The History Factory Podcast

“History Factory Plugged In” is back with a new season, kicking off with an interview with Stephen J.A. Ward, Ph. D., author, professor and internationally recognized media ethicist. In the wake of various scandals and a name change from the company formerly known as Facebook, we discuss the current media landscape, how we got here and his prescriptions for a brighter future. Company history comes...

On the latest episode of “History Factory Plugged In,” we talk with Betsy Hoag of PR agency Greentarget about a new joint study commissioned by History Factory called “The Succession Trap: How the C-suite thinks about leadership transitions and why it’s wrong.” Betsy and host Jason Dressel chat about the methodology of the survey, which polled 160 C-suite executives from Fortune 500 companies, as...

Host Jason Dressel sat down with professor Matthew Delmont, the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth College, to discuss the origin and legacy of Juneteenth, as well as how people can educate themselves and commemorate the holiday. Company history comes alive with “History Factory Plugged In.” We explore the rich heritage of major organizations in this thought-provokin...

On this week’s episode of “History Factory Plugged In,” host Jason Dressel sits down with Richard West, corporate historian at Southwest Airlines. As Southwest celebrates its 50th anniversary, Richard shares a fascinating trip through the iconic brand’s history, from its humble beginning as a regional carrier — with the famous “Texas Triangle” sketched on a cocktail napkin — to its emergence as th...

On the latest episode of History Factory Plugged In, host Jason Dressel sits down with bestselling author and business consultant Ram Charan to discuss his new book, “Rethinking Competitive Advantage: New Rules for the Digital Age.” The man dubbed the “most influential consultant alive” by Fortune magazine discusses how companies can stay relevant amid changing technology, why organizations fail a...

History Factory Plugged In hosts Heather Walls, chief creative officer of communications at Wikimedia Foundation, to talk about Wikipedia’s 20th anniversary and the activities around its celebration. Heather will be a presenter at The Anniversary Marketing Summit on April 27, along with representatives from Cleveland Clinic, Deloitte, Diageo’s Johnnie Walker, Pitney Bowes and more. If you’re inter...

In honor of Women’s History Month, History Factory Plugged In host Jason Dressel sits down with professor Amy Bix of Iowa State University to discuss the history of women in engineering. From pre-WWII origins to modern STEM efforts, we cover the strides women have made toward gender equality in the field. Company history comes alive with History Factory Plugged In. We explore the rich heritage of...

History Factory Plugged In is back with a new episode focused on the concept of nostalgia and its power to evoke strong memories and motivate behaviors. Host Jason Dressel talks with Kristyne Batcho, psychology professor at New York’s Le Moyne College, about her field-leading research on the subject. Jason also chats with History Factory’s new senior director of creative, Corrie Commisso, about ho...

History Factory Plugged In welcomes Paul Matsen, chief marketing and communications officer at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic. He and host Jason Dressel discuss plans for the organization's centennial and upcoming Founders Day, which is Friday, February 26. Cleveland Clinic will be a presenter at The Anniversary Marketing Summit, hosted virtually this year on April 27. Company history comes aliv...

Join History Factory Plugged In for our first episode of the new year, featuring Dr. Robert D. Hicks of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia discussing the history of vaccines. Host Jason Dressel and Dr. Hicks cover colonial medicine to the new COVID-19 vaccines, examining ongoing research into the history of vaccination and what we can learn from previous efforts. Company history comes alive...

We’re back with a year-end episode of History Factory Plugged In. This week, host Jason Dressel chats with Sara Eagin, History Factory’s senior curator—and creator of the popular Sara’s Friday Email—about some of the most impactful stories of 2020, as well as some holiday potpourri. To learn more about the topics discussed in the podcast, find links and show notes below, and sign up for future Fri...

On the latest episode of History Factory Plugged In, host Jason Dressel chats with representatives from two companies that retooled their product offerings in the early months of the pandemic in order to support front-line health care workers. First, he chats with New Balance COO Dave Wheeler about how the shoe manufacturer transitioned to making PPE for staff at Mass General Hospital. Later, he s...

On the latest episode of History Factory Plugged in, host Jason Dressel discusses History Factory's COVID-19 Corporate Memory Project, explores what pandemic life might have looked like pre-internet, and chats with S&P Global EVP and Chief People Officer Dimitra Manis about the company's new recruitment site, built during the pandemic. Company history comes alive with History Factory Plugged In. W...

We're back with an Election Day special. Host Jason Dressel discusses the history of elections and voting in the United States and chats with Time magazine Senior Editor Lily Rothman to discuss the history of one of the biggest names in polling: Gallup. Company history comes alive with History Factory Plugged In. We look at the rich heritage of major organizations in this thought-provoking podcast...

This week on History Factory Plugged In we host History Factory CEO Bruce Weindruch to discuss the implications of past behavior of your company, and how it can hurt trust with consumers and investors and ultimately impact the bottom line. We also host Betsy Hoag, head of PR firm Greentarget’s research and market intelligence team, to discuss the findings of a recent survey, "Perils of the Past."...

On the latest episode of History Factory Plugged In host Jason Dressel and History Factory Curator, Eden Slone, delve into the ratification of the 19th amendment a century ago and look at the obstacles—from pandemic to voter suppression—that stood in its way. They also discuss the histories behind some of the world's most popular pandemic products. Company history comes alive with History Factory...

In the spirit of children going back to school, for better or worse, History Factory Plugged In's host Jason Dressel talks with Ed Timke of Duke University to discuss marketing to children. Additionally, Jason chats with History Factory CEO and founder, Bruce Weindruch, about the big summer big tech is having with Congress, and some potential parallels from anti-trust history. Company history come...

After a brief hiatus History Factory Plugged In is back. Professor Maurice Schweitzer from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania joins host Jason Dressel to discuss the psychology of boycotts and why certain ones ultimately fail or are successful. Jason also discusses some of the biggest COVID-19 related news stories of the last few weeks and gives hints at our mystery company of th...

On the latest episode of History Factory Plugged In host Jason Dressel talks to author Geoff Thatcher about his new book, "The CEO's Time Machine," a business parable published during lockdown. Jason also hosts History Factory CEO, Bruce Weindruch, to talk about how businesses have responded in the past to various crises from epidemics to natural disasters to war. Company history comes alive with...

This week on History Factory Plugged In, host Jason Dressel talks with VP of Global Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement at Pitney Bowes, Sheryl Battles, about current events and the role that the workplace can play in fostering dialog around inclusion. He also hosts author Garrett Peck to talk about his new book, "A Decade of Disruption," and how the events of the 2000s have set the stage for the...

Host Jason Dressel dives into the history of Memorial Day (once known as Decoration Day) and the looming meat shortage with History Factory CEO and Founder Bruce "Big Chief" Weindruch. They also discuss the COVID-19 Corporate Memory Project, a new pro bono initiative from History Factory to record history related to the unfolding pandemic in real time. Company history comes alive with History Fact...

This week History Factory Plugged In looks at the history of nursing in honor of National Nurses Day, International Nurses Day and International Nurses Week, which all feature in the month of May. Host Jason Dressel welcomes Dr. Arlene Keeling, Professor Emerita of nursing at the University of Virginia. Company history comes alive with History Factory Plugged In. We look at the rich heritage of ma...

This week on History Factory Plugged In host Jason Dressel welcomes a number of History Factory colleagues in our first ever video podcast. We discuss the history of the meme, which has become increasingly important to keep us sane during the #coronavirus era, and share some of our favorites from the past few weeks of quarantine. Feel free to listen to the podcast, or, join us on our youtube chann...

On the latest episode of History Factory Plugged In, host Jason Dressel dissects two things that are uniquely American: craft beer and the census. Jason interviews the senior vice president of professional brewing at the Brewer's Association, Paul Gatza, to talk about the explosion of craft beer over the last decade. He also talks to author and historian Ted Widmer to talk about the 230 year histo...

We're back with a special pandemic edition of History Factory Plugged In. From serious talks about the economy to whimsical histories of toilet paper, this episode has it all. Host Jason Dressel welcomes U.C. Berkeley professor, author and historian of medicine and public health Dr. Elena Conis to talk about past pandemics in the United States and the country's response; and History Factory founde...