In this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, hosts Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman sit down with Sonja Breuer, Senior Vice President of HR at Hamra Enterprises a powerhouse franchise group operating over 200 locations across Wendy’s, Panera Bread, and Noodles & Company.
💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• The “Easy Button” for Hiring: How custom AI bots (including a talking Frosty named Sam) drastically reduced candidate ghosting and eliminated scheduling headaches for restaurant managers.
  
• Slashing the Ad Budget: The secret behind leveraging evergreen ads and conversational tech to keep job board spending at a fraction of the budget.
  
• Daily Pay as a Game Changer: Why instant access to wages has become Hamra’s secret weapon for recruitment (and how it saved one employee's prom night!).
  
• Tech Meets Culture: Why Sonja—a self-proclaimed Gen X “human connection” person—believes automation doesn't replace empathy, but actually gives leaders the time to be more human.
  
• What’s Next for AI in HR: A sneak peek at how Hamra is using AI for company-wide internal communication and video-driven recruitment.
  

Get ready for a jam-packed episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast as hosts Joel Cheesman, Chad Sowash, and Emi B serve up their trademark mix of industry news, corporate earnings, and unfiltered banter.

The episode kicks off with personal updates and shout-outs, covering everything from Chad’s slippery "Charlie Brown" beach wipeout in Portugal to a Harvard report on workplace outcomes, the rise of late-night interviews for night owls.

As the episode shifts into corporate strategy, the hosts put the latest financial filings and major market moves under the microscope. You will hear them break down the Q2 earnings, cost-cutting strategies, and future outlooks for ZipRecruiter, Recruit Holdings, and Indeed.

The team then brings back their signature "Buy or Sell" segment to grade recent consolidation in the space, evaluating MetaView’s acquisition of Reval (and its autonomous coworker "fillmore"), CareerMinds picking up Jobrapido, and the big transition of a long-time leader at LinkUp.

Finally, the episode tackles the serious side of hiring tech with a look at global regulatory compliance and vendor transparency involving Maki People, Mochi AI Assessments and Recruitics, before winding down with a nostalgic debate over the unexpected relaunch of MySpace.

To find out who gets a "Buy," who gets a "Sell," and exactly why the hosts are skeptical of the latest AI trends, you will have to tune in to the full episode.

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment.

Ageism is out in the open, AI is masking mass corporate cost-cutting, and 1 in 3 job postings might be completely fake. In this episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast, 20-year HR executive Cassell Kaye from The Reframed Collective pulls back the curtain on a brutal modern job market.

Drawing on her leadership experience at tech and entertainment giants like Disney, Yahoo, and Amazon, she exposes the calculated corporate math pushing older workers out, explaining why companies now treat discrimination lawsuits as just another line-item cost of doing business.

Cassell also deconstructs the current tech hype, framing AI not as a revolutionary replacement for human workers, but as a convenient smokescreen for aggressive corporate cost-cutting and margin protection.

She highlights how automated tracking systems scale existing biases at an unprecedented rate, creating a virtual trap for applicants where even opting out for a "human review" simply results in a resume disappearing into an ignored pile.

Finally, the episode tackles the rise of the "ghost job" phenomenon, explaining the strategic corporate reasons behind the massive 2-million job gap between reported openings and actual hires. If you want to understand how the hiring game is truly rigged and how to navigate a system missing its old safety nets, you cannot miss this candid conversation.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction to Cassell and her background

01:56 - Cassell discusses ageism and workforce bias

04:08 - Impact of AI on layoffs and employment practices

05:54 - Legal risks and the role of government regulation

08:10 - The future of AI and its influence on workforce demographics

10:06 - Advice for workers over 50 facing layoffs

11:57 - The problem with ghost jobs and transparency

13:57 - The role of vendors and bias in AI systems

16:06 - Government actions and the regulation landscape

18:01 - The impact of AI on hiring processes and bias

20:00 - The political and legal challenges in regulating AI

22:07 - The lagging indicators in employment data

24:04 - The real state of the job market and ghost jobs

25:59 - The influence of corporate signaling and investor perceptions

28:03 - Automation, AI, and the future of talent acquisition

29:47 - The role of government and legal actions in employment law

31:57 - Final thoughts and where to follow Cassell

Links

https://www.youtube.com/@cassellkaye

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassell/

https://www.tiktok.com/@the.reframed.collective

https://www.instagram.com/thereframedcollective/

The latest episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast with Emi and Lieven is officially live, and it is a certified must-watch. In this episode, the crew dives straight into a massive legal showdown brewing in the tech world, breaking down the explosive trade secret drama between Rippling and Runlayer.

They also discuss a massive $50M acquisition move by Deel involving Clarity to fight a terrifying new trend in hiring, begging the question: is big tech done buying smaller tools for good?

The conversation takes a sharp turn into the ultimate AI casualties, analyzing how one freelance giant’s stock has cratered a staggering 94% since ChatGPT entered the chat. The team breaks down the absolute collapse of Fiverr and discusses why their desperate pivot to save the platform might already be too late.

Meanwhile, they expose why AI adoption has completely stalled across Europe, how companies are fighting weak data foundations, and the massive compliance hurdles that are about to change the landscape for international employers.Finally, the bots are officially taking over, and the major job platforms are panicking.

he hosts talk about how LinkedIn just quietly rolled out a brand-new button to fight the wave of artificial content taking over your feed, while Indeed was forced to hit the emergency brakes on their aggressive new automation feature after severe user backlash.

Want to know what the crew really thinks about these massive shifts? Tune in to the full episode now on your favorite podcast platform or watch it on YouTube!

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Episode Overview

01:14 - European Culture and Vacation Trends

03:26 - Review of the Odyssey Movie

04:45 - Discussion on AI in Entertainment and Media

07:14 - Controversies in FIFA and Sports Politics

09:18 - Belgian Football and World Cup Highlights

11:21 - Deep Fake Detection and HR Security

18:41 - Rippling and Deal Legal Drama

29:39 - Fiverr and AI Displacement of Freelance Work

38:33 - European AI Adoption and Cultural Barriers

49:32 - LinkedIn and Indeed AI Content and Automation

52:48 - Future of AI Regulation and Ethical Concerns

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment.

In this episode, HR veteran Jolene Hostal joins Joel and Chad to discuss how a legacy brand like Stanley Steemer stays "young and vibrant" in a competitive labor market. Managing high-volume hiring for thousands of technicians across 57 corporate locations, Jolene breaks down how modern tech integrations, fast candidate screening, and a strong culture drive their talent acquisition strategy.

• Mobile-First High-Volume Hiring: Because candidates for cleaning technician roles are constantly on the move, Stanley Steemer uses Paradox’s chatbot ("Maria") to let applicants apply in 90 seconds or less.

• Open Architecture Tech Stack: Jolene explains choosing Dayforce as their HCM due to its strong API connections, allowing seamless integration with Paradox and background check partners like First Advantage.

• The "90-Day" Retention Milestone: Highlighting the physical demands of technician roles, Jolene notes that if a technician stays for 90 days, they almost always stay for a full year.

• Career Progression from the Trucks: The company boasts strong internal mobility—73% of company managers started out as service technicians, proving that entry-level roles can lead to long-term career paths.

• Keeping the Remote Workforce Connected: Field technicians receive job dispatches, safety updates, and communication through in-van tablets and driver safety monitoring systems.

Is LinkedIn turning into a bot-ridden wasteland? Is Google actively blowing up its own revenue model? And are AI agents already plotting their escape from human containment?

The crew is back together, hot out of the chamber, to slice through corporate PR and tackle the messiest stories in tech and workplace culture. From outrageous ageism in the C-suite to the high-stakes risk of unchecked AI, Chad, JT, and Mo are serving up the unfettered truth with zero filters.

• Surveillance, Smoke, & Creepy Ray-Bans

• The $600K Employee Influencer Win

• Lattice CEO’s "Calcified" Slip-Up

  "Just because you can doesn't mean you should, is my theme for 2026 on this pod... You don't replace judgment and have AI do it." — JT O'Donnell

• LinkedIn: Sexy Bots & The King of Slop

• The Nano-Influencer Arbitrage.

• Google Search Enters Its Zero-Click Era

• Autonomous Bots & The AI Singularity

  "I'm going to tell you right now, if you're at a party and you're not at least asking Charney for his vape pen, you're wrong. Charney brings the best weed." — Chad Sowash

Enjoy!

The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment.

On this week's The Chad & Cheese Podcast interview episode, Joel and Chad sit down with Kristy McCann founder, former CEO of Skill Cycle, and overall HR force of nature who proves the ultimate golden rule: Do NOT mess with HR.

Ever wondered what a founder’s absolute worst nightmare looks like? Picture this: You bootstrap your HR tech startup, navigate COVID without losing your shirt, grow fourfold, and then win an "Opportunity Fund" competition. Sounds great, right? Except the folks writing the checks didn't just want a seat at the table they wanted to lock you out of the house, revalue your $30 million company down to $8 million, and suggest you replace your human coaching marketplace with an AI bot.

In this wildly candid episode, Kristy spills all the tea (and Burger King) on:

• The Georgia Ambush

• VC Playbooks & "Pay-to-Play"

• RICO & Receipts

It’s a cautionary tale full of red flags, "bipolar 5.5-sense" gut instincts, and a Masterclass in why discovery in a courtroom is a VC's absolute worst enemy.

"You wanna fuck with me? Fine. Let's bring it out into a courtroom."

— Kristy McCann

Grab your popcorn, founders you’re going to want to take notes on this one.

The latest episode of The Chad & Cheese Podcast kicks off with hosts Joel Cheesman and Chad Sowash diving into a massive recap of the World Cup tournament, complete with a look at the spectacular multi-artist halftime show, light political jabs, a hilarious Taco Bell fast-food mishap, and a celebratory beer for a record-breaking Scottish runner.

After sharing details on how you can score a free podcast t-shirt, the boys move straight into their high-stakes "Buy or Sell" segment, where they aggressively debate the business prospects of recent major industry acquisitions and funding rounds involving Signal Labs, BrassRing, Adzuna, JobLift, and the controversial candidate-pays model of Refer.

The main events of the episode take an even sharper turn into major industry compliance, legal drama, and worker rights. First, Chad and Joel unleash a highly critical teardown of the brand-new terms of service rolling out from Indeed, exposing massive financial and legal implications for both employers and job seekers.

Next, they tackle the legal spotlight hitting LinkedIn, debating whether a high-profile investigation by the Texas Attorney General is necessary platform accountability or just pure political theater. Finally, the hosts wrap up by throwing their support behind a massive internal worker movement at Google, analyzing whether a new 4,500-employee petition will actually force the tech giant's hand or simply stall out.

Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Episode Overview

00:33 - Travel and Cultural Observations from the World Cup

02:07 - US as a Host and International Perceptions

03:07 - Final World Cup Matches and Team Performances

04:20 - Analysis of England vs. Argentina and Paraguay vs. France

05:45 - Messi's Performance and the Final Match Insights

06:20 - Spain’s Defensive Mastery and Tournament Highlights

07:37 - Halftime Show and Cultural Impact

13:43 - History of Halftime Shows and Cultural Shifts

15:26 - Record-Breaking Mile Run and Celebrations

17:23 - Buy or Sell Segment: Signal Labs and Brass Ring

21:56 - Adzuna’s Acquisition of JobLift and Market Strategy

25:16 - Rise of Talent Marketplaces and New Funding

29:30 - Discussion on Company Buybacks, Severance, and Employee Rights

41:08 - Texas Investigation into LinkedIn Ghost Jobs

48:32 - Political Theater and Lawsuits in the Job Market

54:41 - Humor and Closing Remarks