Vault: Melissa Faces Her Fear Of Heights

Summary

The Bert Show — "Vault: Melissa Faces Her Fear Of Heights"

Date: January 21, 2026
Host(s): The Bert Show Cast (Bert, Kristin, et al.)
Featured Storyteller: Melissa
Episode Theme: Confronting and overcoming personal fears; in this instance, Melissa faces her intense fear of heights by ascending to the top of the Westin building in Atlanta while sharing her experience candidly with the team and listeners.

---

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Melissa, a member of The Bert Show cast, as she bravely confronts her fear of heights. The cast sets the scene from atop Atlanta's iconic Westin Peachtree Plaza, with Melissa narrating her escalating anxiety and progress as she climbs the building's rooftop. The conversation is both vulnerable and humorous, mixing Melissa's live updates with supportive and playful banter from her colleagues.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Melissa’s Approach to Managing Fear

• Melissa uses a tapping technique on her meridian (pulse) points, recommended by a previous caller (Katie), to "shake herself out" of mounting panic.
• "To me, the tapping is what kind of shakes me out of my fear." —Melissa (00:29)

2. The Climb: Real-Time Reactions

• Initial Ascent:
  • Melissa reports physical symptoms: sweaty palms and feet, racing heart.
  • "My palms are still sweaty. My feet are actually sweaty… I'm squatting because... I see Atlanta, and it's beautiful, but I have to stand to see how high I am." —Melissa (00:49)
• On the Platform:
  • Describes the beauty of the Atlanta skyline, contrasted with her intensifying anxiety, cold extremities, and heavy breathing.
  • "The thing is, looking straight out is beautiful, but looking closer to me, my heart races a little faster." —Melissa (01:41)
• Distance from the Edge:
  • Carefully estimates her distance from safety edges to maintain composure, emphasizing her awareness of both logical safety and irrational panic.
  • "So I'm less... you know, I'm 20 ft away from the edge of the building, so I'm safe. But my mind knows that, but my heart is like, no, you’re not." —Melissa (02:56)

3. Support and Empathy from the Team

• Co-hosts encourage Melissa to only push as far as she feels safe, expressing empathy and relaying their own discomfort with heights.
• "I think everybody has a miniature fear of heights… I definitely am empathizing with her." —Co-host (04:30)
• References to "Fear Factor" height challenges reinforce relatability to listeners (04:41).

4. Culmination: At the Edge

• Melissa gradually inches closer to the platform’s edge, ultimately scooting with her legs dangling over—a massive achievement given her fear.
• "I'm determined to get to the edge of the platform. I'm scooting on my butt. I'm about four, three feet away… Oh, God... I have one leg dangling over the edge." —Melissa (06:00–06:52)
• She describes ongoing physical sensations: cold limbs, lightheadedness, and a deepening understanding of how fear can be both paralyzing and irrational.

5. Reflections on the Experience

• Melissa reflects on the power of one’s mind in feeding or overcoming fear.
• "Fear is so powerful, but it's so fragile and, you know, it can be easily... you can distract yourself from it. It’s just your mind is your worst enemy at stuff like this." —Melissa (09:23)
• Expresses hope to take on even greater challenges (e.g., parasailing or skydiving) in the future.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote / Moment | |-----------|----------|----------------| | 00:29 | Melissa | “To me, the tapping is what kind of shakes me out of my fear.” | | 00:49 | Melissa | “My palms are still sweaty. My feet are actually sweaty… I see Atlanta, and it's beautiful, but I have to stand to see how high I am.” | | 01:41 | Melissa | "The thing is, looking straight out is beautiful, but looking closer to me, my heart races a little faster." | | 02:56 | Melissa | “I’m 20 ft away from the edge of the building, so I’m safe. But my mind knows that, but my heart is like, no, you’re not.” | | 04:30 | Co-host | "I think everybody has a miniature fear of heights... I definitely am empathizing with her." | | 06:18 | Melissa | "I'm about a foot from the edge, sitting on my butt." | | 06:52 | Melissa | "I got one foot. The edge is at my calf... I have one leg dangling over the edge. The other is kind of like crossed... It's not quite vertigo like I thought I would get, but the sensation I have right now is what keeps me from doing stuff because it's literally paralyzing." | | 09:23 | Melissa | "Fear is so powerful, but it's so fragile... you can distract yourself... your mind is your worst enemy at stuff like this." | | 10:21 | Melissa | "I told Katie I would love to get to the point someday where I actually like, parasail or, you know, jump out of a plane or something, because I don't want this to control my life anymore." | | 10:25 | Co-host | “You did it, Melissa. Congratulations.” |

---

Noteworthy Segment Timestamps

• 00:02–02:56: Melissa describes her ascent, initial nervousness, and coping mechanisms
• 03:20–04:41: Team discussions about fear and empathy
• 06:00–07:48: Melissa reaches the edge, legs dangling, and narrates her sensations
• 09:11–10:25: Melissa returns from the edge, reflects on the experience, and receives congratulations

---

Final Takeaway

Listeners are taken on a genuine emotional journey as Melissa narrates, in real time, both the visceral and mental challenges of confronting a long-held phobia. The supportive dynamic of The Bert Show team, combined with Melissa’s candor, delivers an inspiring narrative about facing fears one small step at a time—sometimes literally on your butt, scooting to the edge.

Tone: Relatable, humorous, vulnerable, and encouraging—true to The Bert Show’s style.

Transcript

[A]

The bird show.

[B]

I'm at the base of the stairs and, you know, like the meridian, you know, like Katie was talking about, which is kind of like the system where your nervous system. So probably going up this. Up these stairs. I'm going to try to tap my hands where my meridians are, but I'm walking up. Phil's in front of me. So we're capturing pictures for those of you who love to see Melissa in misery.

[A]

This meridian thing you're talking about, there's just a nerve in your hand that controls your anxiety?

[B]

Well, it's almost like. I think it's just almost like pulse points, but for the nervous system. And I think when you tap it, it's almost like a distraction, like you're. To me, the tapping is what kind of shakes me out of my fear. Okay, now I'm walking up the platform.

[A]

How do you feel right now? Are you nervous? Are you as nervous as you thought you would be? Are you having any kind of anxiety at all?

[B]

I. Oh, I'm going up here. Oh, God, Sorry. I'm going higher than I thought. I am a little anxious. My palms are still sweaty. My feet are actually sweaty. Oh, go. Okay, hold on. I'm on the platform. I'm squatting because. And I see Atlanta, and it's beautiful, but I have to stand to see how high I am.

[C]

So hold on.

[B]

See my breath get heavier. Okay, I'm standing.

[A]

So you can see Atlanta, and you have. You're on one platform, and you have to walk up a ladder to get to another platform.

[B]

No, I'm on the top now.

[A]

Oh, you. You went up the ladder.

[B]

I went up the ladder as I was talking, so I was trying to help distract myself, and my heart is racing.

[D]

Come on, let's go.

[B]

But I'm okay. I'm better than I thought I would be. But I'm walking closer to. Now when I say closer to the edge, I'm not going closer to the edge of the building, just this platform. And, you know, the thing is, looking straight out is beautiful, but looking closer to me, my heart race is a little faster. It's almost like the blood flow to my extremities is leaving. So my hands are cold, my feet are cold, my nose is cold. Like, my breath is hard to get to get because I'm inching as I'm talking toward the edge of this platform, which, again, is about how far eight feet from the edge of the building, or maybe 10. Yeah. So maybe, you know, a little less than 20ft from the edge of the Westin, you are 74 floors up. Well, probably 70. Yeah, more than that, because I had to climb stairs from the 74th floor.

[A]

And as you go out that platform, is that where there's a wall? Like, you can't see over that or.

[B]

I can see over the wall.

[A]

Now you can see over the wall.

[B]

So I'm looking at Atlanta. I'm actually looking at the Georgia Dome edge of the Westin. The more I talk about it, the more my legs are losing feeling, and I am like dead standing still on this platform.

[A]

How far are you now on the edge? How far are you now from the edge?

[B]

From the edge of the platform? Again, I'm sorry, I'm not explaining myself very well, but on the top of The Westin, about 10ft in from the edge of the. Is the wall that I was talking about. And then about another, I don't know, six to eight feet in from that is the platform. So I'm less. You know, I'm 20ft away from the edge of the building, so I'm safe. But in my. My mind knows that, but my heart is like, no, you're not.

[A]

Do you feel stretching yourself enough where you want to go from 20ft to 10ft?

[B]

Well, I'm inching. I'm trying, because right now, the thing that's keeping me is I can see the Equitable building, which has been far beneath me.

[C]

Oh.

[B]

So I say the word equitable looking at me, and I'm just kind of like, that's. What's.

[C]

Melissa, what's that line from Titanic? They're out in front of the ship.

[B]

Oh, God, I'm king of the world. I'm king of the world. I'm king of Atlanta. And it really is a bigger, more powerful, clearer signal because I'm touching it. Atlanta's beautiful. No doubt. But it's. The thing is, looking straight out again, I could. You know, when I'm looking out toward the suburbs. Beautiful. Looking into the Dome, Equitable, Georgia Pacific Building. I have to walk back. How can go to the edge?

[C]

How down can you see? When you are looking sort of down, can you see any sort of cars, traffic, anything? Oh, is she gone?

[A]

I think we lost her. For whatever reason, the.

[C]

The phone line dropped out.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Okay, that freaks me out. That's making my heart race right now.

[A]

Well, you would. I mean, if something happened, we would have heard a little shriek before.

[C]

I know, but it's just enough because I. I mean, I think everybody has a miniature fear of heights. At least, you know, I mean, I definitely am empathizing. With her. And I can tell you are, too. Your mouth is dry. You're like.

[A]

Yeah, I get freaked out. Like, I watch Fear Factor, and I watch those challenges where they're, like, at the Grand Canyon or whatever, their big pit, and they have to walk on some kind of steel girder or something like 30ft or 50ft. I get nauseous watching that. There's no way I could pull that off. Hey, Melissa, how close to that edge.

[D]

Are you now to the edge of the platform? Probably, what, 6ft, 7ft? And I'm inching on my rear over toward it. Like I was saying earlier, I am taller than any of the buildings here. I'm taller than the Georgia Pacific building. The more I talk about it, the more I'm losing my breath. Like, I'm looking at things I recognize, and I guess it's my mind absorbing the fact of how high I am, because I see. I see the Dome. I see the Georgia Pacific building, the Capitol. But, you know, I. You know what? The more I'm up here, the more panicked I'm getting, Melissa.

[A]

You know, like, you got, like, one. One crack at this to, you know, to rehabilitate yourself in any way you can. I just don't want to make it dangerous for you. So go. If you. If you're done now and you think your work is done and that you've, like, at least a little bit overcome your fear, then get out of there. If you feel like you got more work to do, then go closer.

[D]

All right, I'll go. Well, I will. I'm determined to get to the edge of the platform. I'm scooting on my butt. I'm about four, three feet away. Yeah. I couldn't walk it because the thing is, I started feeling lightheaded. My stomach got, so to speak. So I'll get to the edge of the platform. Oh, God.

[C]

Are you gonna stand up?

[D]

I don't. I can't guarantee that I can say I did and not do it. Just kidding. Yeah, this is as far as I can go. I'm about a foot from the edge, sitting on my butt.

[E]

Can you get to the edge to where, like, your feet are dangling over the edge?

[D]

Yeah. No, I don't think I can do it, guys.

[E]

It's only 12 inches.

[D]

All right, scooting.

[E]

It's only 12 inches. Now it's only three inches.

[D]

Oh, gosh. I got one foot. The edges at my calf. Okay. Oh, God. All right. Okay. So I have one leg dangling over the edge. The other is kind of like Crossed and. Yeah, it's like I'm not completely petrified, but my stomach is nervous. My. Yeah, it's funny how the more nervous I get, the more. It's almost like the extremities thing where I. My legs are cold, my arms are cold, my head's a little light headed. And I think it's like. It's not quite vertigo like I thought I would get, but sensation I have right now is what keeps me from doing stuff because it's literally paralyzing.

[E]

So from where you are right now, like, you're on the edge. And then is the ladder in the center or is it on the other edge?

[D]

What I'm on is a big round platform in the center of the roof. So the tower is behind me.

[E]

But where's the ladder that will take you down to that walled terrace that. Like the first.

[D]

Oh, it's probably. Oh, it's on. It's kind of. Johnny, how far do you think that the stairs are? Oh, they're about 20ft away.

[E]

So can you stand up where you are and walk back to the ladder?

[D]

All right, I'm standing up. Probably have tar all over me.

[C]

Is Phil getting a picture?

[D]

I'm standing up. I'm standing up.

[E]

You gotta let Phil take a picture of you right on the edge.

[A]

You just do what you have to do if you want to get out of there.

[D]

Yeah, he's not here, so I'm not. I'm good. Johnny held out his arm as a gentleman, but I'm not taking it. Damn it. I'm. This. All right, I'm looking over. I'll look one more time. Wave at the Equitable building, which is way farther or farther down from me. And I'm walking toward the stairs, and I'm walking. Atlanta is a beautiful city, no doubt. Walking to the stairs. And as the cliff goes through the stairs, I get the more calm I am.

[A]

Because you're getting away from the edge. Sure.

[D]

So, yeah, it's that, you know, that edge and looking down and seeing my. Seeing how high I am. But.

[A]

But you did it.

[D]

I did it.

[A]

You did it.

[D]

I mean, you know, the caller called in talking about. And I forgot what the initials were for the. You know, Katie and Meridians and that kind of thing. But that really. That really did help. I mean, she wasn't kidding. Because I think it's just a matter of, you know, your own fear is. Fear is so powerful, but it's so fragile and, you know, it can be easily. You can distract yourself from it. It's just your mind is your worst enemy at stuff like this. Like I said, when I was analyzing the buildings and recognizing the buildings and realizing the only perspective I have of those buildings is from the ground, looking up at them and looking down at them, that's when I started thinking, oh, my God, I've never looked down at these buildings. Oh, my God, I'm high up. You know, the whole process of panic and, you know, that's just the thing. I had to get everybody. I'm going to conquer this. I told Katie I would love to get to the point someday where I actually like, parasail or, you know, jump out of a plane or something, because I don't want this to control my life anymore.

[A]

Well, you're certainly on your way. I mean, you did it. Yeah, you did it.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

Well done.

[A]

You did it, Melissa. You did it. Congratulations.

[D]

One minute you're lucky laughing. The next minute, you're crying. The Birch show on all the hits. Q100.

[A]

The Birch Show.