CEOs make Scandals, Talk Show Hosts Make $15M, and We Make Free Podcasts

In this episode of A-Squared Ramblers, hosts Alex and Adriana celebrate a podcasting milestone: 20 recorded episodes. They reflect on the persistence it takes to outlast the average show, sharing behind-the-scenes realities like branding costs, gear purchases, and the challenges of remove collaboration.

Things take a dramatic turn as the duo dives into a real-life scandal involving the CEO of Astronomer and his head of HR - caught on the Coldplay Jumbotron getting cozy in all the wrong ways. They explore power imbalances, workplace ethics, and how professional lines get dangerously blurred when HR and the C-suite mix business with pleasure.

From there, the episode zooms out to broader issues like wealth inequality and absurd CEO salaries. They critique the $15 mission Colbert paycheck, vent about how fast grocery bills reach $300, and joke about how even bagels have become luxury items.

The conversation then shifts to post-secondary planning as Adriana shares that her parents' ancient Dell all-in-one computer finally gave out - sparking a chat about helping family navigate tech decisions, from Dell vs. HP to the Apple ecosystem. This launches a deeper discussion about graduate school: the cost, the commitment, and the lingering question of whether further education is a valuable investment or just academic busywork in a degree-saturated job market.

It's a fast-paced, opinionated episode full of scandal, sticker shock, and sincere questions about what's really worth our time - and our money.