Podcasts about ceos

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Raoul Davis. CEO branding expert and partner at Ascendant Group Branding:

Do you prefer retaining the employees you have rather than constantly hunting for new ones? Kiera shares an example of a practice that evolved from high turnover to solid team retention, and how effective leadership played a critical role in keeping people long-term — plus how you can craft it for your own practice. Episode resources: Subscribe to The Dental A-Team podcast Schedule a Practice Assessment Leave us a review Transcript: Kiera Dent- Dental A Team (00:00) Hello, Dental A Team Listeners. This is Kiera. And today I want to chat with you guys about hiring and staffing and retention. I think this is something that a lot of you are struggling with. I think it's just, I don't know, it's just annoying and it's obnoxious and it's just part of what we are dealing with now. But I think that there's a lot of solutions that we can do that I think a lot of people aren't thinking about. So with that, I want to give some tips of like what we can do to retain team members more than having to hunt for them.   So I know that there's ways for us. I know there's a lot of things. And we're gonna just kick it off today. So I'm excited for you because what I found is there's probably a good way. And I was talking to an office about this. I'm really excited to share some some office growth that I've watched in office over the last five years evolve from team turnover to incredible team retention. and I really do think that a lot of it has to do with leadership, a lot of it has to do with growth and   what we can do is to solve that retention rather than needing to always hire. Now, there's always going to be hiring. So we're going to kind of talk through both of it, but also like what things can we do to retain our team that we have. Dental A Team is a consulting company where we work nationwide, we work across the globe. We work with private practices, multi-locations, we work virtually and in person. We have an incredible community where we come together in in-person masterminds, sharing the best of the best. And we're from startup to multi, multi-millions.   And I'm obsessed with helping you say yes to more in your life. And that stands for you, focusing on you and your vision, getting your team aligned, earnings and making sure you're profitable. And then system structure and scalability, really truly making sure that you guys are set up for success so you can say yes to more in your life. our goal is to positively impact the world of dentistry in the greatest way possible. And I'm obsessed with you. I'm obsessed with your practice. I'm obsessed with your team. I'm obsessed with your struggles, I'm obsessed with your wins.   And I'm here to help make your life easier. I'm very big on tactical practicals. So if this podcast has served you in any way, shape, or form, please share it with a friend, share it with a colleague, share it with someone who you feel like it could brighten their day. Post it in a Facebook group, post it online, leave us a five-star review. Anything that you do helps us spread our mission. My goal is to be in the ears of every single dental practice out there because I believe that dentistry is special. It's sacred. It's   It's a zone where we're able to change people's lives. And I'm so excited for you to be here. I'm Kiera Dent. I'm obsessed with all things dentistry, including my last name. So let's kick it off and let's start seeing of how we can figure out where and what we can do for this retention piece. So, number one, I feel like so I was talking to an office today. Me and the doctor, I said, it like this doctor has an incredible team. I think they've got 20 team members. most of them are women. There's two male doctors there.   And I said, I watched you. You went from like four operatories to now we've got 15 operatories. The team has grown. And I said, What do you feel makes this place special? Like team members love working there. And I was like, what is it? So much so that they're all like recruiting from other offices and bringing people here and saying this is the best office they've ever worked for. I was talking to one of the team members and they said, I no longer have the Sunday scaries. I don't get stressed out at work. This is my second family. Like team members are telling me this as a consultant. Usually I and I asked them like,   What do you guys need help with? And most of them are like, we're just really happy. So I was asking the doctor and the team, I was like, what is it about this place? I asked both sides of the coin because I was like, what is it? I'm obsessed. This is one my favorite things to dig into practices. And maybe I'll get this doctor on the podcast and share from theirs. I'll just share kind of some snippets from today. And the doctor told me, he said, Kiera, I'm just really big on treating people like people. He's like, I'm never gonna expect them to have work be more important than their families. he's like, I want to make this into a lifestyle practice where   We work seven to three a lot of the days so that way they're able to get home and be with their families, but we're still able to like work hard and take care of patients. I have never seen a practice where they literally leave at five o'clock. And this is in California, like it's not for overtime. They just work hard and they get home and they go be with their families. if they have time and they need to like take care of their kids or they're sick, they are able to take care of them. they expect them to work hard and they all do work hard and they build really great people there. I asked the team, I said, What is it about this place? And they said, Well, I think it's the fact that   Like our doctor trusts us and they let us do things. And but it's wild. Anything I asked this team to do, literally, I was like, let's do morning huddle prep sheets. Let's treatment track. They don't fight with me on it. And a lot of teams do. And so I was like, okay, this is fascinating. The team is very accommodating. They're willing. They want to. All of them were so excited to morning prep huddle prep. Do you how many teams are like, womp, womp, womp? So much extra work. This team was like, Yeah, absolutely, we'll do this. We'll take care of it.   I had them roll out route slips. They did it. Like no pushback. And I was just, it's fascinating to me. And I think something I'm picking up from this is one, they really do hire for great culture. Two, they see potential in people. Three, they really do treat this as like an amazing place to work. Like the doctor is just getting so excited. They're talking about putting a gym in there. Like fun things to make this where they make their life incredible. And I watched the doctor just get like twinkly-eyed about getting so excited to.   Do these surprises. They took their team on a cruise and just for fun. Like it was just a fun thing that they did. And when I think about all of that, this office used to struggle to hire. And now they literally most of their employees that they've had in the last three years have all come referral-based. and I think about Dental A Team, the bulk of our team is coming referral-based. And they're coming back and they're sharing with people, and their friends are interviewing with us.   And I think about that, and I'm like, as a business owner, I think that that's the greatest compliment. If your team is willing to refer their friends, their colleagues to want to come work here because they love it so much, you're doing something right. And people stay where there's a great, incredible culture. And so hearing both sides of the coin, hearing what team members are loving, hearing what doctors are loving, there's so many other ones. I've got another doctor, they've got team members, I've been with them for 12, 15 years. And I asked that doctor, I said, what   What do you do that makes people want to stay with you for so long? And this doctor said, you know, Kiera, I think it's that I really listen to them and I have clear expectations. They know what it is. That office also, like when we say we're gonna be there at 12 o'clock, they are there at 11:55 with their notebooks and their pens. I think that a lot of these practices, so one of the pieces I see is people really do stay where expectations are clear. Both of these offices have high standards, both of these offices expect a lot, both of these offices work really hard.   Dental A team is no exception to that. and I think having clarity, I think having clear job descriptions, I think having clear expectations from all leaders, I think team members knowing if they're winning or losing, you define it. You define it for them. And I really do love that there's clarity all the way around. Like both offices have different expectations, but both offices have them clear. The team knows how to win, the team knows what's expected, and both offices really do treat their team.   like humans. They I just watch and I watch these cohesive teams and there are clear expectations, but there's also a space where they they want to be there. There's this want, there's this draw, there's this happiness, there's a lightness about it. But they're hitting great goals. And so I think clarity really can create confidence for team members. So that's that's a good space. Another thing I notice with these offices and with teams is   people really do want growth, not just like an employment path. So, what is growth in that practice? How do people evolve? How do they grow? Like, what is a development plan? All these offices have regular one-on-ones. And one-on-ones can be about performance, one-on-ones can also be about what they want in their personal life, what they want in their professional life, what that looks like. And talking about growth opportunities, for me, every single year at the end of the year, I talk to my team about what their personal and professional goals are.   When people join our team, they take a survey of what they want their personal life to look like in their next one year, five years, 10 years. and as a leader, I'm obsessed with making their dreams become a reality. So how can we make those dreams become real for them? How can we figure it out? anything we can possibly do? Let's give opportunities, let's find ways. It doesn't always have to be with work because sometimes you're gonna tap out once you're at a certain level as a dental system. That's kind of where you're gonna be. But can they learn?   To do for an office work? Can they grow in other areas? Can they become a mentor consult or assistant? What ways can they grow? can we grow them personally? Can we send them to CE courses where they're personally growing, not just professionally growing? what's the training and development we can do? I know there's an office, another office I know of, and they hired Dave Ramsey. And so everybody who wanted to learn about financial management, they were able to do it. I know I've had offices where I teach them about how to do investments a little bit.   like very small, like high yield savings accounts and the things that they're able to do. growing people as people, not just as employees. Like that, I don't know. I think as an employer, one of our greatest gifts is to be able to like grow people to make their dreams become true, to look for opportunities to help them become the best version of themselves, and really just having pasts and plans and   Knowing your team, knowing them as humans. as our company grows, Britt and I talk about this often. I'm like, Britt, how do we grow and still maintain this authentic one-on-one seeing people as people in our company? Our mission has slightly changed to where we're so focused on growing practices, but it's one person, one life, one practice at a time. And I'm very obsessed about being obsessed about the individual. How do people feel   in a large organization, how do they feel like they're still seen as a person? How do they feel like they are being grown as a human? And I think the more you can do one-on-one growth conversations, the more you can invest in them in humans. And it's crazy because I think as management gets bigger and you have leaders and you're not as involved as a CEO, finding ways where you're not overstepping your leaders and you're able to still stay connected to them as humans. I was hired we just hired a   A new C-suite member on our team. And I was talking to him, and I was like, okay, this person's favorite tree is this, and this person's favorite thing is this, and this person's favorite thing is that. And when I finished, I thought, no matter how large our organization ever gets, I want to make sure that all of my team members, all of our clients, always feel like they are like one in a million, and they are that one, and that they are seen as that one, that they are so valued.   even in a large organization. There was the Dean of Midwestern when I worked with him. His name is Dr. Gilpatrick. And I remember he knew every single dental student's name. He knew my husband's name. He and we're talking, there were hundreds, and I remember being like, whoa, that's so impressive. I want to be like Dr. Gilpatrick and I want to know everyone's name and I want to remember their names. And at the time I was not great at that. And this is a skill I really had to develop. but people loved Dr. Gilpatrick and we were talking, I don't know, it was probably I think 150 people per class.   We had four classes in there. So at any given time, there's probably 600 students plus spouses. Dr. Gilpatrick knew every single one of them by name and knew something personal about them. Would ask me how my husband was doing, would ask how Jason's doing in pharmacy school. So it wasn't just my husband. It was by name and what his profession was and what he was going to school for. That type of intentionality as a leader, people don't even get that from their family. People don't even get that from their spouses. And as a leader,   You can show them that they're important, that they're valued, that they're loved. One of the greatest things that you can ever do. And then I think another piece for being able to retain great team members. Yes, we need to hire, but you're gonna be able to hire if you have a great culture. another great thing is is to actually build a great culture. So what are the things of what is your culture? For us, I literally have them read like what our culture is and values we live by, and all of our team knows core values and   I've set it up to where they core value shout out each other every Wednesday. As a leader, like I get a little teary-eyed on this part. to show up and to hear my team calling each other out. I'm not there a lot of Wednesdays. I'm not there at a lot of our meetings anymore. And when I do get to be there, to just watch each other love each other. to see each other help each other out. We're a virtual team, guys. Like they don't even live by each other.   And see marketing and consultants call each other out to positively praise one another, to offer to help, like shout out to Pam. I know she listens to the podcast a lot. Pam is always willing to help. And I see her go behind the scenes and help people get their numbers entered and to have our marketing team love on our consultant team and to have our consultants love on our like C-suite team and to have our C-suite team love on our VA team to watch them call out core values to each other.   To watch them do Thankful Thursday. to like see people as people. I know our team's getting bigger, and I keep getting like, like when we run leadership meetings, I'm always like, no, it's always personal and professional wins every single week. And I'm so big on that. I'm like, that takes so much time. And I'm like, that's how you connect. The times how you connect, that time's how you make people feel seen, heard, and loved. I can't tell you how many times in these meetings I learn about my team's struggles. We learn about   people get connected. There's a a game I play in office called the Silver Thread, I think is what it's called, or like connected thread. I don't even know what it's called, but I get people in groups of four usually and I say, All right, you guys have to come up with four things that you're connected by. And I I have people that don't know each other. I sometimes get in the group, and what I found is every single time they're able to come up with four things that they all have in common. A lot of times it's holidays, a lot of times it's songs, but it's so fascinating because no matter what group you're in.   People are connected, people are striving for community, people rally with each other, people want that connection. And so to be able to have your team come connected as a culture, these are just the little things. These are where people feel safe, they feel seen, they feel heard. addressing issues early, like having leaders that support, having people that connect in with their departments, having people that grow their departments. I also think making sure the standard is like not what you preach, but what you tolerate.   And looking at what you tolerate, and is that really the the standard of what you're going to to have? Like, do not destroy your top performers by tolerating poor performance of the lower performers. Hire great talent. Expect people to be at the same level. People love to be surrounded by A players. Like, so hire A players, create a culture of A players, create a culture where they love each other, create a culture where they're connected to each other, create time for them to bond. Like,   Because we have a virtual team, you have it so much easier in an in-person team. There's so many things. You can have potlucks together. You can have book clubs together. You can work out together. You can do painting nights together. You can go to sports games together. Get people connecting as people. and always recognize that in culture, your entire team is always watching you and what you're willing to tolerate, what you're willing to accept. They're watching you like a hawk. And I think about when I have to make hard decisions or ones that I don't want to do.   I had to remember I got an entire team of eyes watching and seeing what we as leaders will do and what we will not do. I remember when I was first a manager, I tolerated some really poor performance. And I remember there was a hygienist. I remember exactly who she was. I remember the exact day. I remember her name. She came in and she said, Kiera, I have lost so much respect for you. And that was duly served.   I was not being a leader. I was not having the conversations I needed to have. I was not holding team members to the high level of accountability that we had. I was not creating a culture. I was just squawking. I was seagull managing. I come in, I say a lot of words, and I shiz all over and I leave. That's not the way we create culture. And I think when we talk about hiring and having staffing, having a kick a culture, having people where   They love to work there where they want to refer their friends, but that doesn't mean they get everything they want. You can have high standards and have people obsess about it. People love to work hard. People love to be a part of an organization that's growing and innovating and creating. And they want to be a part of growth. Like growth equals like progress equals happiness. These are the ways that we create and retain. And so it's one of those things of creating clarity, creating growth, protecting your culture, having it be a space where people are obsessed with working there.   Finding out, talking to people, getting in, hearing what's going on, having leaders that really are developing their team, you pouring as a leader, like as a CEO into your leadership   team, like that is where I pour the bulk of my energy to trickle down to love because I can't do it, nor should I. I want leaders to rise up. You want leaders to rise up. But I think more than even hiring and attracting is how do I build a culture that people are obsessed with?   How do I create raving fans? And that does not mean they get everything they want. Think about spoiled rotten kids who are getting everything they want. They don't respect their parents. Think about the kids who respect their parents, who love their parents, who are raving fans of their parents. They work hard. They've got accountability. They've got structure. They've got discipline. Same thing in an organization. how can you be the best leader? That doesn't mean the most loved. I've said this quote before and I'll say it again. You're gonna be loved as a leader, you're gonna be hated as a leader, and where I hope you ultimately land is respected as a leader.   And that is a zone of like hiring and staffing is not just about hiring. It's about having an environment where great people want to stay. And so I'd ask yourself, look at it. Look at our company and see how do I create this into a practice where people don't want to leave, where people are obsessed, where I have high performing people that want to be here. Look at yourself as a leader, look to see what you're tolerating, look to see what you can change, ask your team.   Be careful how you ask because I found that self-reported oftentimes is based on the week. And if it's a bad week, I get bad reports. but really look to see how are people performing? What things do you want it to be? What things do people talk about? Why do they love it here? There's books so called I I love it here. Read culture books on how you can produce these great cultures. We had a podcast where I talked to a Chick-fil-A owner and how they create these raving fan cultures there.   But really, I think on hiring and retaining, it's about retaining. Because great teams that retain have word-of-mouth referrals left and right. People crave to work in great environments. People crave to work with great leaders. People crave to be there. And then when you are hiring, have those. Have your team have testimonials. We have a lot of testimonies where we've got video testimonies of our team where they're obsessed with working here. And when it doesn't work out, that's okay. This is not the place for everybody. Your place is not the place for everybody. Your place is for the right people.   But hopefully there's some tacticals in here for you to take, for you to look at it. And if you need help, this is a zone. We've turned around a lot of cultures. We've turned around a lot of leaders. We've had, we've said the uncomfortable things. I've had a lot of coaches give me uncomfortable advice. but really truly it's a space where I believe if you can think about how do I retain the right people, how do I attract the right people, how do I create this as a practice where people work hard, they play hard, they love being here, they don't get the Sunday scaries.   that's the place where people are gonna want to stay. They're gonna wanna cleave, they're gonna wanna like cling on and just be obsessed with you and refer all their friends. Have that be your standard, have that be what you want to be. And I promise you, hiring will be no longer as hard of an issue for you. And then be cautious on who you hire. Make sure you're always hiring for that culture, for the standards you want. A players make life a lot easier. And I know they're not always there, but seek after them, find them, and retain them.   If we can help you guys in any way, we help build leadership systems. We help build accountability. We help build cultures. We help turn cultures from maybe negative cultures to positive. We help leaders. We help CEOs. office managers sometimes are struggling with their doctors. Let's have those open conversations. Let's mediate between the two and help you two have uncomfortable, healthy debate conversations to where you guys can grow and flourish. I'd love to help you out. I'd love for you to just have a team that you're obsessed with.   I'd love for you to be like the doctors I I said, where they love their teams. They love working there. but it's not done out of entitlement. It's done out of accountability, empowerment, love, and great cultures. So reach out. Hello@TheDentalATeam.com. And as always, thanks for listening. I'll catch you next time on the Dental A Team podcast.

Peter Sandeen is a marketing strategist known as the "marketer's marketer," working primarily with marketing companies to help them gain clarity on their positioning and competitive edge. He is recognized for helping clients identify what truly drives results in their marketing and for a strong track record of improving profitability year after year.     Welcome to the Conscious Millionaire Show - Become an Ultra-Performer. Now 3X week M / W / F   Are you an Entrepreneur, Founder, or CEO? Revenues $250K to $5M? Sign up for your Breakout Session...get custom steps to build a fast-growing, highly profitable business that makes an impact.     BREAKOUT SESSION - Book it Now     Join Host JV Crum III, with 2 exits and over 75M revenues in his companies, he is the Ultra-Performer Advisor for Founders, Entrepreneurs and CEOs ready to achieve at your the top 1%.     SUBSCRIBE to Conscious Millionaire Show     Season 12 of the award-winning Conscious Millionaire Show. The World's #1 Ultra-Performance podcast. Millions of Listeners. 190 countries -- Inc Magazine "Top 13 Business Podcasts" with 12 seasons and 3,200+ episodes.

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Raoul Davis. CEO branding expert and partner at Ascendant Group Branding:

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Deep institutional experience isn't enough for the job ahead. New thinking alone isn't either. Your next CEO has to bring both. CEOs in financial services stay in the seat about 9 years, longer than almost any other industry, at the exact moment AI, data, and new competitors are rewriting what the job requires. Yet only 9% of banks have identified a CEO successor with a timeline and a plan of action, down from 17% a year earlier. Most succession plans are built to replace the person already in the seat rather than to prepare for the job that is coming. In this Banking Insights episode, Jim Marous argues the job now resembles a barbell. One end is credit judgment, relationships known by name, and having run the institution through a cycle where things went badly. The other is fluency in data and AI, command of partnerships, and a temperament that can carry bets, some of which are supposed to fail. The failure falls in the middle, and one person rarely holds both ends, which makes this a team question rather than a hire. Darius Wise of Red Rocks Credit Union shows what that looks like. He spent 15 years in pastoral leadership and arrived with no banking experience, then rebuilt the senior team around people who knew what he did not. His board runs on reverse mentoring, where the credit union's own employees teach the directors how the institution operates. The episode closes on custodian versus builder, and why that has nothing to do with age. About: Banking Transformed is hosted by Jim Marous, a top-five banking industry influencer and Co-Publisher of The Financial Brand. Banking Insights episodes deliver the most important strategic ideas in under ten minutes, for the executive who wants the takeaway without the deep dive. Subscribe to the Digital Banking Report at thefinancialbrand.com.

Anika sat down with Dr. Michael Gerharz to explore why brilliant ideas and vital corporate strategies so often end up in the trash bin. The conversation revealed a counterintuitive truth: the solution isn't persuading harder—it's resonating stronger. Michael's unique background transitioning from computer science networks to executive communication offered practical pushback against the persistent reliance on complex professional jargon, alongside a sharp look at what truly makes a presentation unforgettable (spoiler: it requires stepping off the hero's pedestal).   In This Episode From computer science to communication: frustration with discarded ideas What corporate leaders can learn about complexity from writing children's books The Alcoa turnaround: how focusing on worker safety quintupled company revenue Why words that resonate are found by listening better, not thinking harder The danger of hiding behind professional tech jargon and PowerPoint slides Breaking down the PATH Framework: Plain & Simple, Actionable, Transformative, Heartfelt Applying the framework in real-time: a CEO's vulnerable keynote success The pass-along phrase: a journalistic tool for razor-sharp presentation focus Stepping off the hero's pedestal: why audiences don't need another hero   Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: Simplicity as the entrance to complexity 02:18 The transition from computer science to communication 04:10 The connection between five-year-olds and CEOs: simplifying the core idea 08:14 Don't persuade harder, resonate stronger: The Paul O'Neill Alcoa story 13:21 Why leaders hide behind professional-sounding language 17:09 The PATH Framework explained 20:17 A real-world example of trading statistics for vulnerability 23:18 How the PATH framework led to a worldwide toy licensing deal 29:16 Creating a successful short-form format in a long-form world 33:14 The "pass-along phrase" communication strategy 35:36 Turning the spotlight off the speaker and onto the audience 38:29 Why smart people need to stop trying to be right and start getting it right 40:24 Final thoughts and the Miles Davis quote   Key Insights & Takeaways   Insight 1: Simplicity is the Entrance to Complexity   Professionals frequently wear complex jargon as a badge of honor, assuming it proves sophistication. However, whether speaking to a five-year-old or a board of directors, complexity without a simple entry point leads to immediate disengagement. Simplification isn't "dumbing down" the message; it is providing a clear hook that makes the audience say, "Tell me more," thereby inviting them down the rabbit hole into the complexity.   Insight 2: Don't Persuade Harder, Resonate Stronger   When a business is struggling, the instinct is to overwhelm the team with data, charts, and demands for greater effort. True impact, however, requires finding the intersection between business objectives and the audience's personal interests. As demonstrated by Paul O'Neill at Alcoa, focusing on an emotionally resonant keystone habit (like worker safety) can indirectly solve massive operational and revenue problems without relying on brute-force persuasion.   Insight 3: The Danger of the "Hero's Pedestal"   Speakers frequently step onto the stage believing they must prove their worth and act as the hero of the room. This mindset creates immense pressure and often alienates the audience, who view themselves as the heroes of their own lives. True influence is achieved by stepping down from the pedestal, adopting the role of the mentor, and utilizing the spotlight solely to help the audience overcome their own challenges.   Insight 4: The Power of the "Pass-Along Phrase"   To ensure a message lands, communicators must reverse-engineer their presentations. By identifying the exact phrase they want an audience member to relay to a colleague who missed the meeting, speakers create a razor-sharp navigation system. Any slide, anecdote, or statistic that does not directly support that final "pass-along phrase" is a detour that should be cut.   Insight 5: Stop Trying to Be Right, Start Getting it Right   Highly analytical leaders often waste presentations trying to make an airtight, factual case to force agreement. However, two people can agree on the exact same facts and still choose different courses of action. Communication is most effective when leaders let go of their ego and the need to be "right," focusing instead on outlining a shared path forward that makes sense for both parties.   Insight 6: Jargon is a Shield   When leaders know what they want to say but resort to dense, approved corporate language, they are usually trying to protect themselves. This vague, professional surface prevents them from being backed into a corner, but it also strips the passion and clarity from their message. The most powerful presentations often occur when a speaker drops the slides and explains their vision in plain, conversational English.   Resources & Links Mentioned The Path to Strategic Impact (Book) Irresistible Communication The Best Talk of Your Life:  https://michaelgerharz.com/yba   About Dr. Michael Gerharz   Dr. Michael Gerharz holds a doctorate in communication networks and has transitioned his expertise from machine-to-machine systems to high-stakes human communication. He is the author of The Path to Strategic Impact and The Aha Effect, and the host of the Irresistible Communication podcast. Through his consultancy, the Clarity Lab, he helps senior C-suite leaders abandon complex jargon and find the simple, resonant messages needed to deliver career-defining presentations.   Connect with Dr. Michael Gerharz   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgerharz/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drgerharz/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelGerharz Website: https://michaelgerharz.com Like the show? Leave us a rating or review: https://lovethepodcast.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Follow the Show: https://followthepodcast.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Send a Message: https://podcastfeedback.com/67940257010b317cdaa9d857Check out our Website: https://www.yourbrandamplified.comSpeak to my Delphi Clone: https://www.delphi.ai/amplifywithanika Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Most CEOs think coaching means getting the right answers. Sheldon Harris built a twelve-year career proving the opposite.Sheldon Harris, Partner and Coach at CEO Coaching International, talks about the operating principles that have guided hundreds of CEOs through growth, crisis, and reinvention.From a warehouse manager job at Costco in Alaska to leading Cold Stone Creamery through explosive growth and a public food-safety crisis, Sheldon shares the moments that shaped how he leads and coaches today. He talks about getting fired the same day as his close friend and CEO Coaching International founder Mark Moses, why he believes the best leaders are humble and hungry, and the coaching principle he calls “meeting people where they live.”He also unpacks a few of his most repeated operating principles, the ones his clients call the Sheldons, and explains why real transformation with a coach is never a single moment but an ongoing process.KEY TAKEAWAYS00:00 Character reveals itself most clearly under real adversity01:22 Work ethic outweighs credentials when building a career03:38 Great leadership adapts fast when familiar rules disappear06:53 Guard your integrity like it defines everything you do12:47 Owning a crisis builds more trust than hiding it18:01 Behave today like the leader your future demands24:32 Getting fired revealed exactly who he chose to be32:35 The best performers share one trait: humble and hungry39:01 Trust must be earned before real change happens60:28 Meeting people where they live unlocks real coaching impactSubscribe now and be ready when the conversations begin.RESOURCES MENTIONED“Great by Choice” by Jim Collins:https://www.jimcollins.com/books/great-by-choice.html CEO Coaching International website:https://ceocoachinginternational.com/#MakeBIGHappen #CEOCoaching #Leadership

Bomani Jones is joined by Ted Tremper, a producer, to break down the complexities, fears, and economic realities surrounding artificial intelligence. They discuss Tremper's two-and-a-half-year journey researching and interviewing over 40 AI experts and tech leaders, sharing behind-the-scenes insights from his discussions with frontier lab CEOs like OpenAI's Sam Altman, Anthropic's Dario Amodei, and Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis. Bo and Ted examine the shifting public perception of AI, the threat of potential job replacements, the environmental racism of data center expansion, and how algorithmic design fosters a dangerous illusion of human connection. They also explore the intense geopolitical space race against China's booming open-source market, the staggering amount of unlicensed data driving the industry, and the precarious Jenga tower of debt threatening the broader American economy. Along the way, they make sense of the money, politics, and societal chaos defining our relationship with this modern digital god. . . . Subscribe to Supercast for Ad-Free Episodes: https://righttime.supercast.com/ Buy 'The Right Time' merch: http://therighttimebomani.com/ Subscribe to The Right Time with Bomani Jones on Spotify, Apple or wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok for all the best moments from the show. Download Full Podcast Here: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6N7fDvgNz2EPDIOm49aj7M?si=FCb5EzTyTYuIy9-fWs4rQA&nd=1&utm_source=hoobe&utm_medium=social Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-right-time-with-bomani-jones/id982639043?utm_source=hoobe&utm_medium=social Follow The Right Time with Bomani Jones on Social Media: http://lnk.to/therighttime Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen and subscribe to Money Making Conversations on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, www.moneymakingconversations.com/subscribe/ or wherever you listen to podcasts. New Money Making Conversations episodes drop daily. I want to alert you, so you don’t miss out on expert analysis and insider perspectives from my guests who provide tips that can help you uplift the community, improve your financial planning, motivation, or advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Keep winning! Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Raoul Davis. CEO branding expert and partner at Ascendant Group Branding:

Welcome to the Summer Leadership Reset on Partnering Leadership.We have more access to ideas than ever before.More books. More podcasts. More articles. More insights.The challenge isn't finding more information. It's spending enough time with the ideas that can change how we think, decide, and lead.I have seen this in my own life. The books and conversations that have influenced me most aren't the ones I rushed through and moved on from. They are the ones I returned to, wrestled with, and understood differently as my own experiences changed.After more than 450 Partnering Leadership conversations with CEOs, researchers, authors, and leadership thinkers, there are a few I continue coming back to because the ideas become more valuable the more we sit with them.Throughout July and August, I'll be sharing 10 of those conversations.They explore some of the questions I see leaders wrestling with most: adapting to change, building trust, making better decisions, rethinking work, using AI wisely, and creating organizations ready for what comes next.Whether you are listening for the first time or revisiting these conversations, I hope they help you find an insight you can apply and a question worth thinking about long after the episode ends.—MahanConnect with Mahan Tavakoli:Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

What if your "trauma" is actually your nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do?  Gloria is back on the Inner Child Podcast after a summer break to share how the healing industry is shifting from a "diagnostic" approach, to a heart-centred model of mental health! Plus, an exciting new announcement about a brand new podcast segment, where YOU can receive 1-1 healing from Gloria- for free!Mentioned In Episode:

"One day is a mental marathon, and so it is very difficult for the brain to be the best version of itself for everything. You don't have to be— your average is good for average experiences. Your best is needed for your most important experiences." —Dr. Izzy Justice The 10 Hertz brain state is the frequency neuroscientist Dr. Izzy Justice says separates your best decisions from your worst ones — and it's hiding in plain sight, 10 to 20 seconds away at any moment. After running more than 18,000 wireless EEG brain scans on everyone from NBA players to executives to trauma survivors, Dr. Justice discovered that peak focus, deep empathy, and total presence all cluster around the same low-noise brainwave frequency: roughly 10 Hertz. In this conversation with host Justine Reichman, Dr. Justice explains why wireless EEG technology changed how we understand the brain, how trauma physically "polarizes" specific neurons decades after the event, and why the fix isn't suppressing the memory but giving it a final chapter. He also walks through three practical neurohacks — techniques that take seconds, require no equipment, and can be used mid-conversation, mid-pitch, or mid-panic. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt foggy under pressure, reactive in a stressful moment, or unsure why their body remembers things their mind has tried to forget. Key Takeaways: Peak human performance and full sensory presence both happen near 10 Hertz, a measurably low-noise brain frequency — not a mindset or personality trait. Trauma creates highly "polarized" neurons that stay dormant until a matching sound, smell, or sensation reactivates them, sometimes decades later. You don't need to be your best self all day — reserving these techniques for one or two high-stakes moments daily is enough. The 10-10 technique (count fast to 10, then slow back to one) shifts brain state in about 20 seconds using nothing but your mind. The palm-tap technique and 4-2-8 breathing pattern each take 10 to 20 seconds and can be done anywhere, anytime. Healing trauma isn't about erasing the memory — it's about writing a final chapter where the experience serves a purpose. Listen to the full conversation and subscribe to Essential Ingredients so you never miss an episode:  https://tinyurl.com/Essential-Ingredients-Podcast  Meet Izzy:  Dr. Izzy Justice is the Chief Neuroscience Officer at Neuro580, a groundbreaking company at the forefront of human performance, sports psychology, and mental training. As a pioneering Sports Neuroscientist, he has certified over 300 coaches worldwide and has worked with elite athletes across multiple sports, many of whom have gone on to win Major Championships and Olympic Medals. Dr. Justice is the creator of Neurohacks-rapid, science-backed techniques that remove mental distractions, boost focus under pressure, and help athletes access the flow state in real time. With over 18,000 EEG-based functional brain scans conducted during live performance, he brings unmatched insight into golf neuroscience, mental toughness, and brainwave management for peak performance. As a consultant and executive coach, Dr. Justice has helped over 30 CEOs and dozens of Chief People Officers unlock leadership mindset, drive business performance, and build cultures of resilience through neuroscience. From Zambia, Africa, and based in the U.S. for the past 40 years, Dr. Justice is the Best-Selling Author of 10 Books, including his latest, Your Brain Swings Every Club (Foreword by Brad Faxon), which bridges the gap between golf focus techniques, emotional control, and personal mastery. Website LinkedIn Instagram  X YouTube Connet with Neuro580:  Website LinkedIn Instagram  TikTok Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Podcast Chapters: 01:03 Meet Dr. Izzy Justice: From Boardroom to Brainwaves 04:10 How Wireless EEG Technology Changed Brain Science 08:32 Redefining Trauma as a Neuroscience Problem 14:03 The Mothers Who Turned Grief Into Purpose 19:55 The 10 Hertz Scale: Why Less Brain Noise Wins 28:22 The 10-10 Neurohack for Instant Focus 30:26 The Palm Tap: A 15-Second Calm Reset 33:00 The 4-2-8 Breathing Technique 41:10 What We'll Understand About the Brain Next 42:45 Key Takeaway: Longevity Starts With Your Brain  Resources:  Book Life Explained: Chasing 10Hz by Dr. Izzy Justice  THE PRIMES  ✨ You're more capable than you have ever been, and somehow more invisible than ever. You keep handing out advice you do not take yourself. You keep saying 'after this next thing' to your own life, and the people around you have no idea because, from the outside, everything looks fine— that is exactly what The Primes was built for.

You didn't start your business to stay stuck. If you're serious about hitting 6 or 7 figures without sacrificing your life, book your FREE Gap Assessment with our team: https://weddingproceo.com/applicationYou keep asking me for a follow up script, and I keep telling you no. This week I'm answering the question I get more than any other: what do I say when a couple goes quiet after a consultation? The short answer is nothing, because a script was never the problem. I'm walking you through why your consultation is ending without a clear next step, how to book that next step on the call itself, and what an actual personal follow up sounds like when you do need to send one.Here's what you'll walk away with:- Why a follow up script cannot fix a consultation that ends without a clear next step- The exact question to ask before a couple leaves the call, and how to book a follow up date on the spot- What a personal, transcript-specific follow up looks like compared to a generic template The FREE Assume Sales Training: 2x your wedding bookings in 30 days, step by step. Thousands of wedding pros have already used it to land more clients immediately! http://weddingproceo.com/freetrainingorgA favorite book of mine: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz https://amzn.to/4lbqZFwAnother favorite book of mine: Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell https://amzn.to/3lTKLb4 ======================== EPISODE SHOW NOTES BLOG & MORE:https://www.weddingproceo.com/wedding-consultation-follow-up========================Thank you for tuning in to this episode of the Wedding Pro CEO Podcast. If you find these strategies helpful, make sure to share this episode with your fellow wedding pros. And remember, in the world of weddings, it's all about building genuine relationships and showcasing your best work. Until next time, keep shining, CEOs! PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST! LEAVE A REVIEW HERE: https://ratethispodcast.com/swdHave a question you'd like Brandee to answer? Ask here: http://bit.ly/3ZqqPmz Heads up, CEO! Some of the links I share may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and love, and that I believe will help you grow a profitable, sustainable business you're obsessed with.========================Join the Beyond Prompts Boot Camp here!!!Support the show

What really changes when you go from $1 million to $100 million? Surprisingly, not much. In this episode, Christina explores why bigger businesses don't necessarily mean fewer problems, more freedom, or greater peace. From payroll and hiring to leadership loneliness and personal pressure, CEOs face many of the same challenges, just at a larger scale. The real difference? Knowing how to make clear, decisive decisions under pressure and keep moving forward. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating  and leave us a comment on iTunes   CONNECT WITH CHRISTINA! Instagram LinkedIn Christinalecuyer.com Book a Free Clarity Call Book Christina For Your Next Workshop

This week, Thomas shares a teaching on becoming grounded to integrate ancestral wisdom and initiate yourself into the digital age in a spiritually centered and holistic way.He explores the perspective shifts that occur in both healing and spiritual awakening, and how we can harness this transformative power to heal collectively and evolve technologically without abandoning spiritual connection.Thomas also discusses the importance of embracing uncertainty to expand your consciousness, what it means to truly process the past, and how to open yourself to your unique, higher calling.✨ Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube:

Ever go into a meeting with a major donor with a plan to ask for a gift, and something throws you off?You leave the meeting kicking yourself because you didn't make the ask. You had a purpose for the meeting, but somehow you got off track, and now you feel like you wasted your time with this major donor.This has happened to me what feels like 10,000 times in my career. And after coaching 651 nonprofit CEOs, development directors, and major gifts fundraisers over the last eight years, I've seen the same thing happen again and again.In this episode, I'm sharing a behind-the-scenes clip from one of my weekly CourageLab coaching calls. We get into the hidden dynamics behind why we back down in major donor meetings, especially with rich, powerful, assertive donors, and what you can actually do about it.What you'll learn in this episodeHow difference and power dynamics can take you off track in a donor meetingHow to relate to rich, powerful people without giving away your own powerWhy you must reclaim your power when a conversation gets uncomfortableThe dynamics you need to understand when it feels hardest to hold your groundWhat really stops you from making the askWhy asking donors for advice can be a dumb ideaWhere confidence actually comes from, and how to strengthen it in tough circumstancesHow to develop a no-pressure fundraising cultureWhy great partnerships are built on honesty, not just transparencyWhy giving donors more information can actually create more confusionIf you've ever felt like your best-laid plans are hard to stick to when you're sitting across from a powerful, rich, assertive donor, this episode is for you. If I were sitting down with you over coffee and sharing the truths I hope would get into your bones, this is that conversation.Every nonprofit founder, CEO and fundraiser needs this conversation. share this with a colleague or friend. DM me the letters CL on LinkedIn if you'd like to learn more about CourageLab and raise more unrestricted major gifts.Want 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training.If you're an ED or DD of a $1M+ making a difference in your community and you're ready to make bigger, bolder asks, then DM me “CL” on LinkedIn and I'll share details.

In this episode of the Shared Practices Podcast, we explore what it truly means to step into the role of CEO of Your Dental Organization. As a dental provider scaling from a solo operation to a multi-practice group, your leadership leverage increases significantly as you multiply your impact across a larger team. However, elite dental leadership requires shifting your mindset away from strictly clinical work and focusing on three distinct horizons: long-term vision, medium-term strategic planning, and short-term execution.To achieve sustainable dental growth, your business vision must be rooted directly in your personal life goals. Because the CEO of Your Dental Organization ultimately serves the practice owner, every strategic decision should align with your desired income, clinical schedule, and vacation time.Here is your framework for mastering dental business strategy and leading your practice:Design Your Life First: Define your ideal schedule, target income, and preferred dental procedure mix (such as focusing heavily on surgical implants). Let those personal goals dictate your dental practice's long-term destination.Focus on the Bottleneck: Adopt an Elon Musk-style approach to daily dental management by identifying and spending your administrative time solving only the single biggest constraint facing your business each week.Play the "Whac-A-Mole" Game: Understand that solving one dental growth constraint—such as hiring a third hygienist to improve patient flow—will immediately trigger the next bottleneck, like needing to fill that new hygienist's schedule.Translate Vision to the Team: Convert your personal dental ownership goals into a team-centric mission. Emphasize how adding an associate doctor improves patient access to dental care and provides the staff with more flexible schedules.Enforce Core Values: Establish a shared set of actions to define your dental practice culture. Use these core values to ensure your team's behavior stays on course, allowing you to quickly identify and correct toxic team members.Ready to take the next step in your dental practice journey? Visit https://sharedpractices.com to learn more about our Buyer Representation and Coaching services, designed to help dentists buy, grow, and optimize profitable practices. You can also use our Free Look to evaluate dental practice opportunities with real data before making a decision. For daily Dental Moneyball insights, strategy tips, and updates, follow us across our social channels.

Cynthia Ruiz is a Professor, Executive Coach, Best Selling Author, Inspirational Speaker and Leadership Expert. Receiving over 75 accolades and awards for her leadership and service to the community.     Welcome to the Conscious Millionaire Show - Become an Ultra-Performer. Now 3X week M / W / F   Are you an Entrepreneur, Founder, or CEO? Revenues $250K to $5M? Sign up for your Breakout Session...get custom steps to build a fast-growing, highly profitable business that makes an impact.     BREAKOUT SESSION - Book it Now     Join Host JV Crum III, with 2 exits and over 75M revenues in his companies, he is the Ultra-Performer Advisor for Founders, Entrepreneurs and CEOs ready to achieve at your the top 1%.     SUBSCRIBE to Conscious Millionaire Show     Season 12 of the award-winning Conscious Millionaire Show. The World's #1 Ultra-Performance podcast. Millions of Listeners. 190 countries -- Inc Magazine "Top 13 Business Podcasts" with 12 seasons and 3,200+ episodes.

Tucker Carlson says he's socially conservative and economically liberal. That's where we think the trouble starts. The $20 burrito may be real evidence that Americans are getting crushed by higher prices, but blaming investors, rich CEOs, and "free market capitalism" misses the actual argument. Nate and Chuck break down Tucker Carlson's comments about affordability, capital gains taxes, the purpose of an economic system, and the massive CEO-to-worker pay ratios that make people furious. Then they pull out a calculator and ask a very simple question: if you took a CEO's entire compensation and gave it to the workers, how much would their lives actually change? The conversation gets into libertarian economics, incentives, investment, government intervention, the Federal Reserve, monetary policy, and why politicians have such an easy time selling immediate solutions to complicated economic problems. There's also a bigger political problem. If voters correctly recognize that the economy isn't working for them but incorrectly identify the cause, the "solution" can easily become more government power. Finally, Nate and Chuck look at Argentina and Javier Milei as an example of a radically different approach: government doing less instead of promising to manage everything better. Subscribe or follow Good Morning Liberty, like and comment where your app supports it, share the episode, and leave a rating or review. 00:00 Opening and Back-to-School 02:15 The $20 Burrito Affordability Debate 05:15 What Should a President Actually Do? 07:45 Does an Economy Need a "Purpose"? 12:30 "Economically Liberal" and Socially Conservative 13:30 Capital Gains, Taxes, and Investment 18:30 Affordability and Blaming the Free Market 24:00 The CEO-to-Worker Pay Argument 29:45 We Run the CEO Pay Math 35:45 Blaming the Rich Misses the Real Source 40:15 Why Easy Economic Promises Sell 44:15 Argentina, Milei, and Government Doing Less Join GML: joingml.com All GML Links: gml.bio.link Watch All Episodes: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr_8o0dDOX8DxO_Wwxu6WYhhA Watch Host Favorites: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi78svKlBr__Zu40RL7mWxCuOOe54zgy2 Join the Fed Haters Club: https://www.goodmorningliberty.us/fedhatersclub Martens Minute: https://martensminute.podbean.com/ Merch mentioned in the episode: godhatesfeds.com  

Companies are spending billions on GPUs, data centers, foundation models, and AI infrastructure. But what happens when the network connecting all of it cannot keep up? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I welcome back Avi Freedman, co-founder and CEO of Kentik, five years after our previous conversation. Avi has been operating large-scale networks since the 1990s, including more than a decade at Akamai, and brings a rare combination of founder experience and hands-on knowledge of how the internet actually works. We discuss why network performance is becoming an important factor in determining the return companies receive from their AI investments. If organizations cannot move data efficiently to models or deliver inference reliably to users and applications, expensive compute infrastructure can sit waiting while performance suffers and costs increase. Avi explains what technology leaders should measure to determine whether their network is helping or hindering AI workloads. This includes establishing performance baselines, synthetic testing across cloud and AI providers, understanding dependencies across the digital supply chain, and using observability to identify what changed when performance deteriorates. The conversation also examines network intelligence and why collecting telemetry alone is not enough. Organizations need to connect network data with the applications and users affected, understand historical behavior, determine which problems matter, and give network teams enough context to act quickly. Agentic AI introduces another opportunity. Avi explains how AI agents can increasingly perform the work of experienced network engineers by monitoring baselines, investigating alerts, troubleshooting problems, and recommending actions. But fully autonomous networks remain some distance away. Most enterprises currently want humans deciding whether significant production changes should be made. That leads us into governance. As businesses give AI systems access to increasingly important infrastructure, credentials, permissions, guardrails, and oversight become major considerations. Avi warns about ungoverned AI systems gaining proxy access to corporate infrastructure and explains why companies need clear boundaries around what agents can see and do. We also revisit a lesson from decades of internet infrastructure: individual components will fail. Rather than attempting to create networks that never fail, businesses should design for resilience through redundancy, over-provisioning, monitoring, and architectures capable of continuing when something inevitably breaks. For founders, CIOs, CTOs, network engineers, and infrastructure leaders building around AI, Avi offers practical advice on observability, network resilience, autonomous operations, AI infrastructure, and knowing when networking expertise should be developed internally or brought in from elsewhere. And we finish somewhere unexpected: how CEOs can use AI to make better decisions by explicitly asking it to disagree with them. Avi explains why turning AI from a sycophantic assistant into an argumentative colleague can expose weaknesses in an idea, improve communication, and help leaders test their thinking. AI may be transforming software, compute, and business operations, but none of it works without connectivity. As AI becomes part of the operational backbone of the enterprise, understanding the network underneath it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore.

The opening hour of CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" with Carl Quintanilla, Jim Cramer and David Faber is broadcast each weekday from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, on site at the opening bell with the up-to-the-minute news investors need to know and interviews with the most influential CEOs and greatest market minds. Squawk on the Street Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Executive Coach Neal Schore says that fear-driven habits are quietly stealing at least an hour from your day, every day. Drawing from decades of coaching founders, operators, and unicorn CEOs, Neal explains how anxiety about being fired, judged by boards, or seen as “not enough” leads to endless Slack chains, diluted meetings, and mental “swirls” that crush focus and time. Neal and Entrepreneur Editor in Chief Jason Feifer unpack why good things often start with worst-case scenarios (like getting fired), how to stop overcompensating out of fear, and why managing you—not everyone else—is the only way to reclaim your calendar. He shares practical tools from his new book, The 25th Hour, like the “clarifying question” that can turn a 7-hour crisis into a 7-minute conversation, the devil/angel metaphor for fear versus real performance issues, and a simple five-minute “swirl limit” to stop catastrophic thinking from hijacking your nights and weekends. If you're a founder or senior leader stuck in loss-aversion, overcommitting to boards, or living in constant “what if I get fired?” mode, this conversation shows you how to get out of your own way, protect your time, and even see job loss or client churn as the start of better fits—not the end of your career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Alex Zubko shares what she is seeing inside organizations trying to make AI transformation actually work. Alex has been in the AI trenches since 2022, when she pivoted a company into AI right as ChatGPT launched, and she now works with private equity firms, fintech companies, and beyond, doing everything from education to hands-on consulting to executive coaching. She and Andy dig into the gap between the headline statistics on AI usage and what is really happening, and why making a tool available is not the same as people using it. Alex lays out her three Ts, training, time, and tools, and explains why organizations that skip any one of them will not see the adoption or the returns they expect.Alex and Andy also explore the pressure CEOs feel from their boards, and the irony that the leaders asking the biggest strategic questions about AI are often the ones using it least. She unpacks the J curve of productivity, why treating AI like a new intern is a more useful mental model than treating it like software, and why so many teams struggle to hand work to AI when their own processes were never written down. The conversation covers what the best companies are doing, from ambassadors and centers of excellence to hackathons and channels where people share AI fails, and closes with practical guidance for L&D professionals on leading by example, anchoring AI change in the organization's mission and values, and remembering that the human judgment is the whole point.I hope you enjoy it! As always you can learn more and connect with me on my website (andystorch.com) or LinkedIn. And you can find my books - Own Your Career Own Your Life and Own Your Brand, Own Your Career - on Amazon.Connect with Alex Zubko: LinkedIn | alextalksai.com

You are losing sales every time a customer says it is too expensive, they need to talk to their spouse, or they want to check with another agent first. On August 20th at noon CST, Michael is teaching a free live training on exactly how to overcome objections in the auto conversation.

Ride the Wave Already Moving with Sarah Olivieri Strategic planning gets treated like a decision you make in a quiet room, then hand down to the team. So leaders sit down to "set direction," invent something new from scratch, and spend the next year trying to force it into existence. The resource burn is real. The traction usually isn't. In this solo episode, Sarah breaks down why strategy is mostly discovered rather than decided, and how to tell the difference before you commit the year to it. In This Episode, You'll Learn The two sides of strategy — fixing what's already running and growing what's new — and why they need different thinking Why deciding a brand-new direction is one of the most resource-intensive moves a leader can make, and when it's actually worth it What "sprouts" look like inside your organization and out in the wider world, and how to spot them early Two strategic questions Sarah keeps coming back to (including the Dan Sullivan three-year question) Why listening — to words, data, body language, and energy — is a core strategic skill, not a soft one Who This Episode Is For • Executive directors staring at a blank strategic plan template wondering where to start • CEOs who feel like every new direction is being pushed uphill • Leadership teams heading into a planning retreat and wanting to walk in with better questions • Anyone who has ever committed to a bold new strategy and watched it stall out by Q2 More on the subject • Before you decide a new direction, list what's already emerging inside your team, your programs, and your data • Run the Dan Sullivan question with your leadership team: if we were meeting in three years and everything had gone really well, what would need to have happened? • Ask the One Thing question: what's the one thing that, if solved, would make everything else easier or unnecessary? • Treat listening as a strategic activity, not a management courtesy — put time on the calendar for it About Your Host, Sarah Olivieri Bold, strategic, and refreshingly human… Sarah Olivieri is the go-to expert for conversations on aligned leadership, outcome delegation, and sustainable growth.She brings wit, warmth, and real-world wisdom to mission-driven founders, visionary CEOs, and change-makers who want more clarity, more joy, and more results. Most leaders hit a wall when success depends on them holding it all together. Sarah helps them change that by redefining leadership around outcomes instead of activity, empowering teams to own results that scale and freeing leaders to focus on the vision that drives them. A former director of three nonprofits and founder of five businesses, she has a rare ability to spot opportunity where others see chaos, shift stuck patterns, and build organizations that support both legacy and life. Sarah leads with the same mindset that made her an award-winning sailor: iterate on what works, stay focused in the storm, and never forget the joy of the journey. Links Website: saraholivieri.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarah-olivieri Be sure to subscribe to Inspired Nonprofit Leadership so that you don't miss a single episode, and while you're at it, won't you take a moment to write a short review and rate our show? It would be greatly appreciated! Let us know the topics or questions you would like to hear about in a future episode. You can do that and follow us on LinkedIn.

The Leadership Alignment Paradigm: Bridging Mindset and Strategy to Eliminate Founder Self-Sabotage with Bridget HomIn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur Podcast, host Josh Elledge sat down with Bridget Hom, the Founder and CEO of Bridge to Freedom, to examine the silent operational friction that emerges when an executive's internal mindset disconnects from their outward corporate strategy. Bridget, a premier leadership coach, author of Stuck on Ready, and specialist in faith-infused mindset mastery, details how high-performing CEOs routinely suffer from decision fatigue, self-sabotage, and communication paralysis. This conversation provides an essential, actionable guide for founders, corporate leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to master self-leadership, delegate non-essential cognitive tasks, and align their core values to build an authentic, high-impact business ecosystem.The Architecture of Self-Leadership: Eliminating Mental Friction and Monetizing InfluenceThe most significant bottleneck holding back a seasoned executive from scaling their authority is rarely a lack of information, but rather an inability to convert strategic knowledge into consistent daily execution. Bridget Hom explains that when leaders fail to address internal doubts and subconscious self-sabotage, they default to busywork that drains their bandwidth and stalls revenue growth. To break through this paralysis, executives must implement structured mental reset habits, such as the "Two-Minute Brain Dump," to externalize mental clutter and regain immediate focus. By regularly clearing internal noise and systematically isolating the top three daily activities that directly monetize influence and serve people, business owners can redirect their energy away from reactive firefighting toward high-value strategic growth.Transitioning a founder out of day-to-day operational strain demands an intentional expansion of delegation that moves past traditional human resource hiring. Through "Desirability Delegation," leaders learn to systematically offload energy-draining tasks across three distinct pillars: offloading ideas to paper, transferring repetitive workflows to automated processes, and delegating specialized operational duties to qualified people. When CEOs feel stuck or resistant to this transition, utilizing diagnostic exercises like the "Five Whys" allows them to uncover the root fears—such as fear of failure or loss of control—that quietly drive self-sabotaging behavior. Uncovering these underlying triggers enables executives to "hire and fire" their internal mental dialogue, replacing unhelpful self-criticism with decisive, coach-minded leadership.Furthermore, sustaining long-term enterprise growth requires corporate leaders to integrate authentic values and intentional self-regulation into their organizational culture. Leading with transparency and moral clarity fosters psychological safety across management tiers, empowering team members to operate with genuine autonomy and purpose. By mastering the core pillars of self-leadership—self-awareness, self-regulation, intentionality, and empowerment—executives build an authentic personal brand that naturally resonates with high-value clients and strategic partners. When internal mindset alignment, disciplined task delegation, and authentic executive messaging are synthesized into a single operational architecture, a business leader successfully eliminates personal bottlenecks, amplifies their market presence, and predictably expands enterprise valuation.About Bridget HomBridget Hom is the Founder and CEO of Bridge to Freedom, an author, keynote speaker, and an expert business leadership coach. Drawing from a diverse background spanning faith-based leadership, recovery community organizing, and executive performance coaching, Bridget specializes in helping C-suite executives and entrepreneurs overcome self-sabotage. She is the author of Stuck on Ready, delivering structured mind-shift frameworks and practical growth playbooks that empower business leaders to align their internal beliefs with high-yield business strategies.About Bridge to FreedomBridge to Freedom is an elite executive coaching consultancy and leadership development agency engineered to help CEOs, founders, and business owners bridge the gap between mindset and strategy. The firm specializes in delivering custom executive coaching programs, self-leadership workshops, delegation systems design, and authentic brand messaging frameworks. Through structured mindset audits and practical accountability playbooks, Bridge to Freedom enables business leaders to eliminate cognitive overwhelm, monetize their market influence, and achieve sustainable enterprise growth.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeBridge to Freedom Official Website: bridgetofreedomcoaching.comBridget Hom on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bridget-homKey Episode HighlightsThe Two-Minute Brain Dump Protocol: Externalizing mental clutter in a rapid two-minute exercise to clear cognitive bandwidth and restore sharp executive focus.Profit and People Prioritization: Identifying and executing the top three daily tasks that directly generate revenue and deepen client relationships.The Desirability Delegation Framework: Offloading energy-draining tasks to paper, automated software processes, or qualified team members.Root-Cause Discovery via the Five Whys: Uncovering the hidden fears and core beliefs driving executive procrastination and self-sabotage.Managing the Internal Mental Team: Consciously choosing which internal perspectives to empower while dismissing unhelpful self-criticism during high-stakes decision-making.ConclusionThe conversation with Bridget Hom reinforces that achieving sustainable business acceleration requires an intentional alignment of internal mindset and outward operational strategy. By standardizing daily mental resets, mastering non-human and human delegation, and leading with radical authenticity, business leaders can transform an overwhelming executive role into a highly structured, self-sustaining growth engine.More from The Thoughtful Entrepreneur

Adam helped a client who wanted to break free of being silent and keeping out of trouble, to let their voice be heard. They wanted to have an impact and help people who needed them to be more visible, so Adam created a session to help them feel confident, courageous, and authentic. Get 50% off a consultation call with Adam using the code PODCAST. Click here to schedule: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courses.adamcox.co.uk/workwithadam ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Most deals aren't lost at the end they're lost in the moment you miss what buyers really need. In this conversation, Janice B Gordon sits down with Cheryl Parks, a revenue growth advisor and fractional CRO, to reveal how leaders can eliminate revenue leaks, build buyer confidence, and layer authenticity into go-to-market strategy. What you'll learn: a) Why "inspect what you expect" is the essential motto for sales-focused CEOs b) How to spot and recover deals that stall in real time c) Practical ways to strengthen buyer confidence and clarify ROI Today, Janice B Gordon is joined by Cheryl Parks, a fractional CRO with 25 years of enterprise B2B sales experience and over $25 million in closed revenue, known for pinpointing team misalignment and restoring sales momentum. Timestamps: 05:15 Converting inbound leads to meetings 07:52 Understanding and meeting buyer expectations 11:19 Understanding branding and market perception 17:12 Using social media platforms effectively 19:33 Building an Online Presence 21:21 Staying focused in meetings 25:11 Respect for the sales role   Connect with Cheryl Parks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ai-value-advisor/   Connect with Janice Book Janice to speak at your next sales or leadership event: https://janicebgordon.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/janice-b-gordon/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon Scale Your Sales Podcast: https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/podcast Enjoy the episode? Share your takeaway in the comments and leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help more leaders discover the show.

What if breaking the seven figure ceiling has less to do with working harder and more to do with completely changing how your practice grows? Many clinic owners hit a point where more patients, longer hours, and more personal effort simply create more exhaustion. In this episode, Dr. Lauryn sits down with Allison Maslan to explore what actually has to change when your own capacity becomes the bottleneck.They unpack scalable business models that can help practice owners grow without trading more time for money, including building a team of providers, creating recurring revenue, and acquiring other practices. Allison also explains why owners often wait too long to hire support, how to develop employees into strategic thinkers instead of task takers, why creativity matters in scaling, and how mindset and leadership must evolve alongside your business.Key TakeawaysScaling requires leverage, not simply more volume. If your growth plan is based entirely on seeing more patients yourself, your personal capacity eventually becomes the ceiling of the business.Build a team that multiplies the business. Hiring support earlier, empowering employees to think strategically, and developing other providers allows the practice to grow beyond what the owner can personally produce.Look beyond the traditional chiropractic business model. Memberships, recurring revenue, ancillary services, multiple locations, and practice acquisitions can create new paths to growth without requiring the owner to work more hours.Your leadership and mindset must scale too. Breaking through a revenue plateau requires strategic execution, bigger thinking, creativity, delegation, and a willingness to stop controlling every part of the business yourself.Guest BioAllison Maslan is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, CEO of Pinnacle Global Network, and business scaling mentor who has built ten successful companies over more than four decades. Through Pinnacle Global Network, she works with CEOs and leadership teams to break through growth plateaus and build companies that can thrive without depending entirely on their founders. She is the author of Scale or Fail and creator of the SCALEit Method, which combines strategic planning, leadership, team development, marketing, sales, cash flow, and mindset to help entrepreneurs multiply their growth, impact, and freedom.Learn more about Allison, Pinnacle Global Network, and how to work with her and her team by visiting their website.Follow Allison on InstagramGet your free copy of Scale Or Fail, Allison's best selling book, by visiting here. Resources:Find all things Dr. Lauryn B including ways to work with herFollow Dr. Lauryn: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedInFollow She Slays on YouTubeMentioned in this episode:Clinic MindClinic Mind is the all-in-one EHR and practice management platform built for chiropractors — billing, documentation, scheduling, and patient follow-up in one place, whether you run a cash practice, take insurance, or are scaling to multiple locations. She Slays the Day listeners get an exclusive offer.Clinic MindINSiGHT CLAThis episode is brought to you by the INSiGHT scanning system from CLA, the tool that helps chiropractors show patients objective neurological data so the value of care becomes clear, fueling conversion, retention, and growth. She Slays listeners get preferred pricing, affordable financing, and a free Getting Into Scanning guide.CLA (Current)Holistic Marketing HubThis episode is sponsored by Holistic Marketing Hub. Created by marketing strategist Molly Cahill, it's a proven Instagram system with a 500+ caption content library and a step-by-step curriculum that's helped 400+ chiropractors, acupuncturists, and other health pros fill their practices with right-fit patients. Enroll Now!Holistic Marketing Hub

Adam helped a client who was feeling a lack of enthusiasm for life, like they had lost their mojo. Adam uses timeline approaches to help them access the resources they had in the past that led them to a life of big decisions and prioritising passion over boring but sensible decisions. Home runs are metaphorical here to represent big payoffs that aren't guaranteed. Get 50% off a consultation call with Adam using the code PODCAST. Click here to schedule: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courses.adamcox.co.uk/workwithadam ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Podcast Episode Description "You are the leadership lid of your company. If you don't grow yourself, you will top out the growth of the company." Host Laurie Barkman sits down with Patrick Thean, co-founder of Rhythm Systems and author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Rhythm and The Journey to CEO Success. Patrick started his career at Oracle, founded Medicis — a supply chain software company — in 1991, grew it to $25 million in sales in seven years while making the Inc. 500 at #51, and sold it at 32 feeling not victorious, but lost. He then survived the dot-com bust, sold his stake in a second company he no longer felt passionate about, and eventually discovered his true calling: helping CEOs avoid being blindsided by the things that destroy companies not because of bad strategy — but because of poor execution. Patrick shares the lessons that only come from living through it: cash flow, burnout, identity crisis, accountability, self-awareness, and what it really takes to build a business that can thrive without you.   Key Insights Cash is oxygen — and revenue without collection is just a number. Patrick never missed payroll across all the companies he ran. The reason: he learned early that profit on paper means nothing if you haven't collected. Sales go up, profitability goes up, but if cash doesn't follow, the business dies. Cash is king — not revenue. A burnt-out founder CEO is not good for anyone. Patrick burned the candle at both ends and in the middle — and thought it was a badge of honor. It wasn't. He initially believed taking care of himself was selfish. The reframe: you are the leadership lid of your company. If you don't grow yourself, you cap the company's growth. Putting your oxygen mask on first isn't selfish — it's strategy. Most companies don't fail because of bad strategy. They fail because of poor execution. Strategy is fun — you can sit in a room and come up with ideas all day. The hard work hasn't started yet. Patrick's niece wanted to be an Olympian at 12. She made it — after a decade of consistent daily commitment. The gap between decision and getting it done is commitment. And most organizations can't close that gap. Accountability is about helping someone succeed — not punishing them for failing. Most leaders define accountability as consequences after the fact. Patrick reframes it: accountability starts at the beginning, helping the person understand what they need to do to succeed. If you're whacking someone on the head, it's already too late. Both parties must share the same philosophy — otherwise one sees coaching, the other sees micromanagement. The fish rots from the head — and that means you. When Patrick works with a struggling CEO, the first question he asks is: what part in this movie did you play? Not to assign blame — but to open the possibility that the leader is part of the problem. The leaders who grow the fastest are the ones willing to look in the mirror before they look at their team. Build a business that can run without you — before someone forces you to. Patrick's friend sold his company with one specific request: he didn't want to stay after the transaction closed. He got his wish — because he had trained a strong president who could run everything. The buyer didn't need him from day one. That's the goal. Build the machine, then make yourself optional.     Chapters: 00:04 Introduction of Patrick Thean 01:28 Patrick's Background — From Cornell to Oracle 02:01 Early Career Lessons at Oracle 02:56 Founding Medicis: Zero to $25M in 7 Years 03:22 Cash Is King — The Lesson Every Founder Learns Too Late 05:08 Selling Medicis at 32 — And What It Actually Felt Like 07:29 Burnout, Self-Care, and the Oxygen Mask Principle 10:18 Identity After the Exit — "I Don't Know If I Can Program Anymore" 12:53 The Dot-Com Company: Saving the Child You Don't Love 14:32 The Question That Changed Everything: What Do You LIKE To Do? 16:05 Why Transitions Are Hard Even When They're Positive 19:33 Execution vs. Strategy: Why Most Companies Fail 20:08 The Olympian Analogy — What Real Commitment Looks Like 23:09 Accountability: Helping People Succeed, Not Punishing Failure 25:27 The Fish Rots From the Head — And That Means You 25:53 What Part of the Movie Did You Play? 28:03 Do Most Leaders Have Self-Awareness? 29:22 Questions Every CEO Should Ask Themselves Regularly 32:41 The One Lesson for Founders Five Years From Transition 34:57 Patrick's Legacy: Helping Entrepreneurs Make Better Decisions 36:41 Books, Resources, and How to Connect with Patrick Thean   Is your business truly ready—and are you? Take the Succession Readiness Assessment to get a clear snapshot of where you stand and what to focus on next. https://btsherpa.com/succession P.S. Most owners don't realize where they stand until they're already in a transition. Take a few minutes now to understand your readiness—and give yourself more options later.   Connect with Laurie Barkman:  Website: https://lauriebarkman.me LinkedIn: in/lauriebarkman YouTube: @LaurieBarkman_BTSherpa   Connect with Patrick Thean: Website: http://rhythmsystems.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickthean Email: patrick@rhythmsystems.com    

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, joins Margaret Hoover for a wide-ranging conversation about what American business owes the country—and where government should get out of the way.Fresh off JPMorgan's announcement of a $750 billion commitment to affordable housing, Dimon explains why he believes the private sector has a responsibility to help tackle America's biggest challenges and argues that excessive regulation—not a lack of money—is the biggest obstacle to building more affordable housing.Speaking from Modesto, California, during his annual bus tour, Dimon makes the case for reigniting the American Dream, acknowledges that millions of Americans have been left behind, and explains why he believes business leaders should embrace a larger sense of civic responsibility.Dimon also sounds the alarm about America's defense and manufacturing capacity, warning that the U.S. is dangerously reliant on potential adversaries for critical materials and technologies. He explains JPMorgan's $1.5 trillion Security and Resiliency Initiative and why he believes “the national interest is more important than JPMorgan.”He defends capitalism while acknowledging its shortcomings, makes the case for continued engagement with China, and weighs in on the Trump administration taking equity stakes in private companies.Finally, Dimon reflects on patriotism, American exceptionalism and why preserving the country's economic and military strength matters far beyond Wall Street.Support for Firing Line with Margaret Hoover is provided by Robert Granieri, Vanessa and Henry Cornell, The Margaret and Daniel Loeb Foundation, The Beth and Ravenel Curry Foundation, The Meadowlark Foundation, The Philip I Kent Foundation, Anne & Edward Lamont, and Jared Stone.

In this episode recoded during The Virtual CEO Summit, Tom Mallon, CEO, Perpetuate Capital, Mark R. Williams, CEO, Magna Legal Services, and Michellene Davis, CEO, National Medical Fellowships, share their perspectives on building lasting organizations through strong culture, disciplined leadership, technology, and talent.

  Welcome to the Conscious Millionaire Show - Become an Ultra-Performer. Now 3X week M / W / F   Are you an Entrepreneur, Founder, or CEO? Revenues $250K to $5M? Sign up for your Breakout Session...get custom steps to build a fast-growing, highly profitable business that makes an impact.     BREAKOUT SESSION - Book it Now     Join Host JV Crum III, with 2 exits and over 75M revenues in his companies, he is the Ultra-Performer Advisor for Founders, Entrepreneurs and CEOs ready to achieve at your the top 1%.     SUBSCRIBE to Conscious Millionaire Show     Season 12 of the award-winning Conscious Millionaire Show. The World's #1 Ultra-Performance podcast. Millions of Listeners. 190 countries -- Inc Magazine "Top 13 Business Podcasts" with 12 seasons and 3,200+ episodes.

In their 500th episode, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb celebrate a decade of The Reformed Brotherhood by diving into one of Scripture's most overlooked parables — the Parable of the Growing Seed in Mark 4:26–29. Exclusive to Mark's Gospel, this four-verse passage packs a theological punch that is, as Tony and Jesse argue, unmistakably Reformed in its emphasis. The man scatters seed, goes about his life, and the earth produces — by itself — without his understanding or intervention. From this, the hosts draw out rich implications for evangelism, sanctification, ecclesiology, and eschatology. They argue that the kingdom of God advances by divine power alone, hidden from human sight, moving toward a certain consummation. The episode pairs deep theological reflection with the hosts' characteristic warmth, humor, and 10 years' worth of shared history. Key Takeaways Monergism is embedded in the parable itself. The growth of the seed is entirely God's doing. The man scatters and rests; the earth produces by itself — a picture of divine sovereignty that requires no human management or comprehension. The evangelist's only obligation is to scatter. This parable relieves believers of the anxious burden of producing spiritual fruit. Faithfulness in proclamation is the call; growth belongs to God. Sanctification is gradual, hidden, and God's work. The progression — blade, ear, full grain — mirrors the believer's sanctification, which proceeds by degrees imperceptible to the individual yet certain in God's design. The Kingdom of God is not dependent on any individual. Whether it's a ministry leader, a financial contributor, or a worship musician, no single human agent is load-bearing for the advance of God's kingdom. Primary and secondary causation work together without contradiction. God uses means — the farmer still sows, the earth still functions — but the means are instrumental, not efficient causes. God's providence encompasses and exceeds them. The harvest belongs to God, not the evangelist. Just as the man did not direct the growth, he is not the agent ultimately putting in the sickle. The consummation of the kingdom occurs in God's time and by God's initiative. This parable resists reduction. It cannot be flattened into a simple evangelism lesson or a single eschatological statement. It holds together personal sanctification, corporate ecclesiology, and cosmic eschatology within four verses. Key Concepts The Earth Produces By Itself: Monergism in the Parable The theological center of this parable is the Greek word automate — the earth produces "by itself," without external compulsion or human assistance. Tony and Jesse argue this is not incidental language but the thesis of the entire passage. The farmer is genuinely active — he scatters the seed — but his agency recedes almost immediately from view. He doesn't monitor the soil, apply nutrients, or trace the growth. He simply lives his life. This picture coheres precisely with the Reformed doctrine of monergism: that in regeneration and kingdom growth alike, the decisive cause lies entirely outside human capacity. As Jesse puts it, the mechanism of growth "belongs to God alone." The farmer's ignorance is not a failure — it is the point. We are not meant to understand the how; we are meant to trust the Who. Scatter, Then Rest: A Theology of Evangelism Without Anxiety One of the episode's most practically rich applications concerns the posture believers are called to adopt in evangelism. Tony observes that this parable is rarely preached as an encouragement to evangelists, yet that is precisely what it is. The sower's only active verb is scattering. After that, he sleeps and rises — the rhythms of ordinary life — while God does the work that no human strategy, method, or persistence can accomplish. This directly addresses what Tony calls the "anxiety around trying to ensure some sort of production." The Reformed vision of evangelism is not passive indifference but liberated faithfulness: scatter the seed of the gospel without bearing the impossible weight of manufactured outcomes. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:6–7, "Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." Blade, Then Ear, Then Grain: The Patience of Providence The threefold progression Jesus describes — blade, then ear, then full grain — is not decorative agricultural detail. It is a theological statement about the character of God's work in the world and in the soul. Growth is gradual, ordered, and unhurried. Jesse draws the direct application to sanctification: the believer cannot fully trace the work of grace in his own heart, yet it is real and it is God's doing. This ought to produce, as Jesse summarizes, "patient confidence rather than human striving or anxiety." The church, too, matures through stages. Neither impatience with slowness nor despair at imperceptibility is warranted — both misread the nature of divine providence. God is not behind schedule. He is, as always, working through means, in His time, toward a consummation He has already appointed. Memorable Quotes The earth produces by itself — we might even say the kingdom of God produces by itself. It's not dependent on anything except God's sovereign will and his sovereignty to execute all that he desires. - Tony Arsenal The mechanism of growth is strangely hidden from the human agent, and it belongs to God alone. - Jesse Schwamb The kingdom of God advances by God's own hidden power toward a certain appointed consummation — and this ought to produce patient confidence rather than human striving or anxiety. - Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to the 10th Pentacost episode of the [00:01:00] Reformed Brotherhood. It's number 500. I'm Jesse Tony Arsenal: and I'm Tony, and this is the podcast that's been going for 10 years. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. A happy 500th episode to you.  Tony Arsenal: I know, man. It's kinda crazy. It's kinda crazy, and we're not gonna do anything special 'cause we don't do that, but it is crazy that this is the 500th episode. That's a lot of podcasting.  Jesse Schwamb: It's absolutely wild.  Podcast Memories And Mishaps Jesse Schwamb: And as with any milestone, as I was thinking about this one occurring, it did draw my mind to all the crazy things that have happened on this podcast, some known, some unknown. Of course, there is the very infamous time that I spilled a whole bottle of kombucha on the desk while we were recording, but everybody knows about that. But I was, I was also thinking about the, the lesser-known ones, like the time you and I sat in the downstairs church, like so close to each other on the same side of the table- Yeah ... to record a episode, or the time [00:02:00] that a tow truck showed up while we were recording and I had to go run out and direct the tow truck 'cause I'd called it for the car. Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Jesse Schwamb: And you paused the episode so that we could go do that, or the time that we had our favorite Lutherans on the podcast in what I think was, like, the hottest environment, and I just remember the sweat trickling down Chad Bird's beard. Like, like, like air being- Like the oil gloss ... mixed with oil. Yeah. It was so hot. So those are the ones that come to my mind. I don't know if there are any ones that come to you. We- we've had some great episodes, and by the way, they all live out for free in the world on reformedbrotherhood.com. So don't take our word for it. You can go all the way back to the beginning if you really want to, and you can hear this incredible journey that God has had us on these some 10 years. So I'm curious, like, do any episodes, topics, conversations, weird things come to your mind after all this time?  Tony Arsenal: Uh, the one I remember is when we recorded with Dad and we were waiting for the snow, the [00:03:00]snowplow- ... and we had to, like, wrap the episode up real quick because the snowplow was there and we had to go move cars. That's right. So there's been a fair amount of episodes where it's like something has interrupted us and we need to just get it over with real quick. That's right. Um, hopefully the listener doesn't hear that too much.  Patreon Support Check In Tony Arsenal: The other thing I was thinking about, you know, just as we're kinda thinking about the back catalog, we're not great at this. Uh, we tend to do our, what, what's they call the call to action. The experts call it the call to action. We do it at the very end of our podcast episodes, which is the worst place to do it. Uh, but we're gonna try to land it in the beginning here. So we, we've been supported by a number of, of people, uh, for basically the entire podcast. I don't remember exactly how early on it was that we started doing Patreon, but it's, it's been a long time. And what I noticed the other day, I went in to, to check on a couple things and make sure everything was working the way it's supposed to. There was some, like, account merge I had to do, and I've noticed that several people who've been supporting us, um, pretty much since the beginning- have their accounts listed in a declined status. [00:04:00] And what that means is that their, probably their credit card that they use, uh, has expired, and so now they're not, no longer supporting the show even though they think they are. So if you are a person who believes you're supporting the show, particularly if you've been supporting the show for a long time, and you wanna continue to support the show, uh, we would really appreciate if you took a minute to go into your Patreon account, double-check that the, you know, that you've been, um, contributing for the last couple months. Uh, double-check that the credit card you have on file is not, uh, expired or suspended or anything like that. Um, again, if you've made a decision that it's time to stop, uh, stop the show, or if this is the point where you realize, "I don't care enough to re-support to the show," um, that's fine. We love you. We've appreciated your support. We hope you keep listening. Uh, but if you do wanna continue to contribute, please do check that. And if you've never taken a chance to think through whether or not you want to support the show, uh, Jesse and I are so thankful for all the support we have.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Tony Arsenal: Uh, but things are getting more expensive, and, um, you know, that's, that's [00:05:00] just a reality for all of us, and that includes things like podcasting hosting fees. Um, the cost of our, our editing software that we use has gone up. That's a subscription. Uh, the cost of hosting space has gone up. Um, all of that, uh, all of that has gone up, and so even though we've had steady supporters, it's kinda like we have lost supporters, um, financially because the money doesn't go quite as far. So if you've ever thought, "Maybe I should, uh, maybe I should contribute to the podcast," please do think about it. Even if just, uh, half of our audience went in and contributed $1 a month, um, that would be a substantial amount. That would really help us to keep the podcast going. And there's actually a number of projects and things Jesse have I, and I have wanted to do, um, that we would love to be able to, you know, to take a step on. Uh, we just don't have funding to do it, uh- Right ... because the funding we have is enough to keep the podcast going but not enough to stretch to something else. So I don't wanna, like, preload that too much, 'cause who knows if it's gonna happen, but there's some things that we wanna do [00:06:00] that would involve a little bit of upfront capital that we would need- Right to get some contrib- contributions on. So please do consider that. We appreciate you so much if you've been a supporter. We appreciate you so much if you've even considered it. Uh, and we appreciate you so much just for listening, uh, especially- Yes ... if you've been with us, you know, this is episode 500. That's a lot of podcasting- Yeah, it is ... directly in your ear hole. So thank you so much for that.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, we're so grateful.  Why We Keep Doing This Jesse Schwamb: It's fun just to think how many episodes we recorded, but also how many interesting conversations and topics, all the inside jokes. It really is a community. That's in part why we started this, is to sit down together and to bring other brothers and sisters into the fray, as it were, or maybe to bring us into your fray a little bit and to encourage and edify the church, the brothers and sisters, the saints around the world. And it is an around the world kinda podcast, which is remarkable too. So- Yes ... we're just gonna keep being here. As long as the Lord tarries and He allows us to do this, we'll just keep doing it. And again, we've recorded in closets, in cars on the way to things. We've done it at [00:07:00] the beach, and we've done it in cold environs, and we've done it in hot environs. And you're right, you reminded me of that time where we were desperately waiting as we were getting snowed in for the plow to come. And then it was all hands on deck, and we just dropped the recording equipment and said, "We gotta get out of here." And more often than not, the p- joy of this podcast is it just kinda finds its way into our normal rhythm of life. But it- Yeah ... comes out of our life, and out of a life that's been transformed by Christ. And so that's really what we come back to.  Mark Only Parable Preview Jesse Schwamb: In fact, that's the whole thing that we're in right now. We're going through all these parables. And this episode, we can't stop, won't stop. We're gonna continue to hit you with the content that we love, which is talking about Jesus. And so we're in one of the few... Well, it's a Markan parable that only appears in Mark. That's why I called it Markan, I guess. So extra bonus points to you, that's both extra and bonus, if you know which one it is before I say it. But there's a lot for us to talk about- ... because we're getting into this really, really short little story, but it's really chock-full, of course, as Jesus likes to do with all [00:08:00] kinds of spiritual truth. It's about a farmer chucking a seed on the ground, and then he goes about his business. He eats, he sleeps, he binge-watches the Jane equivalent of Netflix. He sleeps again, he wakes up. And while he does this, the seed is doing entirely its own thing without his help or understanding. He didn't make it grow. He can't explain how it grows. He just shows up at the end with a sickle to collect what God has already finished. Man, if there isn't a Reformed theological parable, I don't know what one is. Yeah. So we're gonna get to all of that on this 500th episode. I mean, it's something to be saying that even the US is only 250 years old, and- we've already recorded twice as many podcasts as there are years of experience in the US. But besides all of that, it wouldn't be- It's like- ... Reformed Brotherhood-  Tony Arsenal: I don't know if you've seen this. That reminds me of those things online where it's like, like, "Elon Musk is a billi- is a trillionaire. That means he could give every person on earth $1 billion- Oh, yeah and still would be a multi-billionaire." And you're like, "That's, that's not mathematically true." 'Cause when [00:09:00]you said that, I was like, "You mean the podcast is older than the country?"  Jesse Schwamb: Oh, math. I have a feeling we're gonna come back to that. Oh, math.  Tony Arsenal: Oh, math.  Affirm Or Deny Segment Jesse Schwamb: Now, of course, if you listen for any length of time, you know it wouldn't be an episode if we didn't have a time of affirming with or denying against. Of course, that is that time where we pick something that we like, we think everybody should be a part of, that we wanna recommend, and we affirm with it. Or on the opposite, instead we say, "We deny against this thing because it's just no good." So Tony, on this 500th episode, I'm just gonna keep saying it over and over again, so lest the listeners forget, what are you affirming with or denying against? Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Scammer Payback Recommendation Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming, um, a little YouTube channel that I found. Uh, it takes a little bit of setup to explain it, but the, the channel is called Scammer Payback. Ooh. Um, and it's, it's a... I think most people have probably seen, like, the Gene Fieith- Gene Veith, um, like, where he, he gets a, some sort of scammer on the phone, and he sorta just, like, [00:10:00] trolls them and makes, kinda makes them sound dumb and, you know, pretends to play along just to see how long he can keep them on the phone. Those are really funny. These are funny, but they're on a whole different level of seriousness, which is a weird sentence. Um, basically what this is is a group of professional hackers, um, and there's, this is a serious kinda sting operation they have going. They don't use their real names on the channel. Um, there's one, there's one, um, where they interview, like, a social, um, a social engineer whose job is to... Her- she is a person who basically, uh, does social hacking, and she helps companies who, who their security people think, like, their executives are, um, susceptible to social engineering, social hacking. She'll actually call and, like, mess around with the CEOs and socially hack them. Um, they interviewed her, and the first thing she said when she sat down was the person she was talking to's first name, and the guy was just stunned. He's like, "I- we- we've never used my first name on the channel before." So they're very serious, and what they do is they identify [00:11:00] a scam or a g- usually a group of scammers, and they'll actually hack into and infiltrate the computer systems that they're using. And so they show you everything that they're doing. Um, they're, they're explaining the scam and how it's run. Um, and a lot of times they're actually actively intervening in, uh, in a scam, trying to stop a scam that's in progress because somebody is about to lose a lot of money. I mean, I think one of the things that's important about this is our audience, you know, mostly, mostly guys probably, like, age, I don't know, late 20s, early 30s, maybe early 40s, we kind of grew up and lived, lived in a world most of our adult lives or all of our adult lives where, like, fishing schemes and other kinds of, like, um, data s- data theft, like, that was just in the air. It was just normal. So we're... It's not like we're immune to it, but we're used to it, and we're ready for it, and we're looking for it. That means that most of us have parents that are in a generation who are particularly susceptible to this. [00:12:00] So I think it would be worth, worth people's time to take a look at this, uh, just as a educational piece, and then, yes, share it with your family members who are in this era. People get taken for a ton of money. Yeah. The reason that these older generation sort of bu- builder Boomer generations are targeted is not just because they're somewhat soft targets, but they also have the money. Um, most of, most of the wealth in our country is possessed by people in that generation. It's just an economic fact in a lot of places and a lot of areas, and so that's why they're targeted. So take a little bit of time, watch the show. It's... And it's entertaining. It's really well produced. It's funny. These are non-Christians, you know, who are, are being non-Christian, so there's a fair amount of salty language, especially when they're interacting directly with the scammers that they absolutely hate. Um, but it's, it's worth watching. And, and it... I think it'll... I think it's entertaining. Most of the time it's like a 15-minute video, so it's not too much of your time. Pop that on two times [00:13:00] speed on YouTube and, and you're all set.  Jesse Schwamb: And when you say salty you're not talking about Salty the Singing Songbook, right? Tony Arsenal: Correct. Yeah. Not P-S-A-L-T-Y. S-A-L-T-Y.  Jesse Schwamb: Just in case. I wouldn't want any of the loved ones to go and just be waiting for Salty to show up, like, in the mid- Which would be kind of epic in the midst of this, like, scamming shutdown, the sting operation. Like, Salty s- pops up and starts singing about restorative justice and- Yeah what it means that God restores all things. I mean, that would have a good place in this, but I just want that just to be clear. We don't, we don't want anybody to, to at us on that.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, for sure. Well, Jesse, what are you affirming or denying tonight?  Jesse Loves Algebra Jesse Schwamb: I'm going to return to that beautiful intro you gave about mathematics and the whole Elon Musk thing. And so my affirmation is simply, like, just do... Just enjoy all the math you can. Use all the math that you know. So my wife and I were watching some kind of program on YouTube, and it was a program in which there are a couple [00:14:00]people competing in this kind of escape room situation, and as escape rooms are want to do, there came some kind of small math problem. And it goes something like this, is the best I can remember it. It was what number between one and nine when it is tripled and five is added to it is the same as that number being doubled and having one added to it? Now, as soon as that problem was read, we were watching intently, and I turned to my wife and I said, "Why do they need to say it's between, like, one and nine?" And she goes, "Well, how else would they know what the number was?" And I was like, "Well, like, this is a beautiful little algebra thing, like se- series of equations. Like, you have two equations here." And she's like... Just gave me a blank look. So I was like, "Oh, man." So she's like, "Okay. Do it then. Do it." So I was like, "Give me a piece of paper." So I, I was just like, this is gonna be such a beautiful thing. So I was like, "All this is, is, like, it's basically 3x minus five equals 2x plus one. You're solving for whatever this missing number is, and they've given you this beautiful setup, [00:15:00] which you rarely get in real life, but this beautiful setup is a system of equations. We have two things you know are gonna turn out to be the same. They've just been said in different ways, and that allows you enough space to figure out how to solve for them using a little bit of algebra." So I realized then this is why they said between one and nine, because the contestants then proceeded just to iteratively pick numbers until they found the answer, which is not a bad way. Like, that's a way to use, like, all the math you have. Certainly, that's a way. But I showed her how it was like, this is the answer, six, and you don't even need to know where to start because you don't need to start anywhere. You can actually figure this out. Still not really impressed. And then she said something to me that just, like, kind of rocked my world. I said, like, "Well, I'm sure this is familiar to, with, to you." And she's like, "Oh, yeah. Like, I learned algebra." And she goes, "Yeah, I, I know algebra. I just don't do it anymore. I just don't use it anymore." And I was like What, what I heard was, like, basically her saying to me, "I used to brush my teeth, but I just don't do it [00:16:00] anymore." 'Cause I was like, "This is such a beautiful thing." So then I got it in my head, well, well here's the problem. It's just a matter of seeing the results. So I was like, "Well, here's the amazing thing is yes, these are abstract concepts. Yes, it's like each of those is a function. It's, it's a representation of what he just said in the problem. But," and this is my grave mistake, Tony. But I was like, "Really, Descartes showed us that we can think about these not as abstractions, but we can plot them geometrically as lines on a Cartesian plane." And so I was like, "Really we can show that these are two lines and they have a relationship together." And then I was like, "Guess where they intersect? Guess where they intersect?" And she's like, "I w- that's impossible to even know. I have no idea where they intersect." I was like, "No, no. Just, just based on what we're saying, the beauty of this is they have a relationship. They're gonna come together at some point, like you and I in life. They're gonna, they're gonna come together. Guess where that would be?" And she's like, "That would be impossible to know." And I was like, "It's not, actually." So I showed her that, you know, left and right, up and down, X and Y, however you wanna speak [00:17:00] about it, those two lines are gonna intersect, at least on the X. The X spot is gonna be the number six. It's the same thing. Still nothing. So after all of that, I just appreciate my wife is such a brilliant lady, that she just doesn't need algebra. She goes through life just, like, crushing problems without... Like, because she'd like to do it, I think, just the, the more challenging, difficult, iterative way. And, uh, she doesn't use algebra anymore. Just no need for it. So in many ways I respect that. In other ways, again, the affirmation is like, use all the math you have available to you because it's a beautiful thing. I think basically at the end of that I ended up in, like, a very supreme place of doxology, and my wife was like, "Can we just go back to watching TV now?" So but I, I have to say, like, and I, I know you, you share my appreciation for math and stuff like this. Like, it's not even just puzzles. It's just the beauty that, like, we can do this, and that there's such a created order, like a supremely created order, that these rules of ma- mathematics aren't just impounded. They're like the fabric in which God has, [00:18:00] has basically woven all of reality such that we can do this kind of thing, and that even a simple problem in escape room can lead us to appreciate how intensely ordered and beautiful the world is, that we can go after knowledge and solve for explicit things that seem abstract beyond our comprehension and reason to begin with, but have been brought to a place we might understand them. That is, like, an insanely glorious thing to me. So algebra is great, loved ones. I've recommended before, but the side affirmation is go to Khan Academy if you wanna brush up on your algebra skills. I think algebra is, like, some of the most beautiful and intensely practical math ever. I love calculus, but calculus you don't get a lot of, like, use. You can use algebra to solve all kinds of things, whether it's like tips or... Like, it's gonna save you so much time. If you're ever in escape room, I'm just telling you, do not do this iteratively. Just get the, your system of equations down, and you will be, like, tearing out of that room, and then you'll look like a hero. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah.  Math In Everyday Life Tony Arsenal: I mean, I think, like, even the f- even the, the... How do I wanna say this delicately? Uh, [00:19:00] even the idea that we, quote, "don't use algebra" means people don't actually understand that we're using algebra all the  Jesse Schwamb: time.  Tony Arsenal: Exactly. Right. Like, I could buy I don't use calculus or I don't use trigonometry- Right or even I don't use geometry. Um, but to say I don't use algebra, like just basic. I mean, I know like basic equations are, I guess, technically arithmetic, but like how many times does someone have to, have to go, "All right, the tip, the, the bill is X number of dollars. The bill is-" Right ..."$100, and I wanna give a 15% tip, so what's the outcome?" Like, that's an algebraic equation, right? That's right. Um, or a more, I think a more common one would be like, "All right, the bill is this amount. I want my, uh, my final amount that I give billed to me to be an even number."  Jesse Schwamb: Right. " Tony Arsenal: And I also want to give at least 15%, 20%, whatever percent, so what's the number I need to use in order to get to a bill that is, or a [00:20:00] tip that is both 15% or higher and results..." Like, all of those things are algebraic equations.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes.  Tony Arsenal: So I think, yeah. I mean, even like, "I need to get to work by such and such a time. What time do I need to leave?" Right. "I know it takes-" Exactly. "... a certain amount of time." Right. So I think we, we all use algebra a lot more than we, we probably realize, and I think you're right. Like, when people say, "Well, I don't use my math anymore," what they're saying is like, "I don't use, I don't use the stuff that I had to show my work on anymore." Right. "I don't use the stuff that I have to do on paper anymore." But, um, it's funny, we had a, a conversation, by the way, Reformed Tele- Reformed Brotherhood Telegram chat is a thing. Uh, we had a conversation in the Reformed Brotherhood Telegram chat a little while ago. One of our members was trying to figure out some sort of, like- And it was a problem having to do with like a, an air conditioning throttle or whatever it's called. Some sort of like programming in an air conditioner. And we went through it, we figured out that one of the like relatively complex parts of the equation that he was trying to figure out actually no matter what values you [00:21:00] put in, uh, equated to one. And then the other one was like it was ti- and then it was times one. So it was like whatever you put in ended up to that times one was the rest of the equation. It was like a huge, or like a relatively large equation that resolved down to one. So it was like you're trying to figure out all this complicated math and really like that entire, uh, that entire complicated equation was doing nothing in the rest of the equation. Nice. It was doing absolutely nothing. Um, so we were able to sort of like figure out, all right, well now all we need to do is figure out what, what this relationship does. Right. Um, and even something like in that particular situation, there were some values that the equation couldn't possibly balance. Which again, you could plot that on a graph and see like there's a spot... I don't, I'm, I'm making this up, but I think this is probably not wrong. There's a spot where it's like this is a parabolic equation, and so at some point the parable, or the par- parable, I didn't even mean to do that. There we go. At some point the [00:22:00] parabola goes back up, and so like there is no point- Right ... when it reaches this number. So values that would be in that, in that zone or in that range- Right ... they, they don't work in the equation. So yeah, I think math, uh, algebra is, uh, you know, basic arithmetic obviously is, is relatively straightforward. Algebra's probably the most simple, uh, form of math that your average person uses on a regular basis.  Jesse Schwamb: For sure.  Trigonometry And Design Tony Arsenal: But it's funny, I remember the first time, um, the very first time that I realized trigonometry was not just some abstract thing that we would never use. And it's so funny, 'cause it's like the nerdiest, the nerdiest example. I was playing a tabletop RPG with my friends, we were in high school, and we were, we were learning trigonometry at the time. I was playing a tabletop RPG, and we were trying to figure out- Um, it was a, it was like a futuristic tabletop RPG, so we were using like, like laser guns or something like that that have a certain range. And we were trying to figure out if the thing that was flying in the air from us was within range or not.  Jesse Schwamb: Nice.  Tony Arsenal: And what we realized [00:23:00] is that's just a quadratic equation, right? Right, it is. I just need to calculate. I know how far away it is from me in a straight line, I know how high in the air it is, so I need to just- Right now I need to... Or not, not the quadratic. That's Pythagoras' theorem, right? Yep. I need to calculate the Pythag- or the, um, the hypotenuse.  Jesse Schwamb: I'm with you. I  Tony Arsenal: knew where you were going. Yeah. So, like, I remember distinctly, I, I mean, I remember where I was sitting in my friend's basement going, "Oh, my goodness, trigonometry actually has a practical application here." Um, you know, whether that's figuring out how much rope I need to be able to, to attach to a tree and still be able... Like, all of these different things ultimately are math, and, or as the, the Brits say, are maths. And, uh, the, it, it's just a beautiful thing. And I think you're right, like, this is evidence that the universe has a structure- And a designer because- Right you can describe the universe using this- Nice ... sort of universal numerical language that, um, in, for the most part, describes everything we can [00:24:00] see. I mean, obviously, like, they're still learning things. They're still figuring things out. But what we can see with our senses, we can also describe with math on some level. Even something like the colors that we see can be reduced to a, a number, a frequency, a wavelength. So yeah, I'm with you. Use your algebra. Find ways to use it.  Jesse Schwamb: Use it. It's the... I like what you said, that we're using it. We just don't realize it. There's a spiritual lesson in there, I think, as well, that it's, it's present all around us, and it's... I like what you said. It's, like, the, the most, like, grabbable. It's the thing that's pretty easy to grasp, yet has, like, some beautiful outworkings that are super complex. All the time I love to, like, mess with people, even people who are, like, say, like, "Oh, I'm not into math." I'm like, "That's okay." Like, it's... You're, you're living in a mathematical world, and you're certainly using it, but that, that's okay.  Imaginary Numbers Wonder Jesse Schwamb: But like, sometimes I'll just say to somebody, like, "How do you know, like actually know that, like a negative number times a negative number is a positive number?" Like, who came up with that, and how do you know? And why are we just trusting him? Why can't somebody just say, "You know what? For me, it's not. I'm gonna make that a [00:25:00] negative number"? And w- the reason is because algebra provides... There's a lot of proofs, but algebra provides the most simple, beautiful proof. And then once you, once you basically contravene that law, like, everything falls apart. I- it's... And the question we should be asking is why does everything fall apart if we contravene one simple law, wh- which is two negative numbers multiplied, the product of them has to be, must be, is always a positive number. And that's, like, not even getting into, like, the more crazy things. Like, everybody should go look up, like, what imaginary numbers are. That will kind of mess with your mind, but then we found ways to use imaginary numbers, which are exactly what they sound like- Yeah ... to solve, like, incredible problems. Where does that come from? It comes from the Lord. It comes from God's, like, creative ability that He's placed in mankind to go after and to take a dominion over the knowledge and the creative order in such a complex and creative way. It mimics and mirrors the creativity of our Heavenly Father, and it is altogether beautiful. So on this- Yeah ... 500 episode that has a lot of numbers associated with it, I [00:26:00] say go love the numbers. Go enjoy them. Wherever you are in life, whatever your enjoyment of math is, big or small, go try to find some way to enjoy it today. Tony Arsenal: Can I, can I throw in a, a weird relevant sub-affirmation to your affirmation? I  Jesse Schwamb: mean, please.  Tony Arsenal: This is our show, so I'll do what I want to. You can do what you want. First, when you say we live in a mathematical world, all I could think of was some Perry song of Material Girl. Material  Jesse Schwamb: World?  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Odd Squad Math Tony Arsenal: I am a mathematical boy, and I live in a ma- Anyway, um, there is a show that I watch with August, my son, who is almost five. Uh, he'll be five in March. And, um, it's called Odd Squad. And what Odd Squad is, is it's a sort of a s- like a spy-themed kids show with a touch of like, uh, almost like Twilight Zone. Like, there's so- It's they manage odd. Like, they're the Odd Squad because they, they respond to odd emergencies, so it's a lot of like weird monsters and aliens and like time travel paradoxes and strange stuff. But the answer [00:27:00] to the problem is always related somehow to a math principle. So they will talk about how like multiplication is just addition like many times over.  Jesse Schwamb: Sure.  Tony Arsenal: And that's actually why multiplying a negative number times a negative number is a positive number or, you know, like, or multiplying by a negative number is a negative number, right? And that's because like really what you're doing if you multiply two, uh, two times negative three is you're subjecting, you're subtracting two from two from two, which gives you, you know- Right ... a negative number. So it's, it's not, uh, it, it's for kids, but I actually have realized that I understand math better- because of watching the show.  Jesse Schwamb: I  Tony Arsenal: love it. And it's because they break it down in, you know, the, the audience- Yes ... the target audience is a little bit older than August. I think the target audience is probably like six to seven, maybe eight years old. Um, and so they're talking about math principles geared towards those groups. But they'll talk about things like [00:28:00] using a number line to be able to understand math, and so like visualizing it. Or they'll talk about how multiplication is really just groups of things. So yeah, check it out.  Why Math Matters Tony Arsenal: And again- Algebra is probably the most, uh, easy to grab of the disciplines, but that's because that's the one we are using every day all the time. Tony Arsenal: And we don't realize it. But again, like, calculus is a beautiful, a beautiful thing. Um, and there are some amazing things that exist in the world that can really only be understood and described in a certain sense by something like calculus or trigonometry. Um, my favorite, I, I wish I had, like, kept it up, but one of my favorites is geometry 'cause I think a lot of it is, that's, like, the closest to puzzles. Yes. Um, uh, so, like, I, I used to love doing proofs and axioms and stuff. So, and then of course logic is technically related to math. It's a related discipline to math- It is ... in that it, it's, it's actually, like, the language that underlies a lot of the mathematics is [00:29:00] logical formulas. So it's all relevant. It's all beautiful. It all describes God's creation, and it all redounds to His glory.  Jesse Schwamb: You got that right.  Mark Growing Seed Jesse Schwamb: And speaking of both His creation and His glory, and Jesus teaching of both of those things, we are, as we promised, hanging out in the Book of Mark, and we've got just four sentences. And what I love about this parable that we're about to read is it fits in so perfectly with something I think you and I have been saying from the very beginning, which is it's tempting when we think about the parables to consider, like, a single element or to distill them down to, like, a single word and say, "We hear the kingdom of God is this thing, this noun, this object, this person." But instead, the case we've been making is it's actually generally a series of verbs, or in this case, it's the whole four verses that Jesus is gonna give to us here. So let me just read Mark 4:26-29. That's all it is, loved ones. And it's a good thing because we're already knee-deep into this 500th episode. So this goes by various names. I've heard it called, [00:30:00] like, the Parable of the Growing Seed, or sometimes people call it, like, the Parable of the, The Secret Seed. I'm not sure that's really secret, but I suppose the increase is secret in a way, and that's really what Jesus is communicating to us in these verses. So Mark 4:26: "And Jesus was saying, 'The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil, and he sleeps and he rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, how he himself does not know. The soil produces crops by itself, first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, he immediately puts in the sickle because the harvest has come.'" Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, this is, um, an interesting parable, and I'll be the first to admit, like, when you said, "Well, why don't we do the king- the parable of the growth next?" I was like, "I don't actually know what Jesse's talking about." So if you're in the same boat as I am and [00:31:00] you, uh, you are like, "Wait, there's the... This is a parable? Like, this exists in the Bible?" Um, you're not alone, and I think part of the reason is that, one, it's so short, but it also sort of, like, connects into the next parable thematically. I don't know necessarily- Hmm ... about the content and the meaning, but thematically it sort of blends into the next parable, which is the parab- Mark's version of, um, of the parable of the mustard seed. So it's, it's hard to delineate unless you're really thinking about it, but I'm glad that we're talking about it because I think this is probably one of those parables that doesn't get a lot of attention because it's so short and because it is, um, it is sort of thematically in a spot where I think it does sort of, I don't know, like seep into the next- Right parable.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, there's a tendency because you're right, it's sandwiched between the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Mustard Seed, both of which we've talked about from Matthew's perspective, that it seems like maybe the theme is redundant, but [00:32:00] it is altogether different with the emphasis. Uh, there, it's true I guess that all three of these parables are addressing that same underlying question the disciples in the early church were asking, which is, if Jesus truly inaugurates the Kingdom of God, then why does it seem so impressive? Why is it so slow or hidden in contrast to all the expectations that the Jews had for what they thought would be this dramatic, immediately visible rain? And so I like that there is a lot said within four verses. And again, from our perspective, this thing seems so distinctly reformed in its under- Yeah of course the whole Bible is that way, but maybe nothing more so than this, especially because we'll get to it, but the center of this parable being, and there's various translations, that this guy doesn't even know. He doesn't understand. He's totally ignorant to what is going on, and isn't that... I, I mean, I can only speak for my own test- that's the story of my life, uh, spiritually and otherwise. That again, if you wanna talk about God doing all the verbs, I guess Mark had it first. I thought maybe I coined that, but [00:33:00] turns out that Mark, well, actually Jesus, the Son of God himself, says it best here. So let, let's get into this because the beautiful thing is you and I can handle theoretically in the time allotted here, like three or four verses. That, that's theoretically possible for us to do, but we, we're only gonna h- see how far it goes. Um-  Tony Arsenal: Yeah ...  Hidden Kingdom Growth Jesse Schwamb: I think the first thing to say here is that we get that beautiful characteristic, like formula, like the controlling paradigm. It's that Kingdom of God again. And a- as I kinda set up, it's the Kingdom of God, though, launched into a bunch of, uh, verbs. Uh, this idea of like him casting, and then him sleeping, and then him waiting, and then him getting up, and then the growth happens, and then he comes again at the end, this character, this farmer, into kind of the consummation of that kingdom. And I think there's a lot here that's maybe to explain that tension. The kingdom is real and active. It's irresistibly moving towards some kind of fixed end, but it does not appear in its final glory, and that is something you kind of get with the other two parables. [00:34:00] But here it's just like so lovely. It's right in front of you. That, that's like the whole emphasis and thrust of what Jesus seems to be saying in this. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think this one's interesting because, you know, generally in the parables, at least in, in... I, I would have to do a little bit more study to know if this is, like, distinctly Markan or whatnot. But in the, the, um, Matthew's parables, um, or Christ's parables reported in Matthew, um, primarily the main figure of the parable is, uh, is generally is God or, or more specifically is often Jesus himself. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Right? But in this parable, it wouldn't make sense for us to say that somehow g- you know, God or Jesus scatters seed, and then He doesn't know that it sprouts. Right. Right? So, so the, the parable implies that the one scattering seed, and again, we don't wanna over-interpret parables. Generally speaking, parables are teaching kind of a principle of some sort, a comparison of some sort, not, it's not an allegory. [00:35:00] In, in most cases it's not an allegory where each element has a direct representation of some sort. But it wouldn't make sense for this to be talking about God's perspective on scattering or Christ's perspective on scattering, 'cause obviously God and Jesus, even, even if we're talking about Jesus according to His humanity, um, has some sort of awareness of the workings of the Kingdom of God that is not the ignorance that the parable here seems- Right to present of the one scattering.  Scatter Then Rest Tony Arsenal: So I, I really do think this parable has more to say to us about- Our own perspectives on evangelism and on how the Kingdom of God will propagate. And I think, um, both in terms of, like, evangelism, there's an element here, an encouraging element of, you know, all your s- your job... And what's really funny is I, I don't recall this parable being used in my experience to sort of [00:36:00] encourage people that all, your own, your job is just to scatter. You don't need to worry about the growth. Mm-hmm. There's a, there's a passage in Paul about one person scatters, one person waters, and God brings the growth that is often used to sort of say, like, it's not your responsibility to make sure that the, the, the, um, the bud is, you know, c- comes to flowering and to fruiting. It's just your job to be faithful to scatter or to water or whatever step it's on. This, I think, has even more encouragement for us in that the one who scatters, um, i- is obviously God, but there's also this element that, like, we're scattering. The one scattering is not omniscient. But the one scattering, uh, he doesn't even know how or why or even that, I think, that the, um, that the f- the growth is occurring, and that's the most- Right remarkable part of this. Like, we're not talking about a normal farmer who is aware of how growth [00:37:00] occurs, is aware of the timing. He's constantly checking. He's making sure that he's checking the soil, that he's applying manure, that he's watering the crops. This is literally like some dude who just throws seed out, and then, then just goes back to his daily business of sleeping and rising and going about his day. And then all of the sudden, the earth, quote, "by itself produces." And I think that's the real key here is- There's something about the Kingdom of God and the seed that the Kingdom of God scatters. It's almost like the Kingdom of God itself is the one scattering here.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Yep. The Kingdom of God and the seed that is scattered in and as a result of the Kingdom of God, it produces the outcome autonomously. It doesn't require us to input into it, at least in the context of this parable. Now, again, the Parable of the Talents would be very clear to us that we can't just rest on our loyals- laurels. God expects us to work and to be fruitful for the kingdom. [00:38:00] But there is this element here of, like, you are not the one responsible for the production of the seed and the fruiting and flowering of the seed. In fact, you're not even responsible for being aware that it occurs or how it occurs. Your only responsibility, the only active verb in this whole thing is... Well, there's a couple. The, the, the main active verb is the scattering. The other active verb is the sleeping. So, like- Right ... we, we scatter, and then we, we rest and we trust that God is going to do His work. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Even on the face, there's so much in this that does seem mysterious. Like, if you just take this parable and think about the act of agriculture, and I sometimes think about this because I do love plants, and we have a bunch of plants in our house, and I'm horrible at trying to get them to grow. And I think about what still a mystery it is. With all we know about science, just that you can still plant something, a seed, and water it, and the sugars will break down, and the seed will take root, and that something will grow and flower, and you think, "Oh, who is doing that?" And, and w- [00:39:00] I think we'll get into this, the first and second principles, first and second causes here, which are, I think, certainly something that Christ intends for us to consider here. But there is this idea that the man's action is simple and passive relative to what follows. He, like you said, just scatters the seed. And he's a real agent, but as the parable unfolds, it's almost like his entire agency recedes entirely from view. And that's what kind of sets for me, like this whole trajectory of the parable. It's that the mechanism of growth is strangely hidden from the human agent, and it belongs to God alone. And so you already stole it from me, but I'm gonna read 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, which is, coheres directly with what's happening, I think, in this parable. And this reads, or Paul writes, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. Neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." And so there is like an extension, I think, of that application inward though as well. Kind of like when you were speaking about that, what occurred to me is that we see in the [00:40:00] farmer's like day and night unawareness, this picture, I think, of this often gradual, imperceptible work of grace in our own hearts, in every believer's heart. Like that, that sanctification process, it proceeds by these degrees, and the Christian cannot fully trace even in himself, yet it is definitely real, and it's definitely God's doing. And then I think as well we might pull out a thread of this, you know, ecclesiological truth. You know, the church's growth is God's work, not the fruit of human strategy. And then by application even further into that, it's based upon a soteriological one, which is like the ordo salutis, which is maybe half of every episode we've recorded talks about the ordo salutis in some ways. That too is unfolding by this divine power, and it's hidden from the creature's full comprehension, and that's consistent in this parable and in all of Scripture, that this regeneration precedes and produces faith rather than the reverse. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and I, I think too there's also an element in this passage, you know, when you think about... Uh, [00:41:00] I'm not a farmer, uh, and I, I don't know that many farmers, but when you think about how f- how modern farming works, it's very different than, uh, ancient farming, right? Historically, ancient farming was, uh, I think probably a lot of just trusting the world to do what the world does and, and trusting God to do what, what God does. A- and I think that's probably why a lot of like- When you look at, um, pagan religion, the, the fertility cults and the sort of goddesses and gods of the harvest were all related because there was this mystery to it. And so the reason that there's so much, uh, cultic worship around fertility and harvest is because it is so mysterious, and you just kinda have to, like, trust that it's gonna happen. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Right? You sow your seed in, you sow the seed of your field in, you know, the fall, uh, and, or in the, the, you know, the summer, and then you wait several [00:42:00] months and just hope that the crop comes in. And our modern agricultural world is not all that different. We have better tools and we can measure things that, like the soil, the nutrients in the soil. We can, you know, we can do all sorts of different imaging to see of what's happening underground. But at the end of the day, even with all of the advances we have, the farmer still can't make the crop come in.  Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: Either the crop comes in or it doesn't. And I, I think there's this element of trust here that I think is really useful for us. And again, I think you're right. This is like, uh, it feels almost wrong to say it this way, but it's like this is a super distinctively Reformed parable. Like, of all, all of the parables in the, the Gospels, this one is like, on the face of it, a Calvinist parable. Yeah. Exactly. Like, it's like God just grows the kingdom- Yes and nobody does anything about it.  Jesse Schwamb: Amen.  Tony Arsenal: And I don't need to go into more details than that. But there is this element for us, I think, as, uh, as those [00:43:00] who want to share the gospel, there can be an anxiety around trying to ensure some sort of production, some sort of produce, uh, and productivity from that, that is just not healthy. And I think, you know, we, we have a responsibility as Christians, um, to be faithful and diligent in doing what God has called us to do. But if, if we read this parable as the one who scatters is sort of like the evangelist, then the only responsibility we have as evangelists, and all of us are evangelists, right, lowercase E evangelists, um, all of us, the only responsibility we have is to scatter the seed of the gospel. Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: right. And we're not responsible for the growth. We're not responsible for even really understanding how growth happens, uh, or even, even doing much about it until it's time to harvest that growth. And I think that's, we need to talk about what that means too, because again, like [00:44:00] this is a parable that I think is maybe not as, as clean and clear as some of the, uh, Methanian parables where it really does seem like there's a pretty clear symbolic representation on some things. This one feels like it's maybe a little muddier in that, um, the main character and the role of the s- the one who's scattering seems to sort of almost shift throughout the parable, which is crazy to say because it's only like four verses long.  Tony Arsenal: But it, it does seem like at some points the scatterer is God, at other points it can't be God, and then it seems like, well, who's harvesting? It's not really us, so it's gotta be God. So I think it's, it's important for us to hold this parable as more of a general principle about the Kingdom of God than it is about any sort of like really direct one-to-one teaching on the, on the Kingdom of God.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. That's a interesting distinction.  Providence And Causes Jesse Schwamb: Here's what I would say about that, I think, is let's equate this to, like, coffee. You like a good cup of coffee. I do. I like a good cup of coffee. I think if we were to take, let's [00:45:00] say, the Parable of the Prodigal, that would be for me like a big Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Like, it's delicious, mild-bodied, maybe a little bit light. This parable is like two shots of espresso- Yeah ... 'cause there's a lot in there, and we could probably take a lot of time even t- speaking about, like you're saying, the more shadowy eschatological truths that appear in verse 29 because those, this idea of, like, a sickle in the harvest, I mean, that's imagery drawn from Old Testament eschatological judgment texts. So that could be pretty heavy in its own right. I think what's critical, before we get to that, is to, like, tease out something you said, which is there is a lot in here about this doctrine of providence, like, this spontaneous self-originating action apart from external human causation. And we've talked a lot, like, we distinguish between primary and second causation. You know, the Earth is genuinely or generally has second- secondary causes, like an ordinary means through which God's ordinary providence operates, but the ultimate primary [00:46:00] cause of growth is God himself. And so here we see that. Like, there's no exclusion of the farmer's agency as an explanatory cause. The soil does what it does because God has ordained the natural order to function in this way. That is his prerogative. And so that threefold progression then, blade, ear, full grain, which by the way I had to look up because my understanding of, like, all kinds of different types of grains is very thin and I'm out of my depth here. But- ... I'm led to believe That that development is gradual, and of course it's ordered, but it's not instantaneous. And so the application here, I think, has traditionally been applied in this corporate individual spiritual growth we're talking about. Like, the church advances through stages of maturity, and so does the individual believer's sanctification, without warranting either impatience or despair at the process's slowness. This is how God works. He does it in His gracious and kind way. And again, He's using this, all of this agriculture to illustrate that purpose. So there's, like, this buildup, I think, [00:47:00] in verse 28 about the incredible providence of God, both like corporatively, personally, in His world, how He is the primary cause, but also uses secondary causes, not in a disjointed or divorced way, but in a way that encapsulates and magnifies His glory. And that is then what leads to or will lead to the reemergence in verse 29 of this whole deal of, like, well, if farmer comes back in, and now he returns, but only at the point of consummation, not at the point of growth.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Harvest And Timing Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and, you know, we won't go into all of the ways that this ties into the other parables, but it's worth, uh, it's worth mentioning that in, in both, uh, the parable of the mustard seed, which follows this, and then also the parable of the sort of sower or the seeds, um, there is this element of this, the one who is sowing seeds is not fully cognizant or aware or, and, and absolutely not in [00:48:00] control of the outcome, right? In the parable of the sower, um, he scatters the seed promiscuously, right? And the- Right ... the outcome depends on what kind of ground the seed falls on. And in the parable of the mustard seed, it, it's more of a, like, idea that the, uh, the sower sows a seed that seems so small, but it, the growth of the seed is explosive and expansive because of the nature of the seed, not because of the skill of the sower. Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: right. Right? In this instance, um- The only thing, again, the only thing that initially the sower is responsible for is the sowing of the seed, the scattering of the seed. But what I also think is interesting is then there is a point where the one who scatters the seed is now responsible to act once he's observed the seed coming to fruition, right? Now, now what exactly that means and how exactly that applies, I think there's a lot of different things we could talk about. Um, but again, [00:49:00] this is a parable that we have to be careful not to, uh, not to restrict just sort of crassly to, like, evangelism. Right. Exactly. Or, or even just to sort of, like, the eschatological harvest. Right. That's what's tricky about this parable, I think, that bears ... And I don't think we'll do it, we'll do it necessarily on the show. It'd be worth having more conversations about. But for our own personal study, it bears deeper reflection because this parable cannot be simply reduced to an eschatology parable about what God does in the end. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: And it can't be simply reduced to a parable about evangelism because strictly speaking, like, we're not really the ones that harvest when the harvest comes in, right? I've, I have heard this parable, um, preached, you know, like I said, although I acknowledge that I, um, like forgot that it existed. I have heard this parable preached as though, like, "Well, our responsibility is to scatter seed. We're not responsible for [00:50:00] making it grow or making it take root. But when we see that it's taking root, we're responsible for jumping in and harvesting at the right time." I don't think we should draw that conclusion here. Although the, the harvester does see that the ear is ripe, that the grain is ripe, and he harvests it, it would be a weird sort of like shift in the parable to go from the person who scattered seed isn't responsible for its growth, doesn't even know that the growth is happening, but is actually responsible for knowing exactly when to harvest the grain. Right. So we have to think about this again in gen- in terms of general principles of how the Kingdom of God functions. And w- how it functions is it's mysterious, it is, uh, consistent, it happens on a, a scale and on a predictable outcome that we as individuals don't understand and don't have visibility to, and the harvest will occur in its [00:51:00] time, and it will h- occur consistently and reliably. So again, like this is... I hope that maybe like the one or two non-Reformed people that listen to the show aren't terribly offended at this, but like this just is Reformed theology, right? There, there is a seed that is sown, God is responsible for the growth, and the harvest necessarily will help it happen when it's supposed to happen, right? When the r- when the fruit is ripe, it will be harvested. That doesn't mean I'm responsible as the one who sows seed or scatters or m- witnesses to people from making sure that the, quote, "sickle is put in at the right time," or anything like that.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: The fact is that the sickle will always come in at the right time. The person who has the final kinda piece of the puzzle in evangelism, I think that's how it often happens. Someone hears the gospel repeatedly from multiple places. They have contacts and relationships that tie into how they [00:52:00]ultimately come to accept the gospel and trust Christ. But ultimately it's the Holy Spirit who brings all that into some sort of coherent, um, execution and application of redemption That will happen in God's time. So I wanna be careful not to, like, put too much responsibility on us. Right. And again, this is just a parable that I think bears a lot more reflection, that I think because, um, I think Mark in general, because it's so short, uh, gets, it gets overlooked by Christians. I think we would all do well to spend a little bit more time in Mark. But especially some of these really short pericopes. I think we just read through it, and it's like we read a chapter of Mark, like Mark 4 comes up in our Bible reading plan. Right. And if we're reading the Bible in a year, like, Mark 4 is one of three or four chapters that we read, and this is four verses of that. Right. We just read over it quick and we c- we just, we don't appropriate any of it.  Jesse Schwamb: Right. It sounds like he's just reiterating a point or he's recapitulating something that he's already said or is about to say, and you're like, "Okay, get on with it." But I'm with [00:53:00] you. This parable, like all of them, is for us. It's for our joy. It's for our satisfaction and our comfort. And I think from this, there is, like, a single controlling point that's emerging from our conversation, which is the Kingdom of God advances by God's own hidden power toward a certain appointed consummation. And this ought to produce, like, patient confidence rather than human striving or a- anxiety. In order to give us a sense of calm, a reminder that God's providence is real in all areas of life. Remarkably, we've gotten this far in the conversation, and neither of us has just, has used the M word, which just came to me, and I think we're contractually obligated to say it as a Reformed podcast, and that is this is a prime example of monergism and the sovereignty of grace. And as in regeneration, the decisive cause of kingdom growth lies outside human capacity and comprehension. I think sometimes the latter part of that seems wrong to us. It makes us fearful because we don't understand it. But the former part should make us feel very happy and [00:54:00] relieved, that the capacity belongs to God and God alone. That doesn't depend on me or you or anybody else that we know. And this parable, I think, is often been paired with John's image of the wind blowing where it wishes as this picture of the Holy

Story of the Week (DR):Uber's Strategy for Fighting Sexual Assault Suits: ‘What Were You Wearing?'An aggressive defense strategy is being used in response to an avalanche of litigation, with over 4,000 lawsuits filed by passengers accusing Uber of failing to protect them from sexual assaultWhile Uber publicly champions itself as a "survivor-centric" ally and trains support staff against victim-blaming, its defense lawyers ruthlessly contradict this to protect the $145 billion company.Uber's attorneys aggressively interrogate survivors about their clothing (e.g., asking if they wore underwear or heels), drug and alcohol consumption, and sexual history.The legal team weaponizes past trauma by scouring private medical records and therapy notes, even petitioning courts to force survivors to undergo psychiatric exams or reveal details of childhood abuse to paint them as "unreliable narrators".Legal experts warn these scorched-earth tactics are deliberately designed to re-traumatize victims, discouraging lawsuits and intimidating survivors into settling.Chief Legal Officer Tony West: “Why safety is personal to me”Cites his public service career to cover for ruthless corporate tactics, like drafting Prop 22 to strip driver protections.Frames survivor trauma as a flaw of the "adversarial legal system," deflecting from Uber's own attorneys using aggressive, victim-blaming tactics to minimize payouts.Uses a single favorable quote from one trial judge to dismiss widespread litigation abuse.Touts ending forced arbitration while continuing to block class-action lawsuits, trapping survivors in isolated 1-on-1 fights.Brags about transparent reporting despite Uber burying 400,000+ assault complaints (2017–2022) under labels like "unaudited."TikTok Withheld a Safety Feature From Millions. One Died by SuicideWhen TikTok tweaked its algorithm in 2021 to stop users from being overwhelmed with harmful content, the company didn't roll out the safer version to everyone, a confidential internal document shows.Instead, to see if the change might reduce the app's stickiness, the company conducted an experiment. It created a control group of 10% of US users — at the time, that would have been about 15 million people — who kept the old version of the app.This group, according to the document, included 16-year-old Chase Nasca. 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You know him. I know him. Nish Kumar (Pod Save The UK, The Mash Report and in his own words, one of Taskmaster's greatest losers) returns for his third appearance on the show ahead of embarking on his new tour, Nish Kumar: Angry Humour From a Really Nice Guy. In the first part of this special, we discuss:how Bridget Christie, The Mash Report and Taskmaster all gave him permission to be both serious and goofy on stageNish's "candy floss" approach to building a show how explaining references for international audiences creates new joke opportunitiesthe practical nightmare of reworking one show into wildly different running timesthe difficulty of writing jokes when you can't gauge what an audience already knowsand how a diagnosis can reshape your understanding of yourselfJoin the Insiders Club at Patreon.com/ComComPod where you can instantly WATCH the full episode and get access to exclusive extras where we discuss the shocking pace of the current political instability, Nish's role on Pod Save the UK and witness two men try to catch a bee in a basement.

Adam helped a client who had been suffering from no burp syndrome, a condition where burping feels impossible, to connect with the idea of allowing a natural response by not restricting or suppressing. The client experienced progress from an earlier session but wanted to feel that burping could be natural and effortless, so Adam used various metaphors and open loops to give the unconscious permission to stop resisting. Get 50% off a consultation call with Adam using the code PODCAST. Click here to schedule: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://courses.adamcox.co.uk/workwithadam ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

f you've ever wondered whether your boss wants you back in the office because collaboration is magical…or because they miss having an audience…well, the latest research says the answer might be: yes. First, the uncomfortable news for Team Sweatpants. Labor economists Natalia Emanuel, Emma Harrington, and Amanda Pallais analyzed data from nearly 600,000 Americans and found that remote work appears to explain about one-third of the increase in mental distress over the last decade. Eighty-four percent of remote workers spend their workday entirely alone. More than half feel less connected to coworkers. People who live alone were hit hardest, with dramatically higher rates of isolation and even days with no in-person contact at all. It turns out that your annoying coworker who always wanted to chat by the coffee machine may have been performing a public service. But before CEOs start printing “Back to the Office!” banners, there's another fascinating twist. A six-year Wharton study of Fortune 500 CEOs found that the strongest predictor of demanding employees return wasn't productivity—it was narcissism. Researchers measured it with delightfully creative proxies like signature size, the size of executives' photos in annual reports, and how much more they paid themselves than everyone else. Their conclusion? Some leaders simply thrive on commanding a room. Eye contact, booming voices, dramatic hand gestures—Zoom just isn't the same stage. So who's right? Probably everyone, and no one. The evidence suggests that productivity depends more on the person and the work than on the location. Some people flourish at home. Others desperately need the energy of being around humans. And while rigid return-to-office mandates don't improve company performance, they do increase turnover—especially among women—and often send top performers looking for more flexible employers. The emerging lesson isn't “office good” or “remote good.” It's that connection matters. One study found that getting remote employees together just one intentional day each month increased productivity and reduced attrition. That's a remarkably small investment for a surprisingly large payoff. Maybe the future of work isn't about choosing between home and the office. Maybe it's about designing moments that actually justify being together. Because if we're asking people to commute, put on real pants, and brave rush hour, we'd better have a reason better than, “The CEO misses making an entrance.”  As a worker, consider what works for you and most importantly WHY it works for you.  As a leader, consider that workers have different needs and the work of your organization - but not your ego.

Rapid Response host Bob Safian recently sat down with Eric Becker on The Long Game to discuss leadership, innovation, and what makes a category-defining business. Bob breaks down what goes into becoming a truly “backable" founder, drawing from his experience profiling early-stage leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Brian Chesky. The pair also dive into the future of AI and what it means for productivity, how it will reshape the workforce, and why the next decade will reward CEOs who adapt quickly and make disciplined decisions in times of uncertainty.Subscribe to The Long Game with Eric Becker wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

https://youtu.be/Hbw3xtIiJRQ Jay Larson, Executive Coach, Facilitator, Sales Leader, and Founder of Lights On Coaching & Consulting, is driven by a mission to Turn on the Lights for Others by helping individuals unlock their potential through coaching, leadership development, and transformative experiences. By combining executive coaching, experiential learning, and decades of leadership expertise, Jay empowers leaders to build trust, embrace vulnerability, and create lasting personal and professional growth. In this conversation, Jay introduces The How to Gain Trust Framework—Be Present, Be Curious, Be Vulnerable, and Judge Not. He explains why authentic coaching begins with deep presence and genuine curiosity, how vulnerability creates psychological safety for meaningful conversations, and why withholding judgment helps leaders build trust and accountability. Jay also shares how challenging experiences, executive peer groups, and coaching conversations help leaders overcome isolation, gain confidence, and achieve breakthrough moments that transform both their businesses and their lives. — Turn on the Lights for Others with Jay Larson  Good day, listeners. The Management Blueprint podcast is here, and my guest today is Jay Larson, an experienced executive coach, facilitator, and sales leader with over 20 years of impact across industries. Jay has guided more than 400 individuals through transformative coaching, backed by 40 years of expertise in assessments, success profiles, and competency frameworks. He helped launch and leads a thriving nonprofit that’s touched over 500 lives through experiential learning and outdoor recovery programs. Welcome to the show, Jay.  Oh, thank you, Steve. Thanks for having me.  Well, you have a fascinating background and have helped a lot of people, which is obviously the biggest thing. So what would you say is your personal “Why” that you are manifesting through your practice?  Well, I think my personal “Why” is really turning the lights on for others. That solidified for me probably five or ten years ago. As I realized, through the work I was doing with Korn Ferry, the work with clients, and the work with the people who reported to me, it was never really about the money. I did like winning—winning sales and things like that. That’s always nice. But it was really more about the impact we were making. Were we making an impact? That sort of thing. So I realized pretty quickly, through my coaching training, that my “Why” was about turning the lights on, having those “aha” moments, personal growth, and seeing that happen with others and myself. That’s fascinating. So when you work with experiential learning and outdoor recovery programs, tell me a little bit about those. How do those help?  So I help lead. I’m the president of the board. A friend of mine and I got together probably 10 or 12 years ago. He had built a little nonprofit called Wild Hearts Adventures, and the basic idea was that his son was in recovery. Any time they went to the mountains or did anything outdoors—climbing, canoeing, fishing, anything like that—his son would come alive. They would connect on a different level than they normally would during that obviously trying time for a parent-child relationship, with all kinds of tough love, easy love, and all that kind of stuff.  So he noticed that connection. He wanted to take it bigger. We talked. I’d done a ton of outdoor stuff in my past, and my kids had recently grown up and were leaving home and things like that. So I had time to focus on that. We take people on all kinds of different outdoor excursions, and it really is about connection through adventure. That's what we're trying to drive—that connection. Helping people know they're cared about. Helping them know they can be their authentic selves without judgment. And that they can do really hard things.Share on X  That’s interesting. I have a friend who was also on this podcast some time ago, and he also does a lot of mountaineering, but he does it with CEOs. He goes one-on-one with a CEO, and they climb for two or three days. Obviously, there’s lots of conversation going on. What is the driver of the impact in these environments? What makes people come closer together?  Yeah, it’s interesting. What makes them come together is that sense of adventure, that sense of the unknown, and their willingness to challenge themselves. We’re very open up front with folks who join that this is going to be difficult. Most of them have never camped overnight. We’re taking them to the Rocky Mountains and getting to the top of some very, very high places.  You wouldn’t believe it once you walk to the base of those mountains and look at them. You’re like, “There’s no way we’re going to the top of that.” So that fear and all of that… I find the impact on them—the reason they come—is their willingness to be challenged. The impact is not only the connection of the team, which is important because a lot of folks, certainly in recovery and otherwise, can feel quite lonely. What they’ve done is their fault. They have to recover from it. They have to do some heavy lifting and white-knuckling. This is more about the team helping.  We're all going to carry each other's stuff as we go up. We're going to hear from each other and talk with one another while we're up there.Share on X Then seeing them at the top of the mountain, when they reach 14,000-plus feet and they’ve put in the work to get there, they realize—to a person—that they can do very hard things. Their recovery, the next step in their career—whoever we’ve taken up there—it’s always, “If I can do this, then I’m pretty sure I can face that.” Great metaphor.  Yeah. It is a great metaphor. I wonder what empowers them to actually accomplish it, because climbing a 15,000-foot mountain without being fit is no easy feat. Especially if they’re not used to having to be resilient. What empowers them to actually do it? How do they not give up? Is it the peer pressure? What is it?  Yeah, no, we’ve had people that go up and turn back. We do have it. We leave it up to them. We’re not going to force anybody to go up there. We’re not back there shouting at them or anything like that. Now, we do a lot of encouraging. They’ll say, “I’m too tired. I can’t keep going. There’s no way.” It’s like, “Listen, let’s just take a rest, then one more foot in front of the other. You can do this. I’ve done this.  I was in worse shape when I did my first one than you are now. You can do this. Come on. Just keep going. Just keep going.” So lots of encouragement, lots of coaching along the way. Very, very few people do these fourteeners. A lot of people do them, but relative to the population, very few do. So they look at this as a very, very daunting thing. What I know, having done it numerous times now, is that it’s all about how fast you want to get to the top.  It’s not whether you can get to the top. You can get there, barring an injury. It’s just that you might have to take more breaks. You might have to rest more often. You might have to go slower. You might have to swallow your pride. A lot of things like that. But if you’re willing, we’ll get you there. Yeah. It’s interesting. When my grandfather was probably 79 years old, just one year before he passed away, we somehow convinced him to climb a little mountain. I mean, it’s not a big one, but maybe 1,000 feet. Okay. He was walking with a stick, and it was very steep. He made it up there, and then there was a beautiful inner lake that became visible.  He was so happy that he did it, and he was so grateful that we kind of twisted his arm a little bit to make this trip. It completely recharged him. He was an accomplished person. He was 80. He wasn’t in great shape. He’d had a couple of heart attacks beforehand, and it was a big emotional moment for him.  Yeah. There’s a sense of accomplishment. There’s something you prove to yourself when you do that. I remember reading The Comfort Crisis. I don’t totally remember the author’s name, but it’s called The Comfort Crisis. We’re not doing hard things as often. We have a lot of the hard things done for us. It used to be that you had to build your own house, or grow your own food, or lift heavy things on the farm over certain distances, or they didn’t get moved.  Now everything’s prepared in the store. We lift the heaviness of a 12-ounce can or a grocery bag. Those are the heavy things we lift. When we set our minds to doing something very, very difficult that we don’t think we can do, we grow something in ourselves. I know it’s not just psychological or emotional. There’s a physical nature to it as well.  The mental and physical parts, the way you grow your brain and change your brain when you’re doing those things. It’s not all just, “Yay, I proved it to myself.” You come down from the mountain a different person than you were when you went up. Slightly, and sometimes massively.  Yeah. I remember when I ran my first marathon, I felt a little bit like that. A wall came down, and I felt more invincible in some ways.  Yeah. Like, “There’s nothing I can’t do.” I had a particular gentleman who went on one of the first trips we did. He had been in the gangs. He was actually an enforcer for one of the gangs. So a pretty tough dude. He’d done a lot of things. He’d lost his children, lost his marriage, all kinds of things. He’d been in prison. He’d had a tough run and made a lot of bad choices, to be honest. He went on this thinking, “I’ll do what I can. What I want to do.” That sort of thing.  He had a pretty good attitude. But at the same time, when you get up on summit day and it’s 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning, and we’re waking him up and getting him going, people aren’t always in the greatest moods. People are excited, but at the same time it’s dark, I didn’t sleep well, and I was nervous. So he’s on the trek up. He’s struggling. He’s stumbling. He’s not sure he can do it. That sort of thing. But he’s a pretty quiet guy.  He wasn’t complaining or anything. When we got to the top, he just sat there for a while. We all did. We just sat looking at the view because it’s an amazing view from 14,000 feet. We were all just standing there, and he looked over at me. I looked over at him. He had this grin on his face, and he goes, “Man, if I can do this, I’m going to get my kids back. I’m going to get my kids back. I can do it. This was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but now I know I can do that.” You’re just sitting there, surreal in that moment, knowing that not only has this person’s life changed, your life has been changed by this person. Perhaps, generationally, things have changed for the family. And they have since then, the family’s back together, and as far as I know, things are going great.  He’s been promoted a couple of times at work and things like that. So that’s what I mean by turning the lights on. When you have those moments where there’s this realization inside a person of what they’re capable of or what they’ve accomplished. That’s a peak kind of situation for them. A peak experience. Yeah. Lovely to be a part of it. So you just reminded me of an experience when I felt that way. It was actually when I launched my Vistage group back at the end of 2013. We had just moved here a year earlier, and Vistage reached out. I said, “Okay, I’m going to do this. I don’t know anyone in town, but that’s a great way to build a network.” It was pretty grueling work, cold-calling for three months solid.  I am aware.  Yeah. I know. That’s what I’m telling you. Yes. That was this kind of experience for me. I thought, “Wow, okay. If I can do this, then maybe I’m not a lost cause here in America.”  Yeah. Yeah. It really transfers, right? Just like you were saying, these, whatever you want to call them, mountaintop experiences for people, these moments in your life when you realize that, “I am capable.” Now, there are valley moments that we have as well. I had a gal that got… We were within 35 minutes of the peak of Mount Yale, and there’s kind of a plateau on the top. She got there, and she had a panic attack—a full-out panic attack—and would not let go of my arm. Couldn’t lead the group up to the summit.  My daughter actually—whole other story there—my daughter stepped up and led the group. Had never done it before. Just stepped up and led the group. Huge, tons of courage. But I immediately just turned this gal around, and we started going down the mountain right away because that’s the only thing you can do when somebody’s panicking up that high.  Where else are you going to go? We took the slow way down the mountain. There’s a quick way down that mountain, but that doesn’t end well. The slow way was just a slog. She was being apologetic the whole way down. She was feeling bad about herself and everything. I think since we’ve talked, Steve, since then, I got an email from her from the summit of that mountain, where she went up with somebody else and went back and did it.  She sent that to me. She said, “I miss our group. I just had to tell you that I made it.” I made the summit of this particular mountain where she failed before. I can’t tell you the joy that gives me as a human, just to see that happen with somebody else. I just love it.  Yeah. She owed it to herself to go back and do it.  Yeah. Yeah.  And not give up.  She promised. She said, “I’m going to do this. One day I’m coming back, and I’m going to do this.” It took a couple of years—a few years, actually—but she did it. So that’s fantastic.  That’s great. That’s great.  Yeah.  Jay, I’d like to switch gears here because this podcast is about frameworks. So, what is a framework that helps you create more impact with your Vistage groups, with your executive coaching clients, and the people that you climb mountains with? Do you have a framework that you can describe?  Yeah, I think let’s talk about that a little bit. I’ll tell you some of the things that I do. Perhaps I don’t know that I would call what I do a framework. I reach out to many people. I coach a lot of people through different contracts, Vistage groups, as well as my own practice. The thing that I think matters the most is gaining trust initially. Just having a natural curiosity for what’s happening with them.  Not being afraid to, as we have even on this call, do some back and forth. Like, “Yeah, I’ve seen that in my life,” or, “I’ve faced that before too. So how do you think you’ll go about it?” And having those questions. Again, it’s not pre-planned. I don’t pre-plan a whole lot for coaching sessions. I review and things like that, but I really want to go in fresh and really listen. I don’t know, Steve. You tell me. You’re the framework guy, right? You tell me. What’s my framework?  Well, what I’m hearing is being present, being curious and vulnerable because when you’re sharing your own experiences, sometimes it is, I guess you probably do that as well, that you share sometimes when you failed at something, and how you learned from it, and how you recovered from it. I do that with clients, and that allows them to be more honest, more vulnerable themselves, and be able to process things better.  Yeah. Knowing they’re not alone. Yeah. They’re not alone. Knowing they’re not alone is huge. I think another really important piece of how I approach things, that may or may not work—I guess we’ll see—is it’s not my job to make them feel good. It’s my job to get to the honest, authentic issue, or blockage, or whatever that is.  Well, I guess part of a framework that I believe in, I guess there’s been a couple from my past that I’ve knit together that have probably shaped a lot of what I do. One is I worked initially for a company called ChartHouse Learning, and they had what was called the Fish Philosophy back in the day. It’s the gentlemen out at Seattle’s Pike Place Market that throw the fish to the clients, throw the fish, come back behind the counter, and catch the fish, and things like that.  They filmed them and how they were driving engagement with the clients and each other. And four tenets of that philosophy were: be there, or be present, like you were saying, so that’s had some impact. Play, which is have some fun with it. Compete, you know, in some ways. Make a game of some things, in some sense of the word. Be there, play, make their day, which is a focus on others versus yourself, so you're there to make their day.Share on X  And then choose your attitude was the fourth. That’s all copyrighted by ChartHouse Learning, whatever. It’s not mine. But you can choose whatever attitude you really want going into the day. So regardless of what is presented to you, your reaction is yours to choose. So that’s, I think, had a big impact on how I address things, as well as spending a lot of time in leadership development.  And so many times seeing development fall flat brings up another framework of just how we actually develop as people. And that is we have to be aware that there’s something we need to change. We need to own it. We need to be responsible. Take responsibility for that gap or that change. And then we need to be willing to act on it. Willing to do something about it. So many times in pre-planned leadership development sessions, and coursework, and things like that, we can miss the mark for that individual. They may be aware of a gap. I mean, Instagram will tell you what you should be these days, right? There’s plenty of, “I can see the gap between me and that person.” Yeah. “I can see the gap between my house and theirs,” whatever that might be.  But do you own it? Are you really aware that that’s an issue that I have? And are you going to take responsibility for it? Then do something about it? Commit and be accountable. That's where coaching really struck a chord for me. I had been in corporate, selling and doing business development for a long time.Share on X  That was always great, but you never got to do the work. You got to deliver the promise, but you never got to deliver the result. Yeah. Now with coaching, I’m able to do that with individuals and teams. Walk them through that. Be honest. Really dig in. Ask the hard questions about their responsibility for the situation, et cetera. So that’s the favorite part of my work.  Yeah. This is a piece that AI is not going to disrupt because AI cannot hold someone accountable, right? It’s just an individual. Yeah. A person who has emotions, who cares about you. They can hold you accountable because you don’t want to disappoint them. But AI cannot do this. AI cannot build trust. I guess it might be able to if it gives good answers all the time.  You start to trust it. But you never know because there’s no person behind it. Who do you trust? The software program? Yeah. That doesn’t work. Yeah. So trust, accountability, and emotions are pure undisruptables, elements of what we do.  And it ends up being the part that connects us, right?  Yeah.  I mean, ironically, we connect to the computer. We connect to the internet. But we never really connect with it. You could say, to some degree, you connect with other people through different apps and things like that. But there’s something about being in person. There’s something about having the back and forth and the consistency over time. It’s not that different on the mountain trips than it is in coaching. A little more comfortable. A little more comfortable.  Sitting in a chair.  Yeah.  But if it’s too comfortable, it’s probably not as effective.  Right. So maybe it won’t. Right. It’s a different kind of uncomfortable.  Yeah.  Right? Yeah. A different kind of uncomfortable. I guess if you’re saying framework, those are kind of some of the mantras, or the credo, whatever it is, that I live by. If it’s not authentic, I don’t really want to do it. From a coaching standpoint, I know you’ve coached some people in your career, and what you’ve done with Vistage and that. There’s some times when people are just kind of mailing it in.  I haven’t gotten the courage up yet to close a call based on that. Like, “Well, you’re just kind of mailing it in, so let’s connect next month.” But it makes you feel like that, right? Like, why am I here? Why am I doing this? If we’re not producing some kind of meaning, or purpose, or moving one of us forward, then what are we doing? Why are we doing it?  Yeah. I always wondered about this because I always wondered whether I should own this. There are people who are more vulnerable, who are more coachable, who are more open, who are more willing to let you see them. And there are people who are not. But they are there, so they need something that they came to get. So whose responsibility is it? If, for them, it’s harder to get there, then should it be on me as well to make it happen? And obviously you can’t guarantee it, but I’m always wondering about it. So when people were mailing it in, I was always wondering, “What could I have done differently so that they wouldn’t do that, or that they didn’t do it, or maybe they’d make some steps?”  Yeah. I feel the exact same thing. I know exactly what you’re talking about. Yeah. I was just talking to somebody earlier about this exact situation where we had a group of 8 to 10 leaders, and one of them just didn’t engage, hadn’t scheduled the meetings, and things like that. After a number of tries to get them engaged, it’s that classic, “You can lead a horse to water,” right? Yeah. They may be full of water already. They may be waterlogged. So I don’t want to judge them for that, right?  That’s the kind of thing where I can get upset. Just my natural reaction. I can get upset that they aren’t engaging, and I can get upset at myself that I can’t get them to engage. You can go there.  Yeah.  But really, at the end of the day, I can only do what I can do.  Yeah.  Then we have to get to the point where you have the fierce conversation where you’re saying, “It doesn’t feel like you’re engaging.” “Can you help me understand why that might be?” Yeah. Then leave it there and let them answer the question. “I don’t want to.” Right? Yeah. It’s like, “Okay, well, why are we scheduling these meetings?” “Let’s just save everybody some time and money.” Or, “I don’t know how to.” Okay. I can help you with that. Those sorts of things. Or, “I don’t know why I would need to.” We can help with that, too. But I can’t change, “I don’t want to.” I can’t change it directly.  Yeah, you can’t. You know what I also experienced sometimes? There were some members, especially who were maybe older, who just wanted to be heard. They just wanted an audience. Maybe they would not get that because spouses are often sick of hearing about business stuff and things that they don’t relate to.  That person just needed someone. Sometimes people are so starved for conversation that they don’t even care whether you’re really listening. They just want to trick themselves into believing that someone is at least listening. It’s the saddest version of it.  Yeah. Yeah. When you work with Vistage, we’ll see a lot of that. Where there’s the isolation of the leader at the top of whatever business it is. What I suggest to them is, “I’m going to try and create a safe space with trust.” “I’m not saying anything to anybody else about what you share.” “So say what needs to be said.” “Be yourself.” “Let down your guard.” “We’ll get there.” Right?  It’s not like they’re just going to walk into a room with me as a stranger, just because they decided, and they’re going to let down their guard. But session by session by session, they let down their guard. You end up talking about things that they can’t mention to anybody else at work because it would shake an employee’s confidence or something. Or how do you, as the CEO of an organization, say, “I don’t know what to do”?  Here’s the place. This is what we give you. That’s why I love it because, again, that’s kind of a lights-on moment, is what I would call it. It’s their ability to take that deep breath, lean back, and just be themselves and say, “I don’t know.” You don’t have to fake it all the time around everybody that’s depending on you. So that’s a real relief for a lot of folks.  Yeah. That’s huge, to be able to unburden yourself. It is true. When you are in a responsible position, sometimes you have to absorb all the uncertainty in the business or the potential risks. You can’t talk about it because then you are amplifying that risk. Then people start worrying, and that kind of paralyzes people.  Then the business is in an even worse position. What really shocked me when I became a Vistage Chair was how few CEOs these CEOs actually knew. It wasn’t just that they were isolated inside their company. Maybe they were isolated at home because their spouse didn’t want to hear it, or they didn’t want to burden their spouse because then it would come back to them eventually with the anxiety of the spouse as a further pressure.  So they might not want to share that. But they didn’t even know other CEOs because they were so busy working in their business, they had no time to go play golf and meet other people. The only time they could do that was in the Vistage group once a month. They could rationalize that this is business. They are working on the business. That gave them permission to take the day off and fraternize with other CEOs.  Yeah. That’s such an important thing. It’s such an important thing to know that you do have a group of people that will have your back, regardless of what you come with. We had a meeting in my group not too long ago where we had some breakthroughs. It was really special to see a group that didn’t know each other, didn’t even know each other existed three or four months prior, sharing about how time is short, possibly because of some health issues. How their business is so important because it’s their legacy.  It’s what they’ll leave behind when they move on. That’s really personal, deep, meaningful conversation. When you allow space for it, it can happen. Build it, and they will come, kind of a thing. I just think that’s so important because I think CEOs who see this may be sitting there bottling that up. They’re taking that stress and trying to hold it. There’s so much energy that it takes to do that, that they wonder why their business isn’t growing, or why they can’t get past a certain amount of revenue, employee count, client service, or breaking into certain levels.  They don’t realize that the more they’re holding that in, it’s almost like they’re holding that growth captive. They just don’t have the energy. They get burned out. That’s when bad decisions start happening. They get emotional, or they just are done. You know? Yeah. They do. I’ve talked to so many people that are just, “I’m just so done with this.”  Yeah. They become unhappy. Then the people around them become unhappy. Then unhappy people don’t do well in the business. They don’t grow the business. Then the CEO feels even worse and lashes out. Yeah. Yeah. That’s huge. When you have the CEOs, and each of them shares things and becomes very vulnerable, then it becomes a safe space.  That’s what creates the trust, right? They all have skin in the game because they all share stuff that they don’t want to get out of the group. Therefore, they can trust the other person to do the same thing.  Yeah. Trust is huge. When you think about it, like this might be odd, but I think when some people think about the holidays and being around family, some people get excited for that, and some people cringe at that, right? Because I think a lot of that is, yes, you’re family, and it’s almost a forced relationship sometimes. They don’t trust. They won’t share their authentic self with that other person in the family. What should be a holiday, and restful, restoring, energizing time, becomes more of a forced situation where it’s draining.  Then you start to distance yourself even more. I think the idea of just having that safe space where other perspectives are in the room is a huge thing as well. Helping people think differently than you. Surrounding yourself with those people. Because you can’t necessarily afford to bring them on just because they think differently. Having them in a group where they will give you a different perspective, and also hold your trust, and let’s face it, just give a damn about you, and how you’re doing, and connect, and want you to succeed, it’s huge. Having people in your corner like that. Yeah. It’s not always naturally there because of timing and other things, like you were mentioning.  And then one more thing. Before I came to Vistage, I had a mastermind group. Oh, yeah. When I was a business owner, which I organized. It worked initially well until it stopped working because I didn’t have the time to invest in it. To make sure everyone showed up. To make sure everyone brought topics, to discuss issues to the table. So it fizzled out.  I think what’s special about Vistage is that there is a person who is committed to making this happen and making it a high-quality experience. Yeah. That is actually priceless because without the person, the time that those CEOs are investing is wasted. Then it’s not even worth showing up for it, right?  Yeah, exactly.  That’s a unique thing. It actually doesn’t really get copied. I don’t see other organizations that can really provide the same quality of experience without that committed Chair, who is thinking about these members all the time, spends some time with them one-on-one, and then makes sure the meeting happens, people show up, and there’s good content in the meeting. It’s very valuable.  Yeah.  So anyhow, if someone would like to learn about Vistage or connect with you, where could they do that?  Yeah. I think LinkedIn is probably the best place for that. I have a LinkedIn page that touches on my Lights On Coaching and Consulting practice, named for exactly what we’ve been talking about. It covers my Vistage group and also the nonprofit, Wild Hearts Adventures. So if anybody is struck by that, go to my LinkedIn. Let’s connect on there, and we’ll just have some conversation. I just love having conversations with new people, with fresh perspectives, regardless of whether we connect and do work together or just even keep in contact.  It’s just lovely speaking with one another, similar to what we’re doing now. Sharing that philosophy. Sharing that why. It’s just encouraging to hear that from others. So I welcome anybody to reach out to my LinkedIn. I don’t know if we can put a link in here to that page or not, but certainly we can.  Yeah. We can directly link that. We’ll put your LinkedIn URL in the show notes. You can just Google Jay Larson Vistage Chair, and he’ll pop up, and you can connect with him. So Jay, thanks for coming and sharing some wonderful stories about people who climbed the mountain, and how it changed their lives. If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure you stay tuned because I have wonderful subject matter experts, CEOs, and business owners who come and share their stories. Wonderful. So thanks for coming, and thanks for listening. Yes. Thank you. Take care. Important Links: Jay's LinkedIn Jay's website

This is the #1 request we get every week: how to actually use agents to save time in your business.We're bringing in James McAulay, founder of The Agent Accelerator, for a practical crash course on what AI agents are, how they work, and how beginners can start using them to get real work done.James has spent the past year building at the front lines of the agent economy. After helping ElevenLabs grow from $110M to more than $300M in annual recurring revenue, he launched a fully AI-native business that reached $80K in monthly revenue by its third month and recorded its first $200K+ month by month five.He did it without a single employee or a dollar spent on paid ads. Instead, James delegates work to multiple AI agents every day.Through The Agent Accelerator, James now teaches founders, CEOs, and their teams how to become AI-native. The program has trained more than 400 people across 100 companies, including startups, 200-person organizations, and the UK Government. Participants report automating an average of five hours of manual work every week after four weeks.In our session, James is going to teach: EVERYTHING you need to build helpful, proactive agents in Claude Cowork/CodeHe'll walk through the following concepts: • Quick primer on agent foundations: how do we move from prompting a chatbot to delegating Agentic work• Starting your second brain: the key files that make the biggest difference• Tips & tricks for optimizing Claude's behavior with CLAUDE.md• Skills - where to find good ones - how to create great ones• And his 4-level framework for proactive agents that work without being prompted in Cowork and CodeFormat will be a blend of James teaching concepts, screensharing, and showing demos of his own setup.Whether you have experimented with a few AI tools or have no idea where to begin, this session will help you understand what agents can realistically do and how to start using them.Learn more about James and The Agent Accelerator:https://agentaccelerator.ai/

As high gas costs pile up for drivers, Big Oil is getting jumpy. That's because one way to bring prices down, at least temporarily, is an oil export ban. The Trump administration hasn't signaled support for such a ban, but oil firms are being proactive, by lobbying the White House to find alternatives. Also in this episode: CEOs are sour on this economy, a major university invests big in artificial intelligence, and we analyze the difference between Fed Chair Warsh and former Fed Chair Powell's public statements.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Read the stories in today's episode:Big oil is not up for another export banCan you spot the difference between Warsh and Powell's FOMC statements?Why you should care about CEOs' confidence in the economyThe FIRE movement: How soon can I quit?USC pushes to expand AI research with $200 million gift

As high gas costs pile up for drivers, Big Oil is getting jumpy. That's because one way to bring prices down, at least temporarily, is an oil export ban. The Trump administration hasn't signaled support for such a ban, but oil firms are being proactive, by lobbying the White House to find alternatives. Also in this episode: CEOs are sour on this economy, a major university invests big in artificial intelligence, and we analyze the difference between Fed Chair Warsh and former Fed Chair Powell's public statements.Every story has an economic angle. Want some in your inbox? Subscribe to our daily or weekly newsletter.Marketplace is more than a radio show. Check out our original reporting and financial literacy content at marketplace.org — and consider making an investment in our future.Read the stories in today's episode:Big oil is not up for another export banCan you spot the difference between Warsh and Powell's FOMC statements?Why you should care about CEOs' confidence in the economyThe FIRE movement: How soon can I quit?USC pushes to expand AI research with $200 million gift

Welcome to the Summer Leadership Reset on Partnering Leadership.We have more access to ideas than ever before.More books. More podcasts. More articles. More insights.The challenge isn't finding more information. It's spending enough time with the ideas that can change how we think, decide, and lead.I have seen this in my own life. The books and conversations that have influenced me most aren't the ones I rushed through and moved on from. They are the ones I returned to, wrestled with, and understood differently as my own experiences changed.After more than 450 Partnering Leadership conversations with CEOs, researchers, authors, and leadership thinkers, there are a few I continue coming back to because the ideas become more valuable the more we sit with them.Throughout July and August, I'll be sharing 10 of those conversations.They explore some of the questions I see leaders wrestling with most: adapting to change, building trust, making better decisions, rethinking work, using AI wisely, and creating organizations ready for what comes next.Whether you are listening for the first time or revisiting these conversations, I hope they help you find an insight you can apply and a question worth thinking about long after the episode ends.—MahanConnect with Mahan Tavakoli:Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website

What does it really take to go from broke to becoming a self-made millionaire by the age of 27?In this episode of The Raygacy Show, I sit down with internationally renowned entrepreneur, investor, speaker, mentor, and bestselling author John Lee.Over the last two decades, John has built multiple seven-figure businesses, generated wealth through multiple streams of income, invested in high-growth technology and Web 3.0 companies, and helped entrepreneurs, CEOs, professional athletes, and celebrities scale their businesses and grow their wealth.We dive deep into:

Until recently, corporate executives were eager to demonstrate how “green” they were. But then came Trump, trashing the very idea of a green economy.So, to appease the vengeful Republican, obsequious CEOs rushed to dump their green principles. Except for one especially verdant area of the corporate culture: CEO compensation. As widely reported, top executive pay has surged during the Trump regime.But wait, they want more, so other tendrils of executive pay have sprouted and grown like Jack's beanstalk, further separating those at the top from the rest of us. Wall Street Journal reporters have uncovered some $600 million in executive perks that big corporations shelled out to their honchos last year.For example, investors in Apollo, the avaricious Wall Street huckster, laid out nearly a million for luxury limo and chauffeur services so their billionaire CEO wouldn't have to open the car door by himself. For tax purposes, Apollo called this a “security measure,” rather than the pompous plutocratic perk it is.Already overpaid, these royals have come to expect all of life's needs and whims to be covered, including:* $121,000 in free tickets to ballgames to please the multimillionaire chief of Roto-Rooter, who is said to be “a huge sports fan.”* $20,000 in booze for the head of a liquor conglomerate, which insists the freebie is awarded to enhance the boss' “knowledge of the product.”* And a $492 payout to cover the maintenance cost on a home generator for the chief of Hewlett Packard – who is paid $23 million a year.An old adage claims that it's the little things that matter… and these CEO entitlements show just how little corporate “leaders” have become.Do something!To stay on top of all-things-CEO-pay, check out Inequality.org's work on the topic and take action with the organizations they recommend here.Jim Hightower's Lowdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jimhightower.substack.com/subscribe

Are your thoughts helping you move forward, or are they quietly running your life? We talk a lot about positivity, discipline, leadership, and good habits, but very few people understand how those things actually work together. Negative thoughts can feel true simply because they show up fast. Bad habits can undo years of progress. Leaders can have a great vision and still lose their team because they do not communicate, connect, or create trust. And being hardworking is not always enough if people do not want to follow you. This matters because success is shaped by what you believe, what you repeat, and how you show up around other people. Real confidence comes from learning how to challenge your own thinking, remove friction before a habit begins, communicate with clarity, and become the kind of person who strengthens the environment instead of being controlled by it. Positivity is a skill. Likability is a skill. Leadership is a skill. And all of them can be practiced. Jon Gordon is one of the most influential leadership authors and speakers in the world. He has worked with CEOs, professional athletes, championship teams, coaches, and major organizations across business, sports, and education. He is the author of 32 books, including The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Coffee Bean, and his latest book, The Power of Positive Habits. His work focuses on helping people build stronger mindsets, better habits, healthier cultures, and teams that perform at a higher level. What's Discussed: (03:05) How The Energy Bus went from 30 publisher rejections to selling more than three million copies. (09:05) Why positivity is a skill you develop, especially when negativity comes naturally. (14:43) How connection and disconnection affect anxiety, clarity, focus, and performance. (18:39) Why physical habits like lifting weights can build discipline, confidence, and mental strength. (24:40) How choosing one word for the year can create more focus than setting another resolution. (33:16) Why becoming a better leader starts with addressing your own wounds, habits, and mindset. (36:21) How communication gaps create negativity and confusion inside teams. (37:46) The culture-building question every leader should ask before hiring someone. (43:16) How the "habit before the habit" removes friction and makes consistency easier. (45:43) Why one destructive habit can undermine all the positive habits you are trying to build. (01:03:37) Why you should talk to yourself instead of automatically listening to every negative thought. (01:05:15) Why optimism may matter even more than discipline. (01:06:39) How likability helps leaders challenge people, build trust, and demand more from their teams.   Thank You to Our Sponsors! Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout. Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription.  Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift. Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off. TruNiagen: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com Find more from Jen Cohen:  Website: jennifercohen.com Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements   Find more from Jon Gordon:  Website: jongordon.com Instagram: @jongordon11 Books: jongordon.com/books Facebook: Jon gordon YouTube: @jongordon11 LinkedIn: Jon Gordon