King Cakes and Podcasts

I listened to my first podcast about two weeks ago, and it was very informative. Just like that, I was hooked! Podcasts have replaced my audiobooks when driving and my music when running. They help me grow to be a better person. I am not sure what took me so long to join the podcast world.

Podcasts are a little like king cake. King cake is a sweet treat that is eaten during the Mardi Gras season. There are many people in this world who have never tried it and have no clue what they are missing. But for those who have tried it, they know how difficult it is to restrain oneself from buying one or eating a piece. The cakes can be found in all the grocery stores and many office breakrooms of south Louisiana.

I am not sure when I tasted my first king cake, but it changed my life. If I hadn’t taken that first bite, I wouldn’t crave the sugary, sweetness every time I see one. Podcasts are the same way. If you have never listened to one, you don’t know what you are missing. But once you get started, it can be addictive. However, podcasts are healthier than king cake.

I am including the following four because they may help you in the fight against fraud:

• Millions Stolen From Public School System This podcast is only about 15 minutes long and is about a multimillion dollar fraud. The fraud is perpetrated through collusion between a vendor and an employee, but the important part of the story is the fact that an accounts payable clerk discovered the fraud. This is an inspiring story that proves every employee can help in the fight against fraud.
• Why We Lie was an interesting podcast that dove into the topic of lying, which is important in my world because I have kids and they often lie. Just kidding. This topic is important because fraudsters lie to cover their tracks. It also helps with the kids too.
• Why Are We Still Using Cash This podcast was intriguing because they discussed ways that cash contributes to criminal activity from drug trafficking to tax evasion to bribery. It seems that the United States contributes to these criminal activities by printing more cash, while there are other nations that are reducing the cash to mitigate criminal activity. There were numerous points raised about the challenges and benefits of an economy without cash, and I am interested to see what happens in the future and how that will impact fraudsters in the future.
• How to Be More Productive Finally, this podcast can help us to be more productive with our time. Time is a non-renewable resource. Once it passes, it is gone. There are plenty of tips to living a more productive life. For this one, you may want to have a pen and paper handy to take notes.

I hope you can find the time to listen to these podcasts and that the new knowledge will help you in your fight against fraud.

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