HR BESTIES - HR Besties Happy Hour: Fur Bear-ter or For Worse

Episode Date: November 8, 2024

Welcome back to another Happy Hour, Besties! We’re sure as hell glad it’s Friday. In this Happy Hour: Which Bestie's prom date is in Congress? Ke$hella Jamie is going glamping (but not really) Friday Feel Goods Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you’re the first to know about our In-Person Meetings (events!) at https://www.hrbesties.com. Follow your Besties across the socials and check out our resumes here: https://www.hrbesties.com/about.  We look forward to seeing you in our next meeting - don’t worry, we’ll have a hard stop! Yours in Business + Bullsh*t,  Leigh, Jamie & Ashley Follow Bestie Leigh! https://www.tiktok.com/@hrmanifesto https://www.instagram.com/hrmanifesto https://www.hrmanifesto.com Follow Bestie Ashley! https://www.tiktok.com/@managermethod  https://www.instagram.com/managermethod https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/ https://managermethod.com Follow Bestie Jamie! https://www.millennialmisery.com/ Humorous Resources: Instagram • YouTube • Threads • Facebook • X Millennial Misery: Instagram • Threads • Facebook • X Horrendous HR: Instagram • Threads • Facebook Tune in to “HR Besties,” a business, work and management podcast hosted by Leigh Elena Henderson (HRManifesto), Ashley Herd (ManagerMethod) and Jamie Jackson (Humorous_Resources), where we navigate the labyrinth of corporate culture, from cringe corporate speak to toxic leadership. Whether you’re in Human Resources or not, corporate or small business, we offer sneak peeks into surviving work, hiring strategies, and making the employee experience better for all. Tune in for real talk on employee engagement, green flags in the workplace, and how to turn red flags into real change. Don't miss our chats about leadership, career coaching, and takes from work travel and watercooler gossip. Get new episodes every Wednesday and Friday, follow us on socials for the latest updates, and join us at our virtual happy hours to share your HR stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy Friday besties. We survived the week. Congrats. TGIF. I know. FFFF. Beep beep beep beep beep beep. No beeps. Real word. Anything happen this week? It's a pretty busy week here in the US. I'll tell you what. I

don't think we have to recap it for you. If you've seen any news or the internets, you probably know what's going on whether you're in the US or not. We won't dwell too heavily on that, right? I mean, I will say this. It is Friday. Like, I saw a meme that was Hamilton and someone was like, the meme was like, and we'll have them vote. We'll make it on a Tuesday during the workday. And I'm like, it is because it makes the last of the week. I woke up like, when I woke up Wednesday, I was like, oh, is it Friday? No, it's not. But today is Friday, finally. It is. And it's feel good Friday, right? So we

are going to have a good day. It is. We did, well, we did do one poll on election, election day. And we like to be a business and bullshit place and make it an all encompassing bullshit. But we did put one, the quiz that we put on the poll was which besties prom date got reelected to Congress. And it was split, right ladies? Between y'all? No, it was like you had a quarter of the vote. You're not one of those one, two candidates that people are like surprised to see the name on the ballot.

Like, I mean, if it was like NFL coach or something, I'd probably be like Jamie, right? Right. Lee, tell us all about your prom date. My prom date? It wasn't Lee's prom date. It was mine. I was like, wait, my prom date?

No. And then I was like, who was my prom date? Did I have a date? I can't even remember. No, my, I will say my prom date was Morgan Nagarvy from Louisville, Kentucky. We were just friends. So this was not I that's why I reference as prom date as as a point in time and not anything

else but but friends and he was the congressman and was reelected to Congress. So it's kind of wild when you're like growing up and all of a sudden people have like really like one of my friends from college is the lieutenant governor of Kentucky. She was younger than me. And I have to say, if you were going to have a person that would have seemed very put together in college, like she was Jacqueline Coleman. She was very, I don't think there's any behind the scenes footage. She was always the most sitcom character character, like had it together.

I saw Jacqueline Coleman when I spoke at my college in March and I was like, she was in the green room getting ready and I like bound in there to see her. I forgot there's like Kentucky Secret Service equivalent there so I was like, ah shit, this is real. But she was like, oh, it's all the same. But anyway, it's fun to see. So that answers, so we made it, we told everyone

we would answer that on the happy hour. So that's the quiz. So I did have a slight majority. But Lee, people thought that you would have dated a future politician. Prompt. Or prompt. Prompt someone.

I think I'm full of enough shit. You know what I mean? And my bullshit meter is really high. What do you mean? I don't like bullshitters. You know what I'm saying? So it'd be hard for me to date someone that was a politician probably, because I think that's part of the job. Well, I'd say this, I'd say this, is that Morgan is probably the

anti-Congressman. Like you can watch a video of him. He's like a very friendly, like he used to play guitar. Like he's a very funny person. He's not like the like, if you saw Election, that movie, like Tracy, he's not like the male Tracy-fledged equivalent. Like I don't think he had any, trying to think, I don't think he had any, like, high school office or things like that. It's one of those people that you're like, huh, they're running, like, that's interesting. But... Okay, okay. Yeah.

So no, I didn't know why he's, he's like a very genuine, he's now married, has three kids, his wife, his wife had worked at Young Brands as well. So you know, it's a very small world. Oh, wow. That is a small world. That is a small world. It is a small world. But anyway, I, you know, but it's fun to see people that like are, you know, doing real official shit. So, I know.

Like they have real jobs. Yeah, like people I went to college with, I used to hold their hair when they puked. Right. And now they're like maintaining employment with their health. Yeah, I'm like, how are you? And procreating, like, oh my God, like you made that. Isn't that weird?

Wow. Like people become real or like grow? Like it's so bizarre. Do you have any other celebrity famous friends you've grown up with, Ashley? If anyone does, it's you. You know, like it's you. You have this whole laundry list, you know. I don't know how you know everybody in the world, but you do. No, I think it's just, no, I think it's you. You know, like it's you. You have this whole laundry list, you know. I don't know how you know everybody in the world, but you do.

No, I think it's just, no, I think it's, I just like, I'm like, I'm nosy, I think. And so I like, I'm like curious about what, or maybe curious, I'll say is a better term for that. I will say like my, I was like laughing once with like my law school class is interesting. It wasn't, it wasn't big, but like of my law school class, one was on CNN, she was on Larry King Live for a fairly notable incident. Two people from my section were actually lawyers in Trump's White House. Two people from my little section of like 20 people. Oh, wow. That is a small world.

Yeah. But all sorts of fairly notable, interesting notable things by my group of law school girlfriends and I, we just kind of keep to ourselves and like observe. But yeah, so. Go to estate sales. You go to estate sales. Yeah, yeah, that is true. Previous estate sales. That is their scare tactics.

That's a good mindless TV scare tactics, which if you all haven't heard a couple of weeks ago, I was on it with my prank to my girlfriend, Megan, but it's a funny, like I've watched all of the new episodes since Jordan Peele's rebooted it. And like I laugh so hard. Like some of these ones are like the reactions are so good. Red One. We're coming at you. Is the movie event of the holiday season.

Santa Claus has been kidnapped. You're going to help us find him. You can't trust this guy. He's on the list. He's a naughty lister. Naughty lister? Dwayne Johnson. We got snowmen! Chris Evans. I might just go back to the car. Let's save Christmas. I'm not gonna say that. Say it. All right. Let's save Christmas. There it is. Only in theaters November 15th. What about y'all? Any famous fellow students? I don't know. Shit about fuck. Kesha went to my high school.

Whoa. I didn't graduate with her. She wasn't in school while I was, but she was with my husband and then my husband's graduating class. Yes, my husband and I went to the same high school. We did not know each other, obviously because I'm five years older than him. But yeah, so Kesha, that's kind of cool.

That is cool. So is her real name Kesha? Yeah. What about the dollar sign? I'm assuming that. I think when she went into the music industry. Obviously, because of where I grew up, there's a lot of country music stars and stuff too, but I don't even remember all of them.

Did she start in country? No, she didn't start in country, but I'm just saying like there was other people like Dolly Parton's niece, I went to school with her. And so every once in a while, like Dolly Parton would come in the carpool line with the aunt and pick up. Yeah, so that was kind of cool. Yeah, I mean, like Alan, I think Alan Jackson's kids, you know, I mean, it's Nashville. Like, there's, and half the time you just, you know, it's just like, whatever.

I think the Kesha thing's cool. I mean, like I said, I didn't obviously go to school with her. And you turned her real name to be like, Kesha-philis or something, like, Kesha, Keshele-a-lof. Like, it's like, have it and just have Kesha with the dollars, that'd be short. Oh, Kishrell. I'm going to have Kesha with the dollars. I'm going to have to... The nickname. Now you're going to chat GPT that? I am going to be.

Koshelopolis. Actually, Nicole Scherzinger from the Pussycat Dolls was a senior when I was a freshman in high school. Oh, that's cool. And she worked at Kentucky Kingdom, which is like the amusement park. And she would take around the costume characters. And we had to work it for like, you know, kind of like charity hours, whatever,

serving the like, you know, five year old hot dogs and hamburgers, you know, for like a fundraiser type thing. And I remember, but she stood out in high school. This is like, she wasn't a singer, you know, a famous singer, but she was in the performing arts program and all that. But I remember we thought she was so pretty. She was that person we would see and you'd be like obsessed with you.

When we were freshmen, we would see her and want to be near her and look at her, but wouldn't talk to her. She was that person. And so had the it factor. Well, you know why? Cause Amber is the color of her energy. Oh, y'all don't get that joke. Okay. No. I mean, I know that song from like 311. Yeah, that he wrote it about her. Oh, really? Okay.

That's a next level. See, you're learning stuff on this Friday. We're all learning. Amber is the color of your energy. Yeah, exactly. I didn't realize that's about her. Fun fact. Yeah, but she she does stand out and she's gorgeous. I didn't realize that's about her. Fun fact. Yeah, but she does stand out. She's gorgeous. I know.

She is absolutely gorgeous. She still has the skin of an 18-year-old or 17-year-old or whatever, still. I need to know her skincare regimen. Probably shit that she can afford and I can't. Right. She'll be like, let me show you. I'll be like, ooh, that's a lot of zeros. Yeah, like, oh!

Could I have the skin of like a 34 and a half year old? Like, how can we find some middle ground there? I'm like a dove girly. Like I'm so basic. Dove and Botox. The old DMB. What's your regimen? The old DMB.

Dove and Botox. I love that shit. So any Feel Good Friday shares? Jamie, don't you have something going on? Yes, I actually do have something going on this weekend. So it is my husband and I's anniversary on Saturday. And we are heading to Knoxville because University of Chesapeake, that's where I graduated, Go Valls, and we are going to the game.

So, yeah, so a couple weeks ago, we actually had three activities of different things we wanted to do, but we weren't sure, you know, what to do. One of them was like spend the night downtown Nashville, you know, and anyway, we did drawing out of a hat and this is what won. So it's actually homecoming. So the town is going to be popping. Of course, hotels were insane because this was pretty last minute. This is like, I mean, I think we planned this like a month ago. So all the hotels were pretty much sold out. And then the ones that we could find were like $1,200 for one night. We're just going for one night. And so my ass gets on VRBO, Virbo, and I find a tent.

It's called Glamnox. We are literally staying in a canvas tent in the woods, which is not very much like me. But it is kind of like, it doesn't have electricity, but it comes with propane for heaters and lanterns. And then there's like a community bathroom. So this should be interesting. I'm a little nervous, but it was only $100 a night. My husband's pumped. I'm pumped. I'm just worried about being cold because I hate being cold. Like that is, I can't function if I'm pumped. I'm just worried about being cold because I hate being cold.

I can't function if I'm cold. So this should be interesting. Oh damn. Also, I'm kind of worried about bears. That's not glam. This doesn't sound as glam. Oh my God. No, they lied. They should not put glam in the title because it's a lie. We're going to find it. We need the glam rating or-

I'm excited to see photos. Or not. Now I'm excited. Are you going to have cell service? I assume. Me too. The content. Put the content out there. Oh, for sure.

I will definitely. And even if I don't have cell service, I'll take a bunch of pictures and I'll post it later on the way home. But yeah, I'm a little worried about like, where do I charge my phone? How do I charge my phone? Yeah, just bring those backup batteries. So it's like dumb stuff like that that I'm like worried about. It's good to have an adventure.

Like that. You know what I mean?'s good to have an adventure. Yeah. Like that. You know what I mean? Yeah. You can keep each other warm and... Yes, for sure. I'm really looking forward to it. I mean, obviously, like, especially going to the game and no kids.

What? Yeah, that is fun. The camping part a little bit freaks me out. Like this morning I asked my husband, I'm like, can I bring snacks or where the bears smell them? You hang them, no, no, no, no, just bring, go on, well, shoot, it's probably too late. Get a bear box? You can go on Amazon, I don't know, you can make it yourself.

Oh. Yeah, you hang it from a tree, you hang it from a tree, you know, you hang it from a tree and so then they can't get to it or maybe they'll stand under it and swat at it. So like, because I was like, I don't want to leave it in my car and then then bust up in the car. You've seen those videos. See, I would have said the car.

Yeah, like you they actually can break into cars. So that terrifies me. Should you leave it unlocked? So they don't like... No, like they'll break the window and stuff just to get into if they smell it. So I'm like, I guess we just bring water. Like, I don't know. What was I thinking?

I don't know. I just wasn't going to pay $1,200 for a room. There's a price. There's absolutely that limit that you hear that you're like, I'm not going to do that. I'm going to do another plan. Yeah. So this should be interesting. So I'll make sure that I post things on our HR Besties

stories on Saturday. They should call that camping place For Better or For Worse. You know what I mean? Well, literally going on our anniversary too. For Bearter or For Worse. Oh my God, fur. Fur. That is so good. People will be like, what is this? And hopefully I come back in one piece.

Oh damn. I feel like you will have a story. Yeah. I'm excited. Not a bad one, but like, I mean, it's going to be adventurous. Oh, there'll definitely be something funny. Yeah. You know what I mean?

Yeah. There'll be something. There'll be something wild. But, you know, I also went to a very large state school, Texas A&M. We had a rough Saturday just for the record. I don't want to talk about it. Last Saturday sucked. But when you go to a massive school like that, that is obsessed with football, Tennessee, Knoxville, College Station, all those college towns, like Jamie's not kidding, those hotel rooms, they're sold out like a year.

Like once the schedule comes out, I mean, they're all sold out. And then the way they hike the prices, like for these small ass towns, almost said shitholes, but I meant that in a loving way, you know, it's just these small university towns, a hotel should be a hundred bucks, right? Not, I mean, it is just the gouging, right?

The price gouging like on game day weekends. Oh my God, like it's a nightmare, you know? So I don't know what the population of Knoxville typically is. It's pretty big. It's actually really, really, Knoxville's huge. I went there for a work meeting once. So, and I used to

only travel to places that had corporate headquarters. And I can't remember. Maybe it was like a tractor supply, Jamie. Was that where the headquarters in Burrwood, Tennessee? Oh, they're in Burrwood. OK, so not that. But anyway, I did travel there. So they definitely they have like a little corporate. But I remember driving by the stadium and I was like, oh my God, it's like Alice in Wonderland. Like it's as if someone, the University of Tennessee Stadium is like literally as if someone were like, let's have a stadium. Let's like throw some magic beans on it. And like, Oh my God. It's like, I mean, it's like, it's like nothing you've ever, you've ever seen. Like Georgia isn't as big, Kentucky certainly is, is not

that big. Like it's, it's a, it's a scene. Everybody's. Everybody's piled all in there in their orange. Yeah, ours is bigger than NFL. I mean, that's what's crazy. It's these SEC schools. I think we're 110,000. Yeah, Neelink Stadium used to be one of the largest stadiums, college stadiums. I'm trying to find the population, but it's confusing because I'm getting different answers as I'm scrolling. That's how college towns are though. That was going to be my point.

In the summer, it's half. You add the students. I mean, A&M's got 90,000 students or something crazy. Yeah. It says it's roughly 800,000, but that seems low to me. But now also those cities always like incorporate the counties around them because they're trying to like be like, we have so many people and I don't know if that counts for anything. I worked as a census worker back in 2000.

What? Yeah, for the census at my college. You have like the craziest. Done every job. Stories. Yeah, I love that. Well, that's what happens when what happens when my parents who I love and listen to the podcast, but they, as I will do to my children, sent me on to college and were like, good luck. Figured out.

Yeah, figured out. And so I was an RA so I could pay for my cell phone, get my room. I worked at a, I worked, but my college was a dry county, so there wasn't alcohol. So it wasn't, you didn't make as much as a server. So I worked as a census worker. But my college only had like 1200, literally at that time, 1200 people in it. So it was just a completely, it was a different scene. So it was always very overwhelming to me to go to these larger, larger schools.

Because that's a high school. I mean, it's very small. That was like my high school, yeah. It was smaller than my high school. No Nicole Scherzinger walking around with the furries at my college. No, there was just a few of us walking around Danville, Kentucky, strutting our stuff around the one block, beautiful campus of Center College. What's crazy on game days, it'll double the population.

It is freaky and the towns can't handle it. Like they don't have enough restaurants, hotels, everything's wild, which pushes people to stay at forbearter or for worse. What does possible sound like for your business? It's the ability to reach further with access to over 1,400 lounges worldwide. Redefine possible with Business Platinum. That's the powerful backing of American Express. Terms and conditions apply. Visit amex.ca slash business platinum. What are you doing, Lee? What you got going on? What's your real good Friday?

I finally rebooked that Mexico City trip. Oh my God, you did. Yes. Yay. Yes, I did yesterday. And so my best friend, other best friends, not HR besties. He's a better friend. We're the best friends. He's a better friend.

There you go. But we finally got that bitch rescheduled. So now that's like my birthday weekend sort of thing. That's not my birthday weekend, but it's like a birthday. I literally thought you were about to say you were going this week. And I was like, which I also would not would not be beyond the pale for Lee to be like, I am going to Mexico City this weekend. But okay.

Yeah, kind of like she was like, I'm going to Iceland. Wait, what? San Diego. Oh, San Diego. Oops, my bad. Yes. No, but finally. And so if you're in Mexico City, like shout out, you know what I mean?

So I've done the itinerary because I've had it a couple years. I've been trying to go for a while, like all the taco tour bullshit. That's so fun. I love all of that. Oh yeah. So I've just got all the tours, the whole laundry list of things. All the vibrant colors. Cannot wait for those pictures. And it's Christmas time.

It's the holidays, right? And so it's really going to be vibrant, and just all the nativity things, the markets, all that crap. Oh, that's fun. I know. I'm super excited. So finally, light crossing fingers. Hope that works out there.

Yeah, right. Hope the weather cooperates. Which, again, like crossing fingers, hope that works out there. Yeah, right. Hope the weather cooperates. Which, again, over 40, by top of mind. Do you have enough stuff to pack? Have you started packing? Do you have a good suitcase? Exactly.

How's the weather going to cooperate? Let's get on the interesting topic. It's like, oh, we need the rain. Smell. Yeah, so that's my feel good. I finally got that bitch rebooked. Love that. So I'm super excited.

Super excited. My other feel good is that we've been lots of people reaching out on conferences and speaking next year and all of that. So I think next year, hopefully, it looks pretty busy, which is nice. So holler if you're on a conference committee holler holler, you need a corporate speaker, we got you. But that should be good. And then we have our schedule for next year. Oh, yeah, I'll publish our holiday schedule. We have an official, like a good organization, we preach clear communication, we have a holiday

schedule we will put out. So I'm excited about that. I just feel like we have our shit together and we'll continue H.R. besties. That's the other feel good Friday note. You know? Sad we're done. I know. Yeah, no. So it's all good. So I'm excited about those things. Ashley, what about you? Anything good, exciting? Well, you know, because you inspired me, Jamie, I also have a VRBO trip in Tennessee this weekend, but it is in Chattanooga. Actually, as we record this, not at the happy hour, but likely will be coming in afterwards, is Mama Manager Method, who's here for Grandparents Day at my kid's school.

So she's in town for the weekend. And so like a good daughter, I'm going to go out of town for a night with a couple girlfriends. We're going to Chattanooga to go see Becky Robinson, better known to some as Entitled Housewife. So she does the videos where like she's a comedian and she's really funny. And it's, if you see her like as Entitled Housewife,

she plays this character that's like, I don't know, late forties-ish, you know, with a fictitious husband and kids. Her stories are very funny. But as a comedian, she's like 30, 31. Like she very much looks like a different person. But she's super funny. And so we're going to see her and we have a meet and greet.

Like we bought the meet and greet tickets. Like this is not like a slide into the episode. No and greet. We bought the meet and greet tickets. This is not like a slide into the episode. No, we bought the meet and greet tickets. We all have costumes that we bought because you dress in costumes to go to it, like a big visor and a skort and things. I'm going with my two girlfriends. I can't wait to see photos. Those are going to be good.

Yes. Good, good photos. I love. So, that is like my palate cleanser of life after this week. You have to send me her like online. I need to look her up. You know, I've never heard of her, which doesn't mean much because I don't know anybody. She's very funny. You will very much.

Entitled housewife. She also plays like that she's into golf. So, some of her stuff is golf content. So you can see why I'd be especially into her, but she's funny. She like yells at this mock husband like Scott. And she has fictitious kids named Dashiell and Maccabee. And based on the comments, like it goes back and forth

whether Maccabee is a boy or a girl. And people are like, wait, I thought like it's, but she's super funny. She's based, she's actually, I think based out of like LA or San Diego. So maybe you'll see her the next time you're going but she's super funny. She's based, she's actually I think based out of like LA or San Diego. So maybe you'll see her the next time you're going to Mexico City and on an unintentional or Iceland. Exactly. The flight west. But anyway, so we're going on a girl, have a girls trip mixed with comedy, all the things. So yeah, we'll pop her on our

HR besties Instagram if you're not familiar, but she's pretty funny. And she tours around. Like she's like a full-time comedian now? Yeah, so she'd been on like, Mad TV, like, kind of stuff like that. Like, those, and she does sketch. And so she's, like, she's super funny, but this character has like, totally taken off. And so she'll go, but she'll go and show up, and like, literally people wear like,

the golf outfits and the visor, these like, crazy outfits. So I bought a little bit of merch on her site, so I'm throwing some of that in. I got some earrings with her face on them. Oh, I love that. Yeah, I got them on Etsy. And you can see like, like my kid, like I order I do, I order a lot of earrings now on Etsy. And like, again, when packages come, like, you know, my kids are like, what is the what, what, what could this possibly be? And they're like, what's that? I'm like, it's a dumpster fire. Like it's a dumpster fire earrings.

Like something on there like, okay, like why would you wear that? Like, why not? So, you know, embrace your why not face. Yeah, no, like I got gummy worm earrings and they came this week. And same thing, my son, Jones, my oldest was like, what, can I eat them?

I'm like, they're not real. Probably real expensive, that right there, real expensive. Don't leave those out in the kitchen. I'm like, they're not real. But I think on that, if anybody needs a palate cleanser, just think of something that brings you peace, that brings you joy. And if other people in your life ask why, flip it back. Why the F not? So if it's why not Friday?

Why not Friday? I like that. Why the fuck not Friday? Oh yes. Why not weekend? Maybe that's a better alliteration. Why not weekend, everybody? Why not weekend. Choose joy. Why not weekend, everybody. Choose joy.