

The Chad & Cheese Podcast
Evergreen Podcasts
Everything people and workforce—recruiting, marketing, technology, talent management, and workforce economics—delivered with biting sarcasm and unapologetic snark. Industry misfits Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman bring their no-holds-barred opinions to dissect news, trends, and the occasional dumpster fire. If you’re a hiring company, staffing firm, or vendor looking for insights (and a thick skin), these two won’t just tell you what’s happening—they’ll tell you why you’re probably doing it wrong. Buckle up, buttercup.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 30, 2025 • 37min
Sex Therapist Explains Coldplay-Gate
The boys welcome Tiffany Anton, a sex therapist, to discuss the implications of workplace relationships, particularly in light of a recent affair involving a CEO and an HR employee at a Coldplay concert.
Tiffany shares her insights on the dynamics of affairs, the power structures at play, and the societal shifts in understanding relationships. The conversation also touches on the challenges of modern dating, the role of platforms like OnlyFans in addressing loneliness, and the need for companies to rethink their policies on workplace romances.
Tiffany emphasizes the importance of emotional connection and the evolving nature of relationships in today's world.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Tiffany Anton
02:22 - The Coldplay Affair: A Therapist's Perspective
05:31 - Understanding Affairs: Causes and Consequences
08:26 - Power Dynamics in Workplace Relationships
11:29 - The Impact of Affairs on Company Culture
14:23 - Navigating Modern Relationships: A Societal Shift
17:11 - Dating in the Digital Age: Challenges and Insights
20:13 - The Role of OnlyFans in Addressing Loneliness
23:00 - Rethinking Workplace Relationships
26:11 - Future of Relationships: Hope and Challenges

Sep 26, 2025 • 1h 5min
Indeed Strips Agency Cash
This week, hosts Chad and Joel, joined by career guru J.T. and Emi, sling snark and wisdom like a comedy roast for the recruiting world. They dive into The Muse’s shady “acquisition” drama, where a LinkedIn post from an engineering honcho claims a buyout, but with zero press release or website proof, it smells more like a corporate ghosting than a deal—think two dinosaurs slow-dancing as meteors rain down.
The crew then skewers Trump’s H1B visa fee hike to $100,000, a move that lets tech titans like Google and Meta flex their fat wallets while startups choke, sending America’s “brain gain” packing to Canada and Europe.
J.T. drops a truth bomb: job security’s a myth, so job seekers better channel their inner influencer and monetize their skills on social media, because full-time gigs are fading faster than a bad Tinder date.
Meanwhile, Indeed’s playing mafia boss, slashing agency commissions and strong-arming them into direct-apply schemes, prompting Chad to call it “agency castration by 10,000 paper cuts.”
IBM’s AI saga gets a laugh—8,000 HR folks got the boot for a chatbot, only for the company to rehire for creative roles when AI couldn’t handle the human touch, proving even robots can’t fake empathy.
Finally, they tackle LinkedIn job scams, with losses skyrocketing from $90 million to $501 million in four years, blaming desperate job seekers, apathetic employers, and a government too busy to care. Chad’s three-legged stool metaphor—job seekers, employers, government—falls flat when all three are slacking.
Chapters00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Overview00:33 - Trump's Controversial Remarks on Europe01:58 - Chad's Return from Europe and Personal Reflections04:18 - Emerging Content Creators and the Knowledge Economy11:36 - Industry Ethics and Accountability15:26 - Celebrating Milestones and Upcoming Events19:36 - Industry Events and Networking Opportunities23:13 - The Muse Acquisition Controversy28:18 - The Impact of H1B Visa Changes34:24 - The Future of Work and Job Security37:11 - Indeed's Strategic Moves in Recruitment40:13 - The Agency Dilemma45:00 - The Evolution of Recruitment48:10 - AI's Role in Workforce Changes52:47 - Job Scams in a Tight Market

Sep 25, 2025 • 4min
Shredded: RefAssured, Dogwood Ventures, Appcast, Workfully, Shilling VC, & More
The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.

Sep 23, 2025 • 33min
Surprise! Work-Life Balance is Stressing You Out
Time management coach Elizabeth Grace Saunders discusses the complexities of flexible work schedules and their potential to lead to burnout.
She emphasizes the importance of defining personal boundaries, understanding emotional drivers, and the need for effective communication in both professional and personal relationships.
The conversation explores the cultural differences in work-life balance, the impact of remote work on productivity, and the necessity for employers to foster a supportive work environment that encourages employees to disconnect and recharge.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction to Time Management and Flexibility
01:43 - The Genesis of Flexibility and Burnout
04:52 - The Emotional Side of Time Management
08:34 - Defining 'Enough' in Work-Life Balance
10:52 - The Role of Employers in Work-Life Balance
12:40 - Flexibility vs. Productivity in the Workplace
18:03 - Cultural Differences in Work-Life Balance
21:29 - Societal Pressures and Burnout
28:27 - Navigating Relationship Dynamics in Remote Work

Sep 19, 2025 • 1h 10min
Workday Shopping Spree & iCIMS' Panic Buy
Buckle up for The Chad & Cheese Podcast, where Joel Cheesman, Chad Sowash, and Maureen Clough dive into HR’s wildest waves with their signature no-filter banter!
This episode tackles the HR tech consolidation frenzy: Workday’s $1.1B Sana acquisition, paired with recent Paradox and Flowise buys, signals a bold AI-driven strategy to streamline everything from sourcing to onboarding with a slick, unified dashboard. It might be Workday’s “peanut butter and jelly” integration but execution’s the key.
Meanwhile, iCIMS grabs Apli (or is it Aptly? Nobody knows! Not sure it matters) for frontline hiring, but it may be a desperate “last girl at the bar” move to keep up in the conversational AI race.
The crew also mourns layoffs: Fiverr’s 250 job cuts and ZipRecruiter’s axing of 80 in Israel, with Chad slamming Zip’s post-IPO pivot to a dud chatbot, Phil, and Mo decrying Fiverr’s dystopian AI push that kneecaps freelancers.
Gen Z’s “revenge quitting” and “great lock-in” trends spark debate—Mo and Chad urge caution, while Joel’s all “life’s tough, kids!”
Starbucks’ dress code drama (no Crocs, tattoos, or piercings!) ignites a fiery clash: Mo and Chad call it discriminatory nonsense, while Joel insists baristas can just take their hustle to Arby’s.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview08:10 Job Market Challenges for Older Workers11:15 Technology and the Future of Work18:46 Sneak Preview of Chicken Cock Whiskey HQ24:11 Acquisitions in the HR Software Sector29:44 Workday's Strategic Moves and Market Positioning35:00 The Future of Work and AI's Impact41:00 Industry Layoffs and AI Transformation51:25 Gen Z's Workplace Challenges and Trends59:18 Starbucks Dress Code Controversy

Sep 18, 2025 • 4min
Shredded: DianaHR, Workday, Sana, Fiverr, Pack, and ZipRecruiter
The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.

Sep 16, 2025 • 38min
AI Won’t Save Recruiting with Matt Charney
AI isn’t fairy dust you sprinkle on your ATS latte—it’s duct tape on 20-year-old tech, sold to you with a shiny new buzzword. Enter Matt Charney, the HR-tech cynic who’s seen it all: Monster, SmartRecruiters, Employer.com, and enough bad vendor decks to wallpaper Vegas.
In this episode, Charney calls BS on:
Vendors selling “AI” that’s really just 2003 automation in a new hoodie
HR’s obsession with “a seat at the table” (spoiler: the table’s cold, and nobody saved you a chair)
Why being “first to market” with AI is usually just a great way to bleed out on the cutting edge
And the hilarious reality of candidates getting rejection emails before they’ve even finished hitting submit
👉 Grab your bourbon, hold on to your recs, and hit play.

Sep 12, 2025 • 58min
OpenAI Takes Aim at Jobs : Indeed, LinkedIn Bring the Bots : BLS Chaos
In this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, with Chad Sowash sipping ouzo on a Greek beach, Joel Cheesman and guest J.T. O’Donnell dish out spicy takes on the workforce with their trademark snark.
They kick off with a riff on empathy—or lack thereof—in today’s rage-fueled world, joking that community resilience is basically folks bonding over Wi-Fi outages.
Corporate layoffs get a roasting, with job security shakier than a Jenga tower at a frat party, and fractional employment pitched as the future for those who love working three jobs to afford one coffee.
OpenAI’s shiny new job platform sparks eye-rolls, as they dunk on job boards so outdated they might as well be faxing resumes. AI’s role in job matching gets a nod, though they quip it’s less “perfect match” and more “swipe left on bad fits.”
Labor market woes are dissected, with job seekers facing hurdles higher than a toddler’s tantrum, and generational gripes about work sound like Boomers and Zoomers arguing over who gets the last slice of avocado toast. Economic data? They trust it about as much as a used car salesman’s handshake.
Indeed and LinkedIn’s AI tools get a playful cage match comparison, while Shaker and Radancy’s acquisition drama is served with a side of corporate soap opera. They wrap up cackling about autonomous vehicles, wondering if truck drivers will soon be replaced by robots who honk worse than your uncle at a tailgate.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Current Events
02:25 The State of Empathy and Rage
05:19 Shout Outs and Community Resilience
08:33 Corporate Layoffs and Job Security
11:22 The Future of Work and Fractional Employment
14:22 OpenAI's New Job Platform
17:06 Cynicism Towards Job Boards
20:11 OpenAI's Impact on Job Searching
27:16 AI in Job Matching and Job Seeker Education
29:06 Labor Market Insights and Economic Realities
30:50 Demographics of Job Seekers and Their Challenges
33:04 Generational Perspectives on Employment
35:19 Trust in Economic Data and Its Implications
36:29 AI Tools in Recruitment: Indeed vs. LinkedIn
46:52 Acquisitions in Recruitment Tech: Shaker vs. Radancy
53:57 The Future of Autonomous Vehicles and Job Displacement

Sep 11, 2025 • 8min
Shredded: OpenAI, Throxy, Velocity Global, Shaker Recruitment Marketing, exaqueo, Remuner, & More
The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.

Sep 9, 2025 • 32min
Scale Your Suck: Sackett on AI and Talent
Tim Sackett is back, and he’s not here to sugarcoat your broken recruiting process. From running a family staffing biz (yes, his mom started it—nepotism FTW) to launching the HR Tech 100 Fund, Sackett’s got opinions, and Chad & Cheese are here to poke the bear.
Inside this episode:
Why most HR tech still runs on vaporware and broken promises
The Sackett philosophy: If you suck at recruiting, AI just helps you suck faster
“Scale Your Suck” – his accidental book title that SHRM will never publish
Why recruiters might have 18 months before AI eats their lunch (and their jobs)
How execs keep saying “do more strategic work” when nobody knows WTF that actually means
The coming extinction-level event for recruiters who think “tallest dwarf” = top talent
This isn’t a kumbaya “AI will save us all” chat. It’s Sackett unplugged—equal parts brutal honesty, dad jokes, and career counseling for recruiters about to be replaced by bots that actually give candidates feedback.
Grab a stiff drink. Season 3 is here, and it’s coming for your job description.


