Shows
Ruined By The Internet?Brand Trust: has the internet replaced true soul with data-driven shape-shifting? – Nick RichtsmeierThe internet was supposed to empower brands to build relationships based on authenticity and shared values. But for so many of us, does it now just feel like surveillance capitalism, exploiting and manipulating our attention, leading to mass brand distrust and marketing cynicism?Joining us today is Nick Richtsmeier, a growth consultant and Founder of CultureCraft, who works directly with business and non-profits to solve the issue of trust decay in the marketplace.https://www.damnsgiven.com/https://culturecraft.com/ https://www.buzzsprout.com/2365925 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickrichtsmeier/ ...
2026-01-2550 min
TOP Tech PodcastThe Hell of AI Marketing | Why Every Brand Manipulates YouThe internet decayed into AI slop. Marketing became manipulation. Trust disappeared.How do brands build real connections when platforms feed you lies, hide your customers, and optimize for extraction?Nick Richtsmeier—founder of CultureCraft, writer at Damns Given—says brands now live inside mirrored cages. You see what algorithms want you to see. Your customers see distorted versions of you. Nobody sees reality.Funnels don't work. Neutrality is dead. And AI just made it worse.Here's the problem:
2025-12-0445 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierInternet Poisoning and What to Expecting 2026 with Brad FarrisSend us a textSometimes you become a part of the thing you're trying to fix. And as the internet content world crashes around us, pulled to the floorboards by AI, Brad and Nick reflect on the work of podcasting and content creation, focusing on some hard lessons learned in the last year.But beyond just ruminating on what's gone wrong (and how that, in a very meta way, is what has gone wrong with this and many podcasts), the hosts pivot to big changes coming for Working/Broken and what that means for people...
2025-11-0338 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierTrust is All We Have Left and Marketing Apocalypse with Brad FarrisSend us a textIn this episode, Brad and Nick dive into what marketing is becoming now that we live in a post-trust, post-algorithm, post-authenticity world. They’re not interested in tactics—they’re interested in how the deep cultural forces reshaping trust, commerce, and identity are scrambling what it even means to “market” something.Together, they explore:Why traditional marketing frameworks no longer applyHow the best marketing today isn’t marketing at all—it’s signalWhat happens when attention becomes too expensive for most businesses to buyWhy people aren’t buying me...
2025-10-0938 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierThis is the Wrong AI, We Weren't Built for This with Alexandra Pasi, PhDSend us a textIn this episode, host Nick Richtsmeier sits down with Lexi Pasi, a PhD in Communication and expert in the field of AI, to unpack what’s actually happening to our attention, language, and selves in today’s online environments. Lexi brings academic depth, cultural critique, and personal insight to the conversation—exposing how platforms not only distort what we say, but who we become in the process.Lexi and the hosts explore questions at the heart of the Working/Broken project:What if the reason work—and life...
2025-09-2347 min
Level Up BusinessThe Damn Rules for Growing a Business that People Trust (with Nick Richtsmeier)In a world where trust is at an all-time low and marketing funnels no longer work like they used to, how can B2B entrepreneurs grow their business without selling their soul to algorithms?In this episode of the Level Up Business Podcast, JR Lay sits down with Nick Richtsmeier, Principal at Culture Craft and author of the upcoming book The Damn Rules, to reimagine what marketing could be. Together, they explore how the post-social web has eroded human connection and what it takes to lead, grow, and build trust in a post-trust economy.Nick...
2025-08-0546 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierThe Myth of Inevitability and AI's Culture Grab with Brad FarrisSend us a textThis episode isn’t about AI. Not really. It’s about the stories we tell ourselves about technology, power, and what we’re allowed to feel.Nick and Brad take apart the myth of inevitability around artificial intelligence—specifically large language models (LLMs)—and ask who benefits from that myth. Spoiler: it’s not you.Nick’s viral post about saying “no” to wearable AI at the dinner table sets the stage. What followed? A flood of people thanking him for drawing a line—and another flood accusing him of condemning his ch...
2025-07-3140 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierHigher Ed vs Hiring: The strange incompatibility of these old friends with Brad FarrisSend us a textOn this episode, we tackle a longstanding battle that has nearly boiled over: the role of college in career-preparation. Or, more specifically, why do hiring managers still require degrees for new roles? And should they? The old biases persist: many hiring managers still view a degree as a shorthand for maturity, responsibility, and readiness. But with roles evolving fast and the shelf life of job-specific skills shrinking, is that shortcut doing more harm than good?In the end, Brad and Nick are do what they always do, plunging us i...
2025-07-1530 min
The White Rabbit122. Nick Richtsmeier On Mindset Baked In The InternetIn this episode, guest Nick Richtsmeier talks about how the internet is affecting the mindset of your audience members. This is a great episode for beginning to understand the mindset your audience members are in long before they even show up in the room for your presentation.
2025-06-2837 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierTheft is So Cool Right Now - Is Ownership Dead? with Brad FarrisSend us a textIn this introspective and timely episode, Brad and Nick take on a deceptively simple question: Do we really own our ideas anymore?Prompted by Nick’s recent experience of having his writing lifted and reposted—sometimes respectfully, sometimes not—the conversation weaves through authorship, digital ethics, AI scraping, and the deeper emotional terrain of publishing on the internet. What begins as a conversation about plagiarism quickly becomes something bigger: a meditation on intellectual generosity, attribution, and the meaning of creative work in a remix culture.N...
2025-06-1728 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierNick Power: The Essential Art of Being Real on the InternetSend us a textIn this wide-ranging interview style episode, host Nick Richtsmeier sits down with one of the most unexpected and impactful voices on LinkedIn in 2025: Nick Power, the marketer and writer behind a wave of unfiltered, politically-aware, and often hilarious posts that challenged the business-as-usual tone of the platform.What began as a creative shift away from conventional “thought leadership” turned into something larger: a community movement, a form of resistance, and an experiment in what truth-telling looks like on a platform built for polished personal brands.In this epis...
2025-05-3046 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierMore Politics at Work, Please with Brad FarrisSend us a textIn this timely and unfiltered episode, Brad and Nick explore the increasingly tangled relationship between politics and work culture. They ask the central question: Has politics become so pervasive that it’s breaking our ability to lead, work, and think clearly?Key Themes:The Blurring Line Between Culture and Politics: Brad and Nick debate whether culture is now downstream from politics or whether it's still the other way around. Nick argues that cultural trends, even fringe ones, often precede political movements (e.g., mommy bl...
2025-05-2142 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierSex and Fear Still Sell Right? Well, at least Fear - with Brad FarrisSend us a textIn this thought-provoking episode, Nick and Brad unpack how fear has traditionally been used as a primary tool in marketing and communication—from political campaigns and media to brand messaging. Drawing on personal experience in marketing and spiritual development, they challenge whether fear-based messaging is still effective or ethical in a world that's rapidly waking up.Key Takeaways:Fear is a primal motivator, and marketers have long exploited it to capture attention and drive action.There's a growing awareness in society that fear-based narratives lead to...
2025-05-0640 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierNo One Knows What's Going On with Brad FarrisSend us a textIn this powerful and timely episode, Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris dive into the pervasive undercurrent of fear that’s shaping both politics and the workplace. From the physiological and psychological roots of fear to its impact on leadership, decision-making, and organizational culture, the conversation explores how fear manifests in leaders and teams alike.Nick breaks down the classic "Four F's" of fear—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn—and how these instinctive reactions show up in modern leadership contexts. Brad adds depth by highlighting how fear hijacks our ab...
2025-04-1037 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierBeing Authentic Kinda Sucks with Brad FarrisSend us a textAuthenticity had a good run, or so it may seem.In this thought-provoking episode of Working Broken, hosts Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris dive deep into the concept of authenticity in a world increasingly dominated by artificiality, distrust, and digital noise. As they wrestle with the idea of being true to oneself in an environment filled with deception—fake resumes, spammy AI-generated outreach, and manipulated social trust—they ask: Is authenticity still working, or is it broken?Brad comes into the discussion feeling disillusioned, questioning whether it's even possible to b...
2025-03-1838 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierThe Myths of Mentoring OR Why There are So Few Leaders with Brad FarrisSend us a textIn this episode of Working Broken, hosts Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris explore the complex and often misunderstood topic of mentoring. Is it truly about passing knowledge from an experienced leader to a junior employee, or is it a two-way street that transforms both mentor and mentee?Nick and Brad examine how business leaders struggle to delegate responsibilities effectively, often clinging to the idea that “no one can do it like me.” They discuss the distinction between training, managing, and mentoring, highlighting why mentoring is the most chal...
2025-03-1237 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierThe Strange State of Email MarketingSend us a textIn this episode of Working Broken, Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris take a deep dive into the world of cold emails—why they’re everywhere, why people swear by them, and whether they actually work. Spoiler alert: they’re not fans.The conversation kicks off with a story about a salesperson convinced that blasting out 50 cold emails a day would bring in business. Months later? One booked meeting. That sets the stage for a bigger discussion about why businesses keep turning to cold outreach, even when it’s painfully ineffective. They explore...
2025-02-2126 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierTrailerSend us a textWant to get a taste of what to expect from Working/Broken? Let us tell you in just five short minutes.Ensure you are fully subscribed through your favorite podcast app so you do not miss a single episode. Have a business topic you want us to decide if it's working or broken? Have a question about the episode? You can email us at podcast@culturecraft.com.
2025-02-0404 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierHustle Culture: Can You Productivity Your Way to Success?Send us a textIn this lively debut of Working/Broken, hosts Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris dive headfirst into the world of hustle culture—tracing its evolution from the early days of knowledge work to today’s digital grind. With a mix of humor and sharp insight, they debate whether the “work harder” mantra truly paves the way to success or if it simply sets us up for burnout. Along the way, the duo dissects modern hustle icons like Mr. Beast and Elon Musk, unpacking how their narratives—full of bold risks and alleged simplicity—might actually mas...
2025-02-0433 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierGrowth vs Scale: The Silicon Vallyification of EverythingSend us a textIn this episode of Working/Broken, hosts Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris dive deep into the burning debate: Is it better to grow naturally, or should you aggressively scale your business? With wit and candor, they explore how the meaning of “growth” has evolved over time—from organic, sustainable expansion to the manufactured, high-speed push for scale that risks sacrificing client experience. Drawing on industry insights, personal anecdotes (including Brad’s weight-loss journey as a metaphor for shrinking old habits), and even a nod to that iconic Jerry Maguire moment, they challenge the status q...
2025-02-0431 min
Damns Given with Nick RichtsmeierMeasurement Mafia: Examining the Religion of ROISend us a textIn this episode of Working/Broken, Nick Richtsmeier and Brad Farris peel back the curtain on the wild world of marketing metrics. They dive into how even the biggest advertisers are left scratching their heads—overspending on TV ads that mysteriously boost sales, while 30-50% of online clicks turn out to be fraudulent. With plenty of humor and hot takes, the hosts break down insights from Lindsay Slaby—the “CMO Whisperer” at David Baker’s MYOB conference—and ponder if our obsession with precise ROI is just a modern-day myth. They question whether chasing data...
2025-02-0434 min
The Out and About PodcastBest Practices for Partnering with an Outsourced Marketing Agency in Financial ServicesAt Out & About Communications, Tiffany Silverberg and Karen Villalta play key roles in managing relationships and bringing our clients’ visions to life. They bring valuable lessons learned and best practices for working with an outsourced marketing partner and managing common challenges throughout an engagement. We talked about: Practical tips to start an outsourced marketing relationship on a clear and aligned footing Why setting realistic expectations around timelines, deliverables, and success rates is critical Insights into common challenges companies may experience when working with an outsourced partner and how to navigate them
2024-12-1223 minThe Out and About PodcastHow to Plan Strategic, Effective Events for Financial Services with Angela York and Elyse StonerAngela York and Elyse Stoner are the dynamic co-founders of Event Advisors, a company dedicated to transforming event strategy within the financial services ecosystem. Angela brings decades of experience in advisor and marketing implementation, as well as event planning. Her journey spans over a decade of in-house roles and another decade as a consultant. During the pandemic, she met Elyse Stoner, marking the beginning of their collaboration. Angela’s extensive background in the wealth advisory space, combined with her passion for creating meaningful and strategic events, has been instrumental in their joint venture. Elyse has a rich background in sp...
2024-08-1423 minThe Out and About PodcastSalesforce for Financial Services: Getting More Out of Your Investment with Spencer Lowe of SOLVD.cloudSpencer Lowe, CEO of SOLVD.cloud, was interested in entrepreneurship from a young age, starting with mowing lawns and door-to-door sales. Inspired by his father's late-career business venture, Spencer pursued his ambition to start his own business, earning a master's degree in information systems management. He began his career at a firm, where he honed his skills as a Salesforce consultant. Recognizing the rapid growth in the Salesforce market, Spencer founded SOLVD.cloud in 2019 to tackle its inefficiencies and the high costs faced by companies. Initially serving a broad client base, SOLVD.cloud refocused during the COVID-19 pandemic on...
2024-06-1929 minThe Out and About PodcastUnlocking Growth: How to Optimize Procedures Using Simplicity Ops with Kate GuillenKate Guillen is a seasoned operations professional with over a decade of experience in the investment management industry. Her journey began as a client service associate for a broker-dealer and she later became the operations manager at a registered investment advisor, where she was given the freedom to solve operational issues with technology and discovered her passion for AdvisorTech. In 2020, she founded Simplicity Ops to help financial advisors and their teams simplify systems and standardize operations. Today, Simplicity Ops has partnered with over 50 firms, dedicated to maximizing their technology and ensuring robust operating procedures to support growth and excellent...
2024-06-0520 minThe Out and About PodcastThe Role of Marketing and the CMO in Today’s Financial Services Industries with Nick RichtsmeierNick Richtsmeier is the principal at CultureCraft, an innovative firm dedicated to providing tools that unlock critical questions for wealth management professionals and firms. With a career deeply rooted in the wealth management industry, Nick spent nearly a decade as an advisor before transitioning into executive roles. His experience includes serving as CMO and COO for small to mid-sized registered investment advisor (RIA) firms, where he identified recurring issues that kept RIA businesses stuck in unproductive cycles — a key factor fueling the current era of consolidation. Passionate about addressing these challenges, Nick founded CultureCraft to equip wealth managers with th...
2024-05-2936 min
The Next QuestionTNQ Podcast Episode 8 - Becoming OurselvesWe’ve got another TNQ podcast episode for you. ALSO, just in case you missed the TNQ Wrap Party on Sunday night (with special guest Andre Henry!) we’ve got you covered! Check out the recording by clicking on this link right here. TNQ Podcast EPISODE 8 It could be said that when it comes to being a black woman in America, all of TNQ Season 1 has come down to this: becoming ourselves. We are ecstatic to share in this far-reaching and critical topic with the indomitable Rachel Cargle, who shares with us abou...
2021-11-101h 00
The Next QuestionTNQ Podcast Episode 7It’s Tuesday, and that means a new podcast episode from your friends here at The Next Question! In episode 7, New York Times bestselling author, Jasmine Guillory, joins Austin, Chi Chi, and Jenny to talk about re-centering black women's stories. By celebrating the stories of black women, the TNQ team pulls racial justice out of the box to remind us all that JOY and LIFE are integral to the work of resistance. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit th...
2021-11-0242 min
The Next QuestionTNQ Podcast Episode 6 - Brave TogetherWelcome back to TNQ, friends! We’re excited to be sharing Episode 6 from our first season in podcast form for the very first time! We hope you’ll give it a listen! Is wholehearted living for everyone? In this episode of TNQ, Brenè Brown joins Austin, Chi Chi and Jenny to bring her perspective to the racial realities of this moment in history. What they discover is that Brenè's trademark vision of living with vulnerability and courage can bring us forward together. Through an ethic of collective care, wholeheartedness ceases to be a commod...
2021-10-261h 11
The Next QuestionTNQ Podcast Episode 5 - Behind The ProtestWelcome back to the TNQ Podcast!As always, we’re excited for you to be here. Maybe you’re relistening to the first season of our groundbreaking show, or this is your very first time walking through these important conversations with us. Either way, welcome! In this episode of The Next Question, community organizer and author, Charlene Carruthers, takes us behind protests. It's not hard to be moved by the work of organizers, but it’s much more than holding a megaphone. Since we’ve been focusing on turning the world upside down, seems like a g...
2021-10-1939 min
The Next QuestionTNQ Podcast Episode 4 - Abolition TodayWelcome back for another week of the TNQ Podcast! We’re glad you’ve joined us to revisit some of these important conversations from the first season of our TNQ Show. We’re excited to finally be sharing these incredible episodes in podcast form, giving you the opportunity to listen to them wherever you are, even if that’s away from a screen.In Episode 4, Maya Schenwar joins us to talk about abolition today: the abolition of incarceration. She doesn’t just spout statistics; she asks good hard questions about the system as it stands: Is thi...
2021-10-121h 01
The Next QuestionTNQ Podcast Episode 3 - People Of GoodwillIt’s Tuesday, and that means we’re back with another TNQ Podcast episode! In Episode 3, Andre Henry returns to talk about the real impact of Dr. King's message (not the whitewashed version). The hosts talk with Andre about how to move out of the lukewarm and into the revolution made irresistible.As always, we invite you to keep coming back each Tuesday as we put out another TNQ Podcast episode. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thenextquestion.subs...
2021-10-0548 min
The Next QuestionTNQ Podcast Episode 2 - Power To The PeopleIt’s Tuesday, and you know what that means…a new TNQ Podcast episode! Episode 2 finds guest contributor Andre Henry joining the TNQ hosts to discuss the power of social movements and the history of how real change is made in America. Moving past the caricatures of Dr. Martin Luther King and the hyper-simplifications of the Civil Rights movement, we dig into a discussion of how community support becomes the alternative to institutional power.Keep tuning in each week for more upcoming details about our end-of-year wrap party, as well as more podcast episodes whic...
2021-09-2840 min
The Next QuestionTNQ Podcast Episode 1 - Segregation Is Still HereIt’s Tuesday, friends! And for the next couple of months, that will mean the release of a new podcast episode from The Next Question. A quick word before we jump into the nitty-gritty. We previously made a few of these episodes available in podcast form to our paid subscribers. But as we move toward finishing TNQ and looking to what’s next, we wanted everyone to have access to these podcasts whenever and wherever they were. So, we will be starting with Episode 1 and releasing all 8 of the TNQ episodes in order, so that everyone can...
2021-09-2146 min
Hope & Hard PillsFinal ThoughtsThank you for being part of something incredible as we explore practical insight on racial justice and social change.Sign up for Andre's Hope & Hard Pills Newsletter at his website.Catch up with Andre on Twitter, Instagram, & Facebook.Alicia is online at her website and on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Nandi can found online on their Twitter and Instagram.Ross will be around on his Twitter and Instagram. Of course, this podcast couldn't happen with out the support of our wonderful patrons! Click here to become a pa...
2021-01-2332 minHope & Hard PillsOrganized Disruption with Aric McBayAric McBay is an organizer, a farmer, and author of four books. He writes and speaks about effective social movements, and has organized campaigns around prisoner justice, Indigenous solidarity, pipelines, unionization, and other causes. His newest book, Full Spectrum Resistance, is a two-volume exploration of how to build effective movements and knit together struggles using diverse tactics.More at www.aricmcbay.org / FullSpectrumResistance.orgYou can also keep up with Aric on his Facebook page.Share your own Hope Notes and Hard Pills with us on social media using #HHPpodcast!
2020-12-121h 10Hope & Hard PillsBuilding Bridges with Latasha MorrisonNote: This interview with Latasha was recorded in the fall of 2019.Latasha Morrison is a bridge-builder, reconciler, and a compelling voice in the fight for racial justice. In 2016, she founded Be the Bridge, a non-profit organization equipping more than 1,600 sub-groups across five countries to serve as ambassadors of racial reconciliation. Numerous organizations have recognized her as a leading social justice advocate, including Facebook’s Community Leadership Program, Forbes, and EBONY magazine.A native of North Carolina, Tasha earned degrees in human development and business leadership. Her first book, Be the Bridge, released in October 2019. She res...
2020-11-291h 04Hope & Hard PillsAssigning White Homework with Tori Williams DouglassNote: This episode with Tori was recorded at the end of 2019. She is in full swing with her White Homework project mentioned in this episode.Tori is a writer, speaker, and educator. She is the host and creator of White Homework, a course on race, racism, and restorative justice. She is also active on Twitter and Instagram.Share your own Hope Notes and Hard Pills with us on social media using #HHPpodcast!Episode Questions:• What comes up for you when you hear the words “reparations”?• What has inspired and influe...
2020-10-311h 26Hope & Hard PillsGoing Beyond The Vote with Lauren DucaNOTE: The interview with Lauren took place in November, 2019. We feel this conversation is still important today.Lauren Duca is an award-winning and -losing journalist focused on building equitable public power by empowering young people — and especially young womxn — to insist on their right and duty to the political conversation. Since being catapulted to the public eye shortly after the 2016 election, Duca has been researching and reporting on the post-Trump youth political awakening. In September 2019, she published “How to Start a Revolution: Young People and the Future of American Politics,” which seeks to document and sustain the shift fr...
2020-10-171h 03Hope & Hard PillsAlways Looking Forward with Bree NewsomeBree Newsome is a writer, artist, and activist who drew national attention in 2015 when she climbed the flagpole in front of the South Carolina Capitol building and removed a confederate battle flag that was originally raised in 1961 as a racist statement of opposition to the Civil Rights Movement and lunch counter sit-ins occurring at the time. The massacre of nine black parishioners by a white supremacist at Emanuel AME Zion Church in Charleston reignited controversy over South Carolina’s continued endorsement of a hate symbol. Newsome’s act of defiance against the culture of white supremacy has been memorialized in p...
2020-10-031h 03