Business on the Brink

Something's Rotten in Gotham City Jan 27, 2021

Adaptations are rarely 100% accurate to their source material, but where is the line between adaptation and a completely new story with the same old name? Jonathan and Ariel discuss when a story isn't the story it says it is.Then we adapt two very unlikely stories of our own.

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It's all Fun and Games until Someone Loses a Side Quest Jan 13, 2021

Video game stories keep getting longer and more involved. Is there a point when a video game has too much content, too many quests, and to vast a world? The sidequest burnout is real. Then we create a glitch in The Mushroom Kingdom.

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Goonies of the Galaxy Jan 12, 2021

It's the new year, when we think back fondly on our favorite things and anticipate upcoming geekery. We chat about how we are starting off the new year, talk about future news and futuristic jobs, and discuss how our favorite things don't always hold up to the test of time aka the Goonies Effect.

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Nostalgia Ain't What It used to Be Jan 05, 2021

There are a ton of properties coming out that are trading on our nostalgia for decades past. And with 2020 being the way it was, who could blame us for loving them? Jonathan and Ariel explore when nostalgia works and when it's a crutch.

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Dune You Forget About Me Dec 21, 2020

The pandemic threw a monkey wrench into movie studio plans. We look at which movies have been delayed, which one is coming out earlier than expected, and how streaming is causing an existential crisis for movie theaters.

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Business on the Brink Dec 09, 2019

It's the final episode of Business on the Brink (at least for now). Ariel and Jonathan give a behind the scenes look on how the show came to be and how they put together each episode.

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Thomas Cook Dec 02, 2019

In late 2019, a travel company in the UK went belly-up overnight, stranding thousands of people who were in the middle of a vacation. Find out about the history of Thomas Cook and how its demise was no holiday.

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Little Caesar's Nov 25, 2019

This pizza pizza chain made its name with ready-made pizzas for a super low price. But a change in marketing contributed to plunging sales. What happened to Little Caesar?

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Pixar Nov 18, 2019

Pixar got its start as a division of Lucasfilm's Industrial Light and Magic before splitting off under the guidance of none other than Steve Jobs of Apple fame. How did this company known for building specialty computer systems become a juggernaut in the computer animation industry?

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Bed Bath & Beyond Nov 11, 2019

Bed Bath & Beyond has been through its share of ups and downs over its nearly 50 years of history. How many ups and downs? Well, the CEO of the company changed between the time this show was recorded and when it was published! Mary Winston has stepped aside for Mark Tritton.

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Anchor Hocking Nov 04, 2019

Just after the turn of the 20th century, a man named Isaac Jacob Collins built a glassware factory. A century (and several owners) later, Anchor Hocking has become a name brand in glass products.

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Reese's Pieces Oct 28, 2019

A little alien who wanted to phone home proved to be a big win for a candy product from Hershey's and it launched an era of product placement in film. But what's the story behind the name Reese's anyway?

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The Fall of Commodore Oct 21, 2019

Once one of the top personal computer companies in North America, the company Commodore had a major fall. What happened?

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Accidental Inventions Oct 14, 2019

Sometimes, all you have to do to avoid the brink of disaster is to pivot and turn your mistakes into opportunities. This episode is dedicated to three such stories.

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The Highs and Lows of SkyMall Oct 07, 2019

Where else can you go when you need a desk that doubles as a Ping Pong table? No where! You go to SkyMall Magazine, and you like it! But what sent the once omnipresent magazine of the skies into a free fall?

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Lisa Frank: Not All Unicorns and Rainbows Sep 30, 2019

We're going back to the days of colorful Trapper Keepers for this one! Lisa Frank is a person and a company, known mostly for colorful designs on school supplies. But for every shiny rainbow, there's a dark cloud.

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How Best Buy Survived the Amazon Sep 23, 2019

Formed in the wake of a tornado, the story behind Best Buy has plenty of twist(er)s. How did this retail chain survive the digital age when so many other box stores went under?

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RCA Goes Off The Air Sep 16, 2019

It once dominated the communications and broadcasting industries in the United States, but by 1986 it would be reduced to a name brand. What the heck happened with RCA?

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The Rise of RCA Sep 09, 2019

Normally, the US government swoops in to bust up monopolies. But after World War I, it did the opposite. How did RCA come to be?

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Vlasic Gets Into a Pickle Sep 02, 2019

A side hustle for a creamery turned into a major business, but after climbing the top of the pickle heap Vlasic found itself in trouble. What happened?

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TSR Falls Under the Spell of Wizards of the Coast Aug 26, 2019

In the wake of banishing founder Gary Gygax, TSR found itself in trouble. How did an upstart gaming company called Wizards of the Coast swoop in to rescue the proverbial damsel in distress?

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Seeking Treasure in Dungeons and Dragons Aug 19, 2019

In the 1970s, a company called TSR, formed by wargaming enthusiasts, published a genre-defining game called Dungeons and Dragons. But the story of the company might be more legendary than any fantasy quest.

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Oprah Winfrey and the Uncertain Road to Success Aug 12, 2019

We all know her as an iconic television host, actor and producer, but Oprah Winfrey came from a difficult background and overcame many hardships to achieve success.

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Parting the Curtain on United Artists Aug 05, 2019

A group of filmmakers joined together to create the United Artists studio at the dawn of the age of cinema. How did an ambitious film lead to the studio's downfall?

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Chilling Out with the Coolest Cooler Jul 29, 2019

A Kickstarter campaign with a $50,000 goal to fund a beverage cooler with lots of bonus features topped 13 million, so why does the Coolest Cooler end up on so many crowdfunding failure lists?

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Business On The Brink Takes You Out to Steak and Ale Jul 22, 2019

Where do you go when you want a steak dinner for an affordable price without all the fancy restaurant trappings? It used to be a place called Steak and Ale. Whatever happened to that chain?

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The Brink Without Borders Jul 15, 2019

Once upon a time, the Borders bookstore chain was the biggest story in the industry. But in 2011, the company would go out of business and that's all she wrote. We look at what happened.

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Feeling Lost inside RadioShack Jul 08, 2019

It began as a shop catering to hobbyists and grew into an enormous chain of electronics stores. But despite numerous efforts to stay relevant (including a ridiculed rebranding), RadioShack found itself on the brink of disaster.

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The Brink Braves the Blizzard and Explores Wendy's Jul 01, 2019

Dave Thomas took a small fortune he earned working with KFC restaurants to found his own hamburger chain, growing it to compete against the likes of McDonald's and Burger King. Ariel and Jonathan ask the immortal question, "Where's the beef?"

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The Brink Plays Games With Sega Jun 24, 2019

It was once a powerful video game company that many thought would challenge Nintendo for dominance. So what happened to Sega to make it fall so far?

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The Brink Looks at Disney's Folly Jun 17, 2019

After establishing an animation studio, Walt Disney faced a new challenge: how to stay relevant in a world where short-form animation was getting less profitable? His solution was to do something his contemporaries said would be impossible -- make the world's first feature-length animated film.

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The Founding of the Mouse House Jun 10, 2019

The Brink looks at how Walt Disney, through inspiration, determination and just plain stubbornness was able to found an animation studio despite numerous challenges.

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The Brink Calls an Uber Jun 03, 2019

The ride hailing service was on the verge of heading to the scrap heap in the wake of some seriously questionable decisions and toxic corporate culture. This is the story of how things got so bad and how new corporate leadership is working on a major course correction.

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The Brink Enjoys a Clearly Canadian Beverage May 28, 2019

Between soda pop and sparkling water, there was Clearly Canadian, a collection of fruit-flavored drinks that created a new market. But it's one thing to invent a new category and another entirely to hold onto market share.

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Can You Picture That? Kodak on the Brink. May 20, 2019

Kodak was the leader in consumer photography for decades, but the rise of digital cameras would shake the company to its core. This is the story of how the company that invented digital cameras was almost destroyed by them.

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How Marvel Survived Certain Doom May 13, 2019

As the popularity of comic books waned, Marvel was in trouble. The company might have gone out of business entirely. But the efforts of some dedicated employees along with a big boost from Disney would change things forever.

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The Brink Marvels at, uh, Marvel May 06, 2019

Today, Marvel is known for breaking global box office records with blockbuster films. But this multibillion dollar company first got its start from much more humble beginnings. How did Marvel establish itself?

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When Startups Go Wrong: The Origin of Theranos Apr 29, 2019

In 2003, a Stanford drop-out named Elizabeth Holmes started a company with a grand vision of disrupting the clinical diagnostic industry. She sold the idea of democratized healthcare results to investors. Now she just had to make the tech work.

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Nintendo Plays its Cards Right Apr 22, 2019

What started out as a company that made playing cards grew into a global powerhouse in video games. But along the way, this same company made a lot of mistakes, from taxi services to "love hotels." This is Nintendo!

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The Brink Books a Room at the Hilton Apr 15, 2019

Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton hotels, took a lot of risks while building his empire. Despite numerous setbacks and challenges, he was able to forge a powerful company and establish hundreds of hotels across the world.

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This is CBS! (On The Brink) Apr 08, 2019

In the 1990s, CBS was on a roller coaster. The TV network went from first to worst, leading to a buyout and a big change in programming. How did CBS navigate the difficult transition and emerge as America's most watched network?

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The Brink Places an Order at Starbucks Apr 01, 2019

There's probably a location within an easy walk of where you are, but how did Starbucks become the omnipresent coffee shop? We look at the history of this famous chain.

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The Brink Gets Preppy with J Crew Mar 25, 2019

The clothing brand associated with preppy kids established itself early on in the 1980s but found itself floundering after focusing on more high-priced products. This is the story of how a brand nearly priced itself out of the market.

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The Brink Toasts with Pabst Blue Ribbon Mar 18, 2019

Did the Pabst Blue Ribbon beer really win a blue ribbon prize at the Chicago World's Fair? And how did this award-winning brew become associated with cheap beer? How did hipsters revive and then abandon PBR?

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Millennials Killed the Brink Mar 11, 2019

Those pesky Millennials are at it again. From mayo to diamonds, they're just killing off industries left and right. Where did that idea come from and is it valid?

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Snacking on Rocky Mountain Chocolate Mar 04, 2019

After a move to Durango, Colorado, Frank Crail had a tough decision ahead of him. Should he open up a chocolate factory, or a car wash? Lucky for chocaholics, he picked the sweeter route.

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A Converse Conversation Feb 25, 2019

It started off as a galoshes company and evolved into a brand that for many years was an integral component of basketball in the US. We look at the lay ups and smack downs Converse has experienced since 1908.

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No Place for MySpace Feb 18, 2019

Once it was the king of social media platforms but these days MySpace is nearly forgotten. How did the company go from being on top of the world to a punchline?

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Xerox: Hoping to Copy Past Success Feb 11, 2019

This venerable company, whose trademarked name became the generic term for photocopiers, has been through a lot. We look at how some recent major changes have reshaped Xerox.

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Old Spice: Not Your Grandfather's Marketing Feb 04, 2019

The Old Spice brand was in danger of forever being associated with the idea of smelling like your grandpa. So how did an innovative ad campaign turn things around? I'm on a horse!

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Reservations About AirBnB Jan 28, 2019

The hospitality industry hasn't exactly been hospitable toward the upstart AirBnB, which aims to disrupt the hotel industry. This is the story of how the business went from concept to worldwide phenomenon.

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Lego: Not Another Brick in the Wall (Street) Jan 21, 2019

Before there were motion pictures, video games and countless licensed minifigs populating shelves across the world, there was a little toy company and a little wooden duck. We explore how Lego built a business brick by brick.

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How to Win: Consulting the Oracle Jan 14, 2019

Oracle was founded by three people but most of us only know about Larry Ellison. How did this college dropout become a billionaire while taking aim at the largest software company in the world?

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Amazon: From Bookseller to Billionaire Jan 07, 2019

When Jeff Bezos launched Amazon, one thing was certain: there was no way that business was going to make it. Now he's the richest man on Earth. How did that happen?

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Delta Pulls Out of a Dive Dec 31, 2018

From crop dusting to first class, we look at how a little company out of Macon, Georgia became one of the largest airlines in the world.

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Miracle at Macy's Dec 24, 2018

Macy's and Christmas go together like Santa and the end of the Thanksgiving Day Parade. But about 20 years ago, the company was in danger of falling apart. How did Macy's recover?

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Wrapping Up Toys R Us Dec 17, 2018

We don't want to grow up, but when Toys R Us declared bankruptcy we matured really quickly. How did this company synonymous with toy stores lose its way?

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Pebble Hits a Boulder Dec 10, 2018

A geeky smart watch company launched three of the five most successful Kickstarter campaigns in crowdfunding history. So how did Pebble lose its way to go out of business?

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The Brink Takes a Bite Out of Apple Dec 03, 2018

In a controversial decision, the CEO of Apple forced Steve Jobs out of the company he founded. Then everything fell apart. How did Jobs make a triumphant return to the company that had pushed him away?

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Sriracha Adds the Spice to Success Nov 26, 2018

How did a refugee build up a condiment empire? We explore the spicy story behind one of the most popular sauces on tabletops across the US.

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Harley Davidson Rides to War Nov 26, 2018

In the early 1900s, a dozen or so motorcycle companies popped up in the United States. By the end of World War II, only two remained. How did Harley Davidson survive?

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