The UnPodcast

The UnPodcast

By Scott Stratten, Alison StrattenBusinessEntrepreneurshipEducationHow ToMarketing
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The UnPodcast episodes

  • When Team Building Becomes Survivor | Ep. 322

    In this episode:

    • Why Gen Z is going to the movies more than everyone expected, and why phones in theaters should maybe be legally actionable.
    • How streaming-only movies and albums can just disappear forever because apparently permanence was too convenient.
    • A $500,000 tropical company retreat somehow became E. coli, dead tarantulas, Navy SEAL drills, fire ants, and a falling porcupine.
    • A CEO says craving work-life balance is a red flag, because billion-dollar executive advice remains undefeated in being wildly out of touch.
    • Why return-to-office arguments keep pretending to be about culture when they usually end at “because I said so.”

      • Listen if you care about movie theaters, missing media, corporate retreats from hell, CEOs with too much confidence, work-life balance, remote work, and workplace culture getting a little too culty.

      00:00 Intro: Eyes on the Prize, Probably

      02:10 Gen Z Is Saving Movie Theaters?
      05:00 Phones, Second Screens, and Movie Theater Jail
      06:48 Streaming, Missing Media, and Movies That Vanish
      09:42 The $500K Corporate Retreat From Hell
      17:46 Work-Life Balance Is Apparently a Red Flag
      22:30 Remote Work, Return-to-Office, and Executive Control
      27:21 Wrap-Up

      Article Links:

      Gen Z & movies https://variety.com/2026/film/box-office/gen-z-driving-box-office-1236703551/

      Corporate Retreat from Hell https://www.inc.com/leila-sheridan/plex-tech-company-retreat-nightmare/91327481

      Work-life balance https://fortune.com/2026/04/22/work-life-balance-bupa-fortune-500-ceo-barack-obama-work-weekend/

       

       

      28 min
    • When CEOs Kiss Burgers and Reviews Get Shady | Ep. 321

      In this episode:

      • The McDonald’s CEO blames his mom for the world’s weirdest burger bite, because apparently even billion-dollar burger drama can become a family issue. 
      • Google changes the review rules, because apparently businesses needed a reminder that “please say Brad was amazing” is not organic feedback. 
      • Scott’s hilarious fake testimonial stunt for his own book proves that with enough Fiverr and zero shame, “bomb diggity” can become a marketing strategy.
      • The Bell Mobility review mess, where Scott used the highly classified investigative tool called LinkedIn and helped turn fake app praise into a $1.25 million lesson, all before getting out of bed.

        • Listen if you care about customer trust, fake reviews, CEOs trying to act relatable, Google review rules, brand credibility, and why “just leave us five stars” is not a business strategy.

        Article links:

        https://sporked.com/article/mcdonalds-ceo-blames-small-bite-mother/

        https://www.threechaptermedia.com/blog/google-review-policy-2026

        https://www.tripadvisor.ca/AttractionProductReview-g45963-d13166381-Exotic_Car_Driving_Experience_at_the_Las_Vegas_Motor_Speedway-Las_Vegas_Nevada.html

        https://unmarketing.com/articles/for-whom-the-bell-mobility-tolls

         

        00:00 Intro

        02:57 McDonald’s CEO and the Burger Bite Heard Around the Internet

        08:30 Google Changes the Rules for Customer Reviews

        17:44 Fake Testimonials, Review Trust, and the Bomb Diggity Problem

        19:34 The Bell Mobility Tolls Article and the $1.25M Review Scandal 

         

         

        27 min
      • Trust Over Surveillance, Bad CEOs, and Job Posting Lies | Ep. 320

        In this episode:

        • Why animal shelter adoption data says more about business than most executives do
        • Dropbox treating adults like adults should not feel revolutionary, and yet here we are.
        • “Return to office” keeps pretending it’s about collaboration when it’s really giving control issues a corporate haircut.
        • Ontario’s hiring rules are basically the government stepping in because too many employers refused to stop being shady on their own.

          • Listen in if you care about:

          The future of work, the nonsense built into modern hiring, and why “trust your people” still feels like a radical business strategy.

          Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:
          https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/

          Articles:

          Best Friend’s Society: article 

          Dropbox CEO: article 

          Return to work mandate - leases: article

          Moms at work pay transparency: article 

           

          29 min
        • AI Courtroom Chaos, Spy Vacuums, and Microwave Logic | Ep. 319

          In this episode:

          • Why a robot vacuum exposing thousands of cameras is deeply cursed
          • The microwave analogy that perfectly explains AI hype and creative shortcuts
          • How one CEO allegedly used ChatGPT to scheme around a massive payout
          • How smart glasses turned a courtroom into a Black Mirror blooper reel

            • Listen in if you care about:

            AI ethics, surveillance tech, smart devices, marketing culture, business judgment, creative work, automation, privacy, and the future of human decision-making.

            Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:
            https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/

            Articles:

            DJI RoboVac security flaw - article
            Microwave analogy by Colin Fraser - article
            ChatGPT courtroom story - article

            Smart Glasses - article

             

            24 min
          • We’re Doing Font Crimes Now | Ep. 318

            In this episode:

            • Why the infamous “You Wouldn’t Steal a Car” campaign is back in the spotlight
            • Why AI-generated logos, copy, and strategy can create bigger business problems than they solve
            • How marketers are being pressured to adopt AI even when it feels wrong
            • Why Grammarly’s AI “expert” feature sparked major backlash from writers and journalists
            • What businesses lose when they treat art like content and creativity like output
            • Why being more human may now be the smartest move in marketing

              • Listen in if you care about:

              AI in marketing, creative work, branding, storytelling, content strategy, business ethics, marketing culture, and the future of human-made media.

              Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast:
              https://unpodcast.simplecast.com/

              Article Links:

              Stolen Font

              Grammarly

              29 min
            • Creepy AI Pitches, Moist Dog Food, and a Media Plot Twist | Ep. 317

              In this episode:

              • Why “moist dog food” should never have made it past legal
              • How AI-powered outreach is making bad marketing even worse
              • Why using AI to help people process layoffs is as bleak as it sounds
              • The podcasting shift marketers should absolutely be paying attention to
              • Scott’s “fraudcast” idea for getting comfortable behind the mic before launching a real show

                • Listen in if you care about:

                Marketing, podcasting, AI, media trends, content creation, and preserving even a shred of human dignity.

                Click here to subscribe to the audio podcast: HERE

                34 min
              • 316: Those Crazy Influencers

                In this episode of the UnPodcast, we talk about the why Drake is suing UMG because of Influencers, how influencers are reviving bookstores, and how influencers might have gotten scammed out of money. So, it’s mostly about influencers. But there’s more!

                26 min
              • 315: Everybody Stay Calm

                In this episode of the UnPodcast, everybody should stay calm because we’re live! We talk about a new thing Scott doesn’t like, Hulu and YouTube unstoppable ads, a grand realization made by Walgreen’s, and why paint drying is funny. All this and more.

                24 min
              • 314: The UnQuadrilogy
                In this episode of the UnPodcast, we talk about the release of an unquadrilogy, what is “UnLeadership” and why is it important, a 17-year-old story about “sexy batteries,” and why “No Pain, No Gain” works in the gym, but not in the workplace. All this and more.
                27 min
              • 313: Feedback Surprises

                In this episode of the UnPodcast, we take some feedback, talk about - surprise - QR codes, some crazy bee talk, the waste of solving problems we don’t have, AI feedback, and why we don’t have guests on the show. All this and more.

                22 min

              About The UnPodcast

              From the publisher's feed

              Business is built on relationships, so make building them your business. Discussions centered around authenticity, integrity and community served with a side of sarcasm. Hosted by Scott and Alison…