Ba Vojdaan!: Recent Episodes
James and Sana Newcomb
با وجدان (Ba Vojdaan) is Persian for "conscious".
Welcome to our little show. We endeavor to live a conscious life in an increasingly zonked-out world. Our mission is to share our unique insights and life experiences to show that there are ways of living a righteous life other than those presented to us by the Gatekeepers of Polite Society.
About your hosts: James and Sana met in March 2019 after James, at the time a resident of Virginia Beach, VA, left his email address on a scrap of paper in the beak of a courier pigeon, which somehow ended up as a stowaway on a cargo ship headed for China. The note w/ James' email address got caught up in a windstorm at the port in Qingdao and landed precipitously on the (non-American) football field at British University of Vietnam, where Sana was leading a group of amateur tai chi enthusiasts during their morning routine prior to beginning the day's courses. Mistaking the email address for that of her local supplier of matcha green tea, Sana emailed immediately to refill her supply. James playfully went along with the dialogue for several emails, until finally revealing he indeed had no green tea to sell, but would be willing to share his undying devotion and commitment until the end of time and beyond.
This episode is a replay of an interview I did circa 2017 with patent attorney Stephan Kinsella.
Kinsella is the author of "Against Intellectual Property," and in our time together, he argues that IP laws, particularly patents and copyrights, are incompatible with traditional property rights and hinder innovation and progress.
The conversation explores the origins of these laws, their impact on musicians and other creatives, and practical advice for navigating the current system while protecting artistic integrity.
The discussion also delves into Austrian economics and how it provides a framework for understanding the issues with IP laws. Kinsella foresees a future where the increasing ease of circumventing these laws will pressure the industry to adapt to more free-market principles.
Episode highlights:
00:24 Stefan Kinsella on Intellectual Property
02:43 Understanding Property Rights
06:45 Austrian Economics and Intellectual Property
20:08 The History and Problems of Copyright
26:59 Practical Advice for Musicians
42:13 Future of Intellectual Property
44:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources mentioned:
Against Intellectual Property by Stephan Kinsella
Stephan's website
About the guest:
Stephan Kinsella is an attorney and libertarian writer in Houston. He was previously General Counsel for Applied Optoelectronics, Inc., a partner with Duane Morris, and adjunct professor at South Texas College of Law Houston. A registered patent attorney, he received an LL.M. (international business law) from King’s College London, a JD from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center at Louisiana State University (LSU), and BSEE and MSEE degrees from LSU.
He has spoken, lectured and published widely on both legal topics, including intellectual property law and international law, and also on various areas of libertarian legal theory.
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
This episode features a deep dive into the multifaceted life of Abel James, best known for the Fat Burning Man Podcast. In this interview, Abel offers insights from his musical background, detailing how early influences shaped his passions and career path.
Discover how a tragic apartment fire redirected Abel's focus from music to health, leading him to become an influencer in the realm of health and fitness.
Abel also discusses his book 'The Musical Brain,' which explores the cognitive impacts of musical training, and offers a sneak peek into his latest work, 'Designer Babies Still Get Scabies.'
Tune in for a rich conversation about creativity, resilience, and the intersections between music, health, and personal development!
Episode highlights:
01:31 Abel's Musical Journey
06:35 The Musical Brain
11:15 Transition to Podcasting
15:25 Challenges and Realities of Podcasting
27:06 Designer Babies Still Get Scabies
32:14 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources mentioned:
Fat Burning Man Podcast
Designer Babies Still Get Scabies by Abel James
About the Guest:
My name is Abel, and a few years ago, I made some alarming discoveries. I learned that almost everything that I thought I knew about health, nutrition, and fitness was completely wrong.
After years of frustration, sickness, and increasing flab, I stopped listening to the “experts,” “gurus,” and even my doctors. I buried my nose in the research and experimented on myself like a lab rat until I found the truth. And man, it was a doozy.
It turns out that my “healthy” low-fat, low-cholesterol diet and “effective” running program recommended by magazines, TV shows, and my doctors, were actually causing me to be fat and sick.
Once I did the opposite of what my doctors told me, I dramatically improved my health – reversing hypertension, healing my malfunctioning thyroid, and effortlessly shedding 20 pounds in 40 days.
Skip ahead a few years, and now as host of the award-winning #1 Rated Fat-Burning Man Show, I help folks to improve their relationship with food, activity, and life by circumventing marketing myths, misinformation, and corporate scheming by eating real foods and engaging in effective, science-backed training to make you lean, healthy, and energetic.
But make no mistake: I’m no guru. I do not have all the answers. YOU are the expert on you. Through my podcast, books, and coaching, I am dedicated to helping others optimize their health and reach their ultimate potential by being their own guru.
After all, experts should help you build behaviors that would eventually put them out of a job.
But with the collective health of the country (and beyond) falling off a cliff, it is more important than ever the help reverse the obesity and health crisis. As such, I share the principles and system that enabled me to dramatically optimize my life with folks who want to shed unwanted fat and improve their health in a way that is completely honest, fun, and lifelong. If I can do it, so can you.
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
We welcome to the show Marc Mawhinney. Marc is the host of the Natural Born Coaches podcast, and has helped countless aspiring coaches in just about every conceivable niche build and sustain thriving coaching businesses.
I've often said that the greatest strength of my own craft of podcasting is also its greatest weakness, that being just about anyone can do it.
As you'll hear in this episode, the same can be said of coaching. Anyone can call themselves a coach, but actually finding a paid client, and then guiding them from Point A to Point B is a different matter entirely!
In this episode, Marc shares in detail:
- His email strategy and mindset needed for consistent daily emailing to a specific market.
- His thoughts on what defines a coach
- Overcoming credibility issues in the coaching industry
- The "3 Pillars Strategy" of marketing one's business
- Maintaining personal integrity in the highly superficial digital age
If you've thought about getting into the highly profitable coaching industry, but don't know where to begin, give this a listen and then check out Marc's offerings below!
Episode highlights:
00:07 Mark's Email Streak and Initial Challenges
02:17 Transition to Daily Emails
05:07 The Impact of Social Media and Authenticity
08:51 Coaching in the Digital Age
13:40 Exploring Niche Coaching Markets
18:44 The Three Pillar Strategy for Coaches
21:51 Conclusion and Contact Information
Resources mentioned:
Natural Born Coaches
The Coaching Jungle Facebook group
About the guest:
Marc Mawhinney is a lifelong entrepreneur who has been helping coaches get more clients (without paid ads) since 2014!
He’s the host of the “Natural Born Coaches” podcast, which has almost 900 episodes released, and the Tarzan of “The Coaching Jungle” Facebook group which has over 25,000 coaches in that community.
He's been a speaker at events like “Social Media Marketing World”, frequently makes media appearances, and has contributed for Entrepreneur.com.
You can learn more about Marc at www.NaturalBornCoaches.com!
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
There's more to Iran and Persian culture than what you'll see on Fox News.
That's the main point of today's episode. My wife Sana shared with me a Facebook post that did a fairly deep dive - as deep as you can get with a Facebook post anyway - on some of the highlights of the Persian culture and history.
I asked Sana, who is Iranian, if she would record a podcast and share some of her experiences as an Iranian, and how she views the American culture from that lens.
As usual we stray from the path a bit with the conversation, but manage to stay true to our intent.
In this episode you'll hear about the progressive policies of Cyrus the Great, advancements in science, medicine, and mathematics, to the unique role of women in Persian society.
Once you've finished listening to this, you might second-guess your decisions to rely on mainstream news sources re: that part of the world!
Episode highlights:
00:39 Exploring Persian Culture and History
01:36 Ancient Iran's Contributions to Civilization
04:43 Persian Innovations and Influence
06:06 Gender Roles in Ancient Iran
07:15 Modern Reflections on Ancient Wisdom
09:55 Community vs. Individualism
17:00 Cultural Reflections and Personal Growth
18:21 Understanding American Historical Perspective
19:19 The Importance of Learning from History
22:26 Contrasting American and Persian Cultures
26:03 The Influence of Persian Culture in America
30:31 Encouragement to Explore Persian History
This interview was originally published on the Brass Mastery podcast in May 2024.
We welcome to the podcast Marcus Reynolds, who with his Stratos Brass device has provided a beacon of hope for the thousands of brass players across the globe who struggle with embouchure issues.
Like many great triumphs in life, Marcus' journey to becoming a tireless promoter of safer and healthier brass playing began with a tragedy. A major lip injury completely derailed Marcus' successful playing career. In an instant his sole source of income and personal identity was gone.
In this episode, Marcus shares in-depth the painful - both physical and psychological - road to recovery, and how a mysterious "nocturnal hieroglyphic" ultimately became the inspiration for a device that is changing lives for the better. Indeed it is no exaggeration to say that Marcus' tireless efforts have even extended playing careers that once appeared to have reached their end.
Enjoy the episode!
Episode highlights:
-Belief in the mission compels a tireless promotion of the solution for the problem...01:55
-A catastrophic lip injury set Marcus through the extreme depths and heights of human emotion...03:50
-The psychological damage was just as profound as the physical...09:35
-A "nocturnal hieroglyphic" circa 2008 is ultimately the genesis of the Stratos Brass device....11:05
-You become a self-psychologist when your identity is taken away from you...18:10
-Clarifying the "upstream" and "downstream" of air flow...24:40
-Success stories from high-profile musicians who've worked with Marcus and his invention...27:30
-The basic physiology of what's going on with your body when you use the Stratos device...33:00
-How Marcus' personality and self-perception has changed after becoming a quasi-celebrity in the brass world...45:05
-"It's very possible that you've had a greater impact in light of that accident than you ever would have had you stayed perfectly healthy"... 54:50
-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...
Resources mentioned:
Stratos Brass
Brass Mastery podcast w/ Larry Meregillano
About the Guest:
"I am a brass instrument tutor of over 40 years experience in both the private and local government sectors. As well as general brass teaching, I also specialise in embouchure development and rescue for brass players. Building on my experience as a teacher and professional musician I am also the creator of the unique STRATOS Embouchure System. I am also an author of ‘Range without Resistance’. Stratos Encore Pro is an adaptable and adjustable embouchure system that can be fitted to virtually all brass instruments to help players adapt and improve their embouchure. I have also written a series of articles on the brass embouchure which have been published in Brass Band World, Brass Herald and British Trombone Society Magazine.
As a professional musician I have over 30 years experience of recording music and performing live, both as a lead trombonist and a solo artist. I also have many years experience in the role of musical director for several big bands and brass ensembles. I currently play a Rath R12 trombone which I co-developed with Michael Rath Trombones."
What you're about to hear in this episode is an in-depth conversation between myself and Brian O'Leary, host of the O'Leary Review podcast. Brian published this interview in early 2023, and gave me permission to publish on my own show!
In this episode, Brian and I discuss the significance of finding one's voice in the podcasting world, or any realm regarding content creation, and core principles of publishing, which remain surprisingly consistent even with radically changing publishing modalities.
We share insights into the impact of word-of-mouth advertising over traditional SEO strategies, our own journeys into podcasting, and the value of principled work.
We also touch upon my background in the military and conscientious objection, lessons learned working with influencers like Ben Greenfield, and the core idea that passion and integrity attract audiences.
Episode highlights:
01:20 Brian O'Leary's Journey and Podcasting Insights
02:45 The Essence of Publishing and SEO Challenges
05:55 The Power of Word of Mouth and Building a Brand
07:29 James Newcomb's Musical Background and Military Experience
08:44 Transitioning from Military to Podcasting
12:24 Launching the Ba Vojdaan Podcast
14:29 Monetizing Podcasts and Handling Feedback
27:17 James Newcomb's Podcasting Business and Success
Resources mentioned:
O'Leary Review podcast
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
In this episode, James and Frederica share personal accounts of miraculous events in their lives. James recounts two near-death experiences while driving, attributing his survival to divine intervention. We're joined by special guest Sana Dorry, who shares her own miraculous story in Bangkok, narrowly avoiding a deadly bus accident, and describes her involvement with the Rohingya community.
The episode concludes with reflections on the nature of miracles and the importance of attracting people to the gospel through positive and uplifting stories.
Episode highlights:
00:17 James' Miraculous Journey from Missouri to Georgia
02:10 Another Driving Miracle: Washington to Minnesota
04:12 Sana's Miraculous Bus Incident in Bangkok
10:29 Sana's Experiences with Rohingya Refugees
13:32 Sana's Rescue of a Baby in Bangkok
17:42 Conclusion and Reflections on Miracles
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
Continuing our series of episodes featuring Orthodox Christian scholar Frederica Matthewes-Green, we discuss the significance of the Greek word 'Energeia' and its translation, the impact of translation decisions on Christian faith, and the contrast between Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Christianity.
Frederica shares insights about divine energy, miracles, and the role of storytelling in modern faith. The conversation explores the historical and contemporary implications of biblical translation and the importance of recognizing divine presence in everyday life.
Episode highlights:
00:00 Introduction and Greetings
00:31 Podcast Background and Topic Introduction
01:51 Greek vs. Latin Translations of the Bible
05:39 The Concept of Energeia
07:06 Impact of Translation on Western Christianity
21:34 Personal Reflections and CRAVE Acronym
25:25 Miracles and Modern Faith
35:00 Storytelling and Evangelism
36:23 Cultural Reflections and Conclusion
Resources mentioned:
Two Views of the Cross: Orthodoxy and the West by Frederica Mathewes-Green
About the guest:
Frederica's website
"I write and speak on a wide range of topics. In recent years I’ve concentrated on ancient Christian spirituality and the Eastern Orthodox faith, but the hundreds of Posts and Essays on this site include movie reviews, humor, marriage and family, cultural issues, and more. Essays can be browsed by date or category, or you can use the search box at the right.
The most recent posts are below. Here’s where you’ll find my published Books.
I travel to Speaking Engagements all year round; you can contact Cynthia Damaskos of the Orthodox Speakers Bureau if you’d like to bring me to an event. This Calendar will let you know when I’m in your neighborhood.
Audio: Here’s where you’ll find many of my commentaries for National Public Radio (NPR), though others have been filed away under many different creative misspellings of my name. I have recorded a podcast for Ancient Faith Radio since 2007.
Video: For Beliefnet.com, I recorded brief videos on my conversion to Christ, the Christ of Sinai icon, the spiritual discipline of fasting, and the evil one.
There’s a link in the sidebar where you can sign up for my mailing list, and you can find me onFacebook too.
I’m always glad to hear from readers. You can contact me by email here."
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
In this episode, host James Newcomb engages in a deep theological discussion with Orthodox Christian scholar Frederica Mathewes-Green covering various aspects of Christian theology.
They delve into the differences between orthodox and Western Christian perspectives, particularly focusing on sin, forgiveness, and sacrifice.
Frederica turns the tables on the host, asking James about his personal journey from Presbyterianism to Reformed theology and ultimately to Orthodoxy.
James and Frederica also explore the stories and examples of saints, the interpretation of scriptures, and the contrasting images of the cross in Eastern and Western Christianity.
The discussion is anchored by Frederica's book, 'Two Views of the Cross,' which contrasts critical theological views of Orthodoxy and Western Christianity.
Episode highlights:
00:00 Introduction: The Irony of Theological Studies
01:02 Personal Journey: From Baptocostal to Reformed to Orthodox Christian
01:36 A Quest for Stability
03:14 The Reformation and Its Aftermath
05:07 The Refrigerator Hermeneutic: Picking and Choosing Scripture
07:07 John 6: The Challenge of Literal Interpretation
08:10 The Story of St. Photini (the woman at the well)
09:37 The Power of Stories in Faith
10:46 Two Views of the Cross: A Book Discussion
14:23 Orthodox vs. Western Christianity: Forgiveness and Sacrifice
18:28 The Nature of Sin: Disease vs. Infraction
24:03 The Harshness of Calvinism: A Tragic Misunderstanding
27:59 The Importance of Forgiveness in Orthodoxy
29:03 Conclusion: Reflecting on the Discussion
Book mentioned:
Two Views of the Cross: Orthodoxy and the West by Frederica Mathewes-Green
About the guest:
"I write and speak on a wide range of topics. In recent years I’ve concentrated on ancient Christian spirituality and the Eastern Orthodox faith, but the hundreds of Posts and Essays on this site include movie reviews, humor, marriage and family, cultural issues, and more. Essays can be browsed by date or category, or you can use the search box at the right.
I travel to Speaking Engagements all year round; you can contact Cynthia Damaskos of the Orthodox Speakers Bureau if you’d like to bring me to an event. This Calendar will let you know when I’m in your neighborhood.
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
This episode, Part 2 in our series with Orthodox Christian scholar Frederica Mathewes-Green, discusses Augustine's concept of a 'god-shaped hole' in our hearts and explores the idea of 'energy' (energia) in the New Testament.
Our conversation delves into the challenges of translating biblical texts from Greek to Latin and Hebrew, the historical context of these translations, and how different translations can impact theological understanding.
It also touches on the use of hyperbole and imagery in ancient Hebrew scripture and discusses why seminary students are required to learn Hebrew and Greek to gain a deeper understanding of the biblical worldview.
Episode highlights:
00:15 The God-Shaped Hole: Exploring Our Innate Desire for Worship
00:45 The Concept of 'Energia' in the New Testament
01:50 Translation Challenges: From Greek to Latin and Beyond
04:15 The Impact of Language on Biblical Interpretation
05:30 The Septuagint and the Evolution of the Hebrew Bible
07:50 Controversies in Biblical Translations
12:10 The Importance of Learning Biblical Languages
Resources mentioned:
Two Views of the Cross: Orthodoxy and the West by Frederica Mathewes-Green
Men and Marriage by George Gilder
About the guest:
Frederica's website
"I write and speak on a wide range of topics. In recent years I’ve concentrated on ancient Christian spirituality and the Eastern Orthodox faith, but the hundreds of Posts and Essays on this site include movie reviews, humor, marriage and family, cultural issues, and more. Essays can be browsed by date or category, or you can use the search box at the right.
The most recent posts are below. Here’s where you’ll find my published Books.
I travel to Speaking Engagements all year round; you can contact Cynthia Damaskos of the Orthodox Speakers Bureau if you’d like to bring me to an event. This Calendar will let you know when I’m in your neighborhood.
Audio: Here’s where you’ll find many of my commentaries for National Public Radio (NPR), though others have been filed away under many different creative misspellings of my name. I have recorded a podcast for Ancient Faith Radio since 2007.
Video: For Beliefnet.com, I recorded brief videos on my conversion to Christ, the Christ of Sinai icon, the spiritual discipline of fasting, and the evil one.
There’s a link in the sidebar where you can sign up for my mailing list, and you can find me onFacebook too.
I’m always glad to hear from readers. You can contact me by email here."
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
This is the first in a series of episodes featuring Orthodox Christian scholar Frederica Matthewes-Green.
Frederica has a number of resources available that have been very helpful for me in my inquiry into, and eventual baptism into the Orthodox Church. In fact, Frederica's book, Two Views of the Cross was very influential in my own introduction to the Orthodox Church, and the Orthodox views of Christianity.
The life of Jesus and his death, his atonement, very different ways of thinking between the Orthodox and say, Roman Catholic or the Protestant views of Jesus's suffering and how it translates to our joy and our joy. Eternal Salvation.
I think the initial agenda was to discuss her book Two Views of the Cross. And while we did get into the book eventually, we discussed quite a bit beforehand.
And to be honest, it all blended quite honestly and pleasantly.
I have one more interview that I did with Frederica that I'm going to publish shortly after I published this one, and that was more Overtly Orthodox. It was on the topic of Energeia, the Greek word that refers to divine energy.
To give a bit of background on this interview: I was brand new to Orthodoxy when we recorded this. I was trying to get a completely different podcast off the ground. This particular podcast wasn't even a glimmer in my eye. So you might hear references to a completely different podcast, as well as a URL mentioned that is not necessarily relevant to this particular podcast.
Nothing that is a game-changer, but I want to explain why you might hear some odd references to various things throughout.
So enjoy it!
In this discussion with Frederica, you'll discover:
-Frederica describes her spiritual journey as a young person...06:35
-Contrarian thinkers and actors often come from a place of deep-seated convictions and principles...10:30
-How Frederica discovered her relationship with Jesus, and in due time Orthodoxy...14:02
-"All of Western Christianity seems to have adopted the idea that the purpose of church is to comfort people"...19:18
-The need for strong (but not dominant) men has never been more pressing than in modern culture...27:09
-A shocking imbalance between how men and women are viewed in society...32:26
Resources mentioned:
Two Views of the Cross: Orthodoxy and the West by Frederica Mathewes-Green
Men and Marriage by George Gilder
About the guest, and how to connect:
Frederica's website
"I write and speak on a wide range of topics. In recent years I’ve concentrated on ancient Christian spirituality and the Eastern Orthodox faith, but the hundreds of Posts and Essays on this site include movie reviews, humor, marriage and family, cultural issues, and more. Essays can be browsed by date or category, or you can use the search box at the right.
The most recent posts are below. Here’s where you’ll find my published Books.
I travel to Speaking Engagements all year round; you can contact Cynthia Damaskos of the Orthodox Speakers Bureau if you’d like to bring me to an event. This Calendar will let you know when I’m in your neighborhood.
Audio: Here’s where you’ll find many of my commentaries for National Public Radio (NPR), though others have been filed away under many different creative misspellings of my name. I have recorded a podcast for Ancient Faith Radio since 2007.
Video: For Beliefnet.com, I recorded brief videos on my conversion to Christ, the Christ of Sinai icon, the spiritual discipline of fasting, and the evil one.
There’s a link in the sidebar where you can sign up for my mailing list, and you can find me onFacebook too.
I’m always glad to hear from readers. You can contact me by email here."
You've been listening to Ba Vojdaan!, with James D. Newcomb.
For more information about James, and to subscribe to the podcast, visit https://jamesdnewcomb.com. There you'll find a trove of materials available for immediate download.
And be sure to follow James' travels and adventures on social media. All the info can be found at https://jamesdnewcomb.com.
Thank you for listening!
In this episode, we meet John Foster, founder of Middle School MBA, an educational program that teaches business, economics, and entrepreneurship to middle school students. John explains the nuances of the program and its integrated approach to teaching these subjects at a younger age.
The conversation then shifts to angel investing, where John provides deep insights into what angel investing entails, the relationship between entrepreneurs and investors, and the impact of interest rates and market conditions on investments.
He highlights the importance of integrity and trust between the parties involved, discusses the potential effects of regulatory interventions, and shares his vision of an optimal market, free of burdensome governmental regulations.
In this interview with John, you'll discover:
01:10 Target Audience and Course Structure
02:03 Teaching Methods and Visual Models
02:52 Historical Context and Learning Capabilities
04:29 Understanding Angel Investing
06:41 The Role of Angel Investors
12:10 Ecosystem of Private Companies
17:17 The Entrepreneur-Investor Relationship
22:42 Investor Control and Due Diligence
25:09 The Essence of Angel Investing
26:30 High Risk, High Reward: The Angel Investor's Perspective
29:31 Revenue, Profit, and Company Valuation
37:48 Market Disruptions and Angel Investing
42:37 Optimizing Market Conditions
44:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources mentioned:
Middle School MBA
About the guest:
Author, executive, angel investor, and lifelong student of markets, John’s career failed its way through process engineering, operations, business management, M&A, and corporate strategy; finally failing big enough to exit. He now teaches kids the lowdown on business and entrepreneurship, hoping they will fail bigger and sooner.
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
I first heard of Bitcoin around the time it was first gaining steam, circa 2010ish. I guess due to certain circles where I spent my time and education, it was only natural that it would come up in conversation. While it remained mysterious, I was brave enough to invest a bit of my own USD into Bitcoin in the 2013 timeframe, and have kept up with it somewhat through the years.
What attracted me to the Bitcoin "craze" at that time was how people who's opinion I respect explained that it's not an investment opportunity - as most folks think of it today - but it actually mimics the most sound of forms of money in many ways.
So I wanted to bring on to the show someone who is informed on the right reasons to "invest" in Bitcoin. I use the quotes around the word invest because it's not a typical investment where you put a certain amount of government-issued currency then gain a return on it after a period of time. It's actually much more complex (or simple?) than that.
Bitcoin is a means of exchange to pay for stuff that circumvents governments entirely.
Wesley Schlemmer of the Bitcoin Bay joins us on today's episode to explain the basics of Bitcoin, the Blockchain, the basics of sound money and more. While the fallout from the FTX misdeeds will be felt for some time, the upside is that Bitcoin is on people's minds, and we have an opportunity to learn about it, and learn how to do it the way the creators of Bitcoin intended it to be used in the first place!
In this episode, you'll discover:
-Wesley's personal background and becoming familiar with crypto...01:15
-Cypher Punks and a short history of Bitcoin (Hint: It'snot an investment opportunity!)...03:45
-What is the Blockchain, and what is its relation to cryptocurrency?...14:15
-What is sound money, and what makes Bitcoin a sound form of exchange?...19:20
-
Three primary characteristics
-
Medium of exchange
- Store of value
-
Unit of account
-
Qualities of sound money
-
Durable
- Fuingle
- Divisible
- Portable
- Scarce
-How Bitcoin promotes self-responsibility..27:00
-What the heck happened with FTX, and what can we learn from it?...31:00
-How to get into the Bitcoin game without it being a risky investment scheme...37:38
Resources mentioned:
Bitcoin Bay website
Cypherpunk Manifesto
Info about blockchain wallets Wesley mentions
The Bitcoin Standard
Muun Bitcoin Wallets
Bisq
Terms mentioned:
Blockchain
Litecoin
Ethereum
Block Chimes
Cypher Punks
Panopticon
Difficulty of Adjustment
Privacy v. Secrecy
Hal Finney
Blocksize Wars
BTC Token v. Network
Unit of Account
SAT's (not a pre-college test)
Stock to Flow Ratio
Seed Phrase
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
با وجدان (transliterated to Ba Vojdaan) is a Persian word which translates to English as "Conscientious".
This phrase was introduced to me by my Persian wife, who herself displays a great deal of "Vojdaan" in her life. She and I were discussing potential names for a podcast that would identify with me and my values, and we both said at the same time, "conscientious." She then told me about this beautiful Persian word, and it stuck. She and I used this name for a joint podcast we did more or less for fun, but it's very much apropos for our day and age, so I've repurposed it for this show.
I don't know about you, but I'm alarmed by the lack of conviction and integrity in our culture. People are on "autopilot" morally and spiritually. Whatever the talking heads on the boob tube tell us to think, that's what we think.
Sure, this has always been a problem since the dawn of time, but it just seems more pronounced in recent years.
And no one notices.
And those who do notice...they seem to either not care, or have given up trying to make a difference.
This podcast is one man's response to this pandemic of moral laziness and apathy.
Carry yourself with "Vojdaan" and you'll instantly set yourself apart from the zombies inhabiting our land.
This podcast will show you how to do it, and allow you to interact with others who think the same way.
So subscribe to the podcast and reclaim your sanity with daily interviews featuring folks who refuse to march in step with the rhythm of the world that is driving us into despair and chaos.
And if you're able, would you be willing to leave a rating and review of the show while you're here on the app?
It really helps to build credibility for the show!
Some guy who calls himself a pastor declared "I have something to say."
This was in reference to what happened at the opening ceremony of the Olympics where Leonardo's depiction of the Last Supper was openly mocked with a gluttonous drag queen sitting in the place of Jesus, transvestites and other undesirables sitting in the place of the Holy Apostles.
When I heard about this via a Facebook post, I was so shocked at the image that it took me awhile to really process the gravity of the scene.
This didn't occur in some dive bar in a back alley.
This happened at the Olympics.
Even if you're not a Christian, this should be a wakeup call to the lengths these folks will go to promote their agenda of "diversity" while stopping at nothing to destroy the lives of anyone who dissents from their approved viewpoints.
But what was truly disturbing was how many people who identify as Christians rallied around a diatribe posted by a guy named Jacob Whitehead, who calls himself "a pastor".
Well, his comments revealed a great deal of ignorance and emotional immaturity; and to think that so many people applauded it is problematic.
In this podcast, I read Mr. Whitehead's comments in their entirety, and then give my own comments in response.
Here we go:
"I’m a pastor, and I have something to say.
Christians that get online and spew hate toward nonbelievers anger me much more than nonbelievers spewing hate toward my religion.
I have no idea what the table at the Olympics was supposed to represent, as the official statement contradicts the larger opinion. But what I can say is that every single person at that table would have been invited to Jesus’ table. Jesus not only spent His time on earth with sinners, He invited them to the very table everyone assumes the Olympic table represents.
Matthew was a tax collector.
Peter was about to deny Him.
Thomas was about to doubt His resurrection.
Judas was about to betray Him.
Jesus ate with them anyway.
Jesus was with “sinners” all of the time. In fact, it’s one of the reasons the church people hated Him and wanted Him dead.
Please allow this to serve as a reminder that people who are not Christians are not our responsibility to regulate. Jesus gave us an example to follow of welcoming everyone and pointing them toward the love of Jesus. Remember that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance, not the shouting of His angry “followers.”
This doesn’t mean I condone any religion (especially my own) being mocked. In fact, it is wrong. But my heart doesn’t hurt for what they are doing to Jesus. My heart hurts for people that are likely not in a loving relationship with their Creator. Jesus doesn’t need me to shout about sinners sinning. He wants me to shout about the hope and the love they are missing out on.
Before you share an angry post, or shout at people that Jesus died for, think for a while, and ask yourself if He would do the same. To be honest, you already know the answer. He wouldn’t. He didn’t. He died for them just as much as He died for you. Angrily shouting at people that don’t know Jesus is in direct contradiction to the example He gave us on the cross.
Westboro Baptist sandwich signs should anger you much more than this. Jesus flipped tables on people in the temple, not people outside of it.
Remember that."
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
Today we are honored to welcome to the show Sage Dammers, founder of Addictive Wellness. Sage discusses his journey into the wellness industry, stemming from personal health challenges and a passion for creating health-boosting products such as delicious chocolate bars that are both delicious and packed with adaptogenic herbs which promote an optimized lifestyle!
Sage elaborates on his experiences with using herbs such as reishi, astragalus, cordyceps, and ashwagandha to improve overall wellbeing. The discussion touches on the importance of ingredient quality, challenges in mainstream medicine, and why you should take in news re: your health and lifestyle from mainstream sources with a hefty grain of salt!
The episode offers insights into the benefits of adaptogens and encourages listeners to explore healthier lifestyle choices incrementally.
In this interview with Sage Dammers, you'll discover:
02:41 The Health Benefits of Cacao
05:59 Understanding Candida
09:20 The Birth of Addictive Wellness
10:13 Elixir Bars and Global Ventures
18:36 The Concept of Adaptogenic Herbs
21:55 Balancing Energy and Calm with Adaptogens
22:13 The Science Behind Adaptogens
24:46 Ashwagandha: The Versatile Adaptogen
26:19 Chaga Mushroom and Other Noteworthy Adaptogens
29:10 Challenges with Mainstream Health Systems
32:04 Navigating Health Information and Resources
37:50 Practical Tips for Using Adaptogens
40:15 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources mentioned:
Addictive Wellness
Boundless by Ben Greenfield (audiobook narrated by James Newcomb)
About the guest:
Sage Dammers is the co-founder, CEO, product formulator, and chocolatier of Addictive Wellness. Fueled by a passionate desire to help people live the ultimate life and create a better world, Sage began as a teenager seeking out information that no mainstream school could offer in the areas of nutrition and traditional herbal systems of indigenous cultures.
He built his knowledge of superfood nutrition and traditional herbal systems, especially Taoist tonic herbalism. He has worked with and trained under the world’s leading master herbalists and nutrition and longevity experts in Costa Rica, Australia, Bali, China, and America.
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
Host James D. Newcomb shares his own background as a musician, family man, podcaster, world traveler, and more!
Today I share about my spiritual life within the confines of the Christian religion. I've been a churchgoer as long as I can remember; however, the journey has been, shall I say, interesting.
It was really a search for truth - a search that ended when I was introduced to the Orthodox Church interestingly enough through my own work as a narrator and producer of audiobooks. I was serendipitously hired to narrate/produce two separate audiobooks in 2018 and 2023 respectively, which convinced me that the Orthodox Church is where I was being led spiritually.
So this is my story.
Episode highlights:
01:30 Early Spiritual Experiences
06:53 The Bapticostals
10:15 Do we truly have free will when compelled to act by threat of eternal damnation?
15:10 The Calvinist Presbyterians
18:03 Messianic Judaism
20:48 Spiritual Purgatory in Korea
23:07 The non-Calvinist Presbyterians
27:53 Discovering the Orthodox Church
34:21 Conclusion: An Open Invitation
If you wish to ask me anything about what I've discussed in this podcast, or simply want to discuss any matter related to spirituality, please send me an email james@jamesdnewcomb.com.
I would love to speak with you and answer any questions you might have!
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
In this episode, I share my decade-long journey in the world of podcasting, starting from his initial venture into audiobook recording in 2012 to my current role as the founder of a podcast production company.
You'll hear about the key figures who inspired me to get into the craft, experiences and experiments with various podcast shows through the years, successes, challenges, and the lessons learned along the way.
We close with the most important thing I've learned about doing a podcast. (And if you're thinking of getting into the podcasting craft, I've got a project in the works that might be of interest to you. Just listen in and get all the details!)
Episode highlights:
00:29 First Steps into Audiobook Recording
01:46 Discovering the World of Podcasting
03:30 Launching My First Podcast
04:38 Finding My Niche with Trumpet Dynamics
06:04 The Musicpreneur Experiment
08:57 Transition to Producing Shows for Others
13:24 The most important lesson I've learned
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
In this episode, James D. Newcomb shares his detailed journey from being surrounded by music from birth, influenced by a family of musicians and early school experiences, to becoming a skilled trumpet player.
He recounts pivotal moments in high school under a mentor, his time in military bands, and the significant impact of participating in the Drum and Bugle Corps.
James openly discusses the highs and lows of his musical career, his involvement in a strict church organization, and the shift in his priorities towards podcasting.
He concludes by reaffirming his renewed commitment to performance while balancing his successful podcasting career.
Episode highlights:
01:00 The Musical Roots: A Family Tradition
02:11 The Trumpet Resolution: A New Year's Promise
03:22 High School Years
06:24 Military Musician: Joining the Army Band
07:26 Drum Corps Experience: The Madison Scouts
11:41 Music Takes a Back Seat to Jesus
16:52 Still Got the Godos
18:40 Going Pro
22:50 Podcasting and Priorities: A New Focus
24:49 Future Plans: Embracing Performance Again
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
If you're praising your children, you're doing it wrong, says our guest on today's episode. Perhaps I've misinterpreted the message of our guest, Judy Arnall, who we recently heard on the show discussing her philosophy on unschooling.
But while we were discussing unschooling, I learned that Judy has written not THE book on parenting, but she's written a book on parenting. And it's a very good book. It's titled Discipline Without Distress, 135 Tools for Raising Caring Responsible Children Without Timeout, Spanking, Punishment, or Bribery .
It can be found at any major book retailer in physical or digital format, and I was fortunate enough to be able to have Judy again join me on a call and discuss some of the nuances of parenting, and why we should view ourselves more as tour guides to the yung'ins than disciplinarians.
Maybe unparenting is a more succinct way to put it.
In this episode, Judy discusses her unique approach to parenting. She emphasizes the importance of discipline over punishment, shares insights on avoiding praise addiction, and highlights the significance of fostering open communication and problem-solving skills in children.
Judy also articulates the benefits of non-punitive methods, proactive discipline, family meetings, and voluntary timeouts to build stronger, lifelong relationships with kids.
The conversation includes real-life examples and addresses parents' concerns about navigating a punitive society while encouraging a more empathetic and constructive parenting style.
In this interview with Judy Arnall, you'll discover:
02:09 Judy's Parenting Philosophy
04:16 Personal Parenting Experiences and Reflections
08:06 Why "punishment" as we understand it is ineffective
12:31 Encouragement vs. Praise
18:13 Understanding Discipline Over Punishment
24:01 Navigating Screen Time Boundaries
25:25 Collaborative Problem Solving
27:46 Realistic Expectations and Follow-Through
30:50 The Role of Rewards and Appreciation
35:57 Non-Punitive Parenting in a Punitive Society
39:22 Building Lifelong Relationships
41:27 Unique Parenting Tools
43:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources mentioned:
Discipline Without Distress, 135 Tools for Raising Caring Responsible Children Without Timeout, Spanking, Punishment, or Bribery by Judy Arnall
Judy's website
About the guest:
I will admit it. I’m a bit of a control freak. Actually, I need a lot of control, because I am “Type-A”, “Judgement,” “Gold color” or whatever those personality tests use to describe me. I need people to do things when I ask them to do it and I feel frustrated when they don’t listen to me. It’s often hard for me to remember that my partner and children are not trying to drive me crazy when they don’t listen to what I ask of them. It’s simply that my needs are just not on their radar for that moment.
Like many others who grew up in the 70’s, my parents used bribery and punishment to control their children. In spite of changing societal views on spanking, they did what their parents did and hung a wooden board in the kitchen called “The Board of Education.” We were regularly spanked as small children and as we got older, we were given “lines to write” in a type of home detention. We were also grounded, and had important outings and possessions taken away from us. I still remember the Halloween that I was grounded and watched my siblings eating their stash, while I had none.
Punishment kept some of us in line, like me, but with the lifelong effect of being afraid of my parents. They were the last people on earth I would come to with a problem, or to share my feelings with. I could never relax or have fun with them, because they had an authority fueled by my anger and fear. Punishment also served to egg on the more spirited children I knew, such as my brother. The challenge for him was to keep on doing what he wanted and just not get caught. It became a game. He had no fear of my parents, but he didn’t respect them either. He just didn’t care what they thought. No punishment was severe enough to deter his drive and persistence. My parents’ goal was to raise obedient children, not to build relationships, and they halfway succeeded.
In the 70’s, the trend of spanking was decreasing. Physical punishment was considered not very “positive” in parenting. Parents became widely permissive until the 1980’s when the pendulum swung back again. The move from authoritarian parenting to authoritative parenting really took hold in that decade with a plethora of parenting programs that told parents physical punishments were bad, but emotional and social punishments were “positive discipline.” 75% of parents spanked, and the non-spanking parents felt they really needed to do something when they were angry, so the concept of time-out, or jail-time, became immensely popular as the discipline tool of choice for young children. For older children, the biggest form of punishment was taking away privacy, telephone privileges and grounding all issued under the guise of “logical consequences.” Today, 85% of parents punish their children emotionally while only 65% use physical punishments. And we wonder why teens dismiss their parents in the last years of childhood? The simple answer is because they can. They can withhold emotional and social involvement.
We don’t pick one style of parenting and stay there. We move toward our parenting goal in meandering ways. In the 90’s I had three children under the age of four, and like many parents, felt anger when they wouldn’t listen to me. My parenting goal was to build strong relationships with my children. I vowed never to spank, and only did once (as I confessed in my first book, Discipline Without Distress.) My four year-old son, looked me in the eye, and said with his saddest voice, “Mommy, you tell us that hitting hurts people. You hurt me.” I never used physical punishment ever again.
However, I did do the jail time-outs and logical consequences. Sticking a child in a room and telling them to “think about what they did,” served one purpose – to give me enough space to calm down. This worked well with my two older boys, but then the spirited firecracker of a daughter came along and kicked, screamed and wrecked her room when I put her in time-out. I realized that time-out, as a “calming tool” was not really fun for her or me. I was tired of holding the door closed and her throwing things at it from the other side while no one was calming down. I still believed in “authoritative” parenting, and still considered parents the supreme rulers of the family that would allow input from the children, but parents still made all the rules. However, children have a way of challenging your assumptions and changing your parenting! I gave up the time-outs.
When my children were ten, nine, seven, four, and one, I did it. I gave up the last piece of punishment that I was holding on to from my authoritative parenting view: “logical consequences.” Again, out of the mouths of babes comes wisdom. When I issued a consequence, my nine year-old son said to me, “No, I’m not choosing this consequence! You are imposing it on me!” After much thought, I concluded he was correct. I already had decided the outcome to the situation and it was painful, in order to teach him a lesson. He would have chosen to fix the situation differently, had I let him. When I issued consequences that were “related”, “reasonable” (or so I had thought) and “respectful,” (but it wasn’t respectful enough, that I would do it to my partner, or friend, or neighbor), he decided that it was definitely a punishment and stopped talking to me. I decided to never again use logical consequences on my loved ones. I didn’t take away cell phones, video games, bedroom doors, or car privileges.
In retrospect, I realized parents can’t give up some bad habits without filling the space with good habits. To tell parents not to do something, you have to give them something to do instead. Managing parental anger and stress was the biggest challenge of non-punitive parenting. At the same time that I let go of authoritative parenting, I took a Train-the-Trainer course and practiced the three “must have” relationship communication skills. I became very practiced in 1)acknowledging people’s feelings, 2)asserting my needs through I-statements, and 3)managing conflicts with win-win collaborative problem-solving. Every person needs these skills for every relationship that they value. Married couples do it. Bosses and subordinates do it. Neighbors who want to stay amicable do it. Why not parents and their children? Parents don’t have to choose between the three traditional parenting styles titled authoritarian, authoritative and permissive. More and more, I believed that parents can be a fourth style: collaborative. Problem-solving can replace punishment. After teaching years of classes, I’ve seen parents change over time in accordance with their goal of building a lifelong relationship.
Current research indicates that children need nurturing and structure. They don’t need punishment. Many “positive” discipline programs and books still incorporate emotional punishment such as jail time-outs, logical consequences, and taking away possessions. For children, there is nothing positive about them. If these techniques are things you wouldn’t do to your partner, why would you do them to your kids? Many times, I would have liked to soak some towels and leave them on my partner’s side of the bed, for all the times he leaves his wet shower towel on my side. Hey, it’s reasonable, related, but respectful? Most of what we do to kids in the form of punishment is not respectful. If we wouldn’t want it done to ourselves, why would we do it to them? As much as we like to tell the kids that consequences are positive discipline, ultimately, children will decide what kind of relationship they will have with you, and you can influence that by focusing on your goal in parenting-respect.
Research also shows that although punishment sometimes works in order to get obedience, it does nothing for the relationship. Fear and anger enter the parent-child relationship, and that effects communication, trust, respect and the simple joy of being together. So why do parents keep clinging to it in spite of the research? We do it to relieve our anger. It takes practice, but when we separate our anger from our discipline, we make much better decisions.
How to tell if consequences are punitive or solving a problem? If there is only one solution and its coming just from you, it might be punitive. If you are soliciting ideas from your child and you both choose win-win solutions together, then it is problem-solving.
There is help. We are now seeing new parenting programs teaching collaborative, relationship-building, non-punitive parenting such as Terrific Toddlers, Joan Durrant’s Positive Discipline, The Growing Brain, as well as updated old standbys such as Non-Violent Communication, and Parent Effectiveness Training.
My kids now range in age of 17 to 28 and I’m happy that our relationships are engulfed in mutual respect. When we have disagreements or problems, we negotiate. Negotiation makes me human with real needs and the rights to get my needs met, just as the kids have the right to get their needs met. We are very influential to each other.
I met with a lot of resistance from society about my non-punitive parenting throughout the years. Relatives questioned my stance. My parents felt I was judging their ways and friends agreed that the topic was off the table if we wanted to remain friends. Now that my oldest children are young adults, and pretty decent human beings, the comments have lessened.
When I teach parents about dropping punishments, I can see the look of surprise and skepticism on their faces. No parent ever goes home after a class and drops all punishments. It’s a process. We let go of punishments one at a time. We see how much harder they are to implement and how much effort it takes from us to continue them. We also see how much it effects our children’s relationship with us.
A common question I hear is, “The world is full of consequences. They have to learn them sometime!” My response is to let the rest of the world punish. You don’t have to. You are building a lifelong love relationship with your child (which the rest of the world is not doing) and don’t have to punish. Just provide nurturing (love) and structure (teaching). You will raise a caring, responsible and good citizen. No fear and no anger towards parents yield high communication, less rebellion, less stress and much less attitude from the child. You can be close and trusted enough that they will come to you with their problems. You can enjoy activities with your teen because they want to spend time with you.
So every day, take a little baby step closer to non-punitive parenting. Young children get better self-control with increased age. It’s a brain development issue; not a discipline issue. You will have many, many, moments to teach your child in the school-aged years. Don’t project ahead. A child who hits at three will not be hitting at 13. Even if your kids are teens, start today. First, work on trying to try to curb your anger. Go outside and take a few deep breaths, go yell in the toilet, or drink a glass of water to calm-down. Once everyone’s calm, then take action. If your child is under three years, teach and redirect. If your child is older than three, help them to problem-solve possible outcomes with you. Aim for win-win solutions that meet their needs and your needs. You have my guarantee; you will enjoy the teen years!
Most Warmly, Judy
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
In today's episode, we discuss the concept of "unschooling", a learner-directed educational approach popularized by John Holt, contrasting it with traditional schooling.
Traditional? Actually what we know as "unschooling" was considered pretty normal until the Industrial Revolution introduced the concept of the 8-hour work day, parents working far from home. What to do with the kids?
Voila! The modern school environment was born. And while there are some pretty good public and even private institutions, even the best of intentions can't undo basic humanity and how we're programmed to learn how to live life, learn a trade or a profession, etc.
Our guest, Judy Arnall, is the author of 'Unschooling to University'. Judy shares her journey into unschooling driven by her dissatisfaction with authoritarian school environments and her commitment to non-punitive parenting.
Judy explains the benefits of unschooling, such as fostering a child's innate curiosity and self-directed learning, and addresses common concerns like gaps in knowledge and the role of screens in education. We also touch on the practicalities of unschooling, such as transitioning to formal learning for university preparation and overcoming societal misconceptions about educational authority.
The conversation includes Judy’s insights into brain development, discipline versus punishment, and the advantages of personalized, interest-driven education for children.
Be sure to tune in to my follow-up interview with Judy which focuses exclusively on the concept of non-punitive parenting. If you're exasperated with trying to get your kids to "do the right thing," you might want to give it a listen!
In this interview with Judy, you'll discover:
01:59 Judy's Journey into Unschooling
04:04 The Concept of Discipline vs. Punishment
05:04 Critique of Traditional Schooling Methods
07:21 Impact of Traditional Schooling on Children
08:14 Unschooling and Special Needs
09:28 Common Objections to Unschooling
15:09 The Role of Video Games in Education
18:43 Transitioning to Unschooling
24:44 Challenges and Considerations in Unschooling
26:22 Addressing Concerns About Unschooling
26:37 Teaching Commitment and Grit
27:22 Personal Experiences with Commitment
29:53 Managing Screen Time and Activities
31:30 Transitioning to Formal Education
33:49 The Role of Khan Academy
35:42 Homeschooling vs. Traditional Schooling
43:10 Parental Rights in Education
45:48 Resources for Unschooling
46:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Resources mentioned:
Unschooling to University
Judy Arnall's website
About the guest:
Judy Arnall, BA, CCFE (Certified Canadian Family Life Educator), DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) is an international award winning professional keynote speaker and a well-known Canadian parenting expert, having given advice for television interviews on CBC, CTV, and Global as well as publications such as Chatelaine, Today’s Parent, Canadian Living, Parents magazine, and newspapers including The Globe and Mail, Sun Media and Postmedia News.
Judy is certified in the Brain Story and many training programs such as The Growing Brain: 0-5, by ZeroToThree.org, Terrific Toddlers by AHS-Alberta Health Services, P.E.T. Parent Effectiveness Training, Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (Durrant), and Attached At The Heart by API-Attachment Parenting International.
The devil doesn't want you to listen to this!
Napoleon Hill's Outwitting the Devil is now available in audiobook format, narrated by Yours Truly.
Visit my website, jamesdnewcomb.com to get instant access to the audios!
In this episode, I discuss the book 'The Logic of Freedom' with author Laura Davidson. Laura shares her background in earth sciences and social sciences, particularly focusing on economics, philosophy, and the Austrian school of thought.
The conversation covers various topics including the principles of libertarianism, free will, consciousness, and the differences between the noumenal and phenomenal realms as introduced by Immanuel Kant.
The interview also explores the psychological dynamics behind totalitarian regimes and crowd psychology, highlighting how fear and manipulation can lead to the erosion of individual freedoms.
Our discussion ends on a note of optimism, encouraging readers to pursue truth and goodness as pathways to a freer and more meaningful life.
Episode highlights:
03:10 Laura's Background and Motivation
04:37 Exploring the Non-Aggression Principle
07:18 Free Will vs. Determinism
10:25 Levels of Consciousness
17:51 The Noumenal and Phenomenal Realms
23:44 Kant's Influence on Modern Thought
24:40 The Concept of Freedom in Politics
26:06 Free Will and Human Instincts
27:46 Manipulation and the Dark Triad
30:33 Totalitarianism and Crowd Psychology
37:23 The Non-Aggression Principle
42:09 Spiritual Insights and Eternal Truths
44:26 Closing Remarks and Book Promotion
Resources mentioned:
The Logic of Freedom by Laura Davidson
About the guest:
Laura Davidson is an accomplished author, researcher, and multi-disciplinary thinker who has established herself as an influential figure in the fields of economics, philosophy, and libertarian ethics. Her work, which is characterized by a rigorous approach to complex issues, has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals.
Davidson is a recipient of the prestigious Lawrence Fertig prize in economics from the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which recognizes her outstanding contribution to the field of economics in the Austrian tradition. In addition to her writing, she is a frequent speaker at libertarian and economic research conferences, as well as other venues, where her presentations have been praised for their clarity and originality.
Davidson is a graduate of Oxford University, where she studied earth science and developed an understanding of the natural world and its complexities. Her intellectual curiosity subsequently led to an interest in the social sciences. Through her recent research and writing, she seeks to promote a more integrated and holistic understanding of the world we live in, one that takes account of both the natural and social dimensions of human experience.
While stressing that the social and natural sciences employ very different methodologies, she realizes that they can inform and enrich each other through a shared commitment to logical reasoning. Her work has received widespread recognition, and she continues to be a prominent voice in the ongoing conversation about the intersection of science, philosophy, and economics.
About The Logic of Freedom
What does it mean to be truly free? In this bold and ground-breaking exploration of human freedom, libertarian philosopher Laura Davidson challenges us to contemplate the true nature of liberty. In doing so, she leads us to question many things we may think we know about the human condition and the world around us.
Genuine freedom starts with an understanding we have freedom of the will. And yet many present-day scientists and philosophers argue that free will is merely an illusion. Their claim is that the activity of the brain is a purely physical process, analogous to the operation of a computer. But this implies we are mere automatons and cannot be held morally responsible for what we do. Moreover, if human thought and action is strictly deterministic, then this seriously challenges the notion of a genuinely free society by legitimizing the initiation of force and threat of force, particularly by those in positions of power.
This book strongly disagrees with determinism and tackles it head-on. Drawing from studies in consciousness and the philosophy of mind, Davidson presents a logical argument to demonstrate why the human will is inherently free. While acknowledging that our choices are clearly influenced by certain biological instincts, many of which we have inherited from our evolutionary past, she employs fresh insights to show why we alone are the final arbiters of how we act. Unlike animals, which possess a lower form of consciousness, our decisions are not made for us. Her innovative and original ideas are a breakthrough in the discourse on free will, bringing a new perspective to the age-old question of whether or not human beings have real agency.
However, while most people employ their will to cooperate with others, some individuals choose to dominate with force in order to attain power and, under certain conditions, are able to manipulate the masses in a way that leads to tyranny. A crucial aspect of Davidson’s argument is that political control of any kind, including all forms of force and coercion, is inconsistent with our humanity as free and rational beings and with life itself. She demonstrates why a genuinely free society is mankind’s natural destiny and argues that it can ultimately be achieved. Nevertheless, true political freedom of this kind will only occur when the libertarian principle of nonaggression is strictly observed in all areas of life.
She reaches startling and thought-provoking conclusions on the relationship between law, personal morality, and society, challenging some of the most basic foundations of modern polity, and ends with addressing perhaps the most important issue of all: the nature of absolute truth, and how an understanding of such truth leads to genuine freedom and happiness.
Recorded in November 2022, James Newcomb interviews Sarry Ibrahim, founder of thinkinglikabank.com, a website dedicated to educating the principles of sound money and living a life free from the overlords in the banking system.
Sarry shares his background and journey into financial literacy, starting from a consumer economics class in high school to earning an MBA and gaining experience in big insurance companies. He discusses the major financial stressor for many Americans—the inability to miss one paycheck without financial strain—and emphasizes the importance of passive income.
Sarry explains various passive income methods, such as limited partnerships in real estate and investing in dividend-paying stocks. He also advocates for private money lending as a way to generate income more autonomously. The discussion extends into the philosophy of 'thinking like a bank,' where individuals or families can use whole life insurance policies to finance their needs rather than relying on traditional banks. The importance of self-education in personal finance over traditional schooling is emphasized, promoting reading and podcast listening to understand practical financial strategies.
The interview wraps up with Sarry offering personalized advice to an immigrant newcomer on building wealth through financial literacy and self-education.
Episode highlights:
00:46 Sarry's Background and Journey
02:26 The Biggest Financial Stressor
04:09 Strategies for Financial Independence
06:03 Generating Passive Income
09:15 Investing Wisely
12:18 How to overcome financial woes by thinking like a bank
19:07 Financial advice for a brand new American resident
21:25 Conclusion and Farewell
About the guest:
Download a free copy of Thinking Like a Bank
Sarry Ibrahim founded Financial Asset Protection after learning about the Infinite Banking Concept (also known as the Bank On Yourself Concept). He saw this as an opportunity to save retirement accounts, real estate properties, and businesses from market failures and other risks. Sarry believes the number 1 rule to your money is to make sure it lives somewhere safe and accessible.
As Sarry states when working with clients “it is never an either/or situation, it is a both/and situation. We want you to integrate the solutions we recommend alongside your business and real estate portfolio to have a double-compounding effect on your money.”
Sarry earned his MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management in Chicago, IL and has consulted companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield, Allstate Insurance, Humana, and Cigna Healthspring.
In this episode, I'm joined by the great John Lee Dumas, host of the longstanding and uber successful podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire. We did a deep dive into our long-standing relationship in the podcasting sphere, and discussed things such as:
- Strategies for achieving significant financial milestones
- The importance of surrounding oneself with the right people for success
- The impact of artificial intelligence on podcasting
- Maintaining a fruitful marriage while being business partners
In this candid interview you'll hear John share his own personal business and life journey, emphasizing the need to invest in oneself and the role of mentorship in his success.
Episode highlights:
00:00 Introduction and Background
01:37 Catching Up with John Lee Dumas
03:31 The Path to Financial Success
09:30 The Importance of Authenticity
15:45 Balancing Business and Personal Life
22:54 The Future of AI in Podcasting
29:10 Final Thoughts and Encouragement
Resources Mentioned:
Entrepreneurs on Fire
The Common Path to Uncommon Success by John Lee Dumas
About the Guest:
I’m the founder & host of Entrepreneurs On Fire, an award-winning podcast where I interview inspiring entrepreneurs to help YOU along your entrepreneurial journey!
I’m also the author of The Common Path to Uncommon Success, your 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!
If you’re tired of spending 90% of your day doing things you don’t enjoy and only 10% doing things you love, then you’re in the right place. My goal with Entrepreneurs On Fire is to deliver the inspiration and strategies you need to FIRE UP your entrepreneurial journey and create the life you’ve always dreamed of.
I’ve interviewed over 3,000 incredible entrepreneurs, including Tony Robbins, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk, Barbara Corcoran, Tim Ferriss, and many more.
However, before Entrepreneurs On Fire was even a thought, my journey was full of struggle and searching.
Episode Sponsor:
Gramer-Petrulo
I first heard of Bitcoin around the time it was first gaining steam, circa 2010ish. I guess due to certain circles where I spent my time and education, it was only natural that it would come up in conversation. While it remained mysterious, I was brave enough to invest a bit of my own USD into Bitcoin in the 2013 timeframe, and have kept up with it somewhat through the years.
What attracted me to the Bitcoin "craze" at that time was how people who's opinion I respect explained that it's not an investment opportunity - as most folks think of it today - but it actually mimics the most sound of forms of money in many ways.
Now with the recent revelations of the FTX scandal, Bitcoin is in the news more than ever. And while it's for all the wrong reasons, I wanted to bring on to the show someone who is informed on the right reasons to "invest" in Bitcoin. I use the quotes around the word invest because it's not a typical investment where you put a certain amount of government-issued currency then gain a return on it after a period of time. It's actually much more complex (or simple?) than that. Bitcoin is a means of exchange to pay for stuff that circumvents governments entirely.
Wesley Schlemmer of the Bitcoin Bay joins us on today's episode to explain the basics of Bitcoin, the Blockchain, the basics of sound money and more. While the fallout from the FTX misdeeds will be felt for some time, the upside is that Bitcoin is on people's minds, and we have an opportunity to learn about it, and learn how to do it the way the creators of Bitcoin intended it to be used in the first place!
In this episode, you'll discover:
-Wesley's personal background and becoming familiar with crypto...01:15
-Cypher Punks and a short history of Bitcoin (Hint: It'snot an investment opportunity!)...03:45
-What is the Blockchain, and what is its relation to cryptocurrency?...14:15
-What is sound money, and what makes Bitcoin a sound form of exchange?...19:20
-
Three primary characteristics
-
Medium of exchange
- Store of value
-
Unit of account
-
Qualities of sound money
-
Durable
- Fuingle
- Divisible
- Portable
- Scarce
-How Bitcoin promotes self-responsibility..27:00
-What the heck happened with FTX, and what can we learn from it?...31:00
-How to get into the Bitcoin game, and the proper reasons for doing so...37:38
Resources mentioned:
Bitcoin Bay website
Cypherpunk Manifesto
Info about blockchain wallets Wesley mentions
The Bitcoin Standard
Muun Bitcoin Wallets
Bisq
Terms mentioned:
Blockchain
Litecoin
Ethereum
Block Chimes
Cypher Punks
Panopticon
Difficulty of Adjustment
Privacy v. Secrecy
Hal Finney
Blocksize Wars
BTC Token v. Network
Unit of Account
SAT's (not a pre-college test)
Stock to Flow Ratio
Seed Phrase
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan
- Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business.
Click this link to listen to the audio series.
James here:
"I recently joined an accountability/mastermind type group that's hosted within the "School of Life" which was founded by my friend and in many ways mentor, Tom Woods.
In the group where we have meetings I got acquainted with a fellow podcaster named Brian O'Leary. Brian took it upon himself to interview 100 members of Tom's School of Life, and so he reached out to me to see if I'd be game for an interview.
Of course I am, I replied, and so we set up a time and got it done. I thought I would share our conversation on this podcast feed as it gives you dear listeners a chance to get to know your humble host a little bit deeper, and also learn a bit about my own philosophy when it comes to podcasting, publishing, building a personal brand and more!"
In this episode with "guest" interviewer Brian O'Leary, you'll discover:
-Be serious, but don't take yourself too seriously...03:12
-James' journey to the Tom Woods camp...04:30
-Spontaneous sparks lighting the fires of freedom...07:00
-James' journey into the realm of digital publishing...09:15
-Why SEO is a waste of time...11:00
-How James got into podcasting in 2015...14:30
-James' experience leaving the military as a conscientious objector...16:00
-Describing the Ba Vojdaan podcast...19:45
-How podcasters make money with podcasting...21:30
-The future of the Ba Vojdaan podcast...26:30
-Opinions of others are the downfall of a personality-based brand...28:30
-Monetize your haters? or just let them have a bad day...32:15
-How James has made his living in the podcasting field...35:45
-YOU are the product...40:40
Resources mentioned:
The O'Leary Review
Ben Greenfield Life
General MacArthur's Farewell Address at West Point
Podcast Artistry™
Trumpet Dynamics
JNS Media
Ba Vojdaan Podcast
Podcasting is arguably the most powerful media available today for getting your message out there. It's accessible, it's relatively inexpensive, and perhaps most important, you don't need to fret about getting "cancelled" because you express an opinion not approved by Big Tech.
It's also overwhelming for the uninitiated at the very thought of doing it. Because let's face it; it is a lot of work if you want to do it right. And if you're not a business with a huge marketing budget, you probably don't have the funds needed to hire a professional producer (like your humble host) to do the lion's share of the work for you.
This is why I've created the Podcasting 0-60 program. I will show you the tips, tricks and hacks I've learned over 8 years in the business (and making my living producing podcasts) and will guide you through every aspect of the creation process so that you're up and running WITH YOUR VERY OWN PODCAST in 60 days or less!
It's not as difficult as you might think with the right training and coaching, and you won't break the bank getting started.
To learn more about how starting a podcast can improve your visibility and IMPACT in your market, visit podcasting0-60.com!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today we're sharing the story of Squanto, a Native American who with Providential intervention played a crucial role in the survival of the earliest Europeans settling in what is now known as the United States of America.
It's written by the great Eric Metaxas (a dream guest for our podcast, so stay tuned), and I'm sharing the link to his article if you want to bookmark it for future reference.
Here's Eric's article.
Podcasting is arguably the most powerful media available today for getting your message out there. It's accessible, it's relatively inexpensive, and perhaps most important, you don't need to fret about getting "cancelled" because you express an opinion not approved by Big Tech.
It's also overwhelming for the uninitiated at the very thought of doing it. Because let's face it; it is a lot of work if you want to do it right. And if you're not a business with a huge marketing budget, you probably don't have the funds needed to hire a professional producer (like your humble host) to do the lion's share of the work for you.
This is why I've created the Podcasting 0-60 program. I will show you the tips, tricks and hacks I've learned over 8 years in the business (and making my living producing podcasts) and will guide you through every aspect of the creation process so that you're up and running WITH YOUR VERY OWN PODCAST in 60 days or less!
It's not as difficult as you might think with the right training and coaching, and you won't break the bank getting started.
To learn more about how starting a podcast can improve your visibility and IMPACT in your market, visit podcasting0-60.com!
Podcasting is arguably the most powerful media available today for getting your message out there. It's accessible, it's relatively inexpensive, and perhaps most important, you don't need to fret about getting "cancelled" because you express an opinion not approved by Big Tech.
It's also overwhelming for the uninitiated at the very thought of doing it. Because let's face it; it is a lot of work if you want to do it right. And if you're not a business with a huge marketing budget, you probably don't have the funds needed to hire a professional producer (like your humble host) to do the lion's share of the work for you.
This is why I've created the Podcasting 0-60 program. I will show you the tips, tricks and hacks I've learned over 8 years in the business (and making my living producing podcasts) and will guide you through every aspect of the creation process so that you're up and running WITH YOUR VERY OWN PODCAST in 60 days or less!
It's not as difficult as you might think with the right training and coaching, and you won't break the bank getting started.
To learn more about how starting a podcast can improve your visibility and IMPACT in your market, visit podcasting0-60.com!
We only tell people we met "online" for the sake of expedience. I mean, after our mutual friend introduced us, we met via email, then FaceTime, so technically we met online, but it's time we tell the world the TRUE story of how James and Sana met.
It really is an unbelievable story.
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE:
- Community
- Respect
- Adventure
- Vojdaan
- Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business.
Click this link to listen to the audio series.
August 2019, I drove my son Gabriel to visit my brother and his family in Kentucky. Dave has two sons, and they both get along really well with Gabriel.
KY is a 12-13 hour drive from my home in Virginia Beach, so even getting an early start it's a long, tiring day of driving. We ended up getting a later start than planned because of Gabriel's asthma acting up, which meant some treatments with the nebulizer, a quick doctor's visit, etc. But get going we did at about 1 pm.
I figured with such a late start I would drive 8 hours or so, then get an airbnb somewhere in West Virginia, then do the final 4 hours or so of driving to my brother's house. Since I'd been up since 5 am, it seemed like a sound plan.
So we made it to one of the towns in western West Virginia (kind of a mouthful, I know) where I had booked an Airbnb. We checked in, then went to Waffle House for some dinner.
It was at the Waffle House that I explained to Gabriel, then 5 years old, that we were going to spend the night in this town, then drive the rest of the way to see his cousins in Kentucky.
Gabriel was not going to hear anything of the sort. He had it made up in his mind that he was going to see his cousins that day, and that was that. He began sobbing at the very thought of staying at the place we had just visited that night, and not being able to see Evan and Aaron until the following morning.
I did my best to explain to him that daddy is very tired, that he needs his rest so he can drive the rest of the way to Kentucky, but I may as well have been talking to the hydrogenated food product melting on my waffle. It was falling on deaf ears.
He then said something that was so dang cute, mere words on the iPhone screen you're reading this email can never do it justice.
In between sobs, and pleading with me to not spend the night where we were, he said, "Daddy, you're not doing your best!"
We ended up driving to Kentucky that night, got in about 1:30 am.
How do you refuse a 5 year old child who simply will not be denied waking up the next morning and playing games with his cousins?
Short answer: You don't.
My son taught me an important lesson there in that Waffle House. No matter how much I've done, I can always do more to finish the job.
Of course I could have put my foot down and said we're done driving for the day. He would have gone to sleep just fine, we would have arrived mid morning the next day and all would have been well. In fact, Gabriel today at 8 years old probably wouldn't be so insistent on arriving in Kentucky that night. That's just the personality he had at that stage of his life.
It was one of those precious moments a father is given for a happy memory, and also a life lesson to pass onto others.
Doing just a little bit more than is expected for our Podcast Artistry™ clients is what keeps me motivated to continue doing it. It's kind of the magic of a service-based business; you can always personalize it, make it something only you would do. Kind of like those Far Side cartoons I mentioned the other day. There are about a kajillion cartoons out there, but there's only one Far Side; and its got legions of berserker fans to show for it.
If you or someone you know is looking to get their name and/or message out into the inter webs, podcasting is a great way to do it, and we've got space for just a few more clients before we need to close the doors for an unspecified period of time.
To learn more about what we have to offer, check us out:
In this episode with Sarry Ibrahim, you'll discover: -Sarry's backstory and becoming a financial wiz...02:00 -The #1 stressor for Americans when it comes to money...04:28 -Reconciling our expectations regarding quality of life vs. exponentially rising cost of living...05:15 -Popular streams of passive income (that are not related to real estate)...07:40 -The criteria Sarry uses to decide whether or not he'll invest in a product/service...11:10 -How to "think like a bank" and create generational wealth without making a bunch of nameless, faceless bankers rich...15:00 -Challenges in reframing our thinking regarding finances and money...17:50 -Sarry's advice for Sana, who's just arrived in the United States, to make her mark in the American economy...22:00 -And much more! Resources mentioned: thinkinglikeabank.com Thinking of starting a podcast? The experts agree it is a great tool to have in your marketing arsenal. But knowing where to begin is information overload to say the least! It's why we're proud to announce our latest course, Podcasting 0-60, where we will teach you everything you need to know to get your podcast up and running from idea to fully functioning, live on the Internet show - in 60 Days or Less! Quit worrying about where to start, and start creating. Let us show you the way. Check out podcast0-60.com to learn more.
"If you are in a relationship, you have two gardens. Your own garden, and that of your beloved. First you have to take care of your own garden, and master the art of gardening. In each one of us there are flowers and garbage. The garbage is the anger, fear, discrimination, and jealousy within us. If you water the garbage, you will strengthen the negative seeds. If you water the flowers of compassion, understanding and love, you will strengthen the positive seeds. What you grow is up to you. If you want to make peace with the other person, you have to go home to yourself. Go home to your garden and cultivate the flowers of peace, compassion, understanding and joy. Only after that can you come to your partner and be patient and compassionate." --Thich Nhat Hanh What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
Welcome to the show James' father, Jon Newcomb! Jon is a "relationship coach" who has a background in clinical family counseling, and has recently pivoted into a new realm of offering his services to those in need of a fresh take on their own marriage and intimate relationships. In this episode, you'll discover: -The funny story of how James' birth was instigated with a mountain bike...04:00 -Jon's personal history and leading to becoming a "relationship coach"...06:10 -How a marriage counselor planted the seed of helping others' relationships...08:12 -The #1 inhibitor to maintaining a happy marriage...13:34 -Communication problems are a mere indicator of a big problem; it's not the problem...15:20 -What is the #1 consideration for both parties to bring happiness into a marriage?...17:00 -"There's only half of me here" says James while Sana was over in Vietnam...21:00 -How has the marriage coaching scene changed over the last 17 years?...23:30 -The importance of marriage in maintaining a strong and free society...27:17 Resources mentioned: https://jnshub.com/jonlife yourcoachforlife.life What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
Let me tell you a story...In May of 2021, I was in a cab with my wife Sana, on our way to a restaurant and shopping mall in Hanoi to enjoy a Saturday together. I was literally ready to retire from trumpet playing, really having anything to do with the trumpet. In my mind, it was something that I had done and I had done it well, and I'd done some cool things. It appeared to me that my life was going on a trajectory in which trumpet was not a part. So I had told her that I was going to quit and I was done. And she said, "Well, James, I think that you should continue with it. I think you should stick with it." And I said, "I would have to have a really good reason to do that." And she said, "I'm your wife. Isn't that reason enough?" Well, that's a good point. If your wife says that you should do something, you do it for her. So I decided that I'm going to continue to play it. And if I'm going to do it, then I'm going to do it the very best that I can with the time and resources that I have at my disposal. And I'm just going to make the absolute best of it because that's really the way that you should approach anything. So that was, I think, in May of 2021, and I believe it was just a couple of weeks later, I had been sleeping and woke up in the morning and just this word was in my mind that it was this word that was in my mind when I woke up, it was Ikigai. Now I am not an expert on Ikigai. In fact, I had heard the word just once or twice listening to one of my podcast production clients, Ben Greenfield, who has mentioned that word a couple of times. But that was really my exposure to the word. But there I was, I woke up and there was this word on my mind. And it wasn't just a passing thought. It was really pressing on me. And so I went onto my smartphone and I opened up Amazon and just typed in Ikigai. I want to know more about that. One of the first listings on Amazon was a book that was written by my guest on today's show: https://amzn.to/3yykDrH (Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life) I read the book thoroughly enjoyed it. And I thought, you know, if I have a platform such as a podcast, people should know about not just about the concept of Ikigai, they should also know the person who has written about it extensively. And so I just reached out and said, "Hey, loved your book, want to do a podcast?" And he said, yeah, absolutely. I just love how things just kind of come together like that. It seems on the surface that they may be random, but I really don't believe that I don't believe in random meetings or random events like that. It's just a real pleasure to bring onto the show, the author of https://amzn.to/3yykDrH (Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life), Hector Garcia. In my conversation with Hector, you'll learn:-What is an ikigai?...05:40Life and "worthwhile" Not limited to humans "That thing that makes you look forward to waking up in the morning"
-Why Hector is more interested in the word ikigai becoming famous than himself...-How ikigai is understood by different cultures...10:42A compass
-Good resistance vs. bad resistance...15:00-How Hector discovered his own ikigai...19:00-How to pursue your ikigai without making reckless decisions for you and your family...25:02-Why a "real job" may be the exactly what you need to be a successful musician...28:10-Increase your productivity while working in a state of "flow"...30:50-What makes Japan so special?...37:45-And much more!Resources mentioned:https://amzn.to/3yykDrH (Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life) https://amzn.to/3hmpYwr (Steal Like an Artist)
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series. Thinking of starting a podcast? The experts agree it is a great tool to have in your marketing arsenal. But knowing where to begin is information overload to say the least! It's why we're proud to announce our latest course, Podcasting 0-60, where we will teach you everything you need to know to get your podcast up and running from idea to fully functioning, live on the Internet show - in 60 Days or Less! Quit worrying about where to start, and start creating. Let us show you the way. Check out podcast0-60.com to learn more.
"Prabu Mohan: A Humble Man of Letters" is a story of a man who is not good at anything, but is trying his best. Here's a breakdown of what is covered: [00:00:07] - Having an in sync marriage. [00:02:00] - Special guest prabu. [00:04:18] - This is our first guest on the podcast. [00:06:54] - Tell us about yourself. [00:08:47] - What did you major in. [00:18:20] - How did you get into photography. [00:21:34] - Learning the craft of photography. [00:30:08] - Memories of Sri Lanka. What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series. (We're trying out a new AI service that generates a title and show notes for episodes. Aside from a few minor adjustments, we think it did a pretty good job. Let us know what you think!)
Check out photos of the coffee shop and its staff https://www.canva.com/design/DAFNw6jiwac/6GUK8EqPSLKAJFyk2Wb3PA/view?utm_content=DAFNw6jiwac&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=homepage_design_menu (here). What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series. Thinking of starting a podcast? The experts agree it is a great tool to have in your marketing arsenal. But knowing where to begin is information overload to say the least! It's why we're proud to announce our latest course, Podcasting 0-60, where we will teach you everything you need to know to get your podcast up and running from idea to fully functioning, live on the Internet show - in 60 Days or Less! Quit worrying about where to start, and start creating. Let us show you the way. Check out podcast0-60.com to learn more.
Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but our friend and guest Hien is a pretty important gal at Sana's former employer, British University Vietnam (BUV). Sana and James sat down with Hien at the kitchen table in EcoPark and got to know her personal history, the vital role she played in keeping the trains running on time during the Covid situation, and why a teacher encouraged her not to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. Enjoy! What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series. Thinking of starting a podcast? The experts agree it is a great tool to have in your marketing arsenal. But knowing where to begin is information overload to say the least! It's why we're proud to announce our latest course, Podcasting 0-60, where we will teach you everything you need to know to get your podcast up and running from idea to fully functioning, live on the Internet show - in 60 Days or Less! Quit worrying about where to start, and start creating. Let us show you the way. Check out podcast0-60.com to learn more.
Opening copy In this episode, you'll discover: - - - - - - - - Resources mentioned: What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series. Thinking of starting a podcast? The experts agree it is a great tool to have in your marketing arsenal. But knowing where to begin is information overload to say the least! It's why we're proud to announce our latest course, Podcasting 0-60, where we will teach you everything you need to know to get your podcast up and running from idea to fully functioning, live on the Internet show - in 60 Days or Less! Quit worrying about where to start, and start creating. Let us show you the way. Check out podcast0-60.com to learn more.
Thinking of starting a podcast? The experts agree it is a great tool to have in your marketing arsenal. But knowing where to begin is information overload to say the least! It's why we're proud to announce our latest course, Podcasting 0-60, where we will teach you everything you need to know to get your podcast up and running from idea to fully functioning, live on the Internet show - in 60 Days or Less! Quit worrying about where to start, and start creating. Let us show you the way. Check out podcast0-60.com to learn more. What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
James and Sana give a review of the news (we managed to find one not-negative headline!) and give commentary on what's really important in life, and when you know it's right to stand up for what you believe to be true. Thinking of starting a podcast? The experts agree it is a great tool to have in your marketing arsenal. But knowing where to begin is information overload to say the least! It's why we're proud to announce our latest course, Podcasting 0-60, where we will teach you everything you need to know to get your podcast up and running from idea to fully functioning, live on the Internet show - in 60 Days or Less! Quit worrying about where to start, and start creating. Let us show you the way. Check out podcast0-60.com to learn more.
Persian word of the day: پیش غذا [Pish ghaza] Resources mentioned: 1440 Daily News Digest Meta Bizics Regarding Consciousness Podcast w/ Jennifer K. Hill What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
Sana and James recorded while lying down in the spare bedroom in the apartment in Igoe Park. Although we had no agenda for this podcast, we ended up with was rather interesting in our humble opinion. Enjoy!
**This was recorded with intent to air on the Trumpet Dynamics podcast. However, since it is relevant, I decided to play it on the Ba Vojdaan feed as well. Just letting you know in the event you hear links related to the Trumpet Dynamics podcast; I'm aware of it! James shares some tips and advice on how to get over jet lag in a reasonable amount of time. After having split time between Virginia and Vietnam over the course of 3 years, he has learned a thing or two about recovering from the major jet lag that comes from going to and from the United States! In this episode, you'll discover: -Best tips to overcome jet lag: Reset the circadian rhythm Expose yourself to daylight at a time you'd ordinarily be sleep Ground yourself by walking barefoot on the grass after you land Eat and sleep at normal times at your destination The mindset: Quit telling yourself you're at the old destination! "Catching up on sleep" is not a race. Go to bed at a normal bedtime, get your rest, then take it easy the following day
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
James here. I love going for a walk early in the morning, and I've decided to redeem the time by recording things on my mind related to life, business, marketing and what not by recording short podcasts for you while going for my walks. This is such a podcast, and I think you might glean some value from it. Enjoy! What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
Seven years and change into my podcasting career, I’ve made an observation about the podcasting craft that is cause for concern. That is a conspicuous absence of artistry in those who publish them. Far too often a podcast is viewed as a mere marketing tool, a means of making others aware you exist, generating leads to follow up with for your business. This is not an incorrect view of a podcast. It is all that and probably a whole lot more regarding the marketing side of things. But to view a podcast as only a marketing tool, only a means of generating affiliate revenue, ad revenue, etc. misses the mark. To read the entire article, please click https://jnshub.com/podcast-artistry-1 (here). Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
**Warning: James and Sana reference the most recent episode of Better Call Saul (Season 6, episode 8). If you're planning on watching it, and haven't yet, probably want to skip this one. What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
**Spoiler alert. We talked about the new Top Gun movie, and gave away some of the plot points and scenes from the movie. So if you haven't seen it and want to be surprised by it (as we were and loved it), press Play with caution. What do you CRAVE? Sana and James have put a lot of thought into this, and the core values we wish to share with the world, be it in business, family, or otherwise. We boiled it down to these 5 elements we all CRAVE: Community Respect Adventure Vojdaan Energy
In this audio series, James and Sana share their thoughts on each of the 5 core values, and what they mean to you as a listener, a friend, or perhaps someone with whom we do business. https://jnshub.com/crave (Click this link) to listen to the audio series.
Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
What are you going through good times or bad times, your response to your circumstances is part of your story. If you were going through a hard time, you can take heart in the fact that you are part of a great story. James and Sana discuss this in today's episode. Enjoy! Got a story to share with the world, looking for the direction guidance and technical expertise to share it? That's why we are here. We are the GSD Network, we will bring your vision to reality. Click here for more information.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
In this hair-raising, no-frills edition of Ba Vojdaan, James and Sana discuss actionable steps to take prior to travel in the event the airline loses your luggage.
As was the case with James, who arrived in Vietnam last Friday only be told his bags were not on the same plane as he was. In fact, it took over 4 days to locate the bags and get them to the right place.
James and Sana recorded this on the car ride to the airport to retrieve the bags. Thankfully nothing was lost, stolen or damaged, and life in Paradise continues. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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Yesterday was a bit difficult. It was an emotional time because it was my final day with my son, Gabriel for it's going to be some time I expect it'll be a few months.
It was a different goodbye from my son. Yesterday than it has been in the past. I've left a couple of times before. And he's to the age where he's able to perceive his emotions and he's able to be aware of his emotions and express emotions in a way that he didn't when he was five and six years old, he's just about eight years old now.
And it was just, it was different and it was very, it was tearful for him. For me, it was very much. And there were some things that I said to him that I wanted to, it was just, I guess you could call it fatherly wisdom passing on to a son. And I did this in the spirit of helping him to cope with this.
So oftentimes that you go with the principle of what is said versus the actual letter of the law, so to speak. So the first thing that I told my son that I wanted him to do while I was away is to be good to his mother, to do what his mother says to Listened to his mom and be respectful to his mom because it's difficult.
The second thing that I said to my son was it's okay to cry. I don't want my son to think that he has to hold his emotions in he's to the age he's at the age where he's going to be inclined to think that crying is for wimps it's for sissies big boys don't cry.
We all think that men think that. We think that we're too good to cry, but I told him Gabriel, it's okay to cry. If you feel like you need to cry. It's okay. It's totally human to cry when you get emotional, when you get sad. It's okay. And then the third thing that I told them, Was to when he is feeling angry, when he's feeling upset and he feels like he's going to get angry at something, just take a deep breath.
I told him, oftentimes when you get angry at something really small, like something really small will trigger your anger and you just, whatever you have a reaction. And it's not that one little thing. It may be, maybe it's something that is upsetting in and of itself, but it doesn't warrant the reaction that some that we sometimes have at that small little thing.
And I told him when you feel like you're about to get angry at something, just take a deep breath, breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. And I don't know if he is going to remember that exact instruction to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. But I think that he will remember to breathe when he's feeling upset, angry at something.
I asked him to repeat what I had said a couple of times and he said it right back to me. He said, be good to my mom. It's okay to cry. And. Take a deep breath when I'm feeling angry.
Those three things I wanted to share with you, because I think that they could be of use that could be a value to really anyone that listens and is dealing with any type of stressful situation. Not just a separation from a loved one, but really anything.
I hope that this little recording that I made is a value to you and we'll be in your ear ball soon. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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Still waiting on the good to show up... Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
James revealed an idiosyncrasy about the army that drove him crazy; Sana talks him off the ledge. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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Enjoy this article Sana shared the other day with James: https://thelanguagenerds.com/2021/30-jokes-that-only-grammar-nerds-will-understand-and-appreciate/?fbclid=IwAR08p781INW6lhLaynEuahSsILar2t7mn6X-uclOlNqn-z8e1IWAUmFK5kA (30 Jokes That Only Grammar Nerds Will Understand And Appreciate.)
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BBC article mentioned: https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20140414-americas-best-selling-poet (Why is Rumi the best-selling poet in the US?)
11 Reasons You'll Fall in Love With Iran's People Read the list at jamesandsana.com Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
When I first began getting to know Sana in 2019, she said something that didn't immediately click with me, but the more I thought about it I realized it made a lot of sense. She calls it "the rule of 3", meaning if someone asks more than 3 questions when you first meet them, beware. They're likely a gossip, or worse trying to get information that will allow them to do you harm. This is a bit difficult for Americans because we tend to be a bit careless with our words, perhaps a bit unassuming, maybe too trusting of humanity in general. I would bet that lots of cops and thieves would agree. And when you factor in all the silliness, the otherwise private things we at one time would share with only close friends and family on Facebook with our digital "friends" so we can get a little ego boost, it's quite alarming if you think about it. Sana and I discussed this, among other things such as how to keep an upbeat attitude when life circumstances go awry, in the latest rollicking, frolicking installment of the Ba Vojdaan Newccast. (I'm done calling it a podcast, why give Apple free promotion with my precious intellectual property?) Follow us on the web at jamesandsana.com Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Follow us on the web and stay in touch via our email subscription: jamesandsana.com Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
James and Sana get into a spirited discussion regarding gender roles in the family. Probably won't hear these views on the mainstream family values station any time soon! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Imagine Batman without the Joker, or the Penguin, or any of the other villains in the comics and movies. Or Superman without Lex Luthor, or those three individuals with equal powers to Superman but who broke bad in their spirit and wished harm and destruction upon Planet Earth? How utterly boring would that be? It was the villains that made those shows and comics watchable/readable. A villain who did an awful thing made Batman himself if I recall correctly. We revile the villains, the misfits, the outsiders. It gives us a sense of security in our bubble of righteousness. "Maybe I've got issues, but at least I'm not him..." "What a mess she is..." And so on and so forth. But can you imagine life without them? Superman and Lois Lane just flying around looking gaw-gaw at each other? I'll give that a hard pass. How about a movie with Batman giving a David Attenborough style tour of Gotham City? I'm laughing at the thought of it. Our society has lost its character in many ways, because being a character has become taboo. The 1970's was a generation of misfits, and I dare say this world was better for it. Contrast that with the totalitarian sameness of a communist society, and you would probably be quick to take the flaws of a misfit society. We certainly would. That generation had character, because people were allowed to be characters. Things that people routinely lose their livelihoods over, have their reputations ruined here in 2021 was part of life not that long ago. Someone had an unsavory opinion on something? You just accepted it, lived with it, and maybe even learned something from a differing point of view, albeit with language you'd just as soon not hear. It used to be part of life. These days? Not so much. Humanity with all its flaws and errors, dare I say it, helped form people's character.
Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
The idea of conscientiously objecting to the idea of war has been around for as long as wars have existed - which is to say for all of recorded history, and undoubtedly prior to that too. The United States has had more than its fair share of conscientious objectors. While it's thankfully not as big an issue in the last 50 years or so with an all-volunteer military, there are in fact members of the military today who seek to be discharged because they realize their personal beliefs are incompatible with their commitment to the military. James found himself in that exact predicament about 5 years into his stint in the Army where he was employed as a musician. This is circa 2014-15. Although in a non-combat role, the very participation in - not to mention garnering public support for - an activity he deeply objected to led him to seek discharge as a conscientious objector. In this episode of Ba Vojdaan, Sana asks James questions about: What defines a conscientious objector What life was like identifying as a CO while still on active duty How the process ended up playing out And more
It's kind of a heavy topic, guaranteed to invoke an emotional response whether positive or negative. So fair warning before you press play ;) And be sure to check us out on the web at jamesandsana.com Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Follow us on the web at jamesandsana.com! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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In this fact-free, fun-filled episode, James and Sana explain "Ba Vojdaan", the new name of the podcast, an embarrassing and hilarious gaffe James made with Sana's mother, a prank we played on James' mom and just a little bit more!
Enjoy the show! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
What comes first, the chicken or the egg?What comes first, love or marriage?Sana and James discuss love, marriages - both arranged and "free-will" and the drawbacks to both - and much more.Bottom line: Love isn't an emotion; it's an action. It is experienced when we put in the work to make it happen. Like making your husband eggs for breakfast, but we digress.Lust is often mistaken for love, and many a marriage has been founded on that shaky ground, with no real outcome than its demise - especially in this culture of hyper-individualism and where the sacred institutions of society have more or less abdicated its authority in such affairs to the state.James and Sana also recount their very first phone call together in March 2019.Enjoy!If you enjoy these podcasts that James and Sana produce, perhaps you'll consider supporting us financially.As you may have heard, we are in the process of obtaining a visa for Sana to reside in the United States. And boy it aint cheap. If you'd like to help us out with covering the attorney's fees, filing fees, copying fees (it cost nearly $200 just to make copies of all the materials in our application), and many more things, we'd be tremendously grateful.If you choose not to, that's okay too. We love making these podcasts as it has grown us closer together as a couple, and we're glad other people are able to share in our exploits as we grow our new family!https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=AGV7XV97SF6L8 (Click here to send your contribution)Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It's been awhile since Sana and I made a podcast. It turns out we sort of missed it, and wanted to record a quick update for y'all who apparently tune in. I was pleasantly surprised to see well over 150 downloads for some of our episodes, so it looks like there's something of a demand for what we say. And for good reason. I cling to every word that Sana says, which is why I married her! So enjoy this short little chat, and we promise there will be more to come in the future! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
If we were merely interested, we would not have made it through our first year of marriage. This is our story. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
"Mr. Newcomb..." said the voice on the other end of the line. "Yes." "This is the hotel manager. Did you break the rules of the hotel this morning?" Silence. I could practically feel the white-hot lights in the interrogation room burning into my skin, my freedom hinging on what I would say next. "Mr. Newcomb, did you break the rules of the quarantine this morning?" "Did you see me breaking the rules?" "I saw it on the video camera." "I see." "Mr. Newcomb, would you like me to assist you in moving to the army barracks to do the remainder of your quarantine? Because I'll be happy to do so if that's your wish." "Now why would you do that?" "We notified the local authority, and they told us we should send you to the army barracks because you broke the rules of the hotel this morning." Silence. "I need some water sent to my room." "What size?" "The big 19 liter jug." "Okay, it's coming right up, sir." Click. The water arrived a few minutes later. The above conversation actually happened this morning at the hotel where I'm serving my mandatory 14-day quarantine upon my arrival in Vietnam to live with my wife Sana. What was my crime? you're probably asking. I walked outside my room in the hallway, attempting to mimic something that resembles a walk. It was 6 am, and not a soul was in sight. But the rule clearly states that "guests" are not permitted to leave their hotel room for any reason. Now, I don't mind rules that are intended to keep Covid out of the country. It's their home, I'm more or less visiting. What bothers me, whether for disease prevention or anything else, is rules that exist just to exist. And people who enforce them for no other reason than they're there - common sense, or the mental health of paying guests at a hotel be damned. As petty and childish as the hotel manager was, there's an important lesson to be gleaned from this experience. From my perspective, these people are unreasonable, to the point of being even fanatical in their hyper-compliance with the rules. But it kind of puts to shame many who have a business, a side-hustle, a ministry who don't have the same zeal. I'm not saying we should emulate the indifference to the welfare of other human beings. But in the spirit of not throwing out the baby with the bath water, there is an important lesson to be learned from this other wise negative experience. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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If you enjoy these podcasts that James and Sana produce, perhaps you'll consider supporting us financially. As you may have heard, we are in the process of obtaining a visa for Sana to reside in the United States. And boy it aint cheap. If you'd like to help us out with covering the attorney's fees, filing fees, copying fees (it cost nearly $200 just to make copies of all the materials in our application), and what not, we'd be tremendously grateful. If you choose not to, that's okay too. We love making these podcasts as it has grown us closer together as a couple, and we're glad other people are able to share in our exploits as we grow a new family! https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=AGV7XV97SF6L8 (Click here to send your contribution) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
https://amzn.to/386Lsb8 (A Different Shade of Green) Got an idea for James and Sana to discuss on the show? Got a question about Persian culture? Visit us on the web at https://my.captivate.fm/dashboard/shows/jamesandsana.com (jamesandsana.com). Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
James and Sana continue their podcasting exploits in this fact-free, fun-filled episode. BTW, we now have a website! jamesandsana.com Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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"Your sushi is terrible!" said Gabriel, 6, to his father, James Newcomb. So it goes in James' rented apartment on the oceanfront of Virginia Beach, VA while he awaits the arrival of his wife Shafieh (Sana) Dorry when her visa to reside in the United States is approved by the State Department. The recent failed attempt at making sushi is the latest in a string of culinary mishaps which has befallen James and Gabriel. Police reports reveal responses to complaints of burnt blueberry pancakes, overdone turkey bacon, and meat in a spaghetti sauce with the texture of an Adidas running sneaker. Sana's arrival in the U.S. will be most welcome, not only to bring a degree of competence into the kitchen, but to finally unite a young child and his stepmother, with whom he has corresponded only via video chat since March 2019. When this podcast went to press, James was seen poring over a Betty Crocker™ cookbook planning dinner. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
**This just may be the most important podcast episode of our lifetimes. We're certain that if you listen to this episode, you'll find something of value in it. Thing is, we're not exactly sure where. Sana gave James an introductory lesson in the Persian language, we discussed the best way to boil potatoes, and even managed to squeeze in a discussion on Biblical history among other topics. Enjoy! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
(James) While I was living in Vietnam earlier this year, Sana and I went to a shopping mall to just hang out. It was very odd that the mall was playing kids music - think Wheels On the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, stuff like that. We discussed this on today's podcast. While Sana's rationale as to why the mall management would do that makes sense, it got me to thinking about how mainstream art as a whole has degraded to what it is today. Seriously... Does anyone think that Justin Timberlake holds a candle to Simon and Garfunkel, George Gershwin, Mozart, etc. when it comes to artistic integrity. Those cats were the Justin Timberlake of their time as far as popularity, cultural "relevance" and such. Think about that. The decline we see in social norms, off the charts anxiety and depression, mass shootings, etc. along with this decline in artistic integrity is not a coincidence. And now the arts are basically at a standstill during the COVID-19 era. Sana and I touched on this briefly, but truth be told, I wished we would have gone much longer on this one. I guess that's the beauty of a podcast. You can always fill in the gaps next week, right? Enjoy! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Well, Sana got a week off this week. She's got another week to devise ways to exploit James' weaknesses to gain the upper hand in their on-show banter. But this one is a doozy. James interviewed his friend and fellow podcast host Jason Heath this past week. Jason is a professional symphony bassist and hosts a show called Contrabass Conversations. Jason "gets it" when it comes to tribe-building and building community around a podcast. His show generates over one million downloads per year at last count! So he knows a thing or two about running a successful podcast, and is always game for a friendly chat to talk business, media production and life. Among the more salient points in our discussion: -Why a podcast is like your baby...5:00 -People are into you, not the topic...7:30 -Why put out content when there's already so much out there?...10:00 -Your hero podcaster didn't start out as a rock star...13:00 -The true meaning of entertainment..18:40 -How to kill your credibility while pitching your product...29:10 -An unconventional route to success in the digital media world...40:15 Check out Jason's work at https://my.captivate.fm/dashboard/shows/contrabassconversations.com (contrabassconversations.com) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
There's a truth all podcast host need to embrace...You're an entertainer first and foremost. This causes a bit of cognitive dissonance in a lot of podcast hosts who start their show for good reasons: to make a positive impact in the lives of those who listen to it. "Entertainment" is circus monkeys and free candy in our minds. To "entertain" our listeners seems to run afoul of noble purposes that many podcasters have. Well, they don't understand what it means to entertain. To sum up, it means this: Don't be boring. If you can follow that one rule, you're guaranteed to have an entertaining show. The value that you intend for listeners to take away will come out, whether it's an entertaining, captivating presentation, or a dull, boring lecture. No one likes a lecture, you may as well be entertaining. Sana and James discuss what it means to be entertaining, and share a few principles on how to do so with integrity and in a way that ensures your message will be heard - and remembered! This is a topic that will be covered in James' new book: Podcasting Principles. To sign up for your free copy delivered to your email inbox, go to beatinpath.media to join the wait list. beatinpath.media Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
"Add value!" say all the business and entrepreneur types on their podcasts, emails, blogs, YouTubes, and the like. Funny thing is all these podcasts, blogs, videos, etc. look, sound and feel exactly the same as every other podcast, blog and YouTube video out there. It's as though it's a race to see who can be the best at copying the Facebook Guru of the Month. Follow the template these gurus establish, then do it with more energy, more frequency, more contrived pizzazz than the next guy or gal. Sana and I discuss this concept of "adding value" to stuff we put out in this week's podcast. Not to give away who killed Professor Plum in the library before the game begins, but we take issue with the concept of "adding value" to our content the way many seem to view it. BTW, https://www.dailysabah.com/op-ed/2018/12/11/rumi-and-his-holistic-human-rights-theory (Here's the poem by Rumi that Sana mentioned) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
James evaluates Sana in this stunning new episode of our little show. If you'll recall, we discussed the 6 variables that make up the KLT (know, like, trust) factor in your business, relationships, ministry, what have you. The 6 variables are: Expert authority Likability Commitment and consistency Reciprocation Social proof Scarcity
To the shock of no one, Sana scored extremely well on her very first Wife Performance Review (WPR). And James isn't complaining about anything either. We also talked about decision making, and when you know beyond the shadow of a doubt it's time to take action on something you've been mulling over. Enjoy! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
I clearly remember my very first podcast interview. I don't remember my second podcast interview, because it went without a hiccup. So you can maybe see where I'm going with this. Translation: the first one was...memorable. It was for a podcast titled Outside the Music Box, and I wanted to explore Albert Einstein's love of music. Einstein loved to play his violin so much he even said in an interview that had he not chosen the field of physics, he would have been a musician. Well, thank goodness he didn't choose to be a violinist - his mind was put to much better use as a physicist. But that love of music intrigued me, so much so that I wanted to talk about it on my new podcast. So I did a bit of research (fancy term for a google search) and found a fellow who's a physics professor at Oxford University who's lectured and published a few videos about Einstein; he even collaborated with a professional violinist for his presentations. That's my man, I thought. But...this was definitely outside my comfort zone. Not only was I doing interviews for the first time in my life, I was interviewing a freaking physics professor at Oxford. It may not sound intimidating reading this copy, but it sure was for me at the time. I would have greatly preferred to get a few interviews under my belt before taking on this challenge. My years as a performer taught me that preparation is the key to dealing with intimidating situations. With enough preparation, you can handle anything. It turns out this person was my first ever interview. I had never interviewed anyone, for any reason, not even for the high school newspaper. Well, the show must go on, as they say. I was determined to be a podcaster, and I was going to just soldier on and get it done. I spent the time between confirming the Skype call (probably a week or so) visualizing this interview; visualizing asking the questions, my voice, my phrasing. I was as prepared as I could be given the circumstances. We exchanged pleasantries on the call, I hit record, and... Blankness. I froze. The neurons in my brain that ordinarily tell my tongue to move and produce sounds in a manner in which communication with other human beings is possible - they just up and quit working. Went on strike, some sort of dispute over "benefits" I later learned. In moments like this, PANIC is at the ready, waiting on the performer to falter just enough to get its foot in the door and eventually ruin the whole event. Fortunately I had enough performing experience that I was able to draw on in this moment of near-catastrophe. I apologized to my guest, who was very gracious through all of it, then took a few deep breaths, waited a moment, and began. I'm not going to say that I hit a homerun, but I will say I hit the ball squarely. A respectable showing for a first interview, and given the circumstances, a bit of a feather in the old cap. All this to say that if you're concerned about how you're going to sound or present yourself at the very beginning of any endeavor, be it a podcast, a youtube channel, or what have you, rest assured that you're not going to sound very good. Why would you expect to sound like a pro your first time? When you made love to your spouse the first time, was it fantastic? Probably not. In fact, it was probably disappointing. Such is life. Your audience doesn't expect you to sound great. They expect you to sound terrible. If you can manage to sound like you have some experience under your belt, then that's terrific, but that's not why people tune in. They tune in because you have a message. You care about this message so much that you're willing to confront those fears of getting out there and just getting it done. Your listeners/fans/followers will appreciate that far more than sterling production quality. So if you didn't get all that, get this: Give yourself permission to suck. If it's not 100%, or even 65% of what you want right out the gate, it's okay. You'll get better....
How do you define success?...1:10 Should I have a strategy to capitalize on Spotify's recent power moves?...7:55 How James and Sana are bringing back live music...18:10 And much more! To check out more of James and Sana's adventures and to keep tabs on the effort to bring her to the U.S. follow along at jamesandsana.com
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Everyone's got one... No, I'm not talking about your belly button or your opinion on the pace of reopening society from the COVID-19 issue. I'm talking about embarrassing moments -- that we're okay sharing publicly. I have plenty of moments that will remain with me only for all time. But Sana and I have also made some pretty bone-headed moves that in hindsight are pretty funny. I guess as long as no one gets hurt, it's okay to laugh, right? Enjoy! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
“I’m not good at sales,” many people say. The truth is, if you have a pulse, you sell. It may not be selling real estate or toilet paper to the local shopping mall, but you’ve got to sell. It could be a child selling his parents on why a cookie before dinner is a good idea. It could be a job interview where you’re selling the person or people on why they should pay you for your services. It seems that some people are “naturals” when it comes to selling. While these people perhaps have a certain charisma in their personality that others lack, the truth is truly successful sales people have learned and mastered 6 attributes. You may use different words from what I’m using, but it’s the principles I want to focus on, not semantics. These attributes cause people to Know, Like and Trust (KLT) you. The more of them you can employ in any situation where you’re selling yourself or a product/service, the better off you’ll be. I liken this to a vehicle. Think of the KLT as the model of the car you drive while you're selling - be it a job interview, selling a course, an audition for the community theater production, lining up a gig at the local coffee shop, selling coaching services, you get the idea. It's what gets you from Point A (no sale) to Point B (the other party is buying). Any product needs this vehicle. And the higher the value of the product, the more reliable it needs to be. Now, there are 6 attributes, or elements which I liken to the "fuel" for your KLT vehicle. These things are indispensable for powering the KLT vehicle, and the more of them you can use, the more reliable the vehicle will be. I realize that other words could be used in their place, and there may be one or two other attributes you can think of that I didn't. Whatever the case may be, this list does a good job of summing up the issue. So here they are: Expert authority Likability Commitment and consistency Reciprocation Social proof Scarcity
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James Newcomb and wife Sana Dorry discuss how our reactions and our mindset determine how our circumstances affect our quality of life, particularly when circumstances go awry. Check out more free podcasts, courses, articles and much more on James Newcomb's personal smartphone app! Type in beatinpath.media/app into your phone's browser and you're off to the races. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana (http://supporter.acast.com/james-and-sana). See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.