HR BESTIES - HR Besties Happy Hour – Gargoyles in the Workplace

Episode Date: March 22, 2024

Welcome back to another Happy Hour, Besties! We’re sure as hell glad it’s Friday. In this Happy Hour: Kentucky Derbies The Upcoming Besties meet and greet in San Antonio Sharing listener stories We love feedback (but not on our personal appearances!) 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TGIFF besties. Yay, we survived another week, ladies. Cheers. Cheers. We made it. I know. And click, click. Exactly. Cheers. Cheers. I want to hear cha-ching because it's a payday for me. Oh, good. Oh, that is a good Friday. Exactly.

Very, very good Friday there. But following up from last week, Ashley had her birthday, right? So she had a very, very busy birthday weekend. But I know that we had asked our listeners, like please go give Ashley some love on the internet and the socials and the reviews and all of the things. Give Ashley her flowers that she so deserves. And you all did.

Thank you so much. We got some cute reviews, right, Ashley? Did you feel love? I did. Oh my God. We got like seven or eight. It was like popped up of like written reviews and got some happy birthday, Ashley's, which I appreciate.

But we did. When you read those things, especially when your team of one are starting your business, you never know what you're going to hear. But in the podcast, we love hearing that and we relate to each other. Hopefully that carries through. And so when we hear it from y'all and you don't feel as alone, that is the number one goal of us at the HR Besties. You can always come sit at our table and leave a review while you're at it. Exactly. Exactly. Are you recovering from your birthday? Did

you have a good time? I did. I actually went to a wedding on my birthday and it was not mine. Not my wedding. But no, it was wonderful. I went to a friend's mother got remarried and it was so beautiful It was a wonderful ceremony and she married a Navy veteran. So all of his Navy buddies were there. She was a nurse She'd been a single mom's all of her nursing women were back there. Like we were on the dance floor dancing it up I became besties. So my Sarasota nursing nursing girls Honestly, it was a really wonderful time. So thank you all and I got some lovely messages from the besties. So thanks ladies See, that's cool that they threw you a big party for your birthday Lobster and Dan was delighted. He's like, I don't have to pay

And it was it was really nice. So maybe it wasn't so bad going to a wedding on your birthday. No, not at all. I love events. It was a good time and it was all good. I don't get invited to anything anymore. No one's having anything in my life. We need to just throw a besties bash or something.

Any reason to dress up and party. Like I'm there. I'm 40. I know. Normally I have a huge Kentucky Derby party every year, but I know I'm not doing it this year because my husband's going to be out of town on a golf trip. First thing was like, Ashley, don't try to throw this on your own. So I might.

So I probably say that. Ladies, come over for Saturday and may I come to Atlanta. Wear the big hats. Yeah, exactly. That's what the culture is, right? It's like mint, juleps and hats or no? Is that the wrong thing? Oh yeah.

No, no, no, no. It is. It is absolutely. It is the hats for men and women. It is like the flamboyant. It is the mint, juleps, the roses. We would go to Kroger. I take the kids.

We lived back in the Louisville when my kids were little. And we would go and go to the Kroger, where they're making the rose. You can see them make the rose. Oh, wow. Run for the roses. Yeah, it's really fun. And the Kentucky Oaks is the day before the Derby,

which is the number two most attended horse race in the world. And I know we have besties that are fans at Churchill Downs, um, which so that's true to my heart and HR team there. So, uh, yeah, there is no better place than Louisville, Kentucky in the two weeks before Derby. It is like the most, so much fun. Always wanted to go.

Always. It's alive, right? Like all it's buzzing the parties and all of that. Yeah. You hear like when you talk about with San Antonio and how it comes alive for Fiesta, it is Derby time in Louisville is the bomb. It is so much fun. Oh, well, speaking of San Antonio,

y'all are coming in very, very soon. I think a couple of weeks. So excited. They're gonna be recording live. We'll do of course a meet and greet with our besties and that'll be fun. We can't wait. Jamie's already packed. And I feel like Jamie, if you're writing a resume, put all the boring stuff on there. Put something like if Jamie were writing her resume, which she's

not, but just right at the top, I pack two and a half weeks before a trip. And honestly, in HR, that's like the perfect... Say no more. That's Jamie. But honestly, it's like, I'm so excited to come to San Antonio, but it's good for my mental health if I start packing early because it's like a countdown for me and I'm thinking out about outfits and not having to wash clothes at the last minute. So I'm very type A and way too organized. No, no such thing. Well, I can't wait to have y'all and show off the city.

It will be buzzing because you're coming the first weekend of April. And that's just a couple of weeks before Fiesta, which is our big 10-day festival across town with hundreds of events. It's so much fun. So everything will be kind of a buzz. So that'll be fun. We'll get into some hundreds of events. It's so much fun. So everything will be kind of a buzz, you know. So that'll be fun. We'll get into some sort of trouble.

And you know, a bestie DM'd us and said that it's going to be wild there that weekend because of the eclipse. And I was like, wait, what? So I had to Google, but apparently the path of totality will be crossing San Antonio on that Monday. So we'll actually be gone by then. But apparently there's a lot, like hoards of people coming into town, like hotels are sold out so they can be there Monday for the eclipse, which I think is insanely awesome. Nashville got one back in 2017, yes, because Johnny was a baby. My youngest was a baby. I remember going outside and like shielding his eyes with the other one.

Jamie would be shielding her child's eyes while staring directly into the sun for herself. Exactly. Yes. Self-sacrifice. Describing what she sees. It's getting dark. But no, I think we're at 99.6% or something like that. Totality. So that's why I didn't even realize like people were coming down here.

You know what I mean? Path of Totality sounds like a video game I probably play. I know, right? It sounds like really rugged or suffering. I'm a bit of a gamer just with my son. I just play WWE. I like to play it. Oh, man.

But speaking of events, and I think I mentioned this to y'all just over text, but I would love to throw my own wake, like my own celebration of life. Because when I die, I'm not going to be able to be there to enjoy all the bullshit people are going to say about me. And I just want to be able to be there to enjoy all the bullshit people are going to say about me.

And I just want to be able to check them a little bit on it. Like those memes. Like a two-way mirror. Like how they talk about, she was the joy of whatever. No, I wasn't. Yeah. Do not say that I light up a room when I walk in because I do not. Thank you.

Like on my murder documentary, no one be saying that. She's probably got it coming. You know, she can be a little snarky. We use a good voice for a murder documentary. Anything else? I would totally, totally. I'd watch that. I agree. I make it think about killing. Well, it's a good reminder. It's a good reminder. And this week earlier in the week was world happiness day. And so if you missed that for some reason, we should not limit that to one day, every day can be World Happiness Day. So just a reminder to let those around you

know what you love about them, and especially Lee and Jamie. I'll tell you guys. Oh, well, look at that. Well, I would invite you to my celebration of life when I have it. I come. I'm glad you say that. We would be there regardless, whether invited or not.

Wouldn't that be fun to sell though? Because I still want to look hot. Like, I want to be hot at my funeral. This is what I'm excited about, is going to San Antonio. And obviously, like Lee's plan of coming to San Antonio is to show us her city, show us the culture, record, meet besties. I cannot wait to go creep in Lee's closet in her bathroom around her house. When you get to see the real... Oh, I didn't know y'all were coming over.

Well, you'll find out when we show up. I know. I guess you all are. We'll show up. We'll figure it out. We just need to run in and see something. Just to get the peek behind. I can't wait. Oh, yeah. But me, I'm like, we want matching jammies and Lee's flanking out. Like we are not doing matching jammies. Yes, Lee's, Lee's. I will do it. I will do it for you all. But like I put on the record, you know, I'm my introverted only child self is, you know, just had a little cringe, you know, I've never had a matching pajama with anybody. So this is a first.

You have it with your bestie Mike that you brought up on Wednesday's episode. So you and Mike haven't had, don't have matching jammies. So that's a good thing for us as besties. And I'm still laughing about in our Instagram stories early in the week. So definitely follow us on Instagram, if you'll don't, at hrbestiespod.

We did a story that was a poll of who do you think, which bestie do you think was in a sorority? Oh my God. And Lee had like the most votes. I mean, y'all need to listen to the podcast more. I know. I do not know why. State school Lee without, I'm trying to imagine you clapping and woo woo.

But I would love to view it. Like I respect it. Cause you know, I love people. I'm so fascinated, interested. I would go through Rush as a reporter. Does that make sense? I want to experience it from the sidelines. I want to witness it.

Well, it's hard to have anything to do with it. Parts of Rush, like the last night of Rush, someone will turn to you one on one. It's called Pref. And they will talk to you about their support and try to gauge what you're going to do. It's like a sales. It's really Rush.

It's like a shakedown. It's a shakedown, for sure. Those people, those sorority sisters, would absolutely be good investigators. And I wasn't a sorority. I went to Center College, Danville, Kentucky. I talk about this. It is not a state school.

The Greek life there is not like Bama Rush. I wore old Navy jeans and my Arabist bell sweater, literally, out to the fraternity parties. And so don't get any ideas about me and Bama Rush. But the whole process, we'll talk about that over a happy hour sometime. You know, I had someone in my Diovese, maybe it was last week, earlier this week, I don't know, I lose track of time. But she respected my, she goes, she said something like, I love any time you make a state school joke, because you know, sometimes it can be a little naughty, right?

And I'll make some sort of ridiculous statement. It's like, sorry, I went to a state school. You know, she's like, I love that as a state schooler. That always makes me laugh when you say something like obscene. And then you say, went to a state schooler. That always makes me laugh when you say something like obscene. And then you say, went to a state school. And besties boy, do we love how you reach out to us in all the ways, email, DMs, comments, right? And we are so committed to sharing some of those with you all, because gosh, you tickle us, you know, I'm either crying, laughing, shit in my pants, laughing, you name it. So awesome, awesome.

Reach out from you. And Ashley, I think you have a fun email you wanted to share from a bestie. I did. And you can go to hrbesties.com to the contact page and anonymously submit stories like this one listener did. And so this story comes from a mostly blue collar environment, because we know that those workplace situations can happen in any type of environment. So there was a particular employee who did not know boundaries. And what I mean is his idea of fun was to sneak

into the male bathrooms at work, stripped naked, crouch on top of the toilet bowl with the door unlocked, and then wait for the next poor man to open the door and jump out and yell, surprise. So that lasted enough for it to happen. But apparently he did not. He did not last long after that. But it made such an impression that one of our besties sent that sent that in and let us know the stuff that can happen at work. See, and I dubbed that gargoyling. Gargoyling.

Yeah, she gargoyled you. I love how the person really thought like, this is normal. This is just funny. Sitting on their machine or sitting on their shift and kind of thinking in there and giggling to themselves, what's so funny? No, no, nothing, nothing. I'll just be right back. kind of thinking in there and giggling to themselves. What's so funny? No, no, nothing, nothing. I'll just, I'll be right back.

Yeah, yeah, just waiting. I would love to know like how long he waited. Like what's your longest time you ever was gargoyling until someone showed up? Well, that's right. Cause he, he, people must, men must have been coming in and be like, shoot, they're going to the urinal. Dang it, it's fine.

I'll just, I'll just wait. I'll wait. Yeah. Oh my, oh yeah. On the quads, my God. 20 minutes in the gargoyle position. It's a good one. So we love to hear those type of stories.

Yeah. I mean, that's a workout. And it made it sound like what she said that he'd done it a couple of times. Keeps them coming. Like how many times does an employee have to gargoyle to get fired? Oh, yeah. Twice? Really?

I would think twice. Yeah. It depends on what stage they're at, right? Well, according to their progressive discipline plan, the answer was three. Is that not assault? I know, right? I mean, that's kind of, I mean, you're naked and it goes, raaah. Yeah, exactly. What stage is this? What is this? Is this insubordination? Is this nudity in the office?

No, fuck no. Why would I be naked sitting on a toilet? I mean, could you imagine though, like it reversed? Like, imagine a woman like you going to pee because of course it's, you know, like we pee sitting. Like, we're just like, yeah, just like naked woman. I've had that guy. I'm actually, I'm actually surprised he didn't go. I'm glad this guy didn't go into the women's restroom and think that that would be a funny thing. Yeah. Well, bravo to gargoyle man for that.

He had some moderate level of judgment, but I'd love to know how many workplaces he tried that at. Yeah, yikes. Oh, gosh. I mean, I don't know about y'all, but there's always a lot of things happening in the bathrooms, especially on the second shift. My gosh, those ones take some trigger warnings. But people love to play with their shit. That's the ultimate kind of stick it to the man move is people smearing poo and doing the weirdest stuff.

I had a sink shitter back in the day. Someone would literally gargoyle up on the sink and take a big dump. It's so freaking cruel to the janitorial staffs. I've dealt with the shower shitter because we had locker rooms. We had a shower shitter, a serial shower shitter. But same thing. It's like, does the warm water in your body make you like TJ Maxx? Like you need to go shit right now? Two things. One is I had a friend once that told me, if you're ever at the mall, which maybe you don't go to the mall that much anymore, but at the mall, always pick like the nicest

place to go to the bathroom. I go to the nice, like the Neiman Marcus, where like, I generally wouldn't be stepping foot. I'm more of an old Navy person, but go, always go to the nice department store to go to the bathroom. That stuck with me. But two is, I did a video about something, I don't know how it came. It was like talking about a woman. Oh, I always think about this one that didn't wash. She wouldn't wash her hands after going to the bathroom. And I worked with her and it just stuck with me. And someone in the comments was like, so someone, you see someone not wash their hands and you

make judgments about their personal hygiene. Yes, I absolutely do. Even when you see the signs of like, make, you know, like restaurants that have to have that for food service, like you need to wash your hands. Like I just, I don't understand it. Like I sat there and wash my hands like pandemic. Fantastic. That at least gave me a guideline, but I've been washing my hands for two minutes for years. And so I had that. I was like, I was like, ma'am or sir, you really want to make your steak by going in public comments on a TikTok video to try to justify not

washing your hands? Oh, gosh, boy, do they ever. Boy, do they ever. But I've got I've got an email that I received that I'd like to share with you all. To me, I think it's unique. You know, I get a lot of emails and comments and feedback we all do, right? Mostly positive and very interesting. Like I know someone's having wet dreams about me now. So thanks for sharing that in the public comments. Thank you for not sending those to me.

I know, right? Right. And you're gonna keep me in them dreams, let me tell you. But, you know, just very interesting people be people. But I did get one that I just wanted to share because it was just kind of, you know, it was just unique and different. But the subject which baited me in, again, this is an email, it says, a note of appreciation and a personal request for Lea Elena Henderson.

So he used my birth name. And that's really intimate when someone calls me Lea Elena. That's like, you know, what my family does and loved ones and all of that. So it just kind of took me back a little bit. But he says, hi, Lea Elena. You doubled down. I hope you're doing well. I just had to drop you a quick note to express my genuine admiration for your hilarious videos.

Your recent one had me laughing so hard, especially with your witty take on corporate life. I'm like, where is this going? Oh my God, I'm clenching my asshole at this point. It's a compliment sandwich. She's about to take a big old bite. Your ability to tackle serious topics with humor is truly commendable. And while I'm no makeup guru, I couldn't help but notice a small detail in your latest video. The foundation shade on your forehead seems slightly off

compared to the rest of your face. Please understand, I really mean no disrespect, and it's not my place to talk about this. Self-awareness. OK. So, yeah. Hello. But why did you write the email, sir? But as someone who genuinely appreciates your work and finds your videos incredibly funny and uplifting, I felt compelled to mention it. Did you?

No. And then this is the funniest line, and really why I wanted to share it. Yeah, please don't block me, as I want to learn Excel. And I really respect your work, so that's why I'm writing you in private. Thank you for being so funny and brightening my days, Leah Laina. Your videos never fail to put a smile on my face. Warm regards. Warm regards. Blue skies. First off, what the fuck? Yeah.

Okay. So can we just start with that? A bitch can't over blush one day or what? But here, I just want to give the insight though, because I do get a lot of comments on my physical appearance. It does change, right? It changes over time due to lighting. And the fact that I'm a Hispanic woman living in San Antonio, and sometimes I go outside, this bitch tans. All right?

And so like shit changes here. I legit had a sunburn because I had done a half marathon the day before I recorded this video. Humble brag. Humble brag. Well, oh God, it took me like five hours. No, just brag. Just kidding.

No, it was, man, I'm like a turtle in molasses, but at least I'm out there, right? But why can't I just over blush one day? You know what I mean? And then, you know, the lighting changes. And, you know, it changes, you know, I mean? And you know, the lighting changes. And you know, it changes, you know, I mean, I do my best. Okay, shit. Well, I laughed because Lee then sent us this clip and was like, do you notice like you notice anything? You look great. Always. Yeah. It's very like, I'm no makeup artist. I felt

compelled. I couldn't I could not stop myself. Like just, ooh, that is, that is really something. And don't get me wrong, I'm not mad. I'm not like, oh, I'm offended. It's just funny. But it's like, I am. No, because yeah, but it wasn't even the thing. Like it was barely like red on my forehead. Like it was just, oh, you know, I'm like, it's so fucking subtle, dude. Like, how did you even like recognize that? that? I mean, that's what I'm thinking. Yeah. He was going real scanning. Yeah.

He's really scanning. What bothers me the most is that man took the time to find where to reach you and then typed up this email that's three paragraphs long to tell you that. Did he write? ChatGBT, I want to tell Lee. I want to tell Lee this. But the best part is, Lee fucking hates Xcel. to tell you that. Did he write like chat GBT, I want to tell Lee, I want to tell Lee this, but how, I mean that it's, but the best part is, you know,

Lee fucking hates Excel. Like she's actually learning it. Cause we do, we do, we become friends with Ms. Excel, Kat Norton, she's a legit bestie. She's, she's been on the podcast and we like her. And Lee, even Lee has said, I actually learned stuff. Lee has learned Excel stuff. She likes to show off her little tricks to us.

Jamie is an Excel guru, but the funny thing is like, please don't block me on Excel. Like, I mean, oh, I'm the gatekeeper of Excel. Oh my gosh. Like Lee is the only door to learn Excel. Motherfucker please. So funny. It was so funny. One thing about Jamie, and yes, I'm referring to myself as a third person. Oh, I know what you're going to say. Is I'm a ride or die bitch. Big time. So if you're a friend of mine, I am loyal for life and I will literally get into your comments and fight for you.

Now my own, not so much. And so I was like, Lee, give me this man's email. Because I'm going to go. No, Jamie's insane. Jamie goes and she goes hard. Jamie has multiple accounts. She will be hitting them from all sides. Jamie is like literally that person. If you heard Wednesday's episode, she's the wing woman, the escort wing woman who will be your wife or girlfriend, as she said. And her hooker boat. Professionally. Yeah, of course. But Jamie is that friend that you're like, oh, this guy was rude to me.

And Jamie will go full on. Literally like hold my beer. Well, hold my white cloth. Yeah. Hold my white cloth. Jamie's holding my white cloth. And then I just go in like savage style. And I don't know why I'm like that, but I've always been like that.

Don't ask why, ask how or what. How or what, and that is, you are the best. I got your back always. Oh, she has our backs, she has your front, she has your side. I mean, it's wild. Jimmy's got you covered. She will, she will track you down. Well, we love getting feedback, except for that, except for the comments and physical

appearance. Just to... Yeah, there's a little appearance comments can go, but I mean, we appreciate all feedback. Like obviously in season one, we talked over each other a lot because we filmed it all in one day, right? And so we learned from that, from feedback that we received that maybe we shouldn't talk over each other. We try.

And so, yes, always open to feedback. feedback that we receive that maybe we shouldn't talk over each other. We try. Yes. Always open to feedback. But if it's on personal appearance, and this goes to anyone listening, it's so rude and unnecessary and frankly, it's hurtful. Even like he thinks like, you're so tall, you're so short, you're so, okay, thank you. Appreciate that. It is funny, right? Well, I just love, to your point, Ashley, like the comments that we

received that are just like observations, but like you would never say that shit to us in person. And I know that for a fact, because the shit that I read online or in my email or my DMs or whatever, no one's ever told me in person. You know what I mean? No one's going to walk up to me and be like, why do you have so many extra teeth? What the fuck? I don't have extra teeth. It's just the angle of the camera, bitch. I get that one a lot.

Oh, that one pissed me off. We got that one from someone that was with the dentistry or like someone, but people write it as if you are behind glass, like you're an exhibit at the zoo and by commenting, they are turning to the person next to them and having that and you can't hear them because it will say, does anyone notice that she... I know, I'm like, do you realize that we can read the comments you put under our fucking videos? Are you okay?

There was a rumor that Nick Jonas had three front teeth. And I saw that and I was like, wow, that's that's really wild And I went I went deep on that about as deep as I'm going these days on Kate Middleton to be honest with you Where is she? But the Nick Jonas it's it's apparently not true. He does not have three front teeth, but I have to imagine that he's he's got to get kind of Yeah, yeah, but I don't write back or respond. I'm kind of bugged. Oh, yeah. Yeah. But I don't write back or respond. I'm not ugly at all.

I'm not like Jamie. Yeah. Jamie takes care of it. I don't even get an opportunity to reply. You know, I just let it set. You know, I'm just like, wow, that's crazy. And I just move right past like it really doesn't affect me. So I kind of I had that kind of I don't give a fuck attitude. But I just thought, you, FYI, there wasn't

anything going on with my forehead. She's touching her forehead. I am. I'm molesting myself. In that video that he was claiming had this foundation issue that he had a, what did he say? Hold on. He has a personal request for me, which never really came out in the email. I guess it was just to like do better on my makeup. I don't know. Glendure. Glendure. You know, a blend or something, you know? But like, it's just bizarre. There wasn't even an issue is my point. And I don't even wear foundation, you know, I look more high maintenance

than I actually am. I just wear a powder, you know? And I've been on the same powder since 2000, like most millennials. Yep. and I actually am. I just wear a powder, you know, and I've been on the same powder since 2000, like most millennials. Yep. Bare Essentials, shout out. The Urban Decay Palette. Yeah, exactly. It's either Clinique or Bare Essentials or wet n' what. Clinique. Wow, Clinique. I had to get that, you know, had to make sure it's the right time of the month so I could get my, you know, Clinique little, you know, free gift. Oh yeah, the free gift. Yeah, the free gift. Get that Clinique happy, which, you know, all that. Yes.

Yeah, of course. You know, we're right. Again, as the elder of the three, I can advise on that. Yeah. But I don't do that shit where like you go light and then dark and then light and dark. You know, oh, it takes me like 10 minutes, I swear to God. I see my daughter do that. And I'm like, what would that be?

Like my daughter has given me, my daughter really is a go-to source because she's 13. And so she's given me the breakdown on Kate Middleton. She gave me a 15 minute, you know, I totally and Jamie, I'm like, she just explained to me, she watched about seven hours of TikTok, broke it down to me in 15 minutes. I put it in one text to Jamie and Lee. But the same, I'm like, what are people doing with those, the different, you know, color dots on their things? Oh, mom, you know, she's like, you should record a video. I should fucking not record that. Mm-hmm.

I'm going to do my Clinique. Nope. I still, when I put foundation in, I don't know if y'all did, my person taught me this when I was like 15 at the Clinique counter, my only makeup lesson in my life. Put it in, and then she's like, you rub it. You rub it to heat it up like you're building a fire.

So you rub the foundation to warm it up, and then you rub it on your face. So I do it almost like I'm washing my face. And so it's warm. The person taught me that in Louisville, like Bashford Manor Mall, does not exist. But do y'all do that? I don't know.

I don't use liquid. I use that powder. Let me know about this. I'm so oily. Hispanic, San Antonio, it's moist down here. I'm sorry I did that on purpose for you. I know, I know. Yeah, but no, no, no.

But anyways, apparently I over blush. So I just want to say if you see a lot of blush on this bitch, it is what it is. Well, whoo. Ready to wrap it up? Yeah. Cheers. Let's go, ladies. Cheers to that. I know. Happy weekend.