January is the season of new roles, new titles, and slightly confusing email signatures.
In this Pocket Change episode of Money2Byrne, we take a look at job titles that sound completely made up but are actually real roles people get paid to do.
From Chief Happiness Officers and Growth Hackers to Digital Prophets and Brand Evangelists, this short episode explores the strange, funny, and sometimes ridiculous world of modern job titles.
A light, relatable listen for anyone easing back into work after the holidays.
Perfect for commuting, walking, or quietly questioning your LinkedIn headline.
January has a habit of making people question their jobs.
In this Pocket Change episode of Money2Byrne, we tell the true story of an employee who handed in their notice, stopped working… and yet continued to get paid because nobody in the company realised they had actually left.
From HR assumptions and payroll systems to the quiet chaos of large organisations, this episode looks at how someone can disappear from a workplace without anyone noticing and what it says about modern corporate life.
A short, funny, and slightly uncomfortable story that feels very fitting for January.
Perfect for a quick listen while commuting, walking, or hiding from your inbox.
If Christmas had a podcast, this would be it.
The Money2Byrne Christmas Special is back your annual festive fix and the podcast world’s answer to The Toy Show. It’s an end-of-year tradition packed with laughs, stories, chaos, and just the right amount of nonsense.
Recorded live from Dave’s favourite café (with festive drinks and mince pies firmly involved), this Christmas Special brings together the best of Money2Byrne in one big seasonal episode.
🎁 What’s inside this year’s Christmas Special?
• 🎄 What You Never Knew - The unbelievable true story behind who actually owns the trademark to “Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal”
• 🐔 No More Funny Business – Yes, people really do buy Christmas jumpers… for chickens
• 🚌 Pocket Change – The heart-warming story of the fake bus stop that changed lives
• 🏰 Name of Thrones – The surprising origin of the iconic Christmas tin: Quality Street
• 🌍 Euro-Pinion – Listeners share the weirdest, funniest and most chaotic Christmas traditions from Ireland and beyond
• 🔥 Hot Topic – Who makes Santa’s Naughty or Nice list in 2025 (and who is absolutely doomed)
Plus plenty of festive chaos, sharp observations, Irish humour, and that unmistakable Money2Byrne charm.
This is the perfect Christmas podcast to listen to while:
• wrapping presents
• avoiding family arguments
• driving home for Christmas
• hiding in the kitchen
• or pretending you’re “just popping out for fresh air”
If you’re new to the show, this is the perfect place to start.
If you’re a regular, you already know this one’s an annual must.
🎧 Subscribe now so you don’t miss future episodes, bonus drops, and Pocket Change stories throughout the year.
As always…
stay safe, stay happy, but most of all stay lucky.
In today’s Pocket Change, Dave takes you to a small town in Germany where a nursing home came up with one of the simplest and smartest ideas ever: a fake bus stop.
Designed to help protect residents with dementia, this imitation bus stop became an unexpected lifesaver, giving comfort, familiarity, and calm to people who needed it most. Other countries copied it, families loved it, and the story has since become a brilliant example of creativity and compassion in action.
It’s clever, it’s heartwarming, and it’s exactly the kind of story Money2Byrne loves:
a little bit of genius… hidden in plain sight.
Listen now to hear how a simple bench and a sign made a world of difference.
What would you do if a café charged you €2… just to cut your sandwich in half?
That’s exactly what happened at Bar Pace, a real café on Lake Como in Italy and when the receipt hit the internet, the story went global.
In this week’s Money2Byrne Pocket Change, David dives into the strangest “service fee” ever charged, the café’s unusual explanation, and how a simple knife movement turned into an international headline.
You’ll hear:
🥪 The true story behind the viral receipt
💶 Why Bar Pace defended the fee and why they’re still in business today
🌍 How the internet reacted (including the funniest comments)
💡 What this teaches us about pricing, customer psychology, and expectations
😂 Plus some top-tier slicing jokes at no extra charge
If you love quick, funny, true business stories, this one’s a must-listen.
🎙️ Money2Byrne The Podcast That Looks at the Lighter Side of Business
Black Friday might be the biggest shopping day of the year… but it didn’t start that way.
In fact, the real origin of Black Friday has nothing to do with bargain TVs or midnight queues it began decades earlier, in a way almost nobody knows.
In this Money2Byrne Pocket Change Special, David W Byrne breaks down the wild true story of how Black Friday got its name, why police invented the term, why retailers originally hated it, and how it somehow transformed into a global shopping event worth billions.
You’ll hear:
🕵️♂️ The forgotten 1950s story behind the name
🚗 How crowds, traffic, and football fans created the first Black Friday
💰 The moment retailers flipped it into a profit machine
🛍️ The strangest early Black Friday promotions
🌍 How it became a worldwide phenomenon (and kept getting bigger)
Whether you’re bargain-hunting, avoiding the shops, or just curious how Black Friday became what it is today this episode delivers a fast, funny, true story to kick off the weekend.
🎙️ Money2Byrne The Podcast That Looks at the Lighter Side of Business.
Ever been in IKEA so long you felt like you lived there?
Well… one woman actually did.
In this hilarious True Business Story, David W Byrne dives into the bizarre case of a woman in Japan who secretly moved into an IKEA store sleeping in the showroom beds, storing her belongings in the drawers, and eating every meal in the cafeteria without anyone noticing.
She blended in so perfectly that IKEA only caught her because staff found a used toothbrush in one of the display bathrooms and realised something… wasn’t very Swedish.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
🛏️ How she picked her “bedroom”
🍝 Her daily routine of meatballs and stealth
🎥 How CCTV finally exposed her
😂 And IKEA’s surprisingly chill reaction
A fun reminder that if you design a place like a home… someone, somewhere, will move in.
🎙️ Money2Byrne The Podcast That Looks at the Lighter Side of Business.
What happens when a pizza company promises free pizza for life to anyone brave (or foolish) enough to get their logo tattooed?
Chaos. Beautiful, cheesy chaos.
In this episode of Pocket Change, David W Byrne dives into the unbelievable true story of the 2018 Domino’s promotion in Russia where the company accidentally inspired thousands of people to get permanent tattoos for a lifetime of pizza…
only for Domino’s to panic and pull the plug days later.
You’ll hear about:
🍕 The man who tattooed the logo on his forehead
🍕 Tattoo shops running out of ink
🍕 Domino’s realising they’d just given away millions in pizza
🍕 The desperate rule change to cap the winners at 350 people
🍕 And the people who STILL got the tattoo afterwards
A hilarious reminder that the internet will ALWAYS say yes to free food and that marketing teams should probably own a calculator.
🎙️ Money2Byrne The Podcast That Looks at the Lighter Side of Business.
Ever checked into an Airbnb and heard footsteps when you’re the only one there? 👻
Welcome to the booming world of haunted short-term rentals where creaky floors, flickering lights, and ghost stories aren’t complaints… they’re selling points.
In this spooky-season episode of Pocket Change, David W Byrne dives into the real-life business of haunted Airbnbs, ghost-themed stays, and the people making a killing from fear.
From Dracula’s Castle in Transylvania to haunted inns in Savannah and York, discover how Halloween tourism, viral storytelling, and a little supernatural branding are turning normal houses into profitable ScareBnBs.
🎃 In this episode:
• The real haunted listings that triple bookings every October
• Airbnb’s “Icons” campaign guests in Dracula’s Castle
• Why fear is one of the most profitable emotions in marketing
• The funniest real guest reviews from “possessed” properties
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, one thing’s certain spooky season is serious business.
Would you ever pay a thousand dollars for a single cup of coffee? ☕💸
Well, believe it or not, some people do.
In this Pocket Change episode, David W Byrne takes a sip of one of the strangest luxury trends in the world the $1,000 coffee, made from beans that have literally been eaten and digested by an animal before being brewed.
From Kopi Luwak to Black Ivory Coffee, this episode explores how marketing, rarity, and a touch of madness turned a humble cup of joe into a status symbol for the ultra-rich.
You’ll learn:
💎 Why people pay small fortunes for coffee beans that took the scenic route through nature.
☕ How exclusivity fuels the “luxury food” industry.
😂 And why the real secret ingredient might just be good storytelling.
So grab your (hopefully cheaper) cup and tune in for a tale that proves in business, perception really is everything.
When life gives you taxes… grab a wheelbarrow.
In this episode of Money2Byrne: Pocket Change, David Byrne tells the unbelievable true story of Nick Stafford, the man who settled a $3,000 tax bill using 300,000 pennies and made government employees count every single one.
From viral headlines to a seven-hour coin-counting marathon, discover how one taxpayer turned frustration into performance art and proved that sometimes, the system only listens when the penny finally drops.
🪙 A $3,000 tax bill paid in copper
🚗 A grudge, five wheelbarrows, and one very long day at the DMV
💰 The legal loophole that made it possible
😂 And a reminder that protest doesn’t always have to make cents it just has to make noise
A short, sharp Money2Byrne story about money, madness, and the ultimate petty payback.
What would you do if you could start your life over completely?
Well, back in 2008, one man in Australia actually did it by putting his entire life up for sale on eBay.
His house, his job, his car, his friends… even his favourite pub nights were all part of the deal.
In this week’s Pocket Change, David W Byrne dives into the wild true story of Ian Usher, the man who turned heartbreak into headlines and made nearly $400,000 selling everything he owned to the highest bidder.
But that wasn’t the end Disney even came calling to buy his story.
Talk about an upgrade.
Tune in for a funny, fast-paced reminder that sometimes the best way to move on… is to list it and let it go.
🎙️ Money2Byrne The Podcast That Looks at the Lighter Side of Business.
What happens when a fast-food giant decides Earth just isn’t enough?
In this Money2Byrne Pocket Change episode, we blast off into the story of Burger King’s bizarre cosmic marketing stunt when the brand claimed to have opened the first restaurant on Mars… kind of. 🚀
You’ll hear how a cheeky ad campaign, a bit of PR magic, and a lot of flame-grilled confidence helped Burger King get everyone talking without ever leaving Earth’s atmosphere.
It’s a funny reminder that sometimes, you don’t need to actually go to space to make your brand feel out of this world. 🌍🔥
⸻
💡 What You’ll Learn / Takeaway
• How brands use outrageous claims to grab headlines.
• Why humour in marketing always travels further than the truth.
• And how to pull off a PR stunt so wild, it’s almost believable.
In 2017, a freelance writer in London pulled off one of the funniest marketing stunts in history.
Armed with a burner phone, a website, and a backyard shed, Oobah Butler created a fake restaurant called The Shed at Dulwich.
He never served a single meal.
But with a handful of glowing fake reviews, he managed to climb the TripAdvisor charts all the way to #1 restaurant in London.
Soon, real people were begging for reservations, food critics wanted interviews, and even TripAdvisor themselves congratulated him.
When he finally opened for one night only, guests were served instant noodles, frozen meals… and a big helping of confusion.
In this episode of Money2Byrne: Pocket Change, David Byrne dives into how one man’s prank became a global phenomenon and what it says about the power of hype, storytelling, and human gullibility.
🥇 Fake reviews. Real success.
🎙️ The lighter side of business only on Money2Byrne.
In a world where everyone’s hustling for side gigs, one man in Japan found the ultimate job, doing absolutely nothing. 🪑
Meet Shoji Morimoto, Tokyo’s “Do Nothing Guy.”
He gets paid just to exist. No small talk. No advice. No effort.
People hire him to sit beside them at lunch, walk quietly next to them, or just stand in silence so they don’t feel alone.
From awkward dinners to emotional divorces, Shoji’s clients come for company, not conversation.
He’s turned doing nothing into a full-time business, written a best-selling book, and even starred in a documentary.
In this episode of Money2Byrne: Pocket Change, David Byrne explores how one man made “nothing” into something, and why maybe just maybe we’re all trying too hard.
🪑 Doing nothing.
💸 Getting paid.
🎙️ The lighter side of business only on Money2Byrne.
You can buy almost anything on eBay or at least, you could.
In this episode of Money2Byrne: Pocket Change, David Byrne tells the hilarious true story of how people started selling haunted dolls, cursed jars, and even ghosts online… until eBay had to officially ban the sale of “souls and spirits.” 👻
From haunted auctions that went viral to the ridiculous complaints that followed (“My ghost isn’t working!”), this is a story about marketing gone mad, proof that on the internet, someone really will buy anything.
👻 Haunted jars, possessed dolls, and the policy that ended it all
💸 Why eBay had to write “no ghosts allowed” into its rules
😂 The lighter side of business — one haunting at a time
🎙️ Money2Byrne: The podcast that looks at the lighter side of business.
🍀 Stay safe, stay happy… but most of all, stay lucky.
In the 1990s, Pepsi launched a TV advert offering everything from T-shirts to sunglasses for Pepsi Points and, as the punchline, a Harrier Fighter Jet.
One college student decided it wasn’t a joke. He raised the money, sent Pepsi a cheque, and demanded his jet.
What followed became one of the wildest marketing blunders and lawsuits in advertising history.
In this five-minute episode of Money2Byrne: Pocket Change, David Byrne tells the hilarious true story behind “Pepsi, Where’s My Jet?”, how a soft-drink promo spiralled into a courtroom showdown, and why every marketer should read the fine print before promising the impossible.
🥤 Marketing gone mad.
✈️ A guy who really wanted his jet.
🎬 And the Netflix documentary that proves truth is stranger than advertising.
In 2018, KFC faced the unthinkable a fried-chicken shortage. No wings, no drumsticks, no hope.
What followed was chaos, comedy, and one of the best marketing recoveries ever.
In this five-minute episode of Money2Byrne: Pocket Change, David Byrne unpacks the moment the Colonel lost his chicken, how KFC turned a PR nightmare into a masterclass in brand humour, and why owning your mistakes might just save your reputation.
🍗 Crisis, comedy and marketing gold all in under five minutes.
In this jam-packed episode of Money2Byrne, we uncover bizarre facts, shine a spotlight on unsung heroes, and explore the wonderfully weird world of pop culture and real-life legends.
What You Never Knew
Did you know Wrigley’s didn’t start out selling chewing gum? We dig into the surprising business origin story of one of the world’s most iconic brands.
No More Funny Business
We head to Iceland for a truly unique business – the Icelandic Phallological Museum – home to the world’s largest collection of... well, you’ll have to listen to believe it.
Well Done, old Chum
A big shout-out to Phillip Byrne, who’s raising funds for A Lust for Life, a brilliant mental health charity making a real difference across Ireland.
You Did What?!
Yes, Christopher Walken really did that. We reveal an unexpected chapter in the legendary actor’s past that’s equal parts shocking and entertaining.
None ofYour Business
Meet the Aussie man who legally changed his name to something beyond ridiculous—proving the limits of bureaucracy are stranger than fiction.
Subscribe now to Money2Byrne—a top 10% podcast globally—where business meets banter, and no story is too odd to explore.
Tags: Wrigleys chewing gum history, Icelandic penis museum, Christopher Walken facts, weird name change Australia, A Lust for Life fundraiser, Money2Byrne podcast, top business podcast Ireland, funny business podcast, unusual museums, celebrity trivia, Irish podcasters,
Money2Byrne The Podcast that looks at the Lighter Side of Business
Tis the season for a Special Christmas Episode of Money2Byrne.
We once again return to the cafe for some Mince Pies, cuppa Coffee and some holiday fun as we bring you 5 of your festive favourites.
We have a What you never knew, in which we tell you about the quickest Christmas Carol ever written,
We have a No more funny Business that’s rather quite Kinky, a None of your business jn which we look at a country that banned Christmas up until not too long ago, Name of Thrones will give you Another well known company and how it got its name, and our Hot Topic will look at Christmas traditions that are no longer in existence.
So sit back relax and listen, to all Money2Byrne has to offer.