Vault: Did he finally tell his parents the truth?

Summary

The Bert Show: Vault – Did He Finally Tell His Parents the Truth?

Date: July 16, 2026
Cast: Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy & The Bert Show Cast
Main Segment Host: Christine
Featured Callers: Christine, Andy, Aaron
Main Theme:
A listener (Christine) updates The Bert Show on whether her brother finally came clean to their parents about dropping out of college and reveals that he’s been secretly running a highly successful app business.

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Episode Overview

This episode’s central focus is a follow-up with Christine, whose brother had been hiding that he dropped out of college while simultaneously making a small fortune running a computer company specializing in iPhone applications. The cast discusses the parents' reactions, generational skepticism about digital businesses, and whether money made from "apps" is really real to people outside the tech world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: The Big Reveal

Timestamp: 01:39–02:24

• Christine recounts the family sit-down:
  • The family was together for dinner when her brother decided to come clean.
  • Christine admits, “I was bracing myself because they really want us to go to college” (02:28).
  • The brother led with the bad news—he hadn't been in college for a while—then followed up with the good news: huge financial success in tech.
• Initial reaction from the parents included shock about the deception, but also pride at his success.

2. Parents’ Skepticism & Generational Disconnect

Timestamp: 02:53–03:45, 05:40–05:50

• The parents are supportive but can’t fully grasp the scale or legitimacy of the brother’s success.
• Notable exchange:
  • Host Christine: “Was there any part of them initially that was really upset that he sort of lived this lie to them for a couple of years?” (02:53)
  • Caller Christine: “Yeah... at first they were like, what are you talking about?...But then they were really happy...but I don’t think they really quite believe how big it is for him. They don’t get it.” (02:59)
• The mother’s response: “If you’re making that much money, then maybe you should go back to college, too, and finish your degree. Because computers, that’s not really reliable.” (02:32)

3. Detailed Questions About the Brother’s Wealth and the Apps

Timestamp: 03:55–05:15, 06:00–07:16

• The group tries to get a sense of the brother's actual income and legitimacy:
  • Christine says the company has been making around a million dollars a year for two years.
  • The brother has been generous: “...he’s been really helpful with my, like, rent and stuff.” (06:00)
• Christine admits to having only a basic understanding of his business, explaining one of the apps “had something to do with finding things in the city...like bathrooms or whatever” (06:45–07:03)
• Cast jokes about the idea: “If you needed a public restroom, if you’re somewhere...Bathroom directory.” (07:12)

4. Ongoing Parental Pressure to Return to School

Timestamp: 04:57–07:30

• Despite evidence of success, Christine’s parents still want her brother to finish college:
  • “They still want him to go back to school.” (04:57)
  • “He’s not really excited about that. I don’t think he wants to go back to school.” (07:30)
• The cast and callers sympathize, noting the persistence of parental expectations.

5. Questions of Proof and Skepticism—Even from the Cast

Timestamp: 05:53–06:41, 07:36

• Caller Andy voices doubts, mirroring the parents’ skepticism:
  • “Have you seen proof of all this money?” (05:53)
  • Christine tries to reassure: “He’s walked me through his office before, but he made me promise not to say anything...” (06:31)
• Lady Luck (cast member) points out Christine’s nervous laughter, increasing skepticism: “She’s laughing at things that aren’t funny.” (08:00)

6. Relatability and Listener Reactions

Timestamp: 08:05–08:36

• Caller Aaron admires the brother’s success and substantiates the possibility of making real money with apps:
  • “He had an app in the top 20 for a little bit and was making thousands of dollars a month.” (08:06)
  • “If you can release five or six small applications every single month, you could bring in a good $100,000 a year.” (08:25)
• The cast jokes about being in the wrong career, highlighting both the surprise and allure of such “modern” business success.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Christine on the family dinner:
  • “We were having dinner, like a family dinner, like get together. And that’s when he sat down and he was like, Mom, Dad, I have something to tell you...” (02:24)
• Christine expressing her pride:
  • “No, I’m proud of him. Like, I’m really proud of him. I wish I had come up with this.” (04:44)
• Skepticism from the parents:
  • “That’s cute, honey. That’s great. Now you just go back to school.” (05:50)
• Christine on parental disbelief:
  • “They do believe him. I just don’t think they believe the scale of it.” (05:31)
• Caller Aaron validating app incomes:
  • “If you can release five or six small applications every single month, you could bring in a good $100,000 a year.” (08:25)
• Cast reflecting on career choices:
  • “How many people right now said I’m in the wrong business?...Seriously, I wish I knew more about computers.” (08:42–08:44)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:39 – Christine joins, sets the stage
• 02:24 – The family dinner reveal
• 02:53 – Parents’ initial reaction
• 03:55 – How much money is really being made?
• 04:57 – Are the parents happy or still skeptical?
• 05:31 – Christine clarifies the parents’ disbelief
• 06:45 – What exactly does her brother’s app do?
• 07:30 – Will her brother go back to college?
• 08:06 – Caller Aaron validates app success stories
• 08:42 – Cast jokes about switching careers

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Final Thoughts

The segment is an intriguing, relatable peek into family dynamics when technology and generational values collide: pride, skepticism, and the persistent tug of traditional expectations. The Bert Show’s real talk and humor keep the tone light, while their probing questions and listener engagement lend authenticity to the discussion about modern success and family acceptance. The struggle to bridge the gap between digital-era entrepreneurship and old-school credibility is brought to life through Christine’s story and the lively banter of the cast.

Transcript

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[Caller Aaron]

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[Announcer]

The Birch Show.

[Host Christine]

Here is Christine. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller Christine]

Christine, good morning.

[Host Christine]

Hi. How are you?

[Caller Christine]

I'm good, thank you.

[Host Christine]

Okay, so going into the weekend, your brother was gonna tell your parents that he hasn't been going to school in quite a while. College. They had no idea. That was the bad news. The good news is that he made a fortune in iPhone applications and I mean, he was, he's like ready to retire.

[Caller Christine]

Well, I mean, it's a good computer company. They do some applications and some other things. I don't know. He tried to explain it to me, but yeah, he told them and they were happy, but they kind of don't believe him.

[Host Christine]

So what, you got to set the scene for us. So are you guys all in the same room together? And, you know, he sits them down and says, you might want to sit down for this. Or how does it all work?

[Caller Christine]

Well, we were. We Were having dinner, like a family dinner, like get together. And that's when he sat down and he was like, mom, Dad, I have something to tell you. And I was bracing myself because they really want us to go to college. And even then, even after he told them, like my mom said, well, you know, if you're making that much money, then maybe you should go back to college too and finish your degree. Because computers, that's not really reliable.

[Host Christine]

Was there any part of them initially that was really upset that he sort of lived this lie to them for a couple of years?

[Caller Christine]

Oh, yeah, Yeah. I mean, at first they were like, what are you talking about? You know, we thought, you know, you were going to school. But then they were really happy. I mean, they're happy that he's doing well, but I don't think they really quite believe how big it is for him. They don't get it.

[Caller Andy]

What news do they want? Oh, go ahead.

[Caller Christine]

I was gonna say they won't. They don't want him to pay off their mortgage at all.

[Lady Luck]

Oh, really?

[Caller Christine]

Take care of it.

[Caller Andy]

I'm just

[Caller Guest]

let that happen.

[Caller Andy]

I'm just wondering what order he started off with. Do you tell your parents the good news first or do you tell your parents the bad news first?

[Caller Christine]

Oh, no, he started off with the bad news.

[Caller Guest]

Okay.

[Caller Christine]

He figured he'd get that out of

[Caller Guest]

the way, so he told. Okay. And then he told him that he owned a computer company that did apps and.

[Caller Christine]

Yeah. Which they didn't understand.

[Caller Guest]

And how much money does he make? Because we never really got that on Friday.

[Caller Christine]

Well, he told me his company makes like, has made about a million a year for the last two years. I don't exactly know the amount that he gives himself out of that. I know he's been giving himself a decent portion of that.

[Host Christine]

Didn't you say it was enough that he could afford a beach house or something like that though?

[Caller Christine]

Well, he rented a beach house for the summer.

[Host Christine]

Okay. He's still doing okay for himself. Yeah.

[Lady Luck]

And if he could pay off his parents mortgage. Were you there while it was all going down? Were you sitting with them?

[Caller Christine]

Yeah, I just kind of sat there and watched.

[Lady Luck]

Did you secretly hope he was gonna go down like that little twit? He hasn't been in school for two years. I hope he gets in trouble.

[Caller Christine]

No, I'm proud of him. Like, I'm really proud of him. I wish I had come up with this.

[Host Christine]

So at the end of the day, like, I feel like I'm missing something here. At the end of the day, are they happy for him? Are they upset, Like.

[Caller Christine]

No, no, no. They're very happy for them. Sorry. They're very happy for him, but I think they still want him to go back to school.

[Caller Guest]

Well, you said that they don't believe him. Like, they.

[Caller Christine]

Well, they just. They're very skeptical about how much money he's making.

[Host Christine]

Yeah.

[Caller Guest]

Because it's. To me, from their perspective, it sounds like that he's kind of embellished the story so that he could justify not going back to school. So they're like, okay, that's great, honey. That's fine. Well, how about you go back to school? You know? So is he going to have to prove to them somehow?

[Caller Christine]

Yeah, probably. But, I mean, they do believe him. I just don't think they believe the scale of it.

[Host Christine]

They probably don't even understand, like, what an iPhone application is. Like, do they get what. What it is?

[Caller Christine]

They know it's for the phone. It's something you do on your phone. That's about it. That's cute.

[Caller Guest]

Well, that's cute, honey. That's great. Now you just go back to school.

[Caller Andy]

I'm still kind of skeptical. Well, now I'm skeptical. Have you seen, like, proof of all this money?

[Caller Christine]

I mean. Yeah, he's. Well, I mean, in terms of him taking me places and hanging out with me and, you know, he's been really helpful with my, like, rent and stuff.

[Announcer]

Why do you think you'd make it up? Like, why are you skeptical, Andy?

[Caller Andy]

Well, I don't know. I'm just coming from a parent's perspective because there's no real proof. Like, there's no money being shelled out. There's no paycheck being given. How do you really know he's making all this money and just, like, not flaking out just because he doesn't want to go to college. I could say I don't want to go to college, but I could be working at a department store and say, hey, I have the million dollar company, and just be hanging out.

[Caller Christine]

He's walked me through his office before, but he made me promise not to say anything. But you're made me upset maybe.

[Caller Guest]

Right?

[Caller Andy]

It's kind of strange.

[Caller Guest]

Did you find out what app? Like a sample app that he.

[Caller Christine]

Well, it was like, a couple of them, and I can't remember. It had something to do with finding things.

[Caller Guest]

What do you mean?

[Caller Christine]

Finding things in the city that you need to find. I don't really remember. Can you find exactly, like, bathrooms or whatever?

[Host Christine]

Finding bathrooms in the city that you're.

[Caller Christine]

That was one of them. There was a whole bunch.

[Caller Guest]

I could see where I could.

[Caller Christine]

If that was the one I remember,

[Caller Guest]

I would use that. If you needed a public restroom, if you're somewhere.

[Announcer]

Bathroom directory.

[Host Christine]

My brother is making a couple of million dollars. I'm like, let me see what you're doing.

[Caller Andy]

Exactly. I'd be asking what the name of the apps are. I'd be downloading them, telling my parents what they are.

[Host Christine]

But at the end of the. At the end of the day, we

[Caller Christine]

don't have any iPhones in our house.

[Host Christine]

Is he gonna be going back to school?

[Caller Christine]

Um, he's not really excited about that. I don't think he wants to go back to school.

[Host Christine]

Something's amiss.

[Caller Andy]

Yeah, Something's wrong.

[Caller Christine]

But they'll push. My mom will push for it, though.

[Lady Luck]

It's her nervous laughter.

[Announcer]

I know. Don't, Jen, don't say it because then it's the only thing I can hear right now. So don't say it publicly because everybody will be listening.

[Host Christine]

It just seems so vague. It just seems so vague. Here's Aaron.

[Caller Andy]

My mom.

[Lady Luck]

Mom said go back to school.

[Host Christine]

Why beam me not?

[Lady Luck]

I'm just saying she's laughing at things that aren't funny.

[Host Christine]

Hey, Aaron.

[Caller Christine]

Good morning.

[Host Christine]

Your MQ100.

[Caller Aaron]

Hey, how's it going? I was just calling in and saying my younger brother does iPhone apps and he does it on the side. And you completely make bank off of it just by being a little successful at doing it. He had a app in the top 20 for a little bit and was making thousands of dollars a month.

[Caller Guest]

Oh, wow. Wow.

[Host Christine]

So it's possible.

[Lady Luck]

That's cool.

[Caller Aaron]

Oh, yeah, yeah, it's very possible. So, I mean, there are. If you can release five or six small applications every single month, you could bring in a good $100,000 a year. Wow.

[Caller Guest]

Wow.

[Host Christine]

Okay. All right. Thank you for calling, Aaron, and thank you, Christine. Appreciate it.

[Caller Guest]

Yeah. How many people right now said I'm in the wrong business? Yeah, right.

[Caller Andy]

Seriously, I wish I knew more about computers.

[Caller Christine]

Me too.

[Host Christine]

All right, Christine, thanks for the update. Appreciate it.

[Caller Christine]

All right, thank you.

[Host Christine]

Bye. Bye. Something just sounds a little. Yeah.

[Announcer]

At some point in that conversation, Jen pointed out her nervous laughter after every single sentence.

[Caller Christine]

And I.

[Announcer]

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