Sebastian Maniscalco OPENS UP About IMPOSTER SYNDROME, MENTAL HEALTH & His Parents' Divorce

My negative voice is with me daily. Is this the last day? Anybody gonna come to the show? Anybody gonna buy tickets? Are you doing enough? Are you funny? Are you as funny as you were five years ago?

Today we're joined by Sebastian Maniscalco, an actor, a comedian, a writer, probably one.

Of the most brilliant performers alive. The new king of comedy. Sebastian Maniscalco. Sebastian Maniscalco. I'm almost editing as I'm talking. Really? Yeah. If I speak more openly, I'm extremely sensitive and emotional. I tend to to say things that might be a little abrupt and brash, but I mask it with humor. A lot of these moments that have happened in my career, I could have never imagined. You know, me doing a movie with De Niro and Pesci and Pacino, I wasn't really enjoying it. I was nervous. I had anxiety. It was like, Can I do this? But again, in my head, always looking at the negative. I'm done. It's over. I'm going home. It's never, oh, they're probably talking about how great I was. That's insane. to think that my mom and my dad are divorced. Mom's always gonna pick up the phone. Yeah, always. You think they're always gonna be there. I told myself I wasn't gonna get emotional, but.

Welcome back, everyone, to the School of Greatness. We have the inspiring Sebastian Maniscalco in the house. Welcome to the School of Greatness.

Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.

Very excited, man. You've got me and my fiance were watching your, your comedy specials a couple years ago. And I was like, one day, I gotta get Sebastian on here and talk about his life. Because the more I researched about you, it wasn't just like, okay, I'm gonna sell out Madison Square Garden five times in a row, which is what you've done. I'm gonna sell out this arena tour around the world, which is what you've done, and have all these Netflix specials and movies and TV shows, and you've become a massive star. But as I started to learn about your background, you were a waiter for seven years in Hollywood, just trying to figure out how to make a few bucks. And it was hard to get a job as a waiter for you. And what I want to know is how do you emotionally and mentally, in a time and a season of life where there's no social media really back then, how do you work full time but also go on the road full time to make a name for yourself and go for your dreams? and I also read a quote that you said.

About.

How long you're going to give yourself. Your mom asked you on this dream, this crazy comedian dream, when no one can really make money.

Yeah.

Back in the day when you were kind of getting into it, she asked you how long you're going to give yourself until you make it. And you said, if I give myself a time limit, I'm setting myself up for failure. How did you have the belief in yourself during those early years as a waiter? that you could actually make a full-time living making people laugh and bringing comedy to the world.

Well, for me, I always knew I had an ability to make people laugh throughout my whole life, my childhood, with my friends, with my family. So I knew I had something there, just like an athlete would know that, okay, I'm faster than everybody else. I could jump higher than everybody else. I kind of had that with my comedy. I was a huge fan of stand-up growing up. I would watch it like game tape.

Really?

Yeah, I would watch.

That's cool.

Video after video after video just mesmerized. How are they doing this? How are they remembering all this? I used to go to comedy clubs when I was 15 years old with a girlfriend that I had at the time who snuck, knew the guy and snuck us through the back door. This is in Rosemont, Illinois. So I had confidence. Now you come here in '98, you know, I don't know a soul. I start looking for a job. I end up at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills waiting tables, but I didn't come out here to wait tables. But also, I'm not the type of guy to sleep on somebody's couch. So I came out with 10 grand. I wanted to have a cushion. It's not like Guns N' Roses. He came out, you know, Axl Rose with like a guitar and $4 in his pocket. Right, right. I've always been like responsible, you know, coming out here. My mother was like, what are you going to do for health insurance? You know, like a lot of like a lot of like entertainment types don't even bother with health insurance. Like I had a Cobra plan. So it was a priority for me and my family that I was like covered with health insurance. So, I got this job and then I started doing stand-up wherever I could. Open mic nights. I took a stand-up comedy class just so I would have a supportive environment around me. 'Cause I didn't really do stand-up until I came out here. I did it once where I went to school at Northern Illinois University. But then, Edwardsville? Decalb. Okay. Decalb.

I went to school in Illinois for a little bit too.

Oh, you did?

Yeah, Princeton College. Small school, near Alton, Illinois.

Don't even know where that is.

Hour from St. Louis.

Okay.

On the Mississippi River. Anyways.

All right. So coming out here, I was determined to learn how to do this. And I knew it wasn't gonna be easy. I knew it was gonna take a while. Comedy I heard, stand-up comedy, you don't really get your voice until maybe seven to ten years into it. You know, there are exceptions. Eddie Murphy hit it big, young. But I knew that I had to really put the time and effort it was going to take. It's like bodybuilding, you know, it's like you're not going to you're not going to look the way you look overnight. It takes time in the gym. It takes diet, it takes dedication. So I knew that. That's not to say that I want there was one point in my life where I called my father. I go, I don't know what the hell is going on. I've been doing this for five years. I'm still waiting tables. I'm not not really making any money at this. You know, I was discouraged. Not ready to quit, but just needed like a pep talk.

Did you have any momentum? Were you like, were people laughing at the shows you were doing? Were you getting audiences to show up? Did you build a name or?

Not in five years. I didn't have like a fan base. I just was bouncing around. I took a kind of a different approach than a lot of comedians. A lot of comedians come out to Los Angeles from a place that they were already doing stand-up whether it be Chicago, New York, Florida.

And they were like the king or the queen of that city.

Yeah, it's like, oh, it's time to go. Where I came and I didn't do any comedy anywhere other than here. So I had to kind of make my bones around town, which at that time, there was not a lot of opportunity as far as stand-up comedy. There's not a lot of clubs here in Los Angeles compared to New York. I think New York's got 21 comedy clubs here. It was like four major clubs. But, you know, taking gigs wherever you could get them. I mean, if I had to go to Modesto for 50 bucks, which is a far drive, drive, I would go because they were giving me 45 minutes worth of time. And then here locally, you get 15 minutes. So that extra half an hour for me was worth the drive.

So.

So you call your dad.

I call my dad. You know, he's, you know, I did this in college, too, because my first semester of college, I was discouraged because of. I was. I was failing. I was. I was. I had a 1.2 grade point average out of four my first semester because I was shocked. to be away from home. I was living with a roommate that I didn't know. Just having a tough go of it. Just tough. Call home, call my parents. You know, they kind of set me right. Just. It's because I was ready to quit. They're like, don't. Don't quit. Stay there. Just, you know, stay the course. So same thing here. I called home. It's not, you know, waiting. Waiting for, like, just to make some money. That's all I want. I didn't want to, like, Fame and Fortune. I never got into this for fame or any money, nothing. This is something I got into strictly because I enjoy putting a smile on people's face. That's it. I think a lot of people go into some of these things for the wrong reason. And I was not I had a work ethic like I worked constantly when I was a teenager, whether it be Olin Mills Portrait Studio, Olive Garden, I was glazing ham at Honey Baked Ham. There was no, like, you know, you come home from college and then you get, like, a spring break. There was none of that. It was like, where are you working?

Right.

Because you got seven days to make some money.

What's that temp job you can get right now? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I was with a temp agency. Anything to get money. Just because my dad is psychotic when it comes to work. He's still working. He's 77 years old. He's a hairdresser and he's still, doing die jobs. So I'm not, I'm very, I'm willing to put the work in. Yeah. So at that, at that five-year point, I was just kind of a little discouraged because I didn't really see a lot of progress in the sense of making a living at this. I was making people laugh. I just was, you know, didn't book any, go on auditions, which was awful for me. I hate auditioning. sitting there in a room sweating and doing something that is not really natural to me. But, you know, kind of reset myself and then just said to myself, you know, you can't really look at other people's successes and say, hey, that guy got a TV show, how come I didn't? Everybody's got their own course. You might not realize it at the time, But if you're worried about other people, what they're doing, you're kind of taking the focus off yourself. So the only thing I could really concentrate on was just being as funny as I could be. That's it. That's the only thing I had control over. I didn't have control over how many people were gonna come to the show. I didn't have control over when I was going to get paid for this. The only thing I could do is like, how funny can I get myself to be? And then after that, hopefully, that will be enough to start making some a living out of it. But I would say every year I found myself getting better and better and better. It's not like I went on stage and no one was laughing. I knew I had it. It's just, when is it gonna kind of turn?

When is the audience gonna build? When's the money gonna come? The gigs, the opportunities. So when you called your dad for that pep talk, what did he say to you then?

You know, he just basically said, you know, the same thing he said. It was both my mom and dad said, you know, you went through this during college. You wanted to give up during college. It's not that you want to give up now, but, you know, he spent five years there and nothing. We have a saying in our family, like, the maniscalcos always have to go through the tough road to get where we want to go. It's never been easy for my family. Never. It's always been like, you know, if someone went from A to B, we're going a, b, c, d, e. And then, you know, then.

Then we get there the longest way possible.

The longest way possible. There's never a shortcut.

Climb every mountain.

Yeah. It's never like, oh, my God, you know, you made. You made it a year in. No, it's always been gotta. Gotta work for it. So, you know, and your mom say.

Hey, I told you, like, maybe, you know, you should have given yourself a time limit or, like, hey, you know, maybe you should get a real job now or, hey, you know, it's like, Maybe it's time to give this up. I'm just doing it on the weekends for fun.

I don't think there was ever a point where my parents encouraged me to give this up. I mean, even though my mom said that in the beginning, I think my mother saw that I had an ability or a talent to do this and was super supportive. I mean, my family, coming from an immigrant family, generally speaking, the arts are discouraged just because there's no stability, there's no health insurance. what are you gonna do? You know, start a family. So, but my case, they were go for it, get it, pursue it. And thank God I had that support system because, you know, this is a, it's a tough road. And if you got your parents telling you, come home, and it's like, everybody's against you.

But I've also heard you say that your dad is, like, pretty critical of you, too, right?

Very. He was. early on, I think it's subsided over the years because we've had some discussions where I have told my father, listen, because my father is always on my shoulder whispering, you know, better write material. People are coming back to spend the money. They don't want to hear the same thing. You better be on your game. He's even said to me, you should do your act the same way every night from from front to back, not a word out of place. And I'm like, Jesus, let me see. Like, I don't work that way, Dad, right? He's a creative too. He's a hairstylist. I said, you do the same hairstyle night in and night out? I mean, you gotta like this.

You're bored.

Yeah, yeah, I get bored. I gotta switch it up. But he got so intense with my, like, why did you leave out this line in this joke? That's the funniest thing in there. I'm like, because, you know, I don't know, I forgot it or I didn't wanna do it. But yeah, my my parents have been critical of of of what I do and also super proud of what I do. Right.

So they're encouraging, but they're also like, but you could have done it better. It's like, keep going after it. We support you. But why'd you mess that up?

Yeah, yeah. There's no big head. You can't get a big head in my family. This, you know, they're They don't want you to, and I'm seeing that a little bit with my kids now. I mean, I think you take from your parents and go, this is what works well. Yeah, works well and this is what doesn't. But my daughter does a recital or my son does a game. Yeah, they're young, they're five and seven. I know that they could do better. So I see what my parents were seeing in me, potential. You could do better. You gotta commit more. and I see that sometimes with my kids. So I get it. I get, I get the parental concern when it comes to your kids. Sure. If they're, if they're reaching their full potential, so. But there's a time where, you know, I mean, every just a certain level of success where it's like, okay, Dad, you know, some, something is working here. But then also it could be the fact that they're always pushing me to do better.

And he might be saying, well, it's because I'm on top of you all the time, right? It's because I'm critical of you. That's why you're successful.

Yeah.

You never know.

Yeah.

I'm curious, before you go on stage, whether it be at a local comedy store here in LA or Madison Square Garden, do you have a negative voice that speaks to you that day, that hour before? If so, what is that negative voice? And do you combat it with anything, any tool or strategy or Mantra or personal statement? to support you to overcome that negativity before going on stage?

I don't have a negative voice prior to doing shows. My negative voice is with me daily, like on a daily basis.

What's it sound like? What's the voice saying to you?

It's a variety of things. So we were talking before this started of like, when's this gonna end? Is this the last day? you know, anybody gonna come to the show? Anybody gonna buy tickets? Are you doing enough to. Are you funny? Are you as funny as you were five years ago? Have I peaked? This is. This is constant.

Every day.

Yeah.

Kind of a general.

General. It's a kind of a general, like, voice in my head that. Are you spending enough time with your family? You know, what are you doing in. What are you doing in Montana at a show when your kids at a recital? and that's, they're never going to be able to see that recital again. That's a one moment in time that that's happening. Then they combat that voice with, my kids are seeing me work. And when they see that, they might emulate that when they get older. Like, daddy was working. He wasn't sitting on the couch watching TV, eating popcorn all day. Sometimes I think kids, you know, the Ape to behavior of their parents, so the The fact that they're seeing their father and mother work, for me is like, you're giving them a template of this is how, and I'm coming from where I come from in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, the Midwest. I grew up working middle class family. We went on one vacation a year. There was not a lot of abundance, but we were never starving. We were never, you know, our clothes were, you know, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, that type of deal. And I like the way I grew up. I like the way that my parents, you know, brought me up, manners. You know, we went to the Chicago Bulls game to see Michael Jordan, but I was sitting in the obstructed view.

Turn, try to look around. Look around the pillar. Yeah.

So now very conscious that my kids are growing up in a completely different environment, completely different city. seeing things that probably I've never seen as a kid. So my objective is always to tell my kids, you know, my daddy's working, but you know, you know, all fun things that we do, we wouldn't be able to do those things if daddy didn't work. And you guys, a lot of people don't get to do these things, you know, so, you know, we go to Disneyland and we had a guided tour once. I grew up with Disneyland. I was sitting in the line for two and a half hours, right? Now, it's an interesting dynamic because I work so hard to get to a place where I don't really have to stand in the line. 'Cause I don't wanna stand in the line. No.

Right?

And if I have the opportunity to do this, to enjoy it, why wouldn't I? But then also, I'm also conscious of my kids. I don't want them to think that if they go to Disneyland with another family that doesn't have a guide, that family is looked as lesser than or what have you. So I'm constantly preaching to them these lessons, because very easily, and I've seen it, People that, Eh, let's go to the front row and game, and they don't explain to their kid that this isn't necessarily a normal thing for a lot of people in the world.

Sure.

So.

Yeah, man, it's tough. It's tricky.

Yeah, but I gotta learn to enjoy these moments. 'Cause if I'm always pining over, are the kids gonna grow up to be spoiled? You know, like, then it's like not fun.

Yeah, of course. How have you, I mean, I've heard you talk about money, how you struggled with money and how to spend it, and you didn't grow up with abundance, but you also didn't have a horrible childhood. But it sounds like there's still a mentality today, and I think you're 51, is that right?

We should do one in a couple of weeks yet.

51. It sounds like today that you're constantly thinking about how do I earn more, how do I make more, how do I save more, how do I want this to end? Is it going to end someday? So I have to keep working. to make more money. Are you able to enjoy your money that you're making?

Or.

Is it a constant anxious feeling around making money, having money, seeing it in the bank, seeing it leave, seeing it come? What is that psychologically for you?

I wish my wife was here. She's complete opposite.

She's a spender.

Well, she's not. She's like, let's enjoy ourselves rather than sit here and Pine over the fact. Because you know what? You can do this, whatever business you're in, whether it be Tech or. Or you're. You're running a pizza, whatever it is. You could always say, I'm gonna work. I'm gonna work. And more money, more money, more success. And by the time it's. You're 80 and you're in a wheelchair, and you're like, what the hell just happened? that's why we're talking about this book, Die With Zero. Like, what are we saving for? What is the main objective with this money in the bank? What are you doing with it? Are you going to start a charity foundation and pass it on to charity when you pass it on to your kids? That's another thing. It's like, do you give your kids this type of money and them knowing that, does that take away their motivation to do anything for themselves? I've seen this happen with a lot of wealthy families where the kids are coasting because they know, look at that. When he dies, I get this or I got a trust fund or what have you. So I just wish I could, and I'm getting better at it. I am getting better at it. But then also, too, I have no template for this. Like, I can't call my dad and go, Dad, when you had this, what did you do? Yeah, there's other people that I could maybe confide in, but also, too, you know, I've never been a guy that, like, money was something that you never talked about growing up. My father often said, don't you dare tell anybody what I make. Really? Oh, yeah. And still, to this day, I don't like to, like, you know, people go, oh, how much money do you make during the show? I don't, I'm not a, I'm not that guy. I I don't, I don't, I don't flaunt what I have. I don't, you know, if I'm doing something that's kind of special, it's special, but it's special to me and my family. It's not necessarily special to social media. I'm not the one to grab my phone all the time and go, look where we're at. You know, it's just not who I am. It's, I find that behavior a little gross and immature.

And.

But I am getting better at kind of letting loose. Not that I'm cheap. I'm not cheap. We do great. things. But for example, I'm gonna remodel our house. Like, what's the extent of the remodel?

Yeah, you could go unlimited spend. You could spend forever.

Yeah. Do we get a new kitchen or, like, once you get the new kitchen, then you look at the other room. We've gone through this. Like, we just want to do something, and then it starts. It starts metastasizing throughout the house. And before, you know, it's like, what? We should have knocked down the house. so all these decisions that, and another weakness that I have is decision making. I can't make decisions. Like, there's a lot of people that just, Remodel. We're going on vacation in June. We're gonna go see your mother in December. Me, I sit there and I pine, and by the time I make the decision that the, the date's gone, you know, where are we bringing the kids on this tour? What cities, you know, still, well, if we figure, if we go from Connecticut to Florida, that's going to be a long year. You know, it's like, It's like some people are just like, let's do, and I look at those people and go, man, I wish I had a little bit of that in me.

Wow. Do you find it's hard to make decisions in your comedy career? Because you have a lot of different things going on. Do you feel like I need to say yes to everything because I don't want the money to stop coming in, or I'm in a hot season right now and I don't want that to die down. So I have to say yes to everything, or can you make better decisions? Yes, and no on things.

I think career-wise, I'm a little bit more disciplined on my decision making. Really? I don't take a lot of things. I'm not that guy.

Why is that?

I always want to keep my profile elevated. I don't want to do anything that's just to do it. So when I do a TV show, the show I'm doing right now, Bookie, is an elevated look for me. It's something that I feel passionate about. It's something that I really enjoy, the people I'm working with. and it kind of goes, I've worked so hard to build up my stand-up comedy to where it is, I don't want anything I do to be less than what I'm really good at. So I don't take a lot of things that are just low-hanging fruit.

Really?

Like if I'm gonna do a collaboration or a brand deal, not that I do a lot, but I'm gonna make sure that that kind of fits within my pillars of what I do, whether it be, you know, food, family, being Italian. Like, I don't want to do anything outside of. Of my.

Unless it's. Unless it's covered and you got to do Zoom calls all day, right? Well, to make money.

Well, covet hit. And then that was like. It's funny because my dad always said, you don't know when it's gonna end, right? You know, your tongue could fall out tomorrow. And covet. happened. Yeah. And thank God, because I was fine. I, you know, I thankfully had enough.

To save me through.

I saved and. And that. I didn't even want to dip into that. So I was doing Zoom comedy for corporations, but not like I heard people were doing, like, comedy with a microphone in their living room to people. Mine wasn't like that. I said, okay. How could we adjust here? And it was more of a conversation. So it was like, there was a moderator, and I was funny in the delivery of me answering the questions to a group of people on Zoom. So it wasn't like cheesy.

I remember the 2008-2009, I was on my sister's couch for a year and a half. I was planning to try to make it in the NFL. I played arena football. They got injured and then that was the end of 2007, 2008. I had a surgery. I was in a cast for about six months. So I was sleeping on my sister's couch in Columbus, Ohio at the time. And I remember the feeling of having no money and not being able to find opportunities during 2008, 2009. I don't know if you, where you were at then, were you still, I.

Was at the comedy clubs. I was making a living, but I was making like 1200 bucks a week.

Right, but this is like, this is when the housing market crashed and it was just like, you know, people with masters couldn't get jobs and I was like, I'm, you know, almost flunked out of college. How am I gonna get a job? And I remember thinking to myself, I never want to be in this situation again when the next thing happens. So when 2020 happened, I was like, I'm ready for this. Because I had saved and I invested. I was like, bring it, you know, mentally. I didn't like that it happened. but I was like, I am financially ready now for winter. And we were talking a little bit beforehand, how I was like, I always saved and just wrote in the backseat of every plane, middle seat, cheapest flight I could get, multiple connections, whatever it is to save money for years. And then I realized, okay, maybe there's a time for that, but we have to unlearn those things once we're generating more also. and start using our money a little bit more. What does your wife think about with the amount of abundance that you've created for your family over the last? You've known her for 15 years, married, I think, 10. But you weren't financially abundant when you really met her.

No, but she comes from means.

More means.

Yeah, than I did. So, My wife is kind of used to being around wealth. So for her, I mean, and to her credit, I mean, when I was doing comedy clubs in Addison, Texas, on Belt Line, we stayed at the DoubleTree and she was right there with me, although she might have been used to staying at five-star hotels. she was right there with me and she was out there selling DVDs while I was taking pictures. She was not spoiled by any means. She was, she's just a super, super positive person always walking around with a smile on her face. And you never would have thought she was from, you know, that part of the world. So my wife is extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish and say we because she's a huge part of what I do. Yeah, you see me do stand up, but she's working behind the scenes as well as a lot of people are to kind of create what we've created. So my wife's an artist and she kind of tackles all things visual with whether it be merchandising or posters or how is this going to look, photo shoots, what have you.

So she represents your brand. She supports the image of you.

Yeah.

Wow.

And she's a Virgo and she's very, very particular, but perfectionist by all stretches of the word. I mean, like, you know, like, even.

I mean, she'll criticize everything.

Well, not that criticize, but like, even you got coming up with the School of Greatness, like, how does that look? Should we tilt it this way? Should we tilt it that way? You know? And I'm more like, eh, it looks good, you know? And she's more like, you know, should we take the of and, and, and, and, make the other words curse it, like, wants to see a lot of different ways it could be done. Wow.

So what's her birthday? September 6th.

Okay. Yeah.

Why?

What are you?

I'm Pisces.

I'm March. But my fiance's Virgo.

She's August. Oh, is she very specific?

And, yeah, she's an artist, too.

I mean, she's an actress and writer, producer and. Yeah. So, you know.

You know what I'm going through at all. Exactly. Exactly. What's the thing you love about your wife the most?

What do I love about my, just the optimism. Like anything's possible. She is super social, which I'm not. Really? And she has... You're more introverted? Yeah, definitely. Really? Definitely not the life of the party.

Come on.

No. If I know you, We're gonna have a good time. If, you know, I don't, it takes me a while. I'm like souffle, you know, it takes me a while to get ready.

To warm up, yeah.

To warm up.

You're more reserved around people you don't know.

Yes, very laid back, very- But when.

You'Re doing stand-up, you don't know the audience.

I don't know the audience. I feel stand-up is completely different than going to a party or going to a dinner with a group of people. that I'm unfamiliar with. I tend to even going golfing with three other guys I don't know or I'm quiet. I'm just quiet. I like to listen first before I start opening my mouth. I don't like to, I don't share a lot of my personal views or about me a lot. You know, like I come on these things too. It's like, you know, how much do you share? You know, coming into this, like, you know, do I, do I? This is Lewis guy.

I'm gonna open up to him and.

Tell him my whole life. Yeah. I mean, there's a lot of people, I've seen your show, you know, some people say, sometimes they break down a little bit, they get emotional. I've gotten emotional. I was on Gail King and I, I got, I was crying with my, my father on, on an interview. So it's like, you know, how vulnerable are you gonna be on these things? You know, I'm sure, like, people, you could tell some, someone might have their guard up a little bit, like they're not gonna, like, in Give you a lot. So yeah, it's always like, even nowadays, it's like, I know this is gonna go out to a ton of people and you say, oh, anything that you don't want in here, we can edit out or whatever. But like, I'm almost editing as I'm talking. Really? Yeah.

Yeah.

What do you think would happen in your life if you didn't edit before you spoke? I mean, obviously we wanna be mindful of what we're saying at all times and not just blurt out mean things. But if you spoke more openly from your heart, do you think something would change?

If I speak more openly, I'm extremely sensitive and emotional. So my fear is always going down the wor-- like, I could cry at any moment. I just want to go see if.

The-- oh, I saw that this last week. Did we ball? It was beautiful, yeah. So it's the music and, oh man.

So.

So not that I'm fearful of crying, it's just sometimes, like, oh, do I really want to go down this road today?

So.

And you ask, oh, what would happen if I was unfiltered? I tend to say things that might be a little abrupt and Brash, but I mask it with humor, and it comes out. you could laugh at it, or it doesn't come out as, I get my point across, but I make you laugh as I'm doing it. Right, right, right. But there is a part of me that could come out, if I don't do it with humor, could be a little aggressive.

Like a jerk or something.

I wouldn't say a jerk. It would be a little, you know, I don't wanna say inappropriate, it would.

Just be a little, Insensitive.

Insensitive, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, it makes sense.

Yeah.

Interesting. I've had a lot of comedians on here. And I'm curious, who are two or three when you were kind of in the scene early on that you really looked up to that you still respect today?

When I started comedy, when I came out here in '98, I really enjoyed watching Bill Burr.

Mmm, man, he is funny.

Funny cat. I got into the elevator of where I was living in the apartment complex, and first day I lived there, Bill Burr was in the elevator.

Come on.

And I was like stunned. I was absolutely stunned because, you know, you're in Hollywood, you see these people on TV, and it's a far cry from Northwest suburbs of Chicago. I always thought Hollywood was growing up, like, where are these people live? Yeah, but they're out in the streets. But they're out in the streets. And now I'm seeing it firsthand, like Bill Burr's in the elevator. So gracious, he invited me. I even opened up. I said, Bro, I came out here, this huge fan. I started comedy out here. And he's like, you, want to come to the show tonight?

Come on.

He did not. So he invited me to the show at the Laugh Factory that night, first night I'm here. Come on.

I'm at the Laugh Factory.

First day you got to LA. First day. Shut up. It's crazy. I couldn't believe it. I literally couldn't believe that I ran in. It was almost like Kismet is like I ran into a comedian I respect and thought was super funny and now he's inviting me to a show. So yeah, he's one of the guys that was an inspiration for me and you know, friends with him to this day. He comes over once in a while for the fire kids party. So, Who else did I enjoy? I mean, I've always been a Seinfeld fan, and then subsequently met him years ago.

Was that like doing the... Recently you did a stand-up with him with Netflix?

Yeah, I did myself, Gaffigan and Bergotti at the Hollywood Bowl.

What was that like? Growing up watching Seinfeld and then being on stage for or after him as like the same level essentially?

Yeah, it was, you know, I felt that feeling when he invited me on the comedians and cars, like, here's our guy, grew up watching, oh my gosh, his show. And now I looked at that show as like he was like our Johnny Carson, 'cause we didn't have Johnny Carson. So I felt like if Seinfeld thought you were funny, then you kind of like were in the club.

He gave you the nod.

Right?

He gave you the nod, like, come sit down on the couch.

Wow, what was that like?

It was surreal. I mean, we're whipping around Los Angeles in a 1969 Camaro. And then when I went to New York, he invited me back on the show again, and we were on Vespas going through New York on Vespas. So, yeah, a lot of these moments that have happened in my career, I could have never, I could have never imagined, you know, me doing a movie with Scorsese, a guy who had posters on my wall and De Niro and Pesci and Pacino. I mean, it's really, I mean, and in the, again, enjoying those moments when they're happening, because I wasn't really enjoying it. I was nervous. I had anxiety. I was like, can I do this? I mean, before I got out of my trailer, I'm going, I'm going to go do a scene with Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci with Scorsese directing. I haven't acted, really. I mean, I've done a handful of things.

Little skits or something. Yeah, yeah.

It's like, you know, what was that like?

How did you perform?

I didn't sleep for two nights before the scene. And when I went to rehearse with them, it was just, ironically enough, they took the Gotham Comedy Club in New York and they made it the Copa Cabana. So I'm literally performing acting in the same club that I started performing in New York.

Come on.

Years later.

Come on.

Years earlier.

So in a way, did you feel more comfortable because you'd been on that stage?

Yeah, I was on a comedy club, but it was. It didn't look like the comedy club, obviously.

But that's surreal, man.

Surreal. And then when I came out there to meet them, I didn't know, like, you know, like. here to relate it to what you do. You got someone that's coming in that you're going to interview, maybe that you admired as a kid. Sure. And the night before, you're almost playing these. How's that going to work? When he comes in or when she.

Comes in, are they going to be cool?

Is it gonna be a big kid or a good vibe?

Yeah.

Yeah. How many? They're gonna feel like a lot of people with them. Are they gonna like, like, you know, the so set up or whatever, you know, that's me the night before. How's this gonna work? Are they gonna come in? Are they gonna. Do they think that I know what I'm doing? Because I don't. Yeah. But very gracious, very nice. And now we're gonna do the scene. And then we do the scene. And they yell cut. And De Niro and Pesci and Scorsese get in a huddle without me. I'm the only actor that they're not talking.

I do something wrong if I mess it up.

I thought I was fired. But they've been working together for 40 years. They got a shorthand. But again, in my head, always negative. Always looking at the negative. I'm done. It's over. I'm going home. It's never, oh, they're probably talking about how great I was. So I don't know what that is, and I don't know who thinks otherwise. We were talking that you seem very, positive guy and grateful and this and I'm grateful that we get to live in Los Angeles. And I saw a seven year old kid who was selling candy. And I'm sitting there listening to that. I'm like, wow, man, I sometimes I'm about LA. What the going on? This ain't in LA. I knew when it came out in 1998, look at the on the street, this and that crime and infrastructure, taxes, taxes. So I'm that guy. where you're the, Hey, it's sunny today. How blessed are we? Yeah, I ain't that guy. Which, you know, people like you, I'm like, wow, it's nice to be around.

It's a practice. You know, I can be in a negative state whenever I wanna be. And then at the end of the day, I'm like, that's not a good day. I didn't feel like I had a good day. Like me complaining about everything that's happening or what I don't have. doesn't make me feel good and the energy isn't supporting my fiance, my friends, my team. They're probably all feeling my energy too. And it doesn't mean just make every day positive even when stuff's going bad. But it's also when I'm in the practice of, okay, what can I do? You know, I ran three miles this morning to make sure I get out any frustrated energy, right? I'm gonna lift later probably. I'm gonna get in the sauna, you know, you're starting to do the ice tub, which you don't like. I heard you complaining about that on social media. You know, it's like I'm doing things that I think is gonna give me more peace. And so it's a practice.

It's a practice. I agree with you. However, in my line of work, I am looking at to make a living almost, because a lot of what I do is funny.

Yeah, it's true. Like nobody likes to is kind of like, you know, in a different way, it's like how can you find the negative of things? Yeah, we go about it.

I went out last night and there's a service charge now on when you go out to dinner. It's a service charge and then tip.

Right?

So if I have a take on that, and it's a plus tax on top of that.

Yeah. Yeah.

So it's a, it's a, I'm about that. But it's funny. I've realized there's nothing funny. Funny doesn't come from like, oh, there's a service. That's fine. I'll pay it. That's not like people are not gonna, like, laugh at that. People are gonna laugh at the fact that what are they trying to do? Rip me off, you know, like it.

Becomes Or like the Tipping Culture now. It's like when you buy something at a kiosk, it's like default is 25% tip.

Yeah.

Or you're kind of a jerk if you say no.

Well, then they almost shame you into the tip. They'll turn it around, they'll go, Hide out. It's gonna ask you a few questions. Ask you a few questions. Why don't you just tell me? It's gonna ask me if I wanna pay you more money.

Right.

But yeah, I mean, there is something to be said about living your life in a positive way and how that that positivity affects people around you. Because if you are positive, you're right. Your fiance is going to be a lot happier with you. Your coworkers or your employees are going to be much more happier rather than you walking around with this negative cloud over your head. So it's and again, I don't want to paint a picture like I'm walking around with like just negativity. It's just my thought process is always I give you an example. Doctor wanted to change my appointment. Like we were gonna go over some blood work. Could we do this 15 minutes earlier? I read into that. I think, oh, they found something in my blood and they need an extra 15 minutes to tell me I'm gonna pass away. Really? That's, again, funny.

Yeah.

Funny.

Yeah. Yeah.

Right. But, like, who the hell would normal people go? Oh, yeah, no problem. We'll do it at 10 o'clock. I mean, why? Why are you switching this? Yeah, because my blood's screwed up, you know, like, that's insane to think that. Right. But that's part of what makes me, as a performer, funny.

Yes.

Is I'm looking at that and I guarantee you. other people, maybe not you, but if I say that on stage tonight at the comedy, the left, the left, because they're laughing.

I laugh too.

Yeah, they're laughing at my neuroses.

Uh-huh. No, it's, I mean, it's like I played football and it's, I have compassion, I'm gonna be careful what I say here, but I have compassion for some football players when they are trained by their coaches to be killers for three hours in practice. And then all of a sudden, you're supposed to switch it off and be like this almost loving Zen human being. When it might take a few hours when you're driving back home where you're like still kind of got that testosterone rage feeling where you're screaming at someone in the car or you're just quick with someone or you're whatever, because you've been physically pounding against another human being for hours in practice. there takes time to like step into almost a new identity, a new personality, a new human. And that's not easy to do when you're trained to be a certain way and you're paid to be a certain way and you're celebrated to be aggressive if you're an athlete like that, where you're celebrated to be neurotic. You're paid more.

It's funny.

By living in that way of thinking for those hour, two hour sets that you do. and then to just go back and be like, life is beautiful. Thank you for this 20% upcharge. And, you know, all these, I'm blessed to pay taxes in California.

It's like, well, I never thought of it that way. Yeah. It's funny that you put it in those terms and kind of correlating it to a, you know, a trained almost killer out there, and then he's got.

To come back and be like this loving husband.

Loving husband. Yeah, I, I get it. Like, I'm paid to think a certain way. How do you shut that off when it comes to everyday life, which for me is that's a you make you make a good point of it. I'll definitely, definitely leave here today thinking more about what you just said than and trying to apply it.

Yeah, but I'm assuming that, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong. I'm assuming that all day you're looking for those moments to set for material.

It's not that I'm looking. It just hits me.

Hits you. But you're writing it down, you're memorizing, you're thinking about it, you're telling someone, oh, did that land? And it's just a constant, you're looking out and you're seeing it or it's hitting you. And it's part of your daily thought process because that's what makes you funny. Otherwise, you don't just sit down for two days and say, let me think.

About the last three months and how I can make funny material. Yeah, yeah. Always a hypersensitivity of what's going on around me, which could be great when it comes to being a comedian, but also could act as a something as negative because you see things maybe that other people are not seeing.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I've run into this with my wife where, you know, she might meet somebody and not kind of see what I'm seeing and what they're doing or how they're behaving and. And, you know, it's like, can you just, like, you know, and I got. I I can't. It's almost like a. It's like I I relate it to an allergy. if you are allergic to peanuts and I brought peanuts in here, you are either going to start coughing, sneezing, whatever, you don't have any control of that. That's the way I look at comedians.

Interesting.

It's like an allergy. We react to the environment around us and we're unconscious about it. It's just, it's happening. It's like we're constantly having an allergic reaction to society.

And then you're using that as material.

Mm-.

Um, going back to what you said, you know, Scorsese, De Niro are huddling after you do this scene and you're not in the huddle.

Mm-.

And you're thinking to myself, I'm fired. I was horrible. I can't believe I screwed this opportunity up. What happens next?

We gotta do better.

They came to you?

No, me. I'm ahead.

But what happened though after that?

Nothing. Do it again. I don't know what the hell they said. But we're doing it again. And then as time went on over the course of the day, doing the same scene over and over and over again, Scorsese would come out and give me a note. Joe Pesci came out and he started directing me a little bit. Or Hillary, which I was like, Is.

This-- Am I supposed to be directed by an actor? Yeah, yeah.

But I guess Scorsese, I found out later on through Joe Pesci, had said, you know, you know, I guess Scorsese always thought how she should be a director, 'cause he always got good instincts. So, you know, that was something I think worked out with them, where there's a scene where I'm telling De Niro's character off, and I throw up my hand, and what Pesci had told me prior to that, he goes, this guy's gonna kill you in the next scene. You need to leave this scene, so he is so pissed off at you, he's gonna kill you. You can't leave here kind of nonchalant. You gotta leave here with some intention. Piss him off. Yeah, piss him off. and again, it's like, wow, that's a great note. But again, I don't know why did I think of that? Even though this, this show I'm doing right now, Bookie, Chuck Lorre will come out and go, you know what? Do it, do it this way. Because your character is feeling this right now. And I'm like, why did, why did I think of that? So he didn't have to come out and tell me that.

But again, that's your thought process.

That's my thought process.

You think Kobe told his coaches, don't coach me after where they do a timeout when they're losing. And he's like, don't tell me what to do. I think Michael Jordan, you know, when you're watching him back in Arlington Heights and you went to, to watch him in the arena, you think his coach is not giving him some positive reencouragement and saying, hey, here's what I'm noticing that you didn't see because it's a blind spot.

Yeah.

You think he Jordan's saying, screw you, coach? I'm gonna do it my way.

No.

I got it all figured out.

No.

Yeah.

I mean, it's like.

But here's where the insecurity comes in for me. It's like, I've put so much pressure on myself to. To be the best, and then when you fall short of it and somebody's got to tell you, that's not the best. Try it this way. I I take it as like, okay, I should have. I should have. That should have came up, but I've been. I'm becoming more, I'm adjusting my thought process when it comes to that because I've talked to other actors and they're saying, what? He's watching it on the screen. To your point, you're not seeing what he's seeing. You're here, he's there. So he's got a bird's eye view of what's happening where you're kind of.

And if you're thinking about what's on.

The screen, you're not in the flow.

Not at all. When, you got two kids, right? Two kids. Five and seven.

Five and seven, yeah.

So when they were, like, one, one and a half, and they were trying to walk and they kept falling over, did you, like, scream at them and say, hey, you should. You should have this already figured out, this walking thing?

No, I didn't.

You know what I mean? It's kind of like you've never trained to be an actor.

Yeah.

How are you supposed to be this, like, world-class actor in your first few scenes?

Yeah, I I get it. But I, again, I would just think that I would be able to have enough Instinct to become. that it's again, that which is De Niro and Scorsese in your first scenes ever.

It's like, come on. You just never want to put so much pressure on yourself. You never want to be the weak.

I hear you. I hear it. Even though you're a rookie on the football team, of course, right? And you're gonna go out for a pass, and you never played in the NFL before. True. You miss an open path. Boom. Done. Yeah.

You don't want to drop the ball.

Your teammates say, this is the pros, bro. those mistakes you can't make, you know what I'm saying? Regardless if you're a rookie or a five-year veteran, I think if you're playing in the same game that everybody else is playing in, you have to be as equal to or greater than those people.

And also have context, like, hey, this is my first movie. They know they're bringing me in for a specific reason because I have a gift in some other area, or I have an audience in some other area that can bring to this movie. They wanted me for this. It's not like playing the whole movie. It's like a specific role. So they should also give context of like your experience level. If I'm 15 and I get dropped in the NFL, I can't expect to live up to the standards of 28 year old men who are pros. Just because I played football for a few years.

True.

But had the opportunity to like catch a pass or something. So context also I feel like context. But I hear you, man. I'm all I did is my first scene in the movie, my fiance's movie. And I was nervous, man. I was so nervous because I'd never done acting before. I don't know how to act. But I frickin trained for those four lines for like two weeks, like over and over.

Yeah.

Because I didn't want to. I didn't want to slow down the set. I didn't want to waste any time. I was like, I'm going to nail it and do the best I can. And it was nerve wracking.

For sure. Yeah, but in that case, you don't do... You're stepping so far out of the box of what you normally do, the expectations cannot be that high with you.

They are high for me because... For you.

Yes. But what I'm saying is, this guy don't act. The other people, maybe your fiance or what have you, I'm in the entertainment business and I'm going from one thing... You're not acting. Yeah, but I'm it's similar stand up. I'm acting up there in a way it's similar. It's not like I'm taking a huge leap outside It's not like I'm a comedian elite and now I'm gonna be.

A chef, you know, it's it's it's yeah, it's two different arts though. It's like saying I'm gonna shoot a photograph and paint a photograph those are two different art you're in the arts.

But it's two different arts yeah, but.

I think they're close enough together. I hear you, man. I hear you. This is a great conversation. I love this conversation about this. I also heard you talk about earlier in this conversation, you said you are a sensitive emotional person. You'll cry. You cried at the movie this weekend that you watched. But you struggled crying on set with De Niro. Is that right? In a scene with De Niro?

Oh, God, yeah. That was tough.

Why was it hard for you to cry on a scene with De Niro? versus you can watch a movie and cry in a moment. What was the struggle there?

With the De Niro thing, it was the expectation that you're gonna cry.

Pressure.

Pressure. Go see a movie. There's no, like, you just, the emotion hits you. This was, okay, this is an emotional scene, you gotta cry. Plus, during that scene, during that whole movie, I had sciatic pain. I had sciatic pain for two years. trying to perform stand-up, acting. I don't know if he's ever had it, but it's-- it's just not-- not a good feeling.

It's like nerve pain on the side.

Yeah.

Shooting. I don't know. I had to come into that scene out of breath. And the director said, why don't you run around the tarmac and then come into the scene, and then you'll have-- you know. So, I'm running with sciatica in, like, slippers.

That should have made you cry alone.

Yeah.

Stand by, stay.

I should have done it in a much better way.

I should have really had a lot.

Of pain and agony.

Yeah.

So I go into this scene, we do the scene, De Niro's crying. I mean, I almost became, I did become just a fan. I was just watching him, like, in the scene. I'm in the scene, but in my head, I'm going, that's amazing, man. And I'm like, I got the next line.

Caught.

Do it again. No cry. Second scene, no cry.

You did your line also, no cry.

It was a scene. It was lines back and forth, back and forth. I'm not crying. So I tell the Nero, I said, listen, I need help. I don't know what to do there. He goes, okay. So we go into the airplane that was on the tarmac, and I said, I can't get there. I've never cried on film before. Can you give me some advice? Well, I was gonna, I don't know, your process. There's no process. I'm just coming into this, hoping to God, I cry. And he starts to tell me, you know, what I do, what his process is. He starts talking about his kids. He starts crying as he's talking to me. Real life cry about his the family.

It's not fake cry. Real cry.

Yeah. I stopped crying watching him cry. I go, I gotta use this. So as. As I'm. I ran out of the airplane. I started running around the tarmac crying. He told me, think about your father and your mother, what they sacrificed for you to get to where you are. Your father came from. a small town in Sicily at 15 years old, didn't know the language, and started a family, bought a home. Think of all those things. So I started, I'm like, wow. You know, as I'm thinking about this, as I'm running on the tarmac going, it's amazing where my family came from and where I am now. And that really kind of produced a lot of emotion. The problem with moviemaking is I did it, right? I did it. I cried during the scene. Cut, do it again. Do it again.

It's so hard.

I gotta think about that again. Like, you know, like, and then each cry, each scene gets lesser and lesser of emotion. And that's why those days, I mean, just, it's a learning lesson. Now I know when you do an emotional scene, you got about three of those in you.

Three takes, man.

Yeah, after that. It's hard to like recreate that emotion time and time again. I mean, there's people that can do it, but for me, it's like we did the scene, you know, because you do a wide and then you close. Well, on that, we do a close-up first and then you kind of go from there. But my God, it was a learning experience. I mean, I'm arguably with one of the best actors who ever done it. And for him to kind of walk me through that was very instrumental in me kind of taking that and then applying some of those lessons to what I'm doing now with Bookie and, and, and other projects.

So this is beautiful, man. I'm curious about Comedy feels like it's really having a big moment right now in culture. I mean, it's like you can go on Netflix or any streamer, and it just seems like there's specials everywhere. Everyone's on tour. People are building millions of followers on social media, and it seems like social media has created more superstars in comedy in the four or five years and probably in the last 20, it seems that way. How do you feel about the rise of comedy stardom for so many guys in the last three to five years and their rise to success with social media versus the way you and others did it pre-social media when it was just, Hey, we were on the road for 10 years, making 50 bucks a night if you were lucky, working as a waiter or whatever it might be for seven to 10 years, trying to get a special. What's your thoughts about where comedy is now and where some of these guys and gals are kind of really taking off with content versus before?

So this is an interesting question for me because you could slip into this My day, you could do that. Which I've had my moments of like, is what we're seeing now on social media with these kind of, I call them like flashing the pan videos. And then they're catapulted into, okay, you're gonna go see them live now. And 2,000 people are gonna show up and see what they're gonna see. I've never been to these stand-up shows, so I don't know. I can't speak to like if a guy or a woman makes it offline and then starts doing comedy live. I don't even know what that looks like. All I know is I know how hard it is to come up with material and, and I know how much practice that this requires to be a polished, seasoned comedian. I can't even imagine how the the internet prepares you at all for live performance. Because there's, you, you got to do the work. There's no, like, you, you can't jump the line. You can, but then, like, what, what happens after that?

Right.

You could build audience and get attention, but you still have to deliver on stage.

Gotta deliver on stage. So that's number one. Am I, am I mad at the way this is? I'm mad at the sense that. maybe we're not going to see, or maybe this is taking away from the younger generation the course of doing night after night after night. And maybe we're not going to see as polished comedians. Maybe, I don't know, time will tell. You could also look at it like this. I have the same, I have social media, I have the same opportunities. that they have, right? I could be utilizing social media to become the biggest comedian in the world because I not only have the act, I also have the opportunity now to build with these videos online. Now, for me, I don't think I have found My world.

Your social. Your lane.

My lane. I don't know where, you know, I do a podcast, the Pete and Sebastian Show. I've been doing this for 12 years.

Wow. 12 years?

Years.

I've been doing this 11. I didn't know many people were doing longer than me.

We're under the radar. You're popular. We're not. Now, I've been trying to crack the podcast code. Yeah, right now with all these comedians.

Blowing up on podcasts, right? Yeah.

I'm like, I'm like, geez, like, you just go down the list of the, the Theo Vaughn.

Everyone but Lee.

Yeah. Everybody but me is making it in the podcast Arena. Right. So I'm like, all right, what do, what do we got to do on our, what are we missing on the podcast? What, what, what's not, what do we, we've, we've never had guests. It's just, it's just Pete and I talking. so we're like, the fact that we don't have guests, is that why we're still in the basement? Because we're not bringing in a guy or a girl with an audience that's going to make our podcast broader appeal. Right? So we started bringing in guests over the last year, and we have yet to see whether or not this is going to pay off or whatever.

Pay off.

But, you know, social media is there. You got the same social media everybody else has. So you can't complain. that somebody is doing well on social media and then selling tickets in an arena. You can't complain on that.

But it is a level of focus, attention, and energy. And I feel like social media in a sense is its own art. It's like, do you want to spend five hours a day thinking of one video and is it going to take off or is it not going to take off? It could be a full-time job thinking about bits on social media or how you're going to start this content or this, whatever it might be. And we only have so much energy and attention. It's like, do you want to be great on standup or your specials or can you be great at everything? I don't know. That's challenging.

No, I've heard time and time again, you pick one thing and you're great at that, that thing. And, and that's it. That, that's it. I mean, you could do other things, but your energy is, listen. if I took my energy and said, okay, I gotta podcast, I gotta do video of the week or whatever it is, I'm not writing material, I'm not thinking about material, I'm thinking about all these other things. You look at social media and go, this got 38 million views, you know, like you go there and going, there was really no time or energy thought into this. It was just kind of like it this hit a moment, and you can't explain why things are popular and why things are not. You'd like to think that, you know, it's just like cooking. If you're in the kitchen for three, four hours preparing a meal and somebody's in the kitchen for five minutes per meal, what's going to be better, the five minute meal or the guy that took the time?

Never know.

I don't know. You would think it would be the guy that took the time. But now it just seems, I don't know, I can't figure out Even today's humor, what are people laughing at? Because it's so subjective. It's like you look at something online and go, I don't think that's funny. Or you go see somebody just stand up and go, I don't get it. I don't understand why this guy's got 15,000 people in the audience. It's so subjective. And to try and figure it out, you'll...

But I think it is the relationship they've created with their audience. what makes it funny to them? You know, it's like they, especially with kind of the online social media audiences with the, the content, it's like they build a relationship of the content that they like in consuming that personality. And then they might go to sell out 15, 000 people. And for you, it may not be that funny, or others, it may not be funny, but to their audience, they found a connection humor.

They make a good point.

Probably same with you. It's like, you you've captured an audience that just like sells out everything you do.

Well, the audience was, I've created it through the standup. Yes. It's not necessarily that people fell in love with me personally. They fell in love with the standup. What I think is happening is these podcasts, they fall in love with the personality. Yes. Oh, God, this guy is like, he's going through so much stuff at home and then he or she puts out tickets for sale and they go, not necessarily for the standup, but for to your point, oh, I have a connection with him because he farts in bed too. Right?

So, and if the person learns how to be great at standup or talented enough, they should have a great career or good career.

Yeah, but to me, the standup, listen, you gotta do it. It's just you have to do it. And I think if you went to go see a seasoned comedian and maybe a guy or a girl who hasn't really been, you tell the difference. If it's right next to, or if you're eating a steak, if you're eating McDonald's and you don't have any other comparison, tastes great, tastes phenomenal.

Who'S right? I hear that. Who are the, who's one standup comedian that you've seen in the last five years that doesn't have a big audience that isn't selling out arenas, but you're just like, man, this person has really, they've got a gift. They've really studied well. They've put in the reps, they put in the time, and it's just like, they are funny every time, but they're not well known yet. who is that?

I wish I could give you a name. I'm not one of these guys. And I, I probably could have done this. Actually, I did this with, I said Theo Vaughn a while back. Guy was going on stage and really killing, but no one really knew who he was. This was seven years ago. Really?

So he was crushing on stage.

Yeah. Yeah, he, he, he came into his own in stand-up like it kind of happened. he was at it for a while, and then he. Something clicked where he started doing the video content started taking off. And then the podcasting took off. So that was a guy that I kind of thought that was going to. To go places. But I'm not a guy now, now that I have a family. The time is limited. Yeah. I go out four nights a week. Yeah. I mean, I'll go to the comedy store tonight. I'm gonna do us. Two sets there, and I'm gonna go home. It's not like I'm gonna be hanging out watching other guys or girls. Sure. Sure.

So I don't know.

Who the hot person is coming up just because.

Time.

I don't have time.

Yeah.

What's the best piece of advice your dad has given you lately? You're at the top of your game in terms of where you've ever been in the past. There's obviously a lot of room for you to grow if you want to grow. You've sold out Madison Square Garden five times. you've got a massive tour that's about to happen here, I think next month, Oliver.

And.

What is the best thing that your dad has said to you with all the success that you have at almost 51 years of age now?

I, I guess the, the advice is never to rest on your success.

So.

And then, you know, my mom is going to watch this, too. My mom is always Never talk about me. She's always wondering, how come she's not in the act? How come you don't talk about me on podcasts or whatnot? But I love my mother to death and she's also a huge part of kind of giving me advice. Everybody goes to my dad because my dad, I always talk about him. But also my mom, you know, my mom is my muse. My mom is someone, if I could get dying laughing, I'm like, I'll use that on stage.

That works, then.

That works. My mom is a good gauge of kind of what's funny. And when I call her and we get on a roll, there's nothing better than making my mother laugh. Other than my own family, when I get my mother going, it's like, because, ugh. My mom is... My mom and my dad are divorced. And my mom is living in California near my sister and she lives alone. and I never thought my parents would have gotten divorced. Grew up in a family where laughing and now they're not together. So for me to make my mom laugh, not that she's just my mom goes out more than I do. She's got friends. She's having jazz night here. She's having glass of wine here. But I feel with my mother, if I could make her laugh that It's just, I don't know, it's a good, selfishly, it's a good feeling for me because, you know, I never would have thought my mother would be living alone at 78 years old. I thought my parents were gonna grow old together and die together. I never thought here, I never thought I'd call my mom and then have to call my dad. I always thought it was gonna be, Ma, put that on.

Right.

And it's not that way. and, yeah, they got, they got divorced later on in life. So for me, it was, you know, some, some, some kids witnessed divorce early on. Maybe they don't know what's going on. Why is that, Mommy and dad? But when you have, like, a, a, a full 35 years to, like, they're together, and now, and now you got kids yourself and.

You know, they're not coming to see your kids together. They're separately coming.

It's separate. And it's. It's like, it's. It's. It's a tough pill to swallow just because I never perceived it going that. That way. And, you know, they still talk, but, you know, they're still. They're still in communication, but it's just like Christmas is not with the both of them, so. So providing laughter to her for me is gold. And same thing with my kids and my wife too.

Sure. What's the thing you love about your mom the most?

My mom... It's always there, really. It never like, you know, always there. Mom's always going to pick up the phone. Yeah.

Always.

So for me, I told myself I wasn't gonna get emotional, but I think this is appropriate. Especially now that my parents are getting up in age, you think. They're always gonna be there. And sometimes you take it for granted. And I always try to make that point in my head. Like, my mom always says, I said, Mom, I gotta call you back. She goes, yeah, right. 'Cause sometimes I don't call her back. And I should be more mindful of that. But yeah, my mom is gold.

Mom, that's beautiful, man. if you could, your parents are 70- 78- 77. so let's, let's do a hypothetical question here. If you could fast forward, call it 30 years and you're 81 80 81. and you continue to accomplish every dream that you have imaginable in your personal career, but also in your personal life. You see your kids grow up the way you want to. You're there, you're loving all these things happen in your life. And hypothetically, if you could be your 80 year old self for a second or see him having a conversation with.

You.

And he could know exactly what you're about to go through the next, next 30 years. and he can give you three pieces of advice for you today. What do you think your 80-year-old self would say to you today about how to live the next 30 years of your life?

Wow. My 80-year-old self would tell me, first and foremost, stop worrying so much. Just take each day as a blessing. Don't worry about what you cannot see in the future, because I'm always worried about what ifs. What if this happens? What if that happens? Don't worry. Also, we would say, don't work so much.

Really?

Don't kill yourself working this much. Spend time with your family. My dad has often said he worked too much.

For what?

For what? He missed a lot of the childhood memories. So I'd probably tell me to relax with the work, which I've often said, after this tour, maybe I just go and do casinos or Las Vegas, maybe pull back a little bit. This is a big undertaking, this tour for me. It's a lot.

How many cities?

94.

94 cities?

Shows. I think it's 24 shows. How many months from July 11th to April 10th? I think they shoot a special at.

The end of 94 shows in a couple months.

Well, no, no. April to. I'm sorry. Now July to April. It's a little bit.

April. Next.

Next year.

Oh, gosh. I was thinking April to July.

Yeah.

Over.

Okay. I got you. Wow.

90. 94 shows.

So these aren't like going down the street to the comedy.

No, these are like major, you know, we're doing Arenas. Yeah.

Yeah.

It's a lot of energy.

A lot of energy. But what I like about it is I used to do two shows a night. Like, I used to go to a theater and I go, let's say seven.

Out of nine or something.

Yeah. Yeah.

And for me, it's like. one show, give it all I got, and then leave it on the table next night, do the same thing. So going on this tour, it's not only the tour, it's the promotion behind the tour. It's the, it's the, the selling of the tickets. It's, it's all that. And for me, I, you know, it's great. It's great. But maybe pull back a little bit after this and kind of enjoy. the fruits of my labor, enjoy my family and just enjoy. Well, without, you know, like, I did it. It's, it's great. I love doing this. But, you know, what's it all about? I want to get more into charity. I want to start giving back more. I want to do, I might want to tackle something else. I told my wife, I go, maybe I want to go to culinary school. Maybe I want, because I, I'm passionate about cooking, not to become a chef or open up a restaurant, just the love of it, just for the love of doing something just to do something out of pure enjoyment, not figuring out how do I monetize, you know, everything now is like, if you have a hobby, put it up online, and then you could get a chef sauce because you're, you know, like, I'm kind of tired of, like, trying to figure out how I exploit my own personal love of life for and how it feeds into stand up. Can I just do something to do it without that in the world? No, I'm making pasta tonight. Why can't I just make pasta and not go, Hey guys, I'm doing... you know, it gets to become a little too consuming of like, you know, just wanna go on vacation and not like, tell anybody I'm going on vacation? Or how do we like make people laugh while I'm on vacation? Do I have to? But no, it's like I feel like a lot of people have feel pressure to constantly be putting out this content that I don't know, do you really need to be? I mean, I just, it gets getting to like, is there any privacy anymore? People are in the hospital. their grandfather's not and they're whipping up a Facebook live, grandpa's done, you know, it's like, can't we just keep the family? I don't know, maybe I'm antiquated in my thinking, but I don't know, I just feel like.

Have you ever been able to enjoy the tours, the big tours that you've done? Like you said, I'm gonna finish this and hopefully I kind of just pull back and maybe do casinos or smaller mini tours or weekend gigs or whatever, but. do you think you can enjoy day by day these next nine months?

Well, I told myself I'm going to enjoy it more than I ever have in the past because in the past, you know, like people go, oh, you sold out, Madison Square Garden four times. How was that experience? I don't even remember because I was worried about selling out for Fort Lauderdale the next weekend. You know what I'm saying? So sometimes when you're in it, you're not really in it. You're past it already and you're not even, you're not even conscious of what's going on around you because your head might be other, other places this time around. Because I'm bringing my family.

Oh, that's good.

Because I'm bringing my kids. I want them to, like, relish.

That's beautiful.

Relish in this. I I get more enjoyment now than I always have. I'm, I'm a big guy in Hospitality. I I love making feel good. People making, I love making people feel good. That's why I do stand-up comedy, but. I also like making people feel good in other areas, whether it be me hosting them at the house for a party or giving back to my family in a way where, whether it be financial or whether it be educational, whatever it is, I just like giving. And that's where I think this charity component is going to come in. after I think this do this tour to get more involved in the community, stop about what you're seeing and go do something about it. You know what I'm saying? Like how do we, how do we, how do I improve? Because I think a lot of times, like, what am I gonna do? What, what am I going to do that's going to cause an impact in a problem that's so huge? You know, it's like voting, you know, you vote for that's hard. Are you gonna vote?

Well, what's it gonna do?

What's my vote gonna do?

Well, you're going to how many cities?

90. Well, 94 shows. I think it's like something. 80, 80, 80, some cities.

I mean, do you have a charity component already?

I have a foundation called tag. You're it. I fund it. There's no board of directors. No, nothing. I just give money to it. I'll go on a game show. I'll play for my charity. And then the. The pillars of the charity are Alzheimer's disease because my grandfather died from Alzheimer's. veterans because my father is a U.S. veteran, a United States Army veteran, and children's education. Wow, that's beautiful. I know, you know, a lot of communities are underserved when it comes to education. And my kids are fortunate to go to private school because the LA school system is kind of shot. But, you know, if I could do anything to help that, that's great.

But then again, what type of impact can you make? Well, I would love to push back on you for what you just said, because I think you want 80 cities, you're going to be in front of tens of thousands of people most nights. You have a big impact to whether to say something before or after on stage to every city, you and your family do something for a local Alzheimer's facility or schools. And to make it a point, maybe not every city, but you're saying, hey, as a family, We're gonna go to show up at a few of these cities to the children's hospital or to the Alzheimer's or to the old folks homes or whatever it might be and bring joy and serve.

You know, I need you as a lifeline, bro. I feel like talking to you, it's like, yeah, what? Again, I'm sitting here as you're saying this, I'm going, why didn't I think of that? You know, why didn't I think of having a charity component on the tour.

This is why I talk about. I mean, because you're focused on being the best at what you do. You're focused on the Reps of Comedy, of stand-up of promotion. You don't have all the time and energy to see the blind spots. This is why I love having coaches. And I have a coach that supports me in almost every area of life. I don't know everything about money. How am I supposed to know about money? Like you said, growing up with the scripts that we had as kids. So I have to unlearn things and read books, find money, mentors, invest in it, you know, go to courses, whatever it might be. Same thing with relationships. My parents were fighting all the time, screaming at each other. They got divorced when I was a teen. It was a nightmare. I left. I ran away from home to go to a private boarding school when I was 13 because I didn't want to be at home. I didn't feel emotionally safe.

Yeah.

I didn't know about relationships. I failed in multiple relationships until I'm in the relationship now, and it took years of coaching. to heal, to unlearn. And I used to beat myself up and feel shame thinking I should have known better. Why didn't I already know this? But I spent 15 years shaming myself and that doesn't feel good. And so I've just learned through more self-compassion I'm not going to know everything in the world. Let me try to surround myself with good coaches and mentors and just learn a little bit more as I go. as I feel stuck or feel like I'm going through a problem. And so I was just saying it for you because I know you have a big platform in person and you can move audiences to laugh. And when you can open someone's heart to laugh, you can get them to take action in other areas, or at least be aware. You can get them to listen. And if you want to say a one minute message about something you care about with your charity, I think it's a great opportunity. you can bring your kids on stage and say, Hey, we're doing this as a part of our tour. We're going to these different Alzheimer's centers. We're doing kids school, whatever it might be that you care about. I think it's a great way to enjoy this process even more over the next year.

Yeah, I agree.

By serving just a little bit outside of the comedy as well. So you can enjoy it and be of service and do good.

But we can talk later about if you want more work.

I'm not going to coach you on.

This, but no, it's a it's a great idea and I definitely want to implement that.

And you got enough on your mind already. So maybe it's something your wife supports you with.

I mean, this is something that's important and it would make it more meaningful.

Exactly. Every time, you know, you talked about gratitude and really wanting to enjoy this tour. And, and I want everyone watching and listening to go to the tour. I want to go. Hopefully you're coming here in LA.

August 17th.

August 17th. I gotta go check it out because your stand up on, your specials are freaking hilarious. Well, thank you. So I want everyone to go who's watching and listening, where can we sign up for tickets to buy tickets on the tour?

So I go to sebastianlive.com, all the tour dates are there and going to a lot of different cities. I haven't even gone before, like Youngstown, Ohio. All right. From Ohio, so that's good. Oh, okay. So, yeah, we're going to all the, you know, Boston, New York, Chicago's and Philadelphia. Fort Lauderdale's, but yeah, San Antonio, someplace that I would perform once. Austin, Texas, got a brand new arena. So yeah, going to a lot of different places and Sebastian Live, Sebastian Comedy is the Instagram and the Twitter. I try and populate that with funny videos so people get away from it. You start scrolling down any of these social media platforms. depending on your algorithm and what it's feeding you. But, you know, for me, I always stop on the videos that, you know, create a smile and not so much anxiety and. And I don't even watch the news anymore. I don't either. So, yeah, you put out.

You put out humor and things that make people laugh. I try to put out positivity. I think that's what people should consume more of.

Yeah.

Things that bring a smile to someone's face. sebastianlive.com. make sure you guys get tickets. Bring your friends, your family. I just feel like, especially over the next six months, I think you're doing this at the perfect time as there's going to be so much chaos in the world with the election and the political season and just, like, families probably, like, fighting with each other over, like, what's right and wrong and who to vote, all these different things. Like, just stop fighting. Go watch you live, laugh, bring your family, bring your friends, connect, have fun. We can enjoy life too.

Yeah, and you know what? To reflect on what you said earlier about laughter and how popular comedy is. And I think the reason is because to the point of, people bickering red, blue, and that's wrong. And the way you think is sucks or whatever it is. When you get people together in a comedy club or arena or theater, none of that is happening. It's just everybody is laughing in unison as one for an hour, regardless of your political affiliation, your religion or whatever it might be. Everybody at least agrees, in my opinion, for an hour, everybody in that room agrees that this is funny, right? And then they leave and then they beat the out of each other. But I think that's why people are looking for this. People are so inundated with all this, whether it be you open up your iPad, your phone, you turn on the TV, you're just getting constantly bombarded by all this stuff. and people are looking for a release, an outlet. And I think comedy is providing that right now for people. So, yeah, you're right. I think this is a great time to tour.

Perfect timing, man.

I hope.

I hope, I'm gonna message you halfway through and check in and making sure that you're enjoying the moments. I'm sure there's gonna be stress and travel and all these things, but I hope that you're enjoying it as well. And if you are watching or listening and you go, and you get a VIP upgrade and you get to do a meet and greet with Sebastian, make sure to remind him to enjoy the moment and say, Hey, a school of greatness. I heard you say you were going to work on enjoying the moment. And make sure to remind him in case he's not. I do have two final questions for you. Okay. Before I ask them, Sebastian, I just want to acknowledge you again. This is our first time meeting and I want to acknowledge you for your openness, your realness and your honesty about where you're at in your life. you know, 50 years of living, ups and downs, but a lot of joy, a lot of success, and a lot of fun and fulfillment. And I acknowledge you for, there's some comedians I've had on that did that. They want to be in comedy mode all the time, and it's fun. But I appreciate that you're able to also open your heart and talk about things you're working on, things you're struggling with, things that you're you know, excited about and all these different things. So I acknowledge you for just the real human connection that we've had and your, your open and realness and the journey you're at. I just think it's a beautiful journey to watch. So congratulations on everything. And I acknowledge you for the, the joy you bring to so many people in the world.

Very, very nice of you to say all those things. Very nice. My question to you is yeah. Is, is this something that, like, I like to acknowledge you for? Is this something that you have learned from somebody else, or is this something that you came up with to do at the end of these shows? Or did you. Because I think a lot of times, like, I'll take some, some of the stuff that you told me today.

Yeah.

And I will repurpose it and say it like it's my own. Yeah. Right. Sure. The positivity, the gratitude, even what you're saying now, I acknowledge you for. I think this is a good, it's a good thing to say to somebody because you go through an interview and you can almost recap it in your own way. Is this learned or is this something that you came up with on your own?

I don't know if anyone comes up with anything on their own. I never saw anyone at an end of an interview say, I acknowledge you for what I'm seeing in you. But I have done a lot of courses, personal development work, you know, trainings, mentors, coaches. And I think what I always wanted as a child was to be seen and acknowledged. And I think every child wants to be seen and acknowledged for their existence. and many years I didn't feel seen and acknowledged. And so I overworked, I over hustled, I did whatever it took to be the best in my sports so that I was never neglected. That continued in the business world after I got injured. I overworked, I over trained. I was, you know, whatever I can do to be the best. When I hit 30, I'm 41 now. You know, I was a multi-millionaire in the bank account. I had, like, a little audience. I had a successful business, a little personal brand. But I was extremely miserable, and I was chasing validation from everyone else. But I didn't have it with myself. I wasn't able to acknowledge me. or see me, the worst of me, the best of me, and everything in the middle. And so it's been an 11-year journey since starting this show of kind of reclaiming that power and ownership of, sure, it's nice to be seen and acknowledged by others, but the real tragedy is if we work so hard on the things we love and enjoy, we don't acknowledge ourselves. And so I try to acknowledge me, you know, quietly every day and say, man, just keep doing the work. You're doing a good job. Sure, you can be better, but being consistent is a great step. And I know that most people crave acknowledgment, and it's just something I started doing on the show. Again, I never saw someone do it, but I was just like, I know people want to feel acknowledged. and I want to speak into people what I see in them. So, yeah, I started doing at the end of every interview, and I just think it's imagine a world where everyone was able to acknowledge themselves better and the people in their lives better. And, you know, I'm not saying, like, your dad never saw you or your mom never saw you. They just were criticizing all the time. It's not what happened, obviously. They saw you and acknowledged you, but. imagine a world where, you know, we can coach and empower people to level up and also see all the beauty outside of it. So that's part of the journey.

It's a nice, it's a nice touch. And sometimes I don't know how to accept those acknowledgments, you know, like even compliments. Like, I feel, I feel like it's.

Hard for people to acknowledge, to receive, to receive it.

Yeah.

It's like, I almost want to jump out of it.

I know. It's very uncomfortable for a lot of people.

Yeah.

It, as you were saying, I'm like, oh, another one. He's doing another one. You know?

Well, it's interesting because in the more, in the more I've, and most people are uncomfortable, and I don't do it to make people uncomfortable.

No, no, I really don't.

But I've, I've learned that most people and comedians, believe it or not, you know, they want, or actors, they want the laughter, they want the you know, it's. What's the. There's, like, a joke about comedians. I can't remember. And, like, actors about always needing Applause growing up or something or never having, like, their parents, like, acknowledge them. I can't remember. But there is a stereotype of actors and comedians needing that to fuel them, to feel worthy.

Right.

And I'm not saying you need that, but I've seen comedians struggle with receiving acknowledgment. Even when they get clapped on stage, it's like fueling something, but they still don't feel enough. Sometimes. I don't know if that lands or if that speaks to your industry at all, but that's what I've noticed.

I struggle with that. At the end of my show, I know some comedians that stay out there and they're bowing. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

They really receive it.

Taking it all in, right? Me, I want to get out of there.

Thank you, off the stage.

Yeah. And maybe people are wanting to give a standing ovation or maybe people are wanting to kind of applaud the performance more. And I cut it short because laughing at me is fine, but then acknowledging me is some switches.

This is interesting. If you're willing to go for a few minutes on this.

Yeah.

Something I've learned over the years, 'cause I used to say, nah, like I could do better. Like when someone wouldn't acknowledge me or celebrate me and be like, yeah, but what about that one thing I missed? I remember I'll tell you a story. I broke a world record for the most receiving yards in a single game. 418 yards in college in one game. Whoa. 17 receptions, five touchdowns, 418 yards in one game, and we lost the game. And afterwards, I'm pissed that we lost the game. I'm the last one in the shower to leave the locker room. I'm moping around, I'm frustrated, I'm angry. Everyone left the locker room. My coach comes in, I'm literally in the shower naked. He comes, it's an open shower, you know, for those guys. Guys shower naked. Anyways, coach comes in and kind of creeps around the corner and just says, Congratulations, you broke a world record today. Most receiving yards in a single game ever in the history of college football. And no one's done this in the professional leagues either. And I was head against the shower kind of wall, the hot water running down me again, butt naked, and I'm thinking, what? And we just lost the game. And he's like, Congrats. And I was miserable for a week. I'd done something no one in the history had ever done. But all I could focus on was like, yeah, but I dropped that one pass. And what if that was the thing that could have got us to win? It's still on me why we lost. It was like beating myself up. It took me weeks to be able to be like, oh, that's actually kind of cool that I did that. And I've learned over the years that when you block someone from saying, Hey, that was awesome. Congratulations. What a beautiful job you did. When you say nah, or you block it, or you don't receive it, you're robbing that person of a gift. You're robbing the audience. And you're not doing this intentionally, so I'm not trying to put you down, but you rob an audience of really being like, wow, I just had my mind blown. Thank you for giving me this hour of joy. My life was before I came here, and you took me out of the darkest place of my life. without that, I don't know where I would have been tonight. I might have been drinking all night. I might have been beating someone up. I might have committed suicide. But because of your gift, your hard work, 50 years of life experience that you brought for this hour, you brought me joy. And if someone stands up and wants to applaud and scream, it's a disservice to rob them of that gift. And again, I'm not blaming you or making you wrong for never doing that in the past, but I would again encourage you. to take it in for a little longer than you used to.

Yeah.

Be willing to stand there and see what people do and just be uncomfortable for 60 seconds. See what happens at the end of the day.

No, I'll fight through it.

That's my suggestion.

It does get quite uncomfortable.

I can imagine, man. It's hard to see 20,000 people just sit there and acknowledge you and like standing ovation and scream and it's not easy. unless you're a narcissist, maybe then you're like, keep it coming.

Keep it coming. No, no.

But if you're a decent human being, you feel like a little bit of like, oh, you know.

Yeah.

You want to have some humility. You feel uncomfortable. Like, I understand.

Yeah. Yeah.

Because there is, there is a sense of, I, again, negative. I'm thinking if I stay out there longer than I should, someone's going, let's just, I don't, yeah, like, yeah, like, hit the so here you are.

And there might be three or four people that are saying that, too. You're probably gonna get a few people that said, what was he out there for 30 seconds? Tweeting out there. You're gonna see that.

Yeah. Yeah.

You know, you don't have to be out there 5 minutes, but it's like, if you stay 5 seconds, try to stay 50 seconds. You know, it's like, extend it and see how you can make yourself as an experience, feel uncomfortable and really receive and enjoy those moments. That would be my suggestion.

But you didn't come here to get coached by me. No, no, that's good. It's a good learning experience for me. So. But thank you for. Of course, I have to acknowledge you for giving giving me some nuggets and morsels of knowledge where I'll leave here and implement into my own life, one being the charity event and another being the relishing and the applause.

The receiving, yeah. I told you before we started, my intention is to make this the most powerful conversation you've ever had.

It was damn good, I gotta tell you.

And to impact people around the world. and so I have one final question for you. I've acknowledged you. You shared kind of your three lessons. If you were 80, what you would tell yourself today, you said, stop worrying. You said, don't work so much and be with family. I don't know if you said the third thing, but is there one other thing that your 80 year old self would say to your. Your current self?

Take care of your health.

-Huh.

Which I'm in the process of doing. I feel like, you know, you spend money on a car, you spend money on a vacation. Why don't we spend money on becoming the most, the healthiest person you could possibly be? Because I think sometimes, especially now you're getting up into your 50s, not to say that that's old, but you know, things, parts are getting older and they're starting to fall apart. I just snap my calf muscle performing and had to do the rest of the show limping around.

Oh, man, that's tough.

So I don't want those things happening anymore. I mean, I work out. It's not a workout where I come out of there exhausted. I'm moving around. I, you know, light stretching and what have you. But the workouts of like to exhaustion are not something I'm doing. Just because I'm afraid what else is gonna snap.

Right.

I mean, I was talking about this on Joe Rogan, I snapped two of my biceps. I ruptured my biceps.

At the same time?

Not at the same time. Different times. But there is no trauma. I had no trauma in it. It felt like, oh, what is that? It was like I woke up and, you know, sore. This is what I have.

Interesting.

And I got kids.

Yeah.

And I don't want to be. I become or I'm becoming, which I. I don't want to. We go to an event, and it's. We went to Disneyland. My family gets on. Say hi to Daddy. I'm gonna say hi to Daddy. Like, I'm on the sidelines.

Yeah. Yeah.

They went skiing. I can't ski. Say hi to Daddy. And I'm thinking, I'm missing memories, moments with my kids, because what? I'm not taking care of my body and I'm not at optimal health. So my 80 year old self would definitely tell my 50 year old self, when you're my age, 80, you don't want to be stagnant and sitting in a chair. Yay, yay, I don't know.

You don't want that.

I don't want that.

Final question, Sebastian, what's your definition of greatness?

Definition of greatness. I don't think you can define yourself as great. I think greatness has to be from other people. Like, you know, Muhammad Ali said he was the greatest, right? But that was just his kind of persona. To me, Michael Jordan is the best basketball player I've ever seen play. There's debate on that. But I think you're great when other people are applauding your greatness, not necessarily your self. I mean, not to say that there's people out there saying, I'm great. But greatness to me is, you see something or you taste something and go, I've never seen or felt anything like that. So there's, and I think we're throwing greatness around too much. You know, there's just like everybody, oh, he's a genius or he's the goat. I did a thing a year ago about the goat. Everybody's the goat now. I mean, goats are there. You know what I'm saying? So I think if we reserve greatness for true greatness, it has much more meaning. than if you start throwing this word around for every everything that you see.

First of all, you got to know what not having peace is to really understand peace. So unfortunately, I have had some some rough moments where I'm like, I am miserable. I am freaking miserable. And not because of my work.

I love what I do.

It is the greatest feeling in the world.