⌚ “Engagement Watch” — Rolex’s wedding win. Starbucks’ barista championship. Home Depot’s ICE raid.

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Engagement Watch" — Rolex’s Wedding Win. Starbucks’ Barista Championship. Home Depot’s ICE Raid

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Best One Yet
• Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell (Nick & Jack Studios)
• Description: A 20-minute pop-biz news podcast delivering three essential business stories daily with fresh perspectives. Perfect for pairing with your morning oatmeal.
• Episode: “Engagement Watch” — Rolex’s wedding win. Starbucks’ barista championship. Home Depot’s ICE raid.
• Release Date: June 13, 2025

---

1. Rolex’s Surge in Wedding Engagements

Overview: The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the unexpected surge in Rolex watch sales. Contrary to traditional expectations where Rolex is seen primarily as a luxury timepiece, there's a burgeoning trend of Rolex watches being used as engagement gifts for men.

Key Points:

• Sales Spike: Rolex watch sales saw a 160% increase in April, a figure that continued to rise even after trade tariffs with Switzerland were paused.
• New Product Launch: Rolex introduced the Land Dweller, a meticulously designed watch that took seven years and 16 patents to develop, priced starting at $15,000.
• Trend on Social Media: A viral TikTok trend showcases brides gifting Rolex watches to grooms instead of traditional rings, garnering over 1 million views in a week.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (00:48): “Rolex just launched a new watch that took them seven years to design.”
• Jack (08:12): “But our takeaway about Rolex is probably gonna shock you.”

Insights: Despite perceptions of exclusivity, Rolex manufactures 1.2 million watches annually, making it vastly more common than other luxury brands like Hermes or Ferrari. This manufactured scarcity showcases how perception can influence market dynamics, paralleling Rolex’s strategy to maintain an image of rarity while producing at scale.

Conclusion: Rolex's innovative marketing and product strategies have successfully redefined the brand's role in modern engagements, turning watches into cherished heirlooms and solidifying their presence in both luxury and sentimental markets.

---

2. Home Depot Faces Workforce Challenges Amid ICE Deportations

Overview: The second story examines the impact of intensified deportation efforts by ICE on American businesses, with a particular focus on Home Depot. The administration's goal to deport 3,000 individuals daily has led to significant workforce shortages in critical industries.

Key Points:

• Targeted Locations: ICE raids are focusing on places like Home Depot and 7-Eleven, leading to a 9% drop in Hispanic shoppers at Home Depot in Q1.
• Economic Implications: Unauthorized immigrants constitute 14% of construction workers and 10% of farm workers, roles that are hard to fill by native-born Americans.
• Business Impact: Home Depot is experiencing both customer and labor shortages, contributing to a 14% decline in their stock since the related earnings report.
• Government Admission: President Trump acknowledged the economic repercussions, noting that business owners are losing irreplaceable workers due to the stringent immigration policies.

Notable Quotes:

• Nick (10:23): “Business owners are losing, as he said, very good. Longtime workers who are almost impossible to replace.”
• Jack (13:06): “Because of these deportations, the price of new housing and the price of groceries could be under pressure.”

Insights: The deportations are not only a humanitarian and ethical issue but also pose substantial economic challenges. Industries like construction and agriculture heavily rely on unauthorized immigrants, making the labor market less flexible and increasing operational costs. The resulting scarcity can lead to higher prices for essential goods and services, exacerbating economic uncertainty.

Conclusion: Home Depot’s struggles exemplify the broader economic strain caused by aggressive immigration policies. The loss of a reliable workforce in pivotal sectors underscores the need for balanced immigration reforms that consider both security and economic stability.

---

3. Starbucks Innovates with Barista Championships and In-House Influencers

Overview: The final major story explores Starbucks' strategic initiatives to invigorate its brand amidst stock struggles and international market pressures. The company has launched the World Barista Championships and is pioneering the role of in-house influencers.

Key Points:

• World Barista Championships: Starbucks hosted a high-profile competition in Las Vegas, attracting 14,000 employees and crowning a Japanese barista as the champion out of 84,000 competitors.
• Winner’s Perk: The champion gains the opportunity to create a signature menu item, such as the “Blooming Yuzu Espresso,” enhancing brand creativity and consumer engagement.
• In-House Influencer Role: Starbucks is hiring full-time influencers to travel globally, experience Starbucks locations firsthand, and create authentic content. This role includes:
  • Responsibilities: Traveling to flagship stores like Reserve Cafe in Milan and new locations in Tokyo, documenting experiences.
  • Partnerships: Collaborations with Delta (airfare) and Marriott (hotels) ensure seamless travel logistics.
  • Content Ownership: All content produced remains Starbucks property, maximizing brand control and marketing reach.
• Job Appeal: This position offers a stable alternative to traditional influencer roles, providing a structured environment with corporate support, reducing the stress associated with freelance influencer work.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack (17:10): “The world Barista championships is the Super Bowl.”
• Nick (19:17): “Starbucks is inventing a new role in house influencer.”

Insights: Starbucks is leveraging competitive events and influencer marketing to maintain its market presence and innovate customer engagement. By institutionalizing influencer roles, Starbucks ensures a steady stream of high-quality, brand-aligned content, fostering a stronger connection with consumers and enhancing global brand consistency.

Conclusion: Through the World Barista Championships and the creation of in-house influencer positions, Starbucks is actively reshaping its brand strategy to address market challenges. These initiatives not only promote internal talent and global brand consistency but also set a precedent for other companies to follow in integrating influencers into their corporate structure.

---

Final Takeaways:

1. Rolex: The brand successfully blends perceived exclusivity with actual availability, transforming Rolex watches into modern engagement symbols while maintaining high sales volumes.
2. Home Depot & ICE Policies: Aggressive deportation strategies are detrimental to key industries, highlighting the intricate balance between immigration control and economic stability.
3. Starbucks: By hosting global competitions and institutionalizing influencer roles, Starbucks is innovating its marketing strategies to remain competitive and engage effectively with a modern audience.

Notable Final Quote:

• Nick (20:04): “So for Starbucks, their first in house influencer will capture coffee content. From the seed to the cappuccino.”

---

Conclusion: In this episode of "The Best One Yet," Nick and Jack provided insightful analyses of three pivotal business stories shaping today’s market landscape. From redefining luxury engagement gifts to navigating the economic impacts of immigration policies and pioneering innovative marketing roles, the hosts delivered a comprehensive overview tailored for both casual listeners and business enthusiasts alike.

Transcript

[Nick]

This is Nick, this is Jay. It is Friday, The Real Friday 13 June. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[Jack]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[Nick]

20,000 followers on Instagram. We are this close to 20,000 followers on Instagram.

[Jack]

Check us out if you are the 20,000th follower. Ooh. We'll hook you up with a free.

[Nick]

T Boy hat and then you're gonna look fantastic. But in the meantime, Jack, we got three wonderful stories for today's what is on the T boy?

[Jack]

For our first story, Rolex watch sales are suddenly surging and we found a few reasons why.

[Nick]

One of them. Women are buying men Rolex engagement watches. That's right, real thing.

[Jack]

Hey, Alex, I guess you missed the memo.

[Nick]

Third anniversary Rolex. We'll take it.

[Jack]

For our second story, ICE is in the headlines for ramping up deportations.

[Nick]

And one business and one industry is feeling it most. Home Depot HD is ground zero of Trump's immigration policy.

[Jack]

And our third and final story is Starbuck. Starbucks stock is struggling, so they just hosted the world Barista championships.

[Nick]

And Jack, what is Starbucks next big move?

[Jack]

They're hiring a full time in house influencer.

[Nick]

Check out this orange mocha frappuccino.

[Jack]

A first of its kind.

[Nick]

Yes, it is. But not the last but yetis before.

[Jack]

We hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[Nick]

What a mix of stories to go into the weekend with Jack.

[Jack]

No one has tracked more alternative recession indicators than.

[Nick]

And we have besties. You already know about the lipstick index and the men's undies theory.

[Jack]

We also track Botox, hair dye and brown bag lunches.

[Nick]

Not to mention Katy Perry concerts. All of them alternative recession indicators.

[Jack]

But here's the TaskRabbits.

[Nick]

That's right. Do more TaskRabbits mean a worse economy?

[Jack]

Maybe, because here's the news. TaskRabbit has experienced a 20% surge in people seeking gig work this year.

[Nick]

And remember, TaskRabbit is the platform that connects people with gig workers for hourly work jobs.

[Jack]

I just hired a TaskRabbit to stain my patio furniture.

[Nick]

I thought you chopped your own wood. I didn't know that.

[Jack]

I do not chop my own wood.

[Nick]

Okay, Is that not involved? I didn't even know you could stain that kind of thing.

[Jack]

It's teak wood. It's an investment.

[Nick]

I trust you on this one, Jack.

[Jack]

So here's the analysis. If TaskRabbit requests go up, that's actually a good sign for the economy.

[Nick]

That's right. Cause people would be spending money on their homes.

[Jack]

But if TaskRabbit is taskers go up, that's a worrisome sign about the economy.

[Nick]

It means people must be worried about.

[Jack]

Their income and they're trying to supplement their paycheck by staining my furniture.

[Nick]

Well, get this. Right now there are so many taskers that TaskRabbit had to start a wait list.

[Jack]

They don't want the market to become overwhelmed by people looking for work.

[Nick]

And now besties. We should point out this doesn't necessarily mean the R word recession.

[Jack]

After all, stocks are near all time highs.

[Nick]

But it does mean a little bit of economic uncertainty.

[Jack]

Something to keep your eye on Yetis. But is the Task Rabbit tipping point?

[Nick]

In the meantime, if anyone can help Jack set up that baby's bassinet, he's paying 40 bucks an hour.

[Jack]

Dude, I already set up the bassinet.

[Nick]

Let me tell you, I can't do that. I can't assemble it or unassemble it yet.

[Jack]

It's just an Allen wrench. It's just an Allen wrench.

[Nick]

Why would they name it after a person?

[Unknown]

Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet. But the best is the norm. Jack. Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50%. That's a fat tip. T bo city on your at Liz if you know, you know. Cause we read to go. We can't wait no more. So just start the show. Start the show.

[Nick]

First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

Monarch Money. All right.

[Nick]

Jack, can I tell you about my smh? What is that? It stands for my stupid money habit. You ready for this? I just realized I spent $412 last month on taxis.

[Jack]

Nick, that's a car payment.

[Nick]

I know. I could have probably just bought another car at this point.

[Jack]

Now Nick only realized how much he spent on Uber's Lyfts and Yellow Cabs. Thanks to Monarch Money.

[Nick]

Monarch. It isn't just a budgeting app. It is like a personal cfo.

[Jack]

Now I'm using Monarch Money too. My favorite part.

[Nick]

Yes, Jack.

[Jack]

I've actually retired my net worth spreadsheet. Seriously?

[Nick]

Really?

[Jack]

Because I have every single financial account I own linked to Monarch Money.

[Nick]

You can immediately see your net worth because Monarch Money refreshes all your account balances instantly.

[Jack]

So to help track and build your net worth, Monarch Money is offering 50% off your first year for listeners of this pod.

[Nick]

And it's not just us over A million households already use Monarch Money.

[Jack]

The Wall Street Journal already named it the best budgeting app of 2025. We're not even halfway through the year.

[Nick]

No, we're not. And I think I just spent $10 more dollars on a taxi. So besties get control of your overall finances with Monarch Money.

[Jack]

Even though Nick apparently can't use code.

[Nick]

T [e-mail] in your browser for half off your first year.

[Jack]

That's 50% off your first year. If you go to monarchmoney.com and you and use Code T boy. This podcast is sponsored by Northwestern Mutual.

[Nick]

Yetis. Lots of financial companies want to talk to you, but Northwestern Mutual wants to listen to you.

[Jack]

Some companies say they have all the answers, but Northwestern Mutual has better questions.

[Nick]

Yeah, the financial pros. They are going to ask you questions about your financial situation that honestly, you never asked yourself a big one.

[Jack]

What's your ideal retirement? It's half therapy session, half financial conversation, half therapy session.

[Nick]

Because that's how Northwestern Mutual designs a strategy that'll be uniquely yours. So come lie down on the couch. Find a better way to [e-mail] that's.

[Jack]

Nm.Com the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

[Nick]

For our first story, Rolex sales are surging right now for a whole bunch of unexpected and totally random reasons, like the Rolex engagement ring.

[Jack]

But there's one stat about Rolex that shocked us. Apparently, Rolexes are everywhere.

[Nick]

I feel awkward. I don't have one right now. But yetis. Let's start with some geographical context. Few countries are known for more things than the Swiss are. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

Fondue, chocolate, neutrality, and time. Including, yes, cuckoo clocks.

[Nick]

Absolutely. I went skydiving once, by the way, and my parents were not happy with it there.

[Jack]

I don't think that's a thing the Swiss are known for.

[Nick]

That's also a fair point, Jack. But funny phenomenon we noticed in April. Yetis used Rolex. Watch sales popped 160% in just a few weeks.

[Jack]

Why was Rolex, the Rolls Royce of your wrist, selling like Beanie Babies out of nowhere?

[Nick]

Well, Jack, the answer was trade war. Hoarding.

[Jack]

People were worried about tariffs, so they loaded up on a Rolex before they got terrified.

[Nick]

But besties. This is what Jack and I found fascinating. Even after the tariffs got paused on Switzerland, Rolex sales continued to spike because.

[Jack]

Rolex just launched a new watch that took them seven years to design.

[Nick]

Get this, it's called the Land Dweller. And Rolex actually filed sales 16 different patents to make it possible.

[Jack]

It starts at 15 grand. If you have one of these, are you wearing them or are you just leaving them in the safe?

[Nick]

I think it wears you, Jack. That's how it works with the new Rolex.

[Jack]

But the third Rolex headline nobody saw coming.

[Nick]

Rolex engagement rings.

[Jack]

Not rings. Well, they're rings. Cause they wrap around your wrist, I guess.

[Nick]

Yeah, yeah, I guess. They're Rolex watches. As engagement rings for dudes.

[Jack]

Get this. A new trend on TikTok is brides giving their grooms Rolexes before the wedding.

[Nick]

That's right. She gets a diamond ring, he gets a Rolex.

[Jack]

And let's just say Rolex is thrilled about this development.

[Nick]

Yeah, they are. Oh, also, you should be too. Cause if you're going to a wedding this weekend, we basically just gave you the icebreaker for your table.

[Jack]

On TikTok. One bride got down on one knee and opened up a box for her man, revealing a Rolex.

[Nick]

That bride's video got a million views over just the last week.

[Jack]

Financially, this trend makes sense.

[Nick]

It does. You know, like a diamond Rolex holds value. It's timeless. It's basically a 401k on your body.

[Jack]

And sentimentally, it makes sense too. You pass down a ring to your children, you can pass down a Rolex.

[Nick]

To your children, it becomes a family heirloom. And the more we're talking about this, Jack, I'm starting to think Alex may owe you an Omega at the very least.

[Jack]

But our takeaway about Rolex is probably gonna shock you. That's right, because it shocked Nick and me.

[Nick]

It did. Rolex is valuable, but it's not as rare as you'd realize. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our strapped on buddies over at Rolex?

[Jack]

Like, beauty, scarcity is in the eye of the beholder.

[Nick]

Okay, so yetis, how many watches do you think Rolex makes each year? I asked Jack that question before we started researching this story, and Jack guessed 50,000 Rolexes per year.

[Jack]

I was way off. They actually make 1.2 million Rolexes every year.

[Nick]

Yeah, that's true.

[Jack]

In fact, Rolex is one third of the whole Swiss watch industry by revenue. Besties.

[Nick]

What we're saying here is that Rolex ain't rare. Rolex is everywhere.

[Jack]

For context, Hermes makes 50,000 of their famous Birkin bags per year. So I was kind of on with my 50,000.

[Nick]

Right, but Rolex makes 20 times as many watches every year.

[Jack]

Ferrari makes only 15,000 cars a year. Rolex makes 80 times as many watches.

[Nick]

As we're saying it, Jack, it's almost like Rolex's business model is like a Porsche. It seems exclusive and rare, but it's really everywhere.

[Jack]

Maybe not everywhere, but fairly common.

[Nick]

And that's a reminder yetis that scarcity and exclusivity that can be manufactured and marketed.

[Jack]

Perception of scarcity. Scarcity can be just as powerful as actual scarcity.

[Nick]

Like beauty, scarcity is in the eye of the beholder. For our second story. As ICE deportations kick into high gear, American companies are already losing workers.

[Jack]

That's how Home Depot has become ground zero in Trump's immigration policy.

[Nick]

Now, yeti's last week, the attention in politics was on Trump's Elon breakup and criticism of his big, beautiful bill. As we told you, it was the the bro force.

[Jack]

This week, Trump and Elon made up.

[Nick]

Yes, they did.

[Jack]

And Trump successfully turned America's attention to something else. Immigration.

[Nick]

Immigration. It just happens to be a consistent political winner for the President.

[Jack]

Which leads to the news that his administration has reportedly set a quota to deport 3,000 people every day.

[Nick]

Now, to hit this 3,000 people a day deportation quota, Trump and his ICE agents have a strategy.

[Jack]

They're going to Home Depot and 7 11. Literally.

[Nick]

ICE agents are doing raids at places where immigrants gather or work. Home Depots and Seven Elevens, they're asking.

[Jack]

For papers, and if the people have no id, they're detaining them. And if they're determined unlawful, they're getting deported.

[Nick]

But yet, this is what made Jack and I jump in t boy style. This immigration story is rapidly becoming an economics and business story because unauthorized immigrants.

[Jack]

Are workers and deportation is already leading to work shortages.

[Nick]

In fact, back in February, Jack and I noticed this was already an issue in Home Depot's earnings call.

[Jack]

Home Depot got two questions from financial analysts back in February asking them about the impact of immigration policies on their business.

[Nick]

Wow. We also just got some wild data from Cantor research about what's happening right now. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

Home Depot has suffered a 9% drop in Hispanic shoppers in the first quarter. Yeah, they're staying at home to avoid interacting with authorities.

[Nick]

And now let's sprinkle on more context here, Jack. Of the 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants in America, many of them have been reliable workers for years.

[Jack]

And half of them pay taxes according to the tax policy setup.

[Nick]

I actually did not know that stat.

[Jack]

There's this alternative to the Social Security number that lots of unauthorized immigrants get in order to work. And they pay taxes hoping it increases their chances of getting citizenship someday.

[Nick]

Now, studies also show that jobs done by unauthorized immigrants are jobs that Native born Americans just don't want to do.

[Jack]

In many cases, we literally won't do them right. Like working in a field under the hot sun all day. That's something native born Americans have no interest in doing.

[Nick]

And even if American born Americans did want to do these jobs, we just simply don't have enough of them to actually do the jobs.

[Jack]

Here was a surprise twist. On Thursday, President Trump admitted the economic implications and the economic impact of his immigration policies in a post on Truce.

[Nick]

This was shocking. But Trump tweeted that business owners are losing, as he said, very good. Longtime workers who are almost impossible to replace.

[Jack]

Trump seems to hear the complaints of business and CEOs, but he's proceeding with his deportations anyway.

[Nick]

Now, Trump would say that he's gonna keep on deporting anyway because some of these individuals are criminals. Or maybe it is part of a deterrent strategy to stop other immigrants from.

[Jack]

Coming to take the pain of worker shortages in exchange for the immigration benefit.

[Nick]

But still, Jack and I wanted to whip up this takeaway. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Home Depot?

[Jack]

The two industries most vulnerable to deportations are the two most important industries in the economy right now.

[Nick]

Yeah, it is. According to Oxford Economics, construction and agriculture, Those are the two most dependent industries on unauthorized immigrants.

[Jack]

14% of construction workers are unauthorized immigrants, and 10% of farm workers are unauthorized immigrants.

[Nick]

Jack, could you whip up a statistic translation for us over there?

[Jack]

Because of these deportations, the price of new housing and the price of groceries could be under pressure.

[Nick]

And Home Depot, they're hit with a double whammy here. Right, Jack?

[Jack]

Losing customers, they're losing construction business. And deportations could be happening in their parking lot.

[Nick]

Yeah, their stock is actually down 14% since that earnings report we mentioned.

[Jack]

Add it all up and there's a major trade off in Trump's immigration policies that even he has acknowledged.

[Nick]

More deportations equal more worker shortages, and.

[Jack]

More worker shortages could lead to higher.

[Nick]

Prices, especially in housing and groceries. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[Jack]

The best one yet is sponsored by BetterHelp.

[Nick]

All right, Jack, let me set the scene for you. My birthday dinner, we did a pizza party. I rented out a whole spot called the Dough Room in San Francisco. You mess with the pizza dough while you make it.

[Jack]

I know. And then what comes next is the most San Francisco thing ever. Basically group therapy over dinner.

[Nick]

So all three people on my side of the table were in therapy, and all of us were talking about each other's therapy. You know, like one person was saying how their therapist helped them through a coworker battle. Another was talking about, like, the future of fatherhood with their therapist. They were stressed about becoming a dad.

[Jack]

It's not just San Francisco. Society's views on therapy have changed across the world.

[Nick]

True.

[Jack]

It's evolved to the point where you had a birthday dinner, learning from each other's therapy sessions.

[Nick]

Well, BetterHelp is an easy way to take that leap and find the therapist for you.

[Jack]

Because BetterHelp has over 10 years of experience matching people like your friends with therapists.

[Nick]

As the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise.

[Jack]

Talk it out with BetterHelp, our listeners.

[Nick]

Get 10% off their first [e-mail] tboy that's BetterHelp.

[Jack]

H E L p.com t boy, Airbnb now.

[Nick]

Yeah, it is. Jack mentioned his favorite skinny dipping spot. Where was that again?

[Jack]

I did a bunch of people ask me about that. But Nick, there's nothing better than swimming in Mother Nature with the outfit mother gave you.

[Nick]

I mean, you know what they say. It's not the summer unless you're outside naked at some point and nobody knows it.

[Jack]

Now, another way to do that is an outdoor shower. And I should mention my place has one of those, too.

[Nick]

And how is it possible you have an outdoor shower, Jack?

[Jack]

Because I'm an Airbnb host.

[Nick]

True.

[Jack]

Now, I usually spend my Airbnb hosting income on travel for the family, but this time we earmarked it for a home upgrade.

[Nick]

Now, Jack, I should point out I'm no carpenter, but out there shower, it ain't cheap. You got the cedar wood install. You got the copper. Copper pipes, the French drains.

[Jack]

But with the money we're making on Airbnb, it was affordable. We put it in last year.

[Nick]

Well played, yetis.

[Jack]

I'm an Airbnb host. With my current chalet and with two previous apartments, I can tell you it's.

[Nick]

Very easy to use besties. Millions don't realize their space could be an Airbnb. You already have an Airbnb. You could be yodeling naked outdoors with fresh shampoo in your hair in the.

[Jack]

Outdoor shower paid for by your guests.

[Nick]

Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host.

[Jack]

For our.

[Nick]

Third and final story before the weekend, Starbucks is crowning barista champions and hiring full time coffee influencers. What? Midlife crisis we explore.

[Jack]

Starbucks pivot to creator marketing and the new job that every company is soon.

[Nick]

Going to offer Yetis. Let's start with the stock. Starbucks shares popped in August on news they poached the Chipotle CEO, the legendary Brian Niccol.

[Jack]

But since that day, Starbucks stock is actually down.

[Nick]

Yes it is, Jack.

[Jack]

And now they're even under pressure to sell their struggling China business.

[Nick]

So Jack, pause the pot. I gotta ask, what do you do when your business is shrinking, your turnaround is stalling and your investors are freaking?

[Jack]

You crowned the first ever world Barista champion.

[Nick]

That's right, besties. Starbucks held a competition during their company off site. Over in Vegas, 14,000 workers watched latte lovers brewing their best.

[Jack]

The world Barista championships is the Super Bowl.

[Nick]

For Starbucks, it's like the Olympic zelates.

[Jack]

It's the World cup of white foam.

[Nick]

It feels like the Harry Potter house cup meets the Hunger Games with like a splash of pistachio milk.

[Jack]

Now the winner was declared on Wednesday. It's a man from Japan and he was the best out of 84,000 competitors.

[Nick]

Pretty exciting because the winner has a chance to concoct their own signature menu.

[Jack]

Item which is gonna be the Blooming Yuzu espresso.

[Nick]

If they make a decaf. We'll take two. Or I'll take two. You'll take regular. But besties, this is what Jack and I found more fascinating about this story. The job board, they are hiring their.

[Jack]

First ever global coffee creator.

[Nick]

A full time Starbucks influencer is gonna be hired by Starbucks.

[Jack]

If this sounds interesting to you, applications close today. Yeah, but if you get the job, it sounds like the coolest gap year ever.

[Nick]

FYI again, few hours left for you to submit your resume.

[Jack]

Starbucks is looking for someone to travel for 12 months to Starbucks shops across the world.

[Nick]

You like check out the flagship Reserve Cafe in Milan, the new institution they've opened in Tokyo. Plus the bean growing hacienda down in Costa Rica.

[Jack]

And because this is influencer marketing, airfare is paid for by Delta and hotels are paid for by Marriott.

[Nick]

Yeah, it's like the rare throuple of corporate partnerships. You've got Starbucks, Delta and Marriott involved. Never seen those three together before.

[Jack]

And naturally you must capture all of your espresso experiences with a selfie stick and a ring light. Oh, and that content you record. Yeah, Jack, it's Starbucks property.

[Nick]

Yeah, they're gonna own it. So two people are going to get paid for this 12 month full time gig.

[Jack]

One of them is already gonna be an employed barista, the other is one lucky tiktoker.

[Nick]

And we say tiktoker because the application actually requires a TikTok video to be posted explaining why you should get the job.

[Jack]

And you gotta tag Starbucks. Yeah, it's a very public application that also gets Starbucks some views on TikTok.

[Nick]

Not too shabby. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Starbucks?

[Jack]

Starbucks is inventing a new role in house influencer.

[Nick]

Yetis, as Jack and I thought more about this, we think this is a job posting we're gonna see more of and a job that we expect influencers to be really interested in.

[Jack]

Because the reality is that Influencer is a stressful job, it is hard to make money, and the business model is sponsored posts so you feel like you're always working.

[Nick]

And that's what we remembered. Some lawyers choose to become in house lawyers. Instead of a law firm, they go and work as a lawyer for a corporation.

[Jack]

And just like in house lawyers in house Influencer would be a more stable, less stressful job that has a better boundary between work and life.

[Nick]

So for Starbucks, their first in house influencer will capture coffee content. From the seed to the cappuccino.

[Jack]

Starbucks has invented a new role in.

[Nick]

House influencer besties expect to see more of them. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for the Real Friday?

[Jack]

Rolex has become an engagement gift for men. Yeah, but Rolexes are more common than you think.

[Nick]

Like beauty, scarcity is in the eye of the beholder.

[Jack]

For our second story. As the Trump administration aims to deport 3,000 people a day, Home Depot has become ground zero.

[Nick]

The two industries that are losing the most workers are construction and agriculture.

[Jack]

And our third and final story is Starbucks. They're looking for a content creator to travel the world, drink Starbucks and take selfies.

[Nick]

You're an in house influencer. That is the new job that we think you're gonna see a lot more of.

[Jack]

But yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[Nick]

First, chime the McDonald's of online banking, as we call it iPod. Yesterday on the New York Stock Exchange.

[Jack]

Shares finished 37 higher on the first day of trading. The valuation is $13.5 billion.

[Nick]

By the way, the reason we call Chime the McD's a money is because it's low priced, consistent and a scalable concept.

[Jack]

And their IPO keeps the streak of successful IPOs going.

[Nick]

And second, Mickey just called up the lawyers and told them, let's sue artificial intelligence.

[Jack]

Here's the news. Disney and Universal Studios sued Midjourney, the AI company, for copyright infringement.

[Nick]

Yeah, because if you ask midjourney to turn you into a minion, it's gonna do so without paying the studios.

[Jack]

They didn't sue OpenAI, though, which is interesting.

[Nick]

It is.

[Jack]

That's the biggest player, like, probably vulnerable for copyright infringement.

[Nick]

It seems like they're going with the cheaper model here.

[Jack]

And finally, as Nick and I are recording this, we're just seeing now breaking headlines from the Middle East.

[Nick]

Israel has attacked Iran Friday morning local time. We don't have any more details than that.

[Jack]

It comes after the US Failed to secure a nuclear deal with Iran.

[Nick]

And the attack raises fears of war in the Middle east between the region's two biggest militaries.

[Jack]

This last one isn't pop business news, but it is something you need to know today.

[Nick]

Now time for the best fact yet. This one whipped up by your dad. Because Father's Day is this Sunday.

[Jack]

It should be called barbecue day.

[Nick]

Yeah, it should be.

[Jack]

Analysis of restaurant sales from Father's Day 2023 show that barbecue sales nearly doubled.

[Nick]

Yeah. According to Toast, they were up 98% compared to an average June day.

[Jack]

Speaking of Father's Day, Nick and I, two fathers. By the way, I have a correction to make.

[Nick]

Yeah, correction. Yesterday we did a story on the controversy of putting ketchup on your breakfast food.

[Jack]

And we played a clip of President Obama talking to Anthony Bourdain. We meant to play a clip of them ridiculing putting ketchup on eggs.

[Nick]

Yeah. We accidentally played one about them putting ketchup on hot dogs. So here's the correct clip.

[Jack]

Here's the right clip. Yeah. Nine seconds after the video that we played yesterday.

[Nick]

My daughter's 8, and she put ketchup on eggs the other day, and I didn't. I know what good parenting called for at this point. An intervention? I think. So I think you just gotta say, you know what? That's not acceptable.

[Jack]

I'm sorry.

[Nick]

Yeah. Jack, I just still don't think ketchup works on oatmeal. I just don't see a world where I want to live in that world.

[Jack]

No one is making that argument.

[Nick]

Exactly. Yetis, you look fantastic going into the weekend. Jack and I got a special surprise we're whipping up for you tomorrow morning.

[Jack]

Happy Father's Day in advance to all those who celebrate. And Nick and I.

[Unknown]

See you there.

[Nick]

Can't wait. And before we go, a happy birthday to yeti Megan Kornt Langford in Salt Lake City, Utah, who also just got a new job at the Pickler, and.

[Jack]

A big shout out to my dad. Happy Father's Day, dad. Also a shout out to this guy Nick. Fantastic father. I just finished spending three days in San Francisco. The way he interacts with his son Maxie is unreal.

[Nick]

Yeah, you should have seen it though. Jack was carrying Maxi up a hill. He, Maxie made him get carried up all the hills.

[Jack]

Dude, the hills in San Francisco are steep.

[Nick]

Yeah, especially with a 35 pound 2 year old.

[Jack]

I had him on my back for about 400ft of elevation.

[Nick]

Big Ted and Big Mike. Happy Father's Day. Oh, and to that yeti who we saw on Market street who shouted out at us, hello. Thanks for listening to the show. And if you want to get a shout out on the pod, we got a form in this episode description. Fill it out and we'll get you on the show.

[Jack]

This is Jack. I own stock of Disney and Nick and I both own stock of Chipotle. If you like the best one yet, you can listen ad free right now by joining Wondery and the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick]

Prime members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[Jack]

And before you go, tell us a little bit about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey.

[Nick]

We want to get to know you.

[Misha Brown]

Every big moment starts with a big dream. But what happens when that big dream turns out to be a big flop? From Wondery and Ill Media, I'm Misha Brown and this is the Big Flop. Every week, comedians join me to chronicle the biggest flubs, fails and blunders of all time. Like Quibbi.

[Nick]

It's kind of like when you give yourself your own nickname and you try to, like, get other people to do it.

[Misha Brown]

And the 2019 movie adaptation of Cats.

[Jack]

Like if I'm watching the dancing and I'm noticing the feet aren't touching the ground, there's something wrong with the movie.

[Misha Brown]

Find out what happens when massive hype turns into major fiasco. Enjoy the big Flop on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to the Big Flop early and ad free on Wondery. Get started with your free [e-mail] plus.