The Clopen Effect

Meredith surprised Cass by switching the topic from pizza to cereal, leading to a discussion about how breakfast cereal evolved from ancient cereal grains that have sustained civilizations for more than 10,000 years into the boxed cereals we know today. They explored the invention of modern breakfast cereal in the 1800s, including James Caleb Jackson's Granula and the Kellogg brothers' accidental...

Happy birthday to Cass! This week we're talking about how Cassandra somehow remembered how to flirt thanks to a TikTok trend, while Meredith is desperately trying to memorize her lines for the upcoming Murder Mystery. We also share our thoughts on Yummy Bowl and Discount Tire. Come hang out with us for random stories and a little bit of everything in between! All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.e...

Many words that sound negative, intimidating, or even insulting have evolved to take on positive meanings when used in everyday conversation. Terms like awesome, savage, badass, and wicked are often used to praise someone's talent, confidence, creativity, or achievements rather than criticize them. AND we read through your comments! All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect Support t...

Meredith surprises Cass with a 'How Many?' quiz! Can you guess how many bananas fit in a shopping cart? Or how many rotisserie chickens would it take to weigh the same as a forklift? Random, we know! Also, the difference between a chipmunk and a ground squirrel. A simple rule of thumb: If it’s tiny with bold face stripes , it’s probably a chipmunk. If it looks more like a small prairie dog or chun...

From Chick-fil-A to Popeyes, America’s fried chicken wars became a billion-dollar battle over seasoning, sauces, sandwiches, and regional loyalty - with consumers treating their favorite chicken chain like a sports team. Warning labels took over products because of real injuries, chemical accidents, child safety concerns, massive lawsuits, and laws like California’s Prop 65, turning “better safe t...

June 14th - Live event at Kishwaukee Brewing! All - let's learn to zipper merge in traffic, caps and gowns go wrong during graduation, and all the other stories that come to mind when we are together. All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect Support the show and advertising opportunities: https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support Buy Our Cool Merch: https://www.zazzle.com/the_c...

We’re recapping The ABCs of Retail — highlighting your answers, stories, and retail experiences from A to Z. From clopens and call-offs to customers and chaos, our listeners understood the assignment… and proved retail workers deserve both therapy and overtime! All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect Support the show and advertising opportunities: https://the-clopen-effect.captivat...

From nationwide outbreaks to worms in soda machines, this episode explores how food safety failures happen at every level of the restaurant industry. We break down real cases involving contamination, pests, employee hygiene, and equipment failures affecting major fast-food chains. From the kitchen to the drive-thru, the biggest risks often come from the things customers never see. Because sometime...

Cass got her chicken cutlets squished! She is doing so good keeping her health in check! Also, in this episode, Meredith shares a detailed recap of her recent cruise vacation. She outlines the overall experience, including the onboard environment, daily routines, and general atmosphere. A significant portion of the discussion focuses on passenger behavior (YUCK!). Meredith describes multiple situa...

AHHHH - In this episode of The Clopen Effect , we reviewed responses from our Facebook questions and discussed a range of perspectives and experiences shared by followers. We went through the answers, highlighted common themes, and added our own commentary throughout. The conversation then shifted to 1990s perfumes. We discussed popular scents from that era, how they were used, and their cultural...

We first chatted with Dana back in 2022 when her book Spent came out, and now she’s known across the country for her incredible books. But get this… she’s back working in retail! She works at Indigo, Canada's largest bookstore, and yes, her books are sold there! We catch up with Dana and all the hard work she has put in being an author, and then she shares some great retail stories with us! Find D...

Melinda, Andie, Karin, and Kristin are here to talk about Salon Mackk in Crystal Lake, IL! We talk about good and bad reviews, being a super friendly salon, Refuge for Women, having great eyebrows, styles and trends right now, mullets are in, teenage boy perms that look like broccoli, how they find their talent, and so much more! All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect Support the...

Today’s episode starts with a new member joining the podcast: Cass’s glucose monitor . It’s helpful, it’s important and it has the impeccable timing of a smoke alarm detecting burnt toast at 2:07 a.m. Naturally, we did what any responsible hosts would do - we named it . Beepy McSleepy The Snooze Snitch 3AM Screamy The Pillow Police Because apparently the only crime Cass committed was sleeping on h...

Don shares his background in the pet treat industry and how he helped a company bring its products to market. Along the way, he connected with others in the holistic pet space and decided to take the leap. One product that especially caught his attention was freeze-dried food. Cass shares how one of her puppies was struggling with severe allergies and how many of those issues improved through heal...

In this episode, we sat down with Alex, owner of Hometown Hug, the heart behind those unforgettable welcome baskets for new homeowners in McHenry County. 💛 They’re best known for their HomeTown Hug baskets — thoughtfully curated gifts that personally introduce over 700 new homeowners each year to the incredible local businesses and nonprofits that make this community thrive. We talked about what...

Alyssa joined us from The Fiber Fellowship , an organization that supports several local charities, including Animal Outreach and oncology centers in the area. They also create fidget squares for emergency responders - very impressive. And Kishwaukee Brewing Company is here! Listen in to this week’s episode as Cara and Heather chat about all the fun events happening at the brewery this year. Plus,...

Jen is back, and the coffee vibes are strong! We dive into another lively chat about all things coffee, play a hilarious game of coffee brand phrases, and Jen treats us to a sneak peek at four of her newer rockstar flavors . Her coffee comes in 12oz bags (and 12oz bags). It’s caffeinated fun you won’t want to miss. BONUS: Go to our Facebook page for a chance to win a basket from Jenuine Coffee All...

Welcome to the Clopen Book Club! Let's talk about books and reading a book before seeing the movie! All of Lexie's info is here and on Facebook: "Luna and Koi" All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect Support the show and advertising opportunity: https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support Buy Our Cool Merch: https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814 💩...

We do so much more than work retail! Let's talk about it. Hobbies and extracurricular activities. All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect Support the show and advertising opportunity: https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support Buy Our Cool Merch: https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814 💩 Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop: https://l...

Judy and Holly are here from Home of the Sparrow! Here is their mission and some insights from their website: "Home of the Sparrow’s mission is to provide Hope, Opportunity and Support that empowers women and children as they journey from homelessness to self-sufficiency. Home of the Sparrow opened its doors as a registered 501(c)3 non-profit homeless shelter in 1987. Today, Home of the Sparrow no...

Laura, owner of Wild Hunny Boutique, is here this week! We chat about her boutique and surprise her with the game: 'Finish the Christmas lyric'. It's a great listen! Wild Hunny Boutique  is a  woman-owned local shop  specializing in  affordable, stylish, and giftable items  — perfect for holiday shopping, everyday wear, and supporting local makers. 📍 Located at  1213...

This week, Meredith and Cassandra chat about the winter inventions that helped us survive the cold - from the classic hand muff to heaters, ice scrapers, remote starts, and shovels. It’s a quick, fun look at how these cold-weather creations came to be. omehow bed bugs made their way into the conversation, too. We give a shout-out to one of our #1 fans, Shannon, and Meredith love Lauren Conrad clot...

Let's talk about the dangers of cooking on Thanksgiving! And a few other stories... All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect Support the show and advertising opportunity: https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support Buy Our Cool Merch: https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814 💩  Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop: https://linktr.ee...

What a fantastic interview with Chris from @belliesfoodtruck 🐷 Owner Chris, along with his wife, his daughter, his business partner, his dad, and his brother, serves up pork belly bites, Cuban sandwiches, and Meredith’s favorite grilled cheese! We talk about Chris’s past jobs and how Bellies came to be. And of course, there is a short quiz at the end where we realize that Chris is surprisingly go...

In this week’s episode of  The Clopen Effect , we chat about  40 wild food additives - what they are, how to actually pronounce them, and the sneaky places they like to hide. Spoiler: your snacks might contain  wood chips , your bread might include  duck feathers , and yes… there’s a beaver gland situation. We  attempt  to deliver accurate info, but let’s be honest: w...