Heating Up with Jatin Khanna

This is a good one! In episode 13, I talk to comedian and podcaster Joel Byars, whose show Hot Breath has helped guide me and thousands of other new comics around the world to learn about the craft and business of stand-up comedy. 

Joel has been doing stand up for 11 years, and he has recorded over 300 podcast episodes with big names in comedy like Andrew Schulz, Mark Normand, Sean Patton, Jeff Foxworthy, and many more! He's also self-produced his own comedy special and set up his own road tour. Through Hot Breath, he's building a global community of comics helping each other write jokes and improve their craft. 

I'm inspired by Joel's attitude of taking initiative in his career and not waiting for success to find him. His philosophy is something I share, and one that resonates with Buddhist and Stoic teachings: "Focus on what you can control". This is great advice not just for comedy and the arts, but for all aspects of life.

Enjoy!

Guest Links

Joel's Website

Hot Breath Facebook Group

Hot Breath Youtube Channel

In response to GameStop Mania and the countless Reddit posts, memes, CNBC segments, and Wall Street Journal articles, I decided to do my own investigating into the madness. I decided to talk to my friend Matt (last name redacted) since he is an Investment Analyst and analyzes the market for a living. 

We talk about what actually happened when Robinhood shut down trading (hint: it's not a conspiracy), and share some thoughts on the market and economy overall. We also get into Matt's advice on investing vs. trading, and how to build good investing practices and habits that can help you build a strong financial future (and hopefully retire early). 

P.S. We recorded this before the Super Bowl, so congratulations (and also fuck you) to Tom Brady for winning his 7th ring. I'm not even mad...I'm just impressed.

References

What's the DTCC and How Did It Stop Gamestop Mania?

I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Everything That Remains: A Memoir by The Minimalists

Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin

This week, I have a deep conversation about comedy, meditation, happiness, and purpose with Rishi Mathur. He's an old friend who has been very active in the NY comedy scene and also has his own podcast called Guilty Conscience with Alex Payne. 

If you're a fan of comedy and deep conversations, this is the episode for you!

Guest Links

Rishi's Instagram

Guilty Conscience

This week, I talk to the funny and talented Steve Lipman! Steve is a Philly kid who has been doing stand up since he was 11 years old! Today, he lives in New York and writes and podcasts about the Sixers in between acting gigs, and is waiting, like many of us, for stand up to return in the post-COVID world.

In this episode, we shoot the shit about basketball, including the Sixers performance this year, as well as the huge Nets James Harden trade. We also talk about Steve's early start in stand up comedy, and how he eventually got into acting. His most recent movie Antarctica is a powerful dark comedy about the pain and struggles of being a teenager. Check it out!

Guest Links

www.steve-lipman.com/

www.libertyballers.com/ 

Antarctica on Amazon Prime Video

Happy New Year! For my first episode of 2021, I talk with my old friend and self-proclaimed Healthcare Thinkboi, Nikhil Krishnan.

Nikhil's current main project is Out-of-Pocket, an endeavor to make the healthcare industry more accessible and understandable via funny newsletters, memes, a children's book, and even a playing card game. We talk about his pathway into healthcare as an outsider, and how he wanted to shake up the stiff, professional world of healthcare by bringing light and humor into it. 

I've always admired Nikhil for his passion for side projects, which include a retired music newsletter (RIP NikTunes), a social community building project called Get Real, as well as his strong presence on Twitter. 

In this episode, Nikhil breaks down how the US healthcare system came to be the way it is, and how all these inefficiencies have come to light and been exacerbated by COVID-19. He offers unique insights into why your billing and customer service is so shitty (hint: you are not the real customer, your employer is). And we even talk a little bit about Medicare for All, and what that could look like if the US went in that direction. 

Enjoy :)

Links

www.instagram.com/outofpockethealth

www.twitter.com/nikillinit

getreal.club

outofpocket.health

Nikhils Children's Book

Nimesh Patel is a comedian, writer, and more recently, voice actor based in NYC. He's been in the comedy game for over ten years, and has been a regular at NY clubs like the Comedy Cellar and Eastville Comedy Club, as well as clubs around the country. He's also written for the Oscars and Weekend Update, and worked as a field producer for Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.

Nimesh has been hard at work over quarantine, recording and releasing lots of stand up while also creating and voice-acting in Zooidiots, an Youtube animated series about animals in quarantine. 

We talk about his process of creating this show, his high comedy standards and aspirations, as well as his journey from doing open mics with Michael Che to becoming a well-regarded stand up and comedy writer. 

Links

www.instagram.com/findingnimesh

www.patel2020.com

www.zooidiots.com

Neel Nanda is one of the hottest young stand-up comics in the game. Born and raised in Atlanta, he moved to LA early in his career and quickly started running his own show at the Westside Comedy Theater. Since then, he's performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Adam Devine's House Party, Hulu's Coming To The Stage, and Viceland's Flophouse. He's been releasing lots of comedy over quarantine, and has a lot of exciting projects cooking right now!

Neel and I talked for a while (almost 90 minutes) about how he used quarantine to improve his piano skills, who we consider the GOAT comedians, and his experience doing comedy abroad in the UK and India. We close out with another Judgement Free Zone where we share some bit ideas we've been working on. If you're a fan of comedy, you will love this episode. 

Links

www.neelnanda.com

Neel on Instagram

Neel on Youtube

Dylan Owen is a rap artist from New York. With his own brand of confessional, heart-on-sleeve storytelling, he has built an undeniable fan following who relate to the meaning and life experiences captured in his songs. 

Dylan left Cornell University in 2011 to develop as an artist in New York City, and since then has he has shared stages with artists such as Mac Miller, Watsky, Wiz Khalifa, Yelawolf, Ceschi, Chiddy Bang, Shwayze, and Logic.

In this conversation, we dive into Dylan's artistic goals to create music that is honest, meaningful, and encouraging. He has a deep connection to his fans, as shown by the multitudes of ones who have tattoos of his lyrics! 

I have a special guest host this episode, my good friend and Dylan's freshman year roommate, Ricky Sandoval. I also share some dumb hip hop joke ideas at the end, as well as a new preview trailer of Dylan's newest track, A Time To Move On. Enjoy!

Guest Links

Dylan on Spotify

Dylan's Instagram

Dylan's Twitter

www.dylanowenmusic.com

References

Die Empty by Todd Henry

Ceschi

Abhi the Nomad

Shane Skelton is an energy and environmental policy expert and fellow podcaster, serving as the Republican co-host of the Political Climate podcast. Shane has extensive experience in politics, having served as an advisor to former House Speaker Paul Ryan on energy and the environment. He is now a Partner at S2CPacific, a political consulting firm that advises on technology and policy issues. 

I wanted to talk to Shane about the election because he is a Republican whom I admire since he has good faith discussions and arguments with those across the aisle and with differing views. In this episode, we discuss the current state of the 2020 election (which is as yet undecided, but looking like a Biden win), what a split government means for America, and what the media got wrong about polls and voters' views on Donald Trump. We talk about our shared goals as Americans, and how we can move forward towards the goals that we all share, even when we disagree on the issues. 

We close on some good news: how much climate progress we have made over the last four years, and how we can keep going regardless of the election turnout. 

One election does not define you! We all have a role to play on this planet, and we can all make a difference when we take action. 

Guest Links

Political Climate Podcast

Shane's Bio

Shane's Twitter

References

Transform Disagreement Into Dialogue - Jatin Khanna

Can We Pull Back From The Brink - Sam Harris Podcast

Krystal & Saagar - Joe Rogan Experience

Rising with Krystal & Saagar

2/3 of Americans Support Government Health Care

3/4 of All New Power Plants In 2020 Will Be Renewable