StirredUp

Joann Fabrics is closing its doors but Hobby Lobby just keeps growing. New stores, bigger profits, a billionaire family quietly getting richer. 

Hobby Lobby is a story about private ownership, religious exemptions, a workforce that keeps showing up, and a customer base that treats Sunday closures like a sign from God. This week on Stirred Up, we're pulling back the curtain on one of America's most quietly powerful retail empires.

This week, Jessica and Heather are going full banana on the most chaotic, joyful, and surprisingly genius sports business model in America. 

We're breaking down how a broke couple from North Carolina bought a failing baseball team for $1.8 million, eliminated every single thing that makes sports annoying, and accidentally built a $500 million entertainment empire — with a waitlist longer than the population of Connecticut. No bunting. No fees. No boring. Just pure, unhinged Fans First energy. You're going to want a ticket. You're probably not going to get one. Listen anyway.

$10,000 and a Prayer.

outh travel sports is a $40 billion industry built on one thing: parental hope. Families are spending $3,000, $5,000, even $10,000 a year...

going into debt... 

Meanwhile, private equity firms are buying up the tournaments, the facilities, the uniforms, and the software. Every dollar your family spends has a destination. We followed the money.

Youth travel sports costs have jumped 46% in five years. Nearly 20% of families go into debt to keep their kids on the field. And while you're booking hotels for another tournament weekend, KKR just paid $4.75 billion for the company that makes the uniforms.

Heather and Jessica chat in the studio to update on just about everything... 

Have corporations tossed their ESG - sustainability goals out with the trash? Or are they just too scared to talk about it? 🌍🔥

In this episode of StirredUp, we’re challenging... I sustainability dead? 

While the world warms up, the corporate suits are cooling down and quietly scrubbing ESG goals from their websites and deleting goals that hold these highly influential companies to being good while doing good. 

🎥 Inside This Episode:

The Rise of Greenhushing: We name names. From Coca-Cola to Walmart and BlackRock, corporations are playing a dangerous game of "Greenhushing"—dropping their ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) targets to avoid political crosshairs.

The Political Backlash: How the recent surge in anti-ESG legislation and Republican-led pressure is forcing CEOs to choose between their climate promises and their stock prices.

EPA Under the Knife: With massive proposed budget cuts (some as high as 50% for 2026), the federal "backstop" for pollution is crumbling.

Toxic Legacies in St. Louis, MI: We take you to our own backyard. The Velsicol Superfund site in Michigan has been a toxic "cautionary tale" for 50 years. With years of cleanup still required, what happens when the funding dries up? Can a community ever be "safe" if the government stops looking?

The average American household now manages over six entertainment subscriptions alone—but the "leaks" don't stop at Netflix. We are now "renting" our office software, our car’s performance, and even our home security. 

The house used to be a destination. Now, it’s an app on your home screen. 📱🎲

Today we pull back the curtain on the multi-billion dollar rise of the online gambling industry. It’s not just about luck anymore; it’s about high-level data science, psychological engineering, and a business model designed to keep you clicking.

But how did we get here? And who is it affecting the most? 

Since the 2018 Supreme Court ruling, the landscape of American gambling has undergone a radical—and dangerous—transformation. What used to require a trip to a neon-lit casino floor now happens silently on sofas, in office cubicles, and in college dorms. This episode explores the "perfect storm" that has turned mobile betting into a public health crisis, examining the wreckage of a multibillion-dollar industry built on the science of addiction.

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Meet the World’s First Hair Deodorizer.

We’ve all been there—your hair looks great, but it smells like the airport, the kitchen, or the campfire. Dry shampoo can hide the oil, but it can’t erase the scent.

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Visit www.freshsethair.com use code STIRREDUPPOD at checkout. 

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The game is over, the confetti has settled, and the CFOs are finally waking up from their cold sweats. For Super Bowl LX, the price of a 30-second spot hit a record-breaking $8 million to $10 million. That breaks down to roughly $266k per second. Yeah. 

Meet the World’s First Hair Deodorizer.

Other Sponsors

The best hoodies and loungewear, hands down. Once you try Comfrt.com, you’ll literally never want to wear anything else.

 Ready to step into the leader you’re meant to be? Whether you’re moving into a bigger role, shifting from execution to strategy, or just feeling stuck, coaching can change everything.

It's fair that America's health culture is more complex that what one single gym can represent, but the gym that represents America, the number one gym in the country, is Planet Fitness. 

With nearly 3,000 locations and over 20 million members, Planet Fitness isn't just a gym it’s the primary source of how many Americans experience exercise. 

But is their "Judgment Free" philosophy truly about inclusion, or is it a calculated marketing strategy designed to keep the masses paying for a service they rarely use?

In this episode, we peel back the purple curtain to explore:

Planet Fitness publicly claims their members visit 6 to 7 times a month and at a bill of about $10/ month, even if unused, it's not going to break the bank. 

Their competitor is not the glitzy gym down the street or even the couch, it's the person unwilling to just walk in the door. That's why Planet Fitness claims they serve controversial choices like pizza and bagels - to be approachable to those who find comfort in that invitation. 

Planet Fitness' use of these "low-stakes fitness" to eliminate "gymtimidation" works. It has built them a $6 billion empire.

Is Planet Fitness the hero that made fitness accessible to the 80% of Americans who hate the gym? Or is it a brilliant subscription trap that thrives on our best intentions and our most frequent absences?

We’ve all been there—your hair looks great, but it smells like the airport, the kitchen, or the campfire. Dry shampoo can hide the oil, but it can’t erase the scent.

Don’t just mask it. Neutralize it.

StirredUp listeners can try it before anyone else. The first 50 listeners who use STIRREDUPPOD at checkout get free shipping and a free gift. 

Other Sponsors

The best hoodies and loungewear, hands down. Once you try Comfrt.com, you’ll literally never want to wear anything else.

 Ready to step into the leader you’re meant to be? Whether you’re moving into a bigger role, shifting from execution to strategy, or just feeling stuck, coaching can change everything.