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Summary David McCloskey (Twitter; Website) and James Stejskal (Twitter; LinkedIn) join Andrew to discuss writing about espionage. They are both former intelligence officers.   What You'll Learn Intelligence What it is like writing spy fiction as a former practitioner How fact informs fiction Writing as a former analyst compared to as a former operator (James)  Reactions by the intelligence community to practitioners-turned-authors Reflections The heaven and hell of being an author  The process of getting a process And much, much more… Episode Notes Hear two intelligence formers discuss life as current novelists.  Where does fact end, and fiction begin when you are a former CIA officer writing fiction? What parts of your own story bleed into the novel? Are the characters composites of people you knew in your line of work or are they entirely fictional?  To answer these questions and more, this week, I sat down with David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and author of Damascus Station, a book David Petraeus described as “the best spy novel I have ever read,” and James Stejskal, author of Appointment in Tehran, which has been called “a textbook clandestine operation involving…US Army Special Forces and a clandestine CIA Case Officer,” which James would know something about, since he was both.  And… Spy fiction received quite the blow in the space of a 6-month period (Dec 2020-May 2021) which saw the passing of both John Le Carre and Jason Matthews, two formers who served in British and American intelligence. Le Carre was in MI5 and MI6 while Matthews had a long career in the CIA. David and James join a distinguished cast of formers who became novelists, including Ian Fleming, Graham Greene and Dame Stella Rimington.  Quote of the Week "There are far more edits on, short articles I wrote that weren't even going to the president than on the book, so your writing is being critiqued at all levels. I I think when I did write for the PDB [Presidential Daily Brief], I don't think I'm making this up, I believe it was 9 or 10 layers of review. You could probably argue that sometimes that makes it worse, but you have to be able at all stages to roll with the punches and to write and to try to make things very clear." Resources Headline Resources Damascus Station, D. McCloskey (2021) Appointment in Tehran, J. Stejskal (2021) Andrew's Recommendation The Looking Glass War, J. Le Carre (1965) Le Carre doubles down on disabusing the public's romanticization of intelligence  *SpyCasts* “Snake Eaters, Detachment A, CIA” – James Stejskal (2022) “American Spy” – Lauren Wilkinson (2021) “Red Widow” – Alma Katsu (2021) “American Traitor” – Brad Taylor (2021) “The Evolution of Spy Fiction”  - Wesley Wark (2011) Beginner Resources 15 Best Espionage Novels, M. Warwick, Mal Warwick On Books (2022) [article] Novelists Who Became Spies, C. Cumming, Crime Reads (2019) [article] Best Spy Novels According to a Spy, A. Katsu, Crime Reads (2021) [article] Books Missions of the SOE and OSS in WWII, J. Stejskal (Casemate, 2021) Special Forces Berlin, J. Stejskal (Casemate, 2017) On Writing, S. King (Scribner, 2010) Spy Fiction, Spy Films & Real Intelligence, W. Wark (Routledge, 1991) Articles Nine Examples of Spy Fiction Books, Masterclass (2021) How to Write a Spy Thriller, Masterclass (2021) How End of Cold War Changed Spy Fiction, J. Ciabattari, BBC Culture (2014) Videos All the Old Knives, O. Steinhauer, SPY (2022) Spy Writing in the Real World, Hayden Center (2021) The Spy Writers You Love to Read, SPY (2020) Primary Sources  American Observer, CIA (1970) Barry Farber Show, CIA (1970) *Wildcard Resource* The Riddle of the Sands, E. Childers (1903) An early spy novel that presaged the anti-German “spy fever” that struck allied countries before and during WWI 

This week's episode comes to you live from Bali where we are on vacation!  As a family that loves to travel, we are so grateful for destinations opening their doors to visitors again.  And let me tell you, Bali is an incredible place to visit with such an interesting culture.     We enjoyed our time in Bali.  The cherubs faced some fears.  We did some fun family activities and we experienced the delicious Balinese Cuisine.     Learn about our 3 rules that we follow when on vacation. Who is Dr. G?: Dr. Charmaine Gregory (Dr. G) is a wife, mom to 3 cherubs, and a burnout survivor.  She's an Emergency Medicine Physician and a serial entrepreneur with a weekly podcast, a course on starting a podcast, done for you services for podcasters, as well as a speaker and author of several books.    As a physician, Dr. Gregory has exclusively worked the night shifts, both in Michigan and now in Guam.     To face her visceral fear of public speaking, Dr. G started a podcast, Fearless Freedom with Dr. G, which focuses on facing fear and emerging victoriously.   To expand further into her appreciation for podcasting and the positive impact podcasts can have in the lives of listeners, she began teaching others how to get started with their shows through her podcasting course.  She has also developed done-for-you podcasting services.   Dr. G has faced another fear by diving into learning more about financial trading and working on building her financial future of freedom.  ___________________ Subscribe to this podcast and download your favorite episodes to listen to later: AppleSpotify RSS Feed ___________________   ⚕️ Are you a woman healthcare professional who is struggling to juggle everything in your personal and professional life?  

Julie Kuch had her first stroke in 2009 when she was 30. No one believed her at the time, and she had to convince a neurologist to order an MRI before the medical system began to take her seriously. And once they did take her seriously, the system still didn't offer Julie rehab or even education about how to live life as a stroke survivor. Several years later, Julie had a do-over -- her second stroke. Oh, and she through in a TBI in between. Between her strokes, Julie created the services she wished she had for her own stroke. She became a life coach for brain injury survivors. To learn just what a life coach does, how their services help, and how Julie built this life, listen to this episode. If you don't see the audio player below, visit http://Strokecast.com/Julie to listen to the conversation.   Click here for a machine-generated transcript Who is Julie Kuch? Julie is a concussion and stroke survivor. She is a Life Coach for people who have had a brain injury. She has helped 100's of people find joy and purpose in life again. Julie has survived to strokes and a TBI. Her second stroke was in January 2022. She is currently recovering (very well) from this, her third brain injury. The experience has Julie feeling more passionate than ever that part of her mission in this life is to help as many people as possible recover and feel better than before their brain injury. Julie is grateful for her brain injuries and the valuable lessons they have given her. Julie wants everyone that has experienced a TBI to feel the same, and she know they can. Julie says, "So much of the suffering we go through recovering from brain injuries is not necessary. I teach my clients how to transform from feeling resentful, frustrated, angry, shameful and depressed about the state of their life to feeling accepting, loving, and at peace about themselves and their capacity after a brain injury." Julie certified as a Life Coach through The Life Coach School. A Go Getter Gets Depression Depression is a topic we don't talk about often enough. It's a common stroke deficit, like hemiparesis and aphasia. It interferes with recovery and exercise routines. And it's not just feeling sad or mourning the end of your previous life. It's a genuine problem that burns energy and can make it even harder to get out of bed and do PT. Or do the basics of taking care of ourselves. Last year, I talked with Dr. Laura Stein from Mount Sanai in New York. She talked about new research showing that stroke itself causes major depression, and not just the impacts of stroke. In 2009, no one told Julie she might encounter depression. We also had less overall public awareness about depression. And when it did hit Julie, she was not prepared to deal with it. She had to deal with her own limiting beliefs about antidepressant medication and about people with depression. Julie talks about the shame and embarrassment she had around her treatment. By 2022, she was better prepared to deal with it. Depression, like stroke, can happen to anyone. It can be a deadly condition. And like any other stroke deficit, it's nothing to be ashamed of. We can know that, but that doesn't guarantee we'll believe that. Why drive during a stroke? Julie had her stroke while she was driving to the doctor's office. But she didn't pull over and call an ambulance. Jo Ann Glim had her stroke in a deli while trying to fix an office sandwich crisis. Misha Montana drove back to Reno while having a stroke. James Horton drove home while having a stroke, Driving while experiencing a stroke is a terrible idea. It's dangerous. It's difficult. The problem is that we rely on our brains to evaluate every situation of every minute of every day. In a stroke, though, the brain is under attack. Millions of brain cells are dying every minute. Various parts are scrambling in panic mode to figure out what is happening, what no longer works, and what to do next. The part that should tell us what common sense is has become the part that is broken. So, what can we do? We talk about neuroplasticity as how we recover after stroke. The core principle is, "Cells that fire together, wire together."  It's not just recovery, though. Neuroplasticity governs how we learn. We say things like "Practice makes perfect" because doing something repeatedly is often how we learn it. Practice IS the firing together of neuroplasticity. The more we repeat a thing, the more resilient the connections in our brains become. The bigger they become. The more permanent they become. If you grew up in the US and I say, "I pledge allegiance…" you probably immediately want to say, "to the flag." If you grew up Catholic and I say, "In the name of the father," you probably felt the urge to touch your forehead. These are patterns we developed over years of repetition. Here's how this impacts driving. By repeating BE FAST early and often, we internalize not only the most common symptoms of stroke, but also the action. T = Time to call an ambulance. B – a sudden loss of or change in balance E – a sudden change in or loss of eyesight or vision F – single side face droop A – in ability to hold both arms up S – loss of or change in speech, vocabulary, or ability to process language T – Any of this means it is time to call an ambulance BE FAST = Balance, Eyes, Face, Arms, Speech, Time to call an ambulance. Repeat it until "Time to call an ambulance" is as ingrained as the sign of the cross or the pledge of allegiance. In a crisis, that may then be the course of action the dying brain grabs on to. Helmets Save Lives Julie told the story of her concussion during the conversation. This is a picture of the helmet she was wearing at the time. Yes, she still suffered a traumatic brain injury in the accident, but the helmet took the brunt of it. When you look at the dent in that image, it might not look too dramatic, but if you take another look and then imagine what that would look like on someone's head. Now that's terrifying. What is a Life coach? Julie is a Life Coach for brain injury survivors. But what does that mean? As Julie describes it, she helps live their best life. In some respects, it's similar to what a mental health professional does, but to a lesser degree. A life coach helps a client develop practical skills for life within the context of the coach's expertise. A big part of Julies work is helping folks understand the difference between facts and thoughts. Often, we assume that our thoughts are facts, and that causes problems. Saying it's 73 degrees is a fact. Saying it's too warm to do PT is an opinion or a thought. When we act on thoughts like that, we can limit our recovery. Many of us have limiting beliefs about our abilities, relationships, money, and more. Those limiting beliefs are things that we have convinced ourselves are facts when in reality they are not. And yet they have become part of the way our brain interprets the world due to neuro plasticity. A life coach like Julie helps clients unpack those limiting beliefs and jettison the ones that don't work. Freeing yourself from your limiting beliefs allows you to achieve more. While a life coach is not a replacement for a psychologist, they can still help people live better lives. Hack of the Week There are three tools that helped Julie with the mindset of recovery that she uses with her clients, First, mourn the life that could have been. After a brain injury, life will be different. We are different. Some disabilities may be short term while others are long term. It's okay to be sad and disappointed. Getting stuck in sadness and disappointment won't undo the injury, though. It will only delay your entry in a new and possibly amazing life. Taking time to mourn the life that could have been can help you move on to the life yet to be. Second, receive the gift of rest. Rest and sleep are important, yet many of us flee from them (myself included too many times). That's where much of the work of healing happens though. A brain focused on just getting to the next big thing isn't taking the time it needs to prepare for the next big thing. Take the time to rest and recover. Third, manage your thoughts. The key principle behind Julie's coaching is that thoughts and opinions direct our actions and beliefs. We think they are immutable, but they are not. We can change them. We can decide which ones to dwell on. The core idea of neuroplasticity is that "nerves that fire together, wire together." PT, OT, and Speech Therapy are governed by this theory. It's why we have to do thousands of repetitions to rediscover our limbs and build new pathways in our brains. And it's why dwelling and revisiting unhelpful thoughts is not helpful. The more often we think something or repeat a belief, the more the nerves will wire that thought or belief, giving the brain a shortcut to that thought or belief. Make sure you leverage the power of neuroplasticity to bring good things into your life. Better year for Geek Movies: 1982 or 1989? I was just on the Caffeinated Comics Podcast where we discussed this question along with the trends that transformed movies through the 80s. From Bladerunner to Batman, and Tron to the Little Mermaid, a lot of amazing movies came out in those years. You can hear us discuss it on the podcast here: https://radiomisfits.com/cc286/ Or you can listen and watch on YouTube right here: https://youtu.be/b4gY3KD17i4 Links Where do we go from here? To learn more about Julie's coaching programs visit http://JulieKuchCoaching.com. Follow Julie on Instagram to stay on top of her recovery and see her videos. Share this episode with someone you know by giving them the link http://Strokecast.com/Julie Subscribe to the Strokecast newsletter at http://Strokecast.com/news Don't get best…get better

Summary Vikram Sood (Twitter, Blog) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in the world's largest democracy. He was the chief of India's Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW).  What You'll Learn Intelligence The intelligence landscape in India  China, Pakistan, and the intelligence challenges in the region The founding and evolution of the Research and Analysis Wing  The pressure involved in the top job and being responsible to the Prime Minister Reflections The power of narratives  Spies can be sensitive souls too And much, much more… Episode Notes This is the final installment of our month long special on SPY CHIEFS, featuring Vikram Sood. former Director of India's foreign intelligence agency, the Research & Analysis Wing (RA&W). This episode from the vault was recorded during the darkest days of the pandemic when the International Spy Museum was closed, infections and deaths were sky high, and Andrew was at home in his living room with Vikram at his in New Delhi.  So, is the R&AW similar to the CIA or MI6 or both? Does it have a covert action capability? How focused is it on China and Pakistan? Who does the Director report to? To hear the answers tune in to listen to an Indian Spy Chief who was in office in the critical years 2000-2003.  Vikram was in the intelligence business for more than thirty years, since leaving as the professional head of India's foreign intelligence agency he went on to have a successful second career at the think-tank, Observer Research Foundation, which is based in New Delhi. He is the author of two books (see below). And… Depending on the source, India has more, a little less, or roughly the same number of Muslims as Pakistan. An incredible fact when you consider that Pakistan is generally in the top five for having the largest population in the world. In fact, India has a larger population than the United States, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil and Nigeria combined.  Quote of the Week "There is immense tension in the job because anything can go wrong any day and you will be held responsible if there is another bomb blast somewhere else. But if the leadership is supportive and it's understanding, and also contributes to helping you decide things, takes decisions for you that need politically clearances. That helps a lot that takes away the anxieties, it keeps the blood pressure down." – Vikram Sood Resources Headline Resource The Ultimate Goal: R&AW Chief Deconstructs how Nations Construct Narratives (Harper India, 2020) The Unending Game: A Former R&AW Chief's Insights into Espionage (Penguin, 2018) Beginner Resources [Video] How Was R&AW Started: Story of India's External Intelligence Agency, WION (2022) [Article] RAW: A History of India's Covert Operations, Yatish Yadav, New Indian Express (2020) Books The War that Made R&AW, A. Nandakumar (Westland, 2021) JFK's Forgotten Crisis: Tibet, the CIA and the Sino-Indian War, B. Riedel (BIP, 2015) Intelligence Elsewhere, P. Davies & K. Gustafson (GUP, 2013) The Kaoboys & R&AW, B Raman (Lancer, 2012) India's External Intelligence, V.K. Singh (ManasPub, 2007) Articles History of RAW, Sachidananda Mohanty, Frontline (2022) A Peek Into India's IB and RAW, Amjed Jaaved, Pakistan Today (2022) Inside R&AW, Rahul Bedi, The Wire: India (2020) Quiet Americans in India, P. McGarr, Diplomatic History, 38(5), 2014 (1046-1082) Videos Ex-Israel Spy Chief Talks Intelligence Cooperation with India, The Quint, YouTube (n.d.) Ex R&AW Chief Vikram Sood Gives a Glimpse of the World of Spies, The Quint, YouTube (n.d.) *Wildcard Resource* “The James Bond of India” Real-life spy Ajit Doval who spent years undercover in Pakistan He is currently the National Security Advisor of India! 

Dugout Study Hall - Expert layman Matt Goodwin (@TheCorkedMatt) and fake baseball economist Alexander Chase (@chase_rate) talk about the validity of intentional walks, the absurdity of Tony La Russa, and way too early All-Star banter. Help us out with a FIVE STAR RATING and a REVIEW wherever you listen and ENJOY! Go to birddogs.com and use promo code PITCHERLIST for a free Birddogs hat with your pair of Birddogs. Subscribe: Apple | Spotify | Google | Stitcher | Amazon | TuneIn | Radio.com | Deezer Join PL+ and support the podcast, get an Ad-Free Website, and access to our Discord community! Episode Outline: Warm-up: Intentional Walks When is it reasonable? Is it ever truly reasonable? What about in a 1-2 count? Number of the Week: There is no actual number What 5 All-Stars from last year's teams are still actually good? Looking at fWAR Which of last year's All-Stars have been bad? What impact can All-Star selection have on buy/sell in fantasy? Note: Episode recorded on 06/15/22 Get PL+ and join our Discord: https://pitcherlist.com/plus

Dugout Study Hall - Expert layman Matt Goodwin (@TheCorkedMatt) and fake baseball economist Alexander Chase (@chase_rate) talk about the validity of intentional walks, the absurdity of Tony La Russa, and way too early All-Star banter. Help us out with a FIVE STAR RATING and a REVIEW wherever you listen and ENJOY! Go to birddogs.com and use promo code PITCHERLIST for a free Birddogs hat with your pair of Birddogs. Subscribe: Apple | Spotify | Google | Stitcher | Amazon | TuneIn | Radio.com | Deezer Join PL+ and support the podcast, get an Ad-Free Website, and access to our Discord community! Episode Outline: Warm-up: Intentional Walks When is it reasonable? Is it ever truly reasonable? What about in a 1-2 count? Number of the Week: There is no actual number What 5 All-Stars from last year's teams are still actually good? Looking at fWAR Which of last year's All-Stars have been bad? What impact can All-Star selection have on buy/sell in fantasy? Note: Episode recorded on 06/15/22

Summary Peter Earnest spent 35 years in the CIA as a case officer and retired as its chief spokesman. He was the founding Executive Director of the International Spy Museum. What You'll Learn Intelligence Losing a friend in the line of duty vs. betrayal by a colleague  Using affability to your advantage Thoughts on the shift from classic espionage to counterterrorism for the CIA  The relationship between the CIA, the press and the public Reflections The origins of the International Spy Museum The role museums can play in fostering a sense of collective identity & esprit de corps  And much, much more… Episode Notes May 21st, 2022. The date of the Memorial Service at the International Spy Museum for Peter Earnest, the founding Executive Director of the museum and a 35-year veteran of the CIA and. In honor of him, his week's episode is an exit-interview he recorded with my predecessor, Vince Houghton, not long after Peter announced his retirement from the museum. Peter was a case officer at CIA for 25 years, largely in Europe and the Middle East, recruiting and running agents, and getting involved in covert actions, counterespionage, and double agent operations. He later went on to work in the Inspector General's office and as the CIA's Senate liaison, concluding his career as the CIA's chief spokesman.  What is it like being a nice guy in the murky world of intelligence? How does a tight-lipped case officer make the transition to chief spokesman? How did a museum on espionage and intelligence end up in Washington D.C.? Peter Earnest died on February 13, 2022. He will be sorely missed. And… Peter wrote the foreword for a 2011 edition of Boy Scout founder Robert Baden-Powell's classic book, My Adventures as a Spy, featuring chapters such as “Commercial Spying,” “Traitorous Spying,” and “How Spies Disguise Themselves.” The only CIA officer who came through the ranks to become Director, Robert Gates, was an Eagle Scout, as was the only Director of both the CIA and the FBI, Judge William Webster. Quote of the Week "There's a broad respect from museums by the American public they're distrustful of almost everything else, but the trust in museums is high, and so I think it's a place that some of those senior professionals refer to. If they've come down, they feel, it's, doing good work." – Peter Earnest Resources Headline Resource TRIBUTE: CIA Veteran Who Helped Launch the Spy Museum, Dies at 88, International Spy Museum, YouTube (2022) *SpyCasts Peter Earnest: My Life in the CIA (2012) Articles In Memoriam, Peter Earnest, 1934-2022, SPY (2022) CIA Veteran who Ran a Spy Museum, Dies at 88, NYT (2022) CIA Veteran Who Helped Launch Spy Museum, Dies at 88, H. Smith, WaPo (2022) Family of Spies, Washingtonian Magazine (2013) Books The Real Spy's Guide to Becoming a Spy, P. Earnest (Harper, 2009) Business Confidential: Lessons for Corporate Success from Inside the CIA, P. Earnest & M. Karinch (AMACOM, 2010)  Harry Potter and the Art of Spying, P. Earnest & S. Harper (Wise Ink, 2014) Primary Sources Soviet Defector Arkady Shevchenko Dies, WaPo (1998) Emily A. Earnest, Consular Office Obituary, WaPo (1994) CIA Officer Richard Welch Murdered in Athens, CIA (1975) CIA COS Richard Welch Murdered in Athens, Counterspy Magazine Blamed for his Death, British Pathe (1975) *Wildcard Resource* Colbert Classic, Spy Training with Peter Earnest, Comedy Central (2013) Go to 3:31 

Overview: How can I be ok leveling up and leaving some people behind? Today we answer that listeners question + we share ideas for things to outsource so that you can excel in a different areas of your business. Today We Talk About: Come see us! June 25th Sip and Shop at the Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas 7-10PM Highlights of this week's blog on 6 Things I Don't Do in My Business Glow Tip of the Week: There are a million ‘what ifs' for any situation! Just try it out. This can be applied over and over again in your business. Links Mentioned: Shop Glow headbands and enjoy 5% off Glow skincare with code SATC22 ⭐️ Where is my steamer from? What's my favorite esty chair? Shop them and use code Kasey for 5% off your order HERE Become a Glow Skincare Member | Join the Private Facebook Group | Follow Us on Pinterest | ASCP Insurance Leave us a review HERE& email a screenshot to podcast@glowskincarela.comand our Kim-Tern will be shipping you some goodies Be sure to follow and tag us on IG! @skinandthecitypodcastand @glowskincarela Thanks for listening! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/skinandthecity/support

This week, Chris interviews the Tracy Kovach, an SLP and AAC specialist with a wealth of experience working as an SLP supporting complex communication needs. She shares about working with AAC when it was in its early years, the important of training communication partners, how SLPs and other professionals can advocate for changes in their profession, and more!   Before the interview, Chris and Rachel have a fascinating discussion about Lego Braille Bricks (legobraillebricks.com), a service that provides free Lego Braille sets to help teach Braille to people with visual impairments. Chris shares about how the free lessons on the website make learning Braille fun, keeping this set in mind as we support people with visual impairments, and the importance of learning through play!   Key Ideas this Week:   

Moe's Pick of the Week: There's A Cheater!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-bert-show.

Our show is listener supported… tell EVERYONE about the wackiness! EVERYONE!  Even your grandmother!  She needs penis jokes too!  If you really dig what we do, be sure to leave us a review on whatever podcast service you use.  It helps us out a ton! iTunes: http://bit.ly/hnhshowStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/horseshoes-and-hand-grenades Factoid of the Week: There are planets … Continue reading "Episode 556 – Nanny Fugface"

This weeks episode is sponsored by The Restored Facebook group. Go over & join the group where women are healing, elevating & becoming restored. www.tuesdaywithtamika.com Quote of the Week : There is power in Community This weeks episode wraps up our Mother's Day special. We get to hear from a very familiar voice. She shares her experience on growing up with an unsupportive mother & her infertility struggles. Grab your tissues this one will invoke some emotions. Don't forget to share, like & rate the podcast. Quick reminder you can now order your Restored Manual, Restored men's collection merchandise, Restored tumbler & 21 Day Gratitude Journal for only $4.44. I am accepting 2 more clients to work 1-1 with me if you are ready email me at tuesdaywithtamika@gmail.com God has given me the date for the Restored digital coaching program. It all goes down July 27th. If you're ready to have a healed girl summer keep your eyes on me as more information will be coming soon. If you know you need to be in this program email me at tuesdaywithtamika@gmail.com, I am giving 50% off to fast action takers. Love you lots. Continue to lift as you climb, turn your trails into treasures, live a life to inspire & not impress, & allow God to Restore all. Stay connected with us : www.tuesdaywithtamika.com Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tamika.m.thomas/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/tamika.thomas143/ Restored Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/restoredcommunitytamikathomas/?ref=share --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/tuesdaywithtamika/support

We're kicking off this episode with some exciting Cowsills news! Rhythm of the World, an album where we've mixed 20 songs together, is now complete and mastered, so stay tuned! This episode we're talking about our first ever cross-country tour, flying for the first time, and going out to Los Angeles to perform. We reminisce about the trip and what an eye-opening experience it was for us as kids never having been outside of New England before.We welcome Peter Noone onto the show, and he joins the conversation, telling us about his first tour around England with Herman's Hermits, when he was just 16 years old. He talks about the success he had at such a young age, and the fact that he had his first hit record when he still lived with his grandparents!Peter tells us about a chance encounter he had with The Beatles and how much it motivated him. He started rehearsing and performing 24/7 with the Hermits, and because people saw them so often, they became convinced they were good. And they most certainly were! Herman's Hermits sold more than 60 million records, and 7 of their albums reached gold status, all before Peter was 25 years old. Song of the Week: "There's a Kind of Hush"

A deep personal connection with someone who "gets us," brings us joy as we share the challenges and joys of life together. Make one if you don’t have one. It's one of the best Christmas gifts you can ever give - or get. Hello everyone and welcome to episode 81. Today is the second of our December series, Relationships at Christmas. I love the phrase, “he gets me,” or “she gets me.” You hear it in romantic chick flick comedies a lot. Not so much in the Bruce Willis genre of I-have-to-kill-the-bad-guys-or-else-the-world-will-be-destroyed movies. I love the “he gets me” phrase because it captures a feeling of connection, oneness and understanding between two people in just 3 little words. It describes a relationship where you don’t have to explain yourself much, because someone knows you so well, so deeply, words aren’t necessary. Those of us who have a relationship like this treasure it. But about the rest of us? How can we get this gift of connection where we can say of another person, “they get me?" The Christmas story found in the Bible gives us an example of such a relationship. Let’s see what we can learn from it that we can apply in our own relationships. Elizabeth and Mary - A Deep Personal Connection The story is found in the gospel of Luke, chapter 1, and verses 26-45. The same angel who visited Zechariah visits Mary, both Zechariah and Mary were scared, and he tells them “Don’t be afraid” What do we know of Mary? She was a teenager, no older than 14, from Nazareth, Mary comes from Nazareth Located some fifteen miles west of the Sea of Galilee and twenty miles east of the Mediterranean Sea, Nazareth had a population between two and four hundred people during the time Jesus lived there. Not known for anything significant, except the childhood home of Jesus.  He was known as “Jesus of Nazareth." Up to the time of Jesus, Nazareth was a small podunk village, not known for anything it had to offer the world. In the Gospel of John, Nathaniel, in reference to Jesus asks “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” In a town this size, everyone knows everyone and each others’ business An Angel visits Mary The angel Gabriel visits Mary and tells her even though she is a virgin, she’s going to get pregnant and as a result, give birth to the savior of the world - a humanly impossible feat that defies the science. He then tells Mary of another humanly impossible feat: her elderly relative Elizabeth is pregnant too! I wonder if this is why God orchestrated John the Baptist’s birth late in the life of his parents. To give Mary a companion, a fellow traveler, who was also dealing with the humanly impossible. Elizabeth and Mary were going to be in it together. They were not going to trust the science alone. They would have each other. What a deep personal connection! In just 3 days after Mary’s visit from Gabriel, she hurries to her relative Elizabeth’s house. She may have been her aunt or a cousin. How did Mary explain this to her own mother? How did she explain her absence to Joseph her fiancé? Why did she go? God, through his Spirit told her in so many words, “You go, girl!” Mary visits Elizabeth When Mary greeted Elizabeth in Zechariah’s home there was much joy in the house. Elizabeth was over the moon excited with Mary’s arrival. How affirming Elizabeth was to Mary at a time when Mary needed some connection with another human being who had a sense of what was going within her, both within her body and her mind. The text says Mary stayed with Elizabeth for 3 months. Elizabeth was already 6 months pregnant, so what does that mean? The math tells me Mary was probably around for the birth of John the Baptist. What great preparation for 14-year-old Mary for what would happen to her in 9 months. What great preparation for her pregnancy itself in going through Elizabeth’s pregnancy with her. I wonder what Zechariah thought? Here this young relative, maybe a cousin or niece of his wife moves in for 3 months. What was that like for him, for the two women, Elizabeth and Mary? Elizabeth’s pregnancy was a mystery and a miracle to her friends and neighbors. But Mary’s pregnancy was a source of shame to her friends, family, and people in the village of Nazareth where everyone knew each others’ business. Mary needed Elizabeth more than Elizabeth needed Mary. Elizabeth, the older woman, blesses Mary the younger woman. It doesn't always work this way Janet worked for a time with Mom’s n More, a ministry at a church we used to attend. She and other older women were supposed to be mentors to younger women. But the younger women almost always relied on their peers for advice about dealing with the many issues a young mom deals with. Rarely did they go to someone like Janet who had been down that path before and knew where the booby traps were hidden and how to deal with them. Mary goes on to praise God, which we’ll save for the next episode. But for now, what a beautiful and intimate personal connection between Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth knew what was happening to Mary even before her visit because God’s spirit told her, not Mary. Just as the Spirit of God told Mary what was happening with Elizabeth. And the Spirit of God still works that way today, putting people together, connecting them with each other in a way that advances God’s plan for the whole world. Not just for one’s individual happiness. The Holy Spirit still prompts us to reach out and connect with people of his choosing. What a great Christmas gift of a deep personal connection for both of these women before the very first Christmas. This intimate personal connection was a gift from God to both Elizabeth and Mary. If you forget everything else, here’s the one thing I hope you remember from today’s episode Giving a Christmas gift of a deep personal connection with someone who gets us, who understands us, is one of the best Christmas gifts you can ever give - or get. Here’s what we can all do in response to today’s program Who can we try to connect with who “gets us?” Who understands us? If there’s no one on the horizon who can do that for us, who is someone we can extend ourselves to in an effort to “get them.” To understand them? Who might the Holy Spirit be telling us we could be an Elizabeth to? What in your experience has prepared you to be an Elizabeth to someone else? Who is someone with the cards stacked against them that we can come alongside to let them know you will be with them, in whatever they are dealing with, that you will be there with them together? You’ll walk through things together. Even if it’s shame. As always, another thing you could do is let me and your fellow listeners know what resonated with you about today’s episode. You can share your thoughts in the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of the show notes. Or you can send them to me in an email to john@caringforothers.org. A related resource that might interest you 045: Seven Relationship Lessons from The Greatest Christmas Movie Ever Made Closing I hope your thinking was stimulated by today’s show, to both reflect and to act. So that you will find the joy God intends for you through your relationships. Because after all, You Were Made for This. Our Relationship Quote of the Week There are people who take the heart out of you, and there are people who put it back. - Elizabeth David That’s all for today. See you next week. Goodbye for now. You Were Made for This is sponsored by Caring for Others, a missionary care ministry. We depend upon the generosity of donors to pay our bills.  If you'd like to support what we do with a secure tax-deductible donation, please click here. We'd be so grateful if you did.

During these sweltering days of summer, cool off with a movie face off that's too cool for most critics. This week we pit "Good Time" which is directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie, versus anime classic "Ninja Scroll" directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri. Along the way we get sidelined with an imaginary cameo by Chris Hansen of "To Catch a Predator" fame...and it fits PERFECTLY! Come along and discover that these two films actually have far more in common than you may realize. All this, plus our Song of the Week: "There's Only Me" by Rob Dougan

Thank you for tuning in to Episode 187 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. This week’s segments included: Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Brainstorming KAL News Events Life in Focus On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Thank you to this episode’s sponsors: Yumi Yarns Off the Needles, Hook or Bobbins C2C Blanket Pattern: Corner to Corner Start tutorial by Lauri Bolland Hook: I (5.25mm) Yarn: Vanna’s Choice 3 skeins each of (pink) and (light gray) Border- I used the first round from this tutorial.  858 meters Red Thumper Hat Pattern: Thumper Hat by Jennifer Lassonde ($5 knitting pattern) Needles: US 6 (4.0 mm) and US 8 (5.0 mm) Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca 128 meters Pan the Alien Pattern: Allen the Alien Amigurumi by Abby Sy (free crochet pattern) Hook: C (2.75 mm) Yarn: Worsted Weight Superwash Wool, blue white and green. 44 meters Demic the Round Plus Alien Pattern: Round Plush Alien by Janet Carrillo (free crochet pattern) Hook: C (2.75 mm) Yarn: Worsted Weight Superwash Wool, blue white and green. 38 meters Misfit Scrappy Sock  Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Yarn: Mint Rain Hand Dyed Yarn Twist Sock in the We R All Misfits (self striping). Holly Press Fibers Sheepish Minis in 2 colors of green 241 meters Paton’s Kroy Socks for Gram Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: Patons Kroy Green Stripe Ragg Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) 212 meters PrideSockathon2020 Socks Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the Rainbow Colorway & Paton’s Kroy (coal) Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Cast on for Abigail of Covert Knits Video Podcast Pride Sockathon 2020 runs through June 30th. #pridesockathon2020  Abigail is donating money to The Trevor Project for each pair she finishes. I donated $60.60 when I finished this pair. 272 meters  Stash Dash Total to date: 8,463 meters (20K here I come) On the Needles, Hook or Bobbins Summer 2020 Wash Cloths Round 2 Pattern: Solid Granny Square by Lullaby Melodia Hook: J (6.0 mm) Yarn: Lily Sugar n’Cream 30+ in second round so far! Goal is to use up all of this stash. Chevron Scrap Blanket Pattern: Chevron Scrap Blanket by Maria’s Blue Crayon Yarn: Various acrylic worsted weight yarn from stash Hook: J (6.0 mm) This is a great stash buster. I need at least 16g to make one stripe of 7 rows & 10g to make a corner Spinning Corriedale to ply with BFL 8oz of corriedale (natural cream color) First 4 oz done. Brainstorming The Crochet Luna Podcast is hosting an August MAL for these Soap Sacks. Fortune’s Shawlette crochet pattern by Tamara Kelly $4.00 Hatching Alien by Kayte-Did’s Free crochet pattern KAL News Quarterly Quests! Get all of the details here. Check out the Quarter 2 Thread April 1-June 30 – Free the Favorites Thank you to our Quarter 2 Sponsors: Prairie Bag Works, NahSt Designs, Yumi Yarns Designs, agirlandherwool, Holly Press Fibers Quarter 3: July 1- September 30 – Lessen the Library– check out the Ravelry Thread here. Quarter 3 Sponsors: Sunsoaked Yarns, Apple Fiber Studio, Cookie and Bees Don’t forget to post on Instagram #QuarterlyQuests you can also add one for the Quarter: #FreetheFavorites #LessentheLibrary #SlaytheStash Splash Pad Party  Check out the Start Here Thread for Details & Links to everything you need Pro Shop Sponsors: 2 Guys Yarn Company Adoreknit agirlandherwool BedeSisters & Blueberry Chick Yarn Fibernymph Dye Works Jennifer Lassonde Designs Prairie Bag Works Rising Tide Fiber Co Sunsoaked Yarns Yumi Yarns Designs Snack Shack Sponsors Anne Beady Designs Apple Fiber Studio Cookie and Bees Fair Winds Farm Irocknits Designs Keegan Lane Designs Kino Knits Knitters Brewing Company Legacy Fiber Artz NähSt Design Pearl and Plum Progress Keepers by Meliabella The Sensible Stitcher Tune in to hear if your name was randomly selected for a June participation prize. Keep posting in Poolside chat thread and use #splashpadparty20 on IG.  Events Stash Dash, hosted by the Knit Girllls, runs May 22- August 22, 2020. Check out the Chat Thread & the Rules in the Knit Girllls Podcast group Tour de Fleece runs from Saturday June 27 to Sunday July 19  Life in Focus Goals for year- 7 patterns- 3x week workouts 3x week workouts are still going strong. Design- I finished the knitting and most of the writing of another pattern (which will be #5 for the year).  Continuing work on Me & White Supremacy workbook. I need to revisit my 20 for 2020 list because some things like visiting 2 new cities just won’t be realistic.  On a Happy Note Walking with my BFF while kids worked in yard with Dan.  Two tiny fawns and their moms who are hanging around our property a lot right now.  Father’s Day at my parents with my brother’s 3 kids. Outdoor movie night. Seafood. Swimming. Judging jumps off the diving board using the score cards Riley made (0.0, 1, 2 and 3)  Oisin’s birthday. Dan playing guitar again. Date night at the Drive In to see the new Lion King.  Quote of the Week “There is no such thing as an empty space or an empty time. There is always something to see, something to hear.” — John Cage :Thank you for tuning in! Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!

In our 21st episode we discuss how to have open conversations about sexual desires with a partner. How can we foster and encourage our partners to be honest about their wants and needs? How can dishonesty, fear of rejection, or insecurity not only hurt your own sex life but the sex life of your partner? We delve into why it feels as though the responsibility of having these difficult conversations about sex seem to fall on women and whether we missed a class we were supposed to take on being sex therapists. We cover it all on this week's episode. Thank you for listening and stay brave in the gray.Reading of the Week:"There’s You, There’s Me, and then There’s Us" from the podcast "Where Should We Begin with Esther Perel"Artist of the Week: Allison - Vashti Harrison TwitterIGSociety6Leader's and Dreamer's Book SetAubrey - Relm ArtistIGwebsite

In this episode, I dive into the difference between solitude and isolation. Often on our journeys in life, we look at isolation as the answer but trust me, there’s a better and more fulfilling way to get clarity on your next best step. If you are a new listener to the Girl, Fuck Them Kids Podcast, I'd love to hear from you!  Please visit the Contact Page and let me know how I can help you today!In this episode, I discuss:The difference between solitude and isolationLetting go of “I should” and “I’m supposed to”Embracing silenceHow to shift out of isolation into solitudeQuote of the Week“There is a difference between loneliness and solitude - one will empty you and one will fill you. You have the power to choose.” - Ava, flowingfree.org.**Girl, Fuck Them Kids Podcast and Loreal Moss and affiliates are not associated with flowingfree.org and will not be held liable for any loss or damages occurred from consuming any information and/or purchasing any products from flowingfree.org. Follow our PodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/girlfkthemkids  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/girlfkhemkids  GoPod.Me - https://www.gopod.me/girlfuckthemkids  Follow our HostFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/thelorealmoss Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thelorealmoss  Join the ConversationOur favorite part of sharing a podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on our social media pages in the comments section. This week’s question is: Question: What is ONE step you can take to come out of isolation today?

Every week married couple Danielle K and Garrett J White share insights and perspectives from within their own lives regarding the following topics discussed each month: Week 1: Sex Week 2: Money Week 3: Parenting Week 4: Communication In This Week’s Podcast…Communication Point #1: Divine Divorce Leads to Divine Destiny There are times when couples are in the midst of great chaos and find themselves knocking on the door of divorce. Because of this, most couples concur that there comes a point in their relationship where they must choose all in…again. Garrett: Although we didn’t get a divorce, there was an emotional separation that took place. We were functionally disconnected, meaning, we were very good at being disconnected. There came a time when the inevitable moment of decision presented itself where we had to make a choice. QUESTION What has been your experience with knocking on the door of divorce? Point #2: Am I With the Wrong Person? The IDEA of a relationship that is in continual bliss and always on fire is evident in the highlight reels that are plastered all over social media, giving others the impression of a fairytale happily-ever-after marriage. This is total bullshit. Garrett: There’s a moment of the Divine Divorce where you as a couple begin to drift but it’s actually setting up the next chapter of your relationship. Danielle: We kept looping back to the same arguments that never got solved, which had me wondering, “Am I with the wrong person?” QUESTION Is what you’re posting on social media a true reflection of the state of your marriage, or is it drenched in hopeful bliss and fantasy? Point #3: It’s Just How It Is Garrett: The vast majority of couples that I meet and connect with inside Wake Up Warrior and BMS are operating in very minimal sexual connection, very minimal emotional and spiritual connection, and are surviving. But the challenge is, they don’t even know they’re surviving. The belief is, “This is just how it is.” If you surround yourself with people who have this belief, it’s not until something traumatic happens where it begins to expose how shitty things really are. In our marriage when the money disappeared, that is when the chaos of our marriage was exposed. QUESTION Where in your world do you have the belief of “it’s just how it is?” Point #4: From Divorce to Divine Divorcement The reality of how people show up in marriage is quite alarming to Garrett. Inside of many relationships he is connected with, he has witnessed many couples where both people are out of shape, they don’t go out on dates, there is no seduction or flirting, and they are in the managing and survival mode. Then they get a divorce. “What blows my mind is the transformation that begins taking place AFTER the divorce, where they blossom into this entirely new person. Instead of having to get divorced, what if you could literally go through a Divine Divorcement?” QUESTION If on the verge of divorce, what would be possible inside your marriage if you considered the possibility of creating new patterns while remainging married? Point #5: It’s a Choice Garrett: No matter how powerfully connected you feel to who you are and what you have, the next version of your relationship as a couple is impossibly held hostage by the current constraints of what you believe is possible today. No matter what state your marriage is in today, there’s another level calling you. And in order to get to that next level, there’s a Divine Divorcement upon you. Divine in the sense that God, through the gift of agency, is giving you an opportunity to choose. QUESTION What are some of the limiting beliefs that are holding your marraige hostage? Communication Challenge: How are you choosing to show up in your marriage? What are you choosing to divorce? Without the divorcement and without the decision to do it, nothing is going to change inside of your relationship. Date Night Topic: Have a conversation about the things that attracted you to each other in the beginning of your relationship. How those have evolved and changed over time? What are some things you can do now to create new chemistry and excitement inside your relationship? Quote of the Week: “There’s a new destiny on the other side of divorce. Divorce is simply choosing to do something different; it’s the laying down and putting aside of that which is old and not working, for something that is new and can work.” —Garrett J White “People underestimate the small consistencies daily that create a big win in life. Stay committed, be patient, and kick your husband in the ass every now and again if he needs it.” —Danielle K White

Show notes My greatest fear about aging is finding myself living an increasingly narrow life. I see it in my 96 year-old mother-in-law. The memory care and assisted living facility Elda lives in is full of people whose lives have narrowed considerably, and are a shadow of what they used to be. And it’s not just with the elderly with their ever-increasing physical limitations. I see some people my age and much younger living lives that are slowly closing in on them relationally, and emotionally. I see some of that tendency in myself, where I resist growing as a person because to grow is to change, and I’ve gotten way too comfortable with the status quo. It raises the question then of what can we do to keep growing as a person into old age, where we resist the natural forces of life that close in on us. I propose that the antidote to this issue is to foster relationships with people different from ourselves. Relationships with people younger or older than ourselves. With those richer or poorer than us. With people more educated, or less educated that we are. Those of a different gender, or those with a marital status different from our own. Let me give you two examples. The first. Different race, a different culture, a different age. Story of Boo - Arsenio Hall. During the time of the Rodney King incidents. People at church distancing themselves. Example no. 2. Wilbur, who came to my office one day. Compares to Terry, who said to Janet, “I can’t figure John out.” Here’s what I learned from these two stories, and others about my relationships with people not like me. Connecting mostly with people on the basis of our similarities is self-limiting. It confirms our biases. Commonality may help in initially connecting with someone, in a relationship. But it can limit the depth of our relationship moving forward. The thread of reaching out to people not like ourselves is woven throughout the New Testament. Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Jesus and his disciples who not all the same. Fisherman. Tradesman. At least one tax collector. Paul and the Gentiles. Other people different from me are more interesting than me focusing on my thoughts and experiences that are similar to others. I learn from other people different from me. I appreciate how good I have it when I see sometimes how poorly people different from me live. It greatly encourages me. I become a better person when I incorporate the Godly values of people different from me. But I have to get to know them to understand what their values are. My view of God is enriched when I see the character of God reflected in people not like me. It makes me appreciate God more. What about you? What’s your take-away from today’s show? I’d appreciate any comments in the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of the show notes. Or you can send them in an email to me, at john@caringforothers.org. Here’s the main take-away from today’s episode, our show in a sentence Be thankful for people in my life who are not like me, because they broaden my world, for they reflect the character of God in their own unique way, making me appreciate HIM more. Here’s what you can do in response to today’s show Consider including in your circle of relationships people different from you, and see what God teaches you through them. Ask God to show you how to be more winsome, more attractive, more intriguing and inviting to others. Ask God to help you reflect more of his character to people not like yourself. To be more of person people are thankful for. Take a pause and reflect on someone very different from you, and ask, “could it be that God has placed this person in my life to sharpen me, smooth over my rough edges, and otherwise mold me into the person he created me to be.” Closing I hope your thinking was stimulated by today’s show, to both reflect and to act. And to be thankful for the people in our lives who are different from us. You can do this, I know you can. Because You Were Made for T.H.I.S.: Relationships that Transcend our natural tendency to focus on self, and that Honor and Inspire others, built on Self-less sacrifice.  Our Relationship Quote of the Week “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” ~ Galatians 3: 28 That’s all for today. See you next week. Bye for now.  

Every week married couple Danielle K and Garrett J White share insights and perspectives from within their own lives regarding the following topics discussed each month: Week 1: Sex Week 2: Money Week 3: Parenting Week 4: Communication In This Week’s Podcast…Communication Point #1: Divine Divorce Leads to Divine Destiny There are times when couples are in the midst of great chaos and find themselves knocking on the door of divorce. Because of this, most couples concur that there comes a point in their relationship where they must choose all in…again. Garrett: Although we didn’t get a divorce, there was an emotional separation that took place. We were functionally disconnected, meaning, we were very good at being disconnected. There came a time when the inevitable moment of decision presented itself where we had to make a choice. QUESTION What has been your experience with knocking on the door of divorce? Point #2: Am I With the Wrong Person? The IDEA of a relationship that is in continual bliss and always on fire is evident in the highlight reels that are plastered all over social media, giving others the impression of a fairytale happily-ever-after marriage. This is total bullshit. Garrett: There’s a moment of the Divine Divorce where you as a couple begin to drift but it’s actually setting up the next chapter of your relationship. Danielle: We kept looping back to the same arguments that never got solved, which had me wondering, “Am I with the wrong person?” QUESTION Is what you’re posting on social media a true reflection of the state of your marriage, or is it drenched in hopeful bliss and fantasy? Point #3: It’s Just How It Is Garrett: The vast majority of couples that I meet and connect with inside Wake Up Warrior and BMS are operating in very minimal sexual connection, very minimal emotional and spiritual connection, and are surviving. But the challenge is, they don’t even know they’re surviving. The belief is, “This is just how it is.” If you surround yourself with people who have this belief, it’s not until something traumatic happens where it begins to expose how shitty things really are. In our marriage when the money disappeared, that is when the chaos of our marriage was exposed. QUESTION Where in your world do you have the belief of “it’s just how it is?” Point #4: From Divorce to Divine Divorcement The reality of how people show up in marriage is quite alarming to Garrett. Inside of many relationships he is connected with, he has witnessed many couples where both people are out of shape, they don’t go out on dates, there is no seduction or flirting, and they are in the managing and survival mode. Then they get a divorce. “What blows my mind is the transformation that begins taking place AFTER the divorce, where they blossom into this entirely new person. Instead of having to get divorced, what if you could literally go through a Divine Divorcement?” QUESTION If on the verge of divorce, what would be possible inside your marriage if you considered the possibility of creating new patterns while remainging married? Point #5: It’s a Choice Garrett: No matter how powerfully connected you feel to who you are and what you have, the next version of your relationship as a couple is impossibly held hostage by the current constraints of what you believe is possible today. No matter what state your marriage is in today, there’s another level calling you. And in order to get to that next level, there’s a Divine Divorcement upon you. Divine in the sense that God, through the gift of agency, is giving you an opportunity to choose. QUESTION What are some of the limiting beliefs that are holding your marraige hostage? Communication Challenge: How are you choosing to show up in your marriage? What are you choosing to divorce? Without the divorcement and without the decision to do it, nothing is going to change inside of your relationship. Date Night Topic: Have a conversation about the things that attracted you to each other in the beginning of your relationship. How those have evolved and changed over time? What are some things you can do now to create new chemistry and excitement inside your relationship? Quote of the Week: “There’s a new destiny on the other side of divorce. Divorce is simply choosing to do something different; it’s the laying down and putting aside of that which is old and not working, for something that is new and can work.” —Garrett J White “People underestimate the small consistencies daily that create a big win in life. Stay committed, be patient, and kick your husband in the ass every now and again if he needs it.” —Danielle K White

Hello everyone and welcome to episode 036, Investing in Relationships. Before we get into this topic with two guests I interview on today’s show, there are a two quick items I want to mention. First off, for those who would rather read the content of each episode, you can do so by reading the show notes that accompany each program. Just scroll down below whatever podcast player you use, and you’ll find a general description of the episode. It’s not a transcript, nor is it a traditional outline. It’s just notes I work from for each episode. Here in the show notes you’ll see links to resources mentioned in that episode. Secondly, if you’re not already receiving my weekly emails, I encourage you to sign-up for my private email list. Those on this list get a brief email from me once a week where I share a relationship resource, information about the podcast, or other items that are more efficient to share with you in writing than through an audio channel like the podcast. Listener responses to the various episodes will often be in these weekly emails, and we’ve had some really good one’s lately. I don’t want you to miss out on this. You can sign up by going to johncertalic.com/blog, and then clicking on the form on the right-hand side of the page. It reads “Access our relationship resources.” It’s very easy to unsubscribe if you choose to do that after giving it a try. I’ll have a link to this page on my website in the show notes. Now on with today’s topic of investing in relationships. If you’ve ever wondered why relationships are sometimes challenging, and if they are worth our investment in them, you’ll want to stick around to hear what two experts in the field of relationships in the world of global Christian workers have to share with us. On our program today we have Dr. Robert Lugar and his wife Debby. They are the founders of One Another Ministries, a missionary care ministry in England. My wife Janet and I have a similar missionary care ministry in the US, that we named “Caring for Others.” But I must confess my envy for what Robert and Debby call their organization, One Another Ministries. It’s my my all-time favorite name of any ministry. I saw a list recently of all the “One Another” verses in the New Testament. There were 59 one them, “Love One Another” being the most common.  It’s just a great name to describe what they stand for. Janet and I have known Robert and Debby for several decades now, and have worked together with them in a few engagements in North Africa, Spain, and the Island of Guernsey in the English channel. As you’ll soon find out, they are very interesting people.   [Recorded interview]   Here is what I’m taking away from this interview that will be helpful in building better relationships, whether we’re a missionary or not. A few principles that stuck out for me that you might consider too 1. One of the challenges in relationships is the sense of isolation we experience when our relationships are one-sided. When we’re the one giving and giving, and not getting anything in return. Missionaries, in particular, because of the nature of their work and calling, are susceptible to this. But so are some of the rest of us. I’ve had relationships like that, and I bet you have too. It causes me to ask myself, am I more of a giver or a taker in my relationships? A former missionary told me recently, “I like talking to you because you fill my relational tank so that I can listen to the people who drain it.” 2. It’s important not to give up when relationships are one-sided. Initiate and pursue anyway. Pray that the Lord will bring people into our lives where we have a mutual give and take. In the meantime, don’t pull away. 3. Good relationships allow for disagreement. They encourage differences. 4. Good relationships talk through expectations and question assumptions 5. When you work very closely with people, build in times for fun and recreation. Especially true of missionaries who often work and live in close proximity. What Robert and Debby and their staff at One Another Ministries are doing with their lives so illustrates what I’ve been talking about when it comes to T.H.I.S. T - Transcendent relating, that goes beyond our natural inclination, that H - Honors God by obey his call on our lives. And that I - Initiates with others in acts of S-Selfless service. We were all made for T.H.I.S. Before I close, here’s the main take-away from today’s episode, our show in a sentence It’s important to invest in our relationships, even when the return is low, because the alternative is isolation and loneliness. Here’s what you can do in response to today’s show One thing we can do is reflect on our relationships and ask God to show us if we are more of taker than a giver. Do we drain the energy from people, or do we pour into them? Do we wait for people initiate with us, or do we initiate with them? Let’s pray that however we answer these questions, the Lord will show us what to do next. As always I welcome your feedback! Closing Before I leave you with our relationship quote of the week, I want to thank you for joining us today, and for showing the world the character of Jesus by the way we relate to each other. Our goal here is that you will feel good about your relationships, knowing you are doing everything you can through the power of the Holy Spirit in your life to make your relationships the best they can be. Relationship Quote of the Week There are no words to express the abyss between isolation and having one ally. It may be conceded to the mathematician that four is twice two. But two is not twice one; two is two thousand times one.                  - G. K. Chesterton That’s all for today. See you next time. Bye for now.   Resources mentioned in today’s show To sign up for John’s private email list:  click here Robert an Debby Lugar and One Another Ministries:  OneAnother.com Missionary care ministry of John & Janet Certalic:  Caring for Others

The topic of money is this week’s conversation inside of the Date Your Wife podcast. The unique dynamics inside of a marriage relationship create a very difficult game for many couples when it comes to the sticky topic of money.  *EPISODE REPLAY FROM SEP 2018* ________________________________________________________ Every week married couple Danielle and Garrett J White share insights and perspectives from within their own lives regarding the following topics discussed each month: Week 1: Sex Week 2: Money Week 3: Parenting Week 4: Communication In This Week’s Podcast….MONEY Point #1: Catch-22 Back in the day, Danielle hated Garrett because he was working so much. But she didn’t hate the business because that’s what was paying the bills. “I got to this place where I felt Garrett loved the business more than he loved me.” Garrett: Men can control what happens in business more than they can control what happens at home. It’s easier to be the King in business than it is to be the King at home. QUESTION Gentlemen, have you lost your crown? What are you going to do to get it back? Point #2: Split in Two Many women who out-produce their husbands are in this space of: How do I deal with my husband who is not being the man? I’m dominating him in business and trying to decide if I should get a divorce. Garrett: When a man allows his wife to split the bills, it splits his power and creates a bit of submission in a weird way. Men, at the primal level, must be okay with the stewardship and responsibility of “I must pay the bills independent of my wife.” QUESTION How do you as a couple feel about this? Point #3: Wake-Up Call At one point in their marriage, Danielle hid how much money she was making. She split up her bank accounts to create a safety net for herself because she wasn’t sure if their marriage was going to work out. When she got triggered about something, she revealed to Garrett that she had made $30k the previous month which served as a wake-up call in the form of a big two by four straight into his balls. QUESTION Ladies, why do you hide your money from your husband? Point #4: Show Me the Money, Honey There’s an artist inside Danielle’s Big Money Stylist network who is outproducing her husband in a massive way. “I love my husband and I want to be more sexual, but I’m just not attracted to him.” Garrett: This is a sticky situation, and there’s not a simple one-cut solution. When Danielle was making more money, her tolerance of behavior by me went down, and her desire to connect with me sexually also went down. QUESTION How is this dynamic affecting your marriage? Point #5: Friday Night Fights A recent fight between Danielle and Garrett would have been the end of their marriage a few years ago. But this time it compelled them and opened them up. Danielle: When your foundation is rocky and an explosion happens, it’s hard to build that back up. Now, we can have a fight and come back and talk about it because our foundation is more solid. QUESTION What condition is the foundation of your marriage in? Communication Challenge: Gentlemen, I want you to have a conversation with your wife about the dynamics of money. What is the connection to the attraction for you and the money you’re making or the lack of money you’re making? If you’re a man and not paying the bills, have that conversation with your wife and just see where it takes you. If you can get her to be honest with you, it may be the prompting that you need to ultimately rise. Date Night Topic: Have a conversation about what you can do to create a stronger foundation inside of your relationship. What does that look like for both of you? Quote of the Week: “There are very few men on this planet who are actually ok with their wives out-fucking producing them. The girl owns the money card AND the vagina card. She owns the victory, the gina, and the money.” –Garrett J White “When you weren’t my money, you weren’t my honey. When I hold all the control, there’s no chemistry.” –Danielle K White dkwstyling.com betheman.com

  Thank you for tuning in to Episode 167 of the Down Cellar Studio Podcast. Full show notes can be found at: www.downcellarstudio.com/167    This week's segments included: Off the Needles On the Needles Crafty Adventures Knitting in Passing In my Travels KAL News Events Ask Me Anything On a Happy Note Quote of the Week Off the Needles  Holden Cable Crochet Hat  Pattern: Holden Cable Crochet Hat by Lakeside Loops ($5 crochet pattern) Yarn: Sugarbush Yarns Dawson (Bulky weight; 50% llama, 50% merino) in the Wandering Vine Colorway (red) Hook: K 6.5mm 157 meters  Rainbow Hexagon Blanket  Hook: K (6.5mm) Yarn: Worsted Weight Acrylic from Stash Saw IG post from knitmom2one Pattern: Free Tutorial from Make Do & Crew for Full Hexagons & Half-Hexagons Meters: 1395 Ryan’s Rainbow Cozy  Yarn: Lion Brand Re-Up Hooks: F (3.75 mm) and G (4.25 mm) Pattern: Ball Band with a Twist by Jennifer Lassonde Meters: 56  Pink & Purple Cozies  Yarn: Lion Brand Re-Up Hooks: F (3.75 mm) and G (4.25 mm) Pattern: Ball Band by Jennifer Lassonde 208 meters   Deja Blue Socks Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the Deja Blue colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm) Meters: 262  I'm designing a hat using Goosey Fibers: 131 meters   Stash Dash KAL: 11,528 meters to date   On the Needles   Coffee Break Socks  Pattern: OMG Heel by Megan Williams Yarn: Knit Picks Felici in the Coffee Break Colorway Needles: US 1.5 (2.5 mm)   Gina’s Messy Bun Hat Yarn: Sugarbush Bold in the Dover Sand colorway. blue Hook: H 5.0 mm Pattern: Gina’s Messy Bun Hat   Holly Press Fibers Boxy Pattern: Worsted Boxy by Joji Locatelli Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) and US 8 (5.0 mm) Yarn: Holly Press Fibers - Sheepish (fingering weight) base in colorways:  Flower Petal, Rambler in the Wilderness & Seeking You + 3 mystery skeins from stash. Using fingering held double.   Sandbar Cardi Yarn: Berocco Summer Silk in the colorway 4006 Boardwalk Hook: K (6.5 mm) Pattern: Sandbar Cardi by Toni Lipsey (crochet pattern $7) This will likely be a #RhineBIPOCsweater for me  Crafty Adventures I learned some basic Embroidery from my friend Beverly. On the way home, I ordered this tracing light box for use in future projects.   Knitting in Passing I shared a story about meeting a man in Baltimore who told us a story about how he learned to crochet during recovery from surgery. In My Travels Tune in for stories about my recent trip to visit with friends in Baltimore I got out walking - cool park trails on Sunday morning We enjoyed Paper Moon for breakfast. We visited a cute plant store B.Willow and I purchased a Tinted Lip balm (with no plastic container) from Priya Means Love.  KAL News   Slay the Stash 2019 Each month you can declare a skein of yarn to knit/crochet/weave to its very end. Let’s use up those older special skeins (purchased before 2019) - and maybe win a new beautiful skein of yarn from one of our sponsors along the way! Check out the August Post Tune in to see if you're the July winner!  Use and follow #slaythestash2019 on Social Media Slay the Stash Sponsor List- 2019 Official Rules for 2019  January- Fish Belly Fiber Works February- KnitCircus Yarns March- Holly Press Fibers April- Fibernymph Dye Works May – Another Crafty Girl  June- Flying Finn Yarns July- Sponsored by WindsweptMonique– yarn TBD August- Knit Style Yarns September- Artistic Lilly  October – Infinite Twist  November- 716 Knit  December –  Hypnotic Yarn   The Splash Pad is closed for the season! Tune in to see if you won a prize.     Pigskin Party: the 6th Annual Pigskin Party kicks off on September 5, 2019 and runs through February 3, 2020   Not familiar? It's a ridiculously fun make-a-long that runs all through the NFL football season. We typically have a couple hundred participants each year. For each FO you finish, you earn touchdown & field goal points. You also earn points for using sponsor products & fulfilling other challenges. For every 100 points earned, you get an entry into our Grand Prize drawing. We also have lots of prizes reserved for participation on Ravelry and Instagram to keep it fun and light.   All of the details you need can be found in Pigskin '19 Start Here Thread  Want to sponsor? Details for the Sponsor options can be found here. Tune in to hear more about this year's Team option Get your Pigskin Party Logo Bag here! Don't forget to use #DCSPigskinParty19 on Instagram!    Pro Shop Sponsors (so far) Abstract Fiber AdoreKnit agirlandherwool Designs of Acadia (Pigskin Logo Bag) Fibernymph Dye Works Holly Press Fibers Imagined Landscapes Designs Infinite Twist JDStudios480 Jennifer Lassonde Designs Knitosophy Designs Knitters Brewing Company Prairie Bag Works Progress Keepers by Meliabella Sunsoaked Yarns Yarn Love   Snack Shack Sponsors (so far) Anne Beady Designs APLCrafts Birch Hollow Fibers Brenda Castiel Designs Designs by Meliabella Geektastic Fibers IrocKnits Designs Kino Knits Kitchen Counter Crafter Knit/Wit Designs Leading Men Fiber Arts Lilliput Yarn Love in Stitches Queen City Yarn Remade By Hand Designs Shanalines Designs Teal Torch Knits The Project Bag UNICORN CLEAN Windswept Designs Woodsy and Wild     Events   Online Events Knit Girllls annual Stash Dash KAL will run from May 24-August 24, 2019 Watch the friendly competition with Jasmin and me on Instagram: #teambostonjen #beatcuteknitter The Blanket Project- the Art Division and other groups throughout the country have begun knitting and quilting blankets for children at the border. Social Media:  Feel free to share your pictures/videos with us using the hashtags #theblanketprojectla #artdivisionla Instagram: @artdivisionla    Facebook: @artdivision.org  Twitter: @ArtDivisionLA Knitted, Quilted, Crocheted and Fleece tie/knot Blankets are welcome.  Local Events August 31st- Lexington MA- 12 – 4 PM, Lexington’s Spinning Protest Harrington Road (across from the Battle Green) Cape & South Shore Yarn Haul- September 12-15- Friday September 13 6p-8p I'll be hosting a trunk show and cast on party at Yarn's End in Hanover Friday September 13th from 6-8p Greater Boston Yarn Crawl- October 3-6, 2019 VT Sheep & Wool- October 5 & 6, 2019 NY Sheep & Wool Festival (aka Rhinebeck)- October 19 & 20 (new hours Sat 9-5 and Sunday 9-4) Needles Up! Friday October 18, 2019. VIP tickets sold out. General admission 1-6p  Best Western Plus Kingston Hotel and Conference Center   Indie Untangled (sold out)   Ask Me Anything This episode I answered two questions from Instagram. MegsDuffy- How do you stay motivated when you have so much going on??? ProudfootK- Plans for fall sweater knitting? Tips on curating your stash/or curbing stash acquisitions?  In my answer I mentioned the Soldotna Crop by Caitlin Hunter & Stash Fit workbook by Cate Carter Evans. Check out my review in Episode 156 of the podcast.   On a Happy Note Old friends: my friend Laura visited the first weekend in August. I spent last weekend with friends I've know for more than 12 years- originally met through scrapbooking. Cooler mornings. Long walks outside.   Quote of the Week There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” -- William Shakespeare, Hamlet   ------   Thank you for tuning in!   Contact Information: Ravelry: BostonJen & Down Cellar Studio Podcast Ravelry Group Twitter: Instagram: BostonJen1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downcellarstudio Sign up for my email newsletter to get the latest on everything happening in the Down Cellar Studio!    

The pressure to succeed can feel overwhelming for athletes or anyone preparing for something that means a lot. Conquering performance anxiety takes the right mindset and building up confidence in tangible ways.   Subscribe to the Champion's Mojo podcast on YouTube. Leave us a review, too! If you subscribe on YouTube you could win one of our monthly prizes. Champion on's Mojo is also on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play. 5 Tenets to Combat Performance Anxiety Practice, practice, practice - If you've done your preparation, you know you are ready and it can give you confidence. Create a pre-performance routine - Have a set routine before a performance. Stay in your lane - Focus on your own performance, not what others are doing. Use adrenaline for fuel - Use caffeine as an ergogenic. Add a "so" to your "what ifs?" - Visualization is key. Action Items from the Hosts Kelly: Think about something coming up and give yourself a “So what?” so that the event is not so scary. Maria: Focus on the process and focus on what you are doing -- not what others are doing. Do what you do and enjoy it in the moment. Episode Mentions Pickleball Quote of the Week “There is no strong performance without a little fanaticism in the performer.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson  Keep up with the show by visiting YouTube, ChampionsMojo.com and visiting the Facebook page, Instagram page, and Twitter page.

No matter how difficult our job, there are ways to view our work and daily responsibilities that can bring out the best in us, and draw us closer to God. Listen in to learn how to be encouraged when our 9 - 5 activities are getting us down. Our relationship with our work is one of the key relationships of life. How we view what we do to earn a living tells a lot about ourselves. Some of us are blessed to be in a career we absolutely love, while others are in jobs or activities during the day that are very unsatisfying and drain the life right out of us. If the former is true for you, and you love what you do for 8 hours or more a day, listening to today’s episode may give you some insight into the people who are so different form you. It may give you some ideas to help them. But if the later describes you, where your job or daytime activities are something you dread, and are anything but fulfilling, today’s episode may offer a new way of looking at things that could change your outlook. Either way, listen in. I’ll start with a story. Our daughter and her family were in town recently for our grandson Nathan’s spring break. They came from their home in warm South Carolina to Wisconsin in April. It snowed the 2nd day they were here. They really do love us. How many people do you know who go north for spring break? For those listeners in other parts of the world outside of Wisconsin, our state is just north of Illinois where you’ll find Chicago. Wisconsin is the only state in our nation with “sin” in its name. Wis-con-SIN. Maybe that’s why we get snow in April. I live very near to the city of Milwaukee, which is about 75 miles north of Chicago, and is home to what I consider the most beautiful building in the entire state. The Milwaukee Art Museum, or what most people call it around here, simply The Calatrava. It’s named after the Spanish architect who designed a major addition to the museum, Santiago Calatrava. It was his first designed building in the US, shortly before his career skyrocketed with other beautiful structures all over the world. Each day, beginning from the night before to 10am each morning, The Calatrava here in town looks like a large white sailing ship ready to launch eastward into Lake Michigan, just several hundred yards away from its western shore. Then at exactly 10am, what looked like two white sails of this ship, slowly separate and open on its north and south sides to transform this ship into a beautiful white bird. The sails become wings. It’s breathtaking to watch. Later in the day, at 5pm, the two wings, gradually close to transform the bird back into the shape of a sailing vessel. It’s quite stunning. A true thing of beauty. The inside of this museum addition is just as beautiful. White marble floors and walls. Even the underground parking garage is all white, and it somehow lets in ambient light from outside into its cavern underground. The garage itself is worth visiting. One day during our daughter’s visit we visited The Calatrava, walking through the rooms of a traveling art exhibit, looking at paintings. And reading the description about each one. It was very quiet and peaceful. At one point I saw two gray-haired women thoroughly engaged with one particular painting. The taller of the two pointing to an specific spot on the painting, and whispering to her companion who smiled and nodded. I wanted to eavesdrop, but I think they have rules against that kind of thing in art museums. After looking at all the paintings, and wandering through the gift shop, we went downstairs to eat lunch in The Calatrava cafe. Our conversation started with how much we all liked the museum building itself, and then the paintings, and the people they depicted. Our daughter Jennifer then commented, “I felt sorry for the guards watching over each area where paintings hung. That’s got to be a really hard and boring job.” My thoughts exactly. Dressed in black pants, a cheap black suit coat, white shirt, black tie, black shoes, and black horned rim glasses. Watching to make sure no one stole any of these 6 x 8’ canvas paintings. Watching to make sure no one sprays paint on the 18th century-portraits, like someone did a few years ago on Michelangelo’s Pieta in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Rome. The guard’s job is to look for manifestations of the worst of the human condition, and then to stop such expressions. Their job is to not trust people. All day long, do not trust people. 10am - 5pm, “My job is not to trust people, to be suspicious of human beings.” What a contrast to the beauty of the art and the building they were looking out for. Daughter Jennifer’s observation reminded me of comment from a former pastor I talked to about four years ago. I was on the pastoral search team for our church and I made a call to this ex-pastor I knew, living out of state. I had spoken to him several years prior when he contacted me for help in dealing with a messy church situation. He had succeeded his father as pastor of a congregation of about 200. His father had served the church for over 30 years, and was dearly loved by the congregation. His son, not so much. Factions developed and he was beside himself in handling all the drama. He eventually resigned and found another ministry job, but not as a pastor. Several years had past by the time I called him, and he was doing well in his new position, but I contacted him to see if he would be interested in getting back in the saddle again as a pastor of our 200+ member congregation. He heard me out as I explained our congregation’s need and what we were looking for. When I asked him if he would be interested in pursing this further, he said he’d have to think and pray about it for a few days, and then he concluded with a sentence I still find a bit haunting, “I don’t know if I want to get back into the toughest job in America.” I never called him back to follow up. We have listeners in 25 countries around the globe who I’m sure could care less about the toughest job in America. You may be one of those listeners. But please hang around because today’s episode is not about America, nor about being a pastor. It’s about the human condition that sparked such a comment from my ex-pastor friend. He went through a gut-wrenching mess at his last church, and my heart went out to him. He clearly was still quite raw from the experience several years back. But is being a pastor “the toughest job in America?” Really? I know what you’re thinking now, and I am thinking the same thing. But let’s extend a little grace to the guy. His comment reflects several relationship dynamics at play in how we relate to what we do for a living, or how we spend our days making a contribution to our world. Here’s dynamic #1. When we’ve been through a really tough job situation, where we’ve suffered a lot of hurt, frustration, and disappointment. It’s easy to blame other people, and the job itself, as the source of my problem, rather than to consider the possibility I was simply not a good match to handle the challenges of that situation. I didn’t have the skills or interest to meet those challenges. Rather than saying being a pastor is the toughest job in America, a more accurate statement would be “Being a pastor AT THAT CHURCH was the toughest job in the world FOR ME at THAT TIME IN MY LIFE.” There’s no joy in being in a job where our interests and skill set is not a fit for the job. Another dynamic is that we tend to think the job we have is so unique and different to the jobs other people have, and that what we do is so much harder than what others do. The reality is: We are not nearly as unique as we think we are. As a teacher right out of college, for example, I felt I accountable to my students, to their parents, to my principle, and to the school board. Way too many “bosses” to please. People just didn’t understand how difficult this is. No one has as many people to be accountable to as a teacher. When I was a salesman, no one could appreciate how hard that was, either. No one else I knew was working on commission. No one else I knew had to deal with closing a sale from a pay phone while on vacation in a remote area of Wisconsin with one’s family. People just didn’t understand how difficult this is. As a business owner, no one else I knew had to be concerned about meeting payroll. With having enough cash in the bank so employees could cash their paychecks. No one else I knew had to fire an employee. People just didn’t understand how difficult this is. The reality is, other jobs are just as difficult as the ones I had, and many are much harder. And while the details may be different, other jobs had similar challenges. Mine were just not that unique. But we all tend to think they are. It’s dangerous to compare the difficulty of our job with the difficulty of jobs other people have. To say my job is harder than your job is to compare and evaluate myself in comparison with another person. Don’t do that. It’s envy and it’s wrong. And it’s sin. It’s also prideful, for it presupposes one accurately knows how difficult someone else’s job is. Dynamic #3 is that almost always, the job we have is the product of a choice we make. If our job is so distressing and hard, we need to quit and get another one. It may be difficult and scary to do this. There may be financial considerations. I might have to move across the country. But it’s all still a choice. No one is forcing anyone to have the job they have. We often think we don’t have a choice. But we most always do. We have more choices than we think. Accept responsibility for our own choices. And the last dynamic is that every behavior has a payoff, a benefit to it, otherwise we wouldn’t engage in that behavior. If someone chooses to be a guard at an art museum, or a pastor, there’s a benefit to it. It may certainly not be something WE want, but for the people who engage in them, there’s a payoff. Maybe the payoff to the museum guard is part-time income in a stress-free environment, boring as it is, to pay off student-loan debt. Maybe the payoff to my ex-pastor friend was to please his pastor father, who wanted his legacy carried on by his son. I don’t know what the payoffs could be. I’m just speculating and wondering. What I do know for sure is every behavior has a payoff. The challenge is knowing what that payoff could be. So what are we to do if we find ourselves in the Toughest Job in America? I have several ideas. Examine ourselves to better understand our gifts and talents, along with our limitations. To what extent can I reflect the image of God well in my current job, given how God has wired me? Re-assess the job we are in. What are the needs of the position, and how do my abilities and interests fit the needs of the job? To what extent am I using the gifts God has given me to make a positive difference in this job? If I’m not a fit, why am I staying in this job? What is keeping me for making a change? What’s the payoff to me? Is God trying to teach me something about my character while in this difficult job? Is it possible God wants me to remain i n the “toughest job in America” for reasons I don’t quite understand yet? Ask God for wisdom and discernment about my career. To what extent am I doing my job well to please God? To what extent am I trusting God to help me with the difficulties of my job? Am I willing to trust God to open up doors to a new job? These 4 ideas are all about bringing our relationship with God to bear on our relationship with our job and activities during our waking hours. He’s a resource we tend to forget is available to us in dealing with our relationship with our career. It doesn’t have to be that way. The choice is ours. If we were to do the things I just mentioned, and call upon God to help us with our work life, we wouldn’t feel the urge to compare ourselves with others, to evaluate them in comparison to our self. We’d have more compassion for others in their work, when we see their gifting and talents not matching the requirements of the work they’ve been called upon to do. We’d be grateful for whatever blessings our employment provides us. Before I close, here’s the he main take-away from today’s episode, our show in a sentence: How we relate to our job is often a reflection of how we relate to God. How can we respond to today’s show? Two things come to mind. First off, if we are employed in a job that makes good use of our abilities and interests, be ever so thankful to God for this blessing. Secondly, look around and notice those who are not similarly blessed. Think of the “museum guards” in your life who are bored to death, think of the “pastors” you know with so many stresses in their life. Then pray for them, show compassion for them, enter into their world as much as they will allow you. And, of course, leave a big tip when you pay your bill. Relationship Quote of the Week "There is no deep knowledge of God without a deep knowledge of self, and no deep knowing of self without a deep knowing of God. "    ~ John Calvin Closing Well thanks for listening in to today’s episode. Remember what you were made for. You were made to experience life-giving, fulling relationships. Even in your relationship with your work. We’re here together to learn how. See you next week. Good bye for now.

Have you ever considered selling digital products? Selling digital products is a great way to put your design skills to the test. Not only will you challenge yourself to come up with great ideas, but if you're successful, you can make excellent money doing it. I've never tried selling digital products myself so on this episode of Resourceful Designer; I'm happy to be joined by Tom Ross, the founder of Design Cuts, one of if not the best place for acquiring and selling digital products online. Listen in as Tom, and I discuss everything there is to know about selling digital products so you can hit the ground running and do it right. In this episode you'll hear us discuss: How to determine what product you want to create Choosing quality over quantity Ways to promote your digital product Creating sample and preview images for your digital product The difference between designing for clients and designing for a marketplace Income possibilities And more Whether you are contemplating selling digital products or you are an old pro at it, you're sure to gain some valuable knowledge from this episode. Be sure to share it with all your design friends. What's your experience with selling digital products? Let me know by leaving a comment for this episode. Questions of the Week There's no QotW this week, but I would love to get one from you. Submit your question to be featured in a future episode of the podcast by visiting the feedback page. Resource of the week The Honest Entrepreneur Show The Honest Entrepreneur Show is a new podcast and YouTube channel by Tom Ross, founder of Design Cuts. Each episode is 10-20 minutes long and contains zero fluff and zero B.S. Just real, candid insight into modern entrepreneurship. Tom covers topics such as dealing with mental health, to burnout, to behind authentic. You can watch The Honest Entrepreneur Show on YouTube, or listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts on Google Podcasts or Spotify. Be sure to follow Tom on Instagram at instagram.com/tomrossmedia

As a couple-on-the-go, co-hosts Danielle K and Garrett J White, delve into a topic that, at first glance, might appear to be in the oxymoron realm. However, in classic White style, Danielle and Garrett deliver insights and experiences that uncover what might be one of the most important things you will ever do as a married couple: go through your Divine Divorce in order to find your Divine Destiny. Every week married couple Danielle K and Garrett J White share insights and perspectives from within their own lives regarding the following topics discussed each month: Week 1: Sex Week 2: Money Week 3: Parenting Week 4: Communication In This Week’s Podcast…Communication Point #1: Divine Divorce Leads to Divine Destiny There are times when couples are in the midst of great chaos and find themselves knocking on the door of divorce. Because of this, most couples concur that there comes a point in their relationship where they must choose all in…again. Garrett: Although we didn’t get a divorce, there was an emotional separation that took place. We were functionally disconnected, meaning, we were very good at being disconnected. There came a time when the inevitable moment of decision presented itself where we had to make a choice. QUESTION What has been your experience with knocking on the door of divorce? Point #2: Am I With the Wrong Person? The IDEA of a relationship that is in continual bliss and always on fire is evident in the highlight reels that are plastered all over social media, giving others the impression of a fairytale happily-ever-after marriage. This is total bullshit. Garrett: There’s a moment of the Divine Divorce where you as a couple begin to drift but it’s actually setting up the next chapter of your relationship. Danielle: We kept looping back to the same arguments that never got solved, which had me wondering, “Am I with the wrong person?” QUESTION Is what you’re posting on social media a true reflection of the state of your marriage, or is it drenched in hopeful bliss and fantasy? Point #3: It’s Just How It Is Garrett: The vast majority of couples that I meet and connect with inside Wake Up Warrior and BMS are operating in very minimal sexual connection, very minimal emotional and spiritual connection, and are surviving. But the challenge is, they don’t even know they’re surviving. The belief is, “This is just how it is.” If you surround yourself with people who have this belief, it’s not until something traumatic happens where it begins to expose how shitty things really are. In our marriage when the money disappeared, that is when the chaos of our marriage was exposed. QUESTION Where in your world do you have the belief of “it’s just how it is?” Point #4: From Divorce to Divine Divorcement The reality of how people show up in marriage is quite alarming to Garrett. Inside of many relationships he is connected with, he has witnessed many couples where both people are out of shape, they don’t go out on dates, there is no seduction or flirting, and they are in the managing and survival mode. Then they get a divorce. “What blows my mind is the transformation that begins taking place AFTER the divorce, where they blossom into this entirely new person. Instead of having to get divorced, what if you could literally go through a Divine Divorcement?” QUESTION If on the verge of divorce, what would be possible inside your marriage if you considered the possibility of creating new patterns while remainging married? Point #5: It's a Choice Garrett: No matter how powerfully connected you feel to who you are and what you have, the next version of your relationship as a couple is impossibly held hostage by the current constraints of what you believe is possible today. No matter what state your marriage is in today, there’s another level calling you. And in order to get to that next level, there’s a Divine Divorcement upon you. Divine in the sense that God, through the gift of agency, is giving you an opportunity to choose. QUESTION What are some of the limiting beliefs that are holding your marraige hostage? Communication Challenge: How are you choosing to show up in your marriage? What are you choosing to divorce? Without the divorcement and without the decision to do it, nothing is going to change inside of your relationship. Date Night Topic: Have a conversation about the things that attracted you to each other inthe beginning of your relationship. How those have evolved and changed over time? What are some things you can do now to create new chemistry and excitement inside your relationship? Quote of the Week: “There’s a new destiny on the other side of divorce. Divorce is simply choosing to do something different; it’s the laying down and putting aside of that which is old and not working, for something that is new and can work.” —Garrett J White “People underestimate the small consistencies daily that create a big win in life. Stay committed, be patient, and kick your husband in the ass every now and again if he needs it.” —Danielle K White

Stories from the Week There’s yet another Trump administration scandal brewing. And it’s a doozy. – The Washington Post Laura Loomer: ‘It’s Almost Like [Democrats] Want Little Girls to Get Raped’ | Right Wing Watch Chris McDonald: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ‘Theology Is of Satan’ | Right Wing Watch Rep. Matt Gaetz apologizes, deletes tweet seen by... The post Episode 459: Jihad Magazine first appeared on Cognitive Dissonance the Podcast.

What number does your ROI need to hit before you will celebrate? Be sure to click over to out sponsor, Best Page Forward, if you need help getting your book’s custom description in tip top shape! Bryan shares his progress on Last Week’s Relentless Author Actions and he’ll let you know if his sales plummeted or soared after he turned off his most expensive ads. This week Bryan will take his foot off the pedal a little bit to actually earn some money. The Ad of the Week is: The Writing Prompts Workbook, Grades 1-2. The Keyword of the Week: There were actually five. And, of course, Bryan reveals the Book MVP of the Week. RAAD Question of the Week: With over 80% in ROI, this week was a cause for celebration, which I'm not always so good at. What's a number or a figure you'd like to hit that would make you happy to celebrate? Let me know in a comment below.

Balikan natin ang ating mga resume at suriin natin kung tayo ba gumamit ng power words. Alamin kung ano ano ang maaring gamitin upang mapaganda at mapabilis ang paghahanap ng trabaho. Sa ikalawang bahagi ng ating panayam sa isang Chief Mechanic, ibabahagi niya ang mahahalagang kaalaman sa pagsisimula bilang mekaniko, limitasyon at iba pang mahahalagang dapat gawin upang tumagal sa ganitong uri ng trabaho. Quote for the Week: "There's no twilight zone of honesty in business. A thing is right or wrong. It's black or white." 00:33 'Power Words' para sa iyong Resume 03:12 Ikalawang Bahagi ng ating Panayam sa isang Chief Mechanic 11:05 Quote for the Week (John Francis Dodge)

This week’s episode of the Big Money Stylist podcast comes from a recent BMS event where Danielle, Garrett, Val, and Ani trained over 300 Artists in the Art of Marketing, specifically covering the following: I’m a Marketer, I’m a Closer, I’m a Leader, not a Savior. Big Money Stylist, we go over the following formula each month: Week #1: Power Week #2: Production Week #3: Profit Week #4: Protection In This Week’s Episode…..PROTECTION Point #1: Marketing When Danielle started her NBR brand, Social Media wasn’t as it is today. She knew the power was in leads so she started hustling and using the power of Marketing. As she worked on her Marketing and began seeing results, she experienced a mind shift and realized it didn’t matter if she lived in a small town or a big city, she could still bring in big money through Marketing. QUESTION What are you doing to market yourself?   Point #2: Give Me Your Card, Bitch Ani: As Artists, we feel so beyond awkward trying to close anybody, especially when it’s on the phone. You have to go in knowing that what you’re selling is amazing, and you have to trust that you can produce the work to collect this money.  Val: The mindset of being a Closer began to shift for me after the first successful class we had. I knew that it worked. I was in the mindset of: We’re selling out this class, this shit works, I’m a fucking closer, and I’m going to collect your card info. QUESTION What needs to shift in your mind in order for you to become a Closer?   Point #3: The Land of Yes or No Ani: We live in a world where Maybe is an acceptable answer, where you can be a super flake and not commit to anything. In Marketing, it’s not maybe anymore; it’s either a clear Yes, or a clear No. Danielle: If you’re a Marketer, you’re not scared of the Nos; you’ve got to own that marketing side of you, even in your panic mode. Give yourself a pep talk and then go after the Closing. QUESTION What area of your life do you find yourself living in the Land of Maybe instead of the Land of Yes or No? Point #4: I Am a Leader, Not a Savior Ani: This is a hard one for Artists because we see the difference we can make in a woman’s confidence. We want to do that for everyone, including anything that you can sort-of-kind-of-fuck-up along the way. Just because someone contacts you and they’re willing to pay you, doesn’t mean they’re qualified to sit in your chair or get NBR. QUESTION Where in your world are you acting like a Savior instead of a Leader?   Point #5:  Daily Four Ani: When I began marketing the way Garrett taught us, I had to literally put up blinders and focus only on what I was doing in that moment. Otherwise, it was so easy to get sidetracked by all the chatter of the other Artists in my salon. Danielle: I think it’s so important to communicate your message because it’s literally the way to get your dream client in the chair. In addition to taking Before and Afters, you have to showcase a little bit of you. QUESTION What has been your experience using the Daily Four? Quote of the Week: “There are five pivotal points inside of this. Some of you are looking for a miracle switch when all you need is one shift in how you see your world. You just had bombs dropped on your face. What are you going to do with them?” –Garrett J White “Don’t base your results on your social media following, base your results on actual clients sitting in your chair. Don’t worry about the wrong numbers, worry about the right numbers.” –Danielle K White “I wasn’t taking anything personally, I just knew I was in the mindset of: We’re selling out this class, this shit works, I’m a fucking Closer, and I’m going to collect your card.” –Valerie Plunk “You never stop marketing, even if your books are full; it doesn’t matter. You are going to grow, you are going to change, and your clientele will continue to change with you.” –Anianne Rivera

How much should you charge for your design services? How many times have you asked yourself that question? It doesn’t matter if you are new to the design life or a veteran designer, that nagging question is always around. How much should you charge for your design services? There are many things to take into consideration when you ask yourself that question. Such as what pricing strategy you want to use for your design business. But regardless of which approach you choose, be it charging by the hour, by the project, or based on value, you still need to figure out how much to charge for your services. But where do you start? How do you know if you should charge $20 an hour, $50 an hour or $100 an hour? For project-based pricing, do you charge $500, $5,000 or $50,000 for a website? Figuring out how much to charge can get confusing. I'm going to share one way for you to look at things that may help you calculate what you should be charging as well as help you figure out what type of clients you should be going after. Look for the sweet spot The trick to figuring out how much you should be charging for your design services is to find that sweet spot between how much you charge your clients and how many clients you need to sustain the lifestyle you want to live. The first step is to figure out how much money you want to make annually as a designer. You could pick a number at random and say you want to make $30,000 a year, or $80,000 or even $200,000. Or you can try calculating your business and personal expenses, including savings plus money for leisure things, and come up with an annual salary to cover that number. Regardless of how you come up with the annual amount you want to make, once you know it, it’s time to look at your design rate versus your workload. For example, let's say you want to make $48,000 per year. $48,000 per year is $4,000 per month or $1,000 per week (based on four weeks per month. The extra days are your vacation days). At a regular 40 hour per week 9-5 job, your wage would be $25 per hour to achieve this. But as a home-based designer, you are not working a 40 hour per week 9-5 job. Chances are you are not working 40 billable hours per week either. You may be working 40 or more hours per week, but they are probably not all billable. To figure out how much to charge your clients and how many clients you need to take on, we have to do some calculations. There are several ways for you to make $4,000 per month such as. 1 client that pays you $4000/month 2 clients that pay you $2000/month 4 clients that pay you $1000/month 8 clients that pay you $500/month 16 clients that pay you $250/month 20 clients that pay you $200/month 40 clients that pay you $100/month Every one of these bullet points will earn you $4,000 per month. But if you imagine them like a bell curve, you will find a sweet spot somewhere in the middle that will be much easier to attain and maintain. That sweet spot is where you have the right number of clients paying you the right amount of money to earn your desired monthly income. While at the same time having a number of clients that is sustainable. Let’s look at those numbers again. One $4,000 client each month. Finding one client every month that will pay you $4000 may prove difficult for some designers. It will take a lot of work to acquire and onboard a new $4000 client every month. Not to mention that $4000 clients will demand a lot of you which could be stressful for you. Failing to sign a new client every month could leave you financially strapped. Forty $100 clients each month. At the other end of the scale, procuring forty $100 clients every month will also be very difficult and stress-inducing. You will need to spend a lot of your unbillable time trying to acquire 40 clients each month. Then, after onboarding all of these clients, you still need to find the time to produce 40 pieces of design work that month. That’s 2 completed design pieces per business day. Not to mention, lower paying clients are usually the most demanding clients. Sounds like a nightmare to deal with, doesn’t it? Your work will probably suffer because of the high workload, and there is a good chance of burnout on your part. You couldn’t sustain this for very long. Finding the sweet spot. Somewhere in the middle of this bell curve is the sweet spot where you get a good amount of money per client. The task of finding new clients isn’t as difficult, and managing your client list and completing the design projects is easily doable. Looking again at the bullet points above, It will take a lot less effort to land eight $500 clients or ten $400 clients every month than it does to find one high paying client or forty low paying clients. With eight to twelve clients you should have the time to properly interview them, do your discovery, come up with ideas and complete their design projects without overstressing yourself. You’ll also be producing better quality design work because you will have the proper time to devote to each project. Which in turn will help grow your portfolio and attract even more clients. Once you know what price range you want to go after, it’s just a matter of finding enough clients in that budget range. How much should you charge? Thinking again of that bell curve and the range of the right number of clients at the right budget, you can then calculate an hourly rate. I’ll use ten clients as an example because it’s a nice even number to do the math with. If you have ten clients per month, each paying you $400, you will make $4,000 per month. That works out to two and a half clients per week bringing in a total of $1,000. Figure out your billable hours In order to find out how much to charge your clients, you need to know how many billable hours you would you like to work each week. Let’s say you put in a 40 hour work week. Roughly 15 of those hours will be spent finding new clients and managing your business. Those 15 hours are not billable, leaving you with 25 billable hours per week. Those are the hours you actually spend designing. 25 billable hours per week, divided by 2.5 clients, gives you 10 hours per client per week. If each client is paying you $400 that works out to an hourly rate of $40. So if charge $40 per hour for your design services, you need 10 clients per month, at 10 hours each in order to earn $48,000 per year. Reality break. Let’s be realistic. There’s no way you will ever have exactly 10 clients each month, each with a project that takes exactly 10 hours to complete. It would be great if life was that predictable but it isn’t. But it does give you a base to start with. If you charge $40 per hour, you need to work 25 billable hours per week to make $48,000 per year. But what if you only want to make $30,000 per year? If that’s the case, you can still charge $40 per hour and drop your billable hours to roughly 15.5 per week. Or you can work 25 billable hours but only charge $25 per hour. Do you see where I'm going with this? The whole point of this exercise is to show you that there’s a correlation between what you charge your clients, how many clients you have, and how hard it will be to find those clients and sustain your business. In reality, you need to average out these numbers over the course of a year. Some weeks you will work more hours and some weeks less. Some months you will have more clients and some you will have less. But if you use your own numbers and look at the bell curve, you should see that somewhere in there is that sweet spot. The spot where the number of clients you need to get each month is realistic and attainable and the average price you need to get from each one is also realistic and attainable. By doing these calculations, you can set yourself a goal to aim for and have a good idea of what you should be charging your clients to attain that goal. That sweet spot is where you should aim for your business. Have you ever calculated how many clients or hours you need to sustain your business? Let me know by leaving a comment for this episode. Questions of the Week There is no question of the week this time but I would love to answer yours on a future episode of the podcast. Submit your question by visiting the feedback page. Resource of the week Elegant Themes Blog I've mentioned before that I'm a big fan of Elegant Themes' Divi Theme. What I haven't shared before is the excellent blog that Elegant Themes puts out with articles covering not only Divi but all aspects of web design. Not only can you read about new Divi features, but you can find great tips and tricks from experts on how to do amazing things in Divi. You can also learn valuable information about WordPress and website design in general. If you haven't done so already, I highly suggest you check out the Elegant Themes Blog. Listen to the podcast on the go. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on Spotify Listen on StitcherListen on AndroidListen on Google Play MusicListen on iHeartRadio Contact me I would love to hear from you. You can send me questions and feedback using my feedback form. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram I want to help you. Running a graphic design or web design business all by yourself isn't easy. If there are any struggles you face running your design business, please reach out to me. I'll do my best to help you by addressing your issues in a future blog post or podcast episode here at Resourceful Designer. You can reach me at feedback@resourcefuldesigner.com

Discussed on this week's 5in5: Doe v. Landry National Music Museum v. Johnson Abdurrahman v. Dayton Fikre v. FBI Greene v. Sprint Nextel Corp. Relevant Articles Minimum Age for Louisiana Strippers Rejected Again Elvis Guitar Fight Moves Forward in Federal Court What is the Electoral College? ‘No-Fly List’ Rules are Unconstitutional: Federal Judge What is a Frivolous Lawsuit? Legal Limerick of the Week: There once were 3 strippers from Louisiana; Who sued the state over age restrictions gone bananas. In the fight for unequal rights; The state tried with all the vagary it might; But the strippers won and that’s all that matters. Please subscribe, rate, and review our show if you enjoyed the content we provided and learn more at FindLaw.com. Contact us at podcasts@thomsonreuters.com.

The topic of money is this week’s conversation inside of the Date Your Wife podcast. The unique dynamics inside of a married relationship create a very difficult game for many couples when it comes to the sticky topic of money. __________________________________________________________________________________ Every week married couple Danielle and Garrett J White share insights and perspectives from within their own lives regarding the following topics discussed each month: Week 1: Sex Week 2: Money Week 3: Parenting Week 4: Communication   In This Week’s Podcast….MONEY Point #1: Catch-22 Back in the day, Danielle hated Garrett because he was working so much. But she didn’t hate the business because that’s what was paying the bills. “I got to this place where I felt Garrett loved the business more than he loved me.” Garrett: Men can control what happens in business more than they can control what happens at home. It’s easier to be the King in business than it is to be the King at home. QUESTION Gentlemen, have you lost your crown? What are you going to do to get it back? Point #2: Split in Two Many women who out-produce their husbands are in this space of: How do I deal with my husband who is not being the man? I’m dominating him in business and trying to decide if I should get a divorce. Garrett: When a man allows his wife to split the bills, it splits his power and creates a bit of submission in a weird way. Men, at the primal level, must be okay with the stewardship and responsibility of “I must pay the bills independent of my wife.” QUESTION How do you as a couple feel about this?   Point #3: Wake-Up Call At one point in their marriage, Danielle hid how much money she was making. She split up her bank accounts to create a safety net for herself because she wasn’t sure if their marriage was going to work out. When she got triggered about something, she revealed to Garrett that she had made $30k the previous month which served as a wake-up call in the form of a big two by four straight into his balls. QUESTION Ladies, why do you hide your money from your husband? Point #4: Show Me the Money, Honey There’s an artist inside Danielle’s Big Money Stylist network who is outproducing her husband in a massive way. “I love my husband and I want to be more sexual, but I’m just not attracted to him.” Garrett: This is a sticky situation, and there’s not a simple one-cut solution. When Danielle was making more money, her tolerance of behavior by me went down, and her desire to connect with me sexually also went down. QUESTION How is this dynamic affecting your marriage?   Point #5: Friday Night Fights A recent fight between Danielle and Garrett would have been the end of their marriage a few years ago. But this time it compelled them and opened them up. Danielle: When your foundation is rocky and an explosion happens, it’s hard to build that back up. Now, we can have a fight and come back and talk about it because our foundation is more solid. QUESTION What condition is the foundation of your marriage in? Communication Challenge: Gentlemen, I want you to have a conversation with your wife about the dynamics of money. What is the connection to the attraction for you and the money you’re making or the lack of money you’re making? If you’re a man and not paying the bills, have that conversation with your wife and just see where it takes you. If you can get her to be honest with you, it may be the prompting that you need to ultimately rise.   Date Night Topic: Have a conversation about what you can do to create a stronger foundation inside of your relationship. What does that look like for both of you?   Quote of the Week: “There are very few men on this planet who are actually ok with their wives out-fucking producing them. The girl owns the money card AND the vagina card. She owns the victory, the gina, and the money.” –Garrett J White “When you weren’t my money, you weren’t my honey. When I hold all the control, there’s no chemistry.” –Danielle K White __________________________________________ Head over to Amazon to pick up your copy of Be the Man. warriorbook.com, dkwstyling.com, wakeupwarriorwoman.com

On today’s show we are going to talk about: Managing your Time so You Have More Time for the Future You! Today's podcast is brought to you by Audible - get a FREE audiobook download and a 30 day free trial at http://www.audibletrial.com/DrivenWomen. You will find they have over 180,000 titles to choose from for your iPhone, Android, Kindle or mp3 player. On today’s show we have a 5 Part Series we have created just for you:  5 Areas of Your Life to Get Under Control so, You Can Be Ready for Anything!  Today is part 5 of 5 and we will be focusing on Managing Your Time. You can find parts 1-4 linked below. (Click here for Part 1 of 5: How to Create a Space You Love So You can Be Ready for Anything.) (Click here for Part 2 of 5: How to Work Your Money so it Can Work for You.) (Click here for Part 3 of 5: Who You Allow into Your World and how they can change the trajectory of your entire life.) (Click here for Part 4 of 5: Be a Warrior and take Responsibility.) If you want to become a woman that makes an impact on the world, you must learn to focus your mind on the tasks that allow you to make that impact.  Making a difference in the world does not happen by accident. You have to make a plan with a purpose. Time is the most important resource we have in our lives and it has no chance of being replenished. Life expectancy in the United States is about 79 years, which means that if you are 20 years old – you only have 59 years left to live, on average.  That is only 3,068 Friday nights left to hang out with your friends, go on date nights, or have movie night with the kids. It might sound like a lot, but it is only about 236 seasons of the year for you to comment on the warm summer sun, the changing of the leaves, the first snowfall or the beautiful spring flowers.  I was just 20 years old the other day, now I am closer to 50 than 40 and I can verify, 4 decades went by very quickly and assume the next 4 decades will go even faster. How will you choose to spend your time on this earth? Tools or References Mentioned in the Podcast: The Pomodoro technique by Francisco Cirillo Management Skills in Schools: A Resource for School Leaders by Jeff Jones Best Year Ever Design Your Future by Michael Hyatt 7 habits of highly effective people by Steven Covey Google Calendar Todoist Forest – focus APP BFT – Bear Focus Timer Microsoft Outlook– especially if your company has a privacy policy about data and this is their enterprise solution. Trisha Yearwood: Standing Out In a Crowd Time Machine:   In this segment each week we will give a few points about women that have accomplished a lot! We also will discuss a bit about what was happening to women during the time periods. Someone we think you would like to know more about is: Lady Gaga   Inspirational Quote of the Week: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” -Maya Angelou   We genuinely Want to know! (Listener questions and feedback) Are you driven to succeed? Email us at tami.north@genuinedrivenwomen.com or call us at (724) DRIVEN-2 or  (724) 374-8362 and leave a voice message. We’ll use your voicemails on a future podcast!   We’d love for you to take a couple minutes to write a review on iTunes, which will help us to reach our goal to connect with girls, young ladies, and women who need just this kind of inspiration each week. Click here to leave a review! You can also follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/genuinedrivenwomen/ to join the conversation, get to know us better, and to find about all the new things we will be announcing in the months to come. References:   Lady Gaga and Body Shaming - https://yourstory.com/2017/03/lady-gaga-contemporary-feminism/ Lady Gaga Biography - https://www.biography.com/people/lady-gaga-481598  

Solo is an entertaining movie and could possibly be more to audiences if we could accept him --the individual, Solo-- as the main character rather than a sidekick who just so happens to be the baby daddy to certain Skywalker progeny. This movie isn't necessary to the canon, however, has the potential to payout and entertaining storyline if we care to wait for forthcoming sequels. People “riding’ Solo for the all wrong reasons. Solo is not a bad film, only unnecessary to the storyline we already know exists of the infamous Hans Solo of the first trilogy. Han has redeemable qualities and that just does not work for a scoundrel. This is a lawless land. Let us witness its lawlessness. Go raw. Go dark. Surprise the audience with a captivating story of a criminal who is a criminal. Rogue One is a far better film than Solo. The mission was to take down the Destroyer by any means necessary. The stakes were such that no one would survive. There was an ending to that tale, whereas, with Solo there is more to beget. The story continues without fulfilling a need to expose Solo for who he and not what he became after his adventures with the Skywalkers. Solo as a summer tentpole movie: meant to entertain. There just isn’t much importance to this film in relation to the current Star Wars Saga, however, if my theory suggests then maybe this explains the origins of a newly birthed Star Wars legend. Is there still such a thing as a summer tentpole with one studio dominating the market. Disney has a gambit of films debuting this summer. Every other studio fails in its comparison. Investing in preexisting titles and not taking a chance on original not-so-sure-shots drys the well dampened by only one studio entity, Disney. Early May and April are too early for summer releases. Summer movies start early, in April. June is the true beginnings of the Summer film season. Actually, it’s always been Memorial Day. Here are my expectations and movies I look forward to watching this summer. Scoop du Jour: The Preordain Clapback. Why you should always have a plan of retaliation in social media beef. Links mention in this episode: This video of the Loch Ness monster is nothing to swoon over.  George Lucas wanted to go all metaphysical with the Jedi sequels.  This video of the Loch Nessmonster is nothing to swoon over. George Lucaswanted to go all metaphysical with the Jedi sequels. It started with Pusha T's Infrared. Got serious with Drake's Duppy Freestyle, and ended with the Story of Adidon. How much more cinematic can you get? Cryptoid of the Week: There has been another siting of a Loch Ness log. Flava Text: Never trust anyone. We're always open for suggestions and/or a favorable comment But Machete don'ttweet. Okay, well leave us a voicemail or email: Phone 520-775-1690 Email contact@talkingwithburritos.com   WHERE TO SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN: The full catalog, minus, shownotes Our podcast subscription page Listen on Apple Podcast: Or download to your Android device using these suggested apps: Subscribe on Android If you enjoyed this episode, leave a review with Apple Podcasts iTunes!  

Have you ever scrapped something (or thought about scrapping it) just because someone else was already doing it (and better than you are)? It could be anything, a project, a business, whatever. Maybe you say to yourself (as I sometimes do), "They are so good at it, why even bother?" Well, if either of these statements have ever crossed your mind, on today's episode of the podcast I'm going to share a few of my favorite counter measures (thought tools) that may help you push through this type of thinking and do the thing you want to do despite any and all internal resistance you may be facing. Another thing I often think about when it comes to this type of thinking is the notion that every pro-player in any field began as an amateur. Every single one of them. This is really one of the core challenges we face every day as human beings and must get over to have happiness and success. You may be familiar with the expression, "There's nothing new under the sun." Well, there is actually something new under the sun...and that's how YOU do it. The newness is your own expression of what your doing in the world. While what you're doing may have been done before, it has never been done in just the way you do it. This is reason enough to do the thing...so you can do it in your own unique way. I share more of my favorite thoughts on this subject in the podcast. Quote of the Week: There will always be fear; DO IT ANYWAY.  Let your courage inspire the world around you." ~ Dr. Steve Maraboli Resources Mentioned: None this week. Awesome Resources Created Just For You: Just Be It! - Improve your performance and your results in any area of your life quickly and easily! The Alchemy of Despair - 17 of the most effective techniques I've ever encountered for reclaiming your happiness! The Magic of Being - Teach your child how to develop their self-image in a fun, entertaining way! Connect with me Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ How to review the show on iTunes - If you enjoy the podcast, it would be awesome if you'd take a minute and write a review on iTunes.  To do that, just launch the iTunes podcast app on your computer or phone.  Search for Enhancing The Human Experience.  Select the album art for the show.  Then select ratings and reviews.  Then write your review.  Thank you in advance, I really appreciate it! All the best - health, wealth, and success! Mark

WHOA... it's quite a show, folks. We've got a little anger, a little frustration, some news, some jokes, some Blue October, and a song about the butthole! Also, we've got a SPOILER FREE review of Avengers: Infinity War. We kick off the show with jokes, updates, and a bit of a rant against corporate America and those that would try to take advantage of the little guy (looking at you Vivint and Chase!) ... but WhiskeyBoy tells you how to get the President of a multi-million dollar company on the phone! After a rant and updates, we get back to "show-as-usual". We hit up a dirty limerick, top news stories, and we have two of Blue October's older songs, from their 'Consent to Treatment' album.After more news, A top 10 of Pirate Codes, a final thought, and jokes; we end the show much more positively than it started. Updates:Football coachingInfinity WarCongrats to Chrys Starr on the new houseKalyn - everyone loves herIce Cream RunAdventures in the Walmart parking lot - Big TrucksVivint And Chase SUCK————Top Story:* Jason Jones, 11, was arrested by Montgomery police for yodeling in Walmart.* A former member of the Church of Scientology has revealed this week on German television how he was allegedly forced to partake in sexual activities with “extraterrestrial beings.”* Nepal: Climber Survives Burtal Sexual Assault By Yeti-Like Creature.————Dirty Limerick of the Week:There once was a woman named Jill Who swallowed an exploding pill They found her vagina In North Carolina And her tits in a tree in Brazil -----More Stories:A Florida man has been arrested for reportedly stabbing his friend for saying “PUBG is better than Fortnite”.JFK Bookreport - its the end of the school year…everyone is phoning it in.Navy Launches First Gay SubmarineThank you for listening to WhiskeyBoy Radio, I appreciate each and every one of you!Be sure to check out and support other independent podcasters, YouTubers, and local bands!Go visit our website at WhiskeyBoyRadio.com - Be sure to follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @WhiskeyBoyRadio - Call our shows' studio and comment line at 972-853-1359, Subscribe via Spreaker, iTunes, iHeart, Stitcher, Tunein, and Follow us on Spotify!

Holy cow, folks! This is a fun show... packed full of SENSIBLE goodies... Just you wait! This week we are joined by Tay, Amber, and Raw Dawg... the hosts of The Sensible People Podcast! We talk all about their show, what it's about, where it came from, where it's going, and what makes it so Sensible! We also play some games with our guests (Dice of Destiny and the Lightning Round) and we have some general chit chat about the world and it's lack of bag-boys!It's a very fun show, and I hope you enjoy listening, as much as we enjoyed recording it!This show starts with Jokes, and updates. We talk all about the Sensible People podcast, and play some games. We talk about Walmart's lack of Bag-boy training program and how it's destroying the country that we love. Then we have a Dirty Limerick, and our time with the Sensible folks wraps up.Updates:Texas Podacalypse - Apparently I am a Liberal.Sea of Thieves
Gained 2 lbsSensible People Ep. #18————Top Story:Welcome Sensible People!Sensible Interview - When did you start, why did you start, what other shows do you like, What’s the future of the show?Walmart Bagging Training InconsistentSexy guy in the Parking lotDICE OF DESTINY WITH SENSIBLE PEOPLE.————Dirty Limerick of the Week:There once a fellow McSweenyWho spilled some gin on his weenieJust to be couthHe added vermouthAnd slipped his girlfriend a martini.What’s coming up on Sensible People?Let’s play the Lightning Round.------————*** Music:“ I Rock Hip Hop “ - Done Deal————————And now… The ridiculous News:* ‘LITTLE OLD LADY’ ARRESTED FOR MAKING FUR COATS WITH NEIGHBOR’S CATS* MAN ON CRYSTAL METH KILLS 12 NEIGHBORS, THINKING THEY’RE ZOMBIES* OBESE COUPLE MAKES THREE-STORY FALL AFTER FLOOR COLLAPSES DURING SEX* FLORIDA MAN FALLS VICTIM TO LEPROSY AFTER SEX WITH ARMADILLO————*** Music:“Armadillo Sleeps on my pillow” - Fair to Midland————Coming UP:Otter next week… Texas PodAcalypse Supplemental episode this weekend… Friday Night, Infinity War…. Thank you for listening to WhiskeyBoy Radio, I appreciate each and every one of you!Be sure to check out and support other independent podcasters, YouTubers, and local bands!Go visit our website at WhiskeyBoyRadio.com - Be sure to follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @WhiskeyBoyRadio - Call our shows' studio and comment line at 972-853-1359, Subscribe via Spreaker, iTunes, iHeart, Stitcher, Tunein, and Follow us on Spotify!SENSIBLE PEOPLE LINKS:https://www.sensiblepeoplepodcast.com/https://www.facebook.com/sensiblepeoplepodcasthttps://twitter.com/sensible_peoplehttps://www.instagram.com/sensiblepeople/You can also follow the show on Spotify... Like I do!!!Music Links:Done Deal - https://www.facebook.com/donedealrealmusic/Fair to Midland - https://www.facebook.com/ftmband/

Happy Birthday Superman and Paco Estrada!!! We have a show FULL of fun stuff tonight, friends.We start with a joke from my 7-year-old, then we celebrate Superman and Action Comics #1000! We have jokes, some wild news stories, Interviews and a recap of the Trees show, featuring chats with Jared Bishop and Chris from Redefine! We have music from Canadian Alt-Rockers Across the Bar, Paco Estrada, and Bowling for Soup! Lots of fun stuff on the show and in the interviews. Enjoy!Today’s show is brought to you by Go Epic Health. Makers of Cholesterade “The natural way to lower cholesterol”. ShoutOuts: To Superman… THE best superhero (fight me!)!Updates:Action Comics #1000Apparently I’m a SilverFoxI’m down 8 lbs now!Friday the 13th TattoosI got to DJ Twice last weekendThe Maintenance Guy————Top Story:Stay Classy Haslet! Kids Protesting then Fighting.Barbara Bush Dead an being bashed.* Woman goes blind from Chlamydia after cheating on husband with pet koala.* Canadian trapper survives brutal sexual assault by 200-pound beaverTrees Show RecapJared Bishop InterviewLimerick of the Week:There was a young girl from Rabat, who had triplets, Nat, Pat and Tat;It was fun in the breeding,But hell in the feeding,When she found she had no tit for Tat.Upcoming:- Monday Episode 18 of Sensible People will be released… with a WhiskeyBoy Cameo… so do checkout those guys.- Playboy Playmate, Abigail Rich will be coming back to the show!- The Sensible People Crew will be guesting on WhiskeyBoy Radio on an upcoming episode.- 04/20 - Secret of Boris / Messer at Trees- 04/21 - Texas PodAcalypse at Will Call bar.- May 25th - Redefine at The Abbey Underground (Denton)———— More Stories:* Transspecies man abandons family to live naked in the forest as a squirrel.* Man emasculated after trying to use air compressor to enlarge his penis.* 425-pound teacher suspended for sitting on student's head and farting in his mouth.Thank you for listening to WhiskeyBoy Radio, I appreciate each and every one of you!Be sure to check out and support other independent podcasters, YouTubers, and local bands!Today’s show has been brought to you by Go Epic Health. Makers of Cholesterade “The natural way to lower cholesterol”. Use promo code LDL25 to get 25% off your order, or find a store near you, at www.drinkcholesterade.com.Go visit our website at WhiskeyBoyRadio.com - Be sure to follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @WhiskeyBoyRadio - Call our shows' studio and comment line at 972-853-1359, Subscribe via Spreaker, iTunes, iHeart, Stitcher, Tunein, and Follow us on Spotify!Sponsor Links: www.shopmerialux.com www.interpreneurprogram.comMusic Links:Across The Board - https://www.facebook.com/acrosstheboardproductions/ Jared Bishop - https://www.facebook.com/BishopBand.Official/Paco Estrada - https://www.facebook.com/pacoestradamusic/Bowling For Soup - https://www.facebook.com/bowlingforsoup/

Cat reflects on the importance of sisterhood. For hundreds of years indigenous societies proved to prioritize intimate relationships with women, but in the modern day it's escaped the realities of too many thus creating voids everywhere. This episode is a call to action for all women seeking to connect with the healing effects of the divine feminine through sisterly bonds.Inspo of the Week“There's one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood."-Robin BenwayKeep Up With CatSubscribe to the show to ensure you don't miss out on any episodes!Head to www.catlantigua.com to subscribe to her exclusive weekly emails!Follow her on Twitter: @catlantiguaFollow her on Instagram: @cat.lantiguaCheck out her Facebook page: Cat LantiguaKeep following Cat on all of the socials to stay updated on all of the great things coming up! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What I learned by talking to new entrepreneurs I had the honour of presenting a "Branding Your Business" seminar to a group of new entrepreneurs this week. It was one of six in a recurring seminar series put on by my municipality's Business Enterprise Centre. They decided this time around that adding a "graphics" related seminar would be valuable to new business owners and they asked if I would be interested in presenting. The seminar I presented was advertised with the title “Graphic Design Basics” but, with permission from the person in charge of the seminar series I changed it to “Branding Your Business”. I knew I could provide more value to new entrepreneurs by teaching them the importance of proper branding over simply giving them graphic design tips, although I did interweave some into my talk. My decision to change the direction of the seminar proved the right one as the engagement and feedback I received both during and after presenting was all positive. In fact the Business Enterprise Centre asked me after the seminar if I would like to become a permanent speaker for all their future seminar series. I'm not writing this to pat myself on the back. Even though I was the one teaching these new entrepreneurs the value of proper branding I learnt a few things myself that designers can use when dealing with new clients. I go into much more detail on the podcast so be sure to listen for the full story. New entrepreneurs are often new to the business world One thing I noticed during my presentation is that of the couple dozen people in attendance, almost all of them had zero business experience before becoming new entrepreneurs. Talking to them, I realised just how naive they were when it comes to marketing their business. This got me thinking about all the times I hear of designers struggling to attract new clients. If you are trying to build your design clientele all you have to do is put in a bit of effort and you will be rewarded. There are hundreds, if not thousands of businesses all around you that are in need of your services if you just educated them on why they need you. What talking to new entrepreneurs taught me Here are a few of the things I picked up while presenting to this group that I believe could help you in landing new clients. Choosing a business name The majority of the people I talked to told me that they had trouble choosing a name for their business. Some of them even delayed starting their business because they were not happy with the name they had chosen. This is a real issue with some people. If you as a designer offered a service that helps people with choosing a business name you can attract clients at the foundation of their business and them help them build upon that foundation with proper branding going forward. New entrepreneurs don't think beyond the logo At the start of my seminar, I asked how happy the audience was with their brand identity. Most of them said they were satisfied with what they had chosen. After my presentation on Branding Your Business, I asked the same question again with different results. Almost everyone who was satisfied at the start admitted that they were going to revisit their brand strategy and find ways to improve it. There is a huge opportunity for you as a designer to work with new entrepreneurs if you showed them the effect proper branding can have on their business success. Colour pallets were not even a thought Almost all of the attendees I talked to had not considered a colour pallet for their business. They may have selected specific colours for their logo, but they hadn't thought of incorporating those colours into the rest of their marketing materials. You know that the key to a good brand is consistency. Lucky for you most new entrepreneurs don't. This creates the perfect opportunity for you to educate them and become vital to their overall brand strategy. Trademarks, copyrights and other legalities When it comes to the dos and don'ts of the design world, new entrepreneurs don't have the knowledge or experience you have. By talking to them about what they can and cannot do in regards to photos, slogans or, borrowing design elements from others, you can save them from the legal troubles ahead. Once they realise there is a line they shouldn't cross they may find it easier to let you handle all the design decisions for them. Design is a burdensome expense Many new entrepreneurs think of design as a burdensome expense. They think they are outsmarting the system and saving money by creating their own marketing material. As a designer, this is the perfect opportunity for you to educate them on how design should be viewed as an investment in their business, not simply an expense. Once they realise this, they will be much more open to working with you. Why invest in a website when Facebook is free? I missed this in my presentation. It was afterwards when some of the people came to talk to me that I realised there is a consensual mentality amongst new entrepreneurs that they don't need a website. They believe they can run their business with just a free Facebook page. If you teach these people the flaw in that logic, you are setting yourself up for having a great client for the future. New entrepreneurs need you From my presentation, I learned that new entrepreneurs are ripe for the picking. Most of them have no prior business experience and are perfect canvases for you to groom. Back in episode 69 of the podcast, I talked about presenting yourself as an expert in the design field. By doing so, you create an opportunity for yourself to attract these new clients once they realise the value of hiring a designer. Share your thoughts on this topic. Let me know what you think of this topic by leaving a comment for this episode. Questions of the Week There is no question of the week this week, but I would love to answer yours in a future episode. Submit your question by visiting the feedback page.   Resource of the week Resourceful Designer Alexa Skill Resourceful Designer now has it's very own Amazon Alexa Skill! It's available in the USA (Canada and other countries coming soon). If you are in the USA and have an Alexa device all you have to do is say "Alexa, enable Resourceful Designer" then whenever you want to listen to the podcast you can simply tell Alexa to "play Resourceful Designer." Here are some things you can do. "Alexa, tell Resourceful Designer to play the newest episode." "Alexa, tell Resourceful Designer to play episode X." "Alexa, tell Resourceful Designer to fast forward X minutes." "Alexa, tell Resourceful Designer to rewind X seconds." "Alexa, skip" plays the next episode "Alexa, tell Resourceful Designer to skip ahead X episodes." "Alexa, tell Resourceful Designer to go back X episodes." If you are in the USA and you to enable the podcast on your Alexa device, please let me know what you think. Listen to the podcast on the go. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Listen on Stitcher Listen on Android Listen on Google Play Music Listen on iHeartRadio Contact me I would love to hear from you. You can send me questions and feedback using my feedback form. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram I want to help you. Running a graphic design or web design business all by yourself isn't easy. If there are any struggles you face running your design business, please reach out to me. I'll do my best to help you by addressing your issues in a future blog post or podcast episode here at Resourceful Designer. You can reach me at feedback@resourcefuldesigner.com

Should you offer design discounts to your clients? Let me start off by saying I'm not a fan of offering discounts for design services. And by the looks of it, I'm not alone. In preparing for episode 113 of the Resourceful Designer podcast, I read a lot of articles about the pros and cons of offering design discounts, and almost all of them said it was a bad idea. The main reason is that offering a discount lessens the perceived value of you, your services and the overall brand you are building for yourself. By offering a discount people will start to view you as a discount designer. Once you've been given that label, it's hard to escape from it. However, that's not to say you should never offer discounts to your clients. Here are six situations that may merit design discounts. When to offer design discounts. There are occasions when offering a discount can strengthen your perceived value and your brand. 1) Passing on a discount. Passing a discount you receive from a supplier onto a client is a great way to build loyalty towards your business. This works great for things like registering domain names or website hosting. As well as physical things such as T-Shirts or print runs. If your supplier is having a sale or is offering you a discount, think about passing the savings onto your clients. They'll appreciate you more for it. 2) Recurring revenue. Anything that helps you earn recurring revenue is a good thing, including offering a discount. Offering a discount on items like monthly web maintenance packages or design retainers can be the deciding factor in signing up clients. A monthly recurring maintenance package may be easier to sell if you offer either a free month or a monetary discount if the client pays for a full year in advance. Discounts for early renewals are another great way to ensure your clients stick with you. 3) Larger Print orders. This isn’t a discount but it will save your clients money, and they'll appreciate you for it. Whenever ordering printed material, you get better prices by ordering greater quantities. When a client requests a print job through you, ask them if they have anything else to be printed. Let them know that you can save them money if they increase their quantities. For example; ordering 1000 business cards for a new employee may cost them $100. But if three other employees are running low on cards, and you combine their orders with the new one, the print job will cost $80 per 1000 cards. Your client will appreciate the money you are saving them. 4) Your client is a reseller. Whenever you are working for a reseller/wholesaler, you should be offering a discount for your service. This will allow them to charge their client a similar price that you would have charged them directly. Designing for a reseller/wholesaler usually means more and consistent work. Therefore the design discounts you offer are offset by the volume of work they are bringing in. 5) When the client merits it. I know I said that I'm not a fan of offering design discounts. But sometimes the client does merit it. For example, I recently met with a new client to discuss an overall brand refresh for her business. The project will encompass many areas of her business including a new logo design. During my meeting with the client, I got a feel for who she is, what she stands for and the image she wants to portray to her clients. By the end of the meeting, I already had a very good idea of what her new logo should look like. Before leaving, she handed me a  rough sketch she had drawn of the type of logo she thought would suit her business. To my surprise, it was very close to the vision I had in my head. I told her as much, and then I offered her a discount on the logo portion of the project. After all, I didn't feel right charging her my full rate for a logo design considering it would be very close to her idea. 6) When you feel like giving a discount. This is the one time I agree that a design discount is in order. Discounts are fine as a special gift, not as an umbrella deal. Meaning, it’s fine to offer a single client a discount for a special reason. For example, a loyal client that brings you regular work asks you to design invitations for his daughter's wedding. You might consider offering him a discount as a form of thank you for the past and future work he sends your way. When not to offer a discount. There are certain times that may merit a design discount, but there are also occasions when you should not be offering a discount at all. 1) When a client asks for it. Some clients will try to pressure you into giving them a discount. Don't be lured into this trap. Remember what I said about being perceived as a discount designer? That's precisely what will happen if you give into a client's demands. Any client that threatens to seek design services elsewhere if you don't lower your price is not worth having as a client. 2) Additional design services. This relates to designing something at your regular rate and then offering a discount to design additional items. Such as designing a logo and then offering a discount to design business cards. There is no reason for you to offer any of your services at a discounted price. Once again it diminishes your perceived value and positions your business as a discount design service. This scenario includes "design packages" where a client saves money by ordering packages of multiple items. Such as a stationery package that includes designing business cards, letterheads and envelopes. 3) Different rates for different services. Not quite a design discount but some designers offer different rates depending on the service they are performing. For example; charging a higher rate for design services and a lower rate for page layout services. Your time is valuable regardless of the services you are performing. Remember, a client is hiring you, not the service. Alternatives to design discounts. Offering a design discount may sound like an easy way to build client loyalty, but in fact, it may be doing more harm than good. Alternatives you could try include offering rewards or incentives for being a loyal client. Send a gift card to someone who referred a new client to you. Buy dinner or send flowers to a client after completing a large project with them. Rewards and incentives will be remembered much more than a discount ever will. Clients will appreciate them more and will think highly of you for thinking of them. Another option is to go above and beyond in your services. Clients will remember the little things you do for them, especially if they were unexpected. Such as hand-delivering a print order to make sure everything is ok with it. Merely showing your appreciation towards a client is sometimes all they need. Monetary discounts are quickly forgotten but doing something special will be remembered and appreciated. Do you offer design discounts or do you have an alternative solution? Let me know by leaving a comment for this episode. Questions of the Week There is no question of the week for this episode, but I would love to hear yours. Submit your question to be featured in a future episode of the podcast by visiting the feedback page. Resource of the week resource name Google Alerts, found at google.com/alerts, is the way I use to keep me up to speed on all sorts of topics. It's extremely easy to set up alerts. Simply enter the search terms on the page and Google will email you the results daily, weekly or as they come out. It's just like doing a search engine search, but the results are delivered to your email inbox. You can filter the search by language, region, sources. Google Alerts is an easy and free way to stay on top of things. Listen to the podcast on the go. Listen on Apple Podcasts Listen on Spotify Listen on Stitcher Listen on Android Listen on Google Play Music Listen on iHeartRadio Contact me I would love to hear from you. You can send me questions and feedback using my feedback form. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram I want to help you. Running a graphic design or web design business all by yourself isn't easy. If there are any struggles you face running your design business, please reach out to me. I'll do my best to help you by addressing your issues in a future blog post or podcast episode here at Resourceful Designer. You can reach me at feedback@resourcefuldesigner.com

Building a culture is one of the primary responsibilities of all leaders. A major ingredient for successful cultures is authenticity and this week's guest excels in this trait. Listen this week as we interview Dr. Tonya Matthews, president and CEO of Detroit Science Center and discuss what it takes to build a successful business culture and how nurturing authenticity plays a vital role. QUOTE IT “Wanting to save the world.” (3:07) “We look at things that look nothing like us.” (4:55) “A culture eats budget for breakfast.” (11:19) “Understanding our part of the larger whole.” (17:08)  DIG IN (4:55) Connect to gain the competitive advantage. (9:09) Embrace and nurture authenticity. (15:51) Paying forward reinvention. Tip of the Week There's only one you - Be authentic and find your passion. It's your distinct competitive advantage.

(Please note:  Some of the content in this interview may be inappropriate for young listeners. Please use your own discretion.) Mike O'Leary is an author, business man, and a self-made millionaire.  I recently sat down with him and asked him to share his thoughts about living a good life, becoming wealthy, and preserving America's greatness.  As you'll discover in the interview, he's done a lot of interesting things in 89 years.  I thank him for sharing what he's learned with us. Show Notes Mike was born in Omaha, Nebraska. His mother was a Christian and his father was an Atheist. As a young boy, he made the decision to allow himself to learn and work hard in life. He promised his mother that he'd live a good life, and that's just what he's done. When he was very young, his mother had to leave him with his grandparents in Colorado, just north of Denver. He lived with his grandparents on their ranch for six years. At age seven he went to live with his father, where he stayed until he was fourteen. His father was a card-carrying communist, and frequently preached Karl Marx's philosophy. His father encouraged boxing and fitness from a young age. He and his brother Pat O'Leary were both boxing champions. The two fought in matches all over the U.S, including exhibition bouts in Washington D.C. A side project of Mike's is to start a sport called tag boxing (a.k.a. civilized boxing).  Much like tag football, the object of the sport would be to develop skill and agility, while looking for openings in your opponents defenses.  But there would be no heavy hitting, just light tagging. Mike's father defined love as, "ignorant, weak, narrow-minded, and over-emotional. In contrast, Mike defines hate in the same way his father defined love. Mike defines love as, "spiritual and sacred." Important quotes from the interview: “I believe light is life, and dark is death.” “Everything in life is a cycle. It comes and goes. Women have their cycle, and men have theirs.” “We have a positive and negative [within us as human beings].” “We live in a jungle, and to survive in a jungle, you've got to be fit. It's survival of the fittest.” Quoting what his father used to preach to he and his brother. “Learning comes from losing, and if you don't lose once in a while you're not going to learn much. [Regarding boxing] “What you project reflects.  It's called Karma." One Sentence Summary: *** Quote of the Week: There were so many great quotes to pull from this interview.  Two that stand out however, are: You've got to learn to control the [negative].  If you don't, it'll destroy you." ~ Mike O'Leary Learn to buy and sell, and you can own the world." ~ Mike O'Leary, (recalling the advice a wise old Jewish man gave him as a boy). Resources Mentioned: None this episode Awesome Resources Created Just For You: Just Be It! - Improve your performance and your results in any area of your life quickly and easily! The Alchemy of Despair - 17 of the most effective techniques I've ever encountered for reclaiming your happiness! The Magic of Being - Teach your child how to develop their self-image in a fun, entertaining way! Connect with me Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ How to review the show on iTunes - If you enjoy the podcast, it would be awesome if you'd take a minute and write a review on iTunes.  To do that, just launch the iTunes podcast app on your computer or phone.  Search for Enhancing The Human Experience.  Select the album art for the show.  Then select ratings and reviews.  Then write your review.  Thank you in advance, I really appreciate it! All the best - health, wealth, and success! Mark

This episode is brought to you by The Kolada Group. Today, I’m talking about why you don’t finish what you start.   Topics: (:31) Intro – Systems Saved Me Summit (1:45) Kolbe A (3:50) Create micro-commitments (9:10) Eliminate distractions (11:09) Implement incentives (13:25) Recap   Quotes of the Week: “There are three things that can help you finish what you start: create micro-commitments because your goal or task is too large… eliminate distractions because you’re allowing other things to interrupt you… and implement incentives because you don’t have a reason to finish what it is that you are starting.” - Jordan   Resources: www.systemssavedmesummit.com www.kolbe.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes all you need to do to take more effective action is make a subtle shift in your thinking?  Understanding the difference between struggle and effort is one of those subtle shifts. Show Notes There's a big difference between struggling and exerting effort. In our culture, we have a tendency to insulate ourselves from uncomfortable experiences. If we never learn how to cope with pain (of any kind), we'll never be able to handle things when life get's hard (and chances are it will). Difficult experiences can give our lives as much (if not more) as enjoyable ones. Finding the strength to endure our current challenges helps us prepare for our futures challenges. When we lace your actions with emotion and desperation our effectiveness suffers. Emotion and desperation only creep in when we are attached to the outcome (and fear losing it). We have so much more power when we're able to hold our center despite what life throws at us. Remember, it's not about what you're doing.  It's about what you're becoming. The message: Simply detach from the outcome. To grow, we must go through pain. Pain is inevitable (it's a physiological event), suffering is optional (it's a psychological event). The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong [physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually]" ~ Swami Vivekananda One Sentence Summary: Re-framing how we look at something (like what it takes to succeed in life) can make a world of difference in our ability to pick ourselves up and forge on. Quote of the Week: There is a great difference between struggle and effort.  Our physical condition as humans involves effort, but struggle is effort laced with emotion and desperation." ~ Stuart Wilde Resources Mentioned: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life - Mark Manson's eye opening, thought provoking book about how to improve your life by not trying to improve your life. Life Was Never Meant to Be a Struggle, by Stuart Wilde - A quick read that illustrates the difference between struggling and simply taking action. Mark Manson's blog - Make sure you have some serious time set aside to dig into his work -- you're going to need it.  It's really thought-provoking. Awesome Resources Created Just For You: Just Be It! - Improve your performance and your results in any area of your life quickly and easily! The Alchemy of Despair - 17 of the most effective techniques I've ever encountered for reclaiming your happiness! The Magic of Being - Teach your child how to develop their self-image in a fun, entertaining way! Connect with me Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ How to review the show on iTunes - If you enjoy the podcast, it would be awesome if you'd take a minute and write a review on iTunes.  To do that, just launch the iTunes podcast app on your computer or phone.  Search for Enhancing The Human Experience.  Select the album art for the show.  Then select ratings and reviews.  Then write your review.  Thank you in advance, I really appreciate it! All the best - health, wealth, and success! Mark

Legacy Plans help build client loyalty What are Legacy Plans you ask? Legacy Plans are when someone continues to pay a certain price when everyone else is paying more for the same service. Physical fitness gyms do this best. When you join a gym chances are your monthly fee is fixed for life. As long as you remain a member your fee will never go up. But if you let your membership expire and then decide to come back, you will be forced to pay the same higher fee newer members are paying. In this week's episode of the Resourceful Designer podcast, I discuss ways to use legacy plans with your design business. Be sure to listen to the episode for the full story. How to use legacy plans with your design business When you raise your design rates. The best time to introduce legacy plans in your design business is any time you raise your design rates. Every time you raise your rates you have an opportunity to lock in your current clients at your old rate. I don't suggest you do this with every client. But good recurring clients who would benefit from the discount are perfect candidates for legacy plans. By placing good clients on legacy plans you send them a message that you care for them. This builds loyalty and trust which translates into more business and referrals from your clients. Maintenance plans Maintenance plans are another opportunity to introduce legacy plans. Informing your clients that you've raised your monthly maintenance fee for managing their website is never fun. But if you tell them you've raised your rates but they're locked in at the old rate they'll appreciate your services that much more. Retainer agreements Legacy plans and retainer agreements go hand in hand. Informing a client that your retainer rates are going up but it doesn't affect theirs for as long as they keep paying is a great way to build client loyalty and guarantee your steady retainer income. Knowing their retainer rate will go up if they stop paying it is a great incentive for clients to keep sending you money month after month. Even if they don't have work for you. Things to keep in mind with legacy plans Make them feel special When informing your clients about their legacy plans be sure to make them feel special. Tell them not all your clients are being offered this special deal. By showing the scarcity of the plan you show your clients how important they are to you. Have an escape clause. You can set an expiry date for any legacy plan, telling your client it will expire in one, two or three years at which point they will be billed your going rate. You could also leave the end date open. Let your clients know that you don't know how long you will keep these legacy plans going but you will let them know well in advance should you decide to do away with them. The last thing you want is to start resenting a client years from now because they're only paying you $20 per hour when everyone else is paying you $100. So make sure you leave yourself a way to end the plan on your terms. Do you use legacy plans with your design business? Let me know by leaving a comment for this episode. Questions of the Week There's no question to answer this week but I would love to answer one of yours. Submit your question to be featured in a future episode of the podcast by visiting the feedback page. Tip of the week Outlining Text in Adobe Acrobat This week's tip was shared by Dana in the Facebook Group. If you've ever had to extract some design element from a PDF file you've probably encountered the dreaded "font missing" message. Your choices are to accept a substitute font or try to match the original with the closest font you have available. Neither is the best scenario. This week's tip offers another work around. By following the steps mentioned on this page you can create a new PDF file with the fonts outlined, making it possible to extract your needed elements the way they are meant to look. Give it a try. Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe on Stitcher Subscribe on Android Subscribe on Google Play Music Contact me Send me feedback Follow me on Twitter and Facebook I want to help you. Running a graphic design or web design business all by yourself isn't easy. If there are any struggles you face running your design business please reach out to me. I'll do my best to help you by addressing your issues in a future blog post or podcast episode here at Resourceful Designer. You can reach me at feedback@resourcefuldesigner.com

Tifane Falvey is an iPEC certified life coach who specializes in manifestation.  She helps her clients align with the experiences they want to have in their lives, by educating them on the hidden laws of the Universe.  These laws need to be understood to produce real and lasting results here on the physical plane.  Tifane began her professional coaching career in 2006, but she has been coaching since college. Show Notes Life coaching has been around since the beginning of time. Your intuitive self has always been aware of the power to manifest. Tifane holds a vision of success for each of her clients. She only accepts clients who have the capacity to excel at a high level. She feeds off her client's excitement, especially when they succeed. Tifane feels she's more of a witness to her clients' success. She learns something from each and every client she works with. To realize more success in your life you have got to stay focused on what is working. Focusing on what is working in your life breeds more things working out in your life The way to begin is simply to start becoming aware of where you're focus is.  This is the first step to improving your experiences in life. We're always bumping up against limiting beliefs. Tifane defines a limiting belief as something that we hold as true, but that is not in fact true. Money and wealth can be created in a short amount of time, but you have to have a belief system that supports this idea for it to happen. Sit down with your belief contract and interview yourself.  Ask yourself. “How true is this?” The biggest downfall of accepting our limiting beliefs is that they paralyze us from dreaming. Think about what you want in life, and look for creative ways to make it happen. You have to allow yourself to let go of your old beliefs. You can connect with Tifane via her website benefitsoflifecoaching.com You can also connect with her on facebook One Sentence Summary: To have different experiences in life, you have to sit down with your belief contract and ask, "How true is this?" Quote of the Week: There is nothing to be lost from dreaming -- absolutely nothing." ~ Tifane Falvey Resources Mentioned: None in this episode Awesome Resources Created Just For You: Just Be It! - Improve your performance and your results in any area of your life quickly and easily! The Alchemy of Despair - 17 of the most effective techniques I've ever encountered for reclaiming your happiness! The Magic of Being - Teach your child how to develop their self-image in a fun, entertaining way! Connect with me Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google+ How to review the show on iTunes - If you enjoy the podcast, it would be awesome if you'd take a minute and write a review on iTunes.  To do that, just launch the iTunes podcast app on your computer or phone.  Search for Enhancing The Human Experience.  Select the album art for the show.  Then select ratings and reviews.  Then write your review.  Thank you in advance, I really appreciate it! All the best - health, wealth, and success! Mark

Have you ever been burned due to proofing errors? Proofing errors are the bane of all graphic designers. Anyone who has been in this business long enough knows that clients will almost always try to blame you when they find errors on their project. You can’t really blame them, it’s human instinct to try and pass the blame. We’ve been doing it since we were young. Even a toddler who sneaks a cookie might try to blame it on one of his siblings or maybe even on the family dog. It’s because of this instinct that we need to protect ourselves. Because when it comes to proofing errors on graphic design jobs, especially when printing is involved, there’s a lot more at stake than a simple reprimand for eating a cookie. It’s not as big a deal when it’s a website or some other digital piece. Those errors can easily be fixed. But fixing an error on a printed job could cost thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. And you don’t want that on you. On this episode of the Resourceful Designer podcast, I discuss ways to protect yourself from proofing errors. Be sure to listen to the episode for the full story. How do you protect yourself from proofing errors? You can't. Proofing errors are going to happen. It’s the blame you need to protect yourself from and it all starts with your contract. Your contract may be full of unintelligible legalese but all that bloated wording is there for a reason, to protect you. On your contract, you must include a clause absolving you of any blame once the client approves and signs off on a job. Once they sign off, it’s in their hands and you are clear of any blame. For this reason, you should NEVER ACCEPT an approval from your client that says something like “we approve this job with this one small change”. No matter how trivial the change is, you need to have it viewed and approved by the client. You may think to yourself "that paragraph that's missing a period at the end isn’t a big deal. I’ll just add the period and send the file to print." Don’t do it. Every time you touch a project there’s a possibility of something going wrong, something shifting, something changing. So don’t take any chances. Get the client to approve every change they ask for. Even if it means delaying a deadline to get that approval. Here's an example of how a simple revision could go wrong. A client tells you the job is approved once you change "S. Thompson" to "Steve Thompson" on page 3. You go to page 3, find "S. Thompson" and charge it, as requested to "Steve Thompson" and send the job to print. But unknown to you, "S. Thompson" appears 2 times on the third page. The client wasn't specific and you didn't realize there were multiple occurrences and only changed the first one. What started out as a simple change turns into a costly error that could have been avoided if only the client had seen the revision before it went to print. Regarding your contract. Your contract should state that the client is fully responsible for making sure every aspect of the job is satisfactory to their liking. This includes layout, text, copy, images, colours, folding, etc. Your contract should also state that the client is ultimately responsible for any errors, EVEN IF THE COPY THEY SUPPLIED YOU WAS CORRECT. This is a very important one. Clients will often proofread their copy before providing it to you and think they don't have to proofread it afterwards. You need to make sure the client still proofreads it to make sure nothing has changed between the time they supplied it and the time they approve it. Remind your client that you are not responsible for any errors should the client not proof the job carefully. Beyond the contract Even with a clause in your contract absolving you of any errors due to improper proofing, you should take it upon yourself to remind the client with every proof you supply them. A simple statement told to them or a small paragraph in an email stating once again that you are not responsible for any errors or omissions once they sign off on the job. The more you remind them, the less chance they come after you should an error be found afterwards. Things that could help prevent errors. Don't forget to use your computer's Spell Check/Grammar Check features. It's such an easy thing to forget to do but it could save you many headaches down the road. Proofread your work. You are not responsible for spelling errors but they still look bad on a piece you designed. Read everything yourself to see if you can spot any problems. Tip, read from right to left, one word at a time. This will force you to read each word individually and you’ll catch more spelling errors that way. The mind is a wonderful but weird tool. You can easily overlook misspelt words that are right in front of you as you are reading. Have you ever seen this paragraph before? Every word is misspelt. The first and last letters are correct but the middle letters are mixed up. And yet you can still read the paragraph easily enough. This goes to show you just how hard it is to spot spelling error while reading. I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too. What's the takeaway? Graphic designers are human. Just like everyone else, we make errors. And that’s OK. Things happen. fast typing fingers might miss a beat and type something wrong. Accidental mouse clicks can shift things on a page. Copy/paste might miss something that wasn't highlighted. Face it. Errors will happen. there’s nothing you can do about it. So you might as well protect yourself as best you can so that the blame for those errors don't fall on you. Do you have any stories about proofing errors you would like to share? Let me know your goals by leaving a comment for this episode. Questions of the Week There's no question this week but i would love to get one from you. Submit your question to be featured in a future episode of the podcast by visiting the feedback page.   Resource of the week Coolors.co Coolors.co is a super fast and super easy way to create, save and share colour pallets for whatever job you’re working on. Choose from a gallery of ready made pallets or create your own from scratch or based on some pre-selected colours. Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe on iTunes Subscribe on Stitcher Subscribe on Android Subscribe on Google Play Music Contact me Send me feedback Follow me on Twitter and Facebook I want to help you. Running a graphic design or web design business all by yourself isn't easy. If there are any struggles you face running your design business please reach out to me. I'll do my best to help you by addressing your issues in a future blog post or podcast episode here at Resourceful Designer. You can reach me at feedback@resourcefuldesigner.com

A community-focused Blizzard & World of Warcraft Podcast. For the people. By some people. Episode 109 of the Lagging Balls podcast hosted by Thorn and Thyst this week: “Villain-illa!” This week we get down like Duane! Feedback, comments, submissions & business inquiries: laggingballs@gmail.com Find us on: iTunes (for iPhone): http://apple.co/1HIw3fK Stitcher (for Android, Microsoft): http://bit.ly/1Lmppgo Youtube: http://bit.ly/2cMpTQ2 LaggingBalls.com This week we cover: Wrestle with Thyst prepare for fist! Anybody Can Meme Blood DKs and You Thyst on Convert to Raid Battlenet News Ep 44 - http://bit.ly/2uAEEQH Going Deep (Six) Crossing the Stream with @Shieldwalled of The Starting Zone The TBBT...TTB...TBTWB... Getting Demonic Inquisition's Name Wrong Many Much LB Buttons! Blizzard Appear Offline? Meh. http://bit.ly/2uHaufo  World of Warcraft The Mythic Dungeon Invitational - http://bit.ly/2tEyM4O WTBGold's Reckles is Recruiting a Mythic Dungeon Team - http://bit.ly/2vAu3Cx Congrats to Method on World First Nerd Screams - http://bit.ly/2uB4hRr Lance Kimberlin's Coffee Notes - http://bit.ly/2uHaPia Overwatch New Hero Preview: Doomfist - http://bit.ly/2uBaqgn Hearthstone Ice Cream Citadel - http://blizz.ly/2toLYzt Ben Brode Reddit AMA - http://bit.ly/2te1biN Will Ben Do Another Rap? http://bit.ly/2tdZIc6 Heroes of the Storm Thorn Raves About "Stukov's Lurking Arm" Current Question of the Week: There are two types of people who play Blizzard games. Who are they? Next Question of the Week: Playing ______ makes me feel _______ in my ______! (Fill in the blank) Music for this episode from: http://www.freesfx.co.uk http://www.bensound.com Thank you Patrons! Randomly Awesome Link of the Week, courtesy of LB Patrons: http://bit.ly/2u8wtdL Be a Patron of Lagging Balls! http://www.patreon.com/laggingballs

A community-focused Blizzard & World of Warcraft Podcast. For the people. By some people. Episode 108 of the Lagging Balls podcast hosted by Thorn and Thyst this week: “DoomThyst!” This week we're back with another one'a those block rockin' beats! Feedback, comments, submissions & business inquiries: laggingballs@gmail.com Find us on: iTunes (for iPhone): http://apple.co/1HIw3fK Stitcher (for Android, Microsoft): http://bit.ly/1Lmppgo Youtube: http://bit.ly/2cMpTQ2 LaggingBalls.com This week we cover: Another peek behind the curtain "Science" Never(Thorn) The Audacity of Glowsticks Thyst Streaming This Week - http://bit.ly/2v18quZ Blizzard Third Batch of BlizzCon Tickets Sold Out - http://bit.ly/2u30n3m World of Warcraft The Black Temple – A Journey Through Time(walking) - http://bit.ly/2sFE6FB New WoW Esports Site - http://bit.ly/2u8dlxJ Overwatch Doomfist IS HERE! http://bit.ly/2u8atRu Doomfist Origin Story - http://bit.ly/2txzAeW Jeff Update - http://bit.ly/2sVBSpF Voice of Doomfist, Sahr Ngaujah - http://pvp.live/2u2PVJj Dark Horse Art of Overwatch & Overwatch Anthology - http://bit.ly/2u7Q2Eh Overwatch Tokidoki Collection - http://bit.ly/2u8r6N1 Hearthstone Knights of the Frozen Throne Trailer - http://bit.ly/2uZotJO Knights of the Frozen Throne Announcement - http://bit.ly/2sUQTIo Heroes of the Storm Stukov Announcement & PTR Notes - http://blizz.ly/2uGkBho Current Question of the Week: If/when we have our own customizable garrisons, where would yours be? Next Question of the Week: There are two types of people who play Blizzard games. Who are they? Music for this episode from: http://www.freesfx.co.uk http://www.bensound.com Thank you Patrons! Randomly Awesome Link of the Week, courtesy of LB Patrons: http://bit.ly/2sF1O4N Be a Patron of Lagging Balls! http://www.patreon.com/laggingballs

One of the more common things I hear from people who want to get started in competitive shooting is that they don't have the money.  Before I get going on this topic, I want to make one thing very clear: If you're trying to scratch together the money to eat, now is not the time to get started in competitive shooting.  With that said, I don't think being a regular competitive shooter has to cost a whole lot more than most other hobbies. If you're into hiking, you're going to have gas costs to get you to the trailheads, boots wear out, stoves, fuel for stoves, tent, backpack, etc.  The same thing with cycling. Chains have to be replaced somewhat frequently, chainrings wear out, tires, tubes, suspension work, etc. It all adds up.  So, here's some things I do to save money so I can shoot more: Reloading: When I got started with this stuff, I had more time than money. I bought a cheap, used, Lee Turret press, and all the peripherals I need to get started reloading for about $300 Once that investment was made, I was able to start cranking out $0.10 9mm ammo, which was half the cost of the factory ammo I was buying. Consolidate guns: Don’t have a suitable gun for competition? I bet you’ve got a blaster (or 5) in the safe that you could sell, and use the proceeds to buy a suitable shooter. If that’s not an option, check the used market. There’s usually some decent deals on police trade-in glocks, and other gats like that. Shoot a less expensive division: Let’s be honest, Open division probably isn’t for the guys looking to save every penny. Optics break, guns break etc. It happens, and don’t any of you open shooters try to debate me, I see your Facebook posts about sending your guns back to manufacturers to get fixed. Even Carry Optics is becoming a more expensive division, because slide ride optics break. A lot. Saw a guy a few months ago break the Vortex optics on both his regular, and his backup gun in the same match. Work for a free match: I used to volunteer to setup, RO, and tear down at a local match in addition to being able to shoot for free. It was great when I had more time than money. Not every match offers this sort of thing, but it’s definitely a thing that exists. Carpool to matches: Especially if you don’t have a little gas sipper car like I do. I’m pretty lucky here in the Raleigh area to have TONS of matches, however, sometimes that still involves an hour and a half drive to matches if I want to head out to Carolina Guns and Gear’s USPSA match, etc. Back in the day, I used to drive over to Cohost Ben’s house, which was like 35mins from my place, and then jump in with him for the rest of the ride.  Added bonus is that you can talk shop the whole way there and back, which is great, and makes the drive seem shorter. Patreon: If you're considering the Triangle Tactical Patreon but you're not sure what you'll get on the new News Blast podcast, here's a little taste for you: If you want more, there's two News Blast episodes up on Patreon RIGHT NOW, with more coming. Patreon.com/triangletactical Plugs of the Week: There's been a bunch of really good competitive shooting podcasts over the last week, so I'm plugging them all: Shannon Smith Shooting - Episode 17 - Really interesting to hear a high level shooter talk about DQing at a big match. Most folks don't talk about this stuff, so I'd recommend you check it out. 3GunShow Book Club - Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals  PARAcast Podcast - Episode 99 - Good discussion about what an IDPA shooter should expect at a USPSA match. 

Anne Ohman and Anna Brown, both veteran unschooling parents, join me to answer listener questions. Click here to submit your own question to the Q&A Round Table! Quote of the Week “[There is] so much you can do to support and honor their game playing by showing an interest in all of it, even if you don’t like […]

What gifts do you get a graphic designer? Have you ever been asked the question "what gifts do you want for the holidays?" and you couldn't think of any ideas to say? In last year's holiday edition of the podcast I talked about graphic design gifts for your office. This time around I share gift ideas you can share when that ever so popular questions comes up.  Software/Apps Gift Cards Face it, we live in a computerized world and as designers, we spend a great deal of our time in front of one screen or another. So why not take advantage of it and ask for gift cards that will allow you to buy software and apps. Apple, Microsoft, Google all have app stores with great software for graphic designers. Education Gift Cards As graphic designers, we need to stay up to date on the latest software and design trends. What better way to do so than by taking courses. Places like Lynda.com, CreativeLive, Udemy are great places to learn. You could ask for gifts of knowledge via a gift cards. Gift Cards for "the other stuff" Face it, running a graphic design business costs money. Wouldn't it be nice to cover some of your expenses with gift cards from places like Amazon, BestBuy, or Walmart? Notebooks/Sketchbooks Creative people need an outlet. Most of us, regardless of our skills, like putting pencil to paper for all kinds of inspirational reasons. A nice notebook or sketchbook can help keep those creative sparks alive by organizing them all in one space. Ask for your favourite notebooks or sketchbooks as gifts. Magazine Subscriptions I mentioned in episode 50 of the podcast how one of the perks of running a graphic design business is the free magazine subscriptions you can get. However, there are some great design related magazines that you can't get for free. Why not ask for subscriptions as gifts that keep on giving the whole year long. Creative Cloud Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign are staples in the design industry. They are also an expense graphic design business owners have to deal with. Ask for a Creative Cloud gift card to help cover the costs. Graphic Design Books There are hundreds of great graphic design related books out there. If you're like me there are a few you would love to have but don't want to spend the money on. Now's the time to ask for them as gifts, or put a bookstore or Amazon gift card to good use and finally get the one you've been eyeing. Coffee Shop Cards If you're a home-based graphic designer you've probably opted at one time or another to meet a client at a coffee shop instead of at your house. Coffee shops are also a great change of scenery when you need to think through projects through. If someone doesn't know what to get you as a gift, suggest a coffee shop gift card to them.   What gifts do you think are good for a graphic designer? Let me know by leaving a comment for this episode. Questions of the Week There is no question this week. You can submit yours by visiting the feedback page. Subscribe to the podcast Subscribe on iTunesSubscribe on StitcherSubscribe on AndroidSubscribe on Google Play Music Contact me Send me feedback Follow me on Twitter and Facebook I want to help you. Running a graphic design or web design business all by yourself isn't easy. If there are any struggles you face running your design business please reach out to me. I'll do my best to help you by addressing your issues in a future blog post or podcast episode here at Resourceful Designer. You can reach me at feedback@resourcefuldesigner.com

Well it's pretty crazy out there. Hold onto your crosstabs everyone. And don't forget you can see Margie in LA on 10/20 at the Ace Hotel with the fine folks at KCRW's Left Right & Center. Check it out here.   Poll of the Week There's a reason we're going to focus on the tapes & the debate--it's one of the biggest news stories this year. Politico/Morning Consult National Poll   October Surprises The post-debate polling is bleak for Trump, but  not quite as volatile as the news. Maybe. Brietbart on post debate poll CNN/ORC poll on the second debate NBC SurveyMonkey poll on the the second debate NBC/WSJ poll on Trump's tape Politico/Morning Consult on Trump's tape Huffington Post/HuffPost Pollster on trump's respect for women SurveyMonkey on Trump's tapes The Atlantic on Trump and female voters Reuters/Ipsos Poll on Clinton's marriage FiveThirtyEight poll on gender gap YouGov/Economist Poll on gender gap NBC/WSJ poll on GOP's action on Trump Politico/Morning Consult on GOP's action on Trump Morning Consult on Trump's loyal supporters   McMuffin-mentum Mmm. McMuffins. Kristen's Muffin-map is driving Twitter crazy. Deseret news/Y2 Analytics poll on McMullin   Are you going crazy? You're not the only one feeling stressed out about this election. But are you the only one who believes a conspiracy theory? Washington Post on unproven rumors Washington Post on perceived partisan biases Politico on Trump's mental health toll NYT Upshot: Your therapist may lean blue   Candy binge In times like these, we turn to candy. Influenster: each state's Halloween favorite   Key Findings Let's not get the message muddled here. The tapes are not about cursing, but about assault. That could explain some of the differences in results we're seeing. And while the impact on the race is clear--the impact on the GOP's fortunes...too soon to say. News is moving faster than public opinion, and public opinion moving faster than pollsters. Is the election giving you stress? Are you binge eating candy and McMuffins? Talk to the pollsters. Tell us how that makes you feel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Personalized Procedures. Today I’m chatting about how you can edit your to-do list to make room for new opportunities, without getting completely overwhelmed. If you’re a visual learner and want to see how to incorporate this system for yourself, grab your Action Sheet for this episode! You will also get the transcription and notifications about future episodes. Topics: (1:20) Editing your life frequently and ruthlessly(3:10) Applying the 1:1 ratio to your business and life(6:35) Weekly challenge: prioritizing new to-do list items(7:40) Letting go of opportunities and making room Quote of the Week: “There’s nothing wrong with adding more goals or wanting to be flexible. However, there is a constant state of overwhelm in business. Something’s gotta give” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week I sit down with Tyson Gersh We chat about urban farming, future city planning, food deserts, the Detroit Land Bank, and More! Show Quote of the Week: “There are worse things than looking stupid. Sleeping through life is one of them.” ―Laura Preble Tyson Gersh http://www.miufi.org/ https://www.facebook.com/tysongersh https://www.facebook.com/MichiganUrbanFarmingInitiative @miurbanfarm twitter @mufigram instagram http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20160522/AWARDS20/160529983/tyson-gersh-26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nhitpfis_g http://www.mcon.events/highlights/mcon2015/tgersh/ Renegade Detroit Investors http://RenegadeDetroit.com http://MeetUp.com/RenegadeDetroitInvestors http://Facebook.com/DetroitInvestmentClub http://Twitter.com/JeremyBurgess http://Youtube.com/user/DetroitWholesalers http://SoundCloud.com/RenegadeDetroitInvestors http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/renegade-detroit-investors

Tom in Ferguson sent in a question last week asking about some of my favorite shooting stories with my dad and Grandpa. Since today is Father's Day, and last week marked one year since Gramps passed, I thought I'd take this episode to tell a few of my favorite stories from growing up. Gear That Doesn't Suck I've become a lot more aware of chemicals that I'm exposed to as I've grown older and a (a little) more mature. When I'm at work, I'm super anal about wearing proper PPE, and I'm trying to be just as careful at home as well. I've started using these nitrile gloves while reloading and sorting brass to keep lead off my hands and (hopefully) out of my blood stream. I bought the black ones, because I think they're cooler looking than purple or green. Plug of the Week: There's two things I think you should read this week. Caleb is back at Gunnuts, and I think you should read his post "Not Like This." Also, this post by Greg Ellifritz.   Contact If you've got anything for me, shoot me an email at luke@triangletactical.net.

This week I sit down with Andy Schwartz. We chat about how taking great pictures sell, how to, why, and his philosophy about why. More Show Notes to Follow Show Quote of the Week: “There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” ― Ansel Adams Andy Schwartz: Twitter and Instagram @andyschwartz and @stylishdetroit http://StylishDetroit.com Renegade Detroit Investors http://RenegadeDetroit.com http://MeetUp.com/RenegadeDetroitInvestors http://Facebook.com/DetroitInvestmentClub http://Twitter.com/JeremyBurgess http://Youtube.com/user/DetroitWholesalers http://SoundCloud.com/RenegadeDetroitInvestors http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/renegade-detroit-investors

This week on the Major Spoielrs Podcast: GRONK! Aero-Girl #1, Convergence, Sons of the Devil, Supergirl pilot leaks online, plus a secret conspiracy and a bonus conspiracy for free. AND SPIDERS! Get involved with the Major Spoilers Podcast Network LINK Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers VIP. It will help ensure The Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! NEWS Supergirl pilot leaks online LINK REVIEWS STEPHEN AERO GIRL #1 Writer(s): DeWayne Feenstra Artist Name(s): Axur Eneas Cover Artist(s): Axur Eneas & Juan Paul Reibeling (reg); Joel Gomez & Beth Sotelo (var) As Aero-Girl, Jacqueline Mackenzie is the protector of Foxbay. As the sidekick to Battle Jack, her father, her life couldn’t be any better; but tragedy is just around the corner! Will she be ready to defend her city against the evil of Dr. Chimera and his army of AniMen? Can Aero-Girl be the hero she (and her father) alway. 32 pgs./All Ages / FC $3.99/ $4.99 Variant [rating:4.5/5] MATTHEW CONVERGENCE SUPERBOY & THE LEGION #2 (W) Stuart Moore (A) Peter Gross, Mark Farmer (CA) Pia Guerra Publisher: DC COMICS STARRING HEROES FROM CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS! Brainiac 5 and Superboy are from one of the most advanced worlds under the Convergence dome, but nothing can prepare them for the all-out war they now find themselves in against the Atomic Knights! This extra-sized issue includes a sneak peek at what's coming up in the DC Universe! [rating:2/5] ZACH Sons of the Devil #1 Story By: Brian Buccellato Art By: Toni Infante Price: $2.99 Published: May 27, 2015 From New York Times Best Selling writer BRIAN BUCCELLATO and artist TONI INFANTE comes a psychological horror story about TRAVIS, an average guy trying to get by, who discovers that he has familial ties to a deadly cult. Told across three decades, SONS OF THE DEVIL is an exploration of cults, family, and the dark side of human nature. It’s TRUE DETECTIVE and ORPHAN BLACK meets HELTER SKELTER. [rating: 2.5/5] Major Spoilers Poll of the Week: There are so many webcomics online that sometimes just looking at a general webcomic topic is daunting to say the least. Some webcomics I have discovered only recently have been ongoing for years, while others are brand new and still trying to find their footing. Regardless of the longevity, length, topic, and art style, I find myself spending more than a fair amount of time reading webcomics. So... do you read webcomics? If you answer YES, make sure to use the comment section to share some of your favorites. If you answer NO, make sure to use the comment section to share why you don't. [poll id="388”] DISCUSSION: GRONK

This week on the Major Spoielrs Podcast: GRONK! Aero-Girl #1, Convergence, Sons of the Devil, Supergirl pilot leaks online, plus a secret conspiracy and a bonus conspiracy for free. AND SPIDERS! Get involved with the Major Spoilers Podcast Network LINK Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers VIP. It will help ensure The Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! NEWS Supergirl pilot leaks online LINK REVIEWS STEPHEN AERO GIRL #1 Writer(s): DeWayne Feenstra Artist Name(s): Axur Eneas Cover Artist(s): Axur Eneas & Juan Paul Reibeling (reg); Joel Gomez & Beth Sotelo (var) As Aero-Girl, Jacqueline Mackenzie is the protector of Foxbay. As the sidekick to Battle Jack, her father, her life couldn’t be any better; but tragedy is just around the corner! Will she be ready to defend her city against the evil of Dr. Chimera and his army of AniMen? Can Aero-Girl be the hero she (and her father) alway. 32 pgs./All Ages / FC $3.99/ $4.99 Variant [rating:4.5/5] MATTHEW CONVERGENCE SUPERBOY & THE LEGION #2 (W) Stuart Moore (A) Peter Gross, Mark Farmer (CA) Pia Guerra Publisher: DC COMICS STARRING HEROES FROM CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS! Brainiac 5 and Superboy are from one of the most advanced worlds under the Convergence dome, but nothing can prepare them for the all-out war they now find themselves in against the Atomic Knights! This extra-sized issue includes a sneak peek at what's coming up in the DC Universe! [rating:2/5] ZACH Sons of the Devil #1 Story By: Brian Buccellato Art By: Toni Infante Price: $2.99 Published: May 27, 2015 From New York Times Best Selling writer BRIAN BUCCELLATO and artist TONI INFANTE comes a psychological horror story about TRAVIS, an average guy trying to get by, who discovers that he has familial ties to a deadly cult. Told across three decades, SONS OF THE DEVIL is an exploration of cults, family, and the dark side of human nature. It’s TRUE DETECTIVE and ORPHAN BLACK meets HELTER SKELTER. [rating: 2.5/5] Major Spoilers Poll of the Week: There are so many webcomics online that sometimes just looking at a general webcomic topic is daunting to say the least. Some webcomics I have discovered only recently have been ongoing for years, while others are brand new and still trying to find their footing. Regardless of the longevity, length, topic, and art style, I find myself spending more than a fair amount of time reading webcomics. So... do you read webcomics? If you answer YES, make sure to use the comment section to share some of your favorites. If you answer NO, make sure to use the comment section to share why you don't. [poll id="388”] DISCUSSION: GRONK GRONK: A MONSTER’S STORY VOLUME 2 TPB Writer(s): Katie Cook Artist Name(s): Katie Cook Cover Artist(s): Katie Cook Colorist: Kevin Minor The second collection of Katie Cook’s popular webcomic! Gronk is a monster who is learning to adjust to OUR world through the teachings of Dale, a woman who probably shouldn’t be teaching anyone how to adjust to the real world. Join Gronk, Dale, Harli and Kitty for another year of fun! 64pgs./All Ages/ FC $9.99 Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. The Major Spoilers Store is located at majorspoilers.bigcartel.com A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

This week, Dave and Gunnar talk about surveillance on Main Street and China, reader mail about cutting costs in the DOD, and three new additions to the Security Doghouse. Candid photo of Sparky. Ohio is cold in the winter: Akron and Cuyahoga Falls close ice rinks because of cold weather D&G Hobby of the week: FPV Quadcopter Racing See also Cheerson CX10 Mini LED RC Quadcopter and cx10_redtx D&G This Week in Irony: Cops decry Waze traffic app as a “police stalker” DEA Cameras Tracking Hundreds of Millions of Car Journeys Across the US More details and pics here Meanwhile: Delaware eyes digital driver’s licenses Cop who stole nude pics off arrested women’s phones gets no jail time Everybody wants backdoors: China’s New Rules for Selling Tech to Banks Have US Companies Spooked Great Firewall of China, weaponized Camfrog DMCA’s themselves D&G Security Doghouse: Gogo issues fake HTTPS certificate to users visiting YouTube Meet KeySweeper, the $10 USB charger that steals MS keyboard strokes NFL app sends user names, passwords, & email addresses as clear text Marriott Testing In-Room Access To Netflix, Hulu, And Other Streaming Services Windows 10 free for all Windows 8.1 and 7 users for first year after release Apple anticipates Gunnar’s “consumption tools” worry. Crunchy and Red Hat on PostgreSQL on OpenShift Security Announcements Update on FIPS 140-2 plans GHOST: Get it? Reading David Wheeler has a new paper on container security Probably the best whitepaper you’ll ever read on Red Hat middleware General Justice, on the record Dave on containers and RHEL 7 To-Do Matt Micene is nominee for Opensource.com 2015 People’s Choice Awards Vote for us on iTunes, while you’re at it Dan Benjamin’s Podcast Method told us this is a good idea. OpenShift is InfoWorld technology of the year Purdue now has a “Red Hat Doctoral Researcher in Open Innovation Communities“ When the European Space Agency needs a cloud, the come to Red Hat Kim Kardashian’s Butt delivered by Gluster D&G Coincidence of the Week: There’s a real company called Cyberdyne who makes HAL [Hybrid Assistive Limb], the world‘s first cyborg-type robot, by which a wearer‘s bodily functions can be improved, supported and enhanced See also: The Open Prosthetics Project Nick Bostrom is a tremendous thinker, and is creating the antidote to Skynet Cutting Room Floor 10 Funnier Alternatives to Lorem Ipsum Marshmallow Farming.Too much rain ruins marshmallow crop in North Carolina Christmas Serial (ft. Amy Adams Golden Globe® 2015 Winner) – Saturday Night Live Moon: The star or planet debate 15 Unique Illnesses You Can Only Come Down With in German Slackbot Bot Turns A Roomba And A Tornado Siren Into A Wonky Little Robot That DJs And Gives High Fives BusinessTown: Richard Scarry’s Busytown for the Modern Age 10 Things You Won’t Be Able To Do Anymore If SkyMall Goes Away Let’s watch an SLR work at 10,000 frames per second. We Give Thanks Sparky for the mailbag letter!

This week on the Major Spoilers Podcast - We take a look at What If…? Ruminate on Agent Carter and Ant-Man, ponder the possibilities of The Flash, and learn that Shaft is still one bad mother… WHATCH YOUR MOUTH - and Rodrigo returns. Get involved with the Major Spoilers Podcast Network LINK Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers VIP. It will help ensure The Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! NEWS Top Ten in 2014 LINK Ant Man Trailer Reactions LINK REVIEWS STEPHEN The Flash: Season Zero (2014-) #10 Smoak Signals concludes! Can Barry save Felicity (and himself) from the mysterious Sky Lords? [rating:3/5] MATTHEW Shaft #2 Every great detective has their first case. For John Shaft, that first case seems simple enough. But tracking down a missing person for his girlfriend quickly turns into a matter of life and death. With the bodies piling up, Shaft realizes he’s in over his head. But can he stay alive long enough to figure out what is going on, or will his first case be the death of John Shaft? [rating:4/5] RODRIGO The Legend of Korra finale [rating:3/5] ZACH Avengers: No More Bullying #1 The Avengers have always stood up for those who cannot stand up for themselves, but this time they're in for a bombastic adventure of the highest order! Featuring surprise guest stars from across the Marvel Universe including Spider-Man and the Guardians of the Galaxy! Face front, readers! You won't want to miss this one! [rating:4/5] Major Spoilers Poll of the Week There are a lot of great movies coming out in 2015, and though we know what movies are high on our radar, there are questions as to what movies you are most interested in seeing. Once again, we dive deep into the bucket to ponder why Milk Duds taste so good on buttery popcon, as we ask the all important theater going questions. [poll id="369”] DISCUSSION: What If #4 - The Invaders had stayed together What If #34 - The Watcher were a stand up comedian What if #17 - Kraven the Hunter Had Killed Spider-Man Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. The Major Spoilers Store is located at majorspoilers.bigcartel.com A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

In this episode (#30! I can't believe it!) I'm in the lab with Dan Tyre, Director at HubSpot. Dan is Hubspot's employee #6. He's been there almost from the beginning and has been a key part of their growth. Dan also developed the concept of smarketing at HubSpot. 1. Can you tell us a little bit about your journey? What led you to HubSpot? I graduated from college in upstate New York, at Colgate University. While I was at school, and afterwards, I was a bass player in a heavy metal rock band. Which was a lot of fun, super exciting, but didn't pay a whole lot. My bass playing days were very fundamental in understanding how to deal with different types of people. I sold dictionaries, working my way through college, door to door in Washington and Oregon. I knew I had a skill there, so I started selling computers in Boston. Then my boss moved to a company by the name of Businessland, a company that IPO-ed in 1983. I had an eight-year run with Businessland, where I worked as a salesperson, sales manager, and general manager. We went through fantastic growth, and I got addicted to fast-growing companies. 2. How do you maintain work/life balance and productivity? There is no such thing as work/life balance. I've got a beautiful wife Amy, who I've been married to for 25 years. We try to set the right boundaries. She knew when we got married that I was pretty hardcore. She's been incredibly accepting of that lifestyle for most of our marriage. If it gets too bad and the travel doesn't work, she's very upfront and will tell me. My family is great and very supportive of all the times I jump on planes. It's not always easy, but they've been a solid support. The only things I do are work and my family. I only have a couple of other outside interests. But work for me isn't work. Work for me is getting on the phone and talking to people like you, doing the Startup Grind, or talking with customers. And that's a ball of fun. I laugh all day. My dog, when I work from home, thinks I'm insane. 3. You've been a driving force in the growth and scale-up of several businesses, and even your own. Are there any keys to to success or tips you can share for an entrepreneur trying to grow their business? 1. Focus: If you're trying to do too many things, you can't concentrate. Any time I come to a guy who's running three or four businesses, I'm always a little skeptical. Running HubSpot is like five full-time jobs. 2. Stay Positive: You're never as good as you think you are, you're never as bad as you think you are. 3. Be Resilient: Being an entrepreneur, by definition, means you're going to get whacked around a little bit. That's the fun of it. If it was easy, everybody would do it. 4. Learn to Sell: Selling is a hugely valuable skill. Everybody is selling every hour of every day. Even on this podcast, you're either buying what I'm saying, or you're not. It's helpful to understand which side of the equation you're on. There's some great books to help with that: New Sales Simplified by Mike Weinberg and SNAP Selling by Jill Konrath. 5. Goals: Figure out your business goals and work towards them. 6. Don't Stop: You can't beat somebody who refuses to stop. Even if you're miserable, even if it's really hard, just put one foot in front of the other. 4. Are there any common challenges you see entrepreneurs struggle with the most? You have to pick your first few employees very selectively. When you're first starting a company, you're going to be hanging with these people a lot. You're going to have to bust tail. We're talking 60 or 80-hour weeks for months and years. Then it becomes a little easier when you have 100 people. But up to that time, everybody's wearing 14 hats. Picking the right people, that you're going to spend all that time with, making sure they have a good attitude, and making sure you have a good business model. 5. Did you have a mentor that helped shape your career and the type of business person you are today? Steve Levy, who was CEO of BBN, a federal contractor for the US government. They actually built the ARPANET, the precursor to the internet. I knew his son, and he said, "If you ever start a company, let me know." He assembled a board of directors for me that was unparalleled. I had this little, less than a million-dollar company. We pulled all the guys on the board together. Four times a year, they would come in and tell me what I needed to do to run my business strategically. They essentially invested my company and helped me grow to do that. All I had to do was buy them dinner four times a year. They weren't big drinkers, so it was a cheap date. They were the smartest guys, and it was such an education to understand board governance and scaling. The only thing Steve asked me to do was, when I got successful, if I could help encourage other entrepreneurs to do the same thing. 6. At Startup Grind, you talked about your approach to managing a team. Can you talk more about it? Motivating people and motivating a team is an incredibly important component to being an entrepreneur. In any relationship, whether it's your significant other, your parental relationship, a business relationship, you have nothing unless you have trust. Trust is critically important. When I take over a team for the first time, or when I recruit somebody, I tell them, "For the next 30 days, all we're going to do is build trust." I also want to make sure I understand their goals. There's a great book by Heidi Grant Halvorson called Success: How We Can Reach Our Goals. The people who set goals, time frames for goals, and tangible goals are going to accomplish more, live longer, be healthier, have stronger relationships, and make more money. I give this book to all my subordinates, tell them to read it, and then ask them to do their goals. 7. Do you have a favorite productivity tool or best practice you can share with entrepreneurs? I'm obsessive about preparation. The reason I wanted these questions in advance is because I think pretty quickly on my feet, but I want to have a logical process. I'm a prep monster. I teach all my folks that until you're really good, and it's like second nature, you always prep. That's my best practice. 8. How can folks connect with you? LinkedIn, Twitter, dtyre@hubspot.com, and dantyre@gmail.com.   Biz Hack This week's biz hack is about how to hack your marketing and overall business recipe by first learning the recipe for creating a pancake. This one actually comes from Christopher S. Penn. If you don't follow him, check out his blog here. In a nutshell, he relates marketing to a simple pancake recipe. Here's the essential elements of a pancake (or any recipe, for that matter): Flour: provides stability Milk: the liquid protein provides the gluten to further support the dough's matrix Baking powder: further supports the dough's matrix (or leavening) and gives the pancake its fluffy characteristic Then of course there's the salt, sugar, and oil to enhance the flavor and keep the pancake from sticking to the pan. So where is all this headed? Well, the folks who know the foundation for a good pancake, and what each of the components does and why it is used, can then make any variety of pancake: paleo, vegan, gluten-free, chocolate chip, pumpkin, banana, blueberry, buttermilk… the list goes on. In these cases, you can swap out certain ingredients for others (cow's milk for almond milk) or increase the amount of others to compensate for eliminating a particular ingredient. Marketing, and even building your business, can also be thought of as a recipe in which the recipe is the tactic. Christopher puts it best: "If you just blindly follow marketing recipes without understanding what they do or what the outcome is supposed to look like, then you'll forever be locked into the same way of doing things, rather than adapting to change." First, you have to know what your end goal is (what is the outcome supposed to look like) and the essential ingredients (the components that can't be changed). Say, for example, you find a recipe that suggests you create a media kit and pitch, and you send it to the 25 top national media outlets. Taking a step back, what is this outcome of this? Establishing your brand's messaging or story (a media kit and pitch force you to document this)? Building brand awareness and credibility (positive media coverage can do this)? But media outreach is not the only route to achieving this outcome. You just have to know what those ingredients do. Then, you can determine what to change. For brand awareness, if reaching out to media is not your gig, you can create an online advertising campaign, speak at notable conferences, or seek out awards for your company. The list goes on. One last thing to keep in mind: while the recipe is the tactic (and a cookbook is your book of tactics), the strategy is the menu. It's more of a high-level look at how each of the recipes fit together. For instance, when a chef is planning a tasting menu, they won't start with a steak and red wine, then dish up a salad paired with a white wine to follow. For winter menus, they also tend to stick to more soul-warming foods, not light, cooling recipes. The season, your audience, your budget, and your goals will all impact your marketing menu (strategy) and the recipes (tactics) you use to achieve that outcome. Action Item Spend some time determining the underlying structure of your marketing or business goals. What is the menu? And what recipes or tactics can be used to make that menu successful? Most importantly, what do each of those recipes do, and how will they help you achieve your end goal? Quote of the Week "There is no failure except no longer trying." — Elbert Hubbard   Join me next week, when I'll be testing out a slightly different format. You'll still get the podcast, but I'll also be posting a video interview to go along with it. This was a suggestion from our next guest, Chris Stark. He is the founder of Digital MGMT and is an incredibly brilliant entrepreneur and digital marketer. It came as no surprise that he suggested I step up my game with video. We talk all about online marketing—a big question mark for a lot of folks. Be sure to tune in! For past Biz Hacks, Action Items and Quotes of the Week, visit, SuccessLabr.com. Until then, have prosperous week!

This week on the Major Spoilers Podcast, Batman Odyssey (volume 2), Preacher on AMC, Sons of Anarcy, Vampirella: Southern Gothic, and Ultrakyle! Yes, Ultrakyle! NEWS Preacher moves one step closer to television series LINK REVIEWS STEPHEN VAMPIRELLA: SOUTHERN GOTHIC #5 (of 5) Nate Cosby (w) José Luis (a) Johnny Desjardins (c) Love, blood, rage and death. The heartbreaking conclusion to Vampirella’s misadventures in Mississippi. Her former lover wants to murder her, and her own body is shutting down from a mystical wound. For the first time, all Vampirella has to rely on…is faith. [rating:3/5] MATTHEW SONS OF ANARCHY #6 Author: Christopher Golden Artist: Damian Couceiro Cover Artist(s): A: Garry Brown B: “Chase” Photo Variant Now an ongoing series! This is it the thrilling conclusion to the first arc! The Sons of Anarchy have no where to run, and the Ghost Brothers have every upper hand. With the very status of the club at stake, and the memory of his dead daughter still achingly fresh, Tig must find a way to protect Kendra and protect the club...but for once, those aims may be at odds. [rating:3.5/5] RODRIGO ULTRAKYLE Created by Don Edwards Kyle is a normal kid who comes into possession of what he thinks is a magic pen… bringing everything he draws to incredible life and reality. It isn't until after a bit of doodling that he discovers (not in a nice way) that what he is in possession of is a device sought after by warlords and alien empires all through the universe. It carries the promise of omnipotence and devastation to whoever wields it. [rating:2/5] GEORGE Superior Foes of Spider-Man #8 Writer: Nick Spencer Artist: Steve Leiber CRIME DOES PAY! …but the Foes might pay harder. Can Shocker and Boomerang repair their relationship? Did we just use that question to try to sell a book?! Nick Spencer (AVENGERS WORLD) and Steve Lieber (HAWKEYE) bring us the CRIME OF THE CENTURY! Major Spoilers Poll of the Week There are a number of big pop culture movies hitting theaters between now and September 2014, and an impressive number of movies based on properties that have appeared in the pages of comic books for years. It’s going to be an expensive summer if we plan on hitting all of these flicks, but there has to be one you are more interested in seeing above all others. LINK Discussion: Batman Odyssey (volume 2)
 BATMAN: ODYSSEY is back in a new volume from legendary writer/artist Neal Adams!It's finally happened: Batman must kill or be killed. The threat is real and can't be stopped by man or hero. To combat it, Batman must bring time itself to a standstill so that he can embark on an odyssey of self-discovery to a place unknown to mankind, where he can find himself. But is this a place where only failure awaits? Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

This week on the Major Spoilers Podcast, You’ve got questions, and we’ve got answers, and reviews of Invincible #108, The Star Wars #5, Wrath of the Titans, Deathtrip #1, and more! Plus, Gal Gadot hired to play Wonder Woman in three films! Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers VIP. It will help ensure The Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! NEWS Gal Gadot signs three picture deal with Warner Bros. LINK REVIEWS STEPHEN Invincible #108 Story By: Robert Kirkman Art By: Ryan Ottley Publisher: Image Comics Cover Price: $2.99 Angstrom Levy’s life hangs in the balance. Invincible to the rescue? [rating:4/5] MATTHEW The Star Wars #5 Writer: Jonathan Rinzler Artist: Mike Mayhew Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Cover Price: $3.99 Remember the scene in Star Wars where the Sith Knight traps General Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Annikin Starkiller, and the alien Han Solo—and they have to fight their way free and steal an Imperial starship? No? That’s because this is The Star Wars—based on George Lucas’s original rough-draft screenplay! Experience a Star Wars that never was! [rating:1.5/5] RODRIGO Wrath of the Titans: Cyclops #0 writer:Darren G. Davis & CW Cooke artist: Ramon Salas Check out behind the scenes of this new animated all-ages version of "Wrath of the Titans". Greek gods and the monsters of myth collide in this new all-ages series! Perseus is the star but Greek Myth will be discovered and explored as Perseus begins his mission against the monsters and his mission to gain the favor of the gods. Come join in the fun and get a taste of what's to come. [rating:3/5] ZACH DEATHTRIP #1 Writer: Kenny Kell Artist: Kenny Kell Publisher: Tales to Suffice Meet Dominic Green: A slick talking, hard living death agent whose job is starting to take its toll on him. Between spending his days immersed in a virtual reality tank (and his nights in a druggy haze) Dominic's on the fast track to a huge promotion - as well as a nervous breakdown. He's just hoping that the promotion comes first. [rating:4/5] Major Spoilers Poll of the Week There’s a big game coming up this weekend, that we can’t use the real name for because stupid league and all, but for those who have followed my annual Superb Owl #FakeSuperbOwl feed on Twitter know that there are good times ahead. Why talk about the Superb Owl at all? Quite simply – we all have other interests outside of comic books, and when it comes to popular culture, the biggest football game of the season is something we should turn our eye toward. [poll id="321”] Discussion: We love hearing from you! This week we open up the email bag and read and comment on some of the things you have sent our way. Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

This week on the Major Spoilers Podcast: Smoke and Ashes, Code Name Action, Resident Alien, and Brain Boy! Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers VIP. It will help ensure The Major Spoilers Podcast continues far into the future! NEWS James Spader is Ultron LINK REVIEWS STEPHEN THE CLASSIC ERA OF AMERICAN COMICS by Nicky Wright In terms of both words and images the world had never seen the like of the American comicbook. They were bizarre, morbid, lurid, risque and bursting with subconcious desires of burgeoning youth culture. By the time 1954 arrived their were 500 different comics beingpublished by 35 different companies, selling over 60 million copies a month between them. This is the history of the era and the art it produced. The book looks at the pioneers of the comicbook and the comic's founding links with sleazy pulp magazines; the campaign for censorship; the fraught relationship between the comicbook artists and their publishers; how what they did was rarely recognised as art at the time - and of course the comics themselves. [rating:3/5] MATTHEW CODENAME: ACTION #1 (of 5) Chris Roberson (w) Jonathan Lau (a) Jae Lee, Francesco Francavilla, Jonathan Lau, Johnny Desjardins, Captain Action Spy cover (c) 5 regular covers will be shipped in equal ratios FANS, ASK YOUR RETAILER FOR THE: Captain Action photo retailer incentive cover Jae Lee black & white retailer incentive cover FC • 32 pages • $3.99 • Teen+ During the height of the Cold War, unknown forces scheme to heat up a global conflict. As key officials on both sides of the Iron Curtain are replaced with doppelgangers, the infiltration threatens to disrupt the precarious state of world affairs. The security of the Free World depends on a young secret agent, one assigned to shape the world’s masked heroes into a force with singular purpose and unyielding resolve! [rating:3/5] RODRIGO RESIDENT ALIEN: SUICIDE BLONDE #1
 Writer: Peter Hogan
 Artist: Steve Parkhouse
 A straightforward suicide . . . or a murder? At first, undercover alien Dr. Harry Vanderspeigle thinks the local police have this death solved, and then things get personal when one of his only human friends becomes a suspect. Also: The feds figure out that Harry’s hiding in the Pacific Northwest!
 [rating:3.5/5] ZACH BRAIN BOY #1
 Writer: Fred Fan Lente
 Artist: R.B. Silva
 When the United States Secret Service needs to stop an assassination before the killer’s even decided to buy a gun, they call the world’s most powerful telepath: Matt Price, a.k.a. Brain Boy. But when the secret agent that can read anyone’s mind finds that a powerful psychic network has been hidden from him, Brain Boy begins to wonder whether he knows everything or nothing at all! [rating:4/5] Major Spoilers Poll of the Week There are some really rich characters in comics like Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor, and then there are the one-percent of the one-percent that make Bruce and Lex’s toys seem like a mere after thought on what could be built and purchased. We’ve seen those with lots of money having leeches family members come out of the woodwork, hoping to get some of that filthy lucre when the rich relative kick the bucket. Which brings us to the Poll of the Week. VOTE! Who would be the better benefactor? [poll id="300"] Discussion: Smoke/Ashes Reporter Katie Shah’s exposés of the corruption of the English ruling class put her in the crosshairs of powerful men on a good day. Smoke and Ashes tells the stories of the bad days, as she and assassin Rupert Cain become targets of a sinister cabal bent on controlling the nation’s oil and of a psychotic intelligence that has uploaded itself onto the Internet! Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

This week on the Major Spoilers Podcast, Rodrigo is gone, comic strips are the talk of the show, Conan is king, and Adventure Time #16! Plus, Matthew… NEWS First full trailer for World’s End arrives LINK REVIEWS STEPHEN King Conan: Hour of the Dragon #1 Writer: Timothy Truman Artist: Tomas Giorello King Conan has faced many threats to his throne in Aquilonia—but none more deadly than a traitorous alliance backed by the resurrected sorcerer Xaltotun, at whose command mountains crumble! [rating:3.5/5] MATTHEW Logan’s Run Rebirth #1 Writer: William F. Nolan Artist: Paul Salamoff As the world deals with the loss of the Thinker; Logan, Jessica and their infant son Jaq have found a secluded spot to live out their new found extended lives. But the world isn’t done with Logan-6 and though he tries to stay out of things, a mysterious person from his past re-emerges with an agenda of her own and a score to settle with the retired Sandman. [rating:2/5] RODRIGO Star Trek Into Darkness With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew. [rating:4/5] ZACH Adventure Time #16
 Writer(s): Ryan North
 Artist(s): Braden Lamb, Shelli Paroline
 It’s an all-new adventure for Finn, Jake and the gang from critically acclaimed writer Ryan North! The best all-ages series of 2013 continues! [rating:4/5] Major Spoilers Poll of the Week There’s still a bit of controversy surrounding Star Trek Into Darkness and how it lines up with Wrath of Khan. There was a bit of discussion last week on the Major Spoilers Podcast about it, and on The Morning Stream. When people don’t agree, it’s time to punch the crap out of it. LINK Discussion: Newspaper Strips - we share our memories. Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

This week, on the Major Spoilers Podcast: Behave yourself, or suffer the Wrath of The Spectre. Plus, Mister X, Nova, Invincible, Five Ghosts, and we ask the question, "Who is your one, true, Green Lantern?" NEWS Daredevil returns to Marvel/Disney REVIEWS STEPHEN Invincible #102
 Writer: Robert Kirkman Artist: Ryan Ottley and John Rauch Publisher: Image Comics Cover Price: $2.99 It's Nolan vs. Thragg on the surface of the moon as still more secrets about the Viltrumite Empire are revealed. [rating:4/5] MATTHEW NOVA #3 (FEB130510) Written by JEPH LOEB Art & Cover by ED MCGUINNESS This April, Sam Alexander – now donning the Nova helmet – learns first-hand what it takes to be one of the Universe’s greatest protectors..from the Watcher! And with the Guardians of The Galaxy’s Gamora and Rocket Raccoon, he’ll be in great hands…right? [rating:3.5/5] RODRIGO Mister X: Eviction #1
 Writer: Dean Motter
 Artist: Dean Motter
 Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
 Cover Price: $3.99
 Radiant City’s government has been overtaken in a coup, and only the mysterious Mister. X can stop its new masters from using authoritarian psychetecture to remake the minds of every citizen! [rating:4.5/5] ZACH Five Ghosts: The Haunting of Fabian Gray #2 Writer: Frank J. Barbiere Artist: Chris Mooneyham Publisher: Image Comics Cover Price: $2.99 "BLOOD FOR THE SPIDER GOD" The year's most exciting new adventure continues! [rating:3.5/5] Major Spoilers Poll of the Week There have been a number of heroes to hold the mantle of The Green Lantern, and like The Flash before him, everyone seems to have their favorite. Which brings us to the Major Spoilers Poll of the Week! LINK Discussion: The Wrath of the Spectre One of DCs most powerful and terrifying characters has been the Spectre, the wrath of the Lord made manifest. Since his introduction in 1940, the Spectre has chilled villains to their marrow and protected the innocent from things worse than death. Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.

In this issue: Anthology time! The Major Spoilers Crew discusses Once Upon a Time Machine, MacGyver on the big screen, and how much fan service needs to be put into a comic book/pop culture movie? NEWS MacGyver heads to the big screen LINK REVIEWS STEPHEN Star Trek/Doctor Who: Assimilation #7
 Writers: Scott Tipton, David Tipton
 Artists: J.K. Woodward, Gordon Purcell
 Publisher: IDW Publishing
 Cover Price: $3.99 The Doctor and his companions must travel into the past and navigate through one of the Federation’s most crushing defeats in order to prevent an even worse fate in the present! Featuring fan-favorite villains the Borg and the Cybermen! [rating:2/5] MATTHEW SHADOWMAN #1 Written by JUSTIN JORDAN & PATRICK ZIRCHER Art & Cover by PATRICK ZIRCHER (SEP121219) “Blackout” Pullbox Exclusive Variant by PATRICK ZIRCHER (SEP121220) Variant Cover by DAVE JOHNSON (SEP121221) Variant Cover by BILL SIENKIEWICZ (SEP121222) There are a million dreams in the Big Easy. But now its worst nightmare is about to come true. As the forces of darkness prepare to claim New Orleans as their own, Jack Boniface must accept the legacy he was born to uphold. As Shadowman, Jack is about to become the only thing that stands between his city and an army of unspeakable monstrosities from beyond the night. But what is the true cost of the Shadowman’s otherworldly power? And can Jack master his new abilities before Master Darque brings down the wall between reality and the eldritch darkness of the Deadside? [rating:4/5] RODRIGO Comeback #1 (November 21, 2012) Writer: Ed Brisson Artist: Michael Walsh Reconnect is more than a company - it's an opportunity for good. Reconnect can reverse tragedy by sending agents into the past to rescue your mother, your wife, your brother or father or child moments before their untimely death. Mark is one of these agents. He brings the rescued from the past to the present, to a blessed reunion with their loved ones. He saves lives...or does he? [rating:3.5/5] ZACH Mind Mgmt #0 Haven't tried Matt Kindt's visionary MIND MGMT series yet? Well, lock up your dolphins, shield your brain, and don't believe anything you see, because this specially priced issue is the perfect initiation into Kindt's electrifying tale of Mind Management's psychic spies, its most infamous defector, and Meru, the journalist who stumbles upon their incredible secrets! Available in print for the first time, these three stories introduce the series' key players and delve deeper than ever into MIND MGMT's secret history! Whether you're new to the series or already hooked, this special issue can't be missed! [rating:4/5] Major Spoilers Poll of the Week There are superheroes who have super strength, some who get their powers from bug bites, others who use a chemical enhancement, and some who use a special totem. Some heroes have great costumes, and others go for lots of skin, and some go for both at the same time. There are a variety of bits and pieces that make a hero, but what attracts you to read them or sympathize with them? [poll id="260"] Discussion: Once Upon a Time Machine (October 10, 2012) Fairy tales have fueled our dreams and fired our imaginations for centuries. With this book, reader can step inside a time machine built by a collection of today's finest storytellers, and enter a range of futures where familiar tales are re-imagined in an astonishing variety of styles. The reading experience will delight generations young, old, and yet to come. Contact us at podcast@majorspoilers.com Call the Major Spoilers Hotline at (785) 727-1939. A big Thank You goes out to everyone who downloads, subscribes, listens, and supports this show. We really appreciate you taking the time to listen to our ramblings each week. Tell your friends about the podcast, get them to subscribe and, be sure to visit the Major Spoilers site and forums.