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In this introspective and timely episode, Brad and Nick take on a deceptively simple question: Do we really own our ideas anymore?

Prompted by Nick’s recent experience of having his writing lifted and reposted—sometimes respectfully, sometimes not—the conversation weaves through authorship, digital ethics, AI scraping, and the deeper emotional terrain of publishing on the internet. What begins as a conversation about plagiarism quickly becomes something bigger: a meditation on intellectual generosity, attribution, and the meaning of creative work in a remix culture.

Nick wrestles with the tension between wanting his writing to matter and his desire to be part of the conversation his work sparks. Brad adds reflections on how creative inspiration often flows from one source to another and how acknowledging that is more art than science.

In this jam-packed discussion, they also hit:

• How human creativity works (messy, layered, integrative)
• The rise of AI and its flattening effect on original voice
• The emotional whiplash of going viral
• Why traditional publishing may be a spiritual balm in an age of digital entropy

At the core: the internet changed how we think about ownership. AI is changing it again. So where does that leave creators, thinkers, and leaders trying to say something real?

Referenced Resources:

• Abundance: The Future Is Better Than You Think by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
• 🧠 Definition of “Palimpsest” – An ancient manuscript with layers of text overwritten, used metaphorically here

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In this wide-ranging interview style episode, host Nick Richtsmeier sits down with one of the most unexpected and impactful voices on LinkedIn in 2025: Nick Power, the marketer and writer behind a wave of unfiltered, politically-aware, and often hilarious posts that challenged the business-as-usual tone of the platform.

What began as a creative shift away from conventional “thought leadership” turned into something larger: a community movement, a form of resistance, and an experiment in what truth-telling looks like on a platform built for polished personal brands.

In this episode, we unpack the unexpected intersection between late-stage capitalism, artful forms of digital protest, and rethinking the religion of personal brand. The Nicks take us through their takes on what the #weirdLinkedIn movement meant, and what happens next.

Resources Referenced

• 📚 Ezra Klein on the Temptation to Assume the End
  Referenced for insight on acting in the present rather than assuming outcomes are predetermined.
• 📱 Sharon McMahon / @sharonsaysso on Instagram
  Praised by Nick Power for making complex news stories accessible and balanced.
• 💡 The Noun Project
  Nick Power is Head of Marketing at this resource for design icons and visual taxonomies.

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In this timely and unfiltered episode, Brad and Nick explore the increasingly tangled relationship between politics and work culture. They ask the central question: Has politics become so pervasive that it’s breaking our ability to lead, work, and think clearly?

Key Themes:

• The Blurring Line Between Culture and Politics: Brad and Nick debate whether culture is now downstream from politics or whether it's still the other way around. Nick argues that cultural trends, even fringe ones, often precede political movements (e.g., mommy bloggers influencing public health debates).
• The Role of Algorithms: The hosts criticize how algorithmic thinking is shaping what we consume, from news headlines to music to political discourse, and how it narrows our perspectives.
• Fear and Existential Framing: Every political issue today is presented in existential terms, which creates emotional fatigue and disrupts our ability to engage meaningfully in leadership and life.
• Leadership, Brands, and Point of View: In today’s climate, leaders and companies can’t afford to be neutral. Nick makes the case that if you’re not willing to state a point of view—on the issues that matter to your work—you lose trust and relevance.
• Creating Better Culture: Iif we want better politics, we must first invest in better culture—through storytelling, creativity, and human connection. He criticizes cultural homogeneity (driven by platforms like Spotify or Netflix) as a breeding ground for bland politics and weak leadership.

Notable Quotes:

• "Bad culture makes bad politics." – Nick
• "Politics feels like a tax on my attention—it's stealing time from the things I care about." – Brad
• "Culture is a product of human relationships. You can't make good culture with machines." – Nick
• "If you're going to be in business today, you need a point of view. Period." – Nick

Referenced Resources:

The Cult of Creativity by Samuel W. Franklin
A deep dive into how “creativity” became central to modern work and business culture.

Tangle Newsletter
A politically balanced daily newsletter that presents left, right, and center perspectives on current events.

Ensure you are fully subscribed through your favorite podcast app so you do not miss a single episode.

Have a business topic you want us to decide if it's working or broken? Have a question about the episode? You can email us at podcast@culturecraft.com.