In this episode of Haverin About, Bethany joins Stuart from London as we dive into the world of business travel — the good, the bad, and the utterly chaotic.

If you work in healthcare IT, sales, consulting, or any role that sends you on the road, this conversation will feel very familiar.

We break down essential travel routines, airport preferences (ATL forever), Delta status realities, long-haul flight survival, SKO etiquette, and the travel tech we consider absolute must-haves.

We also share favorite road-warrior hacks, personal stories from early careers, a surprisingly HR-compliant workplace romance tip, and why the rule “Nothing good happens after midnight” is still undefeated.

Please visit the Haverin About Store for fun and quirky Fan merchandise

Whether you're a seasoned traveler or preparing for your first work trip, you'll leave with new ideas, a few laughs, and maybe a checklist for your next flight.

Captivate will detect these automatically:

00:00 – Welcome & Why Bethany Is Reporting from London

02:00 – Airport Hot Takes & Why ATL Reigns Supreme

06:00 – Stuart’s UK Driving Era & Sales-Life Stories

12:30 – Airline Status, Loyalty Programs & Upgrade Myths

18:00 – Business Travel Tech Essentials & Packing Must-Haves

27:30 – Road Warrior Systems: Chargers, Toiletries & Organization

36:00 – The HR-Approved “Unethical Life Pro Tip”

42:00 – SKO Culture, Conference Etiquette & Midnight Warnings

(This section contains affiliate links. Purchasing through these links supports the show at no additional cost to you.)

Airplane Bluetooth Adapter (AirFly Pro–style)

Portable Apple Watch Charger (Anker)

Compact Travel Power Strip (USB + Outlets)

Anker Nano International Travel Adapter

Electronics Travel Organizer Case

Extra Travel Charging Cables

Dagne Dover Toiletry Bag

Cadence Magnetic Travel Pods

Spanx AirEssentials Set

TSA-Approved Travel Scissors

Portable Power Bank (Anker MagGo)

Anker Power Bank Power Station

Cadbury Chocolate Selection Boxes (UK)

TAGS

business travel, healthcare IT, health tech sales, corporate travel tips, Delta Medallion, ATL airport, travel hacks, SKO advice, sales career stories, long-haul flight essentials, work travel etiquette, airline status, family podcast, father-daughter podcast, tech travel gear, medical technology careers

Haverin About is a weekly father–daughter podcast exploring healthcare IT, digital health, business strategy, sales careers, leadership lessons, and the realities of working in modern tech-driven organizations — mixed with humor, personal stories, and the occasional rant.

What’s your best or worst business travel story?

Share it with us — we may feature it on a future episode.

In Part 2 of our HLTH 2025 conversation, Stuart and Bethany dive into the actual innovations that stood out on the conference floor — not the flashy AI branding, not the megabooths, but the clever, focused technologies solving real problems for patients and clinicians.

Stuart shares three products that caught his attention:

• Temperature-sensing diabetic socks designed to reduce amputations

• Entia’s Liberty home CBC device enabling oncology patients to monitor blood counts without constant hospital visits

• PLAUD’s clinician-friendly portable ambient transcription tools, reshaping workflow for doctors outside exam rooms

You can buy your own PLAUD Note device right on Amazon here: PLAUD Note on Amazon

(This is an affiliate link, so it won't cost you anything more, but we may receive a small commission)

Beyond the tech, we also explore the value of big multi-day events vs. niche specialty conferences, the economics of booths, why startups struggle for visibility, and how clinicians and small clinics can adopt technology without enterprise budgets.

If you work in health tech, digital health, clinical workflows, or simply want to know what’s actually worth paying attention to at HLTH, you’ll find a lot here.

00:00 — Welcome to Part 2 & framing the discussion

00:48 — Why solving a real problem matters (benefits vs. features)

01:20 — Innovation #1: Temperature-sensing diabetic socks

04:40 — The future of wearables & clinical data flow

06:30 — Innovation #2: Entia Liberty home CBC analyzer

10:50 — Chemotherapy, home monitoring & equity questions

12:54 — Innovation #3: Ambient scribing everywhere (big & small players)

14:40 — PLAUD’s rise & why clinicians secretly love it

20:10 — Small tech solving big problems vs. enterprise vendors

23:20 — Big vs. niche conferences: which actually deliver value?

28:30 — Booth ROI, startup economics & brand awareness reality

32:40 — Lead scanning horror stories & capturing meaningful conversations

39:20 — Should conferences use ambient capture? A future idea

41:55 — Wrapping up: JOMO, event culture & what comes next

43:10 — Closing & “Keep Haverin!”

If you'd like to support us, consider contributing at: Ko-fi

OR if you'd like to purchase some merchandise to support the channel, check out our BRAND NEW STORE at haverin.printify.me

In this episode of Haverin About, Stuart and Bethany dive into the HLTH 2025 conference in Las Vegas — exploring the conference’s origins, the reality behind the polished branding, and what actually happens when healthcare vendors, investors, payers, tech companies, and executives collide in one massive event.

Stuart shares his HLTH experience after attending industry conferences for over 35 years, while Bethany adds her take from last year’s event. Together, they dig into:

• Why HLTH exists and how it compares to HIMSS and ViVE
• The rise of “AI-everything” and the lack of substance behind many claims
• Celebrity speakers like Rob Lowe and Mark Cuban are delivering wildly conflicting messages
• What attendees really get from these events (and what they don’t)
• Vendor goals: brand awareness, lead generation, partnerships, investment
• The reality of secret-suite meetings, investor tribes, and on-floor chaos
• The good, the bad, and the unexpectedly funny moments (lime-green umbrellas included)
• This is Part 1 of a two-episode conversation. Part 2 continues the breakdown of HLTH and the future of health conferences.

00:00 — Intro & why we’re talking HLTH

02:00 — First impressions of HLTH 2025

06:00 — HLTH vs. HIMSS & ViVE

11:00 — Rob Lowe, Mark Cuban & conflicting messages

17:00 — What conferences really deliver

27:00 — AI hype, tribes & trends

38:00 — Wrap-up & Part 2 preview

If you'd like to support us, consider contributing at: Ko-fi

OR if you'd like to purchase some merchandise to support the channel, check out our BRAND NEW STORE at haverin.printify.me

As 2025 comes to a close, sales leaders everywhere are revisiting comp plans for the new fiscal year. In this lively and insightful conversation, Stuart and Bethany talk with Chris Goff — compensation strategist, educator, and author — about what it takes to design sales compensation that actually motivates performance and aligns with business goals.

Chris shares practical lessons from years of experience helping organizations strike a balance between motivation, fairness, and financial discipline in their compensation strategies. From startup simplicity to enterprise-scale complexity, this episode explores what works, what fails, and why.

00:00 – Introduction to Sales Compensation Dynamics

06:58 – Understanding the Role of Sales Compensation Professionals

09:40 – The Complexity of Compensation Plans

12:06 – The Importance of Pay Transparency

14:48 – Navigating Compensation Structures in Organizations

17:14 – The Impact of Company Culture on Sales Performance

17:51 – Advice for Sales Leaders on Compensation Planning

29:27 – Understanding Sales Compensation Structures

31:46 – The Role of Ramps and Quotas in Sales

38:05 – Navigating Mid-Year Changes and SPIFs

46:29 – Compensation Strategies for Startups

52:13 – Future Trends in Sales Compensation

56:11 – Understanding Compensation Plans

57:46 – Paths to Success in Sales

01:00:11 – Matching Personalities to Sales Roles

01:01:19 – The Politics of Sales Compensation

• The art and science of designing effective sales comp plans
• When “equality” can actually kill motivation
• The love–hate relationship with SPIFs and short-term incentives
• Why your comp plan is your real “instruction manual” for success
• How sales leaders can advocate for smarter plan design
• Practical strategies for startups building their first comp models
• What’s next in 2026: AI, consumption-based models, and new incentive trends

Whether you’re a CRO, a sales manager, or an individual contributor reading your new comp plan with curiosity (or dread), this episode helps you decode what really drives sales performance.

🎙️ Guest: Chris Goff

Hosts: Stuart & Bethany

Podcast: Haverin About

👉 Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

You can learn more about Chris on LinkedIn and on his website salescompguy.com

💬 Have a sales comp story or question? Email Haverin About — Your Experience Could Feature in a Future Listener Q&A!

#SalesCompensation #SalesLeadership #RevenueStrategy #SalesOps #BusinessGrowth #HaverinAbout #Sales SPIFF

n this bonus conversation from Breathing Forward, Stuart and Dr. Peter D’Adamo go beyond lung disease to explore the human side of medicine. Together they reflect on genetic inheritance, inflammation, the philosophy of healing, and the promise of future transplant technologies.

Purchase Peter's NY Times Bestseller "Eat Right 4 Your Type" on Amazon

Peter shares his personal journey with IPF and telomere research, while Stuart connects the dots between family genetics, resilience, and living beyond a transplant. Expect a mix of deep science, humanity, and humor from two veterans of both medicine and life’s harder lessons.

Keywords: Lung Transplant, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, IPF, Telomeres, Epigenetics, Inflammation, Peter D’Adamo, Genetics, Organ Donation, Decellularization, Regenerative Medicine, Medical Storytelling, Resilience

In this extraordinary episode of Haverin About: Breathing Forward, host Stuart sits down with Dr. Peter D’Adamo, renowned author of Eat Right for Your Type and one of the world’s most original thinkers in integrative medicine, genomics, and nutrition.

What begins as a podcast friendship between two transplant survivors unfolds into one of the most thoughtful and illuminating conversations about science, philosophy, and survival.

Diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) — the same disease that took his father’s life — Peter’s journey led him through the harrowing process of lung failure, hospitalization, and eventual single-lung transplant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

In this remarkable story, Peter shares:

🫁 His shock at diagnosis and connection to his late father’s fibrosis

🔬 Why science and faith both have roles in healing

🏥 The brutal reality of IPF’s “staircase” decline

❤️ Receiving a lung from a 24-year-old donor from Tennessee — and what that means to him

💊 The strange mix of gratitude, impatience, and rediscovered humility after surgery

💬 How his background in medicine shapes his view of patient care and medical wisdom

🧠 Why he believes medicine is “a dialogue, not a dictatorship”

🙏 The philosophy that’s guided him — stoicism, humor, and quiet acceptance

From reflections on mortality and science fiction-like future transplant tech, to a witty discussion of life with one “good lung and one cranky one,” Peter brings intellect, humanity, and humor to a story that could only be told by him.

🔗 Follow Dr. Peter D’Adamo on Substack: https://pdadamo.substack.com/

Purchase "Eat Right 4 Your Type" on Amazon

💚 Register as an organ donor: https://organdonor.GOV

🎧 Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Captivate.fm | Google Podcasts

In this deeply inspiring episode of Haverin About: Breathing Forward, host Stuart reconnects with Dean Mericka, a long-time colleague and fellow lung transplant survivor, to uncover one of the most extraordinary medical and personal journeys imaginable — surviving a rare double transplant: lungs and liver. A further twist - Dean's twin brother also required the same procedures within a year.

Dean’s story begins with a routine hip surgery that unexpectedly uncovered interstitial lung disease (ILD), which later led to the discovery of short telomere syndrome — a rare genetic condition shared with his identical twin brother. Within a few years, both brothers would face life-threatening organ failure and receive transplants at leading U.S. medical centers.

In this powerful and thoughtful conversation, Dean shares:

🫁 The shock of diagnosis and rapid decline in lung function

🏥 The grueling pre-hab and evaluation process at Duke University Hospital

❤️ The challenges and miracles of receiving both a liver and lung transplant — at age 65

💊 Living with lifelong medications, chemo, and complications like PTLD

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The vital role of his wife, Sandy, and family as his “care team”

🌄 How gratitude, kindness, and perspective have reshaped his life after transplant

Dean’s mantra: “You give up one big problem for a bunch of small ones — and it’s worth every one.”

Whether you’re a patient, a family caregiver, a medical professional, or just someone seeking hope in the face of adversity, this episode reminds us all to be grateful for science, family, and second chances.

In this powerful episode, Stuart sits down with Jenny McFarlane, a double lung transplant survivor living with cystic fibrosis (CF), to share her remarkable story of resilience, faith, and purpose. Diagnosed with CF as a baby, Jenny defied the odds for decades before lupus accelerated her lung decline, and she was told she needed a transplant.

In this deeply personal and uplifting conversation, Jenny recounts:

🌬️ Her life before transplant and the emotional decision to move across states for surgery

💔 The fear and hope leading up to “the call” that changed everything

💪 The recovery journey — from ventilator tubes to walking freely for the first time

🙏 Her gratitude toward her donor and how that gift shaped her spiritual journey

💖 How she founded her own lung transplant foundation and podcast to support others

🌅 The unforgettable moment she climbed back up that Galveston hill — breathing freely again

This story isn’t just about surviving. It’s about living with purpose, gratitude, and love after being given a second chance.

If you’ve ever wondered what life after organ transplant is really like — or if you need inspiration to register as an organ donor — this episode will move you deeply.

________________________________________

📬 Read our writing → https://haverin.substack.com

☕ Buy us a coffee with a Ko-fi tip → https://ko-fi.com/haverin

🔗 Listen to Jenny’s Podcast → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pre-to-post-transplant/id1486712428

💚 Learn more about Jenny's Foundation → https://www.pretoposttx.com

💡 Become an Organ Donor: Donor.GOV

🎧 Also available on: YoutTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Captivate.fm

______________________________________________________

• lung transplant story
• cystic fibrosis survivor
• Jenny lung transplant
• organ donation awareness
• life after transplant
• transplant journey podcast
• inspirational survivor stories
• CF lung transplant recovery
• organ donor story
• second chance at life
• chronic illness resilience
• Galveston hill story
• transplant foundation
• faith after illness
• healing and purpose
• ⏱️ 4. Chapter List (Timestamps for YouTube & Podcast)

00:00 – Introduction – Meet Jenny and her story of cystic fibrosis

01:40 – Early life and CF diagnosis

03:00 – When health began to decline & lupus diagnosis

06:00 – Deciding to move for a lung transplant

07:40 – The Galveston fireworks moment: “I’m ready for my transplant”

10:30 – Getting the call – The unexpected timing

13:00 – Facing surgery day fears and waking up after transplant

16:00 – Recovery: walking, chest tubes, and small victories

18:30 – Life after surgery & gratitude for the donor

20:30 – Writing to her donor’s family

22:00 – Meeting other transplant stories through her podcast

24:00 – Spiritual reflections and growing closer to faith

27:00 – Why me? Finding purpose after survival

29:30 – The power of compassion and resilience

32:00 – Stuart & Jenny reflect on community and awareness

35:30 – Jenny’s new chapter: foundation, school, and podcast break

36:45 – One word to describe the journey: “Beautiful”

37:30 – Jenny’s message to future organ donors

39:50 – Closing thoughts: Living with purpose and gratitude

We’re opening our Lung Transplant Series with Stuart’s double lung transplant story—co-hosted with Bethany. From the ICU moment of “We can’t save your lungs”, through a recovery “close plan” (yes, the sock test), to a late-night message from his donor’s mother, this is our most personal episode yet.

Released during the Lung Transplant Foundation’s National Lung Transplant Awareness Week and National Lung Transplant Awareness Day (October 9, 2025), we share what organ donation makes possible—and how families and teams can lead with grace when life hits hard.

You’ll hear about:

• The call that changed everything—and the mindset pivot from despair to plan

• The “close plan” for recovery (walk, walk, walk) and the legendary sock test

• Bethany’s perspective: balancing family, sales leadership, and grief

• Grace at work: how teammates and managers can actually help

• A message from the donor’s mother—and honoring the gift

• Practical ways to protect the immunocompromised in your life

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome & Awareness Week/Day

01:30 Gratitude to Vanderbilt & donor families

06:35 Diagnosis → rapid decline → ICU

15:03 “We can’t save your lungs.” (mindset pivot)

20:48 A match is found & surgery day

24:30 Recovery begins: walk, walk, walk

28:52 The “close plan” & the sock test

32:05 Bethany’s side: family, work, coping

35:00 Grace at work: leadership lessons

38:00 Donor letter - connecting with grief

42:00 How to help + CTAs

44:30 Outro

Listen if you want to: hear a real-world transplant journey, learn how to support loved ones (and colleagues) through crisis, and understand why registering as an organ donor truly changes families on both sides.

Support the show:

📬 Subscribe to the Substack → https://haverin.substack.com

☕ Buy us a coffee with a Ko-fi tip → https://ko-fi.com/haverin

Resources & Links Mentioned:

Lung Transplant Foundation:

🔗https://lungtransplantfoundation.org/

US —Register as an organ donor:

🔗 https://www.organdonor.gov/

UK — NHS Organ Donor Register: 🔗https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/

Vanderbilt University Medical Center — Lung Transplant Program: 🔗https://www.vanderbilthealth.com/program/lung-transplant

Haverin Substack

Breathing Forward: A timeline of resilience:

🔗https://haverin.substack.com/p/breathing-forward-a-timeline-of-resilience?r=2vmx1l

Where are we with Lung Transplants in 2025?:

🔗https://haverin.substack.com/p/where-we-are-with-lung-transplants?r=2vmx1l

Tacro, Tacro, Tacro! (Explaining our antirejection drugs):

🔗https://haverin.substack.com/p/tacro-tacro-tacro?r=2vmx1l

Jenny McFarland’s transplant podcast (Stuart’s guest episode): 🔗https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/if-youre-going-through-hell-just-keep-going-with/id1486712428?i=1000639375812

Negotiation is everywhere. From battling with an insurance adjuster after storm damage to closing multi-million-dollar healthcare IT deals, the skills are the same.

In this episode of Haverin About, Stuart and Bethany dive into the art (and science) of negotiation. With real stories, practical strategies, and a dash of humor, they explore how to:

• Break down 100-page contracts into what really matters
• Use simple tools like index cards to prep for big conversations
• Handle shifting corporate priorities and procurement roadblocks
• Avoid leadership missteps (and land yourself in the “burn book”)
• Trade creative terms beyond just money (references, case studies, conferences)
• Master the hardest negotiation skill of all: silence
• Remember timeless wisdom: “What’s for you will no go by you”
• Whether you’re in sales, leadership, or just want to sharpen your everyday negotiation skills, this episode has something for you.

👉 Subscribe now so you don’t miss future episodes. And if you enjoy what you hear, leave us a review—it really helps others discover the show!