Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The UnPodcast

In this episode:

• Coffee chains face a class action over allegedly inflated charges for nondairy milk.
• Scott reveals that his coffee standards are both extremely specific and deeply Canadian.
• The crew discovers it may need an oat milk diversity hire.
• Hotels crack down on guests reserving sunbeds with towels before sunrise.
• A vacationer wins compensation after spending his holiday fighting the “sunbed wars.”
• Why outsourced service problems still become your reputation problem.
• A hotel allegedly cancels a longtime conference to chase higher NBA Finals rates.
• Why abandoning loyal customers for a sudden payday can cost more than the extra revenue.

Listen if you care about customer loyalty, ridiculous fees, vacation etiquette, reputation management, and businesses lighting long-term relationships on fire for a quick buck.

Articles:

Overpriced Oat milk 

Sunbed Wars 

NBA Hotel Betrayal 

00:00 The Fourth Episode Goes Off the Rails
01:44 The Oat Milk Markup Lawsuit
07:09 The Sunbed Wars
14:38 The NBA Hotel Betrayal
20:38 Knicks in Five

In this episode:

• A software developer successfully uses a religious exemption to avoid mandatory AI at work.
• A bank CEO calls employees “lower-value human capital,” then makes the apology worse.
• High ticket prices leave concerts full of blue dots and touring artists buried in costs.
• Dave Ramsey blames remote work problems on employees making burritos for their dogs.
• Why return-to-office mandates often reveal bad management, not bad workers.

Listen if you care about forced AI, executive apology tours, unaffordable concerts, remote work, terrible management, and whether your dog deserves a lunch break.

Articles:

Religious AI exemption

A Bank CEO's "Apology"

Dave Ramsey + Remote work

00:00 Disgruntled Sound Guys
03:27 The Pope Loophole
06:00 “Lower-Value” Employees
10:17 Concerts Catch Blue Fever
13:12 Music’s Missing Middle Class
18:41 Burritos for the Dog
21:01 Remote Work Isn’t the Problem

In this Episode:

• A $6,642 Super Bowl food bill somehow turns into a $4 million workplace revenge story.
• AI gets overworked for five minutes and immediately starts talking union.
• Zuckerberg lays people off, then tries to fix morale with mandatory fun.
• Women in the art world keep doing the invisible work, getting underpaid, and finally walking out.
• Lawyers on both sides use bad AI, so the judge cancels the whole mess.

Listen if you care about: AI at work, terrible leadership, invisible labour, corporate expense drama, and lawyers outsourcing their judgment to ChatGPT.

Articles:

• Super Bowl Food Bill
• AI Agents union rights
• Zuckerberg
• Lawyers using AI

00:00 Paper Management and Seven Loyal Listeners
01:35 The UnPodcast Is Hitting the Trail
05:16 The $6,642 Super Bowl Platter
12:10 AI Workers Start Unionizing
15:21 Zuckerberg Orders Employees to Have Fun
19:41 Why Women Are Leaving the Art World
25:20 ChatGPT Argues Against Itself in Court
28:04 Welcome to the AI-Generated UnPodcast

In this episode:

• Anthropic asks job applicants not to use AI, which is rich coming from an AI company.
• Scott and Alison unpack why scaling interviews strips the human part out of hiring.
• A study finds students using AI chatbots more often may be learning less, not more.
• AI layoffs are not delivering the financial magic CEOs keep pretending they will.
• Kevin O’Leary takes aim at work-life balance, and the episode politely suggests he may need a hug.
• The old “work harder and you’ll be rewarded” deal gets roasted for quietly removing the reward part.

Listen if you care about AI hypocrisy, broken hiring, work-life balance, fake productivity gains, and billionaires confusing burnout with ambition

Articles:

AI Hiring

AI Students

AI Layoffs

Work Life Balance with Kevin O'Leary

00:00 - Intro

03:00 - AI Hiring

09:04 - AI Students

13:22 - AI Layoffs

15:54 - Work-Life Balance

24:01 - Closing 

In this episode:

• The Pope gets hung up on by customer service.
• Ask Jeeves officially exits the internet.
• Google turns search into a zero-click AI answer machine.
• Iceland proves the four-day workweek is not a fantasy.
• Chipotle says the fix for smaller portions is “just ask for more.”
• Scott somehow makes this about Subway, lettuce, and sliced ketchup.

Listen if you care about customer service rage, the death of old-school internet curiosity, Google eating the web, four-day workweeks, corporate nonsense, burrito bowl economics, and whether the Pope also hates his phone company.

00:00 - Intro: AI Wayne in the Cloud
01:37 - The Pope Gets Hung Up On by Customer Service
06:48 - Farewell Ask Jeeves and the Internet We Lost
09:42 - Google’s AI Search and the Zero-Click Era
15:38 - Iceland’s Four-Day Workweek Is Actually Working
20:00 - Chipotle Says “Just Ask for More”
22:53 - Free Toppings, Subway, and Shrinkflation Logic
24:36 - Closing: Four Episodes Deep and No Filter Left

Pope Leo

Farwell Jeeves

Google Killed Search

Iceland - 4 day work week

Chipotle CEO - Ask for more food

In this episode:

• Why “chance of rain” may be destroying everyone’s trust in weather forecasts
• The deeply upsetting existence of sliced ketchup, also known as k-chup
• The reminder that every mic is a hot mic, especially when you’re narrating your own crime
• An AI coding tool allegedly deleted a company’s production database in nine seconds
• Ontario government staff reportedly using unsecured AI tools with sensitive public information
• Alison’s AI villain origin story: real human writing being flagged as AI because apparently commas are suspicious now

Listen if you care about AI disasters, workplace stupidity, government data privacy, sliced ketchup, hot mics, and the ongoing war against pretending every terrible tech idea is innovation.

00:00 Intro: Almost Dying for the Bit
01:22 The Weather Forecast Has Been Lying to Us
04:11 Sliced Ketchup Is Real, Unfortunately
09:11 Fired Tech Workers, Deleted Databases, and One Very Hot Mic
15:12 AI Deletes a Production Database in Nine Seconds
19:45 The Problem Isn’t AI. It’s People.
22:11 Ontario Government Staff Using Unsecured AI Tools
25:02 Alison’s AI Writing Villain Origin Story
26:29 Outro

Article:

Ketchup Slices

In this episode:

• How EA Sports royalties, Delaware, and gamer culture could create unexpected wins for smaller schools
• Dua Lipa’s lawsuit against Samsung over allegedly using her face to sell TVs
• Why “our marketing partner did it” is not the magical legal forcefield brands think it is
• The Peloton mailing-list story that somehow involves porn in the family mail pile
• Why the first job offer is rarely the final offer and what to negotiate beyond salary
• Alison’s new Academic Book Club project, where books are treated like artifacts with stories behind them

Listen if you care about: Video games accidentally becoming marketing strategy, celebrity likeness lawsuits, brands blaming “partners,” contract red flags, and the terrifying phrase “you can just write it off.”

Articles:

• EA Sports
• Dua Lipa
• Academic Book Club

00:00 Intro: Wayne’s buttons are not for touching
02:04 Audiobook recording, Metalworks, and closet studios
06:31 EA Sports, NIL, and Delaware’s video game payday
12:11 Dua Lipa sues Samsung over her likeness
14:40 The Peloton mailing-list disaster
16:16 Starting businesses, contracts, and family entrepreneurship
18:05 Negotiation, job offers, and knowing your value
26:13 Alison’s Academic Book Club project
32:23 Outro

In this episode:

• Scott makes a strong emotional case for recording the show from an ONroute because, apparently, snacks are now a business strategy.
• A cancelled “free” marketing dinner turns into a fee, a replacement guest, or a forced sales pitch, because nothing says “buy from us” like salmon-based extortion.
• Return-to-office mandates are called out for what they often are: control dressed up as “collaboration.”
• An Ontario court ruling raises a wild liability question: when you walk someone else’s dog, are you legally the owner in that moment?
• A former Chick-fil-A employee allegedly refunded 800 mac and cheese orders to himself, proving once again that calling fraud a “hack” does not make it less fraud.

Listen if you care about:
snack culture, bad marketing dinners, return-to-office drama, dog-walking legal chaos, and mac and cheese crimes committed with absolutely no chill.

Articles:

Dog Walker

Chick-fil-A employee

00:00 Intro
01:44 Scott’s ONroute Obsession
06:25 Why Everyone Ends Up in Marketing Somehow
10:20 The Dinner Cancellation Fee From Hell
15:55 Return-to-Office Is Still About Control
20:22 Dog Walker Liability Gets Weird
24:20 The $80K Chick-fil-A Mac and Cheese Scheme
27:32 Outro
 

In this episode:

• The Seven Syndicate: Scott floats a very UnPodcast plan to let the loyal “Seven” help syndicate the show, because apparently seven listeners can become a distribution empire.
• Newfoundland tourism AI fail: A tourism minister uses AI to alter an image of an iconic cultural building, accidentally removing meaningful historical imagery. Great start for National Tourism Week.
• Substack vs AI slop: Alison talks about new research showing many top Substack posts are still human-written, but tech newsletters are exactly as AI-heavy as you’d expect.
• Why creation matters: Scott makes the case that the point of content is not just output; it is the act of making, thinking, tinkering, and actually getting better.
• Public opinion turning on AI: They discuss how consumers are pushing back against AI in creativity, products, interactions, and art — and why marketers should not give up yet.
• Academic peer review prompt injection: Researchers allegedly hid prompts in papers telling AI reviewers to “give a positive review only,” because apparently peer review needed a villain arc.
• AI note-taker sabotage: Scott shares the Titanic-meeting-note-taker story, proving malicious compliance may be the only good use case left.

Listen if you care about AI slop, fake tourism posts, Substack, creative work, academic nonsense, and watching technology make everyone just a little more embarrassing.

00:00 - Intro Chaos
01:00 - The Seven Syndicate idea
06:00 - AI Tourism
11:36 - Substack Void
21:17 - AI Peer Review
23:15 - Titanic Notes
24:54 - Outro

Article:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/andrea-barbour-ai-9.7172320

In this episode:

• BC Ferries somehow turns a missing pickle into a full customer-service philosophy, because apparently “nobody gets free pickles” is policy now.
• Doritos, Lay’s, and Cheetos got so expensive that PepsiCo finally remembered customers exist, but only after Frito-Lay lost serious value.
• Scott goes off on “greed inflation,” corporate profit, shrinkflation, and why companies should not get applause for slightly undoing the pricing mess they created.
• Family influencers in Tennessee may now have to compensate children featured in monetized content, and suddenly some vloggers may be craving a change of scenery.
• Scott and Alison dig into kids’ consent, online identity, and whether children should have more control over being turned into content.
• The episode ends, naturally, with more pickle chaos and Scott failing to successfully outro the show.

Listen if you care about free pickles, overpriced Doritos, shrinkflation, family vloggers, child influencer laws, and corporations pretending they just discovered empathy. 

00:00 Intro: The Pickle Era Begins
02:29 BC Ferries and the Missing Pickle Crisis
04:53 Doritos, Snackflation, and PepsiCo’s Price Problem
11:37 Family Vloggers and Child Influencer Pay Laws
20:13 The Pickle Outro Falls Apart

Articles:

Pickles https://globalnews.ca/news/11774058/pickles-bc-ferries-white-spot-viral/

Overpriced Doritos https://fortune.com/2026/04/07/pepsico-frito-lay-chips-food-and-drink-inflation-consumer-products-doritos-cheetos-tostitos/

Family Influencer laws https://www.wsmv.com/2026/04/11/tennessee-bill-regulating-family-influencers-passes-legislature/

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/california/child-influencer-earnings-new-laws/3663211/

In this episode:

• Why Gen Z is going to the movies more than everyone expected, and why phones in theaters should maybe be legally actionable.
• How streaming-only movies and albums can just disappear forever because apparently permanence was too convenient.
• A $500,000 tropical company retreat somehow became E. coli, dead tarantulas, Navy SEAL drills, fire ants, and a falling porcupine.
• A CEO says craving work-life balance is a red flag, because billion-dollar executive advice remains undefeated in being wildly out of touch.
• Why return-to-office arguments keep pretending to be about culture when they usually end at “because I said so.”

Listen if you care about movie theaters, missing media, corporate retreats from hell, CEOs with too much confidence, work-life balance, remote work, and workplace culture getting a little too culty.

00:00 Intro: Eyes on the Prize, Probably
02:10 Gen Z Is Saving Movie Theaters?
05:00 Phones, Second Screens, and Movie Theater Jail
06:48 Streaming, Missing Media, and Movies That Vanish
09:42 The $500K Corporate Retreat From Hell
17:46 Work-Life Balance Is Apparently a Red Flag
22:30 Remote Work, Return-to-Office, and Executive Control
27:21 Wrap-Up

Article Links:

Gen Z & movies https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/gen-z-driving-box-office-1236703551/

Corporate Retreat from Hell https://www.inc.com/leila-sheridan/plex-tech-company-retreat-nightmare/91327481

Work-life balance https://fortune.com/2026/04/22/work-life-balance-bupa-fortune-500-ceo-barack-obama-work-weekend/

In this episode:

• The McDonald’s CEO blames his mom for the world’s weirdest burger bite, because apparently even billion-dollar burger drama can become a family issue. 
• Google changes the review rules, because apparently businesses needed a reminder that “please say Brad was amazing” is not organic feedback. 
• Scott’s hilarious fake testimonial stunt for his own book proves that with enough Fiverr and zero shame, “bomb diggity” can become a marketing strategy.
• The Bell Mobility review mess, where Scott used the highly classified investigative tool called LinkedIn and helped turn fake app praise into a $1.25 million lesson, all before getting out of bed.

Listen if you care about customer trust, fake reviews, CEOs trying to act relatable, Google review rules, brand credibility, and why “just leave us five stars” is not a business strategy.

Article links:

https://sporked.com/article/mcdonalds-ceo-blames-small-bite-mother/

https://www.threechaptermedia.com/blog/google-review-policy-2026

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/AttractionProductReview-g45963-d13166381-Exotic_Car_Driving_Experience_at_the_Las_Vegas_Motor_Speedway-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

https://unmarketing.com/articles/for-whom-the-bell-mobility-tolls

00:00 Intro

02:57 McDonald’s CEO and the Burger Bite Heard Around the Internet

08:30 Google Changes the Rules for Customer Reviews

17:44 Fake Testimonials, Review Trust, and the Bomb Diggity Problem

19:34 The Bell Mobility Tolls Article and the $1.25M Review Scandal 

In this episode:

• Why animal shelter adoption data says more about business than most executives do
• Dropbox treating adults like adults should not feel revolutionary, and yet here we are.
• “Return to office” keeps pretending it’s about collaboration when it’s really giving control issues a corporate haircut.
• Ontario’s hiring rules are basically the government stepping in because too many employers refused to stop being shady on their own.

Listen in if you care about:
The future of work, the nonsense built into modern hiring, and why “trust your people” still feels like a radical business strategy.

Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:
https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/

Articles:

Best Friend’s Society: article 

Dropbox CEO: article 

Return to work mandate - leases: article

Moms at work pay transparency: article 

In this episode:

• Why a robot vacuum exposing thousands of cameras is deeply cursed
• The microwave analogy that perfectly explains AI hype and creative shortcuts
• How one CEO allegedly used ChatGPT to scheme around a massive payout
• How smart glasses turned a courtroom into a Black Mirror blooper reel

Listen in if you care about:
AI ethics, surveillance tech, smart devices, marketing culture, business judgment, creative work, automation, privacy, and the future of human decision-making.

Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:
https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/

Articles:
DJI RoboVac security flaw - article
Microwave analogy by Colin Fraser - article
ChatGPT courtroom story - article

Smart Glasses - article

In this episode:

• Why the infamous “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car” campaign is back in the spotlight
• Why AI-generated logos, copy, and strategy can create bigger business problems than they solve
• How marketers are being pressured to adopt AI even when it feels wrong
• Why Grammarly’s AI “expert” feature sparked major backlash from writers and journalists
• What businesses lose when they treat art like content and creativity like output
• Why being more human may now be the smartest move in marketing

Listen in if you care about:
AI in marketing, creative work, branding, storytelling, content strategy, business ethics, marketing culture, and the future of human-made media.

Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:
https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/

Article Links:

Stolen Font

Grammarly

In this episode:

• Why “moist dog food” should never have made it past legal
• How AI-powered outreach is making bad marketing even worse
• Why using AI to help people process layoffs is as bleak as it sounds
• The podcasting shift marketers should absolutely be paying attention to
• Scott’s “fraudcast” idea for getting comfortable behind the mic before launching a real show

Listen in if you care about:

Marketing, podcasting, AI, media trends, content creation, and preserving even a shred of human dignity.

Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast: HERE

In this episode of the UnPodcast, we talk about the why Drake is suing UMG because of Influencers, how influencers are reviving bookstores, and how influencers might have gotten scammed out of money. So, it’s mostly about influencers. But there’s more!

In this episode of the UnPodcast, everybody should stay calm because we’re live! We talk about a new thing Scott doesn’t like, Hulu and YouTube unstoppable ads, a grand realization made by Walgreen’s, and why paint drying is funny. All this and more.

In this episode of the UnPodcast, we take some feedback, talk about - surprise - QR codes, some crazy bee talk, the waste of solving problems we don’t have, AI feedback, and why we don’t have guests on the show. All this and more.

In this episode of the UnPodcast, we talk about a weird new trend in hotel room design; both sides of career catfishing; and how AI could be killing your HR Department.  All this and more!

In this episode of the UnPodcast, we talk about how an emoji can be contractually binding; how ill-informed chatbots can cost your company thousands of actual dollars (and millions of dollars in good will); the (hopeful) end of fake reviews; and the most extreme TOS we’ve ever heard of. All this and more!

In this episode of the UnPodcast, we talk about the very real dangers of using the word “charcuterie” irresponsibly; a coming Uncrustables revolution; the difference between working from home during a pandemic and just working from home; and how 100-80-100 is revitalizing office workers in Germany. All this and more!

In this episode of the UnPodcast, we are back and out of practice. We talk about LinkedIn, networks, and community, and how AI is (trying to) destroy them; the secret to a great year, apparently; Seeders and Leeches; and the dangers of chasing the Endorphin Dragon. All this and more.

In today's episode we give fair warning about Scott's new car habit. Hint: It involves braying. We also talk about the Amazon convenience store; Burger King's super fresh ad campaign; Disney and the PTA; a birthday party with a very specific Target; and when you've had enough of Yelp. All this and more!

In today's episode we talk about how Charmin is making the dream a reality. We also talk about standards for phone chargers; how Sonos is making up for a big oops; and incredibly fraudulent ways you can hack your mattress experience. All this and more!

In today's episode we go totally inappropriate. From birthday party issues, to "get out of jail free" cards, less than beauitufl beauty influencers, to IG job interview shaming. All this and more!

In today's episode we talk about some under the radar jackassery. We talk about voicemail pro-tips; Purple Bricks and their fake reviews; why lawyers often have drinking problems; and how Taco Bell is leading the way in managerial retention. All this and more!

In today's episode we go completely romantic... with lots of non romantic stories. We talk about ABBA's tax law situation; how angels get fired; Target, Trolls, and Tori's; and just what are IDBs? All this and more!

In today's episode we induct a new member into the Jackass Hall of Fame. We also talk about an UberPassenger; why it should be called Waffle Home; a hospital's Wall of Shame; and an app that lets you shame companies. Weird. All this and more!

In today's episode we serve up some premeditated jackassery loaded with trans fats and sugar. We talk about a record number of complaint calls; self-checkout machines and shoplifting; unconditional sincerity; and the creepiest magic mirror of all time. All this and more!

In today's episode you catch us in the middle of several segues. We talk about emojis, toilets, cigarette breaks, and blacklists. We promise it all makes sense. All this and more!

In today's episode, finally, we're launching something a little different to celebrate our 300th episode. We talk about where we've been, our new book, how to get a free (maybe) copy of "The Jackass Whisperer", and how to not send rude or accidental pornographic texts. All this and more!

Some stuff has happened. We wanted to let you know what's going on.

In today's episode, we're continuing with a new Jackass of the Week! We also talk about problematic promotions; a hotel hero; why millennials are leaving the big city; and an unusual airline heist. All this and more, so enjoy the show and take a full sized chocolate bar!

In today's episode, we're opening up a new segment: Jackass of the Week! We also talk about a new UTK logo; an upcoming live event; how Facebook violated product placement guidelines; and what people really think about casual workplaces. All this and a reminder that this episode is NOT about Halloween!

In today's episode, we're back to the smörgåsbord. We talk about an upcoming live event; an idea you shouldn't poo poo to quickly; real brand, real influencers, and fake assistants; a tone detector; getting ghosted by robots; and one of the seven sends in a rebuttal. All this and more!

In today's episode, we're keeping it classy. We talk about the follow up to our recent Peloton incident; a couple of new books; lockable lunches and the funniest brand name ever; flying babies and humanity; and ageism in the workplace. All this and more!

In today's episode, we're back on track with a smorgasbord episode after a few weeks of... different. We talk about virtual firing and why Alison hates the term "soft skills"; how Yelp is playing dirty with phone numbers; and we wonder how hungry you have to be to make a foodie call. All this and more!

In today's episode, we're looking back at the trust exercise that has been our podcasting experience. We talk about being the best in the room; why research is so important; and make an important point about sponsorships. All this and more!

In today's episode, we're talking vaguely, but not really, about a recent BIG life change. In the process of this experience, we were reminded what the point of customer service is, why good customer service matters, and why every is the brand. All this and more!

In today's episode, we're talking about... you know what? We got a gift. Somehow other companies got our mailing address. Then things got weird. Warning. This episode is not safe for... anyone really.

In today's episode, we're talking about communities; Facebook groups, brands, and industries, and you... the Seven. All this and more!

In today's episode, we're full automated and talking about money! A hotel helps Scott not talk to people; Live Nation has some sketchy scalping practices; and how does watching influencers spend money make you feel? All this and more!

In today's episode, we're putting on big smiles so that we can talk about some terrible things. Kids are going back to school; accidentally MAGA; Forever 21 makes a pretty big faux pas; and Macy's serves up platefuls of shame. All this and more! Come share the poutrage!

In today's episode, we are in full summertime mode! We talk about a recent experience in Nashville; Chat Benches; Farmers who Vlog; Fake followers; and who is YOUR nagivator? All this, a secret word, and more!

In today's episode, we catch Scott right in the middle of setting up a story. We talk about focus and productivity; a new old-school scam; revisiting pod-estrians; Japanese car rentals; and why some people are unfriending Facebook. All this and More!

In today's episode, we air our beefs. We talk about the importance of shipping; the problem with freemium games; a pizzeria that's proving some culinary schools wrong; and we tease next week's episode with a made up word. All this and more!

Today's episode features the return of Scott's romance-novel voiceover voice while we talk about mixing up Disney Princesses with popular recreational drugs; Microsoft Powerpoint can now help you be a better speaker... allegedly; turning from influencer to celebrity; why some influencers have to pay double for ice cream. All this and more!

In today's episode we wax philosophical due to a recent excursion to buy a new car. We also talk about lasik and glasses; how a shaming tactic backfired; and why Netflix can't be compared to theatres. All this and more!