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Brenda You’re on Mute - The Podcast

Brenda You’re on Mute - The Podcast

Written by: brendayoureonmute
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Brenda You’re on Mute is the podcast that dissects the absurd theatre of business, the economy, and the world of work—one boardroom blunder at a time. From HR nightmares to baffling corporate jargon, we offer a sardonic, tongue-in-cheek exploration of modern workplaces, office politics, and the occasional managerial farce.

If you’ve ever endured an interminable Zoom, winced at the word “synergy,” or suspected your role could be performed by a particularly competent goldfish, this show is for you. With sharp wit, real-world anecdotes, and a healthy dose of satirical scrutiny, we reveal the art of how not to do business.

Because sometimes, when work is this ridiculous, laughter is the only sensible response.

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Episodes
  • It's Coming Home - Brenda gets World Cup Fever

    It's Coming Home - Brenda gets World Cup Fever
    Jul 15 2026
    Rakhee and Heather tackle England's full-back dilemma, Japan's 100-year plan to win the World Cup and whether football really is coming home... Just kidding. Well... a little bit. What we actually do is ask whether the biggest sporting event on Earth is really worth the billions spent hosting it. Does the FIFA World Cup genuinely transform economies? Are the promised tourism booms real? Is winning the tournament actually better for a country's finances than hosting it? Along the way we somehow end up discussing Taylor Swift, Ryan Reynolds, Barcelona, Wrexham, Olympic legacies and why economists are the people least likely to believe the hype. There's also Brenda's Sporting Economics Quiz, where Heather discovers that football trivia is much easier when there aren't any football questions. Whether you're a lifelong football fan or someone who only tunes in when England are involved, this episode is less about tactics and more about the business behind the beautiful game. Sources: Goldman Sachs International (Kevin Daly & Mambuna Njie) https://www.sgieurope.com/sporting-events/world-cup-2026-big-event-small-economic-impact/121493.article FIFA / WTO GoalEconomy & OpenEconomics https://inside.fifa.com/organisation/media-releases/fifa-wto-study-estimates-usd-47-billion-economic-output-from-fifa-club-world Victor Matheson (College of the Holy Cross) https://www.sgieurope.com/sporting-events/world-cup-2026-big-event-small-economic-impact/121493.article American Hotel & Lodging Association (via Euronews) https://www.euronews.com/business/2026/06/02/the-2026-world-cup-billions-promised-but-will-the-economic-boom-arrive Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking https://home.cib.natixis.com/articles/beyond-the-game-the-economics-of-the-2026-fifa-world-cup Saxo Bank https://www.home.saxo/content/articles/equities/world-cup-2026-eng-26052026 Deloitte Spanish Latin America https://mexiconewsdaily.com/business/deloitte-report-mexicos-windfall-as-world-cup-host Moody's Local México https://mexicobusiness.news/finance/news/moodys-cuts-mexico-world-cup-economic-boost-forecast University of Surrey https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/world-cup-win-could-boost-economy University of Oxford (Flyvbjerg et al.) https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.02728 Olympic.org – Barcelona 1992 Legacy https://www.olympic.org/news/barcelona-1992-the-model-games University of Michigan – Welcome to Wrexham https://news.umich.edu/welcome-to-wrexham-brought-the-world-to-this-welsh-city-and-transformed-its-economy/ International Olympic Committee https://www.olympic.org/news/the-ioc-awards-the-olympic-games-2024-to-paris-and-2028-to-los-angeles LA84 Foundation https://la84.org/about/ Utah Ski Info https://utahskiinfo.com/2002-winter-olympics-effect-on-utah-skiing/ The Guardian – Qatar World Cup Costs https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/nov/18/how-much-did-qatar-spend-on-the-world-cup
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    51 mins
  • Everything You Wanted to Know About AI But Were Too Afraid to Ask: Interview with AI guru, Katherine Mora

    Everything You Wanted to Know About AI But Were Too Afraid to Ask: Interview with AI guru, Katherine Mora
    May 12 2026

    AI is everywhere right now — but how much of the hype is real?

    In this episode, Rakhee sits down with AI strategist and fractional CTO Katherine Mora to unpack what artificial intelligence actually is, how businesses are using it, whether our jobs are safe, and why human expertise may matter more than ever.

    They discuss:

    • What AI actually is (in plain English)

    • Why ChatGPT changed everything

    • The opportunities and risks for businesses

    • Whether AI is really replacing jobs

    • Why workflows and processes matter more than shiny tools

    • The future of work, security, regulation and big tech

    Plus, Katherine shares the AI tools she genuinely recommends experimenting with right now:

    • Gamma – AI-powered presentation creation

    • Stitch – Google’s vibe design tool

    • Nano Banana – Google Gemini image creation

    • NotebookLM – Research partner, explainer videos and infographics

    • ElevenLabs – Realistic AI voice cloning

    • Synthesia – AI avatar video creation

    • Google AI Studio – Build and test AI tools without coding

    If AI has ever felt confusing, intimidating or vaguely dystopian, this episode is for you.
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    45 mins
  • Professionalism? More like, Oppressionalism

    Professionalism? More like, Oppressionalism
    Mar 31 2026

    What does professionalism actually mean in 2026?

    Is it about doing your job well… or is it still code for “fit in, don’t rock the boat, and definitely don’t say f**k”?

    In this episode of Brenda, You’re On Mute, we’re joined by Dr Jamie Pei — coach, trainer, and unapologetic challenger of the “shoulds.”

    Jamie shares the story of being rejected by a potential client for dropping a couple of F-bombs on her website — raising a bigger question:

    👉 Who decides what’s “professional”… and who gets excluded?

    We get into:

    • Why professionalism is vague — and easily weaponised
    • The hidden labour of code-switching
    • When to play the game (and when to walk away)
    • How to start breaking the rules — without blowing up your life

    Jamie also hosts the podcast 'Notes on Being Unruly', where she dismantles the invisible rules we all live by: notes on being unruly | Jamie Pei

    If you’ve ever felt like you’re performing a version of yourself at work… this one’s for you.

    Show Notes / References: Jamie Pei: https://jamiepei.com Aesthetic Labour: Rethinking Beauty Politics in Neoliberalism - Ana Sofia Elias, Rosalind Gill, Christina Scharff Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    Want to listen on your preferred podcast app? 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eUH2VmQQ

    Support the show & help us keep producing episodes ☕: https://lnkd.in/esijwsb6
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    52 mins
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