Calling Bullsh!t

We all like to think that if we saw wrongdoing, we’d do the right thing - that when confronted with a problem that goes against our ethics or morals, we’d speak up or take action. But what if calling bullshit meant damaging or ending your career, your family relationships, or even compromising your personal safety?  Show Notes: Learn about Mary Inman’s incredible work at Constantine Cannon here.  Read about Kyle Welch and Stephen Stubben’s research on whistleblowing.  Check out Dana Gold’s Newsweek article about keeping whistleblowers safe.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The notoriously tight-lipped global consulting firm McKinsey claims to be values-driven and purpose-led. But do their deeds back up their words? Or does their value of “serving the client first” mean every other value comes second? Can we really trust any company to be purpose-led when they operate in almost total secrecy? Show Notes: Buy a copy of When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World’s Most Powerful Consulting Firm by Mike Forsythe and Walt Bogdanich.  Learn more about Erik Edstrom and his work here. Connect with Rizwan Naveed and read about his current role at Google.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Web3 combines the ideals of the original internet with the most exciting aspects of new technology.  And the reason this tech currently embodies Web3 is that the architecture of this technology - the very fabric of it - is open source, anti-authority, and decentralized.  It could be a version of the internet where everyone has custody over their data. But it could also be a place where fraud runs rampant, where people hack each other’s data, and a place that promises something that will never exist.  Show Notes: Buy a copy of Glen Weyl’s book Radical Markets: Uprooting Capitalism and Democracy for a Just Society here.  Read Molly White’s blog ‘Web 3 is Going Just Great’. Vlad Ginzburg created blockparty.co to allow creators and brands to create unique, connected NFTs.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Little known fact: only 3% of artists on Spotify make more than one thousand dollars. And the people who work on albums who aren’t top-billed artists, like backup singers and songwriters, make even less. In fact, most artists make fractions of a penny per stream. So where does all that cash go?  Show Notes Read Blake Morgan’s article about his meeting with Spotify execs: Spotify’s Fatal Flaw Exposed: How My Closed-Door Meeting with Execs Ended in a Shouting Match Learn more about Kaydence and her impactful work with the 100 Percenters here. David Turner writes a weekly blog called Penny Fractions ‘as a way to think through various record industry topics’. This episode uses the following tracks from FMA under a Creative Commons Attribution License: "What Dreams Become" by Audiobinger, "Moonlove Funk" by Cullah, "Ugly Truth" by HoliznaCC0, "Leave The Country (Instrumental)" by Anthem of Rain.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Farming is a notoriously difficult profession, high risk, and often low reward.  In India, agriculture supports roughly two-thirds of the population. And the majority of families who grow and sell crops do so on a small scale at great personal financial risk.  But one company is working to change this system from the inside: India’s largest agri-tech enterprise, Samunnati.  For this positive case study, we speak with Samunnati Founder and CEO Anil Kumar about how they are creating better markets for smallholder farmers across every state in India. Show Notes Learn more about how farmer collectives help entail competitive and holistic engagement beyond finance. Read about Anil Kumar’s journey from bank clerk to founder and CEO of Samunnati. Samunnati recently partnered with GROWiT to promote protective farming techniques to benefit the planet.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robinhood aims to make investing friendly, approachable, and understandable for newcomers and experts alike.  Although trading is free for the user, Robinhood makes a small amount of money for every single trade made on the app. The more you trade, the more money they make. So is making investing free through an app the same as democratization? Show Notes Read Devin Mills’ paper assessing the association between trading cryptocurrency and problem gambling.  Haley Sacks has a 'wealth’ of free resources and investing courses on Finance is Cool. Learn more about investing with Charles Rotblut’s book: Better Good than Lucky. Special thanks to James Royal for his contribution to this episode. This episode uses the following tracks from FMA under a Creative Commons Attribution License: “Assignment” by BoxCat Games, “Day Bird” and “Calm The Fuck Down” by Broke For Free, “Another beep beek beer please” by Rolemusic, “Feels Good 2 B” and “Fat Caps” by Jason Shaw.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chief cofounders Lindsay Kaplan and Carolyn Childers met at a lame networking event for women and realized on the spot that there was a dire need for something better, especially for senior female executives.  Today we talk to this dynamic duo about how that fateful event set them on a path to create Chief – the private network valued at over $1B+  focused on supporting women at the top and keeping them there. Show Notes Listen to Ty’s full conversation with Lindsay and Carolyn at the Collision Conference in June 2022.  Chief recently announced that they are launching in the UK. Read about it in Bloomberg. Watch Chief’s hilarious parody commercial “This Guy Means Business” and listen to their podcast The New Rules of Business.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Noom’s app promises a long-term approach to weight loss based on psychology and personalization.  And it’s popular. It has 250 million downloads, ads that pop up everywhere from podcasts to the Superbowl, and a valuation of $3.7 billion.  But is being a weight loss app even the right goal? Or is it just the perfect business model? Show Notes Read Taylor Majewski’s deep-dive into the app titled ‘‘The Dark Side of Noom’. Check out Eling Tsai’s full-service nutritional consultancy work at Food in Common. Buy Jane Ogden’s recent book Health Psychology which examines health behaviors through reviewing key research in the field.  If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Food and Drug Administration has expansive jurisdiction. On their website, they say “The FDA strives above all else to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the American people."  Given what we learn in this episode we’d say that’s highly questionable.  Join us as we break down the alarming story of the FDA with a 27-year veteran of the FDA, Dr. Richard Williams, author and journalist Lauren Etter, physician and professor Dr. Gail Van Norman, and conflict of interest professor Genevieve P. Kanter.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unilever, better known as the 100-year-old company whose products you’ve grown up using: Dove Soap, Lipton Tea, and Ben & Jerry's to name a few. Join us for a candid conversation with Unilever CEO Alan Jope where we discuss the challenges and opportunities of modernizing a purpose-led company with 3.4 billion customers in more than 100 countries. If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. This episode features additional music from Joseph Stevens.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here on the show, we say bullsh!t is the gap between word and deed - it’s what the BS scale is all about-  but not everyone defines BS exactly the same way.  So we thought...let's kick off season two by diving into BS itself. What is it? Where does it come from? At what point does it become dangerous? And how can we all keep our BS detectors in fighting shape?  Show Notes: Watch John Petrocelli’s viral Ted Talk on detecting bullshit and buy his book here.  If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FDA's recent sequence of decisions has Juul fighting to keep its pod charged. Some clap. Others boo. Most are left scratching their heads. Will this help teens quit vaping or just open up the market for more competitors?  As a Silicon Valley startup, Juul’s focus on hyper-growth targeted toward young people put them in hot water. But, the reason the FDA gave for taking their product off the market may surprise you. And now Juul is ready to defend their purpose to transition adult smokers away from combustible cigarettes and fight back in court.  Join us for a Season 2 update episode with Lauren Etter, a reporter at Bloomberg News & Author of “The Devil’s Playbook: Big Tobacco, JUUL, and the Addiction of a New Generation”. If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re back. Join us as we ask weight loss app Noom to step on the scale, analyze Robinhood’s aim to “democratize finance for all”  and consult with some real experts on how well (or not) McKinsey is living their purpose, to name just a few.   We also feature companies who are getting it right: we talk to the CEOs of global giant Unilever, female leadership network Chief, and Indian agri-business Samunnati.  If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our season finale, we revisit the trust crisis, reflect on what we’ve learned so far, and respond to some great questions and suggestions submitted by our listeners. We end where it all began: with an examination of the trust crisis and what we’ve learned about it in Season 1.  Then we get BS called on us by a listener who makes some great points – which leads to a conversation with ad exec-turned-activist, Matt Rivitz. We discuss the role of advertising and marketing companies in the Bullshit-o-sphere and the possibilities for making tangible change. Guests: Matt Rivtiz - Chief Purpose Officer, Nobl Media & Founder, Sleeping Giants  We’d love to hear what you think about the show. Maybe you’re inspired to take action, maybe you disagree with today’s bullshit rating. Either way, we want to hear about it. Leave us a message at 212-505-2305. You might even be featured on an upcoming episode. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. Background Reading: Sleeping Giants’ Wikipedia page provides a solid overview of the history of the organization and prior initiatives. What is responsible advertising? Learn about how Nobl media is changing the landscape of how we think about the advertising industry.  If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Twenty years ago, BP attempted an ambitious rebrand claiming that henceforth the initials BP would stand for Beyond Petroleum (formally British Petroleum). Two years ago, and STILL one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers, they announced their new climate-friendly purpose: To reimagine energy for people and our planet. So what are the actions CEO Bernard Looney and his leadership team would have to take to plug this gusher and actually win back our trust? To get to the bottom of this barrel, we talk with three experts on energy, climate, and marketing: Tyson Slocum, Energy Program Director at national consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, Duncan McLaren, Climate Policy Expert, and Jamie Henn, co-founder of 350.org and Director of Fossil Free Media. Guests: Tyson Slocum - Energy Program Director, Public Citizen Duncan McLaren - Climate Policy Expert Jamie Henn - Co-founder of 350.org and Director of Fossil Free Media We’d love to hear what you think about the show. Maybe you’re inspired to take action, maybe you disagree with today’s bullshit rating. Either way, we want to hear about it. Leave us a message at 212-505-2305. You might even be featured on an upcoming episode. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. Background Reading: Read more about Tyson Slocum’s work at Public Citizen here. Learn about Duncan McLaren’s latest research at Lancaster University. Learn about Fossil Free Media’s recent projects and how to get involved. If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Airbnb began with a humble idea — help people live like a local, with locals. Are they truly owning that, or is it time to pay the rent? From their humble beginnings as a site for staying with locals, Airbnb has grown to an influential force that shapes the way millions of people live and travel globally. Today, they have 5.6 million listings in over 220 countries.  In this episode, we explore Airbnb’s role in gentrification and housing shortages with activist Murray Cox, the founder of an independent data platform called Inside Airbnb. Then, we are joined by former New York City Councilman Ben Kallos and Executive Director of Jane Place, Veronica Reed to explore ways that Airbnb might take a new path.  Guests: Murray Cox - Founder, Chief Data Activist, Inside Airbnb Ben Kallos - Digital at USDS and former New York City Council Member Veronica Reed - Executive Director at Jane Place Neighborhood Sustainability Initiative We’d love to hear what you think about the show. Maybe you’re inspired to take action, maybe you disagree with today’s bullshit rating. Either way, we want to hear about it. Leave us a message at 212-505-2305. You might even be featured on an upcoming episode. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. Background Reading: Learn more about how Murray Cox is using data to hold Airbnb accountable at Inside Airbnb. Read about the law Ben Kallos wrote to force hosts of 38,000 Airbnbs to register with the city to make sure that every single one is safe and legal. Read more about land trusts and Veronica Reed’s work at Jane Place. If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Allbirds was founded on the purpose of “Better things made in a better way.” After 8 years of business, they’ve invented numerous ways to walk that talk. In 2014, Allbirds co-founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger created a way to make sneakers out of wool instead of oil. Only 8 years later, Allbirds is now a publicly-traded company working to put their entire industry on a more sustainable path. How did they get here, and what did it take to take it all on? Today’s episode is a 1-on-1 with Allbirds co-CEO, Joey Zwillinger. Joey shares with us how Allbirds’ purpose has driven product innovation, and how the company keeps its thinking fresh and its products recyclable. Guests:  Joey Zwillinger - Co-Founder and CO-CEO, Allbirds We’d love to hear what you think about the show. Maybe you’re inspired to take action, maybe you disagree with today’s bullshit rating. Either way, we want to hear about it. Leave us a message at 212-505-2305. You might even be featured on an upcoming episode.  Show Notes: Allbirds is adding another element of sustainability to their business model with ReRun: a marketplace for upcycled products. If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CoreCivic’s purpose promotes “change,” “compassion,” and “community.” But can for-profit prisons truly be the change they wish to see in the world? In this episode, we explore the paradoxes and pitfalls of an industry with a murky history. Guests: Sharon Brett - Legal Director, ACLU Kansas César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández - Gregory Williams Chair in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at Ohio State University College of Law and Author  David Safavian - General counsel, American Conservative Union Foundation We’d love to hear what you think about the show. Maybe you’re inspired to take action, maybe you disagree with today’s bullshit rating. Either way, we want to hear about it. Leave us a message at 212-505-2305. You might even be featured on an upcoming episode. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/.  Background Reading: Learn more about Sharon’s work at the ACLU Kansas. Read César’s book, ‘Migrating to Prison’. Learn more about David Safavian and the American Conservative Union Foundation. If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The United States of America. What is its true purpose, and whose lives does it exist to serve? In this special episode, we take a look at the current state of one of the world’s most powerful purpose-led organizations. This episode looks at one of the most powerful purpose-led organizations in the world: The United States of America. With polarization and animosity between the left and the right at record levels, is the American dream still alive? What needs to be done to make our shared purpose clear, inspiring, and true? We ask a wide variety of people who identify as Americans, and one who does not, to weigh in. We reach across the political spectrum to hear different takes before having an in-depth discussion about potential solutions with former (and future?) presidential candidate, Andrew Yang. Guests: Andrew Yang - Founder, Forward Party Tatewin Means - Executive Director, Thunder Valley David Safavian - General counsel, American Conservative Union Foundation Adrian Bonenberger - Investigative Journalist Jaeki Cho - Co-Owner, Alumni  Mikaela Reid - Audio Producer, the New York Times  Basil Soper - Podcast Researcher & Guest Curator, Calling Bullsh!t Podcast Yvonne Clarke - Former law secretary  Andrean Clarke - Public school teacher Jonathan Craig - Pool Technician  Penelope Soper - Middle-schooler  We’d love to hear what you think about the show. Maybe you’re inspired to take action, maybe you disagree with today’s bullshit rating. Either way, we want to hear about it. Leave us a message at 212-505-2305. You might even be featured on an upcoming episode.  Background Reading: Read Andrew Yang’s book ‘Forward’ Learn more about Tatewin Means and Thunder Valley  Learn more about David Safavian and the American Conservative Union Foundation  Read Adrian Bonenberger’s latest articles here.  Learn more about Jaeki Cho and Alumni here.  If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We made this podcast for all of us: consumers, business leaders and investors who are trying  to encourage, create and grow better, more sustainable businesses. And hopefully to inspire all leaders with the ways they might make their own organizations better and more successful.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.