Give It To Me Straight, Episode 76: Giving you payroll lies, petty vibes, and blocked wives

Hosts: Alex & Jon
Release Date: Nov 4, 2025
Podcast Network: Dear Media

Episode Overview

In this colorful, candid episode, husband and wife duo Alex & Jon navigate their messy, hilarious lives as new parents—and dive headfirst into listener questions about work drama, friendship boundaries, and why knowing when to walk away (from jobs or relationships) is an act of self-respect. Packed with playful Halloween vibes, raw parenting lessons, sidebar rants, and their trademark give-it-to-me-straight energy, they offer unfiltered advice, memorable banter, and practical takes on personal and professional dilemmas.

Main Segments & Notable Moments

1. Halloween Costumes: Witches & Spouses

[00:47–05:26]

• The episode opens in costume, riffing on "Wicked" (Alex as Elphaba, Jon as Glinda), playful teasing about who embodies which witch, and the chaos of amateur makeup application.
  • "I also feel like, personality wise, you're probably more of an Elphaba and I'm more of a Glinda." – Alex [02:31]
  • Jon laments the everyday struggle of makeup: “The fact that you have to put makeup on every day? Not it.” [03:58]
• Quick banter about Halloween, their child Lucy’s first costume season, and Jon’s “corner crackhead” look in glitter.
  • "It's called Unicorn Come or something. What's it called?" – Jon [25:19]

2. Parenthood Adventures & Travel Trials

[05:26–18:58]

• Lucy’s sleep patterns: Four-hour stretches are a triumph in the newborn stage.
  • "Longest stretch that she's slept so far has been four hours." – Alex [06:01]
• Road trip upstate: What was supposed to be a two-and-a-half hour trip becomes four with a newborn. Packing for three? The car's bursting.
  • On travel: “I think that's one of the things that we didn't realize like beforehand...No, you actually need all that.” – Alex [07:00]
• Family support and leaf-peeping gone awry: bringing Alex’s parents, learning Google Maps' “faster routes” are more traffic control than true shortcuts.
  • Jon: “We shouldn't alter our route for two to five minutes. If it's like 30 minutes, change the route.” [08:59]

3. Strollers, Gear, and Parental Recommendations

[16:29–19:39]

• Detailed discussion on stroller shopping and the importance of a test-drive.
  • Both recommend the Nuna Swive and Swiv/Triv bassinet for ease of travel and sleep success.
  • “You grab the handle and you hold it and then the wheels can go like 360...It's very easy.” – Alex [17:42]
  • On minimalist parenting: "I love simple. We're minimalist." – Jon [19:39]

4. Family Stories: Dangerous Dan & Clumsy Dogs

[19:51–27:11]

• Tales about “Dangerous Dan” (Alex’s dad)—his lifelong daredevil streak, e-bike mishaps, and series of hospital visits—noting the family “nine lives” genes.
  • “He can drive 1 million miles per hour...So—and you're terrified.” – Alex [14:29]
• Side conversation: their dog Kobe is missing from socials due to health issues, not lack of love.
  • "We just haven't really been able to include him because he's injured. He's still healing." – Alex [27:05]

5. Domestic Pet Peeves: Fridge Organization & Soup Dumping

[27:13–29:48]

• Alex’s work to keep the fridge organized is undone by Jon’s culinary chaos; in a rush, he prioritizes efficiency over tidiness.
  • "Why every time do I open it, it looks like you just scrambled it?" – Alex [27:55]
  • Jon’s soup-draining style: hand as strainer, to Alex’s horror.

6. Rants & Riffs: Gym Etiquette and Everyday Annoyances

[30:07–33:11]

• Jon rails against poor gym etiquette: unbalanced squat racks and people lifting in his personal space.
  • “All I had to do is say no. But he caught me off guard...I hate being caught off guard.” – Jon [32:32]
• Alex relates to being caught off guard from her own hospital story (allowing a med student to watch her give birth).

7. Audience Q&A: Work, Relationships, & Tough Boundaries

[36:50–61:01]

Theme: Navigating Work Drama, Boundaries, and “Blocked Wives”

a) Passed Over at Work for Promotion

• Listener feels overlooked for promotions despite “friendship” from manager.
  • Jon: “She’s comfortable with you, so she’s okay with not making you a priority…Don’t be loyal.” [38:54]
  • Alex: “You have to be selfish. This isn’t a time to care about loyalty.” [38:59]

b) Co-worker Hookup Gone Awry

• Listener hooked up with a colleague, only to discover he's engaged to someone at the hospital.
  • “Why would you think you’re dumb if you didn’t know?” – Jon [40:01]
  • "Would you say something?" - Alex
    "No, probably not. Nope. I'd bury that deep down." – Jon [40:15]

c) Chronic Desk Chatter

• New hire’s co-worker won't stop stopping by.
  • “Oh yeah, your co-workers are going to hate you if you say something.” – Jon [41:52]
  • Alex advocates for balance: “The best parts about working jobs with other people is forming the relationships. It makes it less miserable.” [42:20]
  • Jon detours into a lunch story: “It was four chicken thighs. Four…I put into a wrap with Frank’s hot sauce.” [43:43]

d) Back from Maternity Leave/To Quit or Not

• Listener torn about returning to job post-baby.
  • “It's such a personal choice…If you could do it, do it.” – Alex [45:00]

e) Alleged Cultural Misstep

• Accidental assumption at work leads to ongoing shunning.
  • "Don’t assume…but you apologized for it. Get the fuck over it. She's being a twat.” – Jon [47:49]
  • “If you speak to me in any other language, that is the biggest compliment.” – Alex [47:17]

f) Manager’s Jealous Wife Texts a Listener

• Manager’s wife contacts an employee, suspects an affair.
  • “Be verbatim: hey, your wife thinks we’re fucking.” – Jon [49:21]
  • “If there’s HR, bring it up to HR.” – Alex [49:30]
  • “Not bringing it up is suspicious.” – Alex [49:40]

g) Free Wedding Photography Nightmare

• Listener shoots a friend’s wedding for free and is accused of “holding hostage” the (disliked) photos.
  • Jon: "I would by accidentally just erase all the photos." [53:05]
  • "You did all this stuff for free?...What a fucked up person." – Alex [53:13]
  • Both advise: you’re being too nice; charge for RAWs if possible.

h) Firing a Friend’s Husband/Should I Tell Her the Truth?

• Listener's “friend” blocks her after firing friend’s husband for theft at their business.
  • Jon: “As long as you did everything by the book, legally, I think you did everything correct. ... I hope I bring turmoil to their relationship for sure. That guy’s a prick.” [58:47]
  • Alex: “She obviously is going to side with her husband...Why even waste any more energy on this?” [59:43]

i) Secrets Segment

• Listener hates her marriage, can’t leave yet for financial reasons, and fantasizes about someone else.
  • “It's kind of a weak secret...You have fantasy, whatever." – Jon [61:32]
  • Alex: "I'm sure a lot of people have that secret." [61:38]

8. Recs of the Week & Episode Wrap

[61:48–End]

• Jon’s Recommendations: Stretchy swaddles for infants.
  • “Non-stretch swaddles...No, I meant to say stretch swaddles. I like those.” [62:55]
• Alex’s Recommendation: Skims nursing bras for support and comfort. [63:06]
• Encouragement to follow and send in questions/stories.

Notable Quotes & Bites

• “Are you going to try to put out every fire of like people talking shit about you? Like, just prove your point?” – Alex [59:15]
  • "No, sorry Alex, I'm not putting out a fire. I'm adding gas to the fire. Dump gas on that fire. Let it burn." – Jon [59:22]
• “Fact check anything...We don't have accurate anything…That doesn't make us liable.” – Jon [23:06]
• “The company doesn’t give a shit about you. So nerd.” – Jon (on coworkers who only want to focus) [42:35]
• “If you could live within your means and you’re okay with that, do that…Would you rather be miserable working at your job?” – Alex [44:57]
• "The cheaper the client, the more work it is." – Jon [55:33]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamps | |--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Halloween banter & makeup mishaps | 00:47–05:26 | | Parenting & travel with a newborn | 05:26–18:58 | | Stroller & parenting gear reviews | 16:29–19:39 | | “Dangerous Dan” stories; e-bike adventure | 19:51–27:11 | | Fridge organization argument & soup-dumping technique | 27:13–29:48 | | Gym etiquette & birth misfires | 30:07–33:11 | | Audience Q&A: Jobs, coworkers, boundaries | 36:50–61:01 | | Product recommendations and wrap-up | 61:48–End |

Tone & Style

This episode is driven by Alex & Jon’s irreverent, candid, and chaotic chemistry. Conversations veer easily from serious to silly, underscored by playful roasting, chaotic sidebar stories, and a mutual support-through-snark ethos.

• Alex’s tone is empathetic, detail-oriented, sometimes exasperated, often leading the conversation back on track.
• Jon is deadpan, delightfully blunt, and often the instigator of rants or comic detours.

Takeaways

• In relationships and work, your boundaries matter: Don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself and walk away from bad bosses, toxic friends, or chaotic colleagues.
• Parenting and adulting are chaos—do what keeps you sane. Minimize, prioritize, and laugh at the absurdity.
• You cannot control others’ perceptions. Sometimes, lighting a match (with honesty) and walking away is self-care.

For anyone fighting through postpartum fog, job drama, or friendship heartbreak, this episode delivers humor, solidarity, and a good dose of permission to set it all on fire if that’s what you need.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Submit your own question or “secret” to Give It To Me Straight for unfiltered advice next episode!