The Clopen Effect

Laura, owner of Wild Hunny Boutique, is here this week! We chat about her boutique and surprise her with the game: 'Finish the Christmas lyric'. It's a great listen!

Wild Hunny Boutique is a woman-owned local shop specializing in affordable, stylish, and giftable items — perfect for holiday shopping, everyday wear, and supporting local makers.

📍 Located at 1213 Riverside Drive, near the Riverwalk Shops in McHenry.

Here’s what you’ll find inside:

A constantly refreshed selection of boutique-style apparel that’s fashionable without the boutique price tag — nothing is priced above about $33. Shaw Local

• Trendy tops
• Dresses & casual wear
• Seasonal fashion pieces
• Comfortable everyday outfits

These pieces are handpicked to suit a wide range of styles and sizes, making it easy to find something for yourself or as a gift.

Wild Hunny carries a variety of accessories from local designers and makers, including:

• Jewelry from brands like Windy Prairie Jewelry, Jenny Shlemon, Natalie Clare
• Scarves, hats, and style boosters
• Hand-crafted or boutique jewelry pieces

These wardrobe add-ons help elevate any outfit and make perfect stocking stuffers.

This is one of the boutique’s strongest strengths — a curated gift selection that supports small makers:

• Gift items and home pieces from local creators
• Featured artisan products like Gunny&Co., Caritino’s Old Fashioned Mix, Wisconsin Bee Company, Dead Smooth, The Dusty Coop Homestead
• Gift cards for the store (great for holiday presents)
• Items that feel local, thoughtful, and unique

This makes Wild Hunny Boutique more than just a clothing store — it’s a spot where shoppers can find meaningful, small-business gifts alongside fashion.

Laura intentionally stocks items from women-owned and local artists whenever possible, making the store a community hub for supporting local makers. Shaw Local

Additionally, the boutique participates in local events and pop-ups, building community connections beyond merchandise. 

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

Support the show and advertising opportunity: https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

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💩  Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace: https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, is written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

This week, Meredith and Cassandra chat about the winter inventions that helped us survive the cold - from the classic hand muff to heaters, ice scrapers, remote starts, and shovels. It’s a quick, fun look at how these cold-weather creations came to be. omehow bed bugs made their way into the conversation, too. We give a shout-out to one of our #1 fans, Shannon, and Meredith love Lauren Conrad clothes at Kohl's.

Info from this episode:

• ~500,000 BCE
• Inventor: Early humans (Homo erectus)
• Fireplaces became structured “hearths” in ancient Greece & Rome.

• 1892
• Inventor: Sir James Dewar (Scottish chemist)

• ~3000 BCE (first wool garments in Mesopotamia)
• Inventors: Ancient Mesopotamians

• Dated back to ~1000 BCE, first used by indigenous Arctic peoples
• Modern aluminum snow shovel patented in 1889 by Joseph Flanders

• 1980s
• Inventor: First commercialized by M. Frank Verducci, founder of Autostart

• 1910–1920s (early automobile era)
• Inventor: Unknown — evolved as cars became popular in snowy regions

• 1983
• Inventor: Ingrid Kosar (founder of Thermal Bags by Ingrid)

• 1950s modern rubber-and-insulation design
• Inventor: The boot company Sorel (founded by Kaufman Footwear) popularized them

• 2001
• Inventor: Milwaukee Tool’s heated gear division eventually commercialized the tech

• 1890s
• Inventor: Albert Leroy Marsh pioneered the high-resistance alloy “nichrome” in 1905, leading to modern heaters

• 1970s–80s, became mainstream in the early 2010s
• Inventor: No single inventor — fashion industry evolution

• 1925
• Inventor: Arthur Sicard, a Canadian dairy farmer

• 2000s
• Inventor: First implemented by certain Midwest gas station chains — not patented by a single inventor

• 1936 first patent for heated wipers
• Inventor: Joseph Karasik

• 1910s
• Inventor: Olaf Bergh (Norwegian engineer) patented early air-curtain systems

All The Clopen Links:

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Support the show and advertising opportunities:

https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch:

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💩 Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop:

https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace:

https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, is written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

Let's talk about the dangers of cooking on Thanksgiving! And a few other stories...

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

Support the show and advertising opportunity: https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch: https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814

💩  Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace: https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, is written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

What a fantastic interview with Chris from @belliesfoodtruck 🐷

Owner Chris, along with his wife, his daughter, his business partner, his dad, and his brother, serves up pork belly bites, Cuban sandwiches, and Meredith’s favorite grilled cheese!

We talk about Chris’s past jobs and how Bellies came to be. And of course, there is a short quiz at the end where we realize that Chris is surprisingly good at guessing years in history. Like… how is he that good? Anyway... their food is fantastic! Please check them out.

https://belliesfoodtruck.com

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

Support the show and advertising opportunity: https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch: https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814

💩  Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop: https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace: https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, is written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

In this week’s episode of The Clopen Effect, we chat about 40 wild food additives - what they are, how to actually pronounce them, and the sneaky places they like to hide. Spoiler: your snacks might contain wood chips, your bread might include duck feathers, and yes… there’s a beaver gland situation.

We attempt to deliver accurate info, but let’s be honest: we’re a comedy podcast, not a science lab. If we messed something up - our bad. Just keep listening anyway. It’s funnier when we’re slightly wrong.

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

$2/month keeps us recording and bringing you all the laughs! https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch:

https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814

💩  Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop:

Available wherever you listen! (https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop)

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace:

https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

Mature audiences only, please! 🎃

Meredith and Cassandra dive into 20 of the rarest medical conditions people can suffer from — it’s a tough one, but perfect for Spooky Season!

We also chat about Meredith’s “diet,” the manager with an attitude, the chores we let our husbands handle, and—drumroll please—we’re celebrating being listened to in all 50 states! Huge thank you to Nina for helping us get there!

Oh, and one more thing… who do we know that owns a candle company? We have plans.

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

$2/month keeps us recording and bringing you all the laughs! https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch:

https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814

💩  Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop:

Available wherever you listen! (https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop)

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace:

https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

Cassandra, Bestie, and Meredith chat about one of the eeriest topics yet - the worst ways to die in retail. For mature audiences only, please!

It’s spooky season, and while this episode sounds dark, it’s handled with care, respect, and just enough Halloween edge to give you chills (without crossing the line).

From freezers to forklifts, compactors to parking lots, we explore the strange, tragic, and sometimes unbelievable accidents that have happened in and around retail workplaces.

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

$2/month keeps us recording and bringing you all the laughs! https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch:

https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt...

Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop:

Available wherever you listen! (https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop)

30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace:

https://www.udemy.com/.../buildingresilienceatwork.../...

All material, unless otherwise stated, is written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

Here's the rundown of this week's show:

• Thieves go for small, high-value, easy-to-carry stuff.
• Top items:
• Cash
• Laptops, tablets, phones
• Jewelry and watches
• Prescription meds
• Firearms
• They want things they can grab fast and resell easily.
• Average loss? A few thousand dollars per break-in.

• The “greatest hits” list of what walks out of stores:
• Electronics
• Designer clothing and accessories
• Cosmetics
• Alcohol
• Meat and deli items
• Baby formula
• Coffee and razors (because apparently people love stealing those)
• Why these? Small, expensive, and easy to flip online.
• Retailers lost around $45 billion last year from theft alone.

• Most stolen from cars:
• Purses and wallets
• Phones
• Sunglasses
• Tools
• Packages left in plain sight
• Most stolen cars (as of 2025):
• Hyundai and Kia models (still a big target!)
• Older Honda Accords and Civics
• PSA: Hide your stuff. Even loose change in the cup holder gets attention.

• Rare but Real: Grave robbing is uncommon today but still occurs, often driven by the illicit trade in human remains and artifacts.

• Financial Gain: Stolen items include jewelry, clothing, and personal effects, which can be sold on the black market.
• Cultural Exploitation: Some individuals seek artifacts or remains for personal collections or spiritual practices.
• Medical Use: Historically, bodies were stolen for medical research; while less common now, incidents still happen.

• Federal and State Laws: Grave robbing is illegal under various laws, including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which mandates the return of Indigenous remains and cultural items to their communities.
• Museum Repatriations: Institutions like the American Museum of Natural History have returned thousands of human remains that were previously acquired without consent.

• Cultural Impact: The practice raises significant ethical and cultural concerns, particularly among Indigenous communities and descendants of enslaved peoples.
• Media Coverage: Incidents of grave robbing often lead to public outcry and increased awareness of the need for stronger protections.

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

$2/month keeps us recording and bringing you all the laughs! https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch:

https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814

💩  Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop:

Available wherever you listen! (https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop)

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace:

https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, is written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

Hey friends! Before we share this week's episode, a quick note:

Every week, The Clopen Effect is full of jokes, absurd retail stories, and general chaos. You know, our usual nonsense.

Today, since it’s spooky season, we’re taking a small detour. We’re covering two very serious events: the disappearances of Adam Walsh from a Sears in 1981 and Ann Gotlib from Bashford Manor Mall in 1983. Not all the details are provided here, so please conduct your own online research if you'd like to learn more about these cases.

These cases are tragic, heartbreaking, and real. We’ll share some key facts, provide some history, and reflect on the impact, while also sprinkling in our usual commentary here and there.

Please know it’s all meant to contextualize, not make light of what happened!

With that being said, and if you’re ready… take a breath, maybe hug your kids or pets, and let’s get into these true retail horrors.

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

$2/ 2/month keeps us recording and bringing you all the laughs! https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch:

https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814

💩 Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop:

Available wherever you listen! (https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop)

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace:

https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, is written and performed by The Clopen Effect.

We had a great time with the Rockstar of Retail - our friend Tim! We were listening to the Cubbies win, so the recording fades in and out a bit, but oh well (they won!). In this episode, we chat about Tim’s bands and run through the top scary movie quotes. Stick around until the end to hear a song titled Deviant!

All The Clopen Links: https://linktr.ee/theclopeneffect

$2/month keeps us recording and bringing you all the laughs! https://the-clopen-effect.captivate.fm/support

Buy Our Cool Merch:

https://www.zazzle.com/the_clopen_effect_t_shirt-256038010043042814

💩  Check Out Our Other Podcast – Anxiety Makes Me Poop:

Available wherever you listen! (https://linktr.ee/anxietymakesmepoop)

🟢 30 Days to Building Resilience in the Workplace:

https://www.udemy.com/course/buildingresilienceatwork_in30days/?referralCode=BD92C36502C5E19AA273

All material, unless otherwise stated, written and performed by The Clopen Effect.