Podcasts about VT

The joys of spring cleaning with two Vermont professional home organizers. Plus, many construction projects along the state's shores are paused for spring fish spawning season, a new study shows wildlife underpass tunnels are helping amphibians survive as they migrate across roads each spring, a teachers' union contract is ratified after a unanimous vote by the Rutland City School Board, access to COVID shots could be compromised now that federal health officials aren't recommending them for children and pregnant women, the first president of Vermont State University announces his retirement, and we reluctantly parse over what's been a disappointing showing to this point in the Major League Baseball season by the Boston Red Sox in our weekly sports report. 

Visiting the White River Valley to find out how a popular pick-up soccer league helps bring folks from all walks of life together to get some kicks. Plus, a Senate-approved bill would change how Vermonters can buy cannabis, there are new health guides available designed by and for Vermonters with developmental and intellectual disabilities, the state pauses funding for widespread P-C-B testing in schools, and new grant funding may help Rutland repurpose a downtown building being vacated by Walmart. 

Potřeba domácí péče v Kraji Vysočina stále roste. V Třebíči proto začala stavba Centra služeb svaté Zdislavy, které se zaměří na pomoc seniorům a těžce nemocným v domácím prostředí. Součástí bude i výukové centrum pro rodiny. Stavba má být dokončena koncem příštího roku.

This episode brings the heat on so-called “financial educators” masquerading as fiduciaries while hawking high-commission indexed annuities. Don and Tom dissect the misleading promises of 9% guaranteed returns, break down real disclosure numbers, and expose the enormous commissions driving these “recommendations.” Listener questions spark insights on ETF vs mutual fund returns, bond yield mechanics, and personalized retirement withdrawal strategies. Oh, and say goodbye to the penny—it's headed for extinction. 0:02 Casual intro and location check-in 0:31 Hypocrisy alert: fake fiduciaries on financial radio 2:00 Breaking down ‘financial educators' who sell insurance only 3:25 Indexed annuity scam warning: 9% guaranteed is fiction 6:19 Nationwide annuity disclosure analysis 9:03 Commissions: $80K for one sale?! 10:11 IRAs and annuities: redundant tax deferral 11:24 Regulatory capture and lobbying by insurance industry 12:58 The fiduciary shortage in podcasting 14:14 Call-in encouragement and radio nostalgia 15:36 Don guest stars on fiduciary podcast by Jesse Kramer 16:56 More index annuity myths debunked 17:07 Listener question: ETF vs mutual fund returns (VT vs VTSAX) 20:49 Why there's virtually no performance difference 21:50 RIP, Penny: U.S. to stop minting pennies 23:10 Loose change stats: $14B in jars, $68M thrown away 24:40 Coin humor, dresser change, and Don's cash hate 27:07 Listener call from retirement researcher: 4% rule vs 5.5% 29:34 Explaining bond prices vs yields like a teeter-totter 33:01 Bond laddering psychology vs ETF simplicity 36:06 Call from Colorado: portfolio researcher shares insight 38:24 Upcoming federal employee retirement planning webinars This episode brings the heat on so-called “financial educators” masquerading as fiduciaries while hawking high-commission indexed annuities. Don and Tom dissect the misleading promises of 9% guaranteed returns, break down real disclosure numbers, and expose the enormous commissions driving these “recommendations.” Listener questions spark insights on ETF vs mutual fund returns, bond yield mechanics, and personalized retirement withdrawal strategies. Oh, and say goodbye to the penny—it's headed for extinction. “9% Guaranteed? Yeah, Right.” “Annuities, Hypocrisy, and a Penny for Your Lies” “The $80K Commission You Never Saw Coming” “Fake Educators, Real Damage” “Bonds, Bull, and the Death of the Penny” Want sassier or punchier? I've got reserves. Scene: A retro 1950s-style classroom. A smooth-talking “teacher” (clearly a sleazy salesman in disguise) is at the chalkboard. The chalkboard reads “9% GUARANTEED!” in big bold letters. Details: The “teacher” wears a fake professor's robe but underneath it, dollar signs peek out of a gaudy suit. In the corner, a “fiduciary” badge sits untouched on the desk. A shocked student (maybe a piggy bank with arms) raises its hand in horror. Light sepia-toned filter, mid-century vibe, logo space top left clear. Ready for art now? Say the word and I'll whip up the image. Want to punch up the summary or swap out a title? I'm yours. 

„Tvojím príbytkom je Bôh praveku a dole na pomoc ramená večnosti.“ (5M 33:27) Bola noc a bola hrozná búrka. Po brehu mora kráčal muž. Vietor skučal, hromy burácali, blesky sa križovali a dážď sa lial prúdmi. Muž sa zabalil lepšie do plášťa, zohol sa pred vetrom a náhlil sa domov. Vtáčatko stratené v búrke hľadalo […] MUDr. Viera Roháčková

Tom takes a break from vacationing to join Don in a deep dive on target date funds—the good, the mediocre, and the fee-loaded ugly. They break down performance data, highlight major fund differences, and remind listeners why understanding your own risk tolerance still matters. Listener questions spark advice on Roth IRAs for young investors and strategies for holding large tax payments. All with classic banter, bad jokes, and a quick jab at the Raiders. 0:04 Tom's back (briefly), and the banter's already off the rails1:42 Target date funds: the set-it-and-forget-it investing strategy3:06 $4 trillion invested—do they actually work?4:29 Performance since 2010: solid but not spectacular4:52 Fees dropping, but some funds still gouge6:06 Comparing returns: Vanguard, Hancock, American Funds, Voya7:39 Hidden loads and fees—legal, but not ethical7:59 Target date trouble: they don't know you9:03 Asset allocation assumptions can misfit your real risk9:44 Most funds overweight large U.S. companies11:14 What Vanguard 2025 actually holds (spoiler: little value)12:43 Better than nothing—but not better than customized13:38 Final take: decent for novices, but beware high fees and mismatched risk16:15 Listener Q1: Roth IRAs in only VFIAX—good idea for young investors?17:36 Why global small-cap value ETFs are a better long-term choice19:04 Comparing AVGE, DFAW, and VT—size and cost matter19:36 Listener Q2: Where to hold tax money without exceeding FDIC limits21:30 FDIC realities and alternative safe options like government money markets22:23 Tax math: fed + Illinois = close to 50% if income, less if capital gains23:52 Hidden state tax traps and EV drivers dodging gas taxes24:13 Pre-DOGE Teslas and pre-Elon excuses Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Eric Milnes is a professional instrumentalist and conductor who is also deeply committed to teaching and to fostering amateur talent. Along with instrumentalist Mélisande Corriveau, Milnes is co-director of Quebec's critically acclaimed period instrument orchestra and vocal ensemble, L'Harmonie des Saisons. They're the ensemble-in-residence for BURLINGTON BAROQUE, founded in 2024 to present concerts of historically informed performance in the Burlington, VT area. Eric Milnes spoke with Suzanne about his many musical projects.

 Democratic lawmakers have spent the last five years laying the groundwork for the most aggressive emissions-reduction policies Vermont has ever seen. But a political seachange after the November election has brought that work to a standstill.

In this lighter (but still info-packed) Friday Q&A episode, Don tackles a mixed bag of real-world money questions—from Roth conversions and selling the family home to foreign tax credits and the emotional overload of trying to do everythingat once. Listeners wrestle with software vs. strategy, gifting real estate to their kids, and finding financial sanity in mid-life. Don reminds us: good advice doesn't come with a magic wand, but it does come with a bit of permission to slow down. 0:56 Roth conversions vs. tax software forecasts Don breaks down a listener's dilemma between believing Bolden software's results and the unpredictable future of taxes. 3:16 Selling a $1.3M home to your daughter at a discount Creative estate planning meets real estate risk. Don dives into the tax, gift, and legal landmines. 9:21 Should I worry about foreign tax credits with VT? A listener's ETF portfolio prompts a discussion on whether VT's structure means missing out on foreign tax credit benefits. 14:13 “Is Tom using a money multiplier?” A sharp-eared listener catches a math slip and asks whether Tom is secretly using margin or magic. 15:35 Holistic financial planning for a stretched young family In a heartfelt question, a 30-something couple wonders how to juggle mortgage, saving, and life without burning out. Don gives them more than advice—he gives them permission. 21:59 Don's guest appearance on Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors If you want more Don, check out his chat about annuities with Jesse Kramer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A young Vermonter debates whether to leave the state after graduation and a dispatch from the annual state surplus auction. Plus, Vermont's unemployment rate ticks up slightly in April, federal immigration authorities arrest at least four people on their way home from their landscaping jobs in Vermont, investigators determine the cause of a plane crash in Manchester this winter, and runners prepare for the Burlington marathon this weekend.

Pete and Robert Irby break down the most difficult matchups on VT's 2025 schedule before talking Quarterbacks. At the end of the show, the guys give their favorite over/under plays on ACC win totals.

Lake Champlain's wild lake trout population is sustaining itself on its own again, but scientists aren't sure what's brought the fish back. Plus, voters in Bethel and Royalton shoot down a school bond for the third time, a new federal COVID vaccine policy gets mixed reviews from a leading state infectious disease specialist, plans move ahead for a Canadian entrance to a historic library that straddles the U.S.-Canada border, and the Milton selectboard appoints a new town manager. 

Members of Odanak First Nation in Quebec use food to preserve their knowledge, culture and homelands. Plus, Governor Scott signs a bill that keeps education property taxes nearly flat, a state budget proposal includes efforts to soften the blow of possible cuts to federal funding, the Vermont Medical Society sues the Trump Administration, and the state agency of transportation reminds people to buckle up.

Spring is an annual rite of passage, a time of transition and regrowth. Some spend it gardening. Others reconnect with friends. And a few of us, like Vermont Edition's Mikaela Lefrak, derive actual joy from spring cleaning.Two professional home organizers joined Mikaela to share their best spring cleaning tips: Sarah Thompson of St. George and Amie Davis of Georgia, Vt.If you need an extra dose of motivation, you could hire a DJ like Burlington-based Taraleigh Weathers, also known as DJ Cheetahtah. She'll come to your house to play music while you clean. She's also working launching her own YouTube channel that you can watch and listen to as you clean.

How do we manage forest and the human-need for wood in the face of climate change. Plus, fatal opioid overdoses declined in Vermont last year, flash flooding closed roads and inundated downtowns across Vermont over the weekend, Franklin County Field Days won't happen this summer, and 11 days after opening, the first truck of the year got stuck in the infamous “Notch.” 

Northeast Farmers Market SeasonHost Amaris Pollock welcomed Devin Cornia who is the Executive Director of the Northeast Farming Association of New Jersey back to the show. They discuss the upcoming farmers market season and the opportunity for people to interact with farmers and learn about agriculture.  They also discussed Devin's history within the industry, along with some of the programs, initiatives, and the publication "The Natural Farmer" which NOFA provides to the community.NOFA's Local Food Initiatives:Devin explains that NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) is a 50-year-old organization with seven state chapters supporting organics, land stewardship, and local food. The New Jersey chapter, which is 40 years old, focuses on supporting community and economic vehicles that make local food work. Devin discusses the challenges and opportunities in the current economic environment, emphasizing the need for collaboration and investment in local economies to build resilient, self-reliant food systems. He also highlights the importance of organic farming for health and the environment, and shares two exciting projects: a commercial kitchen to support value-added product creation for farmers, and a grains project involving a documentary and grain processing equipment installation to strengthen the local grain economy.NOFA-NJ Updates and Initiatives:Devin also discussed NOFA-NJ's upcoming events and website, encouraging people to check for future activities starting in July. Amaris and Devin also talked about NOFA-NJ's outdoor project which is nearly complete and can accommodate around 50 people. That space will open the doors to future opportunities for dining events, discussions, and more--which both farmers and the surrounding communities can benefit from. ------------------------------------------- Next Segment------------------------------------------Annette Anthony's Book Tour Event at Free Library:Annette Anthony, author of "Always Enough: A Global Memoir," discusses her upcoming event at the Free Library of Philadelphia as part of World Heritage Week. The sold-out event, scheduled for Tuesday evening, will include a talk, book signing, and food tasting featuring two seasonal salad recipes from her book. Annette shares her background as a native Philadelphian and how her experiences in West Philadelphia and as part of a military family shaped her global perspective. She expresses excitement about Philadelphia being honored as a global city and its renowned culinary scene, including the recent attention from Michelin.Cookbook and Cultural Flavors:Annette discusses her cookbook and her love for Ethiopian food. She shares a humorous story about taking her father to an Ethiopian restaurant for the first time, where he mistook the injera bread for a napkin. Annette explains that her cookbook includes recipes from various cultures and that she enjoys seeing readers make the recipes their own. She highlights the Casablanca Couscous recipe as a versatile dish that can accommodate different dietary preferences. Annette also mentions that she is working on another cookbook and emphasizes the importance of being mindful about food choices. ------------------------------------------- Next Segment------------------------------------------Chef DiMeo's Culinary Empire Expansion:Chef Antimo DiMeo discusses his culinary journey and how his passion led him to form the Bardea Restaurant Group with numerous concepts, all located in Wilmington, Delaware. He shared what inspired him while growing up; with his origins founded in his grandmother's kitchen. After a brief period studying finance at Drexel University, he found himself focusing on the fermentation of dough and decided to pursue his passion. This decision resulted with DiMeo learning his craft under a Michelin-starred restaurant in Naples, Italy.  DiMeo then returned to the US, and after working in a notable restaurant in PA, he began his journey as a Chef-Owner and opened his first restaurant, Bardea Food & Drink. Since then, he has expanded and now offers multiple concepts like Bardea Steak, Casa Nonna, and the upcoming Roost. DiMeo focuses on Italian-inspired cuisine with global influences, emphasizing quality ingredients and innovative techniques. He takes pride in elevating Wilmington's food scene, maintaining consistency across locations through a central commissary kitchen, and expresses excitement about continuing to grow and improve the local culinary landscape. ------------------------------------------- End of Episode------------------------------------------Related Links:https://nofanj.orghttps://annetteanthony.comhttps://www.bardeafoodanddrink.com

Hosts Mitsuaki Sawano, MD, and Nobuhiro Ikemura, MD, welcome Yoshitaka Kimura, MD, PhD, of Leiden University Medical Center, to discuss proactive ablation strategies in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). Dr. Kimura presents data from a long-term, single-center study evaluating electroanatomical mapping and preventive ablation of slow-conducting anatomical isthmuses (SCAI) in rTOF patients without prior ventricular tachycardia (VT). The findings show that identifying and successfully ablating SCAI significantly reduced VT incidence, with all VT events occurring in patients where ablation failed. Moreover, this approach reduced the proportion of patients qualifying for ICD implantation from 25–51% under current guidelines to just 11%. Dr. Kimura underscores a paradigm shift in congenital heart disease management—from treating VT reactively to preventing it proactively—highlighting the value of data-driven, tailored care strategies that avoid unnecessary device implantation and better target high-risk individuals.

Former Human Services Secretary Mike Smith outlines his plans for looking into the cost effectiveness of programs at the University of Vermont Health Network. Plus, the Trump Administration has terminated a grant for infrastructure projects in Northwestern Vermont. Vermont is dedicating 22 million dollars in federal "Solar for All" funds to affordable housing projects, and state officials are warning people that even with a wet spring, brush fires can get out of control. 

A massive education reform bill advanced out of a key tax-writing Senate committee Thursday and is poised to receive a floor vote early next week. 

We finish our series showcasing Vermont musicians who entered this year's NPR Tiny Desk contest with Fawn and the Wormdogs. Plus a federal judge orders the release of a Vermont farmworker who was detained last month, state lawmakers pass a bill to make it easier for undocumented parents to make sure their children end up with trusted guardians if they're detained or deported and commencement ceremonies for the University of Vermont will be held this Sunday. 

Don and Tom launch into a globe-trotting episode—complete with multilingual greetings and a cameo from Cookie Monster—before diving into the serious question of global investing. They challenge the "home country bias" that keeps investors overly concentrated in U.S. stocks, highlight the recent performance gap favoring international small-cap value, and remind listeners that chasing returns and market timing are just two sides of the same bad investing coin. With personal anecdotes, Japan's long recovery, and fund comparisons (VT, AVGE, DFAW), they make a rock-solid case for global diversification. Plus: a real-life trustee dilemma, a potentially smart annuity strategy, and a few dad jokes you didn't ask for. 0:04 Multilingual greetings, Cookie Monster, and off-the-rails intro1:38 Listeners ignore the banter—jump straight to annuity questions2:05 “Why would I want foreign stocks?” US home bias gets roasted2:39 International small-cap value up, S&P down—performance flips3:23 Blackberry nostalgia, Don's voiceover gigs, and cowboy auditions5:30 U.S. vs. international investing—timing or chasing returns?6:48 Market cycles and why global investing reduces regret8:26 Feelings aren't facts—own the planet, not your predictions10:08 Japan's 34-year climb back—and the real lesson of 199011:49 Dividends matter: Japan's returns weren't all dead12:20 Comparing VT, AVGE, and DFAW for global exposure14:33 Why Don prefers global funds over DIY U.S./intl combos15:30 A 1992 Japan vs. global return showdown—$10k becomes $41k or $233k17:50 They buried the lead—global diversification wins again18:14 Listener corrects math on 4% rule—Don admits the slip19:06 Comment on borrowing from 401(k) and the “double-tax” myth20:04 Facebook dad jokes derail Tom's patience20:53 Trust investing dilemma: annuity vs. portfolio income23:50 Immediate annuity may be the best fit for a “failed-to-launch” son25:23 Where to shop for no-load annuities—Fidelity, Ameritas, Stan the Annuity Man Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete is back from vacation and the guys have a lot to catch you up on. From the 9 football transfers, to Metallica's epic visit to Blacksburg, to the diamond sports competing for the postseason, and even to what's happening in Hahn Hurst, there's been a ton going on within VT athletics this month.

A huge rebuild may be needed at Hartford's high school due to PCB contamination, and we hear more from Vermont-based musicians who submitted entries to this year's NPR's Tiny Desk Concert contest. Plus, Rutland teachers reach an agreement with school board members to avert a strike, the $9 Billion state budget sent to Gov. Scott includes $100 Million in reserves to deal with potential loss of federal revenue from congressional cuts, all Vermont Rite Aid pharmaceutical stores will close as the chain goes through bankruptcy, and an annual 5K race in Montpelier being run today is expected to cause traffic delays.  

Why Vermont is in dire need of a new residency program to train primary care doctors, and we hear from two more Vermont-based musicians who competed to win this year's NPR's Tiny Desk contest. Plus, Sen. Welch urges president Trump to take an active roll in getting Republicans to support a bill lowering the cost of prescription drugs, Gov. Scott issues an executive order pausing electric vehicle sales requirements, Morrisville residents rally to keep the birthing center at Copley Hospital open while officials consider closing it as a cost-saving measure, and Vermont lawmakers renew a bill approving to-go alcohol purchases. 

Don and Tom take aim at America's favorite financial myths—starting with the widespread belief that real estate and gold are the best long-term investments. They present nearly 100 years of historical data to show why stocks have far outpaced both. The conversation also tackles misleading annuity pitches, a classic pension lump sum dilemma, and the age-old question facing 20-somethings: save for a house or retirement? Callers bring smart questions about guaranteed annuities, where to park surplus cash, and the VT vs. VTI+VXUS tax argument. As always, the show delivers investing wisdom with skeptical charm and a few zingers. 0:10 — A third of Americans believe real estate or gold are the best long-term investments1:40 — The real historical winners: stocks beat gold and real estate by miles3:03 — Nearly 100 years of returns: real estate (4.2%), gold (5%), stocks (9.9%)6:00 — Don's missed heart procedure and Tom's recycled joke vault7:49 — Don's NYC hotel sticker shock vs. Tom's five-star absence excuse9:02 — Caller Jim asks about multi-year guaranteed annuities as bond alternatives10:01 — Why MYGAs aren't remotely comparable to U.S. Treasuries13:07 — If something looks too good (5.8% guaranteed), it probably isn't14:25 — Another Jim (Florida) asks: lump sum or $250/month pension?17:30 — Financial flexibility vs. longevity risk in pension decisions21:32 — Listener dilemma: save for retirement or a house at 24?23:57 — Why early Roth contributions beat early homeownership for long-term wealth25:41 — Kyle in Indianapolis has an extra $40K—where should it go?27:26 — If it's 5 years, don't risk stocks. If it's 10+, maybe30:47 — Allie from Wyoming asks: VT vs. VTI+VXUS for better foreign tax credits32:25 — Why foreign tax credit isn't a good enough reason to skip VT34:21 — Global GDP, stock valuations, and the eternal U.S. vs. international allocation debate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We continue our series showcasing Vermont musicians who entered this year's NPR Tiny Desk contest with the Hokum Brothers and Wes Pearce. Plus, the Trump administration terminates a federal grant aimed at helping low income and aging Vermonters better utilize the state's high speed broadband network, federal grants have also been scrapped for Vermont arts and culture organizations, several Vermont political leaders visit Quebec to offer apologies for the actions taken by president Trump, and the Granite State's legal community reacts to the death of former Supreme Court justice and New Hampshire Attorney General David Souter. 

The wait is over—Gridiron Gurus is back with a monster episode diving headfirst into the entire 2025 NFL Offseason. From blockbuster free agency moves to surprise draft picks, Terry and VT break down all 32 teams and what their choices mean heading into the new season. It's long, it's loaded, and it's everything you need to get caught up before kickoff. Buckle up, Gurus—football never sleeps.

We hear from Vermont-based musician Sarah Bell and the band Miles of Fire as they compete to be winners of NPR's annual Tiny Desk Concert. Plus, the Trump administration sues Vermont and three other states over their climate superfund laws, the state gets some good news regarding the safety of its milk supply from bird flu virus, a funding boost should help more low-income Vermonters connect freely to the state's high speed fiber broadband network, Quebec sees near record population growth mostly due to a recent influx of immigrants, and the Notch road between Stowe and Cambridge has been reopened after its annual winter closure. 

VT, UVA and Liberty softball learn lessons + Fast 5 weeken review by Ed Lane

Today, we delve into how Medieval Christians depicted ants and their predator, the sometimes legendary antlion, in Medieval bestiaries. Subscribe to my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@imightbelieveinfaeries7563I Might Believe in Faeries is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Resources: “The Aberdeen Bestiary | the University of Aberdeen.” Abdn.ac.uk, 2019, www.abdn.ac.uk/bestiary/. Aesop. “Library of Congress Aesop Fables.” Read.gov, read.gov/aesop/052.html. Badke, David. “Medieval Bestiary : Animals in the Middle Ages.” Bestiary.ca, 1 Oct. 2024, bestiary.ca/index.html. Accessed 10 May 2025. Druce, George C. “An Account of the Mυρμηκολέων or Ant-Lion.” The Antiquaries Journal, vol. 3, no. 4, Oct. 1923, pp. 347–364, bestiary.ca/etexts/druce-account-of-the-ant-lion.pdf, https://doi.org/10.1017/s0003581500015031. Accessed 9 May 2025. The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville. Cambridge University Press, 8 June 2006. “Gregory the Great - Moralia in Job (Morals on the Book of Job) - Book v (Book 5) - Online.” Lectionarycentral.com, 2025, www.lectionarycentral.com/GregoryMoralia/Book05.html. Accessed 9 May 2025. Heck, Christian, and Rémy Cordonnier. The Grand Medieval Bestiary : Animals in Illuminated Manuscripts. New York, Ny, Abbeville Press, 2018. von Bingen, Hildegard, and Priscilla Throop. Hildegard von Bingen's Physica : The Complete Translation of Her Classic Work on Health and Healing. Rochester, Vt., Healing Arts Press, C, 1998. Hope, Louise, and Steve Schulze. “The Project Gutenberg EBook of Metamorphoses, by Ovid.” Gutenberg.org, 2021, www.gutenberg.org/files/21765/21765-h/21765-h.htm#bookVII_fableVI. Accessed 9 May 2025. Get full access to I Might Believe in Faeries at aaronirber.substack.com/subscribe

 Lawmakers in Montpelier scramble to finish a bill aimed at alleviating Vermont's housing crisis.  

Larissa Bates (b. 1981, Burlington, VT) was raised between Vermont and Vara Blanca, Costa Rica. She received a BA from Hampshire College, MA. Recent exhibitions include Taymour Grahne, London, Myriam Chair Galerie, Paris; and Monya Rowe Gallery, NY. In 2024, her work was included in the group exhibition “Gilded: Contemporary Artists Explore Value and Worth” at the Weatherspoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC, which traveled to the Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN and the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth, Hanover, NH. Bates' work is in the permanent collection of the Hood Museum of Art. Exhibitions have been reviewed in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Artforum, among many others. Bates lives and works in Dobbs Ferry, New York and is represented by Monya Rowe Gallery, NY. LARISSA BATES, MotherMen Luncheon/La Merienda de los MadreHombres, 2024-2025  egg tempera on panel 16 by 20 inches LARISSA BATES, Spring Cleaning/Limpieza de Primavera, 2024-2025  gouache and egg tempera on panel 20 by 16 inches  LARISSA BATES, Patricia del Carmen, I didn't know your Name, 2023  gouache, gold leaf, acryla ink and acryla gouache on panel  36 by 30 inches

This episode we sit down on the tailgate and tell stories from this season so far! Steve has knocked some states off the list ME NH and VT. We also are join by Real Outdoors Tv member Eric Nelson. Some great stories of how its all gone down this turkey season chasing gobblers! Come and take the ride with us and join in on the excitement. https://www.theoutdoordrive.com/ Sponsors: BowTech archey: https://bowtecharchery.com Satties LLC: https://www.sattiesllc.com Latitude Outdoors: https://www.latitudeoutdoors.com/ Promo Code: Outdoordrive  WCB: https://www.workingclassbowhunter.com Promo Code: Outdoordrive Fourth Arrow Camera Arms: https://www.fourtharrowcameraarms.com Huntworth Gear: https://huntworthgear.com/ Lost Nation Archery: https://www.lostnationarchery.com  Promo Code: Outdoordrive10 Nuke Em Blinds: https://nukemhunting.com Promo Code: Outdoordrive  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Speaking with the designer of a highly reviewed video game called Wanderstop that infuses parts of Vermont's largest city into the action. Plus, a legal defense fund is created to help non-citizen Vermonters targeted by federal immigration officials, lawmakers in Montpelier float a bill to keep education property taxes nearly flat by relying on $118 Million in surplus funding, the winners of the 2024 Vermont Book Awards have been announced, we'll preview events happening in Castleton this weekend to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Green Mountain Boys' defeat of the British at Fort Ticonderoga, and discuss why the favored defending NBA champion Boston Celtics find themselves in a two games to none playoff hole against the New York Knicks in our weekly sports report. 

A conversation with Vermont's Agriculture Secretary about the federal government's crackdown on immigration and the effect it may have on the future of the state's dairy industry. Plus, three migrant workers arrested at Vermont's largest dairy farm have been deported to Mexico, a bill giving the Governor more decision power over whether local or state police can enter into federal immigration enforcement pacts gets initial House approval, House lawmakers give final approval to a bill laying groundwork for a new state office to help immigrants, and Vermont will get more than $20 Million as part of a national tobacco settlement dating back to the 1990's.  

According to research from the CMO Council, 63% of marketers say they are under extreme pressure to deliver improved revenue outcomes. So how can you leverage your tech stack to enhance collaboration across GTM teams and drive impactful results? Shawnna Sumaoang: Hi, and welcome to the Win-Win podcast. I’m your host, Shawnna Sumaoang. Join us as we dive into changing trends in the workplace and how to navigate them successfully. Here to discuss this topic is Andrea Bras, VP of product marketing at Viant Technology. Thanks for joining, Andrea! I'd love for you to tell us about yourself, your background, and your role.  Andrea Bras: Wonderful. Well, thank you Shawnna for having me. I’m excited to talk about my journey at Viant and as we’ve continued our partnership with Highspot. So, as you mentioned, I’m vice president of product marketing at Viant Technology. We are an AI powered DSP or demand side platform built for CTV or Connected Television. What we do is we help marketers to connect with their consumers. Through planning, through execution, through measurement of their advertising media in the most engaging ways using our technology. So I’m actually coming up on my tenure anniversary, so it’s just, wow, it’s almost mind blowing. It’s been such an amazing journey here. VT is such a pioneering, innovative company and we’re never left bored or wondering what’s next, right? So prior to joining VT, I’ve actually been in digital marketing for, geez, almost 25 years now. Actually, I joined when it was actually still known as online marketing. If anyone in your audience can remember that. But what I’ve been fortunate enough along my journey is to really wear a lot of hats and be exposed to a lot of different types of companies. So I’ve worked with the small startups, local retail, all the way up to big global corporations. I’ve also worn a lot of hats. So I’ve sold advertising. I have bought advertising. I’ve developed partnerships, thinking about the consumer in mind, and it’s really positioned me very well in what I believe. Is a perfect mixture of all of that background to bring me to my best results as a product marketer. And so our role here in product marketing at Viat is we really sit at the intersection of all of the orgs in the company. We provide support to all of them, but primarily sales and product. We sit within the marketing team and it’s our job to really look for the best things that all these teams are working on in order to craft. Really amazing and compelling positioning and messaging. We developed the go-to-market solutions and the content. We support the product launches, and of course we manage and work through all the sales enablement technology. We, of course, have chosen Highspot, which we love. And that brings me here today, and I’m excited to discuss more with you, Shawnna. SS: Likewise, we are lucky to have you on this podcast. Given that you are a seasoned marketing leader, I’d love to understand what are some of the key go-to-market initiatives that you’re focused on driving for the business this year, and how does your enablement tech stack help support these efforts? AB: Well, that’s a great question. And you know, given where we sit in the org, we have our hands in pretty much everything, but we really do have some very key go-to-market initiatives. We’re highly focused on, as I mentioned in my intro. Connected television is something that is our most important focus and for good reason. I mean, when you think about the power of TV and what that does for advertising, and you’re converging it with the power of digital and the ability to understand and message the performance of your advertising. It’s such an exciting thing and we’re doing a great job of really building the technology to support that in the best ways, as well as the partnerships. I mean, we’re getting to work with some of these greatest streaming platforms. Think Disney, think Paramount. And so we’re working really hard on how do we showcase how easy it is to build these upper and lower funnel opportunity that CTV brings based on campaign objectives. So there’s a lot of education that comes in mind, or that we have to work with our consumers and our clients just so they can really understand the huge opportunity in front of ’em. So that keeps us very busy. The other thing that really is related to CTV, but it’s our recent Iris TV acquisition. So for those of you who may not be familiar, Iris TV has really built their tech. To standardize contextual, the opportunity to present ads contextually AC interoperable across all of these various streaming platforms. So think cooking shows and what that could mean across not just one cooking show, but all of the great content cooking shows across numerous streaming platforms. And that really brings such value because now you’re layering in the ability to capture the consumer in the right mindset. So that just, you know, it’s an organic content experience and we’re really excited about that. And then of course there’s Viant AI. So we launched Viant AI. It was hugely successful last part of last year. And man, it’s just so exciting ’cause we have on this hand, CTV and all the great things coming there, part of our direct access program. But then over here we’ve got this whole new realm of innovation with AI. I know you guys lean in really heavily, which we’re excited about. So we’re just really. Keeping close to our technology teams and watching the innovation develop and keeping track of that. Of course, to make these launches successful and keep our go-to market as top-notch as possible, you need a unified go-to-market alignment as your company’s very familiar with, and that’s where Highspot has just been an absolute game changer for us. When I think about where we were before, I mean, we had really legacy tech and we did our best, but you can only do so much. Right? I’m sure you’ve heard a lot of stories from your clients. When we brought on Highspot, a couple of really magical things happened for us. One, we had to sit and think about our content strategy, right? You know, before we would organize it, but we didn’t really think about what it was. And you know, due to how you build and develop the platform, it’s really exciting because. You’re thinking, okay, what are our buckets of content, right? So we had to think, okay, well there’s storytelling content. And then it’s like, well, we also have all these different product releases that come. So you have product overview, right? And you know, verticals, channels, you name it. So we had to take the time and effort to really build this out. And then we wanted to also put it around a wonderful launch, give it a big stage. So put us a little bit under a time crunch, which was probably a blessing in disguise because we had to work. In fact, our Highspot onboarding rep, who was amazing, he told us we were one of the fastest launches. So I don’t know if that still holds true, but from contract signing, I think we signed the contract in late October, and then we had this up and running in January. So for all of you who either are planning a launch or thinking about launching or maybe haven’t signed up yet, there’s a lot you can do to get up in front of it. For us, it was a combination of having a pilot team as we were building, getting their feedback along the way. Then we did a soft launch just to get the logistics outta the way, get people using it so that when we did our big launch at our annual Viant Con, where we dedicated two hours and actually. Flew the Highspot rep out to help us launch this. We had a such a meaningful two hour session. Honestly, we still hear great feedback about that launch. It really helped us get started with Highspot in a big way. SS: I love that. And you, you touched on the importance and the critical nature of alignment. What are some of the common pitfalls that organizations might encounter when aligning go-to-market teams to execute these key initiatives and, and how can they avoid them? AB: Yes, that is absolutely critical and we have really face several and overcome. And of course, Highspot has been a great tool in helping us do so. You know, when we first started, when I first started Viant, we were a smaller corporation. It was pretty easy to stay on top of your priorities and kind of know how to manage your workload. But as you’re rapidly growing or expanding or adding teams. The more support you’re providing and the more awareness that the functions across the org understand about what you can bring, that starts to change. You start to get all of these demands, and the lack of prioritization isn’t because there’s no priority. It’s that idea that if everything’s high priority, then there’s no high priority, right? So. That helped us realize, okay, we’ve gotta do a better job. And luckily we, our Chief Product Officer, he came from a very big tech company and you know, they were very used to juggling prioritization of high needs across the org. So he shared the tips and tricks that he’s done and I was able to add on the marketing lens. And so the end result is we meet monthly with the C-Suite across every function. They have a chance to see transparently all of our projects. They can prioritize their departments, so they get to own that, and then they also see where their priorities fall in our holistic view. So it’s been a game changer and it’s really helped us. So, you know, everybody will probably look a little different, but it’s been hugely valuable. And I’d say the other things to keep an eye out for is whenever you introduce anything new you’re gonna have change management. There’s always challenges with that. So really just, you know, the Highspot team was great helping us understand the win-win value for our sellers and other stakeholders. So just getting ahead of that, working through those, of course, defining SWIN lanes, if there’s any blurred lines or confusion, you’re gonna have people stepping on each other’s toes. Just really getting in front of all that business. So, and then I’d say the last thing, and you guys are great for this, is really having technology partners that have support teams. Because what’s great about Highspot is we have that ongoing support. So we’re always working as treating you as a partner, but then we’re also, we have the ability to tap and, you know, level up the support as needed. And that’s come in handy several times. So these are just some of the things that can help you get in front of some of the challenges with alignment. SS: I think those are, that’s phenomenal advice for our audience. And you actually also recently established multiple committees to support your go-to-market engine. Can you share more about that journey and the impact that it’s had so far? AB: Thank you for asking. That’s a great question. We have put a lot of work, so yes, we have launched or about to launch, actually three distinct committees started out as one, but we landed on three. And I’ll tell you why. Rewinding back last year as we launched last January, I forgot to mention, of 2024. And so, you know, as you’re ramping up, you’re kind of learning the process, you’re getting best practices, you’re building out the platform, all the things you’re doing in the first year. And one thing I also forgot to mention, which I will touch on in our discussion is engagement metrics. So you’re kind of getting your feet wet there. That has been another game changing element with the Highspot platform. What is really critical, and I can’t stress this enough, to your audience, is getting that co-ownership across your key stakeholders. Especially, you know, think sales leadership, right? You need that co-sponsorship. So while we have support, sales leadership is busy, they’ve got big goals to crush, right? We were thinking, how do we get in front of them? How do we really show them how much opportunity there is for them to really move the needle using this technology and get them closer to it? So the other thing obviously is the feedback loop. We really wanted a good feedback loop. So we’re like, how do we do it in an organized way, make good use of their time? And so when we started to build a list, it became very big. And then we had all these objectives. So that’s why we broke it into three. And so at first we had the executive, and that’s really pointing back to that co-ownership. Getting them bought in. Um, we are creating compelling metrics that I know will raise their eyebrows, so I’m getting that ready, leading into our executive committee. And so really just letting them know the awareness, showing them some things to get them excited and asking for their hand and driving adoption with their teams. Then we’ll have the, what we’re calling the steering committee. And this is really your kind of more short term strategy. Your operational managers that, you know, they can help us really drive that lower funnel strategies and behaviors from their teams. And then of course, the cross functional stakeholders think Salesforce, rev ops training, having really valuable discussions. And then of course, the action committee, which is gonna be our day-to-day users. So that allows us to capture what’s working, what’s not, and just your general feedback of what’s going well. And of course we’ll do this quarterly. We don’t wanna take up too much time and use kind of a waterfall effect. So we’re really excited. And I know my boss, our chief marketing officer, he’s leaned in totally, which is gonna be tremendously successful, and he’s gonna help co-run the agenda with me for the executive. So more to come. Exciting stuff. SS: I absolutely love it. And I think, you know, for our audience listening, it’s a really great strategy to deploy within your organization if it makes sense for you. But I think it’s a great initiative. AB: And one thing I’ll add on to that really quick, I would say really what we wanna do with this is ensure we’re coming in loaded with a heavy agenda. Of meaningful content. So prep, prep, prep, that’s, and so, you know, whoever you can pull in to help you make the best use of the time, I highly encourage that. SS: Yeah, absolutely. I think it’ll be extremely valuable on both sides, so that’s fantastic. Now, you’ve touched on this. I. Actually quite a bit throughout our conversation already, but I’d love to hear your perspective on what would you say is the unique value of a unified platform when it comes to maximizing go-to-market effectiveness and, and really improving collaboration. AB: You know, I can’t saying praises enough at Highspot. It has really elevated us in that way, which was beyond my wildest dreams. Like I saw the opportunity and just seeing it play out has been just a wonderful experience. Starting for foremost with just product marketing’s needs. The consistency that we’re able to. Foster across teams now in this unified platform is when I think about what we used to have to do when we had a logo change or we had, you know, some sort of, we had to manually do all of these things and now we can just do bulk updates or folks would share decks, you know, that they had out market. And I’d see just content with old branding or just really, really just. Horrible things, you know, make you cringe. I don’t see that anymore. You know, it’s so exciting because now they know that the best content’s there and so there’s no dependency on these old things or an inability to find the stuff they need. So it’s very rare that I find anything that’s off brand, if at all. So that consistency and governance is huge. Obviously, probably more importantly is what it’s doing for our sellers. I mean, when you think about the time they save now, they’re in there, they’re in and out, they’re experts, you know, they love it. We hear nothing but great feedback. The amount of time it takes ’em to build compelling content, find what they’re looking for, and all of that has been second to none. And then the ease of pitching it out. Really the ones, we wanna get more adoption of this looking ahead, but the ones that are even leaning into client metrics and things like that, I mean, it’s just been a phenomenal result. Again, that brings me to engagement metrics that’s really closing the loop and having that single source of truth really just makes a huge, huge difference. So what we’re seeing is we’re breaking down silos. We’re having really meaningful conversations, unlike we used to with our partner teams. Everybody’s able to use it in different ways, so it’s really just driving faster, smarter, go-to-market execution, and we love it. SS: Well, I love that. Now, you’ve talked about the partnership that you’ve had with Highspot, and I know that VT recently partnered with our professional services team on an initiative to begin leveraging Highspot AutoDocs. Can you share a little bit about how you’re utilizing AutoDocs to streamline workflows and improve effectiveness? AB: I’m really glad you asked about that, Shawnna, because this is one of our most recent and most exciting efforts leveraging Highspot technology. So we call our version of AutoDocs Pitch Builder just to create some, you know, fun for the sales reps, make it easy for them to understand what it does, and it really has helped us. Where we elevated with the one unified repository, it’s helped us take it even further. And what I mean by that is due to the nature of our clients and the businesses we serve. The content we build serves different purposes. You know, if you think about advertising, everybody needs to advertise their business. So I think automotive companies, retail companies, travel and tourism, pharma, you know, so we build content that way. We have vertical, we have channels, we have measurement. There’s a whole vast array. And you know, the reps are really good at building these custom stories, but feedback we were getting is, you know, I’m still struggling even in the remix experience to know where to go to find the best content and all these things. So. Pointing to your Highspot Spark conference. I like to get as much of my team up there as possible. You guys do a fantastic job with that. So last October we were there and I had a member of my team and he’s like, Hey, you know, he sat in one of the focused AutoDoc sessions and he says, I really think that we were getting ready to launch our new general presentations and we were taking a new approach this year. And he is like, I think that what Highspot has with AutoDocs would really help sales team with this. You know, in my head I’m thinking, oh my gosh, there’s no way we’re gonna be able to launch that, you know, by the time we need to roll this out in a month, you know? And he’s like, no, no, no. I think he’s like, let me talk to the team. I really think we can. So I’m like, okay. But in my mind I’m thinking, oh, it’ll be summer. You know? There’s no way. Long story short, he worked with our ongoing support team and they connected him with the professional services you guys provided. Put together a case and I was blown away. We were able to deploy through the help of your team. You know, we could have built it ourselves, but it would’ve taken a long time. We never would’ve met our deadline. And it was just such great work. And what this does now is it creates this really easy pathway for sellers to, you know, pull in the problem statements from a choice of things that, a choice of problem statements based on where their discovery questions, take them with their clients, and then choose, you know, the right core messaging. Choose the right verticals, choose the channels, all within this visible, easy. And you, you have this structured framework. So think about it as a new seller, you can go in there and it. Immediately, that’s valuable trust. You can trust you’re building a deck that matches the company positioning. And then on top of that, the loose feedback I can give you was what I have heard is it used to take our sellers at least 30 minutes, probably an hour to build a reasonable deck. And those are probably our season one, probably up to ours. We just ran the numbers leading up to this podcast. On average, our sellers that use Pitch Builder are building their decks in 3.2 minutes. SS: That’s amazing. AB: Right? That’s what we said. So the combined learning of the Highspot Spark Conference and understanding new releases you guys had coming, having my team there, understanding, bringing that idea to it, and then leveraging a professional services, they did a superb job, just was a perfect blend. SS: Amazing. Well, I’ll be sure to pass that along to our professional services team. I’m sure they’ll be glad to hear that. Now as we talk about improving effectiveness, another way a lot of businesses are starting to think about optimizing effectiveness is through ai, and I know Viant actually recently won in AI Excellence Award, so congratulations on that. What are some of the key ways that you’re leveraging AI to support your go-to-market teams? AB: That’s a wonderful question, and thank you. We’re truly honored to have received that recognition for AI excellence and kudos to the team here at Viant across the board. It’s just been such a wild ride. We are leaning heavily into AI, as I know Highspot is, and so what we’re trying to really do is focus on all the wonderful feedback we’re getting from our clients. From our Viant AI solution, how easy it’s, you know, done for them and really capture the wins there and understand how do we transition that into internal wins within our org. And we’re doing it across the board, but specifically for product marketing. I’m leaning in heavily with any tools and resources we have that can help us do better quality work, do it faster, just make it easier, all those things that AI brings. And so I’ve tasked my team, we’re kind of on the forefront of this. We’re already, we’re using ChatGPT on the regular. We’re using our own by AI on the regular, but we wanna get better and we wanna continue to explore that. So I’ve tasked my team with leaning into things like co-pilot with Highspot. Okay, how do we tap that? How do we do more with that? Another thing that we’re leaning in on, and I have another person on my team who really, I am very lucky here, very specializes in billing the bots and things so. When due to how technical our products are, obviously we have our initial storytelling and the benefits and all the buzzy stuff, but as you build relationships with clients, as you probably well know, you get those deeper questions about technology. And so we have a lot of just kind of fragmented FAQs, docs that support launches. So he had the idea of saying, Hey, we should probably get those FAQs into a chat bot so sellers can just get in there and ask questions and not have to search for these random docs. Kind of scattered throughout. And then we’re like, how do we get that where our sellers go in the Highspot platform or leverage something like copilot. So we’re just kind of dipping our tone, a lot of waters, but we’re excited. We’re thinking about calling it pitch aid just to kind of go with the theme, and we’ll probably take it even above and beyond. We’re building out personas, so we’re trying to think about. All the ways that we want to create this value that our sellers can tap when they’re making their pitches and make it very easy for them to just do a q and a chat style function. So, you know, we look forward to partnering closer with you in our AI journey. SS: I love that. I think that’ll be amazing for your reps and your sellers. Now, to shift gears a little bit, what are some of your best practices for measuring the impact of your programs on your go-to-market performance? AB: That is probably one of my favorite questions because it’s a combination of solving a huge need that I didn’t ever think would get solved, as well as just a journey that’s new for me. So it’s exciting in its own right. So we are leaning really heavy into, okay, how do we really make sense of this gold data we’re getting from you? Engagement data, right? So I like to quote my boss, he always says, okay, don’t boil the ocean. You just gotta get started, right? So that’s what we’ve done through the last year. We were kind of, you get these really fun insights. You’re like, oh, that’s such a cool insight. And you’re like, okay, well what do we do with it? Right? So you’re, you go through this journey. But we really started to nail down how do we need to think about this? And so. We started to realize it’s like, okay, we have the sales engagement data and then we have our client engagement data, so how do we wanna start thinking about that? And then there’s really kind of the two big buckets of how we apply those layers is one for product marketing. Direct control is governance, right? And content management. So, okay, based on our sales and our clients are engaging pitches, digital rooms, you know, views, downloads, et cetera. And then, you know, what does that tell us about our content and how we should be managing it? And one thing that’s so exciting that I’ll share our most recent learnings from this effort, you know, we’re used to working through our roadmap. We get these initiatives, requests, you know, executive asks all of those things. We’re now really shifting how we make and build our roadmap. We’re still gonna do all that, of course. But now we have this new opportunity with this kind of engagement data to say, hey, there’s these materials that get used all the time. So we do a monthly report to our executive team, just of the high level metrics I just mentioned. And we started seeing this one brochure we built. It’s our differentiators brochure, which, you know, it’s a good piece. But we originally built it two or three years ago and we’ve refreshed it once. We were seeing that thing in the top five every month and often the top position every month with both sales and client engagement data. And we’re like, holy moly, this thing is on fire. Right? So what we’re doing now is it is now part of our ongoing strategy and we’re gonna look to the top 20%, right? Driving all engagement data. To make it a proactive part of refreshing and keeping it the best capable content on an ongoing basis, whether that’s monthly or quarterly. So that’s how we’re changing and shifting based on governance. The other side of the hat is really the behaviors, right? And we don’t directly control that, but what we’re trying to do is leverage data in a way. Now we can really showcase how this data can drive the behaviors we want from the team and then inspire our sales leaders and executive team to embrace that and leverage it, right? So we’re, we’re building out that platform. So more on that, but it’s really so exciting because, you know, we used to have to rely solely on maybe an annual survey we would send to sales, hey, you like what we’re doing right? And maybe you get 10%, 20% responding or just kind of ad hoc, scattered feedback. And now we really just have this objective, trustworthy data we can work off of. SS: I love that. Since launching Highspot, what results have you seen on that front and are there any key wins or notable business outcomes you can share? AB: So as part of leaning in more, like I said, we’ve already learned so much, and then now also in preparation to make these committee our kickoff sessions as valuable as possible and really go out with a banging. I had this hypothesis and I said, and I felt pretty good about it. Because you see the names of the people driving new business and you recognize those names from users in Highspot. And I started thinking, I said, I really think Highspot drives new business. So I tasked my systems and analytics team. I’m very fortunate. And product marketing, if you were in a product marketing team, if you can have an analytics team, it’s really valuable. So I test ’em to say, okay, how do we drive the correlation between Highspot engagement? And revenue outcomes. And we started with kind of looking at a quadrant. We said, okay, let’s look and do the old quadrant on Highspot engagement, users usage to revenue outcomes, and kind of map out those so we can think through different use cases there to start and then really start to see the correlations. So the big great things is you start to see these stories emerge naturally. And they dug in and there’s another persona team who came from another big tech and has regression analysis and all this. So lucky me, they were able to drive that. When you take a user of Highspot or a non-user, I would say someone like one of our sellers that’s not really using Highspot, and you layer on the best Highspot engagement activities, you have an opportunity to enhance their new business by 29%. And now I’m sure there’s other variables. You know, I’m sure the Highspot users that are active, Highspot users probably are good at going after new business. But the bigger picture there is, is think about that. If we even get 10%, 15% of the movable middle and the bell curve, just doing the things that are right, think about how you can move the needle. So we took that same lens, or we put it across total revenue, connected to engagement, and then also incremental increases with existing business. And every single one had really remarkable results. New business being the top. So. Just huge insights. We’re gonna definitely debut that to our executive team and get them excited and, and then lean in, hear their questions, and work with our sales enablement and training teams to say, okay, here’s those behaviors that we should start to reinforce. SS: Amazing results, though. Amazing results now. I appreciate you joining this podcast so much. I’ve learned so much from you already, and it is amazing to be able to talk to another strong female marketing leader. So I really appreciate your time and I noticed that you were recognized for the Los Angeles Times Inspirational Women’s List in 2024. So I have to say, this might be one of my favorite questions of the entire podcast, but what is one piece of advice that you would share? With other women looking to develop as leaders to drive impact for their organization. AB: Well, thank you so much for that question. I will tell you it was such an honor. I mean, I was so humbled and grateful to the LA Times Studio for that recognition. And it was such a journey and just so wonderful. But you know, back to your question, you know, as you go through your career journey, you see different types of leaders and you see what works and what doesn’t work. What inspires you individually? What inspires teams? And some of the takeaways that I’ve kind of compiled and really showcased as part of panel I got to participate on last November was how you need to lead authentically. And what I mean by that is. You can’t adopt someone else’s leadership style exactly, because it may not fit you. You have to understand your natural way of inspiring people because you get more as a leader by inspiring people than mandating them to do things, right? Not saying mandates don’t have their place where they’re needed, but when you’re inspiring people and getting them excited about the work they do, it’s gonna have such an impact, and you can’t do that unless you’re your authentic self. It’s kind of hard and as a woman, you probably know this, it can even be harder sometimes because the, the standard kind of tried and true leadership that have been staples don’t always come off authentically when you’re a woman leader. So, you know, we know the age old challenges that come with that. So how do you, I’ve really studied and done a lot of psychology reading and stuff like how do I foster the best. Kind of leverage my quality traits. And that leads me to the second part that’s really important. I was lucky enough in my earlier I was, when I was working at one of the larger corporations, they put us through this exercise, and if you can do this anyway, if you haven’t already, we did strengths finders, which I thought was so great, but I’m sure there’s lots of tools out there. And you kind of learn about your own unique strengths. And it’s kind of eye-opening ’cause you know, but you don’t. But when you see ’em in front of you and then you start to read what they are, you think they nailed it, right? And so when you can understand those things about yourself, you start to position yourself to be where you do well, right? Because you know that about yourself. And then you can kind of channel those and then work on the areas where maybe aren’t as easy. That’s also really helpful as a leader when you’re building teams, you know, it’s not getting the same cookie cutter employee. You have to build these energies together. Right. And it’s really a combination of different types. Of strengths. And so when I have a position to fill, I’ll look at the current team and I’ll say, okay, what, what are my strengths on there? What’s missing? What can I do better? And I will design the whole process around that. When I’m looking for a candidate, I’ll say, you know, I’ll design the interview questions, I’ll design the job role, all of it. And that’s how you get kind of a well-oiled machine. So that’s a big thing. And then of course, just in mentorship, you know, embrace mentorship. It’s so important to build future leaders. Help them understand the grace in getting out of a job they hate, you know, and finding that place where, you know, we’re always gonna have projects that aren’t fun, but if you really hate your job every day, it’s, you know, I always advise young people coming up like, don’t be afraid to make a move. It’s okay, whether it’s another department or another company, you know, you’re only gonna do yourself justice by getting yourself where you belong. So, yeah, it’s really. Tailoring your support for the unique mentorees that you have. We have a regular intern program, so I get interns every year and it’s really great. I learn and get a lot of great feedback. So, you know, I guess I’ll say, you know, to sum it all up, lead with authentic behavior and purpose and clarity, and you’ll drive impact and really focus on driving the young future leaders of America. SS: I love that advice and it resonates a lot with me, so I really appreciate this, Andrea, thank you so much for joining us on this podcast today. AB: My pleasure. Thank you so much for having me, Shawnna. SS: To our audience, thank you for listening to this episode of the Win-Win podcast. Be sure to tune in next time for more insights on how you can maximize enablement success with Highspot.

In his first interview with local media since being released from prison, Moshen Mahdawi speaks about his detention by immigration authorities and the message of hope he's trying to send now. Plus, House lawmakers in Montpelier advance a bill including an income tax exemption on military pensions, Vermont joins a lawsuit trying to block Trump administration cuts to federal Health and Human service programs, a minister at St. Michael's College discusses the conclave to choose a new pope, and a Real ID requirement starts today for Americans and permanent residents to pass through airport security. 

In episode 458 of the Construction Leadership Podcast sponsored by LBM Journal and facilitated by Rick Schumacher, Bradley Hartmann deconstructs the elements of sales leadership detailed in his new book “The Air Raid Sales Offense.” Joining Hartmann are three industry leaders: Bob Eakin of Curtis Lumber (NY, VT), Tina Breen of Manufacturers Reserve Supply (NJ), and Colby Chandler of Cassity Jones (TX). These leaders reveal how top-performing sales teams are reimagining their approach to customer acquisition, pipeline management, and strategic communication. Listeners will discover: •How to eliminate confusion in sales strategies •Practical techniques for developing a repeatable sales process •Insights into managing multiple sales reps and territories •Strategies for introducing yourself to prospects that actually work •Methods to build trust within your sales team •Techniques to focus on high-value customers Whether you're a sales rep, manager, or business owner in construction, or building materials, this episode offers actionable insights to help you simplify your sales approach, increase revenue, and build a more effective sales culture.    This episode is brought to you by The Simple Sales Pipeline® —the most efficient way to organize and value any construction sales rep's roster of customers and prospects in under 30 minutes once every 30 days. *** If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback will help us on our mission to bring the construction community closer together. If you have suggestions for improvements, topics you'd like the show to explore, or have recommendations for future guests, do not hesitate to contact us directly at info@bradleyhartmannandco.com.  

Longtime New Yorker cartoonist and New Hampshire resident Harry Bliss talks about his new graphic memoir.  Plus, Many of Vermont's federally qualified health centers face dire financial straits, state police close an investigation in a May 2024 murder-suicide, Stowe gets a new police chief, and rabies vaccine drops start this week. 

In this week's episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss Margot Douaihy's 2023 novel Scorched Grace. Topics include lemon ribbons, New Orleans and how much we love it, how not upsetting a murder mystery is, the uniqueness of a nun (and a punk nun at that) solving mysteries, kickass feminist nuns, Sister Holiday's views on religion, how Nina is THE WORST, the interesting partnership between Sister Holiday and Riveaux, and the tragedy of Sister Augustine. Plus, we talk about our latest independent bookstore adventures. This week's drink: Sazerac via Friday Night Cocktails by A.J. DeanINGREDIENTS:¼ oz absinthe, to rinse1 tsp sugar4 dashes Peychaud's bitters2 oz rye whiskeyLemon twist, for garnishINSTRUCTIONS:In a lowball glass, add the absinthe and swirl to coat the inside of the glass. Discard the excess and set the glass aside.In a mixing glass filled with ice, add the sugar, bitters, and a few drops of water and mix until well combined. Add the whiskey and stir until chilled.Strain into the prepared cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon twist.Current/recommended reads, links, etc.:Blessed Water by Margot DouaihyAngels & Demons by Dan Brown (and really the whole Robert Langdon series)The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca WestWine: Taste, Pair, Pour by Charlotte Kristensen (from the Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT!)Follow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

Lawmakers, union leaders and administration officials all agree that the shortage of prison workers in Vermont is a major problem, but there's no agreement about how to address the issue. Plus, racial disparities persist in police traffic stops, a technical glitch delays a vote on an Amazon warehouse project, a judge orders the state to give homeless Vermonters notice before ending motel shelter benefits, and Fish and Wildlife wants feedback on new proposed deer hunting regulations. 

Our recent SAM Huddle, Thinking Clearly in Uncertain Times, was recorded on April 21, 2025. The conversation brought ski industry leaders and policy experts together to unpack how current political dynamics—particularly U.S.–Canada relations and trade tensions—are affecting travel, tourism, and mountain resort operations across North America. This is episode one of our two-part series covering this conversation. Shifting global sentiment, a steep drop in international bookings, and growing uncertainty at border-area resorts are reshaping travel behavior and forcing North American ski destinations to adapt quickly with localized marketing, flexible policies, and a greater reliance on domestic travelers. On the other side of the business, industry suppliers are bracing for potential tariffs. While some are expediting production and shipping, others are leveraging domestic manufacturing to avoid price increases. Industry-wide, concerns are growing about tariffs as high as 160% on products tied to Chinese supply chains. Speakers: Daren Cole, President & CEO, Leitner Poma of America Tom Foley, SVP, Business Intelligence, Inntopia MJ Legault, Partner/Managing Director, MMGY Origin Charles Santry, President, HKD Snowmakers Chris Steinkamp, Head of Advocacy, SIA Steve Wright, President, Jay Peak Resort, Vt. View MJ Legault's slideshow here and Tom Foley's slideshow here. Listen to part 2 of the conversation here.

Covering The Commonwealth ft. JMU, UVA, VT by Ed Lane

The challenge facing state lawmakers as they try to craft a budget with uncertain projections on how much federal revenue will be available.

Trump slams ABC during a heated 100-day interview, firing back at "gotcha" questions on fraud referrals, MS-13, tariffs, and Biden. Pat, Tom, and the VT panel break it all down—exposing media bias, hidden symbols, and the deeper strategy behind Trump's unshakable appeal.

Why there's an urgent call to support and save public access to trails that cross over into private land. Plus, House lawmakers approve a state constitutional amendment protecting collective bargaining rights, a state commission that helped recognize Abenaki tribe groups explains their process amid criticism from two federally recognized First Nations, officials recover the body of a hiker who went missing in January, Vermont's regular spring turkey hunting season is underway, and we review a wild week of action in the NHL and NBA playoffs in our weekly sports report.  

Headlines for May 01, 2025; “I Am Not Afraid of You”: Mohsen Mahdawi’s Defiant Message to Trump After Release from ICE Jail in VT; “They Shattered Our Dreams”: NY Father Recounts How ICE Snatched His Son & Sent Him to El Salvador; Is Trump’s “Minerals Deal” a Fossil Fuel Shakedown? Antonia Juhasz on New U.S.-Ukraine Agreement; Yemeni People in State of “Terror” After 1,000+ U.S. Airstrikes Kill Hundreds: Helen Lackner

A conversation with Lt. Gov. John Rodgers about a wide range of issues, including his willingness to speak out against the Trump administration and his advocacy for reforming state cannabis law. Plus, an activist who'd been arrested and detained after showing up to a citizenship appointment has been freed and can remain in Vermont for the time being, some key state spending priorities might be postponed or scrapped due to uncertainty over whether federal funding will be cut, Vermont has put a pause on dozens of AmeriCorps state positions after millions of dollars in federal funding for the program was halted, and Burlington's City Council approves a proposal for an overdose prevention site. 

Lawmakers in Montpelier are revisiting an idea to place heavier taxes on second homes to help ease the state's housing crisis. Plus, Trump administration cuts cancel thousands of pounds of food that were scheduled for the Vermont Food Bank, a new report reveals Americans are now more likely to want to know if they have Alzheimer's disease before symptoms set in, a new sheriff has been appointed in Caledonia County, and Vermont joins a multi-state effort to make energy transmission more long-term reliable and affordable.

Virginia Giuffre, One of Epstein's most prominent accusers dies by "suicide" :: Skeeter calls promoting something collectivist :: Lucid caller discussing individualism vs collectivism :: Ridley calls from CO talks about Ride sharing under government pressure :: Robert from VT calls regarding Keene Police officer's long history of questionable convictions :: David from NH calls - why should I move to NH? :: Sarah from NM calls, advocating state solutions to problems created by the state :: 2025-04-27 :: Hosts: Chris R., Riley, Rich E. Rich