On today’s episode, I sit down with comedian, writer, actor and host, Sammy Obeid. He’s been on America’s Got Talent, Last Comic Standing, and Conan. I’ve known Sammy for years, having run in some of the same comedic circles. Needless to say, he has always been one of my favorites. He’s a ridiculously intelligent guy and a has a brand of comedy to match.

Our conversation today started with lentil soup, which ended up being a metaphor for happiness and life itself and took off from there. In the episode, we touch on everything from his experience growing up with hippie immigrant parents in the Bay Area, studying applied mathematics at Berkeley, and becoming a tutor before eventually transitioning into stand up comedy. And upon doing so, dedicated himself to down a show everyday for 1001 days straight, during which he faced an existential crisis of sorts that simultaneously left him on the verge of quitting stand up only to find happiness once again.