The Bert Show – Full Show PT 1: Thursday, November 20, 2025 [Vault]

Episode Overview

This episode of The Bert Show focuses on real, funny, and authentic morning conversation, blending interviews, listener calls, and the usual banter that makes the show a favorite for many. The star segment features an in-depth conversation with Spanx founder, Sarah Blakely, tracing the high-spirited and inspirational path of her entrepreneurial success, the origins of Spanx, advice for dreamers, and the ongoing impact of her philanthropic work. In classic Bert Show fashion, the team follows this with hilarious storytelling and rowdy segments, including “inebriated advice” from fraternity parties.

Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. Interview with Sarah Blakely, Founder of Spanx

(02:05–23:13)

Sarah's Entrepreneurial Journey

• Origin Story:
  • Sarah came up with Spanx while stuck in Atlanta traffic. After struggling to find comfortable undergarments, she cut the feet off her control-top pantyhose, leading to her million-dollar idea.
  • “I thought of so many bad names for the company, and just one day I was in traffic forever, and literally the word popped in front of me. Spanx. And I was like, that's it.” – Sarah Blakely [02:31]
• Rejected Names:
  • Her early ideas included offbeat names like “Open Toed Delilahs.”
  • “If I named it that...I don't think I'd be sitting here with you guys.” – Sarah Blakely [02:56]
• Humble Beginnings:
  • Founded in her apartment with $5,000 in savings while selling copiers.
  • She cold-called Neiman Marcus and Saks, eventually landing a spot on Oprah’s Favorite Things, achieving instant exposure.
  • “For two years at night and on the weekends, I was trying to get my idea off the ground, and not one person thought it was a good idea.” – Sarah Blakely [06:10]

Overcoming Challenges and Gender Barriers

• Encountered skepticism and dismissal—especially from men in the industry (patent attorneys, hosiery mills).
  • “The patent attorneys that I was going to were men, and they were laughing at me. One patent attorney...thought I'd been sent by Candid Camera.” – Sarah [06:19]
• Self-taught much of the process; wrote her own patent and designed her own packaging.
• “Once I finally got a hosiery mill to make me my first prototype, I called the Neiman Marcus buyer in Dallas...And within five minutes...I was like, you know what? You just need to come to the bathroom with me.” – Sarah [06:48]

The Role of Gut Instinct and Keeping Dreams Private

• Recommends NOT sharing your exact idea too early so you don’t get discouraged by naysayers before you’re committed.
  • “For one solid year, none of my friends, none of my family knew the exact idea. They just said, oh Sarah’s working on that invention.” – Sarah [08:24]
  • “We've got so much going on in our gut. And when you put it out there, you get farther and farther from your gut.” – Sarah [09:35]

Branding Genius: The "K" Sound and Naming Spanx

• Looked at brands like Kodak and Coca Cola, deduced the power of the “k” sound in memorable names.
  • “For good luck, I want my name to have the K sound in it...the last minute, I changed the KS to an X because I did research that made up words do better for products than real words do.” – Sarah [11:25]

Product Innovations

• Introduced “Mama Spanx” for maternity support.
• Designed with comfort in mind—different waistbands for different sizes, “double gusset” (not a “trapdoor!”) for easier bathroom breaks.
  • “On the high waisted one...you don't have to take off your whole dress, your whole outfit...there is a crotch...has a double crotch that will open when mother nature calls.” – Sarah [14:19]

Spanx as a Cultural Phenomenon

• Listeners call in to praise Spanx, emphasizing confidence-boosting effects and problem-solving features.
  • “This is the best invention for women ever. So I just want to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you for these things.” – Caller [13:55]

Philanthropy: The Sarah Blakely Foundation

• Founded with inspiration (and a $750,000 check) from Sir Richard Branson after her run on the “Rebel Billionaire” reality show.

  • “I did not win the show. The winner, Sean, got a million dollars...Richard turned to me and said, Sarah, I have not forgotten about you, and handed me his paycheck for doing the show...” [16:56]

• Focuses on funding women’s education and entrepreneurship, including sending 278 girls to college in South Africa.

  • “If anyone wants to donate any money to the Sara Blakely foundation, it all goes to a girl who's going to make a difference in the world.” – Sarah [22:55]

• Memorable Moment:

  • Meeting Nelson Mandela and his wife, demonstrating the global impact of her journey.
    • “I'm sitting at his dining room table, and he's like, so Sarah, what do you do? And I'm like, well, I invented Spanx. And he's like, where does it start? Where does it end? What does it do?...His wife, like, slapped him on the arm...It's about the butt. Us African women, we need it.” – Sarah [18:32]

2. Listener Engagement & Spanx Q&A

(12:22–23:13)

• Where to Buy: Saks, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, boutiques, and now at Target under the Assets brand.
• Product Expansion: Maternity Spanx now available (Mama Spanx).
• Impact: Listeners detail how Spanx has become a must-have clothing staple—especially at weddings, work, and formal events.

3. Hoss: The New Co-host’s Wild Weekend

(25:37–34:38)

MySpace Fame & Early Antics

• Hoss, new to Atlanta and the show, becomes an office legend with hundreds of MySpace friends.

• In his first weekend out, he quickly becomes the subject of humorous, racy on-air stories—hooking up with a possibly engaged woman who carries a $14k diamond ring.

  • “She carries it with her just to remind herself not to get that emotionally involved anymore.” – Hoss [27:50]

• The team jokes about her possibly still being engaged and hiding it, poking fun at ring etiquette in bars.

Atlanta Nightlife Chronicles

• Recounts his romantic adventures:
  • Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a trip to “Devil’s Turnaround” (a haunted cemetery).
  • Attending a fraternity party at either Georgia Tech or Georgia State.
  • “We stayed five minutes and she got freaked out, so we had to come back home.” – Hoss [31:36]
  • Endless ribbing from the show’s cast about the girl’s possible double life and Hoss's own activities.

4. “Inebriated Advice” – Hoss at the Fraternity Party

(34:38–41:21)

Segment Concept

• Hoss takes listener email dilemmas to a drunken crowd at a frat party for advice, creating a blend of raw humor and “truth bombs.”

This Episode's Dilemma: Is It OK To Date Your Cousin?

• Hoss (very drunk) gathers drunk college opinions on whether it’s okay for a girl to hook up with her second cousin.
• Consensus (by various drunk partygoers and show staff): A lot of laughter, Southern stereotypes, and “No, that’s gross” with various degrees of seriousness.
  • “I'm from North Carolina, man. I actually dated my cousin before — we kind of hooked up.” – Random partygoer [36:33]
  • “If it's a second cousin, that's far away from the bloodline, you know what I mean? That's like, twice removed.” – Radio Host (Bert Show) [36:41]
  • “...like, we're not back in the Bible era anymore. You don't need to your own cousin to have kids.” – Sarah Blakely [36:02]
  • “To be honest with you, man, I'm not gonna lie to you, man. The first girl I ever dated ended up being my third cousin...I found out she was my third cousin. And when we still dated — we never did anything...but, dude, that was like my third cousin, man.” – Hoss [39:26]
• The bit devolves into comedic chaos, with Hoss’s own cousin story and show hosts making fun of the “incest question.”

5. Miscellaneous Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Following Your Dreams:
  • “Overnight success generally takes, like, what, five, eight years, right?” – Radio Host (Bert Show) [05:53]
  • “Once you put it out there, then your ego gets involved and you have to defend it...and you end up not pursuing it.” – Sarah Blakely [08:17]
• On Comfort & Undergarments:
  • “Men have been making all of our undergarments, and so maybe that's why they've been so uncomfortable…” – Sarah Blakely [05:01]
• On Band Names:
  • “Open Toed Delilahs...That's like a band that would play outside of Music Midtown...” – Radio Host (Bert Show) [02:51]

Notable Timestamps

• Origin of Spanx & Sarah’s “bad names” [02:31-02:56]
• Spanx 101: From $5,000 to Oprah [03:09-03:47]
• Gendered barriers & DIY patenting [06:09-07:14]
• Listener testimonies & product accolades [13:22-13:55]
• Richard Branson’s $750k foundation gift [16:56-18:25]
• Nelson Mandela anecdote [18:32]
• Hoss’s MySpace fame [26:03]
• Double-gusset/innovative Spanx design [14:09-14:19]
• Hoss’s cousin dating saga [36:33-39:26]

Episode Tone & Style

• Authentic, self-deprecating, and quick-witted
• Lots of laughter, vulnerable real talk, and off-the-cuff fun
• Guests and hosts keep it “real,” blending career inspiration, raw humor, and Southern charm.

Conclusion

This episode showcases the unique blend of The Bert Show's entertainment: in-depth success stories, practical inspiration for dreamers, candid conversations on life’s messier questions, and laugh-out-loud group chemistry. Sarah Blakely shines as a model of persistence and intuition, while the inebriated advice segment keeps the tone light and unfiltered. If you want inspiration, honesty, and heart mixed with the relatable chaos of morning radio, this episode is a must-listen.