Vault: A Listener Is Helping Her Continue Her Lie

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Bert Show – "Vault: A Listener Is Helping Her Continue Her Lie" (May 12, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode, The Bert Show team checks in with Betsy, a listener caught up in a white lie. Betsy originally told her new church group—a circle of successful doctors and lawyers—that she works in marketing and PR, when she actually works at a tanning salon. The discussion focuses on how Betsy's lie spiraled and the complications now that she's been asked to assist with an upcoming nonprofit event. Along the way, a helpful listener with real PR experience lends Betsy vital support, enabling her to keep up the ruse… for now.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origin of Betsy's Lie

• Betsy explains her decision to claim she works in marketing:

  "I felt silly because all of these women had successful careers and I, as you said, work at a tanning salon... so I said ‘marketing and PR.’ It was the first thing that came to mind."
  (Betsy, 02:05)

• She acknowledges that her improvised answer felt awkward at first but seemed to impress the group:

  "They looked at me in a certain way, and I didn’t know what that meant then, but now I do."
  (Betsy, 02:27)

2. The Unintended Consequences

• The church group later requests Betsy's "professional" advice for a nonprofit event, putting her in a tough spot:

  "Now I know them, and I like them, and they seem to really like me, and I’ve actually pulled off this persona—at least until now."
  (Betsy, 02:40)

3. Help From a Real PR Pro

• After Betsy's story was featured on the show, a listener who works in marketing connected with her:

  "She actually works for a marketing and PR firm. She told me what to ask... I even used like, fancy words—‘demographic’ and ‘target audience’ and stuff like that."
  (Betsy, 03:04)

• The team sees a business opportunity:

  "If you get like, a referral fee... you’re the PR rep and our listener is actually the rep that’s kind of your associate—you get the referral fee, they get the business in New Jersey. Win, win, win."
  (Cast, 04:17)

4. Risks, Ethics, and Getting Out

• The hosts probe the ethical and practical risks:

  "So there really is no danger? There's no danger here, right?"
  (Host Bert, 04:50)

• Betsy expresses growing discomfort:

  "After this, I really need to come up with another lie so it doesn’t happen again."
  (Betsy, 05:02)

• Suggestions for ending the charade include saying she sold the company or it went out of business:

  "You need to say you sold it."
  (Host, 05:58)

  "Maybe in the actual group she says... I've had to give up the company at this point. Yeah, it's over."
  (Host, 07:28)

5. Navigating the Fallout

• Listeners call in to offer their own perspectives and solutions:

  "I just wanted to know how she honestly felt about this whole big lie and it being in a church group."
  (Caller Kelly, 06:06)

• Betsy’s guilt and desire to end the lie is palpable:

  "I feel really weird about that. I don't really... That's why I just want to be done with it. I definitely don't want to carry on the lie anymore. You know, I don't want to start giving them more advice. I just want to be done with it because I feel horrible."
  (Betsy, 06:19)

• The group agrees she needs an exit strategy:

  "Don’t add too much. Don’t volunteer for any more. Get in and get out and get off of this thing."
  (Host Bert, 07:52)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the snowballing lie:

  "When you're around a whole bunch of people that know nothing about your industry, anything you say seems credible because you're in the industry. Why would I question that?"
  (Host, 05:11)

• On guilt within church context:

  "It is a nonprofit, and it’s a church. So I don’t think... God will still love you or anything like that."
  (Betsy, 06:43)

• On risk of exposure:

  "What happens if someone from her group sees her working at her tanning salon?"
  (Caller Caleb, 06:53)

• On making a clean break:

  "I don’t want to mix business and pleasure. We’re in church. I just want to get away."
  (Host, 08:25)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:46] – Betsy joins the show, details how the lie began.
• [02:40] – Betsy discusses the dilemma as her persona is put to the test.
• [03:04] – Betsy explains getting help from a real PR professional.
• [04:17] – Hosts riff on the idea of turning the situation into a referral business.
• [05:02] – Betsy’s anxiety about keeping up the lie.
• [06:06] – Listener Kelly inquires about Betsy’s feelings regarding the lie in a church context.
• [06:53] – Caller Caleb raises the risk of Betsy being seen at her real job.
• [07:28] – Hosts brainstorm ways Betsy can exit gracefully.
• [07:52] – Final advice: don’t drag it out, exit the ruse.

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Summary & Tone

The cast approaches Betsy’s predicament with their signature blend of humor, empathy, and practical wisdom. Betsy is treated with kindness; the hosts gently tease but mostly help her strategize an exit without further embarrassment or harm. Listeners likely relate to the snowball effect of small social lies, and the team’s candid, supportive attitude makes the advice both reassuring and entertaining.

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Summary for the Uninitiated:
In this lighthearted but insightful episode, The Bert Show helps listener Betsy navigate the fallout of a seemingly harmless white lie told to impress a new church group. With guidance from a real PR pro and the hosts’ practical advice, Betsy realizes it’s time to come clean—before her story unravels for good.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

It's the Birch Show. All right, so I missed this on Friday because I was out, but Betsy here's got herself into a pretty tight

[C]

situation and we didn't actually talk to her on Friday. We just read it. Melissa read her email and she was

[B]

just trying to impress some friends. Some new friends.

[C]

Yeah, she joined a church group.

[D]

Right, right, exactly. Yeah. And she's trying to impress them because

[E]

they're all doctors and lawyers, but she works at a tanning bed, so she wanted to up them up a little bit.

[B]

I don't think I caught that in the replay. So she works at a tanning salon?

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Hey, Betsy.

[F]

Hi.

[B]

Hi.

[F]

How are you? I'm good. Thanks so much for having me on. It's a real thrill.

[B]

Well, thank you for being on. So you work at a tanning salon? I just, I'm really curious because we didn't get to talk to you on Friday how you got so caught up so quickly in this lie and where marketing came from.

[F]

I was just sort of thinking on my feet. I felt silly because all of these women had successful careers and I, as you said, work at a tanning salon and that just felt sort of weird to me. So I said marketing and pr. It was the first thing that came to mind

[B]

and when you said that, did, like, all the heads turn, like, oh, you're going to be a real asset to this group?

[F]

You know, they looked at me in a certain way, and I didn't know what that meant then, but now I do.

[C]

So they didn't ask you for your help right away. It just came up a little while later after you met them.

[F]

Right. And now I know them, and I like them, and they seem to really like me, and I've actually pulled off, you know, kind of this Persona, at least until now.

[B]

All right, so going into. Going into the weekend, was the event this weekend, or was this just a conversation?

[D]

Just a meeting?

[B]

Okay.

[F]

Meeting was Friday. Yeah. And actually the meeting went really well.

[D]

Really?

[F]

Yeah. Actually, one of your listeners called in after you guys read my letter online, and she actually works for a marketing and PR firm. So you guys put me in touch with her and. And she told me what to ask, you know, So I went in and she gave me a game plan. I even used, like, fancy words, you know, demographic and target audience and stuff like that.

[E]

That's funny.

[F]

Yeah. So, I mean, and it was pretty short, but I just asked them the right questions. And then I'm supposed to talk to your listener again this week, and then she's going to give me sort of a game plan for them, and I'm supposed to have another meeting with them on Friday.

[B]

Okay.

[F]

The meeting is. Or the game plan is supposed to be very hands off for me.

[B]

All right. So I'm just wondering if we're walking into a danger zone here, because this is a nonprofit event, right?

[F]

Yeah.

[B]

But basically our listener is really doing all the work, and you're just going to be the mouthpiece for this person. So it will be done. Well, you're not going to mess up the event, correct?

[F]

Yeah. And they were just asking for my advice. I'm not really doing all of their pr. They're doing it, but they just wanted my advice.

[D]

But Katie and I talked this weekend about how that our listener here in Atlanta, that's helping you out. How brilliant is that? Because if they take, you know, if you get like a referral fee, let's say, in the future. Just saying that if this is not only the only case you take and you consult, but you actually are decide that you want to be a PR rep, that our listener is actually the rep that's kind of your associate. You get the referral fee, and they get the business in New Jersey to

[B]

win, win, win, win.

[D]

It's Destiny.

[F]

That would be amazing. But I think I'd be too nervous to try to turn it into something.

[B]

So there really is no danger. There's no danger here, right?

[C]

I don't think so. Did you really think that they bought it, like hook linen? They didn't give you any weird looks? Like nobody suspected that you didn't do this for a living.

[F]

I really don't think so. I mean, after this, I really need to come up with another lie to so that it doesn't happen again.

[D]

I think you can become an actor because it sounds like you're doing a really good job.

[B]

Well, the thing is here, too, when you're around a whole bunch of people that know nothing about your industry, anything you say seems credible because you're in the industry. Why would I question that?

[D]

You're like a mechanic that CBS Atlanta Investigates.

[B]

Well, it seems like it's working out.

[F]

Oh, I hope so.

[B]

Just so long as you don't get carried away.

[F]

And then I should be in the clearing.

[B]

Yeah. If it's just advice and she's not the one that's actually planning the event and she's the one there that night that's putting the whole thing together.

[F]

What's the.

[E]

What if they keep asking her for help event after event? Because I'm sure this isn't going to be the only one.

[C]

That's true.

[F]

That's what I'm worried about. I don't know how to get out of it. Like, say that I got let go or. I don't know. Well, it's your thing. I'm not sure.

[D]

Was it is. Are you working for somebody, or did you say it was your company?

[F]

Well, I said it was my own.

[D]

Yeah. Yeah.

[E]

You need to say you sold it.

[D]

I like myself.

[B]

I had a change of heart. I had to get rid of that thing. Good morning. Kelly, you're on Q100.

[F]

Hey, good morning. Love you guys.

[B]

Thank you. Good morning.

[F]

I just wanted to know how she honestly felt about this whole big lie and it being in a church group.

[B]

The church group you lied to?

[F]

Yeah. I feel really weird about that. I don't really. That's why I just want to be done with it. I definitely don't want to carry on the lie anymore. You know, I don't want to start giving them more advice. I just want to be done with it because I feel horrible, and I really like these women now.

[E]

Well, at least you're helping out a charity. See, Church charity. She's doing it for the good of somebody else.

[F]

Yeah. And it is A nonprofit, and it's a church. So I don't think there are going to be any sort of God will still love you or anything like that.

[B]

Hey, Caleb. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[F]

Yeah. I was wondering what happens if someone from her group. Cesar working at her tennis lawn.

[B]

Oh, that's gonna be uncomfortable. Yeah, I think maybe they. The next wave of lies has to be that the company wasn't making any money and you just went belly up. Times are tough right now, and I've just ended up in a tanning salon. What else is there?

[D]

It's her own company.

[F]

My belly up.

[B]

It's a recession.

[E]

She had to sell it because she wanted to work at a tanning salon.

[B]

She needs to get out of the line now.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Yeah, she's definitely got to get out of it because like Wendy said, it will keep happening.

[B]

Like, maybe in the actual group. She says, you know, this is going to be the last time I can do this because times are so tough right now. I've had to give up the company at this point. Yeah, it's over.

[C]

Good job pulling it off.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

Because our Atlanta listener heard Katie and my idea about this whole referral fee thing, and so the listener's going to say, no, no, no, continue with the lie so I can get more business up there.

[B]

You're in the clear at this point. I put it pretty much. So don't. Don't add too much. Don't volunteer for any more. Get in and get out and get off of this thing.

[F]

I will. That's what I plan on doing.

[B]

Okay. Thank you for the update.

[F]

Thanks.

[B]

Okay, bye.

[E]

Bye.

[C]

Funny.

[B]

I don't see what the harm in that is.

[C]

Well, just.

[E]

It's going to be a bad situation for her because they're just going to keep asking.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, I think long term it

[B]

could be she needs to say that the company went belly up. And I'm so sore about the whole thing. I don't even want to talk about mar marketing for the rest of my life.

[D]

Or it could just be a case of, you know what? We're friends. I don't want to mix business and pleasure. We're in church. I just want to kind of get away.

[C]

Here, Bird show.