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Or if you're a newbie at the beginning of your skincare journey, you'll love this podcast as well. Because we go so much deeper than beauty, I talk to incredible and inspiring people from across industries about their relationship with beauty. You'll also hear from skincare experts. We break down lots of myths in the beauty industry. If this sounds like your thing, search for Naked Beauty on your podcast app and listen along. I hope you'll join us. ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com Most violent crimes that capture the public's imagination are about serial killers, mass shooters, crimes of passion, or clashes among underworld figures. Yet some of the most shocking and deadly conflicts we encounter are between everyday neighbors in ordinary neighborhoods. Their seemingly minor quibbles escalate until violence erupts and it impacts an entire community. What makes a good neighbor go bad? We may never truly know, but heed this warning about the terrible things that can happen when even the pettiest disagreements pass the point of no return and good neighbors become worst enemies. How can you sleep at night when the person you fear or hate the most lives right next door? We're in the Big sky country of the Lone Star State with a family in a close knit community that just got a lot closer since their new neighbors moved in. The many kids between them hit it off immediately, which bodes well for lasting friendship among the parents. But that hope is quickly shattered when a troubled past catches up to one of the fathers, setting the stage for distrust and tension upon his return. Dislike turns into threats, threats evolve to physical altercations and Altercations lead to shocking, fatal violence that shreds the fabric of the neighborhood and destroys several lives. This is fear thy neighbor grudge match. Beautiful. Wichita Falls is known as the gateway to Texas. With good schools, low crime, and affordable housing, families have thrived here for generations. Thomas Davis is the supervisor of Evergreen Mobile Home park, where our story is located. Wichita Falls is a large town with a very small town feel. Everybody's super polite. Everybody remembers you. Everybody knows you. I really like the trails, the falls that they have there. We lived on the outskirts of the city, so you got that country vibe. The kids played together and. And they were. They all seemed real nice. That was Natasha, the main player in this episode, who asked that her family name not be used. She and her husband Martin, are happy to be raising their two daughters, Bethany and Everly, in Evergreen Park. Everybody loved to meet up and talk, and it was a very active community. Everybody just knew each other, knew everything about the park. Daddy. Hey, sweetheart. How was school? Good. Martin takes great pride in his residence. He has an eye for decor and landscaping. Guess what? Paint. I got to paint the bathroom sky blue. Nope. Periwinkle. Wow, that's gorgeous. He did everything. He loved to plant and grow flowers. He painted on the mobile home. Even built a sidewalk path through the yard. Made it really, really nice. And homey neighbor Dale hall sees Martin's talents with his own eyes. Oh, he was always fixing up and making things really nice. He really enjoyed keeping his house up and his property. Martin works as a professional arborist, while Natasha has a job in manufacturing and looks after their daughters. As Dale explains, both Natasha and Martin are exemplary neighbors to him. Natasha, I knew fairly well, and she was really nice. Martin is a really nice guy, too. My wife fell one time, and he was over to the house before I could get out of the house to get her. One day, a family of six moves in next door. For Martin and Natasha, more children in the community is a welcome sight. Hey, welcome, neighbor. I'm Natasha. I see you've got kids. Oh, yeah, a boatload. I'm Ashley. Pleased to meet you. This is Bethany and Everly. Hello. Hi. Hello. These are our kids, Nathan, Isaiah, Elena, and Gabby. Yep. Wow. You're so lucky to have four. Thanks. Thank you. We had a friend that lived out there that kind of worked for the trailer park and just said, hey, you know, it'd be a good idea for you to come out here to get out of the apartment that we were living in. So we checked it out and it seemed quiet. Seemed like a Good fit for us. It was a comfortable place. A place you could let your kids go, you know, one street over and feel safe. That was Ashley in her own words. Like Natasha, she's asked to keep her last name undisclosed. Ashley and her husband Noel are instantly taken with their new neighbors. And as Natasha explains, the feeling is mutual. After she moved in, we were being neighborly and I talked to her and, you know, just welcomed her. They're really nice. And her boys were really nice. Okay, good as new. There you go. Hey, do you think you could fix my bike too? Of course. Let's take a look. All the kids just knew they could come to Noel if they had a flat tire on their bike. Can't believe my daughter comes to you first. Fixing flats is my specialty. Well, that's mighty kind of you. If I can ever return the favor, please let me know. Yeah, no problem. They're on the road to becoming fast friends. That is until fate throws a wrench in the works. Hun. What's going on? What happened? Well, they. They said I violated parole. Noel had a parole violation because of a previous charge from years prior. Unlawful carrying of a gun on a licensed premises. I wasn't even fully unpacked when they arrested him and took him to prison. As her husband is taken into custody, Martin and Natasha offer comfort. You okay? Damn fool brought a gun into a bar five years ago. I don't even know why. I'm so sorry. On top of raising four children and holding down her job, Ashley must now drive to a penitentiary to see her husband. Thankfully, she and her kids form close ties with their new neighbors. They'd just hang out outside, you know, be kids, play basketball, ride their bikes, scooters. Martin liked to do bonfires in his front yard. He actually made a fire pit, which was cool to me. And the kids. They were good. They got real friendly and it was mutual, you know? After 18 long months, he's released from prison. Natasha is excited for the family. Hey, Ash. We're so happy for you. Thanks. Party tonight. You should come. A celebration sounds like a great idea. But Martin isn't so sure and decides to hang back. You guys have fun. I was in hopes to start another life. A new life, I guess. It'd been a year and a half and things were different. The kids were older. I was excited for him to come home, you know. The kids were too. What? What's up? Mi familia, bro. Damn. His bro, his cousin, his cousin's wife and some close friends came over. It's gonna be great. It was happy. Everybody was happy. It was a good day. Upon returning from their night out, Martin and Natasha are annoyed by the noise blasting from their neighbor's get together. I'm sorry, I'm telling them to turn it down. Hey, Ash. Mind just keeping it down? You know, the noise is just. It's killing us. Oh, yeah, okay, I'll try. They didn't like the music. We're not gonna be out here late, okay? Noise any? It was bothersome to them. The mood further sours amidst rumors of wandering eyes. Natasha explains. Noel heard that Martin was hollering at his wife before he came home from prison. Um, was he trying to hit on you, sweetheart? That's crazy. I told him that Martin never crossed any boundaries like that, but did he try to. He's never made a pass at me, I swear. Okay, okay. You swear? Yeah, sometimes Martin made comments, but he never made hardcore passes at me or anything. I think Martin really believed that Noel and his family and they were all, you know, gang related and Noel was Mexican mafia. I just kind of shrugged it off like it was just whatever. It's not true. So to me it was maybe dealing drugs that I'm. I can't tell you for sure if that's what was going on, but it just made me feel uncomfortable with my kids. The couple are alarmed enough that they call law enforcement. Police had come out and we let them know what was going on. What's going on? Guys, listen, I don't do drugs, I'm not in a gang and I don't have a gun, okay? So this is total crap. And you know what? I think they're racists. As Ashley explains, it seems as though Martin and Natasha's opinion on her family has changed on a dime. They were traitors. They were so nice to me and my kids. And then, you know, Noelle was home a day and then, you know, their whole attitude towards our family just completely changed. I'm your friend. Why would you do this to us? The relationship between the neighboring families deteriorates quickly. Yet despite their husbands butting heads and the visit from police, Natasha and Ashley try to sort things out. Hey, Ash. I'm sorry about what happened. I don't want things to escalate. Yeah, well, neither do I. Just because our men don't get along, let's not give up, okay? Sure. I mean, I'm still gonna have to see you every day. Got that right. Me and Natasha would still speak about how ridiculous it was that they couldn't get along, as if the ill will wasn't bad enough more problems arise when they both apply for the same job at the park. Noel got the job at the mobile home park as a maintenance technician trying to be an example to his kids and show them, hey, this is what a man does every day. Martin felt that it was unfair that Noel got the position and he didn't. Just that alone lit a huge fire between the two of them. Martin's disdain for his neighbor only grows. And things are only going to get worse as the two men are about to have even more exposure to one another. Imagine a world of extraordinary comfort where Bolen Branch bedding wraps you in the softest embrace the coziest experience. Made from the world's finest 100% organic cotton, all so you can sleep better. Start building your fall sanctuary with Bolen Branch's iconic signature sheets made with a buttery, breathable weave that gets softer with every wash. Enjoy 15% off your first set of sheets with free shipping and returns at B O L L and Branch.com with code buttery. See site for details and exclusions. As his wife Natasha explains, Martin soon catches a break of his own. The management wanted to get someone comfortable, attractive to do the trees in the mobile home park because they were really bad. It should be a win win for both men. Yet it's not. Trouble soon follows. He was hired to cut limbs off of trees and dispose of them. But part of Noel's job was to keep the maintenance up around the trailer park, which means cleaning up tree branches or sure, whatever. What the hell are you doing? My job. I'm in charge of gardening. Noel was trying to take control over what my husband was doing. He was actually starting to take over doing trees himself. Are you on drugs? Does this look like gardening? This is my gig now, so back off. Are you going to make me because I'm in charge of maintaining the park? It was just weird. Why would you want to involve yourself in other stuff that has nothing to do with you? You know, just stick to yourself. Do your job. According to Natasha, things are about to reach the point of no return. What's in your pocket? You man enough to find out? Are you threatening me? You better think twice about what you're gonna do next. My husband thought he had a big gun and it was in his pocket and basically just trying to ag him on to fight. Witnessing the altercation and fearing for her husband's life, Natasha calls the police. So the police show up and they speak with us and they speak with them. Ashley is incensed at Martin's accusation. Martin Told him that he had a gun. There was no gun. I'm not a gangster. I don't own a gun. So tell my neighbor to cool it, sweetheart. Just show them. It was tools from the workshop. Cops seen firsthand what it was. You know, Martin was convinced that we were trash, and he was going to get rid of the trash. Somehow. The trash was gonna get taken out. That's what he kept saying about our family. We were trash, and that he was gonna get rid of the trash. And I think at that point, Martin was just fighting anything and everything he could to try to get us evicted. Natasha and Martin insist their fear was justified. I was just scared. He just didn't like my husband. Thomas Davis, Evergreen mobile home park's supervisor, gives him his work assignments every day. Noelle, can you get this all done today? Uh, sure can. Yeah. Great. Your neighbor's water pipe burst. I heard there's some bad blood between you guys. Is that gonna be a problem? Nah. No, I can deal with him. Noel said, yeah, me and him had had some problems. We'd fought, but we're okay now. Nothing's really that bad. My biggest fear was I didn't want there to be a problem with him as an employee fighting tenant. And if I have a maintenance man that's willing to pick fights, that's not a very inviting image. When he knocks on Martin's door, it's clear his statement of their feud being settled is inaccurate. Boss said, you have a burst pipe. We do now. Get off my property. Well, I'm obligated to check. I'll fix it myself. Now get out of here. Martin refused him to even go on their property to fix the leak. You have a pipe cutter? Because you're probably going to be fine. All right, well, let me just check the water meter. I told you, get off my property. What part of that do you not understand? He did not feel safe for him coming onto our property to read the meter. Everybody knew that if Noel came, it was to fix something or mow the lawn, you know, no one had any problems with him being in their homes or on their property. I think it was more embarrassing for Noel to have to go back to his boss and be like, yeah, they won't let me on their property. The only person in the whole trailer park. You know. You know, you're a miserable piece of crap. You just stay away. Okay, Manuel. What did you call me? They knew his name, but every time Martin would see Noel. Hey, Manuel. Hey, Hoel. Juan. You know, every. I think every Hispanic name in the Book. Except Noel. Natasha contends Martin never did that. That's something that he made up. We are not racist by any means. We wouldn't do that on purpose. Soon, the friction between neighbors comes to a boil after the pipe cutter goes missing. Hey, I see you fixed your water pipe. Yeah, someone stole my pipe cutter. So Noelle believed Martin was stealing out of his truck and that he was just trying to do anything he could to get Noel in trouble. You know, lose his job, get us evicted. If you want to go about doing your own repairs, this is not the way to go about it. It was like two men that were gonna prove they were masculine men, and neither one of them were gonna back down. They didn't want to be punked from the other. There are two versions of what happens next. My husband was trying to back out of the driveway, and Noel stood behind his car and wouldn't let him leave. We're not done yet. Daddy, I'm scared. Don't worry, girls. Daddy's gonna fix this. I'm with my kids here. Can you just leave us alone? You had this coming, and the next thing you know, Noelle was throwing punches at him. Ashley, on the other hand, remembers events differently. Noelle was on one side of the street on a sidewalk, and Martin was in front of his home with his girls standing next to his car. I didn't steal your damn tools. You're lying. Why would you lie in front of your kids, man? And of course, him and Noel start arguing. Let's do this. Martin, full blown charged, and I just remember him swing and punch Noelle right across the face. He fought back. Noelle, stop it. However it started, nobody disputes what follows. Neighbor Dale hall witnesses, the whole thing. They were in a fist fight in the middle of the street. Noelle, stop it. They were really throwing punches at each other. Stop it. Stop. Both of you stop it right now. Me and the park manager stopped it right now. Noelle, what goes back to you got two men and neither one of them were backing down. So what is it gonna take for this to end? Is somebody gonna have to die? After the fight, Ashley gives her husband some advice. You have to become invisible to him. Do your job and stay inside. You know, go to work. But then just wherever you're gonna be, just stay out of his eyesight. Park supervisor Thomas Davis agrees the best way forward is for the two neighbors to keep their distance. I was hopeful, almost naively hopeful, that it wouldn't go to physical violence ever again. So in my mind, it was like, keep them away from each other, keep them calm. I'll handle maintenance requests through our contractors for his home. And Noel will just stay away yet soon, in the middle of the night, he hears somebody rustling around his yard. Hey. He believes it's Martin spying on his family. How am I supposed to avoid him if he keeps peeking into my trailer? Are you sure it was him? Yes. And he's going. Martin was out there trying to like see inside my house and look at me and look at my kids. Did you confront him? I tried. Noel was like he would leave and I never got a chance. He also makes a shocking accusation. And you know what the worst thing is? I got him peeking in my kids window. I'm sorry Noel, but my hands are tied. I said, well if you see him, you need to ask him to leave or call the police. But if there's nobody there to witness it, we can't really do anything. I was definitely concerned that it could escalate. Ashley and her husband are now so afraid of Martin, they decide to cut off all contact with the family. I was telling the kids just stay away, stay away from their property. Don't like if you're even going to go down the sidewalk, cross the street and go down the other sidewalk. Martin and Natasha are equally fearful. So much so they install security on their home. We got these cameras for protection because of him. We just wanted peace. We didn't want no drama. We didn't want no problems. He would just be walking and looking at our cameras obsessively. Honey, you got to come see this. Why? What did he do now? It's not what, it's when I noticed on our camera you could see him out there like 2, 3, 4 in the morning. I was seeing him looking at our cameras. He was looking into our yard. It was like he was canvassing out our place. He's so creepy. Ashley dismisses the allegations. Noel never did anything crazy like that. So if someone is standing in the middle of the night outside of your home, you should call the cops. Again, the two sides tell different stories. This guy keeps creeping around my trailer. He's freaking me out. He came to me and said that last night he heard somebody under his trailer, that he knew it was Martin. And what is it that you think that he's doing? I think he wants recordings of us. I don't know why he said that. Martin has planted cameras in his house to spy on him. I'll come and take a look if that makes you happy. Me and Noel went out to his property where he climbed under the house and searched for any sort of Equipment. Because at this point, I said, well, if Martin did this, we have physical evidence. We can resolve this situation immediately. We'll get Martin removed from the property. Yet a thorough search finds nothing. He said, martin must have come and taken them then, and I'll find him. No. No more searching, okay? You have a job to do, Noel. You can't keep missing work. Okay. Sorry. When his performance first started to slack, I pulled him aside and said, hey, what's going on? And he said, I'm just not sleeping well. I got a lot going on at home. I'll be fine. And then he just kind of snowballed from there. From where he wouldn't show up for two hours, and then he would take a two hour lunch and then he'd leave two hours early. And his performance just gradually from time on, just kept declining. I felt bad for Noel because I've been there. Everybody's had a tough time before. They had a security camera and so did we. We want to be able to see everything. He's obsessed about Martin spying on his family. He's awake throughout the night nearly every night and fails to show up for work again and again. As his wife Ashley explains, he spends more and more of his days glued to his camera monitors. And he can't believe what he discovers. Checked the video footage and it was Martin out there digging around, I guess, digging in Noelle's work truck. And just standing out there for a little while. He just felt like, dang, I was right, you know, Noelle did go to management, but they just shrugged it off instead of support. Thomas delivers bad news. I appreciate what you're telling me, but you missed your shift again, Noelle, I gotta let you go. It was the continuance of Noel not being able to show up on time, his lack of performance because he wasn't coming to work anymore. He was very jittery and very hushed almost. And he kept saying, you know, we need to have a conversation. And I would go, what do you mean, Noel? I mean, you're not listening. Okay? He's spying on my family. He's trying to hurt my family. I need you to act. I was terrified. I feared that he was going to kill me. I was afraid to go to that office and that property anymore because Noelle's trailer was less than 50 yards away from my front door. And our company told me that they were reaching out to our legal department to try to figure out how we could get Noel evicted. When we let Noel go, the park was very tense because Noel and his family was very much so Vocal about their thoughts and ideas about Martin and Natasha. Everybody on their street knew what was going on. People had known they had fought before. Noel definitely created kind of a tense atmosphere. No one is more terrified than Martin, explains neighbor Dale Hall. Martin told me that he was afraid Noel was going to kill him. I doubt that. Martin. Well, we'll see. I got a chance to relocate. I think I'm headed up north. Can't blame you. He had a chance to move to Oklahoma, and I encouraged him to do so. But instead of leaving the state, Martin and Natasha place their hopes on their neighbors being evicted. Until then, they live in dread. Thomas said that he was in fear for our family. He said that Noel was obsessed with Martin. Noelle went to the district attorney's office because we had Martin on camera digging in the back of that truck. And they said, well, we can't really do anything for you. You'd have to get an attorney and file a civil suit against them. And I think that's when Noel really felt defeated. A few days later, it's a beautiful October morning, and Martin sets his sights on having some fun. There was a fishing tournament coming up in Iowa park town over, and he was really excited about taking my girls there. But the outing is quickly canceled. Look what he did to my car. Look at it. All the windows on my husband's car were busted out. Look what your damn husband did to my car. You're both gonna pay. I have no idea what you're talking about. She knew exactly what her husband had done. Stop lying and get him out here right. No. He isn't even here. My first thought was, noel's been gone for half an hour. I sent him out to get food. How could he break your windows out? It's ok, babe. It's ok. We have cameras. That's right. She's right. You and your husband are going to get kicked out of the park. But the surveillance system isn't any help as the cameras look to have been vandalized. One of them was busted out, and the other one. It was. The wire was tore out from it, and so I called the police immediately. My husband's upset. He goes across the street to talk to Dale. Dale. Dale. Buddy, come here. Did you see him do this to my car? Yeah, I saw Noel do it. I looked over there and I saw him. He walked by Martin's car and he busted the windows out. And while I watched, he broke the driver's side and the passenger side. And he had a little baby sledgehammer in his hand. And when he got done. He just kind of looked around and walked off. Look at that. I got a witness. In a way, he was kind of happy because he'd finally caught him doing something to him. He could prove it. You and Noel are finished. Martin kept saying, he's going to jail. Y' all are going to pay. I'm telling you, I didn't touch his car. That's a big fat lie. Your neighbor told us he saw you break those windows with a sledgehammer. Well, he's wrong. I didn't do it. I swear. Liar. Look, we will stay here if you show us video footage. Honey, can you just get the memory card, please, so we can show them? No, it's jammed. I was just trying to get that card out. It was just taking too long for me to get it and so the police didn't want to wait. Just arrest him anyway. This man has threatened me with a gun before. That's not true, sir. We do not have enough physical evidence to arrest him yet. Are you insane? Look at my car. The windows are smashed out. I have a witness. The cops said, we have no evidence that he did this. We can't take him to jail. Martin was irate at that point. This is crazy. This man belongs. That's enough. That is enough. There's nothing we can do about this. Basically, the police, they left. You can't just leave. You can't do this. I asked them, is somebody going to have to get hurt? You know, his own family and my family. Law enforcement departs. Martin drives off to attend to his damaged vehicle. Natasha takes their children and heads off to an appointment. For several hours, the park is quiet and calm. But things, sadly, won't stay calm for long. The war between two households is about to reach a fever pitch. Foreign Hi, I'm Casey, host of the Casefile podcast. Today I want to talk to you about Boost Mobile offering reliable nationwide coverage backed by a 30 day money back guarantee. Love your service or get your money back, no questions asked. 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Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.comstartselling all lowercase go to shopify.com start selling to upgrade your selling today. Shopify.com startselling here's Ashley to explain what happens next. He just pulls in super fast and slams on his brakes. Manuel, you're gonna pay for this right now. He was mad. And all you hear, like I said, he didn't have no windows in his car. And all you hear before he even, like, puts that car into park, he just hollers out. And everybody heard him. You're gonna pay. You're trash. He was walking with his fists kind of doubled up, and you could tell he was mad. Martin, just go home. Not until you pay. At that point, Noel kind of cuts. He goes around everybody, and I thought that he was just gonna go fight Martin again. But his next move alarms everyone. He pulls out a gun and points it at his neighbor. I said, go home. What are you doing? Stop. Stop. The first thing out of my mouth was, you know, Noel, what are you doing? Stop, stop. Noel just kept telling him, you know, Martin, go home. I'm gonna shoot you. I mean it. Instead of retreating, Martin advances. And as he approaches, he lifts his shirt to show that he's unarmed. I'm not even caring. And that's when he fires. No. And Martin, like, bent over and he says, noel kind of shocked. Why would you do something like this? And then turns and runs back to his house. When Martin ran away, I looked at Noel and Noel looked at me, and I was like, what have you done? He thought he had a gut. He started to, like, pull up at his waist on his shirt. And I think Noel really believed that Martin had a weapon. I felt bad, you know, I mean, I. I know he shouldn't have had the gun. It could have been handled differently, you know, but I think that Noel really believed our family was in danger. He took a step back and put the gun down. Call 911. Natasha is on the road in her vehicle when she sees police heading towards the park. There's a part of her that knows. I just immediately started following them to her place. She arrives home to find authorities swarming the scene. What happened? Ma', am, you need to. What happened to my husband? Ma', am, let me go to my husband. Step back. Did Noelle do this? Ma', am, did Noel shoot my husband? And they wouldn't answer me. Ma', am, let me go. And all I see is Ashley playing with her little girl. Playing with her little girl like nothing even happened. Martin is rushed to the hospital with two bullets in his midriff. Doctors work through the night to save his life. It's touch and go, but thankfully, the surgery is successful. It's going to be a long road for him to recover. I'm like, okay, I got this. You know, it'll be okay. Meanwhile, he's taken into custody, charged with aggravated assault, and is soon back home after posting bail. His return sets the community on edge, says park supervisor and former boss Thomas Davis. I almost felt betrayed that we had finally locked up somebody that was clearly a problem and he was back home. I was afraid he was going to come try to kill me next. Everybody was terrified. Martin spends five days in hospital recovering. Then things take a sudden turn. They said that he was going to be fine, he was stable. But then they're calling me and telling me I need to hurry up and get in there because something bad's happening. I'm so mad up there, I'm having to watch them do compressions on him over and over again. Despite doctor's best efforts, the husband and father succumbs to his wounds. Beside herself with grief, Natasha can't bear to be in the same home where Martin suffered that fateful gunshot. Everywhere she looks is a painful reminder of what happened at the steps of our door. There was blood. And just being in there and just replaying everything that happened out there. I just couldn't stay there no more. So I had to get away. Within days, Natasha and her daughters pack up and move, abandoning their home in Evergreen Park. Following Martin's death, the charge is upgraded to murder. At trial, he pleads not guilty by reason of self defense. Despite his claims he is convicted. On November 1, 2022, he accepts a plea deal and is sentenced to 40 years in prison. The wives of the perpetrator and victim have differing views of the outcome. I know that he did deserve to get time and he shouldn't have had the gun, but I don't feel like 40 years was right after all of the, I guess the turmoil, you know, that was going on. I think Noel should have got life. He took my husband's life. He should have got life. Today, both families struggle to heal their wounds, even after, you know, losing a part of their family and someone they love. I do hope Natasha and her kids can find peace. And I'm trying, I'm trying to do my best, but it's hard. But their daddy was their life. I mean, he was the best dad ever. This podcast is produced by Cream Productions in association with Fremantle Media and id. You can check out Fear Thy Neighbor on Max Discovery and ip. Imagine a world of extraordinary comfort where Bolin Branch bedding wraps you in the softest. Embrace the coziest experience made from the world's finest 100% organic cotton. Also, you can sleep better. Start building your fall sanctuary with Boland Branch's iconic signature sheets made with a buttery, breathable weave that gets softer with every wash. Enjoy 15% off your first set of sheets with free shipping and returns at B O L L& Branch.com with code BUTTERY. See site for details and exclusions. Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend. Look. Love it or hate it, the advertising and marketing industry is the ultimate broker of power and influence in the world today. And now you can look behind the curtain. I'm Ryan Joe, editor in chief of Adweek and host of our new weekly podcast, Adspeak. 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