There It Is Podcast

We talked to mental performance and health coach, Marni Wandner! Marni shares her path from pursuing performing to pivoting into the music industry via an artist management company. Marni founded the digital marketing agency Sneak Attack Media before creating The Future Present, rooted in her own burnout and her observations of artists struggling with health, pressure, and sustainability. She discusses redefining success, balancing ambition while being present, assessing readiness for change, evaluating opportunities without fear, and more!

For more info on Marni’s work: www.futurepresentco.com

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The "Of the Show" gang is all here! Trey, Rob, and Justina, are all here to talk all that pop about Halloween Candy! We put together a new bracket of candy and the gang talks about how they filled theirs out. There are some controversial decisions and choices. On our bracket Milky Way and 3 Musketeers are counted as one because, come on, Nerds count for any Nerd delivery system you prefer, same goes for M&M's and some other candies. Fill out our bracket and tell us what won for you!

Gert our bracket here: https://tinyurl.com/ThereItIsPodHalloweenCandy

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Friend of the Show, Paul Vaillancourt, returns to talk improv and instructing! Jason talks with Paul about teaching improv, using tools without dogma, and staying flexible across different improv styles. They discuss collaboration and how relationship can be common ground beneath different frameworks. Paul shares how presence matters both onstage and in the classroom, emphasizing the idea of being “a student of your students,” adapting curriculum to the room, and developing a teacher’s voice over time. He describes shifting from “convincing” to “sharing,” releasing expectations, and focusing on the exercise’s aim while meeting students where they are, and Paul plugs his “14 Day Improv Accelerator” solo-practice course.

PV's 14 Day Improv Accelerator: mailchi.mp/d8b4b1ce2998/14-day-improv-accelerator

YouTube: @PVImprov, @ThereItIs

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We talked to filmmaker Victoria DeMartin! Jason met Victoria through Seann Cantatore (friend of the show)! Jason tells Victoria how increasingly impressed he was with the new things he learned about her each time they'd speak at Seann's events. That starts off this great discussion about Victoria’s background as a ballet dancer, podcast producer, and director. They talk about being chronically over-scheduled, Victoria’s feature film The Cutting Room Floor, how Jason got in it, improvisation on set, directing actors with clear parameters, and navigating tone as the film blends drama, psychological thriller elements, and humor. She also shares submitting to film festivals with the label “first-time filmmaker” despite years of making short films. She also shares her path from upstate New York to SUNY's film conservatory, early dance training, and TV experience, and she explains why she keeps dancing without professional stakes but purely for enjoyment. It's a great chat!

www.victoriademartin.com

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We talked to LA-based stand-up, Jared Kassebaum! Jared tells Jason about starting stand-up in Indianapolis/Purdue and how the Midwest’s close-knit circuit (Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Chicago, etc.) helps comics develop with varied audiences and longer sets. Jared contrasts LA/New York show formats with self-produced road runs as the main way to build full hours, discusses how social media and niche audiences have reshaped comedy’s economics, and argues comics increasingly must find their own audience rather than rely on the old “get good and get discovered” model. Jared also shares how cruise work has trained him to play broad rooms, how he's experimenting with utilizing his love of reading and contemplative spirituality for his comedy, and much more!

Go to JaredKassebaum.com for more on his work and to be on the lookout for his new book show: That Goes Hard!

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Jason reunites with Alchemy Comedy Theater founders Harrison Brookie, Jason Underwood, Meg Schutz, and Ben Burris to celebrate the Greenville, South Carolina theater’s 15-year anniversary and recap the alumni-heavy weekend, including former performers and teams getting in on the fun. They reflect on initial conversations about starting Alchemy, self-coaching dynamics, early plans for a training center and curriculum, and the importance of doing good shows, professionalism, and low overhead - shout out, Coffee Underground. They discuss theater longevity, leadership stability, Greenville’s audience, company growth, and share advice for starting a theater, plus bits and more!

AlchemyComedy.com

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Writer Una LaMarche joins us to talk about her path from Wesleyan film studies to editing (New York Observer) to freelance humor (McSweeney's, Allure) writing, her creative process, how she uses comic essays to process life, and her reflexive over-apologizing (including saying sorry after being lightly hit by a car). Influenced by Fran Lebowitz and David Sedaris, she published five books in four years, including the essay collection "Unabrow," rooted in her childhood nickname, and how she is developing it for TV after taking a pitching class. She reflects on success, self-promotion discomfort, and how the funniest work often comes from honest, vulnerable, painful experiences.

https://www.unalamarche.com

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Jason, Rob, and Trey (the “Of the Show” fellas) open with bits and then discuss the HBO series Lanterns, avoiding spoilers for the latest episode while reacting to the season so far. They praise the cast, especially Kyle Chandler as a jaded Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre as John Stewart, but admittedly nitpick accents, ages, and a few dialogue choices, while acknowledging the show’s strong impact and online attention. The group then makes EMMY predictions across drama and comedy categories and debating contenders like The Pitt, Pluribus, Hacks, Widow’s Bay, and Shrinking, while joking about their usual nonsense.

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Jason shares some quick tips on how to focus on tasks when you're struggling with managing your mental load. Whether various tasks are on your mind or emotional stressors are bogging you down, we have some advice from the Mayo Clinic on how to manage the distractions so you can focus on creating.

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We talk to comedian, Katie Novotny! Jason talks with Katie about her comedy path from Chicago’s Second City and iO to making a web series that led a talent agent to encourage her to try stand-up. Katie describes initially feeling shut out of improv house teams, learning to love stand-up through festivals and road gigs, and how regional “bubbles” affect what material lands. She explains why she released a cohesive 35-minute special rather than stretching to an hour, and discusses authenticity versus algorithm-driven content and tech/data decision-making in entertainment. They close with practical touring advice. It's a fun and informative chat!

https://www.katienovotny.com

Katie's Special: Son of Your Dreams

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