WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.520 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're taking 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:04.799 a really close look at the career of Steve Trevino, 00:00:04.980 --> 00:00:07.879 comedian, writer, producer. But we're not just 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:10.300 looking at the jokes. Our focus is more on the, 00:00:10.359 --> 00:00:12.800 well, the business strategy behind it all. How 00:00:12.800 --> 00:00:15.539 he built this incredibly strong brand over, what, 00:00:15.580 --> 00:00:18.000 two decades? A brand that seems to work no matter 00:00:18.000 --> 00:00:20.239 who's actually distributing the content. That's 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:22.980 exactly it. That's the mission here. Trevino's 00:00:22.980 --> 00:00:24.940 career, when you track it, it's like a master 00:00:24.940 --> 00:00:27.519 class in owning your own content today. We're 00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:29.100 really going to trace how he went from being 00:00:29.100 --> 00:00:31.879 this young comic down in Texas back in 97, all 00:00:31.879 --> 00:00:35.740 the way to headlining and figuring out how to 00:00:35.740 --> 00:00:38.460 work with Showtime, then Netflix, Amazon Prime, 00:00:38.679 --> 00:00:42.240 and crucially, how he used YouTube for self -release. 00:00:42.340 --> 00:00:44.039 We're basically giving you the roadmap, how you 00:00:44.039 --> 00:00:46.380 build a modern comedy brand, and maybe more importantly, 00:00:46.500 --> 00:00:48.780 how you control it. Okay, let's get into it. 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:53.060 Steve Trevino, born January 16th, 1978. So he's 00:00:53.060 --> 00:00:56.659 47 now. And his whole thing is professional identity. 00:00:56.740 --> 00:01:00.039 It boils down to just two words, really. Relationship 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:02.579 humor. He's kind of the definition of that relatable 00:01:02.579 --> 00:01:04.920 comic. Takes all the messy, funny parts of marriage, 00:01:05.159 --> 00:01:07.900 family, being a dad, and makes everyone feel 00:01:07.900 --> 00:01:09.500 like he's talking about them. Yeah, and that 00:01:09.500 --> 00:01:12.120 relatability, it's not just accidental. It's 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:14.519 the bedrock of a really structured business plan. 00:01:14.989 --> 00:01:17.209 We're looking at almost 20 years of work here, 00:01:17.290 --> 00:01:20.549 right up to the 2024 special, Simple Man. And 00:01:20.549 --> 00:01:23.129 look at his list of jobs, comedian, writer, and 00:01:23.129 --> 00:01:25.609 producer. That third one, producer, that's the 00:01:25.609 --> 00:01:27.730 key. That's the strategy piece. He's not just 00:01:27.730 --> 00:01:29.909 showing up to tell jokes for a fee. He's thinking 00:01:29.909 --> 00:01:31.670 about the whole life cycle of his work, the IP. 00:01:31.950 --> 00:01:34.310 Right. You look at his big specials, Till Death, 00:01:34.569 --> 00:01:37.189 Relatable, Grandpa Joe's Son, there's a common 00:01:37.189 --> 00:01:39.310 thread. And you can't really talk about the brand 00:01:39.310 --> 00:01:41.450 without mentioning his wife, Renee. She's almost 00:01:41.450 --> 00:01:43.689 a character herself in his act, known everywhere 00:01:43.689 --> 00:01:46.329 by that nickname, Captain Evil. And Captain Evil, 00:01:46.450 --> 00:01:48.510 that's more than just a running gag. It's like, 00:01:48.609 --> 00:01:52.340 um... A co -branded asset, strategically speaking. 00:01:52.620 --> 00:01:54.579 It instantly tells you what kind of comedy it 00:01:54.579 --> 00:01:57.819 is, who it's for. So what we want you, the listener, 00:01:57.859 --> 00:01:59.739 to get from this deep dive isn't just that he 00:01:59.739 --> 00:02:03.120 switched platforms, but why he did it. Understanding 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.939 that shift from licensing deals with Showtime 00:02:05.939 --> 00:02:09.819 to putting stuff out himself on YouTube and what 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:11.419 kind of power that gave him when he eventually 00:02:11.419 --> 00:02:13.379 went back to a big platform like Netflix. Okay, 00:02:13.419 --> 00:02:15.800 so if the brand is relatability, we've got to 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:17.759 start at the source. Where did it come from? 00:02:18.110 --> 00:02:20.370 Steve Trevino, he grew up in Portland, Texas, 00:02:20.650 --> 00:02:23.210 the Gregory Portland area specifically. That 00:02:23.210 --> 00:02:25.469 Texas identity and being a Mexican -American 00:02:25.469 --> 00:02:27.909 comic, it feels absolutely central to how grounded 00:02:27.909 --> 00:02:30.469 his humor is. It's local, it's authentic, it's 00:02:30.469 --> 00:02:32.969 specific. And when we talk about his life feeding 00:02:32.969 --> 00:02:35.229 the comedy, the sources have these great little 00:02:35.229 --> 00:02:37.930 details, like the fact that fishing was their 00:02:37.930 --> 00:02:40.250 greatest family pastime. It's that kind of specific 00:02:40.250 --> 00:02:42.189 detail. It's not just any American childhood. 00:02:43.210 --> 00:02:46.969 Texas Gulf Coast thing. And weirdly, that specificity 00:02:46.969 --> 00:02:49.490 makes it feel universally relatable. That makes 00:02:49.490 --> 00:02:51.750 sense? Yeah, it does. And those details, they're 00:02:51.750 --> 00:02:53.610 not just throwaway lines. They become titles, 00:02:53.669 --> 00:02:56.009 like his first big special, Grandpa Joe's Son. 00:02:56.349 --> 00:02:59.210 Right away, you know this is about family, roots, 00:02:59.409 --> 00:03:02.449 a real identity. It sets him apart from comics 00:03:02.449 --> 00:03:04.650 who might be more... I don't know, conceptual 00:03:04.650 --> 00:03:06.909 or just purely observational. And here's a fun 00:03:06.909 --> 00:03:09.210 little side note. Maybe hint at a family trait 00:03:09.210 --> 00:03:12.030 for taking chances. Tom Trevino, the World Series 00:03:12.030 --> 00:03:15.409 of Poker Champ from 2013 -2014, is apparently 00:03:15.409 --> 00:03:18.550 in his family. So whether it's poker or, you 00:03:18.550 --> 00:03:20.349 know, taking risks in comedy, maybe there's something 00:03:20.349 --> 00:03:22.550 in the blood there. Calculated risks. Well, he 00:03:22.550 --> 00:03:24.389 certainly started taking his own risks early. 00:03:24.610 --> 00:03:28.930 Kicked off his career at 19. In 1997, started 00:03:28.930 --> 00:03:31.530 at the Addison Improv Comedy Club up in Addison, 00:03:31.669 --> 00:03:34.569 Texas. Tell us about that early grind. What was 00:03:34.569 --> 00:03:37.909 involved? Yeah, 19 is incredibly young to start 00:03:37.909 --> 00:03:39.650 stand up seriously. It must have taken serious 00:03:39.650 --> 00:03:41.590 hustle. And you see that hustle in the details 00:03:41.590 --> 00:03:44.210 we have. He wasn't just doing open mics. He saw 00:03:44.210 --> 00:03:46.550 the value in the business side early on. He used 00:03:46.550 --> 00:03:48.750 to volunteer, apparently, to drive the club's 00:03:48.750 --> 00:03:51.069 headliners to their radio interviews for promotion. 00:03:51.409 --> 00:03:54.129 Wow. OK, that's that's really smart. That's a 00:03:54.129 --> 00:03:56.110 business insight right there. He's not getting 00:03:56.110 --> 00:03:57.830 paid for driving, but he's getting this free 00:03:57.830 --> 00:04:00.750 education in real time, learning how local media 00:04:00.750 --> 00:04:03.250 works, how you deal with the press, how you promote 00:04:03.250 --> 00:04:06.030 a show long before it was his own show he needed 00:04:06.030 --> 00:04:08.229 to promote. Exactly. Absorbing the business while 00:04:08.229 --> 00:04:10.469 learning the craft. And it looks like that networking 00:04:10.469 --> 00:04:13.210 paid off pretty quick. His first major gig, still 00:04:13.210 --> 00:04:17.040 at 19, was opening for Carlos Menzies. And that 00:04:17.040 --> 00:04:19.180 connection turned into something much bigger, 00:04:19.259 --> 00:04:21.540 really his doorway into TV production. Right. 00:04:21.620 --> 00:04:24.579 He leveraged that stage time into writing and 00:04:24.579 --> 00:04:27.500 producing. Yeah. 2005 to 2006, he's listed as 00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:29.560 a writer and performer on Mencia's show Mind 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:32.240 of Mencia on Comedy Central, which was well. 00:04:32.670 --> 00:04:34.970 Controversial, but definitely high profile. So 00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:37.329 that's two years learning how sketch comedy and 00:04:37.329 --> 00:04:40.589 TV production works from the inside. And he didn't 00:04:40.589 --> 00:04:43.250 just stick with Mencia. By 2008, he had added 00:04:43.250 --> 00:04:46.009 another big credit, writer and producer for Pitbull's 00:04:46.009 --> 00:04:50.009 show on MUN 2, La Esquina. So this shows he wasn't 00:04:50.009 --> 00:04:51.930 just a stand -up telling jokes. He was fundamentally 00:04:51.930 --> 00:04:55.649 becoming a multimedia creator, a producer, developing 00:04:55.649 --> 00:04:57.509 skills that would be absolutely critical for 00:04:57.509 --> 00:04:59.769 his later independence. And importantly, while 00:04:59.769 --> 00:05:01.529 he was doing all this TV writing and producing 00:05:01.529 --> 00:05:04.209 in the mid to late 2000s, he kept performing. 00:05:04.329 --> 00:05:06.509 He kept showing up on national TV, doing stand 00:05:06.509 --> 00:05:09.550 up shows like The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, 00:05:09.910 --> 00:05:13.050 Comics Unleashed, Comic View. So he was building 00:05:13.050 --> 00:05:15.149 name recognition in the industry, making sure 00:05:15.149 --> 00:05:16.990 that when he eventually launched his own independent 00:05:16.990 --> 00:05:19.430 stuff, people would actually pay attention. Precisely. 00:05:19.750 --> 00:05:22.269 Laying all the groundwork, building the skills, 00:05:22.490 --> 00:05:25.209 building the name, getting ready for what turned 00:05:25.209 --> 00:05:27.879 out to be a pretty major strategic turn. Okay, 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:29.800 this feels like a turning point, moving from 00:05:29.800 --> 00:05:32.060 just building a freer to really taking control. 00:05:32.459 --> 00:05:34.740 2011 seems like the year things shifted, and 00:05:34.740 --> 00:05:36.459 it started with something pretty controversial, 00:05:36.639 --> 00:05:39.120 he said publicly. Right. This is where Trevino 00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:42.620 maybe prioritized long -term credibility over 00:05:42.620 --> 00:05:46.040 short -term connections. He went on Marc Maron's 00:05:46.040 --> 00:05:50.740 podcast, WTF, which, even back in 2011, was hugely 00:05:50.740 --> 00:05:53.680 influential. And on that platform, he... Well, 00:05:53.699 --> 00:05:55.920 he publicly called out Carlos Mencia, his old 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:58.459 mentor, the guy who gave him his break, criticized 00:05:58.459 --> 00:06:00.920 him for the joke theft allegations and for, you 00:06:00.920 --> 00:06:03.199 know, bumping other comics off shows. That sounds 00:06:03.199 --> 00:06:06.000 like a massive risk, especially in comedy, which 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:09.379 seems so built on, you know, loyalty. You could 00:06:09.379 --> 00:06:12.279 get blackballed, right? Labeled difficult. What 00:06:12.279 --> 00:06:15.360 did that do for his brand, his career path? Well, 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:16.860 yeah, it was definitely a professional separation, 00:06:17.220 --> 00:06:20.540 a divorce almost, but maybe one that solidified 00:06:20.540 --> 00:06:23.269 his own authenticity. Mencia was big then, but 00:06:23.269 --> 00:06:25.769 also carried baggage. By distancing himself, 00:06:26.149 --> 00:06:28.410 Trevino was basically saying, my brand is about 00:06:28.410 --> 00:06:31.389 honesty, professional integrity. It wasn't just 00:06:31.389 --> 00:06:33.810 about finding his artistic voice. It was setting 00:06:33.810 --> 00:06:36.089 a standard for how he operates, which is pretty 00:06:36.089 --> 00:06:38.310 vital if you later want people to back you as 00:06:38.310 --> 00:06:40.449 an independent producer. He was signaling, I 00:06:40.449 --> 00:06:42.970 stand on my own. ready to define his own path. 00:06:43.189 --> 00:06:45.509 And that move, that stand he took, it comes right 00:06:45.509 --> 00:06:48.170 before his first big play for Control. Just a 00:06:48.170 --> 00:06:51.089 year later, 2012, he drops his first special, 00:06:51.250 --> 00:06:54.310 Steve Trevino, Grandpa Joe's son. And it's on 00:06:54.310 --> 00:06:56.370 Showtime. And again, look at the title. Smart. 00:06:56.610 --> 00:06:58.350 Connects right back to those Texas roots, the 00:06:58.350 --> 00:07:00.769 family theme. But the really key detail is his 00:07:00.769 --> 00:07:03.410 credit. Writer and executive producer. This is 00:07:03.410 --> 00:07:05.290 where the switch flips. He's thinking like an 00:07:05.290 --> 00:07:07.230 owner now. Let's pause on executive producer. 00:07:07.870 --> 00:07:11.029 That title usually means big money, studio backing. 00:07:11.250 --> 00:07:14.029 What does it mean for a comic on their first 00:07:14.029 --> 00:07:16.670 big special to get that credit? It means control. 00:07:17.290 --> 00:07:19.389 Control over the creative, sure, but potentially 00:07:19.389 --> 00:07:22.069 control over the IP, the master recording. An 00:07:22.069 --> 00:07:24.329 EP credit often means you have a say in the budget, 00:07:24.470 --> 00:07:27.110 the final cut, and crucially, what happens to 00:07:27.110 --> 00:07:29.550 that special after the initial license runs out. 00:07:30.209 --> 00:07:32.589 For a relatively young comic to secure that, 00:07:32.629 --> 00:07:34.310 it means he wasn't just selling a performance. 00:07:34.410 --> 00:07:36.810 He was negotiating the future life of that product. 00:07:37.009 --> 00:07:39.149 He started controlling his work right from the 00:07:39.149 --> 00:07:41.310 beginning. So when that Showtime deal eventually 00:07:41.310 --> 00:07:43.829 ended, he likely retained the rights to take 00:07:43.829 --> 00:07:46.050 it elsewhere. And he kept that producer role 00:07:46.050 --> 00:07:48.129 going into the next one, the second special, 00:07:48.350 --> 00:07:51.850 Steve Trevino. Relatable, it first aired on Nouveau 00:07:51.850 --> 00:07:55.670 TV February 2014. But then the big move, well, 00:07:55.829 --> 00:07:58.029 it starts streaming on Netflix later that year. 00:07:58.329 --> 00:08:00.269 Yeah, that's an interesting tactical play. Nouveau 00:08:00.269 --> 00:08:03.209 TV was smaller, right? More niche. Which suggests 00:08:03.209 --> 00:08:06.490 maybe it was a strategic first step. Sell the 00:08:06.490 --> 00:08:09.050 initial license to a smaller player, maybe get 00:08:09.050 --> 00:08:11.790 better terms on secondary rights, or a shorter 00:08:11.790 --> 00:08:14.790 exclusivity window. Specifically aiming for that 00:08:14.790 --> 00:08:17.259 bigger splash on Netflix later. Because Netflix 00:08:17.259 --> 00:08:19.300 in 2014, I mean, that was becoming the global 00:08:19.300 --> 00:08:22.560 stage. Getting labeled a Netflix special was 00:08:22.560 --> 00:08:26.139 huge for reach, for solidifying the brand name 00:08:26.139 --> 00:08:28.660 worldwide. And the fact that he filmed Relatable 00:08:28.660 --> 00:08:30.459 right there in Corpus Christi at the American 00:08:30.459 --> 00:08:33.570 Bank Center, his home turf, that just... doubles 00:08:33.570 --> 00:08:35.590 down on the whole brand, making his big moment 00:08:35.590 --> 00:08:38.470 feel really authentic, rooted in where the comedy 00:08:38.470 --> 00:08:41.190 comes from. Exactly. So this period, it shows 00:08:41.190 --> 00:08:43.710 he really understood the distribution game. Use 00:08:43.710 --> 00:08:45.889 the smaller outlets to set up the right structure 00:08:45.889 --> 00:08:48.470 you want to leverage that onto the giant platforms 00:08:48.470 --> 00:08:51.169 for maximum eyeballs, all while keeping that 00:08:51.169 --> 00:08:53.450 crucial executive producer credit. That control 00:08:53.450 --> 00:08:55.789 allowed him to pivot again and again in the years 00:08:55.789 --> 00:08:58.230 that followed. So if phase one was getting control, 00:08:58.409 --> 00:09:01.350 phase two, maybe the next five years or so, seems 00:09:01.350 --> 00:09:03.549 to be about proving. he could navigate the changing 00:09:03.549 --> 00:09:05.990 landscape. Trevino didn't just pick a platform 00:09:05.990 --> 00:09:08.649 and stay there. He treated streaming like, I 00:09:08.649 --> 00:09:10.789 don't know, different markets to tap into, platform 00:09:10.789 --> 00:09:14.070 hopping to maximize who saw his stuff. Yeah, 00:09:14.110 --> 00:09:15.690 this is where the strategy gets really visible. 00:09:15.929 --> 00:09:18.269 He's not complacent. Look at how it unfolds. 00:09:18.269 --> 00:09:21.029 Late 2017, he starts making his third special, 00:09:21.190 --> 00:09:24.409 Steve Trevino. Till death. Comes out January 00:09:24.409 --> 00:09:27.730 2019. The theme, relationship humor, it's still 00:09:27.730 --> 00:09:30.590 core, maybe even deeper. Right. But the distributor. 00:09:30.990 --> 00:09:33.110 It changes again. Right. Till death ends up on 00:09:33.110 --> 00:09:35.330 Amazon Prime Video. So he's done premium cable, 00:09:35.509 --> 00:09:37.629 Showtime, the big subscription streamer, Netflix, 00:09:37.850 --> 00:09:39.970 and now he's on Amazon's platform. What's the 00:09:39.970 --> 00:09:42.090 strategic thinking there? Moving from Netflix 00:09:42.090 --> 00:09:44.610 to Amazon Prime, is there a difference? Oh, definitely. 00:09:44.750 --> 00:09:47.669 They reach different, though overlapping, audiences 00:09:47.669 --> 00:09:50.629 and operate differently. Netflix is all about 00:09:50.629 --> 00:09:53.570 keeping subscribers hooked with content. Amazon 00:09:53.570 --> 00:09:56.129 Prime Video is tied into this massive retail 00:09:56.129 --> 00:09:59.110 machine. For a comic whose whole brand is relatable 00:09:59.110 --> 00:10:01.879 family stuff. Being on Amazon puts him right 00:10:01.879 --> 00:10:03.960 where his target demographic is already shopping, 00:10:04.059 --> 00:10:06.480 living their daily lives. It's potentially a 00:10:06.480 --> 00:10:08.480 different kind of engagement, maybe different 00:10:08.480 --> 00:10:11.960 deal terms, too. Shorter exclusive periods, perhaps. 00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:14.220 More control over international rights. We don't 00:10:14.220 --> 00:10:15.820 know the specifics, but it was clearly a calculated 00:10:15.820 --> 00:10:18.559 move. But the constant. He's still credited as 00:10:18.559 --> 00:10:20.899 writer and executive producer on all three, keeping 00:10:20.899 --> 00:10:23.519 that IP control. Then 2020 happens, the pandemic, 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:25.480 everything shuts down, live comedy disappears 00:10:25.480 --> 00:10:27.759 overnight. Most comics went quiet, production 00:10:27.759 --> 00:10:29.899 -wise. But Trevino, he actually made a special 00:10:29.899 --> 00:10:33.500 during lockdown, Steve Trevino, My Life in Quarantine. 00:10:33.700 --> 00:10:36.159 This one is just wild from a production standpoint. 00:10:36.379 --> 00:10:39.659 He filmed it in October 2020, in front of a live 00:10:39.659 --> 00:10:41.860 audience, but they were all socially distanced, 00:10:41.960 --> 00:10:44.440 wearing masks. Think about that. It wasn't just 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:47.320 a Zoom thing. He kept the live element. somehow 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:50.159 shows incredible commitment to the form, even 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:52.720 under impossible conditions. And the way he released 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:55.980 it, that also showed a move towards independence, 00:10:56.279 --> 00:10:58.720 right? It wasn't Netflix or Amazon. He put it 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:01.340 out through a site called On Location Live. Exactly. 00:11:01.500 --> 00:11:04.000 That's really significant. The big players were 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:06.100 probably hesitant figuring out their own COVID 00:11:06.100 --> 00:11:08.799 protocols. He just bypassed them. Went direct 00:11:08.799 --> 00:11:11.139 to consumer using this platform. That had to 00:11:11.139 --> 00:11:13.519 be a massive learning experience, controlling 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:16.240 ticketing, data, audience interaction directly. 00:11:16.500 --> 00:11:18.460 It was like a dry run for going fully independent 00:11:18.460 --> 00:11:20.539 later, proving he could make money without the 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:22.519 big gatekeepers if he had to. And the content 00:11:22.519 --> 00:11:24.419 itself was interesting. My Life in Quarantine 00:11:24.419 --> 00:11:26.700 wasn't just stand -up. It was like a hybrid show. 00:11:26.980 --> 00:11:30.159 New comedy, yes, but also an episode of his podcast 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:32.360 filmed right there with a distanced audience. 00:11:32.720 --> 00:11:36.500 Total content synergy. Merging the streams. If 00:11:36.500 --> 00:11:37.860 you like a stand -up, boom, here's the podcast, 00:11:38.039 --> 00:11:40.259 reinforcing the whole brand. And the special 00:11:40.259 --> 00:11:43.120 had his son Garrett, his mom Miss Dora, his father 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:47.240 -in -law Daddy Raymond. It was leaning hard into 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:50.340 that idea. The Trevino family is the content, 00:11:50.500 --> 00:11:52.960 the relatability engine. Which sets the stage 00:11:52.960 --> 00:11:56.259 perfectly for the big leap in 2022. His fifth 00:11:56.259 --> 00:11:59.399 special, Steve Trevino, I Speak Wife. He produces 00:11:59.399 --> 00:12:01.639 it himself, films it down in Waco, Texas, and 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:03.820 then... He just gives it away. Independently 00:12:03.820 --> 00:12:06.100 released, totally free, just on YouTube, October 00:12:06.100 --> 00:12:08.740 21, 2022. Right. Now, this move, this needs a 00:12:08.740 --> 00:12:11.039 closer look. Why? Why give away your main product 00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:13.299 for free after you've successfully sold four 00:12:13.299 --> 00:12:15.480 specials to major outlets? The financial risk 00:12:15.480 --> 00:12:18.840 seems huge. Was it just about getting views or 00:12:18.840 --> 00:12:20.039 was there something else going on there? What 00:12:20.039 --> 00:12:22.360 was the goal, if not immediate cash? Well, it 00:12:22.360 --> 00:12:25.009 looks terrifying financially. Only if you prioritize 00:12:25.009 --> 00:12:27.289 that upfront license fee above everything else. 00:12:27.429 --> 00:12:29.629 But think about the long -term play. The ROI 00:12:29.629 --> 00:12:34.549 here wasn't cash. It was leverage and data. By 00:12:34.549 --> 00:12:36.610 releasing I Speak Why for free, he did a few 00:12:36.610 --> 00:12:39.169 key things strategically. One, audience ownership. 00:12:39.629 --> 00:12:41.669 He drove everyone to his channel. He owns those 00:12:41.669 --> 00:12:43.330 subscriber numbers, the engagement data, the 00:12:43.330 --> 00:12:46.870 comments, everything. Two, global reach. No paywalls. 00:12:46.870 --> 00:12:49.009 No regional restrictions. Instantly available 00:12:49.009 --> 00:12:51.929 everywhere. Maximum brand exposure. And three, 00:12:52.049 --> 00:12:54.049 proving power. This was the big one. He was showing 00:12:54.049 --> 00:12:56.669 Netflix, Amazon, everyone. Look, I control the 00:12:56.669 --> 00:12:58.409 audience. I can get millions of views on my own 00:12:58.409 --> 00:13:00.230 for free. Imagine what that audience will do 00:13:00.230 --> 00:13:02.009 if you put my next special on your platform. 00:13:02.330 --> 00:13:04.309 Ah, okay. So the free special wasn't the end 00:13:04.309 --> 00:13:06.779 game. It was a setup. A setup for the next move. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:10.220 Which brings us to 2024. His sixth special, Steve 00:13:10.220 --> 00:13:12.480 Trevino, Simple Man. And where does it land? 00:13:12.620 --> 00:13:14.500 Right back on Netflix. The circle is complete. 00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:17.620 Exactly. But it's not a failure of the independent 00:13:17.620 --> 00:13:21.220 strategy. It's the payoff. Think about that negotiation 00:13:21.220 --> 00:13:24.379 with Netflix for Simple Man. Trevino wasn't just 00:13:24.379 --> 00:13:27.100 another comic asking for a deal. He walked in 00:13:27.100 --> 00:13:30.070 as a proven commodity. A self -producer with 00:13:30.070 --> 00:13:33.690 hard data showing his massive, engaged, global 00:13:33.690 --> 00:13:36.870 audience data he owned thanks to that free YouTube 00:13:36.870 --> 00:13:39.929 special. That changes the negotiation entirely. 00:13:40.269 --> 00:13:42.490 He demonstrated his market value independently. 00:13:42.690 --> 00:13:45.309 He had immense leverage. And none of the strategy, 00:13:45.389 --> 00:13:47.750 this platform hopping and independence, works 00:13:47.750 --> 00:13:50.149 without the core product being so consistent, 00:13:50.330 --> 00:13:52.789 right? He managed to turn his actual marriage, 00:13:52.889 --> 00:13:56.509 his family life, into this reliable multi -platform 00:13:56.509 --> 00:13:59.179 content engine. Let's talk about Renee, Captain 00:13:59.179 --> 00:14:01.279 Evil, specifically as part of the brand. Oh, 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:03.559 Captain Evil is just brilliant branding. Relationship 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:05.980 humor. It thrives on shared experience, laughing 00:14:05.980 --> 00:14:07.960 at the struggles. Yeah. Giving his wife this 00:14:07.960 --> 00:14:10.419 nickname, it's slightly edgy but clearly affectionate. 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:12.139 It instantly gives the audience permission to 00:14:12.139 --> 00:14:13.899 laugh along. It makes the normal conflicts of 00:14:13.899 --> 00:14:16.620 marriage funny and, well, relatable. She's the 00:14:16.620 --> 00:14:19.120 perfect foil for his onstage persona. And they 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:21.159 made that partnership official in a way with 00:14:21.159 --> 00:14:23.600 the podcast. Steve Trevino and Captain Evil, 00:14:23.779 --> 00:14:27.679 the podcast. Launched June 3, 2020. Right in 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:30.519 the thick of the pandemic shutdown. That timing 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:32.320 seems deliberate. Absolutely deliberate. Yeah. 00:14:32.419 --> 00:14:34.960 Stand -up tours were dead. The industry was paused. 00:14:35.240 --> 00:14:38.220 What did he do? Launched a weekly dose of intimacy. 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:40.539 Kept his connection warm with the audience when 00:14:40.539 --> 00:14:43.340 he couldn't tour. And the format. So simple. 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:46.279 So effective. Just them talking. Marriage. Family. 00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:49.250 Life. And look how they distribute the podcast. 00:14:49.610 --> 00:14:51.970 Same wide approach as the specials. Facebook, 00:14:52.269 --> 00:14:55.149 YouTube, other podcast distributors. It's everywhere. 00:14:55.370 --> 00:14:58.049 It's the constant drip feed of content that supports 00:14:58.049 --> 00:15:00.230 the big special releases every couple of years. 00:15:00.429 --> 00:15:02.669 It creates this continuous loop. The podcast 00:15:02.669 --> 00:15:04.730 gives you the behind the scenes of the relationship. 00:15:04.909 --> 00:15:06.909 It adds depth to the Captain Evil character. 00:15:07.169 --> 00:15:09.950 So when you watch the stand up, which pulls so 00:15:09.950 --> 00:15:12.450 much from that life, it lands even harder. It 00:15:12.450 --> 00:15:14.730 feels more real, more relatable. He's basically 00:15:14.730 --> 00:15:17.200 running a content business fueled by it. And 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:19.860 it's crucial to remember, through all of this, 00:15:19.879 --> 00:15:22.100 he's wearing all three hats consistently, comedian, 00:15:22.460 --> 00:15:25.299 writer, and producer. That ability to finance 00:15:25.299 --> 00:15:27.700 and produce his own stuff, that seems to be the 00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:30.299 foundation for all the strategic movement. No 00:15:30.299 --> 00:15:33.320 question. And you see that same multi -platform 00:15:33.320 --> 00:15:35.559 thinking in his other appearances over the years. 00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:38.019 He stays visible. Shows like The Daily Buzz, 00:15:38.179 --> 00:15:39.899 The Bob and Tom Show, panels, stuff like that, 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:42.460 that's entertainment. He's not just a stand -up 00:15:42.460 --> 00:15:44.960 special guy. He found this niche relationship 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:47.240 humor that cuts across a lot of divides. It's 00:15:47.240 --> 00:15:49.639 broadly accessible. And he built a machine around 00:15:49.639 --> 00:15:52.259 it by controlling the production and IP. He figured 00:15:52.259 --> 00:15:54.759 out early, control the product, control the production, 00:15:54.899 --> 00:15:56.720 and you can basically write your own ticket when 00:15:56.720 --> 00:15:58.539 it comes to distribution. You dictate the terms 00:15:58.539 --> 00:16:02.720 because you own the core asset. Okay, let's wrap 00:16:02.720 --> 00:16:06.019 this up. We followed Steve Trevino from, what, 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:09.320 volunteering to drive comics to radio shows at 00:16:09.320 --> 00:16:12.029 the Addison Improv? through that really gutsy 00:16:12.029 --> 00:16:14.399 public critique of Mencia that bottom authenticity, 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:17.120 all the way to mastering platform strategy hitting 00:16:17.120 --> 00:16:19.379 Showtime, Netflix, Amazon, going independent 00:16:19.379 --> 00:16:21.899 and coming back again. It's this unique mix. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:25.039 Texas rooted relationship comedy, yes, but combined 00:16:25.039 --> 00:16:28.340 with the sharp, almost aggressive business sense 00:16:28.340 --> 00:16:30.440 about intellectual property and distribution, 00:16:30.659 --> 00:16:32.360 it really feels like a playbook for creators 00:16:32.360 --> 00:16:35.039 today. It really does. That whole arc is a case 00:16:35.039 --> 00:16:37.840 study in modern digital distribution. The guts 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:39.980 to leave Showtime, navigate Netflix and Amazon, 00:16:40.200 --> 00:16:43.019 and then the really bold move, releasing a a 00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:45.860 full special for free on YouTube that shows such 00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:48.600 a deep grasp of audience ownership, knowing your 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:51.340 value and how to prove it. And the engine driving 00:16:51.340 --> 00:16:54.399 all these business moves is that incredibly consistent, 00:16:54.620 --> 00:16:57.879 seamless integration of his personal life. Grandpa 00:16:57.879 --> 00:17:00.960 Joe, Ms. Dora, the kids, and obviously Rene, 00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:04.039 Captain Evil. That relatable tag isn't just a 00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:06.980 description. It's like the operating system for 00:17:06.980 --> 00:17:09.720 the whole Trevino enterprise. Which brings us 00:17:09.720 --> 00:17:12.529 right to the... Core takeaway, I think. Look 00:17:12.529 --> 00:17:15.349 at the last two big data points we covered. 2022, 00:17:15.890 --> 00:17:20.009 he drops I Speak Wife for free on YouTube. Proves 00:17:20.009 --> 00:17:22.450 he can pull massive numbers entirely on his own. 00:17:22.549 --> 00:17:26.009 Then, just two years later, 2024, he's back on 00:17:26.009 --> 00:17:28.390 the biggest stage, Netflix, with Simple Man. 00:17:28.529 --> 00:17:30.849 Okay, so here it is. Our final provocative thought 00:17:30.849 --> 00:17:33.349 for you, the listener, to chew on. What is that 00:17:33.349 --> 00:17:35.490 sequence -free, independent release followed 00:17:35.490 --> 00:17:37.750 by a top -tier platform return? Tell us about 00:17:37.750 --> 00:17:40.200 Power in the streaming world right now. If an 00:17:40.200 --> 00:17:42.160 artist can prove definitively that they command 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:44.059 a huge audience without any help from the big 00:17:44.059 --> 00:17:46.259 guys, does putting your best work out there for 00:17:46.259 --> 00:17:48.900 free online become the new power move? Is it 00:17:48.900 --> 00:17:51.440 the ultimate audition? A negotiating tactic that 00:17:51.440 --> 00:17:53.380 basically forces the major streamers to come 00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:55.339 to you with better deals because you've already 00:17:55.339 --> 00:17:57.220 shown you own the audience they want access to. 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:00.180 It suggests maybe the game isn't just about platforms 00:18:00.180 --> 00:18:03.460 commissioning content anymore. Maybe now they 00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:05.680 also have to compete to license the audience 00:18:05.680 --> 00:18:07.119 that creators bring with them.