Ben: Do you want to sing the intro Cristine(Singing):Do, do, gotta do the dance! To the intro song, not sing it. Ben: *makes guitar noise* Cristine:Well holo everyone. It's me, Cristine, again and welcome back to the second episode of Simply Podlogical. That's right, We've been renewed for episode 2 *Cristine claps* Thank you, thank you to ourselves for deciding to renew ourselves Ben: Still no sponsors, right? Cristine: Nope, but. . . umm. . . But the pilot episode went well and we decided to do this again. So here we are. Thank you guys, Ben: it did go well and thank you to everyone for your feedback and your comments on that first video They were really helpful and I think it gave us a sense of what people want to hear that clearly There's an appetite for us to talk about more serious topics about you know Giving advice or our personal experiences on work, school, social media things like that, and then there's also an appetite Cristine: There's a Menchie on the table. There is also a Menchie on the table. Ben: But there's clearly also an appetite for us to I think Comment on YouTube culture, pop culture stuff like that. So it's I think it's a balance between those two things Cristine: So many things to talk about this is only episode 2 we're gonna have to be doing this for years. Ben: Don't get ahead of yourself *laughs* Cristine: We basically have basically found a job for the next few years Because we've got to get through all these things So also just want to thank you guys for a hundred thousand well one hundred fifty thousand as of recording this podcast subscribers on our YouTube channel There was a hundred thousand of you who subscribed before we even posted the first episode.
Ben: That's pretty cool.
Cristine: So, thank you That's a lot. We're now on Spotify. They approved us so that's good news Ben: Yeah, that was quick but it's so it's been submitted for Apple podcasts Cristine: But we're still waiting. Apple, come on, come on Apple Ben:We gather that could take a week or two to show up there. Cristine: Yeah, so we're waiting on Apple, but I do suggest and maybe this is just my personal bias is I like to consume Podcasts visually
Ben: mhm Cristine: And that's why I would just watch a lot of podcasts on YouTube and I totally understand if you want to do that passively Because you, you know, maybe you're cooking dinner, or maybe your cat's in your face or something like Menchie is right now But I like to watch people's facial expressions Menchie is like knocking like - I like to see a few things when I watch podcasts rather than just listen So, I mean that's just my personal preference I hope you guys enjoy our set and just even if you just watch one and then listen to them in the future you've at Least got an opportunity to like situate the context and where we are, what the scene is, what the vibe is You know, what the Menchie is. Ben: Yeah I mean you would miss out on quality content like Menchie rubbing my microphone with her face and butt Cristine: Menchie's butt in Ben's face Ben: But I actually I prefer to listen to podcasts so we definitely we're gonna make it a priority we'll get it up on the platforms that people want it to be on
Cristine: we'll do it all but we hope you watch maybe so you can see me make faces at Ben
Ben: I heard a lot of people saying they just like People like my voice apparently Cristine: they don't they don't want to look at you. You have a radio face. Is that what they said? Ben: No, that's not what they said. But thank you No, apparently I have a relaxing voice
Cristine: you do
Ben: which I don't know if that's a good thing Do I put people to sleep? Cristine: You sound like Bob the Builder That's what I've been told. Ben:I've been told Bob's Burgers.
Cristine: That's what I meant. Ben: Bob the builder? Cristine: I don't know
Ben: Is that a children's show? Okay, so what are we gonna talk about
Cristine: So today because there are so many topics but today we're gonna talk about our old jobs Mmm-hmm because we are old now so we actually have old jobs You know what? I mean? We haven't we've had enough jobs in our life now that we have old ones Ben: Yeah Cristine: I've been working for 16 years. Okay, everybody. I have experience in working.
Ben: Actually. That's why this is interesting. It's not me It's you Cristine.
Cristine: what? Ben:Like looking at your resume is kind of insane You've been, I don't know if there are child labor laws were you grew up Cristine: Oh yeah I wasn't even including that in the 16 years, so I've been working for more like 22 Ben: Yeah You've been working since you were like nine years old
Cristine: I've been working since I was a baby Ben: Maybe that explains like when people ask how you balance all these different jobs and all these different Personalities how you juggle your multiple personalities.
Cristine: All my multiple personalities excuse me? Ben: I think a lot of that does probably stem back to the fact that you've been working since you were like a child as a child actress and you've always had jobs, so I think it's just ingrained in you Cristine: *sings* I've been working on the railroad all the damn time Okay, anyways, I thought it would be fun speaking of my old jobs To go through my old resumes, which I actually have Ben: Oh, yeah?
Cristine: But before that I guess we have to go to a time before there was even a resume because I was literally nine years old So let's talk first about my very first job, which was a child actor Ben: Yeah, if you've been watching simply nail logical or simply not logical videos You're probably aware of this but for someone who may have just ended up here Cristine: Welcome, please stay Ben: Yeah, who are you and why are you here ? Cristine is a person with a youtube channel with 7 million subscribers that started out posting nail art and Then turned into something else but she also works during the day as a crime statistics analyst. Is that you in a nutshell if someone ended up here Cristine: Here's the thing I don't think people are defined by their work or what they do as a job But I think personally for me it is a huge part of my identity because I have two really major jobs that have impacted my life and kind of Driven where I am and who I am today, and that is, I'm a youtuber simplynailogical But I'm also a crime statistics analyst for the Canadian government So that is a whole other side of my personality But I think if you were to summarize me in a nutshell and you listed those two things that I do It would be a good summary Ben: Yeah, and most people know you from the YouTube stuff. And you know, there's a good Kurt Vonnegut quote. I like saying, uh, "You are who you pretend to be so you should be careful who you pretend to be" Cristine: Who do I pretend to be?
Ben: I don't know. Think about that one.
Cristine: I've always had impostor syndrome Ben: I think every youtuber does
Cristine: I know okay Ben: Anyway, but yeah Let's so let's go back to the child acting Cristine: So let's begin Ben: People watching simply naillogical videos would have seen some of your the commercials you were in as a kid in a movie But let's actually unpack what that was like for nine-year-old Cristine Cristine: So I was a child actor. It sounds so fancy, but like it really wasn't Ben: Yeah but like what did that actually mean?
Cristine: Yeah so, I grew up in the Greater Toronto Area which basically meant the suburbs of Toronto not actually Toronto and between the ages of nine and twelve Almost every day after school, maybe every other day. My parents or one of them would drive me from our house after school to an audition downtown Toronto which meant an hour and a half in traffic and I would do my homework in the car and Then like eat dinner somewhere downtown and then drive back late at night Just to wait in line to go to an audition for a commercial That most of the time I didn't get because that's just how it works There's hundreds of children and they they just pick one or two Ben: So you'd be in like waiting rooms with like a bunch of other kids to read like, one sentence for like some Cheerios commercial?
Cristine: Oh yeah, tons of screaming kids. Just to read a couple lines Yeah, and I remember it's such a weird strange thing. Like you'd go into the room and they'd be like, okay profile There's like three people kind of in the dark behind the lights. Just standing there Ben: Yeah Cristine: And you'd say like you'd say your full-name and then you'd turn to the left for a second and then you'd turn to the right because they need like a picture of your profile and then you just go ahead and read the lines and thinking back it was so Robotic and strange because I never saw myself as a natural actor. I didn't even really Care like I wasn't excited about doing it, which is weird thinking back. It's just what I did I was just like okay, we're going to an audition now. Ben: Yeah, like maybe you're too young to remember but like When you're that young are you like, kids aren't going to their parents being like I want to be in commercials, right? Cristine: Like I think some were I remember other kids around me Wanting to be actors. It wasn't something that I really thought about Ben: When they're like 10 years old?
Cristine: Yeah Well, yeah You want to be a famous person just like 10 year olds today want to be a famous youtuber Ben: I guess so
Cristine: So it's kind of the same. Ben: Yeah Cristine: I just I personally don't have any recollection of thinking that when I was that age I just kind of was like, oh it's time to go to auditions my parents put me in this. I don't know I didn't mind it
Ben: And similar to like the children in like family vlogs today on YouTube there is a question is like is the Motivation on the part of the children or their parents just sort of encouraging them to do it, right?
Cristine: I mean There's a way to make it fun Ben: Sure. I'm not saying your parents are like making you Cristine: Just to be clear, I wasn't forced to go do this. I just don't remember it being something I was really excited about doing okay Ben: So you were actually pretty successful though as a child actress
Cristine: I mean not really if you count being in a Furby commercial Ben: Don't you think a lot of the kids going that we're probably getting like no roles or nothing, right? Because there's tons of kids.
Cristine: Yeah, but for every 10-20 commercials I went to, I lost 10-19 of them
Ben: Sure yeah Cristine: Right? So there was a ton that I just never got but that's just the nature of the game like you're gonna go to a ton Of auditions and you just hope that you get one of them Ben: Okay so I guess how much do you remember about like you did commercials for who are some of the commercials you did? Cristine: So from my memory, I did 15 commercials and most of them were toys cereal or insurance companies Ben: Yeah, you did the Furby one. I think there's a Cheerios one
Cristine: Furby, Cheerios Sneezing Louie, which was some game where you like pull someone's boogers. Weird, yeah I know, weird Fib finder, your brother Ben: Your brother Cristine: The Wizard of Oz Like for a Broadway production that I wasn't actually in but I just did the commercial for it.
Ben: That's where the "What do you think" meme from your youtube channel
Cristine: That's where the "What do you think" Yeah. Thank you to the director from that in 1992, well not 1992, but something like that 1999 So I did 15 commercials and one movie. Ben: That's right.
Cristine: That's when things got more serious Yeah
Ben: Yeah, so you did this from what 9 like three years? Cristine: Four years, four or five? No. Yeah between nine and twelve And by the time I was 12, I got the part in that movie Charms for the easy life. Yeah, it's like old not good
Ben: Was that ever in theatres or was that straight to? Cristine: I think it went straight to DVD But Mimi Rogers if anyone knows who that is was in it she played Elizabeth Hurley's mom on the original Austin Powers Yeah a long time ago and Gena Rowlands played her mom in the movie and she was the grandma in The Notebook So some people may recognize Gina Rose names. Yeah. Yeah. So I played Mimi Rogers as a kid Like I was the flash back in 1909.
Ben: Yeah, like the first five minutes of the movie. I think its just you Cristine: Yeah, baby Cristine maybe simply yeah Ben: So, what did you get from being a child actress? What life how much money did you get? Cristine: I actually have no idea. Well, that's not completely true. At the time when I was between 9 and 12 I have no idea how much money I made, no idea the value of me spending 8 hours on a Country-style set was, no idea All I know is that I got free candy
Ben: Country style is a doughnut shop by the way for anybody listening, it's like Dunkin Donuts. Cristine: I got free candy and I got a tutor when I had to be on set for the movie because the law here was that you had to be provided a tutor if You were on set for two weeks or more. . You couldn't be on set for more than eight hours There was all these rules that like family vlogger channels don't have Ben: Okay Cristine: but thats a whole other topic Ben: Yeah, it's a good thing there that were those rules But yeah at the time obviously as a 9/10 year old you have no idea what no idea what the paycheck was
Cristine: no idea Ben: Okay, but then just years so they hold the money in trust for you your parents. Cristine: Yes. Are we really getting into this? Ben: Well, I think it's interesting to people you don't have to say how much
Cristine: I didn't get like full-blown rich off of doing You know 15 commercials as a kid, especially because a lot of these were smaller commercials. They weren't giant companies. They weren't like Reoccurring commercials it wasn't like a whole Walmart thing, you know, it wasn't a giant deal It was just a couple here and there smaller companies even the movie was a one-off thing and I'm pretty sure my part was such a small part of it like that was not where Most of the budget was going yet little Cristine from 1909. Yeah, so All I do know is that by the time I was 21/22 and I was gearing up to think about buying my first Condo is I asked my parents "So, you know those commercials I did as a kid?" "And like maybe I could have it?" because they were holding it for me Until it made sense to give it to me which was when I was gonna buy my first home, and I'm Glad that they did because that made sense to do like as parents I hope that they "hey keep most of it for you" But be help you be responsible with it because imagine they just gave it all to me when I was like 12 Ben: Yeah, well like there are laws about this for the opposite reason I think like if you go way back to the 1930s or something in the US there's a really famous case and the law is named after this kid where there was this famous child actor whose parents just Cristine: Are you talking about Macaulay Culkin, no? Ben: 1930s There's this there's I should really look it up. I don't know what i'm talking about But yeah, there was this child actor who got really exploited by his parents and they took all his money So they they introduced laws that protect kids in those circumstances Although like who knows like you you have no idea how much you were paid, but you just know that you eventually got a chunk of money that helped you
Cristine: I eventually got a decent amount of money that Went towards the down payment of my first condo. It didn't buy my first condo Okay, it's not that much but it was like I was happy to have that and like wow I'm glad I went to work when I was nine It was very helpful for me at that time in my life when I was already You know responsible and saving up to buy a condo but it definitely helped
Ben:And I don't know if we've talked about this on the simplynailogical videos, but when you decided to end Child acting yeah, I guess what was your motive?
Cristine: Was it my decision? Ben: Why did you stop it? Was it your decision? But you've told me you came close to getting a role on a pretty big TV show
Cristine: Degrassi the next generation Ben: Yeah, so you auditioned for that
Cristine: I lost Ben: But did you got to the point in auditioning for the the when they rebooted that show with the next generation? Cristine: So I got what they call a recall, so I was in the second phase of now ten Girls left to be the part of I think it was Emma who's ended up being a blonde girl that they went with But they wanted someone who was like Ugly Duckling like that was literally their description I remember this
Ben: I was about to say she's kind of the mousy looking girl Cristine: Yeah, they wanted Ugly Duckling and then her character was supposed to transform to like beautiful hottie I guess in season two or whatever anyways So we sat down Ben: Auditioning for the part of ugly girl number two Cristine: Times were different maybe they don't use that language anymore to describe a part, but that's literally what was described to me that I remember but at the time I remember sitting down with the director and They were mostly talking to my parents and telling them. Okay, so we're gonna shoot out here It was I think on the other side of Canada at the time
Ben: I think Alberta they might of filmed Cristine: Yeah they were gonna start filming there and they just needed to know where we willing to commit to moving there for several months because That was the next steps or else they're gonna stop considering me and then at that point my parents just decided, okay Okay, that's enough of that I think you're done with acting now you're gonna go to high school and that's why I quit when I was 12 because when you're 13 you go to high School here in Canada. That's very great knowledge that starts And then I just and I didn't really care I was like, okay Yeah, didn't bother me and I guess it kind of made sense Like okay now be a normal person and focus on school
Ben: I guess at that age Your parents are still making decisions for you. Cristine: For me exactly
Ben: but we don't want to move to Edmonton. Okay, stop acting Cristine: And honestly, neither did I it wasn't my dream to become an actor - an actress So I wasn't mad.
Ben: Yeah. Yeah, no fair enough. I guess by the time you're starting high school. You're a bit You've a bit more of a sense of who you are and what you want to be
Cristine:but here's the thing the fact that I was in commercials like right now you guys probably think. Oh, that's so cool Like that's so interesting. Like did everyone want to be your friend? Like no No Ben: Kid saw the commercials though. Cristine: Yeah, and then they would make fun of me and they'd be like "your brother" You don't even have a brother Like they decide lines from yeah, that's why from the FIB finder and they would just be mean to me. Ben: Oh, that's a bummer.
Cristine: So I was not cool I was might have been a tiny bit famous in my town, but it was but I wasn't cool Ben: Alright so that's your least conventional job in your history and least relatable
Cristine: but here's the thing because what is a job? Ben: Do you wanna get philosophical?
Cristine: It is work right it's work I was doing I Directly wasn't really getting paid for it
Ben: you eventually got paid
Cristine: eventually I got paid but I guess when I was a kid to me was just like an extracurricular activity That's how I saw it as a kid I didn't really understand the the gravity of the situation that like this is a job and I am working I just didn't think of that It was just a kid going to like play with connects or whatever the heck toy it was It was so it doesn't even really feel like it didn't feel like a job I mean, it was fun. And sometimes I dreaded going downtown to audition. That was annoying. I got carsick Ben: Okay. So what was your what feels like your first job?
Cristine: So my actual first job was Shoppers Drug Mart Ben: You and Drake right? Who you could've been on Degrassi with
Cristine: I know right? So I was 15 when I started working at Shoppers Drug Mart, which is just under the age where you can apply yourself So I literally had my mother come in with me to the store because I was 15 to apply Ben: Yeah, I thought you had to be sixteen
Cristine: You had to be 16, unless you had a parent like signing saying yes They can work and my parents were like, yes, she can work But these paychecks I took them
Ben: Oh good
Cristine: I took home my Shoppers Drug Mart pay check Ben: What were you making like $8 an hour
Cristine: Actually $6.49 Ben: Was minimum wage that low then?
Cristine: Mm-hmm
Ben: because what are we talking like? 2004 We finished high school in 2006, I did anyway Cristine: I can't remember exactly what year it was But I was definitely fifteen and I made $6.49 an hour which was minimum wage at that time I was a cashier at Shoppers Drug Mart, Shoppers Drug Mart is like a CVS or Walgreens. Yeah, sort of Ben: Yeah, it's the major Canadian drugstore. Yeah Pharmacy type
Cristine: I actually have my really cringey Resume and cover letter.
Ben: Oh, this should be good Cristine: Here's my first real resume that I found it's from 2006 and this is when I was already working at Shoppers Drug Mart, okay So if you scroll down to the very bottom, you'll see like something talent agency where I wrote that I was a child actor which is so Cringy to even like put that on a resume Shoppers Drug Mart does not give a shit Ben: If you were in commercials. Cristine: Yeah
Ben: So what did you say your "computer literate"? "Cash registers savvy?"
Cristine: that is so funny a skill was being computer literate in 2006 because most people weren't to be able to say that I was like, you know, I'm computer literate though are you and I was like most people weren't Ben: I know how to open Excel.
Cristine: Yeah, I was so proud of my computer literacy, image and video programs Word pros, Internet look Internet has its own category Ben: I mean this looks better than I think any resume. I probably had as a Teenager, I think I walk we'll get to this eventually But I just like walked into a grocery store and asked for a job.
Cristine: Aw Ben, Ben, You gotta come prepared You got to deserve that job.
Ben: Do you? Is it that competitive to get it? Summer job a Shoppers Drug Mart.
Cristine: Yes But I got the job because of this resume. No, this resumes a little bit after but what else do we have? So here this lists kind of what I did at Shoppers Drug Mart So I started off as a cashier/customer service, answered intended to needs of customers Incoming calls, counting and balancing tills because computers did not do that for you Ben: Fascinating
Cristine: And then I got promoted to cosmetician at Shoppers Drug Mart which was so exciting for me because I was like just eyeing the Cosmetician section the whole time that I was a cashier. Like I want to be the lady with the black vest Who like welcomes people and then says "would you like some face cream".
Ben:Did you get a promotion? Cristine:I did I think I went up to like eight something dollars an hour But as a cosmetician you make Commission so you got between two and eight percent for most of the fragrances and cosmetic sales and that was the beginning of what I learned like Being an affiliate was basically. Ben: So like a lot of your job was convincing old ladies to buy perfume Yeah face creams
Cristine: but they're like you look so young. It must work But the reality was I was 16
Ben: People said that?
Cristine: Yeah Ben:They didn't realize you were a child? Cristine: Well I think they just assumed I must have been like 20-something because what 16 year old is working at the cosmetician counter and literally Didn't have enough time to go to cosmetology school to do that Come to think of it. Why did they even give me that job? They just trusted me.
Ben: They just really liked your resume and cover letter
Cristine: I convinced them that I was like gonna be good at makeup Ben: Did you like working at Shopper's?
Cristine: I did I mean once I was a cosmetician I was a lot happier It was fun.
Ben: I think we should be clear to that. I think we both grew up fairly middle-class, let's say and it's not like we were people who needed to work during high school to Support the family or anything like that. It's just something I guess you wanted to do like You convinced your mom to let you start working somewhere at 15. Cristine: I always wanted to work But yeah, that's a good point. I did see a couple questions from you guys when we mentioned we were filming this Asking whether we had to work growing up or it was our choice Both Ben and I are fortunate enough that I wasn't forced into working at 15 to put food on my family's table It was my choice and anything that I made on my own I put into my savings Which taught me really good lessons about the value of money and how to save for my future That's how I started learning is by working. I started putting it in my bank account Ben: It taught you the value of a dollar.
Cristine: It did seriously
Ben: Does it though? Cause like Cristine: Especially being on commission as a cosmetician.
Ben: I don't know I don't know if that's how you learned that because like I I started working in high school to not because I needed to but Just because I felt like it but I would just blow that money and like I wanted Cristine: Someone wasn't teaching you, Ben Ben: I guess not but I'm just saying just by virtue of getting a job as a teenager doesn't really teach you financial literacy Cristine: You're right, but it gives you the opportunity that you could Learn that.
Ben: Yeah, it puts you in a position where you could save money or you could blow the money you're making Cristine: So I saved the money like a responsible fifteen-year-old and Ben blew it all is what I'm hearing.
Ben: Yeah I did Cristine: Okay, you grew up eventually though, right?
Ben: I don't know, TBD Cristine: We'll get to Ben, we'll get to Ben So yeah, I guess to answer the question. I Didn't have to work But I wanted to and I'm proud I guess of the fact that I was an industrious hard-working kid I think it did me good taught me a lot of things in life to Learn that early on and in terms of like timelines what a typical day looked like. Yeah. I was in school I was in high school when I was working at Shoppers So I'd go to school 8:00 to 3:30. And then I'd go to work as a cosmetician who's only only hours were 4:00 to midnight Ben: You were working at midnight on school nights?
Cristine: Yeah, not every night It was like three times a week, maybe two to three times a week But I would work four to midnight because that's the hours that it required. There's only one cosmetician.
Ben: That's pretty crazy Cristine: I know, and my parents didn't want to let me do that and I like fought them on it No, they need me. I like convinced my parents that Shoppers Drug Mart needed me
Ben: When did you do your homework? Cristine: In class. In the other classes or at lunch Ben: You're crazy Cristine: No, honestly Like we would have study time or whatever Downtime where we're supposed to do exercises and I would just finish my homework as fast as I can Ben: Like I know we talk a lot and we advocate for like being serious about school and education And we both suggest that working during high school is a good experience at the same time, I don't want people taking Taking away the wrong message here, like when you're in high school and you're a teenager.
Cristine: Try and enjoy yourself Ben: Yeah, you would still want to be enjoy being a young person you shouldn't be
Cristine: Because it won't last being a young person Ben: Yeah, I would not recommend your schedule to any sane person Cristine: Yeah, good point. Let me just be clear just because I was an insane, insane child Who's going to school and working like 24/7 does not mean that's what I recommend for others. It's just part of my personality I don't know why I'm like this But it's what works for me and to be really honest and Kind of sad is I didn't have very many friends in high school and part of what kept me going And looking forward to the future and like tomorrow was the fact that after school I'd get to go to work Ben: Yeah, so like if you're not being invited to the party Friday night
Cristine: I don't care. I'm going to work, I got to work I got something important to do people need me at work and I'm gonna like make some savings out of it so I felt good About it and it empowered me in a way to just like find my own path Okay. Yeah, I'm not saying like just bury yourself and work and you'll feel better. Yeah, because some people won't feel better It just might be Like it might be awful for some people to go to work and they might hate it I actually enjoyed what I was doing Not so much the cashier. I think eventually when I got promoted as a cosmetician, I was really enjoying it but even when I was a cashier, I was just looking forward to Okay, where can I go next? I really want that next opportunity So I'm just gonna work really hard at what I do so that I deserve it, you know Ben: So how did you do that like through all of high school or what? Cristine: Worked out Shoppers and let me check my resume Yeah, I think so cuz it says till July 2006 and after that is when I moved away So I quit Shoppers and moved to university. Ben: Yeah, that's right So you moved away from home you moved out of suburbs of Toronto, and you came to Ottawa for school Cristine: Yeah, and then comes my cringy cover letter trying to apply to other jobs because all of a sudden I was in a new city Without any of the connections that I previously had Ben: But I mean Did you consider just going on like I know your grandmother kind of helped out and helped cover the cost of your tuition I guess you didn't need to work in undergrad either, right? Cristine: No, luckily my grandmother Thank you. She's not listening. She doesn't Internet as much She really helped me pay through school she helped me with rent too She helped me with living expenses so that I didn't have to work which I am incredibly grateful for but that didn't change the fact that I still wanted a job and is evidence that like I was trying to apply for one, but I think once I Saw how much work school was and how much I could really just like put myself into all my classes. I Decided maybe my grandma and my parents were right since I didn't have to work I didn't get a part-time job at least during the school year. I did, however every summer when I went back to The Toronto area worked like six days a week to make up for it So you want to read my cringy cover letter Ben: Do it
Cristine: So anyone looking for advice on cover letters Here's a good example of what not to write because in reading this back I wanted to die like who writes this It's so bad, and I don't know why anyone hired me I am a reliable fun individual who will be nothing but a benefit to your company It sound like a sleazy saleswoman
Ben: I'm very comfortable using the telephone and I am fully literate in English and French Cristine: I believe in working to my maximum potential And providing customers with confident knowledgeable service while maintaining a positive atmosphere with my co-workers Ben: So did this get you a job?
Cristine: No I don't know who I actually gave this to. I think I just ended up not working During the school year then I started working for my dad's auto body shop in the summer So my dad used to own like a car shop. I think I've mentioned that in a few videos before Ben: Yeah, yeah
Cristine: I grew up in cars Etc. So I worked for him kind of in the front like faxing things faxing Answering phone calls doing some accounting for him Invoices that kind of thing and then through my dad, I got a job at a different car shop That was like a Porsche tuning shop Ben: Okay Cristine: And I worked in the front and I did their Accounting and invoicing and basically customer service and I did that for
Ben: Because you're so computer literate, right? Cristine: No, seriously, though like that was a huge asset at that time at least in that industry Ben: Actually I could see that, how many guys in a car shop really know how to do accounting.
Cristine: No, I was good at it I learned what a chart of accounts was where you have all the different categories. I was like 19 years old figuring this out I'm like, I'm basically an accountant Yeah
Ben: So that you mostly did accounting for the car shop or like answering phones Cristine: Oh, I did all that like all the receptionist duties But then I also did a lot of the accounting and invoicing and the payables, bills and that kind of stuff Ben: So what was that like though? Like were you the only woman working there? Cristine: Yeah, actually I saw that question from what you guys what was it like working in a car shop which is a male-dominated industry And looking back like with what I know today in 2020, It's kind of messed up.
Ben: Oh Yeah, you want to share?
Cristine: At the time I didn't really think that it was just like fun and jokes, but for example in one of the shops There was basically like porn stuck all over the wall
Ben: oh Cristine: so there was in the Toronto Sun or I don't know, there was a "Sunshine Girl" was like some series that the local newspaper had and so the guys They basically had some girl in a bikini in the back of their shitty tabloid Cristine: But there was nudity as well.
Ben: Well that wasn't in the Toronto. That wasn’t the sunshine girl So basically there were guys who worked at the car shop who would just put pictures of naked Girls on the walls?
Cristine: Kind of like they were decorating their locker rooms.
Ben: I'm assuming this is at the back Cristine: This is not in the front where I mostly worked but I Absolutely I went to the back like ten times a day because I had to check the status of something to tell a customer So I had to talk to these guys obviously to be like "hey, when is this gonna be done"? or "How's this going?" Ben: I wonder how normal this was or maybe still is
Cristine: I have no idea. That's a good question I hope that's not the case and there's probably more like policies and things in place to prevent this but it I Guess I got so used to it as the other thing is the guy just didn't name like the others naked girls everywhere. Whatever Ben: Yeah But that must have been pretty weird for like Did they give you a hard time or do you feel like you were treated strangely because you were like what 20?
Cristine: I think there was a few times Well when I was at my dad's I occasionally went in from the time I was like 13 I mean I didn't work there full time but I would be in and out of my dad's for on holidays or when I was Off school
Ben: So they knew you since you were a kid Cristine: Yeah, they did know no one was ever weird my dad shop if that's what your question is But I would say overall Because it wasn't just my dad's shop I dealt with I worked at another shop And then I also like talked to multiple other shops to get things done or whatever It was a different atmosphere. Of course, there was comments and jokes made Nothing awful like
Ben: yeah, like even if they're not at your expense, though Just the fact that you're having to listen to guys making jokes about women Cristine: Yeah, and I think a good example is one car shop I worked at there was a gas station right across the road And it was an area where there was lots of clubbing going on I guess so sometimes like women would pull up and like try and pump gas and They would from behind their closed doors where the women couldn't see them like make certain gestures at them Yeah, cuz one-way mirror
Ben: Ok Just all these things that I just kind of like laughed off And it's really weird thinking back that that was just normal and I hope it's not like that today Yeah, this was 10 no more than 10 years ago Ben: Yeah, I don't even know what to say about that because, as, I mean, you're a summer employee just looking to make some money for a few months like What are you gonna do try to change the culture of your workplace?
Cristine: It was definitely a boys club and instead of positioning myself outside that boys club and being at risk of being hurt or Ben: Ostracized Cristine: I just ended up like trying to fit in like one of the boys cuz I'm like the girl in the car shop “I'm super cool. I'm like your brother” So I kind of took on that role so that I Wouldn't be also looked at as a piece of meat. Not that that was really my vibe at the time anyways Yeah, just watch them.
Ben: *laughter* At the time... Well, no, I I mean maybe we don't want to talk about this But I know you mentioned to me once that you had a boss at a car shop once basically Cristine: Oh no, you're talking about the lawyer I worked for which was another job around the same time I told this story before and I think it's really important and/or powerful Around the same time that I was working on the car shop (I was) nineteen to twenty I also worked for a lawyer because I was trying to get like real experience
Ben: at the same time, or...
Cristine: Around the same time so I go to the lawyers once or twice a week and Skip like the car shop. Basically. I had like three jobs at once Because I go to my dad's car shop, another car shop, and then the lawyers and I try and rotate them and some of them
Ben: Oh, I see. I could do on Saturdays, but when I was working at one of the lawyers that's when I Had finished first year university. I was doing his like bills and accounts and doing his Excel stuff that he didn't really know Ben: Ok.
and He asked me if I was going to university to get my MRS Degree, and I just Didn't understand what he said. I'm like no. I'm getting my BA in criminology and he goes "no your MRS degree, silly" and I'm like “what the fuck is he talking about?” Ben: Yeah, like it didn’t register.
Cristine: It didn't click in so I just kind of looked at him weirdly and walked away like I just didn't get it and then later I thought about it and he was literally telling me that I was going to University to get married.
Ben: Yeah to become a missus.
Cristine: Yeah Ben: Yeah.
Cristine: And there I was a criminology student working with a lawyer because that was the path My career path that I wanted to take on.
Ben: Did you think you would want it to be a lawyer at that time? Cristine: Maybe yeah It was a possibility and that's why I was working for him And that's why I wanted to learn from him and that's why I was there and he just clearly didn't take me seriously It isn't that crazy like that's so insulting
Ben: That’s like, super disappointing, yeah.
Cristine: And I'm so upset with myself that during that moment I didn't realize that's what he was trying to do I was just so naive that I just didn't think it was possible that he was trying to insult me like that I thought he was literally saying like a classification or a designation. I just didn't know I just wasn't I was like, I know it's a BA
Ben: Yeah. So hard to imagine He would just actually be saying something like that
Cristine: Because he was saying like seriously So I was really sad
Ben: It's awful and I'm sure a lot of people a lot of the women listening can probably relate to this Cristine: Absolutely
Ben: I hope that's less common. Now. I feel like there probably has been Quite a bit of change in our culture even since we were teenagers, I hope, I would like to think But that's really sad and it's really hard to even give someone advice for like what to do if you're in the same situation right cuz like
Cristine: Yeah...
Ben: what could you really have done as you know a 20 year old girl Working at a law firm for the first time, like, what are you gonna complain about your boss, you know Cristine: And who would I complain to because he was the only boss like it was his law firm.
Ben: Yeah...
Cristine: What was I gonna say? “I quit”? I didn't want to quit. I needed that job. I needed the experience Ben: Yeah...
Cristine: And this was my first job in that field, more or less, right, This was leading into me finding a career path So I was in school for criminology, starting to work for a lawyer, kind of wanted to, like, you know, And with the car shop thing that was just so I could earn money and save money so it was really disappointing and I was so sad and I was mad at myself for not realizing it and But now thinking back what would I have said? What should I have said? What do I do in that situation?
Ben: I don't know Cristine: Because I would have maybe lost my job if I called him an asshole And I mean, I guess I would have found another job, but...
Ben: and, you know, Yeah, it’s It's it's easy to think like “oh, I wish I had done something different”, but when you're in that moment... Cristine: Sometimes you can't think the way that you Ben: Yeah...
Cristine: When you reflect later, you think “I should have done this” and I probably should have been like “actually, no, I'm taking my Bachelor of Arts concentration in criminology” Like I should have been like "no you dick" without saying “you dick”.
Ben: Yeah Ben: That's tough. Anyway, well this, this has got a little more depressing that I thought it would.
Cristine: yeah, okay Cristine: So that's my work history until I Guess when I started truly getting into the field where I am today, which was getting into the government.
Ben: Sure Cristine: So where does that take us? Until I was 21 years old, I would say no, later, 24. I Don't know once you hit 31, It's like, all a blur Ben: But okay though that were those were the jobs you had growing up Yeah, okay, and then I guess throughout University or as you finished your undergrad and we went to MA That's when you actually got the jobs in the government and eventually landed at Stat Can where we are today Cristine: Yeah, and then we were both teacher's assistants when we were in grad school.
Ben: Yeah.
Cristine: which is a job Ben: I figure we might have like a full Podcast episode about grad school are just our experience in university we can get into that.
Cristine: In University, yeah. This is kind of pre-university Let's say jobs like growing up jobs before we figured out our career path So, what about you Ben? What were your jobs growing up?
Ben: I've Very little to say it compared to you, by the way. I mean I Got this my first job around the same age I remember I waited until I was 16 though cuz I thought legally you had to I didn't even know there was a way of getting a job as a 15 year old but I guess when I turned 16, I immediately got my First driver's license, my g1, then I remember I took the young drivers course that you have to take to get your full license quicker But as soon as that was done I walked into, uh, It was a grocery store chain in Canada called Loblaws. I think it's Canada-wide Anyway, so I just walk into a Loblaws. I had a friend who had already started working there in high school and so I applied for a job there and I almost I kind of took for granted like I immediately got it. I don't remember there being like some weird hiring process
Cristine: Did you have a resume? But was was on it?
Ben: I must have had some sort of I think there was some sort of application process where they just handed you a sheet and you have to fill in some information There's something right So I got a job. I Don't know what the technical term was, but I basically I stocked like the dairy section Cristine: You were the milkman
Ben: I was the Dairy... Clerk or something. Yeah, not the banana boy. I'm the milkman But, yeah, you know I would, so like after school, I would go to Loblaws and work from like 4:00 p.m To I think 10 p.m. Maybe 9:30, something like that. And I Would just come home and every over I would just smell like milk.
Cristine: Ew. Like rotting milk? Ben: Yeah, cuz I mean I guess the place was clean enough, but still, if you're just touching bags of milk and Cristine: So how often did you work? High school we're talking high school.
Ben: Yeah, so this is grade 11 I'm 16 or the summer before grade 11 I guess? But, yeah, I would work maybe a couple weeknights and then at least one shift on the weekend, so probably three or four days a week and I only quit eventually because my parents kind of made me quit because
Cristine: Why?
Ben: I wasn't really focusing on school Enough when I was getting towards the end of grade 12
Cristine: And that's fair. Yeah I mean This is a good example cuz
Ben: I was mad, like, I wanted, I wanted to keep working I was making money that I would just like blow Blow on stuff.
Cristine: Well, that's not good. Maybe that maybe that's why they were like, no stop working Ben: But yeah I have kind of mixed feelings, like, I'm really glad I did it it taught me a Lot about like working with other people and I think like that's sort of an important experience but it was also a lot of those like It was a Loblaws in like a neighborhood of Ottawa It's kind of affluent, the Glebe. So you'd have like these rich housewives come in and just like Yell at you like I can't find the maraschino cherries and then you're like I'm some sixteen-year-old kid Like I don't even I don't even know what those are Okay I’m looking around the store for them and like
Cristine: She needs it for her bridge club Ben: Some of those moms, were like, pretty mean to the people working at Loblaws Cristine: Makes you think that doesn't it about how we should respect and be kind to people who work in customer service.
Ben: Oh, yeah, I mean Yeah, what do they say? Like everyone should have some experience working either in the food service industry or retail, right? Cristine: Yeah.
Ben: Just to know what it's like to be on the other side of that transaction So yeah, I feel like I got that experience as a teenager, for sure But other than that like so I worked that job for the last two years of high school Or I quit right before the end just so I could actually study for exams because I had a crazy schedule in high school Cristine: Weren't you in like band?
Ben: Yeah like
Cristine: You were a band geek Ben: I Think I was busier in high school I was almost as busy in high school as we are now juggling all the things we have going on
Cristine: What? Ben: which is crazy because I would wake up and I would go to like we'd have like Orchestra at 7:15 a.m. Then I'd be in class all day and then after At 3 p.m. I would either have volleyball, I had played sports, or I Would go to, like, I was in like senior jazz band and then outside of school I was also in a jazz band cuz we could talk about this at some point But I thought I wanted to be a jazz drummer for a living
Ben and Cristine: *Laughter* Cristine: You could be whatever you want baby. You could still follow your dreams Ben: And then when I didn't have Sometimes the schedules would conflict, but if I didn't have sports or more music after school I'd be working at Loblaws those years. So I would just get home at like 9:00, 10:00 p.m, Exhausted and just like fall asleep In my textbooks doing my homework, and that's like most of my memory of
Cristine: Yeah...
Ben: the last two years of high school And again, it's not like I had to worry. I don't know, I guess I was just
Cristine: I thought you said your parents said they didn't want you to work Ben: Towards the end of high school
Cristine: That was just towards the end, when they saw you being exhausted, yeah. Ben: They basically saw that I wasn't really doing, I was doing fine at school like I got scholarships for, I got entrance scholarships for free University, but I Guess they could see I was sort of slipping and you want to be careful because I think you all remember like you get offered Entrance scholarships, but then they just say, oh just keep up your grades
Cristine: You have to maintain A 70 or an 80 something percent or else you lose it. So, don’t screw it up!
Ben: Yeah exactly. So for me, it was like don't screw this up maintain that average right? So but so like that was my high school, summer, year-round job.
Cristine: So how many years in total? Did you work as the milk boy?
Ben: I think I was only the milk boy for like two years a little under two years Okay, you know what else I learned about that too Which I kind of was a bit of a lesson for maybe some of you working out there and I do actually I don't really know what the lesson is, but I noticed I Was a good employee and I took it kind of seriously
Cristine: Ben was a good boy, hear that, everybody? Ben was a good boy.
Ben: But what I noticed really quickly, is that rather than rewarding people who did well It's almost like they noticed that you cared to do a good job And then they they put more responsibility on you.
Cristine: Hmm...
Ben: Whereas the employees who were More prone to slacking off and not really doing their work well they would know those people weren't good. So they wouldn't give them the important shifts or as much responsibilities Cristine: You know what that is That's just the employer being Selfish because they want to take advantage of the people who do things really well and just like forget about the people Ben: Absolutely. But in retrospect, it was kind of insane, like, they trained me to do some things that they don't normally train Ben: high school students.
Cristine: And they’re taking advantage of you for lower pay
Ben: I was I was operating like some machinery that I don't think I was supposed to Cristine: Machinery? Like what? Like fork lift for heavy milk?
Ben: Like a truck, a truck would pull in to... *laughter* for heavy milk? Ben: One time I did I accidentally knocked over an entire pallet of milk. It ruined like probably thousands of dollars worth of milk by the way But no I was offering anything. I what did they call like a jigger? It's like a if you have like a pallets of crates of food. It's that sort of like mini like a motorized Fork? Cristine: Are you supposed to be licensed to operate? Ben: Yeah, but they made me do like this 15 minute course on like safety about it and then they're just like okay go nuts and so I'm driving this thing around I'm like 16 I absolutely should not have been doing it. But like they only gave me that role because they noticed a Good job. Yeah, but uh that was a lesson and you know what else I learned from working at a grocery store too that I think actually made me more interested in studying criminology in university was So many employees who worked there Seemed like, you know, decent, Nice people but there was a huge culture of stealing at grocery stores a lot of the employees would just Take food and eat it or walk out of there with Food in their bags
Cristine: The same as Shoppers Drug Mart for merchandising like you would just take granola bar boxes
Ben: And these businesses Know this right? Like it's built into their models. They know that one of their big losses is employee theft I think technology has changed a lot that it's a lot harder to get away with that now with certain cameras and security
Cristine: Mhm. Tags, and, yeah. measures let's say but yeah, I remember at the time it really kind of changed my perspective on I I guess I had this idea like criminals are always just Really bad people and it really was a I thought it was a really interesting case I'm not saying these people were right to do that or they should have been doing that
Cristine: Mhm. Ben: They shouldn't have and I didn't participate in that Cristine: Yeah. Ben: but it gave me a different perspective on if you're just put into a situation where everyone's already doing something and there is like a culture of the employees just being like “Our employer doesn't really care about this. It's okay. We just all take things.” It really shows how much of a learned behavior that is, right? So it gave me a very different perspective than just like criminals are bad people, right? So yeah, that that might be why I was interested.
Cristine: Social learning theory.
Ben: Yeah, exactly. So It definitely, I think, made me more interested in criminology and I kind of already thought I wanted to be a lawyer because my dad was a lawyer not that he ever liked practice law or like Litigation, but he has a background in law. And I thought I wanted to follow in his footsteps Cristine: I thought I wanted to be a lawyer too. But then the lawyer was a dickhead. Ben: So do you really think that changed you? Cristine: No
Ben: No it wouldn't have right. That would be very sad if that bad experience (changed your mind).
Cristine: It wasn't just his fault I just decided it wasn't for me for other reasons, but you can talk about our more current jobs in a fugitive podcast But we're still on the old job. So you were milkman at Loblaws Ben: Milk boy. Not yet a man
Cristine: Not just a man, Ben the milk boy For a couple years and then you went to university
Ben: So I went to University... Cristine: Did you have any other jobs related to Getting into the field before university or no it was once you were in university Ben: No, so once but I guess at the end of my first year of university There's a program in Canada called F.-S.W.E.P., Federal Student Work Experience Program It's basically a way of government departments being able to hire
Cristine: Highly recommend
Ben: people enrolled in university and they get paid pretty good Cristine: Thats what I did.
Ben: But from those departments perspective. It's actually a pretty good deal. Assuming you've got a student who can do Okay work. But yeah, I got very lucky that I got an interview for that pretty quickly at the end of my first year and that summer I worked at The Canadian Center for Justice Statistics, which is we're we still work today.
Cristine: So Ben started working at Statistics Canada when he was 20 years old?
Ben: I think?
Cristine: 19? Ben: 20, I know, I think you’re right.
Cristine: And he still works there today
Ben: I've been there a while.
Cristine: Yeah.
Ben: that's crazy I feel... fortunate...? about that? I feel like most people probably can't say like the first job they got when they were at university
Cristine: They kept, yeah. And most people change careers An average of 2.2 times or something. Ben: Yeah, and I should be clear I didn't stay there like the whole time. I work there in the summers for a couple years I worked there just like 15 hours a week Cristine: well you were a student for many years Ben: Yeah, but I always kept a foot in the door and you know after grad school and really not enjoying being in grad school I basically realized I had a good thing going on there and I Looked into getting back there on a more permanent basis So yeah See, there's my very short work history compared to you
Cristine: Because it's what's not short You just had fewer jobs.
Ben: That's right. I've been working a long time Cristine: You've been working since basically the same age we both been working since we were 15 16 I just went through so many jobs and like overlapped jobs like a crazy child who was trying to escape reality So, um, I asked you guys if you had any questions related to our old jobs So I've taken a couple of them and we'll answer them. So This is a good one Which we kind of touched on do you think working while in school high school or post-secondary is beneficial or can be Distracting to someone studies. I sometimes think it can be a mix of both Ben: Yeah, absolutely. I mean School distracted me from working more and making more money during high school. That's probably how I looked at it at the time I think you're probably a little similar Cristine: I and still to this day. I really enjoy the switch back and forth So while I was in school I enjoyed it, but in the summers being able to go into like the workforce and just like work six days a week I really liked that shift to keep changing what I was doing it gave me like something to look forward to something to get excited About and then re excited again at the next cycle when it was like now the school seasons beginning or now It's work season for yeah But that sorry you're saying it I'm saying of working throughout the year and then you have a summer job, right? Well, that was only the case for a couple years once I was in grad school. I was working part-time In the government and going to school finishing my place it
Ben: I mean, let's be real I think the answer is yes It can obviously be hard to manage especially depending how much you're working for how much that job Takes out of you or how much your school programs taking out of you and I'll be honest the first two years of undergrad I didn't think were very overwhelming from a work perspective in my program. I think a lot of people might feel that way But I think by third or fourth year, yeah It depends how challenged you are by your program as well and you could probably always be putting more into it So I think it really varies case-by-case. Yeah, I'd be careful I think you get a lot from working that you're not gonna get from academia So having some of that experience before you graduate and are looking for that Real permanent job is important but at the end of the day if you don't need to be working and you think it's taking away from your studies you Probably want to just prioritize school pretty you know
Cristine: Well, here's the thing You're gonna work for the rest of your life in some, seriously in some capacity, right and whatever career you figure out You're gonna work pretty much for the rest of your life You are not gonna be in school for the rest of your life and how you do in school I mean not like if you get a 72 or 73 I just mean on the whole what degrees or diplomas you pursue in school? And what you end up achieving at the end of the day those kinds of things do end up mattering for Furthering your career path right in terms of qualification so if you need to focus on something to get through a certain diploma or degree and Working part-time is taking away from that and you can afford to not and you don't have to and may be of help another way Then maybe I would try and not do it all Ben: Yeah, but if you can I would say you gain something from it, right? Like what did we learn? Maybe this is a later question. I think I saw some tweets about this but this idea of like what did you really take away from some of those early jobs and I think The main thing I took away from them was just learning that Unless you work for yourself as like an entrepreneur with no other employees one of the toughest things about working in an office environment or any sort of company is just Working with other people and dealing with other people in office politics and the sooner you sort of figure out how to navigate those things Maybe the better right? Like that's definitely a skill Cristine: I think I think although the dream these days seems to be self-employed. Never your own box Never report to anyone be a boss babe, you know, whatever boss babe specifically for women.
Ben: What's a boss, babe? Cristine: It's annoying It's a concept in MLMs So as much as that ideal is sold to people especially in digital media these days I just maybe I'm old-fashioned But I just think it's so important for us men and women everyone to just at some point You got to work for someone else to understand like the value of work, to understand responsibility, reporting to someone else discipline all these things where you have to meet deadlines
Ben: Not that you have to but most people will be in that position Cristine: I think you will become a better human if you do these seriously Reporting to someone else who isn't yourself You need someone else to lay down some ground rules at some point in your life and tell you like these are things I need and you got to work hard to try and achieve them exceed those expectations take initiative and It's good to have direction as well from other people You'll learn so you will always learn something from working from someone else Even if you hate your boss, you know, yeah Which happens
Ben: I just can't help but think that there's gonna be people right now listening to this who were working Terrible jobs working for bosses that are bad and jobs that they just really don't like right.
Cristine: I totally get it Ben: It's hard to tell someone in that position Don't worry, you're learning something from this. This is all going to be a good experience in the end Cristine: But it is I mean it so everything's an experience It's not your resume use it and here's one thing to remember as much as you might hate your boss, you know They will be your reference so you can get out of there one day Here's a question, do you have a good story about angry customers at your first job so I do when I worked at Shoppers Drug Mart, I remember this is it was partly my fault I was in a bad mood Like I was just cashing people that I just like did not want to do this anymore Speaking of things of jobs that we hate. I just wanted to go home I was just so tired and I was just kind of hating feeling like I was just a cashier I guess I just wanted to be more than a cashier when I was 15 And I was just like I guess not responding to the woman who was asking me questions I don't even remember what he was asking I just like wanted her to get get the hell out of there, basically So it's cashing her stuff out putting him in the bag, ignoring her basically, not knowing what she was asking me cuz whatever she was asking Me like didn't matter. I think she was asking me something that like I didn't even know the answer to so Ben: Well, you could respond
Cristine: I know but I was just in a bad and awful mood And so I just like cashed her out I said like it that'll be $22.91 Please like or whatever the script was And I put the bag on the table, and she just looks at me And she goes "you are such a bitch" and she just grabs it and walks out and didn't even pay.
Ben: Oh Yeah, she didn't pay
Cristine: She didn't pay So I think I paid
Ben: But is the customer always right? Cristine: Yeah, probably because I was in a bad mood, but I never said a word to her Yeah, I think she just saw me as like a little brat, which I was Just on that day. I was having a bad day Ben: Yeah but I think it's important to remember like if you ever heard like a server or you're dealing with an employee and they're You could be seeing them at like their worst moment, right? Yeah, so maybe keep that in mind when
Cristine: But that's a great point Which is exactly why I value the fact that I worked as a cashier as a receptionist for like many years Because now I understand those people we all access services every day you go to the tea store You go you go anywhere you're accessing a service and there's people who are working there whether it's their part-time job or their full-time job That's what they do, and maybe they don't want to be there so you have to remember these things and be nice to them be respectful and Don't give them a hard time and definitely don't call them a bitch.
Ben: Well, just have some empathy for people Cristine: Yeah, and say please thank you and try and be understanding Ben: Because like how we say everyone should have some experience working in food service or retail Maybe do you think that's why youtubers make those videos like I tried working a real job for 24 hours Cristine: We've already been going on for an hour Ben Ben: I feel like for a while those videos were like super trendy, right? Like I saw some from like yeah Dolan twins Nikki and Gabi had this series called
Cristine: The Ace family Ben: No, but Nikki and Gabi had twins try. Do you remember that?
Cristine: Tt's like Paris Hilton a simple life Ben: They were basically just ripping off the simple life, but it's like twins try working on a farm for the first time It was just like them being like so out of place doing any sort of
Cristine: but that's what reality show content basically is Which is what they were providing they want people who work these weird regular jobs like to watch them try and struggle through it and it's Comedic, but also kind of pathetic. And for some reason we all want to watch it We want to watch I mean, maybe I don't but the concept is kind of people are watching people are watching it. It's true They want to see it and they want to hate on it in some way they want to be like you're making fun of what I have to do to put food on the table and Ben: And you brought up The Ace family like they might be the worst Example we are literally working right now I've never had the opportunity to work a nine-to-five before my previous job was college
Ben: For those of you who Don't know what we're talking about. The Ace family stuff like a family vlogging channel on YouTube. They have a stupid number of subscribers They're incredibly successful. So it's Austin McBroom His wife and I guess they have two kids who like they are way too young to be consenting to be on camera but I saw a really disturbing clip of like one of those kids like performing for the camera like I just I worry about like
Cristine: That's a whole other podcast Ben: The implications of basically training your children from like a super young age to be performing for the camera I don't know if that ends well.
Cristine: Hello, hi Ben: But yeah they had a video that went kind of viral and people were really criticizing them because I guess they went to their Friend's restaurant or something and they made a video out of like we tried to work in real jobs And it's just so funny. Just how How foreign it is to them Like his wife's in the back of the shop going like can you believe we've been working for like 30 minutes? She's like, do you guys understand like she's like you don't get it little idiots watching us understand what we're doing for you? We're flipping burgers for 15 minutes.
Cristine: I don't think it was burgers. I think it was a coffee shop But yeah, I know their problem. I don't know them personally I'm just assuming I'm giving them somewhat of a benefit of the doubt that they were Playing that up because they know it's gonna be on camera. They want a reaction They maybe wanted to go viral which did happen because a Twitter like account of her snapchat of her saying we are literally working Did go viral We are literally working right now at a restaurant Miss North Austin has been making food for the past hour and I may be Taking orders you understand huh? Hey, Jim I just remember watching that video on their channel and like he would say to his boss Which was his friend like oh, just let me go over to my wife I just need to see some booty to keep me motivated to keep working. I've been here for two hours. Just please And I'm like, oh my god. Okay. I know it's his wife. I know it's his wife But there they are in the workplace There are other employees who are actually employees like around them like not actors like them or whatever And there's no idea who they are. There are actual customers there. There are literally customers It's just all of it was I guess for show maybe they know that on some level But if they don't it's just so frustrating to watch as a I mean I know we are not average people. Like let's just also acknowledge that
Ben: Are we above or below average.
Cristine: No, that's not what I mean either. I Understand we are incredibly fortunate to be in this position we because of YouTube we have had so much success in our life it it seems just Unfathomable sometimes but because I think my own Consensus on this is that because this happened much later in my life when I was twenty six nine seven I had already established myself as a person of independence and financial stability who already understood the value of working Because that's what I've been doing my whole life and I didn't throw that out the window the second that I got my first big youtube paycheck, so I still always and Continue to as I still work my day job understand and appreciate What it's like to be just a normal person who works day to day yes, my personal financial situation has changed and I don't have to work day today so I can no longer say that I Currently relate to that I get it, but I have previously in my life related to that Yeah, you got to go to work 9:00 to 5:00. Holy shit, Austin Macroom It's not that foreign of a concept.
Ben: So it wasn't that long ago like there was a time Like when I was kind of I had like I was working as a student for the government then I was kind of on contract but before I got that permanent position there was You know There were there was like a year where like I didn't know if I would have a job And I was sort of living paycheck to paycheck job insecurity. That wasn't long ago. That was what back in 2013 2012-13 something like that, like in the grand scheme of things. That's I We just can still remember. What oh, yeah Cristine: I had a period where I was like, can I pay the mortgage shit? What have I done? I bought this house and now my job was in I had job insecurity at that time Ben: Yeah That's why I like I don't to be too super critical these youtubers. Who become rich At like 18/19 because I get it like why would you ever have worked a job if that's the case, right? But I just wish they'd be a little bit more mindful that 99% of the audience watching those
Cristine: Cannot not relate to them and they are making fun of their audiences livelihoods Ben : also, yeah, I mean I guess you could make a video about like we tried working conventional jobs in a respectful way Cristine: Tyler Oakley did that, I think, his so he made a video I went back to my first job, which was McDonald's for a day day because he had actually he literally worked before Whereas Austin and Kevin did not work at any coffee shop as far as they told us but Tyler Oakley's video wasn't disrespectful like he was trying to understand the advances in technology that has happened in the last ten years and some of that was Interesting how it was different was being nice to the other employees and you know, it was all fine. It was fine Nice vanilla, you know, so I think there is a way to do it without just completely Alienating your audience and like almost making fun of people who work Which is like what are you doing?
Ben: It's just strange to see someone like talking about it. Like it's such a foreign concept Yeah, although you know what I think when I go into the office on Monday I'm gonna ask my boss. It's like it Can I just touch Cristine's butt a little just to motivate helped me get through the day? Cristine: No. I was expecting like you're gonna go there you're gonna snapchat yourself and be like guys. I am literally I'm literally working Writing a paper. Oh my god Ben: Although, you know if we had just taken Jake Paul's course, we just would never have to work another day in our life, right? Cristine: Well, I would like some financial freedom Ben: All you have to do is pay $20 a month How much is he charging for that? Cristine: It sounds like one of those scams I can't even remember what it was called, but I'm pretty sure something that ended in financial freedom has previously been a scam Ben: I've known people who have like gotten into this, too Like there's all these books you can get about like how to retire by the time you're 35 Cristine: It's a whole movement, right? I think I just Ben: Freedom movement something. I don't know I wouldn't say Jake Paul is a good source of information to help you. Uh I saw there was a BuzzFeed reporter who did sign up for the class and they they had some anecdotes Maybe we can link the article down below. I don't think we need to get into it but yeah, she just said like it's it's pretty it's just full of platitudes be your own boss or like fire your boss and just go for it it's just it's He's basically a scam artist, right? He had a course called Edie fluence a couple years ago drew gooden has a good video on this Which was basically a scam that children would pay a monthly subscription to learn how to be a social media influencer and then that just sort of the website had got taken down eventually and Basically, it was basically a scam Cristine: Yeah, but thats how he makes his money
Ben: I guess so Cristine: Scamming people into believing he's an idol
Ben: And I guess there's sort of two ways to read this either he's just sort of dumb and he thinks he's actually trying to help kids and Just going about it and I'm pretty exploitative way. I don't think so either I think he knows what he's doing here. He knows like this is what we're frustrated about Shane Dawson did a documentary on Jake and he let Jake sort of put out this narrative that Jake's just sort of a dumb kid who had a bad influence His dad and older brother were a bad influence.
Cristine: Jake's not a kid anymore We're treating him like he's some kid. He's not a kid
Cristine: Absolutely not and like Shane was asking him questions and Jake was playing very ignorant of the fact that he has a huge influence on the 10 year olds watching him But you could find other clips from Jake around the same time where he is selling the idea to brands and companies About how influential he is at getting kids to buy things so he knows exactly what he's doing exactly Does he care about helping these kids experience financial freedom? I don't think so. I think he's just trying to line his own pockets Cristine: Yep, and I mean you can choose to listen to him if that's the kind of way you want to do business in your future seriously, like some people want to get in the business
Ben: maybe it's just a pyramid scheme you learn from Jake Paul and then you Could start your own service that people would sign up for Cristine: He's at the top team 10 was an MLM So is it safe to assume that Jake Paul never really had any old jobs Did he ever work any Like for a meaningful amount of time work
Ben: but maybe he's another example someone is sort of a victim of their success You know if you become a millionaire at 18 or whatever He was he had like investors and people behind him. Like that was a very that wasn't some organic I became a big creator thing there were people behind him, right? Cristine: So yeah in some ways like I know we like to criticize people like him for just Selling this idea that you anyone can be famous on YouTube You just gotta work as hard as me which we don't think is really true But he also did get into this when he was 16 17 something like that. So because he was so young He never technically had the opportunity to work Traditional jobs that 16 17 year olds would work like being the milk boy or working at the drugstore? so he didn't have that experience either maybe he would turn out to be a completely different person if Vine or whatever he was on first never took off.
Ben: Although I'm pretty sure he'd be still be a bad person Cristine: Well how do you know that? Ben: I think we've seen enough from him to know he's just not a good Cristine: It's possible that going into this faint path is what kind of made him a bad selfish person Maybe he wouldn't have ended up that way Had he not gone that direction so young
Ben: what we've seen of his his parents and especially his dad on the internet It makes me think that There's a long pattern of why him and Logan are the way they are so, uh That's it is what it is and you know, he's in controversy Someone's like even though that financial freedom thing was only what like a week ago. He announced that People almost like immediately Glossed over that because the next day he's tweeting things about like people who have anxiety are just choosing to be anxious So like if you have a scandal or you say something incredibly justified every day It's just a new cycle of the bad thing and people forget like oh wait are there still a bunch of kids paying you 20 Bucks a month to learn how to not have to work for a boss. No, we're on to the next thing He said, you know
Cristine: what a wild world of just trying to up your own scandals. I Can't I don't know Ben: Well on that note on that happy note
Cristine: So we've had a lot of jobs or I guess I've had more jobs I've always had like three jobs at once I think is the moral story and I still have Three jobs at once
Ben: And it's not that we're recommending that But now maybe explains a little bit about how we feel about people who are successful on YouTube and complain When we see people complaining about how YouTube is such hard work. Yes. I think we've talked about this before that there YouTube is hard in some ways and I think particularly in that It's hard on your mental health and I could see that being even worse If you're a young person it's not that like you're working so much There are plenty of people who work much harder jobs than YouTube and reap way less reward exactly But it's the idea of like putting yourself up as an object for consumption And if someone doesn't like a video, it's hard not to think that that's just not a reflection of people not liking you Right, but that doesn't mean YouTube's like really hard work I mean there are some people who work incredibly hard a YouTube like Safiya and Tyler put a ton of effort into your videos and that really Shows a lot of youtubers that don't put a lot of effort into their videos And they tend to be the ones who complain more about how hard they're working but yeah, I think maybe Maybe would be nice if they work some conventional jobs Not for the purpose of making a youtube video but just like sort of know what What it could be
Cristine: But there's just gonna be some people in this world who Can't relate to the masses just like there's gonna be a 1% So it's like the a lot of youtubers are basically Their own version of a 1% They're never gonna have worked a normal job like most of their audience So in some ways not in some ways I am definitely grateful for the fact that I have worked as a normal person Ben:And are we in the 1% though? Are you in the way?
Cristine: No, not not with this Particular example, like what I'm saying is there's gonna be a 1% of youtubers who are so successful They've never worked a normal job in their life. And that's what I mean by this faux youtuber point percent, right? So we understand and we're not gonna Make you feel like shit because you have to go to work to put food the table because you literally got to go to work Ben: Alright, have we figured out how to end the podcast yet?
Cristine: I think there's so much more to say on jobs and Our current work also in how we balance YouTube and the day job and we kind of stopped after high school Let's say in our little story times. Maybe we'll story times We'll save that for another podcast if you guys would like that
Ben: And holo Taco they want to hear and hollow title. Yes Cristine: Absolutely that too so we'll definitely have another podcast on those things
Ben: And we'll try to get to more I think questions from the audience through Twitter and other channels as well means that we can actually respond to more of your questions Cristine: So make sure you're following all the simply pod logical socials because I'll put out a tweet our a question on reddit and just Let you guys know in advance What we're filming so that you can have specific questions about that topic and that's how we're gonna try and structure this Ben: What do we what do we think is next? Cristine: It's a relationship doesn't she I get some relationship advice on the next episode. Do you guys want to hear how much Ben loves me? For one hour straight
Ben: We'll need three hours for that Cristine: Okay, so leave comments or questions you have about our relationship, okay Not just our relationship, but just relationships in general like hypothetical ones. Maybe we can give some dating advice Are we qualified? No, but you know just ask simply Ben: Yeah apologies to Lele pons. We were supposed to have her on as a guest, but we ran all the time
Cristine: Ben stop Ben: Alright everybody. Thank you so much for tuning in. We'll see you next Taco Tuesday. See y'all later
This made me think about how hard I worked to make a resume to get an internship at a big tech company. I was so proud when they picked me, until my teacher told me "They only picked you because you're a girl." After several years I quit study computer networking because I felt I could never be good enough at it (Had a bad case of anxiety and depression that made me drop out of school).
Now I work in healthcare, which I love. Also sorry for bad english. Not my first language.
I feel like sexism in the workplace is a really big thing as well I work as an early childhood educator and I don’t find that there’s a lot of men in my Field and when they are in my field I feel like a lot of people are assuming that they’re either gay or their child predators in which is not the case because men can be caring as much as women.
I’m really loving the podcast! Also love how Cristine mentioned age liked having the podcasts in youtube so she can watch them. I’m the same way, it’s hard for me to just sit and listen to a podcast.
Also I hate the live discussion feature here on reddit.
I'm so glad you talked about the mysogany and sexism in a male dominated workplace. I worked in a corporate office in the marketing department as not only the only female but the youngest person in the office. I was 21. Most of the time the guys were fine, I did feel pressure to be the 'cool girl' and adopt that boys club mentality and humour even though it didnt feel like 'me'. It was super cringy whenever we had to decide on stock images that needed a female, the boys would all crowd around someones computer and make stupid sexist comments with me like right there.......when I did finally quit, they were joking around and saying 'Oh, we should hire a model next' ......I was RIGHT there. Didnt speak up, just broke down in angry tears and hid in the bathroom. Like nooo fuck you, buddy. I'm out!
Was excited to see this up on Apple today. The MRS degree bit keeps rattling around in my head, just because that was such a common phrase when I was a kid that I didn't realize people wouldn't understand it. My mom & my aunts were expected to go to college to get their MRSes. Two of my aunts did, although they also got nursing degrees (an appropriate field of study for women). My mother went for secretarial studies, I think, but dropped out and taught herself computer programming. My aunts and uncle expected me to go to a good Christian university and get my MRS. My mother was very against it, thankfully. By the time I graduated high school in 2008, all of my female cousins had declined to follow in their mothers' footsteps, and we're all basically old maids now. 😂
Just finished the first episode so yea
49 sorry
Live discussion sure the last comment was 51 minutes ago
doesn't seem like times have changed since Cristine was working in car shops