Our take on “Can’t Let It Go” is back this week. Nothing on Kamala Harris or how the presidential race has been turned upside down nearly 100 days before the election. Nothing on the Veepstakes. Here are a few stories we Can’t Let Go this week:

When to Take a Political Stand

Jason: Businesses are feeling pressure from all sides on political issues. GenZ and Millennial employees want their employers to get involved. Shareholders want businesses to stay out. The long-standing advice for many businesses was the play both sides. So an analysis in the Wall Street Journal about how businesses often get it wrong spoke to me this week.

The researchers – from Simon Fraser University and the University of Virginia – found that if you are ambivalent, it is damaging. You can make your own conclusions about what to do, but the new direction from Harvard University seems to be solid: Only comment on issues that directly impact your business. (This was also an fascinating discussion during one of my recent Gies MBA management classes this spring.)

I’ll write more about this issue in the future, since it was a major topic I spoke to business leaders about when I was at the Greenville Chamber and Upstate Chamber Coalition.

The Magic of the Minor Leagues

Nikki: The magic of the minor leagues isn’t a secret to sports fans across South Carolina. The Upstate alone features the Greenville Drive (High A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox), the Greenville Triumph (USL League One), the Greenville Swamp Rabbits (AA affiliate of the LA Kings) and soon the Hub City Spartanburgers (an affiliate of the Texas Rangers). When the Wall Street Journal posted their second article in the span of a few months on Minor League Baseball, I was intrigued.

While Americans continue to fight rising inflation costs, many are still spending plenty of money on travel and experiences (paging Taylor Swift fans), and Minor League Baseball is taking full advantage of that fact, offering a lower-cost, local option for fans to enjoy a high quality experience. The WSJ does a deep dive on the cost comparisons between major and minor league stadium offerings, with major league stadium pricing coming in at upwards of $20,000. Meanwhile, a luxury suite at the Greenville Drive costs just $800 for 24 people.

Combine the price with the genuine FUN of minor league baseball, and you’ve got a winning combination for a night out with friends, or a business outing with clients.