Most businesses break employment law not out of malice, but because they simply don't know what they don't know — and by the time they find out, it can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, or worse, jail time.

In this episode, host James Newcomb sits down with Diane Faulkner, an HR consultant and self-described "HR threat detective," to unpack the hidden mistakes that get employers in serious legal trouble. Diane shares the real story of walking into a company with a 92% employee turnover rate and turning it around to just 7% in under a year — plus what she learned along the way about toxic workplace cliques, bad hiring practices, and weak leadership.

You'll learn:

• Why employees really quit (hint: it's rarely just about the money)
• The dangerous mistake small businesses make with independent contractors
• How workplace cliques quietly damage company culture and customer experience
• Why you legally can't stop employees from discussing their pay
• What happens during a government labor audit — and how to avoid one
• How Diane helps business owners get ahead of costly legal risk before it happens

Diane is also the author of the upcoming book "Don't Get Sued, Get Smart," releasing this November.

Learn more about Diane and her work at dianefaulkner.com

Chaos isn't always loud. Sometimes it hides behind busy schedules, scattered priorities, and lives that seem successful on the surface but lack harmony underneath.

Joseph Pedroza knows what it means to live in chaos. After a childhood marked by abuse, gang involvement, addiction, prison, and a near-fatal stabbing, he experienced a radical transformation that reshaped not only his faith, but his understanding of purpose, stewardship, and personal responsibility.

In this conversation, Joseph explains why the greatest obstacles in life are often the unseen patterns of disorder that quietly create friction in our relationships, work, health, and spiritual lives. Together, we explore the difference between balance and harmony, what faithful stewardship really means, and how bringing order to the right places can transform everything else.

Joseph C. Pedroza is the founder of Ephesians 6 Coaching and creator of the BBB Framework (Bible, Business, Body), helping Kingdom-minded entrepreneurs remove the disorder creating unnecessary friction in their lives and businesses.

After surviving childhood trauma, gang life, addiction, prison, and a near-fatal stabbing, Joseph dedicated his life to helping others pursue faithful stewardship through spiritual growth, purposeful work, and personal transformation.

Connect with Joseph:

• https://linktr.ee/Josephcpedroza

• Joseph's journey from childhood trauma, gangs, and prison to redemption
• What "the unseen chaos of a disordered life" really looks like
• Why harmony is a better goal than balance
• The relationship between stewardship, health, vocation, and spiritual life
• The BBB Framework: Bible, Business, and Body
• Why transformation requires more than behavior change
• The difference between solving symptoms and addressing root causes
• Living with purpose instead of friction

• Ephesians 6 Coaching
• BBB Framework (Bible • Business • Body)
• Joseph Pedroza: https://linktr.ee/Josephcpedroza

Jerry Hey has spent more than five decades making great records sound even better. In this conversation, the Grammy-winning trumpeter and horn arranger traces his path from a musical childhood in Dixon, Illinois, through Indiana University, the Honolulu music scene, Seawind, and the Los Angeles recording studios.

Jerry recalls working with Quincy Jones, David Foster, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Michael Jackson, while explaining the discipline behind the celebrated Jerry Hey horn section.

At the center is a deceptively simple standard: surround yourself with the right people, listen carefully, and never settle when another take might make the music better.

Hey Horns

Jerry Hey’s official website, featuring his career, educational materials, arrangements, and reflections on more than fifty years as a trumpeter and arranger.

Jerry Hey at Conn Selmer

Artist profile covering Jerry’s career as a studio trumpet player and arranger, including his work with Quincy Jones and David Foster.

Jerry Hey at GRAMMY.com

Jerry Hey’s official Grammy artist profile, including his awards and nominations.

This conversation with Stephan Kinsella was recorded in 2022, but the principles behind it are timeless.

The tools change.

The technology changes.

The means of copying, distributing, remixing, and monetizing creative work change.

But the central question remains: can an idea really be owned in the same way a pencil, house, instrument, or piece of land can be owned?

Stephan is a retired patent attorney, author, and longtime critic of intellectual property law. In this episode we examine one of the most misunderstood assumptions in modern creative life: that copyrights and patents are simply another form of property.

From there, the discussion moves into the difference between scarce physical goods and infinitely reproducible ideas, the history of copyright as a tool of control, the Austrian economics framework behind Kinsella’s argument, and why he believes patents and copyrights ultimately restrict rather than protect creativity.

We also bring the conversation down to earth for musicians, writers, podcasters, and independent creators trying to make a living inside the world as it actually exists. How should creators think about exposure, piracy, licensing, trademarks, self-publishing, open-source models, and the real danger of obscurity?

Whether or not you agree with its conclusions, this episode offers a serious challenge to the way most of us have been taught to think about ownership, creativity, and the law.

Resources

Stephan Kinsella’s website: StephanKinsella.com

Stephan Kinsella on intellectual property: StephanKinsella.com/IP

Against Intellectual Property by Stephan Kinsella

Against Intellectual Monopoly by Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine

Center for the Study of Innovative Freedom

"On the field... From Madison, Wisconsin... The Madison Scouts!"

Back in the 1980s and 90s, when those words were spoken through the PA system at the local drum corps competition, the crowd knew exactly what was going to happen.

Precision. Discipline. Young males crossing the threshold into manhood in real time.

And that sound...

Hitting you as though you’re running into a brick wall at 70 miles an hour.

Seriously. It was an experience unlike any other, and it taught me the incredible power that brass instruments can have in invoking intense emotions in people.

Wherever they went, the Madison Scouts brought a distinct energy, a distinct voice that set them apart from the rest of the field.

This is not something that just happened. It was the result of years and years of building a system that was designed to make the most out of every ounce of human energy, financial resources, and musical and athletic ability of which members.

Many people were involved in planning and implementing this system. And at the helm of this entire program was a gentleman by the name of Scott Stewart.

Scott is, by his own admission, a dinosaur compared to the drum corps activity in its current form. In fact, you'll hear in this interview why Scott felt he was the lone hold out against innovations such as electronics, props, and the musical choices of the corps'.

But this interview is not an airing of grievances. It's just that 32 years after spending a summer on the road, going from town to town, playing my horn in tiny towns as well as NFL stadiums alongside 127 young men, I recall it very fondly. It is no exaggeration to say it is one of the most profound periods of personal growth in my life.

So I asked Scott if we could meet up at his home near Madison so I could pick his brain on what exactly went into making the Madison experience so memorable. Not just for the members and staff, but for the thousands of fans who for over two decades relished every performance.

Scott Stewart’s entry into drum corps: Scott recalls joining the Madison Scouts in 1968, when drum corps was still local, inexpensive, militaristic, and community-based.

How the activity changed in the early 1970s: The shift from short local seasons to longer tours, more rehearsal time, and a higher level of performance.

The old drum corps “ecosystem”: How smaller corps, feeder corps, and regional organizations once supported the larger activity, especially through Drum Corps Midwest.

Scott’s rise into leadership: Scott describes moving from marching member to staff member, director, program coordinator, and executive director.

The Madison Scouts system: Staff continuity, member-first leadership, rehearsal philosophy, and the culture that made Madison distinct.

Designing shows audiences remembered: Music selection, emotional pacing, impact moments, variety, climaxes, endings, and why Madison shows connected so deeply with crowds.

The golden age of drum corps: Scott identifies the mid-1980s through mid-1990s as the activity’s golden age and explains what made that period so powerful.

Changes in modern drum corps: Electronics, props, staging, uniforms, musical choices, rising costs, and the loss of melody and drill design.

The Madison experience a rite of passage: The interview closes with a personal reflection on the Madison Scouts as a formative experience for young men moving into adulthood.

Scott’s legacy of service: Scott reflects emotionally on his role as a servant-leader and the privilege of shaping generations of Madison Scouts.

What if Christianity is not primarily a moral code, a private belief system, or a set of religious customs, but a way of seeing reality?

In this episode, Dr. Zachary Porcu joins the podcast to discuss his book Journey to Reality: Sacramental Life in a Secular Age. The conversation begins with the origin of the book, which grew out of Zac’s work teaching theology to students who often knew the basic claims of Christianity but lacked the worldview that made those claims intelligible.

From there, we move into the deeper question: what is Christianity? Zac argues that “religion” may not be the most useful starting point. Christianity is better understood as a worldview, a way of answering the question, “What is the nature of reality?”

That question leads into one of the central concepts of the conversation: the arche. Zac uses the term to move beyond the flattened modern image of God as a distant old man in the sky. Instead, he describes God as the source of being itself, the one in whom all things live, move, and have their being.

The conversation then turns to the Incarnation, the claim that the source of being, life, and truth became man in Jesus Christ. Zac explains why that claim was shocking both to Jews and Greeks, and why it remains revolutionary today.

We also discuss the difference between modern Christianity as intellectual assent and ancient Christianity as sacramental participation. To become Christian is not merely to agree with Christian propositions. It is to be grafted into Christ through baptism, Eucharist, and the mysteries of the Church.

Later in the episode, we discuss the Reformation, the rise of the secular nation-state, the older idea of symphonia between church and empire, and the myth that public life can ever be religiously or metaphysically neutral.

This conversation was recorded near the beginning of my Orthodox life. In that sense, it captures not a finished statement, but a beginning: the attempt to understand a world that once was, and still is, even if many of us have forgotten how to see it.

Episode highlights:

00:28 — Knowing the “what” of Christianity without knowing the “why”

11:00 — Moving beyond the modern cartoon image of God

15:30 — The Arche, life, and the reality behind living things

24:00 — Why modern Christianity is different from Paul’s context

31:00 — The Reformation and the rise of modernity

35:45 — Symphonia and the Byzantine vision of church and empire

37:30 — The secular nation-state and the myth of neutrality

43:45 — Sacraments as mysteries entered, not merely explained

Resources mentioned:

Dr. Zachary Porcu’s Website zacharyporcu.com

Journey to Reality Substack zacharyporcu.substack.com

The Roots of Everything Hosted by Dr. Zac Porcu

Journey to Reality: Sacramental Life in a Secular Age by Dr. Zachary Porcu https://amzn.to/43FBWJ1

About the guest:

Dr. Zachary Porcu is an Orthodox Christian scholar, author, catechist, and host of The Roots of Everything. He is the author of Journey to Reality: Sacramental Life in a Secular Age, a book written to help modern readers understand Orthodox Christianity not merely as a set of doctrines or practices, but as a sacramental worldview. His work explores theology, history, philosophy, the Church Fathers, and the deep roots of the ideas that shape the modern world.

Quotable quotes:

“Christianity is not merely a set of rules. It is a way of answering the question: what is the nature of reality?”

“To become Christian is not merely to agree with Christian ideas. It is to be grafted into Christ.”

“The sacraments are not religious illustrations. They are mysteries we enter.”

“There is no neutral worldview. Every society answers the question of reality, whether it admits it or not.”

Composer Daniel Elder found himself at the center of intense public backlash after an Instagram post made during the unrest following George Floyd’s death. In this written interview, presented with AI-synthesized voices, Daniel gives his account of what happened, why he chose not to apologize, how institutions responded under pressure, and what the experience revealed about mob mentality, artistic conscience, and public fear.

This episode is produced from a written interview with composer Daniel Elder. Daniel agreed to answer questions in writing because he did not want an off-the-cuff remark in a live conversation to create further controversy. His responses are presented using an AI-synthesized voice, and the host questions are also produced with an AI-synthesized version of my own voice.

The conversation centers on Daniel’s account of the backlash that followed an Instagram post he made during the unrest after George Floyd’s death. Daniel describes his growing concern with social-media groupthink, the speed with which public discourse became accusatory, and his belief that the reaction to his post was shaped by a larger atmosphere of panic, moral certainty, and institutional fear. He also explains why he chose not to issue a public apology, arguing that doing so would have validated accusations he did not believe were true.

The interview also addresses the reaction of GIA Publications, the dynamics of online activism, and Daniel’s advice for people who feel compelled to speak in moments of public pressure. His counsel is simple: remain respectful, stay calm, be patient, and do not compromise foundational convictions merely to satisfy an angry crowd.

Find Daniel Elder on the web at danieleldermusic.com

Follow James Newcomb on the web at jamesdnewcomb.com

What does it mean to ask about “the role of history”? Is history its own entity with agency of its own, or is there more to the story?

In this episode, we reflect on how the past shapes the present through context, inheritance, memory, precedent, and constraint.

https://jamesdnewcomb.com/jeannie

“The Orthodox mind, the mind of the Church, is the mind of Christ.”

We welcome biblical scholar and author Dr. Jeannie Constantinou for a sweeping, heartfelt, and clarifying conversation on phronema—the ancient Christian mindset preserved in the Orthodox Church.

I open the conversation by sharing my own journey of transitioning into Orthodoxy, reflecting on how Western Christianity shaped my early worldview and how the discovery of the Orthodox Church revealed an entirely different way of understanding faith, thought, and spiritual life. As you'll hear, reframing an entire worldview and mindset does not happen overnight!

In this episode, you'll hear why Orthodoxy speaks so deeply to those seeking “something more” i.e. a fuller experience of Christ rather than a purely symbolic one. The discussion highlights the West’s long-standing reliance on human reason, logic, and systematic explanations, contrasted with the Orthodox emphasis on mystery, experience, sacrament, community, and the healing of the heart.

To put it another way: We can't possibly understand God in all His fullness, and we're perfectly okay with that!

Dr. Jeannie explains the ancient Greek concept of phronema. This goes beyond a mere “worldview.,” It is a mindset, disposition, and lived mentality that flows from the apostles and the early Church, unchanged for two millennia.

She also explains in detail how the Orthodox Church has maintained continuity with Christ’s original intent, what early Christian worship actually looked like, why tradition (and the dreaded ritual) matters, and how one begins to cultivate the mind of Christ through prayer, humility, sacramental life, and participation in the community.

Whether you’re new to Orthodoxy, curious about early Christianity, or simply wrestling with the limits of Western religious paradigms, this episode offers clarity, depth, and a pastoral invitation to encounter the reality of Christ via the fullness of His Church.

Episode highlights:

01:10 – James’s transition (not conversion) from Protestant/Western Christianity into Orthodoxy

07:10 – The unfulfilled Protestant mindset: salvation as a “destination” vs. lifelong journey

10:10 – Western fixation on explanation vs. Orthodox acceptance of mystery

13:10 – What phronema is—and isn’t

14:10 – How Christ Himself taught “the mind of God” through His deeds and teachings

17:10 – The West’s attempt to reconstruct early Christianity through reason

21:10 – The problem of individualism and denominational fragmentation

24:10 – The Church is the physical body of Christ, not some invisible abstraction

28:10 – The Eastern Church didn’t “break off” from Rome

30:10 – Bishops, councils, and why the early Church rejected papal monarchy

34:10 – The sincere desire to rediscover early Christianity

37:10 – How the apostles taught—and preserved—Christ’s actual teachings

41:10 – Early Christian worship: sacred, communal, experiential

46:10 – Oral tradition and why Scripture was never meant to stand alon

49:10 – Understanding the much-maligned Constantine’s role in Church history

51:10 – Why ritual is natural, ancient, and thoroughly Christian

53:10 – How to acquire phronema through lived participation within community

01:03:10 – How to connect with Dr. Jeannie and closing remarks

About the guest:

Dr. Jeannie Constantinou is a biblical scholar, author, speaker, and longtime teacher of the New Testament and early Church. With academic training in Orthodox theology, patristics, biblical interpretation, and law, she brings both scholarly rigor and pastoral clarity to questions of Scripture, tradition, and the Orthodox Christian mind. Her books include Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind, The Crucifixion of the King of Glory, and Guiding to a Blessed End. Through her writing, teaching, and podcast work, Dr. Constantinou helps Christians encounter the Bible not merely as a text to be analyzed, but as the living witness of the Church.

Resources mentioned:

Thinking Orthodox: Understanding and Acquiring the Orthodox Christian Mind by Jeannie Constantinou

Honest speech requires the freedom to be wrong. In this episode, I reflect on students afraid to speak, a mob moment from my trumpet podcast days, and the difference between correction and public shaming.

When decent people are afraid to speak, fools fill the silence.

I’m James Newcomb, and that’s what I meant to say.