Bonus Episode: Monday Motivation

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I'm Jenna Fisher.

And I'm Angela Kinsey.

We were on The Office together.

And we're best friends.

And now we're doing the Ultimate Office Rewatch podcast just for you.

Each week, we will break down an episode of The Office and give exclusive behind-the-scenes stories that only two people who were there can tell you.

We're the Office Ladies.

Hello,

and welcome to a very special bonus episode of Office Ladies.

Yeah.

Today we are talking about what motivates you.

And what motivates us.

All right, so this bonus episode of Office Ladies is brought to you by the folks at Buick, makers of the all new Envision, and they've asked us to share how we make our Office Ladies podcast each week.

Yeah.

A lot goes into making this show.

Yeah.

It's very rewarding.

It is.

Today, we are going to to break it down for you and talk all about what keeps us motivated and moving.

And then we're also going to talk a little bit about BFFs.

Yeah.

Let's do it.

Angela, you know, I love my structure.

Honey, do I know it?

So I have fast facts for this bonus episode.

You do?

What are your fast facts?

All right.

Fast fact number one.

This one is from the folks at Buick.

There you go.

I mean, when you sponsor an episode, you get to ask the first question.

I like it.

By the way, you guys, we Zoomed with the Buick folks and they are the nicest bunch of people and they're really into the podcast, which I don't know, that just made me feel so good.

I feel good too.

They clearly listened to every episode.

All right.

Anyway, here it is.

Jenna and Angela, you are both incredible multi-hyphenates.

So we imagine a lot goes into keeping everything moving.

When you told me they called us multi-hyphenates, you know I had to look it up.

Yep.

Okay, so according to the Cambridge Dictionary, a multi-hyphenate is someone who does several different jobs, especially in the entertainment industry.

For example, we are actor, writer, podcasters.

Yeah, I would add producers.

Yeah.

And we run our own business.

Yeah, what else?

We scrapbook.

Is that in the entertainment industry?

We love a good sale.

That's probably shopping.

I don't know.

I would count it as part of our multi hyphenates.

Well, Angela, Buick is bringing everyone a challenge to make the best of their Mondays.

So they want to know, do we have any rituals that kick off our week?

And are you more of a Monday motivation person or a Friday feeling person?

I mean, I'm not really sure what they mean by Monday motivation.

Is that like someone who's like, let's go and tackle the week.

We're going to hit the ground running on Monday because that is definitely not.

That is not you.

I am not that.

I am more of a Friday feeling person.

Yeah.

Everyone who listens to Office Ladies probably knew that.

Well, I don't know.

Is that shade?

Are you throwing shade at me?

I'm not throwing you shade.

No, not at all.

I'm sure it's no surprise that I'm a Monday motivation person.

This is why we're such a great team.

It really is.

And I definitely have rituals that kick off my week.

We work mostly from home.

And a lot of what I struggle with is ignoring house chores when I'm supposed to be working.

Yeah.

So I actually like to do things on Sunday evening to set myself up for success on Monday.

So my Monday motivation starts on Sunday.

Of course it does.

Your Monday motivation starts on the weekend.

That's so perfect.

Here are some examples.

I always make sure that we've done all the dishes so that I wake up to a clean sink.

I have to wake up to a clean sink.

This makes me very happy.

Okay.

We do all of our grocery shopping and meal planning over the weekend.

And I like to have a clean home office on Monday morning.

Like I'll even write down a list of priorities for my week in a notepad and I'll put it on my desk next to my computer on Sunday night.

This is how I set myself up for a great Monday.

I mean, I know this about you.

And I also know if one of those things doesn't happen, things can get walked.

Oh, I lose it.

I lose it.

Well, I am definitely more of a Friday feeling person.

I feel like I need something to work towards, you know, like that light at the end of the tunnel kind of thing to keep me motivated.

And I have found with myself, if I think about like the big picture, like everything I have to do that day or everything I have to do that week, I get overwhelmed.

So I really just have to take it one day at a time.

I set little like daily goals for myself and then I get a little reward.

Oh, like what?

I mean, it doesn't have to be anything big.

Like I'll work a long long day and then say, you know what?

I'm going to go for a nice walk and I'm going to look at flowers and I'm going to just let my mind wander.

I mean, I'm not exercising.

You understand this.

Like this isn't like I'm nobody thought you were exercising.

Like don't worry.

I'm not going to burn any calories, but that walk is like my mental break.

I'm kind of the opposite of you, Angela.

I have to take my walk first thing in the morning.

I find that I can quiet my brain if I work my body.

But what I do each morning to set myself up for a great day of work, it also depends on what kind of work we're doing.

For example, if we're working on our book, I have this little routine that I call my mental warm-ups.

And I developed this from like, I mean, listen, lady, I listen to all these podcasts of like people who have suggestions on how to like organize your life.

You know, I love them.

You love that.

You love a like, how to be successful five steps.

I do.

For every successful person, you love all that stuff.

Oh, yeah.

So here's what I came up with.

I do 15 minutes of reading reading and then 15 minutes of journaling.

I set a timer, but during that time, I keep a notepad next to me and I write down anything that jumps in my mind.

Like it might be an idea for writing later, but it might be a chore or an email that I need to return.

So I jot it down and then I let it kind of flow through me and I keep reading and I keep journaling.

And then when I'm done, I look at my list.

and I prioritize it.

I say, what really needs to be done from this list before I start writing and what can wait.

And somehow getting it down on the paper, it's this way where I've tricked my brain into knowing that it'll get done, but I can let it go for now.

And it doesn't have to sit in my brain.

It doesn't have to keep reminding me to do it because it's on the paper now.

Right, right.

So that will really set me up for a great day of intense writing.

I like that.

I think that's just you practicing self-care because I know we've been friends a long time that sometimes if you get a thought in your head, you've got to do something with it.

Yeah.

You can't just let it spin around up there.

Containment is hard for me.

Well, I think you're doing a great job.

You know, Jenna, because I've sent you countless photos of me with my coffee mug on my back porch.

I start my day by sitting on my porch.

It's really simple.

I mean, gosh, sometimes I only get to sit for five minutes, maybe 10 minutes, but it just feeds my soul.

And I don't know if it's like a southern thing.

Everyone in my family at some point in the day sits on their porch.

And my dad used to say, find yourself a thinking spot and take a moment.

And it just makes me feel good.

So I guess my thinking spot is my back porch.

And I like to just have my cup of tea.

I'm a big tea drinker, you know, and I sort of listen to the birds chatter.

And it's like my moment of calm before kids and school and life and work and all of that just kicks into high gear.

And I live for those few moments in the morning.

And on days that I don't get it, because you know, you don't always get to have that little self-care moment.

Oh, yeah.

I don't quite feel like myself, you know?

So it's a really small act of self-care that took me years to figure out how much it means to me.

And it's just really a gift that I love to be able to make for myself in the morning.

But

guess what day is my favorite day of the week?

Friday feeling.

Friday, because I try to give myself a double reset.

So I have my morning porch time, right?

With my cup of tea.

And then on Fridays, after I've worked my full day, I love to catch a little bit of the sunset, sit on the back porch with a glass of wine.

And that I look forward to all week.

That's my Friday feeling moment.

Lady, this is really making me want to be you because that just all sounds lovely.

Well, I was actually thinking, you know what?

While I'm sitting out there having my cup of tea, listening to the birds, maybe if I took a little notepad with me, I could jot down some of the things I wanted to do that day.

And then I would have my list and not forget anything.

Yeah, do you see how great this is when you share your rituals?

Yeah.

I like it.

Well, thank you, Buick, for kicking things off.

Later in the episode, we're going to tell you what we think of the Buick envisions.

Spoiler alert.

Yeah.

We love them.

We love them.

All right.

Should I move on to fast fact number two?

Yeah.

Fast fact number two, we wouldn't be making an office ladies podcast if we had not been on the office.

Probably not.

We wouldn't know each other.

That is true.

Well, we wouldn't have met.

I didn't even think about that.

That's so sad.

Yeah.

Well, we had a fan question from Michael S.

who asked, when you guys have guests on the podcast, you always ask them how they got to be on the office, but how did you two do it?

Are you kidding me?

Have we not talked about this?

So I went back and we shared a little bit about it in the pilot episode of Office Ladies.

Okay.

But.

We haven't like talked about it.

I feel like there's more to say.

Okay.

So in the pilot, you shared that you had originally auditioned for the role of Pam.

Oh, yeah.

And you didn't get the role, but you did not tell us about auditioning for Angela.

Oh, my gosh, for Angela Martin?

I'll tell you about it.

Yes.

Okay.

So I auditioned for the role of Pam.

They said I was too feisty.

Bye-bye.

But

they said they liked me.

But you know, you hear that.

You hear that.

But you're like, okay, but does that mean I'll ever get called back?

I just, I had to keep on moving.

Yeah, you kept going.

You kept going.

That's what you do.

You just go to the next audition.

That's right.

You know, they say in Hollywood that the overnight success, you know, you've heard that expression, right?

Oh, she's an overnight success.

I don't know who came up with that because my overnight success was nine years.

Yeah.

Right.

I hate those overnight success stories because then when you're not an overnight success after like three months of being here, you feel like a failure.

But actually, that's just normal.

That is normal.

For you, it was like what?

I got cast on the office after eight years.

Eight years.

Okay.

So Jenna's overnight success was eight years.

Mine was nine years, if that gives you an idea how long we were plugging away out here.

And I had been doing every kind of odd job I could do so I could audition, right?

I was a temp.

I babysat.

I was an operator at 1-800 Dentist.

I worked at restaurants.

But here's the deal.

I was also working at an improv sketch theater called IO West in Hollywood.

I would work there, Jenna, so that I would get free classes.

Oh, I did that so much of that.

So much, right?

You did this like work exchange.

And here's what I was doing.

And this cracks me up.

I was helping the accountant.

What?

Yes, I was basically like the office manager and I would balance the spreadsheet.

I learned how to do profit and loss statements.

I became really good with QuickBooks accounting software.

Jenna, I had no idea I was training to be a fake accountant all along.

That is amazing.

Yeah.

And so here I am sitting in this little office of a theater and I get a phone call from Allison Jones.

They want me to come in and read.

for the stuffy accountant that sits in the corner.

And I thought, come on, I got this, right?

And there you go.

Feisty Angela Martin was born.

I got to read with Ken Kwapis, and he told me I made a meal out of my scene.

I'll never forget that expression.

I walked out of there on Cloud Nine.

That is so cool.

How many lines did you have in your audition?

Did they write a scene for you?

Yeah, they wrote a scene that didn't exist in the pilot.

Okay.

And it was like a couple of lines.

It was so fun.

And I mean, I thought, I think that went better than Pam.

Well, I had shared that when I auditioned, my reader was Phyllis Smith.

Yes.

Phyllis from the office.

Right, right.

She read with us all, at least in that first round.

Yes, because she was the casting associate at Allison Jones's office.

She was not an actress.

Yeah, that's true.

And we had shared that the way Phyllis got her job on the office was they were so impressed with how she read with all of us that they gave her a role.

Yeah.

But what I didn't share is that I had been auditioning for various shows and roles that Allison Jones had been casting.

And I had been reading with Phyllis for over five years before getting my audition for the office.

Stop it.

Yeah.

Phyllis had been in your life for five years.

Yeah, as like a casting associate.

Oh my gosh.

And this is the part of the story that I thought fit in really well with our theme of staying motivated because like we were saying, I had been in Los Angeles, you know, knocking around for those eight years of my overnight success.

And over those eight years, I watched a lot of people throw in the towel and be kind of like, forget it.

I'm not doing this anymore.

Same.

It was like flies dropping, right?

Yeah.

You would have friends in acting class that would just pack it up and go home.

Exactly.

And every time that happened, I thought, am I a crazy person for sticking this out?

Right.

Why am I still here?

But every year, some little thing would happen that would give me hope.

Like year five, I got my first speaking role on a TV show.

Which one?

It was Spin City, the Charlie Sheen years.

It was cast by Allison Jones, and I read with Phyllis.

It was just three lines as an actress.

And when I got the role, I thanked Allison.

I told her, oh my gosh, I was really starting to lose hope.

I was so happy to get this break.

My family back home is finally going to see me on TV after five years.

And you know what she said to me?

What?

She said, the person you should thank is Phyllis.

She put your audition at the top of the pile for the producers and she flagged you as our top choice.

So Phyllis is one of the reasons that I had hope to stick around in Los Angeles long enough to audition with her three years later for the office.

Phyllis Smith.

I mean, do we need to love her more?

How can we love this woman more?

She changed my life.

She sure did.

Sometimes I think it just takes that one person who believes in you, you know?

Yeah, we all need one person, right?

We all need one advocate.

I hope I'm that person to someone.

You know, I think about all the people that helped me just keep going and still do.

Yeah.

I try to pay that forward as much as I can.

Yeah, me too.

Fast fact number three, Angela.

We also could not be making this podcast if we weren't best friends.

That's true.

I mean, Angela, I could not do this with anyone else, truly.

Oh, my gosh, lady, come on.

I mean, I love,

oh my gosh, it's really hard for me to put into words how much I love our friendship.

When I say that.

I thought you're going to make me cry.

You just like zeroed in on my eyes with like such like love and appreciation.

i feel moved well i took my glasses off if that tells you guys listening anything you know when you take your glasses off you're serious that's what i mean it got real serious well i mean you know we just have this open dialogue there's nothing i can't say to you and it's very loving you know it's like you always always have made me want to be better and like i don't think there's a better compliment you can give anyone Yeah.

You know, you raise up my game.

I don't know.

I'm sure there's some lingo there the kids use.

You level me up.

I don't know what they say.

That sounded good.

Yeah.

Thanks.

I'll stick with it.

But you do.

Ladies, same.

The gift of our friendship.

It's everything to my life.

I know.

This whole process of doing this podcast and being co-boss ladies, it just tickles me to no end when we say that.

But really, I was telling our kids that I feel like you're my co-champion.

Oh, yes.

I love that.

Yeah.

Well, lady, we got this question from Shauna M.

How did you two come to to be best friends?

Can you point to a particular day or moment when something clicked or was it a gradual build?

We actually get a lot of questions about our friendship because I think

we talk about our friendship a lot.

I mean, how can you not?

It's like the biggest component to us.

It's true.

And I know we shared about spending those many days sitting next to one another on the bench in the basketball episode from season one.

And that's kind of that for me was like the beginning of our friendship.

That was like, I stamp this person best friend.

Yeah, no, we talked about it all.

Like, I feel like we left the basketball episode and I was like, I know Jenna Fisher.

Yes, that's how I felt too.

Yes.

So if I had to point to like one particular moment, that was it.

But at the same time, the depth of our friendship was built over many years of showing up for one another.

That's right.

Okay, so Jenna, we've been talking a lot about the value of strong friendships in life.

And I wanted to share this letter to you from our Office Ladies mailbag.

It really touched my heart.

This is from Courtney Jay.

My BFF and I had a falling out about six years ago.

We are big fans of the office and we used to watch it together.

Since listening to your podcast during quarantine, I was reminded of our friendship thanks to you ladies and of how short and precious life is.

My friend and I have since reconnected and we now bond over listening to office ladies each week.

Thank you for inspiring me to get my best friend back.

Oh my gosh, Courtney J.

I am so happy that you got your friend back.

Me too.

I mean, how about that for a Monday motivation?

Maybe reach out to someone you've lost touch with.

I just love that.

I know for a fact this past year, I feel like I have reconnected with people.

I think just everything happening put so much into focus, you know?

Yeah.

You feel like the reasons you lose contact with people, like when you really look at them, it's like you can just put it all aside.

Yeah.

I I love that idea.

Courtney, I love that you reached out and I love that you guys are listening to us.

I'm sending you a, I don't know, an air hug?

An air hug, sure.

Over the airwaves.

Yeah.

And I think on that note, we'll take a little break.

All right.

Well, like we said earlier, this bonus episode is sponsored by Buick.

And Jenna, it's time to talk about the Buick Envision.

We've been driving the Envision Avenir, which is new for 2021.

It's their top of the line, most premium model, the highest expression of Buick luxury.

And this vehicle is amazing.

I love it.

I mean, I really love it.

I love it too.

I don't want to give it back.

I know, me too.

It works for me as a boss lady.

It is totally luxurious.

So I felt fancy.

I felt pampered.

I did too.

Because it drives great, but it's also a total family vehicle.

Like one of the available features is a hands-free power lift gate.

So if your hands are full

and you have the key in your pocket or your purse, you can just swipe your foot under the back bumper and the trunk opens automatically.

Jenna and I tried this out in real time, you guys.

Together.

Together.

We both did our feet under the bumper and they opened and we were so excited.

Lady, we cheered and jumped up and down.

In the parking lot.

Yeah.

It was very exciting.

And by the way, our hands were full.

That was really very convenient.

Also, I just want to go sit in the Envision to Do Work.

It's quieter than my house.

It smells better.

It has multiple places to charge things.

And I'm in love with the seats.

I know.

Not only are they comfortable and they look so nice, but the driver's seat is heated.

Yep.

Do you know what this means to me?

Mm-hmm.

I am always cold.

This is important.

And the driver's seat is like a massage chair.

You heard me.

It has a massage feature.

That's a standard feature on the Avenir.

So while you're running errands or just sitting in your driveway trying to do work, it's like you're getting a gentle rolling massage on your back.

Listen, there are many things we loved about the Envision.

It's zippy, it's got get up and go, it looks classy, but it's also super functional.

And running my usual mom errands, it just felt like a mini vacation.

The all-new Buick Envision was an MVP for us these past few weeks.

Staying motivated and staying on top of what we need is important in making the most of a busy week.

And the Envision really helped us out here.

If you're looking for the right vehicle to help you do the same, check out the Buick Envision at Buick.com or at your local Buick dealer.

And we are back.

And now it's time to break down how we make office ladies.

I thought we could kick things off with a question from Harris in Akron, Ohio.

Hello, Harris.

Hello, Harris.

Okay, Harris says, I never knew how much I needed this podcast.

It's been so great, especially this past year.

What inspired you to make make it?

And thank you.

I mean, Harris, come on.

Thank you, Harris, for asking.

What a lovely, lovely like comment.

Let's see.

What inspired us to make it?

I mean, I think the biggest thing that inspired us to make it was our desire to work together again.

For sure.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We've wanted to work together ever since the office ended.

Like literally the day we drove off.

the Dunder Mifflin set, we were like, okay, when are we working together again?

Cause we know we have to have lunch every day.

And I wanted to do your show, Haters Back Off, but I was super pregs and I couldn't travel.

I know.

Yes.

And then you were like, and come be on my show.

We did this back and forth.

We were like, guys, hey, we just got a new job.

Can my friend Jenna come by?

I really want.

Can she be in it?

Is that obnoxious that we would get a job and we'd be like, do you have...

Do you have a role, maybe a scene I could do with my best friend?

Yeah.

Is there a little quirky blonde lady can cruise through?

Yeah, so we really just wanted to work together again.

But I would say something else that was happening after the office ended was we realized how spoiled we were on the office in the sense that the office hours were 6 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

I mean, we have Steve Krell to thank for that, right?

We really do.

He was such a family guy before any of us had families.

Steve was the guy that had a family and he wanted to be home for dinner.

He did.

And so we were able to do this work schedule that was very family friendly and it was in one place.

We rarely went on location or had night shoots.

And when we did, it was just fun because it was such a novelty.

Right.

But then

as we started getting these jobs after the office, there was so much travel involved.

We were away a lot.

When we would talk about that, we would say, oh my gosh, in order to work as an actor, it seems like I have to go away or I have to work these jobs where

odd hours.

And I was missing dinners and I was FaceTiming bedtimes.

And listen, I know this is true in a lot of professions.

You've said before, your sister is a nurse and she'll have these three-day shifts at the hospital that sort of take her out of commission.

But as I was watching my kids growing up and thinking about, gosh, I wonder.

Is there a way we can be, you know, working together, but more available to our families and home more?

Yes.

And this whole conversation was happening, by the way, while I was working on splitting up together, a TV show.

And I would talk to Oliver Hudson about it.

And he said one day, he said, well, Jenna, what you and Angela should do is a podcast.

You'd be home all the time.

Oh my God, should I send Oliver Hudson a thank you?

You probably should.

I mean, he's who planted the seed.

He 100% planted the seed.

100%.

He was like, Jenna.

I know how much you like to wear sweatpants.

I know how much you love your BFF.

I'm telling you, this job is going to tick all the boxes for you.

You should really look into it.

Now, meanwhile, you guys, I had been working on a show in Canada, in Vancouver, which beautiful place, loved it.

But I was flying back and forth and back and forth and back and forth.

So when Jenna was like, Ange, I have an idea here of how we could work in sweatpants and be home more, I was like, ding, ding, ding.

Tell me about it.

Yeah.

So that was really the inspiration.

Thank you, Oliver Hudson, for planting the seed.

There will be a gift basket of some kind of muffins headed your way.

Well, next we have a question from Ben A.

who asked, can you explain how a typical podcast episode gets recorded?

What does a typical week look like for you?

This is actually such a good question.

My kids have asked this because they get to see part of the process, right?

Yeah.

And they really want to come in the studio.

My kids do too.

I know.

We need to have, oh my God.

Family day.

Family day.

Sam and Cassie, we're going to have family day.

So, because they just see the part of it at home.

Yeah.

All right.

So let's break it down.

Okay.

So, Angela, how do you start your week when you plan for the podcast?

Well, first of all, I watch the episode We're Breaking Down like three or four times.

Same.

Right?

Yes.

So I, I, first I watch it just like, um, just like as an audience member.

And the kids usually watch it with me because my kids, you know, are older and they're really into it.

So I watch it with them.

It's so interesting to see the things they love, you know?

And then I'll watch it again and I have my outline.

We have an outline, you guys, of the episode, like a scene-by-scene outline that we print out.

Yes.

Our associate producer, Ainsley Bubico, puts that together for us.

Thank you, Ainsley.

So my second pass at watching it, I watch it with that outline.

And I go through and I just start making notes.

You guys, my notes used to be on note cards.

But Angela has graduated everybody to a note nowaday.

Listen.

And she uses a proper outline.

Applause for you, ladies.

I know.

I put it all in one word document now, but I did that because I was in the closet, my husband's closet podcasting for a year and I had no room for my note cards.

I know.

I still feel like I

missed the note card if I'm honest with you.

Well, back in studio, they're coming back, so get ready.

All right.

But anyway, so then I start making notes.

Then we start really doing research.

Anything that's mentioned in the episode that I'm curious about, I'll start, you know, Googling it and looking it up and finding out information.

We'll reach out to cast and crew with questions.

Then I personally take the DVD commentary, deleted scenes and bloopers, right, Jenna?

Yep.

And you really go into fan questions.

Yes.

And that's also with help from Ainsley.

She'll pull questions from our mailbag, from our Instagram, and she sends them to me.

And then I go through and try to figure out what do we know the answer to.

Yeah.

And we will trade off texting cast and crew.

So Jenna will reach out to people.

I reach out to people.

I mean, we just couldn't do the podcast without the love and support of the office family.

It's true.

And, you know, in this whole process, because mine is very similar to yours, Angela, the way I watch it, we try not to tell each other specifically what we're doing because I want to surprise Angela.

Like I, I don't always tell her my fast facts.

I don't always tell her my deep dives.

Same, same.

Like if there is a nugget in the DVD commentary or my favorite, a deleted scene that I know is going to rock your world, I won't tell you.

I will give the audio clips to Sam and let him play it and you react in the moment.

So, after all of this prep, we record our episodes every Thursday.

And then we edit the following week.

So, our producer, Cassie Jerkins, and our sound engineer, Sam Kiefer, they will put together the episode.

They assemble it for us.

And then we get to listen to it.

And then we give notes.

This is going to be where to say, you guys, I love, I love listening to the podcast.

I love it.

We do.

We do, you guys.

I will,

this is like such a lame story, but I listen to it while I do chores.

You do too, Jenna.

Oh, yeah.

So one of my favorite things is to listen to it while I fold clothes.

And Josh walked in, my husband, and I was just smiling.

I was just grinning ear to ear.

And he was like, what are you listening to?

And I was like, oh, me and Jenna.

He was like, oh, my gosh, you're such a dork.

Well, it's like I get to hang out with you for a whole hour.

Yeah.

And so after we have listened to ourselves and been delighted by ourselves and tackled big chores because jenna you have told me you'll you'll like save a big chore in the house like you're like gonna organize your pantry oh i organized my son's closet while i listened to dinner party because i was like that's a long one that's a good closet of waiting to start a big project exactly so then we have a zoom with Sam and Cassie where we go through our notes together and we discuss things we want to cut out, things we want to keep.

And guys, I know I've seen comments that are like, Why do you edit anything?

I want to listen to it.

You don't, you don't.

Oh my gosh.

First of all, sometimes like we're recording and I'm like, I'm really hungry.

So I start eating a granola bar.

You don't need to hear that.

You don't need to hear that.

You need to edit out meat crunching.

I mean, we've been known to go on some tangents.

Oh, real long tangents.

Can you believe it, guys?

Are you shocked?

And then, and then also, sometimes there'll be part of the episode that we both separately loved and we both bring similar information.

So then we decide, okay, wait, Jenna, I kind of like your, your spin on that, or I like what you research.

You lead with that.

I'll take this.

Sometimes we're sorting it out right then and there.

Yeah.

Well, that's kind of how we do it.

I would say overall, we spend about 20 to 25 hours per week working on the podcast.

It's a full-time, part-time job.

And

that's kind of the, that's the long and long of it, I think.

Right?

Ben, did we go on too long?

So sorry, Ben.

Sorry, Ben.

And I guess I do want to say one more thing.

I want to give a shout out to our executive producer, Cody Fisher, because we just couldn't do this without our team and our partnership with Earwolf.

We're very grateful.

We are so grateful.

And then I just want to say that one of the things that has gotten me through this past year has been our team at Earwolf.

It has been our weekly edit sessions.

Not only do I enjoy doing the podcast with Jenna, but I equally enjoy hanging out with Sam and Cassie over a Zoom.

We always have some hot topic we have to chitty chat about at the top before we get to work.

And just seeing their faces, even though it's been on a TV, has just, I don't know, I just look forward to it.

Well, this leads me very well into our next question, Angela, from Natasha B.

What would you say is the most challenging aspect of making the podcast each week?

Does working with your best friend make things easier or harder?

Like, do you waste time in meetings just chatting as friends?

Well,

okay, okay, Natasha.

I definitely think being best friends makes it easier in so many ways, right?

I do.

We're both really efficient, and I don't think we waste each other's time.

Although we, yeah, yeah, we do a lot of gabbing on the Zoom.

It's more of a question for Cassie and Sam.

Do we, do we gab too much?

Do we gab too much, Sam?

I think it's a accurate amount.

I think it's just the right amount.

an accurate amount that's an interesting choice of word

well i think it's a healthy amount healthy amount you also have really good stories too yeah i think i'm okay with it because i contribute so much to it maybe this is a question for cast yeah exactly cast talk on a zoom i know

all right I agree that we both have a good work ethic.

We're both very driven people.

What would you say is the most challenging?

About doing the podcast?

Yeah.

The most challenging.

I think for me, it's just that I want to make sure we get it right.

The office is this hugely

popular, beloved show to so many people.

And the truth is the fans, they know the show, you guys know the show better than anyone.

Yeah.

And every week, I just want Jenna and I to do right by you guys.

And I also want to do right by the cast and crew.

I mean, hundreds of people work together every week to make the office come to life.

And each and every one of them were an integral part of the show's success.

And Jenna and I talk about this all the time.

We just want everyone represented.

We want to be able to share all the stories, all the little tidbits.

And I think the pressure I feel is I don't want to let the show's legacy down, you know?

Yeah.

And we do miss things.

We do.

Yeah.

We get things wrong.

We get it wrong.

And I really love our office ladies, listeners, this community of people.

You guys are so kind and you will lovingly let us know when we got it wrong.

And that's, that's the whole reason we started doing the revisited episodes.

Yeah.

For me, the most challenging aspect of making the podcast is probably just what's most challenging for me in general in my life.

I'm going to share.

Yeah.

Is just managing my anxiety and nervousness.

It was especially hard for me as an actress because sets are a very social environment.

I think sometimes people assume that all actors are just extroverts and that we have this natural ease with being in the spotlight, but that is definitely not the case for me.

So in a lot of ways, the podcast is a much better fit for me because our team is small.

I do better in small groups of people.

But even still, it is a challenge.

Well, you've shared a lot with me about this over the years.

You have a really great analogy that I thought was so helpful.

You call it your backpack analogy.

And I want you to share it because Jenna, I think it's relatable.

And I've shared it with my kids because we all have stress and anxiety.

It's something we all deal with.

It manifests differently for everyone.

But this is a great way to explain your stress.

Will you tell us about it?

Yes, my backpack analogy.

The way I think about it is my anxiety is a backpack that I wear every single day.

I take it with me every time.

But some days the backpack is heavy and some days it's light.

And some days it really weighs me down and makes it super hard to walk through my day.

And sometimes I barely notice it, but it's always there and I'm never going to get rid of it.

Right.

What I love about our friendship and getting to work with someone who knows me so intimately is you have said to me, lady, how heavy is the backpack today?

And then I can tell you.

And then I have different strategies for managing a heavy backpack.

But sometimes, man, the heavy backpack, you wake up, there's no reason for it.

you're just like man it's a heavy backpack day you've got to be kidding me come on right and I hate that but you know that's what it is I'm no longer looking to get rid of the backpack and I don't expect to and just that little shift of acknowledging that it's always there

has really helped me a lot yeah it's just me and it comes with me right and that you're going to be okay yes well i love you and your backpack well thanks lady

Thanks.

You help me carry my backpack a lot.

Aww.

Well, since we're talking about our friendship and all the ways it relates back to the podcast, Jenna, I have a fan question.

Okay.

From Molly S.

How has your friendship changed while making this podcast?

Have you found out new things about each other?

Well, yeah.

Well, first of all, I had no idea Angela loved no cards so much.

I really didn't.

Angela also wears lipstick to every Zoom.

Like she will not do her hair.

She might be in a bathrobe, but she put on lipstick.

I find that hilarious.

Well, here's the thing.

Jenna always has great hair.

Like I don't get it.

Like almost every morning for our Zooms, she blows out her hair like this beautiful blowout.

Today I am looking at her and she has a beautiful blowout, but She never wears lipstick.

No.

Never.

I can't tell you how many interviews, pressed junkets, red carpets we have done.

We're about to step out to have our photo taken.

And I'll be like, lady, you have no lipstick on.

Yeah, I hate lipstick.

And I don't feel like presentable unless I have lipstick on,

which makes me feel like between the two of us, we're almost a fully dressed person.

This is true.

Right?

I need my hair done and then I feel done.

Oh, no.

I throw it in a ponytail, but I put on my lips.

Well, lady, I have a quiz for us.

Okay.

This is a best friend's quiz that I found online.

It was on Hello Giggles and it has like 40 questions.

I'm not going to ask you 40 questions.

Oh my gosh.

I just pulled a few that were fun, but I thought this would be fun to try and see.

Maybe we'll see how well we know each other and maybe we'll even learn something new now.

Are you ready?

Is this the end of our friendship?

I'm kidding.

I hope not.

I'm kidding.

If it is, you're hearing it now.

I'm kidding.

Okay, yes, I'm ready.

Okay.

No, it's fun.

Number one.

Okay.

Which game show or reality show would I do best on?

Or you can answer this question: if I were were stuck on a desert island, why would I be an asset?

Okay.

Lady, you would be great on reality TV, but you'd also get kicked off too quickly.

So

you're basically saying I would make great TV.

Oh, yeah.

Because I'd be a hot miss.

We'd all want to watch you, but I feel like you would tell someone off or something.

You would want to change the rules.

You'd get kicked off.

They'd vote you off or you'd get kicked off.

And we'd be sad to see you go because you would have been the best thing about it.

And so I'm going to pivot to the desert island question.

Okay.

Okay.

I think you'd be an asset because you're very smart and you're a survivalist.

You really are.

And you remember the most random trivia.

Like you would be the person who would be like, oh, wait, wait, I know this.

I know how to collect rain, water, in a jungle.

I know how to do this.

Thank you for saying that because, you know, my family is a really big fan of the show Survivor.

I know.

and i always see them get their chickens you know and i remember this one time they were having this big debate about whether or not they should save the eggs or if they should hard boil them and save them and i just wanted to scream at the tv no

fresh laid eggs can go days unrefrigerated but the minute you boil it you have to eat it y'all or you have to refrigerate it do not boil those eggs do not boil them this is why i think you'd be good on the island thank you but not good on survivor because like the first week you'd you'd be like, I'm sorry, but that is highly inappropriate.

And I would have a very hard time.

I think this challenge is demeaning.

Well, it's funny you say this because my family has actually been re-watching Survivor together.

My kids are super into it.

And my answer was going to be that I think you would be amazing on Survivor.

I think you could win it all.

Why?

Because you are a hard worker and you don't complain.

That's why.

Now, listen, we both have hard worker in common, but that second one on the list would get you booted.

Exactly.

But you would be very friendly.

You would get to know people on like this really personal level.

You would be social, but you also would not be perceived as a physical threat.

Even though I think you would do really well in a lot of the challenges, I think you could fly under the radar.

You would be likable.

I think you could win it all.

Thank you, Jenna.

All right.

I never want to do it because they don't show where they go to the bathroom and I don't want to poop in the woods.

Yeah, they go to the bathroom in a hole in the ground, I think.

Yeah, I'm out.

Are you ready for the next question?

Yes.

If I became president, what do you think I'd do first?

Jenna, you would do so many things.

You would be such a great president.

Hey, thanks.

You really would.

First of all, you're very fair.

And so I feel like you would really be there for everybody.

And I know for sure you would make sure men and women get paid maternity leave as part of their job.

I would.

And of course, come on, equal pay for equal pockets.

That would be my first executive order.

Yeah.

All right.

Well, I think you would learn every single name of every single person who works in the White House and you would know a specific detail about all of their families.

I would.

And they'd all get cake on their birthday.

They would.

Be a lot of birthday cakes in the White House.

You would be literally the most personable president ever.

And as far as policies, that was a tough one for me because you do not soapbox very often, but I know that education is very important to you.

Your sister is a teacher.

So I could see you advocating for teachers in a really big way.

I really would.

Yeah.

For education, for our teachers and our children.

All right.

Final question, Angela.

When we are 85 years old, what will we be doing together?

Oh, my goodness.

Well, I hope we are sitting on a porch together, gabbing away about anything and everything.

That's what I hope.

I wrote two words.

What?

Factory tours.

Oh, my gosh.

I love it.

But no stairs.

85.

We need an elevator.

Or a ramp.

Or a ramp, yeah.

Well, if you guys want to do this quiz with your friends, we'll put a swipe up to it in our stories.

We'll put it on officeladies.com.

You can do all 40 questions if you want.

We're nearing the end here, guys.

A final question from Arden in Minnesota.

Have you learned anything new about the office by doing this rewatch podcast?

I feel like we've learned so much.

I mean, every week, we learn so much about each episode.

For example, I, of course, didn't think I would become so obsessed with the plants at Front Reception.

Me either.

I love it, though.

But now it's like the first thing I look for.

And then we both have characters we have fallen back in love with.

I mean, I live for every single word that Phyllis says.

Yes.

Well, I have a whole new appreciation for Ryan the Temp.

Yeah.

I also love how you've noticed little things like the way John says D.

White.

It's two words.

D.

White.

D.

White.

Or, you know, go into the full Mindy.

That was so fun.

Yes.

And then just how we've developed an even deeper appreciation for our crew.

I mean, we appreciated them, but as we go through these episodes and, for example, learn what went into putting those plants on Pam's desk.

Right.

Or how that bobblehead, how Dwight's bobblehead came to be.

Yeah.

Our crew is amazing.

Well, there you have it.

Yes.

Our bonus episode of Office Ladies sponsored by the awesome folks at Buick is complete.

Well, Jenna, I really love doing this episode.

Me too.

I think it was so fun.

Yeah.

I think next time we should do a bonus episode called Friday Feeling.

Yes.

Let's break down Friday Feeling and how you get there.

I like it.

Well, thank you for sending in your questions.

We will put a swipe up in our stories to the best friend quiz and a swipe up to the all-new Envision if you want to check it out or you can go to Buick.com.

I'm sad we have to give the Envisions back.

I'm really going to miss my heated invented massage driver seat.

It's like my rolling spa.

I know.

Well, guys, thank you so much for listening and we hope this episode helps you stay motivated to crush the week ahead.

Bye you guys.

Bye guys.

Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.

Office Ladies is produced by Earwolf, Jenna Fisher, and Angela Kinsey.

Our show is executive produced by Cody Fisher.

Our producer is Cassie Jerkins.

Our sound engineer is Sam Kiefer, and our associate producer is Ainsley Bubico.

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.

For ad-free versions of Office Ladies, go to stitcherpremium.com.

For a free one-month trial of Stitcher Premium, use code Office.

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