Controversy, frat house culture, viral moments — when you hear ‘Barstool Sports,’ this may be what comes to mind. But former CEO Erika Ayers Badan is here to tell you that the business model that made Barstool into an online cultural juggernaut is replicable and poised to re-shape the food and lifestyle industry. Ayers Badan shares with Rapid Response why she decided to make a dramatic career pivot — taking over Food52 — and why running Barstool was like “a heart attack every day.” She also explores lessons around cultivating a community of fans, and why as a leader, “no” is often a better answer than “yes.”Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL9BSpi1pFQSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

High-profile investor and entrepreneur Reid Hoffman discusses Silicon Valley's reaction to Kamala Harris's presidential bid, the divide in business leaders regarding Trump, and the importance of the rule of law in the election. He shares blitzscaling advice for the Harris campaign and explores the intersection between business and politics.

With Kamala Harris suddenly poised to become the Democratic presidential nominee, expectations have been turned on their head for voters, fundraisers, and the business world. Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to share what his sources have said behind the scenes about what drove Biden’s decision-making, the role of business leaders going forward, and how the Harris 2024 enterprise is going into startup mode.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBFc81mMnnISee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What do NBA fans want? A phone charger in every seat? This fall, the LA Clippers will welcome guests to their new home: the Intuit Dome. Team owner, Steve Ballmer, joins AT&T CEO John Stankey to talk with host Bob Safian about how tech can amplify the live, in-game experience. Screens, cameras, and mobile devices are an integral part of their vision, whether it’s replays or fan-cams or real-time data. Ballmer and Stankey are an engaging buddy act as they trade ideas about innovation, community, and forecasting what fans will want next.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqpWYp7X8hMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Summer’s not so hot at the movie theaters, and the same goes for streaming. Nothing’s come close to last year’s Barbie-Oppenheimer success, and Janice Min of entertainment news startup Ankler Media can’t say she’s surprised. Janice vets Hollywood’s offerings for the summer entertainment cycle, weighs in on deals from Paramount/Skydance to the astronomical price of NBA rights, and lays out the financial reality for media companies in an age of scrambling for everyone’s digital attention. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwK3FkAufU8See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Once upon a time, dating apps were distinct, each catering to a different demographic or lifestyle. Today they’ve blurred together, like an endless stream of swipes, deepening a trend of user burnout. In that struggling sea of love, Hinge stands out, continuing to grow and sustaining social relevance. Hinge’s founder and CEO Justin McLeod joins Rapid Response to explore the state of dating in 2024, how Hinge is experimenting with new features to target ghosting, and why he’s so excited about AI as a potential dating coach and as a tool for perfecting matchmaking. Plus, insider dating advice that applies to anyone seeking to improve their human connections.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8og1gLdFwL0See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With 346 events over 17 days at this summer’s Paris Olympics, how do we zero in on the most important events, storylines, and takeaways? CEO of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Sarah Hirshland, returns to Rapid Response to provide an insider’s guide, including a preview of Team USA’s strategy. Hirshland also talks about the latest Chinese doping scandal, how changes to the NCAA put the future of collegiate sport in jeopardy, and plans for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghWrVGAo_P0See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are excited to bring back one of our favorite episodes from the past year. In our attention economy, what does it take to capture the cultural zeitgeist? VaynerMedia’s Gary Vaynerchuk – or GaryVee – joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to preach the need for widespread empathy and fearless leadership, and he uncovers the secrets to his new platform’s unconventional scale. Plus, Vaynerchuk shares why he is the only person at his company with firing privileges, and why your happiness is worth fighting for above all else. In these trying times, it’s hard to not be inspired by Gary’s practical optimism.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL7xn-YwMkASee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The fashion world is at a sudden inflection point. Big luxury players are struggling, e-commerce markets are floundering, and ultra-fast players like Shein are disrupting. The Business of Fashion’s Imran Amed takes us inside the tumult, providing a framework to understand the trends and their larger economic impact. Plus: how manufacturers are adapting to new sustainability scrutiny, and the first year of Pharrell Williams’ tenure at Louis Vuitton. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V76MSWINFQ0See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The ocean is deep, dark, and largely overlooked in discussions of climate change. Philippe Cousteau Jr., grandson of the legendary ocean restorationist, inventor, and documentarian, Jacques Cousteau explains the immense impact of carbon in our seas. Cousteau joins Rapid Response to talk about missteps that plague the climate movement, lessons he learned from his grandfather that could reverse those errors, and why we need to leverage market dynamics to accelerate progress. Cousteau is a compelling storyteller, who balances pragmatism–about our fatigue over polar bears and coral reefs–with optimistic solutions to help us envision a better future for our planet.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DREyqun37bcSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.