Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to Cut the Tide podcast. Hi, I'm your host, Thomas Helfrich. Today, we are joined by Melissa Brandt Melissa.

Speaker 2: 0:06

I'm great. How are you doing?

Speaker 1: 0:08

I'm delicious. Thank you for asking, Melissa. Could you take a moment to introduce yourself and what it is you do?

Speaker 2: 0:14

Absolutely. My name is Melissa Brandt. I am a stand-up comedian out of Grand Rapids, michigan, and my little shake or whatever is I'm a clean comedian and so that, I think, is something that the market really doesn't have a ton of right now, and I'm excited to sort of bring that water down like filtered and, yeah, exactly, forget everything that I just said.

Speaker 1: 0:44

I don't know what I'm talking about. I was listening, I I gave her the light. So during a comedy show, if you're listening to this, this is gonna be a different kind of show, because I can already tell you get a light, put a phone up the back to let her know her time's up, and so I was like you're going too long, and so she was, I know I already knew.

Speaker 2: 1:02

Thank you for stopping me.

Speaker 1: 1:04

Oh my God, I'm keeping that in, and let me tell you why Because you are in the business of comedy and that was just funny. I was like alright, I know she feels she's going too long, so I was going to be like I was like wrap it up, what are you trying to say?

Speaker 2: 1:16

And I still don't know.

Speaker 1: 1:17

You've got your three minutes. You're the check comedian, which is the worst place to get. You're the new guy because you give them, you get your comedy when they're doing their checks and no one's listening. So that's the, I've heard. That's the worst place. All right, so you're a comedian, sure, and you're right, there's not a lot of.

Speaker 2: 1:34

You say sure, like kind of yeah, we'll see after this podcast, and I'm in for reevaluate my life choices.

Speaker 1: 1:43

Listen, any good comedian is self-deprecating and hates themselves. It seems like so. Uh, that is true, we do have that in common. The problem you solve right of there's not enough. Clean comedy is a brilliant one, because if you look at nate uh bargadzi I think it's how he pronounced his last name he like 74 million last year in clean comedy. Jerry seinfeld did a ton of money on it. Andrew guys clay is, I think, almost dead in vegas, not making like a 500 a show and he had super dirty comedy. Right, the point is, if you can do it cleanly, it does work better because it makes you more marketable and you can do more corporate gigs. You can do more fun things.

Speaker 1: 2:18

If you're known as a pretty dark uh, I cannot pronounce his name anthony, just like just now. Like you know, I love his stuff. Uh, it's dark, but it's not gonna you're not gonna see it on mainstream anytime soon, right? So, yeah, I, I love your problem you solve. It's bigger, but that becomes a different kind of comedy. So in your own journey, just tell me about it. How did you get here and then, and then describe maybe the tie that you needed to cut, so to speak, to be okay.

Speaker 2: 2:45

Yeah, yeah, absolutely Well, I've always liked being creative and I've always liked performing. When I was young I was never shy in front of crowds, so I've always enjoyed that. But I think for me I kind of did what was drilled into my head to do, which was go to college, get a degree, get a job and settle down and you know, bada bing, bada boom, and that worked pretty well. But then after a few different sales jobs which wasn't even my degree, but you know how that goes After about 15 years of working different sales jobs, I got like super burned out and I was just feeling so creatively unfulfilled and my family was suffering.

Speaker 2: 3:32

I have two young kids and it was just getting to be too much for our family.

Speaker 2: 3:36

And so I had to really take a look at what my preconceived notions were of how my life should look.

Speaker 2: 3:43

And you know, I micro-retired for a little bit, which is actually something I talk about in my stand-up routine, basically taking some time off just to be at home with my family, reflect on what I want to do with my life, and yeah, it was a really healing time. And then I came back and I'm I came out of micro retirement a few weeks ago and I'm working at a school as a paraprofessional, which is something I never in a million years when I was in corporate would have ever thought I would enjoy that or want to do that. And now that sort of opens up my schedule to pursue more creative endeavors like standup comedy. And the way I got into that specifically is like a whole nother story, but that's sort of the journey that led me to the headspace that I had to be in to become a stand-up comedian, because I think it is like a really specific thing to get into and I think everyone arrives at it in totally different, really unique ways.

Speaker 1: 4:43

I love that and it sounds like the tie you had to cut was acceptance just of where you were in your life and it sounds like you're still struggling with it a bit of where? And I asked people this question if you had $10 million in the bank and you're making 5% a year on, it say $500,000 a year, which means you can spend every dollar that 500,000 never touch a multi-generational wealth, no debt what are you going to be doing?

Speaker 2: 5:05

Yeah, and I think it would be exactly what I'm doing right now. That's really cool to be able to say yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:12

And so now, it's not about money, Right, it's about. It's about the enjoyment of that experience that you're doing for yourself. And I and I point that one, like when I'm coaching people is like if, if you're not headed towards that focal point, you're not going to ever. You're going to be drawn back to that focal point because that's where you want to go, and so I think that's fantastic place for you as a basis to look at along the way. Now, do you remember a specific moment that you could describe, where you knew like that's it. I'm not doing this corporate shit, I'm going to find where I am right now.

Speaker 2: 5:45

Oh yeah, it was. So what happened was I left my job and it was really hard because I really loved that company and we're still like, I still talk to them all the time and the mission and everything so much. But then I thought maybe if I take a job that's not as many hours but it's still sales, that I'll be happier. And then I only worked somewhere else for like a week and I remember there was a moment where something was happening that I just snapped and I was like I can't do this anymore. I can't be jumping to different jobs that are so unfulfilling and you know where I'm just miserable, like there's got to be more to life than this. And so I, you know, didn't come without sacrifice, but figuring out what you really want to do and where you want to be in life, it's a hard thing to come across.

Speaker 1: 6:50

Yeah, it is, it is. What advice would you give to? I usually say to the listeners I want to ask it differently to you. What advice do you give to your younger self?

Speaker 2: 7:05

Meth is a hell of a drug. No, just kidding, that's not it.

Speaker 1: 7:10

More riddle.

Speaker 2: 7:12

Yeah, um, I think I would just sorry not every drug is bad.

Speaker 1: 7:16

Some are great. It's worth it.

Speaker 2: 7:19

Um no, I would tell myself that just to stop caring so much about other people's expectations of what my life should look like. You know, your life is your life and I think, just as a humanity, we need to be a little more accepting of different journeys and different paths.

Speaker 1: 7:42

I think it's also as you describe it. It's like being honest with yourself of what's really going on right, of the acceptance of where you are in your life and the in. At some point you realize I only got one of these lives and you're like, and you look back, am I really gonna have a regret if I do something I try to go do in love and you know, and hurt and I think you're getting there with that. If you could go, like you know, uh, to yourself on stage for the first time, what do you do different that first night?

Speaker 2: 8:14

You know I was really lucky. My very first show was like a dream, like the audience was so supportive. I had memorized that stuff so well, I was hitting all my marks Like it was really. I couldn't have asked for a more incredible first experience. I don't know if I would change anything, and that's honestly what keeps me going is I have such a special memory of that that I have in my head every time I go do another show and I'm scared. You know, you just have to come back to why you love it, those moments that just fill you with joy and, um, yeah, it's just been really incredible journey all right, rapid fire question are you ready?

Speaker 1: 8:53

let's do it. Who gives you inspiration?

Speaker 2: 8:57

other stand-up comedians, seeing how much work they put into their craft and there's so much, you know I think that there's a misconception. Maybe in stand up comedy it's a bunch of narcissists or whatever, which don't get me wrong there are for sure and maybe part of it is my area, I don't know. I really want to start branching out to bigger markets so that I can see, but so far what I've encountered is just people genuinely wanting to make other people laugh and willing to put in the time and the effort and the hard work, and I just I'm just really proud of them there are narcissists there, for sure, but I are the yes I know, I was just trying to be nice.

Speaker 1: 9:39

They're trying to make the primary um it's. It's a tough business, right? I mean, do you have like a I mean from a business standpoint of comedy? I don't know that business at all because it doesn't look like it gets the people. Looks like you make money, the ones who put the shows on. That's not looks like where the money's at is. Yeah, you take a show and I bring comedy comics in.

Speaker 1: 10:00

You get 50 bucks to 100 bucks to be there or something ridiculous right and it, which is fun for you, you're getting paid to be there right as, as long as you don't drink, your your bar tab away. But what's the business advice you've gotten? That's been very valuable.

Speaker 2: 10:14

Uh, hold on, I wrote this one down. I was really excited to tell you, okay, best business advice, business is business and Christmas is Christmas.

Speaker 1: 10:27

Could you pull that onion apart a little bit and let me know what that means.

Speaker 2: 10:33

Sure, I think that that was just something a boss told me at a marketing job one time and it always stuck with me because it's just a funny little rhyme, right. But also I think there's times in life where if you're really pursuing your dream and trying to chisel away at something and you rub up against somebody the wrong way unless it's super intentional and harmful people need to understand we're all just trying to find our way and you snooze, you lose there. That's number two business advice.

Speaker 1: 11:10

You poop, you poop. I don't know, it doesn't really rhyme Number lose there. That's number two business advice you poop, you poop.

Speaker 2: 11:12

I don't know, it doesn't really rhyme. Number three there we go. No, that should be number two.

Speaker 1: 11:16

That should be number two, but it's really a number three. No one ever actually goes number two without a number three. Even if you have an exploding diarrhea day, at the end of it a little pee comes out Like it's unstoppable. You're not human unless you have a pee with a poop, which is a three well, there you go. That was beautiful I think you should probably talk about it. It's impossible to have no to it. Raise your hand. If you've only ever pooped, no one will ever do it.

Speaker 2: 11:46

Your crowd work will be shitty oh my gosh, everyone gives me the worst advice for things to make my shtick. That was one you just came up with. Other ones are all like really good one, you should always eat a sandwich while you're up there. Or like, oh. The other one was like you should burp and I'm like I'm already overweight. I don't need to add these things to my shtick to make me more like. That's not the part of me that I'm trying to amp up here the belching sandwich, holding poop talking person. That's not my shtick, so stop.

Speaker 1: 12:19

Oh my God, that's named Paul Vamos person. That's not my shtick, so stop. Oh my god, his name paul vamos boros. Oh my god, hold on. I'm gonna tell you I don't know that.

Speaker 2: 12:24

I don't know that name. Is that another stand-up comedian?

Speaker 1: 12:27

he is, and he was at the pod fest. Um, uh, I can't think of his name. Anyway, he, um, he, uh, he came in and I go oh, I thought you were a comic. He's like why is that? I was like well, it's because you're late and latino. He's like not my face, like no, no, you look normal. He's like I'm gonna use that like you should. Oh, my gosh, that's funny. No, because you're late, you're latino. What else are you gonna do? He's like it's true, I'm not really mowing the yard. I'm like my joke, which is what most people do with comedians. To get my idea, I do believe, um, you will find ideas from some people who, who, what works, but I think, like anything else, um, let me ask the last question and we'll get to the. You know I bantering a little bit. Uh, do you have a favorite book?

Speaker 2: 13:21

yes, I have several. I love brené brown, just like every other middle-aged white woman in america, um, but she is really inspirational and completely changed my perspective on so many things, with being vulnerable and you know the different types of armor that we use to protect ourselves and just understanding sort of what other people experience compared to what I experienced, just having that perspective, you know what I mean and that's like was really helpful for me.

Speaker 1: 14:00

I think that's a. I've never heard that author, so I think it's one I'm going to look at as a as a white woman on it, and that was really helpful for me. I've never heard that author, so I think it's one I'm going to have to look at. As a white woman myself, I'm going to identify with them. I will take a look at that because it's not one I've ever heard of and it's not a typical answer. If there's a question I should have asked you today. Oh sorry, what were you saying?

Speaker 2: 14:17

No, yeah, exactly. Should have asked you today. Oh sorry, what were you saying? No, I was, yeah, exactly. I mean, um, yeah, she has books, dare to lead, daring greatly. So they're definitely for, you know, business-minded person. I guess you gotta have that entrepreneurial minded person, that's right.

Speaker 1: 14:36

Well you're, you're on that journey of a different kind. So you're uh, you're, an artist, and that's a hard living. Being an artist of any sort singing, comedy, music, whatever, or painting is a given gift by whatever power you may call a god or whatever. It comes from from genetic disposition. Comes from from genetic disposition. It's not. It can. It'll be developed, but there are, there are people who've gotten, like you know, like if you're a pokemon, you got an ability that's been attached to your card already that you just can't get otherwise and it's so undervalued typically in the world and it makes no sense that I feel like it's almost strengths finders.

Speaker 2: 15:13

That's another one, and that, what you just said, reminded me of that. If you really hone in on your strengths and figuring out what that list is of things, that they're God given talents, that's where you really find out how to unlock your true potential.

Speaker 1: 15:30

I like that. I'll write that one down. The final question for you. If there was a question I should have asked you, but I didn't. I missed it.

Speaker 2: 15:38

I want you to ask me. I want you to ask me, I want you to ask me. I want you to ask me where I'm filming at right now.

Speaker 1: 15:47

Alyssa, where are you filming right now?

Speaker 2: 15:49

I'm in my aunt's haunted attic that literally to get up here I had to follow a trail of dead flies and I also fell going down the stairs and they're wooden and I skidded up my knee and I thought I broke my pinky toe and I dropped my laptop and all my podcast stuff and my notebook and my poppy root beer soda and that's the end of that story. But I made it, I'm here.

Speaker 1: 16:18

I'm wounded, but I made it and I'm here you and I heard you carry too much shit at once yeah and how much alcohol would you have prior to coming up the stairs?

Speaker 2: 16:30

what'd you say I should quit catching?

Speaker 1: 16:32

how much alcohol did you have prior to going up those stairs?

Speaker 2: 16:35

none. I had a poppy root beer that I was bringing up here.

Speaker 1: 16:38

I told you that yeah, well, that was the problem you didn't drink enough I guess I don't know.

Speaker 2: 16:45

Yeah, I mean, I think that I really got distracted by the. The trail of dead flies in the haunted vibe. I think I think a ghost pushed me because it's a 75 year old-old single woman's attic. It's just, I mean, she's got weird sheets from the 70s. You know, I brought my phone charger and I didn't have the cube thinking maybe she has like an extension cord that'll have those. Absolutely not. All of her extension cords are covered in dust and they're from 1972.

Speaker 1: 17:18

Do you think that room was like an upside down pineapple room at one point?

Speaker 2: 17:23

Absolutely. This is perfect for that. There's a foyer, yeah.

Speaker 1: 17:27

It's like a red room. It's the gray room.

Speaker 2: 17:29

Yep.

Speaker 1: 17:30

Ask her that Right. Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey? Oh yes, he probably has. She had the same poster of like a calendar from 1995. That was like a guy like naked and just had like a washcloth over his wiener, like that was on her wall for like 10 years.

Speaker 2: 17:54

Was it over? Or was the wiener holding the thing up itself?

Speaker 1: 17:58

Oh I, don't know, I was just a little kid. Oh man, okay, it definitely was holding it up. These are the questions I'd have. I would go through it with her and when she starts getting super uncomfortable or has a hot flash, you know you've hit home. It's great, melissa. Thank you so much for being on the show today.

Speaker 2: 18:14

Thank you for having me, I appreciate it.

Speaker 1: 18:17

How can people get a hold of you? Who?

Speaker 2: 18:21

do you want to or not want to get a hold of? I want everyone to get a hold of me to have me come perform and hang out. I love marketing for comedians as well, so you can check out my website melissabrantcomedycom. Melissabrantcomedy on Instagram. Melissabrantcomedy on YouTube. Melissabrantt Comedy on Facebook.

Speaker 1: 18:42

Awesome. Thank you, I appreciate you coming on.

Speaker 2: 18:45

You're welcome.

Speaker 1: 18:46

Thank you, and for everyone listening, everyone listening and still all here. Listen, go out there, cut a tie to something holding you back and just go unleash the best version of yourself. Thanks for listening.