Send a text

Online reviews used to be a shortcut to confidence. Now they feel more like a coin toss. One minute a product has thousands of glowing 5-star ratings, the next minute you’re convinced half of them were written by bots, paid influencers, or AI tools that have never touched the product.

In this episode of the Mike & Blaine Podcast, we dig into how the internet slowly broke trust—and what that means for businesses trying to grow in a world where skepticism is the default setting. We unpack how fake reviews, influencer culture, AI-generated content, and performance marketing have turned authenticity into a competitive advantage instead of a baseline expectation.

But this isn’t just a rant about broken systems. It’s a conversation about strategy. If trust is now the most valuable currency in business, how do you actually earn it? We talk about why over-polished branding can backfire, why transparency beats perfection, and why showing real trade-offs often builds more credibility than pretending your product is flawless.

We also explore what customers are actually responding to now: real stories, honest downside, consistent delivery, and brands that feel human instead of manufactured. From long-term reputation building to word-of-mouth loops, we connect these shifts to practical business tactics—how you design your marketing, how you structure your offers, and how you communicate value without hype.

If you run a business, create content, or sell anything online, this episode will likely change how you think about growth. Because in a noisy, automated, AI-saturated world, trust isn’t built through louder marketing—it’s built through better behavior.

Enjoy the episode, and if you want to support the show, visit http://mikeandblaine.com and buy us a beer 🍻

#FakeReviews #ProductReview #CustomerReview #TikTokReviews #MarketingStrategy #BrandTrust #DigitalMarketing #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife #ContentMarketing #EcommerceBusiness #CreatorEconomy #BusinessPodcast #MikeAndBlaine #OpenAI #Google #Amazon #Shopify #TikTok #YouTube #Meta


Featured Beer: @EvilTwinBrewing @drekkerbrewing


Mike: Evil Twin Brewing “New Yorkers are Mostly Interested in New York – In Case You Haven’t Noticed” Pale Ale



Blaine: Drekker “Blackberry & Black Currant Braaaaaaaains” Double Fruit Smoothie Sour

Thanks to our Beer Sponsors:


• Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com
• Neighbor Pat
• Devin


Listen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.com


cashflowmike.com
dryrun.com

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/l_riU68D8Qw

#AIFatigue #SubscriptionFatigue #AIinBusiness #BusinessPodcast #BusinessStrategy #SaaSTrends #RecurringRevenue #ProductStrategy #TechOverload #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation #OpenAI #ChatGPT #Google #Microsoft #Amazon #Apple #Salesforce #Adobe #Netflix #Spotify

Support the show

Catch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/

Send us a text

AI is everywhere. Subscriptions are everywhere. And somehow, everyone feels more tired than helped. In this episode of the Mike & Blaine Podcast, we dig into the very real rise of AI fatigue and subscription fatigue—and why tools that promise speed and leverage often end up doing the opposite. Businesses keep layering on AI features, dashboards, and monthly tools, assuming more capability automatically means more value. Spoiler: it doesn’t.

We unpack how companies unintentionally train customers to cancel by over-selling potential and under-delivering practical outcomes. When software value lives in theory instead of day-to-day use, it’s always the first line item to get cut. We talk about why underused tools feel expensive no matter the price, how AI has become a checkbox instead of a strategy, and why “just add AI” is not a business model.

This conversation goes beyond tech trends and into real business strategy. If you’re building products, pricing subscriptions, or running a company that relies on recurring revenue, this episode breaks down what real value actually feels like to customers—and how clarity, simplicity, and outcomes beat novelty every time. We also connect the dots between tool overload, decision fatigue, and why leadership teams are quietly overwhelmed even while spending more than ever on software.

If you’ve ever looked at your stack and thought, “We should be getting way more out of this,” or wondered why customers churn even when your product is objectively powerful, this episode will hit uncomfortably close to home.

Grab a drink, listen in, and if you enjoy the conversation, help keep the podcast going—visit https://mikeandblaine.com to buy us a beer 🍻

Featured Beer: @Beerzombies on Instagram @OuterRangeBrewing

Mike: Beer Zombies Brewing “Boomstick” Blonde Ale

Blaine: Wren House Brewing “Forty-Two Buckets’ Czech Pale Lager

Thanks to our Beer Sponsors:

• Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com

• Neighbor Pat

• Devin

Listen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.com

cashflowmike.com

dryrun.com

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3kAHqCWMLqQ

#AIFatigue #SubscriptionFatigue #AIinBusiness #BusinessPodcast #BusinessStrategy #SaaSTrends #RecurringRevenue #ProductStrategy #TechOverload #CustomerExperience #DigitalTransformation #OpenAI #ChatGPT #Google #Microsoft #Amazon #Apple #Salesforce #Adobe #Netflix #Spotify

Support the show

Catch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/

Send us a text

Reinvestment, Flywheels, & Why “Viral” Is a Myth on Mike and Blaine

Everyone sees the stunts. The giveaways. The eye-popping subscriber counts. What most people don’t see is the system underneath it all — and that’s exactly what this episode of the Mike & Blaine Podcast digs into.

In this episode, Mike and Blaine break down how MrBeast treats content like a business, not a lottery ticket. Instead of chasing random virality, he engineers outcomes by reinvesting aggressively, narrowing focus to one metric at a time, and building a flywheel that compounds attention, revenue, and scale. Every video isn’t just content — it’s infrastructure.

Here’s the twist: when you zoom out, MrBeast’s approach looks a lot less like influencer hype and a lot more like disciplined business strategy. Tight feedback loops. Extreme reinvestment. Ruthless prioritization. Long-term thinking. It’s the same mindset used in high-performing companies that understand cash flow, unit economics, and compounding advantages — just applied to media instead of manufacturing or SaaS.

If you run a business, lead a team, create content, or care about growth strategy, this episode connects dots most people never put together. Why some creators (and companies) win consistently. Why “going viral” is usually the result of systems, not the cause. And how thinking like an operator instead of a gambler changes everything.

If this episode makes you think, laugh, or question your own strategy, head over to https://mikeandblaine.com and buy us a beer 🍺 — it helps keep the conversations flowing.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Smhq9PmGZ1c

Buy us a beer and keep the show rolling at mikeandblaine.com!

Featured Beer: @StarbaseBrewing @OuterRangeBrewing

Mike: Two Pitchers Brewing “No Funny Business” Radler

Blaine: Pinnacle Brewing “Rescued” Hazy IPA in support of Foothills Animal Rescue in

Scottsdale hfoothillsanimal.org @foothillsanimal

Thanks to our Beer Sponsors:

• Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com

• Neighbor Pat

• Devin

Listen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.com

cashflowmike.com

dryrun.com

#MrBeast #CreatorEconomy #BusinessStrategy #EntrepreneurMindset #ContentMarketing #YouTubeStrategy #Reinvestment #GrowthFlywheel #ViralMarketing #AttentionEconomy #BusinessPodcast #StartupThinking #DigitalMedia #YouTube #Netflix #Shopify #Nike #Apple

Support the show

Catch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/

Send us a text

Everything old is new again — just sharper, louder, and somehow filtered. From memes and music to mid-2010s fashion, UI throwbacks, and recycled internet trends, the culture has hit rewind in full 4K. This week on Mike & Blaine, we dig into why nostalgia is suddenly everywhere, why 2016 feels like the internet’s emotional support year, and whether this is a harmless vibe shift or a deeper signal about how people respond to uncertainty.

We explore nostalgia not just as a cultural trend, but as a strategy. In business, nostalgia lowers risk, shortens decision cycles, and builds instant emotional trust — which is why brands keep relaunching “classic” products, rebooting old formats, and leaning hard into familiarity when the future feels noisy. From Vine-era humor to retro design language, we unpack why looking backward often feels safer than innovating forward, and how companies can intentionally use nostalgia without getting stuck in it.

Along the way, we connect the dots between meme cycles, product strategy, and leadership decision-making. When markets are volatile and attention is scarce, repeating what once worked can feel smarter than experimenting — but is it actually? Mike & Blaine talk about when nostalgia becomes a competitive advantage, when it becomes a crutch, and how smart operators balance comfort with progress so they don’t end up building yesterday’s business for today’s problems.

If you’ve ever wondered why trends won’t stay dead, why “throwback” keeps outperforming “new,” or what business leaders can learn from the internet’s obsession with the past, this episode is for you. And yes, we absolutely ask whether Vine should come back — and whether cheap beer can, too.

If you enjoyed the episode, head over to mikeandblaine.com and buy us a beer. It helps keep the nostalgia flowing.

#NostalgiaMarketing #BrandStrategy #CultureTrends #InternetCulture #RebootEconomy #MarketingStrategy #BusinessPodcast #MikeAndBlaine #ThrowbackCulture #DigitalTrends #LeadershipLessons #InnovationVsComfort #Snapchat #Instagram #TikTok #YouTube #Spotify #Netflix #AppleMusic #2016core #FeelsLike2016 #2016Vs2026

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/0ZA5cemkX9E

Buy us a beer and keep the show rolling at mikeandblaine.com!

Featured Beer: @StarbaseBrewing @OuterRangeBrewing

Mike: Two Pitchers Brewing “No Funny Business” Radler

Blaine: Pinnacle Brewing “Rescued” Hazy IPA in support of Foothills Animal Rescue in Scottsdale hfoothillsanimal.org @foothillsanimal

Thanks to our Beer Sponsors:

• Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com

• Neighbor Pat

• Devin

Listen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.com

cashflowmike.com

dryrun.com

https://mikeandblaine.com

Mikeandblaine, smallbusiness, cashflow, finance, beer, entrepreneur, craftbeer

Support the show

Catch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/

Send us a text

With the UDRIS meteor shower lighting up the night and Atlas supposedly still holding the sky together, Mike & Blaine ask the big, dumb questions that actually matter. How much of what we’re seeing is real, and how much is just our brains trying to explain chaos with comforting stories and myths?

The conversation moves from space junk and modern astronomy to ancient sky legends, then lands somewhere very familiar to business and leadership. When uncertainty hits — suddenly, loudly, and without warning — people default to narratives like “this will pass,” “we’ve seen this before,” or “someone else has it handled.” Sound familiar?

Mike & Blaine explore how unexpected events, whether meteors in the sky or shocks in the market, force better thinking if you’re willing to slow down. We talk signal vs noise, why timing always feels personal when stress is high, and why Atlas is the perfect metaphor for leadership, responsibility, and the pressure of not dropping the ball.

Part cosmic curiosity, part philosophical wandering, and part practical reminder: clarity doesn’t come from panic. Whether you’re staring at the night sky or a dashboard full of metrics, the real skill isn’t predicting the meteor — it’s knowing how to think when it shows up. Spoiler: we’re still not sure if Atlas shrugged… or sneezed.

Head over to mikeandblaine.com and buy us a beer. It keeps the lights on, the questions dumb, and the conversations curious.

#MikeAndBlaine #MeteorShower #CosmicThinking #BigQuestions #BusinessStrategy #DecisionMaking #SignalVsNoise #LeadershipMindset #AstronomyTalk #AncientMythology #ChaosTheory #NASA #SpaceX #BlueOrigin #ESA #JamesWebb #HubbleTelescope

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/chbxmH5BDCY

Buy us a beer and keep the show rolling at mikeandblaine.com!

Featured Beer: @StarbaseBrewing @OuterRangeBrewing

Mike: Starbase Brewing “Houston, We Have a Problem” Porter

Blaine: Outer Range Brewing “Pass Was Closed” Hazy IPA

Thanks to our Beer Sponsors:

• Rachel Barnett from Gentle Frog: youtube.com/@GentleFrog

• Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com

• Larry Weinstein, the Cash Flow Cowboy in Houston Texas!

• Neighbor Pat

• Devin

Listen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.com

cashflowmike.com

dryrun.com

Support the show

Catch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/

Send us a text

Why is whisky suddenly everywhere again?

In this episode, we explore the surprising resurgence of both Scotch and bourbon — and why new distilleries are opening, bottles are becoming collectibles, and whisky culture feels more relevant than it has in decades.

We break down how Scotch whisky has quietly entered a new golden era in Scotland, fueled by premiumization, global demand, experiential tourism, and a return to craftsmanship and patience. At the same time, we look at how bourbon exploded in popularity through American craft culture, cocktail revivals, limited releases, and hype-driven scarcity — and why that rapid growth is now entering a more mature phase.

This isn’t just a story about alcohol. It’s a story about brand building, timing, culture, and business models. Scotch shows the power of slow compounding value, geographic protection, and long-term thinking. Bourbon shows what happens when authenticity, personality, and hype collide — and what businesses can learn when growth happens faster than patience.

Whether you’re a business owner, brand builder, or just someone fascinated by why certain products come roaring back into the spotlight, this conversation connects whisky’s revival to broader lessons about craftsmanship, differentiation, and building something that lasts.

👉 Pour a drink, hit play, and visit mikeandblaine.com to buy us a beer and keep the conversation flowing.

#Whisky #WhiskeyTalk #ScotchWhisky #Bourbon #CraftSpirits #WhiskyCulture #PremiumBrands #BrandBuilding #BusinessLessons #ModernCraft #SlowGrowth #HypeVsValue #EntrepreneurLife #MikeAndBlaine #BuyUsABeer

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EXr9BIfwoBo

Buy us a beer and keep the show rolling at mikeandblaine.com!

Featured Beer: @Deliriumbrewery @greatnotion

Mike: Brouwerij Huyghe “Delirium Noël” Belgian Strong Ale

Blaine: Great Notion “Rimske Pivo” Czech-Style Pilsner

Thanks to our Beer Sponsors:

• Rachel Barnett from Gentle Frog: youtube.com/@GentleFrog

• Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com

• Larry Weinstein, the Cash Flow Cowboy in Houston Texas!

• Neighbor Pat

• Devin

Listen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.com

cashflowmike.com

dryrun.com

Support the show

Catch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/

Send us a text

Is Bigfoot real… or just the greatest brand never officially launched? As Mike and Blaine kick off Season 6 with a bold pivot diving into the business of pup culture and today’s ‘biggest’ stories, they head straight into the forest to tackle one of the most enduring mysteries of all time — Bigfoot.

From blurry trail-cam photos and questionable eyewitness accounts to conspiracy theories that refuse to die, this episode breaks down the legend of Sasquatch with zero credentials and maximum curiosity. But this isn’t just a cryptid campfire story — it’s a surprisingly sharp look at how myths are built, why mystery sells, and how Bigfoot has quietly become a global brand without a CEO, marketing team, or LinkedIn profile.

Along the way, Mike and Blaine explore what entrepreneurs can learn from Bigfoot’s cultural staying power, the business of belief, and why humans love a good story more than cold, hard facts. Expect laughs, wild speculation, brand hot takes, and absolutely no scientific guarantees. If you like your business insights served with humor, mystery, and a very large footprint, this one’s for you.

#Bigfoot #Sasquatch #Cryptids #MythVsReality #PopCulture #StorytellingInBusiness #Branding #MarketingLessons #EntrepreneurLife #PodcastComedy #MikeAndBlaine #DiscoveryChannel #HistoryChannel #NationalGeographic #Netflix

If this episode made you laugh, question reality, or briefly consider moving to the woods, show some love and buy us a beer at mikeandblaine.com 🍺

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MyNL0T62UZ8

Buy us a beer and keep the show rolling at mikeandblaine.com!

Featured Beer: @fastfriendsbeerco @trippinganimals

Mike: Fast Friends Brewing “Matamata” New Zealand Hazy IPA

Blaine: Tripping Animals Brewing "Everjuice" DDH Hazy DIPA

Thanks to our Beer Sponsors:

• Rachel Barnett from Gentle Frog: youtube.com/@GentleFrog

• Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com

• Larry Weinstein, the Cash Flow Cowboy in Houston Texas!

• Neighbor Pat

• Devin

Listen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.com

cashflowmike.com

dryrun.com

Support the show

Catch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/

Send us a text

Ever build something truly game-changing… only to watch your audience go glassy-eyed the moment you demo it? In this episode, Mike and Blaine break down The Innovator’s Trap—that painful gap between building something brilliant and actually getting people to understand (and buy) it.

We dig into why powerful features confuse prospects, how founders accidentally over-explain themselves into oblivion, and the psychology behind why customers don’t “get it” even when the value is obvious to you.

From AI tools to cash flow platforms to startup war stories, we explore the real reasons innovation lands with a thud instead of a round of applause—and how to communicate your product in a way that actually creates demand. If you’ve ever delivered a demo, watched enthusiasm evaporate, and thought “Oh no… I’ve made a mistake,” this episode will feel uncomfortably relatable.

#innovation #founders #startups #productmarketing #salesstrategy

Visit mikeandblaine.com to buy us a beer!

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/q5lqjFlK8DA

Buy us a beer and keep the show rolling at mikeandblaine.com!

Featured Beer: @ResidentCulture

Mike: Neighbour Pat’s “Brown Mild”

Blaine: Resident Culture “Turnstyle” IPA

Thanks to our Beer Sponsors:

• Rachel Barnett from Gentle Frog: youtube.com/@GentleFrog

• Karen Hairston from 3S Smart Consulting: 3ssmartconsulting.com

• Larry Weinstein, the Cash Flow Cowboy in Houston Texas!

• Neighbor Pat

• Devin

Listen to all our episodes at mikeandblaine.com

cashflowmike.com

dryrun.com

Support the show

Catch more episodes, see our sponsors and get in touch at https://mikeandblaine.com/