The Spiciest Pitch in OpenFortune History

Author

Carlo Palomino
January 09, 2026

Welcome to The Friday Fortune! We’re officially in that very specific part of January where the gym is still crowded, inboxes are mysteriously fuller than they were in December, and everyone is pretending this is the year they’ll finally stick to their resolutions.

The holiday haze is gone, the calendar is filling up fast, and marketing teams everywhere are shifting from “big ideas” to “okay, but how do we actually make this happen”

That’s where we come in.

Each week, we spotlight the people and ideas pushing the industry forward. Usually the ones willing to take a risk, break a pattern, or make themselves a little uncomfortable in the name of something memorable.

And this week, we leaned all the way into that discomfort…

Ever heard of the Bhut Jolokia pepper?

It’s one of the hottest peppers in the world, clocking in at over 1,000,000 Scoville units.

Naturally, you may be thinking, “What does that have to do with marketing and fortune cookies?”

Enter Jack Westerkamp and Geno Schellenberger of Breaking and Entering Media, two of the sharpest, funniest, and most unapologetically unhinged (in the best way) voices covering the advertising industry right now.

If you’ve spent any time in ad-land online, you’ve probably seen them. Dry humor, perfectly timed discomfort, and a willingness to do things most “media brands” would never sign off on.

Which is exactly why we love them and knew that we had to find a way to work together.

So instead of a polished deck or a buttoned-up explainer, we asked Breaking and Entering Media to do something far more on-brand: eat one of the hottest peppers in the world while pitching OpenFortune. Please enjoy.

At OpenFortune, we’re drawn to people who go against the norm. The ones who zig when everyone else zags. The ones who look at a very reasonable, very safe idea… and then say, “What if we did something way more interesting?”

Because attention is earned, not requested. And in a world full of polished decks, templated talking points, and brand-safe sameness, the things people actually remember tend to be a little uncomfortable, a little risky, and a lot more human.

If you agree, let’s talk.

Crack open a handful of the week’s best marketing links—because good fortune favors the curious.

That’s a wrap for this week’s Friday fortune.

If you enjoyed the read, pass it along to your favorite marketer who could use a little extra inspo in their inbox.

Until next time, may your marketing be memorable and your cookies always be fortunate!

— The OpenFortune team