This Week In Business History

Get into the holiday spirit with this classic edition of This Week in Business History. Listen as Kelly Barner takes listeners back to visit an era and a place mythologized by one of the most popular Christmas stories of all time: A Christmas Carol. The story, which was written by Charles Dickens and published in 1843, addresses a number of economic and social issues that not only marked the impact of the Industrial Revolution and emerging middle class, but how poverty was viewed and treated by society at the time.

In this episode of This Week in Business History, Scott is joined for a livestream with Unconventional Ventures’ Theodora Lau, as they discuss International Women’s Day, Mountain Dew, red wine, and so much more!

In this episode of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner shares the story behind Macy’s department stores, starting on the island of Nantucket in Massachusetts. Founder Rowland Hussey Macy’s life crossed past with many major historical milestones. He was a part of the Atlantic whaling boom, went west with the Gold Rush, and found his fortune in New York City. Despite many failures, he never stopped pushing.

In this LIVE episode of This Week in Business History, Scott Luton and Keith Singleton connected the dots of history while taking a journey down memory lane, shining a light on some of the most significant leaders, companies, innovations – and even lessons learned – from the week of August 15-19th. They shared stories about: • The origin story of Hardee’s Restaurants, and how the controlling share of the company was lost (and won) in a poker game • Which artist or band best exemplifies the ‘glory days’ of compact discs or CDs • How the use of mail order catalogs helped Sears expand their customer base • The lasting message (and timeless warning) of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’

In this special episode, Scott shares a message focused on one of his favorite topics: Good News. Listen in to learn about Joe Vlasic, Nichelle Nichols and a practical way that you can help those in need in Ukraine & the greater region.

In this episode of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner shares the story of Julia Child’s life, from military service to the first cooking show to be hosted by a woman. Most of us know so much about her show, The French Chef, that we don’t know anything else about her life’s journey – but it was as unpredictable as the rise of a novice’s souffle. She discovered cooking late in life and didn’t even graduate from cooking school until age 40, but her desire for adventure served her well.

In this crossover episode of This Week in Business History, Scott is joined by special guest Jenny Froome, COO of SAPICS, a leading provider of knowledge in supply chain management, production and operations in South Africa. Join the dynamic duo as they trace the origins of the hot dog, debate confectionery nomenclature (“hard candy” or “boiled sweets”?) and explore the success story of a little company you may have heard of called Intel. Jenny also shares the history and legacy of Nelson Mandela Day, held every July 18, and how 67 minutes could jump start the changes you wish to see around the world.

From the battle of tech titans to the first music video, Scott joins Rob Tiffany of Digital Insights to dive into the lasting legacy of five major historical moments in business history for August. Tune in to learn more about Digital Channels, the impact of Jenny Craig, David Robinson’s path to basketball and beyond, and more.

In this episode of This Week in Business History, Kelly Barner charts the perfection of champagne from the Abbeys of 17th century France to the heights of wealth and celebration today. Dom Perignon, Benedictine monk and champagne quality innovator is celebrated as having invented champagne on August 4th, 1693. And while this – and many other myths about the man have been debunked over time, his story and legacy are no less impressive.