Business on the Brink

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

Once one of the top personal computer companies in North America, the company Commodore had a major fall. What happened? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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?" Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

The Brink looks at how Walt Disney, through inspiration, determination and just plain stubbornness was able to found an animation studio despite numerous challenges.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers

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.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://news.iheart.com/podcast-advertisers