Help Wanted

After 2 1/2 years, Help Wanted calls it quits. Valerie and Reggie share their favorite moments, why it's okay to end something even when nothing sucks, and what they've learned from the podcast. They leave the door open to possibly doing future episodes if there's a reason and schedules allow. In the mean time, it was a blast. Thanks for listening, vageenas!

Wyatt Tall joins Help Wanted again! This time to talk about professional cuddling and touch starvation, which is an actual, real-life problem. There's a whole industry of professional cuddlers who some enlist to eliminate their skin hunger. Skin hunger is also a real life thing that sounds awful. We talk about how these ideas relate to loneliness, how we feel about cuddling, and Reggie coins the term "emotional jazz hands," which is fun. Plus Wyatt isn't really a fire extinguisher kinda guy, and Valerie and Reggie are binge eating pretzel bread and cookie butter. This episode is sponsored by Hunter boots and high school Rodan + Fields salespeople. 

Ryan Gamble joins Help Wanted once again, this time to chat about meditation in the Buddhist-style. We all know meditation is good for you, and Ryan let's us know the benefits she's noticed in her own life. Her gray matter is off the hook. Valerie pipes in a bunch to remind people that anything can be meditation: washing dishes, watching makeup tutorials, et al. Both Reggie and Valerie could for some tiny, little riblets. SPOILER: Applebee's no longer sells them and that's why millennials are pissed. Sponsored by Chipotle and the People Who Lick Their Fingers When Trying to Separate Sheets of Paper. 

Jo Maraschino, aka Reggie's freighbor (friend + neighbor) joins us to talk about opinions. Everyone's got 'em and with social media, we're constantly bombarded with them. Hot takes galore. Reggie loves a beef rib, even if they're expensive and Valerie's missing some tator tots. This episode sponsored by Libritto, for when you're in a sexual drought and also feel like eating a snack, now at Taco Bell. 

How can we be more balanced? Why do we suck at work life balance? Americans are terrible at it. Valerie goes through most countries on the planet and gives Reggie numbers on who's the most balanced. It's the numbers episode! Regina loves small things and has tips for being your best balanced self. Plus Oscar flicks and HR people are the worst. Sponsored by Ammon, a guy you went out with years ago and still follow on Spotify, and Jamba Juice, for when you like the idea of a smoothie but prefer the taste of Yellow No. 5. 

Rob Chenoweth joins us to talk about his experiences with a matchmaking service in Austin. Baby Chicago West and Minuka honey is also featured prominently as does a trip to dying relic: Office Depot/Biz Box. Sponsored by satchels, super cool handbags!

This week on Help Wanted we talk about potentially the scariest thing ever: taking care of aging parents, specifically: how to do it from afar, and how to do it with siblings or by yourself. This episode is sponsored by Pop Bra, the first and only ladies undergarment that supports your breasts while simultaneously holding 2 cups of popcorn.  

It's been a few weeks since resolution fireworks, which means many of us are self-flagellating because of the promises we broke to ourselves. We talk about perfectionism, how it relates to body image, and how it correlates with suicide. While we think of perfectionism as this annoying trait, it can also be dangerous. We have tips to be more gentle. Plus the impossible pronunciation of the name Nevaeh and jail cakes. This episode sponsored by moms who warn us about romaine lettuce. 

Breaking up with a pal can feel the same as breaking up with a significant other, but sometimes it's inevitable. Time, distance, changes in outlooks, or betrayals are just a few reasons to say sayonara to your bestie. Valerie and Reggie talk about the unpleasantness of ending friendships, how to know if you're in a toxic friendship, and how to accept a breakup, guilt-free. Sponsored by Third Parties.

Valerie basically hops off a plane and immediately chats with Reggie about her trip. We chat about planning, mindful travel, ice cream, accents, and about how fear lives best in your head. Regina shall forever be known as Regina Gelati. This episode brought to you by jet lag. And also oversized Toblerones. 

It seems weird that this the first time we're talking about gratitude on Help Wanted, when Oprah talks about it all the time. We discuss finding gratitude even in difficult times and share some tips with how you can cultivate a gratitude practice in daily life, besides just writing 3 or 5 things down in a journal. This episode is sponsored by Matcha Tea, I mean Mate Tea,  I mean Matcha...? What's the difference between these teas?

Emotional labor is the avocado toast of women's topics these days. Valerie and Regina discuss the recent viral Harper's Bazaar piece written by Gemma Hartley and other articles on this topic and try to figure out what emotional labor actually and how it shows up in our relationships and workplaces. Is everything that you have a feeling around emotional labor? Or is it emotional labor the the work that work that comes with making decisions that keep our jobs and households moving, work that goes unspoken and that society takes for granted simply because women are usually the ones doing it? We get real in-depth. We also chat about harassment and assault and the groundswell of women and the media openly talking about it. This shit isn't going away. Help Wanted is sponsored the women who have to deal with their own harassment and assault experiences, while comforting their male friends who feel pretty bad up on learning their hero got naked in front of women and masturbated in front of them. 

Rob Chenoweth joins us to talk about the book Outrageous Openness: Letting the Divine Lead by Tosha Silver. Reggie and Rob discuss how the principles of this book—surrendering the things that are out of our control—have helped them. Plus Valerie's been crying a lot and eating cornichons, Regina has a struggle with overnight oats. This episode sponsored by Real Lingo. 

Are you flaky? Have you been flaked on? What about eczema? We have advice to avoid flaking (stop overcommitting!), explain why people do it, and some excuses for you if you're flaker who's never gonna change. Reggie thought the song was "Man On the Run" this whole time, and Valerie bought some expensive wheat germ oil. Plus Reggie's all about a whipped cream daiquiri, and Valerie broker her nose and stole some snacks from MedSpring urgent care. Sponsored by Thoughts and Prayers. 

Tim Brewer joins us for a thoughtful conversation on atheism. Tim was raised by missionary parents in an Assemblies of God church. He talks about his experiences, how he eventually made the move to atheism, and his perceptions on how religion negatively influences society. Tim schools us on the Bible facts (he knows a lot!), and we also talk about those speaking in tongues and faith healing—the manic pixie dream girl activities of Christianity. 

Comedian, writer, and folk musician Matt Flynn joins Help Wanted to talk about going out and about living life and doing activities solo versus with a pal/partner. Plus Valerie has a lot of junk mail and Reggie's a fan of Discount Tire. We also talk about singleness versus relationshipness. Sponsored by Boo Cards, business cards that arrive so quickly, it's scary!

Valerie and Reggie talk about dental bling. Lauren Cohen from Hope and Humor Therapy joins us to discuss emotionally engaged dating. She talks about the "cool chick" phenomena and gives us permission to be fully communicate our wants and needs in dating scenarios. Apparently if we don't communicate and respect our needs, they come out anyway in weird ways (for instance we may spend $300 on lipsticks that are all the same shade of red or eat a box of blueberry cake donuts, just as examples, we've never actually done those things. We swear!).This episode is sponsored by Walgreen's, the Randall's of drug stores. Walgreen's for when you need Loreal Voluminous Mascara and everywhere else is closed. 

There are a bazillion different kinds of boundaries (physical, emotional, spiritual) and Help Wanted explores how defining each can improve our relationships with others. Also, cheese and crackers by themselves are drab dorm food, but add grapes and all the sudden you're fancy on a romantic picnic. Reggie thinks the highest compliments are when a gay guy tells you're beautiful and a child says you're funny. Plus Reggie's going to Vegas and Valerie visited a dirt church in New Mexico. This episode is sponsored by Ecru Emu Eggs. Tired of eating plain ol white chicken eggs like a basic Becky? Try an ecru emu egg! It’s light beige, so it’s more exotic!

Should you pursue a job you love? Or one where you make money? Ben "nice handwriting" Howell talks about the things he's passionate about, including his job, and how he makes decisions. The episode was recorded before Anthony Scaramucci got canned, so we pronounce his name in all the fun ways. Plus Valerie can't get enough of hand-pulled noodles and Reggie tries to make ramen fancy. Sponsored by Guys Who Watch You Parallel Park. 

We chat with Angie Yaeyama about the book Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How it Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love by Amir Levine. Angie shares how reading it helped her recognize her attachment style (three to choose from: anxious, avoidant, and secure), and how that can change depending on what attachment style the person she's in a relationship exhibits. Plus Valerie's unsure if she should go on a third date and Reggie hung out with her nephew's nephew.Angie runs a book club in Austin for female-identifying folks called Empathy for the Win - bookclub. Interested people can join on Facebook. Sponsored by that Cute Chick Who's Banging Your Ex and Posting Photos of their Smug Happy Ass Faces on Facebook.