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Speaker 1: Comedy Saved Me.

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Speaker 2: Yes, so I said all the young like twenty some

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Speaker 2: year old cousins. I was like, where are we going after? What?

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Speaker 2: Why are we going to? Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming.

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Speaker 2: What time are we going?

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Speaker 1: Ten?

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Speaker 2: Ten pm? No, I didn't know. If he meant brunch tomorrow,

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Speaker 2: I didn't know. Yeah, I no, ten pm. If I'm

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Speaker 2: leaving the house at ten pm, I'm going to Urgent Care.

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Speaker 1: I'm Lynn Hoffman and welcome to the Comedy Save Me Podcast.

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Speaker 1: I host another podcast called Music Save Me. You can

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Speaker 1: find it wherever you get your podcasts. We also have

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Speaker 1: a few other podcasts in the family that you might enjoy.

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Speaker 1: I think you would. Buzz Night hosts the amazing Taking

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Speaker 1: a Walk, and we also have Taken a Walk Nashville,

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Speaker 1: hosted by Sarah Harrelson, which is really really cool. Thank

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Speaker 1: you for being here. And I'm really excited about our

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Speaker 1: guest today because she has one of the most improbable

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Speaker 1: origin stories I think in comedy or maybe even just

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Speaker 1: in Hollywood. It's definitely straight out of a movie. She

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Speaker 1: was an NFL cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders, got Rookie

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Speaker 1: of the Year, performed at the Super Bowl, and then

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Speaker 1: she just said, I'm going to walk away from all

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Speaker 1: of this, and in two thousand and five, she went

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Speaker 1: off to pursue a dream that she hadn't even fully

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Speaker 1: formed yet in her mind. She had no plan, no connections,

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Speaker 1: just a joke writing class at a church in Hollywood, California,

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Speaker 1: and a whole lot of nerve which we like to

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Speaker 1: also call hutzbah also known as balls. Can we say that?

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Speaker 1: We can say that? Which I just again, it's so inspirational.

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Speaker 1: Just two short years later, she became a viral nail

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Speaker 1: saloon impression, a breakout character named Bond Qui Qui on

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Speaker 1: one of my all time favorite comedy shows, Mad TV,

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Speaker 1: which by the way, was critically acclaimed as one of

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Speaker 1: the best sketch comedy shows of all time. Take that

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Speaker 1: saw seven comedy specials. She has under her belt, a memoir,

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Speaker 1: a film with Eddie Murphy, and a sold out global tour.

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Speaker 1: She is also a new mom and a podcaster and

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Speaker 1: someone who's faith and family sits right at the center

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Speaker 1: of everything she does. I am so thrilled, I've got

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Speaker 1: goosebumps to welcome Angela Johnson Rays coming up next right

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Speaker 1: here on Comedy Save me, don't go anywhere. Comedy Saved Me. Angela,

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Speaker 1: Welcome to Comedy Save Me. It's so great to meet

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Speaker 1: you in person.

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Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you for having me well virtually actually

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Speaker 2: so yeah, in person. With this it counts. I feel

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Speaker 2: like I'm friends with some of the Instagram people that

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Speaker 2: I follow and I chat with and then I forget

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Speaker 2: I've never met them before, but we like chat back

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Speaker 2: and forth all the time. I don't know if you

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Speaker 2: have any people like that on socials, but I have

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Speaker 2: social media friends that are we've never met, but we chat.

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Speaker 1: It's great. It's like it's you just pick up where

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Speaker 1: you left off and you don't have to worry about anything,

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Speaker 1: and wow, it's almost the next best thing. Angela. Your

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Speaker 1: origin story is just remarkable. And when I started reading it,

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Speaker 1: I was like, Wow, that's so cool that you had

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Speaker 1: the nerve the gumption to just go and follow your

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Speaker 1: dream even though you didn't quite know the whole picture.

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Speaker 1: And it's literally ripped from a movie script, from raider's

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Speaker 1: cheerleader to successful actress and comedian. What was the actual

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Speaker 1: moment I need to know that you thought I can

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Speaker 1: actually do this and I'm going to do it well?

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Speaker 2: I wanted to be an actress, but I wouldn't say

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Speaker 2: it out loud because I was embarrassed because it felt

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Speaker 2: so far fetched. It felt like I might as well

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Speaker 2: say I want to be a princess, you know what

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Speaker 2: I mean. Like that's how it felt. So I'm like,

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Speaker 2: I'm not gonna say this out loud. Thats embarrassing. Then

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Speaker 2: I had a friend who was a friend of a friend,

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Speaker 2: really my cousin's friend, and she moved to Hollywood and

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Speaker 2: she was a dancer for like in Sync and she

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Speaker 2: did a lot of music videos, and I remember one

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Speaker 2: time seeing her in a Ross commercial and I was like,

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Speaker 2: oh my gosh, I know somebody famous. And then what

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Speaker 2: happened was is I reached out to her and told her,

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Speaker 2: I like confided in her. I was like, Hey, I

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Speaker 2: want to do what you're doing. And she's like, well,

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Speaker 2: if you ever moved to LA, I'll help you get started.

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Speaker 2: I'll help show you the ropes. I'm like, oh wow,

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Speaker 2: now it's like an actual attainable dream, not just this

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Speaker 2: far fetched fantasy of like being a princess. And also

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Speaker 2: around that same time, I had a friend who was

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Speaker 2: a cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders and I ran into

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Speaker 2: her and she was like, Hey, I'm drinking for the Raiders.

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Speaker 2: Now you should come try out. And I was like,

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Speaker 2: that's not really my thing. But then I said, you

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Speaker 2: know what, I'll use it as a sign from God

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Speaker 2: because I don't know what to do with my life.

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Speaker 2: And it was one of those places in my life

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Speaker 2: where I'm like what do I Doah. Making a big

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Speaker 2: move to La felt so huge. I'd never lived anywhere

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Speaker 2: outside of my mom's house. Moved to another city, and

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Speaker 2: a huge city at that. So I said, you know,

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Speaker 2: I'll use it as my sign. I'll go try out

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Speaker 2: for the Raiders, and if I make the squad, then

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Speaker 2: i'll do it one year and then I'll move to

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Speaker 2: LA and I'll pursue my dreams to be an actress.

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Speaker 2: So I went to the tryouts. There was like probably

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Speaker 2: seven hundred and fifty girls at this open call edition.

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Speaker 2: There was so many girls there, and long story short,

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Speaker 2: I make the squad. And in that moment when I

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Speaker 2: found out that I made the squad, my first thought

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Speaker 2: was not oh my gosh, I'm going to be a

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Speaker 2: cheerleader for the Oakland Raiders. My first thought was I'm

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Speaker 2: going to be an actress. This is what I wanted,

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Speaker 2: this is what I said, and so I cheered that

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Speaker 2: one year. We went to the super Bowl. That year,

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Speaker 2: came home from the super Bowl, I packed up my

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Speaker 2: bags and loaded up my station wagon. I had a

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Speaker 2: hand me down station wagon for my mom. And I

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Speaker 2: drove to LA the very next weekend. And my friend

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Speaker 2: kept her word. She said, if you ever move out here,

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Speaker 2: I'll help you get started. So she did, and when

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Speaker 2: I got there, she helped me sign up to be

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Speaker 2: an extra. And I became an extra in Friends, and

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Speaker 2: I was a sure for season nine and ten. And

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Speaker 2: that's how I started my career in the entertainment industry,

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Speaker 2: was being an extra.

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Speaker 1: Wow, that is an amazing story. First of all, what

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Speaker 1: did the Raiders say when you said I'm out and

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Speaker 1: you just won Rookie of the Year, they just made

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Speaker 1: Super Bowl. You're on top of the world. That's the

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Speaker 1: last place you'd leave, is that, you know?

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Speaker 2: That's a good question. There was a moment actually when

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Speaker 2: I left, but I was so this is the rule.

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Speaker 2: If you cheer for one year, you have to give

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Speaker 2: your uniform back. If you cheer for more than a year,

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Speaker 2: like two years at least you get to keep your uniform, right.

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Speaker 2: So I was in contract from June to June is

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Speaker 2: when it started. Season was over in February. We were

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Speaker 2: done after the super Bowl, so I moved to Hollywood,

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Speaker 2: but technically I was still in contract, So I brought

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Speaker 2: my uniform with me and I went to LA and

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Speaker 2: I would do calendar signings because I still had my

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Speaker 2: calendars that I was selling and I was still technically

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Speaker 2: a raduret So I would go to the Radar Image

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Speaker 2: store in the mall and I would set up my

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Speaker 2: own calendar signing events. My cousin was in radio. He

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Speaker 2: was in the morning radio host on Big Boys Neighborhood,

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Speaker 2: Joe Grande. He would have events that he would be

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Speaker 2: showing up to, you know, or it'd be like, you know,

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Speaker 2: we're gonna be you know, big o' tires from seven

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Speaker 2: to ten am. Joe Grande's gonna be out here. We

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Speaker 2: got an Oakland raidurette that's gonna be there, blah blah

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Speaker 2: blah blah blah. And it was really just me, his cousin,

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Speaker 2: but I had my uniform in my calendars, so I

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Speaker 2: would go with him to his events that he was

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Speaker 2: showing up at and I was just like an added

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Speaker 2: bonus to the event. And I would bring my calendars

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Speaker 2: and I would sell my calendars, and that's like how

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Speaker 2: I would keep making money. And then it came time

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Speaker 2: for my contract was up, and I was like, ooh,

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Speaker 2: maybe I'll just keep my uniform. And then one day

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Speaker 2: I get a message from the director of the raidaretes

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Speaker 2: mine as well have been. Oh my God calls me

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Speaker 2: and she says, she drops one of these. I know,

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Speaker 2: being the good Christian girl you are, you're going to

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Speaker 2: be returning your uniform because that's the rules. She threw

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Speaker 2: that one on me. She brought in the Lord. Otherwise,

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Speaker 2: you know, I was about to take that uniform.

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Speaker 1: Well, what are you gonna do after someone says.

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Speaker 2: That obviously put it in a box and sent it home.

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Speaker 1: Well, at least we have the calendars and the memories exactly,

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Speaker 1: you know what, they can keep it.

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Speaker 2: I got pictures. I'm fine, you know what. I can't

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Speaker 2: even fit it anyway. So I.

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Speaker 1: Love that you did that though that you know, I

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Speaker 1: used to work in Radio two and I met Big Boy,

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Speaker 1: and I believe I met your cousin when I was

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Speaker 1: out in LA for an event. They are They were amazing,

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Speaker 1: they were They had it all wrapped up out there

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Speaker 1: as far as radio is concerned. So when you went

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Speaker 1: to what did they call that an appearance where they

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Speaker 1: would do a morning show appearance somewhere, you just tagged

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Speaker 1: onto that. Not even that is really I love that.

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Speaker 1: That is sad.

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Speaker 2: So anything, it made his appearance better because he was

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Speaker 2: bringing a Raiderrett, But really it was just an opportunity

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Speaker 2: for me to sell some calendars.

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Speaker 1: It was just great. It was great all the way around.

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Speaker 1: I love it. And you talked about taking a joke

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Speaker 1: writing class at a church in Hollywood. Did you even

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Speaker 1: know that you were funny? And this was like on

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Speaker 1: a total whim too. Did you know you were funny

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Speaker 1: before that?

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Speaker 2: No? I mean, my whole family is funny. My dad's hilarious.

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Speaker 2: I grew up watching my dad get the laugh in

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Speaker 2: every conversation that he's in, Like, my dad is the

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Speaker 2: guy who can make the register person laugh at the

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Speaker 2: grocery store. You know, somebody in an elevator, he's making

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Speaker 2: them laugh. So I grew up watching my dad get

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Speaker 2: the laugh. So my dad's hilarious. My siblings are all funny.

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Speaker 2: I didn't know I was funny outside of my family,

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Speaker 2: Like I thought, we all just laugh and crack jokes,

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Speaker 2: that's what we do. I didn't realize that I had

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Speaker 2: a gift for comedic time. And I was in this

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Speaker 2: class at church, and this was like a church in

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Speaker 2: Hollywood where they were aware that everybody who comes to

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Speaker 2: their church is probably trying to be in the entertainment

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Speaker 2: industry in some way, shape or form, whether that's in

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Speaker 2: front of the camera, behind the camera, you know, executive producer. Like,

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Speaker 2: everybody here most likely is in the entertainment industry or

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Speaker 2: wants to be. So they would offer classes on Tuesday nights.

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Speaker 2: It was like Creative Arts night, and they would have

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Speaker 2: acting class, dance class, singing production. And I was in

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Speaker 2: the acting class and we would play improv games in

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Speaker 2: the acting class, and I was funny in the games,

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Speaker 2: like I had good timing. And there was a stand

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Speaker 2: up comedian there named li Saalvarado and she was like, Hey,

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Speaker 2: I'm going to be teaching a joke writing stand up class.

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Speaker 2: Do you want to come take my class? And I

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Speaker 2: was like, I don't know, is it free? And yeah,

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Speaker 2: it's just in that room over there. And I was like, oh, okay, sure,

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Speaker 2: I guess so. So then I ended up moving to

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Speaker 2: the other room to take her stand up Joe credit class,

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Speaker 2: and that's where I wrote this nail salon joke in

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Speaker 2: her free class. And this nail salon joke ended up

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Speaker 2: being blew up my spot on this brand new thing

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Speaker 2: called YouTube. Had no idea this would ever happen, And

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Speaker 2: it all started from that free class.

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Speaker 1: And now I'm rewinding for one second. Two things you mentioned.

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Speaker 1: Was Dad funny with Dad jokes or were they actually

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Speaker 1: like really funny jokes.

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Speaker 2: Now he is full on Dad jokes now crack jokes,

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Speaker 2: And I'm like.

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Speaker 1: That really, Like, were people just laughing to be nice

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Speaker 1: to Dad?

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Speaker 2: Oh? No, he was hilarious back in the day.

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Speaker 1: I love that.

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Speaker 2: Oh he would crack it. And he was quick, so

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Speaker 2: quick witted, like you couldn't get to the joke before him,

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Speaker 2: that wasn't going to happen, like he was so quick.

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Speaker 2: And so he still is quick and he still is funny,

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Speaker 2: but now it is more like Dad jokes.

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Speaker 1: It is that is so funny. Gush, he must be

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Speaker 1: so proud. And the other thing you mentioned about the church,

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Speaker 1: you know, knowing that people coming in there want to

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Speaker 1: be actors and actresses.

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Speaker 2: Like.

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Speaker 1: It wasn't just churches, it was like restaurants, like gas stations,

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Speaker 1: anywhere you go. And I know this because I was

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Speaker 1: in La the first time ever and I used to

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Speaker 1: smoke cigarettes and I went out to have a cigarette

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Speaker 1: and my boyfriend who's now my husband was with me,

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Speaker 1: but he was staying at the bar and I went

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Speaker 1: out to have and like six girls came up to

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Speaker 1: me and said, is your husband a producer? And they

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Speaker 1: pulled their bios out of their pocket like they were

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Speaker 1: ready to go with their with everything. I'm like what,

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Speaker 1: So I collected them all and I went back in

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Speaker 1: and I was like, you're not gonna believe what just happened.

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Speaker 1: I just got everybody's resume out there. So it's true

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Speaker 1: everyone is. But to break through that and to actually

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Speaker 1: be able to share your gift and your talent like

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Speaker 1: you did, I mean that came from you. It didn't

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Speaker 1: come from you giving somebody your resume. It came from

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Speaker 1: you just coming up with these ideas and doing it. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: and that nail salon bit went viral before going viral

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Speaker 1: was even a thing? Did that feel like a flup

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Speaker 1: to you? Or did you know that I had something?

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Speaker 2: It felt like a fluke. I mean I knew I

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Speaker 2: had something when I was taking the class because I

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Speaker 2: would do this character for all my friends growing up,

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Speaker 2: because I grew up around a huge Vitnamese population and

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Speaker 2: I was very immersed in the culture. One of my

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Speaker 2: best friends growing up was Vietnamese. He would teach me things,

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Speaker 2: his mom would teach me things, She would cook fu

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Speaker 2: for me. Like I, I grew up very immersed in

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Speaker 2: the Vitnamese culture, and so when I would do this

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Speaker 2: character for my friends, like I had the accent down,

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Speaker 2: I had everything from what was being said in the

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Speaker 2: nail salon. Everything that I say in that joke has

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Speaker 2: been said to me at some point. So when I

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Speaker 2: was taking that class, I was like, you know, I

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Speaker 2: do this nail salon character to that I think I

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Speaker 2: can make it into a joke. Because at this point

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Speaker 2: I was already performing it for friends. Yeah, but I

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Speaker 2: didn't know this was called performing. It would just be

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Speaker 2: like my friend would say to one of their friends

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Speaker 2: and be like, oh, Ang, do the nail salon thing

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Speaker 2: that you do. Watch my friend do the nail salon

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Speaker 2: thing that you do. And then I would just do

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Speaker 2: the thing. I didn't realize that was performing. So I

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Speaker 2: was like, I do this like nail Salon character. I

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Speaker 2: think I can make that into a joke. And she

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Speaker 2: was like, nailsan jokes are so hacky. Everybody has a

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Speaker 2: nailson joke. I would just steer clear from nail salon jokes.

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Speaker 2: And I was like, you know what, but I don't

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Speaker 2: know if they do it like me, though, I think.

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Speaker 2: I think I'm still gonna do it. And so I

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Speaker 2: did it, and it ended up being the thing that

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Speaker 2: blew up and the thing that I still performed till

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Speaker 2: this day, twenty years later. I'm still rocking that nail

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Speaker 2: salan for people at my shows and people go crazy,

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Speaker 2: It's wild.

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Speaker 1: Do you I do still have the nails on?

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Speaker 2: Or do I do? Yeah?

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Speaker 1: That was some fun nails. I love it. Bun queek

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Speaker 1: wee became another cultural phenomenon. I have to know where

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Speaker 1: that character came from, socurty and what and what your

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00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:54,400
Speaker 1: relationship with her is?

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Speaker 2: Now?

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Speaker 1: Do you still love performing her?

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Speaker 2: No? Really quickly is. It's a mix of a few

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Speaker 2: people that I've met throughout my life. One is my

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00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:07,880
Speaker 2: brother who at the time when I was writing this character.

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Speaker 2: My brother was a hot mess, no filter, says whatever

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Speaker 2: he wants to say, and he's also hilarious, So couple

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Speaker 2: that together, and he's always coming up with different like

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Speaker 2: slang words, different ways of doing things, and everybody catches on.

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Speaker 2: He's a trendsetter. He does hair, so he'd be in

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Speaker 2: his salon and he would come up with a new

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Speaker 2: way to laugh and then all of a sudden, everybody,

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Speaker 2: all the other hair says they're all laughing the way

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Speaker 2: he laughs because he started doing this new little and

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Speaker 2: now all the stylists are going like, he's just this

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Speaker 2: like trendsetter. He would always do that, and so that's

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Speaker 2: bon Quickly. Bon quik We is a trendsetter. She says

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Speaker 2: certain things and everybody starts saying it. She does things

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Speaker 2: a certain way, people start doing it. She has no filter.

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Speaker 2: She says whatever it is that she wants to say,

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Speaker 2: and she does it. And so my brother was the

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Speaker 2: main inspiration for bonequek Wee. And then I went to

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Speaker 2: a Burger King drive through in Memphis, Tennessee when I

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Speaker 2: was a teenager, and I met a girl in that

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Speaker 2: drive through who was bonequekwe And that's where the character

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Speaker 2: the King Burger, and so it's like the craziness of

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Speaker 2: my brother, the funny trendsetter, say anything that wants to

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Speaker 2: out of your mouth, coupled with just rude, just right

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Speaker 2: in your face, just I don't care you want and

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Speaker 2: then I gotta press all these buttons. I don't know, Nah,

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Speaker 2: you have a coked I'm not doing that, you know

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Speaker 2: what I mean. Like, so, this character was a few

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Speaker 2: different people that I've met throughout my life and and

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Speaker 2: then she ended up blowing up. Had no idea that

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00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:03,960
Speaker 2: was going to happen, and what a blessing. I ended up

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Speaker 2: doing music as the character. So what happened was is

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Speaker 2: I was on Mad TV, and really I had only

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Speaker 2: done one sketch with Bonquekly before the writer's strike, and

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00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:17,800
Speaker 2: after the strike, I was let go from the show,

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00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:21,320
Speaker 2: so nobody knew that bon Quickly was going to blow

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Speaker 2: up the way she did. So once I was off

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Speaker 2: the show, then the sketch blew up on YouTube and

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00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:27,720
Speaker 2: then everybody's like, when are you going to do another

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00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:29,800
Speaker 2: Bone Quickly sketch? And I was like, I'm not on

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Speaker 2: the show anymore, Like I can't do another sketch.

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Speaker 1: Own it. They owned it, so you couldn't even take

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Speaker 1: it with you.

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Speaker 2: Or no, they didn't own the character, thank god.

351
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Speaker 1: Oh good.

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Speaker 2: They owned that sketch, the footage of that sketch, but

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Speaker 2: they don't know the character. Because when I auditioned for

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Speaker 2: the show, I came in with my own original characters.

355
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Speaker 2: So all the characters I came in with, I still

356
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Speaker 2: own those characters. Anything I developed on the show, the

357
00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,200
Speaker 2: show would own those characters. So because I auditioned with

358
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Speaker 2: the character but quickly I still own the character.

359
00:18:02,680 --> 00:18:03,160
Speaker 1: Oh good.

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00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,679
Speaker 2: So what happened was after that, my husband, he's in music,

361
00:18:07,280 --> 00:18:11,480
Speaker 2: and he was like, let's make Bunquekly a music artist

362
00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:13,560
Speaker 2: because at the end of that sketch she does a

363
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Speaker 2: rap into the microphone and people started quoting the rap.

364
00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:18,359
Speaker 2: We're loving the rap. And he's like, well, let's just

365
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Speaker 2: do more songs, and like, she's an aspiring music artist.

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Speaker 2: And so my husband wrote some music and we did

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Speaker 2: three songs. We released an EP. He pitched it to

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Speaker 2: the record label. They ended up signing me to a

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Speaker 2: record deal as Bonk Weekly. So then Bone Weekly gets

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Speaker 2: a record deal with Warner Music. We go on tour

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Speaker 2: as the as the music artist bonkquekly, so now I'm

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Speaker 2: on tour with a live band, backup dancers like full tour.

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Speaker 2: We did two tours as Bonqueki, and then uh, things

374
00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:55,040
Speaker 2: changed in the comedy world and the character wasn't as

375
00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:59,680
Speaker 2: loved and received as well anymore, and so we just

376
00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:01,480
Speaker 2: kind of put her on the back burner for a

377
00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:04,680
Speaker 2: little while. And then a lot of stuff started shifting

378
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:08,800
Speaker 2: just in comedy in general. And I still love the character.

379
00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:12,280
Speaker 2: I still stand by the character, but it was time

380
00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:14,600
Speaker 2: to put her to the side so I could move

381
00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,720
Speaker 2: on and do other things and not just remain this

382
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Speaker 2: character for the rest of my career. But it was

383
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Speaker 2: something incredible that I did and that I still get

384
00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:28,439
Speaker 2: to fondly look back on. And I still get to

385
00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:32,400
Speaker 2: hear people quote her and talk about how that's, oh,

386
00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,480
Speaker 2: that's my alter ego, or you know, we quote her

387
00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:38,879
Speaker 2: every day, we quote you, blah blah blah. That's so

388
00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,760
Speaker 2: cool that I get to be a part of people's

389
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Speaker 2: life in that way.

390
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Speaker 1: It's very It was very special, and as something tells

391
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Speaker 1: me that one day she will come off the shelf again, maybe,

392
00:19:52,440 --> 00:19:55,360
Speaker 1: but she lives on forever and infamy in on YouTube

393
00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:56,919
Speaker 1: which is amazing, So you can check it out if

394
00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:01,120
Speaker 1: if you're curious and haven't seen that character. But when

395
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,080
Speaker 1: you said that, everything changed, I mean your self produced,

396
00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:09,399
Speaker 1: self financed. You have say I won't special at the

397
00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,960
Speaker 1: Ryman Auditorium, the Ryman Auditorium. That is a bold move.

398
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Speaker 1: What drove that decision and what did it teach you?

399
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Speaker 2: It taught me so many things. One that I could

400
00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,840
Speaker 2: do it on my own and I didn't need the

401
00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,439
Speaker 2: people who I thought were giving me a yes, that

402
00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:28,720
Speaker 2: I needed to hear yes from them. Turns out I

403
00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,719
Speaker 2: didn't need their yes. That I could just do it

404
00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:37,200
Speaker 2: on my own. And my husband is my partner in

405
00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:41,360
Speaker 2: every way, and he had been telling me for years

406
00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,840
Speaker 2: to do it on my own, but I had been

407
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Speaker 2: waiting for the yeses of the others.

408
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,600
Speaker 1: Was it fear, I mean you didn't you weren't scared

409
00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:51,600
Speaker 1: to do anything to that point?

410
00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:58,080
Speaker 2: Not? Okay, maybe fear of not doing it the right way,

411
00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:01,679
Speaker 2: doing it the way it's supposed to be done, doing

412
00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,000
Speaker 2: it the way the optics are going to make it

413
00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:07,639
Speaker 2: look like. What's it goain to look like if I

414
00:21:07,680 --> 00:21:11,200
Speaker 2: do it on my own and it's not going to

415
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Speaker 2: be as respected if I do it on my own,

416
00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:20,440
Speaker 2: like that kind of faux confidence, like.

417
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Speaker 1: Just getting in your own way of success because you're

418
00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:24,480
Speaker 1: telling yourself you can't do something.

419
00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:26,359
Speaker 2: Yeah, because I can't do something, or it's not going

420
00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:30,000
Speaker 2: to be as prestigious. If I don't have like a

421
00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:34,159
Speaker 2: big network produce it for me, then it's not going

422
00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:38,359
Speaker 2: to be as good, right, And that's something that my

423
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,399
Speaker 2: agents and managers had told me over the years. And

424
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Speaker 2: you know, the optics, the story you want to tell,

425
00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:48,639
Speaker 2: Woo woo woo. And then finally when we decided we

426
00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:52,520
Speaker 2: were going to do it on YouTube, and a manager

427
00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:54,399
Speaker 2: that I had at the time that I no longer have,

428
00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:58,800
Speaker 2: and she was very much like, not, don't do it

429
00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:01,320
Speaker 2: on YouTube. And then when the time came that we

430
00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,000
Speaker 2: were doing it on YouTube, she was like, yes, I've

431
00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:04,560
Speaker 2: always said this is the way to go.

432
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Speaker 1: Yeah.

433
00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:10,320
Speaker 2: When my husband was on that call, he was so

434
00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:14,240
Speaker 2: pissed and so livid, and he was like, absolutely not.

435
00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:16,439
Speaker 2: She was one of the ones telling us not to

436
00:22:16,480 --> 00:22:18,879
Speaker 2: do it. I've been in your ear saying let's do

437
00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:20,240
Speaker 2: it on our own, let's do it on our own.

438
00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:22,480
Speaker 2: And now that we're doing it on our own, she's

439
00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,800
Speaker 2: like yep. I always said this is the route to go,

440
00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:29,840
Speaker 2: and did you fire her? We are no longer working together.

441
00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:35,320
Speaker 2: But it's one of those things where you have to

442
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:40,040
Speaker 2: think about the why of what you're doing. Are you

443
00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:43,679
Speaker 2: doing it for a pretend accolade? Like a pretend like

444
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:45,440
Speaker 2: I'm going to be respected if I do it this

445
00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:49,040
Speaker 2: way or if I do it this, Like what is

446
00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:51,360
Speaker 2: the story you're telling yourself? You know what I mean?

447
00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:55,000
Speaker 2: And what is your why for not doing something or

448
00:22:55,040 --> 00:23:01,520
Speaker 2: for doing something a certain way? So my why changed basically,

449
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,800
Speaker 2: and I didn't care what the optics were, what it

450
00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:08,840
Speaker 2: looked like if I were to do it on my own.

451
00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,160
Speaker 2: And then the second I do do it on my own,

452
00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:17,919
Speaker 2: it's so successful and so big for my career. It

453
00:23:18,119 --> 00:23:22,480
Speaker 2: changed my touring business. I had always been touring successfully.

454
00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:25,919
Speaker 2: I've been selling out shows since I started. But now

455
00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,200
Speaker 2: I'm doing it without any kind of like. I didn't

456
00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:32,080
Speaker 2: have fresh off Mad TV in the bone Quakly character,

457
00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,199
Speaker 2: fresh off the Nail Salon. I wasn't fresh off my

458
00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:38,960
Speaker 2: Comedy Central special that just released. I wasn't fresh off

459
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:42,080
Speaker 2: my Netflix special that just released. Now it's just me

460
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,359
Speaker 2: and I'm releasing it on YouTube. And now my business

461
00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:49,320
Speaker 2: has grown even more. And not only that I own it.

462
00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:52,560
Speaker 2: I owned the podcast excuse me. I own the special

463
00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:55,960
Speaker 2: that I'm releasing on YouTube, and I can license it

464
00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:57,879
Speaker 2: out to whoever I want to license it out to.

465
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,040
Speaker 2: And so now there's other channels that are also streaming

466
00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,760
Speaker 2: my special. Now I can license it out to airlines

467
00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:07,320
Speaker 2: that want to play my special when you're driving across

468
00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:09,840
Speaker 2: and when you're flying across country from New York to

469
00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,080
Speaker 2: LA and you could watch my special on one of

470
00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:16,320
Speaker 2: the airlines. I get to be a part of all

471
00:24:16,359 --> 00:24:19,720
Speaker 2: the decisions and the final yes and the final note

472
00:24:19,920 --> 00:24:22,639
Speaker 2: of all the decisions of the thing that I worked

473
00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,480
Speaker 2: hard at, that I created, that I wrote, that I performed.

474
00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,240
Speaker 2: Now I get to be the one that says, actually, no,

475
00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,240
Speaker 2: I don't want to do it like that. Actually yes,

476
00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:32,240
Speaker 2: I do want to do it like this. It now

477
00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:36,479
Speaker 2: comes down to me taking the risk on myself and

478
00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:40,000
Speaker 2: being the one to say yes to me. Like I'm

479
00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:41,920
Speaker 2: waiting to hear that yes from someone. I am the

480
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:43,359
Speaker 2: yes and I say yes.

481
00:24:44,400 --> 00:24:47,680
Speaker 1: Do you hear that. I'm just talking to anyone who's

482
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,960
Speaker 1: sitting on the fence about doing something after listening to

483
00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:52,760
Speaker 1: what you just said. If they don't get up and

484
00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:56,080
Speaker 1: just act, then I don't know what they're listening to,

485
00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,240
Speaker 1: because that is it, in a nutshell what you just said.

486
00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,640
Speaker 1: Can control of your life and your career and making

487
00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,040
Speaker 1: your own decisions and not being scared by people who

488
00:25:06,280 --> 00:25:08,359
Speaker 1: I'm not going to put down managers and agencies and

489
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:10,399
Speaker 1: all that stuff, but boy, oh boy, it's nice to

490
00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:12,320
Speaker 1: be free from some of that to do what you

491
00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:15,399
Speaker 1: want and to be to see that it's okay to

492
00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,679
Speaker 1: go at it on your own and that there's nothing

493
00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:19,080
Speaker 1: to fear.

494
00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:21,280
Speaker 2: And don't get me wrong, I still have agents and

495
00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:24,959
Speaker 2: manager and my manager now fantastic. My agents are amazing, Like,

496
00:25:25,080 --> 00:25:27,719
Speaker 2: I still have an incredible team.

497
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,720
Speaker 1: Well, they're probably good for you and to you, and

498
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,440
Speaker 1: they treat you respectfully, not you know, you have to

499
00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:34,719
Speaker 1: get around a lot of stuff.

500
00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:41,080
Speaker 2: And it's also where you put the weight of somebody's word,

501
00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:44,840
Speaker 2: Like who carries the most weight in your life? You know,

502
00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:50,360
Speaker 2: like if this person tells me, no, you you shouldn't

503
00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:53,840
Speaker 2: do it that way, but this person tells me, yeah,

504
00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:56,359
Speaker 2: you should do it that way. Who carries more weight

505
00:25:56,440 --> 00:25:58,760
Speaker 2: in this situation? You know what I mean? And that's

506
00:25:58,800 --> 00:26:02,600
Speaker 2: where you get to decide as a person, like who

507
00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:04,639
Speaker 2: do you want to give that much weight to?

508
00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:09,560
Speaker 3: You know, we'll be right back with more of the

509
00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:18,440
Speaker 3: Comedy Saved Me Podcast. Welcome back to the Comedy Saved

510
00:26:18,520 --> 00:26:19,280
Speaker 3: Me Podcast.

511
00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:23,479
Speaker 1: You've got a lot going on, it seems to have

512
00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:26,639
Speaker 1: begaped so many projects. You have a memoir Who Do

513
00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,400
Speaker 1: I Think I Am? And that gets into growing up

514
00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,160
Speaker 1: between your Mexican and Native American heritage and your American

515
00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:36,960
Speaker 1: culture and how much of that identity and tension fuels

516
00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:38,520
Speaker 1: the comedy. Is there a lot in that?

517
00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:38,840
Speaker 3: Oh?

518
00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:43,680
Speaker 2: Absolutely? I mean I am Mexican and Native American, and

519
00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,680
Speaker 2: I grew up with the last name Johnson, and I

520
00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:50,960
Speaker 2: don't speak Spanish, so I grew up very American. But

521
00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:56,200
Speaker 2: I always wanted to feel more Latina than I actually

522
00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,080
Speaker 2: was because I didn't speak Spanish and my last name

523
00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:00,000
Speaker 2: was Johnson, you know what I mean. And I always

524
00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:02,479
Speaker 2: wish my last name was like Rodriguez or Sanchez or

525
00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,080
Speaker 2: like something like with the e's at the end. You know,

526
00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:10,879
Speaker 2: it's like I I wanted so much of that. I

527
00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,359
Speaker 2: wanted to be Arolla. I wanted to be like that

528
00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:16,359
Speaker 2: gang banger's girlfriend, like I wanted to be that tough girl,

529
00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:18,840
Speaker 2: like there was so many but I was too nice,

530
00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:20,959
Speaker 2: you know what I mean, Like I didn't I couldn't

531
00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:26,640
Speaker 2: do it, but I wanted that life. So I talk

532
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:30,320
Speaker 2: a lot about that in my comedy, like my identity

533
00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:35,280
Speaker 2: struggles and coming to terms with I am. I am

534
00:27:35,359 --> 00:27:38,879
Speaker 2: Latina even though I don't speak Spanish, even though my

535
00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:43,080
Speaker 2: last name is Johnson, Like I am Latina. I can't

536
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,119
Speaker 2: be more of what I already am, because that's why

537
00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:47,000
Speaker 2: I wanted to be more Latina. But you can't be

538
00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,200
Speaker 2: more of what you are, you know. So I had

539
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,280
Speaker 2: to come to terms with that. Even though you know,

540
00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:54,919
Speaker 2: you get made fun of for not speaking Spanish, and

541
00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,600
Speaker 2: I still do. I still am like embarrassed in situations

542
00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:02,480
Speaker 2: everybody speaking Spanish. I'm like, oh yeah, things a good idea,

543
00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,679
Speaker 2: but now you know, I am learning now. But I

544
00:28:05,720 --> 00:28:08,920
Speaker 2: talk about all of these identity struggles that I've had,

545
00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:17,600
Speaker 2: from cultural identity to just where I am in society

546
00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:23,040
Speaker 2: and growing up how I grew up with divorced parents

547
00:28:23,119 --> 00:28:27,159
Speaker 2: and you know, not really having a whole lot, but

548
00:28:27,960 --> 00:28:31,639
Speaker 2: making something of that. My identity, I mean, my whole

549
00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:35,800
Speaker 2: act is my life and who I am and who

550
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,480
Speaker 2: my my marriage that I talk about my marriage, I

551
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,920
Speaker 2: talk about my relationships with my siblings. My life is

552
00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:43,080
Speaker 2: my act.

553
00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:46,239
Speaker 1: How how is that with your with your siblings? And

554
00:28:46,280 --> 00:28:48,960
Speaker 1: did you find that do you still have the same

555
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:52,760
Speaker 1: relationship now that you've had this incredible success in your

556
00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:53,840
Speaker 1: you know, work.

557
00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:57,000
Speaker 2: With most of my siblings, Yeah, for sure. My sister's

558
00:28:57,000 --> 00:28:59,560
Speaker 2: my best friend. I talked to her every day, multiple

559
00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:00,200
Speaker 2: times a day.

560
00:29:00,280 --> 00:29:05,480
Speaker 1: That is such a rare and amazing thing. Like, you know,

561
00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,640
Speaker 1: I think we don't talk a lot as people, and

562
00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:12,320
Speaker 1: then you know, now everyone's talking. You didn't realize that

563
00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:14,720
Speaker 1: some people had certain issues that were the same ones

564
00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,120
Speaker 1: you had in your family until you find out about

565
00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:18,800
Speaker 1: it and you're like, oh wow, I didn't know. That

566
00:29:18,840 --> 00:29:22,880
Speaker 1: absolutely makes you feel a little bit better really life.

567
00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:25,280
Speaker 2: That's been my favorite compliment. When I am doing my

568
00:29:25,320 --> 00:29:27,360
Speaker 2: stand up, I look in the audience and I see

569
00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:29,840
Speaker 2: people resonating with what I'm saying, and they can see

570
00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:32,880
Speaker 2: themselves in my story, pointing out their loved one going

571
00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:35,680
Speaker 2: oh he does that, or you know, like, oh, you're

572
00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:37,440
Speaker 2: talking about my wife, you know what I mean. And

573
00:29:37,680 --> 00:29:40,200
Speaker 2: it's so cool to see people see themselves and see

574
00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:41,800
Speaker 2: their family members in my stories.

575
00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:46,560
Speaker 1: That's because you're authentic and you are definitely the real deal.

576
00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,400
Speaker 1: And also faith, I know is clearly a very big

577
00:29:50,440 --> 00:29:52,600
Speaker 1: part of your life. How do you navigate that in

578
00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,880
Speaker 1: a comedy world? That doesn't always how do I say

579
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:57,640
Speaker 1: this in a nice way? It doesn't always make space

580
00:29:57,720 --> 00:29:58,200
Speaker 1: for that.

581
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:03,680
Speaker 2: I just do me. I tell people, do you and

582
00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,960
Speaker 2: do you? Well? That's it. Show up as the best

583
00:30:07,040 --> 00:30:11,520
Speaker 2: version of yourself. You can't try to be the person

584
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,880
Speaker 2: you saw next to you. You can't try to be

585
00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,360
Speaker 2: the comic who went up on stage before you. You

586
00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:20,680
Speaker 2: can't try to be whoever it is that you're looking

587
00:30:20,760 --> 00:30:24,160
Speaker 2: up to on social media. You could be inspired by them,

588
00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:28,240
Speaker 2: for sure, but you can't try to Well, let me

589
00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:31,000
Speaker 2: do do it how they're doing it. Well. How they're

590
00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:35,240
Speaker 2: doing it works for them because of their life, It

591
00:30:35,320 --> 00:30:39,400
Speaker 2: may not work for you because you're different. So use

592
00:30:39,480 --> 00:30:46,120
Speaker 2: your strengths and use your childhood trauma, use your memories,

593
00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,040
Speaker 2: Use your relationship that you had with your dad, whether

594
00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:52,160
Speaker 2: it was good or bad. Use your relationship with your siblings.

595
00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:54,080
Speaker 2: Use the fact that you're an only child and you

596
00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:56,440
Speaker 2: didn't have siblings, Like, whatever does that make you you?

597
00:30:57,760 --> 00:31:00,800
Speaker 2: That's your own point of view. That's your own perspective,

598
00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:05,280
Speaker 2: and that makes you unique, and nobody has you. You

599
00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:09,280
Speaker 2: can look like other people. You can show up at

600
00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:11,600
Speaker 2: the audition wearing the same exact outfit as every other

601
00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:13,560
Speaker 2: girl in the room that looks like you. I show

602
00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,840
Speaker 2: up for audition for Detective Rodriguez and we're all wearing

603
00:31:16,880 --> 00:31:20,600
Speaker 2: the same you know, jeans and a leather jacket, and

604
00:31:20,840 --> 00:31:23,120
Speaker 2: we're all Latina, and we're all in this room. We're

605
00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:26,520
Speaker 2: all gonna go in the room and read the same lines. Yeah.

606
00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,200
Speaker 2: I can look at that situation and be like, man,

607
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:31,160
Speaker 2: I'm just a diamond. Doesn't over here like what. She's

608
00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:32,920
Speaker 2: way prettier than they probably canna pick her. Oh she

609
00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:35,480
Speaker 2: looks way more tough than me. They're probably gonna pick her.

610
00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,520
Speaker 2: Or you could just go into the room owning it,

611
00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:43,000
Speaker 2: knowing that, uh, there's nobody like you. No one can

612
00:31:43,040 --> 00:31:45,040
Speaker 2: do what you do because they don't have all the

613
00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,680
Speaker 2: things that I mentioned before, your childhood trauma, your your relationships.

614
00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:53,520
Speaker 2: They don't have the things that make your perspective different.

615
00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:56,840
Speaker 2: And so just show up and be the best version

616
00:31:56,880 --> 00:31:58,760
Speaker 2: of yourself in every room that you walk into.

617
00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:05,720
Speaker 1: Advice great advice. Auditioning sucks no matter what you're auditioning for,

618
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:10,240
Speaker 1: is the hardest part your your fungula is that? Pronounce

619
00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:13,320
Speaker 1: it fungela podcast? I just want to make sure it's

620
00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:17,840
Speaker 1: about gratitude and mental health alongside comedy, which obviously speaks

621
00:32:17,960 --> 00:32:21,880
Speaker 1: to exactly my podcast, which I love because there needs

622
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,400
Speaker 1: to be more of this stuff spread around out there

623
00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:29,080
Speaker 1: in great quantities. What was the show? Why? Why was

624
00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,880
Speaker 1: this the show that you needed to make? Why was

625
00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:31,719
Speaker 1: that important to you?

626
00:32:32,480 --> 00:32:37,640
Speaker 2: So people had been asking me to do a podcast

627
00:32:37,680 --> 00:32:40,360
Speaker 2: for a while, and I was like, I'm not gonna

628
00:32:40,360 --> 00:32:44,680
Speaker 2: do why I'm gonna do a podcast, just get on

629
00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:47,640
Speaker 2: and talk about nothing like I want to do it.

630
00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:53,640
Speaker 2: And then I thought about this idea to use one

631
00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:55,800
Speaker 2: of the tools that I use in my mental health journey,

632
00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,680
Speaker 2: which is gratitude. And There'll be times where I'm anxiety

633
00:32:59,160 --> 00:33:01,640
Speaker 2: and I'd be in a green room getting ready to

634
00:33:01,640 --> 00:33:04,040
Speaker 2: go on stage and I'm feeling anxiety, and we'll pause

635
00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:07,000
Speaker 2: the room and everybody stop what they're doing, and everybody

636
00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,360
Speaker 2: tells me five things that they're grateful for. We go

637
00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:12,440
Speaker 2: around the room when we all share our gratitude, and

638
00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:17,040
Speaker 2: sometimes it's not me, Sometimes it's my opener is having

639
00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,280
Speaker 2: a rough day and you can feel it, you could

640
00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:22,320
Speaker 2: see it. Something's wrong. All right, everybody stop, we need

641
00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:24,959
Speaker 2: to practice some gratitude, and everybody goes around the room,

642
00:33:24,960 --> 00:33:26,720
Speaker 2: we say five things that we're grateful for, and together

643
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:30,000
Speaker 2: we start shifting our perspective. We start changing the vibration

644
00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,560
Speaker 2: in the room. We start raising the vibration in the

645
00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:37,440
Speaker 2: room from this low, stressful, anxious frequency, we raise it

646
00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:43,520
Speaker 2: to this gratitude frequency, and we practice gratitude. And that's

647
00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:47,480
Speaker 2: something that I use in my mental health journey. So

648
00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:50,640
Speaker 2: I said, well, if I can incorporate something like that

649
00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:55,040
Speaker 2: into the podcast, then I'd be down. So that's why

650
00:33:55,160 --> 00:33:59,200
Speaker 2: my podcast premise is gratitude. Every guest that we invite

651
00:33:59,240 --> 00:34:01,800
Speaker 2: onto the show, we asked them five things that they're

652
00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:05,840
Speaker 2: grateful for throughout their life. Whether that's you know, an

653
00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:10,280
Speaker 2: uncle they had growing up that you know, he helped

654
00:34:10,320 --> 00:34:14,200
Speaker 2: me get to where I am today, or maybe it's

655
00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:18,880
Speaker 2: the fact that there a car that broke down. They

656
00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:22,120
Speaker 2: got a discount on it getting fixed yesterday, and they

657
00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:24,759
Speaker 2: weren't expecting that discount. They really needed it, and they

658
00:34:24,840 --> 00:34:26,440
Speaker 2: just said, you know, I'm gonna give you two hundred

659
00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:29,399
Speaker 2: bucks off. Maybe it's something like that. But we get

660
00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:33,799
Speaker 2: to know every guest through the lens of gratitude, and

661
00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:38,399
Speaker 2: usually their gratefuls lead us into an incredible story from

662
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:41,719
Speaker 2: their life and we learned something about them. And we

663
00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:43,480
Speaker 2: also do a mattitude. The mattitude is the thing that

664
00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:45,960
Speaker 2: gets on your nerves, like what makes you mad? It

665
00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:48,440
Speaker 2: gives you bad attitude. That's a matitude, like what is

666
00:34:48,440 --> 00:34:50,480
Speaker 2: your mattitude? So we also we do one mattitude and

667
00:34:50,520 --> 00:34:52,799
Speaker 2: then we move into gratitude and we just learned some

668
00:34:53,040 --> 00:34:55,480
Speaker 2: incredible things about each guest that comes on the show,

669
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:58,320
Speaker 2: and it's such a cool way to get to know people.

670
00:34:59,360 --> 00:35:02,080
Speaker 1: Where did you come up with that idea? Obviously you

671
00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:04,640
Speaker 1: said you practiced it in your own life gratitude And

672
00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:07,480
Speaker 1: I mean it's easy to say to you know, just

673
00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:10,080
Speaker 1: think about what you're grateful for and you'll get through something.

674
00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:15,280
Speaker 1: But sometimes we're really bogged down and people don't realize

675
00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:20,440
Speaker 1: that we all suffer from anxiety and depression and insecurity

676
00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:23,520
Speaker 1: and it hits you when you don't even expect it.

677
00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,560
Speaker 1: Where did that gratitude think come in? And you know

678
00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:29,640
Speaker 1: what made it so important or why do you think

679
00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:30,720
Speaker 1: it's so powerful?

680
00:35:30,840 --> 00:35:34,520
Speaker 2: It came from a book by Jensen Zero and my brain,

681
00:35:34,600 --> 00:35:39,960
Speaker 2: I swear, since pregnancy, my memory is so bad. I

682
00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:41,560
Speaker 2: can't remember the name of the book right now, but

683
00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:44,560
Speaker 2: it was I lived by this book and it was

684
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:48,319
Speaker 2: something that like changed my life. Oh, you are a

685
00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:51,120
Speaker 2: Badass is what it's called. You Are a bad Ass

686
00:35:51,120 --> 00:35:52,879
Speaker 2: by Jensen Sarah. I just typed it in right now.

687
00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:55,920
Speaker 2: This book really changed.

688
00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,160
Speaker 1: It comes fast. I didn't even see your hand moved.

689
00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:01,120
Speaker 2: As soon as you started I pulled. I was like,

690
00:36:01,360 --> 00:36:02,840
Speaker 2: I know it. I can't even remember the name of

691
00:36:02,880 --> 00:36:05,760
Speaker 2: the book, and I read it multiple times. It changed

692
00:36:05,760 --> 00:36:09,560
Speaker 2: my life. The things that it taught me about gratitude.

693
00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:14,800
Speaker 2: And she talks about how gratitude it's it's almost like

694
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,200
Speaker 2: like when I'm saying a joke and I say the

695
00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:19,440
Speaker 2: joke and they laugh, and then the laugh comes back

696
00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,319
Speaker 2: into my body, and then I say the joke and

697
00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:23,280
Speaker 2: they hear it and then they laugh. It's this big

698
00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:26,960
Speaker 2: circle of gratitude going back and forth. And so all

699
00:36:26,960 --> 00:36:31,000
Speaker 2: the principles of that, like practicing saying it out loud,

700
00:36:31,000 --> 00:36:33,439
Speaker 2: because when you hear yourself say the things that you're

701
00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:38,880
Speaker 2: grateful for, like you're raising your vibration I learned it

702
00:36:38,920 --> 00:36:44,319
Speaker 2: from this book and I started practicing it and it

703
00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:47,880
Speaker 2: became something that really helped me. Like, there's a lot

704
00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:52,279
Speaker 2: of tools that I've learned over the years, different breathing techniques,

705
00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:57,399
Speaker 2: different supplements, and they have all worked in their own way,

706
00:36:57,560 --> 00:37:00,799
Speaker 2: and gratitude is definitely one that works like that the

707
00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:05,359
Speaker 2: second I'm like feeling heavy or not, the second I'm

708
00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:09,120
Speaker 2: feeling heavy, the second I realize that I've been feeling heavy,

709
00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:11,760
Speaker 2: because a lot of times you don't realize it until

710
00:37:11,840 --> 00:37:16,480
Speaker 2: you're like and you take a deep sigh and you're like, oh,

711
00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:20,080
Speaker 2: I'm holding onto something. Oh my face is like scowling,

712
00:37:20,239 --> 00:37:23,759
Speaker 2: like something, I'm not right. I haven't been singing. I

713
00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:27,440
Speaker 2: sing a lot throughout the day, whatever, I haven't been singing.

714
00:37:27,840 --> 00:37:32,879
Speaker 2: Some's wrong, some's off. It's when you realize it then

715
00:37:32,960 --> 00:37:35,080
Speaker 2: I'm like, you know, let me practice some gratitude. Start

716
00:37:35,080 --> 00:37:37,440
Speaker 2: saying it out loud what you're grateful for, and it

717
00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:39,000
Speaker 2: starts shifting things.

718
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,759
Speaker 1: Well, speaking of gratitude, comedy saved me. I'd love to

719
00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:46,600
Speaker 1: know your answer, because it sounds like there's a nice

720
00:37:47,280 --> 00:37:50,120
Speaker 1: melding of both comedy and gratitude. By what you just

721
00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:52,640
Speaker 1: described was there a moment that comedy literally got you

722
00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:54,799
Speaker 1: through something and saved you.

723
00:37:55,440 --> 00:38:03,080
Speaker 2: I mean my whole life. I live a beautiful life.

724
00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:07,360
Speaker 2: I have incredible life. I've an incredible husband. I'm so

725
00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:10,880
Speaker 2: lucky that I get to be his wife. I have

726
00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:20,359
Speaker 2: the most beautiful, hilarious, spunky, sassy daughter. My dog is

727
00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,000
Speaker 2: the best dog I've ever seen in the history of dogs.

728
00:38:24,760 --> 00:38:28,280
Speaker 2: Like I have a beautiful life that I get to live.

729
00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:33,080
Speaker 2: I get to travel the world telling stories about my

730
00:38:33,200 --> 00:38:40,200
Speaker 2: life that in itself, I would say comedy saved me

731
00:38:41,080 --> 00:38:47,520
Speaker 2: because it provided me this life. When before, before this

732
00:38:47,600 --> 00:38:50,680
Speaker 2: YouTube video came out, I was renting a room at

733
00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:53,360
Speaker 2: my friend's house. I couldn't pay my rent, but she

734
00:38:53,440 --> 00:38:56,080
Speaker 2: was very generous to let me still stay there, and

735
00:38:57,320 --> 00:38:59,600
Speaker 2: my sister would send me gift certificates to the grocery

736
00:38:59,600 --> 00:39:03,719
Speaker 2: store so I could get food to eat. I was

737
00:39:03,719 --> 00:39:06,800
Speaker 2: on unemployment. My unemployment checks had run out at this point.

738
00:39:07,040 --> 00:39:09,400
Speaker 2: I didn't have an agent at this point getting me

739
00:39:09,440 --> 00:39:11,560
Speaker 2: auditions or anything like that. So I was at this

740
00:39:11,640 --> 00:39:15,480
Speaker 2: place in my life where I was ready to go

741
00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:20,480
Speaker 2: home because I had nothing. I had nothing pointing me

742
00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:22,680
Speaker 2: in the right direction saying hey, you're on the right track, girl,

743
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:26,000
Speaker 2: keep going nothing. My life was saying that. Everything in

744
00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:28,800
Speaker 2: my life was saying, well, I mean you tried you,

745
00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:31,240
Speaker 2: good for you, you moved out here, you gave it a shot,

746
00:39:31,239 --> 00:39:35,279
Speaker 2: but this ain't for you. Okay, time to go back home.

747
00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:41,480
Speaker 2: Everything my life was saying that. But I stayed because again,

748
00:39:41,520 --> 00:39:43,759
Speaker 2: my sister was sending me gift certificates at the grocery store,

749
00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:46,560
Speaker 2: my friend was letting me live there without paying her

750
00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:50,040
Speaker 2: rent for a while. And I had this feeling in

751
00:39:50,080 --> 00:39:53,719
Speaker 2: my spirit, in my gut that was telling me, don't

752
00:39:53,719 --> 00:39:57,839
Speaker 2: give up. It's not time yet. I know everything does

753
00:39:57,880 --> 00:40:01,279
Speaker 2: not look good right now, but not yet. I felt

754
00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:05,360
Speaker 2: like God was telling me, not yet, hold on. I

755
00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:08,080
Speaker 2: know it looks bad, but not yet. Just wait a minute,

756
00:40:08,160 --> 00:40:13,040
Speaker 2: just way hold on. So I use that time of

757
00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:18,799
Speaker 2: having nothing, no groceries, no auditions, no money. I use

758
00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:22,920
Speaker 2: that time to pursue God and have a relationship with

759
00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:27,120
Speaker 2: God during that time, and I would pray, I would

760
00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:31,600
Speaker 2: read my Bible, I would sing my worship songs, and

761
00:40:32,600 --> 00:40:36,080
Speaker 2: my connection to God grew stronger and stronger and stronger.

762
00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:38,680
Speaker 2: The more I had nothing, the more I just had Him,

763
00:40:38,719 --> 00:40:44,359
Speaker 2: and that's all I needed. And during this time, I

764
00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:50,479
Speaker 2: remember hearing God's voice in my heart saying like, You're

765
00:40:50,520 --> 00:40:54,080
Speaker 2: about to be so busy doing the things that you

766
00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:57,360
Speaker 2: love that you're not going to have all this time

767
00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:01,120
Speaker 2: with me. Because I was literally spending all day praying

768
00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:04,160
Speaker 2: and reading and singing worship songs because I didn't have

769
00:41:04,200 --> 00:41:07,319
Speaker 2: anything else to do, so that became what I was

770
00:41:07,360 --> 00:41:10,560
Speaker 2: doing all the time, and I felt like I was

771
00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:13,000
Speaker 2: saying like, Hey, you're about to be busy doing the

772
00:41:13,040 --> 00:41:14,680
Speaker 2: things that you love that you're not going to have

773
00:41:14,719 --> 00:41:17,920
Speaker 2: time to spend all day with me like this. But

774
00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:20,360
Speaker 2: I don't want you to give yourself a guilt trip.

775
00:41:21,640 --> 00:41:23,839
Speaker 2: This is from me, So I don't want you to think, oh,

776
00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:26,680
Speaker 2: I can't spend twenty four hours to day with God anymore.

777
00:41:26,719 --> 00:41:29,960
Speaker 2: This must be like the devil. Nah, girl, you're not

778
00:41:30,000 --> 00:41:33,400
Speaker 2: a nun. You're not like dedicating your life to me

779
00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:36,839
Speaker 2: in this way. I'm not requiring this of you. I'm

780
00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:41,040
Speaker 2: letting you know your life's about to change, and it

781
00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:46,480
Speaker 2: is from me, So accept it, don't fight it. Maybe

782
00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:50,879
Speaker 2: within a month this nail salon video blows up on YouTube. Wow,

783
00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:52,480
Speaker 2: changes my whole life.

784
00:41:54,040 --> 00:41:56,400
Speaker 1: What do you say to those who are doing the

785
00:41:56,440 --> 00:41:59,839
Speaker 1: same path and maybe stuck in a rut right.

786
00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:04,520
Speaker 2: Now, turn to God, ask God what do I do?

787
00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:09,279
Speaker 2: Because there was moments definitely where I was like, maybe

788
00:42:09,320 --> 00:42:11,200
Speaker 2: I should throw in the towel and God's like, no,

789
00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:14,279
Speaker 2: not yet. And then there's other situations that I was

790
00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:16,440
Speaker 2: in that I was like, maybe I should throw in

791
00:42:16,480 --> 00:42:19,279
Speaker 2: the towel and God's like, yeah, yeah, I've been trying

792
00:42:19,320 --> 00:42:20,400
Speaker 2: to get you to throw on this towel because I

793
00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:22,319
Speaker 2: got something else for you. Iick, I'm trying to get

794
00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:23,640
Speaker 2: you to pick up this other towel over here, but

795
00:42:23,640 --> 00:42:25,399
Speaker 2: you won't throw this one down, you know what I mean.

796
00:42:25,960 --> 00:42:30,319
Speaker 2: So we all need that direction and guidance. And so

797
00:42:30,440 --> 00:42:35,480
Speaker 2: I would just say, seek God and ask God what

798
00:42:35,560 --> 00:42:38,759
Speaker 2: you need to hold on to and give you the

799
00:42:38,880 --> 00:42:40,640
Speaker 2: strength to keep holding on to that.

800
00:42:42,239 --> 00:42:43,720
Speaker 1: I have so much more to talk to you about.

801
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:47,799
Speaker 1: And you have such an amazing story, and I know

802
00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:50,680
Speaker 1: it seems so cliche to say how inspiring you are,

803
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:54,080
Speaker 1: but to hear you speak your life and your truth

804
00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:57,719
Speaker 1: and your story, it really is inspiring and I hope

805
00:42:57,760 --> 00:43:01,840
Speaker 1: that it helps. It almost brings me to tears. Actually,

806
00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:06,279
Speaker 1: I'm really happy for you. I don't want to let

807
00:43:06,320 --> 00:43:08,920
Speaker 1: you go before we talk about can you believe this?

808
00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:14,640
Speaker 1: I'm either really overtired or you've just touched me so much.

809
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:19,960
Speaker 1: I suspect people listening will feel the same way. Seventh

810
00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:23,640
Speaker 1: comedy special is called Ugly Baby and it was just

811
00:43:23,719 --> 00:43:27,280
Speaker 1: released I think last month on YouTube. Tell us about

812
00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:29,719
Speaker 1: it and what people will find when they check it out.

813
00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:33,600
Speaker 2: Ugly Baby is my seventh one hour special, and this

814
00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:37,399
Speaker 2: one's probably my most intimate hour of material because every

815
00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:38,960
Speaker 2: hour before this I made a joke about how I

816
00:43:38,960 --> 00:43:40,959
Speaker 2: don't want kids, and my husband and I we always

817
00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:42,759
Speaker 2: said we did not want kids, and then look what

818
00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:47,680
Speaker 2: he did. So this hour is about me. Every hour

819
00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:49,799
Speaker 2: I talk about my life. Whatever I'm currently going through,

820
00:43:49,840 --> 00:43:51,719
Speaker 2: That's what I'm talking about. And so in this hour,

821
00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:53,959
Speaker 2: I'm talking about becoming a mom in my forties after

822
00:43:54,000 --> 00:43:56,800
Speaker 2: saying I didn't want kids, and how that has changed

823
00:43:56,840 --> 00:44:01,440
Speaker 2: me and changed my relationship with my husband and all

824
00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:04,359
Speaker 2: the fun things that I've learned about becoming a mom.

825
00:44:05,840 --> 00:44:10,960
Speaker 2: And it's been such a fun tour when I was

826
00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:13,759
Speaker 2: touring this hour to be able to connect with a

827
00:44:13,920 --> 00:44:16,080
Speaker 2: different side of my audience that I had never connected

828
00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:19,080
Speaker 2: with before. On this you know, parenthood realm to be

829
00:44:19,120 --> 00:44:21,160
Speaker 2: able to connect to this new side of my audience

830
00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:24,440
Speaker 2: while still holding on to the other side of my audience,

831
00:44:24,520 --> 00:44:29,319
Speaker 2: while still being the same, telling the same type of

832
00:44:29,320 --> 00:44:33,800
Speaker 2: stories with my same perspective, and being able to bring

833
00:44:33,880 --> 00:44:36,160
Speaker 2: you in to my story to where you can see yourself.

834
00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:39,680
Speaker 2: Whether you've ever had kids or not, you know a mom,

835
00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:45,480
Speaker 2: you probably had a mom, and so you can see yourself.

836
00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:47,760
Speaker 2: You can see your friends, you can see your sister,

837
00:44:47,840 --> 00:44:52,560
Speaker 2: you can see your uncle, you can see your husband,

838
00:44:52,600 --> 00:44:55,480
Speaker 2: you can see whoever from your life in my stories

839
00:44:55,480 --> 00:44:59,120
Speaker 2: that I'm telling. And it's my directorial debut. I directed

840
00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:03,200
Speaker 2: the special self Produce, Self Finance, Thank You. It is

841
00:45:03,239 --> 00:45:06,279
Speaker 2: on YouTube for free. There's no paywall. It's just out

842
00:45:06,280 --> 00:45:10,160
Speaker 2: there for anybody who wants to experience some joy. Just

843
00:45:10,239 --> 00:45:12,960
Speaker 2: look up Ugly Baby Angela Johnson ray Is. You can

844
00:45:13,000 --> 00:45:14,400
Speaker 2: spell my name any way you want, and it's going

845
00:45:14,440 --> 00:45:17,000
Speaker 2: to say did you mean, and just be like, yeah,

846
00:45:17,080 --> 00:45:19,319
Speaker 2: that's what I meant. Give me that one and watch

847
00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:22,960
Speaker 2: my special Ugly Baby.

848
00:45:21,719 --> 00:45:24,640
Speaker 1: Ugly Baby Angela Johnson Raise. It is such a pleasure

849
00:45:24,760 --> 00:45:27,240
Speaker 1: to have had this time with you. I'm so grateful

850
00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:30,719
Speaker 1: for it. And you made me cry and I don't

851
00:45:30,719 --> 00:45:34,120
Speaker 1: even know why. I I think I'm sorry. I'm like

852
00:45:34,160 --> 00:45:41,120
Speaker 1: I feel like I'm just astounded and so grateful again

853
00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:43,640
Speaker 1: that I had this time with you and that you

854
00:45:43,800 --> 00:45:47,120
Speaker 1: shared so much, and I'm looking forward to everything in

855
00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:49,120
Speaker 1: the future that you're doing. Keep doing it, and maybe

856
00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:51,279
Speaker 1: you'll come back and see us again, because I have

857
00:45:51,320 --> 00:45:54,200
Speaker 1: a feeling that you're not done and obviously this was

858
00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:56,439
Speaker 1: what you were meant to do. Thank you in your life.

859
00:45:57,000 --> 00:45:59,879
Speaker 1: So congratulations on all your six Thank you very much.

860
00:46:01,719 --> 00:46:05,160
Speaker 2: I'm buzz night, and thanks for listening to Comedy Save

861
00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:09,080
Speaker 2: Me with Lynn Hoffman, and do check out our other.

862
00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:11,760
Speaker 1: Podcast, Lynn Hoffman's Music Save.

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Speaker 2: Me podcast, also Sarah Harrelson and Taking a Walk Nashville

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Speaker 2: and Don't Forget also about Taking a Walk, hosted by

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Speaker 2: Yours Truly. All shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,

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Speaker 2: and are part of the iHeart podcast network.