It's a position that I'm not normally used to. Like, I've been very able to like, been very lucky when say, hey look, we'll invest in this company, we'll probably earn 20, 30% year over year, blah, blah, blah. But here I'm asking for like, literally handouts. Welcome to the revolution of one podcast where the revolution will not only be televised but also individualized. Welcome to the revolution of one podcast. Today's guest is Samir Patel. Samir is a professor, an entrepreneur, and a captain in the Army Reserve. Today we're going to talk about his background experience, starting businesses, what it takes to cultivate the entrepreneurial mindset, what to do when you don't know how to do and how to get started on achieving your dreams. Samir, welcome to the show. Glad to be here. You wanna talk about the power of having good habits. So I've gotta apologize to you man because I was all hyped up about talking to you today and inviting you on the podcast, but I didn't tell you that it was video. No. So you came in here and you had no idea that we were gonna actually be recording this, but you dress for the occasion.  That's the thing about business.  So I'm always like, try to be prepared as much as possible, even though it's hot as hell outside right now. Like I'm glad I wore the jacket. Yeah, I'm glad too man, you look great. You know Samir, one thing that I thought was really interesting when we talked before is how you've always been one of those guys who just gets after it. If you have a goal, no excuses, just get out there and make it happen. And you've spent most of your life just being that kind of person. And you mentioned how there was this point for you where you realized that most people didn't really think that way. What was that moment for you and how did that have an impact on how you approach things from that point on? Yeah, I mean I guess you could say I was lucky growing up because I was always surrounded by people that went after it themselves. I mean I'm from an immigrant family.  They need to make money because rents do every month. They don't have anything to fall back on. So I was always surrounded by people that went after it. But when I started teaching at Georgia State, you do one of those things where you get to know your customer, right? My students are my customer. So I pulled them and I asked them all these various questions about their lives, like who they were, what kind of experiences have they had? Have they even started a business in the past or something like that? And the answers I got back were just very vague. Like a lot of these kids just had no idea of the possibilities and that's why they took the class. Well that's why they were taking the class.  I'm curious, is there an example of a vague answer someone gave you that just kind of blew you away? You couldn't anticipate? Yeah, so like, I mean, one of the questions I ask is, do you have a specific business idea? And my class is entrepreneurial thinking. It's called entrepreneurial thinking for startups, meaning we're probably gonna talk about starting a business and it's an elective course. So it's probably, you took the class probably because you thought you're thinking about starting a business. But at the very least some idea of what you might want to do. Some idea, yeah. And what's surprising is about 30 to 40% of the class replied back that they weren't even sure if starting a business was right for them or not. Which to me was like a paradigm shift because in my mind I've always thought, yeah, I mean, it makes no sense. You have to be, there is no, there is no like, am I in or am I out? It's, the goal has always been to start a business. But for me, when I heard that from students, I realized that not everyone's entrepreneurial, not everyone's been exposed to the ideas of freedom and running a business for themselves. And so, I'm maybe exaggerating the point here a little bit, but it just took me a back that how many students did not realize that entrepreneurship was a path in life for them. Yeah, so first of all, I respect the fact that you can do and teach.  And one of the trends you see in sports is a lot of the greatest performers are not very great at coaching, right? Because sometimes being a great performer can make it even harder because you're just angry at people all the time, like, why are you not so great? If Kobe Bryant tried to coach basketball, he might just be annoyed all the time. Like, why don't you have the work ethic?  What proves a factor? So a lot of it comes from the military, right? And I think to be a successful military officer, you have to be a coach. You have to be a teacher versus like a tactician or a guy that knows exactly what to do at all times. It doesn't work that way because you've got people and you gotta develop them. So from that angle, you know, I simply just ask people, what do they want? And we start there, right? If you can clarify what you want, then as a coach or as a teacher, I can help you figure out ways to get there, right? And asking the questions of what do you want this to look like? And so a typical question I ask, even my students was, hey, the class started last year, right? August 18th, and I said to him, said to them, okay, so it's August 18th, 2018 at the time. What do you want life to look like August 18th, 2019? And I just like make it very, I asked them questions to make it very clear, like what are you wearing on that day? What does your bank account look like on that day? What does your team look like on that day?  Right? Do you have good relationships in your life? Do you have bad relationships still lingering? Do you have a business? Do you have something that you're selling actively, right?   So as a coach, you know, trying to get people mobilized about their vision, I asked them that, let's start there with what you want. And then as a coach, I can help fill in the blanks. You know, I think that's a good advice for, many of our viewers are concerned with figuring out, hey, how can I communicate more effectively with people that just don't think clearly about what it means to be free or to live free? And what I like about your approach is you say, hey, don't start with the sermon. Don't start with your own ideas about what you think other people ought to do, yeah. It's about them, it's your customer, right? Like everybody's your customer actually when you're running a business, if you think about it. In fact, I would argue that your employees are maybe your bigger customers than the actual customers that are buying from you. Why is that? Because if you don't empower your employees, I mean, I'm only one guy, right? So take for example, I had a trucking company, we had 55 trucks, 60 drivers in our fleet. And it dawned on me, in the trucking industry, there is a huge shortage of truck drivers. So you gotta take care of them, right? You gotta keep them happy. And they're on the road 12 to 14 hours a day. It's the lonely life as a truck driver. And so I'm relying on them to take precious cargo. Sometimes the cargo's worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in and of itself. And I'm trusting these guys to do stuff for me, right? Just like any business owner.  And if I'm not taking care of my people, then whatever millions of dollars of revenue we're doing a year can evaporate literally overnight if all my people abandoned me. And so it made me realize that servant leadership or treating my employees and my team as my customers, people that I gotta serve, if I take care of them, they're probably gonna take care of the customer. That's a theme that's come up a lot on this show. This idea that service, it's not just some sort of moral platitude, like be a good person and serve others. But that's the best way to get what you want, helping other people get what they need, caring about them. Yeah, and a lot of business, especially in the startup world, we do this thing called customer discovery. And I teach this in my courses is customer discovery. Like what is it about your customer that at the end of the day is really gonna make them reach into their wallet and pull out money to pay you, right? That's what customer discovery essentially is about at the end of the day. And I realize we do that with our potential customers, right? Like a demographic, women, we're selling purses to or something like that. But we don't do it with our own employees and our own team. And it's like kind of short-sighted of me not to like figure out what my own team wants. You know, like I said before, if I'm not taking care of them and I'm not starting with them in mind, how are they gonna, how can I expect them to go the extra mile and take care of my real customers? Yeah, when you talk about this stuff, it's clear that you have the entrepreneurial gene. Has it always been that way for you? I think so in one regard or another.  And I think it's a little bit of both. I think my parents had a huge influence on that because my dad always stressed personal responsibility, you know, and taking ownership of everything that I do. And with that type of upbringing, I think entrepreneurship just becomes the next avenue for that. What was your first business idea or adventure? Five years old, dad had a problem with pine cones in the yard. He gave me a scent, one penny per pine cone that he, that I picked up in the yard. So I was generating revenue pretty early on. Yeah, you got that idea in your mind. If I pick up X amount of pine cones, I love that. I think I got shafted on the number of pine cones, but at least getting paid. But at least he said he put it in my savings account. And then a few years later, like six, seven, eight years old, I used to sell my sister her own toys back. So she'd get like a monopoly game or something at Christmas and I just like, I'm convinced sort of like to buy it again. From me, it turned out to be her own toys. When was the first time you had an idea and you built up enough momentum to where you said, hey, I'm in a position to hire someone now. That did not occur much later on, I think. I mean, and that's probably one of the things that I've had to learn. You know, we're talking about teaching and coaching. Yeah. You know, growing up, I think I was always a singular type of person. I wasn't really good at mobilizing a team. Yeah. And I always saw myself as a free agent. But as I started having more cash flow and things like that on the personal side, and I started investing in actual businesses, the first business I bought was a hotel when I was a junior at West Point. And automatically it's a 72 room hotel. So you have housing staff, you have cleaning staff, you have the front desk staff, general manager and all that. So like I jumped into it at 21 years old with that first hotel acquisition.  So we're talking to high school students, college students, a lot about the economic way of thinking, how you can use that to transform your life. And everywhere I go, there are people that don't see the connection between entrepreneurship and economic empowerment. So my question for you is- I think it's one in the same. It's absolutely one in the same. How so? Because it all boils down to, and what I appreciate about FI and what it teaches, it all boils down to personal responsibility. In this country especially, and I definitely believe that because I put my life on the line to protect it, it all boils down to personal responsibility. If you're willing to take ownership of your experience in life and take responsibility of taking care of yourself plus your family, I think it lends itself to this idea of greater empowerment. That, you know, the beauty of America is that you're allowed to create your life and take care of your life in a way that you see fit, that no one else is dictating it for you. How do you find the balance between taking responsibility for what happens and the fact that there are things that clearly happen to us that we didn't ask for that create suffering? It's all based on mindset. I mean, you have to, at the end of the day, in my mind, I've accepted the reality that life is not fair. And on top of that, I've accepted the reality that I am super lucky as well to be born in this country at the time I've been born with to have people surrounding me that have been a positive influence. But the first and foremost fact is that nothing is entitled, like I accept internally that I'm not entitled to anything. And from there, you know, it's actually liberating. You see this a lot with great achievers where they talk as if it's on me even when it's clearly not. I watched a basketball game where this was when LeBron James played for the Cavaliers and his teammate made a mistake and they lost. And they're asking LeBron about it after the game and he's talking like, oh, it's on me. And everyone's like, yeah, but this other guy made this mistake. And he's like, yeah, but if I would have hit that free throw in the first corner and if I would have did this other thing right, then we wouldn't have even been in that position. And it's sort of like, okay, he didn't have to say that, but when you take that mindset, that's the only mindset that makes it possible to figure out what you can change to get a different result. Yeah, and at the end of the day, especially in business, I mean, it's like, I could have always planned better. Yeah.  So, you know, I just sold my trucking business. Congratulations. Thank you. So the outcome was great for me. But then at the same time, I always felt like I left money off the table or left money on the table and I failed to create more value than I probably could have. Yeah. And it dawned on me that I never, first of all, it's my fault, right, that I left money on the table, that I didn't create value. Second of all, I realized that if I just planned better, then I probably would have gotten there. You know, and it translates into the beauty of about America and the internet and email is that you can reach out to anybody. Yeah. You can ask a ton of people and at this day and age, what has been done, what you're trying to do is probably been done by somebody else. Yeah, yeah. Right, and I didn't leverage, I didn't like really build out my board of directors as I should have. And that's just a small example. Like if I had done that, I think get a 20, 30 year old veteran, 20, 30 year veteran in the industry, in the trucking industry in my case and empower them in a board of director position. I think they would have been able to advise me on the steps we could have taken. Yeah. Right? And so I still view it as a failure in one sense that we didn't create the value partially because I didn't plan better. Yeah. That self-ownership, I think I heard, I believe it was Wayne Dyer who said once that responsibility doesn't equal blame. So it's not a matter of saying who's fault is it? When you say I'm responsible, that doesn't mean, hey, it's my fault, I'm gonna condemn myself and wallow in guilt. It means that I am the one who has to make a decision about what I'm gonna do with this. Yeah. It's in my lap. I gotta figure out what I'm gonna do. So let's talk about the process of taking ownership from day one. Our theme for this month is non-zero days and I define that as basically a zero days a day where you do nothing. So a non-zero day is just a day. Well, there's been a lot. Since I sold the company, I've just been sitting. You've got a lot of zero days. Yeah, a lot of non-zero days. Well, I guess maybe the reward of non-zero days is you could afford the luxury, you could get to a place where you could, that's a reward, right? Yeah. Yeah. What's your thought on the idea of small changes? Because a lot of people struggle, they have these big goals and they feel like, I don't know how to get started, you know? What's your take on that? So yeah, I'm writing this book, right? And the book's about my time. We took over the company, I was doing about two and a half million revenue and then we scaled to eight and a half million revenue over two years.  And I realize actually in the turnaround of that company that before you start adding to your life in order to achieve a goal, it may be best to take stock and take away. What do you mean by that? So like, you're trying to go someplace, right? Yeah. And let's say you have a backpack of tools, relationships, knowledge, and maybe even your own mental stamina in this backpack of yours, right? And you're trying to get to somewhere. I recommend you actually start taking things out of that backpack, such as bad relationships, bad influences, maybe even debt that's holding you back in some respects. Things that are detracting away from you because you can juice anything to reach a goal. But if the DNA, if the conditions are not correct in the beginning, in the very beginning, then you're just amplifying the negativity. So I would recommend you do things that take away the negativity first. So for example, you know, I had this dream to grow this trucking company and the very first thing we did was one, we changed out some of the negative employees that were not holding their own. We changed the culture because it was a culture of gimme, gimme, gimme, not, how can I contribute to the team? It was a culture of folks not like, not taking ownership of the whole business. Basically, team members were saying, that's not my job. Where, you know, that's not my responsibility. I don't manage the trucks, for example. When reality is the culture needs to be, hey, we're in the business of getting goods from point A to point B, right? And there's so many ways we could interact in there. And every team member has a piece of ownership in that, in that process. So those types of things I took away. Like I had to solve some of the debt problems. Like there's no way we're gonna grow the company if our debt service was larger than our monthly cash flow to begin with. So I had to eliminate that. And I went to the creditors and talked to them and we figured out a plan. So I would, the small step is just make a, draw a line on a sheet of paper, right? The positives and the negatives, right? Like what's going for us? What do I have going with me? Love and relationship maybe? You know, I've got some cash in the bank. I've got some experience maybe. And then draw, then write out on the negative column, hey, I've got a lot of debt. I've got this friend that keeps putting me down because I want to start a business but they keep like poo-pooing the idea. Maybe some other naysayers. You know, I've got this really bad spousal or partner relationship. They're not supporting me. And they're like, you know, negatively bringing me down and we've all been there. I've been there. And take steps to remove that stuff out of the negative column first. Let me follow up on that relationship one because you know, if I have a bad habit here or a commitment, I can extricate myself from there. All right, I can say no to that. Take those things out of my bag. Easy. Yeah, but family and friends are a little bit more difficult, right? Super difficult. You got people in your life who maybe they don't get you. They're negative, they're threatened by your dreams. How can you do what you gotta do to be successful without just basically de-forcing yourself from every family member or from your parents or your friends? Like, how do you keep the people in your life but also keep their negativity from adversely affecting you? Yeah, so I'm reminded of this thing Tony Robbins said. I don't know if he actually said it or if he was recounting what someone else had said, but you know, he said that we only do the things that we must do, right? People don't change just because they wanna change. They change because they have to change, right? So going back to this idea of like, you know, imagine yourself a year from now, right? And if we isolated to who are the people in my phone and my favorites on my phone? Who are the people I wanna talk to? If I'm having planning dinner, right, at the end of the week, who do I wanna have dinner with? What does that even look like? And you gotta want it. And you gotta want that vision, whatever vision you paint for yourself, you really gotta want it badly, right? And once you realize the vision you want for your life, let's say a year from now or even six months from now, and you realize what's not in that picture, I think that's, for me it's been very motivating to talk to people saying, hey look, I wanna be here, Joe, John, Johnny, Jane. I wanna be here in a year. And right now I feel like our relationship is not helping me get there for X, Y, Z reasons. Or you don't have to tell them a reason, right? And you just say, look, it's not working. This is not working. I wish our relationship could change. This is where I wanna be. If you can help me get there, I love you and I want you to be there. But if you can't help me get to this vision, where I wanna be in a year or six months or whatever, then can you please just, can we just dial back our relationship? Or can we just not hang out as often or I'm not gonna call you? I don't know what you wanna say, right? Every relationship's different, but you are gonna have to communicate what you want. And the best way to motivate and energize yourself to communicating what you want is by imagining what your situation is gonna be like in the future. And to that point, if people do what they have to, it's if you don't command respect from people, what will incentivize them to do it? If you don't respect yourself, right? You gotta respect yourself enough to say, hey, look, this is what I want. This is the type of vision I want in my life.  And if it's someone, especially some spouses and partners, sometimes, I hate to say it, don't support that. Now, my wife is thankfully very supporting. She may not understand everything that I do, but because I know where I wanna go, I can communicate to her, this is what I want. And that may explain my behavior sometimes. And it's a lot easier for her to support me on that front. But a lot of times, we have parents even, especially for my students, we have parents that have a very clear idea of what they think is right for you, but it's on you to determine the vision you want for yourself. Well, you know, one thing that makes that challenging is that it's easy to confuse dissatisfaction with having standards, right?  I want you to know that it's bothering me. I want you to respond to me whining about it. But the fact that I fold my arms and I pout and I act funny about it, isn't the same thing as drawing a boundary line and saying, hey, like we need to change how we're doing things. And that requires a different kind of leveling up. Yeah, I mean, honestly, you just tell people what you wanna do and say because X, Y, Z, and believe it or not, the Cs will part for you when you just give people a reason. Doesn't have to be a great reason, actually. There was this study that was done, or this experiment, and like there's a long copy line at a university and this psychology professor, he himself like he had like a stack of papers and the first part of the experiment was he wanted to cut the line, he didn't want to wait in line.  I need to make copies. And like 80% of the people let him cut 15 minutes worth of waiting, basically.  I need to make copies. Like, of course you're there to make copies, right? Everyone's there to, standing in line to make copies, but he just said because I need to make copies. And 40% of the time, people let him cut the line. They let him in front. Yeah, just because, he said because I need to do this. Yeah, yeah. And so, and I think that applies to other things in life as well. If you're communicating with somebody because of something you're trying to do, just give them a reason, explain why. And it may not be a great reason, but it's a reason. You know, it's funny, I have my own experience of that. I was reading this blog post one day and it was about the power of asking. And he said, as the challenge I wanna give you for today, the next time you go by something, I don't care where it's from, I want you to ask for a discount. So, my wife and I, we were going to a comedy club that night. We live in LA and you know, the parking there is always terrible. You're always paying for a lot. And so there was this $20 parking lot that we had to go through. And I'm telling my wife about this blog post that I read and I said, I'm gonna ask him for a discount. And she says, you're totally not gonna get that. And so I said, well, I gotta ask. And so I let the woman out. And what do you have to lose? Right, so I pull up and I said, hey, do you guys have a discount?  And he says, for you, my friend, $10. And I was like, thanks man, I paid $10. And I drove in and I was like, that's unbelievable. Just by asking, the guy gave me half off. And it doesn't work all the time. But if you develop that consistent habit of saying, I'm gonna speak up for what I want and at least give myself a chance to be a player in the game, you start to see different results over time.  I mean, sometimes I'm embarrassed for the things I ask them to do for me sometimes. But I just go ahead and do it, right?  No, I can't do it. I mean, and then I'll ask somebody else, right? The cost is only a few minutes of your time if you think about it. It doesn't cost you anything. If so, if we can get over our own embarrassment, our own sort of friction, you know, our biggest enemy is up here, obviously. That's a cliche, but it is true. Yeah. And so I said, yeah, I agree. Give yourself permission to ask. What's the hardest thing you've ever had to do to either draw a boundary line or to give yourself permission to create something new? Oh, there's so many, it's like a daily basis. So, you know, I'm president of the West Point Society of Atlanta right now, and we're hosting a tailgate in October. And I thought originally 400 people were gonna come to this thing. Max, maybe 500. Right. But this thing now has ballooned up to 1500 people coming. Wow. So it's not like just a three times bigger budget. It's like a five times bigger budget because now I gotta hire security. I gotta hire servers. I gotta hire like a fencing company, you know, for this big tailgate for safety and all this other stuff. And I'm like, before I was able to raise capital from investors because there's like a business, ROI sort of argument I could make, you know. In this case, I'm just asking people to donate for this tailgate, right? And that's, for me, I have to say look, either we fail at this tailgate or we have a chance to make every person in Atlanta know the power of my school, West Point, in this case, right? 1500 people come and it's a huge opportunity.  I need $5,000. Can you sponsor our event for $5,000? Can you give us some money? Can you, like, I mean, it's a position that I'm not normally used to. Like, I've been very able to like, been very lucky when you say, hey look, we'll invest in this company. We'll probably earn 20, 30% year over year, blah, blah, blah. But here I'm asking for like literally handouts. Yeah. Being a captain in the Army Reserves, I know you know as much about discipline as anybody else. And when you wanna talk about like paying the price to be what we wanna be, one of those prices is time. Everybody knows that, you know, maybe they can eat a little healthier or work out a little more or start this new habit, but we all struggle with time, right? We all have family. We all have work and stuff like that.  How in the world do you find time to sustain discipline? Yeah, so another good book I read, and I can't remember where, but someone said just take out the word discipline and add in skill and replace discipline with the word skill. Break that down for me a little bit. And so like when we hear discipline, we think like burden, right?  They think of that when they hear the word discipline. But I cannot remember where I heard it, but someone said just replace it with the word skill. And when I did that, I can't remember, this was a couple of years ago, but when I started doing that, I realized that I'm trying to improve my skill of being able to maximize my output as much as possible. And so that mindset is a mindset of contribution, of doing versus the mindset of discipline to me, right? Is one of burden. Burden, when you feel like, when you have like a burden in your mind, it's very negative and it detracts away from energy. Whereas when you think of, I'm trying to develop my skill and I'm trying to get better every single day with the skill, in my case, management, generally speaking. This is a chance for me to get better. And I'm just gonna keep going and going and going. And I may stumble and I have stumbled, but I'm just gonna keep going and going and going and developing my skill. I like that because when I say you don't have discipline, that kind of lands harshly. It feels like you're saying something bad about me. But when I say you don't have skill, that kind of feels like, yeah. Or your skills are not there yet. Yeah, yeah, I haven't really applied myself yet, but I can get it, you know? So it creates an optimistic frame around not being there yet and it motivates you to do what you gotta do. Yeah, I like that way of thinking about it. You referenced a lot of books. You read a lot? Absolutely, yeah. I mean, I love books.  So I had no toys, no video games. And so the only thing that I had pretty much was my own imagination and books. And how much time would you say like a day or an hour you set aside for reading? Probably like hours. Yeah, yeah, several hours a day.  I would say talk to, come up with a vision of what you want life to look like, right? And don't be afraid of if it's not completely clear, but first of all, I would write down in a book, say, hey, look, when I wake up in the morning, I wanna be in this type of bed, right? When I wake up in the morning, I wanna feel this way. And think about why you feel that way, right? Because if you're well to do or you're more successful, you're typically gonna have more and more sleep, and you know, you can delegate things, you're not a stress, things like that. Who am I waking up next to, right? When I look out the window, what do I see? When I log into my bank account, what do I see? When I put on my clothes, when I look at my closet, what do I see? You know, do I see the same clothes or do I see clothes that are better? That I was able to purchase because of better economic success? Anyway, just figure out that vision of what it looks like. And then after that, I think go find people that have lived that life or have that type of experience. Very few things in America have not been tried before, if you think about it. What we're really doing is not that new, with all the enterprises that we have out there, very, very, very few of those types of businesses are new. So you're not really that cutting edge, you just might think. So recognize that fact. Second is go and find the people that have lived that life and talk to them. And then third, read books. I mean, I'm a big believer in standing on the shoulders of giants, as Warren Buffett has said. And I find the giants and I just, I sort of impose myself on them to extract whatever knowledge and nuggets I can out of them. I like how you keep coming back to the goals too. Like instead of starting with the books and saying, oh, here are the things that every ambitious person should read.  Everything you do has to be nested inside of what you want. Otherwise, it's not gonna have meaning. Right, so like I know where I wanna be, right? Let's say in my case, five years, I wanna have a much bigger company. I want a lot of employees. And I wanna be, and I wanna teach, right? That's my five year vision to teach more frequently. And I don't even have a master's degree. So like, now I'm going to get a master's degree because I know I wanna teach. It's not that I wanna get a master's degree because I think it may open up a lot of doors. Like, I kinda, it's the opposite. You knew at a very early age that you wanted to be an entrepreneur. What about people who don't know what they want? The person that says, yeah, this all sounds great for you, but I don't even know what I like. I don't even know what I want. I would just say go out and put yourself through as many experiences as possible, right? Join clubs, join a hiking group, join whatever, like read books if you want, but put yourself, give yourself the gift of as many experiences as you want, especially experiences that make you feel uncomfortable. And through that process, you'll start to distill what type of person you wanna be. And entrepreneurship is not for everybody, right? Like the risks that I take, and sometimes I live and die by the balance sheet. And sometimes the businesses can be, kinda like evaporate from me overnight, in some instances. And so I'm all about just understanding myself and making myself as uncomfortable as possible. I'm like, look, I don't want everyone, after going through, I don't wanna do that, right? Like this whole nonprofit thing of raising money from people, super uncomfortable for me to ask for money with no discernible ROI on it. I don't think I'm gonna be in the nonprofit world after this interview, or after this tailgate. I don't know, but I was uncomfortable and I was willing to give myself permission to fail to go out and have that experience. Same thing goes for younger people, especially. Yeah, and we probably should add to that too. Don't be afraid of making the wrong decision. I mean, clearly there are legal and moral parameters within which you wanna operate, but just try something new. You don't have to know that you're passionate about it, yeah, out of time. Arnold Schwarzenegger says like, break the rules, but don't break the law, right? So break the rules, obviously don't break the law. And there are a lot of rules that we kind of self-impose up here.  Yeah, that's a big one. Big part of the revolution of one philosophy is that personal development has political implication. And most people, when they think about their personal power, they think about it in the sense of I have the power to go to the voting booth and put the right person in office. And if we get the wrong person in office, my only option is to kind of be angry about it for four years until we get the next person in. And I'm pushing for a way of looking at the world that says no, your decision to go to the gym or read a book or do something to make yourself better has as much of an impact as what you do at the voting booth. I like to hear your two cents on that. Yeah, I'm a firm believer in living by example. And honestly, if you think about it, like who you vote for for the president of the United States has very little, for most people, has very little to do with your life here in Atlanta, Georgia, or in Norcross. In fact, you would probably think the city council of Gwinnett County or of Norcross may be more important to you than who the president of the United States is. And that's not just an attitude. That's an empirical fact. Yeah, it is, right? And so the voting booth matters on some really big issues. But outside of that, if I'm not a good person, I'm not helping people around me, then that example is not spread to others. I mean, I myself am a product of a lot of really good people who are generous with their time, who showed me what right looks like, and all that. And if they didn't live that type of life, then I guarantee you I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you dressed in a nice jacket. It would not be possible at all. Well, I appreciate you making that choice and sitting here talking with me has been great and hearing about your story and your insights, man. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. Yeah, love what he's doing. Yeah, appreciate it. Thanks. Once again, our guest today is Samir Patel. Thanks for watching the show. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel at youtube.com slash fee online. Follow us on Instagram for the Monday motivational videos at instagram.com slash fee online. And subscribe to the podcast on Google Play, Spotify, and iTunes. See you next time.


The North Carolina Institute for Transportation Research and Education presents pavement structure repair techniques, asphalt chip seals. A seven-step procedure will be presented for performing asphalt chip seal operations. By following this procedure, an effective asphalt chip seal can be installed. The asphalt chip seal procedure consists of, 1. Examine existing pavement, 2. Repair pavement, 3. Clean surface, 4. Apply asphalt, 5. Spread aggregate, 6. Roll aggregate, 7. Remove excess aggregate. Do not begin repair procedures until proper traffic control measures are in place. Proper traffic control provides a safe work site for the work crew and provides safe passage for the traveling public. Consult the MUTCD and other appropriate work zone traffic control standards and guidelines to determine the traffic control requirements for the particular maintenance activity. For more information, refer to the videotape Basic Traffic Control for Pavement Structure Repair Techniques. The purpose of an asphalt chip seal is to provide a waterproof layer and a skid-resistant surface. A chip seal can be applied to an aggregate base, a previous surface treatment, or a plant mix surface. Asphalt chip seals can be single or multiple layers. A single layer asphalt chip seal consists of a sprayed application of asphalt covered with a layer of aggregate of a uniform size. A multiple surface treatment consists of repeating the process with the aggregate size becoming smaller with each application. Seals are an effective maintenance activity when used to repair the proper conditions but are subject to rapid failure if used to repair the wrong conditions. Asphalt chip seals are not designed to bridge weak spots or to mask underlying pavement deficiencies. The following pieces of equipment are needed for application of asphalt chip seals. One, asphalt distributor. Two, aggregate spreader. Three, one or more rollers, preferably a rubber-tired roller. Four, power broom. Five, dump trucks. The first step in the seven-step procedure is to examine the existing pavement. This examination is done to determine whether a seal would be a suitable maintenance activity for the pavement distresses present. Seals are not effective on extensive structural failures, such as severe cracking and rutting, but are effective in treating the following distress conditions. Ravelling. Ravelling is a loss of aggregate from the surface layer of the pavement. It can be caused by the hardening of the liquid asphalt, poor application techniques, or an insufficient quantity of residual asphalt. This condition is most common on existing asphalt chip seals that are several years old. Oxidized and weathered pavement surfaces. Pavement surfaces become oxidized and weathered with age. As pavements age, the asphalt in the surface is oxidized, resulting in a brittle condition and loss of aggregate. The surface aggregate may also become worn and polished over time due to traffic wear and weathering. Light alligator cracks are longitudinal cracks about one-eighth inch in width and usually occur in the wheel paths. These longitudinal hairline cracks are an indication of structural damage to a pavement. Frequently, pavements with only hairline alligator cracks do not have rutting associated with the cracks. These pavement distresses represent conditions for which asphalt chip seals are an effective maintenance technique. Review drainage during the pavement examination. Many pavement distresses result from poor drainage. Look at the condition of ditches and other drainage areas to make sure they are open and at a level below the bottom of the sub-base. The need for patching, leveling, or drainage repairs prior to a seal is evaluated during the existing pavement examination. Step two is pavement repairs. It is absolutely essential to repair the existing surface before the seal is applied. Typical repairs prior to an asphalt chip seal include pothole patching, full-depth patching of badly broken alligator pavement, and leveling of areas with rutting and depressions. Correct drainage deficiencies prior to the seal work. Drainage corrections might include cleaning out blocked ditches or making ditches deeper. Once the repairs are made, the pavement is ready to be sealed. The third step in the asphalt chip seal procedure is clean the surface. Clean the surface prior to spraying asphalt. Cleaning is usually performed with a tractor mounted power broom. This is effective for removing loose sand, stones, and debris. Remove hardened mud and other foreign matter before the seal is installed. The objective is to provide a clean pavement surface for the asphalt to bond with. The fourth step in this procedure is the application of liquid asphalt. The asphalt application is the most important part of a chip seal operation. Emulsified asphalt is recommended. However, cutbacks and asphalt cements can be used with good results. Select an emulsified asphalt based upon the compatibility of the emulsion and the aggregate. There are two basic types of asphalt emulsions, cationics and anionics. The cationic emulsions have a positive charge while the anionic emulsions have a negative charge. The charge of the aggregate and the emulsion should be opposite. Like charges repel while opposite charges attract. One advantage of using asphalt emulsions is their ability to coat damp aggregates. The emulsion contains approximately one-third water, which will be lost by evaporation. Apply the liquid asphalt using an asphalt distributor. The distributor consists of a truck-mounted or trailer-mounted insulated tank with appropriate controls for setting the rate of asphalt application. The tank contains a heating system to maintain the asphalt at the required application temperature. At the back of the tank is a system of spray bars and nozzles through which the asphalt is forced under pressure onto the pavement surface. The distributor tank should be equipped with a circulating system to prevent asphalt from solidifying in the spray bars. The width of application is varied by cutting off portions of the spray bar. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for specific distributors for adjusting spray bar height and nozzle settings so that the desired application rate and coverage is achieved. The distributor uniformly applies asphalt to a surface at a specified rate regardless of changes in grade or direction of movement. A hand spray attachment is convenient for applying asphalt in areas that are hard to reach with the spray bar. Asphalt application rates are determined by several factors including the size and type of aggregate and the type and grade of asphalt and the condition of the pavement. Be certain to check the asphalt application rate. Too much asphalt causes bleeding. Too little causes a loss of aggregate chips. To check the asphalt application rate place a one-square-yard pan in the path of the distributor then measure the amount of asphalt collected. Proper weather conditions are extremely important for an effective chip seal. Hot and dry weather is ideal for performing seal work. Do not schedule work if the air temperature is below 50 degrees or if the pavement temperature is below 70 degrees. Once the distributor has been adjusted to provide the proper asphalt temperature and the selected asphalt application rate the liquid asphalt is ready to be sprayed. Position the asphalt distributor at the starting point to apply the emulsified asphalt. In order to provide a straight edge at the beginning and end of the shot place building paper across the lane just ahead of the beginning point and just past the endpoint. Then the distributor traveling at the correct speed for the desired application rate starts spraying on the building paper so that when it reaches the exposed surface the application rate is uniform. The most common problem associated with improper asphalt distribution is streaking. Streaking is caused by one or a combination of the following conditions. Clogged distributor nozzles, improper pump pressure, interference from adjacent nozzles or improper spray bar height. Monitor each of these conditions during the spraying operation and make adjustments as needed. The fifth step in the asphalt chip seal procedure is the spreading of aggregate. Spread the aggregate immediately after the distributor sprays the asphalt. The aggregate should be placed before the emotion breaks. Emulsion is chocolate brown when put down but turns black when the emotion breaks. The water is released into the air leaving only the asphalt. The size and type of aggregate used depends on several factors including the number of layers being installed and the type of emotion being used. Aggregate used for chip seals should be cubicle in shape and is near to a one size material as is economically feasible. Do not use a graded aggregate as the smaller sizes may become immersed in the asphalt film. It is important that the aggregate be clean. If the aggregate contains a film of dust, clay or silt this may prevent a good bond from forming with the asphalt. It is also important that all the aggregate needed for a particular project be on hand or readily available before starting the operation. The number of dump trucks needed to haul aggregate depends on the haul distance from the aggregate to the work site and the productivity rate of the spreader. There are three basic types of aggregate spreaders. Tailgate spreaders attached to the tailgate of the truck. Truck mounted spreaders which are attached to the tailgate of the truck and the truck propels the spreader by backing. Mechanical self-propelled spreaders which actually pull the truck. The mechanical self-propelled spreaders provide the most uniform and continuous distribution of aggregate but are the most expensive. Regardless of the type of spreader being used it is calibrated and adjusted prior to beginning the chip seal operation. Aggregate application rates like asphalt application rates can be calculated using a formula or taken from tables. Make a quick check on the amount of aggregate being applied by laying a one square yard section of cloth on the ground and passing over it with the spreader. Then carefully lift the cloth and the aggregate and weigh them. This will give the application rate of the aggregate being spread. The aggregate spreader also begins and ends spreading aggregate on the building paper just as the asphalt distributor. Once the aggregate is spread the paper is removed leaving a straight and neat joint. Following the aggregate spreader, step number six is the rolling operation. The rolling operation proceeds immediately behind the aggregate spreader. A self-propelled smooth tread pneumatic tire roller with a tire pressure of 60 to 90 pounds per square inch is recommended. The pneumatic roller's tires force the aggregate firmly into the asphalt binder. Steel wheeled rollers have been used successfully for compacting chip seals and can be used if a pneumatic roller is not available. Steel wheeled rollers are not generally recommended because they can crush aggregate and bridge over low spots in the pavement. Begin rolling at the outer edge of the seal and proceed in a longitudinal direction working toward the center of the road. Each pass overlaps the previous pass by about one half the width of the front wheels. Rolling continues until the surface is smooth and compacted. If multiple seals are being installed apply the second shot of asphalt followed by a second layer of aggregate. For multiple seals adjust the asphalt and aggregate application rates for each application. Broom the surface lightly to remove any excess aggregate. This is the seventh step in the chip seal procedure. If necessary this is done after a good bond has been formed between the asphalt and the aggregate. The term lightly is emphasized because excess pressure with a broom could loosen the aggregate. In rural areas broom the aggregate to the shoulder of the roadway. In urban areas broom the aggregate to the curb or center of the street and remove manually or with a vacuum device. The newly sealed road is ready to be open to traffic. Placement of loose gravel signs and reduced speed signs is recommended. These should be left in place for at least 24 hours. Let's briefly review the seven step procedure for installing an asphalt chip seal. Step one, examine the existing pavement. Examine the pavement for surface distresses and drainage problems. Step two, repair the pavement. Complete pavement and drainage repairs prior to the installation of a chip seal. If these distresses are not repaired prior to the seal placement they may reappear soon afterward. Step three, clean the surface. Remove all loose material from the pavement surface prior to the seal application. A tractor mounted broom is effective in removing most loose debris from the pavement surface. Step four, asphalt application. The asphalt application is the most important part of a chip seal operation. Emulsified asphalt is recommended. The asphalt distributor is set up for the proper application rate. Monitor the application for proper application rate to prevent streaking. Step five, spread aggregate. Spread the aggregate immediately after the asphalt is sprayed. When using emulsified asphalt, spread the aggregate before the emulsion breaks. Aggregate must be clean so that a good bond can form between it and the asphalt. Step six, roll the aggregate. Roll the aggregate immediately after the aggregate is spread. A pneumatic-tired roller is recommended to roll the aggregate. A steel wheel roller may crush aggregate or bridge over low areas. Step seven, remove excess aggregate. If necessary, remove excess aggregate by lightly brooming the surface. Placement of reduced speed and loose gravel signs is recommended when the road is open to traffic. By following these seven steps, an effective asphalt chip seal can be installed and provide a better road for the traveling public.


This is covering the spread here are your hosts Jim Saunas and Dr. Ed Fang What is going on everybody welcome on into covering the spread? That is our sports betting podcast here on the fan dual podcast network getting you set for week three of the NFL season and breaking down our Favorite bet Brett bets on the board with Brett Colson getting tongue-tied thinking about Brett Who will come up here and break down the week three lines in a second. My name is Jim Saunas I am a senior writer and analyst for a number fire joint as always by Ed Fang of the powerink.com Ed I messed up your name a couple weeks ago. I messed up my own Yeah, I called you like I don't know I got the power rank mixed up with your last name today Oh, yeah, I almost messed up my own name Well, Brett has no idea that we're gonna break him down on the show today. So it's a shock to his system breaking Brett down But how are you doing that? I'm doing good exciting week of NFL action and I'm looking forward to the Daniel Jones era in New York. Yeah for for human purposes and Yeah, it's gonna be great and we always we're gonna talk about this with Brett And we're gonna go through the impact of all the different quarterback changes But for you as when you're looking at NFL stuff and you see quarterback changes How willing are you to? Bet on a team or against a team with a new quarterback change and stuff like that Do you try to take a wait-and-see approach or do you try to exploit things that you may see in new lines? Yeah, give or take. I mean, I mean, I'm definitely interested in going against Daniel Jones this week just someone Who last year as Duke's quarterback they ranked 57th in my adjusted yards for pass attempt So not anyone I was impressed with going into the draft Shocked that the New York Giants took him over a guy who actually performed in college like Dwayne Haskins and But you know some of these other situations like it's really hard for me You know I can start to make a quantitative estimate for quarterback changes After we get about three games and what the markets think about that and that that gives me a good kind of baseline to Figure out what a line should be but obviously we don't have that right now, right? And we have some really big injuries with the Saints and and the Steelers so Yeah, so those are kind of more stay-away for me from now to see how the backups perform So it's a case-by-case basis I have to have a really good read on a situation in order to dive in and I think I have a read on the Steelers We're gonna talk about that with Brett's Because I think I'm higher on Mason Rudolph than others may be I have no read on the Saints because I have no idea what the heck they're gonna do So I will fully stay away there But it's really it is a case-by-case basis and I just try to get a feel for my thoughts on them and go from there We're gonna talk to Brett find Brett on Twitter at Brett Coulson. He is the managing editor at the lines com He's also co-host on the gridiron gamble super contest podcast and on the lines podcast We're gonna preview week three of the NFL and get Brett's thoughts on all the quarterback changes Some of the big lines and the three biggest games of the week if you're looking for some college football talk We had Kelly Stewart on yesterday Kelly in Vegas to break down college football. We talked Michigan versus Wisconsin We had Auburn versus Texas Texas A&M and of course Georgia versus Notre Dame got her thoughts on all those games yesterday If you want to find that just search for covering the spread wherever you get your podcast spotify Apple Podcasts Stitcher I heart radio wherever you find your podcast you can find Covering the spread while you're there Please leave a rating and review because it does help us out tremendously to get those before we bring on Brett We're gonna go through what happened last week here on the podcast and recap all that and covering the past Covering the past So last week on the NFL show we had Joe Fortinbaugh on and talking about Joe Got some good insights from him. We talked about the Dolphins game against the Patriots He wanted the Dolphins if the number got to 21, but it didn't I think it stayed around 18 and a half So thankfully Joe avoided the landmine that a lot of a lot of the other rest of logic logic was sound Yeah, our team of professional football players allegedly allegedly Joe said he was not good. Yeah Joe said he was not gonna touch the Browns and the Jets with the simian news and that one why don't be in the Browns Ugly game. We'll talk about that the Browns with Brett He did want to bet the Rams minus two and a half against the Saints and they did wind up covering So that one I think they probably would have covered even if breeze had stayed in I thought the Rams played decently well overall the offense didn't really get a lot going but the defense is playing well even before that so Rans minus two and a half successful there didn't mention since he minus two against San Fran the 49ers though Really looked awesome in that game. So I thought that that was an impressive game for them And we mentioned the Titans minus three against the Colts the Colts got a close win I think it was a lot of it was conservative play calling on the Titans part I Think they kind of hate my boy Marcus, Marriota, and it's really worrying me Yeah, I mean it was kind of a disappointing result just because you know I've talked so much about how I'm down on India and you know, we're slowly starting to maybe change that You know given how good their offensive line has looked but Tennessee, you know, like how are they good? They've been so NFL average the last three years nine and seven every year Yeah, are they gonna break above that like can they crack the top ten? We'll see we'll see I love my guy Marcus now We'll never turn on him, but I think they have and that matters So that was disappointing. I didn't think that that had happened yet. The last week really was discouraging for me I mentioned the over on 45 for the 49ers in the Bengals that one It finished at 46 and did go over there and then also mentioned the under at 47 and a half for the Charters and the Lions that game I think was a 16 to 13 game finished at 46 and a half went under there So the totals went pretty well last week I'm gonna talk about another total in covering the future later on today But at I think overall we're just getting good insights here and learning a lot about teams We can also still exploit what we saw in week two as we'll potentially talk about the Bretts with that 49ers team Doing what they did last week any big takeaways for you from week two Yeah, I mean I thought really Cleveland was was pretty interesting on Monday night They won one kind of handily Not sure that I'm you know putting them in prime Super Bowl contending status yet You see the brilliance in what Mayfield can do and then then they kind of look lost sometimes I feel like they could just be a volatile team this year I think that that's kind of my read on Cleveland and I I like volatile teams for DFS I do not like volatile teams or betting. Yeah, so it's a it's a different thing for me for sure I think that we're gonna see a lot of that this year, unfortunately a lot of Unpredictability and that's kind of what you get when you have a shaky offensive line Again, Freddie kitchens is a guy who was able to combat a lack of talent up front last year But they all said Kevin Zitler who was no longer there and kind of a nice security blanket to have So I'm interested to see what goes down there Yeah, absolutely also mentioned like, you know, I thought Atlanta played really well against Philly Not a game that I expected them to win But you know, they kind of look like what they're supposed to on offense and breaking off some big plays to win that game And I was kind of down on their defense a little bit, but it didn't look terrible so Another one and we'll get get get into that a little bit and covering the future Yeah, absolutely And I think another big takeaway from week two for me was the Packers defense Validating that it was not just Mitchell Trabisky being bad. Yes, Kirk Cousins made some mind bogglingly awful throws But they were also forced Dean Lowry I think is a defensive lineman for this Packers team It was eventually gonna start to get more love nationally and he forced that awful interception by Kirk Cousins And I talked about them yesterday uncovering the future wanting to bet Then doing the Super Bowl at 17 to 1 So you can find that in yesterday's podcast, but the Packers defense really Impressive to me so far if you want to get in on the action check out the Fandall sportsbook today and place your first bet If you lose Fandall will give you a refund of up to five hundred dollars in site credit visit sportsbook.fandall.com For more details terms and conditions apply must be 21 plus and physically present in New Jersey or Pennsylvania gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER. Let's bring on Brett Coulson right now You can find him on Twitter at Brett Coulson again He is the managing editor at thelines.com and a co-host on the gridiron gamble super contest podcast and on the Lions podcast We're gonna break down week three right now with Brett Coulson Covering the present Let's welcome Brett Coulson here into covering the spread Brett. It's been a while man. How you doing today? I'm great. Thanks for having me. I'm honored to join the podcast today Absolutely, Brett and I used to host a DFS podcast together back in the day with rich Ryan Brett still hosts a podcast with rich the gridiron gamble super contest podcast So excited to get the band partially back together here and talk a little bit of week four of NFL But Brett before we do that You're a bills fan, right? I am yes, and things are a little exciting over here right now I want to ask you about that defense because Josh Allen like Josh Allen's fun Like I don't know about Josh Allen as a quarterback He's really fun to watch that defense through the first couple of weeks and through last year, too They've looked really good. Are you thinking this team has a little bit of juice this year based on the way they played? I mean the defense kind of is what we thought it was they did add at Oliver in the middle there And he's obviously a beast but the real difference is Josh Allen I mean he's a different quarterback to just this year you can see him learning on the go He's you know, he's making plays that he you know He wasn't making last year throwing the ball out of bounds and not taking sacks when you know He should be throwing the ball away. So I mean that it's a different Josh Allen It's you've got he's got experienced receivers now to throw the ball to who are taking some of the pressure off him as well so I Don't know man. It's a like we got a pretty easy schedule, too So it's like could we get there we kind of snuck in a couple years ago It might it's kind of got that feel to it this year and I like that They're still letting Josh Allen use his legs because that's such a key strength for him So that's been pretty fun to watch. I just as a fan. I enjoy watching him So it's been it's been interesting for sure what Brent usually will go through a lot of process-based stuff But today there's just like so much news that we had to go through as far as quarterback changes And I kind of want to pick your brain on the different situations here with quarterback changes Three pretty notable ones and I want to get your thoughts on them from a betting perspective Starting off with the Saints Teddy Bridgewater slash Taysum Hill both potentially playing for the Saints What's your read on New Orleans here with the quarterback change and Drew Brees being out? Well odds makers seem to think Brees is worth around three points over Teddy when the advanced lines were posted for this game at Fandall last week the line was Seattle minus one now. We're looking at four four and a half This would normally be a spot Or I had looked to take advantage of public perception and the overreaction to a quarterback injury But it's difficult to do that with Brees because of how valuable he is to this offense granted He hasn't been the same Drew Brees for at least a year now I mean the Saints haven't thrown the ball downfield at all It's evident he's lost a lot of zip on that ball But Brees is so good before the snap that it hasn't really mattered He's still grading out as one of the best quarterbacks in the league Just because of how efficient this offense is with him making decisions at the line So I think it's a pretty big downgrade to Teddy slash Taysum Even though Teddy is regarded as one of the more competent backups in the league You just you have to account for the value of veteran like like Brees or Brady Brings to an offense because of their awareness and their experience So I think this line might be a point off even though I think it's a really good opportunity to sell high on Seattle It barely beat the bangles in week one and survived against a different quarterback a Backup quarterback last week in Mason Rudolph Point off here. Is it enough for you to actually bet it and go with the Seahawks here at minus four and a half? No, I I don't know what we're gonna get out of out of that offense the quarterback situation Yes, this is this is a stay away from me, but it's certainly an interesting spot Excellent. So Brett, what about some of the other quarterback changes? We have Mason Rudolph in Pittsburgh solid offensive line and some playmakers around them a team in Pittsburgh But I thought kind of flew under the radar a little bit this preseason. What do you think about the Steelers team? You know, I don't put big Ben in the same category as breeze He's also clearly been declining But this has not been a successful offense with him under center Certainly not in the scent in the small sample we saw this year and even last year with AB and so many playmakers around him And on top of that, I'm a Mason Rudolph guy I feel like this I feel like he's the forgotten quarterback of that deep class with with Baker and Darnold and Lamar and Josh Allen and I'm and I'm encouraged By what I saw out of Mason Rudolph last week, so I'm buying low on Pittsburgh here And they face two tough opponents to start the year more importantly two of the best quarterbacks in the league And this defense hasn't gotten into a groovy a lot of young talent on this defense It's one that I had pegged is potentially one of the most improved in 2019 And here against the 49ers we can also sell high on the 2-0 team that is not as good as its record shows So, you know, I do like what I've seen out of this 49ers defense so far But there's just no way this team should be laying seven against Pittsburgh. That's It's crazy to me and Mason Rudolph I would back you up on that too because you look at his numbers at Oklahoma State like the dude is really good But he was also super experienced and in my research of what successful quarterbacks do well in the NF Or you know have on their resume coming out of college a lot of them have a lot of starting experience Mason Rudolph had 41 games with at least 10 pass attempts in college And he was very efficient obviously You have to look at with a bit of skepticism given the conference in which he played but he played really well And now you give him this offensive line. I agree. I think that This team will get a downgrade without without Ben Ralthusberger But probably not enough for me to get in on the 49ers here So interesting situation there and I think I agree I'd be more inclined to go with the Steelers there. Let's talk about the Giants Daniel Jones down in Tampa Bay Making his debut and this one is interesting because when they released those That look at though the way that quarterbacks move lines Eli Manning was the lone starter who was actually dragging his team down Do you view Daniel Jones as being an upgrade for the Giants here against Tampa Bay? I don't really know what to make of this You know, it's it's definitely worth keeping an eye on how this team responds to this kid under center There has to be at least a little added buzz and revitalization in that locker room It's just spent so stale there for years I need to see it before I have any conviction one way or another with this team So I mean, I'm staying away from this for now, but I'm really intrigued by the highs and lows of Danny Dimes Already in this young career. I mean the guy was boot on drafting and then Torched defenses in the preseason and unfortunately I'm not a guy who sits on the couch watching Duke Duke football every Saturday So I don't know what this kid is yet, but I'm looking forward to watching it and then kind of taking it from there Yeah, I didn't like what I saw from him at Duke personally Both in the numbers and like watching him, but I mean, it's not Eli. We know what Eli is I want the uncertainties. So I agree with you for like from a betting perspective. I want to stay away But I think overall it's probably a positive for that team. So we'll see how that goes I'm not gonna ask you about the Jets with Luke Faulk because I guess I am you know what? Let's do it. Anyway, let's talk about those two big favorites here We got the Patriots and the Cowboys both favored by 22 and a half now Fandall Sportsbook and Brett I think that these are pretty massive lines, but you can also understand why they are that massive Do you think that the the Patriots or the Cowboys can cover those big numbers? Because they're they're pretty considerably large. You're asking someone who was burned by this Miami team last week I had I had them on my card in the circus sports million contest in Vegas because Like in what world is professional football team ever a 19-point dog at home while apparently we are living in that world And what's so interesting about Miami is having Ryan Fitzpatrick quarterbacking Makes it so much more volatile and I definitely didn't account enough for this last week You know with Fitz you're getting a player who's gonna give you everything he has for all four quarters Which is great if you're getting a lot of points and you need a backdoor cover But that also means you're getting negative script DGF Ryan Fitzpatrick Who is gonna make horrifying throws that result in turnovers and as we saw last week Scoring plays multiple ones and Miami just isn't gonna be able to come back from that. They just they don't have the personnel so I mean you're not looking at Getting that every week in this new England defense is just so prepared and disciplined Like you can't bake those defensive touchdowns in the lines But the opportunity will be there for these huge favorites to pile on points in a variety of ways and a variety of ways against Miami The team is just built to be bad like these players aren't tanking but the organization is and I don't know the best way to approach it I thought for sure Miami was the right side last week and now I just don't I don't know what to do with it It's it's like it's like unprecedented. I don't know what this is Yeah, I know and especially with the just being having in two injuries a quarterback. It's I completely agree with you You know, I kind of tweet I tweeted out just jokingly like are we are we making this argument that that Miami is a bunch of professional football players and They're gonna show up. So but we shall see right. Let's move on to Ravens at Chiefs pretty big matchup Ravens that look very good in two games and the Chiefs are Explosive on offense with Patrick with Holmes What do you see in this game Chiefs minus seven total at 55? Well, I'm looking at Baltimore Look Lamar Jackson had he's had two really good matchups so far and I he's got another pretty good one here But obviously a lot more pressure going into this game Maybe the most difficult place for an opposing quarterback to play He was good an arrowhead last year in week 14 6.1 yards per attempt to touchdowns no picks and a close Loss and it could not be overlooked how much Marquis Brown adds to this offense with his ability to stretch the field This was like brilliant traffic by the Baltimore Ravens He helps his offense in so many ways and I don't know how the Chiefs plan to defend him this week Either quite possibly the biggest matchup or biggest mismatch speed wise on the entire slate And the thing we've seen with Brown is teams are afraid to press him because his release is so good off the line of Scrimmage he just dances around cornerbacks and runs by them so I mean he adds an element to this offense that has the potential to make them and a Juggernaut offensively, I love this offense You know all the talk leading up to this season was about the defense But I think the offense is is gonna be the unit that carries this Baltimore team as for this game You know, I think it's a pretty fair line I'm expecting a lot of points. So if anything I like the over here I think these two offenses are tremendous and you actually get a good opportunity here because the over its slid down It's now 52 for this one So and like you look at these two teams last year Baltimore ran this like Creepish pace once the Marjaxon took over but they're not running that same offense anymore And I think that you kind of to throw out the numbers from 2018 with Baltimore Because they are letting him throw the football and that kind of changes their team the Chiefs are always a pretty fast team So I agree with the number at 52 now I think that does give an opportunity here to you ride with the over here in this one I think it's definitely an interesting game for sure. It's now Chiefs minus six. I Agree, it's a pretty efficient line. So probably a stay away for you, right? Yeah, I mean if it ever got to seven again, I would lean Baltimore But yeah, definitely looking at the total here just a game we can watch and enjoy there for sure Oh, let's move on absolutely Falcons at Colts the Colts are one point favorites in this one total is 47 And the Colts have been a bit of a trendy team to bet through the first two weeks So these based on people I follow on Twitter and they've covered both times This is their first home game here And I think that the way that I view them is how they perform relative to expectations to me The Colts have either met or exceeded expectations in each of the first two games. What about you, Brett? What have you seen from the Colts through their first two games without Andrew Luck? So I've been really high on Indy throughout this entire process. I loved the early summer Super Bowl contender Colts I loved the post Andrew Luck retirement Colts when they were somehow plus 500 to win that division I still love them this week because I don't think the market has corrected yet to me This is a better team than Atlanta even with Jacobi percent under center. So laying one point feels It'll lead like two points. Maybe even more off to me I don't know why this isn't just Indy minus three but the betters have spoken a lot of public and sharp money coming in on Atlanta, which is Truly baffling, but apparently I'm seeing something here that others aren't and I'm I'm excited to take advantage I love the Colts this week. I'm gonna keep pounding the Colts until this market corrects itself What did you see that drew you towards the Colts like is it you know, is it the offensive line? Is it the still guys is it percent what drew you there? I mean, it's it's it's everything. It's the coaching It's the organization. It's the culture. I mean, I really felt like going into the year That was a you know outside of New England. That was that was the team. I was ready to say all right This is you know, this is the team that's going to supplant the Patriots as the AFC, you know, the AFC You know top top dog and I think they were headed there Give you know even even still though I think this is a team that's going to be in the playoffs this year with a really really good roster and that offensive line Is where it all starts Interesting. Let's move on to Rams at Browns Pretty interesting game runs with three-point favorite the Browns won on Monday night, but I would not say they looked impressive you can see some flashes from from their offense, but Thought Baker make it looked a little lost at times. What do you think about this game? This is one of those games where I let the market dictate where I'm leaning because those the line looks perfect to me everything you know Everything you just said is spot-on the Browns haven't looked good offensively and better to take a notice because most of the money So far is coming in on the Rams. So, you know, gun to the head I'm taking Cleveland because their stock is super low right now. This opened Rams minus one last week at Fandle That was before LA beat a Breeze list Saints team So we might be getting a point or two of value with Cleveland not one of my favorite games of the week I'm gonna enjoy watching it certainly, but Yeah, I wouldn't touch this one And I think that one thing that does bolster that argument is that the Rams? They're breaking in two new starters in their offensive line Austin Blythe their right gar left on a cart yet Or in week or last week and has a spraying ankle So I think that when you're putting up three essentially new starters on your offensive line against Sheldon Richardson Miles Garrett I know the a Vernon. It's pretty daunting So I agree that if I were to go here, it would be with the Browns, but I agreed It's kind of a fun game to watch But what about the Rams overall for you outside of just this game? I think that they're kind of a tough team for me personally to read so far. I I've liked what I've seen again relative to expectation But I haven't been blown away by them yet What are your overall thoughts on the Rams through the first two weeks? Yeah, I feel like they may have peaked last year, you know And now you know the running back situation isn't I mean, you know running back is running back But still I mean Todd girly does matter and you know what we saw to girly last year is not what we're seeing this year and that does play a factor in what this offense is able to do and you know the defense I Felt like the defense over performed last year And I don't know I haven't read the latest on what Aaron Donald's status is. Is he is he good to go right now? It looks like he is But it won't be at full health because the back issue and that's something that goes away right away So I mean if that if that is a lingering thing This is obviously a team that I'm gonna be looking to fade week week after week, right? So interesting game for sure any other bets you see on the board that you like Brett week number three This can also be numbers that you grabbed earlier because I think that talking about those and why you grabbed them is pretty Valuable but thoughts on that other bets in the board. It's actually the opposite of that The most interesting game to me this week and one that I will be on all of my handicapping contest cards is Panthers Cardinals this line got flipped on its head Late Tuesday night early yesterday morning the Panthers were minus two and a half on the road And then Cam Newton is all but ruled out and the line moves five points the other way and why? Cam Cam Newton has been Broken since the late last year and Kyle Allen looked fine as a starter last year filling in for Cam Newton This rod this Panthers roster is considerably better than Arizona's. I don't understand The market shift here at all. I look at this as potentially one of the best spots of the whole Season to take advantage of the the public perception and overreaction in the betting market This line is crazy to me. So I mean if you can grab Panthers minus two and a half right now if it does by any chance get to three I would just I would pound that well and the other thing too is that's had an effect on the total in that game It was I think 46. It's now 43 and a half. Yeah, and Again, it's kind of like was Cam worth three points overall in this total here So I think the total is more attractive. I'm gonna talk about that in our other segment here later But yeah, I mean, I think that's a really interesting one I think that the Cardinals are interesting because I've enjoyed what I've seen From Kyler Murray, but I hate what I see from Cliff Kingsbury from a decision-making perspective So it's definitely an interesting one there anything else you want to shout out before we let you get off to all the other stuff You got going on Yeah, sure. I mean, I'll push a little stuff We got going on over the lines if you're out there and hate betting trends as much as I do You definitely want to check out the new series We have up the lines looking at the five worst trends of the week and why you should light them on fire We also ranted about it on the lines podcast this week So hopefully some good information out there for new bettors about some of the noise being spewed into this new Sports betting universe here in the US so far here during the NFL season Do you look to bet against those trends because I think that there is value in doing that Is that something that you found success in doing is it better? It really depends on what it is I mean, if it's a trend that's you know, the people are looking at and it's actually moving a line Then yeah, I'll certainly get on the other side of that but for the most part these trends that go back years I mean, you just you just toss them the trash. All right. That is Brett Colson Find him on Twitter at Brett Colson. C-O-L-L-S-O-N Brett. I want to thank you for coming on good to have you and talk to Your voice a little bit again. It's been a it's been a while So I appreciate it. Good luck with week three and hopefully we'll talk to you again soon. Thanks guys Covering the future All right one final thank you goes out to Brett Colson for joining us here today on covering the spread Brett is a great guy goes back a long time with it We had that podcast for two years the DFS podcast with him and rich Ryan It was a lot of good times great way to start off my Thursday So nice to talk to Brett once again and Ed I think it's a it's a pretty fun slate we have on tap for week number three and one of the games that is Interesting there is the Colts and the Falcons and you want to talk a little bit more about that game and your read on it Brett was on the Colts. Which side are you taking here?  And I think they actually look pretty good against Philadelphia Last week, which we already talked about and especially with had some questions about their secondary and their past defense But just impressed with what they did Against the Eagles and getting that stop on fourth down to seal a game and Indy You know, I've talked a lot about Indy. I've talked a lot about how I don't really Love this team They we kind of got what we expected week one You know close six seven point loss at the Los Angeles Chargers and then definitely an impressive win at Tennessee I'm still not so on the Cindy team You know before and I think with both of these teams I'm not really ready to kind of move off my preseason prior for either one of these teams and and the analysis that I do too Is would agree with that so in the preseason I would have made Atlanta about a half point favorite in this game on the road I think they're in the upper upper middle class of the NFL I think Indianapolis is in the lower middle class and that's where like that kind of comes from you make a couple adjustments for First two weeks of the season. I still have Atlanta as a one-tenth of a point favorite in this game So pretty much a 50-50 push Loved it at Atlanta plus two and a half earlier than this week still lean towards that Atlanta plus one On the road. I just I think I think Matt Ryan's a great quarterback. You can see this pass offense being top five When everything is clicking. There's just not as much firepower on the other side I think that the reason that I am I think I line up more on the Colts side of things here and maybe it's like me drawing too much from small samples, which I have been guilty of plenty of times in the past but last year this Colts offense wasn't that good on the road and If you look at number fires net expected points metric Andrew Luck on the road average point Oh, wait passing that expected points per drop back So he was below league average on the road jacobi Berset this year in two games both on the road is that point oh seven So I think he's not Andrew Luck. That's we're not gonna say that. I mean no no one's saying right I'm not saying that but I would expect this team to perform a lot better once I get on the turf and can Let T. Y. Helton do his thing now one thing that would back up your point and going with the Falcons is that the Colts Have not been running the same offense from a play calling perspective They have been much more conservative in their play calling and they have been running more on first and second down Right, they've been throwing shorter passes, which makes sense if you don't believe in your quarterback I think that that would be a reason to back the Falcons. I think that the reason that I still lean towards the Colts is I Think that they have met or exceeded my expectations again in the first two games So I still think that jacobi Berset can open things up at home But that is a concern that lingers in my mind that Frank Reich in the play calling and decision making May not have full faith kind of what we discussed with right this Mario to the Titans Yeah, for sure and and part of it is that they've been really successful running the ball their success rate on the ground has been astronomical You know one of the best in that fell over obviously small sample But I mean it's something we can believe because you know with your offensive line analysis like we we know That they're gonna be able to run the ball and then you're you know transitioning from look to Berset You know, maybe you're gonna break him in a little bit more or or just be very conservative all year either way There's just not the firepower there is on the other side with Atlanta a couple of the key guys on the Colts defense look a little dinged up in terms of Leonard the linebacker and and one of their cornerbacks So just another reason I would I would definitely even at even a plus one would lead in land of this game And Darius under one of the reasons that they did what they did last year like the defense wasn't good But they were better than terrible and he played a big role in that so I Think it's a really interesting game to watch and I think we'll learn a lot about both teams in this game So it should be a good week as far as getting actionable takeaways if the Colts look bad here I'm gonna get really works. I just traded for a jacobi percent in a dynasty league Let's go Colts and on the and then on the flip side of things like I've been really talking bad about the Colts But right if they can pull off a decent win without much turnover luck or whatnot Yeah, that opinion might start changing and then we get to look at some adjusted numbers in the NFL, right? Next week So we'll see how they look it'll be it's a big week this week for sure for week three My cover in the future is gonna be another total because I had some success totals last week So let's keep the good vibes rolling here and talk about a game I was discussing with Brett with the Cardinals and the Panthers this game has had its total goal all over the map It has been 46 it has been 45 and a half it has been I think it was 43 at one point it's not 43 and a half between the Cardinals and the Panthers and I Want the over on that number and the reason that I want the over is because both these teams have operated at a fast pace And we'll talk about Carolina the second with Arizona They rank second in situation neutral pace right now according to football outsiders and that's not gonna change because they've got Cliff Kingsbury They're running this air raid offense and when you do that when you throw the ball 40 to 50 times per game the clock is gonna stop and That's going to inflate play volume both for you and for the opposing team They've run a lot of plays so far through the first two games despite facing the Lions who run an archaic offense and Want to play keep away essentially they run a ton on first and second down That depresses volume for the opposing team They face the face the Ravens and the Ravens got ahead early in that game we're trying to drain clock running the football and Despite that the Cardinals have still run a lot of plays in both those games now They're facing Carolina and Carolina through the first two games has run an up-tempo offense And that is despite having Cam Newton not be at full health in that in that game against the Rams You know they're running an up-tempo system there and then against the Buccaneers even though Cam I think that was easily the more concerning game. That was a game where he apparently Reagorated that foot injury. They were still running fast. I think they're sixth right now in situation neutral pace So as they transition to Kyle Allen, I would not necessarily expect them to go with some ground and pound approach I think this is still a team that wants to run up tempo last year. They were 22nd in pace So maybe they go back a bit But even a 22nd ranked team in pace against this Cardinals team would be better than what they've faced so far Based on last year's rankings for the Lions and for the Ravens. So I think the play volume here will be very good I have liked a lot of what I've seen from Kyler Murray so far He exceeded expectations against Baltimore at 8.7 yards per attempt in that game did not score a touchdown But had that team close three or four times and Cliff Kingsbury elected to kick a field goal for some reason if things break differently I think that the Cardinals offense is going to show up And I think that because of that this game's gonna go over 43 and a half right now as of Thursday afternoon I like the the over there for sure between the Cardinals and the Panthers and I want to hear your thoughts though What have you seen from the Cardinals so far because I think they're a very interesting team with Cliff Kingsbury being there Have you like what you've seen so far? Yeah, I mean, I think I've obviously flashes. I I saw a very Like a very small sample when they look good coming back against the Lions and so You know, I tend to think volatile because I'm also looking at my some of my numbers in their 27th and passing success rate Over two games a lot of that was before I turned on that game Against the Lions. So yeah, I think it's gonna be a volatile type offense.  Yeah, so I think we're gonna continue to see that I was just looking Cam Newton's not officially out, right? So he's not out yet According to Ian Rappport of NFL Network He needed to practice Wednesday in order to play and he did not so I Would say that that the source of information has been incorrect before I will put it that way Things have broken differently. I Would not be like terribly shocked to be played But my baseline assumption right now is that he does not but it's within the range of outcomes that he does in which case that Total will go up again. So 43 and a half. I think if you can get it now, I would Well, I also find it interesting because Brett talked about how the side moved about five points Yeah, and then the total move three, right? And you got us you got assume on the side that the Newton injury is causing that move, right? So something seems inconsistent there. So I definitely like the way you're thinking about it and Yeah, I mean, I think Arizona adds a lot of excitement to the NFL Maybe we'll see that and it'll hit the over in the second quarter. Yeah I would agree with Brett to who's saying that he likes the Panthers here because the Cardinals defense is Not good. It's like it's amateurish honestly You look at with them with with no Patrick Peterson and no Robert Alfred I think the Cardinals will move with the football even without cam. So I don't know I would not touch personally the spread But I think the over here is a way to go and we'll see how that one goes But I think overall we're gonna get a lot of good information from week three We'll kind of see which teams are legitimate. We'll get answers on the 49ers I think which will be impactful and a lot of other teams. So should be a good week for some football We're gonna close things up for this week though back at you next week with more college football and NFL action Ed before that though anything going over at the football analytics show or over at the power rank this week Yeah, I talked on the football analytics show. I talked with Preston Johnson. He's the beard on ESPN's daily wager He's a professional sports better and great conversation. We talked a lot of games college games we talked about Syracuse SMU, Michigan at Wisconsin and It was actually the most important it was actually kind of interesting to hear him talk About things that we had talked about on the show. Yeah, I was state. So so he listens to the show awesome, dude We I was on my podcast We get into questions at the end that are non-sports related and we talked a lot about the time he spent in Portugal and The I can't I don't even remember the name, but there's a I listened to yesterday told me to listen to it after work. It's earthen F I think it's something Yeah, something like that But he was also talking about the Packers, which made you feel better about talking about the Packers on covering the spread And so I think hopefully some smart minds aligning here I don't know if I can count myself there But like hopefully a couple people on the Packers here So I feel better about that but Preston I thought was a fun listen So I would definitely recommend finding that over on the football analytics show wherever you get your podcast You can find Ed's work over at the power Inc.com you can find Ed on Twitter at the power rank if you want to follow me on Twitter I'm at Jim Sonnis J. I am S a N and ES you can also follow the fan dual podcast network at Fan dual podcast big thank you goes out to Calvin Theobald our producer for today as always for keeping us on the video side of things Thank you to Brett Colson for joining us and breaking down week three across the NFL Thank you to those of you for tuning in today and yesterday Check out our week four college football preview and week three NFL preview we'll be back at you next week with more covering the spread until then good luck with your bets and enjoy the football This has been covering the spread. You're on the fan dual podcast network


Welcome inside the newsroom, I'm Jonathan Goodell. With rebuilding underway for counties affected by California wildfires, there are numerous avenues for residents to take when deciding where to begin the process. Among those vital resources is the Department of Insurance and what they can do to ease the burden. We have two roles. One is to help consumers, policy holders, homeowners with their recovery of their insurance proceeds. The second is a law enforcement function to deter and if necessary arrest scam artists and fraudsters that typically come into the areas to try to take advantage of people. To assist with the process, we gather some of the most important tips from the Department of Insurance to help you get started. The first thing you need to do is call your insurance company, your insurance agent and ask for a copy of your policy and have them walk you through the contents of that policy. Next, inquire about additional living expense coverage. This could help you recover costs associated with having to evacuate. Most homeowners insurance policies have coverage for your out-of-pocket expenses when you've been evacuated. Even if your home hasn't been touched by the fire or the disaster, you can still be entitled to get your lodging costs, your transportation costs, your food costs, anything associated with your living expenses while you were evacuated outside the home might be covered. Make sure to document all those costs and keep receipts in order to potentially recover out-of-pocket expenses. Each situation is unique and specific to the coverage you have in your insurance policy and what it's going to cost to replace your homes. Here are some additional disaster insurance tips to ease the process. Document all conversations with your agent about your claim. If an item is excluded, limited or subject to certain conditions, have the adjuster point that out in the provision in your policy. Get licensed contractor estimates on your rebuild. This will give you a reasonable sense of the actual cost as compared to your coverage limits. I understand that this is going to be a very long and challenging recovery process and oftentimes it can take people two years or longer to rebuild their home. Here's what else you need to know regarding your insurance. You still can receive benefits even if rebuilding at another location. Assess the situation. Do not rush into decisions. Do not assume you have inadequate coverage. Do not evaluate if you need an attorney to assist with your claim. And call the insurance hotline for any additional questions at 1-800-927-4357. It's important to note that in a declared disaster, you may cancel a contract within five calendar days of the agreement. Also, know that there is a fee to hire a public adjuster. Our mission is to help you get through this process. For additional details or questions, contact the Department of Insurance directly. And that number is<PHONE_NUMBER>. Or find more information via their website at insurance.ca.gov. That's it for this week's show. For all of us here at Cal OES, I'm Jonathan Goodell. Thanks for watching. Visit our online newsroom at oesnews.com to learn more about this program and get the latest news and information from our team. Don't miss our next video on your Facebook timeline. Click our page and you'll get the latest posts as they happen. If you're an Instagram user, you can see the latest snapshots by following our Cal OES Instagram account. And Twitter users can get instant access to our tweets from across the state by following Cal OES.