17. Manvir Singh - Stand-up Comedian

“Five minutes before going on stage, I was going to back out. But my friends said, ‘we’re here for you’ and that’s what got me on stage.” 

                                                               Manvir Singh, Stand-up Comedian

Manvir Singh is a business person by day and a stand-up comedian by night. For our discussion, we talk about his experience as a Sikh living in New York City and what it’s like to be a comedian.  

We also talked about discrimination and the experience of being singled out and feeling helpless. One of the reasons Manvir went into stand-up was to use humour as a way to help people understand and spread awareness about the Sikh community. 

It was great to chat with Manvir about his on-stage career, but there are also so many words of wisdom embedded in this podcast about life, living and going for the things we dream about.   

I hope you enjoy listening to this episode. 

 To find Manvir Singh, Comedian: Instagram; Manvir0609, YouTube: Manvir1525, Facebook: Manvir Singh/Comedian

More on Ford Keast Human Resources can be found here: https://www.fordkeast.com/services/human-resource-consulting/

& for all the podcast and YouTube information visit our website: https://www.career-resilience.com/
 

If you enjoyed this podcast and need support in your own career resilience please do get in contact with Jann at HR@fordkeasthrc.ca
 

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 Thank you
 Jann Danyluk, Career Resilience. 

Transcript

00:07 | Hello and welcome to our series Career Resilience, where we talk with people about your career path and their career journey, and maybe we can all learn from each other. My name is Jann Danyluk, looking at a human resources professional in London, Ontario, Canada. I work with four Keest LLP and I work with my clients to help them with the side of their business.

00:31 | We hope that you will enjoy these discussions with real people about real challenges and real working life situations. Well, my guest today is Manvir Singh. It's great to have you here. And I have so many questions for you. So we're going to talk today about a few things. We're going to talk about being a sick American.

00:59 | We're going to talk about your daily job, but mostly we're going to focus when related to work on your second job, which is can you tell me what you want to start with ? What's your first job ? Yes, the first job. I am in business development, so I work for a PPO, which is a professional employee organization. So we help growing businesses from a health care payroll standpoint, our compliance, all of that. So we take care of all their needs.

01:29 | And I specifically work on the accounting channel. And that is how you and I met. That's how we met. Yeah. And a good day it was. But what is your second job ? So my second job is to perform standup comedy. So business development by day and comedian by night. OK, I think that that's an unusual combination and I'm excited to talk about it a bit.

01:58 | So I wanted to start with, first of all, my pronunciation, is it sick or is it sick from when talking about you ? Technically, it's sick. It's spelt s h. So I'm a sick American. I know a lot of people say sick because there's confusion on what people are saying when they say sick. But yes, technically it is sick h and pronounced sick. OK, perfect. Thank you.

02:27 | So let's get into a little bit of background. You're an American. Yes. And where do you live ? I'm currently in New York, so I've been in I was born in New York. I've been raised in the US. So I've been I've actually only visited my hometown in India probably four times over the course of my life. And do you have a huge family to visit over there? Because that would be my and how I would. And sometimes the family's a little too big.

02:57 | So I want to be able to travel to India and visit all the sites. But a lot of times ends up being family and spending time with them, which which is always a good thing. So you were born in America. Your parents are from there from India. So New Delhi. So like the central northern India. And they came to the US, I'd probably say around nineteen eighty four.

03:27 | Eighty five. OK, and I wanted to ask a little bit about arranged marriages because I think people are always interested in the whole thought process around arranged marriages. So can you tell us about your parents' marriage and maybe yours as well ? Because I know you're married. Yeah, so it's it's interesting because I think, you know, as the culture evolves, so does the whole idea around arranged marriages.

03:57 | So for my parents, it was I remember my mom was telling me she was coming home from college. She stepped off the bus and her mom told her that there's a guy here to see her. And it was a Friday. And she had 48 hours after seeing this guy for who is now my dad, seeing him for about seven minutes to an hour, somewhere in between that range. And she had to decide within 48 hours if she wanted to marry that guy. And so for me, it was very different.

04:25 | I grew up here. The culture was very different. The person I went to school with, we were friends for a long time and we ended up getting married about about two years ago. But the idea of arranged marriages is still around. But I think in the culture now, we do have a little bit more time to get to know the person and spend time with them before actually getting married. Oh, what is it like to be sick in America ?

04:57 | Oh, there are so many variations. Honestly, I think there's there's a lot of there's a lot that depends on it. It depends where you live. It depends the community that you're around. So I've been lucky enough to be in an area like the tri state area of the US. So and when we say tri state, it's around New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, around those states and so around us, there is a decent amount, I'd say, of an Indian population and a diverse population, whereas in other parts of the country there necessarily is not.

05:35 | But just being a Sikh in general, I'd probably say, you know. Especially after 9/11, when discrimination against, I'd probably say, around Muslims and Sikhs was was at the high because a lot of times there was confusion on who's a Muslim, who is a Sikh. They see a beard, they see a turban, and people aren't able to delineate between both. And so there was a lot of discrimination that occurred from my family friends after 9/11.

06:07 | But overall, I'd say we persevered. We got through it and here we are today. Why did your family emigrate in the first place ? Nanterre. So I think just for opportunity, you know, my dad had some family that was already here before, and so he was looking for opportunities to go from a business standpoint, but then also start his own family.

06:36 | And so he had family here who was able to help them accomplish that, you know ? Well, that's America and Canada isn't that we're a nation of immigrants myself. I'm only second generation as well, which it feels amazing because you can't imagine this entirely different lifestyle that your parents had then from what we have. Absolutely. And it's funny because as I grew up here.

07:07 | So being a Sikh, I mean, you know, part of our culture is, you know, you don't make any permanent changes to the body. And that's one of the reasons why, you know, we have what I have a beard because we don't trim or shave. So we believe the way the body is born, that's how it should be. And so fun fact. My beard actually goes down to my waist. I actually picked it up hairspray and brush it every day.

07:34 | So I just keep it more tamed by technically. Yeah. My beard is actually much longer than what people typically say. Oh absolutely. And your hair as well. Yes. Yes, exactly. And so we were turbans because that is what our gurus were. So it's a sign of humility. And for people who who know who Sikhs are, if they're in trouble, if they see a sick person walking by, it's a symbol of hate.

08:05 | That person will help me if I'm ever in need. So it's sort of like a crown that that we wear and that's what it symbolizes. And is that optional? It it depends how how strictly you want to follow. I definitely have friends and family who don't wear and then they're Sikh. And it's just it depends on on your own personal views. I personally don't hold it against anyone.

08:35 | I let everyone kind of make their own decision. And I think that's kind of like the Sikh teaching as well as whenever I can say this pretty confidently. But you probably will never see a sick person come up to you and try to convert you to be a sick person. They're very accepting there. We're very open to other religions and beliefs. So that's just one fun fact. Well, that's a great fun fact. Have you ever faced discrimination?

09:05 | I have. I don't think I've gotten to the point of, you know, things that have unfortunately happened after 9/11 where people were killed or physically abused or anything of that sort. And I think that also has a lot to do with the areas that I've lived where it was a little bit more diverse. But in terms of, you know.

09:31 | I'd probably say from like a stand up standpoint, I've been to like clubs or like stand up comedy clubs or like going to perform and people would look at me and they'd say, hey, audiences is that way. And I have to explain, hey, no, I'm actually performing tonight. And it would just have to be a conversation. Well, we've never seen like a single American, like, perform before. So so definitely not as blatant, I'd probably say, as other people have had it.

10:00 | One of the experiences that I can remember where I was, I felt like it was a little discriminatory when I was sitting on just a bench with my friends and we were just sitting there after high school and this police car pulls up and actually asks everyone if we're OK or we're in danger. And we all respond that we're fine. And then the car proceeds to ask me specifically singles me out.

10:29 | I was the only one that actually wore a turban to stand about 10 or 15 feet away from everyone else and then proceeded to ask my friends, Now, do you feel safer or as safe as before ? And so it was a little bit more, you know, without saying it was discriminatory, the kind of actions of the cop kind of proved, you know, where his biases did. And so that was just one of the experiences I experienced very early on.

10:59 | And this was, you know, very close to after 9/11 happened. And there was a general sense of, hey, if you wear a turban or a beard or have a beard, it was just a very tough time for Indian and Muslim people. How did you feel about that particular experience, man ? They're not the greatest. It was you know, it felt like I was being singled out and it was probably one of the first real discrimination acts towards me.

11:34 | You know, there's always like bullies in school and people that make fun of, you know, random things. But from like a strict, like discrimination standpoint, as far as I can remember, that was probably the first one. And it almost felt helpless in a sense. You know, my friends were confused. I was confused. We didn't really know what was happening. And I think they actually took me a while after I got home to really realize what had just happened. Huh. Did you talk it over with anybody ?

12:04 | No, I kind of just kept it to myself. I think it was one of those things that just happened and I accepted it. And you hear about these things like on the news and like from family and friends. And to be honest, this might be one of the first times I've actually talked about it openly on like a like a social media family. So. So. Yeah, but but thanks for asking the question.

12:32 | Does it make you stronger, thicker skin ? Like what did those kinds of experiences do to you at a deeper level ? Yeah, great question, I think it depends on the person and person I've I've grown up with a family that's luckily been very open with me, very honest.

12:55 | And they've always actually told me, you know, once I was a teenager that, hey, look, you know, Biersack, like you understand the religion and all that. And if the beard and the turban-like and if that's not something that you're about, we're never going to force it on you. So if that's something that you don't feel comfortable with, we're going to leave it to your choice. So my parents have been very open with me about letting me make my own choices.

13:22 | I think that's what really helped me stay with it and stay with the Sikh traditions is because I felt like it was my own choice. So when things like that happen or discrimination happen, it. Initially, I felt weak and helpless, but I think after a while you start getting, you know, it's a cliche, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And it's one of those things where you've experienced something, you've been able to digest it, and now you're able to bring that experience into, you know, everything you do.

13:53 | You're just more conscious. And to be honest, I. I think I'm stronger because of it. You know, I feel like it's such a dichotomy from what you were talking about in terms of if I could approach you on the street, if I felt that I needed help. Right, right. And it's just such a miscommunication in terms of what's portrayed in the media versus what we actually stand for and what people see six for.

14:24 | And so it's very yet the messaging is just there's no good way to do it. And that's actually one of the reasons why I started standup comedy, is because through stand up and through humor, I feel like that's one of the best ways to give exposure not just to myself, but to seek identity. And so I've had numerous people come up to me after shows saying, hey, that was funny stuff. But like, was that real ? When you talk about the religion and say 100 percent.

14:54 | So as you start teaching one person, second person moves on like 10 people, they tell their friends it's just one way to kind of spread awareness. Yeah, well, let let's move in to talking about being a standup comedian. And I have to say, I think you're the first one I've ever had a chance to talk with. So that's very exciting for me. I think it is such a difficult choice of of a profession. Yeah. Yeah, it is.

15:23 | And I think to your point earlier, when you're asking, you know, do those experiences in my life, you know, how do I feel about them ? Do they make me stronger ? I don't know if I would be doing standup today if I if it wasn't for those experiences. So you kind of try to take the kind of a situation, take the silver linings, make it a pro and just use it as a way to kind of teach others and spread awareness about topics that are important to you.

15:53 | And so that's kind of one of the reasons why I actually did started, and so I've always been someone who wants to challenge myself if I feel there's a weakness somewhere. And so from a sick awareness standpoint, from a public speaking standpoint, those are all things I wanted to improve on personally. And so I was just sitting at home one day and I said, you know what, I want to try this. And it was it was really random because the way you get spots to perform in New York, it's called Bring Your Shows.

16:24 | So you have to bring a certain amount of people to get stage time. So I had to bring 10 of my friends to the club, to the comedy club. And so as long as I got 10 people, I got ten minutes on stage. And so luckily that first gig then went really well and the rest is history. So just talking about let's just focus on the first gig. How long did you prep for what you were going to say in that 10 minutes.

16:55 | I would probably say I prepped for about a good. Week and a half. I've always you know, I always joke around friends, and I always had the personality of a spreading humor, but I've never done it in like a professional setting, nothing like on stage. And I never thought of ever doing standup. It was something I thought of. And to be honest, it was because of my one of my first jobs, because I was working at an investment bank, too.

17:25 | So I knew I wanted to do something more with my life. So I was sitting at home one day and just decided there was something I wanted to do. And a week and a half later I was on stage. It was that fast turnaround from thinking, I want to do that to being on stage. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So how did you feel as you approached the stage ? One of the most nervous feelings I've ever felt in my life, I had and all 10 of my friends were already at the comedy club.

17:58 | They were waiting for me to get on stage. And I remember five minutes before I went up, I was about to back out and and I was going to tell them, you know what, guys ? I think this is a bad idea. I should have never done this. And and they really motivated me. They're like, look, we're all here for you here to support. And so they got me there on stage. And and it was it was one of the most challenging, fun, nervous accomplishing 10 minutes of my life because I really challenged myself to get up there.

18:31 | And if I hadn't, I would have missed out on a huge opportunity. I just think that's so brave. I mean, honestly, it's all fun and games when the gigs go well. And what happens is that it gets to your head that this is easy. Anybody could do it. I can make people laugh. And my second gig was the complete opposite because I didn't rehearse.

18:58 | I felt like standups overrated went on stage. I forgot everything that I was going to talk about. And I think it was on stage for like five minutes is a five-minute set. There was a booker from the industry who was there looking at all the comics, and I completely missed that one because I let the first gig get to my head. And I'm glad I learned the lesson early on rather than later. And it taught me a lot. Well, that's kind of words to live by, isn't it ?

19:29 | Yes. Yes. That was one of the most difficult five minutes and the longest five minutes of my life. Do you trigger yourself, like, how do you remember what it is you want to talk about ? How do you trigger your cues ? I think it's practice rehearsing and just constantly getting up on stage whenever you can, even if it's. You know, not in front of a huge audience, so I know a lot of my friends who and comics who will only perform if there's, you know, 50 people in the audience and a decent amount of crowd.

20:05 | And what you find is when you do open mikes or shows for like two or three people in the audience where it's like dead silent and the more you practice and the more you do shows like that where you can make two or three people laugh, you know, you've got some sort of good joke or something there that if you can make a room with two or three people laugh, then when there's an entire room, you're going to hear that that roar of laughter that just validates the work that you're doing. But to be honest, the inspiration comes from anything.

20:37 | Let me with my family, interacting with friends, just seeing things on a daily basis, especially in New York, all types of characters here. So there's there's always some inspiration around you. You just kind of have to have to hone in on it. Yeah. Who is your target audience ? Oh, I, I don't think I've developed a target audience. I think I've done.
21:07 | I've done shows that have that have just been tailored towards the Indian community because they're not that many sick American comedians out there, and so when word got out that I was doing stand up, I've done a lot of shows tailored to the ethnic community. But it's interesting because I don't want to be known as just an Indian comic and just that one niche.

21:33 | I want to be able to, you know, be able to spread universal laughter. And so what I realized is a lot of times and this just kind of comes with practice and experience, but the type of audience you have is going to impact the type of laughter you're going to get from the joke you say. So, for example, if I have minorities or if I have people in the in the audience who experience any sort of discrimination or things that I talk about, you know, they're much more likely to laugh about it because they can relate.

22:07 | They've been through it, whereas individuals who have never experienced something like that, they're not necessarily considered a minority. Sometimes they feel uncomfortable to laugh because they feel guilty or they don't know what that feeling is like. So you really get the sense of jokes that can completely do amazing one night and the next night. The room is very uncomfortable. Yeah. Have you ever been heckled ?

22:35 | I have I wouldn't say, you know, and I'll say it with a caveat, because a lot of times they'll just be people at at a comedy club who have drank too much. And so it may not even be I would unless I consider heckling is just someone who's passed their line and now they're just not aware where they are.

22:58 | And so now you just get to a point where, you know, I don't know if other comedians do this, but I try to prepare for those type of situations so that when things like that happen, you know, it may seem like, you know, it's improv or things are happening in the moment. But I feel like as a comedian, you have to prepare for those type of moments that that take place. You know, I do a lot of presentations, business presentations. I'm sure you do as well. And I remember many years ago, and I really love doing that kind of stuff.

23:30 | So so that comes from a good place. But I remember one of my audience members and don't forget, these are volunteers. These are people that have to be in the room with me for a reason because it's their job to be there, unlike what you do. And and somebody said, you know, do you do you even know what you're talking about ? Which I considered somewhat of a heckle at the.

24:01 | I've never seen in a professional presentation setting. Yeah, well, it happened and it was so painful and it hit me so hard. And and as I say, I was in an environment where I was paid to be there. That person, he was paid to be there. And but you're you're speaking to volunteers, basically people that have chosen to come into the room and listen to you.

24:32 | And does that not take the pressure up quite considerably ? It does, although I'm also at one of my I guess, my comedy career right now where I'm doing shows with also other people. So there's other comics that are also doing shows at the same time. But yes, people who do voluntarily come just to see me specifically, I'd probably say I wouldn't say the pressure necessarily goes up.

25:02 | If anything, I know they're coming to see me most likely because they've heard of me or seen some of my material or something along those lines. So there's a reason why they've come to see me or they've just never seen a sick American perform before. So they're just curious on on seeing that experience. Have you gotten any feedback from your own community in terms of their approval or disapproval of you being a comedian ?

25:32 | Yeah, I've got on both sides of the coin, to be honest, I've I have videos on YouTube, I have Joyeux I've done in person and the amount of hate mail that I've gotten from my own community at certain points, because I'll say a joke that they'll consider offensive or something that's crossing the line.

25:57 | Whereas for that same joke, people reach out to me and say, hey, great job. This is something that I don't think anybody we know would have ever felt comfortable talking about or joking about. So you once you put yourself out there and that's not something I think I was really prepared for, is for I was just assuming people would say, oh, it's a sick American. That's cool. Is performing a lot of the negative backlash I got, I don't think I was prepared for.

26:28 | And I think that's just something that, you know, you build your confidence in over time and you just have to tell yourself if that's something that you believe you're comfortable talking about, you know, go for it. But if it's going against your own beliefs and like you're you're just saying these jokes just to be likable by other people, then I try to stray away from from touching those topics as long as I'm comfortable with it. OK. So what kinds of let me say it this way.

26:59 | What kinds of things do you do you stay away from as a comedian ? Um, there's certain things where. To be honest, I probably talk most about everything and anything there might be certain things and of like a history like, you know, a religion and things like that, which I don't think would be proper to talk about during, like a stand up or humorous, you know, humorous situation.

27:30 | But other than that, I'd probably you as long as I find it funny, which, you know, a lot of times my wife would tell me a funny joke about that, but I still go for it. And a lot of times, yeah, I'll still bring it up on stage. And it's funny because my parents have come to my shows and I've told them, hey, just FYI, I know you all are coming, but it doesn't mean I'm going to hold back on the jokes. I'm going to say so. Hopefully you're still sad after this.

28:00 | This gig is over, so they've been pretty open and supportive about it. And so what would be an example of a type of joke that your wife would say ? I don't think that's very funny. I probably say 90 percent of myself. Oh, yeah. I think a lot of times, like, I'll try to practice a joke and I'll just be sitting at home and be like, do you think this is funny ? And you know, or it's, you know, also just it's like one of the other.

28:30 | Either she won't think it's funny or she'll just giggle, like, nonstop so I can never get a good gauge. The only time I can get a good gauge is going to an open mike or an audience and getting it that way. Yeah. Do you go into blue humor at all and. Yeah, I do. I do. Time to time. And to be honest, you probably see some of that and even some of the videos I've uploaded on YouTube.

28:57 | So I don't want to be known as a comic who is too afraid to like, touch edgy humor. And to be honest, in this day and age where everything seems to be either like exploited or taken out of context or just has to be politically correct, it's really hard to do that sort of edgy humor. But like I said, if it's something that doesn't go against your own beliefs and you're comfortable talking about it, I think a lot of people will listen, especially if it's something that they feel like is the truth.

29:29 | Just because no one talks about it doesn't mean it's not true. And so I think that's what separates good comics from people who may not say it's bad, stay conservative. But I feel that gives you a little bit more depth to the conversation. And what about political humor ? I've definitely, definitely done a lot of Donald Trump jokes over the past year.

29:58 | Aside from before that, I don't think I was very politically involved, but I think over the past year and a half, just with and probably during the entire presidency, you know, during those four years, there was a lot of more polarization and a lot of separation and division. And so I never really saw myself as someone who paid attention to politics or any of that.

30:23 | But definitely over the past couple of years, I started doing a little bit more impressions and started touching on some of the political side, huh ? Yeah, it's it's tough to to know kind of where to look to leave off and in that sort of scenario. Yeah, but I think Donald Trump in particular for everybody was was fodder for humor, wasn't he.

30:54 | What do you absolutely love about it. I think just the thrill of being on stage, just the adrenaline rush of getting up there, it's not even necessarily about the claps and the laughter. It's just knowing that you're spreading some sort of awareness and truth to people through your humor. And you just have a story to tell that may not have been told through any other outlet.

31:23 | And if it was another outlet, it may not have been, you know, read or taken. And so just having that outlet to be able to, like, just talk to people and. And just being able to connect with them on a whole another level, I think is, is why I started it in the first place and why I've stuck with it. Yeah. And do you see yourself trying to grow your career in this way ? Absolutely. You know, I started off just doing standup comedy clubs and then it turned into.

31:56 | Graduation parties and people wanted me to like emcee like their events. And so it becomes a whole nother niche that you never knew you'd get into unless you put yourself out there. And then I find out about corporate gigs where people want communities to come in and talk for corporate gigs. And then that took me into acting. So I did like a Web series recently. So it's something that I feel like the more you just continuously work on and put yourself out there, those opportunities will just organically come up and present themselves.

32:28 | Yeah, I you know, we're talking about you being a comedian and you know that some of the things that you've learned from that and so on. But really, I think that you've been really quite brave with your career and pull it putting yourself out there in a way that many people wouldn't. So. So what do you think it is about you man there as a person that you're willing to push the envelope where maybe some of the rest of us wouldn't ?

32:59 | Yeah, I think it's it's the influence that I've had throughout my life, I think it's the people that have surrounded me to help me develop into the person I am today. So it's hard for me to take credit on on just doing it all by myself. I think just having the support, having the open mindedness of my family, letting me know that my decisions are my decisions. And so that's going to help me pave my own path. I think that's what's given me the confidence.

33:26 | And it's amazing because I have like Facebook pages and all that. And I get messages from kids from India who have never seen standup before or haven't heard of like a sick American doing standup. And they'll message me saying, oh, my God, like we didn't know sick people even do stand up like this is crazy. And, you know, it's it's a very big deal for them to see someone who looks like them doing something they've never seen before.

33:55 | And so for me, I just think that that just kind of fuels my own confidence. So all that all that put together, it really builds builds my confidence, I think, to it's the unexpected results. You know, there you were sitting on the sofa or whatever, thinking, well, maybe I'll try that. Yeah. And not realizing, like the expanded world view, you would get literally and figuratively. Right.

34:24 | And you have no idea what's going to happen after you put yourself out there. And like I said, there's all these positives, but you can't can't forget about the negative feedback. I've got an either. And I remember when I spoke to some of my friends about it, you know, we always talked about the fact that I think the same goes if you don't have haters, you're not doing something right. And so you can't always appease everybody.

34:51 | And so as long as you're doing what you're doing and you feel it's right, you know, only only you can can stop you. Oh, boy, that's hard to internalize. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I think you just have to be. My advice would just be if someone is thinking about doing something and putting themselves out there, just do it. Because like I said through our conversation within a week and a half, I was on stage.

35:21 | If I sat at home and debated that over and over again and I didn't get on in a week and a half, I may have never done it. So I would have gone back to just playing PlayStation or something. I don't know. I would have been doing something much less productive. Yeah. Would you like to be a full time ? I've thought about it. And it's a tough decision because. It's a tough career to do full time.

35:50 | It's a very, very different lifestyle. You're traveling a lot. You're traveling from city to city every night. And so you're living in hotels most of your life doing stand up. And so it is it's a lifestyle that if you and your partner are willing to take on and there's a lot of sacrifice, you miss a lot of birthdays, family events, just a lot of things that you would normally do. It just comes with the lifestyle that I didn't realize early on.

36:22 | And so that's, you know, definitely something that I take with a grain of salt. And I'm and the reason I felt that was because there was a point in my career where when I first started out and things were taking off, I think I did three different cities back to back to back. And there was three thousand people. There's a lot of people at these shows and it was great on stage, in the limelight and everything, and it's great. But behind the scenes, you're just traveling and going from one city to next.

36:53 | So there's pros and cons to the lifestyle. Yeah, well, I always like having other options. So for me, it seems quite clever to have the day job and the passion for the night job because, you know, if you look at it on the face of it, man, the hours are pretty horrendous. The time you're actually working, as you say, are is pretty short compared to the travel and, you know, being away from home and all those things that I think that the fire in the belly for people that that really, really do decide to go for it.

37:32 | I have to admire that because it's it's making sacrifices that are quite huge. Absolutely. And I know comics who have lists of friends that they say, you know, we had 10 friends. Now we're down to like two because we haven't seen them in like three years. So the sacrifice is real. Oh, yeah, it is. And, you know, this is something that it's a wonderful thing that you do because it brings last year to people.

37:57 | And, you know, we can always use more laughter and always know it's something that we all appreciate having people like you that are willing to sort of put themselves out there to make the rest of us laugh in our day or our evening a little bit lighter. I appreciate that. But to be honest, I mean, you are providing us the opportunity to talk about this and do this. I'd say you are equally as putting putting yourself out there and giving us a platform to talk on.

38:27 | So I appreciate you doing that for us. Well, thank you for saying that. I guess there is a little bit of a parallel. And I did have I did have that heckle. So I know. There you go. You might have more heckling experience than I have. Is there anything that you'd like to leave us with before we wrap up any sort of final word you'd like to to say to us ? Honestly, just just thanks for having me.

38:55 | I always appreciate the opportunities where we're able to use platforms and different outlets and I haven't done a lot in Canada. So this is a new, you know, potentially the new audience for me as well. So just thank you for letting me do this and talk to anyone else who wants to put themselves out there and do something. Just do it. Yeah. Where would people find you ? So I have my Instagram, which is near zero six zero nine.

39:26 | That's a birthday. And I also have my YouTube subscription YouTube page, which is Maneuverer fifteen, twenty five. And I also have my Facebook page. And you're slash comedian as well. OK, so we will be able to find you. And I have actually, as I told you, looked at a couple of your videos and I really quite enjoy them. I've had some laughs, so thank you very much for that. So it's always great to hear.

39:57 | So thank you so much for being with me today, Amanda. Absolutely. Thanks for having me. And to our viewers and listeners, I hope you've enjoyed this conversation. It's not often we get to talk to a real life comedian. So that's been great. And I hope that you'll follow us on YouTube, also on LinkedIn and also through the podcast wherever you get your podcasts out. So thank you for being with me on Virani today. And until we meet again.