We all like to think that if we saw wrongdoing, we’d do the right thing - that when confronted with a problem that goes against our ethics or morals, we’d speak up or take action. But what if calling bullshit meant damaging or ending your career, your family relationships, or even compromising your personal safety? Show Notes: Learn about Mary Inman’s incredible work at Constantine Cannon here . Read about Kyle Welch and Stephen Stubben’s research on whistleblowing. Check out Dana Gold’s Newswee...
Dec 28, 2022•1 hr 17 min
The notoriously tight-lipped global consulting firm McKinsey claims to be values-driven and purpose-led. But do their deeds back up their words? Or does their value of “ serving the client first” mean every other value comes second? Can we really trust any company to be purpose-led when they operate in almost total secrecy? Show Notes: Buy a copy of When McKinsey Comes to Town: The Hidden Influence of the World’s Most Powerful Consulting Firm by Mike Forsythe and Walt Bogdanich. Learn more about...
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 15 min
Web3 combines the ideals of the original internet with the most exciting aspects of new technology. And the reason this tech currently embodies Web3 is that the architecture of this technology - the very fabric of it - is open source, anti-authority, and decentralized. It could be a version of the internet where everyone has custody over their data. But it could also be a place where fraud runs rampant, where people hack each other’s data, and a place that promises something that will never exis...
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 19 min
Little known fact: only 3% of artists on Spotify make more than one thousand dollars. And the people who work on albums who aren’t top-billed artists, like backup singers and songwriters, make even less. In fact, most artists make fractions of a penny per stream. So where does all that cash go? Show Notes Read Blake Morgan’s article about his meeting with Spotify execs: Spotify’s Fatal Flaw Exposed: How My Closed-Door Meeting with Execs Ended in a Shouting Match Learn more about Kaydence and her...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Farming is a notoriously difficult profession, high risk, and often low reward. In India, agriculture supports roughly two-thirds of the population. And the majority of families who grow and sell crops do so on a small scale at great personal financial risk. But one company is working to change this system from the inside: India’s largest agri-tech enterprise, Samunnati. For this positive case study, we speak with Samunnati Founder and CEO Anil Kumar about how they are creating better markets fo...
Nov 30, 2022•54 min
Robinhood aims to make investing friendly, approachable, and understandable for newcomers and experts alike. Although trading is free for the user, Robinhood makes a small amount of money for every single trade made on the app. The more you trade, the more money they make. So is making investing free through an app the same as democratization? Show Notes Read Devin Mills’ paper assessing the association between trading cryptocurrency and problem gambling . Haley Sacks has a 'wealth’ of free reso...
Nov 16, 2022•47 min
Chief cofounders Lindsay Kaplan and Carolyn Childers met at a lame networking event for women and realized on the spot that there was a dire need for something better, especially for senior female executives. Today we talk to this dynamic duo about how that fateful event set them on a path to create Chief – the private network valued at over $1B+ focused on supporting women at the top and keeping them there. Show Notes Listen to Ty’s full conversation with Lindsay and Carolyn at the Collision Co...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Noom’s app promises a long-term approach to weight loss based on psychology and personalization. And it’s popular. It has 250 million downloads, ads that pop up everywhere from podcasts to the Superbowl, and a valuation of $3.7 billion. But is being a weight loss app even the right goal? Or is it just the perfect business model? Show Notes Read Taylor Majewski’s deep-dive into the app titled ‘‘The Dark Side of Noom’ . Check out Eling Tsai’s full-service nutritional consultancy work at Food in Co...
Nov 02, 2022•1 hr 3 min
The Food and Drug Administration has expansive jurisdiction. On their website, they say “The FDA strives above all else to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the American people." Given what we learn in this episode we’d say that’s highly questionable. Join us as we break down the alarming story of the FDA with a 27-year veteran of the FDA, Dr. Richard Williams , author and journalist Lauren Etter , physician and professor Dr. Gail Van Norman , and conflict of interest professor Genevieve P. ...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Unilever, better known as the 100-year-old company whose products you’ve grown up using: Dove Soap, Lipton Tea, and Ben & Jerry's to name a few. Join us for a candid conversation with Unilever CEO Alan Jope where we discuss the challenges and opportunities of modernizing a purpose-led company with 3.4 billion customers in more than 100 countries. If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/ . This episode features additional...
Oct 19, 2022•55 min
Here on the show, we say bullsh!t is the gap between word and deed - it’s what the BS scale is all about- but not everyone defines BS exactly the same way. So we thought...let's kick off season two by diving into BS itself. What is it? Where does it come from? At what point does it become dangerous? And how can we all keep our BS detectors in fighting shape? Show Notes: Watch John Petrocelli’s viral Ted Talk on detecting bullshit and buy his book here . If you love the show, rate and review us o...
Oct 12, 2022•37 min
The FDA's recent sequence of decisions has Juul fighting to keep its pod charged. Some clap. Others boo. Most are left scratching their heads. Will this help teens quit vaping or just open up the market for more competitors? As a Silicon Valley startup, Juul’s focus on hyper-growth targeted toward young people put them in hot water. But, the reason the FDA gave for taking their product off the market may surprise you. And now Juul is ready to defend their purpose to transition adult smokers away...
Oct 05, 2022•21 min
We’re back. Join us as we ask weight loss app Noom to step on the scale, analyze Robinhood’s aim to “democratize finance for all” and consult with some real experts on how well (or not) McKinsey is living their purpose, to name just a few. We also feature companies who are getting it right: we talk to the CEOs of global giant Unilever, female leadership network Chief, and Indian agri-business Samunnati. If you love the show, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts . Find out more at https://calling...
Sep 28, 2022•1 min
In our season finale, we revisit the trust crisis, reflect on what we’ve learned so far, and respond to some great questions and suggestions submitted by our listeners. We end where it all began: with an examination of the trust crisis and what we’ve learned about it in Season 1. Then we get BS called on us by a listener who makes some great points – which leads to a conversation with ad exec-turned-activist, Matt Rivitz. We discuss the role of advertising and marketing c...
Apr 20, 2022•50 min
Twenty years ago, BP attempted an ambitious rebrand claiming that henceforth the initials BP would stand for Beyond Petroleum (formally British Petroleum). Two years ago, and STILL one of the world’s largest oil and gas producers, they announced their new climate-friendly purpose: To reimagine energy for people and our planet. So what are the actions CEO Bernard Looney and his leadership team would have to take to plug this gusher and actually win back our trust? To get to the bottom of th...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 13 min
Airbnb began with a humble idea — help people live like a local, with locals. Are they truly owning that, or is it time to pay the rent? From their humble beginnings as a site for staying with locals, Airbnb has grown to an influential force that shapes the way millions of people live and travel globally. Today, they have 5.6 million listings in over 220 countries. In this episode, we explore Airbnb’s role in gentrification and housing shortages with activist Murray Cox, the fo...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Allbirds was founded on the purpose of “Better things made in a better way.” After 8 years of business, they’ve invented numerous ways to walk that talk. In 2014, Allbirds co-founders Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger created a way to make sneakers out of wool instead of oil. Only 8 years later, Allbirds is now a publicly-traded company working to put their entire industry on a more sustainable path. How did they get here, and what did it take to take it all on? Today’s episo...
Mar 30, 2022•40 min
CoreCivic’s purpose promotes “change,” “compassion,” and “community.” But can for-profit prisons truly be the change they wish to see in the world? In this episode, we explore the paradoxes and pitfalls of an industry with a murky history. Guests: Sharon Brett - Legal Director, ACLU Kansas César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández - Gregory Williams Chair in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at Ohio State University College of Law and ...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 1 min
The United States of America. What is its true purpose, and whose lives does it exist to serve? In this special episode, we take a look at the current state of one of the world’s most powerful purpose-led organizations. This episode looks at one of the most powerful purpose-led organizations in the world: The United States of America. With polarization and animosity between the left and the right at record levels, is the American dream still alive? What needs to be done to make our shared ...
Mar 16, 2022•1 hr
We made this podcast for all of us: consumers, business leaders and investors who are trying to encourage, create and grow better, more sustainable businesses. And hopefully to inspire all leaders with the ways they might make their own organizations better and more successful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mar 11, 2022•3 min
The NCAA claims to be on the same team as the players. But is it? In this episode, we analyze the NCAA’s playbook and propose a whole new game plan. Pride doesn’t pay the bills. But for years, pride has been the only compensation offered to college athletes who play in the NCAA – the governing body of college sports. The NCAA claims to be defending the concept of “amateurism” which they assert is the only reason fans watch the games. Meanwhile, the billions th...
Mar 09, 2022•58 min
Better life for chickens, better outcomes for people and the planet. For Vital Farms, it was the egg. In 2009, they set out to rethink how our food is produced by defining a new standard: Pasture-Raised. Now, they’re the largest producer of pasture-raised eggs in the world, and their sights are set on so much more. Where did this mission come from, and how have they successfully taken on industrial egg giants? Today’s episode is a 1-on-1 with Vital Farms CEO Russell Diez-Canseco. Rus...
Mar 02, 2022•51 min
Facebook is back in the news again. And turns out, it’s worse than we thought. In part 2 we take a look at all the recent whistleblower revelations, including just how much the company knows about the harm it causes. The Wall Street Journal dropped conclusive proof that Facebook knew that their algorithms were dangerous all along. Whistleblower Frances Haugen went public with allegations that among other things, Facebook routinely places profits over public safety. The Senate commiss...
Feb 23, 2022•45 min
Juul claims to be trying to save lives by getting smokers to switch to their product. In this episode, we cut through all the smoke to see if we can find the burning truth. “Hey bro, can I hit your vape?” If you’re one of the 5 million Gen Z-ers who smoke e-cigarettes, the answer is a resounding “bet.” E-cigarette manufacturer JUUL set out on a mission to build a safer cigarette alternative, but along the way, a whole new generation became hooked on nicotine. Is Juu...
Feb 16, 2022•53 min
Is investment firm BlackRock really using their power for good? In this episode, we grab the bull by the horns to find out if BlackRock is truly pushing for change. $9,000,000,000,000. That’s the amount of money Larry Fink and his colleagues at BlackRock manage. Over the past few years, Mr. Fink has begun to use his powerful position to promote the need for all companies to become purpose-led and create positive social and environmental impact. Can BlackRock drive real change? And to...
Feb 09, 2022•51 min
In this episode, we look at Facebook’s development from dorm-room prank to being one of the world’s most powerful and dangerous companies. Find out more at https://callingbullshitpodcast.com/. January 6th, 2021. For the first time in U.S. history, an armed mob at the U.S. Capitol attempted to disrupt the peaceful transition of power from one presidential administration to the next. In the aftermath, it became clear that Facebook had played an outsized role in inciting the event. How ...
Feb 09, 2022•55 min
The first podcast about purpose-washing…the gap between what companies say they stand for and what they actually do — and what they would need to change to practice what they preach. Calling Bullsh!t is hosted by Ty Montague, the Chairman and Chief Purpose Officer of co:collective and distributed by iHeartMedia. Launching February 9, 2022 with new episodes released weekly. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...
Jan 19, 2022•2 min
