Over 50Send me a message or share your solo travel story with me.https://www.speakpipe.com/SoloTravelAdventuresLeave a review:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/solo-travel-adventures-safe-travel-for-women-preparing-for-a-trip-overcoming-fear-travel-tips/id1650161410

*Some areas of Texas could see some light snow this week. And what happened to La Niña? *U.S. pork exports are up in both value and volume this year. *A Texan has been nominated to serve as the next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. *Winter is fast approaching. There are a few things cattle raisers should be doing now to prepare.

- In the 3rd hour the B's discuss more of the Texan's loss and what we need to see from them in the future. - Game Balls and Car Wreck of the Day

- Jeremy and Joel talk more about the Texan's and that we need things to change. - Mailbag Monday and Do you Believe?

- Jeremy and Joel discuss the embarrassing game from the Texans VS the Titans. - They also discuss how our Houston fans need to see action and change within the Texans.  - Should we have high expectations for our Houston Texans???

The tea has been PIPING HOT. Ariana is joined by McKenzie DiLullo, senior editor of The Texan. They talk about the Zach Bryan drama, how Trump will influence Texas, and McKenzie's career journey.

This morning on the show, Matt Dyson brought us a mysterious scrap metal theme tune on the social ammunition, Dave makes a terrible typo and we have our "lets leave it there" text of the week when asking for your weird quirks...

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

This title is sometimes credited to John Prine, and sometimes to Bob Marley. Regardless, it made this Texan wonder. And appreciate it more. Catch up on back episodes, see current video clips and behind the scenes pics of every episode at mitchwonders.com ...and THANK YOU!

Pratik Navani reviews a new sitcom that follows a teacher in a Texan school and explores some of the amazing TV in Japan.

Plus, Bishop TD Jakes was treated for a medical issue after suffering an episode on stage on Sunday morning in Dallas, and two teens were killed in a shooting in Arlington on Saturday night.

Learn more about today's sponsor by visiting: uslege.aiShow off your Lone Star spirit with a free "Remember the Alamo" hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/ The Texan's Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion. Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! Got questions for the reporting team? Email editor@thetexan.news — they just might be answered on a future podcast.This week on The Texan's “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses:Texas Offers Border Ranch Land for Trump's Mass Deportation EffortAbbott Issues Executive Order Against Chinese Communist Party's Harassment of Dissidents in TexasLt. Gov. Dan Patrick Announces Texas Dementia Research Institute as Legislative PriorityState Board of Education to Approve Elementary School Curriculum Emphasizing Character Traits, PatriotismGov. Abbott Directs State to Accept Mexico's Rio Grande Water Supply OfferTexas Nuclear Power Workgroup Suggests New State Authority, Low-Interest Loans to Spur DevelopmentTexas Lawmakers File Health and Food-Focused Bills for 2025 Legislative SessionTexas A&M Board Approves Removal of 52 Programs, Including LGBTQ Studies MinorVideo: Rep. Drew Darby Talks Education, Property Taxes, House Speaker's Race

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Podcast Hosts: Grant Broggi: Marine Veteran, Owner of The Strength Co. and Starting Strength Coach. Jeff Buege: Marine Veteran, Outdoorsman, Football Fan and Lifter Tres Gottlich: Marine Veteran, Texan, Fisherman, Crazy College Football Fan and Lifter Join the Slack and Use code OKAY: https://buy.stripe.com/dR6dT4aDcfuBdyw5ks Check out BW Tax: https://www.bwtaxllc.com Check out Green Gridiron: http://www.greengridiron.com USE CODE: thestrengthco TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 03:54 - Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul 14:44 - Monkey Update 18:01 - Subway Inflation 21:02 - Andy Joins The Show 25:45 - Andy Stories 28:05 - Military Career 32:14 - Favorite Places In The World 38:18 - Activation 39:50 - Moving 41:10 - Country Music 45:09 - Vegas 49:58 - Saved Rounds 01:03:35 - Dad Update 01:05:25 - College Football 01:23:36 - Gamecocks Story 01:29:44 - Boot Socks 01:34:21 - Creed 01:37:32 - Saved Rounds and Turkey Pull

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Former Texan N.D. Kalu joins the show to look ahead to the Texans vs Titans.

Why is THIS football season in the H feelin' so different right now for some fellas in week 12? Hmm...

Triforce Mailbag Special 42! Lewis uncovers his strange money-making scheme in University, we're made aware of the Texan aerial pig hinting company Heli-bacon and Lewis could easily take Zuckerberg in a game of Civilization! Go to http://auraframes.com/triforce to get up to $30 off Aura's best-selling frames. Go to http://expressvpn.com/triforce today and get an extra 3 months free on a 1-year package! Support your favourite podcast on Patreon: https://bit.ly/2SMnzk6 Music courtesy of Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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In this episode of the Building Texas Business Podcast, I speak with Amyn Bandali, CEO of Ivy Kids Systems. Amyn shares the story behind Ivy Kids, a premier childcare and education provider founded by his parents. He reflects on how their move to Pearland, Texas, and the challenges they faced finding quality childcare led to the establishment of their first school. Since then, the family business has grown to 20 locations, with 16 more under development. We discuss the decision to franchise the business, the importance of building a culture of empowerment within teams, and Amyn's philosophy on leadership. He explains how empowering employees with autonomy, transparency, and responsibility has been key to Ivy Kids' success. Amyn also talks about navigating challenges, including the impact of the pandemic, which required the business to pivot toward virtual programs and innovative approaches to childcare. The conversation highlights the critical role of early childhood education in shaping lifelong success, the importance of continuous innovation, and how technology like coding and robotics is being integrated into Ivy Kids' curriculum. Amyn also shares insights into managing a franchise system and the value of fostering strategic relationships and learning from setbacks. This episode is filled with practical lessons for entrepreneurs and leaders who aspire to create sustainable growth and a strong company culture. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Amyn Bandali is the CEO of Ivy Kids Systems, a premier childcare brand founded by his parents in Pearland, Texas, offering education from infants to pre-K and afterschool programs. The company was inspired by the founders' personal experience of struggling to find high-quality childcare when they first moved to the United States from Canada. Amyn joined the business in 2015 and initiated the franchising strategy, growing from 5 corporate locations to 20 total locations with 16 more under development. The company emphasizes a culture of empowerment, focusing on giving employees autonomy, transparency, and timely feedback while understanding the "why" behind strategic initiatives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ivy Kids pivoted to online learning and alternative programs, generating a million dollars in revenue for franchisees despite significant enrollment drops. The company is innovating its curriculum by incorporating coding, robotics, digital parent assessments, and classroom camera access to enhance early childhood education. Amyn's leadership style prioritizes empowering team members, setting clear visions, and allowing individuals to develop their own key performance indicators (KPIs). The company values continuous learning, participating in franchise associations, mastermind groups, and local business networks to share best practices. Amyn learned a critical leadership lesson during the pandemic about truly empowering his team by trusting them during challenging times. The company's educational philosophy is grounded in research showing the critical importance of early childhood learning in a child's development. LINKSShow Notes Previous Episodes About BoyarMiller About Ivy Kids Systems GUESTS Amyn BandaliAbout Amyn TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Chris: Amyn, I want to welcome you to Building Texas Business. Thanks for agreeing to come on the show. Amyn: Yeah, thank you for having me, Chris. Happy to be here. Chris: So you're the CEO of Ivy Kids Systems. Tell the listeners what Ivy Kids is. What do you do? What are you known for? Amyn: Yeah. So Ivy Kids, we are a premier childcare brand, not just a daycare where parents just come in to pick up and drop off. You know, we provide education and that's from the infant level, so as young as two months old, all the way to our pre-K program, which is five and six year olds. And then we also have an afterschool program as well, where parents pick up and drop off from elementary school. The kids come in for homework help. And we're next year celebrating our 20th anniversary. Chris: Congratulations. That is amazing. Amyn: Yes. So what was the inspiration to get into this primary childcare, education, afterschool learning? Where did that emanate from? Amyn: Yeah. So, you know, a little bit about our history. So Ivy Kids was actually founded by my parents, Allen and Layla. You know, we had moved from Canada to the States or to Houston in 1995, and we lived in Pearland. So, as you're probably aware with Pearland, it experienced massive growth during that time. You know, 518 had one stoplight. Now it's a six-lane highway, it feels like. But you know, my parents, you know, with my brother and I being young children, they found out very hard time finding high quality care for us. You know, we would be in the daycare system, mom and pop childcare, quote unquote, you know, prestigious childcare program, and it was, you know, observation, where there was no learning going on, or my brother and I would, you know, be picked up and we'd have a bump or a bruise, and nobody would be able to point out why. Amyn: My parents being engineers and also having a history of entrepreneurship from their parents and their grandparents, you know, they thought about this industry and they thought, hey, we can do a better job of running high quality schools. So I like to say they reversed engineered the childcare. You know, they put a lot of thought, time and thinking, and over that course of 10 years from when we moved to Pearland, to 2005, we opened our first school, and that was in the Pearland area, and it did really well. So from that, we grew from that one corporate location to then five corporate locations. And then when I joined the business in 2015, and I can talk about the reasons why, but that was when we decided to franchise our brand. And, you know, today we are at 20 locations. We actually just opened our 20th location about a month ago and we have 16 under development right now throughout Texas and the Southeast United States. Chris: And, just curious, I mean, the 20 that exists in the 16 under development, how many of those are franchise versus corporate owned? Amyn: Yeah. So we still own all of the corporate locations today. We are at five corporate locations and we are at 15 franchise locations. You know, I think one of the things that shows maybe a strong brand and, you know, happy franchisees is folks opening their second or third locations. And even though we opened our first school in 2017, you know, that's been one of the great things to see. As a franchisor, you know, seeing folks open their second or third location, looking for sites for that. And that's kind of where we are right now in the evolution of the business, which is really exciting to see. Chris: That sounds exciting. So you're going back to the beginning in listening to the story you were telling about your parents. Yeah. It sounds like a very common entrepreneurial inspirational moment where they see a gap and figure out a way to fill that gap or need, right? And in this case, you know, quality childcare. Amyn: Yeah, absolutely. You know, they saw a lot of great things about this business, which really stand today. And it's, you know, if you do right by that family, you do right by that child, you know, you're having that parent for 10 years from when they're infant to that afterschool program. You know, they saw that childcare is a need, not a want. You know, if you have a dual income family, you have to put your child somewhere where, you know, they'll feel safe where they're learning. And from that they saw a need in building their first Ivy Kids to, well, there's so much research out there about the importance of education at an early age that then, you know, catapults a child into future learning, future success, as opposed to not getting that in the early ages. Chris: And the kind of the downward trajectory of the backing cause. Amyn: Yeah. I mean, there's some amazing studies. There was one that was done about eight years ago by Harvard University that basically said 95 percent of who you are is from the first five years that you were born. You know, everything from what your passions are to your ability to learn. So much of that comes from those first five years. And then if you think about, hey, what is the best return on investment then for my education? It's not necessarily those prestigious universities that does have a high rate of return, but the best ROI actually that a family can spend, that a government could spend is that first five years and getting that part right. Chris: Right. You know, if you're doing that, then you are truly building that foundation. And I think that's one of the drivers for why, you know, why families make a decision. You know, they're looking for, they're seeing the benefits, they're understanding more and more of, you know, the link between high quality learning and how their child is going to do. And they're making a smarter decision now with where they're choosing to enroll their child. Chris: So let's go a little bit, so we understand your parents' inspiration. You alluded to this, but I don't understand what drew you into the business. What were you doing before and what was it that caused you to leave that to step in and kind of take over? Amyn: Yeah. So by the time we had opened our first school, I was in, you know, college or close to college and seeing the business up front, you know, seeing the ability to build your own path, create your own destiny, working in the business from everything, from us assembling the furniture when we were opening our first school, actually laying the grass and the sod down in order for us to get our CEO inspection passed, you know, I was just so enthralled by it. I was so excited about it. The ability of owning something and really charting your destiny. And that really didn't leave me. You know, in college, I also took a job. It was with Student Agencies, which is a business run by undergrads and I did sales there. And that also really excited me too. Amyn: And then, you know, I kind of went the route that a lot of students at Cornell did for undergraduate business, which was pursue finance, look at the business consulting route or the investment banking route. And, you know, I learned a lot going down that path, but I missed being in that small business, you know, really building something that was my own working with a dynamic team and a small team. And, you know, I think building some of that foundation, this amazing opportunity came that was presented by my dad to say, hey, let's franchise the business. You know, we've got something great going. This would be an amazing opportunity for other like-minded people to open their own locations and thrive. Amyn: And I just thought, man, this marries what I did earlier. I've got a bit of foundation for working at larger organizations. You know, maybe there's something there and it turned out to be a good decision. Chris: Very good. That's a great, I love the story and how you were able to, I think it's important. You got an education and you got real world experience outside of that, right? To then bring that into and maybe help professionalize a little bit the company, especially as it was launching into being a franchisor. Amyn: Yeah. So you mentioned, you know, working with the team, let's talk a little bit about, you know, some of the ups and downs that you've experienced and maybe you saw your parents early on experience and building the team around you so that the company can achieve that success. Because if I know anything about hiring, it's an imperfect thing, right? Is that part science, part art? But you do your best to get it right. So tell me, let's talk a little bit about those experiences, you know, what you've learned from that. Amyn: Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, going into small business entrepreneurship, there's very much a feeling of working in the business, you know, being so kind of head down and focusing on, hey, how do we survive today? And, you know, I think when you're joining or launching a new business, which really was the franchising part of our business was a brand new business, you are really thinking in that lens and that mindset. And I always feel like hiring, building an infrastructure, it just allows you to think more long term and that just prolongs the lifespan of your business too. So I think making those right strategic hires as soon as we have that capital, thinking ahead about, hey, where do we want to be in the next 5, 10 years and investing in those people and really giving them the freedom and empowerment, you know, to expand their careers, expand their responsibilities as you're seeing them master their role. Amyn: I think that really helped, you know. So one book that I read early on about a year or two after I joined the business was Traction by Gina Wickman. Sure. You know, the entrepreneurial operating system. I mean, that's something that we do today. And I think that was foundational in how I look at people, helping the assistant. Hey, do we have the right people in the right seats? And then are we creating a culture of empowerment? You know, I think about what attracted me to Ivy Kids and starting this franchising part of the business. And it was this idea of taking ownership, having accountability, you know, maybe having a little bit too much rope. Chris: Right. Right. Amyn: And I just think, hey, at a size that we are, those are probably the people that I'm going to be attracting to. And how can I create that where if I were in their shoes, I'd want to be a part of this business. And I think some of that where, hey, there's alignment on goals, but hey, you have the empowerment and you have the ability to achieve it and how you achieve it and how you get to that final product is up to you. You know, I always feel like that allows you to really grow people, especially when you're smaller, maybe you have that limited capital base, you know, and now you can start thinking strategically about your business and then your business can really grow. Chris: So I love that term culture of empowerment. Let's talk about culture. You know, everyone agrees culture is king, right? And every book you read and each strategy, you know, all those clichés. What have you done to kind of foster and build this culture of empowerment within Ivy Kids? Amyn: You know, I think of myself as a generalist. And I think of myself as, hey, I am not the best person in any department. And I think as you grow as a leader, that is just what naturally happens. You know, you have to build a team of people that are smarter, more experienced. I would say better than you in each of these divisions in each of these areas. Amyn: So I think just thinking, hey, if I'm growing or if the business is growing, I have to increase the skill sets of everything around me and I have to play more of that generalist mindset. And with that, it's let me bring these people on and have and let them be the experts in the subject matter experts of what they're doing now. Amyn: Alignment and vision and where we are and ensuring that, hey, prove to me that you can do this job is still very important. Sure. You know, We still need to have check-ins and make sure that, hey, are we all marching in that direction and where we want to go as a company. But at the end of the day, I do think that people are more passionate if they feel a sense of ownership, if they can look back and see, "Oh, I or my team accomplished this." I'm getting praise for those kinds of things. You know, one of the things that we do, we have quarterly town halls and we do shout outs, and it's a thing that I love. We just had ours on Friday. And, you know, the team gives each other shout outs, but I think when people are empowered and we are able to showcase, you did a great job and this is why, and this is what your team is doing, is getting the company moving forward, is amazing. And that might be harder to create that visibility as a company grows. But it is something that I like to keep on the forefront of my mind because empowering people, it's just like this flywheel of positivity, right? Chris: Right. Amyn: It just, it's like the snowball or flywheel effect. It just grows upon itself. You know, the shout outs that you mentioned, I don't think it can be overstated, the value in just simple recognition. Private recognition is great, but the public recognition amongst someone's peers, I mean, it doesn't replace cash rewards, but some people value it as much or more, right? And I think that you would take the time to do that in a thoughtful way, and I can see where that would inspire your people to do more, right? Or, well, gosh, your coworker got it. I'm going to do something so that the next quarter I get it. And it just, to your point, that flywheel effect, it just creates this atmosphere and culture of wanting to achieve and be successful. ADVERT Hello friends. This is Chris Hanslick, your Building Texas Business host. Did you know that Boyer Miller, the producer of this podcast, is a business law firm that works with entrepreneurs, corporations, and business leaders? Our team of attorneys serve as strategic partners to businesses by providing legal guidance to organizations of all sizes. Get to know the BoyerMiller.com and thanks for listening to the show. Amyn: The other thing I heard you say is there's a key piece of autonomy to create the culture of empowerment within Ivy Kids and giving your people the autonomy to go do what they do, what they've been hired to do without being micromanaged. Chris: Yeah, that's exactly right. Amyn: I mean, I always think back to when I first started out, you know, in my career, you know, as an investment banking analyst, you know, you're spending 80, a hundred hours a week, you're working on these pitch decks. You're grinding until 2 a.m. You're working on this project and now all of a sudden you have this package, you deliver it to your managing director and then they go to a meeting and you never hear back. You come up from the dungeon, right? Chris: Exactly. Amyn: And I always was like, hey, you know what, I wonder what that client thought or if that what I did had an effect. And you know, that's that part where I'm like, well, am I doing that as a leader? And am I these blockages? You know, because people want to learn and people want to be in those meetings. I think everybody wants to be in that meeting and see where their work is leading to. And I just always think, hey, if I were working for me when I was starting off, would I have liked myself as a boss? Chris: Right. Amyn: And that also means, hey, clear vision of where that person is heading. What am I doing right? And what am I not doing well? You know, I think feedback transparency, you know, I really try and instill that criticism is not a negative word, you know, problems are not bad. You know, problems are just identifications of what we can all do better. Chris: Right. Amyn: I like hearing problems to not, you know, and that could be a, you know, what we're doing and just what's going on within the organization. You know, what the way I would phrase what I just heard you say is about, it's about mindset, right? You can view someone's performance from a positive mindset or a negative mindset and say, look, okay, this didn't go well, but that's a learning moment. Let's find the learning as opposed to chastise and criticize and beat someone down. Chris: Yeah, right. And I think, you know, same situations handled, you know, one versus the other can encourage and empower someone to want to do better or discourage them to, you know, put their tail between their legs and maybe leave, even leave your organization when it's not someone you necessarily want to leave. Amyn: Yeah, and this is a thing that comes over time. It comes with empowerment. It comes with, you know, celebrating that publicly. It comes with a culture of positivity. You know, it is also something that I feel like is so important when you are owning a small business, when you're opening a business is separating yourself and your identity and ego in some ways from your business. Chris: Right. Amyn: You know, it's something that I, you know, try and share with our franchisees when they're opening a school and they're having a quality assurance visit or their first, maybe, you know, not ideal interaction with the parent. I mean, there's a real personal feeling there. It's easier said than done, right? Chris: It is. Amyn: But I, to your point, very important to do. So let's kind of dive into some of those subjects because you start the franchise part of the business, I think you said 2017. So it seems to me you're getting it off the ground. It's going well. And then a global pandemic hit. So let's talk about managing through kind of uncertainty, economic downturn, especially when your business is predicated on kids coming into a public, basically facility and gathering together when that wasn't going on. Amyn: Yeah. I mean, I remember March of 2020, I think our average school enrollment was about 200 children. And I think it went to 40 in two weeks, so very stressful period as you can imagine. You know, and one thing that I learned from the pandemic or from our team and in business is you can really pivot on a dime. You know, and I think that's something that I've taken from me too is we went to online learning, you know, for two, three hours every day we were able to orient the company in that direction. You know, it ended up generating a million dollars of revenue for our franchisees, which was a benefit. You know, we were able to do things like private kindergarten. We were able to do a virtual program for elementary school children. They were able to come in our schools and do the virtual learning from the elementary teacher at our schools, and everybody was separated apart. Chris: Wow. Amyn: So we were able to come up with revenue-generating ideas. We weren't able to make up entirely for the lost revenue due to COVID. But we were able to do some really amazing things and stay in really close communication with our franchisees. Yeah. Because as you know, each city, each state had their own requirements. Chris: Right. Amyn: I think I learned a lot from that, that, hey, if you've got a long-term goal, a long-term plan and things change within your business, that doesn't mean you don't change your goal. You know, you can orient things, you can turn things on a dime. And, you know, although things have returned to normal and in many respects, right? Or pre-COVID, I think the learnings from that have helped our innovation and just saying, hey, let's push a little bit more. Let's try a little bit more. Chris: I love it because I think the lesson there is despite what comes at you, whether it was in your control or not, there's always opportunity. Amyn: So again, it goes back to mindset. I thank you. Okay, get the team, you or your team together and go, okay, where are the opportunities out of this that we probably wouldn't have seen before? And I think, like you said, you see so many people, especially in your industry. Now that kids are back in your facilities, it doesn't take away the opportunities for online learning you can do. Chris: Right. Amyn: And it's just added revenue. Chris: Yeah, that's right. You know, I think, you know, a franchisee, they open and they think, oh man, you know, these problems are just centered around me and oh my gosh, I'm opening a business. And it's luckily now you're around 20 years of experience of us operating, but also imagine those franchisees that had that same feeling and they opened during 2020, 2021, right? Amyn: Where we had to do everything virtual. So, you know, I think, you know, a business owner, you have to be an optimist. You have to look for, hey, what are ways that either I could turn this around or generate some revenue. Growth mindset is just so important. Chris: Yeah, so true. So you mentioned innovation. What are some of the things that you have done or that you may be doing now to kind of foster innovative ideas, innovative thoughts within your team that you can then implement with your franchisees, etc.? Amyn: You know, I think so much of that comes from our goals and seeing, hey, what can we continue to do to further differentiate ourselves as being the leading provider of early childhood education? Right. I mean, you look at our curriculum, you know, we have a lot of, you know, mom and pops that are great, you know, and in varying levels of quality and large franchise organizations too. Right. And what you find is there has not been a great deal of innovation in the curriculum space and in education, you know, so really it's us thinking at things differently, like, hey, just because everybody else is doing the same thing. Chris: Right. Amyn: That grounded in the research of today? Right. Does that relate to the teachers of today? What children need to learn in order to be successful in the elementary school, middle schools in the communities that they're in today. I think just always trying to understand the why, you know, I think why is one of the most important questions that you can ask. And that's really what I do in the meetings is understand, hey, why are we doing this? How are we doing this? You know, I think that generates a lot of thought within our team. Then once we have those strategic tools in place, we have those systems in place. Okay, then what is our cadence to see how we're executing on it and seeing how we're going within that? Amyn: So I always think goal setting at the year, understanding what those rocks are each quarter, but then, hey, just because it's a status quo does not mean that's good enough. You know, so even in our curriculum, implementing coding and robotics, parent assessments that are digital. So you can see every, you know, every month, every two months, exactly what your child's doing in the classroom. Camera access. So as a parent, you can see exactly what's going on in your child's classroom. You know, those are not just tried and true things. Those are things that came from great communication with our parents, a team that is, you know, flexible, forthinking about what they would want to see as a parent and then great execution. Chris: Wow. That's great. So you mentioned robotics. I've got to ask, what are you doing or kind of what's on the horizon as it relates to your curriculum and your delivery of this, your childcare and child education, early childhood education as it relates to AI? Amyn: Yeah, I think that's a great question. You know, I think tools like AI are amazing. You know, there's so much that you can do in regards to communication, idea generation. You know, I think for us is just, hey, when it comes to technology, you know, how do we ensure that children today are well-equipped for their technological future? So when we talk about coding and robotics, it's not just sitting in a computer and coding, you know, for it. It's even from that two or three-year-old level of doing logic puzzles, if-then statements. If I take a certain input and I am bringing code puzzles to it, what do those outputs look like? So it's a great way of them to manipulate in a coding language, but not also spending time in the computer and being in front of a screen too, which also which shows you know, a negative impact due to research for that young and FNH, right? We're making steps towards that direction. We are not diving full ahead, you know, to me, it's one thing to be first in an area, but I'd rather do it best, right? And I'd rather do it where, you know, we're not just testing things on children, but we are providing something that is impactful. That's based on research that we know we can implement really well. And I think you're going to continue to see growth in that area, too. You know, other things is just back to a naturalistic component, having things like gardens in our schools, you know, teaching children, hey, the food does not just come from H-E-B. It comes from the ground, and this is why. So, you know, I think innovation is a big part of it. Chris: That's great stuff. I mean, I can imagine parents get excited about hearing about that fundamental learning that their kids are going to get to experience with you. Amyn: Yeah, absolutely. Building strategic relationships, you know, partnerships and things that you have, you know, obviously relationships with franchisees, but other key, you know, advisors or relationships you have. Let's talk in the context of the value you've seen in that, how you think that's helped grow the business and how you lean on those, you know, from time to time to get you through to the next stage, if you will. Chris: Yeah. I mean, I think you always want to be around people that are adding to your skill set and have exceptional talents in those skill sets. You know, I think about continual learning. Luckily, in franchising, it's an amazing model and way for people to share best practices. You know, the IFA International Franchise Association has amazing resources, especially for emerging franchisors. They have great conferences and that's a great way to share ideas. Amyn: You know, I'm part of a mastermind group of franchisors, 50 to 100 units. And just learning and seeing what best practices that they do. You know, they advocate a lot for transparency within a franchise system. Franchisees sharing what their P&Ls look like. What's going well, what's not going well in the business. And franchisees learning from each other and sharing best practices. You know, that's something that is important. We're implementing more in our business with benchmarking and KPIs and performance groups. Even being part of a local community, you know, I'm part of a Vistage group here in Houston. Chris: That sounds like an amazing asset. Amyn: Yeah, I think that is an amazing asset, going and meeting people in person, seeing their businesses, touring their locations. You know, I think sometimes being an entrepreneur, being a CEO can be a very isolating experience. Chris: For sure. Amyn: You know, all the fingers are pointing at you and all the hard questions come to you too. So being able to learn from others. I mean, learning from mistakes is great. Then you're not making them and they're less costly. So I'm always about trying to learn from other people. Chris: You alluded to one of my favorite questions there. So I always, I like to ask a guest, cause I do, we do learn from mistakes and it is nice if you can learn from someone else's, but has there been a setback or something you would describe, you know, a mistake or, you know, again, learning moment, like I mentioned earlier you've encountered? And let's talk about what that was, but what did you do to overcome it? What was the learning and how did it make you better? Amyn: You know, I think the learning that I encountered is not stepping into the business. And I think my idea of being a generalist came from mistakes, you know, being young and eager, wanting to jump in, hey, I can write this operations manual because I've spent time in the business or, you know, hey, use this marketing plan or this idea because it worked for me. You know, I think the big one was COVID early on. Oh my gosh, I was seeing the business totally transform. I felt the need to be in this. I need to be a wartime, you know, CEO or senior member. I need to be here. I need to be calling the franchisees. And really, our team had great ideas and approaches and they were thinking about the business and their fears around the business in a similar way that I was. Chris: Right. Amyn: Yeah. And the moment I snapped out of it was, hey, this training is great. I mean, but think about X, Y, and Z that the franchisee is going through. And I had my operations person tell me that. And I think it was a, oh my gosh, I've sucked myself into this business. Yes, there was a big change, but I talk about empowering my people. That also means not just when moments are good, but when moments are bad as well. So I think that goes both ways and people and relationships strengthen sometimes when you're giving someone the rope when the business is not going that well. Chris: Right. But I mean, that's powerful. I can certainly see how that was an aha moment for you. And again, for your people, right? That you trusted them enough in those times had to go a long way. Amyn: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, it's kind of like war stories during COVID or the up and down, but, you know, having a kind of a business history and having institutional knowledge, I mean, those are amazing tenants. You know, a franchisee joins, they have now someone on the operations team that's been with you for 20 years. But you're also incorporating, you know, newer people who are excited about the culture that we're trying to build. That's really important. Chris: Yeah. Well, I think you've talked around this, but just to kind of crystallize it, I do want to ask, how would you describe your leadership style and how do you think that's changed or evolved over time? Amyn: That's a really good question. I mean, I would say I like to empower people, you know, I like to set goals and a vision. You know, we have a vision of where we want to be as a company, and I want to understand what people think and how they see us getting there. And I want us, and I'd like to see that individual develop KPIs. What they think are the right metrics. And I want to understand the rationale behind that. And then we'll get together and figure out alignment there. But I like to see how people think. I like to see thinking. I want a demonstration of why they are getting to that problem or what their reasoning is around that problem. Chris: That makes sense. Amyn: Then we check in and I let them do it. I always think about how I, you know, if I was the low man on the totem pole, how empowered would I feel? You know, what are my responsibilities? And I think that attracts, you know, passionate people. Chris: Yeah. Amyn: And that's what I want to see. I want to see passion because I'm giving that responsibility. You know, as you were talking, it made me think. You know, we talked about learning from bad experiences or, you know, maybe learning, seeing something and going, okay, I experienced this, but I don't want to repeat that. And I can't help but think you learned so much as an early analyst and how you were treated. Chris: Yes. Amyn: You go, if I'm ever in a position of leadership, I'm not going to do these things. And it probably serves as a good reminder and a guidepost for you. Chris: Yeah. Amyn: To say, no, you know, remember what I didn't like, and let's do the opposite. Chris: Right. Amyn: Yeah, you learn a lot from great managers and you learn a lot from not so great managers. Yeah. And, you know, I think I had a lot of those on my bucket list and I think a lot of just reflection too. I mean, you know, I really try and take feedback and I really try and understand. Hey, you know, I mean, I've made a lot of mistakes and I think it's just, hey, let me try not to make that same mistake a second time. Chris: Right? Amyn: But you know, the sad truth is you're going to make some more, as will I, and the goal is trying to make the same one twice, right? Chris: That's right. I mean, this has been great. What an exciting business you have going. I want to, before we wrap up, I just always like to ask a few, you know, maybe less serious questions. What was your first job outside of Ivy schools? Amyn: My first job was a company called Student Agencies, in college. I sold ad space on the maps that you'd see around the Ithaca campus and these brochures. And I also helped with marketing promotions. A promotion I actually dressed up in a mascot outfit was a big light bulb because it was for an entrepreneurship idea competition. Chris: That's great. Amyn: So, I was a light bulb for a few weeks around campus. Talk about humility, right? Chris: That's right. And if you sold ad space for a brochure, I have to believe you got used to hearing the word no. Amyn: Oh man, yeah. No is common. No is very common. Chris: Okay, so, grew up in Pearland, you know, Texan as you can get, so do you prefer Tex-Mex or barbecue? Amyn: Oh, Tex-Mex for sure. Chris: Something you missed when you were up in Ithaca, I guess. Amyn: Oh, man, yeah. You didn't see much Tex-Mex over there. Chris: Well, I mean, this has been a great conversation. Congratulations on the success of the family business and where you've taken it, you know, since joining and the franchise side of things. Really appreciate you sharing that story with us and wish you the best success in the future. Amyn: All right. Thank you so much, Chris. I enjoyed it. Special Guest: Amyn Bandali.

Tune in to the latest episode as Troy W. Eckard, Founder & Chairman of Eckard Enterprises, walks through the strategy of acquiring a second home and optimizing it as a personal asset. Further gain insight into the investment mindset he uses when purchasing a second property while learning how to approach it as a long-term financial opportunity.

Learn more about today's sponsor by visiting: uslege.aiWant to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Rep. Drew Darby sat down with The Texan's Senior Reporter Brad Johnson to discuss the future of School Choice, Property Taxes, and the House Speaker's Race.

On the next episode of The ToosDay Crue, hosts Stephen and Jake welcome US Army Veteran Jason Murff, founder of Grill Your Ass Off. Jason's journey from military service to entrepreneurship is nothing short of inspiring. After struggling to find his purpose post-service, he tapped into his Texan roots and passion for cooking, blending his love for good food with the camaraderie that only the military can bring. While stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia, Jason was the go-to soldier for quality BBQ, despite the lack of seasoning options on base. This sparked the idea that would eventually become Grill Your Ass Off, a brand that brings humor and flavor to kitchens everywhere, while honoring the spirit of military brotherhood. Since its inception in 2016, Grill Your Ass Off has experienced explosive growth, becoming a staple for those who love a good laugh and even better BBQ. Jason's story is one of resilience, creativity, and the power of community. Tune in to hear how he turned a low point into a sizzling success story, and why Grill Your Ass Off continues to bring people together over some damn good food. Check out their site here: https://grillyourassoff.com/ Support The MisFitNation To keep The MisFitNation thriving and to continue providing this platform, we welcome sponsorships and donations. Our sponsorship tiers are Red ($750), White ($500), and Blue ($250), each with unique perks. You can also donate monthly at any amount of your choosing at https://ko-fi.com/themisfitnationpodcast Follow us on all your favorite podcast apps and our socials: https://www.facebook.com/rich.lamonica/ https://www.facebook.com/MisFitnation.Podcast https://www.imstagram.com/the_misfitnation Twitter @richlamonica https://www.YouTube.com/@The_MisFitNation LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richlamonica Twitch: the_misfitnation https://www.themisfitnation.com #VeteranEntrepreneur #GrillYourAssOff #BBQLovers #TexasBBQ #JasonMurff #ToosDayCrue #MilitaryHumor #USArmyVeteran #VeteranSuccess #BBQSeasoning #CulinaryCreativity #PodcastInterview #RichLaMonica #MilitaryLife #VeteranStories #EntrepreneurJourney #Camaraderie #GoodFoodGoodTimes #BBQCommunity #PodcastEpisode #ViralContent #CookingWithLove Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AMSN Members earn 0.5 CE Hours. The co-hosts welcome special guest Sandy Page to help us navigate the care of oncology patients when they transition between ambulatory and inpatient care.  AMSN Members can claim 0.5 CE hours by following these easy steps: Log into the AMSN Online Library at https://library.amsn.org/  Complete the evaluation for the podcast episode and submit to earn your certificate.   SPECIAL GUEST     Sandy Page MSN, RN, OCN is an experienced and compassionate registered nurse with over 12 years of experience in patient care and nursing leadership. She is skilled in leading and motivating healthcare teams to practice at the top of their license and ensure safe, quality, patient care with active involvement in committees focused on improving customer service, patient care quality, and operational processes. Sandy is dedicated to serving oncology patients and participating in national organizations that support the health, legal, and family support of cancer patients. Currently, she is working on an organizational research project using AI in symptom management of oncology patients. Sandy has three wonderful children and a magnificent grandson who reminds her how important the little things in life are. She finds joy in being a servant, giving back to my community, and educating.   MEET OUR CO-HOSTS Samantha Bayne, MSN, RN, CMSRN, NPD-BC is a nursing professional development practitioner in the inland northwest specializing in medical-surgical nursing. The first four years of her practice were spent bedside on a busy ortho/neuro unit where she found her passion for newly graduated RNs, interdisciplinary collaboration, and professional governance. Sam is an unwavering advocate for medical-surgical nursing as a specialty and enjoys helping nurses prepare for specialty certification.    Laura Johnson, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN has been a nurse since 2008 with a background in Med/Surg and Oncology.  She is a native Texan currently working in the Dallas area.  She has held many positions throughout her career from bedside nurse to management/leadership to education.  Laura obtained her MSN in nursing education in 2018 and is currently pursuing her DNP.  She has worked both as a bedside educator and a nursing professional development practitioner for both new and experienced staff.  She enjoys working with the nurse residency program as a specialist in palliative care/end of life nursing and mentorship.  She is currently an NPD practitioner for oncology and bone marrow transplant units.     Neil H. Johnson, RN, BSN, CMSRN, epitomizes a profound familial commitment to the nursing profession, marking the third generation in his family to tread this esteemed path. Following the footsteps of his father, grandfather, grandmother, aunt, and cousin, all distinguished nurses, Neil transitioned to nursing as a second career after a brief tenure as an elementary school teacher. Currently on the verge of completing his MSN in nurse education, he aspires to seamlessly integrate his dual passions. Apart from his unwavering dedication to nursing, Neil actively seeks serenity in nature alongside his canine companions. In his professional capacity, he fulfills the role of a med-surg nurse at the Moses Cone Health System in North Carolina.   Eric Torres, ADN, RN, CMSRN is a California native that has always dreamed of seeing the World, and when that didn't work out, he set his sights on nursing.  Eric is beyond excited to be joining the AMSN podcast and having a chance to share his stories and experiences of being a bedside medical-surgical nurse.   Maritess M. Quinto, DNP, RN, NPD-BC, CMSRN is a clinical educator currently leading a team of educators who is passionately helping healthcare colleagues, especially newly graduate nurses. She was born and raised in the Philippines and immigrated to the United States with her family in Florida. Her family of seven (three girls and two boys with her husband who is also a Registered Nurse) loves to travel, especially to Disney World. She loves to share her experiences about parenting, travelling, and, of course, nursing!   Sydney Wall, RN, BSN, CMSRN has been a med surg nurse for 5 years. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 2019, Sydney commissioned into the Navy and began her nursing career working on a cardiac/telemetry unit in Bethesda, Maryland.  Currently she is stationed overseas, providing care for service members and their families.  During her free time, she enjoys martial arts and traveling. 

"FORGOTTEN LEADING LADIES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD" - 11/18/2024 A friend of mine once said that in Hollywood the toilet flushes every seven years. Meaning after about seven years, no one remembers who you are. Whether that's true or not, there are many classic film stars who were once popular, who have faded away into obscurity. We covered men a few months go, and now we are giving the ladies their due. Join us as we talk about four fabulous actresses who deserve to be remembered — LIZABETH SCOTT, MARIE WINDSOR, ELLA RAINES, and GERALDINE FITZGERALD.  SHOW NOTES:  Sources: “Biography of Lizabeth Scott,” August 1951, Paramount Pictures; “Liz Scott Slaps Libel Suit on Confidential Mag,” July 26, 1955, Variety; “Cut Actress Lizabeth Scott Out of Texan's Will,” May 12, 1971, Variety; "Geraldine's Long Journey,” June 13, 1971, New York Times; “Lizabeth Scott,” November 1971, by Don Stanke, Film Fan Magazine; Merv Griffin Interview with Geraldine Fitzgerald, 1977; Arlene Francis Interview with Geraldine Fitzgerald, 1985; Katie Kelly Interview with Geraldine Fitzgerald, 1985; “The Alluring Lizabeth Scott,” February 1993, by David M. Goodspeed, American Movie Classic magazine; “In Search of Lisabeth Scott: The Sphinx from Scranton,” Summer 2002, by Max Pierce, Films of the Golden Ages; “Marie Windsor A Shining Light,” piute.org; “Marie Windsor Tales of Noir and B Movies,” October 31. 1997, by Jerry Renshaw, The Austin Chronicle; “Marie Windsor, Femme Fatale And Queen of the B's, Dies at 80,” Dec. 14, 2000, New York  Times; “Geraldine Fitzgerald, 91, Star of Stage and Film, Dies,” July 19, 2005, New York Times; “Lizabeth Scott: Sultry Woman of Film Noir (Obit),” February 8, 2015, Los Angeles Times; “A Light In the Dark: Ella Raines and Film Noirs Working Girls,” Fall 2015, by Imogen Sara Smith, Noir City magazine; “A Centenary Celebration of Ella Raines: Radiant Film Stars Daughter Reflects on Her Mother's Career,” August 6, 2020, by Leticia Magalhães, Cine Suffragette; TCM.com; IMDBPro.com; Movies Mentioned:  LIZABETH SCOTT: You Came Along (1945); The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946); Dead Reckoning (1946); Desert Fury (1947); I Walk Alone (1947); Pitfall (1948); Too Late for Tears (1949); Paid In Full (1950); Dark City (1950); The Company She Keeps (1951); Red Mountain (1951); The Racket (1951); Stolen Face (1952); Bad For Each Other (1953); Scared Stiff (1953); Loving You (1957) Pulp (1972); MARIE WINDSOR: Unexpected Uncle (1941); Weekend For Three (1941); All American Co-ed (1941); The Hucksters (1947); Song of the Thin Man (1947); Three Musketeers (1948); The Kissing Bandit (1948); Force of Evil (1948);  Outpost in Morocco (1949); Beautiful Blonde From Bashful Bend (1949); Hellfire (1949); The Fighting Kentuckian (1949); Dakota Lil (1950); Little Big Horn (1951); The Narrow Margin (1952); Cat Women of the Moon (1953); Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955);  The Killing (1956); ELLA RAINES: Corvette K-225 (1943); Cry Havoc (1943); The Phantom Lady (1944); Hail The Conquering Hero (1944); Tall In The Saddle (1944); The Suspect (1944);  The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945); White Tie and Tails (1945) Brute Force (1947); The Senator Was Indiscreet (1947); The Walking Hills (1949); Impact (1949); The Man In The Road (1956); GERALDINE FITZGERALD: Blind Justice (1934); Dark Victory (1939); Wuthering Heights (1939); The Gay Sisters (1942); Watch on the Rhine (1943); Wilson (1944); Nobody Lives Forever (1946); Three Strangers (1946); Ten North Frederick (1958); The Pawnbroker (1964); Rachel, Rachel (1968); Harry and Tonto (1974); Arthur (1981); Do You Remember Love (1985); Arthur 2: On The Rocks (1988); --------------------------------- http://www.airwavemedia.com Please contact sales@advertisecast.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

We're talking Texas and discussing the keys to victory for the Hogs. Plus, it's time for our weekly pick'ems

Want to support The Texan and help us continue providing the Lone Star State with news you can trust? Subscribe today: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/The Texan's Daily Rundown brings you a quick recap of the latest stories in Texas politics so you can stay informed with news you can trust.Want more resources? Be sure to visit The Texan and subscribe for complete access to our in-depth articles, subscriber-exclusive newsletters, videos, podcasts, and more.Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review!

Show off your Lone Star spirit with a free "Remember the Alamo" hat with an annual subscription to The Texan: https://thetexan.news/subscribe/ The Texan's Weekly Roundup brings you the latest news in Texas politics, breaking down the top stories of the week with our team of reporters who give you the facts so you can form your own opinion. Enjoy what you hear? Be sure to subscribe and leave a review! Got questions for the reporting team? Email editor@thetexan.news — they just might be answered on a future podcast.This week on The Texan's “Weekly Roundup,” the team discusses:Hurry Up and Wait: Texas House Speaker Race Gains Post-Election SteamDemocrat John Bryant Enters Texas House Speaker RaceSchool Choice, Other Education Bills Filed for Upcoming 2025 Legislative SessionChinese Land Ownership, Border Security, Gender Privacy: Legislative Filing Opens in TexasTrump Selects Former ICE Acting Director Tom Homan as New 'Border Czar'South Dakota's John Thune Elected U.S. Senate GOP Majority Leader Over Texan John CornynTrump Taps Former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe for CIA DirectorTexas Sues Department of Justice Over Federal Trump Investigation DocumentsTexas Legislature Gains New Crop of Pro-School Choice Republicans After November ElectionTexas Medical Board Reiterates Abortion Law Exceptions, Physician 'Rules and Responsibilities'GOP Judicial Victories in Harris County Spurred by Business Community's Massive $18 Million PushLadies and Gentlemen, We Have a Winner: SMSS Ep. 9