Nicole Byer

Summary

Teen Beat with Danielle Fishel – Episode: Nicole Byer

Podcast: Teen Beat
Host: Danielle Fishel
Guest: Nicole Byer
Date: February 11, 2026

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Overview

In this episode of Teen Beat, host Danielle Fishel welcomes comedian, actress, and “Hall of Fame podcaster” Nicole Byer for a vibrant, laughter-filled deep dive into her high school years and formative moments. Known for her exuberant honesty and comedic charm across shows like Nailed It! and Why Won’t You Date Me?, Nicole shares candid (and sometimes outrageous) tales from growing up in Middletown Township, New Jersey. The conversation bounces from school shenanigans and awkward crushes to shifting perspectives on fame, with both Danielle and Nicole reflecting on how their upbringings shaped them as adults.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Early Personality: Talkative, Nosy, and Inquisitive

• Both always talkative:
  • Danielle: “All my report cards said, we really enjoy her, but, boy, she doesn't like to stop talking.” (06:37)
  • Nicole: “I also was very nosy... I was in people's business.” (06:48)
• Reframing ‘nosy’ as curiosity:
  • Danielle: “When you call it inquisitive... Curious. Wants to discover the world.” (07:05)

Hometown Adventures & Lore

• Middletown, NJ’s most exciting event:
  • Nicole: “A deer jumped through his windshield... he didn't show up. He was absent.” (07:33)
• Danielle’s California high school stories:
  • Menendez brothers, “Bling Ring,” and Jesse James Hollywood all attended or were connected to her school. (08:26–09:57)
  • Nicole: “Did you grow up in California? ...People flee from Middletown, New Jersey. It's so boring.” (10:00)

Hangouts, Cliques, and Teenage Scenes

• Hangouts & infamous honey bear bong:
  • Nicole: “I smoked a lot of weed out of a honey bear bong...” and regular trips to Chili’s after school plays. (10:22)
• Clique naming traditions:
  • Nicole: “Our clique, like, took the first initial of our names and made, like, names for ourselves. Yeah, it was CK Len…” (19:55)

Famous Classmates and Alumni Rivalry

• Who’s the most famous now?
  • Danielle: “I'm pretty sure you had a real strong GR on being the most famous alumni. But now... Olivia Nuzzi... went to your high school.” (11:40)
  • Nicole: “Having an affair with RFK is psychotic.” (12:00)

Celebrity Heroes & Comedy Inspirations

• Late realization about acting as a career:
  • Nicole: “Nobody told me I could be an actor until, like, junior or senior year of high school... I loved Monique on The Parkers... Living Single... Whoopi Goldberg.” (13:04–13:55)
• Favorite movie:
  • Nicole: “My favorite movie is Ghost. I think it's a rom com. People disagree and say it's a thriller... it's really funny and there's a romance.” (13:35)

Encountering Fame—John Cena & Changing Perspectives

• John Cena stories:
  • “He's so deeply funny... has zero ego... remembers crew members' names... he's just a kind, kind person.” (14:33–15:05)
  • Changed her perspective on taking photos with fans: “If somebody wants a picture with you, what does that do to you? How does that take away from your day? ... Why wouldn't you make their day?” (15:16)

Friendships: Then and Now

• Clique names and lasting bonds:
  • Most of Nicole’s old clique stays connected on social media; missed some reunions due to work. (20:55)
  • Danielle still in close contact with her high school girlfriends and discusses the importance of friendships that pre-date showbiz. (22:02–22:49)
• Adult friendship:
  • Nicole and Sasheer started their friendship before either found career success, appreciating hitting milestones together. (22:27)

Teenage Rebellion: Shoplifting & Trouble with Authority

• Shoplifting escapades:
  • “I got arrested at Old Navy, which is crazy because they, like, pay you to take the clothes. But I love shoplifting. Still love it.” (23:07)
  • “If I go to Gelson’s... I'm not scanning all of it. I don’t work here.” (23:21)
  • Nicole recounts being arrested at Macy’s, narrowly missing grand larceny by $100. (25:04–25:38)
• Mouthy with police:
  • Danielle: “I had a police officer once say to me, 'Stop running or I will make this an on site arrest.' ... I said, 'Aren't all arrests on site?'" (26:05)
  • Nicole: “Now I would be... more cooperative. But I wasn't cooperative then.” (26:37)

Conflicts with Teachers and Memories of School

• Would teachers be surprised by Nicole’s success?
  • Nicole: “I don't think any of them would be surprised... I was truly so loud. I talk so much...” (32:43)
  • Both recount difficult (and sometimes mean) teachers, with Nicole mentioning teachers who accused her of cheating or were biased due to her being ‘a distraction.’
  • Notable: “Mrs. Hudsinski, my third grade teacher, she'd probably be surprised because she just didn’t like me.” (33:20)

Academic Apathy but Social Motivation

• School approach:
  • Nicole: “I didn't go to high school to learn. I went to make friends.” (41:15)
  • Danielle: “Without working nearly at all, I can get an occasional A, mostly Bs, and an occasional C. I mean, I'm fine with that.” (40:44)

Teenage Crushes & Passing Notes

• Nicole’s serial crushes:
  • “Were you all about boy crazy? Same... There was Keith, Matt... Middle school was Joe. High school was Mark...” (41:26)
  • “I loved Mark... In the hallway, I would just be like, ‘Hi, Mark.’ ...he had a girlfriend, and I simply didn’t care.” (41:45)
• Passing notes and young love dynamics:
  • Both share vivid stories of unrequited crushes and elaborate note-passing rituals. (42:18–43:51)

School Dances, Drinking, and Coming of Age

• Dances and parties:
  • Nicole skipped both proms but went to homecoming and afterparties. “I hated the idea of going with just my girlfriends. Which now is so silly.” (44:37)
  • Danielle: “I lived for [dances]...I went to all the basic bitch dances.” (44:56)
• Underage drinking confessions:
  • Nicole: “I drink a lot in high school... can’t drink Absolute Vanilla anymore because I would drink that just like straight.” (47:52)
  • Danielle recounts her first drinking experience, resulting in a disastrous night with peach schnapps: “If I ever get a whiff of peach schnapps, it’s just over for everyone.” (48:16–49:57)

Fashion, Hair, and Style Experiments

• Nicole’s bold teenage style:
  • “I was a redhead for a lot of my teens. Like burgundy red... Dyed my hair with Kool-Aid... had a very short Missy Elliott haircut, but it was tinted burgundy.” (59:37)
  • Always looking for loopholes—dyed her hair with Kool-Aid because her mom wouldn’t let her use real dye. (60:25)

Parents’ Outwitting Tactics

• Moms always one step ahead:
  • Danielle shares how her mom used calling the “time” phone number as a clever trick to catch her if she broke grounding and talked on the phone. (62:36)
  • Nicole’s mom: “There’s nothing you can do that can surprise me.” — Nicole: “That’s a challenge. And I accept it.” (61:14–61:28)

Confidence—from Childhood to Now

• Self-belief from the start:
  • Nicole: “You simply couldn’t tell me anything...when I did the first play I ever did... At no point was I like, ‘I’m gonna fail.’ Which is crazy.” (38:54–39:45)

Passion for Sonic the Hedgehog

• Rediscovered during the pandemic:
  • “I played the Sega video games as a kid... never thought about Sonic again until the movie came out... I started sobbing at one part because I was like, oh my God. Sonic moves too fast to have, like, meaningful relationships. Sometimes I feel like I move too fast. I am Sonic.” (52:40–53:13)
  • Danielle and Nicole compare Sonic and Mario; Nicole argues Sonic is better: “Sonic is... a real fantasy. He comes from outer space. He has lore. He has a backstory. Mario, he’s a plumber.” (55:21–56:10)

Pole Dancing & Dancing with the Stars

• Nicole’s Instagram pole dancing and Danielle’s reality show experience:
  • Danielle tries to convince Nicole to do Dancing with the Stars; Nicole is hesitant: “It seems so hard... I pole dance and then when I'm tired, I go, all done. But I feel like when you're dancing for a TV show, they go, you're not all done.” (63:15–63:39)
  • On pole dancing: “You can do it. You don't have to take off your clothes... You could just, like, move your body and...be like, I'm strong.” (66:07)
  • “Do you have a pole in your house?” – “Oh, yeah... it just lives there.” (66:21–66:52)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Self-Confidence and Teenage Anxiety

• “You simply couldn't tell me anything…At no point was I like, I'm gonna fail. Which is crazy.”
  – Nicole Byer (38:54/39:44)

On High School Priorities

• “I didn't go to high school to learn. I went to make friends.”
  – Nicole Byer (41:15)

On Shoplifting and Authority

• “I got arrested at Old Navy, which is crazy because they, like, pay you to take the clothes. But I love shoplifting. Still love it.”
  – Nicole Byer (23:07)
• “If there's a self checkout, I'm not scanning all of it. Yeah, I don’t work here.” (23:21)

On Passing Notes

• “This is not about you...Get out of here.”
  – Danielle Fishel (42:50/42:58, about teachers reading intercepted notes)

On Growing Up and Outwitting Parents

• “My mom would call that [the time phone number]…and she'd say, all I'm gonna do when I get home is hit redial and make sure it's the last number I called.”
  – Danielle Fishel (62:36)

On Pole Dancing and Trying New Things

• “You can do it. You don’t have to take off your clothes... You could just, like, move your body and, like, climb up a pole and be like, I'm strong.”
  – Nicole Byer (66:07)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:08] Show/guest intro & premise
• [06:23] Both hosts’ early personalities—talkative & inquisitive
• [07:17] Hometown stories: boring suburb vs. Hollywood crime lore
• [10:14] Teenage hangouts and early weed-smoking
• [19:55] Clique nicknames and high school friendships
• [23:07] Shoplifting stories & getting arrested in high school
• [32:43] Teachers’ predictions and school experiences
• [38:54] Nicole on self-confidence and unique fashion
• [41:15] School as a social, not academic, experience
• [44:37] Dances, parties, first time drinking
• [52:40] Sonic the Hedgehog, rediscovering comfort media
• [63:15] Pole dancing, Dancing with the Stars, and physical empowerment

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Overall Tone & Style

Lively, cheeky, and honest—with lots of friendly teasing and confessions, plenty of laughter, and heartwarming moments of nostalgia and self-reflection. Both Danielle and Nicole keep the conversation light even when tackling tricky subjects, making listeners feel like they’re trading secrets with old friends.

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Final Impression

This episode is a goldmine for fans of Nicole Byer, lovers of 90s/2000s teen nostalgia, and anyone who remembers the awkward, formative moments that shaped them (or just loves hearing great stories!). Nicole’s humor and candor make every story worthwhile, and the rapport between her and Danielle is infectious. The show delivers on its promise to use childhood memories as a roadmap for understanding—and laughing about—who we become.

Transcript

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[Danielle Fishel]

Wasn't that delicious? So good. Your bill, ladies.

[Nicole Byer]

I got it. No, I got it. Seriously, I insist. I assisted first. Oh, don't be silly. You don't be silly. People with the Wells Fargo Active Cash credit card prefer to pay because they

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Nicole Byer]

Okay. Rock paper scissors for it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rock, paper scissors.

[Nicole Byer]

Shoot.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Nicole Byer]

Visit Wells Fargo.comActiveCash terms apply.

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[Danielle Fishel]

Give me money for cigarettes.

[Nicole Byer]

I'll never leave your cookie bed. I stay the night and one night

[Danielle Fishel]

begin two or three years the kids

[Nicole Byer]

are not alright but that's okay cause

[Danielle Fishel]

no one here is take me Hello Teen Beaters. Oh, okay, no. Glad I said that out loud. That is not a good nickname for my listeners. Gonna have to workshop that one. In the meanwhile, I'm Danielle Fishel, podcaster, TV director, aspiring celebrity dancer, boy mom, and as mentioned in two different Lil Wayne songs, I played Topanga on the 90s family sitcom Boy Meets World. And if you did watch that show, you witnessed every awkward stage of my entire teenage existence. From 12 to 19 years old, from my first kiss to my first haircut, everything was documented and shoehorned into scripts, perfectly written to fit a 22 minute format, with the ultimate goal being its ability to sell things like toothpaste and luxury family vehicles. And so now, 30 years later, it's time to turn the tables on Teen Beat. I will sit down with interesting people who have accomplished interesting things, hoping that a look into their untelevised upbringings can help me get to know them better. Today I gave you my childhood. It's time we hear yours. And this week I'm living a bit on easy street because I'm sitting down with a guest, a Hall of fame podcaster if you ask me, who appears to enjoy being wildly honest and open when it comes to her childhood. While hosting podcasts like why won't you date me? Best Friends and Newcomers, listeners have heard pieces of her origin story with details rarely censored for embarrassment. And on tv, she's best known as the four time Emmy nominated Face of Nailed it, one of Netflix's most popular game shows of all time, pitting contestants against an unbeatable opponent, their own terrible baking skills. She's also appeared on Brooklyn Nine Nine, the Good Place, Transparent and the Simpsons, and her 2021 comedy special BBW Big Beautiful Weirdo is available now on Netflix. And for Those keeping score at home is also Emmy nominated. Her confident approach to comedy has helped her become one of the most exciting voices in the field. But today, when she sits down with me, we're gonna focus on those more awkward, less assured moments that everyone, even those with multiple Emmy nominations, can never avoid. So welcome to Teen Beat. My larger than life guest this week, the hilarious Nicole Byer.

[Nicole Byer]

Thank you. That's a lovely intro. I was like, oh, my God, keep going.

[Danielle Fishel]

I want everyone to feel as. As spectacular as they are, especially you.

[Nicole Byer]

Well, thank you.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's truly an honor to have you here. I feel like I should have met you a million times because we have

[Nicole Byer]

mutual friends in common.

[Danielle Fishel]

I sure do. Many a mutual friends. And yet somehow we have never met. And you are podcast royalty, so I love just talking. Were you a talkative kid?

[Nicole Byer]

Always? Yeah, always. That's how I got into, like, acting and performing. I just talk so much, and my mom was like, how about you? Like, talk on stage, do the play, do anything? And I was like, okay, okay. But, yeah, I just. I love talking.

[Danielle Fishel]

As a kid, all my report cards said, we really enjoy her, but, boy, she doesn't like to stop talking. It was like a real sign from the time I was young, same.

[Nicole Byer]

I also was very nosy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh.

[Nicole Byer]

I was in people's business. I was like, what are you drawing? What's going on? What are you doing? Where are you going? And I'm still very nosy. As an adult, I feel like that's

[Danielle Fishel]

a good quality to have. When we call it nosy, it doesn't sound as great. But when you call it inquisitive.

[Nicole Byer]

Inquisitive. Curious.

[Danielle Fishel]

Curious.

[Nicole Byer]

Wants to discover the world.

[Danielle Fishel]

So interested in others and their story. Okay, I want to talk about hometowns.

[Nicole Byer]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

What is the craziest thing that happened in your hometown growing up? Like, what's the lore in Middletown Township, New Jersey?

[Nicole Byer]

I don't know if we have lore. It is. It's truly like a very, very small, boring town.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Nicole Byer]

Because I grew up in Lincol, which is in Middletown Township, which is even smaller than Middletown. But in high school, a kid was driving and a deer jumped through his windshield, which is pretty crazy. And I don't know if he came to school. It's so funny that I'm like, no, I don't think he came. He didn't show up. He was absent. Yeah, a deer jumped through his windshield.

[Danielle Fishel]

You wanted him to just walk in. Guys, sorry I'm late.

[Nicole Byer]

The craziest thing happened.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my God.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah, I just remember People talking about it in school, and I was like, oh, my God. Yeah. But I think that's maybe the craziest thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

That sounds like the craziest thing to. Was he injured?

[Nicole Byer]

I don't remember him being injured.

[Danielle Fishel]

He just got a free absent day. Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

And nobody ever gave me a free absent day.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. No. You could have staged a deer.

[Nicole Byer]

Imagine I'm like dragging a deer just a week later. Me, too. Oh, my God. Is that crazy?

[Danielle Fishel]

You'll never believe. At my school, the kids from Alpha Dog, you know the Jesse James Hollywood guy? He was a successful drug dealer. He went to my school.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Someone owed him like, fifteen hundred dollars.

[Nicole Byer]

Wait, Jesse James?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, Jesse James Hollywood.

[Nicole Byer]

Who did it? Sandra Bullock?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, that's a different guy.

[Nicole Byer]

That's a tattoo artist, maybe, or auto mechanic. Oh, my God. I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, no.

[Nicole Byer]

Sandra B. What'd you do?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know. But that guy had a similar name. Right, but you know Justin, the movie Justin Timberlake did about the drug dealer who. A kid owed him, like, $1,200 or something, and when he didn't get it, he hired two other young kids to go kill the kid, and then they turned it into a movie. That guy went to my school.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, that's wild.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's like lore. Lore.

[Nicole Byer]

That's truly. Truly. I didn't see that movie because this will sound really mean, but when Justin Timberlake decided to act, I said, I don't believe this.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

You're like, no, thanks, and I don't support it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Stick to what you do best, sir. Yeah. You know what? I'm not opposed to that.

[Nicole Byer]

He did make one movie that I really liked. It's called In Time or something, where time is literal money. It really felt like an elevator pitch where they're like, what if time was actually money? And they were like, write it up. And there was no other thoughts behind it. It's really funny.

[Danielle Fishel]

He also. The name of his production company or the. His mom had is Just In Time.

[Nicole Byer]

I'm like, he's got a lot of time. I don't like it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Also, the Menendez brothers went to my high school.

[Nicole Byer]

Wow. Yeah, I.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's. It was a great. Time's busy.

[Nicole Byer]

Damn.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And the Bling Ring.

[Nicole Byer]

Well. Did you grow up in California?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. It's crazy out here.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Makes sense.

[Nicole Byer]

Interesting. People end up here. People flee from Middletown, New Jersey. They're like, I can't stay here. It's so boring. It's so boring.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, I mean, did you enjoy It. Did you have anything fun that you like to do there? Where were your hangouts? Who were your friends? What did you do on the weekends?

[Nicole Byer]

I smoked a lot of weed out of a honey bear bong that my friend fashioned out of, like, a honey container. Yeah?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

The little bears in the plays. After the plays, we'd go to Chili's. Truly boring stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that does sound pretty boring. But I do love a Chili's.

[Nicole Byer]

I love Chili's.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I like.

[Nicole Byer]

Have you been to the Chili's in Encino?

[Danielle Fishel]

No. Is it special?

[Nicole Byer]

It is always packed. Really? Every time I've gone, I've had to wait a half hour for a table and look at Chili's.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know that Chili's is worth waiting a half an hour for.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes. Have you ever had this skillet queso?

[Danielle Fishel]

No. No, but that.

[Nicole Byer]

It's really good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. I do love queso. I mean, you got me with skillet queso. Anything in a skillet. I'm into, like, a pizookie.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, my God. BJ's.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ugh.

[Nicole Byer]

They broke the mold when they made a pizookie.

[Danielle Fishel]

They really did. Just no other dessert.

[Nicole Byer]

Well, that's it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I also love a butter cake from cpk.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, that's nice.

[Danielle Fishel]

Warm with ice cream.

[Nicole Byer]

Very, very warm. They also have a. Like, an apple cobbler with crunchems on top. I don't know how to describe it other than a crunch. Em.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's great. It's like. What do they call that? Crumble. Like a crumble crunch.

[Nicole Byer]

Yum. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I'm hungry. Which is why I realized I did a full detour into. Into school. Okay. I do have one small concern about your high school. You attended Middletown High South.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I am pretty sure you had a real strong GR on being the most famous alumni. But now I'm a little worried about Olivia Nuzzi, the journalist who allegedly had an affair with RFK Jr. She went to your high school.

[Nicole Byer]

When did she graduate?

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm not sure. I didn't do that research.

[Nicole Byer]

Having an affair with RFK is psychotic.

[Danielle Fishel]

Psychotic.

[Nicole Byer]

Like, imagine that man being like, I'm in you.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Hello.

[Nicole Byer]

Are you gonna come?

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, God.

[Nicole Byer]

Do you want me to hit it from behind? Oh, no. Yuck. Y. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. I okay. Your way to the top, I'm sure. Go for it. But that man is disgusting.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, there are quite a few real disgusting men in power.

[Nicole Byer]

He looks like an old coach bag. Like, he's so nasty to me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, you know what? I think? Even I think There are worse brands than Coach. We could go with pretty sure.

[Nicole Byer]

Well, I use Coach because they're pretty durable. So if you ever see, like, a real beat up one, they are beat up.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's true. That's true.

[Nicole Byer]

You still carry it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Anyway, I'm worried that your crown may be snatched, so we're. We're going to have to just. We're going have to do something about that. Did you have, like, a celebrity hero growing up? Somebody you looked up to, admired their career?

[Nicole Byer]

That's a good question. Nobody told me I could be an actor until, like, junior or senior year of high school. Like, it wasn't a thing that I was like, oh, I can do that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Nicole Byer]

But, like, I guess once I. Once I really thought about it, I mean, I loved Monique on the Parker. Yeah, I loved. Oh, God, I'm trying to. Oh, I loved A Different World. A Different World was great. I loved Living Single. Living Single was.

[Danielle Fishel]

Living Single is a great show.

[Nicole Byer]

It's a perfect show. I love it so much. And then the movie, I loved them. I. Oh, Whoopi Goldberg. This is wild. It took me so long to get there because my favorite movie is Ghost. I think it's a rom com. People disagree and say it's a thriller. And I'm like, yeah, but it's really funny and there's a romance.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

I actually agree with you.

[Nicole Byer]

Right. Every moment will be Goldberg is in. Is just so deeply funny to me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Nicole Byer]

Sister act was another favorite one. My Cousin Vinny. I love Marisa Tomei in it. Coming to America with Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. That's such a good movie. Yes. Whoopi Goldberg.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, Whoopi Goldberg. That makes sense. I can see the comedy inspiration there. My kids really love John Cena, who I know you worked with.

[Nicole Byer]

He's the best.

[Danielle Fishel]

You co hosted the reboot of Wipeout with him. He seems like he's the best, and my kids think he's the greatest thing ever.

[Nicole Byer]

He's so deeply funny. He's a very funny man. He also has zero ego. Like, he'll take a line read from a producer. Like, he's just. He'll, like, he. He's there to service the, like, the greater good, if you will. Like the show, the product. Like, he's like, I'm just a vessel to relay what the joke that you want to relay. He also is very inquisitive, and he also remembers names. You remember crew members names. Like, he was just so wonderful. Yeah. He's just a kind, kind person.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love Those stories, I feel like the more we can talk about those stories and highlight the people who, you know, have good reputations. Oh, the bad week because we hear so many.

[Nicole Byer]

But I love hearing about naughty people. I love a misbehaving adult. Like, I love it so much. I'll tell you, John Cena truly changed my perspective on like, being in the public eye. Like, I didn't love taking pictures with people and I always found it to be really awkward. And he was like, if somebody wants a picture with you, what does that do to you? How does that take away from your day? Don't you get to continue it after? He's like, if that's. If someone is so excited to meet you, why wouldn't you make their day? And I was like, oh my God. Yeah, right? You're so right. Why am I being so weird about it?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's sweet. I think one of the things that makes me feel weird about people when, when I do feel weird about it is always that my first thought is about whether or, or not it's bothering the people I'm with. My first thoughts always like, sorry, I. I'm the worst. You probably don't want to invite me to anything ever again. Right? Like, I've ruined this for you. It's your birthday and people are coming up and asking me for a picture. Like, I, I suck. Right? That's always my first thought. But he's, he's right. I mean, what a, what an honor that people actually care enough.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes. And then I really had to think about. I'm like, who am I doing jokes for? What am I trying to like, if somebody likes it, then that's, that's why I'm doing it. That's the whole purpose.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's the point of it.

[Nicole Byer]

That's great.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public,.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

[Bowen Yang]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Who were your friends growing up what were your friends like? Did you. Were you in a clique?

[Nicole Byer]

Yes. So I don't know if you did this growing up. So our clique, like, took the first initial of our names and made, like, names for ourselves.

[Danielle Fishel]

You had a clique nickname?

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah, it was CK Len. And then there was. There was another one because I was in two clicks and I can't remember the second one, but CK1 I'll always remember because that was, like, my core group of friends.

[Danielle Fishel]

And what did you guys do? We hung out at each other's houses.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah, we had a lot of slumber parties.

[Danielle Fishel]

So fun.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah. We were just, like, some girls were closer than others, but, like, we were all, like, pretty close. Like, Kristen, one of the K's, lived down the street from me. Okay. So we would hang out all the time. Let's see if I can remember. Caitlin, that was C. Kristen. Kristen, Kim, Len, Liz, E. Emma, and then me.

[Danielle Fishel]

How fun. Are you in touch with any of them today?

[Nicole Byer]

Yes. So like, we follow each other on Instagram. And then Kristin got married in Ireland, and there was a reunion, but I ended up having to work, so I didn't make it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, but everyone else was there.

[Nicole Byer]

Everyone but Caitlyn.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. And you.

[Nicole Byer]

Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

And me. That's so fun. I also had a little bit of a clique. I think of it as being like, there were two kind of larger groups of popular girls, and one was, like, the naughty group of popular girls, and the other one was like, the Real Squares. I was part of the Real Squares.

[Nicole Byer]

Did you go to school with other actors? Like, was it special or.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, it was Calabasas High. So some, you know, there were other kids there that had parents in the industry or they themselves acted like at some point. Gabby Hoffman ended my senior year. I think Gabby was there, but I don't necessarily remember Gabby being there all four years I was there. Vanessa Evigan, whose dad, Greg Evigan, from My Two Dads, she went there, but otherwise it was a big. Just normal high school. And I'm still friends with all of those. Still my core group of girlfriends.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, I love that.

[Danielle Fishel]

And very similarly, everybody had. It was like the buddy system. Everybody had their best friend in the group, but we were all still a group. And still to this day, there are like three or four of them I talk to, if not daily, weekly. And then as the larger group of 12 to 15 of us, we get together whenever we can.

[Nicole Byer]

I love that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, it's. It's really nice to have friendships that really formed before.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes. Careers started, like, People who knew you before. Yeah. My best friend I made as an adult. Her name's Sasheer. But we started our friendship before either of us started working. We were just doing comedy in New York, and it really is nice to have someone who's like, I don't know. We've just hit milestones almost at the same time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

So it's just like, we get each other.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. And someone who can look at you and really be like, I. You know, that shared history, knowing your family, the shorthand, not having to explain, like, who you are. What is the most amount of trouble you ever got into? Like, in high school.

[Nicole Byer]

Ooh, in high school? Was I still in high school? I got arrested at Old Navy, which is crazy because they, like, pay you to take the clothes. But I love shoplifting. Still love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay. Have to. Have to. I'm assuming you have to force yourself to not do it.

[Nicole Byer]

No, I still do it. If I go to gel, since I'm taking a treat. If there's a self checkout, I'm not scanning all of it. Yeah, I don't work here. Also, Gelson's is so expensive.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Nicole Byer]

There was grapes I wanted, and they were $50. Are you kidding? But they went on sale for 14. Still too expensive. They're K grapes. They're from Korea.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. K Beauty has now crossed over into K food. Okay. We have K Pop, K Beauty, K Fruit, K Fruit. Okay.

[Nicole Byer]

But I think it was the summer in between my junior and senior year. No, it was senior year because my mom had passed away already. So I used to play a game with my friends. Nick and John called grandma, what's in your bag? Meaning we would get back into Nick's car, and they go, grandma, what's in your bag? And I'd pull it off stuff.

[Bowen Yang]

I still.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Nicole Byer]

So I was in Old Navy. I think I was by myself. And, yeah, I was by myself. And I was just, like, doing my thing, taking things. And then I got stopped, and I was like, oh, no. And then I was being not cooperative.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right, right.

[Nicole Byer]

And I got them to say that they would release me to anyone over the age of 18. So I called my friend Caitlin, and I was like, can your older sister Courtney pick me up? And she was like, we're on our way. So then Courtney, they're also white. So they were like, these aren't your parents.

[Danielle Fishel]

These are.

[Nicole Byer]

They're very young. Like, one is 15, the other is 21. Like, what? So, yeah, she was able to sign me out of Old jail.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, so I have so many questions. It was Old Navy jail. It was like an Old Navy security guard or. It was.

[Nicole Byer]

It was. I think it was like a secret shopper. It was police. Police. And they just, like, held me in the back. But Macy's in Herald Square has an actual jail underneath the Macy's. And I know that because I was arrested.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because you were arrested there. What were you trying to take from Macy's?

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, a thousand dollars is grand larceny. And it was about $900.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you know going into it that a thousand dollars was grand larceny?

[Nicole Byer]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Nicole Byer]

I was just very, very lucky that I was stealing things on sale.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Nicole Byer]

You're a frugal. Yeah. Even. Even when I'm not paying, I'm like, well, I need to get a deal.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. I want to deal on this. As I think about the things I stole from the jail downstairs, I love that you were not being cooperative because I too, also really had a mouth on me anytime I had to deal with authority.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah. There's times where I've been pulled over where I'm like, you should have brought me to jail. I was being so rude.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep. Yep. I had a police officer once say to me, I literally ran from him as a teen. I ran and he said, stop running or I will make this an on site arrest. And I spun around and I looked at him and I said, aren't all arrests on site?

[Nicole Byer]

Funny, because you're right.

[Danielle Fishel]

But, like, not the time.

[Nicole Byer]

Not the time at all.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not the time to be a smart ass. But I just love it. And now I wouldn't do that. I don't know what happened. Did I.

[Nicole Byer]

Did I.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is there, like a part of me, should I try to get that back? Because I would never. Now, Now I would be. I don't know if it's kids or just being mature.

[Nicole Byer]

It's being an adult going, today's not the day I die.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. I don't want to die on this hill. No.

[Nicole Byer]

And when you're like a teen, you're like, I don't know. I'll never die.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Nicole Byer]

And you truly just do whatever you want. Yeah. Now I don't. I think I would be more cooperative. Yeah. But, yeah, I. I wasn't cooperative then. I remember I once got pulled over. This was in my early 20s. Or no, maybe I was like 25 because it was here. And I had dealer plates on my little Honda Civic for four years. Oh, no. This was my next car. I had a little BMW, a little one series. I Kept the dealer plates on for four years. And I got pulled over and he was like, why don't you have plates on? And I was like, I don't know. Will you tell me truly? And then he was like, I should. Like, I don't. He said something to me and I was like, guess what? I'll fix it. And he was like, don't say guess what. And I was like, oh, now you're gonna tell me how to talk? You're gonna police me talking? And it's like, what?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. I was exactly.

[Nicole Byer]

I was in the wrong 100.

[Danielle Fishel]

100. I got pulled over once for tinted front windows.

[Nicole Byer]

Really?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. They don't really do that as much anymore, but it used to be a big deal. Mine were like completely blacked out. And I rolled down my window and the guy was talking to me and it was like halfway down, halfway up. And at some point he just stuck his hand into my car. Which by the way, feels a little aggressive.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

But he took his fingernail and he swiped it down the tint to make a point to me that this type of tint is illegal. And in his mind, he was writing me a ticket anyway and I was gonna have to have it taken off, but I never had any intention of taking it off. So when he did that, that royally ticked me off because now I have a scratch on my thing. And so I like looked up at him and I was like, hey, don't do. And I fully freaked out at him and he jumped and everything at the fact that I like screamed at him. And in hindsight I'm like, what? What? Or what was I thinking? Like, just take the ticket and go about your day.

[Nicole Byer]

But also, he shouldn't have with your car. Just because you're an authority figure doesn't mean you get to with people.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're right. I take it back. I'm so happy I said something.

[Nicole Byer]

It's like, just take the. It's. It's such a weird thing where you have to choose. You have to pick your battles.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. I don't know. I still. I probably should have been more scared than I was.

[Nicole Byer]

But no, be fearless.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index, and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

[Bowen Yang]

is Bowen Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. We all know the feeling when life gets really busy. Taking care of yourself can feel impossible. That's why Premier Protein shakes are my go to. They have 30 grams of protein, 160 calories, no added sugar, and they taste amazing. So they're a healthy choice you'll actually want to make. It's not just for fitness, it's for getting after life. The 30 grams of protein gives you the fuel you need. It's not just for intense gym sessions, it's just for life. With the wide variety of flavors from cafe latte to cake batter, it never feels boring. There's a flavor for everyone. I personally love the peaches and cream, but maybe you're a root beer floater cinnamon roll kind of person. Premier Protein powers me to say yes to more. Find your favorite [e-mail] that's P R E M I E R protein.com or at Amazon, Walmart and other major retailers.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think when you're diagnosed with cancer, you crave a semblance of normalcy and control.

[Nicole Byer]

And so work allowed me to be me. So I think it's really important that companies stay flexible. Cancer in a diagnosis can be all consuming, but it doesn't have to be.

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[Nicole Byer]

for healing, learn more and sign the

[Danielle Fishel]

[e-mail] this episode is brought to you

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[Danielle Fishel]

What do you think your teachers. If you could interview a teacher of yours right now, what do you think your teachers would say? They would have predicted that you would have done with your future.

[Nicole Byer]

Hmm. I don't think any of them would be surprised.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Nicole Byer]

I really don't. Because I, I, I was truly so loud. I talk so much. Um, yeah, I don't think they'd be surprised at all.

[Danielle Fishel]

None of mine would be either. Not one little bit. I had a science teacher actually say to me once, danielle, stop talking. Pay attention. There's no world where you're going to talk for a living.

[Nicole Byer]

Who had the last laugh? This is a podcast.

[Danielle Fishel]

Talking, I mean, pays the bills. Who would have known? Some might say he saw the future.

[Nicole Byer]

Wait, I'm trying to think. Mrs. Hudsinski, my third grade teacher, she'd probably be surprised because she just didn't like me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

She'd be like, wow, people like her. She was so mean to me for. Also, I'm like, don't be a teacher if you're gonna have biases against children.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. Yeah. That science teacher did not like me.

[Nicole Byer]

And that's. It's like, I have to be here.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

Also, if you don't like me, it's third grade. Switch classes, have me move. You're the adult. She sucked every morning. I'd be like, I have a tummy ache. Yeah. My mother be like, you don't. I'd be like, you're right. Then I'd, like, go to the nurse and be like, I got a tummy ache. Do you believe me? Go back to class. And you're like, oh, my God. With this lady.

[Danielle Fishel]

And she was your. What period did you.

[Nicole Byer]

Third grade teacher.

[Danielle Fishel]

Third grade teacher.

[Nicole Byer]

She was. You had her so mean all day. All day. I remember she had a black bob.

[Danielle Fishel]

It just sounds awful.

[Nicole Byer]

She, she was an old, old. But My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Laboch. Oh, my God. I really remember these people's names. She was old as. And she didn't like me either.

[Danielle Fishel]

I. I also swear I had an old kindergarten teacher. My mom swears she was in her 40s there.

[Nicole Byer]

As a child. You're like, 40s near death, maybe.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. It's true. And now in my 40s, I'm like, 40s near death. But I do. I do think that she was older than my mom remembers, because when I look at a picture of her, she's got a full pixie cut, and it's gray. Absolutely. It's all gray.

[Nicole Byer]

And I'm like.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, I think she's older than.

[Nicole Byer]

Probably.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I don't remember whether or not she was nice or whether she was mean. I just remember thinking.

[Nicole Byer]

I remember all of my elementary school teachers. First grade, I think that was Mrs. Rooney.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, you really do remember all their names.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah. Fourth grade was Mrs. Gizzy. She got married halfway through and became Mrs. Rosado. I was so excited to be in her class. And then she was A to me, too. What?

[Danielle Fishel]

Why did you have so many mean teachers?

[Nicole Byer]

Because I talked to so.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right. You were a distraction.

[Nicole Byer]

And I had ADHD. And I'll never forget, in fourth grade, Ms. Gizzy gave us a math test. And I'm not great at math, but I am okay at, like, looking at numbers and guessing and working backwards. And then she was like, you cheated. And I was like, I didn't cheat. So then she made me take the test again outside. I did the same thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

And then she, like, had a conference with my mom. My mom was like, I don't know. Like, you just said you didn't cheat. You did it again. You didn't cheat. You're fine. I was like, okay. But she was just, like, mean to me the rest of the year.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think, especially with math, anytime you can get to the correct answer. I don't.

[Nicole Byer]

You.

[Danielle Fishel]

How dare you tell me I have to use your formula to get to the right answer. It's a quiz or a test. You asked me for the answer. I gave it to you. I'm able to show my work, even if it's not the way you want it to be.

[Nicole Byer]

That's how I feel.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

I was doing new math before they started teaching it. New math does not make sense.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, it does not. My kids are in it now how

[Nicole Byer]

my brain works where it's like, oh, just imagine that without that number, then you do the math, and then you add that number. Like, it doesn't make sense. Don't teach children that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. But if it. It's how your brain works.

[Nicole Byer]

So it's like, whatever. Yeah, don't. I don't know. The way they teach kids now is so crazy to me.

[Danielle Fishel]

I. I know. My son comes home. He's only in first grade. I did not expect to feel dumb in only first grade. But he comes home with literacy homework and math homework, and I'm like, what am I supposed to. It's like, cover up the word here, show them only the last letter, have them work on the sight word. I'm like, what? What are we doing? And then factor families.

[Nicole Byer]

What is that?

[Danielle Fishel]

It's kind of, I think, part of new math, but I don't really know. But like, oh, 17. And then it's got two lines off of it. Now you have to break up all the different ways you can get to 17 calling. So, like, you know, 10 and 7, 9 and 8. And now you have to do all these factor families. It's a lot.

[Nicole Byer]

Well, that's great. That's the first. That's only first grade. Factor families is useless.

[Danielle Fishel]

It feels like busy work.

[Nicole Byer]

I heard they don't teach phonetics anymore, like, sounding out words.

[Danielle Fishel]

My son is sounding out words. So at least out here they're still doing that. He. But, you know, he's. We read a book last night where the names of the characters in the books were twig, tint, and drop. They were paint brushes, to be fair. But he.

[Nicole Byer]

I was like, who are these children? Yeah, exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

But so he's like. And I was like, no, let's try it again.

[Nicole Byer]

What an icon to be right there and go, I'm.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Go this way.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm going to do it. I'm going to do it. Same thing. Tint, T, I n taunt. Oh, so close.

[Nicole Byer]

I love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

So close. Let's practice our vowel sounds. Let's go back to vowel sounds. And so, yeah, I tried to be very patient, and that didn't last very

[Nicole Byer]

long, I don't think. I think that's why I can't have kids. I'm not patient at all. Be like, why don't you get it? It's like they just got exactly. Justin, I have to teach you.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'll never forget right after we had Adler and you have this brand new baby. And Jensen looked at me one day and he goes, oh, my gosh. Someday I'm going to have to explain to him what rain is. It was like this deep moment that he realized, like, he will know nothing, not even what rain is.

[Nicole Byer]

See, that's sweet.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, it's cute. And then literally One day, Adler was, what is rain? And Jen looked at me.

[Nicole Byer]

He's like, my moment has arrived. There it is. And I didn't study it.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know, something. Moisture from clouds. And like the sky is crying.

[Nicole Byer]

I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's like, I've had. I've had three years. I didn't learn it. This is terrible. We're terrible parents. One of the things that stands out to me, watching your stand up, is your confidence. It's beautiful. Were you always a confident person?

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yes. I love it.

[Nicole Byer]

You simply couldn't tell me anything. I. Yeah, I. I also, I think it was middle school. It might have been eighth grade. I, like, get things in my brain and I'm like, this is what I need. And I remember 8th grade. My mother was like, what do you want for Christmas? And I was like, an oatmeal colored sweater and dark flares. I don't. It wasn't like, in style. I had never seen it on anybody, but I think I saw it in the store and I was like, that's the sweater I want and I want those dark flares. I don't know. And then I. I wore it to school and I never felt better. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

You just knew you had like.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

A real knowing about yourself.

[Nicole Byer]

But. Yeah, I've always had just. I would just do things. Like when I did the. The first play I ever did was a junior year. At no point was I like, I'm gonna fail. Which is crazy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Crazy thought.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

That you had. No, that was like, well, obviously I'm gonna nail it.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah. And then when I did track and field in high school, I did shot put, which is the fat girl sport. They see a fatty and they go, you could thr. Literally. What happened? We were in like, gym class. Mr. Haynes, I really liked him. He was like, I think you might be strong. And I was like, okay. He was like, go down today after school. Talk to. What was his name? Carl something. Who is the coach? Torsha.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Shout out to these teachers from Middletown.

[Nicole Byer]

But he was like, go talk to him and see if he can, like, show you how to throw a shot put. And I was like, okay. And then I did it and I was like, good at it. And I was like, great. Yeah, that's what I'll do now.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love this. I'm an athlete.

[Nicole Byer]

And then I was like, and I simply won't practice. I'll just be good.

[Danielle Fishel]

And. Is that what you did?

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah, I was pretty good. I could have been a state champ. Had I practiced. That's what he kept saying. He was like, why won't you practice? I was like.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, so in general, the entire way I felt about education in high school was without working nearly at all. I can get an occasional A, mostly Bs, and an occasional C. I mean, I'm fine with that.

[Nicole Byer]

Same.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't need to be a straight A student. What is that gonna do for me?

[Nicole Byer]

Nothing.

[Danielle Fishel]

So if you can be pretty darn good athlete but not state champ, I mean.

[Nicole Byer]

I mean, I got to go to track meets. I hung out. I had fun. I had a great time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Nicole Byer]

I didn't go to high school to learn. I went to make friends.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, okay.

[Nicole Byer]

The opposite of someone on a reality show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Same. Did you have any crushes?

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, my God. Were you all about boy crazy? Same boy, boy, boy crazy. There was Keith, Matt, that was in elementary school. Middle school was this kid named Joe. High school was this kid named Mark. I loved Mark.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was Mark your same grade?

[Nicole Byer]

No. Mark was, I think, was a junior when I was a freshman or was a senior when I was a freshman. I don't remember, but I loved Mark. And in the hallway, I would just be like, hi, Mark. And then Mark had a girlfriend, and I simply didn't care.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, don't care. Break up with your girlfriend on board.

[Nicole Byer]

He never broke up with this girlfriend, but he would entertain me. He'd be like, hey, Nicole.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Mark, there's something about that freshman year of high school where there are so many new boys to your eyes. Yes.

[Nicole Byer]

And they look old.

[Danielle Fishel]

They look old. And you're like, we are peers now.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes. It's like, these are men.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. I remember thinking life was never going to get better than my freshman year of high school for that reason. Just great. And passing notes. Did you pass notes?

[Nicole Byer]

I pass notes all the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

Again, I didn't go to learn. I went to socialize and have a nice time. Yeah. I would pass notes all the time. There's this girl called. What was her name? She was really short. We would pass notes all the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

And then I had this one teacher who would, like, always intercept the note, and then he would read them, and then he'd talk to us about it. And I'd be like, well, get out of the gossip.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. This is not about you.

[Nicole Byer]

This isn't about you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Get out of here. I used to leave notes in my friend's lockers. You know, like. Like, I would leave notes also, like, the guy I liked as a freshman was Jeff. Jeff was a senior. And he had a car.

[Nicole Byer]

See, that's nice.

[Danielle Fishel]

So I would, like, sneak into the parking lot and leave a note on his car. And then he would always write me back overnight and give me a note the next morning. And it was just something.

[Nicole Byer]

It was never reciprocated for me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, Mark and his darn girlfriend. I wonder if they got married.

[Nicole Byer]

I don't know. I don't even know where he is now.

[Danielle Fishel]

Have you ever looked up any of your crushes?

[Nicole Byer]

I've looked him up. I looked him up a couple years ago. Mark, I think. I'm pretty sure he's married.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Nicole Byer]

And then mad. I haven't. Keith's mom DMs me on Instagram a lot.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's cute.

[Nicole Byer]

She's always like, middletown's proud of you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, isn't that sweet?

[Nicole Byer]

It is very, very sweet.

[Danielle Fishel]

What happened to Keith? Where's Keith?

[Nicole Byer]

I don't know. I haven't asked. Where's Keith?

[Danielle Fishel]

You gotta ask? That's it. I mean, for an inquisitive person, you gotta know.

[Nicole Byer]

What if he's, like, dead? Yeah, well, that'd be sad. She was like, oh, I was having a good day.

[Danielle Fishel]

Valid. But also, maybe it would make her feel good that you maybe remember him and think. Especially if you said, like, always think so fondly of Keith. What's he up to these days?

[Nicole Byer]

I don't know.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know why I'm being so nosy.

[Nicole Byer]

I don't know. Mike Lindy. That's another one. I remember that first and last name. He was so cute. Oh, my God, there were so many cuties.

[Danielle Fishel]

I have only recently thought, oh, my gosh, I should look up some of these people. And it. Yeah, it's not always. It's not always good. Did you go to any school dances?

[Nicole Byer]

I went to homecoming dances. I didn't go to either of my proms.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Why?

[Nicole Byer]

I simply wasn't interested.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, I didn't care.

[Nicole Byer]

Well, because the boys didn't reciprocate.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Nicole Byer]

And then I hated the idea of going with just my girlfriends.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Nicole Byer]

Which now is so silly.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Nicole Byer]

But I just, like, went to the after parties after.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's cool. You were cool. I wasn't cool enough to even go to. I didn't even know there were after parties. I just went to, like, all the basic bitch dances. But I lived for them. As a person who was only in school for that occasion. I thought the dances were great. Did you ever go in a. Did you go in a limo to homecoming?

[Nicole Byer]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Nicole Byer]

No. My parents would Never spend money like that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. I mean, a limo is weird. I don't know why kids go in limos to things.

[Nicole Byer]

I don't hate it. I wish limos would come back. I think it's really sad that people are driven around in, like, suburbans and Escalades. Bring back limos.

[Danielle Fishel]

I didn't even think about the fact that I don't know when the last time was that I even saw a limo. Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

It's a dying breed, and I don't like it. I'm losing the whimsy of the world.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're right.

[Nicole Byer]

Like, it's like someone was like, what if cars were longer and then they made them?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Nicole Byer]

And then they were like, we don't want long, Carson.

[Danielle Fishel]

We don't want those anymore. Now we just want tall cars.

[Nicole Byer]

Well, yeah, they're getting taller.

[Danielle Fishel]

They're getting taller, but they're not getting longer.

[Nicole Byer]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

I took Lance Bass to my prom.

[Nicole Byer]

Really? That's so funny.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was. It was really, really very fun. Especially the part was he in.

[Nicole Byer]

He was in sync at the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

He was in. In sync at the time. And I was really thinking it was going to be the night that I was gonna lose my virginity, and he. He realized it was the night for sure. This was never gonna happen for him. Yeah. And he was like, let's watch the Green Mile. And. Yeah. He broke up with me shortly thereafter and then ended up coming out of the closet not that long after that.

[Nicole Byer]

Wow. Did that rock you a little bit?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Mostly because when he broke up with me, I was so devastated and couldn't imagine a world where there would ever be a time where we were not together. And the excuse for why we broke up made no sense. And I was just like, I don't get it. This came out of left field. And my mom said, do you think there's a chance that he is gay? And I was 100% convinced she only said that and thought that because he broke up with me. And I was like, mom,

[Nicole Byer]

you just not want to be with me. He was like, guess what? I'm gay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly. And then I'll say, how long did you date? Almost a year.

[Nicole Byer]

Really?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah. But I. It was the perfect relationship for me because I was as much as I was boy crazy. I didn't really want anybody touching me. I wanted to, like, kiss, but I didn't act. I was not.

[Nicole Byer]

And that's why it lasted for so long. She was like, I don't have to do anything.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't have to do anything. And she still likes me.

[Nicole Byer]

And she's my best friend.

[Danielle Fishel]

She's my best friend.

[Nicole Byer]

Gossiping gab. Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

And the public thinks I have a great. Yeah, exactly. No big deal. It was a real perfect relationship. At homecoming, did kids, did kids drink? Did you drink?

[Nicole Byer]

Not at the dance. After.

[Danielle Fishel]

At the after parties. Yeah, I was not cool enough to ever go to those, so I did not know what happened there. Again, I was a real square all through high school. School.

[Nicole Byer]

When did you drink for the first time?

[Danielle Fishel]

When I moved out of my parents house.

[Nicole Byer]

Really? Oh, yeah, I drink a lot in high school. I can't drink absolute vanilla anymore because I would drink that just like straight.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, wow. Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

And then I moved on to stole a raspberry, which I can't drink anymore. I drink that from like 19 to like 25. Oh, I smell it and I'm like, oh God.

[Danielle Fishel]

Even hearing you talk about it, I can smell it. I can also mine that's like, that is peach schnapps. When we went on our high school, you know, you graduate high school and you go somewhere, you like go on a trip.

[Nicole Byer]

I didn't do that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, well, there was like a high school graduating trip and they all went to, I think they went to Mexico. And my parents were like, you are not going with a group of high school students to Mexico.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh yeah, like Cancun or something.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, Exactly. And they were like, you're not doing that. But my best friend's family and my family did say, we'll pay to send you somewhere, just the two of you, where at least we.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, see, that's nice.

[Danielle Fishel]

It was really nice. It was very nice. So they sent us to the Bahamas alone. And we did not know anything about drinking because we did not drink through high school. So we did not know about mixing. We didn't know about what it took to get a buzz or to be drunk. We didn't know when to stop or what to start with. Ooh, wait, nothing.

[Nicole Byer]

Did you guys go like hard, hard?

[Danielle Fishel]

And we started with a Kahlua and milk. As everyone knows, a great base for alcohol is milk. Literally started with a Klua and milk and then went to shots of tequila. I think about four in a row. Just bam, bam, bam.

[Nicole Byer]

Stomach.

[Danielle Fishel]

Uh huh. And then shortly thereafter met up with some friends who were drinking directly from a bottle of peach schnapps and just drank peach schnapps. When I tell you that my best friend had to hold my head up because I was just vomiting in my sleep, she was like directing my head To a bucket.

[Nicole Byer]

It's a good friend.

[Danielle Fishel]

And all I can smell, taste anything, is peach schnapps.

[Nicole Byer]

Yuck.

[Danielle Fishel]

Never. I will. You will not. I don't drink at all anymore. Not for many, many years. But if I ever get a whiff of peach schnapps, it's just over for everyone.

[Nicole Byer]

Oof. Kahlua and milk and vodka. Is a White Russian. Yes, Yes, I do like a White Russian, but one, one, one.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, my God.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you have any horrible first time drinking stories, or were you just an expert right off the bat?

[Nicole Byer]

No, no, I was bad at it. I do remember it was, like, after a play, I drank maybe half a bottle of Absolute Vanilla and then passed out of my friend's floor and, like, woke up. It was a hardwood floor and just, like, woke up drooling on myself. And I was just like, oh. And everyone's like, you were so funny. And I was like, I bet I was. Simply don't remember a thing. But I didn't get, like, I wasn't on benders until, like, my 20s.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, right. Yeah, Got it.

[Nicole Byer]

But, yeah, in high school, I remember after the plays, we would. We get a little lit.

[Danielle Fishel]

I want to go back to you just for a second to pitch the idea that you write a Hallmark movie for yourself that is about you finding out what Keith's up to and going back to your small town, maybe to do a standup special or something. You heckle. Like, somebody heckles you, he fights Keith.

[Nicole Byer]

I mean, it's not a bad idea, but I simply will not be going back to Middletown, New Jersey.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Nicole Byer]

I did go back maybe, like, two years ago because I wanted to see what my old house looked like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

And then I was just in front of my old house, and I was like, do I knock on the door?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Hi. I used to live here.

[Nicole Byer]

I didn't do that.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, I just drove away.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, well, they changed the color. There's, like, that's. And I know it's like, you buy a house, you do what you want to it, but I was like, that's my home.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, how long ago was it your home? I believe it should be painted since 2008.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

So 17 years. Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

It should look different.

[Danielle Fishel]

It should probably at least have a refresh of the paint.

[Nicole Byer]

You know, I think they picked bad colors.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah. Then, you know you don't like them.

[Nicole Byer]

I want to pitch a show where I go to people's homes and I go, why'd you do this?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. What is this?

[Nicole Byer]

This is ugly. I Don't like it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Can I make a suggestion? Why? Explain it. I need.

[Nicole Byer]

I need.

[Danielle Fishel]

You need to back this up. Back this up, please. Your love for Sonic the Hedgehog has been well documented over the years. Was this an interest from your childhood or is this something you picked up later in life?

[Nicole Byer]

You know, great question. Okay. I played the Sega video games as a kid on the SEGA Genesis and then never thought about Sonic again until the movie came out. And I think it came out during the pandemic. I think. I don't remember. I just remember watching it on my floor and I started sobbing at one part because I was like, oh, my God. Sonic moves too fast to have, like, meaningful relationships.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my God.

[Nicole Byer]

Sometimes I feel like I move too fast. I am Sonic.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sonic is me.

[Nicole Byer]

And then I finished the movie and just started it again and watched it a second time and I was like. And I cried again.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh.

[Nicole Byer]

And then I was like, I just love Sonic. And then I like the second one and then the third one. Have you seen them?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Nicole Byer]

The third one takes a turn. It's very dark.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Nicole Byer]

It's like John Wick for kids.

[Danielle Fishel]

It is. That's the one with Shadow, right?

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Yes.

[Nicole Byer]

And they got John Wick to be Shadow. And I just. I really like them. I think it's such a fun franchise.

[Danielle Fishel]

I do, too. I love them and my kids love them. One thing I did not like is in Sonic 3 when Jim Carrey's character, Dr. Robotnik is caught off guard and he's like playing the bongos on his belly and they spin the chair around. We saw that in the preview before the movie actually came out, and my kids were like, thought it was the most hilarious thing they'd ever seen. And then about a week later, I was changing into my pajamas in front of my four year old, who was three at the time, and he went, Ha, Mommy. Like Dr. Robotnik. And started patting on his belly at the sight of me without my shirt on. And that's literally the only thing I think of when I think of Sonic 3 is that's really funny. My son telling me that I was Dr. Robotnik.

[Nicole Byer]

I think that's really funny. My friend's daughter, she was, I don't know, maybe like eight. And we were shopping and I was fully clothed and she pressed on my stomach and she went, ooh, a bouncy ball. And I was like, cool. And she went, did I tell a lie? And I was like, no, I guess you did it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh.

[Nicole Byer]

Then she said, it's okay if you're A bouncy ball as long as you're happy. And then she like cartwheeled away and I was like, wow, she gets it.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

She's like,

[Nicole Byer]

my gosh, she's so rude.

[Danielle Fishel]

So rude.

[Nicole Byer]

So rude. And yet also, she's still rude.

[Danielle Fishel]

I just love her.

[Nicole Byer]

She's very funny.

[Danielle Fishel]

She's like, listen, let's just call a spade a spade. Nothing wrong with it. Just.

[Nicole Byer]

I just said it. I felt it.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

I said it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yep.

[Nicole Byer]

Let's go.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you had to sell Sonic the Hedgehog over Mario the Brother in underdog position, what is your argument for my listeners?

[Nicole Byer]

Wait, what do you mean?

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, if you had to make an argument for why Sonic the Hedgehog is better. Better than Mario.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, sure. Sonic is. It's a real fantasy. He comes from outer space. He has lore. He has a backstory.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

Mario, he's a plumber.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. And a brother.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah. And has a brother. So like, okay, you have a brother probably. Or a sibling. Like, do you deserve.

[Danielle Fishel]

From space.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

You didn't come from space. You don't collect rings.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Super fast. I mean. Yeah. I don't even know why I consider that at the top to be an underdog position. I'm not really sure. There's. I guess you get. Mario gets to eat mushrooms and grow, but I'm not sure. I'm not sure any of that's better than what Sonic's got going for him.

[Nicole Byer]

Sonic gets to go really fast and turns into a little ball and goes even faster. I just think Sonic is deeply more interesting.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I agree. I think you've sold me.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor supply suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

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[Nicole Byer]

day to survive it and go to

[Danielle Fishel]

the next chemo round and the next chemo round.

[Nicole Byer]

So. So it's important that work was part of that to keep my mind busy for eight, nine hours. And then I had to go back and face the reality. I had a goal and the goal is to survive.

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Tell me about your teenage wardrobe. What were you wearing? I know you mentioned the camel sweater and the dark flares, but like, what was your go to style?

[Nicole Byer]

This is again the confidence I had. I was a redhead for a lot of my teens. Like burgundy red.

[Danielle Fishel]

I love that for you.

[Nicole Byer]

And I had at one point, like Dyed my hair with Kool Aid. And. And if you look under a microscope, it's like little sugar granules. Yeah, I think that's the word. And they're sharp, so it, like. Like, broke off my hair. So I then had to cut it very, very short. So then I had a very short Missy Elliott haircut, but it was, like, tinted burgundy. And then I would, like, dye pieces of hair and stick them in, but you could definitely see the tracks at all times.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was dyeing hair with Kool Aid like, a thing other people did, or did you just make that up?

[Nicole Byer]

I made it up.

[Sponsor/Announcer]

Up.

[Nicole Byer]

I don't think I'd ever heard it because I didn't have the Internet at the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Nicole Byer]

But I was just, like, making Kool Aid once because I hated water, and my parents set me up for failure by letting me drink Kool Aid for water. And I remember making it, and I was like, oh, it stained my hands. And I was like, probably dye my hair with that, because my mother wouldn't let me dye my hair. So I dyed it with the Koolaid.

[Danielle Fishel]

I found a loophole. So smart.

[Nicole Byer]

I would always find loopholes. I remember because we had, like, a decent backyard, and I was like, can we have a pool? My mom was like, you know what? I'll think about it. That might be nice. And then she spent, like, a week thinking about it, and she said, we're not gonna get a pool. And I was like, why? And she said, because I would say, don't go out there alone. And I know I'd find you out there alone, but. Go, Mom. My stuffed animals are out here, so technically, I'm not alone. I was like, you got me. You.

[Danielle Fishel]

You got me.

[Nicole Byer]

I would definitely say that your mom knew you well. Oh, well. She used to say, there's nothing you can do that can surprise me. And I was like, I know that's to deter me from acting poorly, but that's a challenge.

[Danielle Fishel]

Feels like.

[Nicole Byer]

And I accept it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you ever do anything that really surprised her?

[Nicole Byer]

I was constantly doing things that I think surprised her, but she had a real poker face.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

She was like, come on, you haven't seen that one before.

[Danielle Fishel]

My mom used to say stuff like that to me too. You're never gonna outsmart me. Anything you think of doing, I have already done.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah. And I'm like, I don't think so.

[Danielle Fishel]

One of the things. This is such a dumb thing, but one thing. My mom did that. Now as an adult, I'm like, that was so smart when she would ground Me, which I got grounded often. And when I got grounded, it meant I was not allowed to talk on the phone because of course, that's all I wanted to do.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk, talk. And so when she had to leave to go do something and I would be grounded. So I wasn't even allowed to like, go to the grocery store with her. No, you have to stay here. You can read your books, you can't listen to music, you can't watch tv, you can't talk on the phone. And you'd think, well, how's she gonna know you're talking on the phone? It's a landline. My mom would call the number to time. Do you remember that? You could call like 1-800-555-1742 or something. There was a number and it would tell you the universal time. The time is.

[Nicole Byer]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

Uh huh. So my mom. There was a number you could call. My mom would call that number that she knew I didn't know, and she'd say, all I'm gonna do when I get home is hit redial and make sure it's the last number I called.

[Nicole Byer]

Wow. Honestly, that's good.

[Danielle Fishel]

How smart.

[Nicole Byer]

That's good.

[Danielle Fishel]

So annoying. I couldn't get away with anything.

[Nicole Byer]

That sucks. But also, that's really good.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. I just aspire to be like my mother.

[Nicole Byer]

My God.

[Danielle Fishel]

I would like to manifest something for you.

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know you post your pole dancing clips on Instagram.

[Nicole Byer]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

What about Nicole Byer, Dancing with the Stars?

[Nicole Byer]

Okay, here's the thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Nicole Byer]

It seems really hard. It's hard and it seems so I pole dance and then when I'm tired, I go, all done. But I feel like when you're dancing for a TV show, they go, you're not all done. You have to keep rehearsing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

And then that kind of with like my vibe, with like having fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Well, here's the thing. Thing. Here's what I'll tell you. They. They give you four hours a day to rehearse, seven days a week. And then as you progress, it becomes five hours a day and it becomes six hours a day. And then when you need or want extra time, you just go to a different studio and rehearse elsewhere. However, they truly will let you do whatever you want to do. You only want to work out for. You only want to work on it for two hours.

[Nicole Byer]

But then I'll be bad.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. That's. That is so. It's the catch. 22 is just how Badly. Do you want it? But I was shocked at how much I loved it and really shocked.

[Nicole Byer]

What's your favorite genre of duns?

[Danielle Fishel]

I fell in love with all of the traditional ballrooms.

[Bowen Yang]

Oh, really?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. I did not like the Latins as much as I thought for sure. I was gonna go in there and be like, oh, I'm the headlamps.

[Nicole Byer]

Real loose hips, and, like, real liquid movement.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I'm a square. So I was very.

[Nicole Byer]

I love that you keep calling yourself a square.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, I am. I'm just a big old square. I am built like a square. I act like a squ. Square. I'm a big old square. But I just loved it. I loved being in frame. I love learning about frame. It was all really frame, frame. The frame you hold yourself in so you know where you put your hand for tango. Thank you. Well, I got better from dance because my shoulders were always up in my ears, and I was constantly hearing about it. I think knowing how similar. Hearing, learning how similar we were as children and knowing what we do for a living, I feel like if I loved it as much as I did and. Are you a competitive person?

[Nicole Byer]

I love to win, but I love a strategy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah.

[Nicole Byer]

And the strategy of Dancing with the Stars is practice, and that's tough. It is.

[Danielle Fishel]

And also, there is strategy, because music choice is massive strategy.

[Nicole Byer]

Do you get to choose the music?

[Danielle Fishel]

You get to have a hand in choosing the music, and you get to pick and choose which week you do which dances. So you're like, oh, you know, based on. If I know, I'm gonna say, you know, you're gonna do the season. You can start researching. Let me watch a tango. Let me. Let me see how I think. Do. I think I'm gonna like a tango? Maybe not. Is tango gonna be hard for me? Let's kick that down the road, then. Let's start with something easier. But I want to show my personality right off the bat. So I'm gonna pick a fiery song or I'm gonna pick a song I love.

[Nicole Byer]

This is funny because when I started pole dancing, I was like, everyone has to do it. Like, you sound like. Like, I feel.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. The same energy where I'm like, I'm really selfish.

[Nicole Byer]

And you're like, do it, do it. And with pole dance, I'm like, you can do it. You don't have to take off your clothes. It doesn't have to be slutty. You don't have to even, like, reclaim anything. You could just, like, move your body and, like, climb up a pole and be like, I'm strong.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I loved pole dancing. I did some pole dancing classes. I loved it.

[Nicole Byer]

I loved it so much.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. You might inspire me to get back into it. Do you have a pole in your house?

[Nicole Byer]

Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is it one that, like, retracts up into the ceiling when you have people over? Is it just one that lives there?

[Nicole Byer]

I simply don't have that money. Okay. I have just a standard pole that lives there.

[Danielle Fishel]

I actually think the cheaper ones are the ones that, like. It's like a hook in the ceiling, and then you pull it down and it goes back up so that you. If you. If you live in, like, a smaller place and you don't want everyone coming into your house and being like, nice pole. You can just put it just like,

[Nicole Byer]

nah, it just lives there.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, all right. You're gonna inspire me, maybe to get into pole dancing.

[Nicole Byer]

Love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

And maybe we can talk about you doing Dancing with the Stars. I have no. By the way, I don't make any money off getting people onto Dancing with the Stars. I have also no poll of getting people. I just feel like I loved it so much. I want to share that with everyone the same way.

[Nicole Byer]

Yeah. That's how I feel about pole dancing. I'm like, you'll love it. It's not as hard as it looks. And you get to wear great big heels. I love the heels.

[Danielle Fishel]

The heels are great.

[Nicole Byer]

Ugh.

[Danielle Fishel]

The heels are really fun. I loved the heels. All on Dancing with the Stars, too. I had so much fun in this episode with Nicole. I'm bringing her back for a bonus episode where we will get to hear one of your embarrassing stories. So make sure you check that episode out on Friday. Thank you all for joining us for this episode of teenager Teen Beat. Teen Beat is an Iheart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor Tara Subaksh. The theme song is by Mark Hoppus. Yes, that Mark Hoppus. Follow us on Instagram teenbeatpod.

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[Danielle Fishel]

Challenge me.

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[Nicole Byer]

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