📙 Part 2: Describe a person you would like to work or study with

This episode's vocabulary

Stint (noun) - a fixed or limited period of time spent doing a particular job or activity.

Role model (noun) - a person who someone admires and whose behaviour they try to copy.

Mentor (noun) - a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time, especially at work or school.

Notorious (adj.) - famous for something bad.

Work-life balance (noun) - the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend with your family and doing things you enjoy.

To employ (verb) - to have someone work or do a job for you and pay them for it.

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Questions and Answers

M: So bring it on.

R: I talked about them before when they were being played as a really terrible boss by Meryl Streep. But actually, I'd quite like to work for Anna Wintour, though I have no idea in what capacity because she's a fashion editor and I am anything but fashionable. But I'm sure I would learn a lot if I did a stint to some kind of administrator or administrative assistant, perhaps. I've never met Anna, and likely I never will. But I've watched a ton of documentaries about her and how she works. And I really like her direct focus style. Obviously, she wants to get the job done. And here's a great deal about knowing what you're talking about. So she would be a great role model and sort of, well, unofficial mentor. If I was working just as an administrator watching what was happening all the time. If you're not in the know, she is the editor-in-chief at Vogue magazine and has a notorious reputation for being brilliant and delivering quality work for her employers. I think there's a lot to be learned from that sort of person, especially since she frequently points out that her family and friends are the most important thing in her life. So clearly, she has some idea of how to manage her work-life balance, and, well, do that well, frankly speaking. That's actually the reason I'd like to follow her around a little bit. Not so much the fashion aspect, I think the ship has sailed in that respect. But to learn how someone so famous and powerful manages to keep her work and personal life in order. I mean, if I were to guess I'd say that being able to employ hundreds of people to help you might play a role there. Though, there does seem to be something special about her that I might be missing. And you can always learn something new from someone like that. Whether it's a handy piece of fashion advice, or like I say, how to put your life in order. So yeah, I'm pretty confident that that would be the person that I would like to study under at some point.

M: And have you talked to your friends about this person?

R: Only my best friend, but that's because we have a shared admiration of her.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your story! What a nice story!

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Discussion

M: So here, Rory talked about Anna Wintour. So if you don't know who this person is, could you please google, google her, look at her and maybe you'll recognize her. So, a person you would like to work or study with. So you should make a choice, so you'd like to work with this person or you'd like to study with this person. It may not be your friend or kind of, it could be a celebrity. You'd like to work with Rihanna, or you'd like to study with, I don't know, Elton John. Or I don't know Buddha, if you wish. Oh, can I, can I pick somebody who's dead? Like Buddha, I'd like to work with Buddha.

R: I don't know. You would probably, well, Buddha means teacher. So you'd probably study with Buddha, I guess.

M: I'd like to start with Buddha. Such a nice story. Yeah. And Rory started off with, I'd like to work with or I'd like to work for he said, because he would like to work for this person. So for this company, and then I have no idea in what capacity. So in what kind of position.

R: Yeah, so the capacity is just what you're doing. But I don't know what I would do at a fashion magazine. Make terrible fashion choices.

M: She's a fashion editor. Right? So you should say who the person is, what they do. So a fashion editor.

R: I actually think I got that job title wrong. I think she's the editor-in-chief, which is like the person in charge of the magazine. But if you're the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, are you not a fashion editor?

M: I think so. And then, Rory, you said that if I did a stint like this, or if I did a stint as some kind of administrator.

R: A stint as a short period of work.

M: Oh, a stint is a short period of work. Okay. Could you give us another sentence with a stint?

R: Sure. I had a brief stint working in customer services.

M: There you go. Super.

R: Or I would like to do a brief stint working... Oh, sorry, I would like to do a brief stint studying under Buddha. If you're you.

M: Yeah, for example. And you can say I'd learn a lot. So I would learn a lot if I did such a stint. You can say that I've never met this person, or I've met this person once, or I met her or him a year ago. Or it's okay, like, you've never met this person. That's fine. And likely never will. Yeah? So...

R: It would be very unrealistic if I met Anna Wintour, wouldn't it?

M: Yeah. Like imagine like, in Scotland, you're just walking down the road and then... And you bump into Anna Wintour. And she says, like, oh, Rory, hello, I've listened to your podcast. I've just bought your premium. Thank you so much for mentioning me. Yeah, but we know that our Rory does rub shoulders with celebrities, some Russian celebrities, some very, you know, powerful and famous Russian celebrities. Rory. You even have a photo, I think.

R: Do I?

M: Yes.

R: Is there a photo of me with Vladimir Posner?

M: Yes.

R: Oh, my... I didn't know that. But yes, I've been around. Anyway.

M: Then you can say that I've watched a ton of documentaries about this person, or I've read a lot about this person. I've read their works. So I've done something to know this person better. I really like her direct and focused style. So what did you mean by this?

R: Well, if someone's direct, then they don't dress up what they're saying, they don't try and hide what they're saying. They just get straight to the point. And what was the other word?

M: Focused.

R: Same idea. They just keep the goal in mind, they don't get distracted by things.

M: She wants to get the job done. So she's a very focused woman. So she gets the job done. To get something done. So just to do it. Right? So, there are some hard-working people, so they get the job done. And she would be a great role model, or unofficial mentor. So why would you like to work or study with this person? Because this person would be a great role model. So this person would set a good example to you. So they will be a good role model for me. They would be a great unofficial mentor. Mentor, like a teacher, right?

R: Yeah. Well, a mentor is someone who's focused specifically on helping someone be like them, or do a similar job to them.

M: And actually, you did mention that so she's the editor-in-chief at Vogue magazine. And Rory started this, like, if you're not in the know. So to be in the know, to know things. If you're not in the know, you don't know things. So Rory says like, okay, so if you're not in the know, she's this. If you're not in the know, Buddha, kind of created Buddhism, or one branch of Buddhism, if I'm mistaken. Sorry, if you're into Buddhism, and I got it wrong, sorry. And then she has a notorious reputation for being brilliant. What did you mean by notorious?

R: Well, if you're notorious, it means that you're famous, but it's like, it's almost like a negative kind of famous. When it's like, oh, I know that person, because they're quite controversial. So in the same way, she's got a notorious reputation for... What was that I said?

M: For being brilliant and delivering quality work for her employees.

R: Yes. So like, in the process of doing that, she's, she's very direct and maybe a bit too abrupt with people.

M: Yeah. So if you watched "The Devil Wears Prada". This film, "The Devil Wears Prada". So this editor-in-chief, at that magazine is kind of like a prototype of Anna Wintour. When you deliver quality work, you do quality work, for your employees.

R: Oh, for your employers as well.

M: Employers. Yeah. There's a lot to be learned from this person. That's a nice expression. So there are a lot of things to be learned from that sort of person. And this person frequently points out that her family's important. The person points out that something is important. They kind of mention, they stress that this is important. And you said that she has a good balance, like life-work balance. How do you know? Maybe she doesn't.

R: Well, you just have to trust what people say. But one example was when she was asked what her greatest achievement in life was, she was like my children, no question. So that's quite reassuring. And then she was talking a lot about not drinking and going to bed early and waking up early, and getting things done and spending lots of time with her family. So I feel like that's like a good indication. You never know what's going on in someone's life, do you? But I think that that's a pretty solid sign that she's got a good work-life balance. Maybe not perfect, but better than most people.

M: How many children does she have?

R: Three, I think. I don't know.

M: Oh, wow. Wow, impressive.

R: Let me double-check. Impressive that I know that or impressive that she has three children?

M: Impressive that she has three children.

R: Oh, no, two. Beg my pardon.

M: Yeah, dear listener, so feel free to say something about this person. Right? They're qualities. Like she's brilliant, she has a good work-life balance. I'd like to follow her around for a little bit. So to follow her around means... Well, literally to kind of to follow her around. To go after her, to learn from her, to kind of copy what she's doing, perhaps. So I'd like to follow her around for a little bit. For a little bit - for some time. And then our favourite conditional. If I were to guess I'd say that... So if I were to guess, or if I was to guess, I'd say that... and Rory told us that being able to employ hundreds of people. So she's able to employ hundreds of people. So she gives jobs to hundreds of people, she employs. So she's their employer. Their boss. So she's able to employ hundreds of people. And this is something special about her. And you can wrap it up with saying something like I can always learn something new from someone like that. So I can always learn something new from someone like that. What helped you organize your answer?

R: Well, once again, not being terribly imaginative. But I just followed the order that was in the task. So talking about who, and then very quickly talking about how long we've known each other. We haven't, I've never met her. But I would like to. And I was very vague about what I would like to study, or to study or to learn from her. Because I don't know what I would do. But it would just be cool to do. And of course, why? Well, regardless of what you learned from her, it would always be something valuable, because obviously she's got her head screwed on very, well, straight, I suppose. And then it was a case of connecting it all together. So I didn't start off by saying, I would like to talk about... Like a robot. I mentioned that I talked about them before, and then I introduced who she was, and then I, well, then just connected them together. Um, so talking about what I wasn't sure of what I would do, but that it would still be a positive experience. And then moving on into describing her in a bit more detail with "if you're not in the know, she's this person". So still talking about who it was. And then rounding off with the reason that I would like to follow her around for a little bit. I didn't end with my usual "if I hadn't met this person" or "if I hadn't blah, blah, blah, then blah, blah, blah". Because there's no situation in which I've met her yet. But I did wind up by saying, if I were to guess, I'd say that being able to employ hundreds of people might help with this. But who knows? And then you asked me your question about whether I talked to my friends about her. And then I discussed my shared admiration of her that I have with my best friend. That just means that we both like her.

M: Yes, dear listener, you should choose which person you'd like to talk about. And then google this person. Kind of have three or two adjectives to describe this person and make sure you know certain things about their life. Okay? Because Rory included some really personal details about this person. So yeah, there you go. You could actually say that I'd like to study with Rory, or I'd like to work with Rory, or I'd like to work with Maria. Hey! On their podcast. Hey, hey!

R: I would like to work with Rory and then you discover what I'm like to work with. And you're like, well, I would not like to work with Rory.

M: Yeah, so there you go. You can talk about us. Yeah, and how funny and happy we are. Hey! Thank you very much for listening!

R: We'll see you next time!

M: Bye!

R: Bye!

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