Amazon Prime Day: The Black Friday of the Summer

appreciate this beautiful country. I don't know if it's the times or just my age, but like in a good decade, like can we like not have anything just truly embarrassing happened to us before our birthday? Like one year? Y'all, I'm gonna get into the debate. I know whether you watched it or you have just caught up on the memes online, I am going to talk about the debate. I got some markets news for y'all. We're gonna find

out is Chipotle actually shrinking their bowls? Because when I tell you, I'm so glad that the not all heroes were capes somewhere took it upon themselves to analyze the data, yeah, being seventy five burrito bowls to find out if Chipotle is actually shrinking its portions, and this is silly but also serious because shrink flation is the biggest beef that I have with the economy and with retailers in general.

Then I got to talk about Amazon day, y'all, because this July and in the ass crack of summer, Amazon every year loves to bring out its bargain bin and make people gamify shopping so that we just buy more stuff that we don't need. We just talked about this on last week's episodes. I'm eager to tap into that, and I got some pop culture tidbits. Did y'all hear that Jonathan Majors is like lowercase B back And I'm figuring out how I feel about it, and it's a

pretty easy no for me. But you know, we're going to talk about that. Somehow. He won an award, an award that means nothing but also means something, the BET Awards. We're just on this past weekend, so I'm going to talk about that, And full disclosure, did I watch it? No, not me. Never. I catch up with the clips afterward, like a good hard working, you know mom of two has to do. But I did watch Willsmith's performance. I did watch Dorogi p Henson kind of hit on Keith

Lee in front of his own wife. Oh there was so much to cover, and we have not had a chance to chat about the whole Ken Dot you know who, Kendrick Lamar taking Drake and basically I don't know, just digging a grave for him, a very comfortable grave and lining it with like satin pillow cases and just saying, Drake, here you go. You can lie here because this is

your career and I have buried it. So we are going to talk about Drake's epic concert on the West Coast a little bit because I don't want to embarrass myself because I am not listen. I am not one of those people who's on the internet talking about NonStop Kendrick this and here's what Drake what in the dishtrack? This? Like?

I just am here for the music, okay. And what I know is that that distrack not like Us, which is probably gonna sweep the Grammys for all of its categories and be the nail, like the literal nail in Drake's literal career. Coffin is a bop. It's a bop. I listened to it NonStop. Now you cannot escape it. On the internet. All right, let's get into it. So first in markets news quick shout out to the robin

Hood Snacks team. If you guys, I know robin Hood as it should, got so much crap during the pandemic for basically gamifying stock investing and getting a bunch of young somethings or people who were not that you know, well versed in investing to pour a lot of their money into the market without knowing what they were doing. But they have a killer newsletter, so can we forgive them just a tiny bit? Check out Snacks if you guys want some great not doing advertisement for snacks anyway,

they're good. Check out robin Hood's necks. All right, So top of the news for today Chipotle. So you guys, did you invest in Chipotle during the pandemic? Listen tell us I will not judge you. I won't judge you maybe just a little bit. I personally, I don't invest in many single stocks, many individual stocks, point being that when I do, they usually tend to tank right after that. So I am a classic ETF index fun kind of girl.

But Chipotle is in the news. They were one of those stocks I think during the pandemic that got a little bit of a lift. They survived the great e Coli drama of two thousand and what was that like seventeen or something, where like half of a basketball team dropped from e Coli. But they are back in the news because again TikTok's favorite food credit Keith Lee is out here setting these companies straight, y'all and trying to

get us the best bang our book. And what y'all have been reporting, yes, Keith Lee and also all of y'all on the Internet who have been sharing photos and videos of your Chipotle orders. The intensity around this debate of whether or not Chipotle is cracking down on portion

sizes has reached this new level of hotness. Right, there's actually surveillance of burritos, like literally, there's memes of people like strapping on cameras steady cams to walk into a Chipotle and watch so you can see the people making the bowls. But what I thought was hilarious is there was actually an analyst, Yes I'm going to open this up, an analyst who bought seventy five burritos from eight different Chipotles to prove that the portion size problem is real.

And guess what it's not just us Chipotle. Burrito bowls can vary widely wildly in size, all right, so what did they find? The smallest bowl that they found was thirteen point eight ounces, y'all, do you really need to pound a burrito bowl? Like? That's wild? But the largest bowl that they found at a seventy five was twenty six point eight ounces. My gosh, my goodness, I want to interview the person who gave someone a pound and

a half of burrito. Can that little little cardboard bowl that is basically disintegrating as you take it to your seat from all the salsas and all the liquids, Like, can anyone fit a pound and a half of burrito into that bowl? Like? Come on? And after they just had their fifty for one stock split go into effect, they have been reporting increasing sales. So even though they're playing us in some cases with giving us smaller portions, the fact that they are only getting more sales bodes

well for the stock. But I don't want y'all to be play to fool by another retailer the way that Chipotle and many others has been with their shrink inflation practices, giving us the same product but in a different size. I'm talking to you, Trader Joe's. I feel like Trader Joe's.

I'm waiting for the Trader Joe's study because I know, like one of the things that I can't get over is how much more I get these chicken dog treats for my dog, because you know, she's a sensitive girly, so she can't have a bunch of fillers in her treats. And so they have these, like one kind of dog treat that has it's like dried chicken or something like that, and it's not cheap in the first place, but the

package keeps getting smaller. I'm like, I'm not spending six dollars on two little crusty chicken strips for my dog. Like it's not happening, but no big announcement. The products are just getting smaller. There's less in there. Look at a cereal box, Look at a bag of chips. Look how much air is in there? Look at the My favorite thing at the grocery store is to see how much per unit the price is. So like, if you're buying a box of cereal and you're like, should I

get the family size or the regular size? What's the price difference. Don't just look at the difference in price, look at the unit price, which is going to tell you, like per ounce, how much you're paying for that cereal. And that's how I make a lot of my choices at the grocery stoes just looking at the per ounce cost. But many, many retailers are getting away with making us feel like not much has changed, and yet we are

getting less for our money. And that is why me and if you're a parent or whatever, you just have do a lot of grocery shopping. It feels like I've never done shopping, Like I always need more stuff and it's always it's always running out, and the bills are always getting run up. So what the hell? Okay, state farm agents are small business owners too, so they know how to help you choose personalized policies that fit your needs, like a good neighbor. State farm is there. Talk to

your local agent today. Everyone's favorite stock, Amazon is in the news too, y'all coming up in another couple of weeks Amazon tenth. They're tenth. I've really been ten years? God dang, why am I? This old tenth? Prime Day is coming up this July July sixteenth through seventeenth. Now for some people, this is like the summer event. This is the Black Friday of the summer months. And shout out to whoever at Amazon came up with this brilliant

marketing concept. But you really did it, and you made people excited to shop for on a random day in July, just because the thing is that people love Amazon Day. Okay. Analysts estimated last year people spent thirteen billion thirteen with a b billion dollars. This year, the marketing budget has been rammed up even more. They teamed up with Megan the Stallion to showcase there must have picks and they even dropped a music video. I haven't watched it. Have

y'all watched it? Like? Was it good? I mean, I love Megan, I really do. I really want to see her on tour, but I missed out. She's almost she's wrapping it up. They also got Millie, Bobby Brown, and and other influencers to do promos ahead of the event. Sixty five percent. So even if you try to be cool and I'm like, you're not going to shop on Amazon Prime Day, basically you are and we know you,

we know you are. Sixty five percent of Americans said they plan to do more bargain hunting this year because, like I said, inflation is straining our wallets. So we are looking for a deal. But this is where we have to give a shout out to competition. Okay, and this is why I stand for the FTC. And you guys don't know what the FTC is. That is an organization that stops companies from buying each other up and

basically monopolizing the market. Okay, we like competition. We like these big retailers Amazon versus Walmart versus Target versus Best Buy to be competing. Why because it's going to drive down prices for us? Right. We like deals, so ten years in other retailers competitors are really understanding, like we cannot play around when you li rules around. We need some deals. And y'all I've already seen this happen. Have

y'all been to Target recently? I was in Target a couple of days ago with my kid and he had a twenty dollar bill and I was like, twenty dollars. You know. He was very excited to spend it, and I was like, sure, you're probably gonna get like one monster truck for twenty bucks. Now, because of how inflation has just made everything so much less for so much

more money. But he walked out of that store with three toys because everything in the toy section was either like thirty percent or fifty percent off, like to the point where you would go to check out, and we thought his toy was seventeen dollars, it was actually eleven. And when I tell you, nothing makes a four year old learn math on the spot like finding out he's got an extra nine dollars instead of three. So he

bought it was really sweet though. He bought a birthday card for his dad and then a rocket ship craft, which he ended up giving to his dad. I love my kid. But see what I'm saying, You can tell that not only are retailers competing with Amazon, but they're getting in the game earlier. So we love to see that. So if you are looking for deals, I'm just gonna go ahead and say try to find things that you were gonna buy anyway, but check out Walmart. Walmart has

their Walmart Deals. Target has Circle Week where if you sign up for their loyalty program you can get deals, and they're going to have another one in July. Best Buy is also bringing back literally Black Friday in July. Wait, should my husband have waited to buy He just bought a brand new TV, y'all? Sixty five inches that's a lot of inches. And sometimes you just got to like black out a little bit when things happen in the house and I'm just like, yeah, sure that's the TV.

Now it's as big as the wall on. Huh, this is great? But damn, should he have waited until Black Friday in July? I don't know, But y'all, do not sleep on these other deals, especially if you're shopping for back to school? Why not start a little bit early if you get some be interested to see if there's some back to school deals and if you can actually I mean, I got Creola Kranz at Target that were ninety nine cent for a full box. I never thought in my life I would be so excited about a

sale on Creola crayons. But here I am, and here it is who I am. Do y'all you're still listening, right, I haven't lost half the audience. Have I very excited about that. I'm really curious to hear if you guys are going to be shopping these deals in the middle of the summer. But I gotta stay away because the last thing I need is more stuff in this house. Stuck and a signed Stuck in a Starter Home. Okay, that's gonna be the name of my memoir, Stuck in

a Starter Home. Since it is July fourth, I do want to talk about this little tidbit that I read the American I love these random associations. Of course we need an American Pyrotechnics Association. They are predicting that we're going to drop two point four billion dollars twice as much as we spent before the pandemic in fireworks. So if you are one of those people like we were back in the day, you have to drive to the border of Alabama to get your fireworks. Listen, do what

you gotta do. Please be safe. I'm not purchasing fireworks. It seems like a lot of liability. I'm going to go to a big fireworks show and just watch them. You know the way that I like to staying my ass in side the other five days of the week, because if you live in a black or Hispanic neighborhood, you know that the entire week of the fourth of July it's going to be until like three in the morning. Oh my god, I do not miss living in the heights on Dykeman. I do not. The Dominicans love a party.

They love they love popping off fireworks on the roof at all hours of the night. No think you, mam. I am a patriot, but I also need to sleep. M hmm. Okay, all right, So that's a little bit of business and markets. Let's move to a little bit of politics. I just want to say a prayer. I want to say a prayer for America and for democracy, because it ain't looking good, y'all. It ain't looking good

to the point where Joe Biden. And if you have been sleeping under a rock or just you know, on a social media news kind of cleanse, you know, more power to you. It's not nice over here. Just stay off the internet, Joseph R. Biden. I just want to give the man an electric blanket and a mug of hot piping hot Earl Gray tea, the little squeeze of lemon, and like a little drizzle of honey. And I want

to give him a crossword puzzle. And I want to give him the big lazy boy chairs, you know what I mean, Like the kind that your grandparents probably had if you grew up between the you know, the nineties to like the early two thousands. He needs one of those lazy boy chairs. He needs some cute cozy socks. He needs Jill by his side, although she's a young little thing, so she's probably like, you know, on her phone, grading papers whatever. But I need him in front of

a fireplace. I need him to take a nap. I need him to be eighty one years old. It is sad to me, this is my take. I wish I could come here and give you, like all these different angles of policies and like whatever was spoken about, you know the truth. I don't know what the f they

talked about. I know that I was in a literal like I was in Thank God I was watching in bed because I could just curl up in a tight little ball of anxiety, because it was so deeply uncomfortable to watch this old man flub question after question, flub, response after response. Do you want to know why? Because he's an old man, we should let this man age with dignity, and we are in such dire straits that we have to like prop him up with whatever he took,

Probably nothing, by the sights of it. Whatever he needed to stand up on that stage and try to string words together way after his bedtime. The man is eighty one. My grandparents, God rest their souls. They each passed away in their early eighties. And like, that's already a little bit above I think the lifespan for the average American. But he's the president, so we'll give him an extra ten twenty years. Look at Jimmy Carter, I feel like they really get the good medicine, the secret stuff that

the rest of us probably don't know yet. But uh, it made me so deeply uncomfortable. And what was so depressing for me too, is just like I feel so bad for him because he no one, no one, and you compare him to Trump. No one I don't think has given over as much of their life to public service as this man. He has been through so much. We all know what happened to his first wife and his children who passed away, and the other son who had a brain tumor in the other son who's just

like convicted of a felony. He can't catch a break, and yet we are. He's still showing up for us. He still cares about this country so much, and I don't really have you know, of course, I'm not going to vote for you know who, for Voldemort, but I feel so much compassion and sympathy for this man that he cannot just age with dignity and with grace. And

I feel so much gratitude. And this may not be the popular response, but I feel a ton of gratitude for him for putting himself up there and out there in that way. Because y'all know that that man walked out on that stage. He shuffled out there and his Lemon pepper stoppers, and I wish he had a nice comfy pair of Costco slippers to wear, but he shuffled out on that stage and he probably knew like, this

is not going to be it. And I have read that since the debate, not only has Obama had to come out and issue a statement basically saying like, oh shucks, can't win them all. I've had a couple of bad debates myself, but the Biden campaign has been in damage control mode since before Biden even left the stage, they were contacting donors. So for voters, what does this mean? They have basically taken the approach of yeah, it was a bad night, but he's still the best beat versus Trump,

and that is honestly the truth. I don't have a ton of patients for conversations around well, we're just not going to vote. We have two bad candidates. I get really pissed off when I see people call Trump and Biden like, for example, two mediocre white men, Like, look what they can do. They're two mediocre white men. We should be doing this. Ah. I don't think that's fair at all to Biden and his public service legacy. And you can pick apart his policy and there's so much

going wrong. I know that the fact that we continue to funnel weapons into a war zone that is killing, that is performing genocide on an entire people. Yes, I'm talking about Gaza and Palestine. It is not okay that the Americans that we have anything to do with that, and that it's our weapons who are killing children's lives like that is unacceptable to me. And Biden has complete

control over whether that continues or stops. However, the man's record, the man's decades of public service, Like I just think that we need to give people some respect, give them some space. Unfortunately, he is the candidate that we got so yes, I'm showing up to the polls in November and we have to vote. Please don't stay home, you must vote. This is also a really good reminder of the fact that the presidential election is not the election to really worry about. You need to be involved in

your state politics. We just had a really progressive representative in my district, Jamal Bowman, got ousted by a moderate dude who's the executive the town, the county executive for the county. I live in Westchester, George Latimer oust in him because he's more moderate, because he wasn't as tough on the whole Israel, the Israel genocide of Gaza right now.

And this is what can happen if we take our eyes off of these smaller I would say they're not smaller, but like less publicized, less known about races like we can't. We can't, We cannot afford to put our country on the line in this way by just taking the easy way out and saying like Biden is not fit for office, so we're just not going to give a fuck mmmmmmm. We must show up, show up to the poles. Okayba fam. A little bit of brown buzz some pop culture moments.

Be ET Awards aired this weekend. I watched the Will Smith performance because I couldn't believe he was performing. My husband and I just saw Bad Boys. What was the tagline? I don't know the fifth or fourth Bad Boys movie that he and Martin Lawrence put out. All I can say is, I don't know if the movie has changed. It just you know, it is what it is. It was a popcorn movie. It was entertaining, and maybe it would have been funny if the Margarita had not already

worn off by the time I sat down in my seat. However, when I heard he's performing, I was like, Wow, talk about a comeback kid. So I want to talk about two combat kids. Will Smith on one end and then Jonathan Major's on the other, completely different offenses. Right, Will Smith the smack her around the world. It's been a few years since that hasn't really been a few years, at least two years since that happened. And I'm actually pleased to see Will still making art, still making movies.

He's obviously still a huge brand. He was defending his wife no or you know whatever she is at this point, defending her against someone else, but like of course, using violence is never the answer. But I do think that, you know, he wrote, he had that memoir that came out, He's had this movie, he's got the Bad Boys franchise, which is still you know, bringing in tons of money. But music, like music is not where I expected for

him to go next. But he couldn't let Willow have all the fun right Like He's like, oh no, baby girl, Like he just can't let Willow have it because she is flag right now and he could just be like he could just be a proud papa, but no, he had to put on a silver suit and get on stage the BET Awards and basically do like a like a Christian gospel kind of rap moment. It was giving like I think he was wanting to do like a

Jesus Walks Kanye moment, but I didn't get that. It was actually reading a lot of the comments on TikTok, and I was expecting them to be giving him so much shit, but a lot of people were like, wow, I needed that message from Will Smith right now. And the song it's called you Can Make It, So it was very like, I think it's true to will and how he's always been. I wasn't keeping track of a TV cursed or not. I know that's his like big thing.

He never cussed, but this was like inspirational rap and there's a lane for everybody, so like, more power to him. I think he deserves to be here. I think he deserves to be on a stage if he cares to grace one. He is and forever will be my fresh prince. And I cannot untangle my love for that character, for

Will Smith, like he just is that guy. People were giving a lot of did not have so great things to say about the Usher tribute because they had It was all women who did the tribute, which I think was pretty like bad ass. Why not? Some people didn't like it, but it is what it is. I thought.

The funniest moment for me that I've seen on Twitter is one Taraji p Henson accidentally hit on Keith Lee like in front of his life, but also shout out to Keith Lee, who literally just used to sit in a Paw Patrol children's foldable chair and talk about his food that he got from the drive through and now he is this huge Internet star at the BET Awards, Like that's incredibly dope and has remained so humble and does just incredible things for the community that communities that

he blesses with his presence. Keith Lee, I am excited for you to return to Atlanta and give us another try. Yes, I will say us, even though I do not live there currently, but always in my heart, I think Atlanta deserves another try, and I'm glad that he is doing that. So that's BET Awards. But the two, the second comeback kid, Jonathan Major is now this one I feel very different

about and what I had heard. I didn't watch the like I didn't want to give clicks to the actual award ceremony because I think Brezen just kind of like reinforcing why they did this as a PR stunt. They knew, like, this is a random ass award show I've never heard. I mean, no offense to the other honorees. I hope that you deserved it. But he was awarded at the Hollywood Impact Awards. So Jonathan, if you guys again are not want me just remind you he was convicted of assault.

He never served any time apparently, but the fact that he is now winning a Perseverance Award on any stage and he was there with his girlfriend Megan, Why do I want to say, Megan Fox, Meghan Good, Sorry about that, and to be on a stage like that. Soon after it, he even addressed the supposed incident his conviction. I think it ended up being I don't think it was a felony. It was like a misdemeanor. But he likened himself to any other black man navigating through the justice system, and hey,

it's his story, he should own it. He can say whatever he wants to say. But I just feel some type of way about him getting an award and being introduced by a woman who was saying how after being in a nine year marriage where she was assaulted, she was proud and humble, like those words came out of

her mouth to introduce Jonathan Major. So I do think that it's very fair for us to talk about the ridiculousness of cancel culture and how people don't have room for redemption, But at the same time, it sort of has to require some sort of reckoning and humility. And I do think when you're a public figure, when you are trying to seek redemption after doing something so heinous as putting your hands on another human being, especially a woman in a relationship, and from all reports that I've read,

not just one. It maybe was convicted for one, but that was kind of his mo for years now, right allegedly, I will say allegedly, allegedly, do not sue me. We ain't got money like that anyway, But I do think there's there's room for a redemption redemption arc. But awards after a situation like that, it just it's giving pr publicity stunt to me. And this little known award show is now of course being written about and talked about, so hey, it's all marketing at the end of the day.

All right, Okay, I'm gonna wrap up the buzzworthy And by the way, Tiffany's not here. It's just me today. I hope you guys are enjoying. Feel free to always send us an email, send it a question for the show, give us feedback, but please don't forget to leave us a review. Go to Apple podcast wherever you listen to

your show, it's got to be Apple podcast, though. Leave us a five star review and write a few little gentle words for us, like why not we love it and we will yes, I will read your review live on the show. Let me grab one right now. Actually, oh, there's some really oh, there's some good ones. Okay, we got two. Ooh, someone looks a big juicy one. Casey Bunny twenty three says a show is inspiring and funny. I can't read this whole thing, but you are amazing, Casey.

Mandy and Tiffany are so vibrant in their energy and friendship. I love how they flow through conversations that are relatable, saying what we think but don't say sometimes. Mandy has amazing advice on negotiating and reminding yourself of your work, of your worth. Thank you so much, Bandy. I've been going through it in my career and it's so inspiring

to hear your voice telling the hard truths. Tiffany aka the Budgeanista is so insightful on looking at your money as more than just a monetary item that we all work so hard for, but to see it as an opportunity you can create for yourself with it. I love how transparent Tiffany is and the work it takes to make yourself whole. Aw Casey, that is just incredible. There is so much more read, but thank you so much.

That is so generous to take the time to write that much for us, Thank you, and then Travel by Faith says, I love, love love listening to you ladies. It's just a good girl chat that makes my mornings. Definitely keep the at times chaotic conversations as it is, it makes it more fun to listen to all right, Travel by Faith. Yes, I was a little self conscious of how much I talk over Tiffany because I get excited and I can't stop myself. But we love you,

ba Fam. It really means the world to us, So please join us, leave us a review, tell a friend, and tell a friend about the show, and I will be right back with my brown boost or brown break. Which one will I choose? I don't know. You'll have to wait and see. Hey, hey, ba Fam, I'm back and I'm solo for this week, so I'm gonna do my brown boost this week. I am choosing something positive. So by the time you hear this, it's going to

be the fourth of July roundabout there. But you still have time to sign up for the FINCN Women and in Money Mastermind event that's happening in July fifteenth and sixteenth in Manhattan at the Nasdaq. I will be there, hitting the stage with some of my favorite financially free and financially fabulous influencers and authors and experts like Jamila Sufran from Journey to Launch. Friend of the show, We've

got Bernadette. Wait, what is Bernadette's last name? I said, Bernadette Peters, But that is actually a Broadway actor and not at all I think Bernadette. I only know her has Bernadette, Bernadette, Do you have a last Bernadette like debt? Because it's so clever, Joy, Bernadette Joy, there we go. Not the curly redhead from the Brandy Whitney Houston version of Cinderella. Also going to be on the stage with my podcast network sister Paula Pant, Jamila Sufron, Bernadette Joy

and me. I am sharing four keys to negotiate your business contracts without selling yourself shorts. And if you're not familiar with the Money Women in Money event, it's new to the Fincong community, but basically it's a networking event. They have a mastermind where you can go all day and just kind of get poured into by your peers. If you have a business or you want to start a business, and you know what, I have three free

passes to this Women in Money event. I don't know how much it costs, probably a few hundred dollars, but I have one left. I've given two of the passes to business owners in my Mandy Money coaching community, and I have one left. So how about the first person who can send me a DM on IG yes me at Mandy Money, not the brand ambition one. Just directly to me and say that you want the pass and you can be in New York because I don't want to just give it to you if you're not going

to use it. It is Monday, July fifteenth, between four and seven pm. That's the first event. That's where I'm going to be at the Nasdaq, which is in Midtown Manhattan. Okay, so it's in New York, not virtual in person. After the event, there's going to be a networking dinner, so you can share a meal in small groups and you'll get the opportunity to create content in Nasdaq's studio Sweet. And then on Tuesday there is actually a mastermind. Like

I said, nine to five pm. The entire day you can focus on your creator business with other like minded creators. You'll be grouped on you'll be grouped up based on similar levels of experience, and you'll have a mastermind facilitator to make sure the conversation flows. And the whole purpose is just to connect you with other creators and to yeah, just enrich the work that you're doing. So yeah, I love this. I have one pass left. You just have

a code. You can use my special code to get a free pass and you can come hang out with us at NASDAK in New York City. That sounds like an amazing way to spend a Monday in a Tuesday, right, okaybi fam, that is it for me. Thank you so much for listening. Happy fourth of July. Go vote in November. We'll keep on y'all about that, all right. If there's anything you want to hear us talk about in the show, Don't be a Stranger, hit us up Brand Ambition Podcast

on Instagram. You can also email us Brondambition Podcast at gmail dot com. Bye