The Focus Group

Shop Talk reveals the most unfriendly state in America. Do you agree? Also, check these websites to see if your email address or password has been compromised—Avast’s “Hack Check” site and “Have I Been Pawned.” Jan Koum, Co-Founder of WhatsApp, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the expected revenge shopping at the reimagined mall and out-of-date emojis. Tim and John also share a lot...

Tim has a scare while talking with John before the show. A Michigan RV camp only allows men with certain equipment—to foster a like-minded atmosphere. Newsmax hosts label the Biden’s 2 dogs as dirty, disheveled, and unpresidential. Finally, a former Facebook employee confirms that some of their ad metrics were inflated due to duplicate and fake accounts. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify: s...

Shop Talk looks at the recent alleged DUI scandal with Bruce Springsteen which had Jeep pulling their recent ad featuring The Boss. Then a story from Inc. Mag about a woman whose business was ruined by internet trolls. Guillermo González Camarena, color TV inventor, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the dark side of the Chippendales and a man falls asleep and swallows one of his Air...

Words have gotten people in trouble this week. The Director of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games had to resign for making disparaging remarks about women, and an employment ad for a museum in Indianapolis seeks a director who would maintain its core white art audience. When asked to clarify, the museum's chief executive said the use of “white” was intentional. Find out why and see if you agree. But fir...

Shop Talk covers Super Bowl 55 and the favorite spots from Tim and John as well as a few that missed the mark. Also, the top 5 LGBTQ TV spots from years past according to Mike Wilkie. James Edward Maceo West, microphone technology inventor, is our Business Birthday. He is also the son of one of the “human computers” featured in the movie Hidden Figures about the African American women that worked...

President Erdogan of Turkey now declares that LGBTQ people do not exist. Turkey has cracked down on pro-LGBTQ protesters denouncing them as immoral and perverted. Then don't feed the feral chickens in Hawaii or face a $500 fine. How did they get there? Finally, China believes their male population—"little fresh meats“ is the term they use—is becoming too feminine and needs a dose of masculini...

Shop Talk shares one-star Amazon Reviews from Fran Lebowitz via an article from, The New Yorker Magazine​. Then, Super Bowl advertising is already sold out. At $5.5 million for a 30-second spot, it is amazing that this event still is the ultimate advertising powerhouse. Also, the auto industry is poised to lose $61 billion in 2021 due to a computer chip shortage brought on by the “event.” Andrew C...

One of the most comprehensive studies on death finds that when you die, you die. Once your body starts to shut down the chances of coming back to life are unlikely according to the study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine. Then, PETA wants to tackle speciesism by removing terms from our vocabulary and is asking dictionaries to do the same. So, calling someone rat because th...

Shop Talk looks at The Serendipity Mindset, or luck, in business and career. Then, can you guess the most corrupt state in America? Calvin Schenkel, album cover designer, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the new logo that GM unveiled last week, LEGO flowers, postal service delays, and the closing of Godiva stores. We’re all business. Except when we’re not. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/...

Cadbury Eggs is running a campaign in the UK that shows two men getting intimate with the ubiquitous gooey Cadbury Egg. Though the commercial will not air on networks, the LGBTQ hate group, One Million Moms is, all upset about the depiction of two men in love. Dr. Fauci says he was forbidden by the former administration to go on the Rachel Maddow Show because of the “way she handled things.” The t...

Shop Talk explores 10 British slang terms we should adopt when we travel to the UK or want to use here at home. Julia Morgan, a pioneering architect, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye wonders how a man in Japan swallowed a toothpick. Hint—things did not come out well. Also, Bernard Spain, the holder of the copyright for the smiley face died in Philly last week. We’re all business. Except whe...

Golfer Justin Thomas is caught on live TV calling himself a gay slur when his misses a short putt. He apologized, but Ralph Lauren has dropped their sponsorship. A $20 bank note with a Del Monte sticker on it is poised to go for over 50K at an auction this month, and a Danish children’s cartoon about a man with a huge member has us wondering if such a show could air in the USA. Apple Podcasts: app...

Shop Talk explores the roles of makers and managers within an organization and how we can respect one another's time. Alfred Fuller, of Fuller Brush Fame, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the confusion of a Capitol rioter photo tagged Via Getty and the movie Grease does not hold up well with a new generation. We’re all business. Except when we’re not. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDB...

The Home of the Whopper is heading back to the archives to create an updated new logo, packaging, uniform, and store design. How about fixing the menu? Amazon takes flight and Patagonia stays true by selecting causes and issues that are clear and direct to their company’s brand mission. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1 iHeart Radio: bit.ly/2n0Z7H1 Tunein: bit.ly/1SE3NMb S...

Shop Talk summarizes a recent podcast from Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit,” that helps us start 2021 off right. Learn why goals don't work without this key element. Anthony Scaramucci is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the popularity of Trump piñatas and Four Seasons Total Landscaping is holding an ALS Surf and Turf Gala this Spring. We’re all business. Except when we’...

Welcome to 2021. Home Depot recalls 80,000 Mara ceiling fans built by Mara due to blades that may take flight. Tim and John found dark humor in the story. Then, GoDaddy pulls a not so nice holiday stunt to its employees and business is booming for wholesaler Books by the Foot as people continue to set-up “credibility bookshelves” for video conferences. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify: spo...

Shop Talk looks at eleven 2020 trends we are tired of as the year comes to a close. For example, not every business meeting needs to be a Zoom call. Leonard B. Stern, the co-creator of Mad Libs, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye covers the debate as to whether Mayor Pete is really the first openly LGBTQ member of a President's Cabinet and Christopher Walken shuns technology. We’re all busine...

In searching for her birth family, a West Virginia woman discovers she is royalty from Western Africa. Then, an American and her Cayman Island boyfriend are charged and jailed for disobeying pandemic quarantine. Finally, President Obama releases his favorite books of 2020. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1 iHeart Radio: bit.ly/2n0Z7H1 Tunein: bit.ly/1SE3NMb Stitcher: bit.l...

Shop Talk looks at a recent article where Malcolm Gladwell tells us that Hamlet was wrong. We all need to “stop overthinking and start doing because none of us knows the future.” Then, the U.S. states with the most and least age bias when it comes to older workers is revealed. Yosemite Sam is our Business Birthday. Who knew that his real name is Samuel Michelangelo Rosenbaum? Caught my eye looks a...

Sesame Street couple Bert and Ernie start a Twitter storm of speculation as Bert says he’s Ernie’s roommate and Bert says they are friends. What do you think? Elon Musk believes too many MBA’s are squelching creativity and value when it comes to corporate leadership. Due to the event, China has now recommended its flight attendants wear disposable diapers. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify:...

The lamp from ‘A Christmas Story’ and a Mer-man Ken Doll are what Caught Our Eye this week. Shop Talk explores the Zoom meeting, with many captains of industry believing they are becoming less productive as time moves on. Many predict that while working from home is far more accepted now, there is merit to having people back together in an in-person collaborative environment. The founder of modern...

Whether you read a book, listened to music, or enjoyed the solitude of the car, the daily commute was a certain kind of healthy alone time. Creating a fake commute by starting and ending your day with similar activities might be a smart way to balance your schedule. Then, USAA comes out as a great place for trans employees and allows them to bring their complete selves to work. Finally, Tim and Jo...

A couple in New York State finds a stash of booze hidden in their home, and Sherwin Williams fires an employee for thinking outside the box. Shop Talk looks at traits of spenders versus savers. Much of our familial upbringing plays a key role. Gianni Versace, fashion designer and marketer, is our Business Birthday. We're all business. Except when we're not. Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC Spotify...

The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps (LGBAC), one of the first all-queer band groups ever in the country, became the first LGBTQ marching band to partake in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They played Abba’s Dancing Queen. PETA asks us to boycott coconut milk from companies using monkeys to harvest the crop. Finally, married lesbian couples are more likely to divorce than gay married men. Apple...

A Roomba robot vacuum versus dog poop caught Tim’s eye. As John said, unintended consequences! A Seattle man is brought back to life after being unconscious for 45 minutes due to hypothermia. Shop Talk looks at the most beautiful words in English according to Word Genius. Tim and John have the same favorite word from this list. Andrew Carnegie of US Steel fame is our Business Birthday. We're all b...