Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking? Podcast

The largest IPO in history is about to launch and Jaime and Cindy aren't strapping in quietly. SpaceX hits the Nasdaq on June 12 at a $1.75 trillion valuation, except the "space company" is now really three companies in a trench coat: rockets and Starlink, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and a cash-incinerating AI unit. The twist isn't the size; it's the quiet rewrite of the index rules th...

What do you get when a $4 billion wool sneaker brand sells its entire identity for $39 million and reinvents itself as an AI GPU rental company…in 16 days? Finance expert Jaime Peters and leadership researcher Cindy Goodwin-Sak untangle the wild, woolly tale of Allbirds' transformation into NewBird AI, asking the uncomfortable question every manager should face: when a publicly traded company comp...

OpenAI may be the most talked-about company in tech, but even visionary companies have to pass the budget test. In this episode, Dr. Cindy Goodwin-Sak and Dr. Jaime Peters pick up where they left off on OpenAI’s business model and go deeper, this time into the IPO mechanics that could affect everyday investors whether they realize it or not. Jaime breaks down exactly how an IPO works: what it mean...

What does it actually take to run an AI company? And can OpenAI afford it? This week, Cindy Goodwin-Sak and Jaime Peters kick off a multi-part series diving into the business of being an AI company, not just using one. It all started with a CNBC article on OpenAI’s data center pivot that had them talking for days. So they decided to break it down for you, starting from the ground up: what goes int...

Twice a year, society agrees to a completely unnecessary group project. This week on Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking? , Dr. Cindy Goodwin-Sak and Dr. Jaime Peters tackle daylight saving time : the policy that promises efficiency, delivers exhaustion, and somehow survives year after year. They explore the history behind DST, whether it actually saves energy, what the research says about heal...

Employers are noticing a troubling pattern. Graduates and young professionals increasingly ask for step-by-step instructions for everything, from routine assignments to basic workplace decisions. Tasks that once required judgment and initiative now often trigger a request for detailed guidance. In this episode, Cindy Goodwin-Sak and Dr. Jaime Peters explore what might be driving this shift. Drawin...

Picture this: Chicago. Christmas week. Wind doing its best to remove your face. Your kids are lobbying hard for an Uber like it’s a humanitarian need. And somewhere in the background, an algorithm is quietly asking: How much will she pay before she gives up and starts walking? In this episode, Jaime and Cindy unpack the not-so-magic trick behind personalized pricing and dynamic pricing : why the s...

Nothing says holiday spirit like spending money, or getting elbowed by a grandma over a discounted air fryer. In this episode of Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking?, Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak dig into why some stores looked bare before Thanksgiving while others seemed overstocked, and how leadership decisions made months ago are shaping your holiday shopping experience right now. Our...

Is AI genuinely the next industrial revolution, or are we watching another dot-com-style J curve flatten in real time? From NVIDIA’s outsized role in the market to why most companies still can’t point to productivity gains, Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak dig into the numbers, the psychology, and the leadership practices that actually move AI from pilot to payoff. We compare today’s AI moment t...

The K-Shaped Economy: Why Some People Are Flying First Class While Others Are Just Trying to Afford Groceries In this episode of Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking? , finance expert Dr. Jaime Peters and leadership expert Dr. Cindy Goodwin-Sak dig into the emerging reality of a K-shaped economy —a world where some consumers are spending freely on luxury travel, concerts, and high-end goods whil...

When we heard that Kimberly-Clark wants to buy Kenvue , we had the same reaction you probably did: Wait, who’s Kenvue? And then, Seriously, What Could They be Thinking? The $48.7 Billion Question At first glance, this looks like a match made in your linen closet: diapers meet Tylenol, tissues meet lotion. But once you dig in, the deal starts to feel like déjà vu from the Family Dollar–Dollar Tree...

This week on Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking? , Jaime Peters (finance brain with a dry wit) and Cindy Goodwin-Sak (leadership expert and recovering overachiever) take on the myth that just won’t die: work–life balance . Is it even real, or just a 1990s self-help fantasy with a corporate logo slapped on top? We trace where the concept came from, why flexibility didn’t fix it, and how the rea...

Ever wonder why interest rates seem to dominate the headlines, or how public firings have become an American pastime? Last week, we went LIVE to unpack all the drama after the Fed’s latest two-day meeting: from their anticipated rate cut (was it a big deal?) to the chaos and uncertainty swirling around public leadership… and firing. We broke down: * The Fed’s surprise (and not-so-surprising) rate...

Ever wonder what happens when leaders say that one sentence they instantly regret—while the whole world is watching? In sports, mistakes get instant replays. In business, they get Twitter… and hashtags you definitely don’t want trending. On today’s episode, Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak dig deep into those excruciating “Oh Sh*t” moments, when a single comment, tweet, or private jet ride becom...

Ever wondered what happens when you give 100 million kids a digital playground—and the adults can barely keep up? Meet Roblox: a global gaming phenomenon, a billion-dollar company, and a lightning rod for controversies on safety, accountability, monetization, and child labor. This week on Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking? , co-hosts Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak dive deep into the wild...

Imagine this: You’re Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. The President’s threatening tariffs that could send iPhone prices skyrocketing. Investors are sweating bullets. Samsung’s popping champagne. Do you freak out? Not Tim. He plays chess while everyone else is still learning checkers. This week, Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak break down *five strategic moves* from Tim Cook’s playbook that scored wins fo...

If you've ever wondered what’s *really* going on inside your manager’s head (beyond calendar invites, KPIs, and the occasional existential crisis) you’re not alone. This week on Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking? , hosts Jaime Peters , and Cindy Goodwin-Sak dig deep into the silent struggles facing managers in today's workplace. We’re tackling questions that need asking: * How much does poor...

After two years of proving remote work can work, companies like Amazon are saying it’s time to come back…or get out. But what are leaders really after? Is it more productivity, more innovation, or just more eyes on more cubicles? In this episode, Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak dive head-first into the great Return to Office debate: * Is mandating five days in the office a productivity play or...

This week, we are diving headfirst into one of business’s hottest topics: executive compensation . Is it justifiable (or just plain outrageous) that today’s CEOs are making hundreds of times what their average employees bring home? (Spoiler: In the US, the CEO-to-worker pay ratio hit 271:1 recently, up from just 59:1 in 1989.) On this episode, we pull back the curtain on how executive pay is reall...

What do Alexander Hamilton, JP Morgan, and President Trump all have in common? They’ve each dramatically influenced America’s rollercoaster history with central banking, interest rates, and financial drama…even if Hamilton never saw the modern Fed himself (that’s news to Cindy…). 🤣 In this episode of “Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking?”, hosts Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak pull back the...

In this episode, we're diving into a silent battle between two titans of retail: Costco and Walmart. It's not just a clash of carts but a strategic showdown of loyalty vs. scale, living wages vs. rock-bottom prices. But who’s truly winning in the break room and on the balance sheet? Join hosts Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak as they pull back the shrink wrap on this compelling rivalry. Discover...

Fasten your seatbelts! Today’s episode is taking off into turbulent skies as we debate the strategic routes of two airline giants: American Airlines and United Airlines. Jamie is banking on Team American, championing cost discipline and strategic caution. Cindy, meanwhile, is soaring with Team United, betting on customer experience and bold expansion. On the surface, these airlines may appear near...

In today's episode of "Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking?", we tackle a topic that sends a chill down everyone’s spine: layoffs. We're diving deep to uncover what's really driving those tough decisions behind closed doors. Why do companies resort to layoffs, and what impact do they have on those left behind? Join hosts Jaime Peters and Cindy Goodwin-Sak as they unravel the complex history of...

In this episode, we explore  a scenario no CEO wants to face:  a sudden tariff imposition resulting in a 10% cost increase across all their products. Join us as we explore the tough decisions business leaders have to make. Do they pass these costs on to consumers, risking backlash and lost market share, or absorb the hit themselves, slashing profitability and possibly resorting to layoffs? We'll a...

💸 They paid $8.5 billion. They sold it for just $1 billion. What went wrong? In 2015, Dollar Tree set out to build a discount retail empire by acquiring Family Dollar. Ten years—and billions of dollars in losses—later, the dream was over. In this episode of Seriously, What Could They Be Thinking? , we dive into one of the most expensive retail missteps of the decade. Co-hosts Cindy Goodwin-Sak an...