September 16, 2025 • 20 mins
One of our listeners THOUGHT she was doing the right thing lying to her boss and her company to get her friend hired, and in today’s Awkward Tuesday Phone Call we’ll find out how it turned into the worst decision she ever made!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, welcome to your brand new Second Date podcast. Thanks
for being here. And yesterday, I love when people dive
into our comment section and tell us how they feel
about the episode. Yeah, yesterday's hit a lot of strings.
Yeah is that the right word for the right analogy?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Strings?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
We'll never correct with sayings here anyways to make a burrow.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
All right, So, okay, if you didn't hear yesterday's episode,
go back and listen to it. There's a lot of
anger at the end. It was a big miscommunication over
who gave this woman flowers, and it turned out it
was the gym worker.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yeah, who lied and assumed. Yeah, we had mixed reviews.
One person said, I work at a gym, and I
understand that you are categorized. Is just a gym employee.
Someone else said I was hoping for a fifty Shades
kind of story.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Someone with a rich guy.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, yeah, tum into my helicopter.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We need more men like Mitchell, brave, creatageous, and ready
to chase a woman down in a parking lot. True
love is one parking lot surprise away then, which someone
replied and said, helll Brave, he lies to hung up
on her on the show.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
He had to catfish. Nobody wants a guy.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
Like this.
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Chase a girl down in a parking.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Lot that, hopefully in the daylight, makes it better. Yeah,
don't grab her from behind, figuratively grab her heart.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yes, anyways, I love reading those though.
Speaker 7 (01:31):
Thanks guys.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Hopefully we'll get some more comments about how you feel
about today's Awkward Tuesday, because it's brand new and it
starts right now.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Having a best friend is a real blessing. Oh yeah,
to have someone who would do anything for you. They
lend you money, they'll let you crash on their couch. Yeah,
if not free, a really small sum. They'll be brutally
honest about how that outfit you're wearing really looks on you.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Someone needs to be yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Right, because they've got your back. And that's why our
listener thought she was doing the right thing when she
lied to her boss and to her entire company to
help her best friend get hired.
Speaker 7 (02:13):
Ah.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Well, now in retrospect, it may have been the worst
decision that she has ever made. You're gonna understand why
she had no choice but to reach out to us
in your brand new awkward Tuesday phone call.
Speaker 8 (02:27):
Next, it's awkward, It's Tuesday. It's awkward Tuesday phone call.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
There's a lot of sayings that warn people about how
you shouldn't date people that you work with. Office romances
never end well, sayings that Brooke has completely ignored over
the years, which is why all of our promo guys
at our radio station never seemed to last.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Girls they should be available as well. I don't know,
I'm getting I really don't think it's that big of
a deal.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
We could tell.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I mean, they do, as long as it's not like
a weird boss like situation.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Yeah, I am curious. Are there any warnings about don't
hire your friends to work with you at your company?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Oh yeah, friends in business don't mix. That is literally
the same.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Well, somebody didn't know about that, saying Brooke, because one
of our listeners, Kristen, emailed saying she got one of
her friends hired at her work. Now she has to
make an awkward Tuesday phone call about it. That's actually
where I do the line.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I don't do friends and business stuff, but it ruins
friendships every time.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
That's right. So, Kristen, welcome to the show.
Speaker 9 (03:40):
Hey, thanks for having me. Oh goodness.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
So wait, you're the one that got your friend the job.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yeah, tell us the story.
Speaker 7 (03:48):
So I have actually been at the same company for
seven years, and I mean it's the longest job I've
ever had. Things are going really well, but I love it.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, you can keep a job.
Speaker 7 (03:58):
That long, right, Yeah, I'm doing something, right, I think.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (04:03):
But then out of nowhere, I had an assistant quit
and she was great, very solid, independable. It was just
like a life choice change. Nothing. Oh, no su for
dramatic or anything.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
The thought of one of.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
My assistants quit.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
I mean, if I hooked up with them first, then
that's a thing, but just putting out of the blue.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
No, It's one thing to get a friend a job
for like somebody else in the company, a different department.
Are you saying you got your friend an assistant job
and you're the boss.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (04:31):
Yes, this happens. And I'm like out to happy hour
with my.
Speaker 9 (04:35):
Best friend Matt, and I tell him.
Speaker 7 (04:37):
About it and like gets so enthusiastic, freaks out, and
he's like, oh my god, you have to pick me.
I would be a great assistant.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
No, No, that would be a terrible assistant because you're
best friends. Yeah, I mean, honestly, like, he may be
a great assistant to anyone else.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yeah, but he just thinks, like.
Speaker 6 (04:55):
Oh my god, we'll be hanging.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Out all day.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
It would be great.
Speaker 7 (04:57):
Yeah, yeah, I I wish you guys were at the
happy hour that day. That would have helped my brain
a little bit. Oh no, that's okay. I was thinking
the same thing, like I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
About this, yeah, hesitation before you went through with it.
Speaker 7 (05:12):
But what happened totally totally, And so he's like really
pleading for me to give him a chance, so against
my better judgment and that little voice in my head
that apparently is all of you, but you weren't there.
I did. I hired him.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
What's happened since you hired him?
Speaker 7 (05:32):
Well, the most important thing was that when I hired him,
it was under one stipulation, and it was that no
one at the company could know that we were.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Friends, because that would look bad, right, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (05:43):
And like I don't need anyone to know that. I
don't need to bring my personal life in. But we
put time to like not know each other. And the
plan was that he could work there with me for
a few months just as a way to get his
foot in the door, and then he could apply to
another position. Within a company and that would be good
for him and then good for me and just like
in the in between.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
So there was an end date too.
Speaker 7 (06:04):
Yeah, yeah, we could have a few fun months. But
that was three years ago and he's sell my assistance.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
How's the friendship?
Speaker 9 (06:15):
I bet it's great. Yo, it is horrible.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Oh no, who hates two more?
Speaker 7 (06:24):
I mean it's not that we hate each other, it's
just like he's taken advantage of the situation. That's the problem.
Like he's gotten to the pattern of skipping meetings or
taking long lunches, or forgetting to do like little task
like not huge things that would get fired, but just
like little things here and there. And it's just it's
not great. And I have been hinting at him for
months to move on. I send him emails for applications
(06:46):
and he just won't do it. He has like no initiative,
And I'm like, did I make this too comfortable?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Well, he's not getting reprimanded for anything. It sounds like
a sweet job. He's taking a long lunch what he.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Wants to like, Yeah, I mean at this point, you said,
like you're completely frustrated, like you've totally had it with
your friend.
Speaker 7 (07:04):
I mean, yeah, it's striving crazy. I can't work with
him anymore, and I just I.
Speaker 9 (07:09):
Guess I'm the point where I need help delivering the message,
like very.
Speaker 7 (07:11):
Loud, very clear, it's time for you to move on
without her inner friendship because I do love him and
he still is my best friend, but with also not
being his boss anymore.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Okay, so you're going to talk to him as his
best friend, not as his boss.
Speaker 7 (07:26):
I think so. I think that's the idea because I
don't want to fire him. I guess that would be
the boss conversation would be that.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Would he care if he got fired?
Speaker 9 (07:34):
Like?
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Does he?
Speaker 7 (07:36):
I hope so?
Speaker 1 (07:37):
In unemployment if you get fired?
Speaker 6 (07:39):
Okay, so now, but you're right, I mean, still, that's
all of his benefits.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
I'm sure he loves like collecting this paycheck of this nice,
cushy job that he has and not having to work
very much for all that money. But how do you
politely deliver that message? That's on us? And I'm afraid
of what Brooke is going to say.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I'm a little more direct than you are, That's what I'm.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Saying, and I like that. I don't know if there's
away for Brooks to kindly tell a man you're not
good enough right now.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Be direct without being mean. And she's obviously been hinting
for a long time, and the hinting isn't working. Like
it's better for him, it's better for her, it's better
for everybody.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
I cannot wait to see what that advice looks like.
Speaker 10 (08:18):
Coming from your brook Oh my god, I am dying
to hear what we have to say to help you
politely tell your friend slash assistant that he needs to
move on from his job.
Speaker 7 (08:30):
I'm a guess looking forward to it too. I just
want to.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
When we come back, give your advice and let you
make your awkward Tuesday phone call coming up right after this.
Speaker 8 (08:42):
It's awkward, it's sad. It's awkward Tuesday phone call.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
I may not know much about my coworkers, but I
know this. Nothing makes Brooks smile like the idea of
a woman shaming her male counterpart telling him he's not
doing good enough and he to get his act together.
What did I do wrong there?
Speaker 1 (09:04):
I do not shame mail counterparts. They just shame you. Yes,
And I also spend over a decade with you telling
you how great you are.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Not to my face, I've never heard that.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
You are such a pain.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
In my butt.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
And that's exactly what made one of our listeners email
us for help. Our listener, Kristen secretly got her friend
Matt hired to be her new assistant. Of course, they
didn't tell anyone at the company they knew each other
because I was just supposed to be a way to
get his foot in the door and then he could
climb the company ladder. But three years later, Matt is
still her assistant and seems to be taking advantage of
(09:42):
their friendship because he's skipping meetings, missing tasks that he's
supposed to be doing. So at this point, Kristen's finally
had enough. She needs advice on how to politely but
firmly tell him time to saddle up pony boy, or
however corporate people talk.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
I don't think they say that that's the email problem.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
I'm sure I don't really know.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
That's how the bosses emailed.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Jeff so Brook, here's your moment. Tell Kristen how you
would lay the hammer down on your mail count.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
I don't think you have to lay the hammer down
like this is your best friend, Like a best friend
is so important and that's what you want to keep
at the end of this. So here, here's what you do.
You say to him, Matt, you deserve more money. Everybody
wants more money. And I'm sure Matt wants more money.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Am I right?
Speaker 7 (10:29):
I would assume so everybody does.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yeah, And you're like, listen, I'm going to help you
get more money. We are going to find you a
better job in this company, and we are going to
get you paid. We're going to get you what you deserve.
Because then you're hyping him up and helping them move on.
Speaker 7 (10:42):
Yeah, I guess just making money the focus of it.
Maybe we'll help his ears perk up a bit.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Yeah, I actually like you. You're looking out for his
financial interest to distract from your trying to get rid
of him. So, Jose, what's your advice.
Speaker 6 (10:55):
Well, there's a famous line that says absence makes the
heart grow fonder. So right now, you guys are just
too close. Tell him you miss missing him? Huh right,
you miss those times where you went wes without seeing him, Right.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Now, that's gonna make someone feel good.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
You just don't appreciate him because he's there every day.
Speaker 6 (11:20):
Help him get a new job, and then you guys,
can rekindle your best friendship.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Christen, what do you think?
Speaker 7 (11:26):
Yeah, we are around each other a lot, so let's
maybe that us.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
And a little laughter, little humor could help lighten the
message of what we're really trying to say beneath the
surface here, which is get the f out. So I
feel like that was actually some pretty good advice we
gave you. You can do that you want with it.
But I'm gonna dial your assistant slash best friend Matt's number.
Hopefully this awkward Tuesday phone call goes smooth. He's on
the job right now.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Right, he's on the clock.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Yeah, here we go. Good luck. We'll jump and feel
like you need some help. But I'm dialing here right now.
Speaker 7 (12:01):
Hello, Hey Matt, It's Kristen.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
Oh hey girl, he disappeared on me earlier.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
Yeah, I just had to step out for a second.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
Right, So whose one are you calling you from?
Speaker 7 (12:16):
I can't tell you that right now.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
I am your insistent you know, if you remember, you
do have to tell me things.
Speaker 7 (12:25):
Oh, yes, I remember. No, I'm just I'm dealing with
I'm just dealing with something.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Do you want to spill some tea on something in
the office?
Speaker 9 (12:40):
No, it's not about our co workers.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
It's Matt. It's actually about you and me.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
What what about you and me? Wait? Are you mad?
I missed the budget meeting yesterday? I told you. I'm sorry.
I forgot to tell you. I was just getting a haircut.
Speaker 9 (12:58):
I mean, yeah, that's a good example.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
But I uh, that's well. You know, I love you
as a friend first and foremost.
Speaker 9 (13:05):
Right, girl, I.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Don't like the tone of your voice right now.
Speaker 7 (13:11):
I just want to remind you, like, rewind three years
about our whole like work arrangements when you got here, right, yeah, that.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
Was like decades ago. We were literally baby, it.
Speaker 7 (13:26):
Was three years ago. But look, this position was supposed
to get your foot in the door, and like, how
you haven't moved on?
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Wait?
Speaker 9 (13:37):
What are you?
Speaker 5 (13:37):
What are you saying?
Speaker 7 (13:39):
I'm saying you need to go out there. You need
to be making more money. Okay.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
I just can't hide it anymore from you, I guess
because I've been feeling a little guilty myself. And I'm
actually in the final interviews for the director of Business Development,
and you know, I've been wanting to tell you, but
I was like scared to tell you. And I'm like,
does this have something to do with that, like did
(14:08):
you find out or wait?
Speaker 7 (14:11):
What what are you talking about?
Speaker 9 (14:14):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:15):
I knew they knew you were going to probably be
jealous because that position makes more money than you, and
I just didn't know really how to go about you know.
Speaker 7 (14:24):
Wait what, Oh my.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
God, that's great news. Congratulation, it's good for him.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
Wait what what is going on?
Speaker 9 (14:35):
Wait?
Speaker 4 (14:35):
I don't let me jump in first here, Kristen, because
I need to tell Matt. Hey, dude, you're on the
radio right now.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Well, I'm going to confute. Am I getting a trip
or something?
Speaker 9 (14:47):
What's going on?
Speaker 1 (14:49):
I wish you're could do those things.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
You really like to read into stuff deeply, don't you, Matt.
But this is just a radio show called Brooke and
Jeffrey in the Morning, and this segment is called the
Awkward Tuesday Phone.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Okay, that's awkward.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
So so we could she know about my new jobs?
Speaker 4 (15:06):
I don't think so, especially not the way that Kristen
was reacting. Kristen, do you want to talk to him
and tell him what?
Speaker 7 (15:12):
Yeah? Thank you? Sorry, I'm like fuming. I don't really
understand did you even apply for it?
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Like?
Speaker 7 (15:19):
How long have you known? I'm just very confused right now. No.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I I literally was having lunch with your boss a
couple of weeks ago, and he just started asking me
more about my career, and you know, the job opening,
like it just kind of came up naturally, and he
was insisted, So who.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
Is my assistant is going to be? You're going to
be my superior. That's what's happening right now.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
I mean, not like directly, but I'm going to be
making more money than you.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
So but that's what she says you wanted for him, right, Kristen,
for him to make more money.
Speaker 7 (15:55):
Wait a minute, okay, yeah, hang on, wow.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yeah, Brook, what good advice?
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Well, I mean, is this a job you wanted, Kristen?
Were you going after this position?
Speaker 9 (16:06):
No?
Speaker 7 (16:06):
I hadn't gone after because this hasn't even been listed yet.
This was not public information.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I am just like a bit confused now because I
thought you knew about the job, But now it's just
sounding like.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
You're, I don't know, a bit jealous or something.
Speaker 7 (16:20):
Oh I'm not jealous. Okay, So if you saw I
knew about the job, why didn't you bring it up?
Why would you keep.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
That You told me not to say anything and he
said specifically that it wasn't going to be posted. It
was kind of like an internal thing. They were trying
to make things smooth and easy. And then I kind
of thought, that's what this call was about when you
were calling me, like you had found out or something.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
But what were you even calling for? Oh, I I.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
Was gonna say. I was gonna say a lot of things.
I guess I was going to say, you deserve more money.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
But I sounds like exactly what you wanted for your
friend is now happening for your friend in an even
better way than could have ever imagined.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I mean, Kristin, and we're being completely honest here, Like
I just feel like it was starting to get a
bit stale, like even our relationship, our friendship dynamic, and
I really just needed a place to grow, and I
just feel like I wasn't really growing anymore with you
as my boss.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Well that's not Apparently your hair was growing enough where
you needed to get a haircut during the last meeting
that you're supposed.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
To be at.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
But still you had already known about this promotion before that.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I mean I only missed like a handful of meetings
probably in the last month, and they weren't really important,
so what meeting is?
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Yeah, So, I mean, Kristin, I'm taking your silence as
you're totally thrilled with how this call is going and it's.
Speaker 7 (17:46):
Just insane crazy, and I think I'm just gonna have
to take the day. I love you all you've been
to help, but I'm I'm seeking were here.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Girl, you need to take the day. I mean we
have we have drinks to get and celebrate and.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
I love that, well drinks on that this time since
he can afford it, and it's a.
Speaker 7 (18:13):
Wonder for you.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
I wouldn't even be here right now. So you helped
me into this point in my life too, So I
don't know why you're so pressed.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
Uh huh.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
All right, Well, it sounds like you're now your friendship
is going to be back in a better place now
that Matt's going to be moving on and up the
company ladder, and Kristin, you sound totally happy with where
you are, so that's awesome.
Speaker 7 (18:39):
You guys are funny. You guys are really funny.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Freaking Jeffrey in the morning.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
You know, Matt definitely seemed confused there, probably because he
didn't get to fully understand the whole reason why Kristin
was calling and needing help. In this conversation, It's probably
for the best that we didn't get into the details.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
Of the listeners got all the details, and he still
doesn't understand.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And I'm really hoping that she's upset at her boss
and not at mad like I think. Once Yeah, once
she processes everything, I'm sure she'll be really happy for.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Her best friend. I mean, he was her assistant for
three whole years, and it might take her another three
years just to get over the sudden promotion out.
Speaker 9 (19:20):
Of the blue.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
But in the end, it sounds like they have a
really tight bond and this will actually be a good
thing for their friendship.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yes, it'll be good for her career, but it be
good for their friendship for sure.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
I'll be great for Matt's.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Career based on his work habits that we heard. I
don't know if he's going to be able to handle
that director job.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
I don't know so far. I think that's the thing
about directors. Have you not noticed they don't care? Yeah,
they don't go to things.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
Or was she setting up pointless meeting because he was like, yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
And I'm over here thriving. Yeah, everybody the company loves me.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
It's a power move to skip stuff.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Yeah, so just remember, if you want to get an
awkward Tuesday phone call, you can always do it email
in the show, and you can hear all of our
awkward Tuesdays, our second dates, our phone taps, all of
our show content wherever you get your podcasts, all over
the world, and even in certain parts of deep space.
You just I know. We're expanding layer.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
That's where we are.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Find it at Brook and Jeffrey in the morning.
Hey, welcome to your brand new Second Date podcast. Thanks
for being here. And yesterday, I love when people dive
into our comment section and tell us how they feel
about the episode. Yeah, yesterday's hit a lot of strings.
Yeah is that the right word for the right analogy?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Strings?
Speaker 3 (00:17):
We'll never correct with sayings here anyways to make a burrow.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
All right, So, okay, if you didn't hear yesterday's episode,
go back and listen to it. There's a lot of
anger at the end. It was a big miscommunication over
who gave this woman flowers, and it turned out it
was the gym worker.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Yeah, who lied and assumed. Yeah, we had mixed reviews.
One person said, I work at a gym, and I
understand that you are categorized. Is just a gym employee.
Someone else said I was hoping for a fifty Shades
kind of story.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Someone with a rich guy.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Yeah, yeah, tum into my helicopter.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
We need more men like Mitchell, brave, creatageous, and ready
to chase a woman down in a parking lot. True
love is one parking lot surprise away then, which someone
replied and said, helll Brave, he lies to hung up
on her on the show.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
He had to catfish. Nobody wants a guy.
Speaker 5 (01:10):
Like this.
Speaker 6 (01:12):
Chase a girl down in a parking.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
Lot that, hopefully in the daylight, makes it better. Yeah,
don't grab her from behind, figuratively grab her heart.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yes, anyways, I love reading those though.
Speaker 7 (01:31):
Thanks guys.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
Hopefully we'll get some more comments about how you feel
about today's Awkward Tuesday, because it's brand new and it
starts right now.
Speaker 4 (01:39):
Having a best friend is a real blessing. Oh yeah,
to have someone who would do anything for you. They
lend you money, they'll let you crash on their couch. Yeah,
if not free, a really small sum. They'll be brutally
honest about how that outfit you're wearing really looks on you.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Someone needs to be yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
Right, because they've got your back. And that's why our
listener thought she was doing the right thing when she
lied to her boss and to her entire company to
help her best friend get hired.
Speaker 7 (02:13):
Ah.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Well, now in retrospect, it may have been the worst
decision that she has ever made. You're gonna understand why
she had no choice but to reach out to us
in your brand new awkward Tuesday phone call.
Speaker 8 (02:27):
Next, it's awkward, It's Tuesday. It's awkward Tuesday phone call.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
There's a lot of sayings that warn people about how
you shouldn't date people that you work with. Office romances
never end well, sayings that Brooke has completely ignored over
the years, which is why all of our promo guys
at our radio station never seemed to last.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
Girls they should be available as well. I don't know,
I'm getting I really don't think it's that big of
a deal.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
We could tell.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
I mean, they do, as long as it's not like
a weird boss like situation.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Yeah, I am curious. Are there any warnings about don't
hire your friends to work with you at your company?
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Oh yeah, friends in business don't mix. That is literally
the same.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Well, somebody didn't know about that, saying Brooke, because one
of our listeners, Kristen, emailed saying she got one of
her friends hired at her work. Now she has to
make an awkward Tuesday phone call about it. That's actually
where I do the line.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
I don't do friends and business stuff, but it ruins
friendships every time.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
That's right. So, Kristen, welcome to the show.
Speaker 9 (03:40):
Hey, thanks for having me. Oh goodness.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
So wait, you're the one that got your friend the job.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Yeah, tell us the story.
Speaker 7 (03:48):
So I have actually been at the same company for
seven years, and I mean it's the longest job I've
ever had. Things are going really well, but I love it.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
Yeah, you can keep a job.
Speaker 7 (03:58):
That long, right, Yeah, I'm doing something, right, I think.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (04:03):
But then out of nowhere, I had an assistant quit
and she was great, very solid, independable. It was just
like a life choice change. Nothing. Oh, no su for
dramatic or anything.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
The thought of one of.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
My assistants quit.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
I mean, if I hooked up with them first, then
that's a thing, but just putting out of the blue.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
No, It's one thing to get a friend a job
for like somebody else in the company, a different department.
Are you saying you got your friend an assistant job
and you're the boss.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Oh?
Speaker 7 (04:31):
Yes, this happens. And I'm like out to happy hour
with my.
Speaker 9 (04:35):
Best friend Matt, and I tell him.
Speaker 7 (04:37):
About it and like gets so enthusiastic, freaks out, and
he's like, oh my god, you have to pick me.
I would be a great assistant.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
No, No, that would be a terrible assistant because you're
best friends. Yeah, I mean, honestly, like, he may be
a great assistant to anyone else.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yeah, but he just thinks, like.
Speaker 6 (04:55):
Oh my god, we'll be hanging.
Speaker 4 (04:56):
Out all day.
Speaker 2 (04:56):
It would be great.
Speaker 7 (04:57):
Yeah, yeah, I I wish you guys were at the
happy hour that day. That would have helped my brain
a little bit. Oh no, that's okay. I was thinking
the same thing, like I don't know.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
About this, yeah, hesitation before you went through with it.
Speaker 7 (05:12):
But what happened totally totally, And so he's like really
pleading for me to give him a chance, so against
my better judgment and that little voice in my head
that apparently is all of you, but you weren't there.
I did. I hired him.
Speaker 4 (05:29):
What's happened since you hired him?
Speaker 7 (05:32):
Well, the most important thing was that when I hired him,
it was under one stipulation, and it was that no
one at the company could know that we were.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Friends, because that would look bad, right, Yeah.
Speaker 7 (05:43):
And like I don't need anyone to know that. I
don't need to bring my personal life in. But we
put time to like not know each other. And the
plan was that he could work there with me for
a few months just as a way to get his
foot in the door, and then he could apply to
another position. Within a company and that would be good
for him and then good for me and just like
in the in between.
Speaker 1 (06:02):
So there was an end date too.
Speaker 7 (06:04):
Yeah, yeah, we could have a few fun months. But
that was three years ago and he's sell my assistance.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
How's the friendship?
Speaker 9 (06:15):
I bet it's great. Yo, it is horrible.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Oh no, who hates two more?
Speaker 7 (06:24):
I mean it's not that we hate each other, it's
just like he's taken advantage of the situation. That's the problem.
Like he's gotten to the pattern of skipping meetings or
taking long lunches, or forgetting to do like little task
like not huge things that would get fired, but just
like little things here and there. And it's just it's
not great. And I have been hinting at him for
months to move on. I send him emails for applications
(06:46):
and he just won't do it. He has like no initiative,
And I'm like, did I make this too comfortable?
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Well, he's not getting reprimanded for anything. It sounds like
a sweet job. He's taking a long lunch what he.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Wants to like, Yeah, I mean at this point, you said,
like you're completely frustrated, like you've totally had it with
your friend.
Speaker 7 (07:04):
I mean, yeah, it's striving crazy. I can't work with
him anymore, and I just I.
Speaker 9 (07:09):
Guess I'm the point where I need help delivering the message,
like very.
Speaker 7 (07:11):
Loud, very clear, it's time for you to move on
without her inner friendship because I do love him and
he still is my best friend, but with also not
being his boss anymore.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Okay, so you're going to talk to him as his
best friend, not as his boss.
Speaker 7 (07:26):
I think so. I think that's the idea because I
don't want to fire him. I guess that would be
the boss conversation would be that.
Speaker 4 (07:32):
Would he care if he got fired?
Speaker 9 (07:34):
Like?
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Does he?
Speaker 7 (07:36):
I hope so?
Speaker 1 (07:37):
In unemployment if you get fired?
Speaker 6 (07:39):
Okay, so now, but you're right, I mean, still, that's
all of his benefits.
Speaker 4 (07:43):
I'm sure he loves like collecting this paycheck of this nice,
cushy job that he has and not having to work
very much for all that money. But how do you
politely deliver that message? That's on us? And I'm afraid
of what Brooke is going to say.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
I'm a little more direct than you are, That's what I'm.
Speaker 4 (07:58):
Saying, and I like that. I don't know if there's
away for Brooks to kindly tell a man you're not
good enough right now.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Be direct without being mean. And she's obviously been hinting
for a long time, and the hinting isn't working. Like
it's better for him, it's better for her, it's better
for everybody.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
I cannot wait to see what that advice looks like.
Speaker 10 (08:18):
Coming from your brook Oh my god, I am dying
to hear what we have to say to help you
politely tell your friend slash assistant that he needs to
move on from his job.
Speaker 7 (08:30):
I'm a guess looking forward to it too. I just
want to.
Speaker 4 (08:35):
When we come back, give your advice and let you
make your awkward Tuesday phone call coming up right after this.
Speaker 8 (08:42):
It's awkward, it's sad. It's awkward Tuesday phone call.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
I may not know much about my coworkers, but I
know this. Nothing makes Brooks smile like the idea of
a woman shaming her male counterpart telling him he's not
doing good enough and he to get his act together.
What did I do wrong there?
Speaker 1 (09:04):
I do not shame mail counterparts. They just shame you. Yes,
And I also spend over a decade with you telling
you how great you are.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Not to my face, I've never heard that.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
You are such a pain.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
In my butt.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
And that's exactly what made one of our listeners email
us for help. Our listener, Kristen secretly got her friend
Matt hired to be her new assistant. Of course, they
didn't tell anyone at the company they knew each other
because I was just supposed to be a way to
get his foot in the door and then he could
climb the company ladder. But three years later, Matt is
still her assistant and seems to be taking advantage of
(09:42):
their friendship because he's skipping meetings, missing tasks that he's
supposed to be doing. So at this point, Kristen's finally
had enough. She needs advice on how to politely but
firmly tell him time to saddle up pony boy, or
however corporate people talk.
Speaker 1 (09:58):
I don't think they say that that's the email problem.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
I'm sure I don't really know.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
That's how the bosses emailed.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Jeff so Brook, here's your moment. Tell Kristen how you
would lay the hammer down on your mail count.
Speaker 1 (10:09):
I don't think you have to lay the hammer down
like this is your best friend, Like a best friend
is so important and that's what you want to keep
at the end of this. So here, here's what you do.
You say to him, Matt, you deserve more money. Everybody
wants more money. And I'm sure Matt wants more money.
Speaker 4 (10:28):
Am I right?
Speaker 7 (10:29):
I would assume so everybody does.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Yeah, And you're like, listen, I'm going to help you
get more money. We are going to find you a
better job in this company, and we are going to
get you paid. We're going to get you what you deserve.
Because then you're hyping him up and helping them move on.
Speaker 7 (10:42):
Yeah, I guess just making money the focus of it.
Maybe we'll help his ears perk up a bit.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Yeah, I actually like you. You're looking out for his
financial interest to distract from your trying to get rid
of him. So, Jose, what's your advice.
Speaker 6 (10:55):
Well, there's a famous line that says absence makes the
heart grow fonder. So right now, you guys are just
too close. Tell him you miss missing him? Huh right,
you miss those times where you went wes without seeing him, Right.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Now, that's gonna make someone feel good.
Speaker 4 (11:14):
You just don't appreciate him because he's there every day.
Speaker 6 (11:20):
Help him get a new job, and then you guys,
can rekindle your best friendship.
Speaker 4 (11:24):
Christen, what do you think?
Speaker 7 (11:26):
Yeah, we are around each other a lot, so let's
maybe that us.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
And a little laughter, little humor could help lighten the
message of what we're really trying to say beneath the
surface here, which is get the f out. So I
feel like that was actually some pretty good advice we
gave you. You can do that you want with it.
But I'm gonna dial your assistant slash best friend Matt's number.
Hopefully this awkward Tuesday phone call goes smooth. He's on
the job right now.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Right, he's on the clock.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
Yeah, here we go. Good luck. We'll jump and feel
like you need some help. But I'm dialing here right now.
Speaker 7 (12:01):
Hello, Hey Matt, It's Kristen.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
Oh hey girl, he disappeared on me earlier.
Speaker 7 (12:09):
Yeah, I just had to step out for a second.
Speaker 5 (12:13):
Right, So whose one are you calling you from?
Speaker 7 (12:16):
I can't tell you that right now.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
I am your insistent you know, if you remember, you
do have to tell me things.
Speaker 7 (12:25):
Oh, yes, I remember. No, I'm just I'm dealing with
I'm just dealing with something.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Do you want to spill some tea on something in
the office?
Speaker 9 (12:40):
No, it's not about our co workers.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
It's Matt. It's actually about you and me.
Speaker 5 (12:48):
What what about you and me? Wait? Are you mad?
I missed the budget meeting yesterday? I told you. I'm sorry.
I forgot to tell you. I was just getting a haircut.
Speaker 9 (12:58):
I mean, yeah, that's a good example.
Speaker 7 (13:00):
But I uh, that's well. You know, I love you
as a friend first and foremost.
Speaker 9 (13:05):
Right, girl, I.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Don't like the tone of your voice right now.
Speaker 7 (13:11):
I just want to remind you, like, rewind three years
about our whole like work arrangements when you got here, right, yeah, that.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
Was like decades ago. We were literally baby, it.
Speaker 7 (13:26):
Was three years ago. But look, this position was supposed
to get your foot in the door, and like, how
you haven't moved on?
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Wait?
Speaker 9 (13:37):
What are you?
Speaker 5 (13:37):
What are you saying?
Speaker 7 (13:39):
I'm saying you need to go out there. You need
to be making more money. Okay.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
I just can't hide it anymore from you, I guess
because I've been feeling a little guilty myself. And I'm
actually in the final interviews for the director of Business Development,
and you know, I've been wanting to tell you, but
I was like scared to tell you. And I'm like,
does this have something to do with that, like did
(14:08):
you find out or wait?
Speaker 7 (14:11):
What what are you talking about?
Speaker 9 (14:14):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (14:15):
I knew they knew you were going to probably be
jealous because that position makes more money than you, and
I just didn't know really how to go about you know.
Speaker 7 (14:24):
Wait what, Oh my.
Speaker 4 (14:28):
God, that's great news. Congratulation, it's good for him.
Speaker 5 (14:33):
Wait what what is going on?
Speaker 9 (14:35):
Wait?
Speaker 4 (14:35):
I don't let me jump in first here, Kristen, because
I need to tell Matt. Hey, dude, you're on the
radio right now.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Well, I'm going to confute. Am I getting a trip
or something?
Speaker 9 (14:47):
What's going on?
Speaker 1 (14:49):
I wish you're could do those things.
Speaker 4 (14:51):
You really like to read into stuff deeply, don't you, Matt.
But this is just a radio show called Brooke and
Jeffrey in the Morning, and this segment is called the
Awkward Tuesday Phone.
Speaker 5 (15:00):
Okay, that's awkward.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
So so we could she know about my new jobs?
Speaker 4 (15:06):
I don't think so, especially not the way that Kristen
was reacting. Kristen, do you want to talk to him
and tell him what?
Speaker 7 (15:12):
Yeah? Thank you? Sorry, I'm like fuming. I don't really
understand did you even apply for it?
Speaker 4 (15:19):
Like?
Speaker 7 (15:19):
How long have you known? I'm just very confused right now. No.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
I I literally was having lunch with your boss a
couple of weeks ago, and he just started asking me
more about my career, and you know, the job opening,
like it just kind of came up naturally, and he
was insisted, So who.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
Is my assistant is going to be? You're going to
be my superior. That's what's happening right now.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
I mean, not like directly, but I'm going to be
making more money than you.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
So but that's what she says you wanted for him, right, Kristen,
for him to make more money.
Speaker 7 (15:55):
Wait a minute, okay, yeah, hang on, wow.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Yeah, Brook, what good advice?
Speaker 1 (16:01):
Well, I mean, is this a job you wanted, Kristen?
Were you going after this position?
Speaker 9 (16:06):
No?
Speaker 7 (16:06):
I hadn't gone after because this hasn't even been listed yet.
This was not public information.
Speaker 5 (16:10):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I am just like a bit confused now because I
thought you knew about the job, But now it's just
sounding like.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
You're, I don't know, a bit jealous or something.
Speaker 7 (16:20):
Oh I'm not jealous. Okay, So if you saw I
knew about the job, why didn't you bring it up?
Why would you keep.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
That You told me not to say anything and he
said specifically that it wasn't going to be posted. It
was kind of like an internal thing. They were trying
to make things smooth and easy. And then I kind
of thought, that's what this call was about when you
were calling me, like you had found out or something.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
But what were you even calling for? Oh, I I.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
Was gonna say. I was gonna say a lot of things.
I guess I was going to say, you deserve more money.
Speaker 4 (16:53):
But I sounds like exactly what you wanted for your
friend is now happening for your friend in an even
better way than could have ever imagined.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
I mean, Kristin, and we're being completely honest here, Like
I just feel like it was starting to get a
bit stale, like even our relationship, our friendship dynamic, and
I really just needed a place to grow, and I
just feel like I wasn't really growing anymore with you
as my boss.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Well that's not Apparently your hair was growing enough where
you needed to get a haircut during the last meeting
that you're supposed.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
To be at.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
But still you had already known about this promotion before that.
Speaker 2 (17:26):
I mean I only missed like a handful of meetings
probably in the last month, and they weren't really important,
so what meeting is?
Speaker 4 (17:38):
Yeah, So, I mean, Kristin, I'm taking your silence as
you're totally thrilled with how this call is going and it's.
Speaker 7 (17:46):
Just insane crazy, and I think I'm just gonna have
to take the day. I love you all you've been
to help, but I'm I'm seeking were here.
Speaker 5 (18:02):
Girl, you need to take the day. I mean we
have we have drinks to get and celebrate and.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
I love that, well drinks on that this time since
he can afford it, and it's a.
Speaker 7 (18:13):
Wonder for you.
Speaker 5 (18:14):
I wouldn't even be here right now. So you helped
me into this point in my life too, So I
don't know why you're so pressed.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
Uh huh.
Speaker 4 (18:26):
All right, Well, it sounds like you're now your friendship
is going to be back in a better place now
that Matt's going to be moving on and up the
company ladder, and Kristin, you sound totally happy with where
you are, so that's awesome.
Speaker 7 (18:39):
You guys are funny. You guys are really funny.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Freaking Jeffrey in the morning.
Speaker 4 (18:46):
You know, Matt definitely seemed confused there, probably because he
didn't get to fully understand the whole reason why Kristin
was calling and needing help. In this conversation, It's probably
for the best that we didn't get into the details.
Speaker 6 (18:59):
Of the listeners got all the details, and he still
doesn't understand.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And I'm really hoping that she's upset at her boss
and not at mad like I think. Once Yeah, once
she processes everything, I'm sure she'll be really happy for.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
Her best friend. I mean, he was her assistant for
three whole years, and it might take her another three
years just to get over the sudden promotion out.
Speaker 9 (19:20):
Of the blue.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
But in the end, it sounds like they have a
really tight bond and this will actually be a good
thing for their friendship.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yes, it'll be good for her career, but it be
good for their friendship for sure.
Speaker 6 (19:31):
I'll be great for Matt's.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Career based on his work habits that we heard. I
don't know if he's going to be able to handle
that director job.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
I don't know so far. I think that's the thing
about directors. Have you not noticed they don't care? Yeah,
they don't go to things.
Speaker 6 (19:44):
Or was she setting up pointless meeting because he was like, yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
And I'm over here thriving. Yeah, everybody the company loves me.
Speaker 1 (19:53):
It's a power move to skip stuff.
Speaker 4 (19:54):
Yeah, so just remember, if you want to get an
awkward Tuesday phone call, you can always do it email
in the show, and you can hear all of our
awkward Tuesdays, our second dates, our phone taps, all of
our show content wherever you get your podcasts, all over
the world, and even in certain parts of deep space.
You just I know. We're expanding layer.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
That's where we are.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
Find it at Brook and Jeffrey in the morning.
Hosts And Creators
Brooke Fox
Jeffrey "Young Jeffrey" Dubow
Jose Bolanos
Alexis Fuller
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