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HB! Live #041 - Finding Your Comedic Style, The Highs and Lows of Comedy, EPK Tips + MORE

We're back with another Hot Breath! Live answering all of your comedy questions. Don't forget to join our email list for reminders of future livestreams!

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Takeaways:

  • Comedy is a journey, and it's important to find joy in the process rather than just focusing on the end goal.
  • You should keep a journal to jot down things that make you laugh to develop your comedic style.
  • Don't quit; persistence is key in the comedy industry, especially during challenging times.
  • Focus on what you can control, such as your writing and performance opportunities.
  • Consider using a variety of writing tools, from notebooks to digital apps, to capture your ideas.
  • The highs and lows of comedy are universal; every comedian experiences them at some point.
Transcript
Joel Byers:

What's goody?

Joel Byers:

Hot breath of Earth.

Joel Byers:

Welcome back.

Joel Byers:

It is Hot Breath Live, your weekly comedy tune up with comedians Joel Byers and Yoshi.

Joel Byers:

Sorry about him, but this is the weekly live stream we do on our YouTube channel where we answer your questions directly.

Joel Byers:

So join our email lists and I'll send you a weekly reminder of this awesome meeting we do, all in the name of comics helping comics.

Joel Byers:

And today we got a very special episode, Yoshi and I.

Joel Byers:

First off, Yoshi, if you not.

Joel Byers:

If you haven't seen his special yet on the hot breath YouTube channel, you gotta go check that out.

Joel Byers:

American, African.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, go check that out.

Joel Byers:

And also I want to say congratulations to Hot Breath OG Bobby Sutton.

Joel Byers:

She's going to be in Vegas.

Yoshi:

Nice.

Joel Byers:

For the Keenan Thompson Pop up Comedy Festival.

Joel Byers:

So anyone in Vegas, pull up on Jimmy Kimmel's Comedy Club.

Joel Byers:

That's very cool.

Joel Byers:

Love seeing the hot breath of verse out here doing dope things.

Joel Byers:

That's what it's all about.

Yoshi:

I love that.

Joel Byers:

And speaking of hot breath verse, Yoshi and I had great show this past week at the New Helium in Atlanta.

Yoshi:

Yeah, let's talk about it.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Super dope.

Joel Byers:

Several hot breathers.

Joel Byers:

I tell you, there were.

Joel Byers:

There were several hot breathers in the building.

Joel Byers:

I.

Joel Byers:

I don't forget.

Joel Byers:

But it's like when you meet.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

And when people.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, when you meet people, they're like, oh, my gosh, hot breath.

Joel Byers:

It's helped me in X, Y and Z.

Joel Byers:

And thank you so much.

Joel Byers:

And then you're like, oh, yeah, we are.

Yoshi:

We've been out here.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, we're doing things.

Yoshi:

Doing things.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yoshi:

About once a week when I go to a open mic or something, I get a stop and people are.

Yoshi:

I haven't heard anyone say, hey, that Hot Breath Network trash.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yoshi:

And we've been doing it for a while and the opportunities to say that are abound and plenty.

Yoshi:

But not once has anyone said that.

Yoshi:

All I've gotten is nothing but positive feedback about how much we have helped, how much resources that people have gotten from it.

Yoshi:

People listen regularly, which is freaking amazing.

Yoshi:

I get stopped and people are like, hey, that last episode, they'll ask more questions.

Yoshi:

I was like, yeah, of course I'll answer the question.

Yoshi:

So it's been awesome.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

So that show that we did at the Helium was awesome.

Yoshi:

Lots of.

Yoshi:

Lots of fans, let's put it that way.

Yoshi:

Tons of fans.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

And I was talking with Daniel Delano, a comic who was also on the show this past week.

Joel Byers:

He's been Doing a lot of festivals this year.

Joel Byers:

And he said every festival he's gone to, someone has asked him if they know Hot Breath because we're in Atlanta.

Joel Byers:

So that's pretty cool.

Yoshi:

That's very cool.

Yoshi:

That's very cool.

Joel Byers:

Actually.

Joel Byers:

He said if they know Joel Byers.

Joel Byers:

But I didn't want to make you feel bad.

Yoshi:

Okay.

Joel Byers:

But it was Hot breath.

Yoshi:

I'm good with it.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, I don't want to make you feel bad.

Joel Byers:

So I decided to say it anyway.

Joel Byers:

That's really what it was.

Yoshi:

Completely.

Yoshi:

I'm completely good with it.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Joel Byers:

But, yeah, so I thought that was cool, too, that a lot of people at festivals.

Joel Byers:

So, yeah, it's just.

Joel Byers:

It's very cool to.

Joel Byers:

Just to see it all coming together.

Joel Byers:

It's so exciting.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

So thank you all for listening and sharing it.

Joel Byers:

And when you're out at shows and you're talking to other comics and you say, have you heard of Hot Breath?

Joel Byers:

And you mention an interview or the live stream we do on Tuesdays, it just all.

Joel Byers:

It all helps, and it all adds up.

Yoshi:

Yeah, it does.

Yoshi:

Yes.

Joel Byers:

So us.

Yoshi:

And we're happy to do it.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Oh, absolutely.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, for sure.

Joel Byers:

And as.

Joel Byers:

As I have a child, I will be happy to do more.

Joel Byers:

I'm gonna lock myself in this room and never leave.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

I remember this one time Joel said, hey, you want to not do it on Tuesday?

Yoshi:

I was like, no, no, no, no.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah.

Joel Byers:

You're like, no, this is my time.

Yoshi:

No, no, no, no.

Joel Byers:

This is my time.

Yoshi:

I.

Yoshi:

I not only do I enjoy this, it's also good.

Yoshi:

It's.

Yoshi:

It's just good time.

Yoshi:

Sometimes you gotta set precedents and let people know Daddy is busy at this time.

Joel Byers:

That's right.

Yoshi:

No Daddy questions.

Yoshi:

I'm a comedian right now.

Yoshi:

I'm gonna do the comedian thing at this time.

Yoshi:

So, yeah, it's been awesome.

Joel Byers:

Oh, and we got some good questions already coming in the live chat here, but I did just want to shout out all the hot breathers we saw at the show this weekend and at Helium in Atlanta, which.

Joel Byers:

Amazing, Amazing, amazing club.

Joel Byers:

Amazing, amazing.

Yoshi:

Yeah, absolutely.

Joel Byers:

The lineup's coming through.

Joel Byers:

I mean, anyone in the Southeast not far from, like, the Atlanta area, it's worth driving in for.

Joel Byers:

They're bringing in the heat.

Joel Byers:

Shouty heaters.

Joel Byers:

Heat.

Yoshi:

Heavy hitters.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

From the jump.

Yoshi:

Great people.

Yoshi:

And I think, like.

Yoshi:

I mean, I remember, like, maybe, like, first week that was out, I was like, okay, they've got a pretty solid schedule.

Yoshi:

And then, like, days later, that schedule has filled up.

Yoshi:

I mean, it's like weekend after weekend, a lot of one nighters as well.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

That.

Yoshi:

That schedule is filling up and so, yeah, as I'm.

Yoshi:

Here's the thing.

Yoshi:

I live less than 10 minutes away from that place.

Joel Byers:

Oh, that's beautiful.

Yoshi:

I think I've literally been there probably like four or five nights since it's opened.

Yoshi:

But I like that because I like hanging out at the, at the comedy club.

Yoshi:

So before I had to like schedule out and ask for like, you know, hey, I'm gonna be gone for the next two hours versus I'll just stop in for like a couple minutes and then go home.

Yoshi:

Which is awesome.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, Just put your face there.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah.

Yoshi:

So.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah.

Joel Byers:

I was gonna say, speaking of Hot breath, I got to.

Joel Byers:

The next night after our show, I got to work with Moses Storm, who was.

Joel Byers:

Is a fan of hot breath as well.

Yoshi:

Nice.

Yoshi:

So you opened the show that.

Yoshi:

That's the show that you opened?

Joel Byers:

I did.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yoshi:

How was that show?

Joel Byers:

Oh, it was super dope.

Joel Byers:

He's.

Joel Byers:

He's a wild man.

Joel Byers:

You know, he's like.

Joel Byers:

He's.

Joel Byers:

If you remember my.

Joel Byers:

When I used to host the Java monkey show on the coffee shop patio.

Yoshi:

Yes.

Joel Byers:

Did a bunch of weird stuff and rubbed the walls and rolled around the floor.

Joel Byers:

He's like, if I honed that and did it in a way that people actually enjoyed and it was entertaining and not like a mental breakdown.

Joel Byers:

Like, I've been a fan of Moses for years now and his special, he has an HBO special called like Trash White.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Which is incredible.

Joel Byers:

About his story of growing up homeless and dumpster diving and all that funness he found humor in.

Joel Byers:

And just to say he opened up the show, he somehow ended up with an audience member shoe.

Joel Byers:

And then he put a cheese stick in between their toe and took a bite of the cheese.

Joel Byers:

Or he acted like he was going to take a bite.

Joel Byers:

I don't think he actually took a bite.

Joel Byers:

But all that happened.

Joel Byers:

And these were like rich.

Joel Byers:

They were on the front row.

Joel Byers:

These were like rich whites that you would kind of expect to go with.

Yoshi:

That's my favorite kind of white too.

Joel Byers:

Exactly.

Joel Byers:

That's also why I like helium, because it's in a rich part of town and that's my audience.

Joel Byers:

But they were down from the beginning.

Joel Byers:

Like he went weird from the jump and they followed him the whole way and he killed.

Joel Byers:

He did over an hour.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

So it was really cool to watch and just see the, the freedom on stage.

Joel Byers:

And it's a good reminder for all of us to Remember that this is supposed to be fun.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, I, I always have to remind myself of that.

Joel Byers:

I mean, even in my set list, I write have fun in it.

Joel Byers:

Every.

Joel Byers:

Like I, I keep saying, oh, I gotta get this joke and I want to try this new tag and oh my gosh, the booker's in the back of the room and I gotta.

Joel Byers:

And they gotta have fun and remember to lead with that intention and just to see Moses embody that and make that like, that's like his brand of comedy is.

Joel Byers:

He is.

Joel Byers:

You don't know what you're gonna get, but you know it's gonna be fun and funny in an adventure and it's just inspiring to see it done at a high level.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

He's got a Robin William esque like character to him, which is just fun to see because, you know, there's not a lot of those really around either of a stand up perspective.

Yoshi:

So it's definitely like a refreshing thing to watch.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

I've watched the special as well and I was like, oh, wow.

Yoshi:

Like, and I thought.

Yoshi:

I was like, that is a lot.

Yoshi:

Like, it's.

Yoshi:

He's doing so much in my mind.

Yoshi:

I was like, how are you not tired?

Yoshi:

Like, that just looks exhausting.

Yoshi:

But you could just tell he's having such a good time and everything flows and Which I truly like, appreciate.

Yoshi:

It's like, oh, all this is like work.

Yoshi:

He's working all these bits and they all like come in and out.

Yoshi:

It looks like it's improv, but it's like, oh, this is very much owned jokes and I love that.

Joel Byers:

And that's why in Conan, he's one of Conan's favorite comics.

Joel Byers:

And like Conan's given him a lot of shine on his show and stuff just because of that.

Joel Byers:

He's such a unique voice.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

I think Conan produced that special.

Joel Byers:

Oh, he did.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Joel Byers:

Good point.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

Which is.

Yoshi:

That's.

Yoshi:

That's awesome.

Yoshi:

That's a nice little executive producer tag that you can have.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

So definitely go check out Moses Storm, his specials on HBO and you can watch clips on YouTube and he's done several late nights and things like that.

Joel Byers:

So he's definitely one worth checking out.

Joel Byers:

We were, we talked about doing the interview.

Joel Byers:

We just did it.

Joel Byers:

We couldn't make it happen.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, it didn't happen the time.

Joel Byers:

It just wasn't the right timing.

Joel Byers:

I propose it just.

Joel Byers:

I.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, it just.

Joel Byers:

Life.

Joel Byers:

I.

Joel Byers:

You can't.

Joel Byers:

I can't just go for like.

Joel Byers:

I can't just go.

Joel Byers:

I can't be like oh yeah, I'll just be there.

Joel Byers:

And I, I have like, like this family situation where I have to be around and accountable and write thank you notes to everyone that bought us all gifts off our registry, which we're very grateful for.

Joel Byers:

So, so it was a lot of.

Joel Byers:

There were family things I could not avoid to then go.

Joel Byers:

But yeah, timing.

Joel Byers:

I'm still grateful we got to hang out.

Joel Byers:

I'm not as thirsty anymore, which feels good as well.

Joel Byers:

Of like I gotta make sure I get this interview with this person.

Joel Byers:

It was more about just connecting with them and hearing him say such nice things about the show and us kind of nerd out about comedy together and such.

Joel Byers:

So that connection's worth more than trying to force an interview at this.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

Well, congratulations on the show, man.

Yoshi:

That's awesome.

Yoshi:

So you did two shows?

Yoshi:

Two shows at the Helium.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah, it was, it was a lot of fun.

Joel Byers:

It was so much fun.

Joel Byers:

And I saw Chicken Joe Clark ask if they give out a towner spots.

Joel Byers:

Not with that name.

Yoshi:

I don't know how it works when it comes to out of town comedians.

Joel Byers:

They're doing an open mic every week now, but I don't know the signup process or any of that, but that's probably your best bet.

Yoshi:

Yeah, and I mean I think one of the things about especially a club like this is they're just starting out so I don't know how much leeway they've got for stuff.

Yoshi:

And I'll tell you just from a in town perspective, there's so many in town comedians that are like on the shows right now.

Yoshi:

Which is awesome because you can see like the headliners are appreciative that the club has features and openers and things like that.

Yoshi:

But I don't know, the out of town sort of drop in process.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah, I don't either.

Joel Byers:

I, yeah, they've been open literally maybe three weeks.

Yoshi:

Yeah, exactly.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

They're just kind of getting up and running and ironing out the kinks and stuff.

Joel Byers:

But it's, it's definitely worth at least going visiting.

Joel Byers:

for sure my comic to watch of:

Joel Byers:

So I don't, I don't know if I'll be able to make it.

Joel Byers:

But she is, if you ever see her anywhere in your area, you gotta watch her.

Joel Byers:

She is lights out, just hilarious.

Joel Byers:

It's, it's, it's, it's awesome to see and depressing of like.

Joel Byers:

Oh, you can be that good.

Yoshi:

No, incredible.

Yoshi:

Incredible joke writer and just, just a force.

Joel Byers:

It's like a hurricane when she's up there.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yoshi:

She's like Tasmanian devil when it comes to stage presence.

Yoshi:

Dude.

Joel Byers:

All killer, no filler.

Yoshi:

All killer, no filler.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Lights out.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

So let's get into these questions here.

Joel Byers:

And if you are watching live do hit the like button on these.

Joel Byers:

On these live streams.

Joel Byers:

Let's.

Joel Byers:

Let's get the algorithm going here.

Joel Byers:

Okay.

Joel Byers:

Let's.

Joel Byers:

We're, we're really.

Yoshi:

We're.

Joel Byers:

Let's.

Joel Byers:

Let's get into it.

Joel Byers:

Hot breath verse.

Joel Byers:

We got here together, we're gonna get there together.

Yoshi:

Boom.

Joel Byers:

Oh.

Joel Byers:

We got here together and we're gonna get there together.

Joel Byers:

That's pretty cool.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

Bars.

Yoshi:

Bars.

Joel Byers:

Thank you.

Joel Byers:

Oh, man, I have a feeling that's loud and I'm sorry.

Yoshi:

Podcast, right?

Joel Byers:

That was very loud.

Yoshi:

Chicken Joe Clark actually said that there's a group of his that watches this show together, which is awesome.

Joel Byers:

Oh, in Houston.

Joel Byers:

Oh, that's cool.

Yoshi:

Appreciate that.

Joel Byers:

I'm sorry, I roasted your name.

Yoshi:

Comedy.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

We'Re still gonna roast you.

Yoshi:

Thank you.

Yoshi:

But we're still gonna do it.

Joel Byers:

So.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, hit the like button.

Joel Byers:

Share this on Reddit or social media.

Joel Byers:

Let's really start.

Joel Byers:

Let's start building up this show here.

Joel Byers:

Our wives greatly appreciate you and the first question I'm seeing here is from Mike Betancourt and he asks, what is your favorite notepad to write on?

Joel Byers:

So if y'all don't know, we nerded out about pins last week we went in deep on pins and the analytics reflect that.

Joel Byers:

But if you know, you know, shouty and we appreciate y'all that nerd out on pins.

Joel Byers:

Honestly, my favorite, I mean, I just use like my daily use is like a, like a composition notebook, basically.

Joel Byers:

I mean, it's just like one of those kind of black and white speckled composition books.

Joel Byers:

I do have a, like a kind of a quote unquote fancier journal I will journal in.

Joel Byers:

But that was like a, like a gift from my sister in law.

Joel Byers:

But in my day to day, like joke writing, it's in like a composition notebook.

Joel Byers:

And also when I go to shows, I use like a smaller notebook that I can fit in a pocket.

Joel Byers:

Right now I'm, I got like a pack of like the moleskin kind of not fabric, paperback one kind of paperback ones.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, they're just mobile, they bend, they're durable.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

And I'll just do my set list in there and I use, you know, the Zebra F301.

Joel Byers:

That's kind of My.

Joel Byers:

That's my go to at showtime unless I'm feeling fancy.

Yoshi:

Okay.

Joel Byers:

I don't like one thing I did recently.

Joel Byers:

Sam Altman.

Joel Byers:

Wait, Sam Altman?

Joel Byers:

Yes.

Joel Byers:

The open AI guy.

Joel Byers:

Right.

Joel Byers:

That's Sam Altman.

Joel Byers:

I thought it said Sam Walton, which I think is the Walmart guy.

Yoshi:

Yep, yep.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

But I just saw a clip with him talking about his favorite notebook, and he likes the spiral notebooks because they'll lay flat.

Joel Byers:

And because there is something with.

Joel Byers:

When it's not spiraled, it does kind of, like, plump in the middle, and it can be kind of hard to get in all the way on the page.

Joel Byers:

So there may be some to the spiral I need to revisit.

Yoshi:

Nice.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

I don't know if I have a favorite notepad.

Yoshi:

My thing, I.

Yoshi:

I definitely write a lot on, like, I would say are, like, the index card notepad thingamajiggers.

Yoshi:

I write a lot of my set list on those.

Yoshi:

Like, just, like, little index cards.

Joel Byers:

Okay.

Yoshi:

On those things.

Yoshi:

But when it comes to like, actual, like, jokes and when I write.

Yoshi:

Right.

Yoshi:

I've been in marketing for so long, so I just have this collection of just Chotzkis and old notebooks from old companies.

Yoshi:

Like, I think I have, like, a Cialis notebook or something like that.

Joel Byers:

Right.

Yoshi:

Of just, like, random stuff, but I just have them.

Yoshi:

So I would just use that notebook, write, like, the.

Yoshi:

The year on it, and then write jokes for this year, and that's what I'll just be writing in.

Yoshi:

So I usually try to separate out new jokes for different years, and that's, like, the only process that I have.

Yoshi:

But I write with anything.

Yoshi:

It doesn't matter.

Yoshi:

Like, I don't have, like, a favorite feel of a notepad, but I'm just.

Yoshi:

All the notebooks, and I have tons of notebooks that are just random from every conference that I've been in.

Yoshi:

All these places that give you free stuff, like, from these different companies.

Yoshi:

Some of them are still around, some of them are not still around.

Yoshi:

And I'm just like, huh, what is this company?

Yoshi:

No idea.

Yoshi:

But they gave me a notebook at a conference in Louisiana one time.

Yoshi:

That's what I'm using.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

I got.

Joel Byers:

When I worked at the hotel, when I refilled mini bars, I would.

Joel Byers:

A lot of the people that were there for conferences would leave all that kind of stationary stuff in the rooms when they left.

Joel Byers:

So I.

Joel Byers:

I have a collection of those as well.

Joel Byers:

Of all those different.

Yoshi:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

Like a free notebook.

Yoshi:

Mm.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

I don't know if anyone else has in the Live chat, favorite notebooks.

Joel Byers:

But that's kind of the.

Joel Byers:

The.

Joel Byers:

The go to.

Joel Byers:

I write in a bigger one, and then I'll take a smaller one out to show.

Yoshi:

Yeah, that's what I do, too.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

I have a notion More, too.

Yoshi:

Oh, I've been.

Yoshi:

I've been Notion freak, and I have a separate notepad, but, yeah, yeah, I've been.

Yoshi:

I've been.

Yoshi:

I've been notion it up lately.

Yoshi:

Like, it's been helping me organize, but I've got, like, an old note.

Yoshi:

I use this tool called Up Note, because when I got it, it was, like, cheap, and it just has every.

Yoshi:

All the notes.

Yoshi:

I imported all my stuff from Evernote because I was a big Evernote person until they started charging, like, way too much money, or at least for me, and I was just like, all right, I'm gonna just use this.

Yoshi:

And it organizes all my stuff.

Yoshi:

It's how I wrote the special.

Yoshi:

It's how I organize the special.

Yoshi:

And that's.

Joel Byers:

Oh, Up Note.

Yoshi:

Yeah, up note.

Joel Byers:

Oh, interesting.

Joel Byers:

I have never heard of that.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah, it's just a very, like.

Yoshi:

It's a minimalist.

Yoshi:

So I've been just trying to watch or, like, find, like, minimalist stuff because I realize I get way too distracted if something has too many features.

Yoshi:

And this is just notes.

Yoshi:

I was like, just notes.

Yoshi:

Organize it in notebooks and tabs, and it just does exactly what I needed to do.

Joel Byers:

Interesting.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Not heard of that one.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, it's kind of.

Joel Byers:

I mean.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, we can all get lost.

Joel Byers:

It's kind of like what you're going to use.

Joel Byers:

You know, we can all get lost.

Yoshi:

That's what I found, is that I was using so many different things, and so I imported everything into Upnote.

Yoshi:

I was like, no more.

Yoshi:

All the notes go in here.

Yoshi:

And then I use notion just to organize my day.

Yoshi:

So it doesn't.

Yoshi:

So I've separated out my notebook from, like, my daily task and things like that.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, I'm starting to.

Joel Byers:

I've been testing notion for, like, daily writing tracking as well.

Yoshi:

Oh, that's a good idea.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, it's kind of.

Joel Byers:

ing habit that they take into:

Joel Byers:

So I'm trying to think of all the different ways it's like, oh, man.

Yoshi:

What.

Joel Byers:

What would help me?

Joel Byers:

Like, what would.

Joel Byers:

What would help other comics?

Joel Byers:

So I'm trying to put together, like, a notion template for students as well, to kind of check in and organize your jokes.

Joel Byers:

And kind of check off the day.

Joel Byers:

Like Seinfeld's, how he has that don't break the chain strategy where he puts an X on a calendar.

Joel Byers:

It's kind of the same premise.

Yoshi:

So, yeah, I like that.

Yoshi:

It's.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, it's.

Joel Byers:

It's.

Yoshi:

Whatever.

Joel Byers:

Whatever y'all are going to use is really the best.

Joel Byers:

But the more accountability, the better to actually show up.

Yoshi:

Boom.

Joel Byers:

Oh, and Alvaro said calmly, writer is another one.

Yoshi:

Nice.

Joel Byers:

Ftw.

Joel Byers:

Notion.

Joel Byers:

Ftw.

Joel Byers:

What is FTW for the win?

Yoshi:

Basically, they're saying.

Joel Byers:

Like an old man.

Joel Byers:

What's that?

Joel Byers:

Ftw.

Joel Byers:

What's that?

Joel Byers:

Ftw.

Yoshi:

Yeah, I.

Yoshi:

I have been so thoroughly impressed with Notion.

Yoshi:

It is just good.

Yoshi:

I mean, I think I used it at first to organize.

Yoshi:

Like, I actually use it to organize my produced stuff.

Yoshi:

So I have a database of all the comedians that I use, and I've got them literally tagged by the types of jokes.

Yoshi:

Are they clean?

Yoshi:

Are they dirty?

Yoshi:

Can they do this kind of room, how many minutes I'm comfortable with them doing?

Yoshi:

And then that's how I go through and organize who I want to put on a show.

Yoshi:

So I've got that all organized in notion.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, we talked about that with our AI episode with Mike Tadasco, which, if y'all have not heard, you gotta go listen to that podcast, because that was a banger.

Joel Byers:

And we did a live writing session with AI and that was a winner for sure.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

So we putting out.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, I know.

Joel Byers:

It's like it.

Joel Byers:

You know, sometimes we forget we're doing so many cool things helping comics that we forget until we meet y'all in person and we're like, oh, yay.

Joel Byers:

We appreciate the gratitude.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

So speaking of, let's get to other comics questions here.

Joel Byers:

We just nerded out.

Joel Byers:

We almost just made a whole other episode about stationary again.

Joel Byers:

We were.

Joel Byers:

Last week was about pins, and now we're like, what.

Joel Byers:

What about stationary?

Joel Byers:

Maybe we get into card stock, different weights of paper.

Joel Byers:

So Daphne Steinberg can potentially triggering comments like, your body, my choice, be spun to be funny in any way.

Joel Byers:

Like joking about a cat and your face.

Yoshi:

I would say.

Joel Byers:

I think anything can.

Joel Byers:

I think you can really spin anything to be funny if you absolutely pull it off with the right skill.

Yoshi:

Absolutely.

Yoshi:

I mean, I think anytime you hear things like that, I think it's always funnier to take it to a direction that people are not expecting it.

Yoshi:

And I think that makes for a much more comedic.

Yoshi:

Because at the end of the day, comedy is about surprise.

Yoshi:

So obviously, some people might think you're going to go a certain way.

Yoshi:

So when you would surprise them with a different avenue, that's what the open mic is for.

Yoshi:

Try something that you see with my.

Yoshi:

Your body, my choice.

Yoshi:

See all the tags or see all the things that you want to write and see how it works in front of a real crowd.

Yoshi:

And then go play with that later again, listen to it and see if you can find some more tags.

Yoshi:

See if you can find some more ways.

Yoshi:

I mean, just.

Yoshi:

Just the way that you wrote the joke.

Yoshi:

Your body, my choice.

Yoshi:

With a cat and your face that feels funny already.

Yoshi:

Like, I'd love to see where that goes.

Joel Byers:

I think as long as it's not like, just making sure it's.

Joel Byers:

Anytime you're trying to do a joke that could be potentially controversial or whatever, it's just making sure you're not punching down.

Yoshi:

Boom.

Joel Byers:

And that's a great kind of way to ensure.

Yoshi:

Yes.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

And I warn comedians against this.

Yoshi:

Like, I.

Yoshi:

I sometimes feel like we get caught up in watching some types of comedians, like the Kill Tony like, universe, that are very, like.

Yoshi:

I mean, I'll say that it's like, very mean.

Yoshi:

It's very, like, just negative a little bit.

Yoshi:

And it's very much like an ode to how much can I say to get away with it.

Yoshi:

But I will also say, like, if you start writing that way, that becomes who you are and you're just not going to get booked a lot unless you have a fan base that is okay with that type of comedy.

Yoshi:

It takes people a while to be like, okay with that level of comedy.

Yoshi:

And as Anthony Jeselnik once said, if you are mean and you don't get away with it, that means you weren't funny enough.

Yoshi:

And he's like the master.

Yoshi:

He says very dark stuff and he gets away with it.

Yoshi:

Allah.

Yoshi:

That's why he's able to keep doing it years after years after years.

Yoshi:

If you don't get away with it or somebody calls you out for it, that means it wasn't funny and it wasn't great writing at the end of the day.

Joel Byers:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

And it's always great.

Joel Byers:

I mean, especially younger comics.

Joel Byers:

It's kind of.

Joel Byers:

You may aspire to tackle these taboo topics or to be edgy and whatnot, but it is very valuable to kind of learn the rules before you break them.

Joel Byers:

So how can you make, you know, the weather funny or how can you make a joke about your dog or your job and kind of less edgy things, but just learning how to make certain things funny before you try to tackle these big topics?

Joel Byers:

You kind of got to learn the technique and then you can apply it to these bigger, higher concepts.

Joel Byers:

But it just takes time.

Yoshi:

It takes time.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

But yeah, there is a whole movement with Kil Tony and comics outside of the context of Kill Tony.

Yoshi:

Yes.

Joel Byers:

Still think that it flies.

Joel Byers:

And that Kill Tony is it's.

Joel Byers:

It's its own.

Joel Byers:

I mean, you know, they sold out Mass Square Garden twice.

Joel Byers:

I mean, it's.

Joel Byers:

It's its own, like, world.

Joel Byers:

And outside of that world, all that offensiveness can be a little divisiveness, if you will.

Yoshi:

For sure.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah.

Yoshi:

And if.

Yoshi:

And it.

Yoshi:

And the reality is, if you're trying to work regularly as a comedian, your Kill Tony set, that only people at Kill Tony Love isn't going to work at every club, and not every club is going to book you because of that.

Yoshi:

Unless you can pull in your same audience.

Yoshi:

You know what I mean?

Joel Byers:

So, yeah, unless you have the audience, which.

Yoshi:

Unless you have the audience, then you can.

Yoshi:

You write the same rule.

Yoshi:

You write your rules the way that you want.

Yoshi:

But if you're just starting out and you're doing that kind of material, it's just really hard for it to be like, massively appeal to a lot of people.

Joel Byers:

But you do you boo.

Joel Byers:

We're not telling you the right or wrong way, just kind of giving you some.

Yoshi:

Yeah, we're just giving you some advice of what?

Yoshi:

We've been doing this for hot minute now and we don't see.

Yoshi:

We don't sink it.

Yoshi:

We synced it.

Joel Byers:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

Which actually, speaking of getting booked, Chicken Joe Clark asks about EPKs.

Joel Byers:

What should comics not leave out of an EPK?

Yoshi:

That's a good question.

Yoshi:

I can tell you what you should put in an EPK rather than what to leave out.

Joel Byers:

Right.

Yoshi:

In every epk, you want to put yourself a bio.

Yoshi:

That's important.

Yoshi:

Images of you.

Yoshi:

Currently, how you look is also important.

Yoshi:

Do not put Images of you 10 years ago unless you look very close to that now.

Yoshi:

Right.

Yoshi:

Like when people.

Yoshi:

I've seen it where people would put old pictures of them damn near 20, 15 years ago.

Yoshi:

And they get to a show and people are like, who is that guy?

Yoshi:

So you mix it up.

Yoshi:

Make sure you put like current pictures of yourself.

Yoshi:

Not it doesn't have to be like weeks ago, but like six months or like even a year is a good.

Yoshi:

So put pictures of yourself.

Yoshi:

Put links to your actual sets, whether they be short, long, preferably short.

Yoshi:

The majority of people that are looking for set list are looking for anything.

Yoshi:

5, 7, 10, 15.

Yoshi:

That's typically what they can tell and then if they ask you for like anything longer, then you send it to them.

Yoshi:

But if you've got a 5 minute, a 10 minute and a 15 minute, that's typically enough for people.

Yoshi:

You still there, Joel?

Yoshi:

And then.

Yoshi:

Yeah, the other thing I always say is also like reviews and.

Yoshi:

Or what people say about you is also a good thing to put on there as well.

Yoshi:

And then what's the last thing I'd probably say any kind of links or your like social links or social media and a way to contact you.

Yoshi:

Those are the most important things to put on your epk.

Joel Byers:

Oh yeah, And I was just pulling up mine.

Yoshi:

Yeah, there you go.

Joel Byers:

Just to show.

Joel Byers:

But it's like.

Joel Byers:

So mine has like my contact and name and title and like kind of a bio and a review from a past company and then I'll share this more with like companies and such.

Yoshi:

For sure.

Joel Byers:

I don't, it's not like I, I don't.

Joel Byers:

It's not like I'm sending this to a club or whatnot.

Joel Byers:

I guess it doesn't hurt.

Yoshi:

Yeah, clubs EPKs are usually different.

Yoshi:

Like this is a very corporate EPK where.

Yoshi:

Club EPKs.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

They want to know what other clubs you've worked at.

Yoshi:

Right.

Yoshi:

Like they look more for like validation.

Yoshi:

Oh, have you done this in other places or in other spots similar to ours?

Yoshi:

So that'd probably be the only difference.

Yoshi:

But what you have is a great starter for anyone.

Yoshi:

Even if you just have those elements of your contact information, a picture of yourself, a bio, what other companies you've worked for, a review section and then you know, as I say, the testimonials or validation of who you've done this for.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

I wouldn't get too been out of shape about an epk though.

Joel Byers:

I don't, I can't remember the last time someone was like, but do you have an epk?

Yoshi:

Typically you should get be asked for an epk.

Yoshi:

Don't just have it just to have it.

Yoshi:

You should be asked for it and then go get it done.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

And there's templates on Canva you can kind of follow and stuff.

Yoshi:

For sure.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

And I've done eps.

Yoshi:

The only time I was probably say, the only time I've really submitted one is for corporate gigs.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, that's why I have, that's why I have mine.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

So next question.

Yoshi:

Good question though.

Joel Byers:

That is a good question though.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, we haven't gotten asked that one in a while, so.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, that's a great question though.

Joel Byers:

Definitely like a little, little professional Polish for you to.

Joel Byers:

For you to have in your back pocket when someone asks for it.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

I would also say if you can put an EPK like on your website or on somewhere that people can just easily get to it, that's also a great, good look for you.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, for sure.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, that's a really good point.

Joel Byers:

So the next question I'm seeing is HS3 comedy winner.

Joel Byers:

When is the OG reunion show happening?

Yoshi:

We got to work on that.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, I reckon so.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, that's a good point.

Yoshi:

I like that.

Joel Byers:

We don't know.

Joel Byers:

We don't know.

Joel Byers:

That's a good question now.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, that would be fun.

Yoshi:

We'll see.

Yoshi:

We'll put it out there.

Yoshi:

We'll see.

Yoshi:

Maybe if the Helium Comedy club will let us do something like that, that'd be super fun like that.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that would be super dope.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, that's definitely something we can plan for 20, 25, for sure.

Joel Byers:

I like that we've kind of only done one hot breath event in a sense.

Joel Byers:

I mean, I did.

Joel Byers:

I did like a hot breath meet up in LA and the joke doctor came out and we did like a session, like a live right.

Joel Byers:

10 where people wrote and then went and performed the joke and got feedback from the joke doctor and me.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

And that was.

Joel Byers:

That was a lot of fun to do.

Joel Byers:

We did that at Flappers in a Burbank and then people got Covid.

Joel Byers:

So it was a success all around.

Joel Byers:

It was a success all around.

Joel Byers:

Just like 15 people in a super tight room.

Joel Byers:

No big deal.

Joel Byers:

Fortunately, everyone was okay, so I can make the joke.

Joel Byers:

But at the time I was like, oh, my gosh, what have I done?

Joel Byers:

I remember comic drove from like Vegas to be People drove from all over from like Oakland.

Joel Byers:

Like, people really showed up for it.

Joel Byers:

So that's awesome.

Yoshi:

Yeah, I mean, you showed up for it.

Yoshi:

That's what.

Yoshi:

That's what you get.

Yoshi:

You get coveted jokes.

Yoshi:

You came came for jokes, but you go away with COVID So the gift.

Joel Byers:

That keeps on giving.

Joel Byers:

Next question I have from Beardo asking if I've considered naming my child Remorse.

Joel Byers:

That's funny.

Joel Byers:

Like buyer's remorse.

Yoshi:

Ah, that's hilarious.

Yoshi:

That should be your next special Buyer's remorse.

Joel Byers:

That's pretty.

Yoshi:

Pretty good, Pretty solid stuff.

Joel Byers:

And Eric Hansen asks if there's any tips on finding and honing your style.

Yoshi:

That's a deep one.

Yoshi:

I'd probably say once you.

Yoshi:

I think one of my favorite things to watch comedians do when I see them figure out like a style that they have is to just double down on it.

Yoshi:

Right.

Yoshi:

Like there's a.

Yoshi:

I'll, I'll gloat about a comedian who I'm a big fan of in town.

Yoshi:

His name is Lanny Farmer.

Yoshi:

Lanny Farmer is very, has a style about his comedy, but he digs into it.

Yoshi:

And every time I've seen him and I've, I've actually like had him on many of shows of mine and to watch him just dig into that style is like my favorite thing.

Yoshi:

Because you've seen all the work that he's done like over the years of just owning that style and he's a very much like a one liner comedian and that's his style and very dry and just like delivers the jokes.

Yoshi:

But it's so funny.

Yoshi:

So to answer the question, it's just do it more and dig into it.

Yoshi:

Once you find what you like or what you enjoy, it's just do more of it as much as possible.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, it's really like, well, one, talking about topics that you enjoy talking about, that you have fun performing, that you're naturally interested in, that you're naturally curious about, that you naturally find funny.

Joel Byers:

So starting from that natural intention will help you to deliver your jokes more naturally.

Joel Byers:

And it's picking up on stylistically, it's, it's over time picking up on what the audience is enjoying about your performance.

Joel Byers:

So if you do facial expressions and you find people are laughing when you do facial expressions, it's doing that more.

Joel Byers:

I know for example with Jeff Foxworthy when he was on the show he, because he'll, in his delivery he'll kind of go up like this.

Joel Byers:

And I asked him about that and he, he said that just kind of evolved organically that he noticed when he went up and pitch like that people started to laugh more.

Joel Byers:

So just doing a lot of shows and starting to pick up on these little nuances that the audience was reacting to, he then started to develop his style around that feedback he was getting from the audience.

Joel Byers:

So now he's almost known for that high pitch.

Joel Byers:

But it all started with him doing it on stage a little bit here and there and then over time just making it a part of his act.

Joel Byers:

So just, yeah, being aware of when you review your sets or when you're on stage, if they're laughing at certain moments and try to do more of what evoked that laugh from a delivery standpoint and your style will evolve from there.

Joel Byers:

But start with material that you enjoy performing and you enjoy talking about and then that'll start to help you deliver more Naturally as well.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

And when you start out as a comedian, it's also important, like when you're keeping a notebook, like take notes of what you find funny.

Yoshi:

Like take a note of the things that make you laugh.

Yoshi:

And I think that's an important factor to figure out.

Yoshi:

Oh, what your style is.

Yoshi:

Like if you find something that someone says funny, like jot it down and be like, why did I find that funny?

Yoshi:

And try to remember, okay, there's something about this that I find funny.

Yoshi:

And like making a note of what you find funny and what sort of is your funny style helps you also deliver in a better way and helps you deliver the way that you want to because you're like, oh, I like when someone does that thing in comedy or I like the way that that person delivered that joke.

Yoshi:

So yeah, along with writing notes, I mean, writing your jokes down, also, like take note of what you find funny as well is super important.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Great question though there, Eric.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, it's, it's, it's an evolution, you know, for, for years I just did one liners and I was very.

Joel Byers:

Just monotone and didn't even think about the delivery.

Joel Byers:

And it just kind of evolved over time.

Joel Byers:

But it's interesting, you know, with their.

Joel Byers:

People are already thinking about these things now when, early on now there's so much information out there about comedy that, oh, comics, younger comics are now trying to do all these things that older comics.

Joel Byers:

I guess I am kind of an older comic.

Joel Byers:

But like when I started there wasn't.

Joel Byers:

It was kind of like, all right, you just grind for 10 years, then you film a special and you go from there.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

But now it's like, you know, it's the wild west and comics have a bigger growth mindset than ever, which I'm absolutely, I envy in a sense.

Joel Byers:

I'm almost like I've been conditioned to feel like I have to grind until I hate myself and then an opportunity magically appears.

Joel Byers:

But younger comics are like, no, we're gonna go out there and make our opportunity.

Joel Byers:

Opportunity.

Joel Byers:

And I really, I don't, I mean I'm, I'm in that mindset now, but it is something I have to be intentional about as it's just the, it's just the norm for comics nowadays.

Yoshi:

Absolutely.

Yoshi:

Yep.

Yoshi:

The game has changed.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, it really has.

Joel Byers:

Oh, and Bobby said we did a sold out hop breath show at the Hicksville that she put on.

Joel Byers:

Yes, we did.

Joel Byers:

I was thinking, I guess I was thinking about like meetups or whatnot, but yeah, an actual live show.

Joel Byers:

We did yeah, Bobby put that show on with Joyce, which was very cool to do.

Yoshi:

Yeah, that's awesome.

Joel Byers:

Thank you for that reminder there, Bobby.

Joel Byers:

If when we do an OG, you know, Bobby is front and center for sure.

Yoshi:

Oh, gee.

Joel Byers:

OG OG Yay.

Joel Byers:

Yay.

Joel Byers:

Wait, what's goody?

Joel Byers:

Angels on y'all.

Joel Byers:

That's Bobby's sound effect there.

Joel Byers:

But I guess we should angels on y'all.

Joel Byers:

There's Bobby.

Joel Byers:

Oh, we got one more.

Joel Byers:

And then maybe we should land the plane.

Yoshi:

Yeah, let's do it.

Joel Byers:

We got one more.

Joel Byers:

So if y'all haven't already hit the like button on this video, share this on social media.

Joel Byers:

Let's really start getting these numbers up on these live streams.

Joel Byers:

And your homework for this week, go tell one comic at an open mic about hot breath.

Joel Byers:

That will be your homework this week, kiddos, because we're gonna spread the hot breath verse one comic at a time.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

And then if you can get in two questions, tell them to go watch my special.

Joel Byers:

Yes, good point.

Joel Byers:

On the Hot Breath YouTube channel, go watch Yoshi special for sure.

Joel Byers:

Probably more importantly, they should go watch Yoshi special.

Joel Byers:

It's a good point for sure.

Yoshi:

Yeah, we getting out there, man.

Joel Byers:

So, Dubs, general asked, do you ever feel like you're just always on go, never really getting to your end goal?

Joel Byers:

Does that cause you to be discouraged?

Joel Byers:

So do you're just always on go?

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

Just feel like you're just always hustling, but you're not getting to your end goal.

Yoshi:

And does that discourage you?

Yoshi:

I had a feeling this one would stop us in our tracks.

Yoshi:

Good question, Dubs.

Yoshi:

Good question.

Yoshi:

I would say the answer is sometimes you have to be reminded that your end goals can change and even if you're not getting to them is to enjoy the journey of what you are doing and to be gracious.

Yoshi:

And I don't know what the word is, but, like, find some gratitude in the everyday stuff that you're doing.

Yoshi:

With comedy.

Yoshi:

I know when I started it was always about, I gotta get on tv, I gotta do this, I gotta do all that other stuff.

Yoshi:

And now I just like to work, man.

Yoshi:

I just.

Yoshi:

I like doing shows, I like doing corporate gigs.

Yoshi:

I just like the ability to be able to get up as often as possible.

Yoshi:

I like going on the road, and that's finding more of those opportunities is what my goal is now.

Yoshi:

Yes, I have goals of doing more specials.

Yoshi:

Yes, I have goals of, you know, opening for a big time comedian.

Yoshi:

All those things are still on the goals list.

Yoshi:

But I'm not going to stop I think for me, the biggest thing is I'm not going to quit.

Yoshi:

That's the whole goal.

Yoshi:

Don't quit.

Yoshi:

I don't know if that's helpful or not, but that's, for me is sort of the driving force.

Joel Byers:

I tell myself that in the mirror every day.

Joel Byers:

Don't quit.

Joel Byers:

Don't quit.

Joel Byers:

Oh, and we got a team of tips saying, hi from Russia.

Yoshi:

Hello.

Joel Byers:

We out here.

Yoshi:

We are out here.

Joel Byers:

I think when I do feel that stress or discouragement, I should be X, Y and Z.

Joel Byers:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

It's all it.

Joel Byers:

It all comes down to whenever I feel that way, I'm focusing on something I can't control.

Joel Byers:

So that.

Joel Byers:

And I've gone up and down and all around about this.

Joel Byers:

I mean, yeah, more lately than ever, honestly, with a kid on the way, I'm like, do I want to be on the road?

Joel Byers:

And then during the pandemic, I was like, do I even want to do comedy?

Joel Byers:

It's like, it's been up and down a lot, but.

Joel Byers:

And it all comes back to focus on what I can control.

Joel Byers:

And that old saying, you know, get better or get bitter.

Joel Byers:

And it's, it's really whatever's in your.

Joel Byers:

With your control, just focus on that and just keep trying to get at least just 1% better every day.

Joel Byers:

It's just like, how can I get 1% closer to whatever that goal is that you're discouraged about not getting to?

Joel Byers:

And it can also help to have a goal a lot of times.

Joel Byers:

And I'm guilty of this as well.

Joel Byers:

I'm frustrated about something that I'm not even, like, working towards or like, you know, it's.

Joel Byers:

I'm.

Joel Byers:

You're like, yeah, yeah.

Yoshi:

I've.

Yoshi:

I've seen this with many people.

Yoshi:

They're like, get mad that they didn't get to a festival, get into a festival.

Yoshi:

And I'm like, did you apply for it?

Yoshi:

They're like, no.

Yoshi:

It's like, what?

Joel Byers:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Joel Byers:

Or I'll see a con.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, I'll see a comic, like doing a cruise.

Joel Byers:

And I was like, oh, man, I want to go be stuck on a boat for four days.

Joel Byers:

I was like, no, you really.

Joel Byers:

You don't like it?

Joel Byers:

But it, like there's that instinct with all of us.

Joel Byers:

Like, but I want to.

Joel Byers:

I got to be doing everything too.

Joel Byers:

But it's, it's really just that self awareness and just focusing on what you can control and being honest with yourself about what you want and what you don't want and being okay with that.

Joel Byers:

And it's Absolutely.

Joel Byers:

It.

Joel Byers:

I will say this is something comics go through at every level.

Yoshi:

Every level?

Joel Byers:

Every level.

Joel Byers:

I mean, I know there's a lot of younger comics that listen and you may think that this is something that gets better with time.

Joel Byers:

I mean, you know, we've talked to a lot of comics that have been doing this a long time and there's.

Joel Byers:

They're all trying to figure it out and piece it together and it's.

Joel Byers:

We're all still trying to figure it out and there's highs and lows to all of this for everyone.

Yoshi:

So absolutely.

Joel Byers:

The best advice, focus on what you can control and just be grateful and Try to get 1% better every day.

Joel Byers:

Get 1% closer to whatever that goal is.

Joel Byers:

Just that incremental effort really has a compound effect, which is why on like a, a less like dramatic level, just writing.

Joel Byers:

So many people don't write every day because we're overthinking the outcome of it instead of just seeing the success in the process and sitting down and just setting a 10 minute timer and just moving your pen for 10 minutes.

Yoshi:

Absolutely.

Joel Byers:

That could be daunting when you feel like you have to sit down and write a.

Joel Byers:

Oh, you got to come up with something brilliant.

Joel Byers:

No.

Joel Byers:

90% of what you write is non sense.

Joel Byers:

And we'll never see the light of day.

Yoshi:

We'll never see the light of day.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, that's everyone that goes through that.

Yoshi:

You have to fall in love with the journey.

Yoshi:

The journey is the thing, like just doing the work is the thing that will keep you motivated.

Yoshi:

The outcomes and the sets, those are things that you have no control.

Yoshi:

You have no control over who's going to book you.

Yoshi:

But you do have control over how many open mics you do.

Yoshi:

You have control over how often you write.

Yoshi:

You have control over how many times you record.

Yoshi:

You have control over how many things you put out there.

Yoshi:

You have control over all those things.

Yoshi:

Work on those pieces more than anything else and then let the chips fall where they may.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, and it's a marathon.

Joel Byers:

It's easy with, especially now with social media and people seemingly blowing up overnight, which some people are.

Joel Byers:

I, yeah, I can imagine there's.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, there's a lot of pressure there.

Joel Byers:

As a younger comic, they're like, oh my gosh, I've been doing this three months.

Joel Byers:

Why am I not famous yet?

Joel Byers:

It's, it's a, it's a marathon.

Joel Byers:

For the vast majority of you out there, it's got to be a marathon.

Joel Byers:

You're not necessarily going to win the lottery and just blow up overnight.

Yoshi:

Yeah, for sure.

Yoshi:

But you're like, oh, I did this tick tock dance and it got a million views.

Yoshi:

I put my stand up special and I got four welcome to the world.

Joel Byers:

I'll post a clip and it'll get 100 views.

Joel Byers:

And I'm like, never mind.

Joel Byers:

So many times I've been like, this is it.

Joel Byers:

I'm posting every day until we.

Joel Byers:

We own fam.

Joel Byers:

And then I'll post like three days in a row and then, you know, that's it.

Yoshi:

So, yeah, and I mean, even from everyone a lot.

Yoshi:

I would probably say the majority of the people that we've interviewed have said that the thing that blew up was never the thing that they thought was going to blow up.

Yoshi:

It was just the work.

Yoshi:

They were just trying stuff out.

Yoshi:

You know what I mean?

Yoshi:

They were just putting things out there and they had no control over which one of these is going to blow up, but it just did.

Yoshi:

And you never know what's going to resonate with people.

Yoshi:

But they were just putting stuff out.

Yoshi:

They were just doing the work.

Yoshi:

They were like, okay, I'm gonna just try these and see what happens.

Yoshi:

So, yeah, control what you can control.

Joel Byers:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

So, yeah, social media is one example of that.

Joel Byers:

But just the question, I think was a little more in general, just, yeah, the highs and lows of this comedy game, it's just for sure, yeah, it's a marathon.

Joel Byers:

So just I like to focus.

Joel Byers:

I think the higher the highs or the lower the lows, the higher the highs.

Joel Byers:

So I like to think when I'm.

Joel Byers:

When I'm at a really low point, I see it kind of as like a trampoline to where I'm really low on the trampoline.

Joel Byers:

It's about to shoot me back up.

Joel Byers:

Or it's like a slingshot being pulled really far back, and then you're about to be, like, catapulted further than ever.

Joel Byers:

So I like to approach the highs and lows with that mindset.

Joel Byers:

And the community helps too.

Joel Byers:

I mean, being a part of the Hot Breath of Earth, being in the Facebook group, being a part of these live streams, and connecting with us and other comics in the live chat, it's all that community aspect in your local scenes as well.

Joel Byers:

Having a support around you to really voice these feelings and realize you're not alone can really help to persevere as well.

Yoshi:

Boom, boom.

Yoshi:

Yeah, Bow.

Joel Byers:

Oh, and Devin Verma asked if I'm saying to write for 10 minutes without a goal in mind, instead of writing with the goal of making a joke, should I just free write.

Joel Byers:

I think.

Yoshi:

Either one.

Yoshi:

Yeah, either one.

Joel Byers:

I'm just.

Joel Byers:

I was thinking more of, like, writing focused on the process and not the outcome.

Joel Byers:

So, yes, the success is in starting.

Joel Byers:

The success for me is when I actually sit down and set a timer and actually just start writing.

Joel Byers:

And all of my writing starts with journaling.

Joel Byers:

I don't sit down and go, I'm going to write a joke now.

Joel Byers:

I always journal first just to kind of get the juices flowing, and then we'll go into material and kind of start working on material.

Joel Byers:

That way I just kind of ease into it.

Joel Byers:

It's not like an on off thing.

Joel Byers:

I kind of have to just warm myself up into it.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yoshi:

I mean, journalist key.

Yoshi:

It's the artist's way.

Yoshi:

If you've ever read the artist's way, it's about just writing, like, three pages before you do anything else or just getting stuff out.

Yoshi:

But, yeah, journaling is very, very helpful.

Yoshi:

And it's less pressure than trying to write a joke, too.

Yoshi:

You're just putting your.

Yoshi:

Whatever's in your head.

Yoshi:

You're just putting it on paper.

Joel Byers:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

It's a great.

Joel Byers:

It's a great starting point.

Joel Byers:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

Starting the hardest part with all that.

Joel Byers:

Which is why I'm doing this writing cohort starting on Sunday that if you want to apply.

Joel Byers:

I'm only gonna let seven people in.

Joel Byers:

If you want to apply.

Joel Byers:

It'll be linked in the show notes, and it's also in the live chat for people in the live stream here.

Joel Byers:

They want first dibs on that.

Yoshi:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

Up.

Joel Byers:

Well, we should.

Joel Byers:

We should probably land this plane.

Joel Byers:

We have gone over, but we appreciate everyone for hanging out here.

Joel Byers:

This was a good one.

Joel Byers:

This is.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

What you got coming up?

Yoshi:

What you got coming up?

Joel Byers:

What do I have coming up?

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Nothing.

Joel Byers:

Yep.

Joel Byers:

I have a baby coming up.

Yoshi:

That's.

Joel Byers:

Oh, I'm going a fundraiser for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

Yoshi:

Awesome, man.

Yoshi:

That's sweet.

Joel Byers:

But I've done some work with them for the past few years, so I'm doing that.

Joel Byers:

And yeah, I mean, in.

Joel Byers:

In December, Av.

Joel Byers:

I mean, I've booked a few things locally, but it's.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, I haven't been, like.

Joel Byers:

I haven't booked anything on the road because I don't.

Joel Byers:

I don't.

Joel Byers:

Anything could happen, really, between now and when she's.

Joel Byers:

I would hate to be in a Hampton Inn in the middle of nowhere and my wife's like, oh, it's happening.

Joel Byers:

And then, yeah, like, I'm.

Joel Byers:

I can't be accessible, you know, so for sure yeah.

Joel Byers:

So.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Yoshi:

All right, cool.

Joel Byers:

What about you?

Yoshi:

I've got Tampa Bay.

Yoshi:

I said Tampa Bay, Tampa, Florida.

Yoshi:

Coming up, featuring for the homie, the hot brethren, Adam Mueller.

Yoshi:

All right.

Joel Byers:

That's Adam Mueller.

Joel Byers:

All right.

Yoshi:

Yeah, we're going to be out there Thursday through Saturday.

Yoshi:

We got a couple shows doing that.

Yoshi:

And then next weekend I will be local at the Lawrenceville Aurora Theater as well.

Joel Byers:

Let's go.

Joel Byers:

What is that.

Yoshi:

Nice?

Yoshi:

Aurora Theater, Lawrenceville, Georgia, with the homie, Big Kenny.

Joel Byers:

Oh, that's.

Joel Byers:

Oh, I've done.

Joel Byers:

I've done that show up there with him before.

Yoshi:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Joel Byers:

That's a killer.

Joel Byers:

That's an awesome show.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Yoshi:

Fun set.

Yoshi:

And then at the end of the month, also doing a show at downtown Duluth, Georgia at eop, opening for Karen Mills, who is an opener for what's her name?

Yoshi:

Morgan.

Yoshi:

What's the female comedian country Leanne Morgan.

Yoshi:

Leanne Morgan.

Joel Byers:

She opens up for Leanne Morgan.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Karen Mills, right?

Joel Byers:

You said.

Yoshi:

Yeah, Karen Mills.

Yoshi:

Yes, yes.

Yoshi:

Absolutely.

Yoshi:

Hilarious.

Joel Byers:

Yeah, Very fun.

Yoshi:

At the end of the weekend.

Yoshi:

And then I've got my monthly show at the beginning of December.

Yoshi:

So, yeah, I've got stuff coming up.

Yoshi:

Super excited about it.

Joel Byers:

Yoshi out here working.

Yoshi:

We outshiming.

Yoshi:

We out here.

Joel Byers:

Very nice.

Yoshi:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Let's land this plane.

Joel Byers:

Yeah.

Joel Byers:

Feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

Joel Byers:

Of course.

Joel Byers:

Go join our email list where I will send you updates on these weekly live streams.

Joel Byers:

We do.

Joel Byers:

And I send out another email with a fun overview of all the hot breath happenings during the week and all that fun stuff.

Joel Byers:

But we're out of here.

Joel Byers:

We love you all.

Joel Byers:

Remember your homework.

Joel Byers:

Go tell a comic I didn't open mic this week about hot breath.

Joel Byers:

And we'll see you next Tuesday.

Joel Byers:

Hot breath.

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Hot Breath! (Learn Comedy from the Pros)

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Joel Byars