#08: The Finances Behind a Top 10 Netflix Comedy Special

Jared Freid is a stand-up comedian, host of The JTrain and U Up? Podcasts, the author of his new book Walking Red Flag and his special, 37 & Single, hit the Netflix top 10. In this episode, he breaks down how he actually affords the life of a working comedian.

Jared and I get into the real economics of comedy: why he funded his own specials out of pocket and what each cost him, how a touring deal really works from the minimum guarantee to the cut of the door, and the bronze handcuffs of running this many businesses at once. Plus the safety net he says so many have yet nobody wants to admit to, from bar mitzvah savings to the parents' phone plan he is never getting off of.

As a go-to for dating advice, Jared also gets into where money and relationships collide: why "I'm not ready" is usually a money decision, and the rent conversation he is having right now as his girlfriend moves in. He reveals what people would never guess about how he thinks about money, why the craft matters more than the check, and what he is working toward affording next.

Download Ashley's '7-Day Jumpstart’ (https://www.thefiscalfemme.com/7day-jumpstart) for a  step you can take each day for a week to completely transform your financial well-being. 

Get Jared's book, Walking Red Flag (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Walking-Red-Flag/).

Grab tickets to Jared's shows (https://punchup.live/jaredfreid) and follow him on Instagram @jaredfreid.

Check out Ashley's Money Club (https://www.thefiscalfemme.com/money-club) to join a community of women unabashedly going after their money goals.

Take this quiz to get a personalized Wealth Building Blueprint (https://bit.ly/4v94g2C)

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

It was the top 10 in US and Canada for almost a week. Papa Netflix, I'm ready for the next one. And no one called. It was the worst thing that has ever happened to me.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

My guest today is a stand-up comedian with a top 10 Netflix special. Two podcasts, over half a million Instagram followers, and a brand new book, Walking Red Flag. And as always, we get into the actual numbers. Jared breaks down how the tours, the podcasts, the book, and the specials actually stack up and why he calls the whole thing bronze handcuffs. I kind of have bronze handcuffs.

SPEAKER_00 0:32

These things are doing well enough that they create revenue. Letting go of them would be me taking a chance and taking a step back.

SPEAKER_01 0:40

He pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to get a Netflix comedy special made, including funding it himself and then waiting a year to hear back.

SPEAKER_00 0:47

Make it yourself is what I did the first time, and then send it to us, buy based on our specs, and we'll buy it or we won't.

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Jared is also a go-to for dating advice, so we get into where money and relationships actually collide. Why I'm not ready is usually a money decision. And the rent conversation he's in the middle of right now as his girlfriend moves in.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

I'm not ready to be in a relationship, is also I'm not ready to start life and make you a responsibility in my life. I think a money decision more than people want to believe.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

And underneath all of it, the thinking keeps coming back to the money was never really the point.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

The prize is that you get to do stand-up. That's the win. That's what you get. All the other stuff is to get to do stand-up.

SPEAKER_01 1:29

I'm Ashley, certified financial planner, founder of the Fiscal FEM, and I'm asking the question everyone is already wondering. How do people actually afford their lives? This is How Do You Afford This? Awesome. Welcome to the show, Jared.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Thank you for having me. Happy to be here.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

So excited to have you on. I'm gonna get right into it. You are a stand-up comedian with a top 10 Netflix special. I watched it, it's amazing. Two podcasts, sold-out tours, now your book, Walking Red Flag. How do you afford this life?

SPEAKER_00 2:08

How do I afford uh with a lot of stress, a lot of worry, a lot of concern, a lot of uh trying to always figure out the puzzle is kind of the the deal. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

And I want to get into the puzzle. I love love your new book, and I want to get into all the things money and dating, but first digging into your puzzle, your own life. How did you become the friend that everyone goes to for dating advice?

SPEAKER_00 2:36

I I kind of always had that role. Like I became friendly, you know, from a very young age with these, you know, with girls. And because we knew each other so well or from so young, like, you know, middle school comes along and all those like dating things come up, and they, you know, a lot of their friends became my friends. So I was always kind of like gone to as a safe space for like what's happening with this. And even from that age, like it it's just always happened with me. And I think um maybe I'm unfuckable, and that was why I was like the reason they came to me. Maybe I I was always just kind of someone would say, What do you think of this? What do you think of that? And then especially timing-wise, like you know, I'm 41 and I talk about in the book, like the timing of my life is parallel to the timing of social media, like most people my age, you know. So I was feeling these things and going through these things, and I'm one that believes that everything matters, you know. I think everything matters. So like dating apps are a really easy thing to say it doesn't matter to. Uh, it's a really easy thing for to feel like it's not a conversation that's important. And social media often uh gets the morality play of like anything social media is frivolous, and anything on uh in person is not frivolous. So, and I don't believe that to be so. I believe everything happens for a reason. I and my mom's been saying this to my whole me my whole life. You're so sensitive. I'm like, I'm not sensitive, I just notice. I don't, I'm not mad about this. I'm just telling you this is happening for a reason, and I do things a certain way, which means everyone else is doing things a certain way. And it's like I might feel things a lot, but I can't feel things a hundred percent more than the person who's doing the things. I'm within 10% of that person emotionally, so this is kind of like what I abide by in my life. So that I think that's why people would generally come to me with their thoughts and questions because I never looked at them and gone, this is what you're worried about? I would never say that to someone.

SPEAKER_01 5:01

You tell it like it is, and you validate what they're asking.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Right. I don't want to be like the douche that's like I'm a truthsayer. Like, I think it's I think validating what someone's asking is more my vibe. Like, I really do believe there's no crazy question when it comes to dating. So I think over the years people have trusted that.

SPEAKER_01 5:22

And I'll ask you some crazy questions today. So I'm glad. And then wait, just curious also, how did you get into comedy?

SPEAKER_00 5:29

I was selling life insurance and annuities, and it was like after college, and I'm living in New York, and the best part of my day was writing an email to friends where I was making fun of one of our friends and having someone write to me specifically from that email, like, oh my god, that was hilarious. I'm dying at my desk. I was like, how do I repeat that feeling over and over again? And I really didn't care how it happened, which is why I probably got into podcasting earlier than most. It's why I got into posting on social media earlier than most. It's why I yell at The Bachelor. It's why I've always like taken swings, is like I just like being funny and like entertaining. So whatever that turned into was fine with me, but I I stand-up was something that I would do every night because it was really a great way to like just be working on something small without forgetting about the big picture. And stand-up is just more natural to me. Like, that is just like where I feel most comfortable. That is like that's my religion of sorts. Like that, those are my people. I love doing stand-up. I get very personally offended by people who try to enter into stand-up without caring about stand-up. I I like think of it as like a very important art form that's not that's not really loved by a lot of as many people as who say they love it. I think people want to say they like stand-up, but generally like most people don't love stand-up. So uh, but I love doing it.

SPEAKER_01 7:06

And it this kind of leads into what you said with being in annuities and life insurance, but stand-up is notorious for being tough on the wallet. So before comedy paid the bills, how did you afford to chase that? And when did it flip into something that you could actually live on?

SPEAKER_00 7:23

I had money saved from like bar mitzvah. Like I was I'm very lucky in that sense. Where I think if you look at the world today, it's like, how many chances do you get? You know, I'm lucky to get, you know, probably one chance, maybe another chance at some point. What does that mean? That means really that like on my special that's gonna come out in the fall, I talk about being on my parents' cell phone plan. Like, I will never get off my parents' cell phone plan. I don't plan on it. I'm fine with that. That is a form of investment from my parents. That is that is a form of, you know, you know, help from them. But I, you know, now I don't need it. I've gone off it, then came back to it. So like I think that tells you a financial story that a lot of people have where it's like, you know, I I could have gone to grad school or law school, and instead I went and started doing comedy and invested my money into that, you know, weirdly. So it's not really a sound investment, not one I would recommend, but I I do believe I have a talent for uh doing comedy. So like it was investing in a talent that only really I believed in. So I had savings. I had, you know, I was I was making okay money, not great. Like I was it was the first job out of college, and then I had the money that I could live on not forever, um, but for enough time, and also keeping in mind like opportunities where bills needed to be paid, you know. So I would say for the first you know, year it's out of pocket and paying rent and you know, in the whatever way I could with you know savings that I had. I was pretty good at finding opportunities to like and I was aware of like my monthly. I was aware of like I had rent, I had groceries, I was really living not really that wildly. That's kind of what got me through, but I never and then opportunities would come up where you you know you make money from doing stand-up. I would say it took I wouldn't know, you know. I knew I just know that I was like not, you know, losing money pretty quickly.

SPEAKER_01 9:38

And it sounds like it's a mix of your savings that started from when you're bar mitzvah, and then also like some type of parent support in the phone bill situation or like that kind of having a little bit of the safety net from them.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Yeah, I think more than I think everyone, you know, has a safety net that they're like a little embarrassed of, and that's why you know this game exists of like, you know, you look at people on social media and you're like, how does this make sense? Where does this come from? And it's like I had the savings and then I had money coming in from standup trickling in, but also like was never concerned as far as like you know, the the failure of this would be to be losing money forever and ever and being delusional. I saw this very early on as starting a business. Like, I also like it's why I started a podcast. I was like, that's a business play. Like it's why I went to social media when I wasn't getting cast in things. I was like, okay, I need to grow my personal brand more than I can depend on, you know, Joe Hollywood to like knock at my door.

SPEAKER_01 10:44

Yes. And something that struck me about your business is you have a lot of revenue streams. Like you have the podcast, the book, the stand-up, the, you know, probably others. So curious, I I've had requests from listeners to just understand someone's income before we dive into everything. Like, what does your income look like now as a comedy mogul? I think considerably like a mogul now.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

I'm a very middle class comedian. I'm doing okay. I mean, I would love for it to be better. Um, I have different streams, and my issue is and the reason I kept starting things was like one thing would do okay, but not good enough for me. So I'd start a new thing. But then that thing's doing okay enough that I have to keep it going. So then I keep getting busier and busier because, and I've described it as not golden handcuffs, I kind of have bronze handcuffs, like where these things are doing well enough that they create revenue, but letting go of them would be me taking a chance and taking a step back revenue-wise. So, like, that's the hardest thing. And, you know, as far as what brings in money, it's like ticket sales. I have two podcasts that both produce revenue. Like I had the Bachelor Podcast, the Bachelor Podcast I love doing. I would have people that came to shows from the Bachelor Podcast, but I never knew what that number was, but Bachelor Podcast wasn't making enough to like take up three hours of my week. So that's it's hard.

SPEAKER_01 12:15

And then and how do you decide that? Like, what's an amount that I guess that that trade-off decision, like the amount that would make something worth it?

SPEAKER_00 12:24

It's the hardest part about comedy is like there's things that you do that are for zero dollars, and it's like, is it worth it? You know, starting out, it was like I remember when I started, there was a lot of talk of comedians doing things for promotion, for you know, promotion. You'll get promotion from it. And it's like promotion these days is like, well, am I gonna get a following from it? Am I gonna get a new fan? Am I gonna, you know, so like that was part of it. So you had to like, there's a ton of intrinsic value who plays that you kind of have to do when you're doing comedy. So it's like, and it when it comes to like explaining that to people, people either get it or they don't. Going and doing an open mic is an investment of my time and effort, and it can produce a joke that I can go on the road and use and have someone walk away being like, that was the best show I ever went to. If you don't think in those terms, then you're fucked for stand-up. Then you you don't care about stand-up because you need a show that is worth paying money to see.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

And you don't get paid for the open mics. That's an investment in your craft, essentially, and your next material.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

Right. And when you're starting out early, early, you have to be like, okay, stand-up is like the thing I'm working on at night, and hopefully someone like lets me open for them, or maybe I'll make 50 bucks from a spot in the city, or go, or I'll go on the road and it's 500 to headline two nights on the road in New Jersey. You know, the and but you have to have like this larger goal in mind of like, am I creating something that is worthy of being put packaged on a special that someone might buy in the future? In my mind, stand-up turns into this like classic car you're working on. And it's like in the garage, I do a little bit every night. One day I'll sell it, but for now I'm having fun working on my classic car. And then podcasts and doing social media, that's the work. You know, that's the stuff that hopefully finds me new people that get introduced to like what I do, and it brings in revenue streams that help me so I can keep working on that classic car. I would love to do less of the stuff where I'm looking for new people and more of the classic car work. My goals are pretty modest, you know, as far as like I would just love to have sold-out weekends. You know, I'm doing four shows in Cleveland this weekend. So two Friday, two Saturday. If I was sitting here Thursday as we tape this with four sold-out shows, in my mind, I'm doing it. Like, that's like that is the win of the century. That is all I want in the world. And I don't know if that's enough aspiration. I don't know if people understand that, like how modest, like when someone says, Oh, I'll catch you next time. I'm in the city, um, you're in my city, it's devastating. It's it's it it it like it hurts me like physically. And then I get like very worried. I'm like, maybe I'm not messaging it well. Maybe I shouldn't do any podcasts so that people know exactly what I do. They, you know, there's a there's a theory of like what you put out on the internet is what you get back. So like, why am I putting out anything that isn't stand up? It's stuff like that. I have a special coming out in the fall that I think is better than anything else out there. I believe in it fully. Do if you know, but but but then if if someone DM me, oh, you have a special? Like, I maybe I'll watch it. I would I would be it it hurts me physically. Like, I I I can't take my emotions out of that.

SPEAKER_01 16:15

Like you need them committed, they're in.

SPEAKER_00 16:19

I just need people, I I may maybe I don't do a good job of doing it, but I need people to understand, like that's the thing, you know, like all of it is for that. When someone's like me, and again, that's why I kind of say, like, I don't think people are as big a stand-up fans as they want to believe they are. Like, I don't know. I but the other stuff, you know, so both podcasts have their own like paid platform that brings in revenue. So you have the paid version and the nun paid and the unpaid version, the unpaid version has ads on it, and then you have so Patreon and you know, and betches that's another they have their own subscription model. And then you get like every now and again you get like a brand deal where someone's like, hey, we want to pay you to put something on your Instagram, and like I consider that like bonus. Like, I I don't really consider that. I'd like for those to happen every week. It's the easiest money in the world, but I I don't know. I and I'm like, and then there's a piece of me that's like maybe I do need to shut up more. Like, I mean, there's some people that put out more branded stuff than they do stuff, and I'm like, man, I'm a fucking idiot, you know, like so, but it's your own business. Like, you know, I'm an entrepreneur, and you know, and and I would say all stand-ups are an entrepreneur, but we don't get looked at it that way, you know?

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Right. And it sounds like to you the most meaningful work is the stand-up, and then that turns into the specials, which I'm assuming or and the shows are like the model car, and then the how would you say, like, is the revenue in that order or it's completely flipped? Like the other things are paying the bills for the stand-up.

SPEAKER_00 17:58

No, it's it's all pretty similar right now. Okay, and it goes up and down. It's you know, I think of my life like a mutual fund. What I like about podcasts and what I like about subscription model is the consistency. It allows me to like not be desperate. You know, right now in comedy, there's a lot of desperation. If you're a stand-up who makes money because they say, because you say horrific things, you're gonna go say more horrific things so you can get hurt. You know, like with the way social media works right now, like the the thing about like my revenue streams is that it preserves my opinion. You know, it doesn't make me um desperate for attention. And that's something that's happening in the stand-up world. There's a comic I can think of right off the top of my head. This guy, I don't think he's what he's saying is jokes, it's just words that are mean. And I see this guy on my Facebook every day. I see his videos pop up at huge numbers. The guy's selling out everywhere. And the temptation for a lot of comics, for you know, and I'll include myself, the temptation to, hey, let me go talk about politics, because like I don't find I have very little respect for like badly done political humor. Like, because you're just you're going to stand out, you're going to get heard, you're going to get people angry, which will makes you money. So I don't really believe you believe in the cause that much. So, you know, that's something that like money gets forgotten. Everyone's like, oh, you don't talk about politics. You know, oh, so you stay away from that. It's like, because it will hurt your money. You know, I that would make me a a a quicker nut, you know. Like, I it's always about the money, you know. Like, I I I I'm not saying I'm a hero, but I'm like, that's also not what I want to do this for the rest of my life. So, like, do you you know, I don't think that's a long-term strategy to be dishonest on stage.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Like, right, you know what I mean? You're doing it despite the money almost. The other streams allow you to not say it.

SPEAKER_00 20:03

Right. Allow me to be myself. Like, I want to do a story. You know, the special coming out in the fall is a one-hour story about going to the beach with my parents. And it's all about my dad asked me how much I weighed while I was at the beach. And that was a one-minute story that I turned into an hour. I'm very proud of it. But it's it's also has a through line, and it always goes back to the story. That that's like not how it's done right now. Right now, it's like clips and you know, crowd work, and I love the special, but it's not really what's been successful right now. So like I feel it could just disappear. It could just be seen by nobody, appreciated by nobody. I don't, I don't, I, I hope not, but I have to be kind of like okay with that.

SPEAKER_01 20:50

Yes, I can all I cannot imagine that happening, but I really hope not either. I I hope. But curious, like, how does the how did the when you get a special, is it like you get up upfront money or is it based on views? Like, how did the binary?

SPEAKER_00 21:04

There's two ways it happens. So there's there's so there's well, there's three ways. You you the first, the way every comedian wants is Papa Netflix coming up to you saying, Jared, you are so good at comedy. We love you so much that we want to give you this amount of money to make a special that's gonna go on our platform. When would you like to tape it? That was the dream of my first special. My first special, 37 and single, did so well that it they gave it back to me to put on my YouTube channel. So that's not well enough. So, like again, a lot of this sounds like when I talk about money and stand up, it sounds like I'm being negative. I'm being realistic. I have to be. Like, it was the top 10 in US and Canada for almost a week, and then I I'm like, here we go. Papa Netflix. I'm ready for the next one. And no one called. And it was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. I was, I was, I was, I'm distraught about it to this day because I was ready to do a next special. I had an even better special that I was ready to tape the next month. Like, I'm like, ready. Tell me you love me. Let's go. Top 10 for a week. And then they said it didn't get out of your audience. It didn't find a bigger audience. And I said, well, do you want my next special? And they're like, we'll see. Tape it. So now I'm in the second bucket. The second bucket is make it yourself. Make it yourself is what I did the first time. And then send it to us by based on our specs, and we'll buy it or we won't. And you've earned us the money. So get it created. Right. The first one cost me like 75 grand-ish, 85 grand maybe, and then they rented it for two years. So went on August 20, August 2023, stayed on till August 2025. They said, here you go, take it back, do whatever you want with it, try and sell it again or put it on your YouTube. So I did that. It's on my YouTube. You can watch it now, 37 and single. And then I said, Well, I have this other special. So then two years to the day I taped my first special, which was December 2022. So December 2024, I taped this special that's going to come out in the fall, and I made it for a hundred thousand-ish, I think. You pay it over, you know, an install, you know, it's this up front, and it comes from my business account. I have a uh an LLC, so like it comes from that. Um then I was like, hey, and then it took them a year to watch it. So huge investment, and then you wait. And you wait, and and there's a little bit of like, and then there's the third option that's always waiting for you, is you well, then there's also like there's Hulu and there's HBO. You know, you go to all the players and maybe they'll like it. Hulu we got into discussions with it. It kind of goes, Netflix came along and was like, we watched it and we're ready to go. So Netflix ended up doing another two-year rental for this special, the same as the last one, which I am excited about. It's the most eyeballs, it's the most opportunity for hopefully again. I'm back where I started again.

SPEAKER_01 24:45

Does the two-year rental cover the cost, or you're you need more? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

It covers it, but it's not life-changing. You get your money back, you gotta pay. And also, I produced it with betches and the play with betches. Both both specials produced with betches, and they were both the idea was that I'd pay for it, but then they would help me promote it. And by the power of betches, we'd be able to have a special that did, and and that would help me sell it. That well, Betch is involved, so they'll promote it. And so now I'm back with betches, so you gotta give them some, you know, you got they gotta get paid. So like it's a little bit like you know, the touring makes it back, but I I kind of don't again in the same way, like my my money thoughts, I'm again very lucky, but like that's kind of how I've I've always thought of like the money go in, it will come out. Like it'll be fine, it'll work out. Like I it's back to the beginning. Like, okay, I'll do open mics, I'll take, I'll consider this, you know, when I was going off of savings and money I had in my bank account, it's going towards something that will become a career. And being realistic while also being a little bit delusional, you have to have a mix of the two, like in relationships.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

So building a brand, not just project by project. You're right.

SPEAKER_00 26:05

If you're thinking of it, like when do I make this money back? It's it's I don't know if that's the mindset that is helpful. My mindset was always is the same as like the special. Like, I don't think of like I and I'm very lucky. I I I acknowledge the privilege in this, but like I don't think none of this is like money to me. Like it's like I want it to be, I want to be the best comedian. You know, like I want to be great. I want a great special. So like I want people to walk away from the show, go, that's the best show I saw. Like, there's a lot of pride and a lot of competition. And I think most stand-ups are very much alike in that, where it's like we're all very much in tune with everyone who's doing it, who's good, who's not good. Like, we know the names. Like, I can give you five names that I'd be like, those are people I look at their specials, and I'm like, and I love these people, but I'm like, okay, am I keeping up, you know, talent-wise? You know, uh, and so the the third option to go back to the what you can do is YouTube is always waiting for you. And the special is meant to be watched by millennials and their parents. It's about my parents, and that's who it's for. So going from Netflix to YouTube and then telling people watch it with your parents, I I didn't see how that would ever happen. And there are people that put their specials on YouTube, have become have become wildly successful, and there's money to be made and in monetizing your platform on YouTube. And I, but new YouTube has never done well for me. Like I've just never had the the response on there that I would have wanted.

SPEAKER_01 27:45

And a lot, I think a lot of people think when you become an author, like, now you're rich. Like, what can you share about the money in books specifically?

SPEAKER_00 27:53

Uh man, I so you I got a book deal up front, you get money up front, they tell you this is the amount you're gonna get. And then I'm in I'm trying to learn. Every day I learn more, but I I again how little I know is should tell you how stupid I am. I you get you get a book advance, and then once you sell past your advance, now you get a piece of every book sold, is what I'm told. And my advance was was a good advance, but not life-changing.

SPEAKER_01 28:24

And was it like six figures, five figures?

SPEAKER_00 28:28

So they I mean, I could tell it was like 200,000, and you get it over the and I but but I also got paid, you know, it's a two-year project. Again, to go back to my mindset, which is the same for the book. Like, I'm people ask me, how did the book do, how was the book tour? And now I sound like a miserable fuck because I'm like, I don't know. I I did it, did more people come to my shows? No. Like, did my Instagram go up? No. Like, I'm always like a year from now. Like, I like the book, I put out, I made, when I do something, I make it really good. I make it as well as I can. I make it personal, I make it funny, I make it vulnerable with the podcast. I make a good when I'm in it and making it, it's all about the thing. And then what comes from the thing, that's when I get angry. I nothing feels like I I feel so fulfilled doing the thing. That's why when I'm having a bad week, I'm like, well, I haven't done enough comedy. I haven't created enough. Like, that's when I feel genuinely like when I make um I yell at The Bachelor and I'll do the live scream. So I a lot of people have come to me from me yelling at The Bachelor. Uh uh, this is a perfect example of how miserable people probably think people. I hate the word people, how miserable someone might think I am. I make this live scream, I make fun of the show. It is a piece that I put a lot of work and effort into. I'm sitting in front of the TV in one chair, holding my phone up to the TV, doing takes, yelling at it, going, nope, that's not the joke, rewinding, yelling at it, fuck Jared. What the if you ever watch me do it, you'd be like, you're a crazy person. And then I put it out, and once it's over, I put it on TikTok, I put it on, and I'm like, and I have this delusion that I'm one live scream away from having a hundred thousand new people come and want to see my shows. That's my delusion. When I make something, I believe it, I don't, I think everything I put out is funny and worth finding new people. And then when I have people watch my stories and then respond to me and they're not following me, I'm like incensed by it. Because I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, and I I go and I'll respond. I I've gotten in this scenario before, and I never feel better. I'm I'm uh but this is how much it's like, and it's not about money, but it is, you know, like I have to acknowledge, but I'll be like, and they'll write, oh, that's hilarious. This is the funniest thing I've ever seen. I'm like, sounds like a good reason to follow the person who made the joke. And then they'll write something shitty back like, whoa, respect the hustle. Fuck you. Respect the hustle? This isn't a hustle. This is this is my life. This is what do you and again, like I believe in compensation in all forms, intrinsic value, liking, following. I consider that money in the bank. Like I really do. Like, I don't need you to come to a show. I trust that you will like my stuff so much that you will come to a show. This is why I put the time in. But when it's like, especially with social media, when it's like flaunted in your face, when people are watching and don't engage with it, but then talk with the engage with it, but don't realize that you're wasting my time. Listen, if you want to watch and say nothing and never talk to me and never follow, it's okay. I I'm okay not. But when you when I when I write back to them and go, I would follow, and then they act like I'm crazy. I'm like, how do you think the whole world works?

SPEAKER_01 32:17

How do you see my stuff again? Do you ever want to see that?

SPEAKER_00 32:20

How will I explain this is all to maybe get you to come to a show and have and have the best night of your weekend? Like I let me serve you. Right. Like I'm like, it it's like all of this is to create good. You know, like I'm not trying to steal.

SPEAKER_01 32:40

It sounds like like you love the creation, but some of the business. Curious, like you mentioned a few of your team members. Like, what does your team look like? What are you what is Jared doing in a week versus like what are you getting support with?

SPEAKER_00 32:51

I have a manager. Manager Manager in comedy, I would consider a business partner. You too, we are starting a business together. We are I've I so I have manager, I have an agent. I would consider my agent a business partner of a certain type. They're bringing it.

SPEAKER_01 33:06

How are they different? Manager versus agent.

SPEAKER_00 33:08

Agent's more finding you opportunities or being presented with the marketplace, and then you and your manager are deciding what's the play. So me and my manager are more business owners together, like co-owners of you know, my business. I this is how I see it. They might see it a different way, but this is how and an agent is more like, hey, I can bring you. Here's the I've I've pitched your name out to the players out there, and maybe sometimes they'll be like, we want Jared, or it's them being like, hey, to this club, Jared wants to come to you. Can you make a deal with me? You know, that's that would be the agent's purpose. And and I work with people that I've worked, I I don't really leave people, like I work with people that I like and I consider like friends. Um, but it's through meeting through comedy. Um and then I work with a producer for my podcast who also helps edit the videos and make my stand-up videos, and and that's someone I'm that's working with me to like, you know, uh make sure that my podcast is out every morning and that I have clips that I can put out to promote and then bring people in. And then I have a person that sells ads for JTrain that I've worked with for like 13 years, 12 years. Um and then, you know, I work with Betches. We are partners, so I have Betches people that are working on my behalf based on the podcast. So that's another element where I'm working with them, and then I've hired PR people for the book that just came out and the special that's going to come out, and that's expensive and a thing that frustrates me, and it's I do believe it's worthwhile, but that's something that like I'll have to reassess when that contract, you know, ends and see if that value came back.

SPEAKER_01 35:18

And the same group is doing both, or you have two different ones book and they're doing both.

SPEAKER_00 35:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:25

Got it. And curiously, because you mentioned with I think it was like like a club to do a show. Like, and you mentioned so you just get paid based on tickets, but there's an arrangement, and the club gets part of the tickets or part of it.

SPEAKER_00 35:39

You basically have a minimum. So Cleveland, four shows. For four shows, you will get, you know, let's call it $7,000, and we will also give $1,500 for travel and expenses of travel. And room, room included. And then I'll be like, okay, I'm gonna bring someone to open for me. I'm gonna pay them. So give me the money you would have paid them so that I can pay the opener an appropriate amount, which they won't pay them. Um, and then I'll so I go give me the money, and then I'll take care of the opener and make sure that they're getting properly compensated and can fly out from New York or wherever they're coming from. And I'll take care of their room or the hotel that you were gonna give me, give to the opener, and then I'll go stay somewhere else. But I generally would I my I generally have the opener stay where I'm staying. You know, if I can't afford to put up the opener where I stay, then maybe I shouldn't bring an opener. You know, it's it's kind of my my thought.

SPEAKER_01 36:47

It's almost like every show has its own little business economics. Like it's like you get a and how many of them are you doing?

SPEAKER_00 36:54

So if I sell above a certain amount, then it changes from that 7,000 to 80% of the door, and then or minus net expenses, and that's a thing that we could go into a million times, but it's basically 80% of the ticket sales then go to me, and then if you sell out the whole weekend, then it changes to 90%, you know, those are the deals. So it's like so it's either that minimum and you sold no tickets, but you're gonna get 7,000 plus the 1,500, and then I gotta pay the opener and I gotta pay, you know, it would all come out of that, or you make 80%, and then I control how much the tickets are a lot of times, especially in a theater. If it's a theater, I can say, you know, that's why someone's like, you know, Seinfeld costs $500. Yeah, he said I get $500 per ticket. You know, like he's part of that. You know, that's that there was a lot of like feedback, like, oh, we gotta pay Ticketmaster. It's like, uh, you know, I and I only admit to that because I keep my tickets pretty cheap. Like I actually take a lot of pride in like I want you to bring your friends. So like I keep them as cheap as they can go. So every club I you know has a different deal that comes in what based on what they can afford, and based on, you know, whatever, and based on the area. Like there's some areas where I'm not gonna sell tickets. There's a di and also there's different reasons for different clubs. If I go to one place, it might be to work on material, so like, you know, versus another place where I'm like coming in with like, you know, it's just or I might I I know I'm gonna sell it that weekend, so I want to make sure I have like a good show, you know. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 38:37

They're all good shows, but it's just like one of the people on your team, like are they managing because there's a lot of parts like you have the multiple hotcasts, the book, which the specials, the shows, like then from from that bubble in your business account, then you pay yourself. Do you are you paying yourself a salary?

SPEAKER_00 38:55

No salary, it just goes to my business account, and then I can I take I pay I you know I spend money from that um as like business expenses and then for yourself though, you have like a distributions. Yeah, you you you know, you have to do your own distributions and I have an accountant that you gotta pay, and and it's all from that. So it you know, I'll get paid some sometimes at the end of the year, or I just got paid recently, and I was like, because there was enough money to like leave some in there to pay expenses. Right. It it again, like I'm not like the thing about this is like I sometimes I feel like there's moments where I'm like, man, it is such a thing that I don't feel good at. Like I it's a like it's a full-on business that you have to be in touch with every day. And it's it's hard because I don't want to be doing business stuff, I want to be doing comedy stuff. So it's like there that's where you kind of like you know, you kind of see these like businesses that get bigger but then implode on themselves because they can't handle getting bigger. Like I feel like I'm at that part of my life and I've been at that part of my life for two years.

SPEAKER_01 40:15

And I bet it's pretty unique to have be in stand-up, have a stand-up business, and be earning multiple six figures and just from the book, right? And then you have other income streams, so it's pretty incredible.

SPEAKER_00 40:28

Right. I mean, that's nice. I I don't think of it, you know. I I used to think of a hundred grand a lot when I was in when I was selling life insurance. I used to think that was like the like the pinnacle. You know, I I I I haven't thought that to me, it's like, and this is I've never met this comic, but I have repeated this so many times. Uh his name's Kyle Canaan. Kyle Canaan is a very funny comic, uh one of the best. He's very good. And we've never met, but a friend told me this advice that she got from him, and I have repeated it many times. And maybe he, I when I meet him, I will bring this up, but he might say to me, That I didn't say that. So I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 41:11

Um false attribution.

SPEAKER_00 41:13

Right. Um, but he says, you know, stand the prize is that you get to do stand-up. You know, that's the win. That's what you get. All the other stuff is to get to do stand-up. And if I, you know, and and all and and I've always said it from the beginning. I want to make a I want to have a career. You know, I don't want to just make money. I want to have a career, I want this to be my life. I love doing this. You know, like the puzzle is entertaining for me. I never want to lose the ability to do it without being desperate.

SPEAKER_02 41:46

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 41:46

You know, like, you know, you go, and again, like that's why it's like the the the money thing, like, oh, you're gonna do a show where you're gonna get like I I've gotten paid to do shows where you get fifty thousand dollars. And it's because it's a private show that you know that you get paid more, but there's more rules, you know, pros and cons. Stay, you gotta stay clean, but you get but we're gonna give you fifty, and you go, but I've also done shows. I just did a show at the comedy store in LA during my book tour, and it was 15 people. I got paid zero dollars, and I did this bit about going to a nutritionist and the way nutritionists talk to you and how enraging it is, but I got and I audio recorded it, and I had like a breakthrough for this nutritionist bit, which I think could be like a 10-minute awesome fun bit, and now I get to work on it. That felt was as important as the $50,000, the $50,000 you know shows in the future where I'm doing a private gig happen because of that zero dollar gig. But I think every stand-up comedian has this like this mentality that they're Louis C.K. said it once. He was like, he was like, I uh every joke I do, I feel like it's the last one I'll ever write. And I think that's a very comedian's mentality.

SPEAKER_01 43:17

That's why it feels like such a win when you get the next one.

SPEAKER_00 43:20

Oh my God. When you like the nutritionist thing, I'm gonna do it in Cleveland this week, and I might walk away from Cleveland being like, I don't have it, and it'll be miserable. But like the ability to have something to work on, to tinker with is like it's like the best feeling in the world.

SPEAKER_01 43:34

Yes. And okay, so I know we talked a lot about your business, but I also want to talk about the book and money and dating.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 43:42

Just curious, like from your multiple podcasts, from the mailbag, from feedback, like how much do you hear about money and dating?

SPEAKER_00 43:49

Like, you hear about it a good amount because people are like it is it's the it you know, it's funny. It's like in dating. It's the thing you think you're on the same page about, and then it becomes the reason things ended. You know, like I I think under underratedly it happens earlier in dating than people want to believe. Oh, I'm not ready. That's I think a money decision more than people want to believe. Like, I'm not I'm not ready to be in a relationship, is also I'm not ready to start life and make you a responsibility in my life. You know, like I I think if you're again, like everything's about money. You know, like why does the person do the joke where they're mean and say horrible things because they're desperate for money? Why does the person end the relationship? Because they're not confident in their ability to provide a life for a partner or to make themselves uh a lovable partner by based on the life that they can provide with their income, you know. So I I like that is the when I answer dating questions, it's always with money in mind. Like when I when someone like, and especially because men, I get asked to speak for men. And I think a lot of the social stuff, you know, women have social stuff they deal with, but the social stuff women deal with is almost more um, there's more morality to it. It's like, you know, women wanting love and affection and and and to nurture someone and you know, and to have a family and this guy who won't commit because all he wants to do is fuck. And it's like that's a way to look at it, or it's women who's who the world is telling them, hey, where who are you dating? Who are you dating? When are you gonna get in a relationship? When are you gonna have a baby? When are you gonna do the next thing? And then men getting asked, are you financially sound? Are you are are you aworth like you know? I think the underrated male side of things is the social aspect of getting of your worth in relation to your uh ability to provide. And I think that's changing, but if you want to give any empathy to the male side and why they date the way they do, I think the societal stuff that we allow women to have, which I totally agree with, isn't it isn't afforded to men in the same way.

SPEAKER_01 46:23

And then they don't feel like they can date meaningfully until they have that way to provide financially.

SPEAKER_00 46:29

Right. And maybe they get into dating thinking they can, and then they get three, you know, three months in and they go, oh, okay, now I'm feeling the responsibility of a relationship. And where is this gonna go? And then you have people that feel that their time was wasted, which I understand too.

SPEAKER_01 46:48

Right. And they didn't realize that pressure until they were deeper in.

SPEAKER_00 46:53

Right. I think people who are more uh acknowledging of money being a part of all of dating are a little bit more empathetic to that.

SPEAKER_01 47:03

Curious too, like people talk about the singles tax. Like, do you agree with the idea that there is a singles tax? Like, like is life is more expensive when you're singles.

SPEAKER_00 47:12

Absolutely. I mean, you know. Absolutely. You know, just a home together. You live with the uh roommate or you live alone, you know, like the you oh, you want to move? Do you split it? No, you know, you want to go to dinner, you want to order an appetizer with dinner, you you don't need the whole appetizer, but you want to try things. I mean, look at it on a smaller scale. It's it's it's way more expensive to be single, but it's also um there's also no risk. So again, life is pros and cons, you know, as you know, there's and risk reward. As you risk aversion um is staying single is risk aversion. And I found that about myself. Like, where I would always say the worst thing that the only thing that could ruin my life is a relationship. I'm making money, I got my my stand-up is fine, but like let's say I go a year, no, no money in stand-up. I'll be okay. Let's say I go a year, no money in stand-up while having a a wife and kid. Not as okay. Then maybe I start doing you know the anti-women jokes that that assholes do. You know what I mean? Like because they're gonna stand out online. Now desperation. Right.

SPEAKER_01 48:34

Right. What's like the mo if you can think of line? Have you had any awkward money conversations in like on a date? Any that you remember?

SPEAKER_00 48:44

I mean, I'm I have a girlfriend now, and we she's gonna move in, and I think all conversations about money are awkward at their core, but like I also, it's also a constant negotiation. I think if I was like, you know, we gotta figure it out is different than we haven't talked about it. You know, right now she's gonna move in, and I was like, you know, we did have a conversation where I'm like, what's what's your because she's renting and I own this place, so I'm like, what's your rent? And you know, I I don't hear someone's rent and go, what, you know, like I it's just your rent, and her rent made sense to me. And then I'm like, well, this is how much I'm spending on this place, and I can afford this place, but then there's the emotional aspect. Do you want to be living? I want her to feel like it's her home too. So if she said, and then I'm like, well, but you know, wouldn't it be nice to take your rent and put it in an account where we both that's our savings, that'd be fun, and now we can fuck around with that money, and and if I have a bad year and I can't afford this, then we have to renegotiate those terms. But then if we break, you know, if you're there's a there's a group of people that'll be like, well, if you break up, you've got to have it in it's in his name, and you know, and and I can just fuck someone over, you know, there are people that live their lives that way that I'm that they're gonna constantly get fucked over. I I don't see a scenario where I would be a different person than I am today, where if we broke up, I would need to screw them over in some way, but I and I also don't see that from them that they're the type of person to do that to me, but you don't know, you know. So you have to kind of let yourself with money like there at some point with a relationship and money, you have to acknowledge that you might get fucked. Like I but I don't think uh again, no risk, no reward. I I so I I don't know. Maybe I if I met a couple that was like we kept it apart and that's the way we work, I would, I would probably I would find that it would translate to their relationship in some way or form. I wouldn't find that they're probably I can't I don't know. I would I would be curious to see how the what the relationship is like.

SPEAKER_01 51:12

Well, it sounds like you had a very honest and open conversation talking about what things could go well, what could go wrong, like the possibilities of what you could do with that money. So that's very exciting.

SPEAKER_00 51:23

It was again, it's like a it's still going, you know, like we haven't even finished the conversation. We're like in the middle of it as I talk to you now. Like, but I also like you know, just from knowing personal finance, the little I do, and she's a wealth manager, so like she knows it. I'm like, I would rather just just take it and run. Like, I you you know, I I would love for her to like just tell me what to do, you know, like like, but um, I'm sure there's a little bit of tiptoeing around each other that we're both doing.

SPEAKER_01 51:55

Also, I like the idea that it's just an ongoing thing because like you mentioned, at some point maybe you need to renegotiate what's going on, or maybe you don't, but that it's like in process.

SPEAKER_00 52:06

Right. And then I think that's where you have to like how vulnerable it's I think it's also just it's so emotional. Like, I you know, like people don't want to say I'm on my parents' cell phone plan. That was like like even something as small as that. Yes, and the bit was like, I'm on my parents' cell phone plan. Some crowds, woo, me too. Others look to their right, look to their left. And I would be like, I guess I'll be the brave one. I'll I'll admit like that I don't see myself ever getting off of that family plan. Like they can pay until the day they die. And I that would get laughs, and then but for some people, so you know, look at something that small, you know, because to and then someone would yell out, it's cheaper. They're almost defending that why they do it. Right. And I put that in the joke. I'm like, it's cheaper. Yeah, so is living in my parents' basement, and I'm not doing that, you know. Like I so it's like it's cheaper, is like such a weird that's a that's a self-conscious response.

SPEAKER_01 53:25

There is a lot of shame from getting help. Like, I I did on the street interviews in the West Village, and I just asked people, you know, how much we can do it.

SPEAKER_02 53:33

Especially in that neighborhood.

SPEAKER_01 53:34

Yes. And seven out of eight of them didn't pay for their own rent. Their parents paid or they inherited something. And when I posted about it, like people were so angry.

SPEAKER_02 53:46

Right.

SPEAKER_01 53:46

I think maybe because we aren't open about it, and it feels like unfair that some people have this, but it's like that's awesome that their parents are able to help them and they're so there's definitely something there.

SPEAKER_00 53:58

It's the social media aspect of it. You know, I I think like we are constantly on our phone watching someone live a what looks like an easier life than us. And if someone's like putting that out there and not acknowledging the privilege they have while they put that out there, like it's angering, you know.

SPEAKER_01 54:22

We're comparing, like, hey, why can't I afford that place?

SPEAKER_00 54:25

Right. And also, I can't afford that. You know, the West Village, the the most expensive neighborhood is also the most coveted. Like, so when you put out, like, and when you, you know, and then you assume other things. It used to be you go on vacation and your neighbors went on vacation, you come home and you'd be like, How was your vacation? And you assume they went on the same vacation as you. Now you can see the person on their vacation and look at the hotel and see how much it costs a night, and you go, How the fuck do they afford that? And I can't.

SPEAKER_01 54:56

This is like the whole premise of this podcast.

SPEAKER_00 54:58

Right. And that's the hard part. And it's like, listen, I I I saw it when I started comedy, like, you know, those people that were working jobs during the day and then going out and doing comedy at night. I was very lucky that I was like, that's not the route I had to go. But I also took those days, and it wasn't me, you know, at a bar telling people I'm a comedian. It was put into like I took sketch improv, you know, classes everywhere. I did consider it grad school, you know, like, and that's how I rationalize it. And then, you know, there's other there's also like things on the other side, like, you know, the other thing is some people get a perspective that I don't get. When I say I wasn't cast in anything, well, who wants to cast a guy from the suburbs of a major city that went to public school and a state school? Who cares about that perspective? That's not interesting. So someone who grew up not, you know, in a city and and you know, didn't go to school and opted to be an artist, that's a perspective people want to hear from. So, so like win some, lose some, you know, like that's a more interesting. They already have a bit that's more interesting than my bit about being on my parents' cell phone plan. I again that that's an that's a easy some people would say that's fucked up, you know. Uh no, well, fuck that. I'd rather the other way. You know, it's just not the way it works.

SPEAKER_01 56:31

Right. And you mentioned you mentioned social media, so you have a ton of followers, listeners, and fans. Curious, like how much free stuff you're getting. Can you put a dollar amount on what that would be?

SPEAKER_00 56:43

I just got a cherry pie because they want me to promote the new Larry David TV show. They sent out a cherry pie that has to do with I guess American history because as American as cherry pie. I don't know. Um I the dollar amount on that, not a lot. Not as much as maybe I'm not taking advantage of. I mean, like Cleveland, there's a restaurant in Cleveland that I wanted to go to. They had no reservations. I DM'd them and they got me a reservation.

SPEAKER_01 57:12

That's hard to put a value on that, but you're right, it's a perk.

SPEAKER_00 57:16

That's a perk. Um then sometimes you get sent stuff. Like I always get sent something that's gonna be a sponsor on the podcast, but they want a personal you, you know. But I'm trying to think of like when I've really gotten those are nice things, but and sometimes it's awkward because people send you stuff and you're like, I I I don't have a use for this, you know. Like, I you know, um, I've learned that you'd rather I've learned that you really rather pay nine out of ten times. Like, like I'll give you an example. Like, there's a show in Aruba. My buddy does these shows in Aruba, and he doesn't really pay, but he'll get you down there and he'll put you up, and you get to be in Aruba, which is like the best beach in the world. There's a part in the beginning of you know, doing comedy where I'm like, I can't wait to go to fucking Aruba, it's gonna be great. And now I'd rather buy get my own vacation. You know, like I I'd rather go to Aruba on my own and not have to like spend the day worrying about a show that night.

SPEAKER_02 58:22

Right.

SPEAKER_01 58:22

So, you know, I I had another travel guest on, and she was saying that the same with hotels, like she'd rather pay than have to make four reels while she's there and create content.

SPEAKER_00 58:34

And then you go, what a privilege that is, you know, like is someone sitting at home, like, well, I we don't think of like what you don't have to do, like you know, the you know, I they might hear that and go, Well, I'll go on the vacation. It's like, will you also like have your health insurance be on the line? You know?

SPEAKER_01 58:54

Like, I've held you so way too long. No problem. A few final questions. What's something about your finances people would never guess?

SPEAKER_00 59:05

I guess what would they never guess? I think more in the long term than I do the short term. I think it's more, am I, and and it's not about will I have day-to-day. It's like all of my decisions are like, will it get me more, will it bring in more people so that I can keep making my thing? And and doing a show in a bigger venue isn't because I'm like, I'm gonna make all this money. It's no, I I get to am I it's about the show. It's it's really like that uh the the level of work is important to me. It's uh and and being the best and you know, the best act at the comedy cellar on the show they saw that night is way more important to me than anything else.

SPEAKER_01 59:51

You have such a long-term mindset. What are you working towards affording next? This was all about how you afford this current chapter, but what's next?

SPEAKER_00 59:59

I mean, I just want to be able to keep doing it. I I don't really want for anything, which is a very nice place to be, but I don't want to like go backwards. I want it to grow, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:15

Yes. Thank you. This was such a cool inside look. I honestly love the book. Which I feel like I No, I didn't know how a lot of this business worked. So thank you so much for sharing what it's like to be a stand-up creator, entrepreneur. Where can everyone find you and support your work?

SPEAKER_00 1:00:34

At Jared Fried on Instagram, Wizard of Haas on TikTok, Wizard of Haw on TikTok, uh, the J Train podcast, which is daily, and then the U Up Podcast, which is twice a week, and both of those have subscription platforms, which you can enjoy. Uh, but uh yeah, just check it out. I would love for people to listen, watch, enjoy, and well, thank you so much.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:59

And everyone go see Jared's shows.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:01

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:02

Thank you so much for listening to How Do You Afford This? If you love this inside look into how people are actually affording their lives, follow and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We have new episodes dropping every week, and trust me, you do not want to miss them. And if you're enjoying the show, it would mean the world to me if you left a review. It takes just a minute and helps more people find the show. One more thing before you go, if this got you fired up to chase your own money goals, come hang out with us in the Money Club. It's a community of ambitious women building wealth together. And on average, members put an extra $10,000 toward their money goals in the first year. Come see what it's all about at thefiscalfem.com slash money dash club. All of it, the show, the club, everything I do is part of my mission to make crafting a wealthy life more accessible, more transparent, and a whole lot more fun. See you next week.