Best Open Rehearsal Podcasts (2025)

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India's nine day tea strike and the birth of the Excel spreadsheet 59:20

Play Pause

8m ago59:20

59:20

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes. Tea expert Sabita Banerji talks about the history of tea in India. We look back at how women teapickers in 2015 fought for justice - and improved the lives of thousands of tea plantation workers. We hear the story of a famous photo of American president John F Kennedy working…

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George Tomeski, CEO, Helfie.ai – Paging Dr. iPhone: Using AI to help you take control of your health 28:02

5d ago28:02

28:02

Summary: In today's medical system, getting a proper diagnosis and course of treatment can take ages, with potentially disastrous consequences for your health. Today, we're spotlighting a company that's trying to change that paradigm, using the power of AI. George Tomeski is the CEO of Helfie.ai, a company whose platform will allow you to assess a …

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Spirited Away with Kynan Dias 59:23

7d ago59:23

59:23

This week, Mandy Kaplan discovers that “family road trip” in Japan doesn’t mean stopping at a rest area for gas and Funyuns. No, it means your parents turn into pigs and you’re suddenly employed at a haunted bathhouse run by a chain-smoking witch with the voice of Suzanne Pleshette. And who better to guide Mandy through the bewildering fever dream …

1
The origins of Indian cinema and the start of Scouting 1:00:00

3d ago1:00:00

1:00:00

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes taking us from India to Texas. Professor Sunny Singh, author of A Bollywood State of Mind, discusses the origins of Indian cinema in 1912. And we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of Bollywood romance Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. We also head to Paris in 1971, to t…

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Episode 18 - (ed - Commission a Creative title) - feat Kikai 1:07:46

5d ago1:07:46

1:07:46

The gang is back to discuss the banlist and the impending reality that we might actually have to figure out what we're going to play at worlds

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Aimée Lapic, CEO, Hanna Andersson – Growing Up and Showing Up: How rewarding customer loyalty has helped this children's clothing brand stand the test of time 27:04

12d ago27:04

27:04

Summary: Since the 1980s, beloved children's clothing brand Hanna Andersson has been delivery quality and durability to happy customers. Now, Aimée Lapic leads the company as CEO and is using her deep experience in apparel, retail, and omnichannel marketing to turn the legacy brand into a digital powerhouse. Today, they're building on their long-st…

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Charmed with Patrick Gomez 1:02:53

14d ago1:02:53

1:02:53

This week on Make Me a Nerd, Mandy is joined by the magnificent, the glamorous, the slightly crop-top-obsessed Patrick Gomez—yes, that Patrick Gomez, the Editor-in-Chief of Entertainment Weekly. Together they dust off the spell book, step into a suspiciously San Francisco-looking Paramount backlot, and dive headlong into the world of Charmed.Patric…

1
The fight against sexual harassment in Egypt and Omar Sharif enters the world stage 59:58

12d ago59:58

59:58

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes, all with an Egyptian theme. We find out more about the 2014 fight against sexual harassment. And we hear from Professor Nicola Pratt, an expert on Middle East feminism about the significance of that moment in the fight for women's rights. Also, we go to the 1960s when antiqui…

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John O'Donnell, Founder, Johnnie-O – Up to Par: An iconic golf clothing brand blends 'east coast prep' with 'west coast cool' 25:42

19d ago25:42

25:42

When John O'Donnell founded Johnnie-O in 2005, his goal was to create a brand that combined East Coast prep with West Coast surf culture. 20 years later, you'll find their surfer logo in golf pro-shops and menswear stores across the country. Today, John joins us to share his incredible journey from being a walk-on on the UCLA golf team to founding …

1
S4 E52: Out of Time, Everywhere and Nowhere 22:20

20d ago22:20

22:20

In the final episode of Season 4, timelines collide…and the Six MInutes universe might never be the same. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit GZMshows.com SPONSOR SUPPORT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠⁠Acorns Early⁠⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first month on us …

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Black Mirror with Tara Sands 1:01:54

21d ago1:01:54

1:01:54

This week on Make Me a Nerd, Mandy is joined by someone who has been part of her life nearly forever—voiceover legend and dear friend Tara Sands. You might know Tara from her work bringing Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and countless anime characters to life, but today she’s here to get properly nerdy about Black Mirror. Yes, the series that makes you both fa…

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Nigeria’s Festac’77 and Gander’s generosity during 9/11 1:00:31

17d ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Lucy Durán, a Spanish ethnomusicologist, record producer and Professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. We start with an African American artist who recounts exhibiting her work at Nigeria's largest ever festiv…

1
Syed "Raj" Imteaz, Head of ICR's Convertible and Equity Derivatives Advisory – Convertibles Demystified: How ICR is helping clients navigate a white-hot convert market 22:26

26d ago22:26

22:26

Issuing convertible derivatives can be a great way for companies to raise capital, but issuance can be complex and daunting. Today's guest, Syed "Raj" Imteaz, has made a career out of demystifying that process. Raj is the head of ICR's Convertible and Equity Derivatives Advisory. During his career at ICR, Barclays and Lehman Brothers, he has worked…

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S4 E51: Out to Fix the Timeline 24:41

27d ago24:41

24:41

In the penultimate episode of Season 4, Holiday attempts to switch River and Sam with Monica and James, but Adam has other plans. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit GZMshows.com SPONSOR SUPPORT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠⁠Acorns Early⁠⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get…

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Freaks and Geeks with Jeffrey Nicholas Brown 1:02:02

28d ago1:02:02

1:02:02

This week on Make Me a Nerd, Mandy Kaplan welcomes actor, drummer, writer, and all-time Blue Man Grouper Jeffrey Nicholas Brown—yes, an actual Blue Man.The two dive headfirst into Freaks and Geeks, the show that lasted only one season but somehow altered the DNA of television comedy forever. Jeffrey confesses he was both a freak and a geek in high …

1
The Chindits and USAID 1:00:31

24d ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week's episodes of Witness History. The formation of an unconventional special force during the Second World War sparks a discussion about three others around the world with military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson. Plus, the founding of the United States Agency for International Development, the discovery …

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Rhonda Levene, CEO, Ziosk – Check Please: How a pioneer in pay-at-the-table technology uses innovation to boost restaurant efficiency 29:10

1M ago29:10

29:10

Ziosk's pioneering pay-at-the-table solutions mean that customers at their partner restaurants are never stuck waiting for the bill. And now they're working to leverage their treasure trove of data to boost efficiency and improve customer experience, in ways that go far beyond payment. Rhonda Levene is the CEO of Ziosk, a leading digital hospitalit…

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S4 E50: Out to Sea on the Elixir Key 18:31

1M ago18:31

18:31

While forces converge on Neverland, our time travelers arrive at the Elixir Academy, where secrets are revealed. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit ⁠GZMshows.com⁠ SPONSOR SUPPORT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠⁠Acorns Early⁠⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first mon…

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Godzilla Minus One with Riki Hayashi 59:26

1M ago59:26

59:26

This week on Make Me a Nerd, Mandy welcomes fellow TruStory podcaster and kaiju enthusiast Riki Hayashi for a dive into one of the most critically acclaimed monster movies in decades: Godzilla Minus One. If you’ve ever thought Godzilla was just a big lizard with anger issues, think again.Riki brings his lifelong passion for Japanese nerd culture to…

1
Washington DC and a film noir classic 1:00:02

1M ago1:00:02

1:00:02

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. We learn why the Mount Pleasant riots erupted in Washington DC in 1991, and hear from our guest, Sarah Jane Shoenfeld, a public historian of the US capital. Plus, more on John Lennon’s benefit concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York, his fin…

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Ciaran Long, CEO, a.k.a. Brands – Dress Rehearsal: Using a 'test and repeat' strategy to adapt quickly to consumer trends 22:52

1M ago22:52

22:52

Summary: a.k.a. Brands have seen incredible success bringing their digitally native brands into the physical marketplace. A big part of that success comes from their 'test and repeat' retail strategy, which allows them to gauge and adapt to consumer trends extremely quickly. Ciaran Long has been serving as the CEO of a.k.a brands for more than two …

251
S4 E49: There’s No Me Without You 16:10

1M ago16:10

16:10

Monica connects with her inner child…literally. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit ⁠GZMshows.com⁠ SPONSOR SUPPORT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠Acorns Early⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first month on us when you head to ⁠AcornsEarly.com/sixminutes⁠ Learn more a…

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The Rehearsal with Megan Parlen 54:39

1M ago54:39

54:39

What happens when comedy meets ethics, performance art meets aviation safety, and a TV host decides to build an airport just to see what happens? This week, Mandy is joined by her brilliant and ever-curious friend Megan Parlen to dig deep into The Rehearsal — Nathan Fielder’s surreal and provocative HBO series that defies easy categorization. Is it…

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BlackBerry phones and Spot the dog 59:07

1M ago59:07

59:07

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Jacquie McNish, author and former Senior Correspondent at the Wall Street Journal. We start with the former co-CEO of BlackBerry, who recounts the company's remarkable boom and bust. Then, the creation of the Spot the dog children's b…

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Steve Kislow, CEO, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill – Controlled Burn: Achieving consistent growth in the restaurant sector without sacrificing quality 27:59

2M ago27:59

27:59

Summary: There are a lot of different brands fighting for market share in the "polished" segment of the restaurant industry. To stand out, you need to offer great food, at great value, in a great atmosphere. But above all, you need to make sure you have the right people at your side. And if anyone knows the value of people, it's Steve Kislow, the C…

251
S4 E48: Come Out and Say Hi, Adelaide 17:00

2M ago17:00

17:00

Monica’s bold decision puts the fate of the Anders family in jeopardy. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit ⁠GZMshows.com⁠ SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠Acorns Early⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first month on us when you head to ⁠AcornsEarly.com/…

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Jurassic Park with Tommy Metz III, Andy Nelson, & Pete Wright 1:04:24

2M ago1:04:24

1:04:24

Mandy Kaplan has never seen Jurassic Park. We know. Breathe. She’s finally corrected this cinematic sin, and to walk her through the prehistoric magic, she’s joined by Pete Wright, Andy Nelson, and Tommy Metz III—three full-grown nerds whose love for Spielberg’s dinosaur masterpiece borders on religious. This is the movie that changed blockbuster f…

1
Indonesian history 50:20

2M ago50:20

50:20

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Anne-Lot Hoek, a research fellow at the International Institution of Social History in Amsterdam. This week, we’re looking at key moments in Indonesian history, as the country marks 80 years since independence. We start by hearing …

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Andy Goldberg, President & CEO, PCH Media – A Winning Strategy: Leveraging data-driven insights to evolve and thrive in a shifting landscape (Re-broadcast) 26:27

2M ago26:27

26:27

It's been nearly a year since we sat down with Andy Goldberg, the CEO of PCH media, to discuss how the company has successfully navigated more than 40 years of shifts in the media industry. A lot has changed since we spoke, which in a way, makes this conversation all the more relevant. We hope you enjoy, and we'll be back with a fresh episode next …

301
S4 E47: Testing Out a New Power 14:09

2M ago14:09

14:09

Cyrus’s transformation doesn’t go as planned. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit ⁠GZMshows.com⁠ SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠Acorns Early⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first month on us when you head to ⁠AcornsEarly.com/sixminutes⁠ Learn more ab…

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Showgirls with Jessica Jimenez 53:13

2M ago53:13

53:13

What do you get when you cross Elizabeth Berkley, a pile of glitter, and the worst pool sex scene ever committed to film? Showgirls, of course — and this week, Mandy dives headfirst into the chaotic, cringe-glittery mess with TV producer and camp connoisseur Jessica Jimenez. Jess has seen the cult classic more times than she can count (or admit), w…

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Nagasaki bomb and Brazil’s biggest bank heist 50:52

2M ago50:52

50:52

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Simone Turchetti, Professor of the History of Science and Technology, at The University of Manchester in the UK. It's 80 years since the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, forcing Japan to surrender at the end of the S…

1
Stephanie Pugliese, President and CEO, Duluth Trading – Back to Basics: How a storied workwear brand is righting the ship with a focus on customer needs 31:00

2M ago31:00

31:00

As a workwear and outdoor apparel company, it's imperative that you stay attentive to the needs of your customer, and remain nimble enough to adapt to the demands of an ever-shifting retail landscape. Well, the folks at Duluth Trading are doing exactly that. Today we're sitting down with Stephanie Pugliese, the CEO of Duluth Trading, which trades u…

351
S4 E46: Look out Below! 15:38

2M ago15:38

15:38

James, Kady, and Brynleigh say goodbye to Joe before staging a rescue mission at WhittierCorp. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit ⁠GZMshows.com⁠ SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠Acorns Early⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first month on us when you h…

1
K-Pop Demon Hunters with Jimmy Aquino 56:47

2M ago56:47

56:47

Jimmy Aquino is back and brings K-Pop Demon Hunters, the surprise Netflix hit that blends idol culture with demon-fighting destiny and music bangers that have conquered the Billboard charts. Mandy and Jimmy break down the film’s animation style, Buffy-meets-BTS premise, Korean cultural foundations, and the epic vocal range of EJAE (seriously, a D3 …

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Russian revolutionaries and Japan’s record breaking rollercoaster 50:54

2M ago50:54

50:54

Max Pearson presents a collection of this week’s Witness History episodes from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Lara Douds, Assistant Professor of Russian history. We start in 1907, the men who would go on to lead the Russian Revolution met in London for a crucial congress marking a point of no return between the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks…

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Michael Saylor, Executive Chairman, MicroStrategy – The Bitcoin Buy-in: Embracing a New Paradigm of Digital Capital (Re-broadcast) 46:06

2M ago46:06

46:06

As we take a brief hiatus from releasing new episodes this week, we thought it would be interesting to revisit this episode from December 2024 with Michael Saylor. Ahead of the Trump administration officially taking office, Michael explained why he thought the year ahead would be a seminal one in the history of Bitcoin. Was he correct? You be the j…

1
S4 E45: Check it out…Neverland. 12:40

2M ago12:40

12:40

River and Sam meet a welcoming (?) party on Neverland. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit ⁠GZMshows.com⁠ SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠Acorns Early⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first month on us when you head to ⁠AcornsEarly.com/sixminutes⁠ Lear…

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X-Men with JP Karliak 50:17

2M ago50:17

50:17

He’s back and nerdier than ever! Mandy welcomes voice actor, activist, and self-proclaimed snappy dresser JP Karliak to discuss X-Men (2000)—the film that helped launch the modern superhero era and still sparks passionate debate among comic fans, queer viewers, and nerdy newcomers alike. JP, who now voices Morph in X-Men ’97, breaks down the emotio…

1
Saxophone diplomacy and bulletproof vests 50:51

2M ago50:51

50:51

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dr Natalia Grincheva, an expert in cultural diplomacy from Lasalle, University of the Arts in Singapore. We start by hearing about when US president Bill Clinton was presented with a saxophone on a 1994 visit to Prague and he and the …

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John Kiernan, President & CEO, Alico – Growing Oranges to Growing Communities: How weather and disease forced one of the nation's largest citrus producers to pivot to real estate 25:32

2M ago25:32

25:32

In their 125 years in existence, Alico had grown to become one of America's leading citrus producers. In January 2025, owing to adverse weather events and crop disease, they made the difficult decision to wind down their citrus operations and adopt a new real estate-focused business model. Today, we sit down with John Kiernan, president and CEO of …

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S4 E44: Breathe In, Breathe Out 12:51

3M ago12:51

12:51

Cyrus does his best to stay calm, but Dr. Whittier isn’t making it easy. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit ⁠GZMshows.com⁠ SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by Acorns Early. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first month on us when you head to AcornsEarly.com/s…

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The Big Bang Theory with Lisa Arch 55:14

3M ago55:14

55:14

In this delightfully nerdy episode, Mandy Kaplan welcomes actor and host Lisa Arch to discuss The Big Bang Theory, the show that launched Mandy’s “nerdification” and hooked Lisa over time with its layered friendships, character arcs, and perfect comedic timing. From dissecting the show’s legendary pilot to marveling at Sheldon’s emotional growth in…

1
Episode 17 - You can't make an omelette... 1:21:58

3M ago1:21:58

1:21:58

UK nats debrief, banlist discussion, and an update on our surprise new inter-team blood feud??

1
Nuclear diplomacy and Italo disco 51:13

3M ago51:13

51:13

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week's Witness History interviews from the BBC World Service. Our guest is Dina Esfandiary, Middle East Geo-economics Lead at Bloomberg Economics. We start in 2015 with insider accounts of the Iran nuclear deal and the Greek debt crisis. Then, the 1995 'Turbot War' between Canada and Spain. We hear how inter…

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Gerard Barron, CEO, The Metals Company – Depth Perception: Harvesting critical minerals from the ocean floor 26:19

3M ago26:19

26:19

The Trump administration has made American reindustrialization a top priority, but to do that, the US is going to need access to an abundance of metals like copper, manganese and nickel. The challenge then is to find a way to source these materials that doesn't rely on Chinese supply chains, and won't lead to serious environmental harm. Gerard Barr…

1
S4 E43: Finding Out Brynleigh’s Real Origin Story 15:51

3M ago15:51

15:51

Brynleigh finds out her childhood was a lot different than she remembered. For more great shows and to listen early and ad-free, visit ⁠GZMshows.com⁠ SPONSOR SHOUTOUT: Support for Six Minutes is brought to us by ⁠Acorns Early⁠. Ready to teach your kids the smart way to earn, save, and spend? Get your first month on us when you head to ⁠AcornsEarly.…

1
Suit up for Squad 20 D&D with Justine Huxley 36:03

3M ago36:03

36:03

Let’s say you’re a respected voice actor. You’ve brought beloved characters to life in video games, animation, and probably at least one fan convention that smelled vaguely of beef jerky and dry-erase markers. Then one day, someone says: “Would you like to improvise a high-stakes fantasy quest in front of a live audience of howling D&D nerds… and a…

1
The 'trial of the juntas' and Evita’s missing body 50:59

3M ago50:59

50:59

Max Pearson presents a collection of the week’s Witness History episodes, all with an Argentine theme. We find out more about the 1985 ‘trial of the juntas’ when the country’s former military leaders stood accused of torturing and murdering thousands of their own people. And we hear from historian Dr Victoria Basualdo about life in Argentina, both …

1
Ken Haines, CEO, Wrench Group – Climate Control: How one firm built a national home-services powerhouse 23:03

3M ago23:03

23:03

Summary: When your A/C breaks down in the middle of summer, you want someone at your house to fix it that same day. And one firm has been able to leverage that reliability into a national home services empire. Ken Haines was appointed CEO of Wrench Group almost 10 years ago and he has since guided the company to become the second largest non-franch…