Podcasts about until covid

Each year, the United Nations Development Program produces the Human Development Report. This is a compilation of country-level data around education, health, and economic security that aspires to give a more holistic understanding of a country's development beyond economic indicators alone. UNDP has been putting this Human Development Report together for decades, and while some countries would sometimes register advances or declines in the so-called Human Development Index, the global trend was always one of unrelenting progress. Until COVID. The COVID years resulted in global declines along the human development indicators for reasons explained by my guest today, Pedro Conceicao, Director of the Human Development Report Office at the United Nations Development Program. As Pedro Conceicao explains, the most recent report shows that, globally, the Human Development Index is registering progress, but that progress is not as sharp as it was prior to COVID. We discuss this trend and much more about the Human Development Report.

“I was doing really well, until xyz happened!” (Until COVID, or until I lost my job, or until I started this new job, or until I had kids, or until I got married…) On today's podcast, I address how you can develop CONSISTENCY of the situation and environment around you. We'll talk about the shift in mindset that is required to go from doing healthy behaviours to being a person who has healthy habits. We cover 3 principles: Develop a healthy identity Foster a flexible mindset Maintain but evolve your motivations Thoughts before behaviour. Identity begets habits. FOLLOW SASHA Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sashahighmd/ Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/@sashahighmd WORK WITH ME Join the Wait List for my Weight Loss Coaching Program for women, Best Weight https://www.sashahighmd.com/bestweight Recover Strong for Binge Eating - https://www.sashahighmd.com/bed Ontario OHIP-covered Obesity Medicine https://www.highmetabolicclinic.com

All my life I have been a church musician. I've played piano, organ or some kind of keyboard, and on the rare occasion trombone bak in the day. I've never considered myself a singer, though. I mean I have sung in various groups through the years and do sing along with the Praise Team in our Horizons service, but still, not a singer. Until Covid. Then everything changed. We went from a very low online presence as a church, to a 7 day a week presence. 6 days were devotions but day seven - that would be a Sunday - was a full blown Sunday service - well as much as we could make it full blown. Which meant music. Now providing instrumental music was my forte! Been doing that all my life, but I was getting request for vocal music. Hmmm.. Couldn't really bring singers in at the time because Covid was just so deadly and no one wanted to come out to record. Eventually I managed to get one person at a time to record, and then I would mix all he parts together afterwards. But that was later on. So I decided to bite the bullet and start recording myself singing. Hmmm. Was not fun but I got through it. All of that prelude to say todays Music Monday is one of those songs I recorded myself singing. The soundtrack I made was so much fun for me that it made it a little easier to record myself singing. So, ready or not - here it is - Everlasting God!

This episode is a part of a continuing series to enable you to hear the spectrum of American Indian/Native American/Indigenous/First Nations voices, especially in their response to Christianity and its history in the United States. If you are interested in this interview, you may also be interested in my interview with Dr. Tink Tinker, an Osage man, in Episode 8. My guest for this episode is The Reverend Dr. Tim Ross. Tim is a close friend of mine. Until Covid, we were in a prayer/conversation group together for over a decade. Tim is a pastor, teacher, cross-cultural worker, husband, dad of four grown children, and grandfather of five grandchildren. He is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation (West). He has served as minister of the Hopwood Christian Church in Elizabethton, TN since 1996. Prior to that, Tim and his family served with Christian Missionary Fellowship among the Maasai tribe in Kenya, Africa. Tim is an instructor at Emmanuel Christian Seminary, mentors ministers and missionaries, and is passionate about building relationships with folks of all cultures, with immigrants, prisoners, and folks who struggle to get by. He is a graduate of Milligan College and Emmanuel Christian Seminary. Tim is here to share with us his experience as a Cherokee, a Christian, a minister, a missionary, and his beginning work with NAIITS (originally referred to as North American Institute for Indigenous Theological Studies). You can learn more about NAIITS at naiits.com. Other resources related to our conversation: Cherokee Nation Eastern Band of Cherokee Nation United Keetoowah Band The Cherokees and Christianity, 1794-1870: Essays on Acculturation and Cultural Persistence, by William G. McLoughlin Journeying into Cherokee: Help and Encouragement for Learning the Cherokee Language, by Mary Rae and Ed Fields Rescuing the Gospel from the Cowboys: A Native American Expression of the Jesus Way, by Richard Twiss Native American Contextual Ministry: Making the Transition, by Casey Church (author), Ray Martell (editor), Sue Martell (editor) Monuments to Absence: Cherokee Removal and the Contest over Southern Memory, by Andrew Denson First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament The intro and outro music for this episode is from a clip of a song called 'Father Let Your Kingdom Come' which is found on The Porter's Gate Worship Project Work Songs album and is used by permission by The Porter's Gate Worship Project.

Jamal had a life much like anyone else. Until Covid-19 shut down his world. Sinking into depression, he found his only way back was to be Unstoppable. This gave birth not only to a clothing line but to a movement and a mission. His mission: to let other people know that they are also Unstoppable.Links:Junior Collectibles on FacebookAlso on InstagramListen to Rhonda Alexia Webb's Interview by clicking here.

Welcome to a special Mother's Day episode, where six guest poets and storytellers break down suffocating ideas of what a mother must be, to make space for the primal torrent of the earthy, crazy, profoundly deepening realites. And this isn't just about biological mothers, though god bless 'em, we need 'em.Our guests share traditional stories, heartfelt poems, and personal experiences that delve into the twists and burns of motherhood. Through their stories, we'll discover that motherhood is not just about the Hallmark card version of it. It's a messy, complicated journey that often defies our expectations and challenges us in ways we never imagined.We'll hear from mothers who have experienced loss, sacrifice, and moments of pure exhaustion. We'll also hear from those who have found unexpected beauty and fulfillment in the chaos of motherhood.Our guests will challenge limited conceptions about motherhood and reveal something more primal and deeply resonant within all of us. So join us as we celebrate motherhood in all its complexity, and honor the women who have loved and nurtured us throughout our lives. Happy Mother's Day!Transcript:Mother's Day May 2023 assembled[00:00:00] TheoWelcome to the story paths podcast. I'm theatre Lowery, and this is our mother's day special. My birthday was recently. And on that day I reached out. Uh, some online and in person. Communities and asked if anyone would like to share some stories, some reflections, some poems. About mother's day. And I'm glad to say they sent me an intriguing variety of offerings. From a story, reframing a childhood. To a poem about motherhood from the trenches. To reflections on breaking societal molds of motherhood. To a deepening [00:01:00] into the fierce beauty. Of mother earth. We begin with a story from storyteller, Carrie taught. And this one is broadly about childhood. The realm of mothers. About relationship. With elders about carrying guilt and the stories that we tell ourselves. And as you listen, whether you're old or young or male or female, you might imagine that you were the boy. And this story. And that this is part of your childhood. Once upon a time there was a boy and he lived on a [00:02:00] small farm in the distant remote countryside at least 10 miles away from the closest village, and his family ran the farm small vegetable farm that also had 12 apricot trees and chickens, and two cows and six sheep. And the boy named Jimmy. Worked very hard on the farm along with his family, and together they produced enough food to survive on as well as to sell at market for a moderate modest income.Well, one day Jimmy was not doing his chores. But instead was playing by the old well, and he had been told many, many, many times by his mother to stay away from the old. Well, but there he was nonetheless, because there was something magnetic about that deep, dark void in the earth. And, and he just couldn't stay away.And he loved the way, when he reached his arm down, the air felt different because it was cold and still. [00:03:00] And when he leaned over and smelled, it smelled damp and earthy. There used to be wood on top of the well for obvious safety precautions, but at a particularly bad time of storms, the family used the wood to board up the windows and nobody had got around to replacing it.Well, I know that you can see where this story is going. Jimmy did fall down the well, and he lodged his foot between rocks at the bottom and he couldn't move. He tried to free his foot. He thought, well, maybe he could scramble up, but the walls were far too tall and too steep for that. Anyway, Jimmy was terrified.And he knew that nobody was gonna find him until at least dinner. Everybody was off doing their chores, either working in the house or working in the fields or working when in the orchard or attending to the animals. Everybody was doing what they were supposed to be doing and nobody would notice that he [00:04:00] was gone.The dinner bell was hours away. And in that time, Jimmy, Thought. Terrible, terrible thoughts. He wondered what would happen if nobody ever found him and he starved to death. What, what if they had to cut off his leg to get him out? What if, what if his family was so angry with him for the trouble they caused that they sent him away to live somewhere else?Oh, why? Why wasn't Jimmy? Doing what he was supposed to be doing. Why did he not listen to his mother? Why was he playing near the, well? Why wasn't he doing his chores like he was supposed to? Why couldn't he have just been a good boy? Why? Well, sure enough, when the dinner bell rang and Jimmy didn't appear for dinner, the family sprung into action.You see, there are a lot of accidents that can happen on a small farm at the edge of the wilderness, and they didn't wait to see if Jimmy was just [00:05:00] dillydallying. They jumped up and they spread out and they searched and it didn't take long for them to discover Jimmy at the bottom of the well. But the problem was really about how to get him out.You see, Jimmy's foot was still stuck. He couldn't free himself. And the entrance to the well, the opening of the well was too narrow for anybody else to fit down, to come down and help. And they were afraid that if they tried to dig a wider opening, that the rocks and debris in the mud would fall on top of Jimmy.And they finally decided the only thing they could do. Was to dig a parallel shaft beside the well and then dig across to free. Jimmy. Well, they sent the kids out to the neighboring farms to rally for help, and soon they had gathered a work crew. And they worked around the clock in shifts digging and digging and digging.And it took five days and five [00:06:00] nights before they were able to free Jimmy from the well. And in that time, not one moment was Jimmy left alone. There was always somebody sitting at the mouth of the well with him talking down to him in. Calming, soothing, reassuring voices. They sang to him. They told him stories.They read aloud. They even brought Jimmy's little baby sister to come and coup and babble and giggle down the well. They sent down as much love and comfort as they could. They sent him his favorite food. They sent down blankets. They hauled up his toilet waste. They tried to fill Jimmy up with as much love and comfort and reassurance as they could, and after five days when they freed Jimmy, there was a huge celebration and everybody came.It was a giant potluck and, and there was so much celebrating. Jimmy was the hero. [00:07:00] He was celebrated and Jimmy went to bed and cried himself to sleep.Not one person said a thing to Jimmy about the terrible inconvenience of missing five days of work on the farm. Not one person said anything about the apricots dropping off the trees and rotting on the ground or, or about the. Cut worms that were devastating, the cabbage patch. Nobody said anything about why Jimmy was playing at the well in the first place.Nobody scolded him. Nobody said, why weren't you checking the fences like you were supposed to? Nobody said any of that. Nobody teased him. Nobody made fun of having to haul up his toilet waste, none of that. But Jimmy was ashamed and embarrassed, and he made a promise to himself that night. Jimmy promised himself that he would never again cause so [00:08:00] much anguish to somebody else.Never again would he require so much labor. Never again would he be a burden. Never again would he be so helpless.I, and although Jimmy was forever grateful, He carried a small cold stone in his heart for the rest of his life where he kept his fear and his sadness, and his shame, and his loneliness. Jimmy grew up to be a kind and generous and serious. And successful man. He was philanthropic, but he always kept himself a little apart from the world.He was always a little bit alone and a little bit sad if only he had spoken those feelings aloud. If only he [00:09:00] had heard how others told this story. You see, for some people this was a story of purpose about how setting a worthy goal and working hard to achieve it against the odds is an incredible feeling.For some, it was a story of the value of community, about the importance of working together for the common good. For some people, this helped them set their priorities straight. It reminded them that the love and the support and the wellbeing of another. Is so much more important than anything else on their to-do list.Others were reminded to go home and do a safety check on their own property. I mean, who knows how many accidents this prevented for? One young couple who were just starting out, this was a story of love and commitment of family, and it became the cornerstone of the life that they built together. Even, [00:10:00] even.Jimmy's little sister who had no memory of the event, internalized the importance and the significance of her voice, how important it was for her presence and her voice to be heard. Not one person carry the story of bitterness or resentment or the disappointment that Jimmy imagined. So I ask you, are you carrying an old story?That keeps you apart from life, that keeps you somehow small. Have you made a vow or a promise that no longer serves you? You see how we tell our story impacts how we experience the world. We get to choose how we tell our story. Choose well, my friend, choose well. [00:11:00] We get to choose how we tell our story. What a powerful lesson. There's a saying, I like. It's never too late to have a good childhood. To look back and reframe. Stories in which we cast ourselves as a fill-in or others as a felon. And to look at them from different perspectives. That's one of the beauties of storytelling. Is it allows you to move around 360 degrees. More. Our degrees around particular events in the past or particular understandings. And see them from different points of view. Like a council. Uh, people coming together and sharing their few point. I know when I heard this story from Carrie, I thought of some events from the childhood or younger years of other people that I know who are dear to [00:12:00] me. And considered, oh, it could be seen in a different perspective. Or maybe there's someone, you know, who seeing events in their own life or they're casting themselves as the fill-in or the victim. But the, you don't see them that way. The UCM is bigger than that. Stronger than that. TheoNext, we have a poem from storyteller and poet, Amy Walsh. And here she digs down. Into what motherhood should be. Could be. Is. And deep reflections. But what it means to be. Uh, human poised within older and newer generations of humans. Tending new generations. Children. What to pass on. What to stop. When to forgive oneself. [00:13:00] What is it to be a mother? Amy WalshHi, Theo. I wanted to share my poem with you. It was inspired by a group that I'm part of called Mother Circle that's facilitated by Kimberly Anne Johnson. I am Amy, daughter of Marsha, granddaughter of Rita, and Arlene, great-granddaughter of Anne, Minnie, Marie and Marie, mother of Rita and Irene. I carry the blood of the victim, the perpetrator, and the rescuer in my veins. And I know that I pass these to my daughters via both nurturance and bone. I know that I want to do things differently and sometimes I can't, and sometimes I can.[00:14:00] I know there are gifts I want to hand down, and sometimes I can't, and sometimes I can. My oldest daughter is a wise little mystic, a sensitive soul. She told me when she was four. All we needed to do to deserve God's love was be born. She reads body language like I read every flyer at the dorm elevator bulletin board, effortlessly, unintentionally, perhaps uncontrollably absorbing every emotional nuance I never saw or long ago tuned out. Until Covid made my rage unavoidable I would've told you with a straight face that I didn't often feel angry. Or afraid or ashamed or even sad because what did that get you except sent to your room? So I prided myself on being the easy kid and got it together [00:15:00] and expected my sense to five year old to get it together too. Now she attaches so much to being the best kid in her class to being all business in first grade.It makes me want to cry. Because maybe she was wired like that, but maybe this is her version of easy. Maybe I have already taught her that her emotions are too much, that it is more important to be good, that's safe, that there are conditions on her worth.How do I unwind that and repair that? Can I open my heart to feel the joy and grief, passion and rage, hope and fear? Belonging and shame. Can my daughters and I teach each other, can we take that freight ancestral tapestry and weave it a new, my mother was the [00:16:00] daughter of a man who lost his mother in a car accident at the age of six.I am not sure there are words for how disorienting that was. He never moved beyond that emotionally in the 83 years that followed his outbursts. Never more regulated than a six year old boys, but much more terrifying to a small child in the container of a grown man.My mother was two when she and her brother threw eggs at the hem house wall. She remembers the fun and the delight of bright yellow streaking down the wall. She doesn't remember what happens next, except that it was the last time she did something fun without fully examining the consequences. A good girl through and through to this day, my mother recoils that conflict when my daughter's fight [00:17:00] over a plastic hat.She pounces with immediate distraction to escape their anger and provide them an escape route too. I say that as if I am better, as if it doesn't take two days of inner pep talks and a well-rehearsed script to confront someone about a small frustration at work as if I weren't afraid to be unreasonable, as if it didn't feel mean to say no.As I sift through the debris of easy and excavate my too muchness, I can see that I never felt afraid of my mother. I can see the additional room she created for me to maneuver in the world, room she never had. I can see the stories of abusive fathers and women who did what they had to to survive. I can see the stories of grieving fathers.And women who died in childbirth. [00:18:00] I can see the son of an alcoholic whose heart broke too early. I can see the hunger and the fear that led to that alcoholism or led to insatiable taking, that was the direct cause of the hunger and desperation of others. I can see the church and the wild woman of the woods.I can see the stone workers and the story keepers. I can see the conquest and the concord. I can see the ancient grandmothers place their flower crown on my head. There is pride and shame and magic in your life. Victims. Perpetrators, rescuers, all of them, shaking your windows and rattling your bones, demanding you look at the sacrifices and the atrocities [00:19:00] carried out in your name, demanding you reckon with a question? Why are you still here?YolandaI'm Yolanda I'm an Ubuntu poet and I love the idea that stories, stories,I'm Yolanda I'm an Ubuntu poet and I love the idea that stories, stories, That's the voice of Yolanda. Who will share with us some bombastic reflections on motherhood. On primal forces, breaking societal molds. And finding one's fault. All the more visible with the attempt to parent. Uh, young being into this world. And with the mother's connection with ancestral lines of mothers flowing into her. And all their [00:20:00] connection. With mother earth. what really struck me was, firstly I was. Grateful to have this invitation from a man. It really landed just that simple awareness that, um, a man was wanting on his own birthday to celebrate motherhood. I come from an African culture that's a dual heritage. So it's the north and east of Africa. It's a two season landscape, it's multiple languages before you enter into school. And you come into a culture that is in Europe. So I'm very much a sort of diaspora lens. Using the English language, my, my second language to communicate on a topic that. I believe motherhood just strips you off language and gets you back into that animal primal state, you know, where between, you know, [00:21:00] milking with, you know, with holding your child's head in one hand and kind of sensing the, on a pheromone level, you can smell the presence of your man wanting to creep back towards you.And, you know, how does that mind deal with all that at once? It's, it's just, it's an adventure, you know. And you learn to relax into it I couldn't even speak the word adventure without acknowledging that I wanted to pause Advent. So I don't know how folks reflect on motherhood.It's got such an urban myth around it. It's got so many different silent codes within it. But motherhood for me has just been. Tooth pulling messy adventure, and that we need to somehow be nourished by it and also shed some of those stories that we have somehow nurtured. There's the stories that we see from our families. There's those things that [00:22:00] exist in society that say the dos and don't. A mother. I'll have, you know, Theodore, if I've understood the silent codes has put aside her.Her sexy has put aside, her woman has put aside her. You know, lover has put aside all of that and has raised to the pedestal a dream. A dream filled with urban myth rather than the sacred, simple, scared story. You are on an adventure and you aren't being asked to go beyond some of those limitations that you might have. And through a conditioned mindset and, and religion, all those kind of things. You call it culture. On a good day, you call it maddening on a bad day.And then motherhood just kind of keeps pushing, but both further down that river so that you recognize that uh, you just don't have the language. And that's when I became quite. [00:23:00] Familiar with my animist heritage and I, I brought that to myself in the most compassionate way cuz I recognized that in all ways I had given up and that I was not being asked to give up on myself, but I was being asked to explore this on a completely sacred level.So motherhood for me became a path where I recognized that I had walked with shame, and that I was gradually being invited through the motherhood experience of seeing the holy in the shame, seeing the beautiful in the shame, seeing the, I'm part of a wider story in the shame, and so shame like all entities that have a spaciousness to them. My first glance on this relationship was I'll never be good enough. I failed him from the get-go. [00:24:00] Um, and then the storyline became what makes you think there is any extra that needs to be done? Maybe he needs my kind of crazy, maybe he needs my kind of flaws. And I have found that the mother tongue is the one that is so foundational in the discourse between Great Mother and remembering our matriarchs from the original story, those who have now been transformed and present to us as two-legged people, but they are present to us through the other members of our family, through the tree family, the stone people, the elements. The oral tradition gives you that tonality. The oral tradition says you are to lean to your child. Like the grandmother always reminds the mother. When I lost my firstborn child, I still use language like lost. [00:25:00] It's my grandmother who said you had already called and named her Maisha.Maisha in my mother tongue means life.And I go back to the simplicity of the term storyline. It brought me my grandmother in a form I hadn't known. She said, we go at a particular time to go and meet our coffee plants. We have coffee plantations by the but of the kja. It's, it's a sea, a wave of.Of coffee plants, it's coffee medicine. And then we have those who walk, who go into the climb. So they listen and they do that story and they hear the story and they bring it back down to us. And we know how to do our coffee medicine to care. There is nothing within the storyline.Says, strip the coffee plants away so that we can see the [00:26:00] magnificence of our grandmother better exposed. That's a colonized mind. You don't throw the baby with the bathwater. That's motherhood. Your son's a jerk is the sentence that comes to the surface.You know, he's come back at two o'clock in the morning, you're gonna hear him making love all night. Why? Why? Why? Then you remember, you don't strip the coffee medicine. That's his story. That's when you're like, I remember when I used to do that.What is this biggest hunger and yearning that mothers are called to remember? All religions in their sacred and in their pure, how the discourse, it says enter into direct relationship. It's not just us crazy mystic or part Catholic, shamanic and, you know, possessed. It's there. It's in the fabric [00:27:00] of the cloth. If you become overly confused, Motherhood is the most devouring, insane thing. Can you imagine it's made that way? You know, we, we bring them through a portal and they do their part.So it's an adventure. And when I think of motherhood, I wanted to recognize the matriarchs that have sat with their patriarchs, and they've done it in a combined and relaxed and loving way in the deep confusion that exists at the moment.And in the original old stories. As I love to say, the grandmother's spirit had already seen fit to, to have in that in between space medicine, deep deep medicine, and as it happens, science now knows that if you are sipping on coffee, you are more likely to get [00:28:00] to deal with those high altitudes with a better experience.But you know, did my original, original, original grandmother know this? But she's quite cheeky, so she's saying yes, but you know, we come from a cheeky line, so I'll just ignore that. Shall we say that bit? I don't think she did. Really. I think what happens is a, a deep obedience, you know, you, you learn to communicate and into real relationship and you, you hear your bodies.Yes. And you, you can, you can recognize your bodies. For me, motherhood is a messy adventure. And the more you can vent the better. We are not invited to do this alone. Recognizing that we can look at the signs and lean on others and take a leap of faith and remember that as much as we believe it's our own [00:29:00] adventure, our children are our deepest teacher and it's with loving embrace of other mothers, other grandmothers, other sisters, those who have birthed that experience, or those who are there to support you even if they haven't lived the so-called birth experience. And then with that, we can simply say, we are a family and our men are so much a part of this. Our other family members are so much a part of this. And I'm grateful. Uh, next we have a poem. Of belonging. And earthiness. By the poet and artist, Jesse White. How could we have forgotten the blessing to be born of a love as ancient as eternity, perpetually shape shifting, [00:30:00] spirit breathing you into me and back again until I no longer know where my skin ends and yours begins. Tate our bones back to the land. Remembering her embrace of gravity. May we begin the mourning, bowing to the beauty that births us.Mother of mystery and magic, father of fire and feather. How could we have forgotten we belong along?Lastly, we close with a story. By storyteller, Diana spirit hark. A story about the interrelationships between life and death which we've. The creatures. In this world together, including ourselves. The story of the wisdom. [00:31:00] Of our great mother. Wisdom, which is sometimes hard. For us. To accept. I am an artisan of a ceremonial art I've been a storyteller and a dream weaver. For my whole life. I've always known about dreams since I was a little girl, and when I found the medicine teachings of the four directions, I became totally immersed in that and found, felt like I finally found a philosophy and a way of life that matched who I was, who I am.And so I am a grandmother and a great-grandmother, still raising children, still [00:32:00] interpreting dreams, still making art, and still loving mother nature. My friend Theo asked me to share a story about mothers or grandmothers, cuz I'm a grandmother and I have. A favorite story about a mother that we often don't think of as our, our mother. When I was a little girl, I was put outside and the door locked. So I, I made friends with, with nature, with the trees and the grass and the birds and, and the bugs and everything.That was on my, you know, in my yard when I was little. And at one point I actually said to myself that I think that [00:33:00] I was given to the wrong family and that my real mother is Mother Nature. Cuz in those days, long time ago, they didn't talk about Earth Mother much. Mostly talked about. Be good to Mother Nature.And so that's, so I decided that Mother Nature was my true mother, and this song is called Earth Mother, and it is a story about. There, there's a lot of talk right now about how we're spoiling the earth and howthis shouldn't happen and that shouldn't happen. But nature has a verypretty powerful awareness [00:34:00] of what her children need.Earth. Mother woke with the dawn and Fanny sacred smoke to all the four directions. She began to walk thelan singing her morning song.Beautiful home, beautiful homeland. Welcome the fire, the east and sun. Welcome the south. The swimmers and the waters welcome the west, the earth and the plants. Welcome the north. The wind and the animals. Welcome to the stars. Welcome to the moon. Good morning, my beautiful life. Good morning. My [00:35:00] beautiful life.And as she walked,she came to. A beautiful place where she bent down and she saw the The Beatles, and she gave them beautiful little iridescent green jackets and she hung green acorns in the trees and bending low. She the seed of summer in a little flower. So that when it opened in summer, it would remember. Then she turned her gaze to the sage covered desert.She loved the desert. She blew a warm [00:36:00] wind across the Bless the desert and a hawk caught it on his wings as he blew, and then she walked on. As she walked, she came to the river and there was men. Man had his neck and he was catching frogsfor his breakfastfor his mother. You are kind. You sent frog to me. To hunt and catch for my breakfast. I am very grateful they filled my belly.Oh, but why, why do you send mosquitoes to torment me in my bed at night? They bite me and make me leave my bed.[00:37:00] Mosquitoes Earth. Mother, very, very bad, bad, bad frogs, on the other hand, sweet, good, and so delicious,Earth's mother. If there were no more mosquitoes, the world would be perfect.Earth's mother's side and walked. She walked across the Savannah in Africa wearing a robe, fringed with falling rain. She filled the water holes, sharpened the thorn bushes, guided sunbird to a blooming flower with nectar, she climbed a peak. And flung her spear of lightning across the sky. It felt the sting of storm and the fury of the [00:38:00] lightningin the North Earth. Mother powdered the trees with snow and like diamond dust. It was in the air later on in the afternoon, earth Mother. Heard frogs calling.She saw a frog sitting on the rock and catching an insect in with this tongue and eating at whole. Thank you Earth Mother Mosquitoes and her sisters fill my belly. But why have you said man to eat me? Man is very, very bad, bad, bad, sweet, delicious mosquitoes On the other hand, they make me happy. If there were no more men in [00:39:00] this world, it would be perfect Birth mother smiled and walked on in the evening.She died deep into the water and swam with the whales. Iridescent blue light coming out of her fingertips. Crescent Moon rose, she cradled an otter in a bed of seaweed. It was nighttime. Now, she walked across the meadow.She heard a tiny little voice,earth mother. I am so grateful to you for sending man. He's so tasty and delicious when I bite him in his pet. But why Earth Mother do you send those useless [00:40:00] rocks? They have eaten my sisters. And tomorrow, Shirley, they will eat me. This one would be perfect. Ifthere were no more props, earth mother smiled inside and she climbed the hill to her cloud tv. She spread fireflies amongst the trees and they sparkled like diamonds. She spread a spider, we lace on the grass,and she said goodnight. Goodnight to the Beatles and the hawks and the sunbirds. Goodnight to the whales and the frogs, and the otters and the mosquitoes, and fireflies. [00:41:00] Her children everywhere. Then she went to sleep and the world in its own way was perfect. Goodnight. Goodnight, my beautiful hope.Goodnight to the south, the swimmers and the whales. Goodnight to the west, the earth and the plants. Goodnight to the north, the wind and the animals. Goodnight to the starts. Goodnight to the moon. Goodnight, beautiful light. Goodnight, beautiful world. Goodnight. Beautiful land.The end.So it's a great story about all of life and it really does answer the why [00:42:00] life is the way it is yet gently, mm-hmm. With grace and beauty. Thank you for listening. If you'd like to support this podcast, you can become a paid subscriber on sub stack. And this month paid subscribers are receiving the full. Reflections from Yolanda. Edited down quite a bit for this episode. And I also invite you to share it with others who you think would like it. Until next time. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit storypaths.substack.com/subscribe

Pete's a podiatrist. Pete does feet. Pete had a whole slew of podiatry clinics in and around Syracuse, NY. Until Covid hit in 2020. And people with bad feet stopped coming to see him. Pete went bust. Belly up. Had to declare bankruptcy. And the only podiatry job Pete could find was with the New York State Department of Corrections. Now Pete does the inmates' feet. Every Friday Pete gets to visit Sing Sing in Ossining-on-the-Husdon, the maximum security prison housing a wide array of violent characters including rapists, pedophiles, arsonists, hitmen, cannibals, and serial murderers. It's a tough job but somebody has to do it. simpson-books.com

ALL THE LINKS - LINKTR.EE/BARBARAFAISON My father‘s mother, Grandma Honey, taught me to crochet when I was a young girl. I don't remember the exact age, I imagine I was probably 9 or 10. I would crochet when I visited her in Plant City, Florida and when I returned home.…Did you know that Plant City is the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World? It was a hobby I enjoyed. And I know now that crochet has laid a foundation for calm in my life. No experience in life is wasted! As I got older like other hobbies, I put it to the side. In the 90's while living in Tampa, FL and working with IBM, I decided I would make baby blankets for gifts for my co-workers. In one year, I made 9 spiderweb baby blankets, it was and is still my signature baby blanket. Once again, I took a hiatus from crochet for many years. I love the library. One day while in the library on Covington Highway in Decatur, GA, I saw a flyer for a crochet group. Creative Expressions Crochet Group met every second Saturday and at their next meeting they were having a fashion show. Well, I had never been to a crochet fashion show, so I checked it out. 16 years later, I'm still enjoying filling my cup with the wonderful crocheters of the Creative Expressions Crochet Group. Being a part of this group, I learned to work with colors, starting creating original patterns and more. Crochet helped me keep my calm when my mother was in and out the hospital. I've created hats, scarves, neck warmers, afghans, dish cloths, throws, and more. I would say crochet is a grounding force in my life. And you get to have something to hold onto with each project. Over the years, I've enjoyed giving gifts to family, friends, and even strangers. Until COVID our crochet group made annual donations to local places such as nursing homes, children's homes, and more. We are excited to finally be able to make donations again. And we will be creating squares for Project Chemo Crochet. Project Chemo Crochet is a worldwide project that gives support to cancer patients throughout the world through a handmade crochet patchwork afghan. Each afghan is made from 24 donated squares from around the world and stitched together and shipped out to anyone currently battling cancer. I love crochet. Crochet is meditative, as is knitting. What helps you keep your calm? You can reply here or email me at barbarafaisonllc@gmail.com. If you are interested in joining us on Wednesday, the 15th or the 22nd, our LIVE Breathe with Barbara sessions start at 8 pm eastern. You can follow this link. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/barbara-faison/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/barbara-faison/support

I'm Ellen Bernstein-Ellis, Program Specialist and Director Emeritus for the Aphasia Treatment Program at Cal State East Bay and a member of the Aphasia Access Podcast Working Group. AA strives to provide members with information, inspiration, and ideas that support their aphasia care through a variety of educational materials and resource I'm today's host for an episode that will feature Kathryn Shelley, former Aphasia Access President and co-founder and current Grant Director for the Aphasia Center of West Texas. Kathryn was our guest for episode #1 of the Aphasia Access Conversations Podcast and we are delighted and honored to invite her back to be the guest on this 100th episode of our Aphasia Conversations Podcast. We'll discuss financial sustainability of Life Participation programs across a variety of settings, with a focus on best practices for fundraising. Guest bio   Kathryn Shelley has over 30 years' experience in nonprofit management, board leadership, strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising. She is co-founder, prior Executive Director, Marketing & Development Director, and currently the Grants Director for the Aphasia Center of West Texas, one of the earliest community-based nonprofits in the U.S. to incorporate the Life Participation Approach to Aphasia. Prior to her father's stroke in 2001 and his resulting aphasia, Kathryn was lead designer and co-owner of a marketing and graphic design firm in Austin Texas. Listener Take-aways In today's episode you will: Hear how two events involving chocolate and rock and roll have grown awareness and funds. Find out how typical stages of organizational development might influence your fundraising capacity. Gain practical tips for sharing the impact of your aphasia program to help raise awareness and funding. Learn about some resources available for supporting your nonprofit know-how. Show notes edited for conciseness and clarity Ellen Bernstein-Ellis So, Kathryn, I want to give you a shout out and just a great big welcome. It took 100 episodes, but thank you for coming back. Kathryn Shelley Thank you so much for having me, Ellen. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  01:24 Absolutely, I was glad to introduce you. You've done so much and have worn so many different hats, Kathryn, and I'm excited to get to have a discussion with you today. So again, welcome. Kathryn Shelley  02:20 Thank you. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 02:21 We like to start off the episodes with a fun question. Can you share an Aphasia Access favorite resource? Kathryn Shelley  02:33 Well, it's a hard pick, there are so many. But let me tell you about the one that I'm involved in right now - top of mind. It's an online certificate and badge course, E-badge course, called Person Centered care, Life Participation Approach to Aphasia series. Aphasia Access just launched the first in that series called The Life Participation, Knowledge Course. It's so much more than a webinar. It's contemporary, and it's how you interact with each of eight modules. You earn .25 CEUs, and at the end you receive a clickable E badge which takes anybody, an employer, your peers, if you have that in your email signature, to a site that shows everything that you did to earn that badge. It's so contemporary and so comprehensive, and it will give someone a foundational understanding of the Life Participation Approach. I'm loving working with Melinda Corwin and Nina Simmons-Mackie, and just the entire team of subject matter experts. The reviews are coming in from both professors teaching the next generation and current speech pathologists that it is really fantastic and very, very helpful. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 04:06 We can also point our listeners to Episode 92 to learn more about this course, because we actually interviewed Melinda and Brooke Hallowell. So that's another place they can go to learn more.  Can you explain to the listeners how they can access the course? Kathryn Shelley  04:27 On AphasiaAccess.org, you'll see the link on the homepage that will take you over to our new Academy, which is the platform where all of our interactive courses are. It's an easy sign up to be on that platform, and then you'll see the course right there. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  04:48 That's great. Thank you. I don't blame you for picking that today for a favorite. To celebrate this 100th episode, I was wondering, Kathryn, if I could ask you to share with our listeners the backstory to the start of this podcast. Just a little insider history. Kathryn Shelley  05:07 Sure. Let's see. It was Nina Simmons-Mackie and I in a daydreaming conversation wondering how to reach busy professionals with a free product to connect them to the wealth of practical tips and information that is available through all the people that make up Aphasia Access. It was Nina who said, “How about a podcast, people wouldn't have to carve out work time, they can listen in a car, or on a  walk, anytime.” And then we brainstormed who might entertain heading up this new endeavor and be the type of person others would say yes to. So Ellen, I was simply the one fortunate enough to pitch the idea to you. So it's really you and the amazing podcast team that made it happen and keep it going. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  06:01 Thank you. Those are very, very kind words, and very appreciated. I just have to give a shout out to my colleagues who have been part of this collaborative team along the way, the whole 100 episodes. Nidhi Mahendra, Katie Strong, Jerry Hoepner, Janet Patterson, and Alyssa Rome. They've all contributed to this podcast so much and they are a joy to work with. And of course, I have to thank Todd Von Deak, Jess Campbell and Lisa McCracken, of Aphasia Access, who make sure we have all the logistical support in place. And one more thank you, and that's to the 100 plus guests. Just thank you for sharing your stories and your incredible work with our listeners. You know, maybe one more thank you, and that's to the listeners, because we just so appreciate the support. Thank you for sharing the podcast with your colleagues and your students. We are excited to see it grow. Kathryn Shelley  06:53 You told me that there's over 102,000 downloads that have been verified. So how cool is that? Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 07:02 We've been amazed to see that it's being listened to in over 50 countries. We've just been really excited and honored to be part of this. So thank you. And again, I'm glad you're here today. We didn't get a chance to describe your Aphasia Center very much when you were interviewed for episode one. You did share the why though, how your dad's own experience with aphasia was an important part of the story for starting the Aphasia Center at West Texas in Midland. You are a co-founder of that center and it's celebrating its 20th anniversary. That's a really special milestone. Maybe you could share a little bit about what your center looks like today. Kathryn Shelley  07:45 Sure, we're in a standalone building. We have multiple groups three days a week. Conversation groups are the backbone. Additionally, we have raised bed gardening, cooking, computer lab, and woodworking. All the groups are ever changing through the years according to the interests of our members. We've had book clubs, singing, photography, art,. Until COVID, we had a very active out and about program, which got people out of the center going to field trips to local museums, nature preserve, restaurants. We're all so glad it's starting to ramp back up. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  08:25 Sounds like amazing programming. I just have to acknowledge the 20th. It's a special milestone and really something to celebrate and an opportunity to reflect. Kathryn Shelley  08:35 Yes, it definitely is. And I'm really humbled and proud that 20 years later, that the spirit of the place, the spirit of the Aphasia Center looks and feels really as vibrant as it did during our startup years. I think that vibrancy remains so contagious, because we continue to serve our mission, which is to walk alongside aphasia survivors, who thought their life was basically over, then watch that depression evolve into hope and a pathway to embrace life again. So it really continues to be those real life stories that keep our staff, our volunteers and our investors so energized. I think in terms of today's financial sustainability topic, at 20 years, that looks different than in the very beginning, because we have investors that have now been with us for decades. They've guided us through the stock market crash of 2008. And then when we outgrew our early meeting spaces, to launch a capital campaign and buy a building. There are people who have stepped up through COVID. So we've really grown into our mature stage of development and our reputation certainly helps us attract and sustain these long term relationships. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 10:05 Kathryn, your center works really hard at cultivating grant support and building a donor base. But I really want to share with the listeners some of the stellar annual events that are associated with your center. I certainly have been watching this infamous Chocolate Decadence event that you host prior to Valentine's Day each year. I'm really just in awe of your center's ability to create these events. Could you share some tips on how you build a successful team to take on something like this and how the members of your center are involved? Kathryn Shelley  10:43 Sure. The first thing I would say is do not attempt this in year one. Events, special events, just take so much staff time and volunteer effort to put on. Chocolate Decadence started in our fourth year, when I would say we were entering our adolescent stage of development. Our donor base and our database was growing. We'd populated our board by then with people in media and marketing plus leaders in business and health care. Word was getting out in more and more spheres about us. Invitations to speak were on the wise, and that's when a generous woman with a long history of philanthropy and volunteer service presented her idea to our board. She came to us and to our board and said that she had just attended a chocolate themed fundraiser in another state, and that she thought it would do well in our region. And then, of course, everybody was over the moon at that idea. And she said, if you're interested, I'll chair the first year. She brought her own volunteers in the beginning, then it evolved from there with friends of friends, and it kept going. So at this point, Chocolate Decadence continues to be an elegant night, and it raises around 40% of our general operating funds. It is the gift that keeps on giving. Members do attend the event too. What's more life participation than that? One of the really dear things is that a family of one of our very loved founding board members who passed away knew what the center meant to their mother. That family underwrites the cost of the member tables as a way to honor their mother. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  12:42 That is fabulous. What a great way to bring the community together and have the stakeholders be part of a really important night. So that's great. And it sounds to me like you're saying these events just take quite a team, like you need a cadre of volunteers. Kathryn Shelley  12:58 That's exactly right. We certainly have a large number of terrific volunteers who show up that night to help. One thing that I've seen really talked about in the volunteer world is that trends have changed over the last 20 years. And, of course, more after COVID. So there used to be a generation of community volunteers who made volunteering their job. And they served on lengthy committee tasks. They really took care of so many things about Chocolate Decadence. We've not seen a new generation that has that level of flexibility today. So I have to say Chocolate Decadence has streamlined by switching to a more full service venue and contracting out a lot of what volunteers handled before. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 13:53 Yeah, I think I've noticed that too. And some of the other organizations that I've been involved with have noted this kind of change in trends of how you have to utilize volunteers. Kathryn Shelley 14:02 That's true. That's very true. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  14:05 Well, I know that Chocolate Decadence is just an amazing event. It has chocolate, so you're off to the races with that.  But you also do a concert, could you share a little bit about what that looks like? So I think that's a summer gathering. Is that right?  Kathryn Shelley  14:21 That's  right. And the Aphasia awareness concert is a different goal. Its main goal is awareness. So yes, it's an outdoor event with a fun tribute band. General Admission is free. So this year, you'll feel like you're witnessing Elton John in his early years. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  14:40 Oh, now that's great. Kathryn Shelley  14:43 Yeah, so during the concert, we raise awareness about aphasia, how it impacts people, and that there's an Aphasia  Center to help. The cost of the band is entirely underwritten by sponsors. And then because it's a free event, our television newspaper, and radio stations, trade or greatly reduce the cost of airtime for all the advertising. So it's a win-win as the media and a number of businesses want to have their names on the stage banners seen by that audience that night. It's usually a couple thousand people. Both of these events are just great ways for Aphasia Center members and families to get out of the house and participate. The fundraiser of Chocolate Decadence and the awareness raiser of the Concert are our two yearly events. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  15:37 Both of them build community in their own way.. That's fabulous. Today I've been thinking about how we're going to talk about this. And whether you are a community based center, a university, or even a hospital program, sustainability has several pillars, and I am so glad that you kindly agreed today to address one of those pillars, specifically financial sustainability. I'm particularly grateful for this chance to learn from your expertise, Kathryn, because most SLP training programs rarely offer instruction on program development and management. Yet, we are frequently motivated to launch programs to meet the needs of the community we serve, and we often learn as we go. But this lack of knowledge might be a barrier to someone wanting to start a program. You mentioned during our planning meeting that there's a fundraising framework that involves understanding the organizational development stages, and you've already started to sprinkle our conversation with those words. Could you explain those stages to the listeners? Kathryn Shelley  16:44 Sure. So the typical stages, particularly in nonprofits, and I think they overlap to other settings, are often called infancy, or startup, adolescence and maturity. Most every organization or a program begins with a compelling story by someone who is smack in the middle of that story. So if we think about Jodi Morgan, who is a huge hearted speech pathologist in Jacksonville, Florida, she went to a crowdsourcing campaign populated with video clips of people with aphasia, answering what an aphasia center would mean to them, when they didn't have one to go to. Then, that led to starting the Brooks Aphasia Center. And of course, my own story is as a panicked daughter, who only saw a dismal life ahead for my father, and frankly, an overwhelming life for me. So the first thing I did was call around to get advice on who was one of our region's most respected SLPs. Over and over, I was given the name Beth Crawford. And so it was Beth and I on the original staff, and Beth remains the program director today. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  18:00 That's fabulous to have that type of continuity and partnership. Kathryn Shelley  18:04 Absolutely. And then at the very beginning, the other person that's from that original staff, is Shun Kelly. She came on board as a CNA in our earliest days. All three of us are still there, 20 years later. But the startup stage of a new program is so often started by the people who are deeply affected. And, you know, there's a strong sense of ownership and often entrepreneurial staff emerges from the founders. So your nonprofit board of directors in those early stages is often more of a programming board, consumed with all the details of delivering service and creating those services.  Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 18:49 Okay, so that's what the startup looks like, or the infancy stage. Let's move on to adolescence. Kathryn Shelley 18:56 It can be a little rocky, like the usual stage. When you move further into the adolescent stage, the conversations, of course, have evolved to how to ensure the well-being and the longevity of the organization. For a nonprofit, that's the stage where recruitment needs to happen to transition from the founding programming board to a governing managing board. This is where I've seen organizations falter and get stuck at this stage if their leadership team remains homogeneous. Even more so if staff isn't equipped or unable to dedicate the time needed for financial well-being. This is where expanding to experts in fund development, social and broadcast media, and corporate and healthcare leaders can really open new spheres of expertise and influence. Then of course, I'm thinking about if you are housed within a university setting, fundraising people are typically already in place within the Office of Advancement. Of course, that's where you're going to really keep that relationship, hopefully, top of mind. You are supplying good stories of the impact that you're making, so that the advancement office team is able to communicate those stories as they're doing fundraising for the university and your program. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  20:41 How about moving on to the mature stage? Tell me a little bit about that. Kathryn Shelley  20:49 So yes, so the mature stage is where the governing managing board transitions to a true governing fundraising board. If you've already brought in a variety of skill sets in the previous stage, then it's more board members with high influence that are really more easily recruited. It's important to also keep the advancement officer with those news stories, and to keep your board just inspired with the stories of what you do. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 21:26 If you happen to be an SLP, who is new to these types of concepts, is there a resource you can recommend to learn more? Kathryn Shelley 21:37 Absolutely, there's so many. I have to say that, at heart, I'm an introvert. Just the thought of asking for money makes my palms sweat, and it just feels rude.   Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 21:51 Okay, I have sweaty palms too. Kathryn Shelley  21:55 But here's the thing. There are so many learning opportunities out there. I've taken advantage of so many that have been provided in our region, and that I could find online. Now, of course, Aphasia Access is full of people who have started small to large programs within all types of settings. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  22:17 That's a great point. And that's part of the strength of that community. For sure. Kathryn Shelley  22:21 Absolutely. And I can tell you that even at the Aphasia Access Leadership Summit, this March, there's a roundtable session called “Show Me the Money”. There's a community of people, speech pathologists, you know, all waiting for you. Then, also, Aphasia Access is launching a new mentoring program, and it's a great place to get one on one advice about all kinds of topics. That's within Aphasia Access. Then I would suggest searching the internet to see if there's a Nonprofit Management Center near you, because they're scattered across the country. They are a treasure trove of local resources. Importantly, they typically have a foundation search directory available to search funders by state ,region or interest area. They're a great local resource. Lastly, I'd recommend two things, the National Council of Nonprofits, and BoardSource, both premier organizations with lots of resources. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 23:29 That's great. You mentioned local resources and I'm sure some of these have great online resources to support and get you the knowledge you need to start this process to successfully implement these new programs, whether they're small or large scale. In terms of capacity building, when we had our planning meeting, you mentioned something that really resonated with me and I want you to bring that back up. It's about expectations and time. I was wondering if you would share that with the listeners? Kathryn Shelley  24:07 I've had such good fortune to come to know speech pathologists, just top of the line people wanting to change the world. I know how hard you all work and you all are in the life transformation business, helping people with complicated lives. It seems to me unrealistic to expect the same people running programs to also carry the major weight of fundraising, because what I know is that grant applications and a diversified fundraising strategy are a specialized skill set that can certainly be a full time job. Lots of foundations offer what they call capacity building grants. I would suggest prioritizing the cost of a skill development person, on contract or on staff as early as possible, that will really free you up to tend to the people and create the programs that you're trying to create. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  25:13 I think you're speaking to the “it takes a village” model.  Kathryn Shelley  25:19 So, absolutely and there's only so many,many hours in the day, right? Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 25:23 Well, let's then talk and offer our listeners some tips for implementing financial sustainability best practices, because I know that's really important to you. Where would you like to start? Share a best practice and then a tip to go with it. Kathryn Shelley  25:38 Okay, so always, the first best practice, in my mind, is capturing the human story. And the tip I would offer, especially in the age we live in, is to make sure you're sharing the real plight of people with aphasia in their own words, because it helps others understand the impact of your dream, instead of just feeling like you're there begging for dollars. So take out your cell phone, ask people with aphasia and their loved ones, what it was like before you came along, how their life has changed, or would change if they had-- fill in the blank-- the aphasia friendly book club or an aphasia camp or the program at that university. Video now is so low cost it's really a level playing field for anyone wanting to launch a dream. So take those videos and then strategize where best to share those stories. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 26:37 Well, that's a real doable tip, I think. And I want to recommend to our listeners, just visit the Aphasia Center of West Texas website, where you feature some compelling member stories. And do you have any lessons or tips about how you selected those stories? Kathryn Shelley 26:55 Not so much about how we selected them. I remember one time, we literally just set up the studio, we did hire a professional videographer, but we just hired him for two and a half hours. And then we asked anybody that wanted to come in to just have a seat. And we asked them about life before us and what difference we make. What spontaneously came out, in gestures, we of course, had some aphasia friendly tools sitting there if they needed those, but it's so powerful, what people will communicate if just given the chance? Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  27:39 Well, I think the first time I went to your website is because Audrey Holland said that everybody should listen or watch Ann's story. I think that's still up on your website. Is that right? Kathryn Shelley It is. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis So Ann's story. Kathryn, would you like to share another best practice? Kathryn Shelley 27:57 The second one I always think of is to utilize your regional resources. A tip is to find the Community Foundation closest to you. There are, I know, over 700 scattered across the United States. And my understanding is that something similar exists in a lot of countries. So in our country, a Community Foundation is a public charity that typically focuses on supporting a geographical area. They support local nonprofits and educational institutions. If you're a university, it would be through the Office of Advancement because that usually is a 501 C3 arm of a college or university. Whether you're going with someone or setting up the appointment yourself, the main point is that the Grants Officer at a Community Foundation wants to talk to you, they really do. This is their mandate, to fund new endeavors and sustain good causes in the community. So they have donor advised funds, endowments, scholarships, field of interest funds, giving circles and more. And they're all about making good things happen, especially for marginalized populations, like people with aphasia, Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  29:18 Right, that's great to have something tangible like that, that we can find in all of our communities. Do you have a third best practice you can share? Kathryn Shelley 29:27 Sure, the third best practice I think, is to create a strategy to continually expand relationships and the possibility of donors. It's really about beginning relationships, not knowing where they might lead. So for the Aphasia Center of West Texas, we host what we call “Talking and Tour” three to four times a year. We have chosen after people get off work before they go home, as a happy hour type event. They know from the flier that we will not be asking for money. We do show people a video featuring a variety of our members with aphasia sharing the impact of our services. It's around eight minutes long. And then our executive director Kitty Binek, shares about our events, a bit about our program, our board of volunteers. We make sure that we invite key people in town, such as realtors, ministers and rabbis, financial planners, and business people. Our board is responsible for bringing guests as well. It's really a place to cultivate a beginning relationship and an awareness of aphasia and what we do. We've certainly gained volunteers and donors in the process, but regardless, we find people are really inspired when they leave.  Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  30:55 I think you're pointing out the importance, that's in the literature on financial sustainability and healthcare innovation, of identifying your champions. That is an element that seems to be mentioned in numerous articles. You have to find the person who's motivated to support your program, whether you are at a university or community nonprofit. I remember an early episode with Janet Whiteside, Episode 17. She spoke about how the dean of her university asked her to share her dream. He wanted to know what it would be and then when he heard it was about building this Aphasia House, he was committed to raising the funds that would open the doors to this dream. That was just so inspirational, that type of partnership and championship. Any tips around identifying your champions? Kathryn Shelley 31:50 Sure, if I go back to the beginning, like Janet Whiteside and Jodie Morgan, all of us listened to our heart's desire to make a difference. And then we started talking to others. For me, there were a couple of community people that listened to me talk. And I was just talking everywhere I could think. What happens when you start talking, is that the power of good in the universe does open doors. In addition, you find the dreamers who came before you. So Aphasia Access, and the Aphasia Institute are great places to find community. But if you start talking in your own community, it really is contagious. I do think that the world does start opening up to you, Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 32:47 That's really inspirational advice. It just really goes to the heart. And I really appreciate this conversation today, because fundraising and finances can be very scary and today, you've made it feel so much more doable--lead by what's in the heart, and I really appreciate that. So thank you. Is there anything else you haven't had a chance to cover that you just wanted to share with the listeners? Kathryn Shelley 33:15 The one thing that I haven't mentioned that I have used in fundraising, and in populating a request for media or anything like that is I've been using the Aphasia Access State of Aphasia Report. I really am not trying to continually go back, but it is unlike anything I've ever seen. Instead of finding statistics, and all kinds of things in all kinds of places, all those stories and statistics, so much of what we all need to populate grant proposals and give them media sound bites is all in there. It's so worth it. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  34:00 I personally have also had an amazing experience with that as a resource for multiple tasks. And I just want to let our listeners know that recently in December, I think it was episode 96, we actually featured Nina Simmons-Mackie and Jamie Azios, telling us about how they're updating the report and what it's going to look like next. That is absolutely exciting. I am so grateful that that will soon be in our hands as well. So thank you for bringing that up. It's time to wrap up this episode. But I must ask you one more thing, Kathryn, and this is a fun one for me. If you had to pick only one thing we need to achieve urgently, as a community of providers and professionals, what would that one thing be for you? Kathryn Shelley  34:50 I think that's easy. For me, I say this with the greatest respect, but I do think it's diversification. It really is. Is my observation over these 20 years that if the condition of aphasia is going to become a household word, and if services are really going to reach the people who need them, then we must take our passionate storytelling selves and invite experts in marketing and fundraising, broader healthcare and community leaders who have the expertise and can help open more doors to other communities of influence. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis  35:29 That sounds really important, easier, maybe easier said than done, but absolutely essential. So thank you. Thank you for being part of the podcast today, number one and number 100, Kathryn.  Kathryn Shelley  35:42 Thank you so much. Ellen Bernstein-Ellis 35:42 Our pleasure. I'm gonna thank our listeners as well. And for references and resources mentioned in today's show, please see our show notes and they're available on our website, www.aphasiaaccess.org. And there you can become a member of our organization, browse our growing library of materials and find out about the Aphasia Access Academy that Kathryn described at the start of the show. And if you have an idea for a future podcast episode, email us at info at aphasiaaccess.org For Aphasia Access Conversations, I am Ellen Bernstein-Ellis, and just thank you again for your ongoing support of Aphasia Access References and Resources Aphasia Center of West Texas, https://aphasiawtx.org/ Aphasia Anecdotes including Ann's story (from website) https://aphasiawtx.org/about-us/ Brooks Rehabilitation Aphasia Center: https://brooksrehab.org/services/aphasia-center/ Aphasia House, University of South Florida: https://healthprofessions.ucf.edu/cdclinic/aphasia/ State of Aphasia Report, Aphasia Access: https://www.aphasiaaccess.org/reports/ Board Source, https://boardsource.org Nonprofit Management Center, https://www.nmc-pb.org/resources National Council of Nonprofits, https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/ Nonprofit Life Cycle, https://speakmanconsulting.com/resources/nonprofit-lifecycle-matrix.pdf      

Generation X describes those born between 1965 and 1979. The X label came from Douglas Coupland, and this generation's mantra of anti-establishment and mindset of pushing back on authority figures. Like the Baby Boomers, many got on the property ownership bandwagon, and at a younger age than the generation coming after them. Until COVID-19, Generation X benefited from a time of economic prosperity. As a result, they experienced and embraced small business and entrepreneurial opportunities. Generation X have done well through this era, despite the angst that they experienced earlier on. Now, they are doing things differently to the generations that went before them. They have established themselves well economically, as their net worth accelerated from the early nineties.

160 - Until COVID hit, photography was very much just a hobby for Tacoma, Washington-based Marie Wulfram. After kicking around the idea of a pet photography business for six months, she finally went for it in late 2020. Fast-forward two years and Marie just logged a $20,000 month.

Training in martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), Judo, wrestling, & Muay Thai is my outlet for improving my mental health and becoming a better person. On this fourth episode of the show, I interview Drew Weatherhead - host of the Social Disorder podcast, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, creator of the Because Jitsu comedy Instagram page, & NFT creator. After leaving his blue collar career as a welder, Drew opened a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy in Alberta, Canada and developed a successful student base... Until COVID hit in 2019 and shut down the country. On this episode, we discuss Drew's journey of overcoming obstacles and how he pivoted from a "rock bottom" scenario in his career and began a life as a digital nomad. After successfully navigating the situation and beginning a new career in the NFT space, Drew and his family are able to travel the world and work from anywhere they choose.  This is an episode you do NOT want to miss. Favorite Quote: "When you wanna give up, do you give up?" Want to support the show and the research we are doing into the societal impacts of martial arts? Go to JiuJitsuOutlet.com to shop our exclusive line of apparel made for the Jiu-Jitsu athlete. Follow us on social media: Facebook: Instagram: YouTube

We are psyched to have Kelli Meade with us on this episode. Join us for another exciting topic about real estate investments, starting up, going digital, and a crazy construction story that involves a self-therapeutic experience. Connect with us now and listen in! Key takeaways to listen for The value of networking and connecting with the right people Factors to look at when developing properties Techniques on how to run virtual real estate touring What goes around new construction works? Resources mentioned in this episode Robert Kiyosaki   About Kelli Meade  Kelli is a top-producing real estate development professional who conducts meticulous comparative analyses, shapes profitable investment strategies, & designs effective selling systems. She offers a deep understanding of the real estate market with experience spanning investment, new home construction, renovations, sales forecasting, & marketing. In 2020, she was a record producer for Valor Communities, raising $24MM in gross sales revenue. Additionally, she was awarded Top Producer by RealtySouth. By 2021, she was named VP of Sales and Marketing for the major Builder in Huntsville, AL. Networking is her superpower. She's focused on building solid & synergetic relationships. A few years ago, she started offering free workshops to teach the community real estate investing. Hundreds of people attended these workshops to learn about financing, fix-n-flip strategies, & real estate fundamentals. Until COVID-19, this platform allowed her to connect with potential partners, collaborate with industry-wide professionals, & mentor emerging real estate investors. She is also a dynamic project manager with experience running technical projects for the U.S. Navy and executing enterprise-wide technology solutions, including deploying a software system to over 40 naval base sites. Additionally, she spearheaded, planned, & implemented an unofficial public WiFi network in 7 naval regions worldwide, generating a $750k government-driven revenue stream. She strives to be a motivational leader, steering teams toward success by championing excellence, teamwork, & a customer-first mentality.  Connect with Kelli Email: kelli@nuavenues.com YouTube: Kelli Meade Instagram: kelsallways Free Training: https://www.newhomesales360.com/free-training   Connect with Leigh Please subscribe to this podcast in iTunes or in the Podcasts App on your phone, and never miss a beat from Leigh by visiting https://leighbrown.com. DM Leigh Brown on Instagram or on Twitter or any social networks by clicking here. Subscribe to Leigh's other podcast Real Estate From The Rooftops! Sponsor Leigh Brown University Enroll NOW to start scaling YOUR Real Estate business! Link: https://www.leighbrownuniversity.com/advanced

Today we are happy to speak to Evan Nierman, the CEO, and Founder of Red Banyan! Evan is the guy behind the curtain who helps people in any type of crisis! He is an amazing individual with tons of experience in communication, crisis, and public relations. He is the author of the bestselling book, Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line. In this episode, Evan tells his story. He explains why he started his company, Red Banyan, and the challenge he had to face after starting it. He talks about his book and shares the lessons he learned along the way to becoming a successful entrepreneur.   We hope you enjoy our conversation with Evan Nierman today! Bio: Evan Nierman is the Founder and CEO of Red Banyan, an international crisis management, and public relations firm. Evan and his team have provided counsel to a diverse group of celebrity, political, corporate, and private clients, helping them navigate high-stakes situations to achieve the optimal outcome. He is also the author of the best-selling new book Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line.  Evan's story Evan was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. He studied communications at George Washington University in D.C. After graduating, he spent the next seven years-and-a-half years working in communications between the U.S. and Israel. After that, he worked at a high-stakes and crisis communications firm in D.C. for eighteen months and then moved to South Florida to work for a startup as their Spokesperson and Communications Director. After doing that for a year and a half, he decided to start a business and founded Red Banyan. Evan's event Immediately after graduating, Evan left to attend an event he had been planning for several months. Senator Bob Dole was the speaker, and the event took place just after he had lost the run for president.  The AIPAC Conference The biggest event Evan has ever assisted in planning was the AIPAC Conference in Washington D.C., with 20,000 people attending. Until Covid, that event happened every year for 20 years in a row, and Evan was there for every event without missing a single year. Planning those events was always a mammoth undertaking, and it involved an enormous amount of logistics. People are not always how they appear on TV In the twenty years he spent in D.C., Evan noticed that sometimes the people who seem the nicest on TV turn out to be the worst, and those with the worst reputations are the nicest. Leaving his first job Evan decided to leave his first job because he was afraid of being pigeon-holed or becoming a one-trick pony. He needed to see what else was out there and wanted to test himself.  Moving to Florida When Evan moved to Florida, his wife was nine months pregnant with their second child, and they knew almost no one. He advises anyone with an opportunity to move to Florida not to do it with a heavily pregnant wife or in the middle of summer.  Leaving the startup Evan decided to leave the startup because he knew it would soon blow up in a bad way. He got well educated at the startup and learned a lot about venture funding, but he wanted to get out and do his own thing before things went wrong.  Starting Red Banyan out of desperation He started Red Banyan out of desperation because he knew that the company he was working for would not make it. In both the jobs he did after leaving AIPAC, he ended up not enjoying the culture of the organizations or the way they did business. So he gave himself one year to see if he could make Red Banyan work. Why did Evan start the kind of business he did? Evan started his business because it involved doing what he knew. He is a communicator, and he did not know anything else.  The challenge The challenge he faced when starting his business was that he was good at doing the work, but he did not understand how to be an entrepreneur.  Building an enterprise Evan's involvement with EO and getting coaching and mentorship from other entrepreneurs made all the difference. In time, he got the education he needed, so he transitioned from thinking of the business as a consultancy to building an enterprise and an organization that could operate with him at the helm but did not need him for the day-to-day. Looking back  Looking back, he finds it hard to believe that he was willing to make that leap. But he knows he is doing what he needs to do, and he learned many valuable lessons along the way.  Trust the process Evan believes that if you have the right mindset and mentality, all your experiences in life will lead you on a journey. So you have to trust that whatever you are doing is right for you.  Learning from your mistakes You learn more from your mistakes than you do from your wins. Lessons learned Evan learned from his experience as an entrepreneur that getting paid something was better than earning nothing. He also discovered that you can't afford to have too much revenue tied up in one client.  Evan's book Evan wrote the book Crisis Averted: PR Strategies to Protect Your Reputation and the Bottom Line, and he also read it on Audible. PR and crisis  In his book, Evan explains that PR and crisis are not only for the big dog. They are for everyone. That has never been more important than right now because we live in a dangerous time. So a good person trying to do the right thing is never more than one bad article, comment, review, or accusation away from facing an existential crisis.   Connect with Eric On LinkedIn On Facebook On Instagram On Website Connect with Even Nierman On the Red Banyan Website On LinkedIn On Facebook On Twitter Evan's book, Crisis Averted, on Audible

In today's PorscheCooled Podcast Michael presents episode 69 of owner stories with Matt from New York in the U.S. Matts first recollection of Porsche was the Dentist in his local town who had a 911. An iconic black 964 with a whale tail, a Porsche Matt admired and remembers well. Most of Matt's cars before his Porsche were mainly hand me down cars from his parents. His first ‘real car' (as Matt puts it) was a Nissan Maxima. A car that had some extra performance than his previous cars. Once he moved to New York Matt didn't own a car for some years. Owning a car, let alone a Porsche in New York has its challenges, especially with parking and associated costs. Until Covid hit, Matt never had the need for a sports car. The Porsche 911 was going to be the means to escape and get out of the city. After using Turo to rent a Porsche 991 Matt was hooked and didn't want to give it up. From that point on Matt knew he wanted a 911 and his search began. Initially wanting a Porsche 991 Matt decided upon something rawer. He found a fully optioned 2006 997 generation 911 Carrera S, manual 6 speed which was perfect. In the past year Matt has driven his first 911 over 20,000 miles.   Welcome back to the PorscheCooled podcast. Follow Matt on Instagram @anomolymatt Michael (@michael.bath) owns a first generation 997 Carrera, comes from Australia and currently resides in Bahrain. Steve (@gtst3ve) is a Porsche owner and enthusiast from Sydney, Australia. This podcast is part of a series with Steve where two mates chat about all things Porsche. Thanks for listening. PorscheCooled Exclusive member Become a member of PorscheCooled and help support the Podcast. It will keep us talking! https://www.patreon.com/porschecooled The PorscheCooled Podcast is available everywhere you get your podcasts.

This is a special edition of BCR - not in a bar but on the streets with a Catholic Worker activist. I recently talked with Brian Terrell in Union Square in NYC on a blistering, cold, sun-bright day in January 2022. He was in the city to give a talk at the recently installed, life-size, white, military drone statue by Sam Durant, above W. 30th Street on the High Line. Brian Terrell is a world-traveling peace activist who has been incarcerated in American prisons for protesting U.S.A. nuclear armament. I have known Brian for several years; he has been on BCR several times. We met several Januarys ago at a Witness Against Torture [WAT] protest in Washington DC. Until COVID, WAT members had marched annually for years in support of the Muslim men imprisoned in Guantanamo, Cuba.We talked in Union Square as Brian held a banner calling for the end of American support of the Saudi military's bombing of innocents in Yemen -- and then we walked along the High Line to the 25' Drone statue. This man's work for peace is long and deep and genuine. You may not agree with all of his views; that is unimportant -- Brian speaks a truth that must be heard by those living now in this troubled world and those who will inherit it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Until COVID-19, few people alive today had experienced the chaos and destruction of a really bad pandemic, one that has at times ground businesses, schools and social lives to a near standstill and killed millions globally. But did you know that we aren't alone in being battered by a global infectious disease? Frogs are also struggling through their own pandemic that, according to biologist Kelly Zamudio, has several eerie parallels with COVID-19. Perhaps our own encounters with a pandemic will give us new sympathy for our slimy, bug-eyed friends.A 2019 study in Science found that a chytrid fungus has contributed to declines in about 500 frog species around the world. Read more: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aav0379Our theme music was composed by Charlie Harper - https://www.charlieharpermusic.com/Other music for today's show was produced by: Podington Bear - https://www.podingtonbear.com/About Point of DiscoveryPoint of Discovery is a production of the University of Texas at Austin's College of Natural Sciences and is a part of the Texas Podcast Network. The opinions expressed in this podcast represent the views of the hosts, and not of The University of Texas at Austin. You can listen to all our episodes at: https://point-of-discovery.simplecast.com/Questions or comments about this episode, or our series in general? Email Marc Airhart at mairhart[AT]austin.utexas.edu

“The cool thing is agriculture is everywhere,” says Michaela Kehrer.She has been teaching about agriculture and its many related subjects at Berne-Knox-Westerlo's secondary school since 2017. That year, she also founded a chapter of Future Farmers of America in the rural community.Now, Kehrer has been named Outstanding Agriculture Educator for the FFA Region VI National Association of Agricultural Educators. She is one of just six finalists across the United States; the winner will be named in December.Kehrer started her journey as an ag teacher when, growing up in Rhode Island, her father's best friend urged her to attend an FFA meeting — she had been more interested in marine biology or history at that point — telling her he wouldn't mention it again if she didn't like it.She loved it, especially the camaraderie.A vibrant woman, Kehrer has always been drawn to male-dominated fields, she says in this week's podcast at altamontenterprise.com/podcasts.She studied landscape design — like farming, another male-dominated field — for a degree at Cobleskill before earning a master's degree in ag education at Cornell University.Kehrer serves as a role model at BKW where a lot of girls were initially attracted to her classes; she is also enthused about teaching boys.Among the many grants Kehrer has helped secure is the most recent one, for $5,000, that the FFA chapter is using to buy life-size fiberglass models of a cow, horse, and pig. Students will research, design, and paint the internal organs of each species on one half of the models; on the other half, they will paint the markings for a given breed standard.The BKW chapter of Future Farmers of America is active on many fronts. Next month, 30 students will go to Oswegatchi, a camp in the Adirondacks, Kehrer said, noting the trip is booked to capacity.Members compete in contests and career development events; they also do public speaking and learn about leadership. Until COVID-19 intervened, the group made an annual trip to Indianapolis for the national FFA convention; BKW's participation will be virtual this year.Kehrer repeatedly credits her BKW colleagues and other FFA chapters for her many initiatives.“I'm a constant learner. I'm always watching what others are doing,” she says.She also urges everyone: “Support your local farmers.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Story Behind the Story: Author Interview Series with Sierra Melcher Featuring Ann-Loou Torell ( Episode 24 ) Ann-Loou Torell is a passionate visionary an artist's soul who is passionate about creating. With burning energy and strong love for her fellow human beings, she wants to help other lost souls find their own light. Ann-Loou sees herself as Fågel Fenix who has risen from the ashes many times and each time learned from the trials in life that she has been subjected to. With more than twenty-one years of her own experience of the psychological cat and rat play to which she has been exposed, she has today gained so much knowledge that she describes herself as follows: "I now have a built-in bullshit detector and enough tools in my luggage so it does not take long for me to discover and see through someone, which makes me a straightforward, honest with an extremely humble and empathetic therapist." My dharma in life is to help others to get up, become aware, gain knowledge so that no matter how many times they like me are beaten down - we rise from the ashes like Bird Phoenix. As an energy worker, Ann-Loou has exceptional ability and strength to guide lost souls from stress-related problems, narcissistic dysfunctional relationships, empowering women and helping them find their unwavering self-love & inner strength. Ann-Loou sees herself as a bag “good & mixed with lots of tools to share. Now it's time for her to take a bigger place and reach out to more people by sharing her own experienced experiences & lessons with mental abuse and parental alienation. Shares, among other things, through his writing and debuts as an author in the Multi-Author books: "Pioneers" & "Stormborn" which will be released in the summer of 2021 with the publisher. Until Covid-19 she was a traveling norm, with work for Ving but now she shares the time with the work for KMK in the Stockholm archipelago with the house at home on the Bjäre Peninsula in Förslöv, where she runs a Health Center with a vision to in the near future offer weekend & weekly treats on site in Förslöv with a focus on individual wholeness but also accommodation & food in collaboration with other specialists & actors in alternative medicine and spiritualism. Connect with our guest : Website: https://annloou.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annloou.torell Watch the interview here: https://youtu.be/dDtK1Ajt0J0 Subscribe & follow for future episodes... featuring a new female writer each week... Connect with your host, Sierra Melcher, here or on https://linktr.ee/integralwomen & learn more about redthreadbooks.com Red Thread Publishing: Stories Change Lives We believe in the power of women's voices & stories to change the world. We support women not only to write & publish their books but to really embrace their voice, accelerate empowerment & reach global impact. Because women matter. Sierra Melcher, author & founder of @RedThreadPublishing, & our team will support you every step of the way. If you are interested in writing or publishing with us connect at info@redthreadbooks.com www.redthreadbooks.com #storycrafter #womenempoweringwomen #powerofthestory #podcast #authors #writingtips #interview #womenwritersofinstagram #PlotTwist #thestorybehindthestory #storiesthatchangelives #womensvoices #womensstories #inspiration #muse #newbookalert #bookstagram #publishing --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/integral-women/message

@michaelkent  is a #charteredaccountant and #founder and #ceo of @slateaccounts a bookkeeping and financial advisory firm. His focus is to look beyond the compliance (#BAS #GST and #annualreporting) to really drill in on the numbers, look at how the business is performing and how you can make it perform better. He's all about helping #businessowners and #CFOs get more intelligent, efficient, and reliable with their accounts.After a diverse work career including running a water company in #hanoi  #consulting and starting an #ITcompany, he saw an opportunity  emerging in #coudsoftware and #cloudcomputing. He now has 25 staff (#bookkeepers and #accountants) servicing clients - 10 in #australia and 15 in #jaipur #india In our discussion we cover;servicing businesses remotely and the advantages that brought to him;bringing a broader team, and abroader range of skills to help businesses,his approach to understanding clients' businesses and having #empathy for their workweek, and trying to make finance really pain-freehow he designs and delivers his 2 service offeringsthe critical need for #systems and #processesthe opportunity for #bookkeepers to prompt owners with "how they should be thinking about running their business differently or changing things"the opportunity for business owners who have bookkeepers who they really like and appreciate, and who know their businesses, to invite them to potentially go on that journeythe 2 lenses to think of when looking at your finance numbers.Historical - when doing that, it's really helpful to break down the numbers and understand where for example the income is coming from, then break that down and work out what products or services are profitable. There should be some trend analysis on spending, and definitely some ratio analysis. The big cost for most businesses are wages, rent, and stock, if it's a stock selling business, and if we're really understanding margins.Forward focused -  you definitely need to have an understanding of what's gone in the past, but I think it's best to start with an understanding of the #businessstrategy of the businessWhy the #financefunction should really understand #businessgoals  and what is this business trying to achieve?the importance of the #chartofaccounts as that's where it all startsthe need to focus on #measurable and #achievablethe need for businesses to understand where its big costs are, and focus on those - there is usually only about 3 or 4 (wages to revenue, cost of goods sold to revenue, occupancy costs revenue)#xero #myob #reckonwhy #cloud #accountingsoftware  and getting data from the banks is the #gamechangerthe critical role of #Managementaccountsthe reasons for his success in #outsourcingtook a very hands-on approach.having a view that, "Well, our clients outsource their accounts' work to us, so we're not going to, then, in turn, outsource the work to someone else." We wanted to make sure we were doing the work for our clientsstaying very close to those staff. Just because they're offshore, I think you should have the mindset that they're in the room with you.recognising that they're very much a part of our team meetings that we have, essentially, workshops, off-sites with thewww.kerrcapital.com.au A full transcript is included below.Michael Kerr: Hi, it's Michael Kerr here, presenting Small Business Banter.A healthy micro and small business sector means a successful economy and a more vibrant society. Small Business Banter is about helping regional business owners better prepare for current challenges, but also for the next stage of business success.I'm Michael Kerr, founder of Kerr Capital, advisors to business owners.Each week, I interview a fellow small business owner or an expert, and they share their stories, their lived experiences, the wins and the losses, and their best advice to help you, the listener, get the most you can from your own business.Small Business Banter is brought to you from the studios of 104.7 Gippsland FM and is heard across Australia on the Community Radio Network. Thanks also to Kerr Capital, supporters of the show. Okay. Welcome into another edition of Small Business Banter radio. Really great to have in Michael Kent, who's the CFO and founder of Slate Accounts, bookkeeping and financial advisory firm.Firstly, welcome Michael. Michael Kent: Thanks, Michael. Thanks for having me on the show, it's good to be here.Michael Kerr: Yeah, looking forward to chatting to you about what you do and how you help business owners. You're based in Melbourne, your business has about 20 bookkeepers and accountants servicing clients, and you can talk a little bit more about that.You didn't start as a bookkeeper, you started as a chartered accountant. You founded this business and you're really about helping business owners and CFOs to get more intelligent, efficient, and reliable with their accounts. I'll get you to introduce yourself shortly.In terms of today's discussion, what we're really wanting to do is draw on your current experience in the business you run to help owners think about how they can improve their business performance from bookkeeping and the output, which is management accounts, and so forth, also, I guess, opening the door to bringing in your bookkeeper as one of your really trusted advisors. That's the broad theme, but anyway, welcome, Michael. Give us a couple of minutes on your background, please. Michael Kent: Thanks, Michael. Well, I didn't follow a traditional accounting route. From a young age, I reckon I had a great interest in business, generally. I ended up studying Accounting, but also Law as a general Business degree. Michael Kerr: A lot of people do that. Yeah. Michael Kent: Yeah. It was good, it was interesting. When I left uni, I didn't work for a law firm or accounting firm, I went into more entrepreneurial pursuits. I actually went to Hanoi for a couple years and worked for an advisory practice there and ended up running a water company there, and then came back and tried to get an IT start up going for a few years, then took a real job in corporate land, which was, terrifically, I learned heaps for that period of my career, working in really quite general commercial roles. I ended up in consulting, but always with a view to starting my own business at one point. I suppose, the idea around Slate Accounts, I saw Cloud software coming and changing things. I thought that could be a good opportunity there. It seemed like finance was going to be deshackled[?] from the best in the computer running in my OB[?], and that it would be possible to service businesses remotely. In doing so, you could bring a broader team and a broader range of skills to help businesses, and that was the idea. I think it worked. We now have 25 staff, 10 in Australia, and 15 of those are in an office we have in Jaipur, India, that works really well for us. We can get into it if you're interested [crosstalk].Michael Kerr: Well, we'll certainly talk about your experience of outsourcing later.Michael Kent: Yeah. We've been going since 2012. [crosstalk] We started off general bookkeeping, looking after anyone that came along. These days, we probably don't take on slightly smaller businesses that we may have in the past. With the staff that we have, we find it slightly better at working with slightly bigger businesses, 2 million in turnover, or plus.In terms of how we think of our service, we think of it as 2 service offerings. One is Financial Control Services, where we run the nuts and bolts of a business' accounts function. We pay their staff, pay their bills, send invoices. We have another service offering called Financial Insight Services where we advise clients and really focus on using numbers to help them understand their business, [crosstalk] grow their business, and improve their performance, I suppose.Michael Kerr: Yeah. I think that's the underappreciated or underutilized area of bookkeeping, that ability to look past the compliance that you need to do your best in GST returns and accounts, but also really drilling in on those numbers to look at how your business is performing and how you can make it perform better, potentially.Michael Kent: Yeah. Potentially because of my background, we do compliance really well, but it's never really been a particular focus within our culture. We're really focused on systems and processes to make that work well and to make sure it's accurate, but our interest is really, we talk a lot about having an understanding of our clients' business and having an empathy for their work week, and trying to make finance really pain-free, but also bring value, I suppose.Michael Kerr: Yeah. Do you see that there is maybe an association between bookkeeping and compliance, and not with the next level of driving your business to become more profitable?Michael Kent: There is, but that's changing.Michael Kerr: Right.Michael Kent: I reckon it's possibly because the technology over the last 10 years has taken away most of the data entry, if not all. Ten years ago, there really wasn't a role that was essentially a data entry role, and that's a skill set. People who are good and interested in doing that will have a certain skill set, but that's been removed [crosstalk] with modern technology, so it means people who are really focused on that can now actually provide that service really well and efficiently for probably far more people, and that can be great. They can do it probably cheaper and better, but for a lot of people who may have been doing that work and new businesses that have come in to finance and bookkeeping, we have the space, data, and technology to really add value, so that's become a focus.I find that classic stereotype of the bookkeeper, it is sort of passing. Typically, businesses that come to me are not looking for that. They know that the world's moved on, and even small, freelance bookkeepers out there, and there's thousands of them, are now pretty focused on things beyond data entry [crosstalk] and the classic stereotype.Michael Kerr: Yeah, okay. The opportunity's here, the data gets exported out of your bank account, so it's a matter of shaping it and using it. Is that really up for the business owner to demand that or drive that, or you're just saying that bookkeeping, generally, is becoming more savvy and more of a trusted advisor in taking information to clients and saying, "Look, you should be thinking about running your business differently or changing things"?Michael Kent: I reckon there'll be a full spectrum out there and plenty of businesses will have bookkeepers, who, perhaps, not bringing that mindset and not necessarily thinking to bring that value. In many cases. I think that there's an opportunity for business owners who have bookkeepers who they really like and appreciate, and who know their businesses, to invite them to potentially go on that journey, if they hadn't necessarily thought of it proactively.Michael Kerr: What would be practical examples where there's an opportunity for either the owner or the bookkeeper to say, "Look, this information here is telling me my business is performing at this level, but I want to change it, or I need to change that." What would be examples of information that you could use to spark something different in the business?Michael Kent: Well, there are 2 lenses to think of, looking at your finance numbers. One is looking at them historically. When doing that, it's really helpful to break down the numbers and understand where the income is coming from.Michael Kerr: So, not yet. You often see revenue of $2 million, but it might be one client, it might be 50 clients, it might be 3 products or 3 services, or 50 products and services.Michael Kent: Yup.Michael Kerr: Is that the kind of stuff where you go? [crosstalk] Drill into this. It's not just one top line of revenue of $2 million. That works for compliance, right?Michael Kent: Absolutely. On the base[?] statement. that's all they're interested in, [crosstalk] but it's really helpful to break that down and work out what products or services are profitable. It's really common for businesses to discover with a bit of analysis that, in fact, they're putting a lot of effort into a service or product that's not profitable. In analyzing historical numbers, it should definitely be around focusing on product or service profitability, or for service companies that might be around, for a project profitability. There should be some trend analysis on spending, and definitely some ratio analysis. The big cost for most businesses are wages, rent, and stock, if it's a stock selling business, and if we're really understanding margins.Merely looking at a P&L on a balance sheet won't necessarily bring that out, depending on how they're structured, so encouraging a bookkeeper or a finance advisor to help a business owner pull that apart and understand those things is really valuable.Michael Kerr: Yeah. [crosstalk] The historical piece is just outlined, and you were just about to go on, I think, to the second part of it.Michael Kent: Yeah. Well, beyond that, we think that if you're going to get the most out of your finance function, it should really be forward focused. You definitely need to have an understanding of what's gone in the past, but I think it's best to start with an understanding of the strategy of the business. It doesn't need to be complex. It can be really simple. The finance function should really understand, what are the goals of this business? What's it trying to achieve? In many cases, that initial understanding of historically, what's going on, is the place to start, because that will tell you, "Well, we're doing great, but we do need to improve our margins," or, "We do need to drop our wage costs," or, "This is a sleeping service, but we could probably sell twice as much of this particular service line or product line," and that will inform the strategy. Once it's understood, "Okay, the next 12 months, we're going to try and do these 3 things," then working with the finance function or the bookkeeper to decide, "What could we measure and report on as we go through the year that would inform our progress against those goals?" That's the gold, deciding what we're trying to do, and how we're going to measure progress, and then getting that bookkeeper to go away and work out how they can get that measured and bring to the business owner a concise, succinct, simple report so they can get regular feedback on their progress towards those goals.Michael Kerr: Yeah, okay. I want to come straight back to the quality of your chart of accounts because that's where it all starts.On today's edition of Small Business Banter radio, we're chatting with Michael Kent, who's the founder and CEO of Slate Account. We'll shout out that website at the end, Michael.I love the way you've described that there's the finance function or booklist court[?], bookkeeping, account keeping. You can get a lot more out of the information that's going into the the system, historical analysis of profitability, et cetera, tying it to where you want to go, I think, the next level, because otherwise, you just go along and you don't know whether you're getting to somewhere, you don't know where that somewhere is, in terms of something that's measurable and achievable, but I imagine that when you are working with a client, all of that information rolls up into a set of accounts, and they're typically listed from the expenses from A to Z, accounting fees at the top and wages at the bottom and [crosstalk].I do a lot of work with management accounts and small business, and that layout isn't particularly helpful, so you've got to reformat that information, but also, I wonder how often there's a tendency just to shove expenses into categories, because you want to get your compliance done, but you're missing an opportunity to perhaps, really feed that information in the first place into categories, expenses that are much more relevant for doing this analysis talking about.Michael Kent: Yep. It's very common to have an A to Z chart of accounts, and it really is a massive lost opportunity. It's important for a businesses to understand where its big costs are, and focus on those. Counter-intuitively, we often say when reviewing financial statements, don't look at a statement, actually. Our typical reports will be more chart-based, and in most businesses, the costs that really matter. There's only about 3 or 4, and we prefer to present those in a chart that shows the trend over time and show us a ratio of those things, typically to revenue that that's where the business is thinking, wages to revenue, cost of goods sold to revenue, occupancy costs revenue, if real estate's a big part of the business. We then normally present your classic profit-loss statement that lists the accounts by month, almost as an appendix, because the B items are normally, there's only 4 or 5 of them, and you want to see what's happening as a trend over time.Michael Kerr: Yeah. If you're going to shift the performance of the business, you don't need to focus on 55 different expense accounts if it's 3 or 4, as you say, that always can [crosstalk] steer you to wages, rent, and so forth.Michael Kent: That's right. Someone should have a look at them. A good bookkeeper will take a look and make sure we're not doing something crazy with our phone expenses or our staff entertainment, but it's really not a sensible focus for a management meeting.Michael Kerr: Yeah. You talked about the shift to Cloud accounting. Now, we have zero miled[?], I reckon, into it, I think.Michael Kent: Yup.Michael Kerr: Is it more or less compulsory? Can you get around your compliance obligations just by continuing to use Excel always, or is the value coming out of an online subscription or a subscription to one of those service providers really worth it?Michael Kent: Absolutely. Excel is just so much harder, more time consuming, and more complex. The thing about the new Cloud accounting software is the getting the data from the banks is the game changer. You fill in a form to give the bank permission to send this company the data, and then over time, you can teach the software to recognize things. If it's Telstra, it's a phone. If it's Caltex, it's fuel. If it says Stripe, that's income, and so on. Tallying it all up becomes very quick.These days, running a bass[?], for example, it's all done with a couple of clicks, and now, you can lodge from directly inside the software. I just click a button and push it to the ATO. For smaller businesses, this software costs $25 a month, in some cases, less. [crosstalk]Michael Kerr: Pretty strong, and indeed, it kind of gives you the opportunity and to start to do that analysis that you talked about, which is, "What am I trying to achieve? How am I going towards that?"Look, I just wanted to rant through a couple of things in the last little while. Management accounts, for me, in the work I do, are the most critical piece of information. Now, when you're selling a business, what's happening last month, the last completed set of financial returns are usually 12 months old. What's happening? The quality of the management accounts, if I can call them that broadly, are so vital. I wanted to ask you, in terms of choosing a bookkeeper or assessing how your current bookkeeper's going, what's your thoughts on that?Michael Kent: Thinking first about that financial control function of the bookkeeper, getting the transactions entered, and getting bills paid, I think getting that done well is all about accurate, on time or faster, reducing risk, but also about delighting the customers of those business processes, so making sure your suppliers think you're a great company to sell to, your customers feel really good about your brand, and often, it's that finance person, the bookkeeper, who's representing you to the extent that's finance-related. I would be having conversations with prospective bookkeepers about how they might manage that and do that really well.Michael Kerr: Yeah.Michael Kent: I think the balance sheet is where a lot of bookkeepers might become unstuck. If I was interviewing a bookkeeper and had to choose one, I'd really go through my balance sheet with them and make sure they could explain. The key test here is, how would we check each of these balances, and make sure they're speaking in plain English, in a way that the business owner can really understand. I think that would set up the relationship really well.We find in recruiting our staff, the number one indicator for whether they're going to succeed at Slate Accounts is actually, "Please describe yourself, in 160 words or less, outside of work," because it's a very human task these days. It's not about data entry.The other thing to think about is about resignation proofing the function. It can be a real pain if your finance person or your bookkeeper leaves.Michael Kerr: Yeah.Michael Kent: I'd be having a chat to a bookkeeper about what backup they have and how those risks could be managed. I think that's really important, too.Michael Kerr: Yeah, okay. As a business owner yourself, you've got a significant business. More than half are offshore, and you can offshore a lot of things, bookkeeping being one of them, professional services also. What's your experience that you'd share? You have been doing it for quite a long time. In terms of just generally outsourcing for business owners, what's your thoughts on that?Michael Kent: We did it a little bit differently. I employed my first staff member in India in 2017, but I always took a very hands-on approach. It is possible to get online and find staff offshore, and do it all remotely, but long before we did this, we had the view that, "Well, our clients outsource their accounts' work to us, so we're not going to, then, in turn, outsource the work to someone else." We wanted to make sure we were doing the work for our clients.Michael Kerr: Yeah, and responsible for it.Michael Kent: Sure. Until COVID hit, until November '19, I was going to India 4 times a year, every quarter. I interviewed and recruited the first 5 staff.What's made it work? I mean, there's been a lot of change management. It had to happen across my Australian staff, and their roles have really evolved, and that's been great for them. It's a fun journey for everyone, but there's been a fair bit of work and care put into that. I think the key would be to stay very close to those staff. Just because they're offshore, I think you should have the mindset that they're in the room with you. Unfortunately, you just can't flip work over and expect it to come back. We're on calls and working on Skype and so forth with our staff all day, every day, and it works really well for us.Michael Kerr: Yeah. Whilst it's offshore, they're employees the way you set it up. You want to see that quality delivered that you promised, so you can't just outsource and hope for the best.Michael Kent: Yeah. For us, they're very much a part of our team meetings that we have, essentially, workshops, off-sites with them. That model works for us.Michael Kerr: I've been involved in outsourcing, also. I think it's like any employee relationship. As you said at the very beginning, wages is a biggest cost for just about every business, and managing people is essential to getting the business right?Michael, we're going to have to call it a wrap. I really appreciate your time and insight. I think it's a very progressive approach to bookkeeping and financial management. I think the message, very strongly, for me, that I'm hearing is that there is a role for your bookkeeper, outsourced, internal, as a trusted advisor, and really, to look beyond reducing tax, that annual cycle which has driven a lot of people in the past and a lot of accountants look past the compliance, and really look at it as a critically important part of the business to measure how you're tracking, and comparing that to where you're headed.Thank you so much for your time today. Do you just want to shout out the website, and then we'll call it a wrap, Michael?Michael Kent: Thanks, Michael. Yeah. We're at slateaccounts.com.au.Michael Kerr: All right, excellent. You do, occasionally, write some excellent articles.Michael Kent: Occasionally?Michael Kerr: I mean, you only write them occasionally.Michael Kent: I know. I'm going to work on it a little bit better there.Michael Kerr: All right. Thanks [crosstalk], Michael, for your time today. Really appreciate it.Michael Kent: Thanks, Michael. Good to see you.Michael Kerr: That is all for today's episode of Small Business Banter. I continue to be inspired, bringing you small business experts and other small business owners, and hearing their stories.Do you want to listen to any past episode? Jump onto your podcast platform of choice and search Small Business Banter. There, you will find a diverse and fascinating collection of small business owners and experts openly discussing and sharing their experiences.For any of the links, resources, or information we've talked about on the show today, or to contact me, please head over to smallbusinessbanter.com, or you can find us on Facebook and Instagram. It would be great to have you tune in the same time next week for another episode of Small Business Banter.[END] 

Miranda was going to school for a golf scholarship when she took an event planning class and fell in love. Fast forward a few years, and Miranda Madison events was live and in business! Until Covid hit, and everything seemed to come crashing down. With no events to plan for, Miranda was stuck, and not sure how to move forward. After a few tough weeks though, she stopped feeling sorry for herself, and got back to work. She found other ways to make money, focused on marketing, and even started her own podcast! Now business is booming again, and Miranda has a team of 11 working by her side. One of the main reasons for the team success is Miranda's ability to empower her team to take individual ownership and responsibility. Tune in to hear the secrets pf how Miranda empowers her team, as well as what motivated her to get moving again after Covid!

This week on The OCD Chronicles I'm talking to writer and OCD sufferer Yan Baskets.Yan has some story to tell - you can read his excellent blog at https://ocdetour.wordpress.com - about how, terrified that OCD was going to deny him all of the opportunity, hope and wonder that life can offer, quit his job, sold his stuff, and bought a ticket to travel to the other side of the world. Until COVID hit, he just kept on travelling, seeing, exploring... I've done my fair share of travelling myself. I've forced myself to for the same reasons that Yan has – and I hope – will do again. Because hey, if World War 3 is raging in your brain, you might as well do battle somewhere where there's a beach… right?Want more? Please investigate my new podcast, Shame, today! - https://tinyurl.com/33jv594y

After a year of zero visitors, the Cook Islands is now pondering just how many visitors it actually wants to return. Until Covid-19 shut the borders in March, the country was seeing record numbers each year. For many locals, it had reached a point where they felt the country was struggling to cope. Jamie Tahana is in the Cook Islands.

After a year of zero visitors, the Cook Islands is now pondering just how many visitors it actually wants to return. Until Covid-19 shut the borders in March, the country was seeing record numbers each year. For many locals, it had reached a point where they felt the country was struggling to cope. Jamie Tahana is in the Cook Islands.

Mary Soots, Oregon Health Care Interpreters Association Director of Education Programs, takes a deep dive into what it takes to make medical interpreting a lasting and rewarding career. Mary Soots is an Anthropologist, a social researcher and policy analyst, and an Oregon Certified Health Care Interpreter (Spanish). She is an Adjunct Professor of Anthropology at Portland State University, specializing in the culture of Latin America. She has worked with the Hispanic community in Oregon for over 40 years which helps to inform her interpreting work. Until COVID, she also worked in Research and Evaluation at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Mary is the Director of Education Programs for the Oregon Health Care Interpreters Association (OHCIA), developing the curriculum for the 60-hour Health Care Interpreter training program required for Qualification or Certification credentials for spoken and sign languages. She oversees the continuing education program expanding HCI skills and knowledge. Mary also provides the instruction along with various continuing education classes including Cultural Awareness for interpreters and other health care professions. Born in Mexico and raised in the Midwest, Mary's bicultural background provides depth to her work by interpreting both the meaning of the message and the cultural context in which it exists. Her goal is to create bridges of understanding across cultures. Mary holds a Master of Arts degree in Anthropology from Portland State University, Bachelor of Arts degrees in International Studies and Anthropology, as well as Minor Degrees in Spanish and in Geography.

In this episode, I'm speaking with beat maker, DJ, sample fiend and electronic musician FREE THE ROBOTS aka Chris Alfaro. Chris is recognised as a pivotal part of the pioneering generation of LA's beat scene, FREE THE ROBOTS came to life after many bands, producing MCs and DJing, he played an integral part in the early years, which has led to collaborations, running of his venue The Crosby and sharing the stage with the likes of Fly Lo, DJ Shadow, Prefuse 73 and Afrika Bambataa. Until COVID he was based in California, when we spoke he got stuck on the Philippine Islands, where he retreated and reflected. I was able to get him on zoom via his cell phone, we spoke about letting go of the norm and simplifying environments, his experience with cultural Amnesia and the use of spirituality in search of a creative flow state. FOLLOW FREE THE ROBOTS: https://linktr.ee/freetherobots https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/freetherobots https://www.instagram.com/freetherobots/

Until Covid-19 canceled sports across the world, Nike's Peach Jam championship was supposed to be later this month. Tani was bummed that he wasn't going to be able to attend, so he got the next best thing. Evan Daniels and Jerry Meyer called in to share why they love Peach Jam, and why it's such an important event. Hear which guys went from nobody to 5-star, which. current NBA player goes to the tournament with his whole family, and more. Host: Tani Levitt  Guest: Jerry Meyer, Evan Daniels Tweet at the show! @247SportsCBBPod Follow or Subscribe to The 247Sports College Basketball Show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Find the 247Sports podcast for your favorite team here!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed human mobility for those of us washing our hands vigorously and avoiding social contact. But in addition to these disruptions to daily life, the pandemic could be fundamentally changing the face of global migration in at least five key ways. Not everyone wants to leave home, of course, but many (and many more than in 1918) see migration as at least one future pathway, whether it be permanently or temporarily with the hopes to one day return home. In many ways, the global economy relies on people making decisions to migrate: Central American tomato pickers in Florida, Bangladeshi construction workers in Abu Dhabi, and Indian entrepreneurs in Melbourne. Global migration has proven to be an integral and necessary part of our globalized economy, though its face has looked different in every region, country, and city, as well as to each family. Until COVID-19 brought it all to a screeching halt. What are we staring at?

You don't know what you don't know. Pete Maunder, a basketball coaching facility owner was convinced to stay with The Game Changers after initially wanting to leave. He was supposed to open another facility 9 months later as the influx of clients was in its all time best. Until COVID-19 came crawling. Pete pivoted his business overnight, created a new product that serves a pain point, and didn't get paralysed by fear of the unknown. In this episode you will learn: - Why Pete decided to stay with The Game Changers - How Pete pivot his business overnight - Strategies and mindset tips to get going during hard times

Nothing stops the Geeks from getting together to talk some big Geek news! Until COVID-19 is over the cast will be Remotely Recorded. Once it all blows over we'll be back in studio!MOVIE/TV NewsPatron Question What Marvel Character would The Geeks send to DC and vice verse?Are movies going to VOD a good move or will they set up a scary future for us movie goers?Will Black Widow go to Disney+? VIDEO GAME NEWSPS5 Specs reveal? Did this this botched conference give Xbox the advantage?Call Of Duty Warzone ReviewSupport Us On Patreon! Get Ad Free, Early, & Exclusive Episodes! https://www.patreon.com/GeekVerseCheck out our website GeekVerse.caAudioItunes- https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/geekverse/id1022737612?mt=2Spreaker - https://www.spreaker.com/show/geekverse-podcastStitcher- http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/geekverseGoogle Play- https://play.google.com/music/listen?authuser#/ps/Iezksmcptozmgw5yhewdlnvxveeVideo Versions Youtube-https://www.youtube.com/c/GeekVersePodcastTwitch-https://www.twitch.tv/geekverseGet Stitcher Premium For A Month Free Using Our Promo Code GEEKVERSEhttp://stitcherpremium.com/Social MediaGeekVerse Podcast on FacebookTwitter @GeekVerseCastTravis @TravisBSnell Dylan @atomheartcasterKirklin @kirklinpatzerTaylor @TaylorTheField