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Today, I want to offer you a different way to view real time daily food choices. It's a renewed, refreshed, empowering, and honest perspective. Whether we realize it or not, our current perspective might not be all that honest. It's only a half truth that can leave us feeling like a defeated victim. Eventually we can get stuck viewing things a certain way. This can be a problem. Things can creep into our head that cripple us. Unknowingly, we're sabotaging ourselves. As if that's not bad enough, then we begin judging ourselves and our decisions. And this can sink us into so much discouragement and shame. It doesn't have to be that way. Check out today's episode and adopt the “package deal perspective” and starting using the yes-no tool with your daily decisions. You'll begin to see things so much more clearly. And I believe you'll make decisions that you don't regret!ANTI-DIET CLASS: https://bit.ly/AntiDietClassFREE MENOPAUSE DOWNLOAD: http://coreylittlecoaching.com/menopauseTRANSFORMATION TRINITY CLASS: https://bit.ly/Transformation-Trinity-Class
Jenn Unknowingly Ignores Plumber 02/28/25
Stories in this episode: Bizarre Break-In and Possible Link One Year Later? | communistnymph (0:41) Man in My Backyard | sanrioscr (5:59) We Unknowingly Stayed at a Cult Leader's House | emotional-mothman (12:20) A Journey I'll Never Forget | Dumb_riva (19:43) He Was Planning to Rob Me | Xntrik_shaman (27:28) The Man Who Tapped on My Window | KeyFinish4702 (34:10) Date Invited Me to a Fake BBQ And Then Wouldn't Let Me Leave | Feral_doves (38:03) Extended Patreon Content: Driver Confesses | Chelsea "Patricia Scared The Shit Out of Me" | Kayden The Story of Stanley Snowplow | Sean Quigley The Clown in the Window | Meghan Due to periodic changes in ad placement, time stamps are estimates and are not always accurate. Follow: - Twitch - https://twitch.tv/crypticcounty - Website - https://letsnotmeetpodcast.com/ - Patreon - https://patreon.com/letsnotmeetpodcast - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/letsnotmeetcast/ - TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@crypticcounty Check out the other Cryptic County podcasts like Odd Trails, Cryptic Encounters, and the Old Time Radiocast at CrypticCountyPodcasts.com or wherever you get your podcasts! Get access to extended, ad-free episodes of Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast with bonus stories every week at a higher bitrate along with a bunch of other great exclusive material and merch at patreon.com/letsnotmeetpodcast. This podcast would not be possible to continue at this rate without the help of the support of the legendary LNM Patrons. Come join the family! For a limited time get 40% off your first box PLUS get a free item in every box for life. Go to Hungryroot.com/meet and use code meet All of the stories you've heard this week were narrated and produced with the permission of their respective authors. Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast is not associated with Reddit or any other message boards online. To submit your story to the show, send it to letsnotmeetstories@gmail.com.
Recruitment marketing is more than just posting jobs—it's about staying visible in an overcrowded digital world. In this episode, Brad Bialy and Steve Gipson discuss why consistency in marketing is critical, the hidden cost of doing nothing, and how companies unknowingly fall behind. They explore the science behind attention, why it takes 17+ touchpoints for prospects to recognize a brand, and how surround sound marketing can transform your outreach. Plus, they answer a key listener question on using social media to target healthcare staffing clients effectively. Chapters & Timestamps: [00:00] – Intro: Florida Trip, Cold Weather, and Catching Up [03:00] – The Psychology of Attention: Why People Ignore Your Marketing [07:00] – Repetition, Consistency, and Branding: Lessons from Major Companies [10:30] – The Hidden Cost of Doing Nothing: How Stagnation Kills Growth [15:30] – Finding Your Business's True North: What Are You Really After? [21:45] – The Compounding Impact of Neglecting Marketing [26:00] – Answering a Listener Question: Social Media Strategy for Healthcare Staffing [32:00] – The Power of Niche Content: Creating One-of-One Marketing [37:00] – Final Takeaways: Why Standing Still Means Falling Behind InSights is Hosted by Brad Bialy and Steve Gipson Brad Bialy is the host of Take the Stage and InSights, the staffing industry's leading podcasts with close to 175,000 downloads. He has a deep passion for helping staffing and recruiting firms achieve their business objectives through strategic marketing concepts. For over a decade, Brad has developed a proven track record of motivating and educating staffing industry professionals at over 150 industry-specific conferences and webinars. His keen eye for strategy and delivery has resulted in multiple industry award-winning social media campaigns, making him a sought-after speaker and expert. A recruiting industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, Steve Gipson is the Director of Sales and Operations at Recruiters Websites. After spending seven years as a recruiter with a boutique search firm, he joined Recruiters Websites, a digital marketing agency specializing in the recruitment industry. For the past decade, Recruiters Websites has helped over 800 firms of all sizes and specialties enhance their digital presence and make more placements through their expertise in digital marketing, website development, and SEO services.
Scoot and Ian discuss how sometimes refs might get caught up in the moment, unable, unknowingly, unwittingly, lean into the bias and show favoritism to the Chiefs or other teams that are doing the impossible.
Attachment means you live in an itsy bitsy world, regardless of what it looks like on the outside. You are after a feeling that comes once in a while or never. The feeling of safety or security. This started in childhood. Unknowingly it has limited your relationships, self-worth, and personal growth. Let's scrap these behaviors, pain and feeling like no matter what you are back at it again. You can do it! Key Insights: * Childhood experiences are in the middle of your adult relationships. * Avoidant attachment wants a hot fudge sundae, but leaves the hot fudge off. * Believing in yourself that it can be different is possible. * How to know if you are growing will be answered too. "Only if it affects the inside, and it's how it affects the inside, does it really change your perception of yourself and how you see the world." ~ Tracy Crossley
Have you noticed the rising chatter about toxic workplaces, especially on LinkedIn? While it's easy to point the finger at the obvious, the reality is that toxic behaviors often stem from unnoticed stressors and unintentional micromanaging. In this episode, we explore how leaders and entrepreneurs may be unknowingly contributing to workplace toxicity and how to shift from controlling behaviors to fostering a thriving team. Dig deeper: https://deniseglee.com/recognizing-a-toxic-work-environment-signs-and-solutions/ Visit DeniseGLee.com to:
Everyday habits that wreak havoc with your smile. Unknowingly chipping away at your pearly whites? From crunching on ice cubes to using your teeth as a bottle opener, to the everyday oral hygiene habits can damage your smile. This video dives into the surprising mistakes secretly sabotaging your teeth, revealing the hidden dangers behind seemingly harmless actions and supposedly good advice from your dentist. Learn how to keep your smile healthy and bright, and discover the dental dos and don'ts you need to know for a lifetime of great teeth and gums without harming your smile. Dr Rachel Hall Holistic Dentist from Brisbane Australia, reveals what mistakes you could be making that are harming your smile. http://www.evolvedental.com.au www.holisticdentistry.au
On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (12/10/24), Hank answers the following questions:The Bible says the Earth was created in six days, and it's clear that the Earth is young. Isn't dating by man's standards foolishness to God? Rodney - Atoka, TN (1:20)What is your opinion of The Shack by William P. Young? Keith - Sioux Falls, SD (18:00)My wife is Catholic and I'm protestant. We are struggling with our intimacy because of our differences. Would masturbation be a sin in this case? Al - Harrison, NJ (20:11)If someone sins but they do not realize they are doing anything wrong, will God still condemn that person? Armando - St. Louis, MO (23:04)
(Genesis 43:18-34) It's rock bottom for the brother as they plead with Joseph for the freedom of Benjamin. Unknowingly, they pass Joseph's final test.
Tis the season... Here is your pep talk. Let's connect: Mallory's Instagram Free "How To Eat Intuitively" Masterclass learn how to trust your cravings without guilt or fear of weight gain Book a Free Discovery Call with Mallory Live Unrestricted - My signature program The Body Love Club Community Intuitive 1-1 Intensives Submit Podcast Requests
Eli is a student at Appalachian State University studying in the department of communication. We discuss the consequences of our actions and how our behaviors and decisions can affect those in ways that we did not fully expect. Eli recently struggled with depressive thoughts, so we dive into the decisions he made to pull himself out of it and develop new perspectives. A great conversation with a great person.Use my code: EYESAC for 15% off your entire order @ www.mountaineerbrand.com Use same code: EYESAC for 10% off your order @ www.scentsbyyaya.comThank you so much for watching! For more great content, leave a review, comment, rate and share this episode!
Dog The Bounty Hunter grew up in an ab*sive home. He started running with a motorcycle gang in his teens. One night changed his life... He was CONVICTED of 5 years in prison for HOMIC*DE. Unknowingly, he was the getaway driver in a m*rder. During his time in prison, he rose in the ranks with the incarcerated and the prison staff. He also began cultivating a walk with Jesus... Dog was once a convict but now he is an ICON telling people about Jesus... He now goes into prisons and preaches the gospel to the very same men that he threw in prison. Connect with us on social! @godbehindbars @jake_bodine
Jo Schapter's journey into the world of podiatry wasn't a straightforward one. She didn't begin with a clear path; instead, her story unfolded in ways she never anticipated. From her beginnings in sports science to an unexpected detour into beauty and foot care, Jo's story is a testament to the power of following one's curiosity and passion. Jo's story is a reminder that we don't always have to have everything figured out. Sometimes, the best journeys begin when we are willing to explore unfamiliar territories. For Jo, this exploration led to podiatry — a profession she discovered by accident, but one she embraced with an unwavering commitment to learn and grow. More detailed notes can be found on the Podiatry Legends Podcast website - https://www.podiatrylegends.com If you have any questions about this podcast episode or are looking for a speaker for an upcoming event, please email me at tyson@podiatrylegends.com, and we can discuss the range of topics I cover. PODIATRY MARKETING MASTERCLASS - LIVERPOOL MON. 3RD FEBRUARY, 2025 BOOKINGS - https://www.tysonfranklin.com/events/podiatrymarketingUK Do you have questions about your podiatry business, team, personal goals and career direction? If you do, I'm here to help in any way I can. I recommend following the link below to my calendar and scheduling a free 30-minute Zoom call. I guarantee that after we talk, you will have far more clarity on what is best for you, your business and your career. My SCHEDULE – https://calendly.com/tysonfranklin/podmeeting30 FACEBOOK GROUP Podiatry Business Owners Club – https://www.facebook.com/groups/podiatrybusinessownersclub Check out my YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@TysonFranklin MY BOOK is available on AMAZON It's No Secret…There's Money in Podiatry – https://amzn.to/3JhO9cz
Dive into how certain personality traits and habits can unknowingly attract toxic relationships and narcissistic individuals. I'll break down the subtle signs to look for, why you may be drawing in these unhealthy dynamics, and how to shift your mindset and habits to stop the cycle. Whether you've struggled with people-pleasing, low self-esteem, or feeling like you have to “fix” others, this video will help you understand the deeper patterns that may be contributing to attracting toxic partners. Learn how to reclaim your power and start building healthy, fulfilling relationships.How You Unknowingly Attract Toxic Relationships ✅ Book 1:1 Coaching Session
Sometimes I look at our feed and am amazed how most of our posts deal with the basics of creating a long, healthy, vibrant life. Food, movement, hydration, sleep, breath, stress reduction.But there is so much more…It's about giving yourself the permission… or maybe it's the grace to really enjoy your life.I observe that many people feel unworthy of happiness.They unconsciously resist it, often without realizing what they're doing.In fact sometimes, it seems, the hardest part about embracing a vibrant life is acknowledging that you're deserving of it.It's not just about sticking to a routine; it's about breaking mental barriers and realizing that joy is not a reward but a right.Think about the times you held back from laughing too loud or dancing like nobody's watching.These are subtle ways we restrict our joy, convinced there is a cap on how much happiness one should express.We need to challenge that notion vigorously.Life is not just a checklist of healthy habits; it's an expression of who we truly are, liberated and unapologetically vibrant.Taking a moment for yourself is not an act of selfishness but of necessity.It might mean saying “no” to extra responsibilities that drain you or taking that impromptu trip to feel the sun on your face.These are acts of self-preservation that ignite our inner happiness.When you start to see yourself as worthy of happiness, suddenly the small joys seem more significant.A walk in the park becomes a meditation, a quiet cup of tea transforms into a moment of serenity, and laughter shared with friends becomes a cherished symphony.Unknowingly, many of us carry the weight of unwarranted guilt for wanting more than just existence.But remember, giving yourself space to genuinely enjoy life is not a luxury; it's a necessity.By doing so, you don't just live; you thrive.So, let's make a pact, here and now, to dismantle the silent resistance within.Embrace the grace to live fully, to smile freely, and to bask in the simple, yet profound, pleasures of life.You are not only allowed to seek happiness—you are meant to embrace it fully and wholeheartedly.Move well, stay healthy, be happy, find your purpose and live with passion.Till we talk again… DaveTo receive new posts and support our work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. https://5percentclub.substack.com Get full access to The 5% Club at 5percentclub.substack.com/subscribe
In 1963, Shawn was placed for adoption because his white mother's family didn't want a biracial grandson. As an infant, he passed for white, so he was adopted by a racist, rural Indiana family who didn't realize that he was Black. Ashamed of his ethnicity, his mom concocted lies to hide his race from everyone, including Shawn. This lack of racial identity caused depressing confusion and conflict with his education, relationships, and career, but his mom insisted that he was not to search for his birth family until after she died. Around age 40, Shawn and his wife decided that they were well-suited to adopt other biracial babies. Through the adoption process, Shawn discovered clues that helped him locate and reunite with his biological family. Although Shawn's author name for his book "Born Without A Race" is Dr Michael Bauer, he wishes to be addressed as Shawn during this interview for personal reasons. LINKS: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088QRC91Q Connect With Melissa: -Email Melissa here: mindyourownkarma@gmail.com -Click here for the Mind Your Own Karma Website -Click here for Somatic Mindful Guided Imagery -Find Mind Your Own Karma on Facebook -Find Mind Your Own Karma on Instagram -Find Mind Your Own Karma on YouTube -Click here for a comprehensive list of adoptee/adoptee trauma-informed practitioners. Dial 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. ________ WANT TO BE A GUEST? (click to email mindyourownkarma@gmail.com) Mind Your Own Karma – The Adoption Chronicles Podcast educates listeners on the realities of adoption through the stories of adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive parents. We delve into their journeys, exploring identity, the emotional impacts of adoption, and the complexities that are involved when a child is removed from their biology. We also tackle tough topics like transracial adoption and adoption ethics, featuring experts and advocates. By sharing these diverse perspectives we hope to not only educate the world, but also give hope and healing to those deeply affected by adoption trauma. *** This podcast's mission is on adoption education. If you have an expertise that you think would be beneficial to anyone touched by adoption and would like to be on the podcast, get in touch with me. #adopt #adoption #adoptee #adopteevoices #adopteesspeak #adoptionpodcast #adopteepodcast #mindyourownkarma #primalwound #adopted #adoptionjourney #thefog #adoptionfog #comeoutofthefog #hypnotherapy #jayshetty #hypnosis #somatic #attachmentstyles #subsconscioushealing #subconscious #whatwasimadefor #adoptiveparents #birthmother #whoami #constellationconversation #firesideadoptees #grief #emotionalpain #adoptionawareness #birthfamily #biologicalfamily #dna #adoptiontrauma #emotionaltrauma #primalwound #emotionalhealing #findmyfamily #smgi #bekind #eatingdisorders #hypnotherapy #somatichealing #somaticexperiencing #listenable #listenablestory #reunion #adopteereunion #ancestry #ancestrydna #23andme #adoptionstory #dna #reactiveattachment #rda #lifecoach #therapy #traumainformed #searchangel #searchangels --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/melissa-ann-brunetti/support
We were so excited to have this conversation with Sarah Adams, a mother who uses her platform to share the dangers of social media and what parents think are innocent sweet photos. They can often be used in sinister ways. Sarah's open conversation has really opened our eyes and this is a must listen for every parent out there.Want our podcasts sent straight to your phone? Text us the word "Podcast" to +1 (917) 540-8715 and we'll text you the new episodes when they're released!Tune in for new #MOMTRUTHS episodes every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday!Follow @momtruthspodcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/catandnatunfilteredHave you tried our new Twin Truths Wine yet? It comes in either a White or a Rosé! Head to www.twintruthswine.com to try yours today!Our new book "Mom Secrets" is now available! Head to www.catandnat.ca/book to grab your autographed copy! Come see us LIVE on tour!! To see a full list of cities and dates, go to https://catandnattour.com.Become a member of The Common Parent for the parenting resources and support you need for just $5.99/month or $59.99/year: https://thecommonparent.comFollow The Common Parent over on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thecommonparentMake sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel for our new cooking show and our #momtruth videos: https://bitly.com/catnatyoutubeCheck out our Amazon Lives here: https://bitly.com/catnatamazonliveOrder TAYLIVI here: https://taylivi.comGet personalized videos from us on Cameo: https://cameo.com/catandnatCome hang with us over on https://instagram.com/catandnat all day long.And follow us on https://tiktok.com/@catandnatofficial! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's time for some payback in the workplace as we dive into r/PettyRevenge and r/ProRevenge... Original Posts Goodwill Karen unknowingly explodes on manager, gets banned from store How I Took Down a Career Saboteur Micromanager forced to step down after mismanaging a new retail service. Learn more about Evergreen Podcasts and Wessler Media. Visit TheRRShow.com Check out our Subreddit Follow us on socials: TikTok Instagram YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today's Post - https://bahnsen.co/4gJcvvo China's Market Shift and Economic Challenges In this episode of Dividend Cafe, David Bahnsen discusses recent developments concerning China's economy and market performance. Bahnsen highlights China's underperformance in comparison to the S&P 500 and the subsequent market rally triggered by policy interventions from the Chinese government. Key issues in China include declining GDP growth, high youth unemployment, and a housing market crisis affecting economic stability. The Chinese government is addressing these challenges with monetary policy changes, including rate reductions and increased public debt. Bahnsen explains how these measures draw parallels to past economic bubbles in the U.S. and Japan. Despite the short-term market rally, Bahnsen is cautious about the long-term impact, emphasizing potential global economic repercussions and trade dynamics influenced by upcoming U.S. elections. The episode underscores a prudent investment approach, advocating for consistent philosophy amidst volatile market conditions. 00:00 Introduction and Recent Meetings Recap 00:55 China's Market Performance and Sentiment Shift 03:00 Economic Challenges in China 04:45 Policy Responses and Measures 07:15 Comparative Analysis and Historical Context 10:19 Investment Implications and Future Outlook 14:17 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Links mentioned in this episode: DividendCafe.com TheBahnsenGroup.com
Financial factors may have played a significant role in Hoda leaving ‘Today' show. Meghan Markle's known for sending emails at the crack of dawn – as early as 5 a.m. – but get this: she doesn't expect her staff to reply right away. A new Diddy accuser lawyer says she's been contacted regarding the “sale of one of the Diddy tapes.” Don't forget to vote in today's poll on Twitter at @naughtynicerob or in our Facebook group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In today's episode, we're diving into the world of highly palatable foods — those irresistible, ultra-processed snacks and meals that seem impossible to put down. But have you ever wondered why they're so addictive? It's not by chance. The food industry has mastered the art of manipulation, using just the right mix of sugar, fat, and salt to hijack your brain's reward system and keep you coming back for more. We'll explore how these foods are designed to bypass your body's natural hunger signals, what impact this has on your health, and, most importantly, what you can do to break free from their grasp. West Wellness and Longevity LinksAre you ready to make change but don't know where to start. Book a free 30 min consultation here.https://www.westwellnessatx.com/get-startedAre you feeling rundown? Try this amazing Glutathione spray. Glutathione is a potent anti-oxidant that works hard to remove toxins from our bodies. Within minutes you will feel a boost of energy! https://aurowellness.com/?ref=983Can't afford to take the skinny shot? Try calocurb! This one of a kind supplement works like the skinny shot. It take the "food noise" away and allows you to focus on a clean Whole Foods diet, while stabilizing blood sugar levels! Use the code TARA10 and get 10% off your first order. https://www.calocurb.com?sca_ref=6404263.tgXaSY3HQx TARA10View all my favorite products that I personally use myself and in my practice here. https://www.westwellnessatx.com/productsiloveReady to take your health and longevity into your own hands. Order your own functional lab panels from my lab shop here: https://www.westwellnessatx.com/labshopHave questions? Feel free to reach out to me at: tarawest@westwellnessatx.com !Follow me on instagram @westwellnessatx
did a new survey just predict the winner of the 2024 presidential election?! Join us as we discuss the happiest and saddest states in America, and who they'll be voting for!
Next Level Soul with Alex Ferrari: A Spirituality & Personal Growth Podcast
On today's episode, we dive deep into the spiritual journey of Aaron Abke, a returning guest who has continually challenged and expanded our understanding of the divine, the scriptures, and the very fabric of our spiritual beliefs. Raised as a third-generation pastor's kid, Aaron's upbringing was steeped in evangelical Christianity, but his quest for truth led him down a path that diverged dramatically from his roots. This divergence was not born out of rebellion, but from a deep and sincere desire to understand the teachings of Jesus, which he felt had been obscured by centuries of dogma and distortion.Aaron's story is one of profound awakening. He began to question the very foundations of his faith during his time at Oral Roberts University, where he studied biblical hermeneutics, exegesis, and early church history. Through rigorous study, Aaron began to see contradictions between the teachings of Paul and the words of Jesus himself. This realization sparked a journey that would take him far beyond the confines of traditional Christianity, into the rich and diverse spiritual traditions of the East. “What if this is true, right? If you're a Christian listening to this, what if this is true, that your Master Jesus had his gospel distorted and changed over time and lost to time, and you've been following mostly a false gospel of his?” Aaron asks, challenging us to consider the possibility that the Jesus we know today may not be the true reflection of the historical figure who walked the earth.Aaron's exploration of Eastern philosophies, particularly Hinduism and Buddhism, opened his eyes to the universal truths that transcend religious boundaries. He found striking similarities between the teachings of Jesus and those of other spiritual masters, leading him to a deeper understanding of Jesus as an enlightened being, rather than merely the figurehead of a specific religion. “Jesus was an enlightened avatar, like so many of the other ones that have graced our planet,” Aaron explains. This realization led him to see the common threads that run through all major spiritual traditions—a truth that is universal and unchanging, despite the cultural and historical differences that shape how it is expressed.In this episode, Aaron delves into the concept of hell, a topic that has been used for centuries as a means of control and fear within religious institutions. He explains how the original Hebrew and Greek texts have been mistranslated, leading to the widespread belief in a literal hell as a place of eternal torment. “The word that Jesus used in every single reference was the word Gehenna, which was like the city garbage dump of the day,” Aaron clarifies. He challenges us to reconsider what we've been taught and to explore the true meanings behind these ancient texts. Aaron's insights reveal a Jesus who was more concerned with spiritual enlightenment and liberation than with enforcing rigid doctrines or instilling fear.SPIRITUAL TAKEAWAYSSeek the Source: Aaron encourages us to go beyond the surface of religious teachings and seek the original words and intentions of spiritual masters. This journey can lead to profound insights and a more authentic connection to the divine.Universal Truth: The teachings of Jesus are not unique to Christianity; they echo the wisdom found in many spiritual traditions across the world. Recognizing these universal truths can help us transcend religious boundaries and find common ground.Liberation from Fear: Much of religious dogma is rooted in fear. By understanding the true teachings of Jesus, we can free ourselves from these fears and embrace a more loving and compassionate approach to spirituality.As we reflect on Aaron's journey, we are reminded that the pursuit of truth often requires us to question what we've been taught, to seek deeper understanding, and to remain open to the wisdom that comes from many sources. In the end, this pursuit can lead to a more profound and authentic spiritual life—one that is not bound by fear, but enriched by love and universal truth.Please enjoy my conversation with Aaron Abke.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/next-level-soul-podcast-with-alex-ferrari--4858435/support.
This may be the MOST IMPORTANT podcast I have done.I will have already incorporated it into the Strong Men Strong Marriages program.The truth is…I was closer to the end of my marriage than I realized.RECENTLY!And now things are on a trajectory to MUCH more joy and happiness.It's already happening.Listen on the Strong Men Strong Marriages Podcast. Watch on YouTube here. Dr. MikeP.S. If you're a high achieving, professionally successful Christian man who is ready to create incredible sexual, mental and emotional intimacy with your wife, and create an amazing legacy for your family to follow… starting TODAY…CLICK HERE to apply to join my Strong Men Strong Marriages program.
In this immersive fantasy series, a pair of heroes brought together by fate embark on a journey of revenge, redemption, and love. Set in the vast world of Thedas, Dragon Age: Vows & Vengeance was created in collaboration with BioWare and based on their award-winning video game franchise, Dragon Age. Nadia, a retired cat burglar, finds herself back on the prowl after scoring the job of a lifetime. Unknowingly employed by the Dread Wolf, Nadia hunts down a powerful ancient artifact and both she and her lover, Elio, find themselves caught in a web of lies that threaten the entire world. When Elio is seemingly banished to the Fade - a mystical magical plane - Nadia desperately searches for answers on a rescue mission across Thedas. On her journey, Nadia finds an unlikely ally in Drayden, a bookish historian and writer with a troubled past and a mysterious connection to the Fade. Their journey to save Elio is arduous, dangerous, and at times, downright foolish. But with the help of some friends, our heroes find some of the answers they are looking for and a few they wish they hadn't. Link: https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/PDP6704482640 RSS Feed: https://feeds.megaphone.fm/PDP6704482640
Have you ever wondered how chronic inflammation might be silently affecting your body and overall health? Today in Lifestyle U, I talk about what chronic inflammation is, its impact on our hormones and gut health, and how it can lead to various health issues. Sharing my own experiences, I explain the symptoms to look out for and offer practical tips to naturally reduce chronic inflammation, covering diet, stress management, exercise, and environmental toxins. Join me to learn simple yet effective strategies to improve your well-being by tackling chronic inflammation. What I discuss: [00:53] - Defining chronic inflammation and its impact [02:09] - Inflammation and Hormonal Imbalances [04:24] - Signs you might be dealing with chronic inflammation [05:51] - Natural strategies to reduce inflammation [06:56] - Lifestyle Changes for Gut Health [07:34] - Stress management and its role in inflammation and balanced exercise [09:24] - Detoxing your environment [10:27] - Supplements for reducing inflammation Want more from me? Follow me on Instagram: @laceeiskk We have helped over 800 women transform their mind and body and become the best version of themselves. Want to be next? Click Here to Apply! - https://form.typeform.com/to/WKxPkc If you enjoyed this podcast, please support us by liking, subscribing and leaving a review. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more people. Thank you!
AP correspondent Karen Chammas reports on the latest from a New Zealand police effort to retrieve chunks of methamphetamine wrapped up as candy and unknowingly distributed through an Auckland foodbank.
You can want something and still resist it from actually coming into your life. In this video, I will show you why that happens and what you can do to transform yourself. Get Your 20% Organifi Discount here: ➡️ https://www.organifi.com/aaron Join the High Vibe Tribe: https://aarondoughty.com/highvibetribe
Lauren has had three very different births. She had a peaceful C-section due to breech presentation with a difficult recovery, a wild, unmedicated VBAC, and a calm, medicated 2VBAC. Due to her baby's large size, she had to have an extra incision made during her Cesarean leaving her with a special J scar. Though her provider was hesitant to support a TOLAC with a special scar, Lauren advocated for herself by creating a special relationship with her OB and they were able to move forward together to help Lauren achieve both of her VBACs. Lauren talks about the importance of having an open mind toward interventions as she was firmly against many of the things that ended up making her second VBAC the most redemptive and healing experience of all. How to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hey, hey everybody. Guess what? We have our friend Lauren and her 11-day-old baby. Is that right? Lauren: Yeah. Meagan: 11 days old. You guys, I actually didn't even know that this baby existed until we popped up on the Zoom and she was holding this precious little newborn. She was like, “Surprise! I had another VBAC.” So we will be sharing, well she will be sharing her two VBACs so 2VBAC and something kind of unique about Lauren is that she has a special scar, a special J scar, correct? Lauren: Yep. Meagan: Yeah, so that happened in her first C-section. If you are listening and you have a special scar or have been told that you have a special scar, this is definitely an episode that you are going to want to put on repeat and save because I know that there are so many people out there who are told that they have a special scar and that they should never or can never VBAC again. I know we're not even getting into the story quite yet, Lauren, but did you have any flack with that? Did anyone talk about your special scar at all? Lauren: Yes. Advocating for the VBAC is probably the overarching theme of my VBAC because I really had to go to bat for myself for that without switching providers. Meagan: Yeah. We know that's so common. We see it a lot in our community just in general trying to get a VBAC let alone a VBAC with a special scar. We are going to get into her story but I have a review and I didn't even know that this was a review. It was left in a Baby Bump Canada group on Reddit actually so that was kind of fun to find. It's really nice. It says, “Seriously, I'm addicted. I find them so healing. I had an unplanned and very much unwanted C-section and I have been unknowingly carrying around all of these emotions and trauma about it since. I thought I was empowered going into my first birth, but I wasn't strong enough to stop the medical staff with all of their interventions. Don't get me wrong, I believe interventions are necessary in some instances. But looking back now, I realize those interventions were put in place to make things easier involved in delivering my baby. Anyway, I won't get into all of that here, maybe in a separate post. The point of my post is checking out The VBAC Link podcast. I listen to them all day now while caring for my babe. They also have a course you can take focusing on preparing for VBACs. Even if you just like birth stories, they have CBAC stories I believe as well. On the podcast, a guest also pointed out that what do you want for a VBAC birth– peace, redemption, etc.? She talked about how you can still feel those things if you need a Cesarean.” I love that point of view right there that you can still have peace and redemption even if you have a scheduled C-section or if your VBAC ends in a Cesarean. It says, “Another mom pointed out when she was feeling hesitant about saying okay to a C-section, her midwife said, ‘You have permission to get a C-section,' not in a way that a midwife was giving her permission, but telling this mom, ‘C-section is okay and you shouldn't feel like having one is wrong.' My baby is 8.5 months and we aren't going to try for a baby until they're about 18-24 months mostly to increase my chances of VBAC, but I really love these podcasts.” Then she says, “Okay, I'll stop raving now.” I love that. Her title is, “If you're considering a VBAC, I highly recommend The VBAC Link.” Thank you so much to– I don't actually know what your name is. Catasuperawesome on this Baby Bump Canada group. Just thank you so much for your review. As always, these reviews brighten our day here at The VBAC Link but most importantly, they help other Women of Strength find these stories like what we are going to be sharing today with Lauren's story. They help people feel empowered and educated and motivated and even first-time moms. They are really truly helping people learn how to avoid unnecessary Cesareans. I truly believe that from the bottom of my heart. Meagan: Okay, Lauren. As you are rocking your sweet, precious babe, I would love to turn the time over to you to share your stories. Lauren: Awesome, thank you. It's so nice to be here finally. I'm so excited because this podcast truly is the reason why I had my VBAC. I am kind of weirdly unique in that I didn't really feel like I had any mothering instincts. My husband and I had been married for 6.5 years before we decided to get pregnant because I always swore off children. I said, “It's not for me. I'm never going to have children. I want to travel and I want to do all of these things and children are for other people. I can't imagine myself as a mom.” My husband said, “Well, let's wait until we are 30,” because we got married really young. He was like, “Let's just wait until we are 30 and we will revisit the discussion.” I always find it kind of nice when I hear stories of women who feel similarly to the way I did because it's so relatable and I feel like we are very few and far between. That's another reason I wanted to share my story because I know there are other women out there like me. So anyway, it just so happened that at this time, my sister was pregnant. My brother was pregnant. My husband's brother was pregnant. We were like, “You know, we're almost 30. We've waited a long time. If we're going to have kids, we might as well have a kid when he or she is going to have all of these cousins.” My husband was like, “Let's start trying.” I'm like, “Great. I'm going to give it two months and if we don't get pregnant, we're not going forward with this. I'm going to say I tried and I can tell everyone I tried and that it didn't work.” Well, God has a sense of humor because two weeks later, I had a positive pregnancy test. Meagan: Two weeks later? Lauren: Yes. Meagan: So you were already pregnant when you had this conversation. Lauren: I was already taking birth control. I was multiple days into the pack. I just threw it in the trash and was like, “Let's just see what happens.” I guess when you do that, you can get pregnant. I don't know. I didn't really have a cycle. I got pregnant. I was so naive about how it all worked. I'm like, “Okay. The test is positive. I'm pregnant. It is what it is. I'm very much pregnant.” I had not doubt. I had no worry about miscarriage, nothing because I had a positive pregnancy test. That's sort of how I went through my pregnancy, kind of disconnected, very naive, and a little bit in denial that I was actually pregnant all the way up until the end. I read one book and it was called The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy and it's this really sarcastic, funny book. She's very flippant about pregnancy and very straightforward with my sense of humor. I liked it because I felt the same way. I wasn't mushy or emotional. I had no connection to the pregnancy. I am pregnant. That's a fact. Anyway, at 26 weeks, my doctor was like, “You know, I think he's breech.” I was like, “Okay.” I knew what breech was, but I'm like, “Okay, what does that mean?” She was like, “Well, I would start doing some Spinning Babies exercises. Let's just keep an eye on it. I was going to a chiropractor this whole time. This is important for people to know. I was going to a chiropractor before I even got pregnant regularly. This chiropractor was seeing me. I told her that the baby was breech. “Can you help me flip him? Can we do some bodywork?” I continued to see her. I don't know if it was once or twice a week but it was often. 36 weeks rolls around and I see the midwife in the practice. She is not finding the heartbeat where it should be. She finds it up higher and she goes, “Lauren, I think your baby is still breech.” I thought there was no way. I had been seeing a chiropractor. I had been doing body work and stuff. She was like, “Well, why don't you go see the chiropractor that our practice recommends?” I'm like, “Okay.” I call this chiropractor on the phone. I leave her a message and I'm like, “I've been seeing another chiropractor, but my baby is breech.” She immediately called me right back and she was like, “What has the chiropractor been doing?” I'm like, “It feels like a normal adjustment like nothing different from before I was pregnant.” She was like, “So you've been on your side and she's been twisting your back and your pelvis away from each other?” You know how they do those kinds of adjustments? I said, “Yes.” She was like, “Oh my gosh.” She's like, “How soon can you come see me?” I started seeing her. My OB actually also recommended moxibustion. She got me set up with an acupuncturist in the area which I thought was really cool that she was like, “Some people say they swear by this. You need to do more Spinning Babies. I want you to go to acupuncture.” I saw this chiropractor and she was like, “What that chiropractor is doing to you is not pregnancy-safe. She's not Webster-certified and you needed to be seeing a Webster-certified chiropractor.” That's one of my regrets because I feel like had I known, obviously, I can't say I blame her 100%. I was also working out a ton because I'm like, “I don't want this pregnancy to change my body. I'm going to be skinny.” That's all I cared about so I'm sure I was holding my abdominal muscles way too tight too. I'm sure I contributed to it as well, but just knowing that probably was a major contributor to what ended up happening to this day irritates me. But anyway, he never flipped. He was solidly in my ribcage. He never moved. I would push on his head and he would not even budge an inch. My doctor was like, “You know, I would normally recommend an ECV, but he seems very wedged in your rib cage. He's stargazing,” which means his head is tilted up. His chin is pointed up. She said, “You are on the low end of normal for amniotic fluid.” She was like, “You have these three strikes against you basically. We can try it if you want to try it, but I'm going to say it's probably not going to work.” I had to wrestle with that. I ended up calling my husband's aunt who is a labor and delivery nurse for 30 years. I asked her for her opinion. I'm like, “Have you ever been in on an ECV? Tell me about it.” Naively, I went with her advice. She said, “If your doctor is not confident, then that means it's not going to work.” She's like, “I've seen so many births and I believe that every baby should be delivered via C-section because birth is dangerous and it's scary.” I'm like, “Okay, okay. I'm just going to move forward with the C-section. I'm so glad I talked to you.” Meagan: Whoa. Lauren: We scheduled the C-section and you know what? It really wasn't that big of a deal. My friend's husband was actually my anesthesiologist. My doctor was there. It was very happy. It was very pleasant. I had gone out to dinner with my friends the night before. If you could plan the perfect C-section, it was the perfect C-section. I just talked to my friend's husband the whole time. Again, not connected to this pregnancy at all. It was very much like, “Okay, a baby is going to come out. What is this going to be like?” I remember the doctor held him up over the curtain. I made eye contact with him and I was like, “Oh my gosh. I'm a mom.” The nurse was like, “Do you want to do skin-to-skin?” I was like, “What's that? Sure.” “Do you want to breastfeed?” “I think so. Sure.” Very naive. What ended up happening was that the recovery was just really tough. The surgery was great, but I did not expect the recovery to be so tough. I feel like the way people speak of C-sections is so casual. “Oh, just have a C-section. I had C-sections for all my babies. It's no big deal. It's a cakewalk.” That's the mindset I went into it with. Same with my husband because I reassured him, “It's no big deal. We're just going with the flow.” No. It's awful. It's major surgery. I'm allergic to– I think a lot of people are– the duramorph that they put in the spinal so I had the most severe, horrible itching for 24 hours to the point that they basically overdosed me on Benadryl because I could not cope and my vitals were crashing. I was barely having any respiration. They had to shake me awake and put cold washcloths on my head. They were like, “Hello,” because I was having such a hard time with the itching. Not only that, but the pain. It's painful. In my surgery, backing up a little bit, the doctor said, “Wow. He's really wedged in there and he's a lot bigger than I expected. I thought he was going to be maybe 7.5-7.25 pounds.” She goes, “He tore your incision coming out because he was so big.” She was like, “You have a J incision now so your incision goes horizontal and then vertically up.” She said, “Unfortunately, that means you'll never be able to have a VBAC. You're just going to be a C-section mama.” I was just lying there like, “Whatever. You're asking me what skin-to-skin is and breastfeeding and no vaginal births.” It was just a lot of information to process and take in and make decisions about. He ended up being 9 pounds. He was a good-sized baby. Anyway, that was my c-section experience. I know I'm probably one of the lucky few who could say that their C-section was so peaceful, really no trauma from it. I just thought, “I'm fine with that.” I watched my sister have a failed TOLAC and it looked kind of traumatizing and she was still traumatized from it just a couple months before my C-section so I'm like, “It's fine. I'll just be a C-section mom, but that recovery was terrible so I'll have one more baby and that's it.” I'm not going to have any more kids. I don't want to experience that again. That was May 2019. Fast forward to COVID times. We were thinking about getting pregnant before my son turned one but COVID hit so we were like, “Let's just give it a couple of months and see what shakes up with this pandemic.” The world stopped. I'm in real estate so for a while, we weren't allowed to show any property or do anything so I just was sitting at home doing nothing. I remember one night, I was just sitting there doing a puzzle bored as heck and I'm like, “I'm going to go listen to a podcast while I do this.” My phone suggested The Birth Hour. I hope I'm allowed to say that. Meagan: I love The Birth Hour, yes. Lauren: I was scrolling through the episodes and there was one on VBAC. I'm like, “Okay, I'm going to listen to this.” The interviewee mentioned The VBAC Link so I was like, Okay, I should check that podcast out. I was like, Why am I even listening to this? This is so not my wheelhouse, childbirth. I still didn't care about it, but listening to these podcasts opened up a whole new world for me. I'm so glad I found it all before I got pregnant. I started listening to all of those podcasts then I think I found through your podcast. I don't think it was The Birth Hour. Someone mentioned Dr. Stu so I started listening to his podcast and man, that guy set fire. He had so much great information. I listened to every podcast pretty much that he had done, especially the ones on VBAC because he talks about VBAC a lot and just how it really shouldn't be a big deal or shouldn't make you high risk and all of that. At the time, he was still graciously reviewing people's op-reports for them and now he doesn't do that. I think you have to pay for it, but I emailed him. I reached out to him and I emailed him my op report and I just said, “If you could look at this, my provider told me I wasn't a VBAC candidate but I want your opinion.” He got right back to me and he was like, “There's no reason you can't have a VBAC. This scar is really not that big of a deal. Yes, it's a special scar, but it shouldn't take away from your opportunity to TOLAC.” I ended up getting pregnant in the fall of 2020 and I went to my first appointment and my OB was like, “What do you want to do for your birth this time?” I'm like, “Did she forget what she told me? She must have forgotten.” I was like, “I want a VBAC.” She was like, “Okay, I'll give you my VBAC consent form and we can talk about it as your pregnancy progresses.” I'm like, “Okay, cool.” I saw her again at 12 weeks and she was like, “I'm having some hesitations because you had such a big baby and your scar is not normal. I think we need to talk about this a little bit more but let's not worry abou tit now. We can put it off and worry about it later.” I was like, “Okay.” I was so bummed because I love my OB. Funny story, I met my OB when I was worked for a home design company called Pottery Barn and I met her one day just helping her buy pillows. I'm like, “What do you do for work?” She was like, “I'm an OB.” I'm like, “Cool. I need an OB.” I had just moved to the area so I just started seeing her. I think I was one of her first patients so she knew me. It wasn't like she was a friend and a provider I only saw once a year, but we always picked up where we left off. We had a good relationship. I really did not want to change providers. I don't want this to sound like I was being manipulative, but I was like, I'm just going to really lean into this good relationship we have and just try to win her over. As the pregnancy progressed, at the next appointment I think I saw a midwife. I talked to the midwife about the VBAC and my OB's opinion and she was like, “I've seen a lot of women VBAC with a J scar at my old practice. I don't think it's a big deal, but I'll talk to the doctor for you and hopefully, we can figure this out.” I was like, “Okay.” Then I want to say I went to my 20-week appointment and they told me, “Okay, your baby is gigantic.” They said, “He is going to be between 9 and 10 pounds,” because he was measuring two weeks ahead. They said, “But the other concern we have is that you have marginal cord insertion and that could make for a small baby.” I'm like, “Okay, so is he big, or is he small?” Clearly that marginal cord insertion is helping him not being 12 pounds? What are you trying to tell me? They're like, “Either way, we suggest that you come back at 32 weeks. We have concerns about his size. He might be a tiny peanut. He might be enormous.” I'm like, “I think I'm good. Thanks, but no thanks.” Thanks to you guys, you push advocation so much that I'm like, “This doesn't add up. You can't tell me that he's too big and too small. I'm just going to go with fundal height and palpation if my doctor has a concern, we'll come back.” I never scheduled that growth scan. I was very protective of this pregnancy. I didn't want any outside opinions. I was so afraid that if I went and had this growth scan, I would be pushed to do a C-section. I wanted an unmedicated birth. I was terrified of the hospital. I was listening to so many podcasts all day every day. It was like an obsession so then I told Meagan before we were recording is that I felt like I was almost idolizing the VBAC. It was all I could think about. It was all I could talk about and it became this unhealthy obsession. Right around 25-26 weeks, I decided to hire a doula and move forward with the VBAC. It didn't matter to me what the doctor said. Right around that time, I was having some hesitations. Just getting that pushback from my doctor and knowing he was big, I started to let the fear creep in. I told my husband, “You know what? Maybe we should just do a C-section. I think I'm overanalyzing this so much. I'm just going to push aside this research I have done because clearly I'm obsessed and it's consuming me.” Meagan: Yeah, which is easy to do. Just to let you know, it really is easy to let it consume you. Lauren: It totally is. I think that we have to take a step back sometimes, come back to reality, and if you let the information override your instincts which I think is really easy to do, I think you can get too wound up or too set on something that might not be meant for you. Speaking of instincts, that night, I still remember. I had told my husband, “I'm just going to have a C-section.” I went to bed and I had a dream. I was in the hospital in the dream and I was holding my baby and my dad walked in. I have a really great relationship with my parents but especially my dad. I love my dad. He comes in the room and he's like, “How did it go?” He was meeting the baby for the first time and I burst into tears in the dream. I said, “Dad, I didn't even give myself the opportunity to VBAC. I just went in for a C-section. I just have so much regret about it and what could have happened if I had tried to have a VBAC.” Meagan: That just gave me the chills. Lauren: Yes. It was so weird. I have never really had a dream like that before. I woke up and I was like, “There's my answer. I have to move forward with this.” Having that dream gave me this peace that there is the instinct I need to follow. Yes, I have all of this information that is consuming me, but it was like, Keep going. I hired a doula which I found through The VBAC Link Facebook page. I put it out there, “Does anyone know a doula in my area?” Julie commented and it happened to be her really good friend who had just moved back to my area. I called her and it turned out that we had mutual friends. We connected really fast. I think, like I said, it was about 26 weeks. I go to my OB again and we had more of a pow-wow like a back-and-forth on the VBAC option. She was like, “I'm just worried about it. A C-section is not that big of a deal. We could just tie your tubes and then you won't have pelvic floor issues.” False. I said, “I got a second opinion from another doctor.” I didn't say it was Dr. Stu. I didn't say it was some guy with a podcast in LA. I said, “I got a second opinion and I feel like I just want the opportunity.” We didn't really land on anything solid, but she got up to leave the room and she got to the door and she turns around. She came back over to me and she gave me this big hug. She said, “I don't want to disappoint you. I want you to be happy, but let's keep talking about this.” I was like, “Okay.” That gave me a little bit of reassurance that I was leaning into that relationship I had built with her over the years because it had been 6 or 7 years of seeing her. I would also bring her flowers. I would always try to talk to her about her life and making a social connection with someone. If you let your doctor intimidate you just from the standpoint of being a stranger, I feel like that can really change the course of your care. But if you try to get to know people, and that's not necessarily a manipulative thing, but I think it's important. It should be important in your relationship with your doctor. If you don't feel like you can connect with them, there is issue number one, but I really felt like I could connect with her. I leaned into that. I have a cookie business on the side. She loved my cookies. We just had some other things to talk about other than my healthcare and I feel like it set this foundation of mutual respect. What doctor comes over, gives you a hug, and tells you, “I want you to love your birth”? So fast forward again, I see her again the next time and she said, “Look. I brought your case to my team and because we support moms who have had two C-sections, we felt like your risk is similar to theirs and that it shouldn't risk you out of a TOLAC so I'm going to support you if this is what you want.” I had given her this analogy that I think was Julie's analogy. She said, “If you needed heart surgery and you were told that you had a 98% chance of success–” because I think my risk of rupture was 2% or maybe a little bit lower, maybe 1.5. I told her this. I'm like, “If you told me I needed heart surgery and I had a 98 or 99% chance of success, we would do it. There would be no question. I have this 1% risk of rupture. I'm coming to the hospital. What gives? I should at least be able to try.” The problem is, I'm sure some people are like, “Why didn't you just switch providers?” We have three hospitals in my area. One is 20 minutes from me and two are one hour away. One of them which is an hour away is the only place where I can VBAC and there isn't a VBAC ban. There is maybe a handful of providers who deliver there. I knew my provider was VBAC-supportive sort of. She had the most experience of a lot of the providers around me so that's why I didn't switch. I had very minimal options for care. I couldn't go to LA or I couldn't go somewhere further away. It would be a four-hour drive either way. We are in an isolated area. I felt like that was a huge win. We are set to go. I remember I told Katrina. Katrina was so happy for me, my doula. I just soldiered on. I started taking Dr. Christopher's Birth Prep at 36 weeks. I was doing my dates and I was really busy in real estate. That's part of my story. I was so busy working super hard and I was getting to the end of my pregnancy. At 38 weeks, I went in and I had clients lined up showings coming up. I was like, “I can't have a baby anytime soon.” I was talking to my provider about it. “Maybe at 40 weeks, we can talk about a membrane sweep or something. I have so much on my plate. I can't have a baby this week.” My husband is a firefighter and his shift that he was going to be taking off was starting maybe the following week. I'm like, “He's not even going to be home. He's going to be gone most of this week. This is a horrible week to have a baby.” I let her check my cervix because I'm like, “I want to see if my birth prep or my dates are doing anything.” At the same time, I still had this fear of, What if I do all of this work and I don't even dilate? That was kind of what happened with my sister so I had that fear in the back of my mind. She checks me and she was like, “You are 2 centimeters dilated, 50% effaced. You're going to make it to your due date no problem. We're not even going to talk about an induction until 41 weeks.” She was like, “I'm just not worried about it. He doesn't feel that big to me. He doesn't feel small. He doesn't feel too big. He feels like a great size.” I said, “I know. I feel really confident that he's going to be 8 pounds, 2 ounces.” I spoke that out. I said, “That's my gut feeling. I just have so much confidence and peace about this birth. I just know it's going to work out.” I go on my merry little way from that appointment. I'm walking around. We had gone down to the beach. We were walking around and I'm like, “Man, I'm so crampy. For some reason, that check made me so, so crampy.” This was 38 weeks exactly. We go back home and I have prodromal labor that night. I'm telling Katrina about it. She goes, “You know, I bet the check irritated your uterus.” The next day, I start having some bloody discharge. I'm like, “What is this? What does this mean?” I told Katrina and she said, “It could mean nothing. It could mean labor is coming soon. We'll just have to see.” I hadn't slept the whole night before. She was like, “You need to get a good night's sleep.” I had to show property all day. I met these clients for the first time. I showed four or five houses to them and meanwhile, I'm like, “Gosh, I'm so sore and tired and crampy.” I told them, “I'm very obviously pregnant, but my due date is not until the end of the month.” This was June 10th and my due date was June 23rd. I said, “We have time. If you need to see houses, it shouldn't be a big deal. I don't want my pregnancy to scare you away.”That night, I get home and I'm like, “I'm going to bed. It's 8:00. I'm going to bed. I'm going to take Benadryl and I'm going to get the best night's sleep.” They call me at 9:00 PM and they're like, “Lauren, we saw this house online. It's brand new on the market. We have to see it.” They lived a couple of hours away so I'm like, “I'll go and I'll Facetime you from the house. I'll go tomorrow.” Tomorrow being June 11th. I'm like, “We'll make it happen. I promise I will get you a showing on this house.”I texted Katrina and I'm like, “Oh my gosh. I feel so crampy and so sore. Something might be going on, but I have to work tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.” I wake up the next morning. It's now June 11th and I lose my mucus plug immediately first thing. There was some blood. It was basically bloody show. I told Katrina and she's like, “Okay, just keep me posted. I have a feeling he's going to come this weekend. It was a Friday. I'm like, “Well, he can't because my husband works Saturday, Sunday, Monday. I don't have time to have a baby.” We go to the showing. I'm finally alone without my toddler and my husband. I'm in the car and I'm like, “Man, my lower back hurts. It's just coming and going but nothing to write home about, just a little bit of cramping.” Of course, I never went into labor with my first so I did not know what to expect. I get to the showing and this house had a really steep staircase. I'm Facetiming my clients and I'm going up the stairs. It was probably at noon and I'm thinking to myself, Man, it's really hard to go up these stairs. Why do I feel so funny? I finish up the showing and they're like, “We want the house. This is the house for us.” I get back in the car. I'm getting all of their information. I'm talking to the other agent. I start the offer and I'm like, “I'm just going to drive home and get in my bed because I don't feel good. I'm just going to write this offer from my bed and everything will be fine.” I get home and I tell my husband at 2:30, “I'm just going to sit in our bed and get this offer sent off.” Mind you, I had a work event, a big awards event that night for my whole office and we were going to have to leave at 4:00 PM. My in-laws were going to come get my son and take him to sleep over. It's 2:30. I'm writing this offer and I'm like, “I don't feel good.” My partner calls me. I tell her, “Listen, I don't know if I'm in labor, but I don't feel well. Maybe I have a stomach bug. I'm going to write this offer. I'm going to give you my clients' information and I want you to take over for me a little bit. They know I'm really pregnant, but this could just be a sickness but either way if something happens, I want them to have the best care and be taken care of if we are going to send this offer off.” I send the offer off. It's 3:30 at this point. I close my computer and I'm waiting for them to DocuSign. I text my husband, “There's no way I'm going tonight. I don't feel well. Something is up. I'm not sure what.” He didn't see my text for a little while. He comes in the room at 4:00 and he starts to talk to me. I literally fall to the ground with my first contraction. I'm in active labor.I don't know it yet, but I'm in active labor. I'm just like, “It feels like there's a wave crashing in my body.” That was the best way I could describe it. I'm like, “I feel this building. It's an ebb and flow,” but it reminded me of playing in the waves as a kid because I grew up in Orange County at the beach and just that feeling of the waves hitting you when you are playing in the surf. I'm like, “This is really intense. What is going on?” I'm like, “I'm certain it's a stomach bug.” I told him, “I have gas or something.” I was just like, “I'm going to give myself an enema and this will all go away.” I did that and sitting down on the toilet, I was like, “Oh my gosh.” It made everything so much more intense. I texted Katrina, “Something is going on. I'm not really sure it is.” She's like, “Well, why don't you try timing some contractions for me and let me know?” I crawl into my closet. I can hear my son and my husband getting ready. My son was 2 so of course, 2-year-olds are not always behaving. I can hear them interacting. I crawl into my closet and I'm lying on the floor in the dark. The contractions are 3.5-4 minutes apart lasting a minute. I was like, “I'm still pretty sure this is a stomach thing that is happening every 3-4 minutes.” I call Katrina and I'm like, “I don't know. I think I'm in labor. This is the length of my contractions. It's probably just prodromal.” I had so much prodromal.She was like, “Um, it doesn't really sound like prodromal labor, but I'll let you just figure it out. You let me know when you are ready for support. Make sure you are eating anything. Have you eaten anything today?” “No.” “Have you had any water?” “Not really.” “Okay. Please eat something. Please drink some water and keep me posted.” She goes, “Can you talk through the contractions?” I said, “I can cry.” She's like, “Okay. I'm ready to go as soon as you tell me.” Then the next thing I know, literally, this is probably an hour later so at 4:00 I had my first contraction. Now it's 5:00 and I'm like, “The contractions are 3 minutes apart and lasting a minute.” I said, “Maybe you should come over. I think Sean (my husband) is getting a little nervous.” We were still so naive. We didn't know what labor looked like and what was going on. We were like, “If we're not going to the event, why don't we just keep August (my son) at home? I'll just make him dinner and I'm going to make you dinner.” He starts prepping dinner and I'm like, “I don't think either of us really know what's going on.” Of course, Katrina knew what was going on and probably thought I was a crazy person but I was very much in denial. We texted her to come over and she gets there. I'm lying in my bed and she's like, “Okay, yeah. They're coming 2.5-3 minutes apart. If you're ready to go to the hospital, I'm ready to go with you.” I'm mooing through these contractions, vocalizing everything. I'm like, “It just feels good to vocalize and I just really keep having to use the bathroom. It's probably just my stomach.” She's like, “No.” I can hear her outside my bathroom telling my husband, “I think we should go. She's really vocalizing a lot and that usually means it's pretty substantial, active labor.” Meanwhile, all I can think about is, “I've got to get this offer in for my clients.” I'm waiting on DocuSign, checking my email. Finally, it comes through. This is 6:00, maybe 6:30. I see it come in. I send it off and I'm standing at my kitchen counter with my computer on, mooing, doing this freaking offer. I go to cross my legs as I'm leaning over and I'm like, “I can't cross my legs, Katrina. I feel like my bones are separating.” She's like, “Yeah, baby is probably descending into your pelvis. I think we should get going if you're okay with going.” We have a 45 to an hour drive depending on traffic and the time of day. It's a Friday night so basically where I live, there's not a ton of traffic but we get in the car. She's following us and we get to the hospital. It's probably 7:15-7:30 or something like that. I'm telling my husband as I'm mooing through these contractions, “This really isn't that bad. If this is labor, it's intense and it feels like there's an earthquake in my body, but I would not tell you that I'm in any pain right now.” He's like, “Okay, whatever you say lady.” We ended up having to walk across the whole hospital parking lot to the ER because the regular hospital entrance was closed. As soon as we walked in the hospital, the hormones changed. The adrenaline kicks in. I start feeling pain. I start feeling a little bit panicky and it starts getting harder to cope through these contractions. I'm on the floor of the triage room crying into a trash can and everyone is staring at me. Katrina's like, “They need to stop staring!” She was trying to defend me while my husband is answering all of their dumb questions like, “What's your favorite color? What city is your mom born in?” They're like, “Let's just put you in a wheelchair and get you up there.” I'm like, “I can't sit.” Anytime I tried to sit, the contractions were a minute apart and they were so intense. I get there and I was so protective of this birth and outside interventions, I just was like, “Everything is evil. Cervical checks are evil. The epidural is evil. Everything is going to make me have a C-section.” I was like, “I don't want to know how dilated I am. I don't want anyone in this room to know except the nurse. That's who is allowed to know how dilated I am.” She checks me and the doctor comes in. It was the hospitalist and of all the providers in my area, it was miraculous that I got this hospitalist because he has so much experience. He is so calm, so kind, so supportive. He just said, “Hi, Lauren. I'm Dr. so-and-so and you're in labor. Happy laboring.” No concerns about my TOLAC, nothing. He didn't even bring it up. He didn't ask to check, nothing. Just, “Happy laboring,” and he left the room. I'm like, “Okay. Clearly I'm in active labor.” So then they were getting the tub ready because my room had a tub and as we were waiting for it to warm up, I'm sitting on the ball. I'm having all this bloody show. The nurse asked to check me again before I get in the tub. Unknowingly, I had been 5 centimeters when we arrived. I was 7 now when we got in the tub an hour later. I get in the tub and I wouldn't say it provided me any relief. Honestly, I was so in my head and not necessarily in pain, just so mentally unaware of everything going on, in labor land, but also very overwhelmed by the intensity of it. I told Katrina, “George Washington could have been sitting in the corner watching me labor. I would not have known.” I barely opened my eyes. I had a nurse who was there sitting with us because I had to have a one-on-one nurse for being high-risk and I had to have continuous fetal monitoring. Because I was in the water, she needed to sit there and make sure the monitors didn't move. I couldn't have told you what she looked like, nothing. I didn't speak to her. I was in another world. I think I maybe was in the tub for 30 minutes to an hour. It's probably 9:00 or 10:00. I can't even remember the timeline of it but it wasn't that long of a labor. My water breaks and I start grunting. They're like, “Let's get you out of the tub. Let's get you out of the tub.” I think I was 9 centimeters at this point. We arrived at 7:30. This is probably 10:00 PM or something like that. I'm like, “Okay. I'm just going to lean over the back of this bed and just moo and make noises.” Me being who I am and not super emotional, I'm making jokes about how I sound. I'm like, “You guys, I sound like Dory in Finding Nemo. I'm so embarrassed. Please don't look at my butthole.” I was naked. I'm making all these jokes and coping, I would say pretty well in terms of pain but just very overwhelmed by the intensity of it. They come in and check me and they're like, “Okay, you're complete.” This is at 11:00 PM maybe or 10:30, something like that. But she was like, “You have a little bit of a cervical lip.” It was a provider I hadn't met before at my OB's office but they were like, “We will just let you do your thing. You sound pushy but please don't push because you have a lip. Let's just let him descend.” I could feel his head inside of myself. I could feel his head coming down. I was like, “I want it to be over. I want it to be over.” I'm still in denial of this whole thing this entire time. Are we sure it's not poop? I know there's a baby coming out. Once my water broke, I'm like, “Okay, I guess I'm having a baby.” That was really, truly the first time that I was like, “Okay, this is really happening.”Maybe 30 minutes later, the hospitalist peeks his head in the room and he's like, “Lauren, why don't you try laying on your side?” I tried and it was too painful. I flip over on my back and three pushes later, he comes flopping out. I screamed him out and it was super painful. I was so overwhelmed by how painful it was. I just screamed like a crazy, wild woman. He's on my chest and he's screaming and I'm in all this pain and then she's like, “I've got to give you lidocaine. You tore a little bit. I'm going to stitch you up.” It was just all this pain happening at once, but I was like, “I got my VBAC. That's all that matters. No one touched me and I got my VBAC. I don't care about anything else.” Anyway, it was great. I would not change it for the world because I never had a ton of pain. I never really thought I needed an epidural, but it was a little bit mentally overwhelming. Meagan: Mhmm, sure. Lauren: Anyway, that was my first VBAC. The doctor said, “You pushed so primally. That was the most amazing thing I've ever seen.” The hospitalist was like, “That was incredible to watch. You are a badass.” I was like, “That was such a compliment because I didn't know what I was doing and you're this doctor with all the experience.” Anyway, fast forward to my third pregnancy. This is now the summer of 2023. We decide we're going to have one more baby. I of course had no issues with the VBAC this time because I had a successful TOLAC with my second. I made it to 20 weeks. I had COVID, RSV, and the flu all right around then so they were telling me, “Your baby is measuring totally normal.” I'm like, “Yeah, because I've been sick as a dog for 6 weeks.” I'm like, “Maybe I'm going to get this newborn who is a normal size,” because my son was born at 38 and 2, the second one, and he was 8 pounds, 3 ounces. I had told my doctor 8 pounds, 2 ounces. I was one ounce off. I was like, “Maybe I'll get this little peanut baby and it's going to be so great. I'll finally have a newborn who fits in a diaper for more than two days.” Then I hit 33 weeks and I got huge. I just exploded inside. I go to my OB and I'm like, “I don't feel good. I'm too big. This baby is too big. Something is wrong.” She's like, “No, Lauren. I really just think you make big babies and he just went through a growth spurt. Let's not worry. I'm not going to have you do an ultrasound or anything like that. If he continues to measure 2-3 weeks ahead,” because I was measuring 36 weeks at 33 weeks, “then we can talk about it, but I don't want to worry about it.” I was like, “Okay.” I was having all of this round ligament pain more than I had with my others and prodromal labor was so painful. I remember telling Katrina who I hired again, “I feel like something is wrong with my muscles. I just am so uncomfortable. But I don't want to make any rash decisions based on it. I might get an epidural if this keeps up because this doesn't feel normal. “She was like, “Okay, whatever works.” So I get to my 38-week appointment and I'm thinking, I'm going to have this baby at 38 weeks just like I had my second baby. I had everything ready. Everything was good to go at my house and then day by day, it ticks on. Baby is not coming. Baby is not coming. I was due April 6th. This was just this year, 2024. I get to 38 weeks. I tell my doctor, “Just strip my membranes. I don't even care.” She was like, “Okay, I guess if that's what you want.” She did. Nothing happened. 39 weeks rolls around. She strips my membranes again. Nothing really happens and then the night of Easter, I had this strange experience where I woke up in the middle of the night and I had this contraction that wouldn't end. I couldn't feel the baby move and it freaked me out. I did everything I could to get him to move. I was in the shower. I was eating. I was drinking and doing all of these things. Finally, I called Katrina at 2:00 in the morning. I'm like, “My baby's dead. I'm 100% sure he's gone. What do I do?” She's like, “Lauren, just relax. Lie on your side and drink something sweet.” We were ready to go to the hospital. I remember we had a stethoscope. I got the stethoscope and I put it right where I knew his heartbeat was and I heard a heartbeat. I burst into tears. It was the first time I've ever cried with any of my babies even being put on my chest. I just felt this relief because I had so much anxiety about him with my size being so big and the pain I was having. I was like, “I just want this baby out.” I never really felt that way, but it was this desperate anxiety. A couple of days passed and I'm now in week 39. I'm like, “My uterus is silent like a little church mouse. She's not doing a thing. She's not cramping. She's not contracting. No discharge, nothing.” I'm like, “This baby is never going to come.” I tell my doctor at my 39-week appointment, “If this baby hasn't come by Friday, I'm back here and I want another membrane sweep.” I felt kind of crazy because I'm like, “This is technically an induction, like a natural and I'm intervening.” Me who never wanted anyone to touch me and now I'm like, “Please touch me and pull this baby out of my body.” She goes to check me and she's like, “Lauren, I think he's coming tonight. Your body contracted around my hand when I tried to sweep you. I just wouldn't be surprised. Don't worry.” I'm like, “Okay, well you're breaking my water on Monday.” I was 3 or 4 centimeters dilated and I'm like, “We're waiting until Monday but I want you to break my water because I'm over it.” She's like, “That's a good idea. Let's threaten this baby and he'll come right out.” This was early in the morning on Friday, the 5th. Anyway, I had all of this anxiety and I just felt like he needed to come out. I couldn't get any peace until I knew he was alive and happy and healthy and on my chest. Friday afternoon, I felt crampy just a little bit the whole day and then at 4:30 PM, I feel this gush and I'm like, “Okay. Is that my water or is it my pee?” because his head felt like it was on my bladder. I didn't say anything to anyone. Then 6:00 rolls around. I text Katrina. I'm like, “Listen, I felt a little gush and I keep feeling it. I put a pad on and it doesn't seem to be urine. I'm not really sure what's happening. I'm just going to do some Miles Circuit and I'll update you.”At 7:30, I'm cleaning my kitchen and all of a sudden, I'm hit with an active labor contraction. I'm like, “Not again. I want labor to start normally so I know what's happening.” No. Baby's like, “I'm ready.” At 7:30, I tell her, “Okay, I'm feeling contractions. I'm getting in the shower to see if it will stop. It might be prodromal. Let's give it an hour. I'm going to text you, but they are 2.5 minutes apart.” She's like, “I'm at dinner. I'm getting boxes. Just let me know.” I was like, “Okay. It might stop though so I wouldn't worry about it.” No, it did not stop. She gets to my house at 9:00 and my car is already running. I'm like, “We're going.” I am mooing through these contractions. I'm going to pop this baby out right now. I had thankfully put some chux pads in the back of my car. I'm on all fours in the back of my car. Mind you, we have to drive an hour to the hospital. I peed all over the chux pad. I just was like, “He's on my bladder. He's on my bladder.” It was so painful and I couldn't control anything. I'm like, “Is this water? Is this pee? I don't even know what's happening.” We get to the hospital. He did not come in the car, thank God, but we did have to go to the ER again and the ER was taking forever. It took a half hour to get me up to labor and delivery as I'm actively mooing in front of the hospital. I was like, “I'm not going in,” because there was a little girl sitting in the waiting room and some convict sitting with a police officer. I'm like, “I'm not having my labor in front of these people!” Even the police officer came out and he was like, “I don't understand what is taking so long. You are clearly about to have this baby. I will bust open these doors for you and walk you up to L&D myself if that's what it takes.” Finally, they got me up there. I arrived. I told Katrina and my husband, “You guys, I'm getting an epidural.” I said, “I have had so much anxiety and so much pain. This does not feel like my previous labor. This feels like I'm suffering.” I said, “I just want to smile. I just want to smile. I want to smile this baby out.” We get up there. I'm 8 centimters dilated. This was the part of the story that I feel like it comes back to advocating for myself. I go in there and I'm like, “I don't care what you need from me. I just need the epidural and stat.” The nurses are scrambling and this doctor walks in. I am on all fours on the bed just staring at the ground, actively transitioning. I see this doctor walk in. I see his feet and he had his shoelaces untied. Immediately, I'm just like, “No. It's a no.” I don't know why. I just was like, “Your shoes are dirty and they are untied. You seem like a hot mess. I'm already a hot mess. I want someone to come in and just be like clean-cut and normal.” He starts asking me all these questions. He's asking me my whole health history, everything about my grandparents, my parents, all of this stuff. I'm in transition then he goes, “You're aware of the risk of TOLAC, right?” I said, “Yes.” He goes, “That your uterus could burst wide open?” I literally saw red. I'm in a contraction and I just screamed like a wild lady. I was like, “Get out.” I wanted to add on some expletives and tell him to get out of the room. I just said, “Get food.” He was like, “I'm just saying.” He ended up leaving and my nurse peeks her head under. I look over and I see this nurse peeking her head right into my face and it's the same nurse who was there with my first VBAC. She goes, “You don't have to accept care from him.” She goes, “Your doctor is actually the backup on-call doctor tonight.” She goes, “If you refuse care, we can call her and she can come in.” I was like, “Oh my gosh. This is a miracle.” We get the epidural. I'm like, “We've got to slow this thing down. I don't want to have this baby and have this crazy man who I cannot stand anywhere near my body parts, anywhere in this room.” We get the epidural and everything slowed down. I labored down. My doctor ended up coming in and she checked me. She was like, “Your bag is bulging. It feels like rubber. It's so thick.” She was like, “I think that's why he's not coming out.” We got to the hospital at 9:30-9:45. By the time we got in the room, 11:00 by the time I got the epidural, and the anesthesiologist was like, “You're going to have this baby in 30 minutes. I'm certain of it.” To slow it down, I'm closing my legs and doing all of these things to slow it down.My doctor comes in. She breaks my water and fluid goes everywhere. It floods the floor. She goes, “I don't remember any time I've ever seen this much water come out of someone without polyhydramnios. Maybe you had it. I don't know but this is an insane amount of water.” She breaks my water and then my epidural was a pretty low dose because he thought I was having the baby in 30 minutes. It's now 2:30 in the morning and I haven't had the baby yet. I'm getting up on my knees. I'm leaning over the back of the bed and I feel him descending. Then my doctor comes in an hour later and she's like, “Let's get this baby out.” It was 3:30 in the morning and she's like, “Let's go.” She feels me. She's like, “You're complete. I feel his head right here. You just need to push and you can't feel that his head is right here.” So I just get on my back, in lithotomy with the freaking stirrups like I said I would never do with the epidural I said I would never get and I pushed him out in three pushes. He was 9 pounds, 7 ounces. I am so glad I got that epidural. No regrets there because that's a really freaking huge baby. His head was in the 100th percentile or something like gigantic. I tore a little bit again, but I feel like the tradeoff was this peaceful, happy birth. I was making jokes. I had this nurse that I loved and knew. I had my doctor I loved and knew. I had Katrina and I had my husband who were the only people in the room and we laughed our way into this birth. I laughed my baby out basically. I was making jokes the whole time and I just had this peaceful experience. I told my husband, “I know I railed on the epidural my whole pregnancy and I said I would never get it,” but it's a tool ultimately. It's a tool. If you use it wisely, I was very far along. I said, “I don't think it's going to stop my labor.” I felt really confident in my decision. I didn't feel like anything was pushed on me. I made the decision. I'm happy I did it that way. Would I do it again that way? I don't know. I think with every birth, you should be open-minded to the possibilities and your needs. I hear so many stories where women are like, “And then I got the epidural. I had to.” I'm like, “It's okay. Own that decision. You're no worse off for getting it and it doesn't make you any less of a mom or any less of a good person for getting it. It's okay to not feel every single pain of labor if it's overclouding your ability to be in the moment.” Meagan: Yeah.Lauren: So anyway, that was my second VBAC story. Honestly, it was so redemptive because there was no trauma from the pain of having this wild, chaotic, primal birth. It was just peaceful and happy with all of the people. If I could have dreamt up a list of people who could have been with me, that's who it would have been. Meagan: Good. Oh, I love that you pointed that out. Well, I am so happy for you. Congrats again, 11 days ago and right now I want to thank you again so much for sharing your story. Lauren: Thank you for having me. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Today's episode is one that was two and a half years in the making. We are so excited to be sharing our conversation with Janelle Smith! Janelle and her family have been a part of Desert Springs for almost 20 years. The first 20 minutes are so sweet as Janelle shares about her life in California, detailing how she fell in love with a motorcycle mechanic named Rex and became a mom. Though there were challenges that came with being newlyweds and a blended family, Janelle embraced the changes. One of the things that Janelle highlights is how she and Rex established their faith and desired to bring their kids into Christian community. You will enjoy hearing the many stories shared in the first part of this conversation and will feel like you have a sense of who Janelle is (you'll want to be her friend!). Unknowingly in the background of all these stories, Rex was having some serious heart issues. He had his first heart attack at age 40, which was a very traumatic experience not only because he was so young but because he was home alone with their baby son when it happened. One year after the heart attack, Janelle, Rex and the kids moved to Arizona as Rex had gotten a new job. Unfortunately, the career change didn't work out and soon Janelle became the sole provider for the family. She worked two jobs (one being a paper route), cared for her kids and was the full-time caretaker for Rex. Around this time, Rex was also diagnosed with congestive heart failure and given 5 years to live. It is hard to sum up here what that time was like but also how God's faithfulness came through in so many ways. In 2009 after being on the transplant list for a very short time, Janelle + Rex got notified that there was a heart available. They felt like it was a miracle to receive a heart so quickly. Though this heart gave Rex 13 more years to live, life became very difficult afterwards. We appreciate Janelle's openness in how she shares about these years and what it was like to be a caretaker, provider, wife and mom. Janelle's testimony is real and raw and yet filled with hope through God's faithfulness. The fullness of her story and what God has done in her life cannot be summed up here - we encourage you to listen. Haley Smith's testimony (Janelle's daughter!), Episode 46 - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RaxOHfxcxX5wFiL64K8Ti?si=d072e7b7369a406f*available wherever you listen to podcastsWould you please subscribe and leave us a review? This will help our podcast reach more people! We'd love it if you'd share this podcast with your friends on social media and beyond. Join us next Wednesday to hear another story of God's faithfulness!
Have you UNKNOWINGLY been using band-aid solutions??? Aka only treating the symptoms?? [SELF-ASSESSMENT TIME!!!] Okay so what actually is the difference between “symptomatic” treatment and “healing the roots”??? Would you know how to articulate this comprehensively if someone asked you? How can you be sure that you aren't staying stuck playing with bandaid solutions? Why is it so so important that you make a conscious decision to opt for one over the other?
Experience the chilling tales of employees who found out they were fired in the most mysterious and impersonal ways. From key cards that suddenly stop working to being taken out for breakfast only to be let go before the meal, we delve into the various ways employers handle layoffs. Hear firsthand accounts and reflections on how technology is replacing jobs and the emotional impact of such experiences.
Upcoming LNM Live Tour Dates: 8/10/24 : San Diego, CA @ House of Blues: GET YOUR TICKETS 8/11/24 : Los Angeles, CA @ The Moroccan Lounge: GET YOUR TICKETS 8/18/24: Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's: GET YOUR TICKETS 9/19/24: Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall: GET YOUR TICKETS More Dates to be announced soon! Stories in this episode: Chased on the Backroads of Southeast Oklahoma | OptimisticDingo (0:39) I Unknowingly Hung Out With a Murderer | AshleySchaefferWoo (7:12) The time I regretted smiling at a neighbor | SativaDivaInLaVida (13:53) Psycho Uber | nanabubb (17:24) Almost Kidnapped by The Ice Cream Man | basicRedditGirl (21:00) Stranger Hiding in My Hotel Room | Msommervillej (25:46) The Summer of '87 | _Earthenware (32:04) Now I'm Terrified of Graveyard Shifts | Xiaven (37:05) Luckily my macho stupidity didn't get me killed. | mschall1005 (41:50) Extended Patreon Content: Chased Down Backroads | Emily The $80,000 Guy | Jenny "I'm Not Following You" | Jia Bad Intentions | bakerswife79 The Almost Ass Kicking | Thea Due to periodic changes in ad placement, time stamps are estimates and are not always accurate. Follow: - Twitch - https://twitch.tv/crypticcounty - Website - https://letsnotmeetpodcast.com/ - Patreon - https://patreon.com/letsnotmeetpodcast - Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/letsnotmeetcast/ Check out the other Cryptic County podcasts like Odd Trails and the Old Time Radiocast at CrypticCountyPodcasts.com or wherever you get your podcasts! Get access to extended, ad-free episodes of Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast with bonus stories every week at a higher bitrate along with a bunch of other great exclusive material and merch at patreon.com/letsnotmeetpodcast. This podcast would not be possible to continue at this rate without the help of the support of the legendary LNM Patrons. Come join the family! All of the stories you've heard this week were narrated and produced with the permission of their respective authors. Let's Not Meet: A True Horror Podcast is not associated with Reddit or any other message boards online. To submit your story to the show, send it to letsnotmeetstories@gmail.com.
Join us as we explore crucial importing and inventory management strategies with Afolabi Oyerokun, a seasoned Amazon seller with over 20 years of experience. Afolabi takes us through his remarkable journey from Nigeria to the United States, where he transitioned from fashion design to computer animation before making his mark in e-commerce. Discover his insights on avoiding costly pitfalls when importing products from overseas, managing inventory effectively, and ensuring you don't run out or overstock. In this engaging episode, Afolabi shares essential tips on navigating U.S. customs seizures and maintaining effective communication with overseas factories. Learn about the common reasons for customs stopping a container and the importance of accurate documentation to avoid severe penalties. He also highlights the risks of using email for factory communications and suggests using platforms like WeChat to prevent scams. Plus, get the lowdown on labeling requirements for imported goods to ensure compliance with U.S. and Amazon regulations. Listen in as we discuss the critical role of third-party logistics (3PLs) in maintaining a diverse and efficient supply chain, despite Amazon's introduction of its AWD. Afolabi outlines the strategic advantages of using 3PLs for fulfilling orders across multiple marketplaces and offers practical tips for optimizing shipping. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of compliance with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations and introduce a new tool to help track and ensure compliance with U.S. government regulations. Finally, get to know Afolabi a little better as we share contact information for his services and enjoy a light-hearted exchange about Nigerian cuisine. In episode 572 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Bradley and Afolabi discuss: 00:00 - Importing Products From Overseas 03:54 - From Fashion to Tech 10:17 - Avoiding Customs Seizures in Online Selling 11:20 - Customs Seizure, Communication, and Mold Ownership 22:45 - Factory Confiscates Mold During Dispute 25:27 - Supply Chain Visibility and Customs Compliance 28:52 - Importance of Taking CBP Seriously 31:06 - Online Contact Information for Tariff Services3 ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos Transcript Bradley Sutton: Today's guest has got tons of strategies to help you avoid potential pitfalls that would be extremely costly when importing products from overseas, but he's also got a wealth of experience since he started selling on Amazon over 20 years ago. How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think. Hello everybody and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers Podcast by Helium 10. I'm your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show that's completely BS-free, unscripted and unrehearsed. Organic conversation about serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world. And it's funny for the first time in like 570 episodes, I was recording an episode last week and then noticed that the recording wasn't working, so we're having to start all over again. So thanks to our guests for being accommodating, but at the same time, thanks to my terrible memory, I think I already forgot most of what we had talked about already. So it's going to be still new for me, just as it is for the audience right here. So, Afolabi, welcome to the show. How's it going this morning? Thank you again for coming on for a second time. Afolabi: I'm good. Thank you, Bradley, for having me over. Thanks a lot, I'm excited. Bradley Sutton: Awesome! Now we were talking about where I'm from right before this call, where I'm at right now. Where are you in the United States right now? Afolabi: I'm in Pennsylvania. I'm sitting at a 3PL here in Eastern PA. Bradley Sutton: Ah, so this is not your home, this is like where you work, your office. Afolabi: Correct. This is our office. Bradley Sutton: And where were you born and raised? Afolabi: Born in Nigeria, West Africa. I came into the US this January of 97. Bradley Sutton: Ah, okay, now hold on. This is something new already we didn't talk about last time, because this weekend I was at a church event and I met somebody from Nigeria and maybe I'll throw a picture up of that. But I asked him I'm a foodie, so I ask him if I find a good Nigerian restaurant here, what should I order? And he said something let's see if this is what you suggest too. He said fish, pepper soup. So is that a great cuisine that I should try for Nigerian food? Afolabi: Fish pepper soup is good, beef pepper soup is good and then you can. If you like rice, you can eat jollof rice. I love rice. It's spelled j-o-l-l-o-f. It's a traditional, uh, very nice, uh tasting rice. But I have to caution you on the fish pepper soup. If you don't like hot, spicy food, don't. Bradley Sutton: That's no problem. All right, the rest of the audience, you guys, beware. Me, I don't have to worry about that I love hot spicy food. So that makes it even more. That makes it even more exciting for me to taste it. Afolabi: Good. Bradley Sutton: All right, excellent. Anyways, we're not here to uh to talk about food. Otherwise, yeah, my diet is day one today and I'm already going to lose out on that if I get too hungry here. But let's talk about, let's go back more to your origin story. So did you attend university in the United States or back in Nigeria? Afolabi: Yes, so I had some university in Nigeria and then I transferred and came here to New York at the Fashion Institute of Technology, F.I.T. as everybody knew it, and I majored in fashion design for my first two years and then the final two years was in computer animation and interactive media. Weird right? Bradley Sutton: Yeah, that's a big contrast. Some people say oh, what's your major? Oh, I'm majoring in business and I minor in management or something like that or maybe a language, but your double major was IT and also fashion. So how did you end up like, what was your first dabble in e-commerce and what year, and what did you do? Afolabi: I did some little freelance work here and there, and then I came up with the shoe designs while I was doing freelance for a company in New York. Bradley Sutton: And there's your fashion design coming in already. I like it. Afolabi: Now, bear in mind, I did not do shoe designs, I didn't do footwear designs when I was doing fashion, but I just liked all these Nike shoes and all these really cool shoes. I was just inspired. So, I started designing my own shoes. And now, when I had a computer full of shoe designs, now the next stage is how do I make these shoes? So, I was looking all over. I couldn't find any shoe manufacturer, and then I sent inquiries out. Those were the days Alibaba was just coming up. It wasn't very popular at all. Anyway, I found some Mr. Johnson somewhere in Taiwan that replied to my email and it's like no, you have to come here. We can make your shoes, but you got to come here. I'm like okay, whatever. Afolabi: So I went to Taiwan with the last dollar in my hands. I didn't even have money for the hotel. My host had to pay for my hotel. So I went to and they didn't know I didn't have the hotel. They were just being, you know good host. So I went to Taiwan, met with Mr. Johnston and that was the beginning of me making my shoes. And after I made the shoes, I you know my wife reached out one way or the other. She reached out to Amazon that you know Amazon was just getting out of selling books, only to start it. They just opened up the platform for. Bradley Sutton: When was this? Early 2000s? Afolabi: 2002. Bradley Sutton: 2002. Afolabi: Yes, so that was 2002. And Amazon. You know, some rep in Amazon said oh wow, we like these shoes. You want, would you like, to come on board our platform? Like, yeah, I don't have any other choice. You know how come? You know? So I, uh, I started selling those shoes there and they were doing really good until we realized that they were made too small, they were like a size smaller and uh, by the way, these are some of the things, things I shared in the model, you know, in the Freedom Ticket. For people that are listening, you know, I would say for them to go get that and listen to my full story there. Bradley Sutton: Okay, interesting, all right, so now was that? So then Amazon kind of became your main income in the early two thousands? Or were you also selling online, or how? How did you end up, you know? Cause you're down to your last dollar when, when you got started here. So what happened? Afolabi: So, I was selling on Amazon but it wasn't, there was no FBA right, so we were fulfilling it by ourselves. It was so hard and I had a side gig which I was doing, you know, graphics and web for people on the side, and I went to a footwear show in New York. It's called Fanny, F-F-A-N-Y. And I met some people and they were like “How did you make these shoes?” And I told them and they said, oh, can you make us shoes too? So I started doing consulting for other individuals that want to make their own shoes. So that's how I kept on keeping the body and soul together while I was building the brand on Amazon and when the shoes were made small, so we started getting a lot of returns, people saying, oh, I have to return this and buy a higher size. So people were returning it, they'll buy a size eight, They'll return it and buy a size nine. And it was just a nightmare and I couldn't take it. So I found a liquidator or some guy out of Florida and he bought all my inventory and that's how I ended that part to sell off all my inventory. Bradley Sutton: So then, but now you kind of found out that, hey, I've got a thing for this, you know design, I've got a thing for importing. This is maybe something I can help out with. Afolabi: Correct. Bradley Sutton: And then, was that the kind of start of your consulting company? Afolabi: Yes. Bradley Sutton: That you've been doing ever since. Afolabi: Yes, so that's how sourcing and logistics started for me. I started sourcing for a lot of companies providing logistical support and then somehow, in 2014, my friend you know came to me and said, hey, let's sell on Amazon. I'm like I've done that before. You know, it was too hard. He's like no, no, no, it's different now. You know they have something called FBA. I said what's that? He's like no, they'll fulfill the order for you. You just ship it to their warehouse. They'll do the pick and pack and ship them. Oh, that's easy. So we came up. He came up with some cool designs and signs and banners and school supplies. So that's how we went back into Amazon. We were selling craft vinyl, we were selling anything we could lay our hands on. It was so easy to rank, it was so easy to launch. Those were the days that viral launch was also, you know, getting started and stuff. And so we were. We were growing really fast because, you know there was there were no competition. You know people hadn't woken up to Amazon. So selling on Amazon became our main income at that time. Bradley Sutton: OK, all right, interesting. Now you reference that you're in in Freedom Ticket. So, yes, anybody who has a Helium 10 and has a Starter plan, Platinum plan or above has full access to our full Freedom Ticket course, which is more than 20 hour course with every aspect of selling online that you would need and Afolabi 's module is under compliance and risk management. It's called mistakes to avoid when importing products. We're not going to do the whole thing today, but I want to give some highlights from here, just so that people can understand some of your expertise and you can go ahead and help people out with some things. But my first question is one of the things that you mentioned in your module was about custom seizures and how people can avoid that. So, first of all, what is a custom seizure? Sounds very dramatic. And then how can people avoid? Or, you know, nobody can 100% fully make themselves foolproof, but what are the things that people can do to make that less likely of happening? Afolabi: Yes, correct, thanks. So custom seizure is when the US customs just flags your container or flags a container containing your product for examination because they're suspecting something. It could be randomly done, or it might be that your freight forwarder or your broker has been under their watch list and they want to start looking deeper into all the imports that this cheaper or freight forwarder has been doing. So they would stop your container for examination, so they'll bring it to a yard and they will open it up and see what's in it. Now you cannot really protect yourself from being, you know, spotted or from your container being stopped, but when it gets stopped, that's what you can protect. What happens after it gets stopped is what you can protect. You can, you know, can help yourself out. Some of the things that make customs stop a container could be you're importing from a factory that has a forced child laborer. You are importing products under the anti-dumping laws or countervailing laws, whereby it's almost like you're smuggling those products because the quota for those products is already filled out and you're still bringing in those products. They don't want you coming to flood the US market with those products. Above all, the most annoying one is the False Claims Act, which is you're not paying the right duty. You are falsifying your duty classification of your product so that you can pay the lower duty. You are bringing in a pencil and then you're lying in your. It may not be you. Actually it would be your shipper. Unknowingly to you, your shipper may be falsifying your customs form to declare a lower value, or you're declaring a lower value than the amount you ordered the product for. So these are all the things. Afolabi: For me one time that my container was stopped and it was actually destroyed. The problem was that I had been ordering this giant industrial product for a long time and one time it was stopped at the port of Jacksonville and they looked at it. They said there was the power cable. Can you imagine the power cable that has the UL logo on it. They wanted me to prove that the cable came out of a UL certified factory. And then there's another capacitor in that product that has the logo CMA on it, which is a big association. And I went to my factory. I said, hey, you know my container was stopped. Can you send me certification and proof that your factory is a member or is approved by UL and you are also authorized to use the CMA logo and they ran away. They disappeared. Afolabi: So I told the customs can I come and just stick all these things out and I can cut out the cable. I can do this. They're like nope, it's going in the trash. So the whole container about who knows 50,000 worth of product was trashed. On top of all the penalties, examination, demurrage, all manner of fees climbed on top of it. So if I had falsified the document and say, oh, I'm bringing something else that is duty-free, the penalty would have been a lot severe. So those are some of the things you should watch out for as an importer. Make sure that you're using the right HTS code, the right tariff code, to correctly declare your goods, so that they will not penalize you under the False Claims Act. Bradley Sutton: Now, another thing you mentioned was that you do not suggest that anybody communicate with their factories using email and instead another means. So why is that? And then what? How do you think people should be doing 100% of their communication with their factories? Afolabi: Great, well, I learned that from experience. So I was using my Gmail account to talk to my factory. I didn't know that there was a scammer that intercepted my factory's email as acting to my factory's email, as acting to my factory's email address and hijacked our conversation. So all the while I was talking to the scammer, I didn't realize it was the scammer, because he was impersonating my factory through email and I was able to send money to the scammer. The scammer changed the bank account on the invoice and everything and I sent the money to him, not realizing that it was a scam. If I had been communicating with my factory through WeChat, I wouldn't have fallen for that, because from the very beginning of my conversation now when I'm talking to factories, I take it out of Alibaba, I take it out of every platform and I put it in my WeChat. That way, before I even start talking about sending money or whatever, I already have a communication directly with the factory from my WeChat. So if anybody hijacks that, I would know I will double check through WeChat. I can double check through both emails and WeChat and I also secure the transaction with the Alibaba trade assurance. Bradley Sutton: All right. Yeah, that's crazy. Your email might have been secure but not the uh. You know not the uh, not the suppliers there, okay. So, yeah, we chat is the way, uh, to go. Now, another thing that sometimes I struggle with and then you talk about in your module, is knowing which labels is a requirement of the country and then also what's requirement of Amazon. So, for example, united states at what? What kind of bags need that? No suffocation like, is it only a bag that has an opening, but if it's fully vacuum sealed bag, it doesn't. Or explain when I need to have that, that, those child warnings on my bagged products coming from China. Afolabi: Well, uh, for safety, I just put it in, uh, all kinds of anything. Anytime I'm bringing a product that has bags in general. Uh, I know for Amazon it has to have an opening that you put the product in. It's not like those uh uh bubble bags, but it is a bag you open and put a product in. But me, just for the sake of sanity and safety, I just put it on anytime. Anytime I'm bringing the product. Bradley Sutton: What does it say? What exactly does the label say that you're putting on these bags? Afolabi: Yeah the suffocation. It's a generic suffocation warning which you can find the text anywhere online. Bradley Sutton: All right, so that's important too. Another thing that was new to me that you talked about was mold ownership. Now, me, I don't have any molds, or actually I do for a couple of accounts. But obviously, project X, we know, we're doing egg trays, we're doing, we're doing, you know, coffin shelves and things like that Wooden products. It didn't require a mold like for plastic product. But a lot of people, when they're making original designs or you know, brand new product, that requires tooling and molds. Hey, this is a kind of a big investment at the beginning. What are some things that that sellers should avoid? Because one thing that you know some people might think is logical is well, maybe we can split costs or with the supplier on this mold, but you actually said that's not a good idea, right? Afolabi: Yes, correct. So when your, when your product involves or requires a mold and the supplier says, well, you know, we can share the mold cost with you, you know, so that we can make it easy and cheaper for you to get into production, it's a no-no, because the moment they share the mold cost with you, they jointly own that mold and you're bind and married to that factory forever. If you try to move that mold, they'll say no, it's our mold too. We paid for it together. Another thing is to always have a mold ownership agreement when mold comes into play, have it in writing, both in Mandarin and English or Cantonese and English, and say I own this mold and I can take it anytime I want. I can move it to any factory. Okay, what if this factory gets into trouble? Or what if they run out of capacity and they can't even? They don't even have the capacity to fulfill your production anymore. What are you going to do your stuck? So it's better to always have that clause in your mold that you own your mold 100% and you can take it anywhere you want. Afolabi: Another thing I tell importers or product innovators is that when you're doing mold, make sure you don't ask your factory for their input on your design, you say, hey, what do you think? This is the way I want to make this product. What do you think? The moment your factory contributes to your designs, then by Chinese law they are co-inventors with you. If they're co-inventors, they have legal claims on your idea and they can sell it to whoever they want. They can make that product for anybody they want because you jointly developed it together with them. So you got to be very careful on contribution or collaboration. You don't collaborate with your factory. Hire your own industrial engineering or structural engineer or whoever, and you guys talk about it, come up with your product and then you give it to the mold maker. Sometimes people use their factory to negotiate the mold. I don't do that, honestly. I take my molds to the mold maker. I go to a mold maker to make my mold and then I bring it from the mold maker and I bring it to the factory. Many factory will want to say, oh, this is our mold. It's $2,000 for the mold. You don't know where they made the mold from. And if you don't have the connection to the mold, how would you retrieve the mold. If something falls apart between you and the factory, right, they would tell you where the mold came from. Afolabi: I actually had a situation and this is one out of a million whereby we made a mold and we stopped production of that product and the factory thought we were going to move the production to another factory, but that was not the case. But he's like no, I'm not going to release this mold. We were like but we paid for it, it's ours. He says I know, but I'm not giving it back. Why? Because this mold was made from a mold maker that we don't even have a contact of, so we don't even know how to reach this mold maker. Only the factory knows how to get to them. And they said nope, we're not telling you nothing, we're not releasing the mold. We went back and forth. They said okay, we can pay you for the fraction of the mold. I'm like why would you want to pay us for the mold? We don't want you making it for anybody else. They said nope, we will pay you $600 and we'll take the mold. We're not making it for anybody, but we need to safeguard it, we need to make sure it doesn't go. I'm like that doesn't even make any sense. Yeah, we, we, unfortunately, we had to abandon the factory, abandon the mold and just get out. But the, the, the confiscated the mold. They did not release it. Bradley Sutton: Wow. Okay, so that's definitely something to keep in mind as well. Let's switch gears and talk about stuff that's not in your Freedom Ticket module. For the rest of what you're talking about there, the Freedom Ticket students definitely can and should go check it out, but I didn't even know until today, for some reason, that you also did the 3PL services. Now, since you said that you're in a 3PL right now you know, in 2024, obviously the biggest change you know you've been selling on Amazon for 20 years, but, uh, probably you'd agree that one of the bigger changes that Amazon sellers are worried about this year is the new um fees. You know, like, of course, we've got a high return product rate fee and there's also uh, but now there's inventory fee, low inventory fee, and then the big, the big one that affects literally everybody using FBA is the inbound cost when you are inbound placement fee. So, as a 3PL, what you know more than just one seller who only has their situation, you're dealing with many, many sellers and who are all navigating these things differently. Yes, what's the consensus Like? What are your clients doing? What are you suggesting to them to do in order to help alleviate the cost of these new fees? What are they doing differently than they did before these fees? Afolabi: Well, we have different customers that have unique situations. Many people think that when Amazon came out with the AWD, which is the warehouse distribution, that they go ahead and fire their 3PL. We don't need 3PLs anymore and stuff like that. But they're learning more and more that I think it's Amazon's way of controlling and maintaining visibility and shutting you out of visibility, where they kind of control your whole entire supply chain. So if you're selling in other marketplaces, I still feel that you need your 3PL for you to be able to diversify, sell at Walmart, Ebay, whatever anywhere else, Shopify your own store to be able to fulfill from all those places. I know Amazon wants to fulfill those places so that you can get access to your customer data, but I want to maintain visibility. But in terms of fees placement fees I know even the AWD is not for all products, it's only for a certain small number of you know product catalog I still believe that if you can be sending your product, if you time it really well and you're watching all your inventory very well, I think you can be. If you're on top of it, you send, you know, maybe case basis or pilot basis or using freight like here we use a lot of freight for our customers and it saves them a lot of money and the products get there on time, because we have UPS freight truck come here every time and when they come here they take it straight to the depot. When they take it straight to depot, it ends up in Amazon within a day or two, so they're able to save. Afolabi: Also, if you want to use Amazon Freight from your 3PL, that's also advisable. What do I mean by that? So if you're shipping sometimes more than 10 or 12 pallets of goods, it may be better to just request for Amazon to send you an empty truck from their freight service. So you go to freightAmazoncom, they will send you an empty truck and you pay for everything you fill that truck with. So the truck rate could be 750 bucks or 600 bucks, depending on where it's going to, but they send you that truck. You could fill it with either 15 pallets or up to maybe up to 26 pallets or something. It's the same 750 bucks, which saves you a lot of money when you're, you know, shipping your products to all the fulfillment warehouses. So that's what, uh, that's my number one way. I would, you know, number one thing that I'll tell uh uh sellers to make sure they're able to consolidate and sell box shipments in chunks like that. If you're not that big, you can just be sending. SPD is still okay, whereby you send a few boxes today, keep watching your inventory and then send another few boxes next week or two weeks time, based on your velocity. Bradley Sutton: What's your 30 or 60 second tip? We call this that 60 second tip of the day that you can give. You know you've been giving strategies throughout this whole episode, but if you were to have a quick hitting one that you think people should be following, what is it? Afolabi: What I would think would be good now is it's not sexy, but it's very important and is to start taking the CBP, which is Customs and Border Protection, to start taking them seriously, because they have started to check all these cargos, especially coming from China. They already know that people are rerouting their products. They already know that people are falsifying their documents and stuff like that. They're clamping on forced child labor a lot. I was just talking to somebody last week and his product had been stopped since December because one component in his product was made out of a region in China that was known for forced child labor and for that they sent his container back to China after detaining it for many months. They had to send it back and I see that popping up in Mexico as well. Afolabi: So start taking CBP seriously in terms of check with your broker. Check that your products are compliant to US government regulations. We're actually rolling out a product this end of this month that can actually help you track all your products and cross check it across all governmental agencies. If your supplier or if your product has something that the US government doesn't like, it will flag it so that can be found on a tariff terminator website. Very soon, like end of this month, you will start being able to track and monitor your ASINs to make sure that your risk of being stopped or your product being destroyed or being prohibited from coming into the US. You would be better prepared and know ahead of time to know all the watch lists, to be aware of the watch lists of all the people and factories and things that the government doesn't like, because it's not pretty for them to stop your goods and don't let it come in. Bradley Sutton: All right, Good to know. Good to know. Now, if people want to get more information from you or reach out to find out more about your services. How can people find you on the interwebs out there? Afolabi: So they can find us at honuworldwide.com or tariftaminator.com Tariff as in T-A-R-I-F-F-T-E-R-M-I-A-N-A-T-O-R. Tarifterminator.com, or Honu Worldwide as H-O-N-U Worldwide.com, or you can send us an email at savings at HonuWorldwide.com. Bradley Sutton: All right, Afolabi, thank you so much for coming on the show. I'll let you know what I think of the fish pepper soup and maybe we'll reach out to you next year to see what's new in your world. Knowing you, you'll probably be on five different things already in this short year. So thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us. Afolabi: You're welcome. Let me know how the fish pepper soup tastes. I always want to. I'm curious. Bradley Sutton: All right, All right, I'll let you know. I'll let you know.
In this enlightening episode of The xMonks Drive, we dive deep into the intricate relationship between the brain and the heart with our esteemed guest, Rollin McCraty. Discover how our emotional baselines shape our perceptions and well-being, as Rollin explains the brain's role as a pattern recognition system and the amygdala's crucial function in discerning the familiar from the unfamiliar.Through a series of fascinating insights, McCraty unveils the profound influence of heart rhythms on our emotional state and delves into the concepts of intuitive intelligence and self-regulation. Explore how deeply ingrained belief systems, formed during childhood, create a familiar worldview that can often keep us stuck in cycles of worry, anxiety, and fear.Join us as we discuss the path to lifting consciousness and establishing a new, more coherent baseline. Learn how synchronizing the heart and brain can lead to greater self-connection and emotional freedom, ultimately transforming the way we experience the world. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in understanding the hidden patterns that govern our emotional lives and seeking a more harmonious connection with their inner self.
On October 9, 2022, police found the body of 54-year-old James Orlando Harris in Portland, Oregon. Initially responding to a report of "suspicious circumstances," officers discovered James's body in a sleeping bed dumped in some bushes off the highway. The autopsy revealed he died from a hammer blow to the head and strangulation with a dog leash, likely on October 4, days before his body was found.Who could have done this? The investigation soon pointed to Zachary Hackman, who had just returned from a vacation with his girlfriend's family. His girlfriend, Lara Jean Harris, also came back from a concert when Zach, who sometimes went by the alias Zach Call, called her to help him "clean out some trash." Unbeknownst to her, she was helping him dispose of her father's body.LaraJean didn't call the police out of fear for her safety. However, police eventually discovered James' body due to an unrelated suspicious circumstance report. The investigation, initially for a suspicious death, turned into a homicide case after the medical examiner's report confirmed "homicidal violence."Surveillance footage showed Zachary covering James' kitchen window with a towel on the day of the murder and later, with LaraJean, carrying a heavy container to her car. LaraJean claimed she had no idea she was disposing of her father's body and didn't call the police out of fear for her life. She was not charged, but Zachary was arrested on October 23, 2023, and charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and abuse of a corpse.Following a plea agreement, Zachary was sentenced to 17 years for first-degree manslaughter and an additional two years for abuse of a corpse. He will also serve three years of post-prison supervision upon release. Despite the severity of his crimes, Zachary has never given a motive for the murder.What do you think about the sentence? Why was it labeled manslaughter and not murder? Share your thoughts in the comments below.Episode mentioned:Man Murders His Entire Family Twice | Gregory Greenhttps://murderandlove.com/man-murders-his-entire-family-twice-the-unbelievable-case-of-gregory-green/
Ever wonder what makes some guys seem like total magnets for the ladies? Well, buckle up, because we're about to dive into the subtle habits that can take your attractiveness to the next level. Now, I know what you're thinking: "But I'm already a catch!" And sure, you might be. But there's always room for improvement, right? In this video, we'll be exploring some simple tricks that can make you stand out from the crowd and have women weak in the knees. From the way you move to the way you speak, these habits are all about showcasing your confidence and sex appeal in a tasteful, understated way. So, whether you're looking to up your dating game or just want to feel like a total stud, you've come to the right place. Get ready to take some notes, because by the end of this video, you'll have a whole arsenal of attractive habits at your disposal. Trust me, with these subtle changes, you'll be turning heads and leaving a trail of swooning women in your wake. So, let's get started and uncover the secrets to becoming an irresistible force of nature! #Joyanima #Dating #attraction #flirting #crush #facts #psychology #datingtips #datingadvice #relationship
Welcome to my audio blog on How to Stop Self-Sabotage and Live a Happier Life. Unknowingly, we can self-sabotage our own happiness. In this blog article, I share four ways you might be undermining your happiness and strategies you can implement to avoid doing that. None of us intends to make ourselves unhappy, but we can get in our own way. I hope you'll apply the four strategies so that you live a healthier and happier life. If you enjoy the blog, give it a good rating, leave a message or give it a great review, and share it with your friends. Thank you! Want to know more about Your Aha! Life? Or read and download the print version of my blog article? Visit the Your Aha! Life website. While there, I invite you to sign up and become a member of the Global Your Aha! Life Community. Also, after three years of being away, I am recording new episodes of my podcast. You can listen right here at Your Aha! Life podcast. Check out the latest podcast episodes. Wishing you more joy, more purpose, and more fulfillment. XO, Tonya --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yourahalife/message
Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Monday April 29, 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On May 10th, 1897, 35 miners started down the 1000-foot ladder to the depths of the Snaefell Mine. Many of these men would never see the light of day again. This is their horrifying story. As always, viewer discretion is advised.Ambient Songs:"The Dark Enigma" and "Haunted" by CoAghttps://www.youtube.com/@co.agmusic1823Intro Theme by Swift Junai:https://www.instagram.com/swiftjunai/?hl=enhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6hf5nMJ8s6LJJfFR4OQ3lghttps://open.spotify.com/artist/1PoG2b18MHocWZA8zQgWjOWriting and research by Jay Adams:https://instagram.com/jayadamsdigital?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==
A family in Oklahoma got their nine-year-old son an octopus for his birthday . . . and it gave birth to 50 octopus babies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This Woman Unknowingly Hooked Up With Her Brother?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You may have noticed in previous episodes that many people unknowingly hinder their own healing and self-transformation without realizing it. This shows that understanding what to avoid can be as important as knowing what actions to take. It emphasizes the importance of each person understanding their own mind. By gaining a deeper understanding of your mind, you can undergo significant transformation in your health and life. In today's episode of "Insights & Questions," Brandy discusses the top 4 reasons people may inadvertently impede their progress and what you can do instead. Additional links and resources: Website: https://brandygillmore.com Free Self-Healing Training: https://brandygillmore.com/healing Facebook: https://facebook.com/brandy.gillmore/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/brandygillmore/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrandyGillmore TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dEbqRYqY_0 Topics covered: repetition, emotional patterns, self-healing
Former Mar-a-Lago employee Brian Butler is the central witness in the investigation into former President Trump's handling of classified documents after he unknowingly helped moved the material. Butler is referenced as “Trump Employee 5” in the indictment brought by special counsel Jack Smith. He exclusively told CNN's Kaitlan Collins that he thinks voters should hear the truth about his former boss and the case before the November election. Plus, the Princess of Wales said she was sorry for “any confusion” after her "experiment" with photo editing. A picture of Kate and her three children was recalled by several international news agencies over concerns it had been manipulated. CNN Royal Correspondent Max Foster joins AC360 to discuss the controversy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A central witness in the Trump classified documents case is speaking publicly for the first time. Plus, a dire warning from the FBI director that the terrorism threat against the United States is at a whole new level after the October 7 attack on Israel and the war in Gaza. Also, the Princess of Wales now says she's responsible for editing a family photo that was supposed to ease speculation about her health after abominal surgery. Instead, the image and the controversy are now raising even more questions about what's going on with the British royals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This Woman Unknowingly Slept With Her Brother?! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks about Ilhan Omar's recent controversial speech in which she made clear that she was prioritizing the interests of Somalians over the United States; insane footage from La Jolla, California, of a migrant boat dumping tons of illegal immigrants into a wealthy residential neighborhood; Kristi Noem getting CNN's Dana Bash to go silent by turning her question about the border crisis on her; Bill Maher trying to get Adam Schiff and Stephen A. Smith to understand why people vote for Donald Trump on “Real Time with Bill Maher”; “The View's” Alyssa Farah Griffin getting frustrated by Sunny Hostin's denying that there is a crisis at the border; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. telling young people to force Baby Boomers to listen to Joe Rogan; and much more. WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Truly Office - Secure your personal data and ditch mainstream office software providers like Microsoft and Google who misuse your data without your permission and switch to a safer alternative like Truly Office. Truly Office doesn't track or sell your data, giving you complete control over your personal information. Rubin Report viewers get 30% off of Truly Office Software for a limited time! Go to: https://trulyoffice.com/rumble USE PROMO CODE: Rumble30 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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