The Focus Group
Podcast by The Focus Group
Episodes
February 20, 2021 • 47 min
Shop Talk looks at the recent alleged DUI scandal with Bruce Springsteen which had Jeep pulling their recent ad featuring The Boss. Then a story from Inc. Mag about a woman whose business was ruined by internet trolls. Guillermo González Camarena, color TV inventor, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the dark side of the Chippendales and a man falls asleep and swallows one of his AirPods.
We’re all business. Except w...
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February 16, 2021 • 21 min
Words have gotten people in trouble this week. The Director of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games had to resign for making disparaging remarks about women, and an employment ad for a museum in Indianapolis seeks a director who would maintain its core white art audience. When asked to clarify, the museum's chief executive said the use of “white” was intentional. Find out why and see if you agree. But first, there is a pet food shortag...
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February 13, 2021 • 47 min
Shop Talk covers Super Bowl 55 and the favorite spots from Tim and John as well as a few that missed the mark. Also, the top 5 LGBTQ TV spots from years past according to Mike Wilkie. James Edward Maceo West, microphone technology inventor, is our Business Birthday. He is also the son of one of the “human computers” featured in the movie Hidden Figures about the African American women that worked at NASA and got America into Space....
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February 9, 2021 • 20 min
President Erdogan of Turkey now declares that LGBTQ people do not exist. Turkey has cracked down on pro-LGBTQ protesters denouncing them as immoral and perverted. Then don't feed the feral chickens in Hawaii or face a $500 fine. How did they get there? Finally, China believes their male population—"little fresh meats“ is the term they use—is becoming too feminine and needs a dose of masculinity training. To combat the probl...
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January 30, 2021 • 46 min
Shop Talk looks at The Serendipity Mindset, or luck, in business and career. Then, can you guess the most corrupt state in America? Calvin Schenkel, album cover designer, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the new logo that GM unveiled last week, LEGO flowers, postal service delays, and the closing of Godiva stores.
We’re all business. Except when we’re not.
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC
Spotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1...
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January 26, 2021 • 19 min
Cadbury Eggs is running a campaign in the UK that shows two men getting intimate with the ubiquitous gooey Cadbury Egg. Though the commercial will not air on networks, the LGBTQ hate group, One Million Moms is, all upset about the depiction of two men in love. Dr. Fauci says he was forbidden by the former administration to go on the Rachel Maddow Show because of the “way she handled things.” The truth and science? Finally, we all d...
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January 23, 2021 • 47 min
Shop Talk explores 10 British slang terms we should adopt when we travel to the UK or want to use here at home. Julia Morgan, a pioneering architect, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye wonders how a man in Japan swallowed a toothpick. Hint—things did not come out well. Also, Bernard Spain, the holder of the copyright for the smiley face died in Philly last week.
We’re all business. Except when we’re not.
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January 19, 2021 • 20 min
Golfer Justin Thomas is caught on live TV calling himself a gay slur when his misses a short putt. He apologized, but Ralph Lauren has dropped their sponsorship. A $20 bank note with a Del Monte sticker on it is poised to go for over 50K at an auction this month, and a Danish children’s cartoon about a man with a huge member has us wondering if such a show could air in the USA.
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Spotify: spoti.fi/2p...
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January 16, 2021 • 50 min
Shop Talk explores the roles of makers and managers within an organization and how we can respect one another's time. Alfred Fuller, of Fuller Brush Fame, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye looks at the confusion of a Capitol rioter photo tagged Via Getty and the movie Grease does not hold up well with a new generation.
We’re all business. Except when we’re not.
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/1WwDBrC
Spotify: spoti.fi/2pC19B1
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January 12, 2021 • 22 min
The Home of the Whopper is heading back to the archives to create an updated new logo, packaging, uniform, and store design. How about fixing the menu? Amazon takes flight and Patagonia stays true by selecting causes and issues that are clear and direct to their company’s brand mission.
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January 5, 2021 • 22 min
Welcome to 2021. Home Depot recalls 80,000 Mara ceiling fans built by Mara due to blades that may take flight. Tim and John found dark humor in the story. Then, GoDaddy pulls a not so nice holiday stunt to its employees and business is booming for wholesaler Books by the Foot as people continue to set-up “credibility bookshelves” for video conferences.
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December 26, 2020 • 52 min
Shop Talk looks at eleven 2020 trends we are tired of as the year comes to a close. For example, not every business meeting needs to be a Zoom call. Leonard B. Stern, the co-creator of Mad Libs, is our Business Birthday. Caught my eye covers the debate as to whether Mayor Pete is really the first openly LGBTQ member of a President's Cabinet and Christopher Walken shuns technology.
We’re all business. Except when we’re not.
Ap...
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December 19, 2020 • 48 min
Shop Talk looks at a recent article where Malcolm Gladwell tells us that Hamlet was wrong. We all need to “stop overthinking and start doing because none of us knows the future.” Then, the U.S. states with the most and least age bias when it comes to older workers is revealed. Yosemite Sam is our Business Birthday. Who knew that his real name is Samuel Michelangelo Rosenbaum? Caught my eye looks at the rising price of that ceramic ...
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December 12, 2020 • 42 min
The lamp from ‘A Christmas Story’ and a Mer-man Ken Doll are what Caught Our Eye this week. Shop Talk explores the Zoom meeting, with many captains of industry believing they are becoming less productive as time moves on. Many predict that while working from home is far more accepted now, there is merit to having people back together in an in-person collaborative environment. The founder of modern-day frozen food, Clarence Birdseye...
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December 8, 2020 • 22 min
Whether you read a book, listened to music, or enjoyed the solitude of the car, the daily commute was a certain kind of healthy alone time. Creating a fake commute by starting and ending your day with similar activities might be a smart way to balance your schedule. Then, USAA comes out as a great place for trans employees and allows them to bring their complete selves to work. Finally, Tim and John are perplexed by a new study tha...
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December 5, 2020 • 45 min
A couple in New York State finds a stash of booze hidden in their home, and Sherwin Williams fires an employee for thinking outside the box. Shop Talk looks at traits of spenders versus savers. Much of our familial upbringing plays a key role. Gianni Versace, fashion designer and marketer, is our Business Birthday.
We're all business. Except when we're not.
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December 1, 2020 • 19 min
The Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps (LGBAC), one of the first all-queer band groups ever in the country, became the first LGBTQ marching band to partake in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They played Abba’s Dancing Queen. PETA asks us to boycott coconut milk from companies using monkeys to harvest the crop. Finally, married lesbian couples are more likely to divorce than gay married men.
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November 28, 2020 • 42 min
A Roomba robot vacuum versus dog poop caught Tim’s eye. As John said, unintended consequences! A Seattle man is brought back to life after being unconscious for 45 minutes due to hypothermia. Shop Talk looks at the most beautiful words in English according to Word Genius. Tim and John have the same favorite word from this list. Andrew Carnegie of US Steel fame is our Business Birthday.
We're all business. Except when we're...
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November 24, 2020 • 21 min
The Giant supermarket chain apologizes for an article in their Savory store magazine that helps consumers plan a “Super Spread” event along with nibbles for up to 32! Then, Tower Records is getting a new life online. Much about the Tower Records experience revolved around the in-store, so we’re skeptical. Finally, Durex wants us to be OK with the word “moist.”
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November 21, 2020 • 39 min
Chalk art creates havoc in a neighborhood and John Waters donates his art collection to the Baltimore Museum of Art. The museum in turn will rename the bathrooms “The John Water's Restrooms.” Shop Talk explores the reckoning that cable TV is confronting from streaming services. Rose Knox of Knox Gelatin fame is our Business Birthday. You can thank Rose for the five-day work week and paid vacation. She also allowed men and women...
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