
In this episode of Business News, hosts Ryan Alford and Chris Hansen delve into current business news. They discuss TikTok's potential $32 billion ad revenue, Southwest Airlines' controversial decision to charge for checked bags, and the evolving landscape of influencer marketing. The conversation also touches on Tesla's stock fluctuations, driven by Donald Trump's public support for Elon Musk, and the cryptocurrency market's sluggish response to recent positive news. The hosts emphasize the need for clear communication from leaders, particularly regarding economic policies and strategies, to alleviate public uncertainty and guide constituents through challenging times.
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This is right about now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast network production. We are the number one business show on the planet with over 1 million downloads a month. Taking the BS out of business for over 6 years in over 400 episodes. You ready to start snapping necks and cashing checks?
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Well, it starts right about now.
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Happy March 14th. What's up everyone? I had to start a little different today, Chris. You know, we start the show the same way every time. I feel like I'm, I hear myself. So happy March 14th, Friday day here on our business news of the week. What's up, Chris?
B
What's up bro? How you doing?
A
I'm good, man. Just going through these headlines. TikTok doing billions. We got southwest blowback. We've got Trump and Elon stirring it up with tariffs and who knows what else. And hey, inflation is not as bad as we thought. So now we see this damn stock market to get going and we'll get rolling. Those are some of the headlines we'll be talking about today. How say is you, Christopher?
B
I'm just kind of a laugh about your new intro. I didn't think about it, but you're right. I'm like every time we post one of those reels, I'm like every week Friday morning, there's, there's logic. 5:00am Ryan has tagged you in a reel. You know, first. Yeah. Wake up. Open it.
A
Yep.
B
Happy Friday. Good morning. No, everything's good, man.
A
I'm.
B
I can't believe we're halfway through March already. But I'll tell you what, I'm grateful daylight savings is over.
A
Yes. Oh, me too. It's just, it's kind of depressing when it's dark at 5:00. So hopefully everyone like get is caught up with that. I don't really have a hard problem with that one hour difference per se. I do feel like the Sunday feels a little shorter, but it's worth the hour change. And hey, it's just funny to me and I think by can relate. I know that it's for business and things, but your mindset changes on almost like my productivity.
B
Yeah.
A
Because I'll say this and look, I don't. I control most of my time. I'm an entrepreneur and I can come and go as I please. But like, I feel the pressure sometimes of like, okay, I know the wife and the kids are home. It's getting dark outside. It's time to go. Even if it's not necessarily I'm missing anything yet versus when it's still bright and sunny. You know, 5, 30, 6:00. I'm not stressing it. I'm getting more done. I know I can go home and get a couple things done around the house, you know, and so it's just funny how. And I even noticed it in Greenville, where we are, Greenville, South Carolina. People out more around the office around that time. I'm like, the light, the daylights just keeps people really. Yeah, it does. You could see it. You could feel it.
B
Yeah, there was. It was a lot more active yesterday in the evening, you know, than it typically was. I feel more productive myself, too. When it's dark at five, you just want to stay home. You don't want to get up and go to the gym and do anything else.
A
Yep. So we appreciate everyone for listening. You need to watch it on YouTube. You can see my. Chris and I were debating pre show my pinkish purplish. I'm getting ready for Easter. Trying to add more color here. Usually white, black in a standard. But I've got my, what you call it, moth or lavender. Lavender. My lavender shirt. You can only see this lavender if you're watching us on YouTube or on Spotify. So we do have the video. Joel, our producer, has set up the camera. Nice. I've got a new contraption here for the belt. It's shiny and glowing, you know, Got a new lens a little bit here. Chris, I got a camera closer to me, so.
B
Looking good, brother. Hey, that belt's looking big.
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Hey, hey, look. Number one in marketing, number four in all of business today, and number 48 in all podcasts in the U.S. there's over 2 million podcasts in the U.S. and we're number 48. Hey, we can't do it without you listening. So keep listening, reviewing, and tell your friends. Tell a friend, Tell a friend. You got to keep up with the news. And all of our great guests that we have on. We've had some killer guests lately. Hey, if you're a fan of business and what it takes to start, you know, your own company and the ins and outs. This episode we had this week with no Bake. Hey, it was about cookie dough, baby. Cookie dough? You kidding me? I was like, I get to talk about cookie dough and business and all this stuff. I got sent some cookie dough, Chris. That stuff's tasty. So we appreciate Jimmy from no Bake. He broke it down, literally. Talked about living in a van down by the river essentially to make it through to get to the other side. Him and his wife run the company. So if you want to know what it takes to run business today and taking your own, you know, control of your own life, making your own bets and all that. Jimmy Sexton, Great episode this week. Launched on Tuesday, but we've got the business news of this week and it's hard to like Chris, you know, these numbers are so staggering. We talk millions and billions all the time. It's a lot of damn money. But Tick Tock ad revenue could top 32 billion if, if it doesn't lose its biggest market. It's a big. It's a big. Yes, right, yeah, exactly.
B
If, yeah, it could top 32.
A
You're saying there's a chance. This is like dumb and dumber. It's like what are the chances of a guy like you and a girl like me getting together? About one in a million.
B
Yeah, yeah. So you're saying there's a chance.
A
Optimistic. It would be the title of this article. They say. What do they say? Hope's not a strategy. So I hope they can get it figured out. I don't think Trump's going to mess around. I think he's going to tell them, you know, sell or make a deal with somebody that I think there's going to be some fireworks as this comes down to the, to the deadline. That or we're going to have a lot of teeny boppers patrolling Washington with signs and petitioning the government crying on the Internet. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
B
I mean it's interesting because like it's saying here, obviously Meta stands to benefit the most if they're banned. And I'm interested to see because I mean, Meta's got a lot of power, right? They have a lot of political power. So I'm interested to see. I don't know why they wouldn't just maybe, you know, acquire TikTok like they did Instagram.
A
You know, you would think that Mark has floated that out there.
B
Yeah, yeah.
A
I mean he's got the capital probably to one of the few people or few companies on the planet. I mean, what if, what about Apple, man? Yeah, I mean Apple, you know, floundered with the iPhone, Apple buying Tick Tock. I mean you talk about like they're always, they're Google's their biggest competition, like in a lot of ways. Talking about be able to jump right to the head of the. I mean, I don't know why you wouldn't.
B
Because then that puts them into competition with Prime. Right now you've got Apple tv, they've got the media side already, but they don't have.
A
The streaming like user generated content. Funnel.
B
Right, right.
A
They don't have that. They, you know, Apple TV is great. The content's great. Play billions of dollars for really good actors to make really good content. It's sick. You know, I, it wouldn't be the craziest thing.
B
No.
A
So I don't, it doesn't seem very Tim Cook like, but not at all. Everything seems safe with him, including his outfits. It's. I don't know. There's little innovation.
B
Apple in the 90s when they had the really cool like Mac colored computers. You remember that?
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Yeah.
B
Desktops back. Steve Jobs is getting a little creative with it.
A
But let's make Apple great again. I mean, you know, look, I love their products. I have their phone and they're, it's steady and they're definitely in a mature phase of the brand. But man, just surprise and delight me a little bit, you know, like, I need surprise and delight, Chris. Like I'm, I'm, I'm with my electronics and the few things that I take joy in. Like let's. I need surprise and delight.
B
It's been a long time since Apple's wooed me with a new phone.
A
Tell you no, you got the debacle. That was the headgear. That was the, the, the Met.
B
The old days, man, when you went from flip to color to camera, it was like every time you're like innovation. Yeah. Straight up. Like now you could have music on it and take pictures. It was real. Every year or two you were actually getting a new tool.
A
It's so bad now that the innovation is turning it off. Like people, people detoxing.
B
Yeah. We're literally like, yo, like get me away from this thing.
A
Get me away from my phone. For, for five hours.
B
People are paying ten grand to go to Costa Rica for a week to not use their cell phone.
A
Yeah, exactly. So anyway, keep your eyes out. This TikTok thing is going to be interesting the next 60 days. I think fireworks are coming because it, it's funny. This is how the work, the news works because you boy, they bought, they bought like 60, 90 days, something like that. And it goes immediately to the back burner of the news. Right. Because. Oh that's. We'll bring that up. That, that clock's counting though. This is from our good friends at marketing dive. Chris found this one. I mean how cold brands like Croc, Southwest, the influencer, marketing evolving. It's so funny and interesting on some levels to me. Crystal number one. We know media is changing. We know how reaching people and having influence, you know, TV just Running a TV ad to audiences that aren't watching it, that are either fast forwarding or just not watching it all together doesn't work. But it's also interesting that, you know, like D2C brands have been crushing influencer marketing for like five, six, seven years now. The big brands are like, oh yeah, we gotta reach people with this influencer game. Like, no shit. Like, this is how you have influence, how you get scale. You gotta activate like real people doing user generated content. Or hey, go figure. Shameless. Plug get on podcasts. That's another form of user generated content by non celebrities. I mean, Chris and I are celebrities now in our own minds. But. But we weren't. And you. That. But in all seriousness, but this is new media. It's not. I mean, you call it influencer marketing, fine, but I just. It's just new media.
B
It's just like new media. Exactly.
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Yeah. And this is how, this is the content that people consume. This is what influences them. And there's that, the level of authenticity that comes with influencers, the right ones. And this is how you reach people.
B
Yeah, we got a bunch of new names for the same shit, right? Like, yeah, influence.
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Still media, still content. Right. It was content 30 years ago when we were watching Leave it to Beaver or whatever. That was the Andy Griffith Show. You had ads running on, on the TV or you had radio spots. Yeah, this, some of this media is not gone forever. But I'd even argue, you know, radio is being replaced in a lot of ways by streaming and podcasting, because people are listening to podcasts in the car, then they're watching it on their TV that they've, you know, put up on the screen from, you know, casting from YouTube or whatever. This is just how media is evolving and this is how you got to reach the audience. And these are like individual influencers are like different TV stations. Yeah, yeah, right.
B
Got a bunch of different actors. You don't have to pay, you know.
A
Yeah, you do. Some of those rates are getting up there pretty high, but it's not as high as Tom Cruise or, you know, Rosie O'Donnell. No, she might be affordable now, but she's doing music videos. Did you see that Tom McDonald music video that Rosie O'Donnell did?
B
Yeah. That's wild.
A
It's wild. Yeah. Dreads. Oh, that guy's a master marker himself. Yeah, he is. No matter what his messages are, which some of them I probably agree with. And then some of them like, all right, we're a little far out there, buddy.
B
Yeah.
A
But anyway, executive at south by Southwest. South by Southwest is going on today. Another conference that I haven't attended in 10 years. And I feel like, you know, some part of me, like, wants to be there, and then part of me is like, I don't know, like, I. There's a lot of influential people there that I. I like rubbing shoulders with and having dinner with and having that personal connection so that I appreciate. But in the. In the list of things to do, Chris, and the businesses to run, it's like, it's hard to find time for that, you know?
B
Yeah. You're gonna prioritize.
A
So hope everyone's having fun in Austin getting drunk. You're, you know, what time is it? Yeah, it's like we're recording this middle of the day. You're a little hungover at your next. At your third session. Right now you're wanting an afternoon beer. It's too early, but you might get one at lunch. Cocktail at lunch at the iHeartRadio tent. Those were the days. Those are the days. So, hey, you need to get into new media influencers, people in podcasting. If you. Hey, you want to learn more about podcasting, go to the radcast network dot com. Chris. We're up to 30 shows, dude. 30 shows and counting. We've added 22 shows this year, and a lot. It's in March. So if you want to learn more about joining the Radcast Network, growing your show, go to radcastnetwork.com helping people do what you should do. Generate great content, make money doing it, and grow. Elon Musk believes Doge will reach the goal of a trillion dollars in savings. Yeah, we've talked about this week after week, and I feel like, you know, he's been the punching bag of late. I mean, no one likes their jobs being taken. And the perception that, you know, getting into, I don't know, security issues and all that, I think that's sort of the excuse for how we can hate on. Look, why does everybody gotta have something to protest? Is it. Is it just. Is it just our nature? It's just what we are. Like, we, like, gotta hate this side, gotta hate that side, gotta hate this. Like, I admit that sometimes it's easy to sort of. Certain actions are just our lightning rods, but this sometimes just feels like, I gotta. I gotta protest something, right?
B
Well, it feels like just. It feels like this is a result of what the media does. They stoke a fire that's not even there. And if you're not someone that's aware enough to know you're getting played, watching the media. Right. You're just. It's a bunch of people reacting, I think. Right. Like, but I do think you have a lot of very upset people that just, you know, want to use their First Amendment rights, and that's completely fine.
A
But because, I mean, didn't you say the people down there in Miami, like, literally, like, with different signs, it's like, what rally are we at?
B
Yeah. So there's this protest. It was going viral, and everyone's saying, have you seen the protests? And no one has seen them. I haven't seen any. But there was, like, groups of people, but everyone's holding a different sign. It's like, one's like, we didn't vote for Elon, and the next one's like a BLM sign. The next one's an LGBTQ sign. So it just seems like everyone's protesting, but they're all protesting different things, which is, I don't know. Fine, I guess. You know, do your thing, bro.
A
I mean, here. These were the quotes from Elon, and I'd like to know, like, what issue do you take? What do you take issue with these quotes and what. What's attempting to be done? I'm just here trying to make the government more efficient, eliminate waste and fraud, and so far, we're making good progress. Actually, there have been many good audits done by inspector generals and by the Government Accountability Office. They just haven't been implemented. Nothing's been done. I think the GAO identified that there were 17 million dead people in the Social Security database several years ago. It's now 20 million. But we didn't do anything about it.
B
Which doesn't sound crazy to me.
A
No, I think that's probably 100 accurate.
B
But I think. I almost wonder if we're biased because we've been in business and you understand there's things you need to change that don't always change. Right. So. But I. That's why I'm trying to wonder, why is everyone so upset about this? Right? Like, shouldn't we be applauding, eliminating waste and fraud? I don't know. That's what I don't understand what the protesters are.
A
This is in the tactic book of complainers. If I can't complain, or about the actual, like, what we just read, what the goal of the. Of the way, of what you're trying to get done. If I can't complain about that, I complain about how you're going about getting that done. Because no one would, I think, reasonably argue, you know, like, no one Would argue with the goal of gaining efficiency with the federal government. If you are, you're just dumb. I think 9 out of 10 people would agree with that. But if I want to be contrarian and I don't like the person that's enacting it, then I. About the way they're doing it. This is in the playbook of politics.
B
The way they're doing it, which was. We don't like these young hackers in there doing.
A
Yeah.
B
Because they're how old he is.
A
He couldn't be a day over 22.
B
Security card. It's like that's the same guy that's serving you drinks, you know?
A
Yeah.
B
When you go out to dinner. All right, dude.
A
It's wild, man. Polit. Political playbook is if I, if I can't gain traction disagreeing with your goal, I then gain traction by bitching about the way you get it done and making hay out of that. Southwest Airlines will charge to check bags for the first time. You notice this, this is probably the biggest. Like in, in scouring the news, this hit my sort of Feed X Instagram was people bitching about this. Checking bag fee for the first time. Launch basic economy tickets. For the first time in 50 plus years. Southwest Airlines will charge for checked bags starting May 28th. The airline had previously used free checked bag as a major selling point. Elite frequent flyers and certain credit card holders will still get one or two free bags. The reason is there's pressure from the investors. They want to sell more seats, make more money, generate more revenue, higher operational costs and the need to increase revenue. I mean, you know, damn, it's a business. They're trying to make more money.
B
I'm curious to see what, what the fee is. I mean, I noticed even when I was at the airport a few weeks ago, it was with American. It's definitely more expensive to check a bag than it used to be.
A
Yeah.
B
Like it was like between 50 and 80 dollars. So as a business owner.
A
Right.
B
If I'm running the airline, that's an easy way to add on some extra revenue. And I know it's getting more expensive, but I don't know. I feel like Southwest, I don't think this is a good move for them because I think they had such a loyal cult following.
A
It feels like giving up potentially. I get the money. It's like 800 million in earnings this year. 1.7 billion, about 26. That's a lot of money, but at what cost? You're perceived as the low cost carrier for 50 years. And you've had it for 50 years. You better have the research to show that this isn't going to hurt. That's all. I'll say more, you know. Yeah, because you can make up 1.7 billion in fees. But is it. Are you reducing the. The top. The other number which is sales.
B
That's what I wonder. Because I feel like, I feel like Southwest has a strong brand following. Like the people that I know flies Southwest are loyal to Southwest. So I'm interested to see if this is going to affect that because they still have other perks. Like I know you can fly with your significant other after a certain amount of miles or it's reduced tickets and that's usually a good deal. So we will see.
A
This was after fair and schedule bags Fly free is cited as the number one issue in terms of why customers choose Southwest. That was July of 2024.
B
That's pretty strong data right there and everything. Yeah, I mean come on.
A
Dude says what's change is that we've come to realize that we need more revenue to cover our costs.
B
Oh, oh, that seems like a very dull statement. Well, yeah, it seems the other airlines are probably happy about it, you know and maybe. Yeah for us as a consumer, maybe it'll drive more competition for us.
A
Yeah, exactly. Tesla rebounds after Trump defends Musk and brings EVs to the White House. Tesla's shares dropped 15 on Monday due to weak sales and uncertainty. By Tuesday afternoon, the stocks had rebounded 5% after Donald Trump publicly defended Musk. Lots of defending on truth social. Trump called Musk, calling him a truly great American and accused a radical left of illegally boycotting Tesla. He announced he would buy a Tesla as a show of support.
B
One.
A
How many? Yeah, I gotta buy more than one. He could have. Should have made a cool billion on that. On the freaking sale of what? All the coins. The Trump coins?
B
Yeah, the meme coins.
A
Billion dollar Trump currency for crypto. Yep. So anyway it's a. It's the back and forth between Trump and Musk every week and the haters not liking things. Speaking of crypto, Chris, what's happening in the cryptos market?
B
It's down. Last week Trump did sign an executive order for a crypto strategic reserve. So that's.
A
I didn't see XRP was on that.
B
Xrp Solana, I believe Ethereum. And you would think that would, you know, the market up, but it did not. Everything's kind of low in along with the stock market so you know, it is what it is. Patience.
A
Any time to buy. Yeah. About to say I'd be buying that XRP. I. It's at like 2 bucks and I feel like, I don't know what the, how big the head room is. I just feel like it's $10 in a year or two.
B
Yeah. I mean, that's like Bitcoin's at like, I think 81. It was at 120. Right. It'll probably go to 250. So it's like really great time to buy. But, you know, that's not usually what people do. They follow the fear. So along with the market, it's a little slow, but I think there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes that we're probably trying to figure out. I mean, our whole economy.
A
Yeah. Franklin Templeton joins the XRP etf. Rush files preliminary application with the sec.
B
Yep. I mean, it's all indicators that this is clearly moving towards being part of the regular financial system.
A
What is the XRP news? What is it right now? We record this show a little bit early. So you never know. By the time you're hearing this, it could be up or down 8,000%, but like 7% today. 223. I'm, I'm gonna, I think I'm gonna go big on a second purchase here while it's. I'm buying the dip, baby. Buy the dip. You gotta buy the dip. Don't take a dip. Buy the dip. What a nasty habit that is.
B
You got to.
A
What else we got today?
B
Some tariffs.
A
Yeah. The tariff news is like, okay, everybody's retaliating every day. Yeah, every day. Canada's coming back. We have some guests on our other show talking about the tariff, tax and all this stuff that's happening between the countries. And I think everybody's kind of like, okay, I, I do feel like we're sort of getting to this point where Trump is going to have to start to kind of in game, explain, you know, like, what's the. What. I got it at first, but now we're dipping into like this territory where like this stuff's really enacting. So let's explained, you know, if there's some strategy. I know you can't give away your entire strategy, but at a certain point you're gonna have to start if, if some of this data, some of these things that have nothing to do with him, that are driving financial and they have to do with them. But you know what I'm saying, like, we're enacted, I mean, no inflation number, what, 65 days, 70 days into his presidency is 100% at his feet. You know, he just, his, his policies are not in play enough to both credit or hold against definitive every number yet. Yeah. However, the sentiment, he does have to sort of control with America and I think he's gonna have to start to sort of in game. Explain, what do you want? Okay, it's one thing to go, yeah, there'll be a little short term pain. Well, at a certain point, you're gonna have to explain what you anticipate happening and what you expect from your constituents. You know, how much pain, what's the pain tolerance? You know, like, I can, I can hold out for some uncle, but at a certain point, the hand breaks. Yeah, I totally agree.
B
That's the sentiment I feel. And people I talk to. Everyone was super happy when he got in. There's things being done, but no one knows what's going on because like you said, all we, I feel like we hear about is Tesla tariffs and it's like, all right, I can get on board with this if I know where we're headed. Yeah, what, what's the, like you said.
A
What'S the rallying cry?
B
Right. Tell me that this is going to drop interest rates, but explain why. Right. If that's our end goal, show me a little bit of the road map to get there without. And maybe that's what we all need to be kept in the dark. We know Trump's a negotiator. We know this is business at the end of the day, but I do feel this week many people have been like, yo, right, dude. And they're getting annoyed. Like, Trump needs to stop talking so much. What are they doing? And I think it's that we all need a little bit of reassurance right now. I think would be great.
A
Yeah, totally agree. It's just like, like, all right, give us the, give us the play. And, and not even like politically just to support them. To support them, but give all Americans kind of the all right, here's what you can expect. Here's where we're going with this because it's, it has ventured and again, being someone that generally supports the policies or for the majority supports the policies of that side right now I even get a little like, I'm trying to go down the court and I'm looking for the pass and I'm going to. Oh. But I don't know which way we're going a little bit. So I think we gotta call the play a little bit. What's. We've said what it is on some Level. But it's time to come back around. Because the last thing you want is the perception that it's throwing a bunch of darts and hope, seeing what sticks or just. Or that there's not a plan. I don't think that that's what's going on. Because I'm smart enough to know that a lot of smart people are pulling the right strings here.
B
Yeah.
A
But I do think we've got a sort of course correct or just course correct the. The country to know what to expect or what the goal is. Because I don't think ultimately being in a tariff war with every single ally we have is healthy. No, it doesn't feel like it.
B
No. And I think that's why, like, we're in the middle of the game right now. We're feeling the pain. It's like we're in halftime and we're not. We're not. We're not sure what's going to happen.
A
Yeah.
B
Because I think I'm confident.
A
The first. I'm confident, but I think the first 30 days, the, some of the. The benefits were so clear. It's. The messaging was clear.
B
Yeah.
A
I'm not as clear 30, 60 days later.
B
I agree.
A
But I will say the one thing I'm clear on, Chris, and that is the trading card market. I did see a statistic. The trading card. Card market in 2025 is up more than the stock market. So someone's gonna message me and say I'm full of on that. No, I didn't see a stock or something, an article that was about, you know, as a whole. I tell you what, Chris, here's what I know. I go into and, you know, now having kids that trade and do stuff. You go to the store, you're looking at the shells. Those shells are barren, man. Pokey. You want to talk about grown men fighting, go watch two grown men fight over a pack of Pokemon. That's a funny thing. I might start a YouTube channel on that. I'll go into. I'll go into Walmart and my kids are into the Pokemon and I do grab a couple packs here and there. But I'm not like, hoarding it or like getting, you know, stealing every box out of the store. But I'll go, because I'm going in there to look at football cards, baseball cards or something and. Or something else. But I'm looking at that because I'm into it now. And there'll be dudes like, you know, pulling back and forth on a pack almost like it's crazy. Have you have you seen people. Have you seen the.
B
I don't even know where they sell Pokemon cards. I've never even seen them in a store.
A
There are groups upon groups upon groups of the Pokemon fanatics.
B
People fight over a lot of things in Miami, but I haven't seen Pokemon cards in the middle of one of them yet. But I know there's somewhere it happens.
A
Yep. All I know is Tops released their newest football cards. Tops Finest. There's little guy here on this, on today. Look. Look how colorful that is, Chris. I mean, can you see that?
B
Send me a pack down here.
A
I know. Let's send you some. Hey, these things aren't cheap, man.
B
Need some Miami. Some Miami players.
A
I know. So we got this Tops hobby box. Tops Finest. Two autographs per box. I'm gonna open one pack like I've been doing on air for the drama. These are fun, Chris. You got, like, they've got more what they call insert cards than anything. So you got your favorite players and refractors and holograms and autos and all that. So you got to watch the YouTube to get the full effect here. These are just. I mean, I. I'm impressed as, like, a marketing guy. Like, the graphics and all this stuff. That'd be. How fun would that be if you're a graphic designer getting to work at, like, one of the companies and. And you're, like, getting to do sports cars, designing that. Joel's agreeing, so we'll go first. Top Pack. First pack. Magic here. Tops Finest. Appreciate our friends at Tops. Hey, appreciate me more if they start sending me some stuff, you know, like, send some stuff here. Let's see what we got here, Chris. Yeah, this is pretty much a banger box right here. Like, supposed to be all hits all day, those bbs. Yeah. Yeah, we'll see how it goes. Oh, look how beautiful that is. He not Ricardo. Oh, Tim Tebow is in the box. Who knew? You have to throw back. Mike Singletary, Ray Lewis, all these old school players. I think these are base cards. They do now. They tell you these are common cards. They just come out and tell you on the card. Oh, we got an auto. First box auto. And it's a player. John Hanahan. Hannah. John Hannah. I don't know who he is, Chris, but it's an auto autograph in the box. That's a real auto. That's not, like, just made up, Chris. That's, like, pen written. Ooh, Peyton Manning, the field Generals. Who knows? I don't know these cards well enough to know, like, oh, That's a number one, Chris. This one's out of 290. Dan Mojowski, the magic man. Who knows Peyton Manning. You know that is right.
B
Oh yeah. Kurt Warner, that's an old one.
A
Michael Hall Jr. Got some reflection going on here. It feels like it could be numbered. And that's a common okay. Roger Stallbach. I mean they throw it in the old school with the new school here, Chris. So.
B
So any hitters in there?
A
Yeah, that I don't really know. These are the players. Names aren't ringing a bell, but some of you got a numbered card and an auto that John Hannah strikes me as a if of all the autographs that you want out of the box, I'm not sure John Hannah is the highest on your list, but who knows? Yeah, exactly. We appreciate Tops for making cool cards. I mean this is definitely the. If you're an art lovers, this is the set, like complete like abstract, all kinds of stuff going on. Pretty cards. What's interesting to know is like Tops is getting the licensing back. If you look, the helmets don't have the actual symbols on them because they don't have the full license of the. Of the teams they've licensed with the players. It's strange. All the. All the licensing rules and sports cards. They got more things than you can keep up with. But Tops finest hobby box. Check them out. Got two. I got another. At least one more autograph in that box. So I'm hoping it's not another John Hannah, but I'm sure he was a great player in his day. There you go. It's fun. It's legalized gambling, Chris. Open in the pack. It's like a scratch card for kids.
B
Yep, straight up.
A
But they're fun. At least they're worth something. You're open something that has value back on the other end.
B
Hey, I'm. I'm still waiting to go back home and get my old collection out of my. My parents closet.
A
Hey, you got to get that thing. Send me some pictures of that. I can tell you if anything's worthy thing get in that. Market Movers. Market Movers.com. go see what your cards are worth. Hey, Chris, any final words here?
B
Everyone kick off your spring to a nice start. Spring has sprung.
A
Yes, it has. Hey got longer days. Time to make it happen. Get out there. Hey, it's. It's in your hands. We talk about the news, we can talk about all this stuff. We live in the greatest country in the world. Get out there and make it happen. It's all about numero Uno. Appreciate you, Chris. We appreciate everybody for listening. Go to ryanisright.com find the highlight clips, links to all this stuff and all these great sports cars we've been pulling out. Hey, a little fun here on the show. It's our show. Do whatever the fuck we want. We'll see you next time. Right about now, this has been Right about now with Ryan Alford, a Radcast network production. Visit ryanisright.com for full audio and video versions of the show or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities. Thanks for listening.
Right About Now with Ryan Alford: Business News Roundup Episode Summary
Release Date: March 14, 2025
In this episode of Right About Now with Ryan Alford, host Ryan Alford and co-host Chris Hansen delve into a variety of pressing business topics, blending insightful analysis with their signature humor and camaraderie. The episode covers significant developments in social media revenue, corporate strategies, cryptocurrency trends, and airline industry changes, all while offering listeners actionable insights and entertaining banter.
The episode kicks off with Ryan and Chris discussing the major headlines of the week, setting the stage for their in-depth conversations.
TikTok Revenue Surge: Ryan highlights TikTok's impressive ad revenue, projecting it could reach $32 billion if it retains its largest market. (02:11)
Ryan: “Tick Tock ad revenue could top 32 billion if it doesn't lose its biggest market.”
Tariff Tensions: The hosts mention ongoing tariff disputes involving high-profile figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk, anticipating potential political and economic repercussions.
Ryan: “We got Trump and Elon stirring it up with tariffs and who knows what else.”
Inflation and Stock Market: They note that inflation rates are stabilizing better than expected, contributing to a rebound in the stock market.
Chris: “Inflation is not as bad as we thought. So now we see this damn stock market to get going.”
Ryan and Chris delve deeper into TikTok's financial performance and the surrounding tariff conflicts.
TikTok's Financial Outlook: The discussion centers on TikTok's potential to surpass $32 billion in revenue, contingent on maintaining its dominant market position.
Ryan: “If it doesn't lose its biggest market…there's a big chance.”
Tariff Challenges: The conversation shifts to the complexities of tariff negotiations, with Trump and Musk playing pivotal roles. They speculate on possible outcomes and the impact on international trade dynamics.
Chris: “It's going to be some fireworks as this comes down to the deadline.”
The hosts analyze potential strategic moves by major tech companies in response to TikTok's success and regulatory pressures.
Meta's Strategic Position: Ryan speculates whether Meta (Facebook) might consider acquiring TikTok to consolidate its market presence, drawing parallels to past acquisitions like Instagram.
Ryan: “I don’t know why they wouldn't just maybe, you know, acquire TikTok like they did Instagram.”
Apple's Potential Acquisition: The discussion explores the possibility of Apple entering the social media space by acquiring TikTok, questioning the alignment with CEO Tim Cook's traditionally cautious innovation approach.
Chris: “Apple buying TikTok would put them into competition with Prime…It's not very Tim Cook like.”
Ryan and Chris navigate the transformation of influencer marketing into modern media consumption.
Influencer Marketing’s Growth: They highlight how Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands have effectively utilized influencer marketing over the past several years, emphasizing its role in authentic content creation and audience engagement.
Ryan: “It's just new media. It's the content that people consume. This is how it influences them.”
Comparison to Traditional Media: The hosts compare current influencer strategies to traditional TV and radio advertising, noting the shift towards more personalized and relatable content delivery.
Chris: “It's just like new media. Exactly.”
Ryan reminisces about attending the South by Southwest conference, reflecting on its significance for networking and industry insights.
Elon Musk's comments on Dogecoin and broader cryptocurrency trends take center stage in this segment.
Doge’s Trillion-Dollar Goal: Elon Musk's optimistic projection for Dogecoin sparks conversation about its viability and market potential.
Ryan: “Elon Musk believes Doge will reach the goal of a trillion dollars in savings.”
Market Dynamics: Despite regulatory strides, the cryptocurrency market remains volatile, with Ryan expressing confidence in long-term investments like XRP.
Chris: “It's a really great time to buy. But, you know, that's not usually what people do. They follow the fear.”
The hosts scrutinize the ongoing tariff wars and political maneuvers under President Trump's administration.
Impact of Tariffs: Ryan and Chris evaluate how escalating tariffs among allies could affect international relations and the broader economy.
Ryan: “We're enacting… this stuff's really enacting. So let's explain, you know, what's the strategy.”
Public Sentiment: They note the growing public frustration with unclear policy communications and the need for transparent governmental strategies.
Chris: “People need a little bit of reassurance right now. It would be great.”
Southwest Airlines' decision to start charging for checked bags marks a significant shift in their customer service model.
Revenue Strategy: The discussion highlights Southwest's move to introduce baggage fees as a response to investor pressure for increased revenue amid rising operational costs.
Ryan: “They say we need more revenue to cover our costs. That's all. I'll say more, you know.”
Customer Loyalty Concerns: The hosts express skepticism about the potential backlash from loyal customers who have long valued Southwest's free checked bags policy.
Chris: “I feel like Southwest has a strong brand following. I'm interested to see if this is going to affect that.”
A surprising yet engaging segment focuses on the resurgence of the trading card market, particularly Pokémon and football cards.
Trading Card Popularity: Ryan shares his experience with Tops Finest football cards, noting the intricate designs and the blend of vintage and contemporary player autographs.
Ryan: “These are fun. At least they're worth something. You open something that has value on the other end.”
Market Growth: The hosts reveal that the trading card market in 2025 has outpaced the stock market, indicating a robust interest among consumers and collectors.
Ryan: “The trading card market in 2025 is up more than the stock market.”
Wrapping up the episode, Ryan and Chris encourage listeners to embrace the new season with enthusiasm and take proactive steps in their business endeavors.
Spring Encouragement: The hosts motivate their audience to leverage longer days and renewed energy to achieve their goals.
Ryan: “Spring has sprung. Got longer days. Time to make it happen. Get out there. It's all about numero Uno.”
Closing Remarks: They express gratitude to their listeners and promote additional resources for those interested in podcasting and business growth.
Ryan: “We appreciate everybody for listening. Go to ryanisright.com for full audio and video versions of the show.”
Notable Quotes:
Ryan Alford (@RyanIsRight):
“Tick Tock ad revenue could top 32 billion if it doesn't lose its biggest market.” (02:11)
“We're making good progress. They just haven't been implemented.” (17:25)
“The trading card market in 2025 is up more than the stock market.” (30:44)
Chris Hansen (@rightaboutnowshow):
“Inflation is not as bad as we thought. So now we see this damn stock market to get going.” (02:11)
“It's just like new media. Exactly.” (11:15)
“I'm curious to see what the fee is.” (20:11)
This episode of Right About Now with Ryan Alford offers a comprehensive overview of current business trends and challenges, providing listeners with valuable perspectives on how to navigate the evolving economic landscape. Whether discussing the meteoric rise of TikTok, the intricacies of tariff negotiations, or the nostalgic allure of trading cards, Ryan and Chris deliver content that is both informative and entertaining.
For more insightful discussions and to stay updated with the latest in business news, visit www.RyanIsRight.com or follow @rightaboutnowshow and @ryanalford on Instagram.