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Creativity, Comedy, and Never Settling with Nate Bargatze

Harry. What's up? It's Chase. Welcome to another episode of the show. That's right, Jay Servers live Show here on CREATIVELIVE. You know the show. This is where I sit down with awesome humans, and I do everything I can unpack their brains so I can help you live your dreams. Whether that's in career in hobby and or in life. My guest today is an actor. He's a comedian. I can't even actually say comedian without laughing because I'm thinking about his act right now. I just saw the show last night. His new Netflix just dropped. Called the Tennessee Kid. My guest is the one and only neighbor got sick in the house. Um, buddy, I'm good. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here. Yeah, actors is very loose acting e I don't know what it is, you know. Explain. Well, cause I always think it's like I you always will be a comedian. That's all what I wanted to be. And so you do want to do I mean, obviously you want to do other stuff. Uh, but it's all to, like, push comedian standing community. Tha...

t's the main thing. Got so And if you like ever. Shall we do a retake? No, no, no. It's fun. If you acted some point. Is it good for your career? Isn't good. No, I think it's good. I mean, good bye bye. I could be real bad acting, you know? You know, So you haven't actually not acted yet? Uh, but the goal is to do it. Gotta get show. Uh, he had a good show. So we're see speaking shows. Yeah. Um, we were talking just before we started rolling. Get a show here. We're in Seattle. Yeah, um I know really good friends with Adam, who does all looking for all of the Seattle last year in your group. And he had me paying attention to work a long time ago. And also Julie, who produces the show I'm a huge fan of comedy is, like, directed me to your work a long time. And I understand that you were gonna have one show. Yeah, And then they added a second show that so show that that show sold out. And then they added 1/3 show. Yeah, which also sold out. Yeah, it's unbelievable. Yeah, it's crazy. Crazy. And there was a little odd together. It was talking to go down after this. Next time Seattle is gonna be If this is you not only tried to do three shows, Couldn't do three that went to your barely getting one. How does it feel that I'm like, That's what I feel like it's going ahead. Uh, yeah, it gets crazy. It's Ah, we booked. Ah, you know, like not jumped so far. But it's like we had We're doing a big theater tour in the fall, and then we're starting to kind of like producing theaters before my Netflix special came out. And we had this one book before that. Yeah, and so, like, it did good. Where is maybe one show was sold out Movie. I think we added the 2nd 1 before the special came out. So it's good when you go to a place and you're already able to, like, sell tickets like that before, like something like Netflix Big comes And then when that when that came out, is that I think that the show is already starting to talk about doing it and then helped push it over yet, So it's also amazing show last night. Thank you. Before getting the details of this show. And this is honestly does. There's a little confession have to make for those folks listening and watching. I really just want to ask you about all your jokes, but I know that would be terrible. So I'll find I'm gonna find a way to learn a little bit more back story without blowing the jokes. And that will be on me. Yeah. No. Yeah. You can ask you ask me. All right. Yeah. But mawr than, uh, what's happening right now I want to go all the way back way back. Okay. Growth in Tennessee. Yeah. Give me the earliest. Like what? I'll give a little context. So mostly like the things that were supposed to be doing in life happened to us and the things that we're passionate about. Usually there's some hint or signal in our past as kids like, we love to be on stage or we love sports or we love fill in the blank. So what did you love? How did how did you know that this is the thing that you wanted to do? Did you? What was your journey so type thing back in the beginning Yeah. Um, you know, I always think like it's I don't know if there was ever any one thing that, like, I don't think I felt like I will be a state of comedian are even a performer. There was never, like, just automatically thinking like this is in my dream, I got no. There's some comics that, like, would we stayed up and watched the Tonight show our they'd watch all the stuff like I wanted to do that like, I don't I don't ever remember thinking like I want to do that exactly. Uh, I do remember being funny. I remember doing my dad is a magician. And so because we have to talk, Yeah. So I was around and he's funny. He does eat this comedy, and he is. So I was around him doing funny stuff. So, you know, I think it was all like, just soaking in without me even realizing it. And then I know when I got to high school, I remember I remember saying I wanted, like, I would joke that, like someone was funny. Like, Are you gonna hamburger? Zane was just the local comedy club in Nashville, and it's unbelievable come. Very known club been around for a long time. And so anybody That was funny. In my senior year, I wrote like where you're gonna be in 10 years. And it was like it was everything I wrote playing in the n b a. Some reason which actually did because I played the Nashville Baptist Association Church. Uh, technically, you know, if you don't really look into it, it does check out, uh, and we And then I wanted to be at zanies and I says that I would do that. I don't know, like, you know, I never wrote these Goes down, goes down like being like I am going to do that. I just wrote it down almost being funny. And, you know, they didn't end up working out. I do remember the first one of the first things that I remember outside of doing. Stand up. I remember once I was at a party and I was telling a story about ah girl. Some girl, like a girl I dated are, you know, in high school, first girlfriend like and I remember telling it, and I remember talking for, like, 40 minutes, like on a porch everybody was laughing. And I remember you know where you're like. Oh, all right. I felt good. And then I remember going to somewhere else to a party with people that were those were those were my guys from high school. And then we go to another party and its people, not from my high school, so I don't know them. And my friend is like, he's a tell that story again. And I tried and like, did not go good. Anytime your friends tell that story is like, not seriously. Yeah. And it was almost the is the first time, though, having to learn how to repeat something. And, uh, and I couldn't. And then just how much of it didn't work out? I mean, people were not on board, like the first time I talked for, like, 40 minutes in the 2nd 1 Like to wrap it up in, like, 80 seconds. See, they're just, like does good story did? Yeah. Um all right, so that takes you presuming that's teenager. Yes, that was yeah. Yeah. Before that was like, you know, we did. I did some shows with my dad like we would do like her church like he would do chose shows, and I would do some, you know, some stuff you with that. Were you his like sidekick. We need to talk. We need to cover. Look around for anyone who doesn't know that your there's a magician because that's a huge threat of when you talk about a little bit of your act. Yeah, and And so were you, like assistant. So when he said you can cut the lady in half with the song was that it was a year old. I'm just like, and really getting into it, like this salt part. Uh uh, Tulia. He So, like I say in a lot of Max, he started as a clown like government, like you've ever been yelled about clown, I have, like, uh, and when I was five, I remember he came into the show her kindergarten, and he was just is a clown because he was a clown at that time. And I remember I was sitting that when I set, like on the stage behind him, you know, cause it's my dad, and I just you want to be like, you know, your five and my dad. This is you know and remember he had this trick that was this, Uh, I'm not giving anything away like it's a It's a child's tricks like this is the fox that show where the guy gives away tricks. Uh, it's because it was like they had, uh, this, uh, like would thing that had two doors that would open and a dog was in the doors and he was in the dog. What's? There's a hole in the middle and the dog would go from this door. You would see him cross, go to this door, and when you open this door, he would be gone. You would ask the kids which doors and they're yelling. He could make it be either one. Well, I'm sitting behind the trick, and I said, There's the trick is there's two dogs. Actor. You think there's just one? But there's too, and I just yelled that out. Like all the kids. I was like, Dad, there's two dogs like I just I mean, just completely ruin his trick. And he's like, Oh, hey, thanks, yeah, some of the kindergartens left there like this guy's terrible, but that was like the first, like like helping out where I did. I mean, I didn't That was the worst. Good. Good. Yeah, how the least amount. And so I would do Sometimes I would just We go If he did shows, he does shows him all and I would send them to go back and help. And I was never great at it. I never did. Gooden, he didn't bring, you know, he used to do their deduce that this Children's hospital in Nashville and he took us once, and he'd make you could make an old wounds so he would go do a magic show and make animal blues. He took me and my brother, And then we have another friend and his kids went to and so they would they would do for all the kids there and do this show. I did it once, and I was like, Oh, that was fun. And then we never did it again. It was a great and I mean, like, five years ago. Find out my brother and dad have been doing it for 20 years. Like they just I just got cut out of this like I did one day I was a home like around Christmas Is that Where you guys going? And we're going to this hospital gigs. They just do that. Like they as a young never. I never got invited back to that ever I was. Didn't think you had talent. Yeah, they just figured there like these guys bring the showdown. These make the kids were asking. Believe Jamesburg. Azis not included. Not included in the show. They be confused with two thumbs. Not yes. Not good. Which we had. Uh, I said that was Yeah. Yeah. 2000 gets to that lady. Yeah. Yeah. We had a similar of offender family. She has, Ah, two thumbs. A baby was born. Two thumbs. They did not know why until they saw my Netflix joke. Where Tell about the Borgetti guy having two thumbs. It's a good one. Yeah, way have to watch the show. Okay. We're not gonna give you all the insights. Well, that one's on. That one's on. That joke is on. Like Netflix spread the Brad Paisley I was telling chiefdoms were gets Yeah, that jokes out. I don't know. I mean, I can't even do the whole job. The guy had two times, like in the 19 hundreds or something in our family and was murdered. Ah, because he's looking over this guy's wife and then and India and the joke. I was like, Oh, they give you any leaves and gives the guy two thumbs, one hand up and then, uh when the guy come home, this was always like a true story. The guy came home is like your wife's cheating on you and he said, With who? He's gonna know his name, but he had two thumbs On the one hand, if that helps, it was like, Yeah, definitely that home that narrows it down quite a bit in the small town in the 19 hundreds. And then So it Gary gave him. I think so, uh, does he have do them? And so we had a because I met him seminar barg, etc. Family their their child, who had thinks 12 now but was born with two thumbs on one hand and they didn't know what until they saw the joke. And then they're like on the Netflix thing. Events have in there like a thank you note. Uh, sent me the other film again. They melted. It comes in a box. It comes in a box and get in my way. That's my cousins thumb. We'll keep going. You're in the your your help with your dad. So there some seeds? Yeah, performance. There is some individual experiences along the way where you felt like you got some juice from being funny in front of your friends. Yeah, um, but that's different from actually standing on stage and practicing. Uh, a gig. Yeah. Get what? What's the gap? Uh, what did you do to put food on the table, or did you just go straight into it? And it was all successful. You lived happily ever after its Ah, no, no, he goes. I mean, when I was, I worked. Ah, like we thought. I used to read water meters. I worked with the guy and he wanted to do stand up and are he wanted to go to move Chicago, and I was were like, talking about it. I was, like, 23 in Chicago have always had jobs, Which I do say this in my new act. But like I've always had dumb jobs, like moving people or water made all this stuff I can go back to Never. I was never like lawyer dog. You know something? That's like you spend. I didn't go to college. Loan was. You know, I think my parents honestly paid my student loan off, which was $1100. Uh, it was, you know, it was nothing like absolutely nothing. So I my buddy wanted to g o. And we went, and that's why he moved to Chicago. And I remember that first was going. I was trying to like I was a driver, and I started delivering pizzas at night. Just try to save up money for us to move. And I would record guy, I would. I bought ah, tape recorder and just are thought of any jokes. And this is all new to me. I never did it in Nashville. First I did in Chicago, and then was this because your friend wanted to do it? You said Yeah, maybe video. That is kind of fun. I wanted I did want to do stand up at that point. Look, at that point, I was like, I think I wanted to try this, but was it like, overtly like, hey, yeah, let's go do this. Or was it like, this is uh, I'm not telling anybody in case I suck or in case I fail. Or was it how intentional? It was intentional. I told I told everybody I told my family and, uh, my parents were super supportive of it. Obviously, my dad doing this, he loved he loved the idea. I mean, they they were, like, great. And I mean, it did help that it's not like I know some good. There's a lot of comics that air. Uh, Greg Giraldo, who passed away but he was a lawyer. A lot of comics, their lawyers. Some of them have, like, one of my buddies Day And check is, uh, he was He went Tonto University of Miami was an engineer, like, very smart. Like their parents gonna be way more disappointed in them than me. My parents were like, you know, clicks like, yeah, I mean, you have when I go there like, Well, it's not like I was doing something like, I'm hanging on to the fans. Like, you know, something. They were like, he can e I can come back and do whatever. So it was It was I was ableto it was very it was great to be able to move, you know, to do it. I always have used to do a joke about, though I don't think anybody cares. Anybody does anything? Uh, You know, there's a big mentality of, like, everybody told me I couldn't make it and all this stuff, and I just I don't think anybody tells anybody that, like, I don't thinking. Why would anybody care if you're gonna go try something? I don't mean that, You know, maybe they do about high pressure, like helicopter parents, they they want to make. Yeah, I guess. And that And I just didn't have that. So yeah, so maybe they could do that. I used to values to have a joke. Uh, but I still like athletes would be, like on a dedicate this to all the people that said I wouldn't make it. And you're like, like, eight foot tall, like no one. No one went on a limb and said, I bet you could maybe do it. No one in your family was like, you should try it. You know, like, I think you should try it. Ah, so, yeah. So I was Yes. I do think that we're like if if you really went to school and went to college and really did something I do, I could see pressure pressure of, you know, having to do that. And when I moved in the S So I mean, I wanted to do there, and we took some classes of second City, so there was at least a goal, like, at least like All right, we're doing this. And I don't really like second City. I took this class comedy college and, uh, in Chicago. Uh, and I just start taking that It was great, like a lot of times, like, uh, comics. Some comics really hate, like classes, standing classes. I don't hate him because I think you don't know what to do. So I don't think a person could teach you to be funny. But I can tell you, like how to, like, be in the scene and like, and you meet other people starting like you. So you're not just out there alone. And because if you're alone, you might quit cause you're too, you know, you're like, I don't know these people. It's It's the most nerve racking there needs to be. Yes, there's a safe community of like we're all nowhere Right now. We're all starting for the first time and, ah, there's no like judgment And, you know, because I mean, when you first started, it's just brutal. You know, you're in front of talk. You're talking to people in front of a crowd. It's I mean, it's not fun at all. And it's, you know, you have a bet. Any bad memories you get your, uh, you know, what's funny is whether when I did that comedy class, they wrote an article about the guy's name is Jim Roth, and he still teaches that class that they wrote an argument Chicago Tribune about it. So I mean, the first, like, four weeks of me and Connie. I'm my name's in the Chicago Tribune like it looks like it's really coming together. Like like I just walking in way. We took a big step back after that. Uh, the tribune was my biggest thing. Still does. To this day, the biggest thing I've ever done. Ah, there was when you first started. I remember, uh, you know, I mean, I didn't Chicago there was, like, crazy Pete Holmes criminal now, Johnny Ah, TJ Miller Ah, I mean, there's are missing some rooms. There was a handle burst. There's a lot of people starting. So when I first moved there, all of us were starting. And so it's a pretty crazy group of guys that are doing it now, But I mean, when you first started, it was, you know, I don't You don't even know what to expect. He just wanted to get the laugh, and then I moved to New York. So I was in Chicago for two years and I watched comedian humans ever watch that with Seinfeld. They follow him around. It's unbelievable. And it's I watched in a movie theater by myself. Why is it unbelievable? Because it showed because it showed him in New York. It showed him. So the point of that is like it's after he does Seinfeld and he comes back and he's gonna shoot a special, and he's got to build a new act. So it was to see the inside of that is just done. He's going to all the comedy clubs in New York, and they follow him around. There's a guy only Adams that's on it. That's a younger comic, and he's great. I know. Warning now and, uh, is so funny. Very funny guy. And it's just very need to, like, see the comedy clubs and all this stuff. And so the at that point, I was like, Oh, I need to go to New York. I need to move to New York. And I was in Chicago for two years. And so then from that inside films like the guy? Yeah, it was the community that you were in. And I'm a huge advocate of community. Like if you put yourself out there, you said earlier, like being alone. You do that 34 times. You're alone, you fall on your face, you feel terrible. You got no one to pick you up, but nobody tell you. Oh, here's some constructive feedback. Did you have that in Chicago? Was that a good experience? Yeah. Yeah, they were. It was Ah, with the guys that it started with. I still talked to one guy that he didn't do anymore, but he was in my class. When I meet people, I mean, they really get out of my life whether they want it or not. There I talked to I mean, I talked to people got out work number two. Don't. You did. You're gonna be in this forever. You just better jump on board now because it is not going away. Ah, they Yeah, like when you started with those guys that you took the class with you able to talk to people and then, you know, we all go hit all these open mikes. You know, there's clicks even in the larger community. But you're still with people that are all got the same goal. I mean, I was in Chicago. There's a guy Brian Regan, comedian. He's very known very funny, unbelievably funny, One of the best ever. And, uh, you know, he's like, you know, he's like pride below Seinfeld. As far as the Windies Group, comics all talk a lot about groups like who you started with. That's a very big thing. And so mean Regan is like, but he's been doing it for, you know, 25 30 years. But I remember the first time here in his CD My dad meld it to me when I was in Chicago, and it was the first time I ever like I was like, Why is this guy not the most famous person on Earth like it was the funniest thing I've ever heard. And it was great for me at that point to be like, Oh, like there's people, that air this guy's not famous at this point now is at this point you like he's not famous, so talented. And so yeah, and seven. You're like, Oh, like you know, you're like OK, because you think everybody's just Seinfeld and its merit. It's like the funniest person is the most same. Yes, and that's just not really that's not And, uh, you know, that's when I moved to New York. Was a za that CD, or was it that city just open like it was just the first time? I think I realized, I don't know, just hearing something that I didn't know exist, and I couldn't, you know, yeah, changed my life in the fact that you're like, what, like you just don't know. You're like, This is so funny. And he Was he New York based or was it the Seinfeld part of of retrenching and comedy that dreams in New York? He I think he started here. I don't know Brian Regan, but he, uh he I think he was in New York some and then now he's been touring for ever and lives in Las Vegas. I think. Ah, it was just like seeing that. So when I moved to New York, so we moved there. I handed out fliers like Pete Holmes as John, HBO Go crashing and I started with Pete Holmes at the Boston Comedy Club in New York was called that and we would stain on the corner and just hand out flyers to be like We got a great show tonight and then you would get to perform at the end of the show. It could be one in the morning to in the morning, and you could go in front of As I said, Let's that you have performed for one guy. Uh, that wouldn't leave. And you don't want to perform for one guy, but and then I e your regularly. The 1st 56 years of being in New York, you're performing for 4 to people like and that's in, you know, you get very used to that. Ah, in sieges, but you're doing it every single night. I went up every single night in five years. Oh, yeah, It's probably at least I mean, I When I handed out those fliers, I forget that was that was a year, Teoh Harry supporting yourself with this time because I had on eight times eight, you know, getting $64 a night? No. Yeah. Uh, I've been rolling in it. If I got $64 a night, Ma that I When I first moved, I worked in a restaurant when I lived in Chicago And then when I moved to New York, I work for FedEx when I first moved there because I was did delivery stuff, so I was able to like driving. This is back when you have to deliver. There's no GPS like you was a map. You have a little book and I don't know how to read the map. It's I remember I got a job at FedEx and I was delivering and I would deliver in Manhattan, which is very easy because it's a grid. So you just kind of go loop around and then I delivered in Queens and Brooklyn is much harder to delivery because the streets are all crazy. And so I started doing that. And then But I was like, sometimes when you would deliver you sometimes you could get done fed, actually, get done it to an afternoon. And it's enough that it could be 8 p.m. It was like the hours are too crazy. It was It was like a full time job. And I said, Why can't this is too much? And so then I just started loading the trucks, and so that's like a 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. or something like that. I think this is It was really important. I could put a pin in this because a lot of folks who are trying to figure out their deal like you take a full time job. Yeah, it smokes you. Exactly. And so you've got no energy to perceive the thing you're supposed to be doing. And I think it's really interesting that you did it realize that you didn't have any time was the time or was it energy? It was time. I think it was 10 hours in a day. Yeah, Yeah, it was just running the risk of you like, Yeah, I didn't move here to become a FedEx like I. It's even though I delivered want to New Jersey and they said it was the quickest they've ever seen it done, killed a lot of yeah, were you able to go to injured like this jersey was like, How that was mawr on the streets that I started on where it's like houses and more of a neighborhood. And they were like, however, I'm just saying that was You did their very quick and I was like, You know, we got a lot of what You were really good at this, and that became the most famous FedEx Swedish defence from that point on. So you then you sort of down regulated this full time gig to something where you from 5 to 10 AM You said yes, five AM 10 AM, and so when we would hand out those fires, I would be the comedy clubs pretty regularly until 2 to 33 in the morning. So I've figured I could just do that and I would just stay awake and then go today at five and then be done it 10 and then sleep, and that had to be back at the club at like seven PM to start handing out these flyers again, so I just would, like, kind of just get into that rhythm. You know? It's like, you know, I mean, you're like, this is what my schedule is gonna be so like, I'll just make it work like this. The whole goal is toe be a comedian. So it's not like I'm going out and trying to, like, experience New York outside of comedy. So focus, that's the focus is on that. So I just did that for a while. For five years, I didn't work a FedEx for five years. I mean, it's switched. I mean, I eventually stop doing the FedEx. And then I went to, like, walk. I walked dogs a lot. Walking dog was a very big job in New York. I did that for a little bit just cause that was easy. You could do it during the day and it was getting back to like, a little bit more, cause that 5:15 a.m. Does that wears on you like you get very tired of good. Yeah. It took me 18 years just to get back on normal. Yeah, To get the dark side, get yeah, look like a maniac. Uh so then you have. Then I went back to, like, dog walking, and then I did. Some last job I had was like a temp agency, which is just full of everybody that's doing, uh, that's pursuing a dream. You know, you got to just do what? You gotta have a job. I knew. You know, there's a lot of comics, no to that. Like some people would have the same job. There's There's different ways people thought about it. I knew some guys that were like they would have, like, a real job. So they would, you know, 9 to 5, like a legit, like someone worked in an ad agency year what they whatever they went to college for. And then they would just do comment night. And they would always remember them saying, Just don't have quit your job like you don't want toe you, don't they? They don't. You don't want to make yourself take bad gigs cause you don't have any money. You'd rather some guys would rather be able to say no toe like a bar show in the middle of nowhere and just keep their regular job until they can't. They got too much work and they can't do it. Uh, that's not beauty. No, I I wanted to get all those dumb gigs. I think those you know, I think there's a good balance for both. Ah, which everyone But yeah, I d I didn't do that. I worked at the, you know, I worked at a temp agency basically until I got married and then with my woman. My wife was there, you know? I was able, she she had a job. So that was so we live to live off her and then, you know, and then I slowly started to build where you would make, like, 10 grand a year off comedy. I remember. I just wanted to make enough money to wear like it was what I would be making if I worked at a restaurant like, you know, where it's like. I've had a restaurant I've read we find with this. So if I could just get toe that much money 12 $20,000 a year, and then you would be then I would be fun. And you figure it was What was the time from you saying I'm gonna move Chicago with my buddy to when you actually were making Let's call it 20. Ah, so I don't want to let me do math. It's hard. Just sincerely. 30 years. I like is, uh, it's I moved and I started in 2003 Genevieve 03 and then doesn't eight I remember was a very big year for me. I don't think I was making 20,000. Uh, maybe she doesn't. Eight, maybe close. Maybe close to 20,000. There may be eso that's to that. Yeah. So that's, like, five plus years. Yeah, and I was very lucky. And I got That was that's, uh, asked. That's fast. That's not you know, I'm not remember. My wife asked him one time. Like how long would you do this before? Was there suggestion was that I like? Yeah. How long are you done? Yeah, like tonight. She's, like, no in your life. You okay? Uh, I remember I remember asking once and you know, because it was like her family. Her parents are great, but they said the, um it was much more of a shock of, like, I'm moving into comedy where my parents are on board with my parents did. We did. Ah, they paid. I did. You know, the Lou Pearlman, the guy that hey died. But he's got arrested for taking people's money, like managed and sink or something. Baxter boys. And he would do this big festival. And I tried to get in at one time, not festivals like this contest. And I remember trying to get into it once I talked about Paramount parents paid like $ then, like there was a hurricane we didn't even get to go is in Florida and they wouldn't. My parents just lost $2000 like that's how much my parents were like into on into it like I was able to talk to them and so I could, like, go to them like, you know, with your doe eyes and just plays that I have to do this like you know, and they would be okay and is wasting their money and lies not so much. No, I mean that he emerged. It's just such a different world. They don't even, you know if someone's not around like anything that's like that, that it is very hard to wrap your head around it. I mean, now they can obviously see, uh, but yet it's very hard to be like, you know, what are you doing? Like what's happening can give me a little more than like that. This is the story of the 10,000 people were listening right this second. Yeah. Oh, my God. I figured out a way to get my parents on board in my in laws or my girlfriend's parents or whatever they think I'm a loser that I'm It's hard for me to make a living. How am I gonna do something practical? There's all these, like little micro aggressions that the world throws at you when you want to present to a big, crazy dream. Yeah, well, I I what? I think about all that swept. So her parents, I don't think we're complete onboard. I don't know if I ever they told me enough, but I don't know how much I would have cared because I do tell. Some people asked me like if they're either married or they're doing this like, how do you do it with being married? And ah, I'm not tell everybody like you have toe. I remember telling my wife uh, I mean, I was like when she asked me that question was like, This is what I'm doing. So this is what's happening. So whether it happens, it happens. It doesn't doesn't But there's no Plan B. There's no I love this. This is what I want to do. And this is what we're gonna do. And I never was like, you know, in ah, in the nuts Not sound like a bad way But it is like you can't when people like have girlfriends and you can't make that you can't change and let that person take you out of what you're trying to do because I always say you have to be obsessed with it. Had to be obsessed. You have to go out every single night. I went out every night shows for nine years, every single day, doing 10 minutes shows whatever in front of three people 100 people. It didn't matter. I did shows I wouldn't get home until five in the morning. Uh, you I sleep all day, Then I'd go back out and do that night. But when you're doing a job like this, no one needs us to do this job No one is asking us to do this shop. Your It's a luxury to get to even get to a point where you get to do this. So you have to commit to it all the way. And you can not have a relationship, your other girlfriend or boyfriend, husband, wife. If they get in the way, then you're never gonna make it. And I promise you won't make it. You have zero chance to make it unless you commit and dive all the way in and have no backup plan like this is what you're gonna do. And I mean, there's got to be talents. Gotta be there. Obviously, it's not like you gotta have the drive to do it, but, you know, look at like athletes like, if you do like, you know, LeBron James, obviously, no matter what he does in his life, he's going to be an athlete. He's very talented, you know, and and it's just as build. It was built for that, but if he could, he could play in the NBA, but he wants to be the greatest. He has to work at it as much as he has to work at it. and that's what you have to do. You have to watch comics. Always said when you first started, you always needed a have a comic right below you that you could give advice to in a comic right above you that you could take advice from. You don't always want to go ask the people that air two famous they're not gonna remember. It's hard for them, and it's changed. They've been famous for 10 years. So you're like, What's open Mike there? Like I did, um, 15 years ago. I don't know what they're like. You gotta have someone right above you that would be not famous. But that person is going to hell, maybe an answer. More questions. Then anybody could answer cause he just went through what you went through. And then I think you gotta have someone below you that you condone retail because you need to constantly hear yourself. You need to be talking about whatever you're chasing that much. You have to like. I mean, you have to talk about it like that's all you talk about. That's all you want to do. That's all you want to interview. You know, I remember like you know, people would, like, take days off. You know, like one Monday. I like to spend my girlfriend, and I was just like it didn't make sense to me. I was like, What do you mean, like, Well, I gotta We gotta have some time for us. And I was like, but you don't You don't have some time like your you're trying to win the lottery, so there is no there will be time and there will be time where it will be great. But right now, like when you're starting, you can't just be like Sundays or I stay at home and we watch like no one cares, because guess what? I'm going out on that Sunday, So I will be out. You stay at home, and I mean, and it's got to be a weird there's about. So you do have to live a regular life because you have to draw from experiences, but you, but become he's got to be the or whatever your thing is, that has to be the thing that you're like obsessed with. And, ah, you know, there's something about people. There's like you have to scale the your work to your ambition. There's a big gap between what people think it requires. And that's what you know. It's been a huge theme of the show and theme of Creativelive, and it was really powerful toe Have you, like, really over over Index on that, is there It was a competitive. Yeah, come is very competitive, you know, it's a weird it's not competitive is like sport where it's like an obvious, like victory over someone. But yet it's very I mean, the whole time. You're like someone gets something in your How did that guy get that he got? You know, he got to be on a late night show and I did it. What did he do? And how did he get that? Why didn't I get that and that you I still think that today I mean, I have You gotta have something that makes you drive. I I can make stuff up in my head a lot. I can take stuff. Wrong ways, Aiken, Um, I can feel like someone slights me or someone. If I don't get something. I think they did it because they don't think I'm good enough to do it. And then that will that forces me to, You know, they'd be like, Well, I'll show you. Don't worry about it. Oh, you know, you try not to like when you like. I think you got to complain to about stuff, So I think it's good to complain. But I think that group you complain to got to be a small number of people don't you can't complain too, like yeah, if everybody knows that you're just a nightmare It said. But I do think you have to complain to like your small group find your true friends that you're going to be friends with, probably forever. And then you guys, like, just complain about everything and then you can, like, get it out. You got to get it out. You got to say it. You got to get it out. You can't let it just build up inside of you like just just keep Let's go back to this. Is this the same community, or is this a baby than your comic? Could you talk about having no it zits comedy like it's, uh, gotta someone. No one's going to get it like once you start talking to people that are not doing that. It's It's just hard. We used to say that about, like with comics. Once you hang out with some of its not a comment, uh, comics said that they make jokes that are, like, crazy, and then ah, just milk with ice in it. Uh, this is this is like, my sponsorship. Just, uh I couldn't wait. Yeah, that's alright. I love it. Uh, you know, someone doesn't know that joke in there like ice guys. Like Like, you just think like I'm you go to $20,000 to. Then you demand milk of ice in it. But they, uh, way hang out here. They're not comedians that guys make jokes. Ah, like I would say, like, um, you know, comics like their their material stuff. We say each other can be just, like, brutal, like it's just very like, you know, Have you been around? Yeah. Yeah, well, they do light. Powerful. Did the comics. You know, if you have to always say, if you meet a comic and if you're with another comic and like, someone doesn't do a rape joke in five minutes like this guy's not that good. Like he should be like a bad like it's very, you know, it's like it's crossed. It's like, um I mean, like a lot of cops, military, like all these have these crazy tits jobs. Using their sense of humor is like pretty wild. And that's how it is in comedy. And then so sometimes your you get around regular people and you can like, cross the line quick and you're like, Oh, man, I'm sorry. I've been around comics too much and you have to tone it down. But I think that's a good thing. That's a good, uh, pressure valve. Is it? Yeah, what's being funded each other. And so when you're like, That's why I knew. I think New York is the best and produced the best comics Boston actually think is the most. The best comics have come out of Boston or from Boston as I'm gonna tie to Boston. But then New York is like where everybody goes and the New York guys in your comics are the best in the country because there it's busting balls. It's, you know, trying to be funny each other and like you said, like when you're in the group with all of you you know. Now you with eight comics and you're trying to be funny and have the best line out of these eight comics. So that is competitive. That is, like, you know, that gets this uses spirited. Yeah. When you and when you don't worry. Yeah, and it keeps you when you get out of it. Uh, you can feel yourself, like, loses. Step for some reason, you know, the New York audiences of the toughest there, you got to go on, like, get on very quickly and make room, make him laugh past. I mean, even now when I go back to New York and I do just spots where you do like, 12 minutes at a club. Uh, the first spot. Always. I like kind of. It never goes that good, because I got to get back into the energy of, like, doing New York like, and so you gotta like Oh, I got to speed it up like just hit him, You know, um, used to like you now on the road with an hour. It's a long thing. It's a big show. It's a whole thing. So you it's very more drawn out when you get back down to 12 minutes. You're gonna crush it in there? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I'm gonna try and put a bow on What you're just talking about having a community is really important. That community that you can be competitive with you can cry about shit with you. You can joust in, spar and challenge one another. Um, so it sounds like that's critical. But what about material? Because if you're always around, I noticed your material specifically comes from daily life. Yeah, it doesn't sound like it comes from being in a competitive environment with a bunch of other people who are doing the same thing you're doing. So how important and where do you go for inspiration? And obviously people's inspirations come from all over. How did you figure out yours? Is it is it reps like Did you used to do the clown act like your dad and then you were the magician and No, no, that's not it. That's on it. And how did you find your voice? I think that's one of the most misunderstood or hard yet hard to capture things. Whether you're a photographer, designer and author and entrepreneur, like, what am I gonna do? What's my stick? What's my thing? Yeah. How did you figure yours? Out. Oh, very unique. Yeah, Uh, some of it you get lucky with just like Max and the way I talk and whatever some stuff, just like randomly kind of works out. Uh, but as far as like finding your voice always said, I think I think when you first started, you know, finding how to write material first or your voice. And some guys have either. Some comics have either one, and they don't use it. You don't start with both, but you will. You can kind of one will become quicker than the other one. And I think for me, I was a material first. I don't think I had my voice even though I had a voice in the fact that I just talked different than everybody else but like to really hone it and to really figure out like what your thing is or like, how to be like you learn how to be funny without like saying something funny and when you know you have to get laughs off. Just I don't know your pausing and your rhythm and your timing and all of it kind of just slowly comes again. I mean, I think it's still coming together. I don't know if I ever really you don't ever really have it. Like there's plenty of days. Yeah, you don't like. I mean, right now, like that tennis, the Tennessee kid on Netflix is like, I was very, very proud of that. And I was very like what I knew. I was doing it on the road and it was destroying. And I knew, like, this has to be good, like I and it kind of gets out of your hands when you just gotta hope people see it and hope people watch it. And then But now, when I'm starting this new act, you know, I got this new hour and you're like, you just feel like you're up there last this whole time. Like after the show. I was like, everybody's like, fine right here, but was happy. I was asking that, you know, just cause you were so nervous because they just saw they see the Tennessee kid that you like it I was like, over a long period of time, they develop that materia and then This is new and something you're just You never feel like you're gonna write a joke as good as you did the last one. It and it never. And you always have that feeling. That feeling never goes away. And I think if it goes away, I think that's bad. You can't. You can't lose it. But you have. You do have Ah, you know, you're, like, desperate. Like, right now, I feel very desperate for material like I want. I want to do some stuff later. Yeah, I just try some stuff here. I don't have it. I just need some ideas. I don't have the ideas. I never built a surefire way to come up with the material. And I thought about that recently. Like, I wish I would have Probably. I never said down the road. Some guys can write word for word, and I never did that. Which I don't think you should always. If you want to sound conversational, you can't write word for word. Uh, but I do wish I would've came up with a way. Teoh come up with material like, let's talk a little bit more formally around process. Yeah, because you talked about. Some comics will write it out. Word for word. Is that from, like, acting and script that where they come from, what, their background? Or is this part of your finding your voice? Did you used to, like, write it down? And you said, Oh, that sucks. When I write it down because it sound like a robot, you and you record into your phone and then you you know, you take notes on your phone like what's like, How did you figure out what is your process? And then how did you figure it out? Uh, question, What is your process? How did you figure it out? The, uh my process, like how to go my joke. I mean, I just let it happen, like you just always gotta be aware. So, like, you know, everywhere you walk around, everything you do is like you just know where awareness of what's going on around you and what's happening. And, uh and so like, that's That's a did I never wrote I would write down like my phone like a no pad, like I could put my I have an idea, like, I'll just type the general idea of what it is. It's sometimes it's Ah, sometimes it's like you. Uh, synergy. Lots are even a lot. A lot of times you're come up with the funniest part first, and then you have to build something around it and you know this milk with ice in it. So if you're listening right now, we're than watching. We I asked for refilling water and then we delivered in eight a glass of milk with ice in it, which is inside India. My job. If you don't get it, you're gonna be like, That's stupid. You have a career based off just this. Ah, but this milk with ice. So go to Starbucks. Order ice confident. The guy thought I said milk with ice in it, and that's what he gave me. And then some lines in that ride say, like, I've never ordered milk publicly in the history of my life. That line is from another time, Ah, where I thought of of his joke where I was. I was always thought of this joke of like milk. It's just like milks, not in a man's life. Unless the woman is in their life like you, you have milk your whole life with your mom. And then when you go your loan, you go a long time. You're like, I don't I've never bought milk for like, four years. And then you get married and then milks back in your life. You're like, now we have milk like it's just like it was a thing. Milk was never I don't know, it's for everybody. For me was milk was never just something that I would buy. And, uh so that was the general idea I had, and I could never really find a thing for that. And then So when this came along, I remember that. And so then I put it in with this And they are you taking notes on your phone or is are you adding it? Why? I just remembered it. So you remember this and then you have stage and you're like, you slowly just say it and you add a little extra stuff to say the lines a little different, your kind always working on stuff. You're always kind of adding things even on the fly. Like I think I write best on stage. And that was coming from New York. That was because in New York you would go up every night so you could always be trying. This Is this the point about repetition and just do a joke over and over again. When you first start, it's hard. Did you do open mikes and the same comics come every night and you have to feel like you have to write new jokes for these guys every show. But it's all like you gotta have like you gotta learn. I knew early I need you got to get in front of your audience no matter how small it is. But you got to get in front of people that you can tell the same joke over and over again. That's that's what you have to learn. That's more important than anything you ever do is learning how to tell a joke and learning how toe like murder like destroy like, you know like you want to be. I remember getting five minutes and you want that five minutes. He's so good that if you do five minutes and you have to do 10 that 15 is clearly different than the other five, and you're learning. Have you got to know what that sounds like you got. I got to learn what laughter like big laugh sound like. So I'm always trying to get to those laughs. And I remember seeing comics some guys would. They never would get to that. And then to them, no laugh they're comfortable with because they would never get laughed. I remember a guy coming after stage and is set was terrible. No laugh. And I was about to, like, be like, yeah, whatever, man this crowds off like, you know, try to give them some kind of encouragement And he was like, That's pretty good And I was like And at that moment I was like, He's never done good then because he should know that wasn't But to him, that was That's on poor. So he's fine with that reaction. And that guy will not go anywhere because if he's fine with media, he's made it like mediocre Idiocracy. Is that how you say it? Um, he's like, made that like, okay in his head. So if he thinks that's okay, so is the message, though you're really you need to be comparing yourself to the best. And if you were Oh, yeah, even if you only give or any others only one picture in your portfolio or one logo in your design portfolio or one joke that crushes what you're trying to do is then Philip, your 10 minute spot with that Onley with stuff that crushed A and B brutally honest with. Was that good? Was that low, medium or high? Yeah, scale it is. Is it a constant refinement of those Onley? Just cause you also last night in your Netflix special, and you take people on a journey like it's not always full belly laugh, right? Because there's no build up that way. You can only everything be funny. Yeah, for a long time you want toe like, uh, I think comics. Sometimes now comedians started there a little bit different, like, you know, comedians that are younger, you know, I don't know how much it is for them to kill as much as they do. I don't know if that's it's almost like That's kind of losing with some comics, and they're almost fine with being like storytelling. You're like, you know, it's Oh, no. It's like being interesting more than it is being funny. I still think It's about being funny, and it's about like, really making. And I started and I watched guys that would just destroy a room. They would there were people would lose their mind and you'd watch them. You'd watch a crowd lose it. And there's nothing better than that feeling of You can hear people like, not catch their breath and not and just like they can't handle it. And so you're I'm always chasing that. That was happening last night. Just so you know, that's good lady next to my wife, Kate Port drink on Kate laughing so much that you cut her mid sip. Uh, the guy in front of me, it very, very long hair. His hair was in my lap. A whole bunch of his head kept throwing back. Um, so but that's what your you're literally attuned to. What? Yeah, success or the right reaction says and feels like, Yeah, yeah, you just know what to chase. And that's why I know you can come off it, come off a crowd and didn't be like out on that show is fine. And then, you know, people could like I mean, you killed like they went and you're like, Why? I know the difference. I don't know. I can't tell you how I know, But I can tell that it was this, you know? I mean, these are all, and there are good problems, like great performance, Yes, but like, But if I don't have if I don't If I'm not putting myself to a higher standard than who is in the second you start letting, like, not like letting that happen. Then you're going to start losing stuff, and it's like, kind of like all kind of goes away like your It's very easy to slip. It's very easy to like. There's someone else that's going to be better than me that's looking at me thinking I could I could do better than him. And if I give up at all and then start putting out some material, maybe Maybe I don't like, say, this hour that you saw last night. If I'm like immediately, let's go do another special with how I'm doing this. It's not gonna be it's not. There's gonna be a big difference from what they just saw, and it's easy to do that and ah, you condone, you know, in that and that's your first step down. That's like, you know, it starts. How do you prevent that? You just get it. Vigilance. Is it, like being aware of people around you, or is it self awareness? You know, honest people around you, like it's kind of hard. Um, you do need to have honest people around you, but no matter what I mean, like, people will tell you that you did good. And, you know, you have to be aware that they're gonna tell you that you can't. You can't just even when they're telling you it's good. Believe it. You have a guy who was coming off stage or you were going to give him some good good job, man. Tough crowd. Yeah. Yes. Same thing I did give him, like, uh and and then, yes. It's like you have to just be like you have toe. You got to just know that you can always be doing better and just always be listening to other comics. Always be watching stuff that makes you strive. And you're like, I want to be like that. I want to be good like that. I want I have enough material. You look at Jim Gaffigan, and he's got unbelievable amounts of specials, sells so many tickets. I mean, some of the more than anybody does. So many people want to see him, Uh, you learn, even having a career. What's funny is when you first start your very like this person's bad, like, Are this you know, you the people first start like just uses a reference, but they'd be like Larry the cable guy you like? Yeah, he's just doing whatever and then, like, it is a point. You go like he's made $50 million. If you think it's so easy, then go do what he doesn't make. $50 million don't act like gear. That's an option. And you're trying to be an artist and like trying to do it the right way. He did something, and it's crazy. No matter what, you could think of someone's act, whether you like it or not. If they're very successful, it's very hard to get to that part. It's very hard to make people want to come see. It wants to be like I've spent this money. I mean, now you have these theaters. They got a baby sitter. They got There's a 1,000,000 things going into this. It's not just we walked into a bar and you're on stage, so you have to give them a show. It is about them. It's not about you. It's about give you doing. This show is about giving this. You have to you know, second, you don't care is the second they don't care. And then people start dropping off. And then whatever you had is over. You can't. We talked about this weekend was like, You can't take it for granted. You gotta always be, like, very appreciative of just you know what's happening always Should I try to be very aware in the moment to try to be very you know, Now we're having, you know, obviously more success than I've ever had. And so I try to like, I try to be very grateful about it. I try to talk about it a lot. I tell my daughter like, you know, I don't six, but I try to make sure that she understands that like I didn't we didn't have always have this or, uh, you know, I say it on on the yacht we had, as I talked to her on the yacht of his dolphins behind it Sounds like a just be grateful about what's happening, and then I'm just feeding a dolphin. So we've taken elements of, uh, inspiration, community. There's a real thieves. You're talking a lot about comedy, cause that's what you do. But it's it's not an accident that these air themes for us basically anybody who's trying to do something that is a typical it's not like go to school, get a job, get married, have kids whatever or it's some personal journey. Yeah, you also talked about what I would call deconstructing the work of other people like you're looking at other comics or people who were ahead of you in the pecking order or the journey or whatever. However you want to classify and then people who are coming up you're learning from both of them. Yeah, you specifically talkto I think I derailed you a little bit. You talked about watching Seinfeld? Yeah, and watching basically the the journey that he took to get back into a comedy after the show. Why was that important? It was just even see it Just to know what, Teoh, I don't see a little bit behind the curtain, I guess because I was just starting. So Thio Thio Watch that and see it and just get excited. Like being like this is so exciting, like, That's so fun. And, you know, when we when I first was in New York, I remember New York was always about the joke was never about making the money was never about. I think sometimes guys can, uh I say guys that have been compass like, you know, but like like, but, uh, I think sometimes, like people, can you think about too much other stuff they can think about whether you know anything about money. It's like Web money, fame. But I even like having a website I knew website. I need to be like I need to be networking like that needs to be their phone like they're focusing on everything, except actually the thing that they need to do. The craft craft will make you do whatever you want. I knew that I needed to be amazing at stand up, and from that I could be an actor. I can be whatever else I want to be. But if I could be so good this one thing that everything else will come. Anybody will ask you to do stuff people would start in, the big one will make videos. I'm doing these videos. I'm doing improv and I'm doing stand up. There's no way you're gonna be really good at all those things. So you're gonna be fine and all of them. And But why not just be great at one and then go to the then led the other stuff? Come but be un, You know, Steve Martin said that you had to be undeniable. Be undeniable at something, get to that level. And then you learn what it takes to get to the live. Always think I know how. If someone wants to be, ah, professional athlete or for talking for me the best ever. I don't know how to do that stuff, but I know what it takes to do that stuff. So mastery of one thing shows you upset. It's obsession, obsession. You have to be obsessed with it, and you have to be at your like you got to be obsessed with even the reaction that you get from the thing that you're putting out. Whatever that thing is, and you have to be so good at that thing. Don't spread stuff out, Don't you know? And you gonna learn from mistakes? I never try to give too much, uh, advice. Or if someone's like, What can you? What shortcut can you take? There's no shortcut. The short cut is that there's no sure there's never remembers. When someone told me once, it's, Ah, it takes I told you it was like, Ah, it takes Ah, long, Uh, it's your like career is Ah, it's longer than you want, the quicker than you think and you want to make it and you want to make it immediately and it doesn't happen. I've done this 16 years. That's not a crazy long time. It feels like forever because I did it every day for 16 years, every single day, comet. Like whatever business you have, you do it enough three years. Well, it's like dog years. Uh, like that's why moving to New York was like I performed every single day. So my 16 years is 20 to 25 anywhere else in the country because I went up every day and these guys go up twice a week, so That's a huge difference. A huge advantage that I just cause I went and moved that. And wherever you gotta go, move to do whatever you got to go. Do you have to go do that? You have to take those. You have to take those chances. The best kind of I this all could be all over the place. But this is beautiful. Uh, as it was like what it is. I got to know what's happening. The best of my favorite thing that I've ever that I read that stuck with me the most. Jerry win. Traube was a is a great book. He was like Elvis's manager and then became his big movie producer. Produced Ocean's 11 Ocean's starting He he was like an older. He died like a few years ago. I never knew him or anything, but I read his book. I've read a lot of books about, like guys starting people, whoever starting to something. And I remember in the book he started. He worked in the mailroom of some agency, and then he moved his way up into New York, was in his on agent, and then he remember in the book he said, Uh, ah, Uh, any time I knew that any time I started feeling comfortable, it was time to make a change. Ah, when I read that, I moved from New York to L. A. Within five months of reading that I told my wife, We have to go because I knew I got to a point. I was not having the hustle to get spots at to do shows that comedy clubs I could play any comedy club in the city. And But when I read, it made so much sense to me I was too comfortable. And I knew that if I stay here, I can end up being 60 years old and just having to do you know, ah shows a week to make no money like you know, But you I was gonna have to like I was just at that point, I was like, I got what I got out of here, and I needed to mix it up and then make myself like re hustle, like, made myself nervous again and make myself scared again. And I mean, we moved and I moved. I mean, it was right after I read that, and That's my favorite quote I've ever read. And I think it's a quote for any no matter what anybody does. If you ever start phone comfortable, it's You got to change it up and you gotta put yourself whatever it is. Move. Do something to make you uncomfortable because you're not trying as hard. That's the first time it starts going like if you don't move, that will be your first time. You go down because you just get too used like you get to like Uh oh, no, it gets too easy. It gets to, you know, and you're not really trying. You're not pushing yourself to get to some extent next level, whatever that is. Let's talk about hard stuff. What's something that's really hard right now? Because I think if you're and I ask this question to sort of both learn and dispel the fact that you just landed a neck Netflix special. It's crushing. Everyone's talking about it. You're on a rocket ship, but there's still got to be hard shit happening. Yeah, it's pretty easy now, man. Uh, if he did this, this inspiration have been inspiration. Like how Beyonc? I'm trying to take it easy, not change it up too much. I don't want to go back to everything I just said like, Ah, you know what's hard? I'm not thinking now. It's hard just to like I mean, Teoh, there's way more expectations and people come to the show. So to make sure that they leave with that, that you're still giving them what they expect, what they want to see that special came out in March. It's may very quick. I was able to do a new hour now, you know, you know, But it's it's learning how to like that new hours. Nowhere as good as this special was. So it's now It's hard to just, uh it's hard to like keep, you know, just I mean, just to keep everything rolling. Good, keep giving up. He wherever level I'm at now you got to get there's another. There's a level that's way above me. I'm not even close. Like when you see people be famous man like, if you're around like you know, I've been around Fallon like there's their famous did. It is unreal, like it's It's not about, you know, even though it is, it's not about the draft seven about like money has never been a thing. I mean, all that stuff does show you, though you do need to make this much money. That means that you're high on your whatever you're doing. But like where you see those guys air at like where these? You know, the comedian Ellen did generous and like their specials, it's yes, she's on. She's when the first comics ever someone watching her special and it's unbelievable. She won't have favorite comics of all time David Spade to, uh, but seeing those seeing them get to that level of that fame and then, like where I'm at like it's me, it's not even, like close like there's there's so much more to go. There's so they're always it is. Yeah, there's your you're never too like the height Kevin Hart like I mean this in these arenas. Uh, you're never too that you never to that level. So it's like it's You gotta always keep saying that you know the other things about living in New York. That was good, but you need to also see people get stuff like that. That's why it's hard when people sometimes stay in their hometown in their own world, and no one's made it from that world. If you never see someone make it, then you don't think it's impossible. That's why people think it's impossible to be become famous because they have never seen someone become famous. You need to see someone become famous. So then you can see I remember doing an open mike with Aziz Ansari like, and the disease got past at the Comedy cellar past means you get to work there. And so we got past the contents of like, Wow, that's crazy! And then he was hosting the MTV Movie Awards and it was just like that. And I saw that, like, that guy was just here with you were this close. Now he's there. So then you're like, OK, there is There is a way to do that. Amy Schumer. We started with, you know, like you seen these guys move up and you need to see that you have to see that you have to be able to see that there is a way to do it there. They're not. They don't, You know they're not doing something that you're not doing and you like all right. I was just here with that person. They couldn't. They did it. And if you don't ever go around people that do make it, you will never make because it for inspiration. And are you also like, Did you look at NZ's, for example, and say, like, what was he or Amy Schumer here doing that I'm not doing, is it? And do you get too sucked into what their world is? And there you obsessing over instagram feed versus working on your craft. What's the balance there? Yeah, you can get. You mean you can get very jealous, That's where, like, you know, you get very bitter and like, Yeah, why did they get to do it? They go, you know, all this stuff Amy gets to do it, but she's a woman. They need women. You like. You say this stuff and it's not true. She gets to do it cause she's she's great and people want to watch her, and that's why she gets to do it. And once you realized that that's the thing about even likelier to get when you can't sit and just think, well, they're doing like, you know, they got it just because of this reason they needed a woman. So they pulled a me out. There's a bunch of women doing it. She did it better than all these people. Then they're not gonna just make someone famous, because they Ah, yeah. I mean, no one could just pick you and make you famous knowing if there's a guy that could give you a show. One they give you show once. If you don't crush it, it will go away. Me The same is true and basically anything. People are hiring you for a campaign, and maybe you got it once. But if you're getting it consistently, that means you're delivering. Yeah, but the people who were actually the deciders Yeah, yeah, the people who are Oh, yeah, yeah, you know, it's like, Yeah, and I think you said I would be professional and everything that you do always ah, and be nice to everybody. That's something I think Santa's people can like. You gotta be nice to already. Uh oh, every whatever nobody that you could be mean to at the very beginning. A kid. That's 20. I promise. If you stay in that field, you will see that kid again and here, and she will be making a decision if they're going to hire you or not like you see it in comedy all day long. These people are just like this guy ran the show. Now this person books The Tonight Show are the guy that used to at Montreal Comedy Festival now books all the specials and Netflix. So if you are ever mean to him at, like Montreal, I mean, he's still gonna do his job. But it's not gonna help you that you were mean to him because you thought I just just run some festival like who cares? Who's he going to be? He's very much somebody right now, and because they're doing the same thing, they're chasing somewhat a dream as well. So you're gonna intertwined with these people for their your entire career. And just as long as you know that, you know, and just try to be nice to everybody, and you can make your if someone's mean. Do you remember that too? If you wanna bring it, bring the raft down on them, then then so be it. Do that. I can tell you that you never will want to because you don't care. You always move up and you don't care. You end up I've ever saying that wants to someone. Ah, and I was like, Do you remember like, clubs that wouldn't book you like, Do you like, not play on? Now you know what he's like? No, It's like it's just a waste of time to, like, cares. Like, why would you carry? And then you then And when you ask that question, you really don't care, either at that point. And you're like, Yeah, I dont care May. And this is not, you know, when you first started, every when you first start to it's like all but you're making no money you're making We get paid in beer, food or you're making $20 I've ever people arguing over $20. And I just was like, the you can't like this can't be where your stance needs to be made. If I have to rely on this $20 I have not made it like this, you ever had a question? If I don't be like me and said like after this and did you told me to give me 40 bucks. If I do this interview and I didn't get my $40 like if I ever like him fighting over that, then it's been I'm never gonna you never At a level you're never gonna make it. You never the beginning, you're going to get screwed the whole time. So many people will take advantage of you. Someone, people will do all this stuff. It's like Who cares? Me. And just if you're getting to do what your thing is, that's then that's then you get to take advantage of that situation, whether you think you should be making more money than they then they're giving you. It's not about that. If, as long as you got to do the thing that you're whatever you're trying to do, as long as you got to do that, that's the main thing, because they will all where it all works itself out and you will never you never think about that ever again. Yeah, I have a thing. Like, if you have to ask if you've done something, the answer is no. Yeah, it's pretty sample of every if you're not. Everyone around you is not telling you. Your Netflix show was amazing. Yeah, And if you're wondering and you're not getting any feedback and sometimes you know, and you believe in yourself, you did a great job, and you know that you're gonna get polar feedback. Some people say they love it or hate it. That's actually desirable, right? Everybody's like, Yeah, it was It was really Yeah, that was good. Yeah, to me, if you're if you're barometer, you believe that you're doing your best or good and you're getting positive feedback? That's a good thing. Yeah, one of those two things isn't there. You're not there. Yeah, pretty pretty clear. It's obvious yet when no one's talking about right when you can just feel it. Speaking of worried, yeah. Speaking of feeling it on that shift gears to you Netflix show. I can tell that you're proud of it. You talked about it a couple times and you just light up your like I did it. That's a solid hour. How did like has it feel? And you talked also a little bit about trying to build up another hour. Where do you feel like you're taken off? Where's your where's your psychology? Emotional state, like, What's it feel like to be killing it right now. Uh, you know, it's like it is interest dolphins, and yeah, yeah, it's going really good. Uh, I took I took a submarine here so expensive to do that, but I just have that kind of money. Uh, it's Ah, yeah. I mean, it's very interesting, man. Like we would talk about doing, like, last night. Ah, doing Encore. And this weekend was the first time I've ever done on court. And, you know, you feel like you just don't even know if you should be doing it. If you're not doing your like, who am I to think I should be doing it? You have toe. You know, when people come out to see now, that's a whole different feeling. Like, even like waving when you walk out waving a little bit more. You know, I'm so used to like you walk out, you just grab the mic, and you immediately got to do what you do. And when you say goodnight, you merely golf stage. But now it's like people want to see you, and you got to come out and really like, you know, I was pissed. He didn't just wave a little bit longer. You know, that was quick for the, uh but there's just a bunch of different kind of things that you have to do when you when people start coming to actually see you. You also have to be aware that they know you and they're gonna laugh at you, Uh, easier than someone that doesn't know you would laugh. And so then that's the part where you get always remember that and always think about that. To be like I still need to be making these jokes is good as they can be. And ah, you know it, Z Yeah, it's It's a wild ride right now. I definitely try to stay in the moment, try to be very aware of it. Enjoy it Like, you know, I tried to still figure it out. You try to look and I listen to, like, a lot of comedy on Sirius X M and I'll listen to some some comics, someone most I know that sometimes maybe something I don't know. And you just try to, like, see, like, What are they doing house there was working a joker. They are they telling it, You know you're trying to just, like, figure out. I think you always trying to figure out why. Why do people come out like, Why do they want to see What are you doing that's making them, like, be like, Yeah, I want to do this. You can be up there and you're thinking like this is you just always feel like someone's gonna see through you and they're gonna be like, Wait a second, this guy's terrible. And, um, you always feel that you just always feel that at any point audience is going to get up and walk out like this is awful. This guy's not good at all. And you're scared of any like you're very scared of that. Even though you've had just this crusher of a Netflix special that's part of your psychology. Oh, it's so I mean, it's I mean, that's, like asking like everybody liked it, Rose. Everybody's fine, right? Like, uh, yet so much. I mean, so much of so nervous and and I mean what it seems is everybody always feels that, and I think it's good to feel that I think if you don't feel that, then you're you. Something's not right. you don't love it as much. And you know, you learned toe. You learned that You gotta love what you do and you learn. I've learned that. You know, if I get asked to do something I can. I've learned I can tell if I want to do it or not by if I'm interested in it, I usually just say yes, toe like anything and everything. What? You should at the beginning to say yes to everything you like. I don't know what it's gonna be. So I will try that. I'll do a show there. I'll do a show wherever and then. But now if I could have to do something, I can always be like, don't even really care. Do I want to do this? And if I don't want to do it, I know that I won't put everything into it. And then So then you could be like, No, I'm not gonna do this anymore. That goes back to having a choice and keeping the stakes high. And yeah, at the beginning, you have no choice. You eventually will have choices. And that's the best thing in the world is when you know there No is the most powerful thing you can say. But at the beginning, you can't say no At the beginning, you can't sit and hold on to something and try to fight like don't get to like You know I'm an artist and this is what I stand. Don't get a Don't get too far ahead of yourself. Your you know, at the beginning, whatever you do, I promise you or nobody and nobody cares. And you don't deserve a right to get to do this. And so you you can't. You have to realize that and you have to say yes to everything. And you have to be around and have to just be constantly doing it a side thing. I I maybe I thought of it like now, like building a new hour, something that I try to do too. When I build ah on ours like like social media like you have to get off of it because you can't like it depends on what you want to create. But what you read and think is what you will create. If you read social media and its s so negative and political like you will end up like that's what you put out is like that kind of stuff. And if you get off that stuff and just walk around the world you can do your thoughts are much broader. Like I don't want to be political. I don't want I don't like I don't like like offending people like I try not to. You know, I don't do anything. I don't think that really offensive. But that's just not in me to like some comics like toe Push a Cross the line and that's great and does go watch that comedy. It's wonderful. I don't It doesn't make it is not fun for me. I just wanted to be a fun show. I always try to think I want, like, bun silly jokes, stuff that's gonna make your left stuff that's very relatable. And to come up with that stuff you have tow a lot times, get off social, get off anything that's gonna be like a making negative thoughts and aggressive thoughts, because then that will show through your work. Whatever your work is, whether it's pictures or where it's like whatever it is, you know, you see, like speaking of like uh like, you know, like Jim Carrey like paints all those pictures of like Trump and all this stuff. It's very aggressive, like and whatever. I don't say nothing about his political things, but that's a guy that's clearly looking too much into this things. So he's is this artist that's painting, and it's all this one thing. And if he got out, like if he just maybe there's a reason he's doing it, So do it if you want it. But with that, if, say, he doesn't get on social media, he doesn't let that world and just backs away. Then he could be doing pictures about you know, this son and, like actually life and actually the people and make it your pictures, be nice and show good light. You know, it's so you can see when someone's too much in it. It gets to like, aggressive, like in your world will it comes, that's all you think about and so that your brain is where all your ideas air coming. And if all this is just like anger, then what's gonna come out of you is anger, and then that's what you will end up. You can end up becoming that so, like, you know, And if you want to do that, didn't do that and dive all in And be that if you don't want to do that and you have to, like, you have to, like, get that stuff. You're the wire in charge of what? Like you selectively put yourself in the places that you want to be so two things that can go online when you're saying that one, your act is 100% clean. Yeah, clearly a choice. You know, if it wasn't like you had no choice, how did you like, hey, was that to be Is that in service of the little thing that you just shared with us? Like I want it to be fun. And I want people to come there. And if if I, you know, talk like a truck driver, then I'm cutting out 25% of the people that I enjoy my work or how do you think about it? You're you and the the ability to be clean. And also mentioned Ellen earlier, like her left that Yes. What special? She didn't whenever it was 2003 in 2017. Total genius boggling. There's not a single swear word in it. Your act is the same to me that it's almost like that's next level because there's not this crutch that you're leaning on A is an intentional be why, uh yeah, is I mean, I did it like, you know, I just my parents would kill me if I was, like, filthy. And I just knew I couldn't. I couldn't be dirty and I didn't want them. They would never I couldn't have them coming to shows and just being if I'm just talking about sex or and being dirty all the time So I just started that way. And, uh, that's another thing about like starting is when you start, However you start a lot of times is how you will always think. And so I started clean. So now at this point, I don't I don't have no sex jokes, and my brain just doesn't think like that. I'm not saying I won't ever I don't know, but I just my I don't Those thoughts don't for material was do not pop into my head, and it's so starting that way, as Trey is like, trained me to be that so you can, however, you start like, Yeah, that's I mean, you kind of pick a path and then just stick with that path and commit to that path and they just go that route and then you become, You know, there's plenty of dirty comics, and that's the thing. There's a lot. There's a lot of them. There's a lot more dirty than clean. So now it kind of works out that it's like, Yeah, you're now standing out a little bit cause you're different. Yeah, and me saying it all fits into, Like, what? I don't curse. And I have to say something Israel bad, which is not a way someone says it, because I say that my rhythms different. And that's why the audience thinks I sound different and it stands out more because I had to come up with a way to not curse. So I would have to say it this other way and that all it all played in tow, you know, and there's plenty like, you know, if you don't you want dirty comic. There's I walk in tow, the dirtiest of the dirtiest, that air, the funniest people I know. But you know I like when people. I think it's very nice when someone's like I watch you with my teenage and you know I have a six year old and so I don't know, it's like having a teenager, But in a six year old, she's still a little ground little girl, and we'll do everything with me. But what I hear is like when they're teenagers, it's hard to do stuff with your family with your parents, and people want that people want. It's hard to go to movies now. You know you can sit there If there's a sex scene your next year, Mom, it's like weird. It's uncomfortable, you know? So you want to do stuff with your family. There's nothing. If you have a good family, there's nothing better than going and watching your family laugh. Uh, so I really now, like I love it and I, uh, just appreciate it so much just when someone like brings there, if they're like my 12 year old, me and him watched it and me and her, you know, some guy mess team only once He's like me and has like three teenage girls, and he's like we do nothing together they want, you know, not that they hate their dead, but what could they do together that your teenager is like But you We watched We watched you together, and we all love you like you're You're clean enough for me and you're cool enough for them that it's like it works out. And so, like, that stuff is very, very neat. I also you can't help but notice that there are a lot more male comics than female comics. You mentioned a few of your favorites. You mentioned Ellen and Amy Poehler. And in a genre that's increasingly expanding to be more diverse. Yeah, just what's a comment or a thought on that? And do you feel that movement doesn't feel like a positive direction to you? And is there anybody that were like, Who's coming up a show? Wolf? She's very known. Ah, very funny. Uh, she she had a special Yes, his HBO special and that Yeah, she the White House correspondent. It was the first thing you then had a Netflix show. Very funny. Very Ah, you know, like I don't know if I know any kind of like now it's, like, hard to say sent, like some comics kind of female comics. But like here, there's a lot more. There's a lot more doing it, and you know the same thing applies for them as anything. It's Ah, you're think people always thought people crimes have really hard, like they go on the road. It's hard for them to go on the road, tar for them to go by themselves because you got a lot of really shady places and do a lot of dumb bars and a lot of stuff like that. And I remember someone. Girls tell me that she goes on the road, you know, it's like they have to deal with way more than a guy to do. It's unreal levels, unbelievable amount. Different. But that's what it is. So it's like give you wrap your head around. That's what it is. That's what is going to be if you're great, if you're great at what you do and you're very funny. I No. One No one is very funny and never really has a chance to make it. If you're in whatever you did, and I imagine it has to be with everything. If you're really great at what you do, you will have a chance, and the ones that you see that are great and don't make it. There's usually a problem. There's usually something that you could pinpoint to live. That person's a nightmare. They did this. There's the reason you could get to the bottom of why they're not making it. But no one's ever just like the most talented person on earth, and they're just homeless and, like, living like, you know, there's this. This usually reasons that if you're a super talented, you can do it. So if you get above your act, you know, and with, ah, female comedians, you know, I think for them it's very I brought you better to go, even like I would say, Go to New York or L A or like, just get in a scene like that, like you don't I don't think you want to go on the road, which I meet. A lot of male comics would want to go start on the road. I think it's much harder your your home turf and you're getting to do what you do read a lot like in at least you get to go home at least you get it. Like, you know, you're not just in the middle of nowhere at a motel six, and you know, you don't be scared, you know? And I mean, I think they could, you know, it's a huge barrier. That's an unbelievable Do you have a standard? All right. We talked a lot about community we talked about, like, your personal work style, Um, curveballs your success, which is really fun. I'm gonna ask you just I thought the show Slade last night. No, it's good. Did you feel like that? Yeah. No, I did the first show. It was first. I was, like, a lot. I was offended and, uh, the second show I felt. But second Justin does. It could be just It's 9 30 It's still both All this is great. So this is all, like, you know, there's no like, but this is the real time. Like I want You're saying, like, be really like That's why I'm asking you the question. Yeah, well, I thought it was off. Yeah, I Everybody around him was just dying. I'm thinking that someone you hear this a second shown there like Well, I was the second was the second Joe. I thought I had a lot of fun. And, you know, you're comparing, like you know, is the tour is called good problem to have these air good problems to have. Is that the name of your Yeah, and, uh, there it. See, that's a thing. I was like, Good problem I have is Ah, because I hate when someone says that to you and like, must be nice like that. It's very like digging, like things that there's someone was telling someone about doing a late night show. And I was like, I gotta work on this one is one thing is not working for this late. I think it's like driving me crazy or something like it's a good problem to have me must be nice. Like, you know, it's like they just downplay whatever you're complaining about. And you're like, All right, dude, like I'm sorry you're not where I'm You know, it's hard to like sometimes talkto when you want to complain about your success. You gotta be around people that are successful in that I have. So you can complain because you get to a point where you're complaining about something and that persons like I would kill kill someone in my family. Just get one late night appearance and, you know, but that's something. Bring you down like you don't want to be like. I mean, you want to be your like you learned to, like. All right? Yeah, I know it is. Sorry, but then you're like, you're gonna learn. That's when you learn who to talk to learn who toe he had. People kind of come up with you. You can't be, you know, jealous of e. I don't know. Do you? Do you assess yourself every night and make adjustments? Or is it just like, Can you have an off night like golf? Yeah. Yeah. Says man. Uh, yeah. I was thinking a lot like golf. You have to commit, uh, which is, like everything. If you want to do something. Commitment, commitment, obsession. Commitment is whatever you're doing. If you don't do those things, you will. You have zero chance of making it And golf it's like that. When you commit, you learn that every shot You got a picture, the shot that you want. You want your ball to go up. Start right. Come back lift. If I think about that, I have a good shot of doing that. If I don't think about that, I don't have a chance that that ball is going to do that. And that's how it when you tell a joke, if I do, if I tell a joke and I'm kind of belling on the end of it, then it won't work because I'm not confident in the joke. You could deliver a bad joke with confidence, and it could get a very good laugh. Is just so confident there's There's people that and those people in any field that you will see that you will think it is terrible what they do. But they have something else that's so good that makes their bad thing be bad. So you then you realize, like this times I could see someone that I don't think funny, but I get there great on stage In this I get I get why they're big. You have to be able get why someone's big. You gotta get it. You can't be delusional Way where you big. Why my big The big people argue that, uh I don't know, man. It's hard. I tried. I think being relatable is I think it's being very relatable. It's Ah is a big part of it and, you know, do a lot of self deprecating, which is you got to learn how to do that. It's a very hard thing because the beginning people can feel sorry for you taken it really could be. It doesn't work like they're like, I d just like, yeah, I do with wife stuff like when you're wife material. And at the beginning, there were people could say, Well, why are you married? Do you hate her? And you're like, Well, if you think that I'm not doing this right, you shouldn't think that is something you have to learn how to, like, Tell it where you're like No, just being relatable do. It's about just like the same problem that you have. And that's how I tell everything I was telling through me. And I want you to the laugh at me or you laugh because you're doing what I do. Are your married to what I am? Are your wife is like my wife and like that's like I want it to be that I never wanna point I never want to like, you know, being your the idiot. I'll be the idiot. And then you can get on board, however you want to get on board. And then that's you know, that's why I'm that's one big camera that that was not even looking at me. And I know. And that's why you just see my hands, my friends, like, there's enough. You just have no idea. But I think I'm just gonna show business. All right. Thank you for talking to clock in some way that he doesn't get a lot of stuff speaking relatable. I want to say thank you so much for sharing. What's hard? What's good? Uh, where you going? Where you been? Really, really enjoyed the conversation. Yeah, I could talk about it all. I love it. I love talking about that is a good characteristic for someone who understands how hard you have to work. I think that's a been a really consistent theme of the show has been on for 10 years now, and nobody sits in that chair and says, You know what? This is so easy. So I really didn't have to work that hard. Those things have never been saying Yeah, and always like And what, Uh, whatever someone these whatever filled that these feelings are making it the if the the person is doing it, they always want to talk about it as it it to the good one is ah, talk to them about their thing. If you're If you're like this, photographers, you're and you're starting in photography compliment there the person that you want and just talk about where they're at. Don't talk about you. Your new No one cares what you're doing. You have nothing bringing to the table at the moment. Talk about that person, you know, like that That's on the lost art that people have. I would have people just emailed back. How do you get on TV? And you're like, You're not even telling me like Hey, you're good. I think you're very funny. I want to do something like you. They just like straight up, just like, What are you doing? He give me the guy that books Tonight show even tell him. Here's my take. Watch it like there's no, like, buttering me up a little bit. Murder someone up. Go tell him like show up Yeah, social feeds being there. Be like, Oh, man, you do this, learn from them. No one's gonna learn at the beginning, and then eventually someone will learn from you. You gotta learn from them. Some go and, you know, like tell someone they're great and like and everybody wants to talk about what they do. Everybody, especially in stuff like that's kind of out of the norm. They definitely want to talk about it so they will sit and talk with you all day long. So just keep asking them questions to be very curious. And that's how you will learn everything that you know. You gotta talk to someone that's in the moment at that time, and they could not be big, like it's not going to someone famous that knows that that always is getting told They're good. Go to someone that's like, you know, just right above you and like, just say like me and I, like, find a person that you like and just be like, I love what you do and I think you do. How do you do it like, How did you get to this point? I just like, you know, interviewing like this. This is just do this as a show started out incredibly selfishly. Like I wanted to pick the brains of my friends and friends of my friends who were doing shit that I thought was incredible. Yeah, 10 10 years later, it's the same thing. It's still there. Yeah, and I've learned a lot. Yeah, you learn a lot. You learn a lot from Just ask. And there's so much like whether it's in common in your photography or design, you're building a business or what any of whatever. Like the themes for greatness and the themes for, like pursuing your passion and being a good human and pretty simple, free, consistent, consistent symbol. And, like, uh, you know, it's obsessed. I think, whether a lot I was think if you can become great and something that's something that's normal, you know what it takes to become great. Anything are like, Yeah, it's all the same stuff. If you want to be a basketball player, it's working out every day. It's too. It's being obsessed with being in that world photographer or painter speaker. Whatever it is, it's I know what it takes to become what I've might not have the talent to do that thing. That I know what you have to do. You have todo Yeah, you know exactly that. Like their whole life has been revolved around whatever crafted they're doing. And that's what you gotta do. It should be on the show back. Absolutely. Gonna chuck that when you took that Just milk with ice in it. I don't drink. It gets real watering. This thin layer of water gets real gross. Thank you for being on the show. Appreciate you. You folks at home thanks a lot for paying attention. Uh, you getting hopefully? I guess I'll be in your years again. Maybe even tomorrow. Thanks.