The Scribble with Jeremy Bradley

Since he went trick-or-treating as a kid, Jeremy Bradley concludes that Halloween ain't what it used to be. He recalls the excitement of getting creative with the most basic of costumes and the plan of attack for when to head out, the street route and which houses to visit with his brothers. He talks about the uncertainty of Canadian prairie weather that often defined the routes and time outside o...

When there's drama in the family and you're forced to take sides, is it an easy decision? What is your loyalty based on? Jeremy Bradley talks about how family dynamics need a second look when chaos ensues. He tackles the question: "Is it OK to not care about your family?" He responds to an email from a listener whose family took sides in a fight and she wondered how to deal with the fallout. 

It was a tragic case of mistaken identity -- x2. Jeremy Bradley talks about police officers approaching his table at a restaurant, saying that the staff wanted him to leave and there was no negotiating to clear things up. What had he done? What was the problem? JB talks about the awkward officer interaction and how the restaurant staff disappeared after the incident. But when the manager finally a...

Canadian, Jeremy Bradley, talks about the conversations he has with Americans and how it's changed over the 20 years since he started interacting with his neighbors (neighbours) to the south. He remembers having business meetings and dinners with American colleagues and how the conversations would always take the same turn: "So, you're from Canada." He talks about the four topic areas that regular...

Sometimes you wonder who's actually in charge when you see a human and dog walking outside. Is it the dog pulling and 10 ft. ahead of the human or the human being dragged and struggling to keep up? Jeremy Bradley talks about the unspoken etiquette of dog walking. An owner of two dogs, JB prides himself on having well-behaved pooches who walk normally on their leash and don't cause a scene when oth...

It's socially acceptable to "put down" a pet when they're sick and beyond medical help but when it comes to humans, it's a taboo and controversial subject. Jeremy Bradley talks about a documentary he watched that profiled "assisted suicide" and people deciding when they want to die as they're suffering through a terminal medical situation with no hope of recovery. 

Last weekend was draw-maw for a bunch of celebs. Jeremy Bradley takes on Kelly Clarkson squawking about a supposed toy store snub, Selma Blair's latest mid-flight meltdown and Shane Gillis's SNL rant about gym whore outfits. As an entertainment host and reporter for over 20 years, JB talks about the "deliciously dramatic" nature of this group of stories and how it's fascinating watching how things...

It might be called the happiest place on Earth (although if you see the faces on most people, you might not think so) but is Disney also the most-expensive place on Earth? Jeremy Bradley talks about the nickel and diming of a Disney experience and why many people are reconsidering taking the trip -- especially in today's economy. JB shares a story about family friends who took their squad on a vac...

Customer service ain't what it used to be. But, customers ain't what they used to be. Jeremy Bradley, who owns multiple businesses, talks about nightmare customer stories. From liars to scammers to the completely unhinged, JB has over seven years of customer stories from two of his e-commerce stores. He discusses how there's a trend in customers thinking they found a loophole in their order status...

Back when there was a limit to the number of photos you could take, people were selective about when they snapped pics. Whether it was a holiday or family wedding or a birthday party, you didn't leave the gathering with 75 pictures taken. At most, you left with 12, 24 or 36 -- depending on how much film you had for your camera... and if you used an entire roll. Jeremy Bradley talks about how paren...

Having been a broadcaster and public speaker for decades, Jeremy Bradley recalls some of the odd invitations he's received to address audiences as a host and emcee. From the weird food-court meetup, to the "come speak at my house" invite and the granny's club luncheon, JB has had plenty of opportunities to entertain the masses.

It's a mixed bag of stories on the show. Jeremy Bradley talks about the frustration of depositing $1.47 at the bank. How did a simple transaction take upwards of 30 minutes? "This is why people don't go into a bank branch anymore," he said. JB talks about critical changes that impact the customer experience and reinforce his belief that "customer service ain't what it used to be. It's gone, it's d...

Neighboring ain't what it used to be. Jeremy Bradley talks about his desire to have friendly relationships with his neighbors like he did at his parents' house when he was growing up. JB talks about how times have changed, especially in his community, where people/families keep to themselves and don't socially interact. He discusses how, over the 19 years he's lived in his house, only one set of n...

It's a common complaint: customer service ain't what it used to be. Jeremy Bradley goes on another rant about how the "customer experience" is anything but positive nowadays. There's the ongoing debate over tipping and why customers are expected to "reward" staff for doing their job -- such as walking back and forth with food and drinks. He also talks about how front-line staff do little to make c...

We hear there are so many open jobs but qualified people applying for those roles can't even get an interview. Jeremy Bradley reviews his listeners' job resumes to see what they're doing wrong to not hear back from places looking to hire. One listener has taken creative steps to disguise her age, thinking that might be turning off recruiters from considering her. Then the big question: Are compani...

It's one thing to get freebies as an "influencer" but that doesn't pay the bills. Jeremy Bradley once again takes on so-called "content creators" and how they see the hobby as a life-long career but don't treat it as a business for long-term success (meaning: money). Later, he calls out celebs who cry about getting little pay from TV residuals for shows they were on 30 years ago. "You were an acto...

Jeremy Bradley, a trained journalist of over 20 years, takes issue with the future of the news business -- and it looks bleak. "I realize the industry has partially done this to itself," he opens. JB talks about the blurring of lines between fact-based journalism and opinion commentary. Just because someone can set up a camera and make a convincing point, doesn't make it factual -- or true. Journa...

Many companies have a slogan and a jingle to match. What about an original song? What about over 600 original songs? Jeremy Bradley talks about the creative marketing approach for his coffee company. He outlines how a 24-7 streaming music station has boosted coffee sales. Buff Boy Brewing Co. went from a basic coffee line five years ago, to become a lifestyle and entertainment brand with a content...

Everywhere you look online, someone is trying to sell you something. While ads seem to be more specifically targeted than ever, a lot of times it's a total miss. Jeremy Bradley has a laugh about the mismatch of ads and how they end up being a waste of money. "I'm not even in Edmonton but I'm getting city council candidate ads for their election," JB said after scrolling his Facebook feed. "That's...

Document, document, document. That's Jeremy Bradley's advice when dealing with companies. Having been a consumer columnist and commentator for decades (look up "Winnipeg Cheapskate" in Winnipeg Free Press and SpeakFreewithJB.com), JB said it's one thing to keep emails or screenshots or correspondence, it's another to record and document everything. "I prefer a phone call with people identifying th...

It's a question Jeremy Bradley gets asked at least once per week from his American colleagues: "Do Canadians hate us now?" It's in response to the Trump administration (but largely Trump himself) that has the southern country worried about its neighbors up north. JB says it's actually two specific questions that are asked: one about the country as a whole and the other about its people. "It's twof...

Jeremy Bradley was a college student majoring in journalism on Sept. 11, 2001. Like most people who witnessed the terror attacks either in person or on TV -- anywhere around the world -- JB tells his "I remember where I was..." story from Canada. He talks about sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper with CNN on the TV in another room and hearing something different that caught his atte...

Remember when you could call a company, ask a question, get your answer in a few minutes and be on your way? Those were the days. Jeremy Bradley talks about how, with so much technology and ways to communicate, companies are making customer service -- or customer "experience" -- the most maddening part of doing business. JB targets wait times, be it for chat or email or phone, that send customers...

Jeremy Bradley has no interest in social media... but he definitely has an opinion on how companies should use it. JB talks about how companies need to get creative and show a personality. He said businesses need to loosen up and get playful on social media even if the "brand voice" dictates otherwise. JB talks about how his businesses cash in on the fun and silly without paying a penny for social...

A Jersey Shore goodbye: with Mike, Vinny, Ron, Sam & Deena. Jeremy Bradley takes a walk down memory lane with clips of his chats with the MTV cast over the years.