NEW SHOW FEATURE: We are now LIVE streaming our shows. Want to join us live? Just click this link every Friday at 3pm ET / 12pm PT.
Sometimes the best conversations come from the stories that don’t neatly fit into a single theme—but are too good to ignore. In this week’s episode of The Soul of Enterprise, Ron and Ed bring you a lively grab bag of pricing and business news, insights, and oddities they’ve collected from around the world. From surprising trends in how companies set prices, to cautionary tales in leadership, to the occasional “you-can’t-make-this-up” moment from the marketplace, no topic is off limits. Tune in for sharp commentary, unexpected connections, and a little controlled chaos.
SHOW NOTES
Segment one
The Dissident Beijing Can’t Break by Father Robert Sirico https://www.thefp.com/p/the-dissident-beijing-cant-break-jimmy-lai-hong-kong
“As my friend Jimmy Lai would be the first to tell you, the trial isn’t really about him at all. It’s a test of the seriousness of Western democracy.” —Father Robert Sirico in the article “The Dissident Beijing Can’t Break” via The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/the-dissident-beijing-cant-break-jimmy-lai-hong-kong
“Delta Bets Big on AI for Ticket Pricing—But Is It Fair to Travelers?” https://businesstravelerusa.com/news/delta-ai-pricing/
If you want to hear more of Ron’s thoughts on AI airline ticket pricing, check out the most recent episode of The Woodard Report Podcast in which Joe Woodard asked Ron about this. https://report.woodard.com/articles/pricing-ethics-from-airplanes-to-accounting-practices-twrpod-opgwr @WoodardCompany
Segment two
A friend of the show, Wealth Rabbit, received a big shoutout today on the show. Stress free retirement benefits, tailor made for small businesses. #NotAnAd #JustCoolPeople https://www.wealthrabbit.com/ @wealth_rabbit
Check out Fetcherr.io and what Ed saw immediately on their site which is, “Generative Pricing Engine, Fetcherr’s groundbreaking GPE leverages AI to generate optimal market moves, creating a strategic pricing edge for your business.” https://www.fetcherr.io/
“I don’t see it much different than an insurance company charing Evil Knievel more money than me.” —Ron Baker on dynamic pricing
The NY Times claims 6 myths about social security (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/business/social-security-retirement-myths.html). Dominic Pino of the National Review shows that 5 of those myths actually are true (https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/five-of-six-social-security-myths-in-nyt-article-are-actually-true/)
Segment three
A government funded grocery store in Kansas City spent $17M. And then they shut down. https://www.kansascity.com/news/business/openings-closings/article311681208.html
Corporatism does NOT mean “ruled by corporations”. It is is an ideology and political system of interest representation and policymaking whereby corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, come together and negotiate contracts or policy (collective bargaining) on the basis of their common interests. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism
“The Cult of the Presidency” by Gene Healy https://store.cato.org/products/cult-presidency-2024
“A household expenditure approach to measuring AI progress” by Tyler Cowen https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2025/07/a-household-expenditure-approach-to-measuring-ai-progress.html
Segment four
“Just 21% of respondents were satisfied with the state of the NHS, while 59% were dissatisfied” — This is from “The Collapse of Britain’s National Health Service” by Jake Scott in the Foundation for Economic Education https://fee.org/articles/the-collapse-of-britains-national-health-service
“After the Spike: Population, Progress, and the Case for People” https://afterthespike.com/
Bonus Content is Available As Well
Did you know that each week after our live show, Ron and Ed take to the microphone for a bonus show? Typically, this bonus show is an extension of the live show topic (sometimes even with the same guest) and a few other pieces of news, current events, or things that have caught our attention.
Click the “FANATIC” image to learn more about pricing and member benefits.