Content Chaos

George and Col

Content Chaos with George and Col: Weekly podcast diving straight into meaningful conversations about navigating modern life. George, WorkTech owner and expert at the intersection of business technology and people, teams up with Col, NYU educator and marketing discovery expert. Using their Weekly Review Framework (What Went Well, What Could Be Better, What Did I Learn), they explore personal growth, professional insights, and cultural observations. No fluff—just authentic dialogue that transforms chaos into clarity.

  1. 3d ago

    Power Surges, Forest Bathing, and Brick-ing the Feed

    George and Col balance a sudden electrical power surge and the "Brick" app experiment with Labor Day forest bathing, real-world business AI metrics, and academic research.  In Episode 54 of Content Chaos, co-hosts George LaRocque and Colleen Kenny reconnect after a busy Labor Day weekend to share weekly updates. George breaks down hosting a 12-year-old birthday sleepover featuring an outdoor backyard movie screen and a raucous, sleep-deprived group of kids. Col recaps her Labor Day weekend at her brother's lake house in Nesquehoning, Pennsylvania. She highlights her experience "forest bathing"—a practice originating in Japan focused on disconnecting from digital devices to let the nervous system reset in nature—as well as celebrating her NYU student Katie Kubiak setting a Paralympic swimming record at the Parapan Pacific Championships. The conversation turns to household friction during the "what could be better" segment, where George details an internet outage that dropped two client calls. Tracing a frayed power filament on an exterior utility line, he called the power company for an emergency repair. A Verizon representative explained that household voltage spikes can trip internet connections—leading George to realize the outage accidentally helped him catch an electrical hazard before it worsened. Col connects this event to modern digital reliance, emphasizing why education must focus on foundational problem-solving before introducing digital tools. She also shares her experience using a "Brick"—a physical hardware blocker that restricts distracting phone apps—to protect her mental focus and manage app-induced distractions. During the "what did you learn" segment, George shares research regarding real-world business technology adoption. Contrary to media narratives claiming ubiquitous AI integration, data shows global AI adoption among small and medium-sized businesses sits between 18% and 19%. George points out that while major corporations dominate headlines, most mid-market enterprises lack the internal expertise to implement AI at scale. Col closes the episode by sharing her experiences studying Design-Based Research at Rutgers. She highlights a shift in academic funding, noting that as federal grants decrease, major tech firms like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google are funding university research. Col and George discuss how corporate funding creates potential biases in research, raising questions about who will maintain access to advanced AI models once subsidized access ends. In this episode, George and Col discuss digital wellness, household tech, AI adoption, design-based research, forest bathing, small business, corporate funding, content strategy.

  2. Sep 2

    Paralympic Records, Himalayan Sludge, and Whiteboard Clarity

    An insightful conversation on navigating object impermanence, celebrating world-record achievements, and unpacking the real-world friction of corporate AI energy footprints.  In Episode 53 of Content Chaos, co-hosts George LaRocque and Colleen Kenny ease into the official back-to-school season as Labor Day approaches and fall schedules take shape. The hosts start off by reviewing their weekly wins. George celebrates taking necessary personal time to play tennis multiple times amidst a hyper-busy event preparation schedule. Col shares relief over her godson recovering from a severe staph infection and highlights the incredible accomplishment of her student, Katie Kubiak, who broke a world record at the Parapan Pacific Championships as the fastest US Paralympic swimmer in her events. Additionally, Col shares that she has successfully reset her calendar to overcome her recent "liminal" slump. During the "what could be better" segment, George reflects on the logistical discipline required to manage high-volume workloads. Rejecting digital tracking platforms like Trello, George explains why wiping off a physical whiteboard every morning remains his essential tool for maintaining focus. Col connects this preference to the psychological concept of object impermanence—a common trait in neurodivergent individuals who need physical, externalized piles and visual lists to retain cognitive focus. Shifting to macro-level news, Col details the catastrophic glacial collapse in the Himalayas, which triggered massive avalanches, mudslides, and fatal flooding across Nepal and Tibet. George adds a visceral description of 3D terrain visualizations showing how the sludge intensified as it tore through elevated plateaus, reinforcing the tragic reality that vulnerable populations bear the brunt of global climate shifts. The episode moves into the "what did you learn" segment with a sharp lesson in professional boundary-setting. George shares three recent experiences where industry peers attempted to leverage his proprietary data, market influence, and tech client network for their own content without offering reciprocal value. He explains the necessity of calling a hard "timeout" and codifying firm professional lines, reminding peers that specialized market intelligence is compensated labor, not free public domain content. Col wraps up by sharing two major developments. First, she reviews her practical experience using Claude to automatically format and edit promotional video backplates for her upcoming Compassionate Mind Training workshops. Second, she breaks down significant local policy news: New Jersey Assemblyman Andrew McCurdy and Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the Data Center Tax Credits Act, permanently eliminating $250 million in corporate tax credits previously meant to incentivize massive AI data center construction in the state. Discussing how tech firms are attempting to bypass local opposition by diffusing smaller data centers into residential areas, George and Col examine the ongoing clash between local community resource protections and the hyper-accelerated energy demands of artificial intelligence. In this episode, George and Col discuss back-to-school, workload management, Paralympic sports, climate change, professional boundaries, AI video editing, data center policy, content strategy.

  3. Aug 25

    Claude-Generated Shells, The Odyssey, and Bhutan Hazelnuts

    From weeding out low-effort, Claude-built website shells at major tech events to exploring ADHD compassion training, this episode examines authenticity in an AI-saturated world.  In Episode 52 of Content Chaos, co-hosts George LaRocque and Colleen Kenny welcome the post-Labor Day "back to school" reset—a crucial seasonal shift alongside January when enterprise business and academic momentum reboot. With George sporting his Rutgers hat as their son prepares for his off-campus college move-in, the hosts open by sharing weekly personal highlights. Col and George review their weekend outing to see Christopher Nolan's three-hour IMAX cinematic epic The Odyssey. Despite Nolan’s lengthy runtime, both hosts were thoroughly engaged, using the blockbuster as a springboard to celebrate a recent renaissance of strong screen entertainment, from House of the Dragon to Will Ferrell's golf comedy Golf. Col also recounts an intense weekend double-session at her local yoga studio, where the instructor themed the class around The Odyssey. The tension sharpens during the "what could be better" segment as George details his recent vetting process managing pitch fest applications for a major upcoming fall HR technology conference. Responsible for selecting viable startups, George reveals a frustrating new trend fueled by generative AI: a massive influx of "vibe-coded shells". Fully one-third of eligible applicants were eliminated because their submissions consisted of low-effort, Claude-developed websites and buzzword-heavy shells lacking genuine human craftsmanship, original messaging, or functional product architecture. Concurrently, Col addresses her ongoing agita surrounding a domain name she registered back in the late 1990s, which had fallen victim to a spam vortex and unauthorized spoofing before George stepped in to resolve the back-end security issues. During the "what did you learn" segment, the hosts reflect on corporate accountability and academic innovation. Prompted by a recent Netflix documentary on the decline of Boeing, George and Col discuss the tragic real-world consequences of short-sighted, executive-led cost-cutting, factory relocations, and aggressive whistleblower suppression. Col points out that while historic corporate leaders often masked systemic failures behind institutional monuments, modern digital documentation ensures their accountability arrives much faster. Col closes the episode by sharing two exciting academic developments from her doctoral community at Rutgers University. First, she highlights groundbreaking studies within the psychology department applying Compassionate Mind Training (CMT) methodologies to help individuals living with ADHD manage cognitive focus. Second, she reveals a unique international initiative connecting Rutgers’ world-renowned hazelnut research department with the agricultural leadership of Bhutan. Seeking to protect their primary export, Bhutanese representatives partnered with Rutgers scholars to solve hazelnut crop challenges—a connection that delights Col given her ongoing academic interest in Bhutan's gross national happiness framework. In this episode, George and Col discuss AI pitch fest, startup vetting, corporate accountability, Boeing documentary, Compassionate Mind Training, ADHD research, academic partnerships, content strategy.

  4. Aug 21

    Hex Wrenches, Career Liminal Spaces, and Local Data Center Bans

    George and Col balance a marathon college move-in and The Telepathy Tapes with an honest look at career liminal spaces and local data center bans. In Episode 51 of Content Chaos, co-hosts George LaRocque and Colleen Kenny embrace the "doldrums of summer," declaring that despite public rush toward fall, late August remains firmly summer. The episode kicks off with a lively review of weekly personal wins. George recaps a marathon road trip up to Boston to rescue his daughter Hayden from a "s******e basement" apartment, before driving her down to Chapel Hill for her senior year at UNC. He shares the relatable parental ritual of closing down Target late at night, mastering flat-pack furniture assembly with a hex wrench, and celebrating Hayden's successful internship at Pfizer. Col celebrates her recent birthday, complete with a family screening of Spider-Man, catching up with loved ones, and receiving a surprise shout-out from a loyal listener in Australia. The tone shifts during the "what could be better" segment as George vents about a recurring, frustrating pattern within corporate and advisory culture: the "fake it till you make it" crowd. Drawing on decades of observing industry influencers and tech advisors online, George calls out performative individuals who post wild, unverified claims about impacting billions of dollars in deals without ever building real-world substance or track records. He highlights how social media has made faking credibility effortless while destroying authentic business reciprocity—especially during event seasons like the fall HR Tech conference when transactional contacts suddenly emerge asking for unearned favors. Col connects this performative trend directly to the broader AI narrative, arguing that modern digital culture actively sweeps structural friction and bot fraud under the rug. Additionally, Col opens up about her personal struggle with navigating a "liminal stage" in her career, balancing the high of summer with the uncertain focus required for launching new fall initiatives. During the "what did you learn" segment, George shares his experience listening to The Telepathy Tapes—a viral documentary podcast exploring non-verbal individuals with autism and claims of telepathic communication. He reflects on how lost senses or non-verbal barriers can lead individuals to develop alternative modes of connection, noting the compelling perspectives shared by scientists, teachers, and parents on the show. Col closes the episode by highlighting updates from her ongoing Compassionate Mind Training workshops and sharing a major piece of local New Jersey news: the New Providence Borough Council officially approved a zoning ordinance restricting large-scale AI data center developments. Linking this municipal movement back to broader tech trends, Col and George point out that real-world AI adoption remains in the single digits—around 7%—creating a massive mismatch between real-world enterprise demand and the hyper-inflated cash burn of AI buildouts. In this episode, George and Col discuss college move-in, corporate culture, performative leadership, tech advisors, local news, AI data centers, podcasting, content strategy.

  5. Aug 11

    McMansions, Immigrant Grocery Stand-Up, and Cognitive Load

    From a deep dive into municipal rules fueling oversized neighborhood builds to stand-up comedy inside immigrant grocery stores, this episode explores local friction and human cognitive limits. Marking a major milestone with their 50th episode, co-hosts George LaRocque and Colleen Kenny step back to introduce the core premise of Content Chaos for new listeners. Col—a professor of marketing at NYU Tisch, educational consultant, and doctoral student at Rutgers studying learning environment design—and George—an analyst, advisor, and veteran in work technology—explain that the unscripted podcast serves as a weekly reflection on what went well, what could be better, and what they learned. By removing the polished "veneer" of corporate media, they use deliberate, unscripted conversation to create meaning amid hyper-accelerated technological and cultural shifts. The episode opens on a grateful note during the "what went well" segment. George shares positive news regarding a lifelong friend recovering from emergency brain surgery, while celebrating the upcoming fall youth soccer season as his youngest daughter transitions to a larger high school pitch. Col highlights hosting guest speaker Liz Clark at NYU Tisch, catching up with Notre Dame colleagues, and attending comedian Jenny Yang’s "Good Egg" stand-up tour—an innovative comedy show staged inside local immigrant grocery stores that processes personal fertility struggles through vulnerability, community fundraising, and sharp humor. The conversation turns to local friction during the "what could be better" segment, where George and Col address the ongoing construction project next door. While they successfully protected their property line during "The Battle of the Hedges," a massive McMansion is now framing up on the lot. George shares insights generated from Claude regarding New Jersey municipal zoning ordinances: while towns strictly regulate height, setbacks, and lot coverage percentages, many fail to cap total floor area. Builders can max out every dial simultaneously to construct an oversized house that dwarfs historical neighborhood footprints while remaining legally compliant on paper. Col reflects on managing her internal reactions through her Compassionate Mind Training, accepting the loss of control over environmental shifts around her backyard "Zen garden". During the "what did you learn" segment, George examines data on the rapid pendulum swing of corporate AI adoption. Highlighting a Robert Half study, he notes that over 30% of hiring managers who eliminated roles after implementing AI have already reinstated those positions after realizing the technology could not perform at scale. Furthermore, Gartner projects that half of companies cutting customer service staff due to AI will be re-hiring by 2027. While 2026 saw over 200,000 layoffs with half citing AI as a factor, 92% of companies plan to hire, illustrating that corporate hype cycles are correcting faster than historical 5-year trends. Col closes by connecting this volatility to Cognitive Load Theory from her Rutgers doctoral research, illustrating how human working memory limits explain why over-complicated digital environments cause audiences and students to completely shut down. In this episode, George and Col discuss AI workforce impact, zoning laws, stand-up comedy, cognitive load, work technology, media strategy, real estate, content strategy.

  6. Aug 4

    Outer Banks Unplugging, Missing the Salad Days, and Sasha Baron-Cohen's Scientist Cousin

    An honest conversation about vacation unplugging, the frustration of broken healthy habits, and Sir Simon Baron-Cohen’s research into how autism shapes technological invention.  Returning from a family summer vacation in the Outer Banks, co-hosts George LaRocque and Colleen Kenny reconnect in rainy New Providence, New Jersey for Episode 49 of Content Chaos. The hosts reflect on the art of intentionally stepping away from work and computers. George celebrates a seamless vacation routine with family, hours spent swimming in Caribbean-like ocean waters, and rolling through minor disruptions like broken dishwashers and an anxious dog. He delivers a hilarious "Hedge Warfare" update, noting that the all-caps, sternly formatted warning signs Col printed successfully created an invisible barrier, preventing neighboring construction crews from leaning heavy materials against their residential hedges. Col echoes the gratitude for family time, beach yoga, and productive remote teaching sessions for her NYU classes, featuring industry guest speakers from The Ankler.  The conversation turns poignant during the "what could be better" segment as George mourns the tragic passing of Oscar-winning Irish musician and actor Glen Hansard in a motorcycle accident. Recalling Hansard’s performance in the film The Commitments and his legendary street-busking roots in Dublin, George reflects on Hansard's humble, authentic connection with fans and fellow musicians like Eddie Vedder. Meanwhile, Col touches on the daily frustrations of overindulging on vacation and missing her regular clean eating routines. She shares an intriguing observation from a local studio owner in North Carolina regarding weird produce supply chain disruptions—where spilled beet juice failed to leave its usual deep stain, raising eerie questions about modern food processing and produce quality.  The hosts dive into fascinating historical and scientific discoveries during the "what did you learn" segment. George shares the local origin story behind the Outer Banks town Kill Devil Hills, revealing it was named after potent local rum that washed ashore from historic shipwrecks—rum allegedly strong enough to "kill the devil".  Col closes the episode by sharing her academic research for Rutgers and her Compassionate Mind Training program, exploring the intersection of neurobiology and autism. She highlights the work of Cambridge scientist Sir Simon Baron-Cohen—whom she discovered is the cousin of comedian Sasha Baron Cohen. Discussing his book The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention, Col explains how hyper-systemizing brain patterns and neurodivergent thinking have served as the fundamental catalyst for human invention throughout history. By blending lighthearted family updates with deep reflections on artistic loss, historical lore, and neurodiversity, this episode offers a rich mix of personal humor and intellectual depth.  In this episode, George and Col discuss vacation reflections, music tributes, property disputes, local history, supply chain, autism research, neurodiversity, and content strategy.

  7. Jul 21

    State Equity in AI, Aging Workforces, and the Art of Meal Planning

    An exploration of why fixing tax codes beats government AI ownership, how demographics rewrite the labor story, and the grounding power of unscripted reflection. In Episode 48 of Content Chaos, co-hosts George LaRocque and Colleen Kenny open with a swift round of self-directed fact-checking regarding their previous episode. Col clarifies details around the young creators behind the indie film Am I AI, while correcting her previous misstatement about Paul Gilbert—noting he is a psychologist rather than a neurobiologist—before joking that their unscripted show is now as reputable as mainstream news outlets. Turning to weekly wins, the hosts celebrate the restorative power of micro-milestones. George highlights practical personal victories, including efficient summer meal planning where zero food was wasted, seamless vacation prep, successful work reports, and maintaining meaningful connections with his college-age children as they navigate summer internships. Col shares her own joy in setting up a backyard bird sanctuary for her cat, Olive, to watch, alongside hosting her close friend Spina—a branded entertainment consultant—as an inspiring, unscripted guest speaker for her NYU class. The tone shifts during the "what could be better" segment as George opens up about a sobering personal update: learning that a lifelong friend is undergoing emergency surgery for a brain mass. The news prompts a quiet reflection on life’s unexpected disruptions and the grounding necessity of community support. Col turns her focus inward, examining her personal struggles with cognitive overload, overbooking, and mental rumination. She balances this internal reflection with a critical macro-level critique of a recent Michael Bloomberg opinion piece. Both Col and George warn strongly against government equity stakes or sovereign wealth funds in AI—referencing political proposals like Bernie Sanders' Vermont-backed initiative. Col argues that government ownership in AI mirrors state-owned media, asserting that the proper regulatory path is fixing corporate tax codes rather than allowing the state to control information infrastructure. The conversation culminates in a deep dive during the "what did you learn" segment, where George shares insights from workplace analyst John Sumser regarding the future of labor. While Silicon Valley hype continuously warns that artificial intelligence will eliminate all human jobs, the actual demographic data reveals a far different reality: a massive, impending workforce shortage driven by an aging global population. George explains that workers are rapidly retiring out of the market across frontline and knowledge sectors alike. Compounded by aggressive US immigration deportations and shifting labor pipelines, the economy faces an inevitable human shortage rather than a total AI replacement. Col connects this to the sheer panic felt by her NYU students, noting that while media and tech giants overhired and created bloated "towers of nothingness," the true path forward lies in adaptability, skilled trades, medium-sized enterprises, and personal entrepreneurship. In this episode, George and Col discuss workforce demographics, AI regulation, media policy, branded entertainment, labor shortages, state-owned media, cognitive load, content strategy.

  8. Jul 14

    Ditching the Scoreboard: $50k Marketing Hacks, Toddler Tennis, and Grievance Loops

    George and Col compare the commercialized pressure of American youth sports with Norway’s legal protections for play, alongside a genius $50k billboard hack and the science of neurobiological mind training.  In Episode 47 of Content Chaos, co-hosts George and Col mark a deeply personal week—touching on the arrival of Cancer season and commemorating what would have been the 80th birthday of Col's late father. The conversation quickly moves to celebrate positive, creative media developments. Col highlights her experience repainting her daughter Maeve's bedroom as an exercise in budgeting and bonding, alongside a stellar recommendation for Brady Huggett's investigative podcast, When Autistic Kids Grow Up. She also champions the viral marketing genius of her NYU student’s new documentary Am I AI. Faced with traditional advertising agencies declaring their $50k campaign budget too small, the young filmmakers bypassed the corporate machine entirely. They bought a single, cheeky billboard featuring a major podcaster's face right outside his Austin studio—instantly landing a guest slot and bypassing the old, gatekeeping ad ecosystem.  The episode's core structural critique centers on sports, starting with George observing the hyper-commercialized, high-pressure world of local youth sports. He shares a poignant, sitcom-like encounter at their local tennis club. While watching a tiny girl joyfully yelling gibberish and twisting her hair in her own world, he overheard her father aggressively pressuring the coach to get the toddler "up to speed for September". George targets the toxic "alpha parent" business model in the US, which forces children into rigid, year-round regimes under the false pretense of shaping Division 1 athletes. Col connects this to her own battle with daily micro-grievances, invoking Larry David's petty grievances to note how easy it is to let the ego waste precious mental energy on minor resentments before intentionally choosing to let them go.  To unpack this localized madness, George presents his weekly learning: a deep dive into Norway's highly successful "Children’s Rights in Sports" model. In Norway, youth sports are governed by national law rather than corporate profits. For children under age nine, clubs are legally prohibited from publishing game results, keeping league tables, or handing out individual trophies. Furthermore, clubs are legally banned from blocking children from playing multiple sports up to age 13, keeping fees under $1,000 annually. While 70% of American children drop out of organized sports by age 13 due to severe burnout and high suburban entry costs, Norway boasts a 93% youth participation rate. George explains that the country funds this masterclass in public health via Norsk Tipping—a state-run gambling monopoly that directly feeds millions back into community fields, public recreation, and professional-grade coaching systems.  Finally, Col anchors these systemic issues in her doctoral research at Rutgers. She details the clinical mechanics of Compassionate Mind Training (CMT), an approach developed by British neurobiologist Paul Gilbert. CMT teaches individuals practical, biological methods to recognize toxic, shame-oriented rumination and pull themselves out of automated fight-or-flight loops. By examining how our hyper-competitive societal systems chew up human well-being, the hosts offer a refreshing, cross-cultural blueprint for trading high-stakes pressure for collective grace.  In this episode, George and Col discuss youth sports, marketing strategy, mental health, public policy, sports psychology, social structures, content strategy, and human development.

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About

Content Chaos with George and Col: Weekly podcast diving straight into meaningful conversations about navigating modern life. George, WorkTech owner and expert at the intersection of business technology and people, teams up with Col, NYU educator and marketing discovery expert. Using their Weekly Review Framework (What Went Well, What Could Be Better, What Did I Learn), they explore personal growth, professional insights, and cultural observations. No fluff—just authentic dialogue that transforms chaos into clarity.

Information

  • Creator
    George and Col
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © George and Col
  • Show Website
    Content Chaos