Vault: Did she end up getting fired?

Summary

The Bert Show – Vault: Did she end up getting fired?

Episode Date: June 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this “Vault” episode, The Bert Show team revisits Mindy's story: she feared she was about to get fired after observing a suspicious pattern in her workplace—her boss being conspicuously nice, mirroring how he acted before firing a predecessor. The team reconnects with Mindy to find out if her instincts were correct, diving into the awkward realities of workplace warnings, the human side of being let go, and sharing personal anecdotes about similar experiences. The tone is candid, empathetic, and peppered with the show’s trademark humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mindy’s Suspicion: Nice Boss = Pink Slip?

• Background: Before the hosts left for vacation, Mindy reached out expressing fear she was about to be fired. Her boss had suddenly become uncharacteristically considerate—exactly what happened before the previous person in her position was fired.

  • “He’s one of those guys who just really takes advantage of his power. And lately he’s been like, completely over the top, really considerate, really cool to me.” — Mindy [00:54]

• Team Recollection: Hosts recall the pattern: the last person in Mindy's role was fired after a similar spell of bossly kindness.

  • “He bought coffee. He was really uber sweet. And then two or three weeks out, she was gone.” — Host 2 [01:31]

2. The Update: Did Mindy Get Fired?

• Reveal: Mindy confirms on-air that her suspicion was correct—she was laid off.

  • “Well, I guess there’s something to be said for instincts, because I was laid off.” — Mindy [02:33]
  • “He explained to me that the company was downsizing… there were six different offices in the Southeast, and somebody from each office was let go. Unfortunately, I just was the one they chose from my office.” — Mindy [02:42]

• Emotional Reaction: The hosts react with sympathy and frustration on Mindy’s behalf.

  • “That sucks, man.” — Host 1 [03:01]
  • “I'm so sorry.” — Host 3 [03:02]

3. The Human Side of Being Let Go

• Mindy’s Reflection: Mindy notes how her boss’s sudden compassion was bewildering, and she would have preferred genuine kindness all along.

  • “Here he had been such a jerk to me and I never knew he had this side to his personality. It was just too late for him to be showing that.” — Mindy [03:53]
  • “I just wish that he could have been nicer all along.” — Mindy [03:57]

• Host Perspective: The hosts debate the “telltale firing signs,” drawing from their own experiences and those shared with co-workers.

  • “The only time that you're nice is when you're firing people. Maybe it’s not a guy you wanted to work for as a manager.” — Host 1 [04:07]
  • “We used to work with a guy who would only wear a suit on the days that people were getting fired… So we would see him come in, in a suit, and we’d be like, oh, who’s getting it?” — Jason Concepcion [04:17]
  • “If the boss late on Thursday tells you that he wants to see you first thing on Friday morning, Friday’s always bad ax day, man.” — Host 1 [05:00]

4. Sharing Personal and Listener Experiences

• Hosts and Mindy talk about recognizable “firing tells” in work culture, such as HR directors coming to your office, or extra people being present at a meeting.
  • “If HR director knocked on your door… you knew it was time to pack up.” — Host 3 [04:41]
  • “Or if you walk in the office and there’s more than one person in there... you know it’s about to go down.” — Jason Concepcion [05:07]

5. Lighter Moments Amid Disappointment

• Despite the heavy topic, the hosts use self-aware humor to keep things light.
  • “Mindy’s like, hey, those are funny stories you guys are sharing. I’m still here.” — Jason Concepcion [05:21]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:33] Mindy: “I was laid off.”
• [03:53] Mindy: “The biggest bummer was that, you know, here he had been such a jerk to me, and I never knew he had this side to his personality. And it was just... it was too late for him to be showing that.”
• [04:07] Host 1: “The only time that you’re nice is when you’re firing people. Maybe it’s not a guy you wanted to work for as a manager.”
• [04:17] Jason Concepcion: “We used to work with a guy who would only wear a suit on the days that people were getting fired.”
• [05:00] Host 1: “If the boss late on Thursday tells you that he wants to see you first thing on Friday morning, Friday’s always bad Ax day, man.”

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Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:46 — Recap of Mindy’s story & her initial concerns
• 01:49 — Mindy joins live for an update
• 02:33 — Mindy reveals she was laid off
• 03:53 — Mindy’s disappointment at the boss's belated kindness
• 04:17 — Hosts share their own “boss firing signs” stories
• 05:00 — Discussing classic “firing day” cues in the workplace

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Tone and Takeaways

• Authentic, conversational, supportive: The hosts create a safe environment for Mindy to share and commiserate, while balancing empathy with humor and shared personal anecdotes.
• Workplace Culture Reflection: The episode insightfully outlines the often unspoken patterns around layoffs, emphasizing intuition and observation.
• Message: Sometimes your work instincts are right, but even with luck or warning, it still stings. There's value in being consistently kind in management—not just on ax day.

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Whether you're curious about office politics or want to feel less alone in workplace uncertainty, this episode is a relatable, conversational, and sometimes cathartic listen.

Transcript

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House of the Dragon is back and so is the official podcast. Join hosts Greta Johnson and Jason Concepcion on HBO Max's official House of the Dragon podcast as they break down every episode and speak with the show's writers, cast and crew members. It's an all out war in Westeros and you never know what to expect when battling with dragons. Watch the official Game of Thrones podcast, House of the Dragon on HBO Max or listen. Wherever you get your podcasts, your next

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[Jason Concepcion]

This is the Birch Show.

[Host 1]

Before we left for vacation, this was Mindy's story.

[Mindy]

I'm a little bit afraid that I'm going to be fired in a few

[Host 1]

days because your boss is being nice.

[Mindy]

Yeah, well, see, the thing is he's one of those guys who just really takes advantage of his power. And lately he's been like, completely over the top, really considerate, really cool. To me, the reason I'm concerned is because this happened before to somebody else in our office. Like, you know, two or three weeks after this all started happening, she was fired.

[Host 1]

So Jen and I had split by the time Mindy came on. So did she have any indication at all? Did she screw up at work or anything that made her think that this was it?

[Host 2]

She didn't have any reason. But apparently the girl in her position, before she had that position, the same thing happened to her.

[Host 3]

He bought coffee.

[Host 2]

He was really uber sweet. And then two or three weeks out, she was gone. So that's why she was concerned because it wasn't just any employee in the office, it was her position.

[Host 1]

So she saw that go down. The pattern's the same, right? Okay, so she was convinced last weekend she was getting the ax. Hey, Mindy. Good morning.

[Mindy]

Hi, guys. How are you?

[Host 1]

Good. Hold on one sec. I don't think that voice disguise just turned on.

[Jason Concepcion]

Is over here.

[Host 1]

Doesn't appear to be over here.

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[Jason Concepcion]

Try it now.

[Host 1]

Just count down from five for me.

[Mindy]

Count down from five.

[Host 1]

Yeah, that's better. Never mind. You don't even have to do that. That was gonna be hard.

[Mindy]

So

[Host 1]

Monday morning you were convinced you were getting the ax. Boss being too nice. So did you have a meeting plan with this guy, like on Friday?

[Mindy]

Yeah, I did.

[Host 3]

You did.

[Host 1]

Okay.

[Mindy]

And do you want to hear the news?

[Host 1]

I think now's a good time.

[Host 3]

Yeah.

[Host 1]

Sure.

[Mindy]

Well, I guess there's something to be said for instincts, because I was laid off.

[Host 3]

No way. I'm sorry.

[Mindy]

He explained to me that the company was downsizing and I lost my position. There were six different offices in the Southeast that had somebody from each office who was let go. And unfortunately, I just was the one they chose from my office.

[Host 1]

Oh, that sucks, man.

[Host 3]

I'm so sorry.

[Host 1]

So, like, when you walked into the office, could you tell by his attitude that this was going down the way it did?

[Mindy]

I definitely could. Yeah.

[Host 3]

And when he. When he find. When he finally, like, sort of had the conversation with you and let you go, did you say anything about how he had been nice?

[Mindy]

Yeah, no, I didn't actually even say anything. He admitted that he. You know, I think. I think he knew that I knew that he was being really weird, and so I didn't even really need to bring it up. He just said, you know, I know. I know that I have been really nice to you lately. And he said that he just has. He just felt bad. And I. You know, I understood. Once he started explaining to me, I understood that that was.

[Host 1]

All the signs were there, though, man.

[Host 2]

That's a bummer.

[Host 3]

I'm so sorry.

[Mindy]

Yeah. The biggest bummer was that, you know, here he had been such a jerk to me, and I never knew he had this side to his personality. And it was just. It was too late for him to be showing that. You know, I just. I just wish that he could have been nicer all along.

[Host 1]

Right. Yeah. That does say something about your character. I. The only time that you're nice is when you're firing people. Maybe it's not a guy you wanted to work for manager.

[Jason Concepcion]

Yeah, we used to work with a guy who would only wear a suit on the days that people were getting fired. Oh, no. And our studio overlooked the lobby. So we would see him come in, in a suit, and we'd be like, oh, who's getting in?

[Host 1]

That's awful, man.

[Host 2]

That's jacked up.

[Jason Concepcion]

He'd wear, like, casual wear, you know, like, you know, it's radio station. So, like, nice jeans and a shirt, or like khakis and a shirt, but if he came in with a jacket and tie on, we're like, everybody's panicked. Here comes the hangman.

[Host 3]

In my old office, it was if HR director knocked on your door.

[Jason Concepcion]

Because any other time, the grim reaper.

[Host 3]

You go to her office, you know, like, any other time you're going to go to her to ask for something or turn in paperwork or turn in forms or whatever. But if for some reason she got out of her desk and walked down to your office, you knew it was time to pack up.

[Host 1]

If the boss late on Thursday tells you that he wants to see you first thing on Friday morning, Friday's always bad Ax day, man.

[Host 3]

That's it. Yeah.

[Jason Concepcion]

Or if you walk in the office and there's more than one person in there, like somebody who you normally wouldn't

[Host 1]

be in there sitting in there, just to make sure you're sitting in there

[Host 3]

and nobody can make eye contact with you.

[Host 1]

Yeah, that sucks. Sorry, Mindy. I'm sorry, Mindy. Thanks for sharing with us, though.

[Jason Concepcion]

Mindy's like, hey, those are funny stories you guys are sharing. I'm still here.

[Host 1]

I'll see you, Mindy. Thank you.

[Mindy]

All right, thanks, guys.

[Host 1]

Bye. Bye.

[Mindy]

Bye. Bye.

[Jason Concepcion]

It's the vert show.

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