Focus on the Family via myPod

Help is out thereAlmost everyone I know has had a horrible week and is looking for both allies and positive moments that will re-energize them. So rather than list all the terrible things from this week—from the truly heinous to the ridiculous (Gulf of America, anyone?), I want to be positive and point, first, to some allies, and then to the incredible embodiment of hope that is the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington.I’ve never understood the ethics of being a billionaire, but one thing I’ve always believed is that if you are one, you don’t have to submit to anyone. So I was really surprised when all the tech bros bent the knee for Trump. Yeah, he could affect government contracts, but loss of contracts won’t affect billionaires’ lifestyles, etc. They have the option that someone whose livelihood is threatened by not being ‘loyal’ doesn’t have—that is, they can tell absolutely anyone to fuck off.I was talking to my friends and family about this because I still don’t understand it. I saw last week in Paul Krugman’s post “The Pathetic Billionaires’ Club” that I’m not the only person wondering about this:Why is this self-owning by billionaires so extraordinary? Well, ask yourself: What’s the point of being rich?Past a certain level of wealth, it can’t really be about material things. I very much doubt that billionaires have a significantly higher quality of life than mere multimillionaires.To the extent that there’s a valid reason for accumulating a very large fortune, I’d say that it involves freedom, the ability to live your life more or less however you want. Indeed, one definition of true wealth is having “fuck you money” — enough money to walk away from unpleasant situations or distasteful individuals without suffering a big decline in your living standards. And some very wealthy men — most obviously Mark Cuban, but I’d at least tentatively include Bill Gates and Warren Buffett — do seem to exhibit the kind of independence wealth gives you if you choose to exercise it.My favorite political cartoonist, Ann Telnaes, wasn’t allowed to criticize that billionaire self-owning in the Washington Post. And then one of my favorite columnists, Jennifer Rubin, left. So I left, too, canceled my subscription. Rubin, along with Norm Eisen started The Contrarian on Substack, so I got a paid subscription. (They have a lot of free posts, FYI.) And Ann Telnaes also has a Substack that I subscribed to. (I still subscribe to two newspapers, both of which have done some crappy stuff, too. Ugh.)The Contrarian has many writers and guest writers. Here’s a good example of what it offers from the article “How to Drink from a Firehose” by David Litt. Litt discusses how not to despair and to work for the good. One of his suggestions is not to weigh in on Trump (don’t ask people who disagree with you to discuss his character), but rather to use specific examples of what is going on.For right now, if a total stranger asked me to sum up this week, I’d say something like this:“There’s a guy named Daniel Rodriguez. On January 5th, 2020, he texted his friends ‘There will be blood.’ On January 6th, when he stormed the Capitol, he grabbed a police officer and shocked him repeatedly in the neck with a stun gun. A jury of peers sentenced him to twelve years in prison for his violent crime. And less than 24 hours after taking office, Trump let Daniel Rodriguez back out on the street.”If you're looking for actionable advice, subscribe to Hopium Chronicles By Simon Rosenberg. He always has the info on pending legislation (when to make calls to your representatives), campaigns around the country you can donate to, etc. He was too hopeful in his repeated assessment that he would rather be in the Harris camp than the Trump camp during the election campaign. (Yes, Trump was doing awful stuff and was becoming a convicted felon, but history—only eight years before—told us that America doesn’t care that a candidate is a sexual predator, grossly unethical, a failed businessman, etc. Competence and ethics are no longer the yardsticks.) Still, Rosenberg has good advice on where to focus your attention, week to week.Good people risingOkay, let’s focus our attention on the good people. Everyone I know is lit up by Bishop Budde right now. She’s the anti-dingus in lyz’s “Dingus of the Week” post.The bishop presided over a prayer service held in the Washington Cathedral on January 21, which was attended by the president, the vice president, and their families.During the sermon, Budde pleaded with the president to show mercy to the vulnerable — LGBTQ people, immigrants, and so many others who have been the target of the craven rhetoric and policies of the new president.Her words were gentle as she stated, "Millions have put their trust in you. And as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and Independent families, some who fear for their lives.”Sean Hannity described the sermon as a "disgraceful prayer full of fear mongering and division."Lawrence Jones, Fox & Friends co-host, called Budde a “radical leftist.”Matt Walsh declared that "hell exists for people like Mariann" and called her "exhibit A for why women should not be pastors, priests, or bishops.”And Rep. Mike Collins, a Republican from Georgia, said that Budde should be added to the deportation list.And like, listen, I grew up Baptist. So I am going to tell you that in a Christian religious context, if you are the one trying to nail the soft-spoken religious leader to a cross, you are the bad guy.Rebecca Solnit has cheered Budde in social media posts. My friends on social media are posting about her, too. Some are writing her thank you letters. I wrote her a thank you letter, on a card designed by my watercolor-artist friend Laura DeKloe. Yeah, the bad guys are trying to take her down, but it’s not working. The reason I included the photo of my tea mug with the words “This nasty woman gets shit done” is because Trump called Budde “nasty.” (She has a ‘nasty tone.’) But then, that’s his favorite word for women who oppose him, isn’t it?Some of the usual MAGA suspects just posted in socials like they are followers of the antiChrist. (See excerpt from Lyz Lenz, above.) Saying empathy is a sin? Are you fucking kidding me?In his Book Club newsletter, Ron Charles discusses Budde’s most recent book, How We Learn to Be Brave.And so, Budde cradles our doubts and reassures us that cowardice is natural but never final in the long arc of salvation. “The message throughout Scripture is that whenever God, or life itself, issues the summons, it’s normal to feel both unworthy and unprepared, but it doesn’t matter,” she writes. “We are to step into the gap between our current capacity and what’s needed anyway.“This country needs leaders now, and citizens who can face things as they are, work to change what can be changed, and not give up hope for the future.” Amen.I was delighted when, a few days ago, I saw that Budde had written this book. A high school friend posted that it was already sold out everywhere. True. And yay! I bought it as an audiobook. I could have gotten the ebook, but I have an unfortunate failing: my ebooks are out of sight, out of mind. I buy them, but I usually don’t read them.Showing my gratitudeI’m grateful for the support I have received in bringing my novel Keep Sweet to life. It launches on June 21st—the first day of summer! Yes, good people are everywhere in life! Three of them wrote ‘blurbs’ (quick, positive comments for the back cover) and one made very helpful editorial suggestions. While blurbs must be brief, a person needs to read the book in order to write one. So it’s a solid ask of another author to do so.I wanted to make something in return. I had a narrow piece of high-quality denim given to me by a friend as well as cotton fabric scraps from my own and my friends' projects. Scraps far too small for most projects. In the past, I posted about making bookmarks from them. (See this post for some bookmark photos.) I decided I could now make book totes. I didn’t have a pattern, but all the 12 pattern pieces would be rectangles. So I just needed to use some elementary math to plan. And, of course, I used the narrow strip left over from the front pocket design to make a bookmark for each. Yeah, I like matching stuff. Book tote matches bookmark? Happiness. What I’m readingI stopped reading The Bog Wife because I am going to write a blurb for an upcoming novel, Carlos Cortes’s Scout’s Honor. So far, it’s an incisive look back at mid-twentieth-century Boy Scouts, ages 12-14, when ‘boys will be boys’ excused all sorts of terrible behavior, including sexism, prejudice, and bullying. But when one of the boys turns his bullying against his own close friends, patrol members, and a scout leader, he ends up dead. (This is not a spoiler—he is dead in the first paragraph of the novel.) I’ll continue to read this week and find out ‘who done it’ and why.I’ve been listening to the audio version of The Algebra of Wealth by Scott Galloway. It’s about how to plan and invest in order to be able to retire. It’s a general overview and probably not informative for those in the know. But I’m guessing readers here weren’t finance or accounting majors. (Except you, Lisa. And thank you for reading and supporting me!) You might be thinking, “Aren’t you a bit late, Vic?” And, yes, you are right. But I listened to see if it would be useful to my adult kids, who majored in humanities and science subjects. I think it is very useful. I didn’t want to buy the book twice, so I put a copy on hold in the library (Yay libraries!) I’m going to see if I can get my guys to read it.I started listening to How We Learn to Be Brave, discussed above.Part 2: Library and book ban newsKootenai County l

Join us on this episode of "Create The Life You Want" where host Jeremy Ames dives deep with Janae Brown, co-founder of Proactive Prevention in Chicago, IL. Learn about their unique journey from corporate careers to creating a thriving family-owned handyman and preventative maintenance business. Discover the challenges and triumphs of entrepreneurship, including transitioning from technician work to full business development, leveraging personal experiences, and the critical role of business coaching.  ---  Want more empowering stories and entrepreneurial advice? Subscribe to the Create the Life You Want newsletter brought to you by Guidant Financial. Click the link below to sign up and start your journey today!   Sign Up for the Newsletter: ⁠https://www.guidantfinancial.com/newsletter⁠   ---  Guidant Financial, sponsor of "Create the Life You Want," is America's leading provider of Rollovers for Business Startups (ROBS). Since 2003, Guidant has assisted over 30,000 small businesses across the U.S. in securing funding to start or grow their companies. With a strong focus on building the American entrepreneurial dream, Guidant Financial offers the tools and resources needed to launch a successful business.   Learn more about Guidant: ⁠https://www.guidantfinancial.com⁠   Follow Jeremy on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyamesentrepreneur⁠   Visit Jeremy's website: ⁠https://www.jeremyames.com⁠   Episode: http://sites.libsyn.com/543487/building-a-business-with-family-the-journey-of-proactive-prevention Podcast: https://jeremyames.com/podcast/

mailto:needssomeintroduction@gmail.com   In this episode of 'Need Some Introduction,' hosts Sona and Victor dive deep into Severance's second episode of the second season titled 'Goodbye, Mrs. Selvig.' They breakdown key scenes, character motivations, and speculate on future plot developments. From Heli's fascination with her innie's life to the mysterious intentions behind Mark's decisions, this discussion covers themes of duality, manipulation, and the emotional weight of personal traumas. Key points include Mark's confrontation with Ms. Cobell, Dylan's ill-fated job interview, and the revelation of how Lumen's insiders are controlling the narrative. Special focus is given to the new intro sequence and its potential clues, alongside an analysis of intrigue surrounding characters like Irv and Helena. The episode concludes with anticipation for further developments in next week's longer episode directed by Ben Stiller.   00:00 Introduction 02:43 Streaming Analytics and the Value of AppleTV Programming 07:37 Severance Theories and Speculations 11:28 Character Dynamics and Emotional Moments 21:30 Helena's Duality and Family Tensions 36:40 New Intro Sequence Analysis 40:19 Devin and Mark's Tense Interactions 42:19 Milchik's Manipulative Visit 46:29 Helena's Fascination with Her Innie 50:28 Dylan's Job Interview Disaster 54:06 Mark's Struggle with Grief and Denial 58:08 Irv's Mysterious Actions 01:07:47 Mark's Confrontation with Selvig 01:10:57 Speculations and Final Thoughts Episode: https://needssomeintroduction.podbean.com/e/severance-season-2-episode-2-goodbye-mrs-selvig/ Podcast: https://needssomeintroduction.podbean.com

Minnesota kicks off 2025 with a flurry of new laws and significant updates across various sectors. The state legislature has been active, passing over a dozen new laws that took effect on January 1, 2025. Key among these are increased protections for concert ticket buyers, a requirement for employers to post salary ranges with job listings, and additional rights for renters[1][5].In the realm of business and economy, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) has outlined its 2025 legislative priorities, focusing on reforms to the Minnesota Paid Family & Medical Leave Program and providing small businesses with tax relief. The state's high corporate tax rate of 9.8% and individual income tax rate of 9.85% are highlighted as areas needing attention[2].On the environmental front, Minnesota is bracing for a colder-than-normal January, with temperatures expected to be in the teens and single digits for the first half of the month. This forecast is welcome news for ice fishing tournaments and families with backyard ice skating rinks[3].In education, the state has previously implemented free school meals for students and increased education funding, reflecting ongoing efforts to support students and schools[1].Looking Ahead:- The 2025 Minnesota Legislative Session is set to address various small business concerns, including reforms to the Paid Family & Medical Leave Program and tax relief.- The state's weather outlook suggests a continued cold spell, which could impact outdoor activities and infrastructure projects.- Upcoming events include ice fishing tournaments, which are expected to benefit from the cold weather.- The legislative session will also focus on tackling "junk fees" and ensuring transparency in various consumer transactions, reflecting a broader effort to protect consumer rights[1][5]. Episode: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/minnesota-launches-2025-with-bold-new-laws-tax-reforms-and-consumer-protections--63906702 Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/minnesota-news-and-info-tracker--6235693

New York has seen significant developments across various sectors in recent weeks. Governor Kathy Hochul delivered her 2025 State of the State Address, outlining over 200 initiatives aimed at making New York safer, healthier, and more affordable for its residents. Key proposals include an inflation refund to provide relief to 8.6 million New Yorkers, a major expansion of the child tax credit, and efforts to make child care more accessible and affordable[1].In government and politics, the FY 2025 New York State Executive Budget has been released, detailing appropriations and legislation across various sectors including education, labor, family assistance, health, and mental hygiene[3]. Notable policy changes include measures to protect subway riders and transit workers, make rent and mortgages more affordable, and strengthen the criminal justice system.On the business and economy front, the state's efforts to support working parents and expand food assistance programs are expected to boost local economies. Major business developments include initiatives to protect consumers shopping online and regulate emerging industries[1].Community news highlights include the "Unplug and Play" initiative to promote kids' mental and physical health by funding community centers and recreational opportunities. Education and infrastructure projects are also underway, with a focus on building new child care facilities and repairing existing sites[1].Environmental and weather updates indicate that New York is expected to experience above-normal winter precipitation, with frequent rain and snow, particularly in mountainous areas and interior regions. The Farmer’s Almanac predicts a season filled with "rapid-fire storms" that will bring both rain and snow, with little time between weather events[4].Looking Ahead: Upcoming events and developing stories in New York include the implementation of the 2025 State of the State initiatives, further developments in the FY 2025 Executive Budget, and ongoing efforts to address environmental and weather challenges. Additionally, residents can expect updates on the state's economic indicators and major business developments. As New York continues to navigate its challenges and opportunities, residents and policymakers alike will be watching these developments closely. Episode: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/new-york-unveils-ambitious-2025-state-plan-inflation-refunds-child-care-expansion-and-economic-growth-set-to-transform-empire-state--63906483 Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/new-york-state-news-and-info-tracker--6228896

https://3speak.tv/watch?v=dragokazo/kdufomjj #### After three evenings full of laughter, epic battles and brick-based challenges, no one in our house expected that the fourth LEGO Star Wars evening would surpass anything we've experienced so far. And yet, Alex – our family Star Wars fan – walked into the living room with a controller in his hands and a password: – This time we're flying to Alderaan. It's going to be epic! That one sentence was enough to cause a real storm of emotions. Adrian, our unofficial general and self-proclaimed strategy expert, immediately said: – Obi-Wan will lead us to victory. Without it, you would get lost on the first map. Sara, feisty and confident as always, rolled her eyes, countering: – Sure, Adrian. Without Leia, you wouldn't even have plans for your mission. Victor, who was already running around the room, waving his arms and making Wookiee-like sounds, added his two cents: – Chewbacca has the biggest gun and he's doing a BOOM! That's all we need! Roni, our indefatigable pug, joined in the fun, running around the couch and barking at the plastic model of the Millennium Falcon that Alex had built out of bricks a few days earlier. Even Mija, who usually chooses to run to the windowsill in such moments, this time observed this commotion with clear interest, as if she was planning whether or not to jump on the TV at the key moment of the game. "The Beginning of the Mission – Departure in the Millennium Falcon" Our adventure began in the Mos Eisley canteen, where the team was preparing for the start on Alderaan. The Millennium Falcon, a proud icon of the galactic smugler, stood in all its glory in the center of the hangar. Han Solo, as usual in his style, made a comment: – Look, if you want to get to Alderaan, stick to my rules. Sarah, with a sneer in her voice, replied: – Maybe someone will remind him that he wouldn't have gone anywhere without us. The first task was to load the equipment onto the ship. Simple in theory, but in our execution? Absolute chaos. Alex, instead of helping, decided to "check" each crate, destroying half of them. – Alex, stop it! These are our parts! Adrian shouted, trying to save the day. Victor, who was doing his own thing as usual, discovered the console that controlled the side door of the hangar. Before anyone could stop him, he activated the mechanism, which caused the door to open and a group of stormtroopers to burst in. – Wiktor! What have you done?! Alex shouted when the message appeared on the screen: Enemies nearby! "Hangar Combat – Chaos to the Fullest" What was supposed to be a peaceful loading quickly turned into an intense battle. Stormtroopers pressed from all sides, and our team, as always, operated in their unique style – complete chaos. Adrian, trying to take command, shouted: – Alex, Cover Me! Sarah, shoot at those on the left! Wiktor, stop throwing grenades at the walls! Sara, playing as Leia, fought with such passion that she looked like she wanted to jump into the game herself. Her character eliminated opponents after opponents, while she commented: – Leia will never let any stormtroopers defeat her. He is an icon! Wiktor, as always, did his job – he threw grenades blindly, which led to unexpected explosions. – Wiktor, you're throwing at us! Alex shouted, who lost half of his heart after one of the explosions. Even Roni started barking as if he wanted to join the fight, and Mija sat closer to the TV, watching the action with a face that said, "I don't know what's going on here, but it's interesting." After a few minutes of intense fighting, we managed to defeat our opponents and load the rest of the equipment. Han Solo, in his typical style, said: – Next time, try to do less and do more. Sarah, with a smile on her face, replied: – Next time you could do something yourself, Solo. "Space Travel: A Meteoric Test of Patience" When the Millennium Falcon finally took off, it seemed that the hardest part of the mission was behind us. Nothing could be further from the truth. A flight through space quickly turned into a real cosmic obstacle course when giant meteorites appeared on our way. Adrian, as a co-driver, tried to control the situation: – Hold on tight! It will be difficult! Wiktor, delighted with the possibility of shooting, began to aim at every meteor he passed, which ended up with us hitting the rocks several times instead of avoiding them. – Victor, stop shooting meteorites! – said Alex, who was getting bigger and bigger with each collision. Sara, observing all this, commented: – This looks more like a cosmic version of our morning – chaos everywhere. After a few dramatic minutes, full of shouts, laughter and unsuccessful maneuvers, we managed to reach Alderaan. "Alderaan – the calm before the storm" The planet Alderaan welcomed us with beautiful views – green meadows, blue skies and quiet towns. At first glance, it looked like a perfect place to rest. Sara immediately began to explore: – Someone needs to see if this planet has anything interesting to offer. Adrian, impatiently, said: – We don't have time to explore. Let's focus on the mission. Alex and Viktor, of course, had completely different plans. They ran around the map, searching every nook and cranny and collecting coins. In one of the buildings, Wiktor found a hidden chest with bonus items. – See? That's why it's worth exploring," he said triumphantly, looking at Adrian. "Finale – Imperial Alert!" The peace did not last long. Suddenly, a message appeared on the screen: The Empire has located your position! Get ready to fight! Stormtroopers began to push from all sides, and we had to fight for survival again. Adrian tried to lead, but as always, everyone did their own thing. Sara fought with full commitment, Alex attacked with a lightsaber, and Wiktor... he threw grenades wherever he could. – Wiktor, stop it! You've hit us again! Alex shouted as he saw another explosion. After several minutes of intense fighting, we managed to repel the attack and finish the mission. Han Solo, as usual, threw his typical: – I knew we could do it. But I was the one who arranged everything. Alderaan saved, and we're ready for more The fourth night of LEGO Star Wars was full of laughter, excitement and absolute chaos – just the way we like it. The game showed that even in space battles, the most important thing is cooperation... Although in our case, cooperation was more chaos than strategy. Each of us had a unique contribution to the mission, from Adrian's command, through Sara's exploratory flair, to Wiktor's unpredictable actions. And while it wasn't always easy, every moment reminded us how important it is to spend time together and enjoy adventures together. What's next? The galaxy is waiting, and we're ready for the next challenge! POLISH: LEGO Star Wars: Saga Skywalkerów – „Ucieczka na Alderaan, czyli przygody w kosmicznym chaosie” Po trzech wieczorach pełnych śmiechu, epickich bitew i klockowych wyzwań, nikt w naszym domu nie spodziewał się, że czwarty wieczór z LEGO Star Wars przebije wszystko, co do tej pory przeżyliśmy. A jednak, Alex – nasz rodzinny fan Gwiezdnych Wojen – wszedł do salonu z kontrolerem w rękach i hasłem: – Tym razem lecimy na Alderaan. Będzie epicko! To jedno zdanie wystarczyło, by wywołać prawdziwą burzę emocji. Adrian, nasz nieoficjalny generał i samozwańczy ekspert od strategii, natychmiast rzucił: – Obi-Wan poprowadzi nas do zwycięstwa. Bez niego byście zgubili się na pierwszej mapie. Sara, jak zawsze zadziorna i pewna siebie, przewróciła oczami, odparowując: – Jasne, Adrian. Bez Leii nie mielibyście nawet planów na tę swoją misję. Wiktor, który już biegał po pokoju, machając rękoma i wydając z siebie dźwięki przypominające Wookiee, dorzucił swoje trzy grosze: – Chewbacca ma największą broń i robi BOOM! To wszystko, czego potrzebujemy! Roni, nasz niezmordowany mops, przyłączył się do zabawy, biegając wokół kanapy i szczekając na plastikowy model Sokoła Millennium, który Alex kilka dni wcześniej zbudował z klocków. Nawet Mija, która zazwyczaj w takich momentach wybiera ucieczkę na parapet, tym razem obserwowała to zamieszanie z wyraźnym zainteresowaniem, jakby planowała, czy nie wskoczyć na telewizor w kluczowym momencie rozgrywki. „Początek misji – Odlot Sokolem Millennium” Nasza przygoda rozpoczęła się w kantynie Mos Eisley, gdzie drużyna przygotowywała się do startu na Alderaan. Sokół Millennium, dumna ikona galaktycznego smuglera, stał w pełnej krasie na środku hangaru. Han Solo, jak zwykle w swoim stylu, rzucił komentarz: – Słuchajcie, jeśli chcecie dotrzeć na Alderaan, trzymajcie się moich zasad. Sara, z przekąsem w głosie, odpowiedziała: – Może ktoś mu przypomni, że bez nas w ogóle by nigdzie nie poleciał. Pierwszym zadaniem było załadowanie sprzętu na statek. Proste w teorii, ale w naszym wykonaniu? Absolutny chaos. Alex, zamiast pomóc, postanowił „sprawdzić” każdą skrzynię, niszcząc połowę z nich. – Alex, przestań! To nasze części! – krzyknął Adrian, próbując ratować sytuację. Wiktor, który jak zwykle działał po swojemu, odkrył konsolę sterującą bocznymi drzwiami hangaru. Zanim ktokolwiek zdążył go powstrzymać, aktywował mechanizm, co spowodowało, że drzwi otworzyły się, a do środka wpadła grupa szturmowców. – Wiktor! Coś ty narobił?! – krzyknął Alex, kiedy na ekranie pojawił się komunikat: Wrogowie w pobliżu! „Walka w hangarze – chaos na całego” To, co miało być spokojnym załadunkiem, szybko przerodziło się w intensywną bitwę. Szturmowcy napierali z każdej strony, a nasza drużyna, jak zawsze, działała w swoim unikalnym stylu – czyli kompletnym chaosie. Adrian, próbując przejąć dowodzenie, krzyczał: – Alex, osłaniaj mnie! Sara, strzelaj w tych z lewej! Wiktor, przestań rzucać granatami w ściany! Sara, grając jako Leia, walczyła z taką pasją, że wyglądała, jakby sama chciała wskoczyć do gry. Jej postać eliminowała kolejnych przeciwników, podczas gdy ona komentowała: – Leia nigdy nie pozwoli, żeby jacyś szturmowcy ją pokonali. Jest ikoną!

In today's noisy marketplace, trying to speak to everyone often means reaching no one. But what if finding your business focus wasn't about limiting yourself, but rather about stepping into the space where your gifts can truly flourish?In this fourth episode of the Sorceress CEO series, we're diving into how to identify and claim your unique corner of the market. You'll discover:Why traditional "niching down" advice often misses the mark for spiritual entrepreneursHow to find the sweet spot between your soul's calling and market demandPractical steps to define your dream clients and their real needsCommon pitfalls to avoid when positioning your workSigns you've found the right territory for your businessWhether you're just starting out or ready to refine your focus, this episode will help you create more clarity, attract aligned clients, and build a business that feels truly yours. Join us for this powerful exploration of how to stand out authentically in today's crowded marketplace.⭐ And, as a special gift, I want to offer you free access to one of my most popular programs, “The IFS Kickstarter Kit.” This will teach you the foundational concepts of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model—a proven framework that has helped me and countless others navigate challenges, build inner clarity, and create thriving, soul-aligned businesses.Through this 7-part video series, you’ll gain a deep understanding of how IFS works and how to apply it to your own life and business. These are the same principles I teach in my advanced programs, now made accessible in an introductory format.To receive your complimentary “IFS Kickstarter Kit,” all you have to do is:1) Leave a review of this podcast. 2) Email a screenshot of your review to hello@saraavantstover.comIt’s as simple as that!In this Episode We Explore:12:30 – Harness the Sacred Wisdom of Lunar CyclesDiscover how the moon’s rhythms illuminate a path to aligned business growth, offering a natural and powerful guide for entrepreneurs seeking flow and balance.22:30 – Step Into Your Own Sacred SpaceBreak free from the noise of a crowded marketplace and claim your unique place. Here’s what becomes possible when you trust your one-of-a-kind journey.30:00 – Reveal Hidden Barriers to GrowthSoul-stirring reflections and thought-provoking questions to uncover what’s truly holding your business back and spark profound clarity.43:30 – The Art of Heart-Centered ConnectionMaster the shift from generic marketing to deeply serving and attracting your dream clients with authenticity and care.48:45 – Your Magic Is Your SuperpowerLet your unique brilliance be your strongest differentiator. Learn how to share it authentically and powerfully to stand out in your industry.58:30 – Turn Confusion Into MagnetismUncover the hidden cost of unclear messaging. Discover how to transform vague communication into irresistible clarity that attracts aligned clients and consistent income.Resources:Free 3-Day Workshop: Step into Your Sorceress CEOOrder Sara’s new book: Handbook for the HeartbrokenSubscribe to Sara’s Sunday JournalConnect with Sara on InstagramMentioned in this episode:Step into Your Sorceress... Episode: http://www.SaraAvantStover.com Podcast: http://www.SaraAvantStover.com

Pete George delves into the contentious debate surrounding Australia Day, offering a personal perspective rooted in his family's diverse heritage. He explores the historical impact of the First Fleet's arrival in 1788 and urges for a focus on progress and unity. Highlighting overlooked stories, Pete acknowledges the struggles of both indigenous communities and European immigrants, advocating for a balanced narrative. This podcast prompts reflection on Australia’s evolving identity, celebrating resilience and diversity while challenging listeners to consider broader perspectives on national history and identity. Episode: https://share.transistor.fm/s/8e0f2fa7 Podcast: https://heygeorgie.com.au

One last Gold sponsor slot is available for the AI Engineer Summit in NYC. Our last round of invites is going out soon - apply here - If you are building AI agents or AI eng teams, this will be the single highest-signal conference of the year for you!While the world melts down over DeepSeek, few are talking about the OTHER notable group of former hedge fund traders who pivoted into AI and built a remarkably profitable consumer AI business with a tiny team with incredibly cracked engineering team — Chai Research. In short order they have:* Started a Chat AI company well before Noam Shazeer started Character AI, and outlasted his departure.* Crossed 1m DAU in 2.5 years - William updates us on the pod that they’ve hit 1.4m DAU now, another +40% from a few months ago. Revenue crossed >$22m. * Launched the Chaiverse model crowdsourcing platform - taking 3-4 week A/B testing cycles down to 3-4 hours, and deploying >100 models a week.While they’re not paying million dollar salaries, you can tell they’re doing pretty well for an 11 person startup:The Chai Recipe: Building infra for rapid evalsRemember how the central thesis of LMarena (formerly LMsys) is that the only comprehensive way to evaluate LLMs is to let users try them out and pick winners?At the core of Chai is a mobile app that looks like Character AI, but is actually the largest LLM A/B testing arena in the world, specialized on retaining chat users for Chai’s usecases (therapy, assistant, roleplay, etc). It’s basically what LMArena would be if taken very, very seriously at one company (with $1m in prizes to boot):Chai publishes occasional research on how they think about this, including talks at their Palo Alto office:William expands upon this in today’s podcast (34 mins in):Fundamentally, the way I would describe it is when you're building anything in life, you need to be able to evaluate it. And through evaluation, you can iterate, we can look at benchmarks, and we can say the issues with benchmarks and why they may not generalize as well as one would hope in the challenges of working with them. But something that works incredibly well is getting feedback from humans. And so we built this thing where anyone can submit a model to our developer backend, and it gets put in front of 5000 users, and the users can rate it. And we can then have a really accurate ranking of like which model, or users finding more engaging or more entertaining. And it gets, you know, it's at this point now, where every day we're able to, I mean, we evaluate between 20 and 50 models, LLMs, every single day, right. So even though we've got only got a team of, say, five AI researchers, they're able to iterate a huge quantity of LLMs, right. So our team ships, let's just say minimum 100 LLMs a week is what we're able to iterate through. Now, before that moment in time, we might iterate through three a week, we might, you know, there was a time when even doing like five a month was a challenge, right? By being able to change the feedback loops to the point where it's not, let's launch these three models, let's do an A-B test, let's assign, let's do different cohorts, let's wait 30 days to see what the day 30 retention is, which is the kind of the, if you're doing an app, that's like A-B testing 101 would be, do a 30-day retention test, assign different treatments to different cohorts and come back in 30 days. So that's insanely slow. That's just, it's too slow. And so we were able to get that 30-day feedback loop all the way down to something like three hours.In Crowdsourcing the leap to Ten Trillion-Parameter AGI, William describes Chai’s routing as a recommender system, which makes a lot more sense to us than previous pitches for model routing startups:William is notably counter-consensus in a lot of his AI product principles:* No streaming: Chats appear all at once to allow rejection sampling* No voice: Chai actually beat Character AI to introducing voice - but removed it after finding that it was far from a killer feature.* Blending: “Something that we love to do at Chai is blending, which is, you know, it's the simplest way to think about it is you're going to end up, and you're going to pretty quickly see you've got one model that's really smart, one model that's really funny. How do you get the user an experience that is both smart and funny? Well, just 50% of the requests, you can serve them the smart model, 50% of the requests, you serve them the funny model.” (that’s it!)But chief above all is the recommender system.We also referenced Exa CEO Will Bryk’s concept of SuperKnowlege:Full Video versionOn YouTube. please like and subscribe!Timestamps* 00:00:04 Introductions and background of William Beauchamp* 00:01:19 Origin story of Chai AI* 00:04:40 Transition from finance to AI* 00:11:36 Initial product development and idea maze for Chai* 00:16:29 User psychology and engagement with AI companions* 00:20:00 Origin of the Chai name* 00:22:01 Comparison with Character AI and funding challenges* 00:25:59 Chai's growth and user numbers* 00:34:53 Key inflection points in Chai's growth* 00:42:10 Multi-modality in AI companions and focus on user-generated content* 00:46:49 Chaiverse developer platform and model evaluation* 00:51:58 Views on AGI and the nature of AI intelligence* 00:57:14 Evaluation methods and human feedback in AI development* 01:02:01 Content creation and user experience in Chai* 01:04:49 Chai Grant program and company culture* 01:07:20 Inference optimization and compute costs* 01:09:37 Rejection sampling and reward models in AI generation* 01:11:48 Closing thoughts and recruitmentTranscriptAlessio [00:00:04]: Hey everyone, welcome to the Latent Space podcast. This is Alessio, partner and CTO at Decibel, and today we're in the Chai AI office with my usual co-host, Swyx.swyx [00:00:14]: Hey, thanks for having us. It's rare that we get to get out of the office, so thanks for inviting us to your home. We're in the office of Chai with William Beauchamp. Yeah, that's right. You're founder of Chai AI, but previously, I think you're concurrently also running your fund?William [00:00:29]: Yep, so I was simultaneously running an algorithmic trading company, but I fortunately was able to kind of exit from that, I think just in Q3 last year. Yeah, congrats. Yeah, thanks.swyx [00:00:43]: So Chai has always been on my radar because, well, first of all, you do a lot of advertising, I guess, in the Bay Area, so it's working. Yep. And second of all, the reason I reached out to a mutual friend, Joyce, was because I'm just generally interested in the... ...consumer AI space, chat platforms in general. I think there's a lot of inference insights that we can get from that, as well as human psychology insights, kind of a weird blend of the two. And we also share a bit of a history as former finance people crossing over. I guess we can just kind of start it off with the origin story of Chai.William [00:01:19]: Why decide working on a consumer AI platform rather than B2B SaaS? So just quickly touching on the background in finance. Sure. Originally, I'm from... I'm from the UK, born in London. And I was fortunate enough to go study economics at Cambridge. And I graduated in 2012. And at that time, everyone in the UK and everyone on my course, HFT, quant trading was really the big thing. It was like the big wave that was happening. So there was a lot of opportunity in that space. And throughout college, I'd sort of played poker. So I'd, you know, I dabbled as a professional poker player. And I was able to accumulate this sort of, you know, say $100,000 through playing poker. And at the time, as my friends would go work at companies like ChangeStreet or Citadel, I kind of did the maths. And I just thought, well, maybe if I traded my own capital, I'd probably come out ahead. I'd make more money than just going to work at ChangeStreet.swyx [00:02:20]: With 100k base as capital?William [00:02:22]: Yes, yes. That's not a lot. Well, it depends what strategies you're doing. And, you know, there is an advantage. There's an advantage to being small, right? Because there are, if you have a 10... Strategies that don't work in size. Exactly, exactly. So if you have a fund of $10 million, if you find a little anomaly in the market that you might be able to make 100k a year from, that's a 1% return on your 10 million fund. If your fund is 100k, that's 100% return, right? So being small, in some sense, was an advantage. So started off, and the, taught myself Python, and machine learning was like the big thing as well. Machine learning had really, it was the first, you know, big time machine learning was being used for image recognition, neural networks come out, you get dropout. And, you know, so this, this was the big thing that's going on at the time. So I probably spent my first three years out of Cambridge, just building neural networks, building random forests to try and predict asset prices, right, and then trade that using my own money. And that went well. And, you know, if you if you start something, and it goes well, you You try and hire more people. And the first people that came to mind was the talented people I went to college with. And so I hired some friends. And that went well and hired some more. And eventually, I kind of ran out of friends to hire. And so that was when I formed the company. And from that point on, we had our ups and we had our downs. And that was a whole long story and journey in itself. But after doing that for about eight or nine years, on my 30th birthday, which was four years ago now, I kind of took a step back to just evaluate my life, right? This is what one does when one turns 30. You know, I just heard it. I hear you. And, you know, I looked at my 20s and I loved it. It was a really special time. I was really lucky and fortunate to have worked with this amazing team, been successful, had a lot of hard times. And through the hard times, learned wisdom and then a l

HEADLINESCeasefire Violations Spark New Tensions in GazaBibas Family Left Heartbroken Over Hostage ReleaseFemale Soldiers Reveal Horrors of Captivity ExperienceThe time is now 08:00 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.In the latest developments regarding the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Hamas, tensions have escalated following Hamas's breaches of the ceasefire agreement over the weekend. The Israeli Defense Forces have issued a stern warning to residents of Gaza, prohibiting them from approaching the Netzarim axis due to these violations. This directive comes in light of incidents where Hamas released female soldiers before freeing female civilian hostages, along with failing to provide updates on the status of remaining hostages, which has drawn considerable concern from Israeli officials.The Bibas family, whose members have been held captive, expressed profound disappointment as their mother and children were not included in the latest release list, despite expectations set by previous agreements. This family’s plight highlights the emotional toll and complexity surrounding the hostage situation, evoking strong reactions from relatives advocating for their safe return.Four female soldiers recently released from captivity shared harrowing details about their experiences, revealing the dire conditions they faced during their time held by Hamas. They described being moved frequently between locations, often under unsanitary conditions, and were forced to perform domestic duties for their captors. Their accounts of captivity paint a troubling picture of the psychological and physical challenges they endured.In diplomatic news, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with former President Donald Trump in February, with significant topics on the agenda including the situations in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. This meeting underscores the ongoing international dimensions of the conflict as Israel navigates its security concerns amidst shifting geopolitical alliances.In other news, over a hundred dolphins have washed ashore in Somalia under mysterious circumstances, prompting investigations into the cause of this unusual occurrence. Meanwhile, the Israeli film scene is gearing up for the Smadar Festival, set to celebrate the cinema of Jerusalem with a series of screenings and cultural events. This festival aims to revitalize the Lev Smadar cinema and engage the community in a celebration of the city’s rich cinematic history.As the situation continues to evolve, the focus remains on the humanitarian impacts of the conflict, the intricacies of the hostage negotiations, and the broader implications of regional security. The public is urged to stay informed as new developments emerge.Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.SOURCEShttps://t.me/newssil/135663https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1167268https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-839232https://t.me/newssil/135662https://t.me/newssil/135661https://worldisraelnews.com/bibas-family-world-came-crashing-down-when-hostage-mother-and-children-not-released/https://worldisraelnews.com/no-food-terrifying-four-freed-female-soldiers-speak-about-captivity-in-gaza/https://t.me/newssil/135660https://t.me/newssil/135659https://t.me/newssil/135658https://t.me/newssil/135657https://t.me/newssil/135656https://t.me/newssil/135655https://t.me/newssil/135654https://t.me/newssil/135652https://www.maariv.co.il/breaking-news/article-1167267https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-839189https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/article-839191https://t.me/newssil/135651https://t.me/newssil/135650 Episode: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/israel-today-ongoing-war-report-update-from-2025-01-26-at-01-06--63902138 Podcast: https://babka.social/@noalevi

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we welcome back Kali Muscle, a powerhouse in the fitness world, entrepreneur and a motivational force. Hailing from Oakland, California, Kali overcame a turbulent past, including prison time, to carve out a path of resilience and success. From bodybuilding champion to social media phenomenon, Kali’s journey is one of sheer determination, reinvention and grit. After surviving a life-threatening heart attack, Kali took on new challenges, delving into extreme health practices like fasting, rediscovering his purpose and transforming the lives of countless others through his coaching and mentorship. Known for his “money and muscle” philosophy, he’s inspired millions to build not just physical strength, but financial stability and mental toughness. In this compelling episode, Kali shares candid stories of his transformation, from battling demons to becoming a family man and role model. He opens up about the challenges of fame, navigating financial hurdles and the lessons learned from embracing a fruitarian lifestyle, entrepreneurship and fatherhood. Packed with powerful insights, hard-hitting truths, and motivational moments, this conversation is one you don’t want to miss. In this podcast, Kali discusses: Watermelon and water fasting and a fruitarian diet. Diet and lifestyle changes that occurred when recovering from a heart attack. The impact of health on business. Entrepreneurial lessons and the importance of financial literacy. Overcoming adversity to build focus from prison to a life purpose. The role of a coach, trainer and mentor. Dealing with social media negativity and online haters. Legacy building to support his family, now and for the future. Faith and focus giving him the courage to change. To learn more about Kali Muscle, click here: https://www.instagram.com/kalimuscle/p/DBr97N7N0_K/ ====================================================== Subscribe to our YouTube channel and turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published: https://www.youtube.com/user/EscapeFitness Shop gym equipment: https://escapefitness.com/shop View our full catalog: https://escapefitness.com/support/catalog (US) https://escapefitness.com/support/catalogue (UK)  ====================================================== Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Escapefitness Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/escapefitness Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/escapefitness LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/escapefitness/   0:00       Intro 0:30       Watermelon fasting and health insights 14:50    Financial challenges and business setbacks 19:35    Growing health and wealth, muscle and money 25:21    Personal growth and mentorship 28:49    Turning points and personal transformation 32:46    Transforming a destructive headspace 34:37    Balancing personal and professional life 56:15    Crypto coin ventures and lessons learned 1:03:03 The importance of financial literacy 1:05:30 Family and future goals 1:15:45 Reflecting on personal limits and achievements Episode: https://escapefitness.libsyn.com/ep-341-money-and-muscle-with-kali-muscle Podcast: http://www.escapefitness.com/podcast

Episode: 38: Crafting Your Year - Word of the Year Workshop Clickable Link to Resources Used Key Highlights: Introduction: Greg introduces Episode 38 and the ongoing theme of selecting a Word of the Year.   Workshop Introduction: Alessandra highlights the intimacy of the Creative Work Hour community and introduces Kara, a founding member and PhD holder in the creative and academic fields.   Kara's Workshop: Kara leads a workshop on choosing a guiding word or theme for the year. She emphasizes that the word can be a single term, a phrase, or a broader theme.   Mind Mapping Exercise: Participants engage in a mind mapping exercise to explore their chosen words. Arrows from the central word lead to questions, relationships, actions, and supporting words.   Participant Contributions:   Alessandra chooses "synchronous" and explores its implications for collaboration. Devin selects "suffering" with a focus on relieving it, particularly in relation to a supported school in India. Nate discusses "play" as a constant theme in various aspects of life.

In this episode, we explore the inspiring journey of someone who transformed their life through resilience and smart decisions. Starting out feeling overlooked with a bachelor’s degree while others pursued higher-paying blue-collar jobs, they discovered a six-month software quality testing certification program that opened the doors to a new career.After moving to a new state and excelling in the tech program, they returned to New York to be closer to family and friends. They didn't stop there—by tutoring others and launching their own tech program with better incentives, they’ve helped countless students leave blue-collar jobs behind and achieve financial freedom.From living in the basement of their first multifamily property to saving aggressively and investing strategically, they’ve built significant passive income while continuing to expand their ventures. With the support of a like-minded spouse and a focus on empowering others, their story is a blueprint for success.🚀 Learn how to break barriers and build a better future.🏡 Discover software quality testing programs and real estate saving and investing strategies for wealth creation.💡 Be inspired by their journey of helping others achieve financial independence. Episode: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/beyond-the-degree-embracing-new-opportunities-in-tech--63678352 Podcast: https://generationalicons.com/

SummaryIn this engaging conversation, the hosts and their guest discuss the expectations and goals for 2025, focusing on the evolution of business practices, the importance of core values, and the necessity of finding the right team. They explore the shift from individual coaching to corporate training, the significance of accountability in leadership, and the role of trust and delegation in fostering a productive work environment. The discussion emphasizes the need for clear processes and the power of repetition in retaining knowledge, ultimately highlighting the importance of transparency and learning from mistakes in business. In this conversation, the speakers delve into the complexities of leadership, accountability, and the challenges of entrepreneurship. They discuss the importance of setting expectations, the necessity of training and trust within teams, and the harsh realities of being a business owner. The dialogue emphasizes the need for preparation, understanding the costs associated with entrepreneurship, and the value of learning from experiences. Ultimately, they highlight the importance of building a sustainable business that can thrive beyond the owner's direct involvement. In this conversation, the speakers discuss the importance of setting realistic business expectations and goals, the necessity of continuous learning and implementation, and the personal and professional objectives they aim to achieve in 2025. They emphasize the role of family and personal fulfillment in the entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the balance between work and personal life.Watch the YouTube Video HereTakeawaysThe importance of setting clear expectations for the year ahead.Unleash the Champ has shifted focus to corporate training.Core values drive the culture and success of a business.Finding the right team members is essential for growth.Repetition aids in retention of knowledge and skills.Trust must be established, while mistrust is earned through actions.Accountability is crucial in leadership roles.Mistakes should be addressed transparently to foster learning.Creating processes helps clarify roles and responsibilities.Being human and relatable as a leader builds trust with the team. Sometimes the king has to remind people why he's king.Accountability is crucial in leadership roles.Training is essential for trust and efficiency in teams.Entrepreneurs must count the cost before starting a business.Not everything in business is a financial benefit; knowledge is valuable.You need to earn your freedom as a business owner.Elevated standards lead to elevated expectations from customers.It's important to document processes to avoid losing knowledge.Many aspiring entrepreneurs lack the grit needed for success.The journey of entrepreneurship is not for everyone. It requires resilience and preparation. Research is crucial before starting a business.High-value services come with higher costs.Understanding customer expectations is key to success.Setting clear goals can drive motivation and focus.Continuous learning is essential for personal and professional growth.Implementation of learned concepts is as important as learning itself.Family support plays a significant role in entrepreneurial success.It's important to enjoy the journey, not just the destination.Saying no to distractions can help achieve goals.Entrepreneurship requires a balance between work and personal life.Chapters00:00 Setting the Stage for 2025 Goals05:53 The Importance of Core Values in Business11:46 The Role of Accountability in Leadership18:04 The Power of Repetition in Retention23:51 Addressing Mistakes: Transparency and Accountability33:06 Expectations and Accountability in Leadership39:27 The Importance of Training and Trust in Business51:54 The Reality of Entrepreneurship vs. the Dream01:05:08 Lessons Learned and the Cost of Knowledge01:16:55 The Importance of Learning and ImplementationBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/brews-business--5630487/support. Episode: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/2025-expectations-with-kyle-sullivan--63733934 Podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/brews-business--5630487

During this lesson I will be sharing with you the Third part of the meditation practice to help you live in harmony in our new reality. This part of the practice will focus on facilitating healing in your body. The Latest Episodes for the Our Galactic Family Podcast are Now Available as a Video Podcast on YouTube and Apple Podcast  You Can Find My Full Podcast Library and More on my website Our Galactic Family    Time Stamps 0:00 Introduction 2:43 Teaching Healing Movement 5:22 Meditation Explanation 7:57 Meditation Begins 37:45 Thank-You    https://ourgalacticfamily.com/ Episode: https://ourgalacticfamily.com/living-in-harmony-in-our-new-reality/ Podcast: https://ourgalacticfamily.com/

Silver Johnson joins host Ron Aaron and cohost Carol Zernial to talk about everything from horses to caregiving to caregivers on this edition of Caregiver SOS. About Silver Silver Johnson is founder of The Wateringhole Resource, a multi-faceted Consulting service. She is a published author, Functional Communication Coach, Professional Nonprofit Consultant and A.W.& E. Project Representative and Content Creator for Artists, Writers and Entrepreneurs. Silver has over 50 years of success as a professional equestrian and Equine Assisted Services and Therapy coach, nonprofit executive and content creator. She was an early pioneer of E.A.S. in the United States and the second American to be Certified as an E.A.S. Instructor from the Chigwell Riding Trust, England.  In 2001, Silver created The Lifehorse Research Project, an ongoing comparative study with a focus on how horses and humans are genetically programmed to deal with presentations of trauma and neurodegenerative presentations. Her teaching practice has been focused on Autism, Alzheimer's and other cognitive differences. One of her goals as a Communication Coach is to assist Caregivers in how to effectively communicate with family members, loved ones and the community at large dealing with cognitive impairment and communication differences. She also offers support and coaching to caregivers through a forthcoming video series 'Hi, My Name is ... and I'm a Caregiver.'   She has teamed up with her coach and mentor of 25 years, Steve Gilmore of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, co-authoring their new podcast and soon to be published book, 'Coach2Coach.'  Silver works and lives in Nashville and can be reached via email.  Hosts Ron Aaron and Carol Zernial, and their guests talk about Caregiving and how to best cope with the stresses associated with it. Learn about "Caregiver SOS" and the "Teleconnection Hotline" programs. Listen every week for deep, inspiring, and helpful caregiving content on Caregiver SOS!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Episode: https://omny.fm/shows/caregiver-sos/horses-to-caregiving-to-caregivers-with-silver-joh Podcast: http://soundcloud.com/cargiver-sos

When Kim Rehir was in the hospital, paralyzed from the hips downwards, she felt like she had lost her power, dignity, and humanity. This totally shifted her perspective on what she valued in life.    Kim is a 60-year-old mother of three who was diagnosed with MS ten years ago and decided to ignore her doctor's advice and muscle her way back to a happy life. Last year she became European Champion in Masters Weightlifting in her age and weight category. Her journey inspired her to leave her career in journalism in her 50s and become a health coach for middle-aged women - with a big focus on reactivating and rebuilding muscle.   Today, she helps women tap into an abundant source of vitality. It works by reactivating and maintaining muscle and eating to nourish and flourish.       Listen to her interview and start the Fabulous in 15 approach. Just fifteen minutes a day can change your life. Her approach helps women become lean, strong, and fabulous in fifteen minutes daily. Episode: https://neverevergiveuphope.libsyn.com/how-15-minutes-a-day-can-change-your-life-and-your-health Podcast: http://neverevergiveuphopenet.blogspot.com

What happens when a dedicated SWAT member decides to shift gears and focus on personal wellness and family? Join me for a interesting conversation with David Smith, a seasoned police officer from Virginia, who takes us through his personal transformation from high-stakes law enforcement to prioritizing self-development and holistic wellness. With 13 years of service under his belt, including seven years on the SWAT team, David shares how programs like the Modern Day Knight Project and Apogee ... Episode: Podcast: https://www.shieldofduty.com/chapter-blue-podcast

Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazi are leading gender experts and Harvard researchers. Their work centers on data-driven evidence to create accessible strategies to bridge the gender gap at work and create environments based on fairness. What makes Iris and Siri’s work different is that they focus on changing behaviors around equality, not attitudes. As they show, this helps us move from virtuous intentions to visible action without trying to tackle people’s deeply held beliefs. Iris and Siri explore these issues in their upcoming book MAKE WORK FAIR: Data-Driven Design for Real Results (Harper Business; January 28, 2025; must-read nonfiction title by the Next Big Idea Club) It’s cliché to say that the numbers don’t lie, but the fact is, they don’t: ·         McKinsey’s latest Women in the Workplace report shows that while women today make up 29% of C-suite positions (compared with just 17% in 2015), women are still progressing slower earlier in the corporate pipeline, at the entry and manager levels. ·         New research has also come to light that women leaders face 30 different kinds of discrimination in the workplace Topics Iris and Siri can expand on include: People will always be biased—why we need to focus on behaviors, not attitudes to achieve fairness How to move from virtual signaling to concrete action   Why we need to make the workplace compatible to women, not the other way around Your gain does not equal my loss—debunking common myths about workplace fairness The hiring process is broken and how to fix it Bias from above, bias from below—the vicious cycle that keeps women from leadership positions The middle management gender gap and how it impacts women’s career trajectories How flexibility creates fairness and unleashes talents It’s possible to fix America’s parental leave problem—here’s how Why we need norm entrepreneurs and how to become one Why we can’t settle for moral outrage anymore—to truly eliminate bad behavior in the workplace we need to make the change we want to see   **Next Big Idea Club pick for January 2025 Women have certainly come a long way in the workplace. When the U.S. Census Bureau first started including data on women-owned businesses in 1972, there were only about 400,000 female business owners in the country. Fast forward to 2024, and there are over 13 million women-owned businesses, and when it comes to the Fortune 500, women CEOs now account for 10.4% of the list.  At the same time, the gender gap—in terms of pay and leadership positions—still hasn’t been bridged, despite the best intentions of many companies. How do we achieve equality in the workplace so that everyone has the opportunity to work better and smarter—and more fairly?     Iris Bohnet and Siri Chilazi, two leading gender experts and Harvard researchers, explore the concept of fairness in the workplace and offer novel solutions for professionals in their new book, MAKE WORK FAIR: Data-Driven Design for Real Results (Harper Business; January 28, 2025). As Bohnet and Chilazi explain, many well-meaning individuals and companies invest their time and resources in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives with less than stellar results. Because inequity is built into the structures, processes, and environments of our workplaces, adding these programs has been ineffective and often becomes a burden passed off to the individuals they are meant to help.   In MAKE WORK FAIR, Bohnet and Chilazi offer data-backed, actionable solutions that build fairness into the very fabric of the workplace. Their methods—tested at many organizations and grounded in data proven to work in the real world—focus on changing behaviors, not attitudes. This helps us move from virtuous intentions to visible action without trying to tackle people’s deeply held beliefs.   Using Bohnet and Chilazi’s framework, employees at all levels can embed fairness into their everyday practices. “For us, making work fair means designing workplaces where everyone can thrive and perform at their best,” Bohnet and Chilazi write. “This means giving all people—regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other aspect of their identity or background—access to a playing field where some people are not unfairly advantaged in a way they didn’t earn.”   Offering an evidence-based blueprint, MAKE WORK FAIR shows you how to make fairness at work a reality, no matter your role, seniority, responsibilities, or where you are in the world. As Bohnet and Chilazi remind us, “To make change for good, we have to keep at it. The price of not persisting is simply too high—for each of us, companies and governments, and societies across the globe. Unfair work keeps the right people from doing the right job the right way in the right positions. That’s what we call a market failure in economics. So, let’s not keep failing.”       Episode: https://sites.libsyn.com/444312/make-work-fair-with-siri-chilazi Podcast: http://carolinedowdhiggins.com

In this episode, I sit down with the inspiring Angie and Dora Obwaka to discuss how rest, reflection, and God’s grace are essential for laying a strong foundation in life. As we navigate the new year, we explore the importance of aligning with God’s rhythm of grace and how intentional rest impacts our spiritual, personal, and professional growth. Dora shares her vision for Jesus Girl Closet and how it was birthed out of moments of reflection and prayer. Angie brings her unique insights on capacity building and the practice of fasting, emphasizing the need for an intimate connection with God over the optics of religious rituals. We also dive into family traditions, what Christmas taught them about slowing down, and how these lessons can help us approach the year with renewed purpose and focus. This episode is full of practical wisdom and heartfelt encouragement for anyone seeking to build a life centered on faith and grace. 📌Important Links: 1. Connect with Dora: https://www.instagram.com/doraobwaka?igsh=MWF1cWhtNWx1czMzMA== 2. Connect with Angie: https://www.instagram.com/angieobwaka?igsh=MXFxeGIzejhlZmcwMA== 3. Shop Jesus Girl Closet: https://www.instagram.com/jesusgirlcloset?igsh=Z3VheHVjc2RnZnkx 📲 Connect with Us: * Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedjmozpodcast?igsh=MTNpNDl3MTl4Y3dlNA== * Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedjmozpodcast?_t=8q43tbOqGog&_r=1 * Join our WhatsApp channel: ‎https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va9NUDF6GcG9I9zHdD1q If you’d like to support the DJ Moz Podcast and help us continue creating great content, consider 1. Like the episode, share with a friend (or enemy) and subscribe😃 2. Checking out our merchandise: https://thedjmozpodcast.hustlesasa.shop 3. Paybill - 247247 | Acc No: 001110 4. Follow us on our social media pages (links below) 5. Talk to us! We would love to hear from you😊 Here are some hashtags you can use: #FaithJourney #ChristianLiving #RestAndGrace #Reflection #SpiritualGrowth #PrayerAndFasting#SpiritualDisciplines #BackToBasics #ChristianPodcast #DJMozPodcast #GraceOverRitual #YearOfFaith #WalkWithGod #IntentionalLiving #JesusGirlCloset #KingdomLiving #PodcastKenya #LayingTheGroundwork #ChristianInspiration #NewYearNewFaith Copyright Disclaimer: This podcast and its content, including all audio, visuals, and written material, are the property of DJ Moz and The DJ Moz Podcast unless otherwise stated. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this content without prior permission is prohibited. For permissions, please contact thedjmozpodcast@gmail.com Episode: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/djmoz/episodes/EP-67-Rest--Reflection--and-Grace-with-Angie-and-Dora-Obwaka--Laying-the-Groundwork-Series-e2tvcvs Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/djmoz