Sketch Comedy Podcast Show

Dream jobs, let’s talk about them. I don’t know how many of you out there have your dream job, I hope most of you do, but my guess is that most of us do not and, worse, we don’t even know what a dream job actually looks like. For me, I think it would be my dream job to be able to create great podcast content and assist others to be able to create the content they want to create and actually get paid for it! For Jeni Wren Stottrup, that is everyday life! Jeni runs Gritty Bird Podcasting, which helps people produce the podcasts that they want to produce, and also runs “The Podcaster’s Forum” for aspiring mic-jockeys to connect, learn and share with one another. So, Jeni has MY dream job! Am I jealous? Yes! Would I hire her? Absolutely. We talk a great deal about podcasting, since we have both been doing it for a while, and Jeni gives great advice to those that are starting out, as well as those that have been doing it for a while. We also talk about her interesting life philosophy based on her family’s backgro

Sometimes it’s important to understand your limits. Like setting a budget or knowing how much you can drink at a party before you end up naked and asking people for pony rides… sorry Grandma, your birthday was great! This episode’s guest, Douglas Noll, doesn’t look at limits the same way; he has figured out how to break all of the limits: physically, mentally and has perfected learning in what seems like a superhuman way. Doug Noll was a trial lawyer in California who was tenacious and sought-after all throughout the state. Hating the commute, Doug decided to learn how to fly just to get out of traffic-jams. Ed has been a part of bands and has recently taken up concert jazz. That’s right, took up jazz. For fun. Most recently, he has been a best-selling author and has created a program to help murderers in prison to become experts in diffusing violent situations. If that last sentence doesn’t boggle your mind, I don’t know what will. We talk about learning and how to do it properly, his time as a musician, som

What makes a movie good? This was a conversation that I recently had and it really blew my mind. The argument was “if a movie is ‘good’ and I can’t keep my eyes open during it, is it good to me?” I had to pause, and completely agree. The movies that I enjoy most are the ones where I am engaged, fully, and feel connected to because they were so entertaining. I hate to admit, but there are a lot of “good” movies that do not appeal to me in any way. You know who would totally agree with that? Michael Gibson and Calvin McCarthy. Why? Because they are producing and creating a movie in Portland right now called “Vampire Mutants from the Planet Neptune” which sounds more like a random word-generator than the title of a movie. But, after talking to these two, I have no doubt that it is going to be a really good movie, at least for me! We talk about putting a movie together, the creative process, being in movies, watching movies… we talk a lot of movies. Calvin has been an actor and director in the Portland area si

You know that feeling when you walk into a room, maybe it’s a party or other gathering, and you don’t know anyone really and you start to feel the walls pulling you closer until your back is against it? Or, maybe there is a dog or cat around and you decide that would be the best conversational companion? What about a room filled with people you do know? What about a room with one other person? If you still find yourself “shying away” from others, you might be an introvert. This episode’s guest completely understands where you are coming from. Nick Shelton is a world-dominating introvert. What does that mean? It means that despite having what would be considered crippling social anxiety and feeling drained being around people, Nick has found a way to overcome it! And better yet… he can help you if you have similar issues! He wrote a book so you can figure this out for yourself called “An Introvert’s Guide to World Domination” (https://amzn.to/3p6S7t1). He even has a worldwide network of introverts! Wild! We

We get so caught-up in the presidential election that sometimes we forget that the most important votes are the ones that affect us locally, such as who is going to be the next person to run the town or city you are in. During the Covid-19 pandemic, local leadership was crucial to help small businesses stay in business and your neighbors to be able to stay in their homes. Local initiatives have immediate effect on our lives. So we need to get to know who is going to be leading us heading into the next couple of years. Travis Stovall believes he is that guy for my hometown, Gresham. He might be right, Travis is a scholar, has a business that helps people find themselves and be able to better deal with others, and is quite possibly one of the most personable people that you will ever meet. I originally invited him onto the show because he has a company called eRep (https://erep.com) that offers something called a CVI (Core Values Index) score which does an incredibly astute job of defining the traits and profi

Watch the live recording with Ed here: Remember back to all of those really civil, insightful, and mind-expanding political discussions at Thanksgiving dinner? No? Because they don’t exist—at least not yet. Ed Wynn has spent the last 3 decades trying to help governments and companies find fixes to their problems. He is qualified to do so too, because he is really smart. Ed graduated summa cum laude at the University of Illinois and magna cum laude in law at Georgetown. Throw in the fact that he is a Truman Presidential Scholar and you can see why people are so interested in having him find solutions! The one thing Ed is not is a political insider, and his new book, “We The People” is his attempt to fix political discourse in America by laying out the blueprint to having discussions with your family during Thanksgiving. It’s worth the read just to be able to get through the evening not trying to strangle your uncle! On a personal note, I think this is the gateway to having some real discussions about heavy

Have you ever just picked up and moved to a big, metropolitan city you have never visited on a whim? How about deciding one day that you need to thrust your fellow generation into informed political discourse? I’m pretty sure you haven’t done either of those things. You are about to meet someone who has. Claire Malkie grew up in Virginia and studied classical acting at Hofstra University. After graduating, someone suggested moving to Chicago and, without skipping a beat, she jumped at the opportunity. Arriving in Chicago ready to tackle the stage, she soon realized that the opportunities were pretty limited, but there were tons of opportunities to do improv. So, she headed back to improv school and started learning and performing at Comedy Court and has worked at a number of festivals. Overhearing a conversation from a peer that included “I don’t really understand politics, so I don’t want to get involved”, Claire realized that she could help change that attitude, which was important to her because she rea

When you were a kid and went out for a walk, you might have attracted mosquitos or flies. Not Dan Ram. Dan attracted Lions. Dan Ram is an accidental event master of ceremonies, has given TEDx talks 5 times and can even show you how to get yourself doing the same thing as a coach. He has met celebrities of all sorts, including being on-stage with Barak Obama, who actually remembered his name even if Dan mispronounced his. We hear about Dan’s childhood run-in with a giant kitty, which is only one of four near death experiences he has had. We get to hear how he accidentally found success through a massive failure, which has led to hundreds of speaking engagements, TEDx talks, and has even been an advisor to the Irish Prime Minister. When not touring the globe MCing events or giving talks, Dan helps others live their lives to their fullest through coaching, and you can find out more about that at iamdanram.com. This week’s sketch: “Should I Shake, or Should I Go?” One quick ad for one of my new endeavors… I no

Frank King is always on the verge of commiting suicide. It is a feeling that has plagued him since he was young, passed down from previous generations. When faced with a problem, Frank always sees an option a lot of people do not see, killing himself. Where most would see this as a detriment, Frank has turned suicide into a lucrative career as a comedian, public speaker and TED Talker. As The Mental Health Comedian, Frank confronts the standard taboos associated with suicide and speaks openly about it, letting people know that these feelings are not just theirs and creating a dialog that allows people to get the help that they need. On a personal note, this episode could not have come at a better time. Though you may not hear it in my voice, I was desperately struggling with these feelings myself, and it was because of this discussion that I was able to get help for myself. Frank, in his talking about ending one’s own life, actually helped me overcome those feelings in myself. Of course I need to put ou

Last episode we heard about Dune’s birthday party while he was in the hospital being a quadraplegic (seriously, it was better than any of your birthday parties) and what got him there. This week, we hear about how much Dune’s doctors were complete dicks to him, and why it worked. We also hear about dating while immobilized, being in movies and why Zion from “The Matrix” was filled with a bunch of nipple-necked cliques. This week’s sketch: “Spy in Translation” Sketch Comedy Podcast show is an independent and completely improvised sketch podcast that is based on conversations with interesting people like YOU! We welcome all suggestions, and we are always looking for new and interesting people to have on the podcast. Thank you so much for watching and listening, and please check out our other links for more information, interaction and overall fun! For more episodes, information, and a chance to be on the show, visit: http://sketchcomedypodcastshow.com SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/sketchcomedypodca

To refer to Dune as anything less than a superhero would be a gross misrepresentation. Dune has defied every odd, has looked death and worse in the eye and laughed, and has even attended my funeral before I died… this guy is INTERESTING! It is not often that one gets to talk to someone who was a quadriplegic, destined never to walk again, who just literally willed himself back on his feet. I don’t know what you did this weekend, but I certainly didn’t do anything like that! Dune DiCarnage is hard to pin down, he has had so many careers and jobs in the past, and none of them could be considered ordinary. He has been a secret agent, a dancer at Zion (in the Matrix), and now patrols the city at night as part-man, part-machine seeking vengeance upon evil. Okay, that last part is not completely accurate, but I would not put it past Dune for that to be true. This is a 2-part episode, because the conversation ran long and it is all well worth listening to. Also, what better way to close out the year?!? You will he

This week's guest, Bunny Young, is a therapist turned consultant (you may be noticing a trend as of late...) who specializes in helping companies recognize work/life balance and become better at making the world a better place, which is sort of her life's mission statement. Her company, "A Better Place Consulting" (abetterplaceconsulting.com), is a place where small to large companies go for more direction and also hire her for speaking engagements. Bunny currently has 5 great danes at her house. That's a lot of dogs! I don't know if you realize how big those dogs are! They're huge! 5 of them! Not only that, but Bunny found a way to make me feel even more guilty about my extreme coffee addiction, and now I am sourcing fair-trade certified coffee and trying to find ways to make my Keurig machine not so... wasteful. Also, she did part of her college dissertation on the Joker being her client. The sketch this week is “Even Supervillians Need Some Coaching” Sketch Comedy Podcast show is an independent and comp

Look, it’s not every day that you get to talk to someone who is registered to be on the ballot as a presidential hopeful in 2020, and you have to hop on each one of these types of opportunities. Does it help that Mark Whitney is also a comedian? Well… maybe. Mark Whitney is, in fact, running for President in 2020. This is not a joke, he is serious, and I think it is wonderful that we could get a chance to hear someone like Mark debate the other two candidates on a national level. Mark has experiences, from starting as an Electrolux Vacuum salesman to becoming a Ben & Jerry’s kingpin, to losing it all and landing in prison which set him up to come back and start a very successful law website… this story has to be heard to be believed! Be on the lookout for more from Mark this year, and make sure to check out his website, markwhitney.com, to learn more about him (although, you will learn a lot in this show) and listen to his podcast “Mark Whitney - Civil Libertarian for President - Keep Banging”. Sketch: “Doo

https://www.youtube.com/embed/oXp0k5hGXGA Jarrod Haning eventually came out of the closet… the closet that he would practice in for thousands of hours with his violin, on a journey to become a symphonic concert violinist. At one time, he was putting people in homes and making them so happy that they would praise him on the national news programs. Now, Jarrod helps people, like you or I, find our groove and double our income by reading our minds! Sort of. Jarrod uses a Nobel-nominated process called mind-scanning that helps uncover and unlock your true potential at Mindset Performance. I am in the middle of going through this process now and it is amazing. You can get a free mind-scan and consultation by going to minsetperformance.co! We talk about Jarrod’s craziest concert wardrobe-malfunction experiences, how he followed in the path of a barely-literate person and made tons of money, and power tools. Power tools! Mind-scanning is pretty incredible and you can experience mind-scanning for yourself for fre

Susan Guthrie has been a divorce attorney for 30 years, and now calls herself a recovering litigator and helps people separate peacefully and respectfully with mediation. After living in California for a couple of years, she even offers a mindfulness track with mediation, breathing exercises and intention setting. We talk about, you guessed it, divorce and how after 30 years Susan pivoted her career to out of the courtroom, calling herself a recovering litigator, to a meditation practice which helps couples find a peaceful and respectful way to separate. Susan has a podcast, called “Breaking Free: A Modern Divorce Podcast” (https://breakingfreemoderndivorcepodcast.podbean.com/) where she and Rebecca Zung offer suggestions and inspiration for anyone thinking about, going through, or healing from a divorce. As someone who went through one some time ago, it is easily one of the hardest things I had to go through and I wish I had access to this show at that time. Additionally, we chat about why divorces happen,

Originally Released 9/4/2016 https://www.youtube.com/embed/MhR0fdDrKPE It’s hard to call this week’s guest, S. Anthony Thomas, anything but prolific. On his podcast, “S. Anthony Says”, S. talks about life… all of it, every week for the last 6 years (he will be celebrating 6 years of podcast gold on October 21st), and his no-holds-barred approach to the subjects he picks from his daily life is refreshing, fun, and often more poignant than you would expect. This episode was a lot of fun, because if there is one thing S. can do, it is talk and keep things interesting! S. Anthony Thomas started out as a standup at an early age and caught fire immediately. Before the flood of other comedians that decided to go down the podcast path, S. started in the medium early and created a really fantastic format that is all his own. S. Anthony’s show “S. Anthony Says” is one part Moth, one part Andy Rooney and 100% S. Anthony. It is one of my favorite shows on the internet, and has been for years. Make sure to follow S. on

Well… that was unexpected. My intent with this show was to talk to someone who was an expert in tabletop gaming, but found a bank robber, author, filmmaker and a whole lot more! Steve Wollett started off as an idiot (his words, not mine) and progressed into an honest-to-god bank robber in his early years. No joke. This guy made hundreds of thousands of dollars walking into banks and spending about 2 minutes, then walking out with a sack full of cash! Eventually, Steve was caught, and ended up spending some time in prison where started a gaming party of 30 inmates. This is when things took a turn for Steve, and between gaming with his fellow prisoners and meeting a mentor that helped him see the error of his ways, he turned to gaming as a way to fill his time and his interest. Out of prison, Steve went to school, got a legitimate job, and continued to game. Eventually, he started working in the movie industry and currently sits on judging panels for a number of festivals. If you are interested in gaming

Did I get your attention with that description? Good. Although that was my introduction to her, Amanda Richards is much more… SO MUCH MORE! Amanda is a 6-time Grammy Nominated member of Outlaw Country Music Royalty (according to her) and has been recording and releasing albums since 2004. Her songs are a combination of heartfelt country and lyrical whimsy… how many country artists would release an entire album of zombie-inspired tracks? Amanda did on 2011’s “Play Dead” (h). She also wrote the musical "Wiskey Dixie & the Big Wet Country" which is becoming a movie! Amanda is hard at work making her musical “Whiskey Dixie & the Big Wet Country” into a movie (check out this video for a taste: https://youtu.be/zcxAuX9IK7k). With songs like “Save a Cow, Eat a Cowgirl” you can bet that it lives up to her description of a “raunchy outlaw-country musical about a sexually frustrated cowgirl who finds herself on a tragicomic ride from Hell and will do whatever it takes to get off.” It is seriously the best thing I ha

Originally Released 8/21/2019 If you feel like you have already listened to this episode, you probably have! This is a re-release of the fabulous first episode of the “New” Sketch Comedy Podcast Show. You’ll notice that the format wasn’t quite there yet, we didn’t know how to start the show or even how to have someone on the show with us. Despite being awful hosts, Dr. Kiki was great and we came up with not one, but two really good sketches! Dr. Kiki Sanford is an honest-to-goodness scientist and deserves being called “Doctor”. Every week, on her podcast “This Week in Science”, she talks about the goings-on in science news and gives perspectives on these stories for us, the common folk. As of this recording (in Summer 2016) she had also made appearances on “Chelsea” (Chelsea Handler’s show on Netflix) as well as other shows like “Food Science”. Dr. Kiki is also an award-winning podcaster and it was a fluke that she was willing to come and do this show. Make sure to check out Dr. Kiki’s really great conten

Billy Lonas has a deep interest in the Bible that came about when he was 12 years old and was told that God loved him but if he didn’t do what God said he would got to hell forever and ever… that didn’t make sense to Billy. So, he started questioning the methods that people used to study and understand the Bible and spends his time sharing a message of love and selflessness as opposed to dogma. This is a conversation that does an incredible job of putting a lot of religions on notice and explaining God’s love in a way that is both welcoming and easily comprehensible. Billy is an author of two books, he is a singer-songwriter, and has also been very active in sharing his message of love and acceptance. We talk about the difference between selfish and selfless love, and which one most Christians tend to lean towards and why that is not very Christ-like. I really enjoyed this conversation with Billy and will likely invite him back on to discuss his philosophy, which is encompassing and not dismissive, again