No Opt-Out

About No Opt-Out

Two fast friends explore living in harmony with tech, one transatlantic phone call at a time. With a touch of nostalgia, Conrad and Verena blend the old and new, using analogue forms of communication to highlight how technology can enhance relationships and encourage connection. The pair also regularly writes handwritten notes (https://nooptout.substack.com/) to each other, a nod to the pen pal culture of their youth. Join them as they search for harmony with tech in a no opt-out world, providing listeners with a soft place to land as technology weaves its way into more and more facets of modern life. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Verena (https://open.substack.com/users/475325-verena?utm_source=mentions) is an educator from Las Vegas, USA. She is techno-curious and deeply mindful of the impact of emerging tech on education, creativity, and the power of fun. Conrad (https://open.substack.com/users/106946956-conrad?utm_source=mentions) is a content marketing manager and creative entrepreneur from George, South Africa. He has long experimented with balancing tech use to enhance creativity and sustain good mental health. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Contact: verena.tcg@gmail.com and/or conrad.tcg@gmail.com Cover illustration by Brazilian artist Régis Monteiro (https://www.instagram.com/regismonteirorm/) Music by Dvir Silver (https://pixabay.com/users/sonican-38947841/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=music&utm_content=265099) courtesy of Pixabay Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Publisher

Conrad Schwellnus & Verena Bryan

Category

education · society & culture · technology

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

17 May 2024

Latest episode

17 Oct 2025

Latest episodes

32 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   17 Oct 2025

   S04E08: This Bot “Cares” About You

   Season finale time! For the first time, Verena gets Conrad’s answering machine, and her response sets the tone for an episode full of banter and laughter. A Pinterest email claiming to “care” about Verena’s mental health sparks a discussion about what triggers automatic messages from apps and where algorithms overstep their boundaries. Therapy enters the chat, AI actress Tilly Norwood gets a mention, and the pair say “ciao ciao” for now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

2. 

   17 Oct 2025

   S04E07: A Concierge for Peace of Mind

   Conrad and Verena reconnect as Verena surprises him with news that his Berlin postcard has finally reached Las Vegas, well ahead of Christmas this year. They talk about Verena’s whirlwind New York trip across four states and her cousin’s no-tech adventure in the Andes. The discussion shifts to ageing with technology, sparking the idea of a “peace of mind” concierge service. Somewhere in there are dinosaur eggs and a definition for the latest fad, ambient AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

3. 

   17 Oct 2025

   S04E06: We All Have Creative Bones

   Creatives, pay attention. Conrad and Verena open this one in German before detouring into whether Verena is Conrad’s “favourite American” (spoiler alert: Gaga is). The chat turns to creativity and the widespread myth of not having “a creative bone in my body.” The dish : showing interest in others’ creative work matters, as does honest feedback and shared accountability. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

54

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.