All Episodes

November 7, 2025 17 mins

Jana’s big premiere for The Christmas Ring is here, and she brought her best friends from her hometown along to walk the red carpet! 

What was Jana like in high school?? No one humbles you like old friends, and these ladies hold nothing back!

And, we hear stories from Jana’s past that have NEVER been told!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Wind Down with Janet Kramer and I'm Heeart Radio podcast.

Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, so I mean it's it's a couch a
room full of Michigan girls.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
We are in half a dozen deep.

Speaker 4 (00:15):
We are.

Speaker 3 (00:17):
You're not a Michigan fan, this episode is not for you.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
So with it being premiere week, my girls, my Michigan
girls came in to support because we've we've watched some
movies whenever I come home for the for the holidays,
for Thanksgiving time, the girls have been sweet. We've put
our little pjs on and we've they've watched the movies.
They've always been really supportive of all the holiday movies.

(00:41):
And so they you know, when I was like, well
this one's actually gonna be a premiere in Franklin, They're like,
let's turn it into a girl's trip.

Speaker 3 (00:49):
So here they are high girls.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Who doesn't love an excuse for another? Girls like we're
here for it.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
Oh, I love it.

Speaker 1 (00:58):
Okay.

Speaker 5 (00:59):
We do need a little brief introduction from you, girls,
because there's a lot of voices, so we're going to
establish our own little cast of characters here, so we
need your maybe first and last name Kramer doesn't matter.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
To you, It doesn't matter. Well, so for how this
group identifies.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
Yes, so I'll just you know, we'll just go with
how first I met them?

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Right, like? So first up was Lisa.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
Hi. So I met Lisa in sixth grade and Lisa,
you want to tell them how we became friends?

Speaker 4 (01:28):
Yep.

Speaker 6 (01:28):
So we were in sixth grade math class and it
was like the first week of school accent and I know.

Speaker 5 (01:33):
It's so thick, I like it, and everybody's say, Kaki
pants exactly that that pack that a.

Speaker 6 (01:42):
And so we were in math class. We weren't even
sitting by each other, and lunchtime was coming, and I
was like, do you want to sit with my friends?

Speaker 7 (01:51):
She came and sat with us.

Speaker 3 (01:52):
And I had no friends.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
None of my friends from elementary school I believe went
to this.

Speaker 6 (01:57):
We went to a different elementary school we went. And
then that's that's how it started.

Speaker 5 (02:01):
And so you ate lunch with Lisa. I did we're
any of the other girls in this table?

Speaker 7 (02:06):
Rachel?

Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, Rachel income incoming, Rachel. I. So Rachel is a
part of that friend group.

Speaker 4 (02:15):
So I was friends with Lisa since third grade. And
so when I went to middle school and Lisa brought
Janna to the lunch table. I was there, so that
is that is how it started, you know, sixth grade friendship.

Speaker 3 (02:29):
This is incredible. And then after that came Andrea.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
Yes, hello Andrea.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
I go by Angee from this group and the names Matt.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
I know you can tell when people met me in
my life because all my college friends call me dri.
So when people call me one, it's either like close
family or og high school girls.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
Yep, the ogs exactly, and we were high school.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
We were high school. I will say, my South African
husband has trained the Michigan accent out of me, though,
so I like, I've actually done some voiceover work now,
so it's really really I did, but only through my
job because we do work for Volkswagen, so I was
doing all the dealer videos. But so he trained The
last word was bag and he was like, you cannot
say it like that, so I'll now forget.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
When I went to Los Angeles one of my first auditions,
and I didn't realize it at the time, but the
cast and director goes, can you say I just talked
to my mom and like we got out of the
car and I have to grab my bag.

Speaker 3 (03:21):
And I was like sure, So my mom and we.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Went to the car in the bag and then they
started laughing and I goes, oh, the joke's on me.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
I'm changing my accent. Then here we go.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
Yeah, well originally Canadian, so that helped. I just had
to go back to those roots and just leveled it out,
Like career in newscasting maybe is coming for me?

Speaker 3 (03:39):
Yeah, onge right, yes, can I go oji?

Speaker 1 (03:44):
I told the girls, I'm like, I love christ and
I listened to the podcast all the time, and it's
such a weird dynamic because I'm like, I feel like
I know so much about you and you know nothing
about me, but you should call me. It's great, it
feels natural.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
Okay, But I also don't want to be like, oh,
she's new to the group. She can't do that. I'm
at the lunch table.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
And then we've got Chelsea. Nos Chelsea is interesting because
so and I mean it in the most loving of ways.
So Chelsea, I always say, because it's hard to when
we're we're all together and it's like friends since middle
school and then even though Ange was kind of high school,
and then I always loop you into the high school

(04:21):
just because but we didn't go to the same high school.
That's right, because I'm younger, Oh, Chelsea, but I consider you,
you know, you just it's like it's like we did.

Speaker 1 (04:33):
It's like we did.

Speaker 3 (04:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (04:34):
I feel like ever since we met, especially with all
the girls, it just clicked, like you're just so wonderful.

Speaker 5 (04:40):
So I have a question, because this is from all,
this is, this is your decades together. How are y'all
friends together? Like the four of you because you're common
denominator well except for you too, we're lunch table, but
then the common denominators janus, but you travel as a pack.

Speaker 7 (04:58):
So this is what she does. By the way, Rachel's
the glue. I might be the glue.

Speaker 4 (05:04):
Well, Lisa and I were from elementary school, and then
Jana since middle school, Andrea since high school, and then
Chelsea and I were sorority sisters at Michigan State and
lived together. So I just glued everyone together.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
I feel like we went through seasons of friendship too,
like we stayed friends. But it's like like Janna, you
and I had moments where, like you know, depending on
which guys we were hanging out with. Right, we had
a basketball era, Rachel and I had a waitressing era.
Chelsea and I are era is actually right now. We
are like the wellness girlies of the group, so we
bond on all things. Like in that regard, Lisa and
I were college like summer six, mixing up mohitos with

(05:40):
the wrong proportions like.

Speaker 7 (05:42):
That was us. And we would go see Jenna in Nla.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yes, and we took a trip to see Jenna in La.
That's when we were in Adam Levine's bathroom. I remember
that trip.

Speaker 5 (05:51):
Yeah, this is a prefect segue because I would love
and I think the listeners would deeply appreciate some stories
that have never ever been told.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Oh no, and so with are we talking like high school?

Speaker 3 (06:06):
I want juicy? So probably high school and above.

Speaker 7 (06:09):
Because last night was really fun.

Speaker 2 (06:13):
We did talk about some high school stuff last.

Speaker 3 (06:16):
Night at least one story.

Speaker 5 (06:18):
And I know by the look you're giving me you
prefer this not be on the air.

Speaker 3 (06:22):
So that's how I know it's going to be good. So, now,
do you guys have one? I know, like, what would
be a good but juicy story.

Speaker 7 (06:29):
I don't know.

Speaker 5 (06:30):
You guys have to comander the bus. It's fine, the
one that involves a boy. Maybe we need to expand
on the basketball era.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
No, I really honestly, I don't. I mean we used
to roll around. I drove an escalade. It was not
mine at the time, but that was like that, me
and Sonny and the Escalade era like so Janna and
I would roll around in the escalade like just listening
to you know.

Speaker 4 (06:50):
But in high school, so I was the oldest. I
got my license in. Jana was two months after me,
and then she got a red a layout and she
would shove us all in there and we would cruise
around in the red alo. I wouldn't say it's a
juicy story, but there was one year for Halloween, Lisa

(07:10):
and I were trying to remember what grade were we
in when we went as the Spice Girls.

Speaker 3 (07:14):
Do you remember, girl?

Speaker 7 (07:16):
Weren't we at your house?

Speaker 4 (07:17):
Ganna? We were at your house and we were like
spraying people's hair, yes, black.

Speaker 7 (07:22):
No, I think it was at my house.

Speaker 2 (07:24):
It was Ashley her Yeah, yeah, she was the black
We were spraying her hair black and it got all
over her face. It was the year that's it snowed
when we were trick or treating. Yeah, that was.

Speaker 7 (07:37):
I'm trying to think of anything.

Speaker 6 (07:38):
We were talking about something today and we didn't remember
how I cried, I remember when that was nice of
you guys.

Speaker 3 (07:46):
That was kind of actually did dick moment?

Speaker 7 (07:49):
Didn't you say it?

Speaker 2 (07:50):
Though?

Speaker 3 (07:51):
Share that one? Share that one?

Speaker 1 (07:52):
What's the dick?

Speaker 3 (07:54):
Ashley?

Speaker 7 (07:56):
I was going to say that wasn't me. Okay, you
mean in the yearbook, right? Yeah?

Speaker 6 (08:01):
She you were emotional, like you're just an emotional person.

Speaker 5 (08:04):
It feels exciting to not be the emotional one. I
just want to declare how validating that is, Janna, the
emotional one continue going.

Speaker 7 (08:14):
Through a divorce.

Speaker 2 (08:15):
I was very I was too connected to my high
school boyfriend at the time. He strung me along a
little bit too much, totally. So yeah, so like you're
and I went senior year.

Speaker 6 (08:27):
You had to write like memories and it was like
remember when dot dot so like everybody had to write
in like remember when like we beat this football team whatever,
you know, the class of things, and I think yours.

Speaker 7 (08:38):
You actually wrote remember when?

Speaker 2 (08:41):
I well, because I knew Ashley wrote it, so I
was trying to also be and on the joke.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
I was actually on the journalism team and I still
have those newspapers I will look on way to get.

Speaker 7 (08:50):
Home, So you too could have easily deleted that. Okay,
So what happened?

Speaker 1 (08:56):
You know, I thought we knew that she knew. I
think that's what it was.

Speaker 5 (09:12):
Wait, so what happened? So Ashley? What is Ashley put
in print? And how does Ashley get that done? And
where's Ashley?

Speaker 4 (09:18):
Now?

Speaker 1 (09:19):
Such a great question.

Speaker 7 (09:20):
Yes, we're not sure. I mean, at the time, it
probably I don't.

Speaker 6 (09:24):
I mean, like I said, you just had your head
heart on your sleeve and you did cry a little bit.
But yeah, looking back now, it was like funny for
maybe you to say it, but also like.

Speaker 7 (09:34):
Wait, so Ashley, what is Ashley Wright? She just wrote?

Speaker 6 (09:36):
Remember when in her high school memory was Gianna cried
because it was like.

Speaker 3 (09:41):
She did boo Ashley.

Speaker 6 (09:42):
Yeah, it wasn't the best, but at the time I
probably thought it was funny.

Speaker 1 (09:47):
Yeah, at the time, I feel like we were all friends.
And wasn't it like I don't know, I honestly don't remember,
But wouldn't it have been I don't remember it being
a thing, So I didn't realize there was beef bt right,
But I feel like I would have known if it
was a bigger thing. But I don't know.

Speaker 5 (10:05):
Yeah, okay, and there any did anybody ever get in trouble,
any sneaking out, any pulling over, anybody meant in a
cop car, raise your hand.

Speaker 7 (10:14):
Oh who was there?

Speaker 4 (10:17):
Though?

Speaker 3 (10:18):
Was I not with you? Guys?

Speaker 1 (10:19):
I was kind of a floater, Like I moved in
high school with the group, and I was kind of
friends with everybody, and I had like some cousins at
the school, so I floated around. I know I was
with Meyer, but we were like transporting beer from one
party to the next, and we got pulled over.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
Oh my god.

Speaker 7 (10:33):
And the best part was we were.

Speaker 1 (10:36):
I was still Canadian and we had a green card
at the time, so like I could have deported my
entire family. And it was one of those stories where
like cops brought me home and I'm like, you know,
sucking on pennies at the time because I heard that
can help you p a breathalyzer, right, Like I'm sure
we all heard that at one point.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
Finding out that that was it was a.

Speaker 7 (10:54):
Very bad choice, like Copper's really good. So the cop
brought me home.

Speaker 1 (10:59):
I'm like, don't let them catch me, but yeah, I
But the best part was, instead of going home and
telling my parents what happened, I actually realized that the
cop left, dropped me off, I set the alarm off.
I ran instead of going in the house and making
up some story, I actually ran and then my mom
calls me. He's like, why is the alarm going off?
So it was a whole thing did not get deported, thankfully,

(11:19):
And you know, it's one of those stories where years
later my mom was like, so you know that night
that the alarm went off, I know what happened, And
I was like, bust it, and then she says some
other thing. I go, yes, Mom, that's exactly what happened.
It was totally much more innocent than what actually happened.

Speaker 3 (11:32):
So who was when I was the maker of the group.

Speaker 8 (11:37):
Not me?

Speaker 7 (11:37):
I wouldn't say I wouldn't say you.

Speaker 6 (11:39):
I don't know if we had trouble made because even
I was just thinking like high school. Remember when it
was senior year, we skipped out of mythology class.

Speaker 7 (11:48):
But we didn't even skip. We told our.

Speaker 6 (11:49):
Teacher, yeah, we have to go like talk to somebody,
talk to a boy at the other high school.

Speaker 3 (11:55):
And she was like, Doug Dawson, yes, yes, and I
gotta go. We love alliteration, Doug Dawson.

Speaker 6 (12:04):
And that's what we were just talking about but so
like we didn't even skip class, like she was a
full like yeah you go kind.

Speaker 2 (12:10):
Of a high school boyfriends that I because there was
there was the one, and then there was you know yeah.

Speaker 8 (12:16):
No.

Speaker 6 (12:17):
They were nice guys though likewethearts, they were Yeah, they
were nice guys.

Speaker 7 (12:22):
They weren't like the you know, jerks or whatever. But
I just you know, wrong timing for you.

Speaker 5 (12:28):
I feel my final question would be, what is the
Janet trait that is still the Janet trait today? So
the Janna that you met at the lunch table, and
what is the Janet trait today that is the same.

Speaker 7 (12:39):
She still plugs her nose. I'm just joking.

Speaker 4 (12:43):
About.

Speaker 3 (12:48):
Oh I love her.

Speaker 6 (12:49):
No, I think that you are still like in tune
with your emotions like you have. You didn't let the
I cried I'm too emotional thing get to you.

Speaker 7 (12:57):
Like that's just you and like you I think, are
you know, very loyal and that has just stayed with you.

Speaker 6 (13:06):
I mean, but I think that's also why we've been
friends since sixth grade. Like I think that's just it,
and that we don't have to see each other at
the time, don't have to talk all the time, and
then when you see each other, it's like you're just
you pick right back up.

Speaker 4 (13:19):
I think you're just so resilient. You know, even since
middle school, through high school, through all of life, you
have been through so much, so much more than the
four of us sitting here or five of us have
been here, and you just power through. And we're just
here till we love you, We will always support you,

(13:40):
and we're just proud of who you are.

Speaker 3 (13:42):
Thanks.

Speaker 8 (13:42):
Right, So, something I've noticed, and I've been thinking about
this too, is that you really are so sweet and
so loving and like as much as Rachel's kind of
the glue to everybody, you're still the glue too. Like
you're here, you come back to Michigan, like you make
an effort, and you've always just been like so inclusive
in loving thanks those whole time. It's really something that

(14:03):
everyone should know about. You're so kind and like, yeah,
you know, loving to everybody that's in your circle.

Speaker 3 (14:11):
Thanks.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
I just think the more people we meet, too, the
more we realize how unique this is. Like so many
people that I'm like, oh, these are my friends from
high school and they're like what, Like I just thought
that was more common, and I just love like how
we've all grown together. I mean there's moments where we've
been closer, you know, just maybe geographically or you know,
we talk a little bit more sometimes versus others. But
we've all gone through our eras, we've all gone through

(14:32):
our phases, and I think I love how we've all
grown together and now, like being moms together is such
a blessing truly, Like we no matter how far we are,
we have kind of the same things to talk about,
the same things we're dealing with, you know.

Speaker 7 (14:44):
So yeah, it's so unique.

Speaker 5 (14:46):
It's fun to me because I'm an adult friend of Jamma,
and that is exactly what she's done in our group.
Like there's girls that I would have probably never been friends.

Speaker 3 (14:54):
With, but she's the glue.

Speaker 5 (14:55):
Yeah, Like she's made a queendom and then we all
just moved into the castle. Yeah, like we love the queendom,
and well, the queendom is there in the delivery rooms,
and now the queendom's just checking in on people, you know,
Like it's this trait she has that I don't think
ever gets said enough. I know it's all awkward for
you because we're talking about you in front of you,
and you actually Simpson Gift and just disappear. But it

(15:16):
is like it's just such a special trait. As busy,
as full as life gets, like you just always make
time to check in and even in your worst chapters,
you are always so steadfast and gluey and it's great.

Speaker 2 (15:28):
Well, I just appreciate all you guys because you guys
have been through a million seasons with me, obviously Kristen
two and the twenties, thirties on, but you know, especially
like Lisa and you know, you girls have all been
I mean, Lisa was there the night that the Guide
tried to kill me, you know, and so she's been
She's been on that journey, I mean, so many journeys.

(15:50):
And the dude, so I can only imagine too when
you know, I bring Alan and we're talking to him
over FaceTime when he's in Europe, you know, and you're
probably like, what is she doing? So but I just
I love the fact that you guys have always been
there for me and loved me through every season of
everything that I've gone through, and it really means a lot.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
So, but it means a lot. You come you came
home Janet in the summer, and like I've lived away
and I've gone back home, and sometimes when I go home,
all I want to do is be like at my house.
But you twice we saw you in the like three
days that you were home because you especially it made
a point to have time with us without the kids,
because you knew that it's hard to catch up with
the kids, and so it just likewise, you know, like

(16:27):
it means a lot to us too, the effort that
you put in. And we're just grateful to be here
and we love you, oh guys.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
And you guys are so sweet about the like coming
here for the premiere. It's so sweet. So thank you
for just being And I promise you I will if
I ever go to the Emmys, even when I'm like seventies.
You guys got to stay strong with me and let's
do it.

Speaker 7 (16:45):
Okay, we'll playing a girls trap.

Speaker 4 (16:47):
Okay, it will be a lot easier because our kids
will be older.

Speaker 2 (16:51):
Yeah, to those listening, call someone from middle school, high school,
say what's up.

Speaker 6 (16:57):
Well, that's my daughter is now at the same middle
school in sixth grade that we met. And I'm like, Rayland,
you never know, you never know who you're going to
meet now, could be your friend, you know when you're
my age.

Speaker 7 (17:08):
Yeah, could be at a movie premiere.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
I'm just saying, I'm just saying, all right bye girls,
thank you,
Advertise With Us

Host

Jana Kramer

Jana Kramer

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.