How We Got Here with Chris Kohler https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere en Kohler Media Business history is wilder than you think.   Join finance journalist and digital storyteller, Chris Kohler, as he delves into the corporate moments that were too ridiculous to make up, but too important to ignore. The deals that collapsed empires. The decisions that accidentally built them. The scandals that still echo through every boardroom today. Tested and refined through millions of social media views, these are the stories that explain why modern business looks the way it does. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/fbe50ba2-8fc0-11f1-86bd-03f7b6d96fcf/image/837c68e092406a09efe2c97a203bcd44.jpeg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress How We Got Here with Chris Kohler https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere no episodic Kohler Media Business history is wilder than you think.   Join finance journalist and digital storyteller, Chris Kohler, as he delves into the corporate moments that were too ridiculous to make up, but too important to ignore. The deals that collapsed empires. The decisions that accidentally built them. The scandals that still echo through every boardroom today. Tested and refined through millions of social media views, these are the stories that explain why modern business looks the way it does. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Business history is wilder than you think.

 

Join finance journalist and digital storyteller, Chris Kohler, as he delves into the corporate moments that were too ridiculous to make up, but too important to ignore. The deals that collapsed empires. The decisions that accidentally built them. The scandals that still echo through every boardroom today. Tested and refined through millions of social media views, these are the stories that explain why modern business looks the way it does.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Kohler Media info+69e050876f0d582d7ae6a8f9@mg-eu.acast.com The Toxic Economy of Gaming https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/the-toxic-economy-of-gaming The video game industry makes more money than movies and music combined - and it got there by deploying the greatest hits of dark consumer psychology. Gambling, paywalls, and slowly but surely chiselling ownership out of the hands of their customers. It’s doing so well, in fact, that it’ll start growing outwards.&nbsp; This episode explores the origin of modern gaming and the moments that ensured it ended up being a sinkhole for money and frustration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 20:00:00 -0000 The Toxic Economy of Gaming full 1 8 Kohler Media <p>The video game industry makes more money than movies and music combined - and it got there by deploying the greatest hits of dark consumer psychology.</p><p>Gambling, paywalls, and slowly but surely chiselling ownership out of the hands of their customers. It’s doing so well, in fact, that it’ll start growing outwards.&nbsp;</p><p>This episode explores the origin of modern gaming and the moments that ensured it ended up being a sinkhole for money and frustration.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> The video game industry makes more money than movies and music combined - and it got there by deploying the greatest hits of dark consumer psychology. Gambling, paywalls, and slowly but surely chiselling ownership out of the hands of their customers. It’s doing so well, in fact, that it’ll start growing outwards.&nbsp; This episode explores the origin of modern gaming and the moments that ensured it ended up being a sinkhole for money and frustration. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. The video game industry makes more money than movies and music combined - and it got there by deploying the greatest hits of dark consumer psychology.

Gambling, paywalls, and slowly but surely chiselling ownership out of the hands of their customers. It’s doing so well, in fact, that it’ll start growing outwards. 

This episode explores the origin of modern gaming and the moments that ensured it ended up being a sinkhole for money and frustration.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 3005 no Why Are All Our Movies Ads Now? https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/why-are-all-our-movies-ads-now When we watch a movie we see 4-5 brands every 10 minutes. The advertising is hidden in plain sight and this episode goes looking for where and how that trick first came to Hollywood. E.T. and a bag of Reese's Pieces, Lois Lane chain smoking Marlboros, Happy Gilmore’s Subway t-shirts… and Jerry McGuire taking Reebok’s money and then screwing them over. All steps on the path to the situation audiences now find themselves in - marketing campaigns dressed up as movies. All that… plus a two truths and a lie with a twist - one "casual" mention in this very episode was a paid placement. Check out Cool Shirtz - https://shirtz.cool/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Mon, 13 Jul 2026 20:00:00 -0000 Why Are All Our Movies Ads Now? full 1 7 Kohler Media <p>When we watch a movie we see 4-5 brands every 10 minutes. The advertising is hidden in plain sight and this episode goes looking for where and how that trick first came to Hollywood.</p><br><p>E.T. and a bag of Reese's Pieces, Lois Lane chain smoking Marlboros, Happy Gilmore’s Subway t-shirts… and Jerry McGuire taking Reebok’s money and then screwing them over. All steps on the path to the situation audiences now find themselves in - marketing campaigns dressed up as movies.</p><br><p>All that… plus a two truths and a lie with a twist - one "casual" mention in this very episode was a paid placement.</p><br><p>Check out Cool Shirtz - https://shirtz.cool/</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> When we watch a movie we see 4-5 brands every 10 minutes. The advertising is hidden in plain sight and this episode goes looking for where and how that trick first came to Hollywood. E.T. and a bag of Reese's Pieces, Lois Lane chain smoking Marlboros, Happy Gilmore’s Subway t-shirts… and Jerry McGuire taking Reebok’s money and then screwing them over. All steps on the path to the situation audiences now find themselves in - marketing campaigns dressed up as movies. All that… plus a two truths and a lie with a twist - one "casual" mention in this very episode was a paid placement. Check out Cool Shirtz - https://shirtz.cool/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. When we watch a movie we see 4-5 brands every 10 minutes. The advertising is hidden in plain sight and this episode goes looking for where and how that trick first came to Hollywood.


E.T. and a bag of Reese's Pieces, Lois Lane chain smoking Marlboros, Happy Gilmore’s Subway t-shirts… and Jerry McGuire taking Reebok’s money and then screwing them over. All steps on the path to the situation audiences now find themselves in - marketing campaigns dressed up as movies.


All that… plus a two truths and a lie with a twist - one "casual" mention in this very episode was a paid placement.


Check out Cool Shirtz - https://shirtz.cool/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 3201 no Hang on... was Tupperware a pyramid scheme? https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/hang-on-was-tupperware-a-pyramid-scheme Tupperware is one of those words so common we forgot it's a brand. It's also one of the great untold business stories, with a pioneer who was deliberately erased from view. Did she design a pyramid scheme? Not really. There's more to it than that. This is the story of Brownie Wise... and what it costs to build something you don't own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:00:00 -0000 Hang on... was Tupperware a pyramid scheme? full 1 6 Kohler Media <p>Tupperware is one of those words so common we forgot it's a brand. It's also one of the great untold business stories, with a pioneer who was deliberately erased from view. </p><br><p>Did she design a pyramid scheme? Not really. </p><p>There's more to it than that.</p><br><p>This is the story of Brownie Wise... and what it costs to build something you don't own.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> Tupperware is one of those words so common we forgot it's a brand. It's also one of the great untold business stories, with a pioneer who was deliberately erased from view. Did she design a pyramid scheme? Not really. There's more to it than that. This is the story of Brownie Wise... and what it costs to build something you don't own. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Tupperware is one of those words so common we forgot it's a brand. It's also one of the great untold business stories, with a pioneer who was deliberately erased from view.


Did she design a pyramid scheme? Not really.

There's more to it than that.


This is the story of Brownie Wise... and what it costs to build something you don't own.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 2747 no Ryanair: How The Bad Guy Won https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/ryan A cheap flight… that ends up feeling expensive.&nbsp; This episode: how Ryanair and Michael O'Leary perfected drip pricing and made billions doing it.&nbsp; Removing olives, lukewarm off-brand soft drinks, expensive wheelchair hire… and the hardest two truths and a lie segment yet. 0:00 Intro 5:05 Two Truths & A Lie 7:10 The Industry That Counts Olives 11:00 Enter The Accountant 16:10 The Southwest Effect 21:55 O'Leary Takes The Controls 28:02 Since When Is A Wheelchair A Frill? 35:52 The Charge Sheet - And Why It Works 41:05 The Point Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Mon, 15 Jun 2026 20:00:00 -0000 Ryanair: How The Bad Guy Won full 1 5 Kohler Media <p>A cheap flight… that ends up feeling expensive.&nbsp;</p><p>This episode: how Ryanair and Michael O'Leary perfected drip pricing and made billions doing it.&nbsp;</p><p>Removing olives, lukewarm off-brand soft drinks, expensive wheelchair hire… and the hardest two truths and a lie segment yet.</p><br><p>0:00 Intro</p><p>5:05 Two Truths &amp; A Lie</p><p>7:10 The Industry That Counts Olives</p><p>11:00 Enter The Accountant</p><p>16:10 The Southwest Effect</p><p>21:55 O'Leary Takes The Controls</p><p>28:02 Since When Is A Wheelchair A Frill?</p><p>35:52 The Charge Sheet - And Why It Works</p><p>41:05 The Point</p><p><br></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> A cheap flight… that ends up feeling expensive.&nbsp; This episode: how Ryanair and Michael O'Leary perfected drip pricing and made billions doing it.&nbsp; Removing olives, lukewarm off-brand soft drinks, expensive wheelchair hire… and the hardest two truths and a lie segment yet. 0:00 Intro 5:05 Two Truths & A Lie 7:10 The Industry That Counts Olives 11:00 Enter The Accountant 16:10 The Southwest Effect 21:55 O'Leary Takes The Controls 28:02 Since When Is A Wheelchair A Frill? 35:52 The Charge Sheet - And Why It Works 41:05 The Point Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. A cheap flight… that ends up feeling expensive. 

This episode: how Ryanair and Michael O'Leary perfected drip pricing and made billions doing it. 

Removing olives, lukewarm off-brand soft drinks, expensive wheelchair hire… and the hardest two truths and a lie segment yet.


0:00 Intro

5:05 Two Truths & A Lie

7:10 The Industry That Counts Olives

11:00 Enter The Accountant

16:10 The Southwest Effect

21:55 O'Leary Takes The Controls

28:02 Since When Is A Wheelchair A Frill?

35:52 The Charge Sheet - And Why It Works

41:05 The Point


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 3026 no How Kodak Engineered Its Own Demise (Literally) https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/kodak Kodak didn’t make a mistake. The digital camera was invented in their own building but it was missing more than film. It was missing a business model. 0:00 Intro 3:15 Two Truths & A Lie 4:15 The Man Who Gave Everyone A Camera 15:40 Advertising Done To Perfection 23:06 Welcome Steve 35:25 The Point 39:15 The Ending 44:10 Two Truths & A lie Madmen Scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq3n2sJ43Hg&t=4s A Long Time In Finance w/ Steve Sasson - https://open.spotify.com/episode/407q6PT4umq9BVECyJsLhy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:00:00 -0000 How Kodak Engineered Its Own Demise (Literally) full 1 4 Kohler Media <p>Kodak didn’t make a mistake. The digital camera was invented in their own building but it was missing more than film. It was missing a business model.</p><br><p>0:00 Intro</p><p>3:15 Two Truths &amp; A Lie</p><p>4:15 The Man Who Gave Everyone A Camera</p><p>15:40 Advertising Done To Perfection</p><p>23:06 Welcome Steve</p><p>35:25 The Point</p><p>39:15 The Ending</p><p>44:10 Two Truths &amp; A lie</p><br><p><br></p><p>Madmen Scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq3n2sJ43Hg&amp;t=4s</p><br><p>A Long Time In Finance w/ Steve Sasson - https://open.spotify.com/episode/407q6PT4umq9BVECyJsLhy</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> Kodak didn’t make a mistake. The digital camera was invented in their own building but it was missing more than film. It was missing a business model. 0:00 Intro 3:15 Two Truths & A Lie 4:15 The Man Who Gave Everyone A Camera 15:40 Advertising Done To Perfection 23:06 Welcome Steve 35:25 The Point 39:15 The Ending 44:10 Two Truths & A lie Madmen Scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq3n2sJ43Hg&t=4s A Long Time In Finance w/ Steve Sasson - https://open.spotify.com/episode/407q6PT4umq9BVECyJsLhy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Kodak didn’t make a mistake. The digital camera was invented in their own building but it was missing more than film. It was missing a business model.


0:00 Intro

3:15 Two Truths & A Lie

4:15 The Man Who Gave Everyone A Camera

15:40 Advertising Done To Perfection

23:06 Welcome Steve

35:25 The Point

39:15 The Ending

44:10 Two Truths & A lie



Madmen Scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq3n2sJ43Hg&t=4s


A Long Time In Finance w/ Steve Sasson - https://open.spotify.com/episode/407q6PT4umq9BVECyJsLhy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 2921 no Kellogg’s: The Disturbing Reason Corn Flakes Exist https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/kellogs This episode contains adult topics and themes Ever wondered how the world's most popular cereal ended up in your breakfast bowl? The story behind Cornflakes is stranger than you'd think, meet John Harvey Kellogg, the man whose obsession with gut health and moral purity accidentally changed the way the world eats breakfast. 0:00 Intro 5:40 Two truths and a lie 7:30 The religious pipeline 10:40 Picking the doctor 13:35 The San 17:45 Gut Health 24:34 The anti masturbation crusade 29:41 The accidental invention 35:11 The rival next door 37:26 The brothers split 43:52 A note on more dark stuff 46:06 The end 50:42 Two truths and a lie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Mon, 18 May 2026 20:00:00 -0000 Kellogg’s: The Disturbing Reason Corn Flakes Exist full 1 3 Kohler Media Kellogs This episode contains adult topics and themes Ever wondered how the world's most popular cereal ended up in your breakfast bowl? The story behind Cornflakes is stranger than you'd think, meet John Harvey Kellogg, the man whose obsession with gut health and moral purity accidentally changed the way the world eats breakfast. 0:00 Intro 5:40 Two truths and a lie 7:30 The religious pipeline 10:40 Picking the doctor 13:35 The San 17:45 Gut Health 24:34 The anti masturbation crusade 29:41 The accidental invention 35:11 The rival next door 37:26 The brothers split 43:52 A note on more dark stuff 46:06 The end 50:42 Two truths and a lie Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This episode contains adult topics and themes


Ever wondered how the world's most popular cereal ended up in your breakfast bowl?

The story behind Cornflakes is stranger than you'd think, meet John Harvey Kellogg, the man whose obsession with gut health and moral purity accidentally changed the way the world eats breakfast.


0:00 Intro

5:40 Two truths and a lie

7:30 The religious pipeline

10:40 Picking the doctor

13:35 The San

17:45 Gut Health

24:34 The anti masturbation crusade

29:41 The accidental invention

35:11 The rival next door

37:26 The brothers split

43:52 A note on more dark stuff

46:06 The end

50:42 Two truths and a lie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 3308 yes Blockbuster blew $8 billion. We’re still paying for it https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/the-rise-and-fall-of-blockbuster A complete corporate disaster. Blockbuster stuffed up so badly that the world started walking down a path away from one-off payments and towards subscriptions. And the best part is, Blockbuster's demise was baked in from the start. It just grew so fast the problems were hard to see... for a few years. 0:00 Intro 9:10 The VCR 19:09 The War 24:42 Hello Rental Industry 28:15 Welcome To BlockBuster 36:00 Huizenga 40:27 Viacom Era 44:51 Injured By DVD 48:59 Enter The Wolf 50:43 The Collapse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Mon, 04 May 2026 20:00:00 -0000 Blockbuster blew $8 billion. We’re still paying for it full 1 2 Kohler Media Blockbuster A complete corporate disaster. Blockbuster stuffed up so badly that the world started walking down a path away from one-off payments and towards subscriptions. And the best part is, Blockbuster's demise was baked in from the start. It just grew so fast the problems were hard to see... for a few years. 0:00 Intro 9:10 The VCR 19:09 The War 24:42 Hello Rental Industry 28:15 Welcome To BlockBuster 36:00 Huizenga 40:27 Viacom Era 44:51 Injured By DVD 48:59 Enter The Wolf 50:43 The Collapse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. A complete corporate disaster.


Blockbuster stuffed up so badly that the world started walking down a path away from one-off payments and towards subscriptions. And the best part is, Blockbuster's demise was baked in from the start. It just grew so fast the problems were hard to see... for a few years.


0:00 Intro

9:10 The VCR

19:09 The War

24:42 Hello Rental Industry

28:15 Welcome To BlockBuster

36:00 Huizenga

40:27 Viacom Era

44:51 Injured By DVD

48:59 Enter The Wolf

50:43 The Collapse

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 3661 no How Nazi Brothers Changed Sports Marketing Forever https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/how-adidas-puma-changed-sports-marketing-forever-how-we-got Adidas vs. Puma. Two brothers. One town. A feud that changed sport forever. &nbsp; Adolf and Rudolf began as partners, cobbling shoes together in central Germany before a family fallout split them into bitter rivals. What followed was decades of corporate warfare, played out on the world's biggest stages, that transformed sports marketing into one of the most powerful industries of the 20th century. Howe We Got Here &nbsp; Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:00:00 -0000 How Nazi Brothers Changed Sports Marketing Forever full 1 1 Kohler Media Adidas VS Puma Adidas vs. Puma. Two brothers. One town. A feud that changed sport forever. &nbsp; Adolf and Rudolf began as partners, cobbling shoes together in central Germany before a family fallout split them into bitter rivals. What followed was decades of corporate warfare, played out on the world's biggest stages, that transformed sports marketing into one of the most powerful industries of the 20th century. Howe We Got Here &nbsp; Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Adidas vs. Puma. Two brothers. One town. A feud that changed sport forever.

 

Adolf and Rudolf began as partners, cobbling shoes together in central Germany before a family fallout split them into bitter rivals. What followed was decades of corporate warfare, played out on the world's biggest stages, that transformed sports marketing into one of the most powerful industries of the 20th century.


Howe We Got Here

 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 4266 no Introducing.... How We Got Here https://shows.acast.com/howwegothere/episodes/introducing-how-we-got-here Business history is wilder than you think. &nbsp; Join finance journalist and digital storyteller, Chris Kohler, as he delves into the corporate moments that were too ridiculous to make up, but too important to ignore. The deals that collapsed empires. The decisions that accidentally built them. The scandals that still echo through every boardroom today. Tested and refined through millions of social media views, these are the stories that explain why modern business looks the way it does. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:47:57 -0000 Introducing.... How We Got Here trailer Kohler Media <p>Business history is wilder than you think.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Join finance journalist and digital storyteller, Chris Kohler, as he delves into the corporate moments that were too ridiculous to make up, but too important to ignore. The deals that collapsed empires. The decisions that accidentally built them. The scandals that still echo through every boardroom today. Tested and refined through millions of social media views, these are the stories that explain why modern business looks the way it does.</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p> Business history is wilder than you think. &nbsp; Join finance journalist and digital storyteller, Chris Kohler, as he delves into the corporate moments that were too ridiculous to make up, but too important to ignore. The deals that collapsed empires. The decisions that accidentally built them. The scandals that still echo through every boardroom today. Tested and refined through millions of social media views, these are the stories that explain why modern business looks the way it does. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Business history is wilder than you think.

 

Join finance journalist and digital storyteller, Chris Kohler, as he delves into the corporate moments that were too ridiculous to make up, but too important to ignore. The deals that collapsed empires. The decisions that accidentally built them. The scandals that still echo through every boardroom today. Tested and refined through millions of social media views, these are the stories that explain why modern business looks the way it does.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> 20 no