Podcasts about Vacation

Today we jump back 15 years to two back-to-back episodes of the PWTorch Livecast from Aug. 15 and 16, 2011.On the Aug. 15, 2011 episode, PWTorch editor Wade Keller and PWTorch columnist Bruce Mitchell discussed with live callers the direction of each main WWE character following Summerslam going into Raw, Kevin Nash and Jimmy Hart's on-air futures, Smackdown going forward after Summerslam, live crowd reactions in Los Angeles during Summerslam, Spike TV's view of TNA Impact creative, and much more, plus hear Bruce's prophetic words about WWE not having anything for Miz on Raw (Miz did a Subway segment on Raw) and other prophetic words.Then on the Aug. 16, 2011 episode, Wade was joined by ProWrestling.net's Jason Powell. They discussed Raw, SummerSlam, and Impact, debated Christian's work as a heel, speculated on what's next for C.M. Punk and John Cena, and more.Discuss this flashback episode with PWTorch VIP members in the newly relaunched PWTorch VIP Forum.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch's Chris Maitland to discuss Raw with live chat and live caller interaction throughout. They begin by discussing the show-closing angle with Royce Keys setting the Usos SUV on fire. Also, Bronson Reed's strong showing so far as a potential leader of The Vision, and thoughts on Bron Breakker perhaps departing The Vision. Also, MITB qualifiers, Funko Pop humor, Liv Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaquer, Solo Sikoa-LA Knight dynamic, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

Our empathetic, intuitive aunts are on a Floridian vacation, life is beautiful. Taking care of your health just got easier – start here with Zocdoc: https://zocdoc.com/smoshmouth #sponsored Shopify: Turns out you don't need a real job. Build your own business with a free trial at https://shopify.com/smosh Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at https://RocketMoney.com/SMOSHMOUTH.SMOSH MOUTH PODCASTApple: https://apple.co/4fKXdI3Spotify: https://bit.ly/3TamRgM0:00 Intro14:48 Sponsor!16:05 Epcot, sea men, and magnets38:21 Sponsor! 39:38 Last Splash, manifesting, and “manopause”1:07:02 Sponsor! 1:08:34 Gen Z, fat checks, and clam bakesSUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/3TvXHJrWEAR OUR JOKES: https://smosh.comWHO YOU HEARSandy Topp // https://www.instagram.com/shaynetopp/Teresa Canto // https://www.instagram.com/filmingamanda/Gale Bowe // https://www.instagram.com/tomeybones/WHO YOU DON'T HEAR (usually)Director: Nicole Blacklock, Marcus MunguiaEditor: Andre GardereProducer: Amanda Lehan-Canto, Shayne Topp, Selina GarciaPodcasts Producer: Selina GarciaProduction Designer: Cassie VanceArt Director: Erin Kuschner, Adrian Sheen, Josie BellerbyAssistant Art Director: Alex Norman, Courtney ChapmanProp Master: Tayler Nicholson, Abigail Schmidt, Bridgette BaronSet Dresser: Carly Hough, Nicky Tosti, Ryan NguyenWardrobe Designer: Megan LubyKey Costumer: Sparkle JuarezWardrobe Assist: Elizabeth ParkArt PA: Veronica RoblesStage Manager: Alex AguilarDirector of Audio: Scott NeffAudio Mixer: Jose PerezAudio Utility: Dina RamliDirector of Photography: Eric Wann, Brennan IketaniVideographer: Eric Wann, James HullCamera Operator: Macy Armstrong, Susan ShircliffGaffer: Billy YatesG&E: Abby MenzelAssistant Director: Alexcina FigueroaExecutive Vice President of Production: Amanda BarnesDirector of Production: Alexcina FigueroaProduction Manager: Tyler M. Kennedy, Jonathan HyonProduction Coordinator: Oliver Wehlander, Zianne Hoover Production Assistant: Caroline SmithDirector of Post Production: Luke BakerDIT/Lead AE: Matt DuranDIT/AE: Beni KimuenePost Production Coordinator: Ariana MartinezDirector of IT: Tim BakerIT & Equipment Coordinator: Lopati Ho CheeSound Editor: Gareth HirdDirector of Design: Ness CardanoSenior Motion & Branding Designer: Christie HauckSenior Graphic Designer: Jay TaylorGraphic Designer: Monica RavitchDirector of Channel Operations: Lizzy JonesChannel Operations Manager: Audrey CarganillaChannel Operations Coordinator: Sabrina LiebermanSocial Media Associate Producer: Peter DitzlerSocial Media Manager: Kim WilbornSocial Media Coordinator: Margaux BernalesSocial Editor: Vida RobbinsMerchandising Manager: Mallory MyersBrand Partnership Manager: Chloe MaysBrand Partnerships Coordinating Producer: Liz KummerOperations Manager: Marshall A. PeaseOperations Coordinator: Sara FaltersackFinancial Operations Specialist: Natalie LewisTalent Coordinator: Danielle MosesPeople & Culture Manager: Katie FinkPeople & Culture Coordinator: Hannah MerrittCEO: Alessandra CataneseExecutive Producers: Anthony Padilla, Ian HecoxCCO: Cory MidgardenEVP of Programming & Development: Kiana ParkerProducer, Special Projects: Rachel CollisExecutive Coordinator: Katelyn HempsteadExecutive Assistant: Jackie ReillyOTHER SMOSHES:Smosh: https://bit.ly/4wUu0jHSmosh Pit: https://bit.ly/4aZo6WaSmosh Games: https://bit.ly/3TMpGVhSmosh Alike: https://bit.ly/4hpe1WdFOLLOW US:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@smoshInstagram: https://instagram.com/smoshFacebook: https://facebook.com/smosh

In this week's Flagship Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast from ten years ago (9-7-2016), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by Jason Powell from ProWrestling.net. They discussed with callers and emails hot topics of the week including C.M. Punk's UFC debut this Saturday, Backlash on Sunday, follow-up to the big angle leading to Kevin Owens's Universal Title win last week, Ricochet's future, and much more. Then in the previously VIP-exclusive Aftershow, Wade and Jason discuss ton of topics including Backlash preview, ROH World Title match announcement, Damien Sandow in TNA, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

My Backpack Went to Paris and Had a Better Vacation Than Me!What happens when you travel across the globe with a brand-new puppy, only to find yourself stranded without clothes, while your beloved backpack takes a solo two-week tour of France? In this hilarious and jam-packed episode, host Laura Reeves sits down with our favorite veterinarian, Dr. Marty Greer, for a special "back-to-school" edition of Veterinary Voice. Between moving houses and managing a hectic schedule of 14 flights before the end of the year, Dr. Marty is no stranger to travel chaos. From Sweden to Newark, and JFK to Paris, she has survived it all, and she is here to share her hard-won, practical (and highly entertaining) wisdom for navigating airports, gate changes, luggage nightmares, and international travel with purebred dogs. Whether you're heading to the National, Westminster, Crufts, or just bringing a new puppy home, this episode is your ultimate survival guide to turning travel chaos into a smooth, organized adventure.

Today we jump back ten years to the Aug. 20, 2016 episode of the PWTorch Dailycast's PPV post-show. PWTorch contributor Jim Valley hosted the “Saturday Morning Wrestling” Livecast taking calls & talking nostalgia followed by his live interview with Conrad Thompson of Ric Flair's podcast. He discussed working with Flair, Flair's career, Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Legends Fanfest, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

Live experiences drive operating success because they create reasons to travel, reasons to spend, and reasons to come back. That's why Marriott Vacations Worldwide is building Inner Circle around them. During ARDA, I talked with Mike Flaskey, President and COO of Marriott Vacations Worldwide, about what changes when the offer expands beyond the villa and into the full trip.

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (9-8-2021), PWTorch assistant editor Zack Heydorn guest hosts for Wade Keller and is joined by Eric Krol of PWTorch to discuss AEW Dynamite with an onsite correspondent, callers, and emails. Discussion points include whether or not this show was a success coming off the momentum of All Out, Bryan Danielson in AEW, C.M. Punk not playing wrestler and being a wrestler, Punk vs. Team Taz possibilities, MJF's Cincinnati promo, Jon Moxley vs. Suzuki in the main event, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

It's amazing the filthy things you find in small town Wyoming convenience stores. Vacation aside, we reviewed some interesting books this week. Dead Weight by Hildur Knútsdóttir Black Bag by Luke Kennard Food Person by Adam D. Roberts

On this episode of Uncensored With Allie and Ashley these two sisters discuss their SMASH or PASS for Vacation! They share some hilarious stories and answer some rapid fire questions with answers that will make you jump out of your seat! Grab your favorite beverage and get comfy because this one is about to be good!!@UncensoredAllieAshley@Allie.Foreal@Ashley.ForealBookings And Business Inquiries:UncensoredWithAllieAndAshley@gmail.com

In this week's Interview Classic podcasts, we jump back to 15 years ago this week (8-12-2011) for PWTorch editor Wade Keller and former WWE creative team member John Piermarini, they discuss the final hype for Summerslam on Raw, the fact that only four matches have been announced, predictions for the show, and more related to Sunday's PPV, plus they take live calls for an hour. In the 30 minute VIP Aftershow they discuss whether there's any sense of real heat between WWE regulars (CM Punk, Randy Orton, John Cena) and The Rock based on latest comments aimed at one another, and analysis of Jim Ross's return and Alex Riley's babyface push.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

Today we jump back five years to the Sept. 5, 2021 episode of the PWTorch Dailycast's "Wrestling Night in America" with Mike McMahon filling in for Greg Parks right after AEW All Out 2021. He discussed the major happenings with live callers. Topics included reactions to the debuts of Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, Ruby Soho, and Minoru Suzuki, plus Kenny Omega beating Christian, a stunning tag team cage match, and a lot more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (9-7-2021), PWTorch's Kelly Wells and Tom Stoup cover MSK vs. Burch & Lorcan leading to the latter's exit from their faction, The Creed Brothers in their first excellent enhancement match, bachelorette and bachelor parties, and more.Then, in a bonus show, a special Podcast of Honor episode Ryan Sullivan and Tyler Sage break down the huge ROH Glory by Honor event and were joined by the winner of the epic cage match that headlined the event, ROH star Vincent. He talked about how he is feeling just four days after the brutal match and how the match came about. The guys also broke down that week's TV episode and talk in depth about the Women's Tournament favorite Rok-C in the previously VIP-exclusive portion of the show.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

Travis Waltner brings a message on finding renewal in Christ.#iamembraceEmbrace is one church, made up of multiple campuses and network churches. We exist to relentlessly reach the next person for Jesus.Give Herehttps://www.iamembrace.com/giveStay ConnectedWebsite: iamembrace.comEmbrace Church Facebook: facebook.com/iamembraceEmbrace Church Instagram: instagram.com/iamembraceAdam Weber YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@adamaweberAdam Weber Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adamaweberAdam Weber Instagram: instagram.com/adamaweber

Today we jump back 15 years to the Aug. 14, 2011 episode of the PWTorch Livecast with host PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell and PWTorch columnist Greg Parks discussing with live callers the just-concluded Summerslam PPV from all angles mainly focusing on the John Cena-CM Punk WWE Title match with accompanying surprises and questions coming out of the PPV. Plus, lots of talk about the awful announcing, Stephanie's role & return, Kevin Nash not matching up well vs. Punk, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

In this week's episode of All Elite Conversation Club, PWTorch contributors Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner recap All In London and cover the major happenings including the epic main event. AEW feels like it has hit a new high. They pivot quickly to All Out in a few weeks with Moxley set as the next challenger and a TLC three-way for the tag titles. All of this was set up from Dynamite in Allen, Tex. Joel and Gregg cover all of this and more! Plus, the always appreciated email and trivia from Zach.Send your thoughts and questions to allelitecc@gmail.com.For more, check out Gregg's Dynamite Hits & Misses column on PWTorch.com.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller is joined by PWTorch's Kelly Wells to review WWE Smackdown with live chat and caller interactions throughout reacting to Johnny Gargano rising finally and getting a WWE Title match against CM Punk, the latest Randy Orton-Cody Rhodes segment, the Tatum Paxley-Charlotte dynamic, Kyoti with Shinsuke Nakamura, the Gunther-Danhausen segment, and more including Kelly's reaction to NXT roster cuts tonight.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

Today we jump back 15 years to the Aug. 10, 2011 episode of the PWTorch Livecast with host PWTorch editor Wade Keller (and James Caldwell at the very start) and PWTorch columnist Pat McNeill where they discussed Summerslam, pros and cons on the timing of a John Cena heel turn, C.M. Punk's criticism of The Rock, whether Steve Austin would make a comeback on the same show as The Rock, Melina and John Morrison's potential in TNA, and much more. Plus the previously VIP-exclusive Aftershow featuring the McNeill Mailbag.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

In this episode of PWTorch ‘90s Pastcast, Patrick Moynahan and Alex McDonald discuss issue #403 of the PWTorch including WWF Summerslam 1996, the latest on WWF's Intercontinental Title tournament, news on WWF's weekly PPV idea, Sean Waltman comments on his WWF contract status and move to WCW, and much more. Contact us with questions, reactions, and more at torchpastcast@gmail.com.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

In this week's episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show from five years ago (9-3-2021), PWTorch assistant editor Zack Heydorn guest hosted for Wade Keller and was joined by PWTorch contributor Mike Meyers to break down WWE Smackdown with listener calls, emails, and an on-site correspondent from Jacksonville, Fla. Discussion points included the Roman Reigns vs. Finn Balor main event for the Universal Title, nuances in the Reigns/Lesnar/Heyman story brewing, Bianca Belair matching Becky Lynch's promo, Lynch as a heel, what happens when Sasha Banks returns, Dominik Mysterio as a heel, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

The Adult Spelling Bee Championship is officially UP FOR GRABS. Reigning 2-time defending champion, Jacki McKinnon joined us this morning to announce that she, unfortunately, will not be able to take part in ASB3.

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast "Flagship" episode (8-31-2021), PWTorch editor Wade Keller and Jason Powell from ProWrestling.net. They discussed Adam Cole's AEW prospects, Brock Lesnar's future opponents, promo ability, and role as a face or heel, Becky Lynch's character, AEW All Out preview, C.M. Punk's trajectory and AEW ratings since his debut, Happy Corbin, a weird Raw, the reboot of NXT, and more including listener emails.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

Links Connections — The New York Times Strands: Uncover Words. — The New York Times Download the Crossplay app — The New York Times Interview Task: RICHARD AYOADE | Taskmaster | Season 22 - YouTube The Celebrity Traitors series 2 - Wikipedia Series 22 | Taskmaster Wiki | Fandom The Ultimate Miriam Margolyes Experience | The Graham Norton Show - YouTube Strax – Doctor Who Figure 1:10 - Free 3D Print Model - MakerWorld Strax & The Memory Worm | The Snowmen | Doctor Who - YouTube Vastra | Tardis | Fandom Bella Ramsey - Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster | Acast Reconcilable Differences #294: Grumpy 37 - Relay It's All Too Much a book by Peter Walsh - Bookshop.org US About the Film | Jazz | A Film by Ken Burns | PBS Begin the Beguine - YouTube Eastbound & Down - Wikipedia Watch Free Live TV, Movies and TV Shows Online | Tubi The Free Software Media System | Jellyfin Watch Movies and TV Shows Free Online - Plex Emby — Your Personal Media Server ‎Search results for melrin mann • Letterboxd Share your machines with other users · Tailscale Docs Relax with Coax iStat Menus “He's 28 years old.” — A Dossier UPS Systems | UPS | CyberPower Uninterruptible power supply - Wikipedia APC Smart-UPS - Wikipedia

In this Dailycast episode of Wrestling Coast to Coast, Chris Maitland and Justin McClelland review NWA Krossfire Empowerr, a (mostly) all women show headlined by Tiffany Nieves and friends defending the NWA Women's Title in a No DQ match against Alice Crowley, co-promoters and NWA Women's Tag Champs Kenzie & Kylie Paige face NWA Men's Tag Champs The Country Gentlemen in a "Bad Idea" match, Carson Drake shows off his heel prowess against Effy, and more. We also discuss the latest non-controversy with MyAEW opting to not air Leon Slater's Rev Pro match against Liam Slater and why people should look closer at matches on MyAEW. For VIP Listeners, we discuss the recent Cage of Horror match from Revolver Wrestling with Krule, Mance Warner, and Alex Colon, and the frustrating Money in the Bank cash-in that leads to an unlikely and unlikable new World Champion.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch's Dennis Kline to review AEW Dynamite with an early focus on how Will Ospreay did his first week as champion with his promo and also how the booking treated him with a parade of people talking about him as champ and wanting to face him. Also, is Thekla breaking out as a star, did Mercedes Mone needlessly generate cheers at the start of her promo, how will AEW hype the Jon Moxley vs. Ospreay match for All Out, how are The New Level doing so far in AEW, does Steve Borden need more of a defined personality, Mark Davis destroying Darby Allin, and more with live caller, chat, and email interactions throughout.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

Keke returns from her Puerto Rican vacation and she's a changed woman!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

School is back, and Shawna and LaLa have a lot to say about it! LaLa admits she gets pissed when she hears parents say they “can't wait” for their kids to go back to school. Her take? Why have kids if you don't want to spend time with them? She talks about how hard it is for her to see the kids go back and why she believes parents should spend as much time with their children as they can.  But Shawna brings another perspective to the conversation. Growing up, her mom was a single mother who had to work and pay the bills, which meant Shawna had to be cared for by other people. The girls get into the realities of parenting, childcare, working families, and why not every parent has the option to stay home.  Then they take a trip down memory lane to talk about the things they absolutely hated about school. Shawna shares why she walked out of gym class, while LaLa remembers having to write 100 reports for gym class!Plus, Shawna is getting ready to hit the road for her upcoming Florida road trip. She talks about preparing for the drive, planning bathroom stops, and packing—including her massive new Bagsmart suitcase that stands about three feet tall and can hold up to two weeks' worth of clothes!  And in true Shawna and LaLa fashion, Shawna interrupts the show to apologize for smelling after coming straight from her personal training session. Thankfully, she had The Honey Pot Intimate Wipes nearby for a quick freshen-up before getting back behind the mic.Hosted by Shawna and LaLa, Life Beyond The Mic brings real conversations that go beyond the mic, lights, cameras, and stage.  Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and if this resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.  We feature real conversations, product experiences, and brands we genuinely love.  For interviews, product features, and media opportunities, visit www.shawnaandlala.com.

Is the stock market dangerously expensive, or are investors overlooking strong future earnings growth? The S&P 500's Shiller CAPE ratio has reached 41, yet the PEG ratio, which incorporates expected earnings growth, is signaling one of the cheapest market valuations in decades. Michael Lebowitz and Lance Roberts examine why these two popular valuation measures are sending completely opposite signals. The key difference comes down to expectations: CAPE relies on historical earnings, while PEG depends heavily on Wall Street forecasts for future growth. We look at the reliability of those earnings forecasts, the extraordinary concentration of expected growth among a handful of large technology companies, the role of AI investment, and whether today's valuations already price in too much optimism. 0:00 INTRO 1:04 - Jobs, JOLTS, & Economic Number Previews 5:01 - Markets are Stuck 11:04 - Vacation & Weekend Plans 12:23 - The Fed: What Will Warsh Do With Rates? 16:12 - The Truth About "Fed Buy Backs" 17:57 - Inflation Expectations are not Reason to Raise Rates 21:29 - No Guidance from the Fed? 23:48 - Valuations - What We Know vs What We Think We Know 28:48 - It all Comes Down to AI 32:12 - The Issue with PEG Ratios 36:12 - Dealing with Earnings Estimates Revisions 37:55 - How AI is Like the Railroads 39:34 -The Use of AI is Growing Hosted by RIA Advisors' Chief Investment Strategist, Lance Roberts, CIO, w Senior Investment Advisor, Jonathan Penn, CFP Produced by Brent Clanton, Executive Producer ------- Do you enjoy our content? Rate us on Google: https://bit.ly/4b9JtEo ------- Watch Today's Full Video on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/live/OOZIdB7YSsw -------- Watch our previous show, "What Should You Expect From a Financial Planner?" https://youtube.com/live/dRd4fGgwrkc ------- Watch today's "Before the Bell" report, "Market Stuck in Neutral," https://youtu.be/bTDPi28yJcg ------- Articles mentioned in this report: "Market Valuation: Expensive CAPE Or Cheap PEG?" hhttps://realinvestmentadvice.com/resources/blog/market-valuation-expensive-cape-or-cheap-peg/ --- Get more info & commentary: https://realinvestmentadvice.com/insights/real-investment-daily/ ------- * REGISTER for our next Dynamic Learning Series, "The Smart Way to Pay for College," Thursday, September 3, 2026: https://streamyard.com/watch/mcE7YgphgMns --- Visit our Site: https://www.realinvestmentadvice.com Contact Us: 1-855-RIA-PLAN --- Subscribe to SimpleVisor : https://www.simplevisor.com/register-new --- Connect with us on social: https://twitter.com/RealInvAdvice https://twitter.com/LanceRoberts https://www.facebook.com/RealInvestmentAdvice/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/realinvestmentadvice/ #StockMarket #Investing #MarketOutlook #ValueStocks #SeptemberMarkets #StockMarket #MarketValuation #Investing #SP500 #ArtificialIntelligence

Andy Schwartz CEO, OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners  |  Kevin Spahn Founder, Spahn Financial (now OnePoint BFG) Two former Northwestern Mutual advisors, two very different paths. Andy Schwartz and Kevin Spahn share what it takes to build, grow, merge, and create lasting enterprise value. In Summary What separates a successful advisory practice from an enterprise with the ability to grow well beyond its founders? Andy Schwartz and Kevin Spahn offer two different perspectives on that question. Both spent decades at Northwestern Mutual, but their paths eventually diverged. Andy left to help build what is now OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, an $18B+ firm expected to surpass $20B by year-end. Kevin built one of Northwestern Mutual's top practices before deciding to merge his business into OnePoint and become an equity partner. Louis talks with Andy and Kevin about the decisions behind both journeys: creating a true firm rather than an aggregation of practices, transitioning advisors from 1099 to W-2, using outside capital without relinquishing control, rethinking succession, and determining when equity in a larger enterprise can offer greater opportunity than continuing to build alone. Underlying it all is a factor that's much harder to quantify: trust. The Storyline Andy Schwartz and Kevin Spahn have known each other for roughly 30 years. They met while both were building careers at Northwestern Mutual, where Andy became an important mentor to Kevin as Kevin transitioned from practicing law and estate planning into wealth management. After roughly 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, Andy and his partners left in 2015 with approximately $3B in assets to launch independently. What began as Bleakley Financial eventually became OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, an $18B+ enterprise that Andy expects will surpass $20B by the end of 2026. That kind of growth required more than attracting assets. Andy describes the evolution from a predominantly 1099 structure into a firm where more than 85% of advisors and AUM are now W-2. The shift created a more cohesive enterprise, gave advisors access to equity, and ultimately positioned OnePoint to bring in minority capital from Joe Duran's Rise Growth Partners. Andy makes an important distinction about that relationship: OnePoint is “private equity invested,” not “private equity owned.” The structure gave the firm capital and expertise while allowing its partners to retain control. Kevin faced a different decision. After more than 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, his practice had grown to 18 people and approximately $2B in assets. He was happy at the firm, but his clients had evolved, his business had become increasingly complex, and the internal succession plan he once envisioned carried risks he could no longer ignore. He could have built an independent firm himself. Instead, he chose to merge with OnePoint. The decision wasn't driven by the largest possible check. Kevin saw the opportunity to become an equity partner in a larger enterprise, give his team and clients a more durable future, and leverage infrastructure he didn't want to recreate himself. For both men, the story ultimately comes back to the same principle: The right economics matter, but sustainable partnerships require trust, shared philosophy, and the belief that everyone involved can create more value together than separately. Topics Covered Building an enterprise versus building a practice Northwestern Mutual and the path to independence OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners' growth from ~$3B to $18B+ Organic growth versus M&A Creating a growth-oriented advisor culture Moving from a 1099 model to a predominantly W-2 structure Equity ownership and advisor alignment Minority private equity investment Rise Growth Partners and Joe Duran Internal succession versus an external merger Selling versus merging an advisory business Merging versus teaming versus going it alone Evaluating equity versus cash in a transaction The economics of leaving a captive firm Centralization versus advisor autonomy Trust as a factor in partnerships and transactions > Download a transcript of this episode… Listen and Learn Highlights for Advisors How did Andy and Kevin's 30-year relationship ultimately lead to a transaction? (04:11)Kevin explains how Andy helped him transition from attorney and estate planner into wealth management, beginning a professional relationship that would eventually make their partnership possible decades later. Why did Andy leave Northwestern Mutual after roughly 30 years? (08:45)Andy describes wanting greater flexibility, a multi-custodial platform, and more optionality for clients and the business—a decision that ultimately led to the creation of OnePoint BFG. Why did Kevin decide his longtime Northwestern Mutual practice needed something different? (15:49)Kevin explains how his clients, service needs, and business evolved over time, while concerns about his original internal succession plan led him to consider a different path. What has driven OnePoint's growth from approximately $3B to $18B+? (21:41)Andy outlines the firm's emphasis on client experience, advisor experience, organic growth, and carefully selected inorganic growth—and why helping advisors grow is fundamental to the model. Why does Andy say OnePoint is a firm rather than an aggregator? (23:54)The distinction comes down to alignment, shared responsibility, centralized resources, equity, and a partnership structure in which advisors are accountable to one another. How did OnePoint convert a predominantly 1099 advisor base into a W-2 enterprise? (29:26)Andy explains why capital and equity became necessary to build the next stage of the business and why trust was essential to bringing advisors into a more integrated structure. Why did OnePoint choose minority private equity investment? (33:13)Andy shares why Rise Growth Partners offered something previous potential buyers had not: a structure designed to benefit the broader advisor partnership while preserving control. Why did Kevin merge with OnePoint rather than shop his practice broadly? (36:43)For Kevin, maximizing price wasn't the objective. His decision centered on trust in Andy, confidence in OnePoint's infrastructure, and creating a strong future for clients and employees. Why did Kevin choose equity in the larger firm instead of simply cashing out? (40:57)Kevin explains why he believes participating in the future growth of a larger enterprise offers a compelling alternative to relying solely on the future growth of his own practice. How should advisors evaluate the “golden handcuffs” that can make leaving difficult? (46:42)Andy argues that the analysis needs to compare what an advisor gives up with the potential growth, economics, equity, and leverage available on the other side. How much conformity does a true enterprise require? (49:06)Andy explains why OnePoint sits somewhere between complete advisor autonomy and complete centralization, seeking enough consistency to create enterprise value without eliminating entrepreneurial flexibility. What would Andy and Kevin tell their younger selves? (52:06)Kevin emphasizes surrounding yourself with the best people possible, while Andy reflects on having the courage to make a difficult change after a successful 30-year run. Key Takeaways Building enterprise value requires more than asset growth. OnePoint's evolution included changing its ownership structure, integrating advisor practices, creating equity opportunities, and investing in centralized capabilities. Organic growth remains central even in an M&A-driven market. OnePoint targets approximately 10% organic growth and evaluates prospective partners partly on whether they are growth-oriented and whether the firm can meaningfully help them grow. A collection of successful advisors does not automatically make a firm. Andy sees shared ownership, alignment, accountability, infrastructure, and centralized services as critical distinctions between an enterprise and an aggregator. Outside capital does not have to mean giving up control. OnePoint chose a minority investment from Rise Growth Partners that provided capital and strategic support while leaving control with its operating partners. Succession can expose risks that growth may obscure. Kevin began reconsidering his internal succession strategy when he recognized its dependence on his continued production, key employees, and the future economics of an aging client base. The highest purchase price isn't always the most valuable transaction. Kevin prioritized equity participation, infrastructure, continuity for his employees and clients, and confidence in his future partners over broadly shopping his business for the highest bid. Trust can determine whether structural change is possible. From OnePoint's 1099-to-W-2 conversion to Kevin's decision to merge, both guests repeatedly point to established trust as the foundation that allowed significant business decisions to happen. https://youtu.be/jkIoynpZj6Y Quotable Moments “The biggest mistake advisors make is they buy their own bullshit.”— Andy Schwartz “We're not an aggregator, we're a firm.”— Andy Schwartz “The biggest issue is trust. Either they trust you or they don't.”— Andy Schwartz “I wasn't looking to sell my business. I was looking to merge it.”— Kevin Spahn “You have to trust them. You have to see that they provide value. And you need to be on the same page philosophically.”— Kevin Spahn “Associate yourselves with the best people you can… It accelerates your trajectory in ways that you can't do on your own.”— Kevin Spahn FAQs Why did Andy Schwartz leave Northwestern Mutual? After approximately 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, Andy and his partners wanted greater flexibility, the ability to operate on a multi-custodial basis, and more optionality for clients and the business. They left in 2015 with approximately $3B in assets and launched the independent firm that ultimately became OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. How large is OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners? At the time of the interview, Andy says OnePoint manages more than $18B and expects to exceed $20B by the end of 2026, even without additional organic growth. What has driven OnePoint's growth? Andy points to three priorities: client experience, advisor experience, and growth. The firm targets approximately 10% organic growth while also expanding through acquisitions and partnerships with advisors it believes fit the OnePoint model. Why did OnePoint move advisors from 1099 to W-2? The firm wanted to evolve from a platform supporting individual practices into a more integrated enterprise. That required creating firm-level economics and equity that could be used to attract, retain, and align advisors. Today, Andy says more than 85% of OnePoint's advisors and AUM are W-2. What does “private equity invested, not private equity owned” mean? Rise Growth Partners holds a minority, non-controlling interest in OnePoint. The investment provides capital, expertise, and strategic support while the operating partners retain majority ownership and control of the business. Why did Kevin Spahn leave Northwestern Mutual? Kevin says he remained happy at Northwestern Mutual, but his practice and clients had evolved. His work had shifted increasingly toward investments and complex high-net-worth planning, while he also began identifying risks in his intended internal succession plan. Why did Kevin merge with OnePoint rather than launch his own independent RIA? OnePoint already had the infrastructure, people, and capabilities Kevin would have needed to build himself. The merger allowed him to focus on clients while becoming an equity partner in a larger enterprise he believed could grow faster than his standalone practice. Why didn't Kevin shop his practice to multiple buyers? Kevin says his decision was driven primarily by trust. He had known Andy and other OnePoint partners for decades and believed the firm offered the right future for his clients and employees. His choice ultimately came down to staying at Northwestern Mutual or joining OnePoint. How do Andy and Kevin suggest advisors evaluate a potential partner? Their discussion points to three fundamental considerations: trust, demonstrable value, and philosophical alignment. Economics matter, but both argue that a sustainable partnership depends on confidence in the people and business on the other side of the transaction. After approximately 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, Andy and his partners wanted greater flexibility, the ability to operate on a multi-custodial basis, and more optionality for clients and the business. They left in 2015 with approximately $3B in assets and launched the independent firm that ultimately became OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners. At the time of the interview, Andy says OnePoint manages more than $18B and expects to exceed $20B by the end of 2026, even without additional organic growth. Andy points to three priorities: client experience, advisor experience, and growth. The firm targets approximately 10% organic growth while also expanding through acquisitions and partnerships with advisors it believes fit the OnePoint model. The firm wanted to evolve from a platform supporting individual practices into a more integrated enterprise. That required creating firm-level economics and equity that could be used to attract, retain, and align advisors. Today, Andy says more than 85% of OnePoint's advisors and AUM are W-2. Rise Growth Partners holds a minority, non-controlling interest in OnePoint. The investment provides capital, expertise, and strategic support while the operating partners retain majority ownership and control of the business. Kevin says he remained happy at Northwestern Mutual, but his practice and clients had evolved. His work had shifted increasingly toward investments and complex high-net-worth planning, while he also began identifying risks in his intended internal succession plan. OnePoint already had the infrastructure, people, and capabilities Kevin would have needed to build himself. The merger allowed him to focus on clients while becoming an equity partner in a larger enterprise he believed could grow faster than his standalone practice. Kevin says his decision was driven primarily by trust. He had known Andy and other OnePoint partners for decades and believed the firm offered the right future for his clients and employees. His choice ultimately came down to staying at Northwestern Mutual or joining OnePoint. Their discussion points to three fundamental considerations: trust, demonstrable value, and philosophical alignment. Economics matter, but both argue that a sustainable partnership depends on confidence in the people and business on the other side of the transaction. Related Resources Rise and Reinvent: Joe Duran on Building and Rebuilding World-Class Firms From Insurance Sales to $8B RIA: A Northwestern Mutual Breakaway Story The 4th Annual Advisor Transition Report Andy SchwartzCo-Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Executive Officer Andy Schwartz is the Co-Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Executive Officer of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, where he also serves as a Wealth Management Advisor. A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® with more than 40 years of experience, Andy has built his career around helping clients make confident, well-informed financial decisions at every stage of life. He works extensively with physicians and business owners on wealth building, retirement planning, and tax-efficient asset transfer across generations. A 2026 finalist for Wealth Management Awards CEO of the Year (under $25B AUM), Andy brings the same discipline to leading the firm that he brings to client relationships: comprehensive planning, long-term thinking, and an unwavering commitment to independence and integrity. Beyond his client work, Andy is deeply invested in the advisory profession itself. He co-hosts The Advisor’s Compass podcast, offering candid, practical guidance on the business and responsibilities of being an advisor. His mentorship philosophy is straightforward: pass the ladder back down. His industry recognition spans more than a decade, including Top 1,200 Advisor by Barron’s (2018–2024), Top 250 Wealth Advisor and Best-In-State Wealth Advisor by Forbes (2018–2024), Top 400 Financial Advisor by the Financial Times (2018–2020), and Top 100 Independent Advisor (2020–2023). He was named Executive of the Year by NJBIZ in 2019 and was a finalist for the Invest in Others Lifetime Achievement Award for more than 20 years of service with NJ SEEDS. Andy holds a B.S. in Finance and Marketing from Rowan University and is actively involved with Nourish NJ, the Navy SEAL Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, and JSDD. Outside the office, he enjoys golf, reading, and time with his family at the beach.   Kevin SpahnPartner and Wealth Advisor Kevin Spahn is a Partner and Wealth Advisor at OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, bringing more than three decades of experience in comprehensive financial planning to his clients and the firm. Kevin’s path to wealth management is rooted in the law. After earning degrees from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Wisconsin, he began his career as a practicing attorney before making a deliberate pivot toward financial planning in 1993. He joined Northwestern Mutual, then founded Spahn Financial, building a practice centered on thoughtful, holistic planning for families and business owners. That practice joined OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners in 2025. His approach has remained consistent throughout: help clients build and protect wealth not just for themselves, but for the generations that follow. Kevin works with clients on comprehensive financial plans that account for the full picture, understanding that the impact of good planning extends well beyond an individual portfolio to families, businesses, employees, and the broader community. Kevin is based in the greater Chicago area.   NOTE: The views and opinions expressed by the guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Diamond Consultants. Neither Diamond Consultants nor the guests on this podcast are compensated in any way for their participation. View the transcript of this episode… Build, Grow & Transact: Making the Leap from Northwestern Mutual to a $20B Enterprise A conversation between Louis Diamond, Andy Schwartz, CEO of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners and Kevin Spahn, Founder of Spahn Financial (now OnePoint BFG). Louis Diamond: Welcome to the latest episode of our podcast series for financial advisors. Today’s episode is Build, Grow & Transact: Making the Leap from Northwestern Mutual to a $20B Enterprise. It’s a conversation with Andy Schwartz, CEO of OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, and Kevin Spahn, founder of Spahn Financial, now OnePoint BFG. I’m Louis Diamond, and this is The Diamond Podcast for Financial Advisors. Mindy Diamond: At Diamond Consultants, we help elite advisors identify the right environment for their businesses to thrive, whether that’s at a wirehouse, boutique, or independent firm. With nearly three decades of experience, we’ve guided thousands of advisors and represented more than a quarter of a trillion dollars in assets transitioned. Each year, one in four advisors managing a billion dollars or more who change firms are our clients. Our process is education-driven and based on building relationships, starting as your strategic partner well before you’re even thinking of a move. To schedule a confidential conversation, call us at 908-879-1002. Wondering why advisors change firms and where they’re headed? Are transition deals going up or down? Those very questions, and more, inspired us to create our annual Advisor Transition Report. It’s the award-winning data-driven resource designed for advisors that connects the dots between the motivations around movement and the firm’s appetite for top talent. Arm yourself with the knowledge you need to make smart decisions. Download your copy at diamond-consultants.com/transitionreport. Louis Diamond: There’s a big difference between building a successful practice and building an enterprise. I think Andy Schwartz and Kevin Spahn offer a unique perspective on that distinction from two very different sides. Both spent decades in the Northwestern Mutual system. Andy ultimately left to build what became OnePoint BFG Wealth Partners, taking the firm from roughly three billion to nearly 20 billion and transforming just about every aspect of the business along the way. Kevin built one of Northwestern Mutual’s top practices before reaching a different inflection point, deciding what he wanted the next phase of his career and business to look like. Rather than go independent on his own or simply monetize what he had built, he chose to become part of Andy’s growing enterprise. That makes their story particularly relevant for our Build, Grow, and Transact series. Andy can speak to what it takes to build a firm capable of becoming an acquirer, from converting advisors from 1099s to W-2s, to creating equity opportunities, to bringing in outside capital while remaining very deliberate about being private equity-invested rather than private equity-owned. And Kevin brings the seller’s perspective, how you evaluate the economics, the trade-offs, and ultimately the people you’re trusting with the business you spent more than 30 years building. Because whether you’re building, buying, or considering a transaction of any kind, the numbers are only part of the equation. As you hear from both Andy and Kevin, trust may be the most important currency of all. So let’s get to it. Andy and Kevin, thank you so much for both joining us today. Andy Schwartz: Great to see you again, Lewis. Thank you for having us. Louis Diamond: I’ve been excited about this interview for a bunch of reasons. One, our Build, Grow, Transact series has become a real staple of our show and we got lots to talk about there. But also, the friendship, the relationship that you two have had for over 30 years really stood out to me. So before we get into the nuts and bolts, talk about your relationship. How’d you guys meet, and how did your career stay so intertwined together when you’re in different geographies and at different firms, and have each been very successful in your own rights? Andy Schwartz: Sure. Kevin, do you want to start with that? Kevin Spahn: Sure. I started in this career in 1994 and met Andy sometime after that. He was a more advanced financial planner. I was an attorney, and then I transitioned into this business. So when I first joined Northwestern Mutual, which is my first broker dealer, I didn’t really have a background in investments. At the time, a lot of Northwestern Mutual reps were learning the investment business because they maybe originally started with Northwestern Mutual focusing more on insurance planning. My background was more estate planning. At the time, if you think early ’90s, if you did estate planning, insurance often went hand in hand with that. The estate exemption in early 1990s was about $600,000. So if you pass more than $600,000 to your children, there was a 55% tax. One way around it was to put insurance in an irrevocable trust, help cover the tax that way. So it really was a popular common strategy back then, and it’s really what got me into the business. But I quickly realized that I didn’t want my future to be insurance and estate planning. And there was a conflict if you acted as someone’s attorney and sold insurance. So I had to pick one way or the other. I decided long-term it would be better for me to move into the wealth management space. But with that little background in that, I had a lot of work to do. So took a lot of tests, became a certified financial planner. But the person that helped me the most along the way was Andy. We became friends, we sat on committees together. That’s really how we met, I would say. So we worked side by side interacting with our home office and representing the field, bringing issues to the home office that we thought were beneficial to the field. As we did that together, I got to know Andy. And then separately, I learned from him how he built his business and how they would review clients’ portfolios and come up with solutions. So I really credit Andy with helping me more than anyone else to transition from attorney, financial planner doing more estate planning insurance to wealth management. Louis Diamond: Very cool. Hey, I would say, maybe I’m a little biased, that, Kevin, you picked the right path in hanging up the law shingle and coming into wealth management. Kevin Spahn: I tell a lot of people I’m a reformed attorney. Andy Schwartz: Great. Louis Diamond: Exactly. My dad would say the exact same thing. Very common at dinner tables in the Diamond households. Andy Schwartz: I was always grateful that I wasn’t smart enough to be an attorney. Louis Diamond: There we go. Andy Schwartz: That’s where my gratitude lies. Yeah. Louis Diamond: There we go. Andy Schwartz: Some would say he’s too smart. Louis Diamond: There we go. Andy, question for you. I mean, anyone who is at or was at Northwestern Mutual, I mean, you’re like Elvis to them. It’s absolutely crazy the amount of fanfare and brand recognition that you and your brother Scott have. But for those who maybe missed your first podcast appearance with us a number of years ago, or aren’t or weren’t within the Northwestern Mutual system, or haven’t been familiar with Bleakley and now OnePoint BFG, just give us the cliff notes, the origin story, how you got into the business, and how’d you get from here to there? Andy Schwartz: Yeah. So the origin is probably pretty common, probably by accident. Going into my senior year in college, I was working in a restaurant, had a falling out with my boss. I happened to be dating a woman who was living with a general agent with Fidelity Union Life. No one will have ever heard of Fidelity Union Life, but their secret sauce was they sold life insurance to college seniors on a note. So if you can get a $10 money order, because where I went to school, nobody had a checking account, then you could basically get a note signed and they would buy insurance. And then when they graduate, hopefully they’d pay for it. I started selling life insurance my senior year in college. And then my twin brother Scott, who is my partner, and has been for over 40 years, he took an interview with what was the nucleus of our present firm actually. I just went up to Northern New Jersey in May of 1984 because I was an expert. I had been selling life insurance to college kids for six months, so I knew everything you had to know. We met with these guys, and we both ended up joining them. So that was a Northwestern Mutual district agency, and that was 1984. We got licensed right away. I got my CFP in ’86. We always knew that it was going to be about planning. So I think we had the right idea. We were a little ahead of the curve because there weren’t a lot of CFPs in ’86. We got securities license immediately. So before Northwestern had securities license, we got securities license with US Life actually. And then it was really a volume business, a client-building business. We always tried to act as a firm and share resources. We were small, but like a lot of people, we started out selling A shares and B shares and C shares, doing financial planning, selling insurance, and then we made a lot of really good hires along the way. And then after 30 years at Northwestern Mutual, which was a great experience for me, and I have nothing but respect for the institution and certainly the advisors that are there, Kevin certainly was one of them, and I know he feels the same way, but we just wanted to have a little more flexibility. We went independent about 11, almost 12 years ago. We wanted to be able to be multi-custodial. We wanted to have a little bit more optionality for our clients and for ourselves. We left Northwestern at three billion or so in assets, and that was in 2015. It’s in March of 2024, I get introduced to this guy with a crazy accent named Joe Duran. Funny, probably the only person in the industry that had no idea who Joe Duran was me. I’d never heard of Joe Duran. I don’t pay attention. I worry about our firm. I don’t worry about what’s going on outside. So I get introduced to Joe by a mutual friend, and we had an interesting conversation, and it took us probably about four or five months to figure out what we wanted to do. And then in August of ’24, myself and my three partners, we rolled in. And then in ’85, the rest of the firm rolled in. And we can talk a little bit more about that. Today we’re 18-plus billion, growing quite a bit. We’ve been very lucky that we’ve made some very good decisions along the way. We’ve made some bad ones too. But most of the decisions had to do with the people that we hired, the people that we brought on to help us, because I think it’s really important. I always say that the biggest mistake advisors make is they buy their own bullshit, and I try not to, and I realize that I’m smart enough, but I’m certainly not the smartest guy. I’m rarely the smartest guy in the room. So what we try to do is hire lots and lots of really smart people. And we’ve done that. They’ve been loyal to us, we’ve been loyal to them. Yeah, so we’re blessed to have a really great team and lots of good partners. Yeah. Louis Diamond: Yeah, we’ll definitely get into more of the nuts and bolts of the decision to take on capital, partner with Joe Duran’s Rise, but that’s an amazing background. Andy, I have to give you credit because your style, and I think I’m sure there’s business benefits, but it comes from a good place, I’m sure. But the coaching and consulting and just assistance that I’ve heard you provide to so many past and current Northwestern Mutual advisors through sports camps is absolutely incredible. It’s very near and dear to my heart because we always try to lead with education and helping people. So I just wanted to call that out, that your reputation for just providing amazing guidance and coaching to advisors is unparalleled. Andy Schwartz: And it’s been the best part of our journey. We’ve been able to help so many people. We get way too much credit by the way. So everybody gives us way too much credit. But the way I look at it is, I’ve been able to leverage my life because I’ve been able to build a great life for myself and my family, but we’ve been able to leverage that, and that’s where the real gift is. So yeah, it’s been a joyful journey for us. Louis Diamond: Amazing. Kevin, question for you. You walked through your little bit unorthodox background to get into Northwestern. Can you talk about where your personal practice is today? And then I want to ask you about the decision to leave Northwestern and sell and team up with Andy and team. Kevin Spahn: Well, I have to go back to the beginning. What was attractive to me about this business is I went from a career which was confrontational adversarial. I was a trial attorney for six years, and every day I would fight with people over things I didn’t necessarily have a personal interest in and I didn’t really believe in always. But the adversarial confrontational nature wasn’t really my personality, and I would take it too personally. So sometimes I’d go home in a bad mood because I was fighting with somebody taking a deposition. At night, after so many years as a trial attorney, I started going to people’s houses and doing wills and trusts. And that’s where the dynamic of working with a client or a potential client, feeling that you helped them and walking out of the meeting where they would appreciate what you did for them, and you build a relationship and actually all of a sudden have a friend, that dynamic was attractive to me. That’s really what got me to transition into the business. So I think it was really helpful to me at the beginning of this career. As Andy said, we all grew our businesses one client at a time. There’s a lot of doors closed, phones hung up on. There’s many people that don’t want to talk to you. There’s many people that don’t call you back. There’s many people that you think you’re getting somewhere with and you don’t. And that’s difficult for people because people often, young reps take that as personal rejection. I had the benefit of comparing what I was dealing with as a young financial planner to what I had dealt with as an attorney in litigation. I think it just was perspective that I knew I didn’t want to do that anymore. So the negatives to this business didn’t seem that bad to me. I loved the independence. I loved all the relationships that I was building. And that part of it is to this day my favorite part of the business. When you ask about the present, what basically happens is you start out taking anybody and everybody as a potential client or as someone that you would be willing to work with. And then over time you work with more successful people. So where I’m at today is working with pretty successful people, but they’re all the same, meaning we like working with nice people. If people are nice, we work with them. I feel we can help anybody. Over the years, one client at a time. The thing that I probably, if I could go back, would change is I think Andy and I are both good at meeting people and building trust and providing value, so that’s why they work with us. So I think that’s just something we’ve both been able to do. He’s much better than I am at building an organization. So I built an organization basically hiring people, that whenever we got too busy, I hired another person. Drawback in terms of that is, anybody that I interview I think is great, and I think they’d be great to join the organization. I like them all. In spite of that, I’ve also brought in many good people that I love. At this point, my firm has 18 people. We’re a little subset of Andy’s larger firm. I think one of the most attractive things to me about joining Andy’s firm is what Andy mentioned before: the people. As opposed to me having to build this all out myself, going independent, Andy already did that. And he has the infrastructure that would allow me to just merge right into that and not have to go through the pain of figuring all that out, which I don’t even think I’m capable of, to be honest with you. Louis Diamond: You’re probably selling yourself short because the way I understood it, you had one of the top practices within the entire Northwestern Mutual systems, and it’s a firm filled with very successful advisors. For you, Kevin, what was the driving force to leaving NM after all these years? What was bothering you or frustrating you that indicated to you that it was time to do something different? Kevin Spahn: To be honest with you, I was pretty happy at Northwestern Mutual. I love the company and the people. I still have many good friends there that I truly miss. The big thing for me, I don’t know if it was any one thing, to be honest with you, is Andy said there’s optionality, especially on the investment side. I think one of the things that happened to me is, when I first started, I was 31 years old, and most of the potential clients that I would meet and work with, they weren’t what I would call today great investment clients. They didn’t have a lot of money. They had great futures. They might’ve been earning significant income or on the way to earning significant income. So what did they need at that point in their life? They needed planning. They needed protection. They didn’t really need investment management because most of their investments were going into their 401(k). But a lot of those clients that we would take on, and I think that’s the big advantage of Northwestern Mutual, you take on clients that a lot of the investor firms don’t want because they don’t have large investment portfolios. But at some point down the road, all of a sudden you wake up and they do have large investment portfolios. So you bring them in as clients that might buy life insurance from you or disability insurance or something like that. And then you help them, and you give them advice, and you build a relationship with them. Down the road, they make more and more money. They leave jobs, they roll 401(k)s, they have the ability to invest money, stock options, things like that. Next thing you’re doing more comprehensive planning that incorporates investments. As that progresses even further, you work with larger and larger clients, much more significant net worth, more complexity, bigger tax issues. Some of the strategies and opportunities that we now have at this independent RIA are very attractive for these high-net-worth clients. Along the same lines, less of what I do at this point in my career is insurance, mostly because a lot of the people that I meet are older, they already bought insurance, they’re looking more for investment advice as opposed to insurance. So one of the things that most attracted me to Northwest Mutual was their strong insurance products, which helped me for many years. As time went on, I was doing less of that. Louis Diamond: Makes complete sense. So it was a changing of what clients wanted and just the circumstances of your clients where you said, “What got me here when I was 31 was insurance planning, and that’s what my clients needed. But as my practice has evolved, I’ve aged, my clients are older, have more money, the focus shifted from insurance to investments.” And then the distinction was, am I at the best place to run investments in addition to insurance planning, et cetera? It’s a very interesting dynamic. Just the shift in basically your legacy clients was what drove you to consider change. Kevin Spahn: That was a big factor. I think the second big factor was I had my own firm with 18 people. My succession plan was that at some point I would shift ownership of the firm to people that worked with me. So as they owned more of the firm, they would have revenue that was currently at the time being paid to me. In my mind, as it shifted to them, they would buy me out using revenue from the clients that we already had. And I realized that there were some issues with that. In our business, as you get older, in your client’s age, they start taking money out of their portfolios. So everyone understands that in our business, the younger average age client you have makes your book more valuable. I was the biggest driver of new business at my firm, and I started to see that there were some problems with my succession plan. They included, if something happened to me during this succession, that would be a real problem for the people that were buying my business from me if I went that way. If something happened to some of my key people, that would’ve been a problem as well. So it was really attractive to me to… I wasn’t looking to sell my business, I was looking to merge it. So I merged it with Andy’s business. I believe that Andy and what he’s put together and the actual idea of having partners. So I never really had partners, but now I do. Having partners that we’re all on the same page, we all have similar backgrounds, we all bring something different to the table, and we can learn and benefit from working with each other. But also, owning a little piece of a much larger firm was, number one, it put me in a better position in terms of the potential risk of something happening to me or one of my key people. But secondly, I just think it’s more likely to grow at a greater pace than my firm would’ve as I aged from my 60s to my 70s. Louis Diamond: Very interesting. It’s a great realization. I think it’s one that probably every firm owner grapples with at some point, is the romanticism or the ease, some would say, of an internal succession plan. Rewarding those who have helped you build the firm is something I think everyone is interested in. But once that’s put into practice, whether it’s because of capital or sky-high valuations or right people on the bus or risk, et cetera, nowadays oftentimes leads to a firm owner looking at a transaction, whether it’s a merger, a sale, a private equity, capital infusion as a means to solve for succession. So it’s a very interesting way you framed it. Andy, I want to turn it over to you for a little bit. So you mentioned when you launched Bleakley Financial, which was the old name of your firm, out of Northwestern, you’re about three billion. I think I read that you’re about 10 billion or so when Joe Duran and Rise invested you in 2024. You just said you’re at 18 billion now in the middle of 2026. That is absolutely incredible and amazing. Andy Schwartz: We’ll be well over 20 by the end of the year without any additional organic growth. Louis Diamond: That’s absolutely incredible. Andy Schwartz: We’ve got a lot going on right now. Louis Diamond: What’s actually driven that? What’s been the playbook? Andy Schwartz: The three areas that are most important for us, and we had our town hall this morning, and we always talk about the things we focus on as a group, the first and most important is the client experience. I always say to people, if you are their advisor, then that means someone else isn’t. These people, they all deserve to be really well taken care of. They deserve the best service, they deserve the best advice. So that’s something we take really personally. So client experience first. Then we also understand that we don’t just work for clients, we work for our advisors. So I have two jobs. I have, I don’t know, 500 clients I service with my team, and I work for Kevin and 36 other partners and all of our employees. Because again, I recognize that the decision Kevin made… We’re in the middle of a transition out with another advisor, and we pretty much talk to her every day, and I know how hard this is. A transition is so difficult. When you come from a good place, because any of the Northwestern advisor who joins, they’re coming from a good place, it’s not like they have to go anywhere, it’s difficult. So we have the massive responsibility that three or four or five or 10 years from now, that there better be hugs around that this was the best decision ever made or otherwise. That’s the kind of thing that keeps me up at night. So we’ve got to take care of our client experience, we’ve got to take care of our advisor experience. And then obviously, we’ve got to grow the firm so the firm grows organically. So part of this whole idea of serving our advisors is we have to help our advisors grow. I talk to a lot of people on the acquisition side, and if I’m talking to an advisor, it doesn’t matter how big they are, we kind of think of it as a OnePoint way. There’s flexibility in the OnePoint way. But if I can’t help them grow, I don’t want them, because I say it all the time, I’m not the mafia. I’m not here to get a taste. Louis, if you weren’t interested in joining us, if I thought that we could help you grow by doing that, then I want you bad. If I don’t think I can help you grow because we’re so different, or because you’re not going to adapt what we do, or there’s no leverage in it, or you’re already better than we are, I don’t want it. So for us, organic growth, number one, and I think you know the industries well enough, that’s got to be the key. We shoot for 10% organic growth. We’re at a little over 5% so far halfway through the year. So assuming we have the similar second half of the year, we’ll hit our 10. Last year we’re at 7.5%. The second is the inorganic growth. If you truly build a platform, if you truly build a firm that advisors know that they’ll be supported, that they’ll be loved, and you’ll help them grow their businesses, it does make it easier for us. We’re not the highest bidder typically. We can’t. We respect our client’s capital, we respect their equity, so therefore we’re not going to go out there. We’re not an aggregator, we’re a firm. But I think that if we can get that message across, and I think we have, then advisors join us. So that’s been a big part of the growth. And then the market’s helped. Obviously, over the last two years, the market’s been helpful. So that’s how we’ve gone from 10 to 18 and on our way to 22 by year-end. Louis Diamond: This is absolutely incredible. Any advisor or firm owner would say organic growth is important, but just saying it’s important doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. So what are the ways in which you help your advisors or your own practice grow organically? What is it that OnePoint is doing for your advisors? Andy Schwartz: Starting with bringing on growth-oriented advisors. I mean, look, Kevin Spahn and I come from the same place. We learned how to sell. The great thing about coming out of whether they’re broker dealers or out of the different insurance BDs is, these are people that know how to sell. These are people that don’t think that selling is a bad word. A lot of times you go to the wirehouses and they’re not necessarily sales guys. They’re really smart. They think that they’re investment mavens and investment geniuses. I’m not interested in investment geniuses. I’m interested in people that want to take care of their clients, provide everything they can, clients first, do the proper planning, be good advisors, but they’re growth-oriented. So as long as we’re talking with the right advisors. Again, if I’m talking to advisor and they might have a big practice, if they’re not growers, we’re not interested. There’s a sense of responsibility for all the partners because we are a true partnership. It’s not an aggregation. This is a firm. I’m responsible for Kevin. Kevin’s responsible to me. All of our partners are responsible to each other, because if we’re going to do a 10% organic growth target, and if some partner is negative 3%, we don’t put them through the spanking machine, but everybody is very aware of where everybody is and nobody wants to let their partners down. I think either you’re a growth-oriented advisor or you’re a zoo-fed bear. There’s another expression that I got from another Rise Growth Partner or Rise Growth firm. We all kind of communicate and talk to each other. And I was talking about zoo-fed bears, and he said, we call them house cats that think they fight. So they’re house cats, but they have no claws. But I think if you’re careful about who you bring on as partners, and if they are workers, growers, they understand that their job in life is to serve the people. We talk about referrals, we do lots of training to help on referrals. We work on organic growth strategies from the firm, but a lot of it comes from the advisors themselves. Louis Diamond: Makes sense. So it sounds like, to boil it down, it’s being really selective and having a really clear sense of who’s the right fit for your firm. Not that there’s not amazing advisors out there, but just because you’re an amazing advisor, doesn’t mean you’re the right fit to join OnePoint. Andy Schwartz: I think the one big distinction and difference is other than the fact that we are minority-owned with private equity. So we own our business. I mean, I’m the CEO of the firm. I also have the biggest book in the firm. At least for right now, I mean, Kevin was transitioning, so I’m sure next year he’ll be the leading advisor. But I lead the firm, because as far as I’m concerned, you have to lead by example. We are completely aligned. I know exactly what Kevin does every day because I do the same thing. I’m not some attorney or accountant or private equity boss that’s saying, “Oh, I’ve got an idea for growth. We’ll just raise our fees by 5%.” Brilliant. Yeah, we are completely aligned, all of us. I think that makes us a little bit unique, and it really helps us, I think, in our growth trajectory. Louis Diamond: I would agree. The challenge that a lot of advisors-turned-firm-owners or turned-enterprise-builders have is the tug of war between the client work, which either is their ultimate passion and driving force, or it’s something they’re really good at minimum, versus being the owner, the operator, et cetera. I resonate very much, Andy, with the way you handle it. I do the same thing running a company, but also working with advisors. To me, I need to do both in order to do my job well. But that tug of war is tough. So I’m curious, your firm is very large now, you’re a steward of external capital, and you have a $3 billion book yourself. How do you do it? How do you balance the two? Andy Schwartz: Well, fortunately, my kids are grown, so I’m not coaching sports anymore. So I do have a little more time than most. Look, we have a great team. So the idea that I run the firm… I mean, I lead the firm, I don’t run the firm. We have great partners. We have great… Our manager team is fantastic. So I mean, they really run the firm. But this is where my passion is for now. So I don’t mind. Days are typically pretty long. I don’t play golf during the week. Mara and I don’t travel probably as much as we should. Vacations are always a little bit mixed. There’s always room for calls and meetings and whatever. But to me, I mean, I’m grateful to be in this situation. I’m enjoying it. This is such a privilege to be the person that people recognize as the leader of this bunch, of this group. I mean, it is the honor of my life. So I don’t think of it so much as work. It’s my advocation. It does get busy. There are some times where I have to remind myself, “Just enjoy the ride.” I get a little overwhelmed, but I get lots of help and that makes it possible. Louis Diamond: Yep. If you’re not doing the job of the folks that you’re encouraging and leading to do, how do you have fodder to train them, to teach them, to empathize with that? Andy Schwartz: Exactly, you don’t have the credibility. I can ask them to do almost anything because they know I do it myself, and I think that helps. Louis Diamond: Yep. So moving more into the decision to bring on private equity capital, what I thought was probably the most interesting component of your announcement that you took on PE investment was that you completely restructured or reoriented your firm prior to Joe Duran coming in 2024. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Bleakley Financial Group was almost all 1099 contractors. So everyone owned their own books of business, paid Bleakley a fee or an override for certain services. But now, today, over 85% of your advisors and your AUM are W-2 employees, meaning you converted them from 1099 to acquiring them or merging with them. To me, that’s the dream. It’s had to have been very, very, very hard and challenging because there’s so many aggregator firms or platforms that support independent advisors, but the value that they’ve created is fairly minimal relative to one cohesive firm. So can you just talk about that decision, a very big and brave decision to go down the path of acquiring or merging with the practices rather than letting them continue to operate independently? Andy Schwartz: Well, look, we had to… It’s funny because we had been having conversations for years with consultants, and they kept telling us what we had to do. Again, we’re not that smart, so we just kept thinking, “No, we don’t have to do that.” But we were told 10 years earlier that the only way that this thing has any value to the world is you’ve got to have EBITDA for the firm. We talked to all the smart people, we ignored all of them. But what happened was we needed capital and we needed equity in order to bring people on, because people aren’t just joining us just because we can help them grow a bigger business. So the reason we went in the direction we went initially was we just needed capital. We wanted to grow the firm, and the only way we were going to get to is… What’s the old saying? What got us here is not going to get us there. So we needed capital. But we also realized that I had to have something I could sell in the marketplace. And people want equity. So they want cash, but they also want equity, because we’re talking to entrepreneurs. Kevin owned his own firm. He has $2 billion of assets. He wasn’t interested in being someone’s employee, but he was interested in being able to get leverage and be a partner and share equity in a larger firm that had the chance to grow even more. So what the gift that Joe Duran, the Rise folks gave us was that gift of structure and understanding. So that was really helpful, and that’s been a big part of our success. Louis Diamond: Yeah, it’s an amazing journey. Again, I think you could probably write a book or a case study on how that happened. I’m sure there were some downfalls, some people that weren’t all that excited about it, but the results speak for itself. Andy Schwartz: I think people ask all the time because I do get phone calls. People are trying to do this, and they’re struggling. It took us 90 days to basically do it. People say, “I’ve been at this for two years.” And the biggest issue is trust. Either they trust you or they don’t. At the end of the day, I always went to the advisor here, we were a firm for 30-plus years prior, and these guys knew that we always did what we said we were going to do, and we always did. If your people trust you, then you can do it. If your people don’t trust you, it isn’t going to work. Louis Diamond: In other words, your firm added immense value to the advisors as well. Aside from trust, if you weren’t providing a service or services that they found a value that they couldn’t access on their own, it would’ve been 85/15 going the other way for sure. Andy Schwartz: Yeah, 100%. I know it’s not easy, but it wasn’t that hard for us. Louis Diamond: Good. It’s well-earned. So I believe you were Rise Growth Partners’ first investment. Andy Schwartz: We were. Louis Diamond: That’s cool. It’s exciting. You get to be someone’s first, but did it make you uncomfortable that you were the first investment or did you see that as a positive? Andy Schwartz: I actually saw it as a positive. Well, one, because I recognized immediately that Joe Duran and his team were way smarter than we were certainly, and certainly with what we were trying to do. And I figured that it’s almost like the first child. They were so excited to have somebody, and there was so much time and energy, so they just really doted on us. They were really able to help us. Now they’ve got four or five groups that they work with, and obviously we’ve been launched. So the younger babies are getting more time and attention, although we get everything that we need from them. But yeah, that never concerned me. I always thought that would be our advantage. It actually turned out that way. Louis Diamond: Interesting. In thinking through a sale or a minority sale, did you entertain other types of capital, whether it was a family office or a multitude of other private equity sponsors or selling the firm outright? Andy Schwartz: Yeah, we probably had four or five very, very serious conversations. Actually, some got pretty close to the end where we basically just made the decision not to do it. One was a much larger firm, good people. But the problem always was… I was always going to get rich out of the deal because it was going to be 100% sale, but there was really no lift or leverage from the advisors. So the principals, they were willing to pay me a big multiple and my partners a big multiple, and pay these guys basically an average multiple. So we had always told our guys, “Let’s stay together, and someday, this thing, whatever it’s going to turn into be, will benefit everyone.” So with the Duran situation and the deal with Rise did, it gave everybody a chance to benefit from what we were doing. But what was good about all of those false starts was, it taught me a lot because I had… I know you’re involved in this, so you know better than I do, but we’d start conversations, somebody would reach out to me, I would be very specific about what I needed. They would say, “Yep, we can do that.” And then you get to the finish line, and it’s almost like, I started out, I wanted a tomahawk steak and a baked potato, and I ended up getting a two-day-old hamburger with some cold French fries. It’s like, I know I’m not that smart and I know you’re the PE guys, but for God’s sakes, we’re not stupid. So it was funny because in January of ’24, I told my partners, “I don’t want to have any more of these conversations. It was a waste of time and energy. I’m sick of talking to these people. Let’s just put our heads down, and then let’s grow the firm a little bit more, and then we’ll see what the world looks like.” And then I get introduced to Duran. Louis Diamond: Perfect. Makes sense. Yeah, so you were well-educated on the market, the types of buyers, and I always say it’s almost more important to understand what you don’t want more than what you do want. The only way oftentimes to understand what you don’t want is to experience it and touch and feel it and really get into the weeds on it. I like too, Andy, I saw in an article, you said that “we’re private equity invested, we’re not private equity owned,” which is a very cool dynamic. I could imagine why that was important to you to retain majority control. Kevin, I want to bring you back into the conversation. Thank you for being patient here. But I mean, I would imagine you had some real choices. I mean, you could have stayed at Northwestern and been very successful, gone through with your internal succession plan. You could have gone to an independent BD, monetized, figured out succession later. You could have sold the business to a strategic acquirer. You were big enough to take on an investor in some capacity on your own. So options wasn’t your problem. Maybe just walk us through. Did you consider any other pathways? And what were the pros and cons in your mind that led you to doing a transaction with Andy? Kevin Spahn: I’m a little different, I think, than most people in this industry. Even as you grow your business at a certain percentage, none of that stuff has ever really meant anything to me. All I know is I like what I do. So when I came into the business, because I like it, I enjoy it, I spend time doing it, I’ve tried to get better at it. But it comes naturally because it’s something that I don’t look at Monday mornings as, “Oh, no, it’s Monday morning.” I’m excited to go to work. My entire career, once I left law, my business has just grown over the years naturally. But you said something before, Louis, and I think this applies to me. I love to work with the clients. I don’t like what I have to do in terms of running the firm. I never have. It’s never been my cup of tea, but you have to do it if you run a firm. So number one, the thought of all the due diligence that I would have to do to research all the firms out there, I wasn’t really all that interested in doing that. At the end of the day, it comes down to this word trust. I trust Andy. I trust the other partners here too, because I’ve known not just Andy, but I’ve known Scott and many of the other partners for years. So I knew what I was getting myself into. At the end of the day, I knew what they built. I was very comfortable with it, and I was either going to stay at Northwestern Mutual or I was going to come here, but I wasn’t going to go anywhere else. I will say, since I’ve gone, it’s been exactly like I thought. I thought I trusted Andy. And if something happened along the way with the transition, everything that he said has been true, thing that he promised is real. As you deal with more complexities with a bigger book and more and more employees, I knew that I was almost at the breaking point in terms of my own organization and to merge into this organization that, as I said before, he’s already built out. I don’t have to do it. And to benefit from these great people that he has as part of his organization, that’s all been a real blessing for me and my team. So I didn’t shop the marketplace really, but I knew what I was getting into, and it’s worked out clear as I thought it would. Louis Diamond: That’s amazing. I think that’s what most people would covet. But it is a decision in and of itself to not shop the marketplace. I mean, from representing buyers or prospective buyers, I know the pricing leverage or the negotiation leverage and the valuation lift that comes from having an open market, having multiple bids, et cetera. It sounds like that wasn’t the… Obviously you wanted to get fair value for your firm, but for you, it was more, it’s trust, “I’m either going to just stay at Northwestern, which is the devil I know or it’s what I’ve known where I’ve been successful, or I’m going to go to the individual that I trust and forget about all the other noise.” Kevin Spahn: Well, Andy says things, but I know they’re true because I’ve seen him at work. I’ve seen how he’s acted. I’ve seen how he interacts with people. But here’s an example. He cares about the people that are at his firm. He says that, but I know it’s true because I see it. I’m the same. I really care about the people in my firm. So as I think about, well, what about the future of two groups, my clients, but also the people that work in my firm? They’re going to be around long after I am. Well, I don’t want myself to retire someday, get a big check, because there’s all sorts of options to get a check. If I get a check and then my client’s scatter to the wind, and my employees don’t really have a future and they just have to go and find their own way, that wasn’t attractive at all to me. So one of the things that I really appreciate about this opportunity is that there is a plan for both my clients and my employees or the younger team members at formerly Spahn Financial, where I feel very good about the fact that they have a solid, secure future in an industry that they’ve all grown to love without them having to go out and make their own way. Louis Diamond: Makes sense to me. We noted a couple of times in this interview, you talked about equity, partnership, both of you have. So Kevin, for you, what did it mean differently for you to become a partner and get equity in a larger firm rather than, we’ll say, the less risky move of just taking everything in cash? Why was that an important distinction for you? Kevin Spahn: For many years, when I left law and came into this business, I didn’t have any money at the time. I was just starting to make money as a lawyer. It takes a while. I started low. I got trial experience working for the government, so they didn’t pay much. That was three years. Then I was at a firm, and I was just starting to make more money. Then I made this big shift into a career tha

Send us Fan MailHello, passionate cruisers! This is Paul and this week on The Joy of Cruising Podcast, I am delighted to welcome back Shelton and Ke' creators of the YouTube channel, Your Favorite Couple. I first met Shelton and Ke' doing what I do much of my retired-life time—watching YouTube videos about sports, politics, and my passion, cruising. And where I occasionally discover The Joy of Cruising Podcast guests. I enjoyed Shelton and Ke's fun, informative video style and their diverse choices in terms of cruising, so I thought they would be great guests to share their thoughts on the world's largest ship, Royal Caribbean Star of the Seas. I have had guests on to talk about Star of the Seas but now I have a newfound interest in Star. Plus, it has been well over a year since they have been on, and knowing Shelton and Ke', there is a lot of cruising to catch up to Cheryl and I thought we were done cruising for' 26 as we are focusing on the group trip that our travel agency, The Joy of Vacation by Dream Vacations is leading to Africa in the Spring. But you can't keep a passionate cruiser down. So, recently Cheryl and I made a snap decision to go, and take our other partner of the travel agency, my daughter Shornay, to the Dream Vacations annual conference to be held on Star of the Seas in November. After viewing their great trip report on Star, I thought what a great opportunity to catch up. Find Your Favorite Couple online YouTube: https://youtube.com/@yourfavoritecouple?si=iBCfUghiKMe5Moc3 TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@yfc.ke.shelton?_t=ZT-8vHeTzJfGxO&_r=1 Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/yfc_ke_shelton?igsh=MWkzMzFsdDM3cnNicQ== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1PBVygENSo/ Email: yourfavoritecouple11@gmail.com Do you have a dream car? Support the showSupport thejoyofcruisingpodcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2113608/supporters/newSupport Me https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpaulthContact Me https://www.thejoyofcruising.net/contact-me.htmlBook Cruises http://www.thejoyofvacation.com/US Orders (coupon code joyofcruisingpodcast)The Joy of Cruising https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingCruising Interrupted https://bit.ly/CruisingInterruptedThe Joy of Cruising Again https://bit.ly/TheJoyOfCruisingAgainIntl Orders via Amazon

Flooding in the Grand Canyon and Nepal, hurricanes hitting California and the Gulf Coast, and fires around the West -- Mother Nature has sure ramped up her anger. With so many people travelling around the country and the world, there's a good chance you might find yourself in a weird situation with a natural disaster… all while you try to rest and relax on vacation. September is Disaster Awareness Month, so Greg and Holly take a few minutes to talk about emergency preparedness while on vacation. They're joined by KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson with more on the storms and Benjamin Donner, executive director of the American Red Cross Central and Southern Utah chapter, with more on how to best be prepared.

S7, EP 211Just Us podcast!  Jozlyn Rocki, Lloyd Waller and Gaby Borja check in and catch up with each other.  Lloyd's going on his first cruise and not feeling super enthusiastic about being surrounded by an open body of water.  Lloyd joins & performs for a scripted, on-stage episodic cast for a local theater in Vegas with his mom for first time ever.  Jozlyn brings all the random questions that have been on her mind & ends up in the dark. Gaby joins us from cold, snowy mountains of the country Chili!  Oh, and we discover we have some pretty sweet new stripper names.  Boy, do people make some interesting choices! Listen in on our convo at the chaos table and please share us if you feel inspired to do so!This is a shareable podcast where a group of creatives join together to  document their creative voiceover & on-camera journeys in real time. We hope this podcast creates inspiration, stirs up a few ah-ha moments or maybe brings to the surface a feeling of "you're not alone" while navigating the creative process. Either way, we are glad you are here.  Oh, and we also pull into our conversations at the chaos table industry professionals along with other fellow actors, to share their stories, experiences and knowledge - so we can all connect, share, learn, grow and expand together.  This podcast is for entertainment and not educational purposes!  Enjoy and thank you for listening to our Creative Chaos! *Have a creative story or journey to share, we'd love to hear it - email us at chaoskeepers411@gmail.com or jozlynrocki@gmail.com Follow all the Chaos - YT - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChG0fKKBt2QNplJowSaKU6wFB - https://www.facebook.com/keepingupwithchaospodcastIG - https://www.instagram.com/keeping_up_with_chaos/

Costa Rica's signature phrase, pura vida, captures the spirit of the country and its many adventures: coastlines where monkeys swing through the trees, zip lines stretching across iconic cloud forest canopies, and gorgeous views of volcanoes. Costa Rica's natural beauty is unmatched, and it keeps travelers coming back.In this episode, host Angie Orth is joined by Jen Ruiz, a travel journalist who recently completed a road trip across Costa Rica. Her work has appeared in outlets including The Washington Post, AFAR, and Condé Nast Traveler. She's also the author of several books, including The Solo Female Travel Book and You Need a Vacation! How to Travel with a Full-Time Job. Beyond her writing, Jen is a three-time TEDx speaker known for championing the power of solo travel.Jen recounts her cross-country trip, highlighting Costa Rica's must-see destinations and sharing tips to make the most of your experience. From navigating potholes to hiking through the rainforest and finding the best zip line, she covers the essentials for every type of traveler seeking to explore the country.What You'll Learn:3:45 What makes Costa Rica special and why people love coming back17:41 Why Treetopia is one of the best places to zip line in Costa Rica20:17 The must-see small town that's filled with exciting activities25:51 What to know before visiting the national parks34:04 The best way to plan your Costa Rica tripConnect with Jennifer Dombroski:Website + Blog: https://luxeadventuretraveler.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luxeadventuretrvlr/What's on your Costa Rica bucket list? Zip lining, rainforest hikes, volcanoes? Tell us about it in the comments!Connect with AAA:Book travel: https://aaa-text.co/travelingwithaaa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprisesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAAAutoClubEnterprisesPodcast: TravelingWithAAA.com 

www.texasmandarin.com

In this episode of For The Dads with Former NFL Linebacker Will Compton, Will defends the use of childcare on vacation, Sherm cracks a cold Olipop to Baylor Football and Chef doubles down on his burrito promise — all while keeping the episode fun, fresh and of course, under an hour. The episode kicks off with Chef defending his burrito honor and promising to make it right before getting into topics like; A Dad Hack to never miss trash day again Trying a limited addition Olipop flavor Scottie and ScarScar take some LUMPS Other highlights include: A hilarious call in about Potty Training Dealing with teething children

The Hidden Lightness with Jimmy Hinton – A 60-mile bike trip across Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia shows how affordable adventures can strengthen family bonds, reveal American history, and inspire gratitude. Along the way, scenic trails, small towns, and unexpected challenges offer meaningful lessons about freedom, government, faith, and time together...

PWTorch editor Wade Keller presents the Tuesday Flagship edition of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast with guest co-host Jason Powell from ProWrestling.net. They discuss these topics:MAIN FREE PORTION TOPICSSunday Night's Main Event preview with analysis of the build for Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker and where it could go and a case for Bron beating Oba. Also, a look at Randy Orton vs Cody Rhodes and how Orton is hedging on playing a heel, Tatum Paxley so far, and Baron Corbin vs. Lil' YachtyThe Luchador Tournament to earn shot against Roman ReignsThe Royce Keys & Co. backstage attack and how the WWE narrative framed itPlus sidebars on the Minnesota State Fair, Minnesota Vikings, and celebrities styling their namesVIP EXCLUSIVE AFTERSHOWAn email from a listener on whether Penta has a chance to actually beat Roman Reigns on Sept. 14 and an angle leads to War Games with three factionsAn email from a listener on WWE losing their way with the time-honed constructs that lead to fans' peak investment in the matchesIs Mercedes Mone reaching her peak so far in AEW as an overall character contributing to selling tickets and drawing fan interest?Thoughts on The New Level (New Day) in AEW and the direction that AEW's tag division hopefully takesThoughts on the presentation of Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega at All In with the video packages and ring entrances, and then Ospreay's comments afterwardBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

Kelly Wells and Nate Lindberg discuss six challengers for the NXT Championship, Myles Borne's paranoid reasoning, three acts getting their first ever wins on NXT, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

In this week's 5 Yrs Ago Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show (8-30-2021), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch contributor Javier Machado to review WWE Monday Night Raw with live calls and emails and two on-site correspondents from Oklahoma City, Okla. The on-site correspondents detailed what happened off-air and crowd reactions. Topics with callers and emails included Damian Priest pinning Drew McIntyre, Nia Jax pinning Charlotte, reshuffled line-up including no Bobby Lashley vs. Sheamus match as advertised, Doudrop vs. Eva Marie, and more.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

Marci feels bad for the people washed away…and invites the clouds over to her house. There are vacation planners, and do-ers, and there are vacation slackers. The reunion that's just for men. When you think you're over it….but find out you're not.

A road trip isn't what you do when flying doesn't work out — done right, it's its own kind of vacation. This week, Ryan and Julie break down who road trips are actually best for, and the planning habits that separate a great one from a stressful one.Who Road Trips Are Best For Families with young kids (within 5-6 hours), travelers with flight anxiety, pet owners, and anyone who wants to explore a region deeply rather than just hit the highlights.Why It's Worth Considering The financial argument (full control over lodging, food, and transportation costs), the flexibility argument (no change fees, no schedule but your own), and the experience argument — the unplanned stops and detours often become the stories people remember for years.Planning It Right Build the trip around the drive, not just the destination. Don't overplan every hour, book pet-friendly stops carefully (a "pet-friendly" listing isn't always current), and prep the car before you go — oil change, roadside assistance, and a stocked snack box included.Tips for the Road Drive the hard miles first thing in the morning, switch drivers every two hours, gas up before you think you need to, and make every stop purposeful — a meal, a landmark, a short hike — rather than just a leg-stretch.Where in the World? Two couples are headed to the Danube River this October with AmaWaterways, right in the middle of Oktoberfest — with a completely refreshed onboard experience Ryan can't wait to hear about.Next week: things you didn't know were at Universal Orlando Resort. Thinking about your next road trip? Hit play for the planning tips that make all the difference — and head to wonderandbeyondtravel.com when you're ready to start.Support the showLove the podcast? Help us continue to create great travel content by supporting the show. You can do that here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1197029/supporters/newReady to plan your vacation?  Most families are confused and overwhelmed when planning a vacation. We work with you to plan a trip perfect for your family. Saving you time, money, and stress! Visit our website www.allthingstravelpodcast.com and click on "Plan Your Next Vacation"Join the travel conversations and the fun in our Facebook Page and Instagram Page!Please share the show with your travel buddies!!  Click this link and share the show!Never miss an episode and help us take you to the top with us by following and leaving a 5-Star review on your favorite podcasting app!

On this episode we featuring one of our favorite recurring guests: Tory Lanez! She comes on and gives us a life update, her latest trip to Turks and Caicos and what ever happened to her man in Miami?? Plus we play 21 questions and she brings on the Bender Queen Alijah on and tells us about her former OF career. Follow us on social media @AaronScenesAfterParty

Our nostalgia season continues with Season 11 of 'AnotherLook' - listen up as Corey's pick for the week (Tiny Toon Adventures: How I Spent My Vacation) has the podcasting duo discussing all things cartoons, direct to video sequels, and the Looney Tunes nature of our cinematic history. If you have Coyote Vs. Acme on the brain, check this episode out!

0:00 Intro 0:10 Contract 2:25 OCD 5:32 Vacation rules 8:14 Lake house 9:54 Aunts kids Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we jump back 15 years to the Aug. 9, 2011 episode of the PWTorch Livecast with host PWTorch editor Wade Keller and cohost Jason Powell of ProWrestling.net discuss previously night's Raw including a focus in particular on the John Cena-CM Punk-Triple H contract signing segment at the end, plus WWE's cutbacks, Gail Kim's failed attempt to quit, Summerslam's mere four match line-up so far, TNA Hardcore Justice, and more including a previously VIP-exclusive Aftershow.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.

Planning a Hawaii itinerary sounds easy until your list of things to do keeps getting longer.✅ Free Hawaii Itinerary Reality ChecklistBeaches, restaurants, tours, lookouts, reservations. They may all be great options, but trying to fit everything into one trip can quickly turn your vacation into a checklist.In this episode, I'll share my simple framework I use to build Hawaii days that feel realistic without missing the experiences that matter most.You'll learn:How to use the Anchor, Add-on, Flex method to plan each dayWhy the advertised length of an activity isn't its true time costHow grouping activities by area can make your days feel less rushedWhy you should pressure-test your whole trip, not just individual daysHow to leave enough flexibility for the unexpected moments that often become the best part of a Hawaii tripYou probably don't need to start your Hawaii itinerary over. You may just need to edit it.Resources mentioned:✅ Free Hawaii Itinerary Reality Checklist

PWTorch contributors Zac Clarke and Jerud Buhagiar analyze the landscape of TNA's storylines on the road to Bound for Glory, critique the current booking of the TNA Tag Titles, discuss the Option-C concept as a path to the World Title, and also weigh the effectiveness of introducing the Knockouts Television Championship. Further, Zac and JB, in the VIP Exclusive Aftershow, share several thoughts on the AEW All In PPV, including the Ospreay-Omega pre-match, Mercedes Mone's impressive run, AEW's strong production, and wrestler entrances at All-In, as well as a note on Kevin Owens' current run in WWE and potential injury scare.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pwtorch-dailycast--3276210/support.

PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch's Javier Machado to discuss Raw with live chat and live caller interaction throughout. They begin by discussing the silliness of the supposed "edgy" angle at the start of the show that was farcically presented as "live" despite obvious post-production. They discuss why this is stupid and overwrought, but also how it's symptomatic of something fundamental to the presentation of pro wrestling that WWE has lost sight of internally. They also discuss the brilliant Paul Heyman promo for Oba Femi-Bron Breakker match, the Becky Lynch-Stephanie Vaquer exchange, Roman Reigns's character at its core and how it does and doesn't work in the context of his stories, what's not clicking with Chad Gable but how he had a good night, how Sol Ruca seems to be redeeming herself with another solid in-ring performance, and much more with live caller and chat interactions throughout.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545/support.

TWS News 1: Canceling the Thumbs Up Emoji – 00:24 Commuter Stories – 3:01 Monday School: Small Acts of Faith – 7:36 TWS News 2: Dolly Parton Airport – 11:33 Your Funeral Song – 14:11 TWS News 3: School vs Vacation – 21:05 Your Impression – 24:12 Rock Report: Bring the Pain – 32:24 Silver Lining – 35:41 You can join our Wally Show Poddies Facebook group at www.facebook.com/groups/WallyShowPoddies This podcast is crowd funded - that means that you help make it possible. If you like it and want to support it, give here.

In this week's Flagship Flashback episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast from ten years ago (8-31-2016), PWTorch editor Wade Keller was joined by PWTorch Livecast Saturday Morning Wrestling host Jim Valley to discuss the big topics from Raw and Smackdown, the state of the roster split, how WWE would benefit greatly from cleaning up their wreck of a narrative structure, the dilemma of heels being cheered, the history of six-man tag team titles prompted by news of ROH adding new title belts, and much more with live callers throughout.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-podcast--3076978/support.