Welcome to another episode of Heart & Hustle! Follow us for more and let us know where you found us!!

Tati:

• IG - ⁠@tationathomas⁠

• TikTok - ⁠@tati_thomas⁠

Travis:

• IG - ⁠@timefortravis⁠

• TikTok - ⁠@thejuicebeloose⁠

YouTube: ⁠LINK

🔑 Key Takeaways For Listeners

✅ Notice “manufactured scarcity”: price hikes tied to fear (shortages, storms, holidays) are often strategic.. pause before panic-buying.

✅ Separate PR stunts from reality: some “changes” (IHOb, logo drama) exist to spark chatter and foot traffic.

✅ If you’re in sales, know the game: escalators/caps incentivize sandbagging - negotiate comp plans or build your own book.

✅ Big rivals often collaborate behind the scenes; competition at the bottom, collab at the top.

✅ Planned obsolescence is real enough to plan around - budget for device cycles, don’t let frustration drive impulsive upgrades.

✅ Algorithms aren’t gods. Consistent value + authentic energy over posting “at 12:03 pm.” You are the algorithm.

✅ Speed beats perfection: ship the draft, iterate fast (Jobs-style).

✅ Hold a moral line: smart tactics vs stepping on people.

✅ Focus local (policies, purchases, impact) before raging at national headlines.

✅ Ask “What’s the incentive?” - follow incentives and most “conspiracies” make sense.

• In this episode, we unpack the business playbook that consumers rarely see and how you can use it to grow smarter. From manufactured scarcity to viral PR “mistakes,” we explore why prices spike around storms and holidays, why certain chains stage headline-grabbing pivots (remember IHOb?), and how corporate comp plans quietly nudge sales reps to sandbag end-of-month deals. It’s not tinfoil; it’s incentives, psychology, and marketing.

• We also talk retail shell games. Legacy brands shuttering stores while near-identical newcomers magically appear and the way “frenemies” at the top (think smartphone giants) clash in public yet cooperate in private. On tech, we get real about planned obsolescence, app-store vetting, and why devices feel slower when a new model drops. The takeaway: plan for hardware cycles instead of letting them plan you.

• Creators and founders get a masterclass on “algorithm truthing”: there isn’t a single cheat code. Authentic energy, conviction, and consistent delivery beat rigid posting calendars. We share the story of a 2 a.m. postpartum upload that went viral precisely because it was fast, messy, and real. If you’re building, remember: success loves speed; ship the V1, gather feedback, iterate. Steve-Jobs-style floor walking (and listening to frontline teams) still outperforms ivory-tower thinking.

• We wrap on ethics: we’re not anti-tactic. We’re pro-awareness. Use psychology and positioning without crossing your moral lines. Ask: Who benefits? What’s the incentive? Then choose your response. Whether that’s buying later, negotiating your comp plan, or pivoting your business model to remove the caps that burn out A-players.

• Keywords: business psychology, marketing tactics, manufactured scarcity, PR stunt, planned obsolescence, sales compensation, sandbagging, algorithm myths, ship fast iterate, entrepreneurship mindset, Heart and Hustle podcast, couples in business, relationship + business growth.