Welcome back to Stoppage Time with Uncle Rob — that sacred space between the end of a long week and the start of whatever the weekend has in store. This week, Los Angeles is gearing up for a rare “rainy winter” stretch, and I’m settling in with you for a thoughtful, creative, and energizing catch-up.

In this episode, I reflect on another fast-moving week of 2025—from an eye-opening conversation with Brand Strategist & Designer Lynne Door on Entrepreneurial Thinkers, to a much-needed creative sandbox session with my powerhouse producer, Diana Bernal. Lynne helped us understand what it really takes to build a meaningful brand today: telling your unique story, deeply understanding your audience, and designing with real authenticity. At the same time, Diana and I have been dreaming, experimenting, and tinkering with the future of Stoppage Time itself.

Together, we’re exploring new ideas to make this show even more valuable and fun for you—whether that means highlighting wisdom from our Entrepreneurial Thinkers guests, answering your questions, digging into insights from our 185+ past episodes, showcasing partner stories, or sharing behind-the-scenes moments from my week. Nothing is off the table… because in the creative sandbox, imagination sets the only limits.

Through personal updates—including my knee injury saga, the chaos of American healthcare, and the political moment we’re living in—I’m reminded of something essential: we all own our stories. In this age of decentralized media, you don’t need permission to share your voice, your lessons, or your ideas. As Lynne said: “We are all our own unique living, breathing brand story waiting to be told.”

So join me for this week’s journey—part reflection, part inspiration, part brainstorming session—and a whole lot of heart. If you’re in LA, stay dry out there… and if you’ve got creative ideas on how Diana and I can evolve this show for you, reach out. I’m always listening.

Wishing you peace, love, joy… and full permission to play in the sandbox of your own life, career, and business.