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
META Bows to MAGA
01.15.25 | META—Facebook, Instagram, and Threads—has taken off all guardrails related to what you can or cannot post to their platforms. Their new content moderation policies contain a carveout that allows users to call LGBTQ people mentally ill. Gender, sexuality, race, and religion all appear to be open game in the META universe. But first, “Look Into My Eyes” was the most overlooked documentary of 2024 and John recommends you give it a watch. Also, a rogue IKEA Store was opened in North Korea. Andre Michelin, founder of the tire company and famed Michelin Guides, is our Business Birthday.
TFG Unbuttoned: PREP HIV drug is the Latest Religious Right Target
01.21.25 | In the latest religious right grievance, The US Supreme Court will hear a case this year as to whether employers must cover through insurance the HIV prevention drug PREP. Then, The Trevor Project is faced with budget shortfalls leading to layoffs and a reorganization. Finally, a woman wins the lottery and while her family ignored her as the black sheep, they now think she should share the wealth.
Cruise Ship Food Leftovers
01.22.25 | Shop Talk looks at a New Zealand study that concludes the importance of cultivating Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, in raising children. Caught My Eye covers the journey that leftover cruise ship food takes after not being eaten. It is a surprise. Also, Progresso Soups is selling “soup you can suck” in the form of chicken flavored hard candy to celebrate National Soup Month. Timothy Dexter, Colonial America Businessman and self-proclaimed Lord Dexter, is our Business Birthday.
PAST SHOWS
TFG Unbuttoned: NOT Smarter Than the Average Bear
01-14-25 | Four California consumers try to commit insurance fraud by claiming a bear attacked the interiors of their cars. Wait until you hear the rest of the story. But first, a transgender bathroom policy takes effect at the House of Representatives, and Elton John reveals what made him quit his cocaine addiction.
Costco Stands by Its DEI Initiatives
01.08.25 | Bucking the trend of other large corporations that have folded under pressure from the right wing to abandon their DEI Initiatives, COSTCO stands firm in their support of DEI efforts. Refreshingly, they said that DEI was important for the members, employees, and success of the organization. The Focus Group has been waiting for the first corporation to take a stand so kudos to COSTCO. But first, some bronze medal Olympic athletes are upset with the tarnished condition of their medals. Also, META is revisiting the presence of AI generated profiles on their social media platforms. Carol Tome, former lead executive at UPS and The Home Depot, is our Business Birthday.
TFG Unbuttoned: Pornhub pulls Out of Florida
01.07.25 | Florida joins a growing number of conservative states that are now requiring proof of ID to access adult sites like Pornhub, and others perceived to be prurient in nature. Then, disgraced former Abercrombie CEO, Mike Jeffries, claims dementia will derail his sexual misconduct charges. The courts in June will assess whether he is fit for trial or not. Finally, an LGBTQ Center in the San Diego area is facing backlash for dropping the “T” from their center’s work.
