Ultimate Brain Yoga: Family Binge-worthy Podcasts while Puzzling
I have been reflecting back on 2020 lately trying to remember some of the favorite activities we enjoyed in solitude this year. Listening to podcasts while puzzling was one of our first go-to activities at home, especially at the beginning of the quarantine when it was rainy and cold. Given that most of us are again embarking on the dreary outdoors we thought we would start by recommending our favorite binge-worthy podcast series and we hope you will share some of yours in the comments below!
Enter Business Wars by Wondery
We listened to this while we drove, puzzled, during food prep sessions, and while playing ping pong. Business Wars is a podcast I have recommended in the past, but the post March series have been equally satisfying. Our top two from 2020 were “Patagonia v. Northface” and “Amazon v. Walmart.” Each series contains 5 or more episodes, it’s hard to stop listening, and it’s family friendly.
The main two stars of the show here are Yvon Chouinard and Jeff Bezos. You will finish both of these with admiration and awe for both, but the sentiments towards them might be very different. Annika said: “I liked learning about both business plans even though they had different purposes and styles.” Xander walked away shaking his head saying, “So….basically…Yvon Chouinard and Jeff Bezos are exact opposites.” I am sure you will be able to guess who they liked better.
Yvon Chouinard started off with one purpose: to create and sell pitons to Yosemite mountain climbers that would not destroy the integrity of the rock. His goal was to protect the environment and inspire others to enjoy nature through climbing. His business evolved over the years and ultimately culminated into Patagonia. Patagonia was so successful that it made profits Chouinard never even wanted to make. And unlike most entrepreneurs his challenge became figuring out how to “make less,” and “inspire more.” (Yes, sing that the way Leslie Odom Jr. would!) The company has always had impeccable leadership since he left; it donates and supports many environmental causes; and as a side note, in 2020 the back of its tags of their Regenerative Shorts famously stated “Vote the assholes out.”
Juxtapose Chouinard to Jeff Bezos whose goal was not product oriented, but rather his purpose was to create a loyal customer/consumer base. In other words, get us all addicted to Amazon and Amazon Prime as our go to resource for everything, fast. He started off with books, then toys, and you know how it continues. The podcast compares his business plan and speedy success to that of his his main competitor, Walmart. One of his famous tactics was in the expansion from books to toys. A few years ago you may recall a moment when some silly softy toy (something that reminded me of “the popple craze” in my youth) was selling out rapidly before Christmas. No one could find them, and everyone was looking. Turns out Amazon found about 500 in stock left at Toy’s ‘R Us. Bezos ordered them ALL at cost and sold them on Amazon at a loss. Why? Because it would generate traffic and make consumers believe that Amazon always had exactly what we want when we want it. The podcast series will journey you from Bezos’ basement all the way to … yes, the pandemic.
Hope you and your family will enjoy them both while decorating your homes for the holidays, licking envelopes, making cookies, crafting, or double-downing on the brain yoga with a 1000+ piece puzzle! (If you don’t have one, I am sure you can find one of Patagonia or Yosemite on Amazon!). We happened to have this one. And if I made you nostalgic for popples, well….Amazon has those too!
Here are the direct links or you can find them where ever you get your podcasts by searching for Wondery, Business Wars.
And once you get hooked on to those, try the rest of them too! Nike v. Adidas, Facebook v. Snapchat, Starbucks v. Dunkin, Ford v. Chevy….
Please share your suggestions with us in the comments below!