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Messed-Up To Set-Ups - A MichaelHalcomb.Live Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Discussing The Messed-Up Things That Make Life Funny
Reflections on Comedy, Stand-Up or Otherwise, from Michael Halcomb. Discussing The Messed-Up Things That Make Life Funny. www.michaelhalcomb.live
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- 2 days ago34 min
Pain, Healing, & Stand-Up Comedy
Hello, Friend! Welcome to Episode 137 of Messed-Up to Set-Ups! In this first part of three (something that’s never happened on the podcast before!), I kick off my conversation with the absolutely hilarious Paula Jane Newman. We start by diving into her comedy origin story which is pretty fascinating. We get into her journey from England to the United States and discuss the unlikely path that led her into stand-up, acting, and wellness-focused humor. Along the way, Paula opens up about the pain, resilience, and personal growth that shaped her, plus we dig into how laughter became more than just entertainment to her; it became recognition, connection, and a real source of healing. If you’re into clean comedy, honest storytelling, and conversations with purpose, you’re going to love the way this episode sets the stage for everything that follows. Tune in!Also, I’d love to encourage you to check out a new app I just created, an app I wish I’d have had years ago: Comedian Persona Explorer. Whether you begin with a single report or continue using it as you grow, my goal is simple: I hope you’ll spend less time chasing someone else’s identity and more time becoming the comedian only you can be. Check it out HERE.Along the same lines, let me just say that, if reflections and tools like this are helpful to you, that’s also exactly why I wrote Comedy Mindhacks. My goal isn’t simply to help comedians write better jokes. It’s to help comedians understand the invisible thinking behind better comedy. Every mental model becomes another tool for building momentum, and over time those small shifts in thinking have a way of producing much bigger shifts on stage.This entire book is built around helping comedians identify the mental obstacles, hurdle over them, and boost their momentum. If this article resonated with you, you’ll find a lot more like it inside the book. You can check out sample pages HERE. If you’re not yet a subscriber, use code MH10LIVE at checkout HERE for 10% off. Free subscribers automatically receive 15% off, and paid subscribers receive 35% off because I’m a big believer in rewarding people who invest in themselves. 👉 Click HERE to grab the book.And if you’re ready to double down in a BIGGER way, consider joining my Comedy Vault. It’s my private collection of premium resources, trainings, workshops, and tools designed to help comedians continue growing long after the initial excitement fades. The first bet gets you into the game. Doubling down is what changes who you become.👉 Click HERE to unlock the Comedy Vault. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 5 days ago33 min
Comedians Workshopping Jokes Live
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I sit down again with comedian Chris Crawford for a hilarious live joke-workshopping session. In this one, we build, punch up, and reshape ideas in real time. We get into names, wordplay, farts, potlucks, and a nice little bit that keeps getting sharper as we go. If you love clean comedy, joke construction, and seeing how a premise goes from rough idea to something actually usable, this one is packed with laughs and practical takeaways. Messed-Up to Set-Ups is all about momentum through honest creative work, and this episode gives you a front-row seat to the process. Tune in!Just as I show in this video, one of my main goals is to help comedians write better jokes. But I also want to help comedians understand the invisible thinking behind better comedy and build momentum. I want to help them generate small shifts in their everyday thinking that’ll produce bigger shifts on stage. That’s exactly why I wrote Comedy Mindhacks. This entire book is built around helping comedians identify the mental obstacles, hurdle over them, and boost their momentum. If this article resonated with you, you’ll find a lot more like it inside the book. You can check out sample pages HERE. If you’re not yet a subscriber, use code MH10LIVE at checkout HERE for 10% off. Free subscribers automatically receive 15% off, and paid subscribers receive 35% off because I’m a big believer in rewarding people who invest in themselves. 👉 Click HERE to grab the book.And if you’re ready to double down in a BIGGER way, consider joining my Comedy Vault. It’s my private collection of premium resources, trainings, workshops, and tools designed to help comedians continue growing long after the initial excitement fades. The first bet gets you into the game. Doubling down is what changes who you become.👉 Click HERE to unlock the Comedy Vault. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 1 weeks ago24 min
Finding Your Voice & Building Your Brand
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I sit down with Texas-based comedian, Chris Crawford, for a funny, thoughtful conversation about clean comedy, finding your voice, and building momentum without compromising who you are. We talk about his military background, how he accidentally got pulled into stand-up, why he chose to go fully clean, and what it takes to build a comedy career in the right rooms with the right people. Tune in!Along the same lines, let me just say that, if reflections like this are helpful to you, that’s exactly why I wrote Comedy Mindhacks. My goal isn’t simply to help comedians write better jokes. It’s to help comedians understand the invisible thinking behind better comedy. Every mental model becomes another tool for building momentum, and over time those small shifts in thinking have a way of producing much bigger shifts on stage.This entire book is built around helping comedians identify the mental obstacles, hurdle over them, and boost their momentum. If this article resonated with you, you’ll find a lot more like it inside the book. You can check out sample pages HERE. If you’re not yet a subscriber, use code MH10LIVE at checkout HERE for 10% off. Free subscribers automatically receive 15% off, and paid subscribers receive 35% off because I’m a big believer in rewarding people who invest in themselves. 👉 Click HERE to grab the book.And if you’re ready to double down in a BIGGER way, consider joining my Comedy Vault. It’s my private collection of premium resources, trainings, workshops, and tools designed to help comedians continue growing long after the initial excitement fades. The first bet gets you into the game. Doubling down is what changes who you become.👉 Click HERE to unlock the Comedy Vault. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 2 weeks ago38 min
Behind The Scenes - 2 Comedians Writing Jokes
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up To Set-Ups, comedian Demoine Kinney is back in the lab. This episode feels like something of a masterclass in blending stand-up comedy with real-life grit. We workshop some jokes about Demoine running for office and going up against a local cheesecake lady and the strangest funeral services you’ve ever heard of (he owns a funeral home business). From battling self-doubt to working new content, Demoine, who’s also the only comedian I know that brings a saxophone on stage, also shares how his eclectic life fuels his comedy. Y’all, this one’s really good. Tune in!One last thing… I’d love for you to check out my new book: Comedy Mindhacks: 100 Mental Shifts To Help Comedians & Creatives Succeed.This entire book is built around helping comedians identify the mental obstacles, hurdle over them, and boost their momentum. Again, if this podcast resonated with you, you’ll find similar tips inside the book. You can check out sample pages HERE. If you’re not yet a subscriber, use code MH10LIVE at checkout HERE for 10% off. Free subscribers automatically receive 15% off, and paid subscribers receive 35% off because I’m a big believer in rewarding people who invest in themselves. 👉 Click HERE to grab the book.And if you’re ready to double down in a BIGGER way, consider joining my Comedy Vault. It’s my private collection of premium resources, trainings, workshops, and tools designed to help comedians continue growing long after the initial excitement fades. The first bet gets you into the game. Doubling down is what changes who you become.👉 Click HERE to unlock the Comedy Vault. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 2 weeks ago26 min
Navigating Comedy's Hidden Battles
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I sit down with the one and only Demoine Kinney for a hilarious, honest, and surprisingly inspiring conversation about comedy, creativity, and the wild road that led him from a small town in South Carolina to Atlanta stages, saxophone in hand. We talk about navigating many of comedy’s hidden battles (pressure, self-doubt, etc.) and discuss the mentors who shaped Demoine, the discipline behind writing every day, and the power of staying true to your voice when everybody wants to box you in. For anybody chasing growth in comedy or in life, my advice is: Tune in!One last thing… I’d love for you to check out my new book: Comedy Mindhacks: 100 Mental Shifts To Help Comedians & Creatives Succeed.This entire book is built around helping comedians identify the mental obstacles, hurdle over them, and boost their momentum. Again, if this article resonated with you, you’ll find a lot more like it inside the book. You can check out sample pages HERE. If you’re not yet a subscriber, use code MH10LIVE at checkout HERE for 10% off. Free subscribers automatically receive 15% off, and paid subscribers receive 35% off because I’m a big believer in rewarding people who invest in themselves. 👉 Click HERE to grab the book.And if you’re ready to double down in a BIGGER way, consider joining my Comedy Vault. It’s my private collection of premium resources, trainings, workshops, and tools designed to help comedians continue growing long after the initial excitement fades. The first bet gets you into the game. Doubling down is what changes who you become.👉 Click HERE to unlock the Comedy Vault. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- 3 weeks ago22 min
We Turned a Disaster Into a Killer Joke
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I’m back in the lab with Queen Aaliyah. In this one, we spend most of our time doing what comedians do best: Turning absurd real-life problems into something hilarious and relatable. Aaliyah brings some true stories about a job interview and a crazy dating mishap, and we workshop them together to turn them into jokes. Live and in real time, we put on display the art of finding punchlines in life’s messy situations. And we do it all while talking through the craft of clean comedy, storytelling, and the momentum that keeps a comic growing. If you’re curious about how comedians work and you love laughing, this one’s for you. Tune in!And, hey, if you’re looking for a place to grow your skillset, I recently published Comedy Mindhacks: 100 Mental Shifts To Help Comedians & Creatives Succeed for exactly that reason.This entire book is built around helping comedians identify the mental obstacles that quietly slow their growth and steal their momentum. If this article resonated with you, I think you’ll find a lot more of that inside the book. You can check out sample pages HERE. If you’re not yet a subscriber, use code MH10LIVE at checkout HERE for 10% off. Free subscribers automatically receive 15% off, and paid subscribers receive 35% off because I’m a big believer in rewarding people who invest in themselves. 👉 Click HERE to grab the book.And if you’re ready to double down in a BIGGER way, consider joining my Comedy Vault. It’s my private collection of premium resources, trainings, workshops, and tools designed to help comedians continue growing long after the initial excitement fades. The first bet gets you into the game. Doubling down is what changes who you become.👉 Click HERE to unlock the Comedy Vault. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- Jun 29, 202630 min
Comedy Habits That Actually Matter
Hello, Friend! It’s episode 131 of the Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I sit down with the absolutely brilliant and hilarious Queen Aaliyah Ford. Our conversation is jam-packed with comedy wisdom, clean humor, real-life stories, and shared laughs as we talk about the grind of stand-up, the power of collaboration, and what it takes to keep growing without losing your voice. We get into Queen Aaliyah’s name, her Chicago roots, her move to North Carolina, the early days of building a room and earning respect, why bully crowd work misses the mark, how family chaos became comedy gold, and the kind of momentum that keeps a comedian moving forward. At its heart, this is an honest conversation about laughter, craft, and staying sharp. Tune in!And, hey, if you’re looking for a place to grow your skillset, I recently published Comedy Mindhacks: 100 Mental Shifts To Help Comedians & Creatives Succeed for exactly that reason.This entire book is built around helping comedians identify the mental obstacles that quietly slow their growth and steal their momentum. If this article resonated with you, I think you’ll find a lot more of that inside the book. You can check out sample pages HERE. If you’re not yet a subscriber, use code MH10LIVE at checkout HERE for 10% off. Free subscribers automatically receive 15% off, and paid subscribers receive 35% off because I’m a big believer in rewarding people who invest in themselves. 👉 Click HERE to grab the book.And if you’re ready to double down in a BIGGER way, consider joining my Comedy Vault. It’s my private collection of premium resources, trainings, workshops, and tools designed to help comedians continue growing long after the initial excitement fades. The first bet gets you into the game. Doubling down is what changes who you become.👉 Click HERE to unlock the Comedy Vault. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
- Jun 26, 202624 min
How Good Comedians Actually Get Better
Hello, Friend! In this episode of Messed-Up to Set-Ups, I’m back in the lab with Phillip Anthony for a hilarious, insightful, and surprisingly practical conversation about comedy and growth but all as we workshop some jokes together. Along the way Phillip also shares some hard-earned wisdom on failing well, staying professional, learning from veteran comedians, and building a career with a business mindset instead of just a dream. If you’re into joke writing, we pull back the curtain and give you an up-close-and-personal look. This episode will make you laugh and think at the same time. Tune in!And, hey, if you’re looking for a place to grow your skillset, I recently published Comedy Mindhacks: 100 Mental Shifts To Help Comedians & Creatives Succeed for exactly that reason.This entire book is built around helping comedians identify the mental obstacles that quietly slow their growth and steal their momentum. If this article resonated with you, I think you’ll find a lot more of that inside the book. You can check out sample pages HERE. If you’re not yet a subscriber, use code MH10LIVE at checkout HERE for 10% off. Free subscribers automatically receive 15% off, and paid subscribers receive 35% off because I’m a big believer in rewarding people who invest in themselves. 👉 Click HERE to grab the book.And if you’re ready to double down in a BIGGER way, consider joining my Comedy Vault. It’s my private collection of premium resources, trainings, workshops, and tools designed to help comedians continue growing long after the initial excitement fades. The first bet gets you into the game. Doubling down is what changes who you become.👉 Click HERE to unlock the Comedy Vault. Get full access to MichaelHalcomb.Live at www.michaelhalcomb.live/subscribe
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