EP 37: Populism, Poppycock and Pop Psychology

EP 37: Populism, Poppycock and Pop Psychology

Salisha Maharaj, a clinical psychologist, joins Betty and Veronica in studio this week to talk all things pop psychology: good, bad or dangerous? Has mental health fallen victim to populism and should we be talking about it less? Veronica gets (surprisingly) worked up.  Plus: Do leaders need to have any experience (at all) in public service? Betty seems to think so. (Some of) the world watches as Kenyans stand up for themselves. And is this FIFA World Cup just the US domestic and foreign policy playing out on a sporting stage? Special thanks to our sound engineer, Ted Loukes [https://aten.co.za/] for making us sound so much better than we actually do. Support the pod: Share this episode with a friend. Subscribe so you never miss one. Leave a review to help others find the show. Follow ⁠@notjust1thingpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/notjust1thingpod]

EP 36: Feedback and Friendly Fire - Your Turn to Talk

This week, Betty and Veronica discuss your feedback on conversations from the last few episodes. From longevity (EP33), billionaires (EP34) and populist politics (EP30), to a suggestion that perhaps, maybe, erm, when it comes to discussion topics, women should just “stay in their lanes”. Gut. Punch. Plus: Are Kenyans being inexplicably put at risk to appease US fear? Could beautiful handwriting become the pearl necklace of the 21st century? And Veronica tries to console Betty over the deep shame she’s feeling about South Africans’ response to illegal immigration. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Ted Loukes [https://aten.co.za/] for making us sound so much better than we actually do. Support the pod: Share this episode with a friend. Subscribe so you never miss one. Leave a review to help others find the show. Follow ⁠@notjust1thingpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/notjust1thingpod]

EP 35: Woke, Work and the World's Youth

Longtime podcast listener, Vusi Mbatha, joins Betty and Veronica to debate whether anything bad can come from a woke world. Betty is adamant it’s a no. Veronica is on the polar opposite end of the spectrum. Can he bridge the divide? Plus: Could young people (and cockroaches) be signalling the start of another slingshot moment? Is your HR department the only thing standing in the way between you and greatness? And just in case you were concerned South Africa was the only one being caught out for lazy AI usage, have no fear. Turns out, we’re just catching up to the rest of the world.  Special thanks to our sound engineer, Ted Loukes [https://aten.co.za/] for making us sound so much better than we actually do. Support the pod: Share this episode with a friend. Subscribe so you never miss one. Leave a review to help others find the show. Follow ⁠@notjust1thingpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/notjust1thingpod]

EP 34: Ubuntu, Un-Managing and the Ultra Wealthy

After several weeks of beating up the billionaires, Veronica decides it’s finally time to ask if they really are so bad? Without a beat, Betty decides where she stands (with no wiggle room) but Veronica’s not so sure. And is Betty actually really such a socialist? Plus: Could the spirit of ubuntu be the saving grace for AI? Can anything get done in China with so many egos in the room? And does Jensen Huang have the right idea about managing people and organisations? Betty really (really) hopes so. KEEPING US HONEST: The actual definition of our word for the week means “to be absorbed, included or categorised as part of a larger whole”. But we didn’t want to ruin Betty’s moment so we thought we’d fact check ourselves here. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Ted Loukes [https://aten.co.za/] for making us sound so much better than we actually do. Support the pod: Share this episode with a friend. Subscribe so you never miss one. Leave a review to help others find the show. Follow ⁠@notjust1thingpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/notjust1thingpod]

EP 33: Dresses, Dodgy Diplomacy and Defying Death

This week, Betty opens up a debate on something she has long been obsessed with: longevity biohacking. Do we really want to live forever? And what, Veronica asks, is wrong with letting the tech billionaires pursue it? Couldn’t the world benefit from their god complex? Plus: The Met Gala shines a spotlight on the growing backlash against tech billionaires. Or, you know, just billionaires in general. Is Epstein’s supposed suicide note not eerily similar to certain “other” truth posts. And will China’s no-tariff gift to Africa turn out to be, instead, a golden cage? EXTRA. EXTRA. READ ALL ABOUT IT.: Interested in reading the full Mail and Guardian article that Betty was talking about in our chat about China and zero tariffs, you can find it here [https://mg.co.za/thought-leader/opinion/2026-05-06-chinas-zero-tariff-offer-to-africa-windfall-or-trojan-horse/]. Special thanks to our sound engineer, Ted Loukes [https://aten.co.za/] for making us sound so much better than we actually sound. Support the pod: Share this episode with a friend. Subscribe so you never miss one. Leave a review to help others find the show. Follow ⁠@notjust1thingpod⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/notjust1thingpod]