Get Me To Bentonville!

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Commercial Break – "Get Me To Bentonville!"

Release Date: June 12, 2025

---

Overview

In the "Get Me To Bentonville!" episode of The Commercial Break, hosts Bryan Green and Krissy Hoadley dive into the intriguing phenomenon of Walmart Associate Week in Bentonville, Arkansas. Blending their signature chaotic humor with sharp social commentary, Bryan and Krissy explore the intersection of corporate culture, employee appreciation, and celebrity involvement. The episode is rich with anecdotes, humorous banter, and insightful observations, making it both entertaining and thought-provoking for listeners.

---

Main Discussion: Walmart Associate Week

Bryan Green kicks off the conversation by introducing the concept of Walmart Associate Week—a week-long event celebrating outstanding Walmart employees with performances from high-profile celebrities. He humorously laments the corporate machine of Walmart and its impact on both employees and the broader community.

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [36:24]: "This year, 2024 starred Lizzo, Backstreet Boys, Peyton Manning, and Robert Downey Jr. Wow. Was like an emcee of the event. Okay, but this year pop country superstar Post Malone."

Krissy (Kristen Joy Hoadley) adds to the discussion by questioning the authenticity and motivations behind such corporate events, pondering whether Walmart genuinely values its employees or simply uses these gatherings to bolster its public image.

Notable Quote:

Krissy Hoadley [36:11]: "Petting zoos or adults."

---

Celebrity Involvement and Corporate Incentives

The hosts delve into the significance of celebrity appearances at corporate events. Bryan humorously speculates on why artists like Post Malone and Jimmy Fallon would partake in Walmart's festivities:

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [37:07]: "Post Malone cannot turn down, first of all, probably the $2 million that they paid him."

They discuss the symbiotic relationship between Walmart and these celebrities, highlighting how such partnerships benefit both parties—Walmart gains star power to entertain its employees, while artists secure substantial financial deals and exposure.

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [38:12]: "The number one seller of CDs and records in this country is Walmart. In the world is Walmart."

---

Potential Live Recordings and Community Engagement

Bryan and Krissy brainstorm the idea of conducting live podcast recordings at Walmart, turning mundane shopping experiences into comedic content. They joke about interacting with Walmart associates and capturing the unique personalities that frequent the store.

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [13:29]: "So you could, you know what, Chrissy? We could get an oil. We got a quart of oil, cheap Tupperware, and episode number 1600 of The Commercial Break, all in one trip."

They also explore the possibility of engaging with listeners who work at Walmart, encouraging them to share their stories and experiences from Associate Week.

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [41:10]: "We should do this, and then we'll record an episode about it in one of their stores at their podcast studio."

---

Personal Anecdotes: Bryan's Corporate Retreat Experience

Bryan shares a personal story about attending a company appreciation trip to San Francisco with his former employer. The tale is filled with humor and relatable frustrations, highlighting the often-overlooked downsides of corporate-sponsored events.

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [59:05]: "You haven't lived until you've been at a small company retreat."

He recounts the chaos of managing personal relationships during such events, including his girlfriend's unfortunate incident that led to a hospital visit—a story that serves as a humorous yet candid reflection on corporate culture.

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [60:19]: "It was the most horrific thing I've ever seen in my entire life."

---

Broader Commentary: Corporate Culture and Employee Treatment

Throughout the episode, Bryan and Krissy offer sharp critiques of corporate practices, particularly focusing on how large companies like Walmart balance profit-making with employee satisfaction. They discuss the challenges faced by employees, such as low wages and limited benefits, juxtaposing these issues with the lavish perks offered during events like Associate Week.

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [31:37]: "What does a GM of Walmart make a year? I bet it's not, because, I mean, you imagine the Walmart store probably makes 40, 50, 60, $100 million a year."

Their conversation underscores the disparity between executive compensation and the average Walmart associate's earnings, adding depth to their comedic exploration of corporate dynamics.

---

Conclusion and Future Plans

As the episode wraps up, Bryan and Krissy express their fascination with Walmart Associate Week and entertain the idea of attending future events to gain firsthand experience. They encourage listeners who are familiar with or work at Walmart to share their stories, aiming to bring more authentic content to their podcast.

Notable Quote:

Bryan Green [42:42]: "I want to hear what the real dirt is, though. I mean, give me the real dirt."

Their ongoing plans to incorporate live recordings and engage more directly with their community highlight their commitment to evolving the podcast while maintaining their unique comedic style.

---

Key Takeaways

• Walmart Associate Week serves as a prime example of corporate efforts to boost employee morale through high-profile events.
• Celebrity Partnerships with Walmart celebrities offer mutual benefits, blending entertainment with corporate influence.
• Corporate Culture Critique reveals the tensions between employee satisfaction and corporate profit motives.
• Personal Anecdotes provide relatable humor and insight into the complexities of corporate-sponsored events.
• Future Engagement suggests potential for live recordings and deeper community interaction within the podcast.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Bryan Green [36:24]: "This year, 2024 starred Lizzo, Backstreet Boys, Peyton Manning, and Robert Downey Jr."
• Bryan Green [37:07]: "Post Malone cannot turn down, first of all, probably the $2 million that they paid him."
• Bryan Green [13:29]: "We could get an oil. We got a quart of oil, cheap Tupperware, and episode number 1600 of The Commercial Break, all in one trip."
• Bryan Green [59:05]: "You haven't lived until you've been at a small company retreat."
• Bryan Green [60:19]: "It was the most horrific thing I've ever seen in my entire life."
• Bryan Green [31:37]: "What does a GM of Walmart make a year? I bet it's not, because, I mean, you imagine the Walmart store probably makes 40, 50, 60, $100 million a year."
• Bryan Green [42:42]: "I want to hear what the real dirt is, though. I mean, give me the real dirt."

---

Note: This summary excludes advertisement segments and focuses solely on the conversational content between Bryan Green and Krissy Hoadley, providing a comprehensive overview of the episode's main themes and discussions.

Transcript

[Brian Green]

This episode is sponsored by one of our favorites, five Hour Energy. Do you know what has always been missing from my life? A tiny glowing bottle of fruity magic that makes me feel like I'm starring in my own 80s music video. Neon, big hair and fireballs. A blazing Enter 5 Hour Energy's new Glow Motion flavor. This stuff doesn't just taste like a fruity party, it looks like one too. It glows under UV light, which means your energy shot is now part of your outfit. Functional and fashionable. We love a multitasker. Yes, it's got as much caffeine as a fancy coffee, but unlike that $7 latte, GlowMotion won't judge you for wearing glitter and yelling Woohoo. At appropriate times, of course. Oh, and yes, it has zero sugar so it won't crash your vibe. Just 2 ounces of pure go go Go. Perfect for the night owls, festival junkies, overachievers, and anyone who treats sleep like a suggestion. Sound familiar? Five Hour Energy GlowMotion is available online. Head to www.5hourenergy.com to order yours today. That's FiveHouseEnergy. Order yours today. Thanks Five Hour Energy for being a sponsor of the commercial break. This episode is sponsored by Discover. If there's one thing we've learned from the entertainment industry, it's just how easy it is to earn a reputation, even if it doesn't reflect who you really are. For example, everyone thinks that Discover is a card that isn't widely accepted, but in reality, it's accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. You yeah, 99%. So maybe now you'll think twice before judging a book by its cover. Unless it's a celebrity cookbook. In that case, judge away. Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Learn more at discover.com credit card.

[Kristen Joy Hoadley]

With the largest annual gathering of spiritually advanced human beings set to take place in the middle of the desert just weeks from now, Burning man attendees from all over the have just one question on their minds. How in the world will I get through an entire long weekend without portable air conditioning, a fully stocked bar, gourmet food options, private air travel, and the best drugs money can buy? Well, worry no more. From the makers of Y Bryan 3000 comes the Taint Tent 2.0. The Taint Tent is a portable 5000 square foot inflatable luxury condominium that allows you to enjoy the comforts of home while commuting with crypto Bros. Store seed children, middle aged podcasters, mostly naked influencers, Edm burnouts, Nepo babies, wannabe Hollywood starlets, that bartender from the local pub named Winklebreath, and rich naked hippies from all across Silicon Valley. You'll be dropping your high quality ecstasy and smoking DMT right from a sacred Indian desert toad in style. Don't ever let your high octane Peruvian marching powder get warm and moist again. Each Tate Tent 2.0 comes with its own dehumidifying refrigerator to your cocaine. Clean, dry and cool. And who wants to be bothered with all the chores like taking out the trash, cooking your own food, or making your own king size luxury bed? While you're trying to find the meaning of life in the high desert, you'll have at least 10 underpaid non domesticated workers to answer at your beck and call. No need to worry about immigration raids here. You're rich and powerful. Hell, you're the CEO of the next AI Cinderella corporation sure to suck the soul from every last living thing. And exclusively for this year' Burning man only, every Tate Tent 2.0 comes with a massage parlor, day spa, cold and hot water therapy tanks, red light skin lamps, and its very own hydroponic hallucinogenic mushroom grove facility. So don't get stuck with one of Those lowly luxury RVs every other burning man attendee will be staying in. Get yourself a taint tent 2.0. There's nothing quite as magical as a long, sandy, sweaty weekend at Burning Man. And as a wise man once said, you'll never know who you really are until you strip away all of your possessions and then pay for additional possessions to be sent somewhere else. Applications are now available. Limited tank tents will be available for this year's Burning man only. And applications opening soon for next year's Coachella. The Teabag teepees will be back. You'll offend everyone in style.

[Brian Green]

On this.

[Kristen Joy Hoadley]

Episode of the commercial break.

[Brian Green]

2024 starred Lizzo, Backstreet Boys, Peyton Manning and Robert Downey Jr. Wow. Was like an emcee of the event. Okay, but this year pop country superstar Post Malone.

[Rachel]

Okay, they're bringing in the big guns.

[Brian Green]

Yes, Post Malone, Noah Khan, Kamiya Cabello and Jimmy Fallon.

[Astrid]

Wow.

[Brian Green]

Were in attendance to entertain the good folks of Walmart. Starting at 8am in the morning. It's a day long celebration where Post Malone is playing for you at 8:15 in the fucking morning.

[Kristen Joy Hoadley]

The next episode of the commercial break starts now.

[Brian Green]

It's early in the morning. Oh yeah. Cats and kittens, welcome back to the commercial break. I'm Brian Green. This is my dear Friend and the co host of this show, Kristen Joy Hoadley. Best to you, Chrissy, Bestie Brian, and best to you out there in the podcast universe. How the hell are you? Thanks for joining us. I got some schmutz in my throat.

[Rachel]

I know. I've had it in mine.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. Every time you walk into the studio, you start coughing.

[Rachel]

I know.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. Maybe it's the studio.

[Rachel]

Maybe it is.

[Brian Green]

Maybe all the years of wires and God knows what else in here is just. It's time for a change of scenery. It is time for a change of scenery. Just let you know that Chrissy and I will soon be doing some in person recordings with some of our guests. Thanks to the good people at Odyssey. Odysee is our network. They essentially, they handle a lot of stuff on our behalf. But you know, when you're a podcast, you can't do everything. Although we try, you can't do everything. And so they do some of the business stuff for us, including, you know, find sponsors and put them into the show and all that. But they're wonderful people, all of them. And Odyssey has hundreds of local radio stations across the country, or maybe thousands. I'm not sure they have one here in Atlanta and they have offered the use of their studios, their professional studios.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

For Chrissy and I to host people in person. So we're going to be starting that in July. We'll be in person. And so here's what I want to say.

[Rachel]

God, it's been a long time since I've stepped into a radio studio.

[Brian Green]

It's going to be really weird. It's going to be really weird. You know, we got a video last night from one of the operations people and yeah, just looking at the video made me feel weird because it does. There are some similarities.

[Rachel]

There's some PTSD there.

[Brian Green]

There is some PTSD there. I just hope we don't run into anybody we used to work with. Yeah, like you two idiots.

[Rachel]

I think. I think we do know.

[Brian Green]

Okay, but those people we know and we like. Right. I hope we don't run into anybody we don't like. How's that? Yeah, anybody that made the. Our radio experience so miserable, I hope they're long gone out of this town and not at Odyssey. I don't think they are, but. And the people at Odyssey are great. So maybe we'll give them a pass if they are with Odyssey. But here's why I bring this up. I think in the future, not anytime soon, but I think in the future we may, there may be an opportunity for People who live close to see us record in person. So do us a favor. 212-4333, tcb 212-433-3822. If you live, like within an hour of the Atlanta area, let us know and we'll start putting a list together. And if that happens, if it comes to fruition, if we're allowed to do it, if we decide to do it, we'll pull out that list and we'll start emailing. So, 212-4333, TCB. Let us know you're interested in seeing a live taping of the commercial break. Also, we're going to be doing that on Twitch and Kick. That probably be in July at some point, too. So stay tuned. Follow us at the commercial break on Instagram, if you would, if you could, if you don't mind. So one of the weirdest things I've seen in podcasting in a long time, I found this morning. I passed it around. This is crazy. And this parlays into another topic I wanted to talk about. So there is a guy here in Atlanta who claims to be the podcast guru. You know, launch your podcast, whatever, with a million and a half Instagram followers. Mm. But, you know, like, sidetracked just for one second. Chrissy sent me this article the other day, and she's like, oh, I guess now they're just telling you where to find fake followers. Chrissy sent me this article that it appeared that it was from the AJC or an adjunct. Like, you know, the AJC can own these smaller newspapers around town or business.

[Rachel]

Rough Draft or something.

[Brian Green]

Was the name something?

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

And she sends it to me. It takes a keen eye, but you would realize that this is really just an advertorial, which means that it's. It looks like it's a real article, but what it really is is an advertisement for a service where you can buy fake followers. And it's giving you the pros and cons to buying fake followers. Like, oh, if you're a business, then juicing your followers could lend some credibility. If I thought that was true, I would have done that a long time ago. No, because fake followers are only going to get you so far. People are going to realize they're fake followers, and then they're not going to want to follow you because you have a bunch of fake followers. I'd rather have 7,000 real followers than 7 million fake followers. I mean, let's be real. I'd rather have 7 million any followers, but I'd rather have 7,000 real followers, because at least. At least we know that, you know, they're out there somewhere. And, you know, it is what it is. Okay? We have 7,000 followers. So pathetic. Tens of thousands. Tens of thousands. Hundreds of thousands of listeners, and only 7,000 of them could see fit to go to Instagram, which I know you have to go to Instagram and press Follow. Please do that. And that's the only way you're going to find out if we do special stuff like live recordings at Odyssey or. Or on Kick or Twitch. So go follow us, please. And I know some of you have done that over the last couple weeks, and I appreciate that. Thank you very much. Okay, so I find this guy who's got a million and a half followers doing podcast launches, and he has reposted someone from Franklin, Tennessee, another podcaster walking into her local Walmart. And just like I found casinos at my local Kroger, she found a podcast studio. Yeah, like a real studio. Like real studios. And they have these all around the country. By the way, there's nothing new about for rent podcast studios. A lot of people have them. There's studio spaces, couple microphones, couple cameras, table chairs.

[Rachel]

Yeah, a lot of people do them with the.

[Brian Green]

The shared workspace.

[Rachel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian Green]

And. But now they have one at a Walmart in Franklin, Tennessee, which is just crazy to me. There has to be some angle here from Walmart. There has to be some angle. I don't know what it is. I will, but I don't know what it is. I don't know why they're involved. Is it just, I'm just renting the space from my local Walmart or is this Walmart is putting their hands on this because they see some value in having their own podcast network? I'm not sure what it is. I hate to say never, but it's highly unlikely, Chrissy, that we will ever be showing up to a Walmart to do our podcast recording. That is insane. Now, if you live in Franklin, Tennessee.

[Rachel]

Which is right outside Nashville, Right.

[Brian Green]

And you have limited access to equipment that you need to do a podcast, I guess you could go rent the studios. By the way, they're for rent. You have to pay for it. You don't just walk in and do a podcast. You have to book the time and rent it. But they have some pretty legit looking technology. Like, it doesn't take a lot to make a podcast. Look, look at this. Look at me. You think I figured all this out on my own because it was hard? No, because it's easy. But it's just beyond me why Walmart has decided to get into the podcast game. Are they going to run podcasts like they run Rachel in the middle of their stor? I mean, you know what I'm saying?

[Rachel]

Yeah, probably not, because they would need to filter what people were saying.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, but there's lots of podcasts out there that are pretty. But I guess you're right. I mean, anybody could take objection to anything.

[Rachel]

Yeah, yeah. So probably not. But you know, like I pointed out, hey, if you need a wire, you're right there.

[Brian Green]

Yeah.

[Rachel]

If you need anything, if you need.

[Brian Green]

To put together a Western Union telegram, you're right there. If you need a quart of oil for your car, you're right there. Cheap Tupperware, you got it, no problem. Mile seven. So you could, you know what, Chrissy? We could get an oil. We got a quart of oil, cheap Tupperware, and episode number 1600 of the commercial break, all in one trip. I'm going to meet you there.

[Rachel]

And you're out of the house, Right?

[Brian Green]

That's true.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. Actually, the commercial break will now be exclusively recorded at Walmart. Yes. In Franklin, Tennessee. You know, the thing is, for an episode, for a place like, for a show like the commercial break, it actually might not be a terrible idea to go to the Walmart because we'd probably have content for days just watching people walk in and out of the Walmart.

[Rachel]

Yeah, that's true.

[Brian Green]

We'd get guests that were crazy to come in the door. We just pick the characters, just pick them, pull them in, say, sit with us for 15 minutes. Someone's gonna think of this idea. The people of Walmart podcast at Walmart.

[Rachel]

Uh huh.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. There's an idea. I gave it to you. Go. Go forth and prosper. Yeah, because our local Walmart doesn't have that yet. Not to my knowledge. I think they only have one in Franklin, Tennessee. That's. It's just insane to me. It's just insane to me. I went to Walmart. I don't know what it was. A week ago or something, I went to Walmart. You know, I'm not high on my horse about Walmart. They provide cheap groceries and other sundries in one location that's very accessible for the middle class. Lower middle class.

[Rachel]

I thought the same thing because I hadn't been in one in a long time and I had to go. The day we were doing our endless day, I ran over, I needed to get a light bulb and some gardening soil and like a couple other miscellaneous things and they were all in one place.

[Brian Green]

You can get it all right there. So Walmart has really defined what a big box retailer is. All the things in one place and then Target and then all these other things. So I'm not precious about Walmart. I understand it's a huge corporation and it doesn't do all the things good all the time because a corporation is just a money making machine. And money doesn't care. Just doesn't. Right. It's never going to. The shareholders are never going to care about whether one particular associate has health care or doesn't. Has. Makes enough money to pay their rent or doesn't. That's just not what it's, that's not what it's built to do. That's the downside of consumerism, of capitalism. But when you need something cheap, when you have 12 to 15 children and you need to go buy something that, and you don't want to pay a premium for the premium brand or whatever it is, or you need to buy multiple things from groceries to Tupperware to a quart of oil to potting soil or a light bulb. There's one place to go do it. Let's go do it there. It's like Home Depot. They have all the things I need for my house. I go to Home Depot.

[Rachel]

Right, Exactly. When they're competing with Amazon, they're really trying to get people away from ordering. And I saw that Walmart's going to be doing drone delivery in Atlanta.

[Brian Green]

Drone delivery.

[Rachel]

Delivery say what?

[Brian Green]

Wow, cool, dude.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

That's going to go horribly mad. That's going to go horribly bad. I see that.

[Rachel]

Some company called Wing.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. Wings. Yeah, Wings.

[Rachel]

Wings, yeah. It can only do two and a half pounds.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. What are you ordering?

[Astrid]

Two and a half pounds.

[Rachel]

I don't know, but can I get interesting.

[Brian Green]

Can I get a Bic lighter and a box of Camel Lights? Two and a half pounds. There's nothing that's like an apple is a pound. I mean, what are you gonna do? You. Two apples. Can I get two apples please? But listen. Yeah. Amazon tried this and it failed miserably. They have been trying this for years. They said there was going to be drone delivery 10 years ago, but they couldn't do it. Domino's tried drone delivery and they kept crashing the pizzas into people's houses. I mean, I guess this is going to go bad. I just see it going bad. Atlanta is not a real place, by the way. Have you ever seen this online and you don't do, you don't do social media Too much. But there are a number of accounts that are Atlanta focused and they keep saying the tagline is Atlanta is not a real place. And then some craziness that's going on in Atlanta that clearly defines you. Scoop does it a lot to. Atlanta is not a real place. It's not a real place. It really isn't. Drone Delivery. Less than £2. Can I get a half a pound of ham loaf of bread?

[Rachel]

Right?

[Brian Green]

Yeah, that's what you get. I mean, how are they, how are they going to make money doing that?

[Rachel]

They said it's, they're trying to up the, you know, the weight limit.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, but then you gotta have bigger and bigger drones. Then you get faa. Yeah, it's gonna be weird to see the drone landing at my neighbor's house with a, with a what? I don't know. Lube. I'm not sure what they're gonna get.

[Rachel]

I want to try it just like I want to try that self driving car.

[Brian Green]

I have no interest in the self driving car. But I'll do it for the show. If we, if we can record it, I'll do it for the show.

[Rachel]

I think that's what we need to do.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, I get, I'm a little nervous about that, to be honest with you, if I'm being real with you. But Walmart is this big, huge bad boy corporation that makes a ton of money that has been around forever and ever. I went to grade school with a kid whose father and uncle were some of the original executives. The Waltons at the.

[Rachel]

Well, that's the family.

[Brian Green]

What was the name of the store before Walmart? It was called the. Oh, I can't remember the name of it.

[Rachel]

Kmart.

[Brian Green]

No, Kmart. No, Kmart was a different thing that didn't succeed. Hold on, let me, let me ask Chat GPT real quick because I want to make sure I get this right.

[Kristen Joy Hoadley]

I don't want to.

[Brian Green]

I want to make sure I get this one thing right. On the commercial break, what was the original name of the Walmart stores?

[Rachel]

May I also point out that you were very against AI and now Chatty is your best.

[Brian Green]

That's right. Yeah, you're right about that. Yes. Walmart Discount City. And I think there was a couple of Walton Discount cities too. Those were originally in Arkansas. Right. That's where Walmart is based in Arkansas and Bentonville. But they had the original stores I think were in the Little Rock area. But his uncle, this kid Tony that I went to school with. His uncle and his father were original executives at that store. At that chain of stores when they started to suck up all the other discount stores and then build these huge discount retailers. And so I don't know where Tony is today. I'm sure he's in Mallorca on a cliff somewhere. But they were well to do back then when I knew them. And I'm sure that it's only got, they've only gotten more wealthy because of the incredible expansion of Walmart in the 80s, 90s, 2000s. Right? We all know it, we all have one, we all been there and we've all seen that it's a magnet not only for middle class folks looking for stuff that, you know, on a budget, but for everybody. And Walmart can be kind of a crazy place. It's not real. Walmart is not a real place. You know what I'm saying? So I go to Walmart a couple of weeks ago and I'm in there looking for whatever it is I'm looking for and I can't find it. I'm looking for, oh, like a dish towel or something like that. So I asked the lady, do you have like just a regular white throwaway dish towel, like a rag, Cheap rags, right? And she says, oh, this was after the baby threw up.

[Rachel]

Oh yeah. And so she says, yeah, you had to stop at the Walmart.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, go to this aisle. And I say, okay. So I start walking toward that aisle and I look down the aisle and there is a lady who's probably in her 50s or 60s, heavyset, maybe 250, £300, in a string bikini with a wig on. That's a mullet.

[Rachel]

Yes, that's exactly the kind of person.

[Brian Green]

We want to talk to. Yes, that's the kind of person you would get. And I did not. I bailed on the rags because I was like not going to do it, not going to get in an interaction here. She was right where I needed to go and I was scared. I just was scared. That was it. But Walmart is this big bad corporation with hundreds of thousands, maybe a million employees throughout the, throughout the world. And some people argue that they don't always treat their employees well. Well, of course you can't when you have that many employees and some of them are making less than a living wage, you know, part time, full time, there's a big distinction and whether or not you get benefits and all this stuff.

[Rachel]

They were trying to change that a.

[Brian Green]

While back, but they did, I think during the Obama administration they had some big flub up and Walmart decided, okay, we're going to you know, give people.

[Rachel]

A living way better and do insurance.

[Brian Green]

And then during the Trump administration, they get rid of all protections for everybody. I mean, it's just, yeah, it's a corporation. They are pandering to the administration because that's what they have to do for survival. And survival means making the most amount of money possible. So, you know, I don't know, good, bad or indifferent. That is the world that we live in. That is the thing that happens. Like people are always, I get in conversations with people and they're like, and I agree with you 100%, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, who I never thought had the best interest of anybody in mind, but okay, you know, they're pandering to the administration. They pandered to the last administration too. Yeah, because they don't give a shit. Their companies don't give a shit. A company is a money making machine. It does not have feelings, it does not care. It will not care. It will never care. Its whole job, its whole responsibility, its whole life, if that, if you could call it that. It's an it. It's just a suck up. As much money as possible, distribute it to the shareholders and the executives and move on to the next day. That's it. So Walmart, millions of employees all around the world, but they have one special day or week where they celebrate some, a few of those employees. Have you heard about this Walmart Appreciation, Employee Appreciation Week or whatever it is in Bentonville, Arkansas. And make no mistake about it, Bentonville Arkansas is a company town. That's what it is. It does not exist. It's not on the map in its current form or in any form unless Walmart is there. And apparently it is a very well to do, very posh, very lovely city because of Walmart, of course. You know, hundreds of thousands of suppliers every year come into Bentonville. They stay the night or the week. They try and convince Walmart to just put one of their items on a shelf so maybe they have a chance at making money. And then Walmart beats them up for every penny until, you know, they decide that they are or not going to give them shelf space. It's, it's, Bentonville is like, it's the mouth of the lion, so to speak.

[Rachel]

People going in there and like I saw that like Paris Hilton had something in Walmart when I passed by a shelf when I was in there.

[Brian Green]

Oh really?

[Rachel]

Yeah, she's got. God, I can't remember what it is.

[Brian Green]

Is it like a kid? D.J.

[Rachel]

Grilly?

[Brian Green]

Paris Hilton? Yeah. Listen, I like The Zach Brown Band. You know, I like them. And then I was on Zach Brown's Instagram page. You know, Zach Brown was here in Atlanta. He started here in Atlanta with the Francisco Vidal's and the Angie Apparels of the world.

[Rachel]

Chicken Pride.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, I don't get it. On my chicken fried. Getting a bear on a Friday night. He live close to where I lived, and I would see him riding in his Jeep down the street when that song became popular. And I was like, wow, there's a famous guy with his jeep riding down the street. Anyway, I'd love to have him on the show. We'll see. He's been doing the podcast rounds lately. So I thought, well, hey, Bella Atlanta connection. Yeah, we'll see. So anyway, so I saw that Zach Brown, he had.

[Rachel]

He's a wine.

[Brian Green]

He had a wine or a cooler or something, like the lemon something. And he had to go to a Kroger where they're selling them. And he has a mascot that's a lemon. Really? This lemon is, like, dancing around this big display of Zach's wine. And Zach's standing there, you know, by the way, he's so cut and ripped now, really. He's just. He looks like a wrestler, honestly. And he's standing there and he's trying to, like, make it. Sometimes you got to do what you got to do, right, Zach Got to make that. Those big boys, those big bones. All right, let's take a break, and I want to tell you about Walmart Appreciation, because the whole point of the whole segment, and I can't even get to it. All right, we'll be back.

[Rachel]

I like my chicken fry Cold beer.

[Brian Green]

On a Friday night Something else that tastes just right with the radio moan we'll be right.

[Astrid]

Okay. You're probably wondering why I, Rachel, have taken over the voice duties at tcb. It's pretty simple. Astrid asked me to shut Brian up, even for a minute. Well, lovely Astrid, your wish is my command. Do you want to help Astrid, too? You know you do. Leave a message for her or me or Chrissy at 212-4333 TCV. That's 212-433-3822. You can be on the show, too. Just call and say something, anything. Or text us, and we'll text you right back. Promise. Then head over to tcbpodcast.com and get your free sticker. It's your constitutional right to a sticker, and we must abide. You get the point? Follow us on Instagram at the commercial break and watch all the episodes on [e-mail] thecommercial break. Best to you and Astrid, especially Astrid.

[Brian Green]

This episode is sponsored by Pura. This summer, Take Cent on the road with Pura Car Pro. It's the smart, stylish car diffuser that lets you control premium fragrance from your phone. From commutes to weekend getaways. Elevate every drive and for a limited time, get 20% off Pura car Pro and all the car scents with code car 20. That's pura.com to lay claim to the Big deal before it's gone why are more women than ever choosing Natural Cycles, the hormone free, side effect free way to take control of your fertility? Natural Cycles is a birth control app that uses your temperature to find your fertile window. It is more than a basic cycle tracking app. Natural Cycles is the only FDA cleared and CE marked birth control app and has helped millions prevent and plan for pregnancy naturally. Save 15% when you sign up today with code RADIO15. Learn [e-mail] As I was saying, Walmart Associate Walmart Associate Week, also known as Shareholder Week or whatever, is a week that they put on every year. They've been doing it for years and apparently how it works, this is from like Reddit posts and social posts that I read, is that if you are an outstanding employee or they think you're an outstanding employee, other people then vote you or vote some people from the store to be allowed to go to Bentonville, Arkansas to take part in Walmart Associate Week where they have shareholder meetings and rah rah sis boom bah. You did great. Here's the numbers. Congratulations. Yet another year of insanely crazy profits. I think I read that they made $681 billion in gross revenue. Now of course, that's not profit. 51 billion in profit. That's, you know, Please. Commercial break Makes out on a Tuesday, something changed. Yeah, yeah. Profit. Profit. What's that? It's a means to an end. So they do this whole number and apparently it's a very big deal if you get invited to go. As one person on Reddit put it, quote, you haven't lived until you've been to Walmart Week in Bentonville, Arkansas.

[Rachel]

Really?

[Brian Green]

It's a week filled with, I can only imagine debauchery and hotel rooms and parties and drinking. I mean, this is Walmart Associates. That's a tough fucking job to have, no matter what position in the store you have. Maybe true. What do you think a general manager of a Walmart makes a couple hundred thousand a year?

[Rachel]

Couple Hundred.

[Brian Green]

What does GM of Walmart.

[Rachel]

I think it's less than that.

[Brian Green]

Make a year. I bet it's not, because, I mean, you imagine the Walmart store probably makes 40, 50, 60, $100 million a year. A general manager of a store can make 100 and. Oh, we are so wrong about this.

[Rachel]

Well, I was going to say around 100. Oh.

[Brian Green]

At the high end, a Superstore GM can make around $550,000 a year.

[Rachel]

Wow.

[Brian Green]

Holy shit. What am I doing with my life? I know.

[Rachel]

We need to go. Let's go get shops at the Walmart.

[Brian Green]

No shit. That's less than the commercial break took home last year. That's crazy. That is crazy. Whoa.

[Rachel]

Good for them. Good for Walmart. Paying them.

[Brian Green]

Wawa. We wa. Okay. A market manager makes about $620,000 a year. That's multiple stores. But it also does say that some of the smaller grossing stores, like the smaller stores and smaller markets average about 117 to $170,000 a year. So. Okay, so either way, if you're a gm, you're doing okay. You know, you're, you're not rich unless I guess you have one of these superstores. Like there's a superstore near my house. Yeah, I bet that person makes, you know, 400, $500,000 a year. Geez. I'm gonna go talk to them. Yeah, yeah. Matt, we're gonna be podcasting from Walmart. That's basically what I want to say because Brian's gonna be a Walmart superstore gm and Chrissy's gonna have to come there on my lunch hour to record the commercial break. That's crazy. All right, but by and large, the average pay at a Walmart is nowhere near $117,000 a year. It's probably 40, 50.

[Rachel]

Well, for what, like the cashier?

[Brian Green]

Yeah, let's see.

[Rachel]

Probably like an hourly.

[Brian Green]

What is the average? So see it pay? Yeah, I Bet it's probably 30, 40, 50 a year. Let's see here.

[Rachel]

Now they have those self checkouts too, which makes it easier.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, that's true. Now they don't need as many people. Well, you know, the average wage here in Georgia is about $17 an hour. Right. So let's say you're doing 17 times. 40 times 50 weeks a year with two weeks vacation. So you're making about $35,000 a year. Not a lot of money. Right. That's, that's. It's tough to live on $35,000 a year.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

And you're working 40 hours a week. You do get, I'm sure, benefits, you know, health and all that other stuff when you're working full time. But okay, so you're making $40,000 a year. Let's say you've been there for a while, you're making 40, $50,000 a year, and you get voted to go to Bentonville, Arkansas, all expenses paid for a trip to the Whoopty. Whoopity Doo Big Walmart parade. Party time. Chrissy, this is probably fucking debauchery. I have to imagine if you've ever been to 1212-4333 TCB, we have to hear about it. Your name and your voice can be the same.

[Rachel]

I mean, I'm very intrigued with the. You haven't lived until you've been to this party.

[Brian Green]

I mean, that's a big statement. I know that's a big statement to say you haven't lived until you've been to that party. I've been to a lot of parties, some of them wild. I once saw a tiger eat meat, raw meat, in the middle of a party.

[Rachel]

Jeez.

[Brian Green]

You know what I'm saying? Like, I've been to some pretty fucking wild parties. But this from all accounts on Reddit, from people.

[Rachel]

What were some of the things, like you said, it's just debauchery.

[Brian Green]

Just debauchery. A lot of alcohol. I think it's. Some people were saying that they do have like company sponsored.

[Rachel]

I mean, basically like any company retreat.

[Brian Green]

Exactly. But Walmart is the biggest company, so they probably have a lot of rules around, you know, drink ticket type bullshit. Right. You have a wristband, they scan you. You can't have too many. You probably put alcohol sensors on you or some shit like that. But you know, there's always a way around anything. There's the company SP stuff, but that's not where the real action happens. The real action after parties. That's right. Two in the morning, three in the morning, four in the morning, and you're just wad in some, you know, Marriott in Bentonville, Arkansas, or stumbling around this beautiful town trying to find your way back to wherever it is you're going. We've all been there. I've been to a few podcast conferences where the same thing was happening. It always happens at the work events because that's where you don't have your spouse and you're. Or whoever, and there's no responsibility. And it's almost like the company is sanctioning you, just getting as ugly as possible. And it'll be okay. Because you were at the event. Right? It was all under the umbrella and the warm coddling nature of Walmart, Clear Channel or wherever. Even the small companies, I bet the small companies are the worst. Because. Because there's no big umbrella. But then there's also zero chance you're getting fired because you're snorting lines with the CEO.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

You know what I'm saying? But we've all been there. If you've worked for any kind of corporation anywhere, then you know that these sanctioned events are often the ones that get the most disgusting. That's just it, you know, people get crazy. Romances blossom affairs happen. People get embarrassingly drunk or high and they do something that make them a legend or fired one of the two. Yeah, you know, I want to know. I want to know. I want to know all about it. You have to call and you have to let us know. But here is the real rub. So at the end of the week, capping off this entire, you know, big party, Right, Let's. I think it's. I think it's a week. I'm not about to tell you what they did. What is Walmart associate week? I want to know. I want to get a little bit more color detail on the color commentary on this. I read a lot of Reddit posts, but some of them weren't as clear. Week long celebration that coincides with Walmart's annual shareholders meeting, typically held the first Friday in June. The highlight is the Friday association celebration, a pep rally style event featuring top executives. Entertainment and motivational messaging meeting and educational sessions happen throughout the week. Expos and activities, there are games, vendors, booth networking opportunities and sometimes fun attractions like petting zoos.

[Rachel]

Petting zoos or adults.

[Brian Green]

Yes.

[Rachel]

Okay.

[Brian Green]

Okay. So are you ready to hear who played? Who was at this year's Walmart association week? Okay. You're not, you're. This is going to blow your fucking mind.

[Rachel]

Was it the guy from Creed who I saw at the Belmont Stakes?

[Brian Green]

Oh, no, but we'll talk about that in the next section. I love that. Okay, here we go. This year, well, 2024 starred Lizzo, Backstreet Boys, Peyton Manning and Robert Downey Jr. Wow. Was like an emcee of the event. Okay, but this year pop country superstar Post Malone.

[Rachel]

Okay, they're bringing in the big guns.

[Brian Green]

Yes. Post Malone. Hold on one second. I just had it. Noah Khan.

[Rachel]

Oh.

[Brian Green]

Camilla Cabello and Jimmy Fallon.

[Astrid]

Wow.

[Brian Green]

Were in attendance to entertain the good folks of Walmart starting at 8am in the morning. It's a day long celebration. Where Post Malone is playing for you at 8:15 in the fucking morning. It's crazy. Now I get it. Listen, all of you are out there, you're saying, holy shit, Post. Like, you know, you used to be like a real one. You are a real one. And here's why. Post Malone cannot turn down, first of all, probably the $2 million that they paid him.

[Rachel]

I was gonna say, yeah. The money for all of the people.

[Brian Green]

Yes.

[Rachel]

Including Jimmy Fallon.

[Brian Green]

Yes. But here's why you really can't turn it down. Because first of all, Jimmy Fallon, for those of you that don't know, is an entrepreneur. He has a lot of different businesses outside of that Tonight show gig he has. But Post Malone sells albums. And believe it or not, people still buy albums. They buy CDs, they buy records. A lot of people buy records.

[Rachel]

A lot of people.

[Brian Green]

There's even a tape business out there. Some people are going back to tapes. Why? I don't know. But okay, let's do it.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

The number one seller of CDs and records in this country is Walmart. In the world is Walmart. And if Walmart chooses to put your album on its shelves like any other product out there in a Walmart, it means sales. And probably a lot of them, Post Malone, Camilla Cabello, they cannot say no to Walmart because they need Walmart to sell those albums. Because believe it or not, there still is money to be made in the music business. And a lot of that money can be made selling CDs and albums. It's one of the few places that musicians can still make money. You can't make money on Spotify. You just can't. You have to. What, what? Most like the average royalty check from Spotify, even for the big players is like $100,000 a year. That goes to the lawyers and the agents. That's it. Bye bye, see you later. So I understand why they feel the need to say yes to this. But then also they're playing to a crowd of people who are consumers of their music. Yeah, the associates didn't. Because the associates are not the Walmart executives making millions of dollars a year on stock options. They're just regular Joe Schmoes like you and me. Right? And they're, you know, hanging out and they're being appreciated and celebrated for the hard work that they do. So you can buy, you know, skirt steak for A$25 a pound. So I can appreciate that. Post looks at this in some and he goes, yeah, this is a good thing for me to do because this is My crowd. First of all, these are my people. They buy my albums. Second of all, I'm getting paid $2 million for a half an hour worth of work. That's not a bad deal. Third of all, I get to go to Bentonville, Arkansas for Walmart associate week. And according to some, you haven't lived. I imagine Post Malone was showing up at some of those parties. I gotta imagine. Yes. I gotta imagine Post is at some bar in Bentonville, Arkansas, probably doing karaoke.

[Rachel]

I hope so.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, me too. Smoking cigarettes. Doing karaoke with the associates.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

But third of all, I need Walmart to put my next album on their shelves so that I can get that sweet, sweet CD money.

[Rachel]

I wonder if people go to go to this, like people that don't work at Walmart. I wonder if some people go to Bentonville around this time just to be amongst.

[Brian Green]

You gotta imagine the party. You gotta imagine that they do. You gotta imagine that there are associates out there who ask for the week off or some time off just to be in the mix.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Just to go there and be with their friends, even though they're not sanctioned to be there. But I also think that Bentonville is probably a company town in the sense that I bet there's a lot of, like, security and police officers and stuff like that. They probably have their own Bentonville FBI out there, you know what I'm saying? Like wbi the Walmart, but just to.

[Rachel]

Like, swirl around the bar, hotel, that kind of thing.

[Brian Green]

Maybe we should do that.

[Rachel]

I that. You read my mind.

[Brian Green]

I've been wanting to do the gathering of the Juggalos for years, but it's already been done. But I haven't seen anybody do the Bentonville, Arkansas Walmart Associates.

[Rachel]

It's out there for the taking.

[Brian Green]

Listen, we should do this, and then we'll record an episode about it in one of their stores at their podcast studio.

[Rachel]

Yes, yes. It's all coming together.

[Brian Green]

That's the job that needs to be done. I just laid it out and I think we're gonna do that. If you work for Walmart, and I have to imagine, out of all the tens of people that listen to us, one of you work for Walmart. If you do and you know about this and you'd be able to share, you'd like to share, right? I don't want anything that's gonna get you in trouble. We can disguise your voice, your name, you can write it down, I can read it, whatever it is. No identifying information. I wanna know about all the dirt, all the jam. I wanna Hear about it. What is it like to be at Walmart Associates Week? Because I had no. I knew about this. I had read about it in years past, but I had zero interest in finding out. More like it was just kind of like a blurb in a, in a online rag. But then when I started digging this year, I thought to myself, holy shit, this really is a jam. This is a fucking party. And people are out there and these are not, you know, crypto bros with their private planes running around cooking crack in a fucking Easy Bake Oven. These are like normal people like you and me just doing their thing. And they get shoved off to Bentonville to get drunk and bang their head against the hotel wall. How awesome is that?

[Rachel]

And listen to Post Malone.

[Brian Green]

I wonder if there are a lot of. Let's, let me see here. Hotels. Bentonville, Arkansas. Let me see, let's see. Okay, let's see what kind of hotels they have here. I'm just. Okay, there's the Avid Hotel, which looks like one of these nice, like long stays, Staybridge Suites, Candlewood Suites, the True by Hilton, Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn Express, Doubletree Hilton Garden Inn, home to suites. Yeah, they've got a lot of hotels.

[Rachel]

No Ritz.

[Brian Green]

No Ritz, but you know, there's only so much you can ask for in Bentonville, Arkansas. You know what I'm saying?

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

That's not to say there won't be one one day, but you got to imagine the crowd that they're catering to. First of all, you know, a company like Walmart, even the executives are probably having to stay at the Hilton. Yeah, Garden In. Right. They're, they, they don't want to give the appearance that they're just blowing a bunch of money on the Four Seasons every time they show up into town. And second of all, most of the people who come in there even for business are small entrepreneurs looking to put their products into a Walmart. And my understanding is, listen, I had a friend who was trying to do this for years, and then I knew a lawyer who. This is, this is weird. So you know Shark Tank?

[Rachel]

Yeah, of course.

[Brian Green]

There was a guy named. I can't remember his name. The, the very, the very first set of sharks. Kevin.

[Rachel]

Kevin o' Leary.

[Brian Green]

No, not Kevin o' Leary. Is Kevin somebody else. There were two Kevins and one of them, One of the Kevins, like the first sharks, there was a shark that sits in the, in Mark's seat, where Mark sits now. And he was part of the first season of Shark Tank and he was one of these infomercial guys, he would take your product and he would put it on an infomercial. He would sell millions of them. That's what he did. That was his thing. And he made a millions and millions of dollars doing this. And he became pretty well known for it. So well known that when Shark Tank came together, they asked him to sit in that seat. He was there for the first season. I can understand why he wasn't the most interesting character. Like, he didn't fight hard for some of the deals. Maybe he didn't have the connections of the other people. He just wasn't, maybe, I don't know, telegenic enough, let's put it that way. But I knew a lawyer who worked with this guy and he called on a friend of mine and I to work with him to vet out these opportunities so they would get leads that would come in the door. I would help them vet out these opportunities by contacting the inventor or the entrepreneur and figuring out, seeing if it was right for this kind of opportunity for Kevin to then invest in and take to the next level. So I kind of got a little taste of this world. I only did this for like six months because quite frankly, it was very hard. And every entrepreneur thought they had the next thing. This one guy had like a cookie dipper. Straw. Like a straw you would put a cookie in and dip it in the milk and then you could suck.

[Rachel]

Okay, okay.

[Brian Green]

How about your fingers? Yeah, okay. All right. Right. So, I mean, not maybe, maybe, I don't know. And that was. The other thing is like, I'm not qualified to know whether or not millions of people are going to want this. It's not. I know, it just wasn't interesting to me. Anyway, I got a little taste of all of this. Apparently you walk into a Walmart boardroom, you pitch them this opportunity, they say, yes, it changes your life almost overnight. But almost overnight, your margins are shrinking minute by minute because Walmart really does beat you up to make sure that their customers are getting the lowest possible price. That's part of the discount store motto. That's how Walmart became what it is. And so, yes, it can change your life. You can get a million purchase orders overnight, but you go from 30% profit margins to 3% profit margins. It can change your life in ways you didn't expect. And then there's this whole, you know, financing that goes on behind the purchase orders and all of this behind closed doors that apparently can or cannot be predatory or whatever. So, you know, Walmart is a machine and it all Lives in Bentonville, Arkansas. That is the machine. And once a year, one week a year, everybody turns up and turns out. And Brian and Chrissy have to know about it. So you call me so that I can figure it out. And then maybe next year, Chrissy and Brian will be in Bentonville, Arkansas?

[Rachel]

I think so.

[Brian Green]

Probably getting arrested by the local Walmart police for showing up in the first place. You know what I'm saying? They probably don't take too kindly to strangers.

[Rachel]

Well, we're out there to do our podcast in the Walmart.

[Brian Green]

True.

[Rachel]

I mean, a year from now, they'll probably be out there. So we've got business.

[Brian Green]

We got business. We're here to record the podcast. And we need stories, clients. Yeah, or Walmart. If you want to pay us $2 million, we'll be happy to make this the best story that's ever been told on the commercial break in your favor. I am not above selling out. Sorry, I got a family to feed. We'll be back. You make this rather snappy, won't you? I have some very heavy thinking to do before 10:00.

[Astrid]

Hi, cats and kittens. Rachel here. Do you ever get the urge to speak endlessly into the void like Brian? Well, I've got just the place for you to do that. 212-4333, TCB. That's 212-433-3822. Feel free to call and yell all you want. Tell Brian I need a raise. Compliment Chrissy's innate ability to put up with all his shenanigans, or tell us a little story. The juicier the better. By the way, we'd love to hear your voice, because Lord knows we're done listening to ourselves. Also, give us a follow on your favorite socials, the commercial break on Insta TCB podcast on TikTok. And for those of you who like to watch. Oh, that came out wrong. We put all the episodes out on video. YouTube.com thecommercialbreak and tcbpodcast.com for all the info on the show, your free sticker, or just to see how pretty we look. Okay, I gotta go now. I've got a date with my dog. No, seriously, Axl needs food. Today is pork chop day.

[Brian Green]

You ever hit that moment when your.

[Astrid]

Kid asks for help with homework and.

[Brian Green]

You'Re like, wait, when did long division get this complicated? Or maybe your child's flying through lessons and getting bored in class? Yeah, been there. Whether they're struggling or soaring, IXL can make a real difference. IXL is an award winning online platform that helps kids really understand what they're learning. It covers math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade and it's actually fun, engaging, personalized, and packed with encouraging feedback to help help keep them motivated.

[Astrid]

IXL is used by 96 of the.

[Brian Green]

Top 100 school districts in the US and it's no surprise it's backed by research.

[Astrid]

Kids using IXL are scoring higher on.

[Brian Green]

Tests, and studies from almost every state show they're consistently doing better. Make an impact on your child's learning.

[Astrid]

Get IXL now and listeners of this.

[Brian Green]

Podcast can get an exclusive 20% off.

[Astrid]

IXL membership when they sign up today at ixllearning.com audio visit ixllearning.com audio to.

[Brian Green]

Get the most effective learning program out.

[Astrid]

There at the best price Are you feeling overwhelmed with all the supplements out there? Totally get it. There's a lot of misinformation and fake claims. That's why Gruns took the time to understand proper dosing to ensure nutrition is optimized and safe. Groons utilizes a convenient, comprehensive formula that is designed to replace the multiple supplements you take a day. This isn't a multivitamin, a greens gummy or a prebiotic. Gruins is all of those things and then some at a fraction of the price and the taste is fabulous. Visit Groons Co to get up to 52% off. That's groons Co.

[Brian Green]

Okay, ready? From Reddit I was selected to go for my store as far as I was. It was explained to me there will be presentations for us to attend from representatives of our store as well as fun stuff to do once all the presentations are over. Someone earlier in this thread mentioned the performers they have had in the past. I'm not 100% sure. I'm relatively new to the Walmart world and I have a ton to learn. I'm sure I just got registered to go today. From speaking with someone who went in 2023. She basically said that they have different meetings and tours set up to learn about the business, plus they have lots of activities to do and when she went they even had a petting zoo. She said it was definitely a big learning experience meeting people from all over the best time of your life. Last year Lizzo, Backstreet Boys and et cetera played. It's the opportunity of a lifetime. Everything is paid. They feed you, they booze you. You get to talk to associates around the world. There's lots of walking though. It's the best time I have ever had in My entire life. Whoa.

[Rachel]

It's the best time I've ever had in my entire life.

[Brian Green]

Oh, God. Wow. That's.

[Rachel]

I say we decamp. Yeah, we gotta do this for a week next year.

[Brian Green]

Let's see.

[Rachel]

Forget about Disney kids.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. I wanna hear what the real dirt is, though. I mean, give me the real dirt. I'm sure that they have fear of getting. Of getting fired. It's very laid back. Quote, unquote. Take that. I'm speaking in code. Take that for what it is. Yeah.

[Rachel]

I was gonna say you could make it. I'm sure you can make it any way you want it.

[Brian Green]

Yes. It's also worth mentioning that. Oh, it's also worth mentioning that you get free food. But I'm lucky to get. This lady goes. I'm lucky if I get a bottled water and a PB&J during the afternoon. Oh, come on. Just being grateful then. But I mean, listen, if I made. You know, if you're making $35,000 a year, you're really watching all your P's and Q's. I can't think of, you know, the only, like, true, I guess, worker appreciation thing that I ever went to that I thought was worthy of conversation. I got hired by a consulting company one time. I was pretty young. You know, at this time, this. We're talking like 15 years ago.

[Rachel]

That's a Renaissance man.

[Brian Green]

I am. I've really done it all. I was working with Raphael. We were selling the websites. We got a client. That client was a large consulting company. They consulted on CRM automation, which is now like the world that we live in.

[Rachel]

Yeah, yeah, Everybody does it.

[Brian Green]

Customer relationship management tools like Salesforce and Eloqua. And they would essentially consult with huge companies like Post, the food company, or Kellogg's or whatever on how to integrate these systems into their existing systems to capture customer data, use that data in ways that back then we could see coming down the pike but weren't quite there yet. Like AI and all this other stuff. So we would go in there. You would go in there for a couple of months, you would help them mesh these tools together, integrate them, train, teach. Right? And I knew little about this, but I think the guy who owned the company liked me, the person, and thought that I was a good talker. So he put me as a salesperson, as a consultant. So within two weeks of being hired there. Oh, this is the time that I went to the. I go to the interview. It's at his house. I have a car.

[Rachel]

Oh, yeah.

[Brian Green]

That has half a front. I'm not even kidding. One half of the car is missing. Basically, it's like a 2006 Honda Accord. Two door, Honda Accord, gray. Okay.

[Rachel]

Oh, I remember riding in that car.

[Brian Green]

This is like 2012 or 13 or something like that.

[Rachel]

And you parked on the other side.

[Brian Green]

I parked on the other side of the cul de sac. So if they looked out their window, they could only see the good stuff. And then I sat in the car and made sure they weren't looking out the windows before I drove away. But I get to their house. It's him and his wife who run the company. They were interviewing me. And then at the end of the interview, they're like, you got. Actually, I was so scared of showing up to my car that I canceled the first interview at their house because I wanted to see if I could borrow Rafael's car to show up there. Well, he couldn't let me use his car, so I just made up this excuse. There was too much traffic to go up there. And they kept on like, it's okay, it's okay. Just come, like, you know, we'll wait for you. And I'm like, no, no, no. There's so much traffic. It's gonna. I can't go. I'm sorry. They wanted me so bad that they were like, well, come tomorrow. And Raphael's like, can't do it tomorrow either. Anyway, so I get there, I do the interview. Great. They're lovely people. And he says, I want to hire you. And I'm like, okay. And he's like, what's your number? And I'm like, 75. And he goes, I was thinking 125. And I was like, that is exactly what I was going to say. 75 plus 50. I didn't even get a chance to finish my sentence. And I was just so thrilled. Oh, my God, I'm gonna be making this crazy amount of money. Because at the time, it felt like a crazy amount of money to me. And so within two weeks of being there, so I get set up, you know, it's a remote company, and this is my, like, first real, like, kind of remote job, you know, having to check in and all that. And they give me a computer, and they give me a credit card. All this stuff that I had no idea, you know, it was kind of crazy for me. And. And then he goes, all right, well, I need you to book your tickets to. To San Francisco, because we have Company Appreciation Week in San Francisco in. In Oakland, actually, across the bay. But it was at this nice resort that we were really going to be in San Francisco. And I said, oh, oh, my gosh. Okay, cool. I'm like, a week? And he's like, yeah, go there for a week. And you. You know, we're gonna hang out, we're gonna feed the homeless, we're gonna go to the food bank, we're gonna do a couple of adventures. We're gonna go in the hills, we're gonna have some company meetings, we're gonna train, we're gonna learn, we're gonna talk to each other, we're gonna drink, we're gonna have fun dinners, all this other stuff.

[Rachel]

Yeah, it's fun.

[Brian Green]

And I go, oh, okay. And this company has, like 70 people that work for it. So it's not a particularly big company, or it's the one time of year they get together and they get to see each other. I had no experience in any of this. None of it. The traveling, the. None of it, Right. And so I say, okay, great. At the time, I had a girlfriend, and that girlfriend was a little wacky. Oh, Lord.

[Rachel]

Was this the San Francisco trip?

[Brian Green]

Yes, this is the San Francisco trip. So she comes home and I say, I'm going to San Francisco. Can you believe this? I got a trip to this. And she's like, aren't you going to invite me to go? I'm like, it's a company trip. I don't think it's like that. And she's like, it's like a company appreciation trip. I'm sure that other spouses are going. And I'm like, you're not a spouse. You're my girlfriend, and I just got hired. Yeah, but it becomes such a big deal that I have to ask them, right? I have to then ask. Can I? And they're like, yeah, yeah, okay. I mean, some of the spouses are going. They've been working here for a long time, but okay, sure. But, you know, she can stay in the room. I just would appreciate it. Maybe you could pay for the flight, right? And I was like, yeah, of course. She's like, listen, I just. The owner of the company was like, listen, I really don't mind. It's not that big of a deal, but you gotta attend all the meetings. Of course, some of them. She's not gonna be able to come to. All the company events are just for company people. If she wants to be there, some other spouses are gonna be there. I would fly her out there, but it's just a bad look on the company, you know? And I was like, no, no, I hear you. I Got you. Okay. Pay to go out there. Her and I go out there three days ahead of time. So we're there for like three days just dicking around and doing this other stuff. And the very first night that everybody else showed up to this resort, we're in this beautiful resort in Oakland and everyone met downstairs at the bar to have some fun. And so we. But I don't know whether or not it's appropriate to bring my girlfriend at the time. So I go, listen, I'm gonna go down and I'll text, check out the scene. I'll check out the scene and I'll text you, I'll call you. I'll let you know. So like three hours later, I'm like, everyone's just wasted and some spouses are showing up. And I'm like, yeah, come on down, Chrissy. It. First of all, it was one of the funniest, funnest weeks I have ever had. And it was.

[Rachel]

You haven't lived.

[Brian Green]

You haven't lived until you've been at a. Yeah. Until you've been to a small company retreat. But it was the worst. I mean, it was the worst ending to any trip I've ever had.

[Rachel]

It's painful when you talk about it.

[Brian Green]

I can't. I didn't want to. You know, I saw. Recently I saw a post. Those who have listened to the commercial break for a long time will have heard this story that the girlfriend that I brought about three days into the five days of this trip ended up going out with one of the other spouses while we were all at a company meeting. They went. They had sushi at a place in. In somewhere in San Francisco. And that night she got violently ill. And this was not a joke. This wasn't dramatized. She would. It was the most. It was the most horrific thing I've ever seen in my entire life. Coming out both ends, door wide open. I literally had to help clean her up. I mean, it was a bad, bad kind of sick and bad kind of sick to the point where we took her to the hospital. So I was at the hospital till like 3:30 in the morning. I need to be at a company meeting at like seven. It was just. The whole thing was just shitty.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

But then we had to go home and going home and trying to bring her through the airport was insane. So. And I just remember she was like so fussy and screamy at the airport, you know, everything heard she didn't want to be here.

[Rachel]

Which was not just in this isolated incident.

[Brian Green]

No, it was not. No it was.

[Rachel]

Just point that out.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, it was all the time. She could turn on the dime. That's just the personality that she had. But.

[Rachel]

So you saw a post.

[Brian Green]

I saw a post where someone's at an airport and there's a guy and a girl and they're recording this interaction that's going on between the guy and the girl. And the girl is screaming at this guy, screaming, young girl screaming at this young guy. You know, you don't love me. You don't care about me. You only care about yourself. It gave me like instant ptsd. I was like, that's me. They recorded me. That's me years ago. Oh my God. I'm in a loop. I'm in a feedback loop. It was crazy. And I thought, how did Instagram know? They served me up the post. That put me back into the feedback loop. Anyway, it was terrible. Company Appreciation Week. Hey, listen, we should do that here at the commercial break. But it'd just be you and me in Bentonville, Arkansas.

[Rachel]

That's what we're doing next year.

[Brian Green]

Next petting zoo. I want to go to the petting zoo. Have you been to a petting zoo?

[Rachel]

I'm good on the petting zoos. I have been to many petting zoos and I'm good.

[Brian Green]

Astrid hates them.

[Rachel]

No, I don't like them.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, listen, I can appreciate that. We went to a llama farm like a year ago. An alpaca farm. Excuse me, not a llama farm, an alpaca farm. And we went with my in laws and everybody's. Some people are really excited to do this. Other people are kind of like, eh. I learned at the alpaca farm that petting zoos are not as exciting as. As sometimes you make them out to be because you actually have to touch the actual animals. Like the animals that don't have the level of cleanliness that you would expect of a human being. And they, they're not always nice.

[Rachel]

No.

[Brian Green]

You know what I'm saying?

[Rachel]

Yeah. They're being fed by a bunch of people.

[Brian Green]

Yeah. They're being pet by a bunch of people. They're cranky. They're being hand fed. Those alpacas, they, they're weird looking. I like them. They're cute from a distance, but then when you get close to them, they smell really bad and then they want to lick you. No, thanks. There's a lady on television on that Thousand Pound Sisters, she got bit by a camel like she was at one of those drive through safaris and the camel put its head in the car and tore off a chunk of her flesh. Geez. And no fault of her own, right? The camel did. But then she got arrested by the local Arkansas police because when the cops came, they searched her car and found drugs in her car. You remember that saying that? Yeah, yeah. So anyway, she got put on probation and I guess all's well that ends well, I suppose. You get bit by a camel and then you end up going to jail.

[Astrid]

So.

[Brian Green]

Oh, and to add insult to injury, so the judge. So they have this big dramatic moment. Where is she going to go to jail? Is she not going to go to jail? And the prosecutor does a plea agreement, but the judge has to sign off on it. And there's a pregnant pause while the judge reads over it and everyone's like, will she go to jail? But you know, she's not in jail because, you know, this was filmed seven months ago, but this moment. And the judge goes, I will accept your plea deal. No jail time. You will have to be under probation in your own state. You know, good luck to you. And then they're like, thank you, judge. You know, as they're leaving out the courtroom, he goes, oh, one more, one more matter. I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. The Arkansas Children of God Petting zoo will permanently trespass you from their property. You're never allowed to go back there again. And I'm like, she said it. I didn't have to. But like you'd ever want to go back there again, right? You got eaten by a camel. The animals are so hungry here that they chew on people's arms. You.

[Rachel]

Yeah, that's. I'm good on the punting juice.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, no thanks. But one of our kids loves them.

[Rachel]

But when you're a kid, it's a whole other thing. Past the past 15, I think maybe not. Not the same.

[Brian Green]

I think past 10.

[Rachel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Brian Green]

Listen, I. I love animales. I want to be all around them. Yeah. But the petting zoos can be a little weird. Let's just all say it. Those goats have weird eyes. You know what I'm saying? Like the mountain goats, they have those weird devil eyes and they want to. I saw a. A real. Where there's.

[Rachel]

They've got one at the zoo. You guys just went to the zoo a little while back.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, we. We purposely walked around.

[Rachel]

Yeah, we did too.

[Brian Green]

We saw the signs and we were like, go this way. Cuz we went last year and we had to hose the kids down for an hour.

[Rachel]

Yeah.

[Brian Green]

Because the animals were like getting a little rowdy. They were like, you know.

[Rachel]

You talking about that?

[Brian Green]

Yeah. What's that?

[Rachel]

I remember you talking about that.

[Brian Green]

They were like knocking the kids around and I thought, let's get out of here. That pig's going to eat my child. I saw this reel where this kid had a pet goat with the horns and he put out a helmet and every night he would go out and bang heads with the goat. And I thought, there's parenting of the years right there.

[Rachel]

Nice for a developing brain.

[Brian Green]

Yeah, exactly. So stupid. But then it said he loves his goat so much that he wants the goat to feel like he has friend. I don't know what the God. So stupid. But have you seen the reel of the elephant pulling the antelope from drowning?

[Rachel]

I have not.

[Brian Green]

I'm going to show it to you. Puts a tear to my eye. And elephant grabs an antelope by its antlers and pulls it out of the water because it is drowning a baby antelope. So sweet. Unbelievable. Animal World is great. They're gonna revolt against us if they not if they aren't already. The whales are eating people out in the ocean. All right, 212-433-3TCB 212 433-3TCB. You got any scoop on the Bentonville, Arkansas Walmart Associates Week, Let us know. Know we'd love to hear from you. Or if you're in in or around the Atlanta area and you want to be put on the list for future live recordings, let us know at the commercial break and Instagram tcb podcast on tick tock and YouTube.com the commercial break for all the episodes on video the same day they air here on the audio, go to tcbpodcast.com more information about the show, audio, video and your free sticker. Okay, Chrissy, that's all I can do for today. I think so I'll tell you that I love you. Best to you. Best you out there in the podcast universe. Until next time, Chrissy and I will say we do say and we must say goodbye.

[Astrid]

Get smoother, brighter skin instantly. In one easy step, Dermalogica's daily microfoliant.

[Rachel]

Gives you the smooth, glowy skin you.

[Brian Green]

Want without damaging your skin barrier.

[Astrid]

This gentle exfoliating powder activates with water to smooth out rough texture and brighten skin. It's powerful enough to deliver results, yet gentle enough to use every single day.

[Brian Green]

Even on sensitive skin.

[Astrid]

See the results for yourself. Visit dermalogica.com and use code smooth at.

[Rachel]

Cart for an exclusive free gift with $65 purchase.

[Astrid]

Whether you're jetting off to a new destination, leveling up at work, or simply feeding your curiosity. Speaking a new language can change your life. And now Rosetta still makes it easier and more immersive than ever. With 30 years of expertise in 25 languages, from French and German to Japanese and Vietnamese, Rosetta Stone's True Accent Speech Engine gives instant feedback on your pronunciation so you sound natural every time. And because there's no English translation, you start thinking in your new language right away. Rosetta Stone has lessons that fit your lifestyle on desktop or mobile, and today you can get Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for unlimited access to all 25 languages and at 50% off, don't wait. Unlock your language learning potential. Now listeners of this podcast can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit RosettaStone.com RS10 to get started and claim your 50% off today. Don't miss out. Go to Rosetta Stone.com RS10 and start learning today.

[Brian Green]

Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes, so you don't have to don't know the difference between matte, paint, finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app. Download today Sat.