Pour one broccoli cheddar soup out

 Panera’s CEO is stepping down, fast and casually. [The Hustle]( Fri, Nov 10 Brought to you by [Earnest](... chase dreams, not debt. Panera Bread’s CEO is stepping down in hopes of fixing our economy Panera Bread’s founder and CEO, Ron Shaich, announced that he will step down at the end of 2017, not due to their struggling growth numbers, but to shed light on a problem that he believes is destroying the US economy: “short-termism.” He says that stepping down will allow him to “push the debate” against Wall-Street’s obsession with short-term growth, telling [Business Insider]( “I’ve been a CEO longer than Cal Ripken played baseball. And I can tell you: Short-termism has pervaded capital markets.” What is short-termism exactly? Short-term growth concentrates on setting quarterly objectives, usually in the digital space (marketers have nearly doubled their investment in search optimization in the past 4 years, spending nearly $3.4B on it in 2016). But according to certain [marketing studies]( short-termism has caused a decline in companies’ long-term expansion: chasing low-cost digital marketing at the expense of brand-building to drive long-term sales. AKA, ol’ Ronnie Shaich ain’t exactly wrong. And he’s not alone. There’s actually a large group of [business leaders]( that companies are too focused on making money for shareholders, rather than spending resources on their employees and innovation -- both of which create larger problems for the economy. So, he’s saying “au revoir” -- but first, he’s buying Au Bon Pain Last Wednesday, Panera purchased their eerily similar fast-casual competitor Au Bon Pain for an undisclosed sum, a chain that he helped launch in the 80s. Shaich claims the acquisition will help Panera grow its business in areas that they don’t have as much of a presence in. Think of it as a little parting gift bought on somebody else’s dime… Make me a bread bowl, fast, yet casually  Colombia’s 12-ton coke bust is just a drop in the dime-bag On Wednesday, Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos reported that officials had [seized 12 TONS of cocaine]( (over 13 million gram-bags) -- the biggest nose beer bust in the country’s history. The drugs were dug up from under 4 farms in a region once ruled by Pablo Escobar and the Medellin cartel, now run by a drug lord known as “Otoniel”  who heads up Columbia’s most powerful drug running operation, the Gulf Clan. So far, Police have confiscated [362 tons of white lightning]( this year, up from 317 tons last year. That’s a veritable bunny slope of Colombian snow… But there’s more fresh pow on the slopes than ever. Colombia’s production is the highest it’s been in 20 years, making it the world’s largest coke producer as of March. And, the US State Department estimates the country has the capacity to produce as much as 495 tons of coke, which means there are still 178m tons of stardust unaccounted for -- not to mention the 900+ tons of Colombian Christmas gracing coffee tables across the globe. In other words, this police photo-op is mostly show… and the world’s still full of blow. [Is Pepsi OK?](  Does Facebook exploit our vulnerabilities? Facebook is often cast as an addictive abyss of self-congratulatory humblebrags, feather-puffing, and people desperate for validation in the form of iconized thumbs and smiley faces. And apparently, the company’s OG president, [Sean Parker]( agrees. Thumbs down In a searing [interview with Axios]( Parker -- who now identifies as a  “conscientious objector” of social media -- questioned the morality of FB’s business model. Among his quips: - Facebook is "a social-validation feedback loop [that exploits] a vulnerability in human psychology." - Facebook “literally changes your relationship with society, with each other… It probably interferes with productivity in weird ways.” - Facebook’s ethos is all about “‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?’" Parker ceded that, from the onset, the company capitalized on the addictiveness of recognition and acceptance to build a loyal following. There’s some truth to this Studies have shown that the constant social comparison on Facebook can lead to the [erosion of self-esteem]( and an overall decline in well-being and life satisfaction. Other [research]( has suggested the platform makes us unhappy by increasing our feelings of envy and jealousy. Beyond this, getting feedback on Facebook -- likes, shares, comments -- activates the[pleasure center]( in our brains, and when our posts don’t generate feedback, it can invoke feelings of worthlessness. Takeaway: be sure to enjoy the real world… like [Zuck](. [Guy reads The Art of Happiness one time…](  Branded podcasts are the new branded blogs Case in point: Walmart has one. The podcast craze is showing no signs of slowing: this year, [112m Americans]( -- and nearly half of those age 12 or older -- will listen to one, and industry ad revenue is up [85%](. Now, in a bid to create cult-like followings around their brands, large corporations are launching their own audio shows. Move over, T. Gross Earlier this year, [Walmart]( announced it would produce its own podcast, “Outside the Box,” focusing on “sustainability, American manufacturing, [and] the workforce of the future.” It was so popular, they’re now working on a second season. This past summer, [eBay’s]( “Open for Business” podcast, co-produced with Gimlet, took the #1 spot on iTunes’ business podcasts list, and GE’s sci-fi show, “The Message,” generated millions of downloads. A golden opportunity Many of these “branded” podcasts are far removed from the products or services these companies are actually selling. But we’re now in an age where the line between ads and media is [rapidly blurring]( so this kind of subliminal content is par for the course. It’s also a smart move. Podcasts tend to reach a desirable demographic (young, upwardly-mobile professionals) at a particularly desirable time (their commutes). That means their average listener has money and attention to spend -- the marketer’s holy grail. [A nice fireside ‘cast](   friday shower thoughts - George Orwell predicted cameras watching us in our homes, but he didn’t predict that we would buy and install them ourselves. - Besides killing germs, hand sanitizer is also great at reminding you of minor injuries to your hand that you had forgotten about. - Out of the 5 Spice Girls, Ginger is the only one that’s actually a spice. - No one has ever been inside an empty room. - Where the heck do hamsters roam free in the wild?? - via [Reddit]( This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by It’s a big, scary word… Refinance. Hey, it freaks us out, too. But refinancing your student loans is basically the best thing your post-college-self can do (and it’s stupid easy). [Why refinance?]( Think about it: the lousy terms of the loan you took out at 18 don’t reflect the high-functioning, income-earning adult you’ve become. You’re wiser, you have a burgeoning career, and dream of owning a mid-century pad with floor to ceiling windows. Your loan should reflect that. Bottom line: refinancing student debt can [save you serious cash money](. Better rates for the hard-working adult you’ve blossomed into What a beautiful corporate flower you’ve become. [Earnest]( helps hardworking professionals like yourself get the interest rates they deserve by using data beyond the notorious credit score. People who refinance with Earnest [save an average of $21,810](. Just think of all the (somewhat) responsible things you could do with that money like investing, saving, and Coachella. Get a [2-minute rate from Earnest]( to see how much you could pocket. And if that gets the frugal college student in you excited, you’ll be tickled to receive the [$200 signing bonus]( for Hustle readers. Boom. Money. Saved.  0 [SHARE THE HUSTLE]( REFERRALS Lindsey Quinn MANAGING EDITOR Zack Crockett WRITER Wes Schlagenhauf WRITER Sam "Nothing like dippin' that bread plug" Parr EDITORIAL EAVESDROPPER Phillip Airtime BROADCAST PHILOSOPHER [SUBSCRIBE]( [JOBS]( [ADVERTISE]( [EVENTS]( You opted in by signing up, attending an event, or through divine intervention. [771 CLEMENTINA STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, UNITED STATES]( • [415.506.7210](tel:+1-415-506-7210) Never wanna hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](