The Johnjay Van Es Podcast
From the mastermind behind one of the most popular morning shows in the country, Johnjay Van Es brings his signature blend of curiosity, humor, and fearless honesty to the podcast world. If you’ve ever had a question on your mind but were too afraid to ask, don’t worry—Johnjay’s got you covered.
With hilarious, jaw-dropping conversations, amazing guests, and the inside scoop on everything you actually care about, this show is a wild ride through the stories you’ve never heard and the truths nobody else dares to say. Whether it’s celebrities, trendsetters, or just the most interesting people on the planet, nothing is off-limits, and no question is too bold.
Come for the interviews. Stay for the insanity. This is the podcast you’ll be talking about. Don’t miss it!
The Johnjay Van Es Podcast
Separate Beds: The Weirdest Sleep Hack That Works
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A new haircut, a hard truth, and real care kick off a conversation about health, home, and heart. Blake shares her hysterectomy journey and why trusting your gut and finding a doctor who listens can change everything.
We dive into sleep, marriage, and routines: separate beds, nightly habits, and small tweaks that actually improve rest and connection. Parenthood insights, family milestones, and fun stories about music, home projects, and rescue dogs keep it real and relatable.
Follow, share, and leave a review if you’re ready to try this weird sleep hack and build habits that stick.
And it's all on the floor. And it's all on the foot. And it's on the following.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, so welcome to our podcast. This is a little bit different today because this podcast is a spin-off of our radio show. All right, welcome to the John J. Van S podcast. Today's guest, my wife Bulky Veins, Blake Van S. And one of the things is on the radio show, we do a podcast. Um, every Sunday we drop a couples podcast. And because of the incredible human being known as Tyler, the podcast creator, uh, executive, producer, co-partner, co-founder, co-creator of the John J. Van S podcast, we're able to do Blake and I in the studio. And one big thing to notice about today's podcast is my wife just got her hair done.
unknown:Yes, I did.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, good hair. And of course, you don't like my hair like this. He says, it's not curly. Yes, it is. It's very curly.
SPEAKER_02:I think your normal hair is curly.
SPEAKER_01:This is my normal hair. Yes, it is.
SPEAKER_02:This is what's like your normal hair if you just got it done.
SPEAKER_01:This is what I was born with, the red hair.
SPEAKER_02:No, no, no. I'm not talking about the color of your hair, Blake. I'm talking of the style of your hair. Yeah. I like your natural hair curls. When you jump in a pool and you take a shower and your hair is curly like the way your hair was yesterday, the day before, for the last three weeks. And then you go and you get it done like this, and it looks very nice. But it's just not my top five.
SPEAKER_03:Oh.
SPEAKER_02:Well, that's it's my top five. It's not my top two. I mean, uh is it I guess it is my top two. I'm not a fan of the bob that you had when you first met.
SPEAKER_00:With the banks?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I you don't want the banks back.
SPEAKER_02:Um, I have a bunch of questions from our audience that I want to get to, but first, I figure we should update because last time you found out that you had to have some procedures. Do you do you feel open enough to talk about said procedures?
SPEAKER_01:Sure.
SPEAKER_02:Do you want to? You don't have to.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, no, I don't mind sharing. I mean, because maybe I helped somebody.
SPEAKER_02:Right.
SPEAKER_01:I had a full hysterectomy. They took everything. And it was, it was um, it wasn't that bad of an experience. It was uh in and out of the house I spent one night in the hospital and spent six weeks rehab like recovering where your body is like adjusting to all that open space and moving around. And I loved my doctor, Dr. Kelly Helms, and um and it worked out great. I and I'm what 10 weeks now? I feel great.
SPEAKER_02:You do you feel great? I do, I feel great. There's a difference, like you feel because they got rid of the had you some fibroid tumors, you had some other stuff, they got rid of a bunch of stuff.
SPEAKER_01:So you feel I feel better. Yeah, my body feels better. I feel better mentally because I thought I was going through menopause and I wasn't.
SPEAKER_02:So, what advice do you have for any women that are going through this?
SPEAKER_01:I think that you should definitely um get an ultrasound because I didn't for five years. I kept telling my doctor that it's kind of weird. I'm like still bleeding, and and um, and they would say, Oh, well, you're probably just finishing up. And and so finally I'm like, I'm 57, like what the heck? And I went to um sign up with a concierge doctor, and she said, Have you ever done an ultrasound? I said, No, and she did an ultrasound and quickly figured out that I had a fibroid that was in need of getting out.
SPEAKER_02:Wow. By the way, um last night, well, let me backtrack. Uh, over the weekend we were in um Fresno, where were we?
SPEAKER_01:We were in Fullerton.
SPEAKER_02:We were in Fullerton, watching our son play basketball, and we had a hotel room with two beds. And I thought we were gonna sleep in two different beds, but you thought otherwise and crawled into bed with me. And then after uh discussion, you went to the other bed. Well, let me back up a second because what? Because this is I'm going somewhere with this, but go ahead.
SPEAKER_01:I know, but let me back up. So we were we don't normally get two beds, but we were trying to get into the hotel where my son was staying, and it was sold out for like a week. And so that's that was our choice. It's two beds. So I was like, okay, it was the only choice.
SPEAKER_02:It was our only choice, which was fine with me. So I was like, you're in one bed, I'm in the other bed. But you got anybody with me.
SPEAKER_01:No problem. I'll be right up close next to him.
SPEAKER_02:And then I slept in my own bed and you slept in your bed, and it turns out I had the highest score of the year for me, sleep score of the year, right? Yes. Okay. You are so pretty when you laugh like that.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my god. You're so good.
SPEAKER_02:So anyway, wait, wait, so wait, wait. So last night, um, I the the yesterday I had pretty good sleep, and then last night we went to bed and you went to bed with me at the same time, but you decided to read. And uh I was like, okay, she's gonna read, but you do all the lights are out and you wear these little headlamps to read, right?
SPEAKER_01:And we're it's not a headlamp, it's like this little necklace thing that has the little lights on it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and we have a couch in the bedroom on the other side of the bedroom, which is for reading that was meant to people to sit and read, right? And you don't do that. And so last night I go to sleep, and I don't know how I was out like a light, man. And I was I would I know because I look at my my aura ring and I can see I usually get my deep sleep pretty quick in the when I go to sleep. So I'm out like a light, and also I wake up because you're reading, and you when you you move, you move you and you move like this. And I woke up and I was out of my deep sleep, and I got so mad, and I was like, why isn't she in my head? Why isn't she reading over there? Why is she over there? This this is why I I I we need two beds, we need different beds in this room, so I can sleep, she can sleep, and she can jump right off she wants, she woke up, won't wake me up. It's like if you go over there and read, then when you come back, when you're ready to go to sleep, you just slide in the bed and you don't move. But when you're in there lying next to me and you're reading, you're like, you're you're moving yourself, then you go, this is how you this is how you turn, this is how it feels to me. Like you turned the page. You you're reading the book and you go. No way. That's how it feels like no way. That's what happened to me last night.
SPEAKER_01:No way. So let me defend myself here. First of all, the little reading area that you're talking about is like a two-butt couch. It's a little big, it's almost the same size as the couch. I could lay down on. That one, my feet hang over the top, my neck it, my neck hurts when I put the pillow there. It's not comfortable. And when I go to sleep after I'm reading, because I like to read to relax. I like to get into another world, right? I love to read. You know that. I mean, I don't watch TV shows really. I love to read. That's my thing. That's my passion. So I read my book all nice, and and I then I can set it down when I'm in our bed and and go and turn over and go to sleep. So we've bought two different things, lights that seem to work. I don't know why you think I'm I think you're imagining moving around a lot when you read. I don't think I do.
SPEAKER_02:Um my sleep app tells me different. So anyway, uh, anyway, so I just thought I'd tell you that story because I hadn't seen you. This is literally the first time.
SPEAKER_01:All the ladies out there, like we should be able to read before bed.
SPEAKER_02:This is the first time you and I have seen each other all day, pretty much. Yes, right. Yeah, we drove here together. Okay, so I put out earlier in the week, uh, I said you and I were gonna do in the podcast and see if anyone had any questions for us. And we have several actually. Um, best advice for a new mom, boy mom here with a six-month-old.
SPEAKER_01:Oh my gosh, boys, first of all, are so weird. It's hard to imagine the things that they do ahead of time. But I would just say enjoy them and and be active because boys are so active, and the more you tire them out, the seem they seem to be better behaved when they're tired or cranky, go to sleep early. But um, my advice for new moms in general is to enjoy every minute because we're at a point where our kids are in college, all three, and and that time went so fast. Our son's birthday is today, and John Jay posted this beautiful picture of him that's one of my favorite pictures of him of all time. And it's like, if I could just turn back the clock to that, it was just awesome. So enjoy the minutes, even if it's hard.
SPEAKER_02:Um, for me, my advice to a boy mom is this have the best relationship you can have with your son because I think the mother-son relationship is more important than the father-son relationship. The father-son relationship is very important, but I think the mother-son relationship will turn him into a good person, a good human being, and you have great relationships with our three boys. And I think all three of our boys have incredible character, integrity, and they're just good, strong men. And I think that comes from their relationship with you. That's what I think. So that's my advice for a young for a boy mom. Uh let's see.
SPEAKER_01:Does the opposite go for the girl moms?
SPEAKER_02:I think for the girl mom, it's the opposite. It's it's the girl, the father has to have a fantastic again, the mom, mom-daughter relationship is important, but I think the mom, the father-daughter relationship is extremely important. Because I think then uh that's how the daughter knows how she should be treated when if the father is an awesome dad. I mean, I don't have the right words to say. This isn't, and by the way, I have zero education in this department. It's just my life experiences, wisdom, and what I've seen, and what I've seen from good people, like you have a great relationship with your dad. You're one of the most amazing people I've ever met. My sister has a great relationship with her dad. My sister has a great relationship with your dad.
SPEAKER_03:Right.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I mean, it's it's so I and and all the women I know in my life that are pretty solid have had great relationships with their dad.
SPEAKER_01:So when you go, so I guess the the outcome of this conversation is when you go to date somebody, make sure that if they're a girl, they have a good relationship with their dad. If they're a boy, they have a good relationship with their mom. Then you're they're most likely a little bit.
SPEAKER_02:If you get into a relationship with somebody, then yeah, if you're dating people, just having fun, whatever, who cares? But if you're if you're gonna get into relationships, especially you start thinking about, oh my god, I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with this person, you're gonna be like, well, actually, I think you're right, because you don't want to get to the point where you're like, I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with this person. Oh, I fallen in love with her. Oh my god, she's psycho. So yeah, you're right. You probably I guess when you're when you are dating. Um, did you ever find a couch? No.
SPEAKER_03:No.
SPEAKER_02:I have now gone to, I personally, Blake's got me to two places. I was at a place today with Kyle and Peyton from the radio show. We went couch hopping. Uh, I thought we found some, but I get so nervous to pull the trigger because I don't know the size and whatever. Um, I've gone with my boys to a couple, I've gone to maybe five or six, seven different places. So no, I haven't found a couch because we have to we need a smaller couch, but I also want the couch where I can lay down and watch TV. So no. Uh, what are your thoughts on redoing the pool to eliminate water issues? Now, I don't know if that means us with our water issues or they're asking about their water issues, but I our pool is fantastic. I mean, it's just a little large.
SPEAKER_01:I don't think we would redo it anymore because we've gotten the issue solved. But yeah, I guess the big lesson that we learned is when you build a pool, make sure you measure and you have the right pool company that knows exactly what to do and keep the water out of your house.
SPEAKER_02:Which TV show could you both be in and could be separately or together? I mean, there's TV shows I'd like to be in.
SPEAKER_01:Maybe that's a good way to go. I don't know.
SPEAKER_02:I'd like to be in Fallout, I'd like to be in shrinking. Um, I'd like to be in a Netflix docuseries.
SPEAKER_01:I wanted to be Molly Ringwald.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, you want to be Molly Ringwald, so you wouldn't be in Sixteen Candles?
SPEAKER_01:That's not a TV show though, that's what we're gonna be.
SPEAKER_02:What keeps your marriage going strong?
SPEAKER_01:Playing backgammon on the weekends.
SPEAKER_02:That's what that's what does it?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, we walk, we play backgammon, it's fun. I think you need to communicate.
SPEAKER_02:Communication.
SPEAKER_01:Well, communication is important too.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Communication and backgammon. What were each of your boys' first words?
SPEAKER_01:I don't know. Is that bad? And I would hope it's mama.
SPEAKER_02:I would think I think dad. I think it's dad for most of them.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um what are your what what's your each other's icks? Icks. You know what an ick is? Yeah. What?
SPEAKER_01:Like something that grosses you out or you don't like it. Makes you like about somebody.
SPEAKER_02:Like, yeah, like, you know, sometimes it's an ick.
SPEAKER_01:Like about me or about you or about someone in general?
SPEAKER_02:Just do both.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, my ick is like if somebody smokes, that's gross. Um my ick for you.
SPEAKER_02:I have an ick for you.
SPEAKER_01:You do. What is it?
SPEAKER_02:Sometimes when you get food stuck in your teeth, you pick your teeth, and then you like while irritating. You're like, Oh my god, for real? Yeah, for real. I've told you about it. I say, man, don't you don't have any eggs for me, huh?
SPEAKER_01:I think I do, but I can't think of them right now. I'll probably come up with 20 of them when I watch it. No, that's fair. I do.
SPEAKER_02:What was each of your family reaction when introducing you or Blake for the first time?
SPEAKER_01:Well, when you asked my dad to marry me, just about spit out his breakfast.
SPEAKER_02:I'm gonna I'm gonna I'm gonna go on Instagram live and ask people and see what they say too. So we'll go on Instagram live. I should have had it up the whole time. Um, let me see. Hold on, put it on Instagram live here. Let me see. Uh ask Blake and me anything.
SPEAKER_01:Do you know what my ick is? No, Stuart, we're way past that. No, I have to go back to that. My ick is, and it's so gross, is your retainer. That's my ick. It is so disgusting. If anybody saw it, they would be like, How in the world do you sleep or kiss that man? It's disgusting.
SPEAKER_02:Uh Stuart is on here. Uh Stuart Willis, uh great guy. Stuart, what's up? We're doing a couples podcast right now. You can ask us anything right now. Justin, what's up? Let's see. Uh ask us anything. Yo, can people just make comments right now? Hold on, hold on. Stuart Teller, thanks for the ice cream. Oh, thanks for the ice cream, Stuart says. He made a nice donation. You, Stuart, that was very kind. He asked a big donation to uh Love Puff Family Fest. Stuart, are you doing anything tonight? Maybe you want to go with me to Sun's game. I have tickets to the Suns Game tonight, and uh it's late. Oh, what was your first concert?
SPEAKER_01:We both have the same.
SPEAKER_02:What was it?
SPEAKER_01:Lionel Richie.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, look at it. Here's some people that want to see your feet. There you go. My wife's got beautiful feet.
SPEAKER_01:We may have been at the concert at the same time, but didn't know each other.
SPEAKER_02:Thank you for the no bull recommendation. They're awesome. Yeah. How's Blake healing? Oh, we just discussed that in the beginning of the podcast. Hey Blake and John Jade, love you both. How long have you guys been married? Someone wants to know.
SPEAKER_01:Almost 30 years.
SPEAKER_02:What? 30 years? Please give us tips on how to improve the relationship after so many years.
SPEAKER_01:Be patient with each other.
SPEAKER_02:Be patient with each other. Oh Stuart's in the world. Forgiveness. What? Forgiveness. Forgiveness. Yeah, forgiveness and healing and recovery and all that stuff. Where did you get that shirt, Blake, and that vest?
SPEAKER_01:At Alexandria on 44th Street in Camelback, but not this year.
SPEAKER_02:How did you guys first meet?
SPEAKER_01:Through a mutual friend. She introduced us.
SPEAKER_02:Well, last few last questions. What was your first most memorable anniversary?
SPEAKER_01:Year five, we went to the um Cayman Islands. Cayman Islands. That was pretty memorable.
SPEAKER_02:Favorite restaurant to eat at together.
SPEAKER_01:Steak 44.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's true. I love that restaurant. Um best give John Jay ever got you.
SPEAKER_01:Um my wedding ring.
SPEAKER_02:Stuart, what's the weirdest thing John Jay asked you to do involving feet?
SPEAKER_01:I don't know. Putting them on your face.
SPEAKER_02:Let's see. Uh uh when your sons were very young, how would you explain why there are straight men that wear dresses for fashion? You know something? It never came up. It's never come up. I don't know, right? I don't know. I don't think our son, in fact, one of our kids was always wearing pink and pink shoes and dyed his hair pink. It just never came up. Uh, favorite concert ever.
SPEAKER_01:Ooh, I think I mine is Billy Joel and Elton John, but I think yours is something different.
SPEAKER_02:Um I gotta tell you, my favorite concert ever. Well, I saw Frank Sinatra a few times.
SPEAKER_01:That's what I thought you were gonna say. And then there's a lot of things.
SPEAKER_02:Well, I have to tell you, I went when Dutch and I went to go see Kanye, and Kanye performed all this music just off his phone. I thought it was awesome. Now, I will tell you this. I haven't told anybody this, but Blake and I are going to a concert tomorrow night, and I think it will be the best concert of our lives. That's tomorrow night.
SPEAKER_01:It's not you too? I thought for sure you were gonna say you too.
SPEAKER_02:No, best concert tomorrow. No, I mean, no, let's see. Favorite person favorite favorite famous person you've ever met.
SPEAKER_01:I really liked meeting Lady Gaga.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yeah, she was cool.
SPEAKER_01:She was really cool.
SPEAKER_02:She is such a beautiful woman, John Jay. You scored. I agree. I agree. Uh no, it's not at the bird's nest. I'm not gonna tell you. Oh, Scottsdale concierge. Um, Nikki Cox is on here. Hi, Nikki. Hi, Nikki. Hi, Nikki. Nikki, look at Blake's wearing the orange you were wearing yesterday. Did you do that on purpose, by the way?
SPEAKER_01:Or just it was just no, she said orange, so I wore orange.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, and Nikki, look, I'm on the sitting on this couch and I'm wearing this shirt. Nikki is gonna be on our show tomorrow. Gaga, yes, was it? Oh. Who are you most the most starstruck to meet? Jeez. You know who I was really starstruck to meet? John Travolta.
SPEAKER_01:Oh.
SPEAKER_02:I almost started crying. John Travolta and Bob from Sesame Street.
SPEAKER_01:That's so funny. I thought you, I would uh answer that totally different.
SPEAKER_02:What?
SPEAKER_01:I would have sent Jack from Will and Grace because you were I was so excited, meaning, but I was so tired.
SPEAKER_02:We'd say, I know, but you couldn't speak to him.
SPEAKER_01:You were so excited.
SPEAKER_02:I met you at Love Pop Family Fest. Yeah, thanks, Jacob. Thanks for going. What color are your toes right now, Blake? What color are those?
SPEAKER_01:I don't know. It's a dark color.
SPEAKER_02:Hey now, hey now. Hey now. All right. Uh Metro Family Fest. Scrolling back down. Uh what is your favorite milestone moment for each of your boys? Well, that's such a great question. That is a great moment, man.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, I I I know Kemp's right away because Kemp wanted to play collegiate basketball, and his milestone moment was when he got the offer to play.
SPEAKER_02:The offer that he got for me, it's when the coach called and made yeah, and and for you.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:For when he made the the to hear, I don't know, to see him put so much hard work into it and then see a coach that really gets it. I mean, it was freaking awesome. And offered him to go to college, you know, the scholarship was awesome.
SPEAKER_01:So for but I I want to talk about the others too, because for Jake, I just thought of it. Jake was the Boy Scouts getting the Eagle Scout. Like that might not have been his milestone, but it was our milestone, and it was so awesome when he finally got it. And now he can go through life saying he's an Eagle Scout.
SPEAKER_02:That's true.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:What about for Dutch? We got another one.
SPEAKER_01:And Dutchie Peep for me, selfishly, was committing to college because I'm a wild cat, he's a wild cat, and that made me so happy.
SPEAKER_02:I I can't think of anything.
SPEAKER_01:Because that kid lived such a happy life always.
SPEAKER_02:Like he's each one of those kids has milestones where I can get emotional and cry over. Even today, I stopped by Jake at work and gave a big hug for his birthday, and I almost started crying when I walked out. But anyway, what are you guys watching? I'm looking for something to watch on TV. Uh, why did both Oh, I'm watching Fallout, Shrinking, Fallout Shrinking. Oh, and I'm watching Night Manager. Why did both of your boys choose NAU?
SPEAKER_01:They didn't.
SPEAKER_02:None of our boys chose NAU. They were the UA. Individual five-year plan for you both now that the kids are grown up.
SPEAKER_01:I want my startup, Love Pup Plus, to take off.
SPEAKER_02:Oh yeah, Love Pup Plus. That's a big one. So if you have a dog, go to Love Pup Plus and sign up and register, and it's got a uh AI chat GPT for pets. It's awesome. Love Pup Plus. Nikki Cox says, watch Tehran. Oh, you know what? Um someone else said that too. Umla from Saurita. Oh do you think Dutch is more like his dad?
SPEAKER_01:Dutch is a spitting image of his dad.
SPEAKER_02:In looks? What about everybody else?
SPEAKER_01:Both looks and personality.
SPEAKER_02:Oh. Okay. Anyway. Okay, um, I'm gonna go here pretty soon. I'm gonna do an I'm gonna do an interview here with my friend Tyler on his podcast.
SPEAKER_01:And then um He's hiding behind the bushes.
SPEAKER_02:And then we're going to uh go to the Suns game. It's kind of a weird situation. So, like, do I go with Blake to the Suns game tonight? It's my son's birthday, he's 23, or do I take my son to the birthday? Do I take my son to the game? And Blake says, take my son to the game.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_02:But I don't know if he really wants to go to the game. Do you guys have cats? No. Blake, you look beautiful.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, thanks.
SPEAKER_02:Brittany says, I think you were your kids are so lucky to have you both.
SPEAKER_01:Thank you.
SPEAKER_02:I love the dog I got from you. You're welcome.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, good.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Um, and what else do we want to do on the podcast? Jake, I asked Jake if he wants to go to the game. Hey, you want to go to the Sun's game with me? Game starts at 8 leave 645. He goes, I'm probably gonna go work out. So you don't have any friends that have no one to take with me to Sun's game.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, looks like I'm going then.
SPEAKER_02:I text my friend Rick. Are you seeing you in town's game? Um anything, let's see. What else do we want to add? So, just real quick, Love Pup Foundation is where you can go to adopt one of our dogs.
SPEAKER_01:And we have puppies right now. They were just born a week ago.
SPEAKER_02:There you go. We should be posting that. It's unbelievable that we haven't posted that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um we have we are looking for a social media person for Love Pup. If you are in the social media space, let us know. Um LovepupPlus.com. Go there and sign up when you have a dog, and that'll be a game changer for you Love Pup Plus. It'll really blow your mind. And I think uh that's it. That's a good that's a wrap. Okay, so welcome to our podcast. This is a little bit different today because this podcast is a spin-off of our radio show.
