Stand Up Bootcamp Day 1
I wasn’t going to blog or mention anything about Stand up Bootcamp until I completed the entire experience, but I’m in the mood to write so fuck it. Plus I might as well crack out the stories while they are hot since I’m on this kick to blog every single day lately.
I’m currently in Los Angeles California attending Louie Anderson and Kyle Cease‘s Standup Bootcamp. I thought this event would be a great experience and opportunity to try something new and so far my hunch is correct.
Ever since I was a young kid I’ve always been fascinated with stand up comedy. My first crush as a kid was actually on Rosie O’Donnell back when she used to host Stand Up Spotlight on VH1. She was incredibly hilarious. Lots of people talk trash about her, but screw em. That chick did some serious time on the mic, and as a young kid I dug her.
Anyways, I’ve been following Kyle Cease’s comedy and online shenanigans ever since I met him at a Tony Robbins Date With Destiny seminar a few years ago. I instantly liked the guy and could tell he was a good and genuine soul. His comedy was hilarious too.
So when I saw that he and Louie were throwing a bootcamp in LA for comics I figured it would be a great adventure and I knew I could learn a ton of valuable info from some of the best working comedians in the business. Day 1 didn’t disappoint.
The day started out with Louie and Kyle giving a bit of background about themselves and their motivation for doing Stand Up Bootcamp. It’s obvious to me that this camp was created with a deep passion and desire to help comics that want to get better. There are no promises of fame, stardom or even paying gigs. But it’s clear that these guys care immensely about the people that want to seriously take their comedy to the next level.
The only goal here is to help people leave being a bit better than when they came. Ideally everyone would get a bunch of gigs and their own Comedy Central special, but I think the crowd understands realistic expectations and they are aware this isn’t the easiest business to crack. There are thousands of funny comics in this country that couldn’t put meals on the table on a consistent basis. You have to be beyond just good and funny. There are a lot of variables that need to fall in line to really become successful in this business. A small few may get some lucky breaks, but most of the guys on top are there for a reason. They busted their ass.
To be honest, I’m not sure I’d want to go on the road and do club after club after club. I kind of like just hanging out at the beach and doing my thing with the homies. My intentions and goals for this bootcamp are probably a lot different than many of the attendees. I just want to laugh and make others do the same and help out good people where I can. Whatever happens after that, we’ll see. I’m totally open to whatever the universe has in store for me.
Louie and Kyle really spilled their guts and gave some heart felt words that were very appropriate for the intro day. Most of it was about mastering your inner game and having the confidence to do what was necessary to achieve your goals in this industry. Then they brought out the guest speakers for the day.
Up first was a very impressive man by the name of Tim Sanders. Tim is a master networker, business genius, author and dynamic keynote speaker. One of his better known books is called The Likeability Factor.
The Likeability Factor
Tim gave an inspirational speech about the importance of giving without the expectations of reciprocity. The examples he used were clear indications that if you just do right by the people you are trying to serve, eventually all your hard work will pay off in a dramatic fashion. The things he was saying were so simple, yet so smart. However, in a world of me, me, me, me, me, sometimes the simple and right things to do aren’t so clear and obvious.
One thing Tim said that resonated deeply with me was… “Stop analyzing the usefulness of people. Instead, make people useful and powerful” (I hope I remembered the quote accurately).
That saying packed some serious weight with me. I love taking the responsibility of success off other people and placing it directly onto your own shoulders. It’s much easier for growth when your willing to blame yourself instead of others when shit doesn’t work out.
It was a real joy meeting Tim and within short time I could really tell he was a quality individual.
Up next was a man named Shore Slocumb. Shore provided some incredible motivation for the group and took us through a variety of exercises that proved our bodies can often do more than what our minds think they are limited to. His name instantly rang a bell in my head and I realized that I had met his wife a few years ago at a Tony Robbins event. She is a super rad lady, so it only made sense that he was going to be a champion as well. Shore lived up to the expectations. He rocked the mic.
It was awesome to talk to Shore because he’s the kind of guy that has a ton of passion for life and helping people. Listening to his stories about how he came up from being an electronic salesman to a motivational guru was very inspiring. Shore is the kind of guy that goes way above and beyond of what is expected of him to ensure others get the change they so desperate need. He’s truly a man with a big heart and I was super glad to have the chance to meet up with him.
It just so happens that Shore and I share a bunch of the same friends, so I’m sure I’ll see him again at some point in my travels.
Last, but definitely not least Ralphie May came up and crushed the mic. He gave a raw and unedited speech about the real expectations of the comedy world. There was no holding back here at all. His stories weren’t fuzzy layered feel good stuff that was intended to make the comics all giddy. He truly spilled his guts that was insanely insightful.
Ralphie didn’t have to do a gig like this. He wasn’t being paid. It was done out of the kindness of his heart and to help a few friends out. I think we were all so lucky we had a chance to see Ralphie on day one. It was a stark contrast from the feel good rah rah stuff that Tim and Shore delivered, but he’s a comic, not a personal development guy.
And holy shit is Ralphie funny. I mean this guy is beyond hilarious. Massively inappropriate too. The insight he gave about crowd control and working the mic was so valuable. You can tell he’d poured his blood, sweat and tears into this craft and he was damn serious about it.
His talk was more like a verbal beatdown for comics and I think it was just what we needed to hear. Nothing was held back and we really got to see the real Ralphie totally exposed. It was a gem and I felt very lucky to be able in attendance.
Here’s a clip of Ralphie below. You may remember him from being the runner up on Last Comic Standing quite a few years ago. The dude totally should of won, but hey, 2nd place ain’t bad. And if you compare his career against the guy who did win, I think we’d all say that Ralphie still won. Thanks for being you Ralphie.
