It’s a cocktail of razor-sharp wit, business savvy, and unfiltered friendship.
For 16 years, The Focus Group has kept listeners hooked with the unique bond between hosts Tim Bennett and John Nash—high school buddies turned LGBTQ marketing trailblazers, best known for their groundbreaking Subaru campaigns. Tim and John blend corporate and entrepreneurial insights for discussions that seamlessly shift from professional to personal. Tune in for their trademark humor, industry insights, and the kind of chemistry you can’t buy off the shelf.
THIS WEEKS SHOW
Pizza Habits of America
02.12.25 | Shop Talk shares three things we can learn from Dolly Parton’s business legacy. Caught My Eye reports that KitKat will be discontinuing the vegan candy bar option so get them now while you can. Also, a new study from Talker Research looks at the pizza habits of America. You will be surprised at which state per capita eats the most pizza. Don Panoz, founder of Chateau Elon and the nicotine patch, is our Business Birthday.
TFG Unbuttoned: Costco Apartments for Rent Soon
02.18.25 | While many have backed off DEI Initiatives, Disney has placed them where they belong—internally. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is still important for Disney, but doing your job is the key measure that will move you ahead at the company. Then, retailer Costco, is building a new store in South Los Angeles with 800 apartments on top of the warehouse. Everyone is curious as to how this will work and if it will spread to other markets. Finally, homophobic hecklers at the Dolly Parton inspired musical in the UK, “Here You Come Again,” are not welcome and will be ejected.
Penny Pity Party
02.19.25 | Shop Talk covers the latest Executive Order from Trump that tells the Fed to no longer produce pennies. The penny will still be used but will probably become scarce if they are not replenished each year. The penny’s demise has been talked about for many years, but Trump is acting like it is his “new” idea. Caught My Eye asks why Aldi is so quiet inside and Walmart catches a serial shoplifter stealing ramen and bras. Nicolas Hayek, founder of Swatch, is our Business Birthday.
PAST SHOWS
TFG Unbuttoned: LGBTQ Non-Profits Scramble Under Trump
02.11.25 | The Human Rights Campaign, (HRC), joins The Trevor Project and GLSEN in reducing staff and refocusing their efforts in the new political climate. Our question to all these non-profits is, how have you advanced LGBTQ rights in the last few years? Then, an angry customer who purchased a Subaru Outback tried to return it by driving through the dealership. He is now charged with a couple of felonies due to damages of more than 85K. Finally, a Bare Necessities nude cruise left Miami last week on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and “no-fondling is allowed.”
Buyer Beware When Buying a Super Bowl Ad.
02.05.25 | Shop Talk looks at the real costs and pitfalls of a brand deciding to invest at least $10 million on a Super Bowl TV spot. Caught My Eye reports that a passenger on a cruise line was charged 47K for flu treatment and insurance does not want to cover. Also, have you heard of “ducking”? It’s. Jeep thing and has turned into a profitable business for an astute entrepreneur. Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, is our Business Birthday.
TFG Unbuttoned: Little House on the Prairie Reboot Warned Not to be “Wokeified”
02.04.25 | “Little House on The Prairie” is scheduled for a reboot through Netflix, and conservative mouthpiece Megyn Kelly threatened to ruin the project if it went woke. Former star of the show, Melissa Gilbert, responded to the Kelly post saying how woke the original series really was and perhaps she should give it a rewatch. But first, Target is booted as a sponsor by Minnesota Pride due to their backpedaling of DEI initiatives. Finally, the cannabis community is helping victims of the LA fires with donations to replace some paraphernalia that may have been lost.
