Big Things Podcast

This week Mitzi is leaving everyone behind. Plus, White Lotus feels like a build that will never drop, Set Active embraces realness, and YouTube creators are doing something that could revolutionize the industry. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 02:00 – Mitzi is leaving everyone behind.
• 05:00 – Is White Lotus building to a drop that will never come?
• 13:30 – Set Active is embracing realnes...

We’re unpacking the latest in sports and social media: Unwell Hydration signs a deal with the NWSL, and Instagram is testing a new algorithm. Plus, we explore the frenzy of NFL free agency and what happened when X went down. Is it too soon to be talking about football? 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 03:40 – Decision fatigue: It’s real, let’s talk about it. 
• 08:30 – Mitzi is making her ...

From the unexpected launch of Domino’s pizza-scented perfume to Instagram exploring a Reels app,  we’ve got a lot to unpack this week. We also dive into Timothée Chalamet’s epic poker night with Cartier, the end of award season, and how we’re feeling about the current state of the world. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 02:05 – Timothée Chalamet’s SAG acceptance speech 
• 06:23 – Kieran Cu...

It’s been a busy week on and offline: From Gen Z collectively losing it over the death of an angler fish, to landline phones making a comeback, we’re not sure if we’re okay. In this episode we also dive into Canada’s huge win at the 4 Nations Face-Off, IKEA’s creative social media campaign, and key moments from the SAG awards. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – The 4 Nations Face-...

Welcome back! We have a lot to cover this week. Between Love Is Blind drama, NikeSKIMS, and new signals around emotional-impact marketing, this is a jam packed episode. We also share a quick Super Bowl recap, thoughts around Mitzi’s first season diving deep into the NFL, the death of Duolingo’s beloved owl, and the end of personal style. Let’s get into it.

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

What a week: The Grammys delivered, Super Bowl campaigns are gearing up, and the White House is inviting “new media” (content creators) to press briefings. Meanwhile, Netflix is coming for everyone. Let’s get into it. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 00:30 – This past weekend the Grammys happened and there were some amazing, well deserved wins. 
• 07:30 – Some of our favorite performances ...

What a weird week it has been online. TikTok was banned.. And then it wasn’t. Meta got rid of fact-checking (we dive into that) and things heat up in the football world. Let’s dive in. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – TikTok was banned in the US… and then it wasn’t.
• 09:00 – While it was going down with TikTok, Meta launched a ton of updates (including a new grid, editing app, and...

This week, we welcome our first guest speaker, Alyssa Yuhas, Arcade’s Creative Director and resident Futurist. With a background working with online creators to Nike and the United Nations (Canada), Alyssa brings the experience and mindset for compelling results. Together, we break down the 2025 Trend Report and discuss 5 trends, revealing what digital audiences REALLY want this year. From authenticity to shared moments, here’s how...

New year, new us? Nah. We’re about practical goals that help us take the things we’ve worked hard on to the next level. On today’s episode, we break down the 4-step process we use each year to set goals we can’t wait to achieve. We start by sharing our theme for the year, and then we break it down from setting a focus to identifying milestones. Hint: It might be the start of Mitzi’s running era and Mike is taking a page from Bruno ...

This week, we’re celebrating 500 subscribers on YouTube (thank you!). Mike and Mitzi step into the magical world of Harry Potter, for the first time, and we break down Instagram's new “Trial Reels” feature. Plus we share our thoughts on the Golden Globe 2025 Nominations and explore the viral TikTok trend “We Listen and We Don’t Judge” that puts relationships to the test. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi
• Mike Payn...

Seeing double? Sea la vie? This week we’re diving into the 2025 Pinterest Predicts report, what we’re reading, thoughts around the potential TikTok ban, Fourth Wing (dragon monogamy?), and more. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitzi 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 00:30 – This week’s Big Things!
• 03:00 – What we’ve been reading (spoiler alert: dragon mates). 
• 08:30 – Big Thing 1: Pinterest Predicts 2024 is out! Thes...

This week’s episode is the personality hire of episodes; it’s fun and light (and just what we needed). From trying to understand what “brat” even means, to the unhinged gifts for celebrity lookalike contests and influencers suing each other for “vibes,” you don’t want to skip this episode. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitziP 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – Personality stories ONLY this week. 
• 02:30 – Be sure to c...

Beyoncé is gearing up for the NFL Christmas Gameday halftime show, while Volvo and Jaguar’s latest ads are bringing the tears (for very different reasons). Plus, Smirnoff appoints Troye Sivan as their new Chief Vibes Officer—what does that even mean? This week on Big Things, we’re talking all things holiday hype, brand moves and more. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne 
• Mike Payne

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – We are living in a winter wond...

‘Tis the season: Grammy nominations are out, Gift Guides are dropping (ours included), and brands are beefing over IP. On this week’s episode we’re talking about Sweetgreen’s recent controversy with Market, gift ideas for everyone in your life, and, of course, Beyoncé. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne
• Mike Payne

Timestamps: 

• 03:00 – Big Thing #1: Grammy nominations are out and we have thoughts!
• 09:00 – Beyoncé’s nominations, the c...

Now that Halloween’s over we’re switching into holiday mode – between our own Christmas decor and planning our annual Arcade holiday party! Since we’re in the festive mood, our team is putting together our first ever Gift Guide (linked below). We also chat about our tips for surviving winter in Calgary, campaigns we’re loving from Zara and GAP, and trends around Gen Z, movies and nightclubs. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitziP 
• M...

Is flag football the future of the NFL? Why is Instagram lowering video quality for certain users? And what’s on our Christmas list this year? For this week’s Big Things we’re talking about social media, marathons, SNL and more. Be sure to subscribe, follow and rate the show if you’re enjoying it!

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitziP 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – What we’ve been up to and highlights from The Gat...

Should we be kind to our future AI overlords? What happened to airline etiquette? And does Mike have a praise kink? That’s before we even get into this week’s Big Things. We also chat about ByteDance taking over BookTok and Jessica Campbell making history as the first full-time female coach in the NHL. 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitziP 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – Thing 1: Should you be nice to AI...

This week on Big Things: olive oil is the gift of the season, modern parenting is bad for your health and Instagram doubles down on group chats. We share a teaser about our upcoming holiday gift guide, a shocking stat about working moms and get annoyed about Snapchat (again). 

More from us:

• Mitzi Payne @mmmitziP 
• Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

• 01:00 – What we’ll be chatting about today. 
• 01:40 – Thing 1: Olive oil is set ...

This week our team convinced us to try the viral Dua Lipa Diet Coke drink and let’s just say… It was interesting. We also do a deep dive into LeBron’s career and recent debut with his son, Bronny, the upcoming WAGS reality TV show, if everyone really needs a hobby and share a hot take on our kids’ art projects. 

More from us:

- Mitzi Payne @mmmitziP 
- Mike Payne @mmmiiike

Timestamps: 

01:30 ...