Damns Given with Nick Richtsmeier
(formerly Working/Broken) Brains On. Hearts Open. Forward Motion... for the Post-Digital World. The world has gotten very good at telling us what’s broken. Platforms. Politics. Power. Business. Culture. Every feed reminds us we’re smaller than we thought, and that the real decisions are being made somewhere else. When that message sinks in deeply enough, disengagement, even nihilism start become the default position. Businesses holding out for "someday." Ideas in limbo. Fear run amok. Our ability to make the world a long lost fantasy. We become spectators in a life we’re supposed to be living. Damns Given is a show for those who refuse to surrender their agency. Hosted by strategist and author Nick Richtsmeier, Damns Given is a forum for Nick and his guests fight back against the "it-is-what-it-is-isms" of our day and the abandonment of agency that the algorithmic systems have demanded of us, calling us forward into a post-digital world where we are free again to ask betting questions of: How the internet has trained us to think algorithm-first and self-second Why our attention is our most powerful (and misdirected) asset What happens when leaders disconnect from real human scale How to build a meaningful life and business without waiting for permission The small decisions and risks that actually move the world forward The premise is simple: We already know what’s broken. Now we ask: How do we show up anyway? No doomscrolling disguised as insight. No performing for the feed. Just honest conversations with thinkers, builders, and leaders who are navigating this moment with clarity — and giving a damn about the future they’re helping shape. Because the game isn’t over. And the people who still care will decide what happens next. You can find additional resources at DamnsGiven.com.
Episodes
Sometimes you become a part of the thing you're trying to fix. And as the internet content world crashes around us, pulled to the floorboards by AI, Brad and Nick reflect on the work of podcasting and content creation, focusing on some hard lessons learned in the last year.
But beyond just ruminating on what's gone wrong (and how that, in a very meta way, is what has gone wrong with this and many podcasts), t...
In this episode, Brad and Nick dive into what marketing is becoming now that we live in a post-trust, post-algorithm, post-authenticity world. They’re not interested in tactics—they’re interested in how the deep cultural forces reshaping trust, commerce, and identity are scrambling what it even means to “market” something.
Together, they explore:
- Why traditional marketing frameworks no longer apply
- How the best marke...
In this episode, host Nick Richtsmeier sits down with Lexi Pasi, a PhD in Communication and expert in the field of AI, to unpack what’s actually happening to our attention, language, and selves in today’s online environments. Lexi brings academic depth, cultural critique, and personal insight to the conversation—exposing how platforms not only distort what we say, but who we become in the process.
Lexi and the hosts ex...
This episode isn’t about AI. Not really. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves about technology, power, and what we’re allowed to feel.
Nick and Brad take apart the myth of inevitability around artificial intelligence—specifically large language models (LLMs)—and ask who benefits from that myth. Spoiler: it’s not you.
Nick’s viral post about saying “no” to wearable AI at the dinner table sets the stage. What followed...
On this episode, we tackle a longstanding battle that has nearly boiled over: the role of college in career-preparation. Or, more specifically, why do hiring managers still require degrees for new roles? And should they?
The old biases persist: many hiring managers still view a degree as a shorthand for maturity, responsibility, and readiness. But with roles evolving fast and the shelf life of job-specific skills shri...
In this introspective and timely episode, Brad and Nick take on a deceptively simple question: Do we really own our ideas anymore?
Prompted by Nick’s recent experience of having his writing lifted and reposted—sometimes respectfully, sometimes not—the conversation weaves through authorship, digital ethics, AI scraping, and the deeper emotional terrain of publishing on the internet. What begins as a conversation about p...
In this wide-ranging interview style episode, host Nick Richtsmeier sits down with one of the most unexpected and impactful voices on LinkedIn in 2025: Nick Power, the marketer and writer behind a wave of unfiltered, politically-aware, and often hilarious posts that challenged the business-as-usual tone of the platform.
What began as a creative shift away from conventional “thought leadership” turned into something lar...
In this timely and unfiltered episode, Brad and Nick explore the increasingly tangled relationship between politics and work culture. They ask the central question: Has politics become so pervasive that it’s breaking our ability to lead, work, and think clearly?
Key Themes:
- The Blurring Line Between Culture and Politics: Brad and Nick debate whether culture is now downstream from politics or whether it's still ...
In this thought-provoking episode, Nick and Brad unpack how fear has traditionally been used as a primary tool in marketing and communication—from political campaigns and media to brand messaging. Drawing on personal experience in marketing and spiritual development, they challenge whether fear-based messaging is still effective or ethical in a world that's rapidly waking up.
Key Takeaways:
- Fear is a primal mot...
In this powerful and timely episode, Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris dive into the pervasive undercurrent of fear that’s shaping both politics and the workplace. From the physiological and psychological roots of fear to its impact on leadership, decision-making, and organizational culture, the conversation explores how fear manifests in leaders and teams alike.
Nick breaks down the classic "Four F's" of...
Authenticity had a good run, or so it may seem.
In this thought-provoking episode of Working Broken, hosts Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris dive deep into the concept of authenticity in a world increasingly dominated by artificiality, distrust, and digital noise. As they wrestle with the idea of being true to oneself in an environment filled with deception—fake resumes, spammy AI-generated outreach, and manipulated soc...
In this episode of Working Broken, hosts Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris explore the complex and often misunderstood topic of mentoring. Is it truly about passing knowledge from an experienced leader to a junior employee, or is it a two-way street that transforms both mentor and mentee?
Nick and Brad examine how business leaders struggle to delegate responsibilities effectively, often clinging to the idea that “no one...
In this episode of Working Broken, Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris take a deep dive into the world of cold emails—why they’re everywhere, why people swear by them, and whether they actually work. Spoiler alert: they’re not fans.
The conversation kicks off with a story about a salesperson convinced that blasting out 50 cold emails a day would bring in business. Months later? One booked meeting. That sets the stage for ...
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In this lively debut of Working/Broken, hosts Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris dive headfirst into the world of hustle culture—tracing its evolution from the early days of knowledge work to today’s digital grind. With a mix of humor and sharp insight, they debate whether the “work harder” mantra truly paves the way to success or if it simply sets us up for burnout. Along the way, the duo dissects modern hustle icons l...
In this episode of Working/Broken, Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris peel back the curtain on the wild world of marketing metrics. They dive into how even the biggest advertisers are left scratching their heads—overspending on TV ads that mysteriously boost sales, while 30-50% of online clicks turn out to be fraudulent. With plenty of humor and hot takes, the hosts break down insights from Lindsay Slaby—the “CMO Whispe...
In this episode of Working/Broken, hosts Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris dive deep into the burning debate: Is it better to grow naturally, or should you aggressively scale your business? With wit and candor, they explore how the meaning of “growth” has evolved over time—from organic, sustainable expansion to the manufactured, high-speed push for scale that risks sacrificing client experience. Drawing on industry ins...
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