The Best One Yet – Episode Summary

Episode: "Kirkland vs. Trump” — Costco’s tariff lawsuit. Estée Lauder’s AI perfume. Dell’s $250 donations. + TBOY LIVE TOUR
Date: December 3, 2025
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell

Overview

In this packed episode, Nick and Jack deliver three headline business stories with their signature high energy, clever banter, and sharp insights. The main themes:

• Costco’s bold legal (and PR) battle against Trump’s tariffs
• Estée Lauder using AI to double perfume sales online
• Michael Dell’s $6 billion donation kickstarting investing for American kids
  The show also opens with the announcement of their 2026 nationwide “IPO” live tour, bringing the TBOY experience to seven cities.

Key Stories & Breakdowns

1. Costco vs. Trump: Kirkland Takes On Tariffs

[06:00–09:50]

• Story: Costco has filed a lawsuit against the US Customs and Border Protection, challenging the legality of Trump-era "reciprocal tariffs" and demanding a refund.
• Legal Argument: Costco argues tariffs are a tax, and only Congress has the power to tax, not the President.
  • “Congress levies taxes, not the President, and tariffs are taxes.” – Jack [06:32]
• Impact:
  • Tariffs currently being absorbed on staple items (fruits & veggies), leading to losses in certain produce aisles, but passed on to customers for non-essentials like flowers.
    • “Their produce section is probably losing money… the smoothies in the food court, probably a lost llama right now.” – Nick [07:33]
• Marketing Angle:
  • No major brand has taken such a public stand, making this as much a brand statement as a legal one.
    • “This is the boldest pushback we have seen on President Trump by any corporation. By far.” – Nick [08:40]
• PR Gamble:
  • Costco’s lawsuit deliberately mentions Trump by name thirteen times.
    • “Costco even mentioned Trump’s name 13 times in the lawsuit. Something no other company would dare do.” – Jack [09:02]
  • They ask the court to ban Trump from imposing such tariffs in the future.
• Takeaway:
  • “This isn’t just a legal move. It’s a marketing move. Costco’s putting their value proposition before the president.” – Jack [08:34]
  • Reinforces Costco’s core mission to save customers money, politics aside.

2. Estée Lauder & Google's AI: The Perfume Sales Unicorn

[10:00–14:35]

• Story: Estée Lauder has partnered with Google to create a generative AI chatbot for their Jo Malone brand. Its mission: sell expensive perfumes online without the customer ever smelling them.
• Digital Scent Challenge:
  • Selling perfumes remotely is tough—smell is “the hardest of the five senses to describe with words.” – Jack [11:21]
• AI Solution:
  • Google’s Gemini AI learned to categorize scents both technically and emotionally, mapping ingredients to evocative experiences.
    • “The dichotomy of fragrance actually falls into seven main categories, like wood, amber, gourmand…” – Jack [12:18]
    • AI suggests, “This perfume is like a pear orchard in the spring…” – Nick [12:40]
• Sales Impact:
  • The AI “scent advisor” doubled purchase rates among online shoppers.
    • “In two months, online shoppers using this perfume bot purchased perfume at twice the rate of those who didn’t.” – Nick [14:17]
• Notable Insight:
  • Practical, measurable AI deployments are rare. Most companies see large expenses, little ROI.
    • “The unicorn of AI is ROI…The biggest challenge in artificial intelligence is getting a return on your investment.” – Jack [13:43]
• Takeaway:
  • Estée Lauder’s AI advisor is "a practical AI application that demonstrably improves sales, in this case by 2x." – Jack [14:29]

3. Michael Dell's $6 Billion Gift: Investing in America’s Kids

[17:00–22:18]

• Story: Michael and Susan Dell are donating $6.25 billion to open investment “Trump accounts” for 25 million U.S. children, aged 1–9.
• Background:
  • Trump’s administration has created new “530A” tax-advantaged accounts for kids, launching July 4, 2026.
  • Every American child gets a brokerage account; those born during Trump's second term get a $1,000 government check; those born 2016–2024 may get $250 from Dell (depending on income/zip code).
• Generational Impact:
  • Compound Growth Example: $250 invested for 15 years at 10% returns becomes $1,000. With additional family/friend contributions, it could reach $9,000.
    • “That’s like you could buy a car or a year of public school tuition…down payment of a house territory.” – Jack [20:31]
• Eligibility:
  • Dell’s donation is targeted to children in families where the zip code median income is below $150,000.
    • “Kids living in wealthy zip codes won’t get the money…not the money from the Dell fam.” – Nick [19:51]
• Takeaway / Larger Prediction:
  • The “nature of child gifting” may be changed forever, emphasizing stock gifts over toys.
    • “Imagine a future with fewer Elmos as birthday presents and more ETFs as birthday presents.” – Jack [21:45]
    • "Fewer toys, more Mattel stock." – Nick [22:12]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Costco probably just got placed on Donald Trump’s enemies list alongside ABC, James Comey, and now Sabrina Carpenter.” – Jack [09:33]
• “It smells like Cape Cod on the coast. Is that a great white shark right over there? Don’t get in the water.” – Jack [12:46]
• “The best way to learn is to earn.” – Jack [18:29]
• “I actively tell my parents, family, and friends to not buy us more toys or clothes for the kids because we have too much.” – Jack [21:08]
• Cha Ching button moments: Sound effect inserted whenever referencing money or stock market windfalls—part of the pod’s lighthearted DNA.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:44] — Story teasers introduction
• [01:36] — TBOY IPO Live Tour announcement
• [06:00] — Costco vs. Trump tariffs story begins
• [10:00] — Estée Lauder’s AI perfume bot story begins
• [17:00] — Michael Dell’s $6B donation and Trump kids’ accounts
• [21:00] — Takeaway on future child gifting: less toys, more stock
• [23:07] — Rapid-fire business news: OpenAI “red alert,” Bitcoin swings, NYC casinos
• [24:38] — Fact correction: Super Rugby was first intercontinental sports league
• [25:03+] — Tour hype, audience shout-outs, and closing

Bonus Headlines & Quick Notes

[23:07–24:22]

• OpenAI’s “code red” as Google’s Gemini 3 and Anthropic challenge its dominance.
• Bitcoin’s roller-coaster: wild swings due to leveraged investment activity.
• NYC’s casino plans: Three new casinos incoming (Queens, Bronx); Times Square casino rejected.

Tone & Style

Nick and Jack maintain a playful, witty, and accessible style, using analogies (“Kirkland vs. the president,” “Cape Cod shark perfume”), sound effects (“Cha Ching button”), and audience engagement (shout-outs, inside jokes). Their approach makes complex business themes approachable and memorable.

In Summary

This “Best One Yet” episode distills the biggest stories in business innovation, policy, and culture—Costco’s legal gambit doubling as brand reinforcement, a rare AI win in e-commerce, and a philanthropist reshaping how American kids start investing. Coupled with big tour news and everyday business lessons, Nick and Jack deliver clarity, laughs, and TBOY energy throughout.