What Manchester City Did, And the Possible Punishment

Ben Harris was my guest to talk through the English soccer scandal, and he speculated that the punishment against Man City could be severe.

College Football: A Couple Things

In early October, I sat down with Andrew Donaldson to talk about college sports and the Protect College Sports Act.

The full video is here:

And an excerpt, where Andrew asked Dave if the “Bro Shows” were gonna continue. (Dave Portnoy got canned from Fox the next day.)

Speaking of College Football…

The announcement of a 24-team College Football Playoff got Dave talking, and so a “Vandy Rant” followed.

Be sure to subscribe, and follow Dave on X.

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Which is why yesterday’s layoff announcement — Read the complete Hubspot announcement at this link — is worth a closer look.

We’ll break down the pluses and minues — and maybe a few neutral “meh” pieces — of the full layoff communication memo here.

Plus: Assume That Every Piece Gets Leaked, So Leak It Yourself

This should be Corporate Communications 101; sadly, many places like the cloak-and-dagger approach to layoffs. Hubspot scores points for putting the employee memo on their public-facing website.

Meh: “Team,” Always Rubs Me the Wrong Way

This might be more of a nitpick on my part than anything, but starting a memo with “Team,” sounds like the type of thing a middle manager who is looking to make themselves seem more important than they are would do.

(Note: the 15 minute warning is unavoidable at a company with so many employees in so many different places, so the “Band-Aid” approach is best here.)

Minus: We’re Organized Around AI, But…This Isn’t About AI

This is a two-part contradiction in their memo, and it cannot be ignored. Above is the part that says flat-out: “we have shifted our strategy from building software that helps customers grow to delivering outcomes for them with AI.”

Then, Yamini Rangan talks about how the organization needs to be flatter and more customer-centric, and teams need to be more agile; there’s jargon in there about “GTM,” too.

BUT…while the company is using AI and is making AI and “delivering outcomes…with AI,” this…is not “driven by AI-related efficiencies.”

This is a contradiction. It may not be a bald-faced lie, but it doesn’t look good to those who think machines will put them out of work.

Plus: There Appeared To Be a Process

Those who get pink slips — and those who are left behind — will always ask the question: “Why Me?” As opposed to a random process, you want clear reasons why people are being made redundant. So this give the appearance of a process, and everyone can at least answer the question based on how they fit with the new direction of the business.

Plus: They Appear To Be Taking Care of the Departed

This looks like a rather generous severance, and it’s also pretty solid of the company to let them keep the equipment. (This is less of a communications thing and more of a business process thing; but a plus nonetheless.)

Plus: A Human Close

The CEO’s final thoughts seemed to have been written by a human. I don’t know the guy but I would imagine he talks like this.

Minus: The Overall Sentiment — Based on Factors NOT in the Memo

We’re in a really crazy market right now; Hubspot is a publicly traded company and every Wall Street type seem to be obsessed with AI. That obsession also drives the question: what is AI doing to make you more profitable.

AI automates a whole host of processes, so the efficiencies are baked in; ignoring those AI-related efficiencies as a driving factor is disingenuous at best.

Plus, while the stock is only down a percent or so this morning — I’m writing this on October 7, 2026 — it’s down by more than half in the past year.

So Wall Street is asking for those efficiencies in number format.

Final Thoughts: Honesty Is Best

I think the contradictions in the CEO’s memo are too stark to ignore. It’s okay to say that “the market is demanding a combination of human-driven and AI-driven efficiency, and we have to do both to remain competitive.” But without that honesty, we are left with the impression that this memo was written by committee, the committee included the AI bots, and…it should have been as honest as possible.

AI is changing business. We get that. Some businesses are changing, and we get that, too. Hubspot is one of those businesses and, sadly, the truth sometimes really hurts.

The post The Layoff Memo: Diving in on Hubspot’s Communications appeared first on Area 224 Ltd..

SO…here goes. Three podcast episodes that you may have missed.

Jeannie Walters, Author and Experience Expert

The author of the book Experience is Everything, Jeannie joined me on The Vandy Program on May 26. We spent a little time throwing back to…well, the early days of the Internet and social media.

But we spent most of our time discussing the what and the why of customer experience. She knows her stuff, as you can see when you check out the video…

Tamsen Webster, Author and Messaging Strategist

Tamsen wrote a book, “Say What They Can’t Unhear,” and this was a really delightful conversation on June 1. We even talked a little about…medicine? Specifically, how it took the right messaging and the right delivery of that messaging to get doctors to routinely wash their hands.

Some more of what we chatted about:

• Principles of influence and persuasion
• The importance of shared beliefs and common ground
• Strategies for effective communication of complex ideas

Sean McGinnis, The Manager Vault

Sean has spent his career building businesses. He’s been a “hired gun” who comes into ecommerce businesses and helps them connect with customers and sell more stuff.

He has partnered with Ashley Walton to create The Manager Vault, where the pair share what they’ve learned in their careers, and they do so in digestible chunks a couple times a week.

I invite you to check these and the other videos out…and, feel free to leave a comment on YouTube!

The post Three Recent Business-Focused Interviews on The Vandy Program appeared first on Area 224 Ltd..

Will Tanner: Rhodesia, South Africa, and…What Could Be Coming to America

This interview was an eye-opener for me, and it’s likely about a 9 on a 10-point controversy scale. Will Tanner is the publisher of The American Tribune and he has studied Africa, and specifically Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa and the histories of those two countries, more than anyone I’ve bumped into.

Even if you’re not in agreement with the headline — it SOUNDS counter-intuitive, I know — it’s an illuminating discussion.

Jackie Chea: Right-Wing ‘Grifters’ like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson, and a ‘Woke Right’ Definition

Jackie Chea is an Evangelical Christian and blogger at Fair and Biased. She and I spent an hour or so talking about the concept of the “Woke Right” — a term made popular by blogger and commentator James Lindsay — and the rise and fall of Right Wing “Grifters” like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson.

This was probably less controversial than the Will Tanner discussion, but still might challenge a couple assumptions of folks that are either Left- or Left-of-Center politically.

Ginger (@HandyGingerGal): From Canada to Costa Rica

This might have been the most practical of the three: if you’re looking to relocate, here’s a woman named Ginger who, with her husband, moved to Costa Rica from their native Canada. They had to build — literally and figuratively — a new life in a new country.

More interviews are coming to the channel…which just went over the 50,000 Subscribers milestone!

Thanks for your support.

The post Three Recent YouTube Interviews to Check Out appeared first on Area 224 Ltd..

The Vandy Program: 5 Long-Form Interviews

Starting to find a groove and that’s fun; aiming to exceed that figure in August.

July 1: Congressional Candidate Angel Oakley

In response to the growth of Democratic Socialist candidates throughout the country, I sat down (for the second time this year) with Angel Oakley, who is a GOP candidate for U.S. Congress in the 3rd District of Illinois.

July 9: Sportswriter Matt Sieger Talks About the 78 San Francisco Giants (And the 2026 Giants’ Pride Hat Controversy)

This was the most-popular video of the month, with 43,000 views and counting. Really illuminating conversation with Matt Sieger on faith, sports, the intersection of the two, and tying to have reasonable conversations with those who may not agree with you.

July 21: Sean McGinnis from The Manager Vault

With his colleague Ashley Graham, Sean McGinnis has created The Manager Vault as a platform to share what he and Ashley have learned throughout their years as leaders of people.

July 24: Liam Gallegos Talks ‘MAHA’ and AI

He calls himself “The King of LinkedIn Live” and Liam Gallegos has devoted his time lately to both AI and spreading the word on healthy living.

July 28: Tom Shanahan On College Football’s Integration Titans

I learned a ton in this interview, and Tom Shanahan has written books about the subject of the 1960s and college football integration. (Duffy Daugherty was quite the hero.)

My thanks to the growing number of subscribers. We’re just getting started, eh?

The Saturday List: The Streak Continues!

We’ve now done 39 straight editions of The Saturday List, and it serves as both a recap and a look ahead at what I’m Watching, Reading, Listening to, and Rediscovering each week.

Plus we’ve added a kicker of sorts, “Finally,” as the last word from whatever category I please.

AND, Workout Statistics

In July, I managed to go to the gym for a workout on 25 of the 31 days.

Part of the mission for me is building good habits, and, as author James Clear tells us in his book Atomic Habits, one key is “don’t miss two straight days.” And, despite a couple minor injuries, I…didn’t miss two straight days. A tiny victory.

What’s Next?

August will bring, at the minimum:

• 6 long-form interviews on The Vandy Program.
• 5 Editions of The Saturday List (you can see the August 1 edition at the link).
• And I won’t miss two straight days at the gym.

You can hold me to that. And thanks so much for your support!

The post A Quick July Recap appeared first on Area 224 Ltd..

Some highlights from our conversation:

Get Used to Working with Agents

Not talent agents, of course, but AI agents. This will make us more efficient, but also lonelier. You used to go into an office and have the advantage of “water cooler conversations,” but now you’re going to need to set up your own conversations with like-minded individuals — that may not be your coworkers — because your water cooler conversations will be with AI agents that you’ll be asking to work on several tasks for you.

Build Your Own Career Bunker

David’s concept of “Career Prepping” makes total sense: get rid of the excess stuff and stop chasing a higher social status; instead you should build the skills you need to survive in the workplace of the future.

“No one is coming to save you.” Wise advice, but will also mean…yes, a lonelier future.

Time to Find Your People

Conversations like this, I think, are great — and you don’t have to have them on a podcast like I do — because you learn something new, and you get to find out who your “people” are.

This is going to become much more important in the future: having a stable of folks that you can call and bounce ideas off of is really vital. (And one thing I’ve learned is how valuable the chat is when it continues AFTER the recording button gets turned off. Really really good stuff.)

IN any event…

Give the video a watch, and check out David’s work on his Substack.

The post Is The Future of Work Less Social? appeared first on Area 224 Ltd..

It’s another “Month of Content” here for me, Dave, here on the blog, on my YouTube channel, and on my Substack. Do I have all the answers? No. Will I keep at it in a quest to find the answers? Yes. Here are a few thoughts…

The Baby Steps?

We’re all neophytes at SOMETHING. With the launch of just about anything these days — a new AI tool, a new social network, a platform that tries to replace another platform that you’ve known, loved, and now are taught to ignore — there will always be some who are first movers, and others who are later to the party, and still others who have to figure out how it works.

I was that way with Substack — which launched as a newsletter platform and still does that job BUT it seems to be veering into “social network” territory — and I look back to the baby steps I took on that platform and wonder…what the heck was I thinking?

So the baby steps were probably awfully wobbly, followed by a toddler sprint into a different direction and, finally, The Saturday List.

Now? Well, we’ve hit our stride when it comes to consistency. 30 straight weeks. Even though the growth of the channel isn’t where I want it to be just yet, I’m bullish on the power of newsletters and of the strength of owning an email audience and curating content for them.

The Tiny Victories?

I also have a YouTube Channel. A tiny victory came this week when the channel got to 1000 subscribers. Cause for celebration? Well, maybe…for about ten minutes or so.

But the real challenge here is the same one I bumped into when launching The Saturday List: consistency. We had a great interview on Monday with Tamsen Webster (link below) where we discussed getting your message across. We have also had some other cool interviews, and we discussed them on our last blog post.

And we have three more interviews scheduled for the next couple weeks. So stay tuned.

Another challenge? Staying in my lane. BUT I’ll counter with this: I need to zigzag around the pool a little before I find the right swim lane. So stay tuned.

And…Staying Positive?

If you look around, you might realize that everyone seems to be going through some stuff. You’re not alone in being anxious.

BUT there’s a reason for staying positive despite the craziness: we have things a heck of a lot better than any society in the history of the world.

Cue the “You’re sitting in a chair in the sky!” video. Here it is…14 years ago. From Louis CK.

Attitude Is What Will Win

Yes, things can be crazy. Yes, the stoplights will not always be green on your way to your appointment, especially if you’re running late.

But, maybe, just maybe, continuing to stay at it, consistently, and celebrating a little along the way…maybe that’s how you’re gonna win.

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One of the fun things about my podcast, The Vandy Program, is the variety of people I get to interview.

So let’s take this opportunity to look back at three completely different discussions — one sports, one business, and one a discussion of current events that I’m calling The News Of The Day — that you can find on YouTube.

Lauren Beasley, Sportswriter

One of my claims on my various channels is that I’m a “Recovering Sportscaster.” It’s true; but most of my sportscasting experience is from days of yesteryear, specifically in college athletics, where the players were unpaid and the coaches didn’t jump from one program to another THAT often.

USA Today writer Lauren Beasley is much more plugged in, covering the SEC — and specifically South Carolina — from her perch in the Palmetto State. She also grew up in Augusta, Georgia; so she knows a thing or 72 about golf, and she covers that sport, too.

This interview checked all the boxes: fun conversation, engaging subject matter expert, and a couple semi-controversial pieces (if you consider Lane Kiffin to be controversial; see above about coaches jumping from one program to another).

Jeannie Walters, Author of ‘Experience Is Everything’

This interview fell into the “Throwback” category, in that Jeannie Walters and I both realized we went back a long way. (How long? Chicago folks may remember Techweek; Jeannie and I were part of the team that created Techweek’s original iteration, in 2004, SEVEN YEARS before the officially branded Techweek.)

Jeannie has built quite a career as an expert in Customer Experience; and her work as CEO of Experience Investigators led her to share her findings in a book called Experience Is Everything.

This discussion is really pertinent in the modern world where you can have any and everything you want at the touch of a button; but sometimes that button-click moment ain’t everything it’s cracked up to be, and everything leading up to the moment is kinda meh, too.

Here’s the link.

Andrew Donaldson, Podcaster and Host of ‘Heard Tell’

Andrew and I go back several years and, in addition to his work behind the microphone, he is also part of the editorial team at Ordinary-Times, a rather cool website that yours truly has contributed to in the past.

This interview was part of an occasional feature I’m calling The News Of The Day, where we riff on…get this…the news of the day. But I capitalize every first letter, even the “O” in “Of” and both “T’s” in “The” because I am a rebel. (But not enough of a rebel to just say “Ts” because that looks weird.)

In any event, this dropped on Wednesday, May 27 and…most of what we talked about is still in the news. This may be a testament to the vagaries of modern warfare AND modern political campaigns.

Here’s the link to that one:

What’s Ahead in June?

Well, we’re aiming for content daily, so check back often. We’re also doubling-down on video interviews.

Thanks, as always, for your support.

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And, in keeping with tradition, I didn’t watch.

I first wrote about the show’s demise on my Substack last year. It was then, is now, and ever shall be…a business decision.

Don’t cry for Stephen, he’ll be fine. He’ll be on Substack soon. He’ll launch a podcast. Probably sell rights to Netflix — he is part of the Democratic Industrial Complex, after all; see Letterman, David, or Obama, Barack and Michelle — and, again, the facts won’t matter because the narrative does.

First, The Money

Last year I wrote the following:

If you don’t see the changes to the modern media world, you are likely completely lost.

Ignore your thoughts about Colbert as a person; Ignore his politics, too — even though they contributed to his demise at the network — and think about this as a business decision.

No operational executive worth his salt in the modern business world would lose $40 million on a product year over year (over year, since Colbert started in 2015) and not find himself shown the door. In fact, the plug should have been pulled years ago.

Part of the reason for that quote was because of this tweet, which underscored how crazy the finances were for the show (and for network TV writ large):

Pore over numbers all you want, but, as an executive, you cannot keep losing $40 million EACH YEAR on a product without deciding to shut the product down.

So enough about the finances. Let’s talk about two other things that kept me away from the program, and will keep me away from crying of its death.

‘Republicans Buy Sneakers, Too’

You cannot hate an audience repeatedly, then expect the very audience you hate to watch your program. Especially…on CBS; sure, the news division has always been Left-leaning, but it’s not known as “The Old People’s Network” for nothing. Shows like Blue Bloods could not have found an audience on any other mainstream network.

Yet, there was Colbert continuing to thumb his nose — “SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER!” — at 50% of his potential viewers.

Continuing to have only guests that appeared to be pre-approved by the Democratic National Committe cemented his fate not as an entertainer or a comedian — meh at the first, not passable as the second — but as a champion of The Narrative. And that he excelled at. Less about speaking truth to power, and more about shouting with a megaphone in an echo chamber.

In fact, he so alienated half of the potential audience that he opened the door for Fox News to put its muscle behind Gutfeld! — which first launched on weekends in 2015, then made the leap to 11 p.m. Eastern in 2021 — and that muscle led to Gutfeld! doubling The Late Show‘s ratings on some weeks (3.3-3.5 million vs. 1.5 to 2.3 million).

It’s an own goal.

The Other Thing: LARPing as a Catholic

The above tweet and video is rather illuminating. Stephen’s religious views are between he and God, but I find it incredibly odd that, given an opportunity to share his faith, he…didn’t.

This is someone who met with Pope Francis at the Vatican last year, and has often professed to be a Catholic. Fine, but…well, not fine.

He probably didn’t want, again, to do anything that was counter to The Narrative.

Fare Thee Well, Late Show

Unlike David Letterman, whose CBS run was great until it, too, went too-far-Left for half of its potential audience, Colbert never had any of the irony or the sensibility — or the music: let’s face it, Paul Shaffer’s work as Music Director won’t be matched, and Paul was the reason Dave had the best musical guests in history — and was actually gravitas-negative.

It’s like the startup that built the cool offices, kept raising money, didn’t focus on the product, and now must shut down.

The post Requiem For A Show appeared first on Area 224 Ltd..

Alas, they’re here and I plan on using them.

Much has been said about the benefits of writing things down; I’ve talked about it on my Substack before — December 6, 2025 edition of The Saturday List — and I even shared a screengrab from a Scientific American article on the same subject.

(Yes, I’ve wondered if I’m related to either of the authors; No, I’m not sure how two folks with Low Country last names ended in in Norway.)

It used to be easier to be “the guy with the notebook” because you didn’t stand out. Now, you bring a notebook to a meeting or you have one at the coffee shop and people wonder about you.

Turns out, I’m somewhat high in Conscientiousness, one of the Big Five Personality Traits.

The Big Five

Psychologists use the Big Five Personality Traits to help figure people out. You can use the word “OCEAN” to remember them:

• Openness
• Conscientiousness
• Extroversion
• Agreeableness
• Neuroticism

We’re all somewhere from 1 to 100 on each and that’s part of what makes each of us unique. And once you understand where you are on each, you can have a better idea of where you might be able to grow.

I mentioned above that I’m somewhat high in Conscientiousness, so a using those notebooks with a plan (more on that below) is something I do pretty often; I’m also somewhat high in Neuroticism. (I need paper and pen sitting nearby to write lists down.) Note that both can explain the fact that I am almost never late for meetings. (Unless my gallbladder is being removed; even though I sent a note and asked to move that particular job interview, I ended up being removed from consideration. Oh well.)

And, I’m pretty high in Openness, so I’m — get this! — open to new experiences. I’m (allegedly) imaginative, and adventurous, and creative!

Understanding WHAT makes you tick and HOW you tick are both pretty important. Here’s more…

Taking Notes? Journaling? Writing An Actual Book?

A couple months ago, I sat down with Megy Karydes for my Podcast, The Vandy Program. The full interview is below and Megy actually wrote a book that helps you minimize stress in your life, called 50 Ways to More Calm, Less Stress.

ONE of those 50 ways — and one that she religiously follows — is daily journaling. That’s right, setting aside time in the morning with your coffee (or tea) and making it a ritual.

It doesn’t have to be formal; it could be venting, or it could be making lists of things that are on your mind. Or poetry. Anything. But make it a ritual and, behold, you’re in Growth Mode.

One reason I ordered three notebooks of my own is that I’ve got one for Personal and one for Business. And the extra one is in case I come up with another Big Idea (for a book or something else). (Or if I exhaust the Personal or Business one and find myself needing to rip one open because I can’t wait.) But I’m the type of person who can benefit from daily journaling, and from taking notes when I watch videos or am reading an interesting book or article.

All Five Traits and Your Learning Style

So if I’m open to new experiences, and I’m conscientious and a little neurotic — in a good way, I promise! — what does that say about Activating Growth Mode?

Well, you can’t be High in all five traits, so there’s got to be a little give and take.

Take a gander at the photo below of the books that are on my nightstand.

I’m definitely open to new things, and like to read and make a habit of it AND take lots of notes, so High in Openness and Medium-to-High in both Conscientiousness and Neuroticism.

That means that I might be…less agreeable about points of view. (Honestly, I’m probably right in the middle on Agreeableness. Depends on the situation.) So that’s a place where I need to grow. AND I’m definitely an introvert, so Extraversion would be a low score for me. Assignments: get out of my shell and challenge my assumptions.

Is ‘Growth Mode’ Just ‘Learning Mode’ In Disguise?

One advantage of hosting a podcast is the ability to learn from a variety of people. About a variety of topics. (I know, I know…”Pick a Lane!”) Reaching out to people and then having them say “yes, I’ll go on your show” is actually a bit of a thrill…THEN doing more research on who they are and what they do and what makes them tick is quite fun. (Working on increasing the Extroversion score and moderating my Agreeableness so that it’s situationally appropriate.)

FINALLY, once I’m sitting down with the guest, the discussion can open up a whole host of possibilities. (I guess my job as the interviewer is to help guide the discussion in the right direction; and if *I* learn something new about the topic, then, hopefully, the viewer or listener will, too.)

A Couple Examples

My friend Jennifer Brown is a two-time guest on the pod; I find I always learn something about people when I speak with her. “Canadian Steve” teaches me something about Canada and how they view Americans each time I speak with him. (Links to recent episodes with both are below.)

So This Post Is About…What?

No, I’m not just here to post about my podcast or my “High in Openness” personality.

I’m here to, hopefully, ask you to figure out how to maximize Growth Mode for yourself.

Are you open to new experiences? If not, you are possibly higher in another personality trait; your conscientiousness might mean you’re the type of person who could sit down with a guitar, fire up some online lessons, and become kinda self-taught in an afternoon.

OR you might have the “High in Neuroticism” trait — again, Neuroticism is not *necessarily* a bad thing — that could make you the type of person who could get the temperature conditions exactly right in your home kitchen to make a perfect loaf of fresh bread.

In any event, keep at it. Whatever “it” is…

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