comedian, writer, publisher now, and then seeking
to inspire and encourage others to build a platform
for themselves, I'm definitely going to ask,
how did you get started? Oh, man. Probably the
same way most people in my position get started.
Bad parents, teenage angst, you know. No, I grew
up in South Central LA in the 80s. So not to
date myself, but it was an interesting life.
It was a rough life, a height of gang violence
and police brutality, a lot of issues. So I just
grew up in kind of hardscrabble youth. You kind
of just get used to a lot of adversity. And just
understanding you kind of got to grit it out
a little, right? And, you know, I went through
my trials and tribulations. I went through my
hard times. And certainly, you know, I'm not
a high school graduate. I never went to high
school day in my life. I ended up in jail most
of my teen years. And at a certain point, I just
decided I was done. I needed to make a change
in my life. Completely changed everything I was
doing. Where I lived, I changed what I was consuming
as far as reading, eating, my habits for working
out. I started doing yoga, reading Eastern meditation
and philosophy books and things like that. Just
really wanted to completely change my mindset.
started it kind of kind of fell into this but
started this uh because i was a hustler go -getter
and i didn't have a problem talking to people
i kind of fell into this independent marketing
and consulting business that i had for a long
time um which was very successful and it was
great but it was very unrewarding i didn't love
it um it was it was rewarding financially but
My God, was it boring. It just wasn't what I
wanted to do. I was a writer. I wanted to write.
I've always wanted to write. And I was in the
process of writing my first book. And I was at
a shitty comedy open mic one night. And I used
to hang out and just watch. And this guy who
ran the mic afterwards, I'd hang out and talk
to him. And he's like, you're funny. You should
try this. So next week I did and I had fun and
I kept doing it. And then I kept doing comedy.
I kept I started doing more writing. And eventually
I left my business to just pursue writing and
comedy because it's what I really loved. And
that was almost 20 years ago now. That was my
next question, because I swear, just the way
you said it and how you put it, it's almost like
remember we were talking about in the in the
in the green room before this. It just seems
like sometimes these things happen overnight.
And I love the fact that you put a number to
it, because to me, I'm like, oh, this moved pretty
fast. But to you, you was like, no, this is this.
Yes. And so how long did you do comedy for and
are you still in comedy? Oh, yeah, I still do
comedy. That's how I. pay the mortgage um that's
that's the main that's the main job um i've been
doing that for yeah i mean i guess comedy has
been i guess it's been probably close to like
i say close to 20 years probably like 17 years
about that i since i first did it um and the
uh yeah still do it still doing shows every week
somewhere um this last six, eight months is I
took some time off, not doing it as much because
I've been working on the publishing end and the
graphic novel thing that I launched. But, you
know, I'm at a point where I've been doing it
long enough. I have the autonomy to take that
time off. And, you know, it's not like this grind
where I feel like, oh, if I don't, if I don't
go to this next show, if I don't reply to this
email quick enough, I don't, you know, I'm going
to get forgotten. I'm never going to get a show
again. It's like, no, I, I'm my own production
company now. I produce most of my own shows.
I have the ability to pick and choose where I
go instead of hoping I get an email and someone
will pay me $30 and a hot dog to drive six hours
and do 10 minutes. But again, there was a climb
of over 17 years of doing that. It wasn't overnight.
know you talk about vision i think that's the
biggest problem people have today is that they
don't have that long -term vision of what it
takes to you know we're an instant gratification
society where you know you you click a button
on your phone you have to click a button you
just say alexa and then you know next thing you
know whatever you ordered is a drone is dropping
it on your head in three minutes you know it's
like there's no there's no weight there's no
there's no work ethic to have to grind and take
these steps um but really that's that's what
you need to do to get to where you want to be
um and it also makes it more worth it you know
Yeah. And I would say, in my opinion, which is
not a professional opinion, you have comedian,
you have writer and you have publisher. Did your
did your vision change somewhere to change those
journeys? Yes and no. So, I mean, like really,
the reality is as when I was ever since I could
put pen to paper, I wanted to be a writer. That's
what I wanted to do. That's that was. And I wanted
to do that in a lot of capacities. You know,
I had ideas for books. I had funny stuff I wrote.
I wanted to write graphic novels. I wanted to
write screenplays. And so I just want to write
everything in different formats, different ideas,
struck different chords. And I'm like, oh, this
would be good for this or this would be good
for this. I've written books of poetry even,
you know, I did hip hop music for a long time.
So I've done a million things writing, but. And
the really comedy kind of I kind of fell into
that, too, because like I didn't know how to
start in comedy. It's just like I wouldn't have
known how that guy would have never said you
should get up and do this. I wouldn't have known
that I could get up at that open mic and do that.
Like I had no clue that these were people that
were just, you know, just anyone off the street.
Right. So that. But I but I was good at it and
I enjoyed it. And that that kind of became a
thing that was like, oh, I'm good at this. I
like it. And it fulfills the writing. It's something
I enjoy. I didn't know much. I love this. But
really, like I want to write, you know, so all
that time I've been doing comedy. I've also been,
you know, worked writing for shows. I'll write
screenplays. I'll do sketches. I'll do. Write
books, write these graphic novel series. And
I eventually had this, you know, I think two
years ago I did like was my busiest year in comedy.
I did like 189 dates on the road and I was just
like burnout. I'm like, man, I got to I got to
take some time off. I just moved to Texas and
bought this new house and was remodeling it and,
you know, doing some stuff. And I'm like, I'm
going to I'm going to take a little time off.
not travel as much. And, you know, I'm going
to, I'm going to work on this new graphic novel
series I wrote and I'm going to take it seriously.
And I'm like, I've always wanted to do this.
I'm like, I'm just going to take the time to
do it finally. And it really, you know, I found
out how not easy, but I found kind of figured
out the steps to do it. And then I got, okay,
I can figure out the workflow creatively. how
to get it, how to publish this, how to market
it myself, how to get it out to people, distribute
it, you know, direct to consumer, how to get
into retailers. And I just kind of went through
the steps and then realized in, I've got a million
stories to tell in that medium. So I'm like,
well, I'm going to keep doing this and kind of
offset with the comedy a little more, travel
a little less and do this. And then also I always
wish that I had, you know, a, Company that was
holding up and supporting younger artists. That's
what I always, you know, I always wished for
that when I was younger. So my goal is to be
able to do that for up and coming creators that
also want to get into the field, even if it's
a meager step up. It's it's it's a beginning.
And I love that. So I just had this crazy aha
moment. I was like, OK. You've always the foundation
of you wanted to be a writer always. But you
also have to write your jokes. You also have
to paint a picture for people to understand your
jokes. And then you just went ahead and decide
to to publish your own, you know, start your
own thing. So it all definitely marries. It's
just interesting how you started out in comedy
and then it rolled into that. So when it comes
to. i mean when it comes to everything that you
have decided to do knowing that you did not go
to you know go to high school and and do all
those things that most people normal things most
people do along the way what what encourages
you to keep going like you know i love that that
that you've even just started and now look at
where you are what encourages you um i think
the biggest thing is just I have a million things
I want to do. I'm going to die with a to -do
list creatively that is, you know, just longer
than you can imagine. So I want to get as much
done as I can. I want to get my voice out there.
I want to get the stories out there to people
who need them, who want them, who enjoy them.
and you know really it's just not doing not living
this life to the fullest when i have the opportunity
it's like this is you know it's fleeting i i
like i said i saw i saw a lot growing up i lost
a lot of friends very early on to violence gang
violence and stuff like that i i saw it in front
of my face a million times and i You know, this
can be taken away very swiftly. And I don't want
to waste a moment. I want to enjoy it. I don't
want to sit on a screen and scroll through reels
for five hours a day. I want to, you know, I
want to travel. I want to see the world. I want
to be able to write about that. I want to be
able to connect people that need ideas that they
maybe wouldn't. think of themselves or maybe
wouldn't look at it that way or understand that
they are seen in a certain light, you know, represented
all those things. I just think that's very, very
important. So I don't want to sit around and
just kind of I'm not a waste time guy. I don't
watch TV. I don't even really like I don't even
really watch sports anymore. I'll go to Spurs
game every now and then. But beyond beyond that,
like I don't really I don't really I used to,
you know, spend a lot of time watching sports
and just kind of hanging out. I don't I quit
drinking. I don't I don't go out. I don't do
it. I mean, I'm like, no, I want to create and
I want to leave something behind, you know. Absolutely.
And I don't know. I just feel that you're so
passionate about it. You know what I mean? It's
like I'm going to die with a to do list. Oh,
yeah. Believe me, it's going to be longer than
you can imagine. That's crazy. So so what's next?
I know that you have all these plans. You know
what? Forget the what's next. Is it just you
or do you have a team of people? It's pretty
much just me. Yeah. So like, I mean, I started
a comedy production company about 10 plus years
ago. So I run that. I book a lot of comedians
across the country. I run about 40 shows in about
20 states. And so I can book my own shows too.
So I'm used to running that. And then with the
publishing, it's pretty much just me. I mean,
I've got printers I work with and creative artists
and people I work with that do pieces of it,
but it's just contract work for what I, what
I need done. Okay. So, yeah, I mean, I, this
is what I spend my, you know, six days a week
doing five days a week, depending on how hard
I'm working that week. So it's I mean, this may
sound like a crazy question, but I'm definitely
going to ask what's success to you? Because interesting
enough, in my mind. You've reached a level of
success that not many people. So what is success
to you? Do you feel like you're even successful
right now? Yes and no. Like, yes, in a sense
that like I have imposter syndrome, you know,
you know, where you feel like I've been doing
comedy for, like I said, 17 years. I've toured
across the world. I've performed in like six
different countries. I headline clubs across
the country. And every time I do it, I still
feel like there's still a little like I know
I'm good at it, but there's still a little piece
of like, man, it's crazy to believe this is still
working. You know, this is still. I still getting
over on these people but the it's yeah I mean
here's here's the deal like you know I was told
my entire life that like writing and comedy and
Comic books, graphic novels, things like that
was like frivolous. It would never get you anywhere.
And now I get to make a living doing those things,
you know. And I can you know, I get to still
travel like all my bills are paid. I'm you know,
I get to make a living doing what I love. And
that's. That's really what it's about, right?
There's always an opportunity to have more, but
at what cost? Do I want to go back to some unfulfilling
job where I'm... I'm making a ton of money, but
I hate every moment of it. Like, what's the point?
Why even be alive at that point? You're not enjoying.
You're not getting to enjoy. Like, I would do
what I do now for free. I did do it for free
for years. So to be able to make a living at
it is fantastic. You know, I mean, again, I can
afford, I was able to buy a house. I get to travel.
I get to travel for work. I get to, you know.
create every day. That's true wealth. That freedom
of my soul and my spirit and my mind, that's
true freedom. I'm not tethered to a desk. I'm
not tethered to anyone else's requirements of
me every day. That's true freedom. And it's interesting
because I'm just going to, I guess I'll just
mention it. It's very personal for me. 10 year
old our 10 year old draws like crazy her and
friends are trying to do a graphic novel like
she won't read anything else yeah anything else
it's all graphic novels it's it's dragons it's
all this stuff and in my mind and i'm not saying
even as a parent and not you know college all
that in my mind i'm like where does this come
from where does this creativity I'm from. And
all I see is like pictures all over the place.
But what I will say, Deese, is that you have
just truly inspired me to nurture that in home
and at home. Because I'm not saying I don't nurture
it. It's just I don't understand it. Right. I
read books to get something out of it, like the
meditation, the ways of life, the journey. But
I love the fact and I'm sure there is someone
listening who's like, I didn't know what to do
with it either. Right. You just really don't
know. So I appreciate that. I thank you so much
because now I'm going to be able to tell her
like, yo, like, really? Reality. Yes, yes, yes.
Because I've never met anyone that. does this
and has such a creative mindset. Your mind is
all over the place. No wonder why you'll have
a to -do list because I'm like, what else will
you do? The ideas never stop. That's the hard
part. What I will say about your daughter is
definitely nurture that because here's the thing
that a lot of people don't know. not of their
own fault just because of how it is um like graphic
novels and comic books and things like that are
a are really really fantastic and underrated
medium that people that you know everyone thinks
like oh like superman capes this and that and
like that's a genre inside the medium but that
medium it can tell any story you want you know
you can tell you know there's stories that are
just about people's lives you know and like really
important tales that have a lot to do but you
can tell very important stories with fantastical
avatars um and you can you can make the delivery
system more palatable to tell stories that you
might not be able to get through to people otherwise
um you know like the current book i'm publishing
kill stan is it's about a guy who wants to end
his own life so he decides to do it through vigilantism
um So on the surface, you see Vigilante. It's
kind of a neo -noir crime thriller. But the reality
is the story is about him and his it's a character
piece about loss and trauma and the crazy things
we do. And we feel like we have nothing left
to live for, which is like I think a lot of people
can resonate with that these days. You know,
that kind of loss and having feeling like they're
at the end of their rope. You know, that's a
story that might be hard to get into people's
hands if you're doing a self -help book. Yes.
But when you put it in this, through this medium,
all of a sudden people, you get a delivery system
that becomes palatable for them and impactful
and something that they can. sit with and resonate
with a little bit better. So, I mean, don't undersell
the medium. I tell people all the time, it's
something that, I mean, I've read some stories
in graphic novels that have still just blow me
away. And I'd go back and reread once a year
where you're like, this is just a masterclass
of art and storytelling. Thank you for being
here today. I'm really happy that you tuned in
to Vision Pros Live. I'm looking forward to seeing
your reactions as these episodes continue to
move forward. This is going to get more and more
fun. We'll have more and more engagement as well.
We'll invite people to participate in the show
and thank you for giving us your time and attention.
Have an excellent time building out your vision
and becoming a vision pro yourself.