1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey Listeners. 2 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: The following is a bite sized version of an episode 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: of On the Job, a podcast from Express Employment Professionals 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,119 Speaker 1: that shares the experiences of everyday Americans finding their life's work. 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,119 Speaker 1: These clips can be humorous and heartwarming, sometimes both at 6 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: the same time, and they're always insightful. 7 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 2: Enjoy. 8 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 3: My favorite port is the Galveston, Texas Port. It's always 9 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 3: a good time with those people. If Texas are by 10 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 3: fire the most fun people. 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 4: That's Rob Little. He's a stand up comedian and somewhat miraculously, 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,479 Speaker 4: he's been doing comedy professionally for a whopping twenty five years, 13 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 4: and one of the main keys to rob success is 14 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 4: that he is tapped into a lucrative gig that not 15 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,400 Speaker 4: only keeps him employed, but allows him to live a 16 00:00:57,480 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 4: life that most of us can only dream of, or 17 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 4: at the very least save up for all year to 18 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 4: live for just a few days, because one of Rob's 19 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,600 Speaker 4: main gigs is to perform his sets on cruise ships. 20 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 4: But before we go aboard, let's take a look back 21 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 4: at the meandering road that eventually led Rob down to port. 22 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 2: My hometown is ping County, Michigan, where the cheese capital 23 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 2: of Michigan. Everybody's like, I thought it was Wisconsin. I'm like, oh, Michigan, 24 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 2: I said. 25 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 4: And while a dairytown in the upper Midwest might seem 26 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 4: like an unlikely place to begin a life in comedy, 27 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 4: Rob's Michigan roots play heavily into his eventual success, and 28 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:43,399 Speaker 4: it all started, as he remembers, on a family vacation 29 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 4: to Michigan's Mackinaw Island. 30 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 3: My parents were watching HBO late at night. They thought 31 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 3: we were asleep, and they were watching George Carland, and 32 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 3: I just remember them laughing so hard that I was like, 33 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 3: that's what I want to do when I grow up. 34 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 4: He knew then and there, while eavesdropping on his parents' laughter, 35 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 4: that he wanted to be a stand up comedian. But 36 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 4: as committed to this life plan as Rob was, he 37 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 4: still got that Midwestern pragmatism, so he understood that this 38 00:02:10,480 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 4: was a dream that would take some time to realize, 39 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 4: which meant that he'd have to take some other jobs 40 00:02:15,960 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 4: in the meanwhile to pay the bills. 41 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 2: I worked at McDonald's. Old people are rough on you 42 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 2: in the morning now if they don't get their senior Coffee, 43 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 2: they're pulling their teeth out. 44 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,280 Speaker 4: Many people believe that to make a dream come true, 45 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 4: you first have to manifest it. We're told to say 46 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 4: our life goal is out loud or write them down. 47 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 2: And even in my senior book, when you're graduating, we 48 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 2: had to make predictions. And my prediction was, I may 49 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 2: go to college, get my computer degree, and then I'm 50 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 2: going to be the best comedian I can be. My 51 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 2: first job out of college, I was worked for GM 52 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 2: and then I worked at kmart headquarters and I did 53 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 2: kmart dot com. 54 00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 4: And with steady money coming in from computer programming, Rob 55 00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 4: moved to Detroit to actively pursue comedy. 56 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 3: And I was at a bar one night and I 57 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 3: saw these passes in the window and it was for 58 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 3: an open mic night, and I was like what. 59 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 2: I grabbed all the passes and I went up to 60 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: the bartender. 61 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,239 Speaker 3: I goes, there's a comedy club and he's like, right there, 62 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 3: it's literally connected to the building. 63 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 2: I'm like what. I ended up living at that club. 64 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 3: After that, I sent out a company wide email telling 65 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 3: people they should quit their jobs and follow their dreams. 66 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 2: And I'm going to be a stand up comedian. Here's 67 00:03:29,040 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 2: my website. 68 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 3: They wouldn't let me quit my IBM boss, let me 69 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 3: take a leave of absence. And the week after he 70 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 3: did that, the Detroit Free Press named me Michigan's best 71 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 3: up and coming comedian. And I sent him that and 72 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 3: he goes, oh, you're not coming back, are you? I goes, 73 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 3: I wasn't coming back if they made me worse up 74 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 3: and coming comedians. 75 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 4: So and from there Rob was off to the races. 76 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 4: And then one day his agent suggested he apply for 77 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 4: cruise and Rob thought, cruise. 78 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 3: Ships it wasn't even on my radar. I just love it. 79 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 3: I literally just passed twenty five years to I've been 80 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 3: doing it. 81 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:11,600 Speaker 4: Congrats. Wow. 82 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 2: Thanks. 83 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 4: So, the next time you're on a cruise and you 84 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 4: want to laugh and also see a guy living out 85 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,119 Speaker 4: his dreams, a dream that he came up with way 86 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 4: back when he was five years old, just look for 87 00:04:24,040 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 4: the bald white guy, or better yet, check out Rob's 88 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 4: itinerary and tour dates on his website roblittle dot com. 89 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:36,240 Speaker 4: When's your next cruise ship out? 90 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:40,720 Speaker 2: I actually go on one next week on a celebrity cruise. 91 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,280 Speaker 4: And you have no clue where you're going. 92 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 2: Now that you say that I don't. 93 00:04:49,200 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 4: From the job. I'm Avery Thompson. A strong work ethic, 94 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 4: takes pride in a job well done. 95 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:08,119 Speaker 2: This is the kind of person you need. 96 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 4: Express Employment professionals can help because, in good times or bad, 97 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,719 Speaker 4: we understand how critical it is to manage. 98 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 2: Your business for today with the right workforce. 99 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 4: We offer hiring solutions to fit changing demands. Express those jobs. 100 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 2: Get to know Express. Go to expresspros dot com to 101 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 2: find a location near you.