JRE 1973 · June 27, 2024

Joey Diaz

comedypsychologybusinessphilosophy

Who is Joey Diaz?

Joey Diaz is a stand-up comic, actor, author, and host of the podcast "Uncle Joey's Joint with Joey Diaz." Look for his new book, "Tremendous: The Life of a Comedy Savage," on May 2, 2023. www.joeydiaz.net

Topics and Timestamps

01Joey Diaz discusses his new book 'Tremendous: The Life of a Comedy Savage' releasing May 2, 2023, detailing his journey from poverty to comedy success
02Joey opens up about his struggles with addiction and how he turned his life around through comedy and personal discipline
03Discussion covers Joey's early days in comedy, performing in small clubs and his grind to become a successful stand-up performer
04Joey talks about the importance of work ethic and consistency in building a comedy career from scratch
05Joey shares stories from his podcast 'Uncle Joey's Joint with Joey Diaz' and how it helped him connect with audiences
06Joey reflects on overcoming personal demons and using comedy as a therapeutic outlet for his experiences
▶Joey discusses his upcoming book 'Tremendous: The Life of a Comedy Savage'0:00:00
▶Joey opens up about his personal struggles with addiction and recovery0:10:00
▶Discussion about Joey's early comedy days grinding in small clubs0:25:00
▶Joey talks about his podcast 'Uncle Joey's Joint with Joey Diaz' and its impact0:45:00
▶Joey emphasizes the importance of work ethic and consistency in comedy1:15:00

The Show

JRE 1973 brings in Joey Diaz, the comedy savage himself, to talk about his wild journey from rock bottom to becoming one of the most respected voices in stand-up comedy. Joey's got a new book coming out called 'Tremendous: The Life of a Comedy Savage' on May 2, 2023, and it's basically his life story told with the raw honesty you'd expect from a guy who's been through actual hell and came out the other side swinging.

The conversation touches on Joey's early struggles with addiction and how he managed to pull himself out of that pit. What's clear from talking to Joey is that he didn't have some magical breakthrough moment. It was about putting in the work, day after day, year after year, grinding it out in clubs that barely paid anything, performing for audiences that didn't care, but doing it anyway because he had nothing else. That's the kind of mentality that separates the people who actually make it from the people who just talk about it.

Joey's been hosting his podcast 'Uncle Joey's Joint with Joey Diaz' for years now, and he explains how that platform actually helped him reach people in a different way than stand-up does. It's more intimate, more real, just him talking to people about life and comedy and all the insane stories he's accumulated over decades in this business. The guy's got material for days because he's actually lived, not just made stuff up or borrowed from other comics.

What stands out about Joey is his refusal to make excuses. Yeah, he had a rough start, yeah he struggled, but instead of using that as a reason to give up, he used it as fuel. He talks about the importance of work ethic like it's the most obvious thing in the world, because to him it is. You want something? Go get it. Put in the hours. Don't complain. Just do the work.

The book 'Tremendous' is basically all the stories and lessons from his life, written in Joey's voice, which means it's probably hilarious and brutal at the same time. This is a guy who's earned the right to talk about his journey because he actually did the thing. He didn't get handed anything. He built his comedy career from absolute zero and turned it into something real.