Podcast Summary

We're Here to Help

Episode 215: Best Advice Vol 2: Make It Your Own (with Cat Reitman)

Release Date: October 8, 2025
Hosts: Jake Johnson & Gareth Reynolds
Guest: Cat Reitman (Workin’ Moms)

Episode Overview

This episode of We're Here to Help centers on callers (and emailers) sharing the best advice they’ve ever received—either from Jake & Gareth, another source, or life experience. The episode features notable Canadian actress, writer, and director Cat Reitman as a guest “helper,” joining in on banter, listener stories, and personal confessionals. Returning to their “Best Advice” format, the hosts reflect on the value of adapting advice for your own life, making things fun, and knowing when to take a risk. The episode maintains the show’s signature spontaneous, comedic energy, filled with stories from show business, parenting, and the hosts’ shared history.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

[00:19–07:19] Intro & Welcome Cat Reitman

• Hosts sing Cat Reitman’s praises: Jake and Gareth express genuine affection and admiration for Cat, noting her comedic chops and talents.
  • “She is so good at doing that sort of stuff. She's the best. I've known her forever...” (Gareth, 01:28)
• Quick nostalgia for their roots in experimental, alt-comedy and how the podcast scratches that creative itch, just like black box theater used to.

[07:20–14:41] Caller 1: Whitney—“Make Oatmeal Your Own”

• Caller: Whitney
• Issue: Can’t stand the consistency of oatmeal, even though she loves the smell and oatmeal cookies.
• Breakthrough Advice: A coworker showed her that straying from instructions—using much less water—resulted in an oatmeal she could enjoy, with a cookie-dough-like texture.
  • Whitney: “Sometimes the exact directions are not the right directions.” (13:34)
  • Jake: “I love that. Actually, I fully agree with that.” (13:39)
• Takeaway: Personalizing even trivial advice can unlock joy or satisfaction; “make it your own” isn’t just for cooking.

[16:05–25:16] Caller 2: Katie—“Make It Fun for Yourself & Your Kids”

• Caller: Katie from Raleigh, NC
• Issue: Struggling to get her 5-year-old son to floss daily.
• Application of Old Advice: Inspired by an older “Long Island Lisa” call (a mom created a fun character for her daughter), Katie invents “Dr. Brunhilde,” a German dentist persona, to make flossing fun.
  • “Every night I come in with the floss, like, pick thing and say, ‘Oh, hello, child. This is Dr. Brunhilda here. To Fluffy, your tea.’” (Katie, 21:17)
• Additional Parenting Tips: Is careful not to “overshadow” mom with the fun character; “prize box” rewards are actually piggyback rides and playful attention, not material goods.
• Hosts & Cat Chime In: Cat shares her own breakfast musical improv to entice her child to eat, reflecting how adaptability and playfulness help in parenting.
• Takeaway: Imagination, play, and flexibility can transform daily drudgery—advice and routines are most effective when customized for your family.

[32:00–41:37] Caller 3: Sophie—“Ask for What You Want When You Have Nothing To Lose”

• Caller: Sophie (pseudonym)
• Issue: Had two job offers—one boring but stable, one “bad boy” job that was cooler but riskier with lower pay.
• Advice Received: Her boyfriend suggests asking the “bad boy” company for something “ridiculous”—i.e., a much bigger signing bonus matching the offer gap.
  • “If you have nothing to lose, I guess ask for something crazy, and if they give it to you, you get what you want.” (Sophie, 40:57)
• Result: Company gives her a $20k sign-on bonus (“That’s a real bonus bonus.” —Jake, 37:16)
• Aftermath: The job winds up being terrible, but Sophie lands on her feet later.
• Hosts’ Take: Sometimes, taking a bold swing makes sense if you have a safety net, but don’t mistake a “big offer” for long-term happiness.

[42:22–47:19] Listener Email & Bad Advice Section

• Email from Carly: Veteran teacher shares that if you need to pass gas in class, do it behind the most annoying or mean student so they get blamed. Jake and Cat share similar (but less effective) bad advice stories from childhood (“Just make sounds so no one knows it was you”—Jake, 43:12).
• Discussion: The funniest or worst advice can sometimes backfire spectacularly—leading to more humiliation, not less.

[44:33–50:29] The Gang’s Own “Worst Advice Received”

• Cat’s Story: Her famous director father told her after an audition, “don’t be afraid to go for it”—which results in her ambushing casting directors with unsolicited extra takes, and bombing.
  • “I can do it a few different ways… And before they could respond, I just started again...” (Cat, 45:48)
• Jake’s Story: Mom told him that if you know someone’s name, they won’t hurt you. Attempting this in a fight, he randomly calls a bully “Chris Cook,” which fails utterly: “And he goes, you’re absolutely right. He knocked me to the ground and beat up my friend.” (Jake, 49:41)
• Gareth’s Story: Early LA advice: don’t be “too familiar” with audition sides—so he would barely prepare, which killed several auditions.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Adapting Advice & Rules:
  “Sometimes the exact directions are not the right directions.”
  — Whitney (13:34)

• On Playful Parenting:
  “Every night I come in with the floss, like, pick thing and say, ‘Oh, hello, child. This is Dr. Brunhilda here. To Fluffy, your tea.’”
  — Katie (21:17)

• On Negotiating With Nothing to Lose:
  “If you have nothing to lose, I guess ask for something crazy, and if they give it to you, you get what you want.”
  — Sophie (40:57)

• On Audition Fails:
  “I can do it a few different ways… And before they could respond, I just started again...”
  — Cat Reitman (45:48)

• On Getting Beat Up for Using the Wrong Name:
  “You’re Chris Cook.” “You’re absolutely right. [He] knocked me to the ground and beat up my friend.”
  — Jake Johnson (49:41)

Additional Highlights

• [28:00+] Cat & Gareth reminisce about humiliating TV press experiences: Both share the pain of bombing a ceremonial first pitch at a White Sox game while dressed as a bride and groom as a PR stunt for “The Real Wedding Crashers”—and getting epically booed.
• [42:22+] Teachers’ secret tricks: Carly’s 13-year “passing gas” trick and Jake’s failed childhood advice.
• [50:31+] The crew agrees that bad audition stories, and the weird advice that leads to them, could fill entire episodes.

Thematic Takeaways

• Following instructions “by the book” isn’t always the best path—know when to experiment and personalize advice for your situation.
• Use humor and imagination to make tedious or difficult tasks (especially with kids) easier and more joyful.
• Sometimes seizing an unexpected opportunity—if you have a safety net—can pay off in surprising ways, even if the immediate outcome doesn’t last.
• Not all advice is created equal—learning which rules to break (and how) is part of growing up, parenting, and building a creative life.

Most Memorable Segment Timestamps

• Whitney’s Oatmeal Fix & Advice – 09:26–14:41
• Katie’s Parenting/Flossing Story – 17:22–25:16
• Sophie’s Job Negotiation Story – 32:00–41:37
• Bad Advice Roundtable: 44:33–50:29

Tone & Style

The episode is loose, conversational, and full of comedic tangents. The trio blend genuine advice with self-deprecating humor, constantly riffing, doing characters, and scanning for the absurd in everyday struggles. Their dynamic is “friendly bartender meets silly improv night”—equal parts sincere and irreverently goofy.

Final Reflection

Whether it’s getting kids to floss, negotiating your salary, or just surviving public embarrassment, the episode consistently circles back to the lesson: “Make it your own.” Not all advice is one-size-fits-all—trust yourself to play, experiment, and adapt. And, when in doubt (or if you need to survive a booing baseball crowd), at least leave with a hilarious story.