TRANSKRIPTIO 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.640
That's the the secret sauce is being a good person.
00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:03.040
Yeah.
00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:04.559
And my dad said this one thing.
00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:05.839
You can do all kinds of things.
00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:09.359
The one thing that you can change your parents, you can really can't change your name.
00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:09.839
You can't.
00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:12.000
He goes, Your name, you carry your name.
00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:14.320
If it carries it well, you carry it well.
00:00:14.720 --> 00:00:17.199
It'll although all the rewards come with that.
00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:21.760
Hey there, and welcome to Above and Beyond, the podcast where excellence meets elevation.
00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:30.320
I'm your host, Jan Simon, and I'm here to bring you real, unfiltered conversations with the people who are pushing boundaries and building something bigger than themselves.
00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:36.159
Digging in on mindset, mission, and the moments that shape these high performers and purpose-driven leaders.
00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:40.799
Whether you're taking your next level or just getting started, you're in the right place.
00:00:41.039 --> 00:00:42.880
This is more than a podcast.
00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:46.640
It's a mindset, and we're taking it above and beyond.
00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:27.760
With 19 years in stand-up comedy and 15 years as a business owner, he has built a career that fuses hustle, humor, and heart, leaving his mark on both the comedy circuit and the business world.
00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:37.439
He is the only Hispanic comedian in the country who consistently headlines urban comedy markets, earning respect, and laughs in every major market coast to coast.
00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:43.359
He's a regular at renowned clubs like Mike Drop San Diego and has performed across the United States.
00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:50.959
His comedic style is electrical, relatable, and unapologetically real, connecting with diverse audiences everywhere.
00:01:51.120 --> 00:02:04.079
Beyond the mic, he is the owner and founder of Total Corporate Services LLC, based in Gilbert, Arizona, and Total A Z Furnishings, a thriving home showroom in Phoenix, known for design on a dime solutions.
00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:11.039
With over a decade of leadership, he's built businesses that reflect his vision, grip, and deep commitment to community.
00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:17.599
He split his downtime between homes in Arizona and Hawaii, balancing a bustling career with family life.
00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:25.360
He's a proud father of five children and grandfather to nine grandchildren, often sharing heartfelt moments with them on social media.
00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:32.479
Whether he's posting uplifting jokes, candid family snapshots or showing love for his heritage, Rob is authentic.
00:02:32.719 --> 00:02:43.439
From Instagram and Facebook to thread, Rob's social presence offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at life on tour, business highlights, and everyday moments of gratitude and humor.
00:02:43.599 --> 00:02:49.759
He's not just performing, he's building a movement grounded in culture, connection, and comedy.
00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:58.879
He is more than a comedian, he's a cultural force, a proud Puerto Rican voice in comedy and a savvy businessman, and a dedicated father and grandfather.
00:02:59.039 --> 00:03:03.520
He continues to elevate every stage he steps on and every room he builds.
00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:09.680
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm excited to introduce Rob, Big Rob Rodriguez.
00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:10.879
No big Rob no more.
00:03:12.159 --> 00:03:14.240
Yeah, I say, you're not as big.
00:03:14.400 --> 00:03:16.080
Now, now, this is crazy.
00:03:16.319 --> 00:03:22.800
So I was trying to think about how long I've known you.
00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:25.759
And I mean Well, we're probably gonna go back.
00:03:25.919 --> 00:03:29.759
It gotta be about, it'll be somewhere close to 20 years.
00:03:30.319 --> 00:03:33.120
17 to 20 years, because our mutual friends.
00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:33.599
Yeah.
00:03:33.759 --> 00:03:36.719
And I've known them for since I've been in Arizona.
00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:38.400
I've been in Arizona 21 years.
00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:38.879
Okay.
00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:45.680
So I moved from the East Coast, and then we met through those friends, and then we were playing sports together, things like that.
00:03:45.840 --> 00:03:48.560
So that's when we were going through our midlife crisis.
00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:50.319
Trying to pretend we were still young.
00:03:50.479 --> 00:03:51.280
Yeah, no kidding.
00:03:51.360 --> 00:03:53.439
You're like the craziest basketball player I know.
00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:55.280
That's diving through bushes.
00:03:56.159 --> 00:03:58.000
I could not play well, so I had to hustle.
00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:00.319
Oh, yeah, your hustle was unbelievable.
00:04:00.560 --> 00:04:01.840
You know, no matter what you did.
00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:03.120
So it was pretty funny, yeah.
00:04:03.360 --> 00:04:03.919
That's awesome.
00:04:04.080 --> 00:04:04.560
That's awesome.
00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:07.039
So yeah, so I appreciate you coming on.
00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:10.800
Rob, you're probably the best comedian I know, personally.
00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:11.840
I've gotten better.
00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:13.120
It wasn't like that in the beginning.
00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:13.360
Yeah.
00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:15.680
Yeah, now I'm on national tour.
00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:20.879
I've been actually on tour with different headliners, even doing my own headlining.
00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:25.439
On tour, I am I think nine years, almost nine years in.
00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:26.000
Wow.
00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:26.480
Really?
00:04:26.720 --> 00:04:26.879
Yeah.
00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:29.199
Eight years, nine years on tour all over the country.
00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:29.839
That's
Load full transcript
incredible.
00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:33.360
I'm I'm on tour two to three weekends a month.
00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:34.240
Wow.
00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:36.160
That's gotta be a grind.
00:04:36.480 --> 00:04:36.879
It is.
00:04:37.040 --> 00:04:38.480
The getaway time is good.
00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:39.279
It's hard.
00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:43.680
It's hard when it's hard when everything I appreciate the intro.
00:04:43.839 --> 00:04:44.879
Sounds real impressing.
00:04:44.959 --> 00:04:46.319
Well, sounds tiring.
00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:48.399
People are like, ah, that's bullshit.
00:04:48.480 --> 00:04:49.439
He doesn't do all of that.
00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:51.199
But yeah, I do that plus more.
00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:52.639
It's one of those unique lives.
00:04:53.120 --> 00:04:57.279
So between owning the businesses here, the businesses here actually they've rebranded.
00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:03.120
So it's uh Solutions A Z, which is a furniture installation business for corporate.
00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:03.600
Okay.
00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:08.800
And then there's Total Lazy Wholesale, which is where we sell furniture.
00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:09.360
Okay.
00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:15.839
So, and then I've done I've been in the corporate furniture world for 27 years.
00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:16.319
Okay.
00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:18.879
I was doing that before I came to Arizona.
00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:19.519
Gotcha.
00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:22.720
And then I didn't start comedy until I came to Arizona.
00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:25.199
People like to think because I got that East Coast flair.
00:05:25.439 --> 00:05:27.920
I didn't start comedy until I came to Arizona.
00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:33.360
So that was probably 2005, maybe 2006.
00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:34.079
Okay.
00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:37.759
And I would travel actually more back and forth.
00:05:38.079 --> 00:05:42.879
Because at that time, Arizona number one still isn't a hotbed of comedy.
00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:43.360
It's hot.
00:05:43.519 --> 00:05:43.600
Right.
00:05:43.839 --> 00:05:44.879
But it ain't not for comedy.
00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:47.839
We have a ton of clubs now.
00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:51.279
You probably saw me like years ago in my up and coming.
00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:54.720
And then I would fly back and do like open mics.
00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:56.959
Like people would want me to do LA.
00:05:57.279 --> 00:06:03.199
And I went to LA and got intimidated because West Coast culture is different, Southwest.
00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:05.519
So you mentioned a couple of times on Puerto Rican.
00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:08.319
Puerto Rican, that's a Mexican from the East Coast.
00:06:08.639 --> 00:06:10.879
Good Social Security number, bad credit.
00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:12.399
So they get your jokes out there.
00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:13.680
They get my jokes out there.
00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:18.240
Because what I would do is I found an amazing Arizona culture who was white and Mexican.
00:06:18.480 -->
00:06:19.519
And then at that time.
00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:21.600
And you're Rodriguez, so everybody just figured you.
00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:24.000
Rodriguez, they think I'm Mexican until I start talking.
00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:26.480
And they're like, you don't have a Mexican accent.
00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:27.439
You talk crap.
00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:28.319
You talk shit.
00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:33.040
Like so, but it to me was fascinating because I come from New York.
00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:37.839
New York is a plethora of ethnicities and immigration truth.
00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:41.920
So you have three, four, five different types of Latinos, Hispanics.
00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:46.959
You have Caribbean, you have African American, then white, you're not just white in New York.
00:06:47.040 --> 00:06:54.079
You're white by what you really are Irish, Jewish, German, and that's how it's divided in New York.
00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:57.279
And old school New York, you were divided in neighborhoods like that.
00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:00.959
Little Italy, Chinatown, and Spanish Harlem.
00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:02.639
So like I grew up with that.
00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:06.000
I come to Arizona, it's freaking cowboys and tacos.
00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:08.240
Like a lot of white guys, a lot of Mexicans.
00:07:08.319 --> 00:07:08.639
Yeah, yeah.
00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:12.319
Love the Mexicans to cut your grass and make you tacos, but you don't want to live next to them.
00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:13.680
Like, get them out.
00:07:13.839 --> 00:07:20.079
So I came in and it was it was in the beginning, it was like the SP 270 or whatever it was.
00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:21.360
SP 1070.
00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:22.000
1070.
00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:22.399
Yeah, yeah.
00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:23.439
And that was crazy.
00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:26.480
I'm like, when Arizona was really derived from Mexico.
00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:28.879
And then that's when I was like, there's no way.
00:07:29.040 --> 00:07:34.800
Because then the more I found out about the culture, I'm like, not even the Mexicans, the Mexicans here are different.
00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:35.199
Yeah.
00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:42.560
Like they, Mexicans that are here legally would never want to relate to Mexicans that are coming over that they call nationals.
00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:49.759
And then I looked and see, I start my business was we built corporate furniture and businesses and government installations.
00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:50.000
Yeah.
00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:57.199
So when during the Obama administration, he put in a whole bunch of money to build the new port of entry in Nogales.
00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:05.920
So I went down to No Gallas and we were building all the homeland security, border security, all their new offices and that.
00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:08.160
Then I looked, everybody was Mexican.
00:08:08.319 --> 00:08:18.959
So I'm like, so you mean to tell me you have legal Mexicans whose job here is to protect and keep illegal Mexicans coming in from Mexico.
00:08:19.199 --> 00:08:20.639
That don't happen nowhere else.
00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:20.959
No.
00:08:21.120 --> 00:08:24.399
You couldn't have Puerto Ricans at the border trying to keep Puerto Rican.
00:08:24.480 --> 00:08:25.439
We're letting everybody in.
00:08:27.120 --> 00:08:30.240
Johnny's little Johnny, I know you since you were a kid, coming.
00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:32.399
Like we live, we're not stopping everybody.
00:08:32.480 --> 00:08:35.360
Down there, they were like, heck no, we're not letting anybody in.
00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:37.120
So it was like that culture thing.
00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:38.720
And then it was just white and Mexican.
00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:42.799
Because then always had good jobs, nice houses here.
00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:44.720
I lived in these new communities.
00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:49.360
And the white neighbors would look at me and say, like, especially who lived in Gilbert, right?
00:08:49.519 --> 00:08:51.679
So they look at me like, like, what are you doing here?
00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:52.960
And then I knew the difference.
00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:54.960
Because when I knew the difference, Halloween.
00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:56.960
You do you live in Gilbert and Halloween?
00:08:57.120 --> 00:08:58.159
You know who's not from the neighborhood.
00:08:58.480 --> 00:08:58.720
They are.
00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:06.320
All the white kids come at 5 o'clock, 5:30, and they're coming with these fancy Halloween buckets and their parents and that.
00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:09.120
8 o'clock, everybody's gone, and who comes?
00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:13.360
The Mexicans with food city bags to do trick-or-treat and pillowcases.
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:14.159
Pillow cases.
00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:16.799
Yeah, and the Mexican family with blowrider.
00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:18.080
Like it was like real stuff.
00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:20.240
Something like, wow, that's a culture thing here.
00:09:20.799 --> 00:09:23.759
But comparing it to the East Coast, that's where you learn.
00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:25.200
But it was like a respect thing.
00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:30.000
Because at that time I was a I considered myself a Democrat like most minorities.
00:09:30.240 --> 00:09:31.519
That's because that's how I grew up.
00:09:31.679 --> 00:09:32.960
My parents weren't political.
00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:36.960
My dad was a detective in New York, and my mother worked for the DEA.
00:09:37.519 --> 00:09:40.080
But I didn't, I was a little bit of a rogue child.
00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:42.240
But there was no, we always grew well.
00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:44.080
I lived in the suburbs in New York.
00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:49.840
I had relatives that live in like the broad the projects or the equivalent of, let's say, the ghetto and things like that.
00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:51.679
So we were always at a little bit.
00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:55.679
So I came out here, I'd have white neighbors looking at
you, like, hey, how do you afford this house?
00:09:55.840 --> 00:09:57.039
How do you drive a nice car?
00:09:57.279 --> 00:09:57.759
Things like that.
00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:00.159
But I was a child of white flight.
00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:08.799
Because when we moved to the suburbs in the 70s, I actually saw we saw white families move because they were not used to growing up with minorities.
00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:10.960
That's how interesting I bring that story up.
00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:15.840
Now I don't bring it because how crazy things are going now, but it's you learn the culture of both places.
00:10:16.159 --> 00:10:19.120
People used to think I'd get insulted out here in Arizona.
00:10:19.200 --> 00:10:20.159
I'm like, not at all.
00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:21.200
It's a culture thing.
00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:27.360
And here's the thing, I realized that people that grew up in Arizona, especially white folks, they didn't know any different.
00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:28.559
They didn't grow around blacks.
00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:28.799
Yeah.
00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:31.840
You didn't have contingencies of blacks families.
00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:37.120
Like here, they live in certain areas, you know, they live in South Phoenix, the West Side, things like that.
00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.320
They weren't in Gilbert, they weren't in Chandler, and not at that time.
00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:40.639
Yeah.
00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:43.360
But it was so it's interesting when you grow up that way.
00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:48.320
And all of that, I say all of that to say that's actually what brought me into comedy.
00:10:48.559 --> 00:10:48.799
Okay.
00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:54.480
The culture change, because people always say I didn't start comedy until I was 36 years old.
00:10:54.799 --> 00:10:59.600
And the culture change of comedy was um me seeing the difference.
00:10:59.919 --> 00:11:04.559
Things that went on out here, Southwest, West Coast, compared to East Coast.
00:11:04.639 --> 00:11:04.879
Gotcha.
00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:06.639
And I thought I found it humorous.
00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:12.399
So I would go to and start tr trying to perform in Arizona, which is good.
00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:15.759
You start out as a new comic pro promote performing for your friends.
00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:16.080
Yeah.
00:11:16.240 --> 00:11:20.000
So you're funny in front of your friends, but you're funny in front of a crowd.
00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:22.399
So now a crowd that doesn't know you.
00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:24.559
So I learned that also.
00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:29.840
Even my wife was like, when I didn't I hid from her the first time I was doing an open mic.
00:11:29.919 --> 00:11:30.320
Yeah.
00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:35.039
And then when she when I told her, I was like, she was like, well, you're funny around people.
00:11:35.200 --> 00:11:38.240
I'm like, she's like, well, you think you can be funny in front of a crowd?
00:11:38.399 --> 00:11:39.919
I said, well, I married you, didn't I?
00:11:40.080 --> 00:11:41.519
Like that was my friend.
00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:43.279
She got really upset about it.
00:11:43.360 --> 00:11:46.080
But it's actually was one of the first hating jokes I've ever said.
00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:49.600
So a lot of my a lot of my humor has to do with like just real life topics.
00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:49.919
Yeah, yeah.
00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:58.639
Being middle-aged man, family man, being a minority, being a business owner, growing up East Coast, growing up, I was a bad kid too.
00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:00.480
Even though I was an honor student, went to St.
00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:01.600
John's University.
00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:03.279
I just did a couple bad things.
00:12:03.440 --> 00:12:05.919
I ended up going to jail for a little while, things like that.
00:12:06.080 --> 00:12:08.159
Like I grew up, I was hard on myself.
00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:08.559
Gotcha.
00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:10.879
Not because I grew up in a bad position.
00:12:11.200 --> 00:12:13.279
So let's talk about let's talk about that a little bit.
00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:14.399
Let's talk about your childhood.
00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:15.519
You grew up in New York.
00:13:07.450 --> 00:13:09.610
I'm one of seven.
00:13:09.929 --> 00:13:10.649
One of seven.
00:13:11.049 --> 00:13:14.889
But it's a blended family, not three of my siblings.
00:13:15.529 --> 00:13:19.049
Three of my siblings are were my cousins.
00:13:19.289 --> 00:13:19.450
Okay.
00:13:19.850 --> 00:13:24.330
Whose mother died and she was a single mom and my dad adopted them when I was young.
00:13:24.490 --> 00:13:27.049
I was only I think I was eleven at the time.
00:13:27.129 --> 00:13:28.649
I'm the oldest of all my siblings.
00:13:28.810 --> 00:13:29.049
Okay.
00:13:29.210 --> 00:13:30.169
And we adopted them.
00:13:30.330 --> 00:13:32.330
I had two brothers from my parents.
00:13:32.490 --> 00:13:34.090
So we grew up as a family of six.
00:13:34.330 --> 00:13:34.649
Okay.
00:13:34.889 --> 00:13:41.289
And then when my father got my my father and mother were separated really like late in life.
00:13:41.529 --> 00:13:44.009
My dad had a relationship and had her seventh child.
00:13:44.169 --> 00:13:44.250
Oh.
00:13:44.970 --> 00:13:45.690
Seven of us.
00:13:46.090 --> 00:13:51.450
So everyone lives in Arizona except for my younger sister.
00:13:51.690 --> 00:13:51.929
Okay.
00:13:52.090 --> 00:13:53.690
Otherwise, everybody else is here.
00:13:54.009 --> 00:13:54.970
Did they follow you?
00:13:55.129 --> 00:13:55.929
Did they follow your parents?
00:13:56.730 --> 00:13:58.570
My parents my dad retired.
00:13:58.730 --> 00:14:03.450
He retired and went to him and my mom went to the resort city of Tucson, Arizona.
00:14:03.690 --> 00:14:04.889
Ah, lovely place.
00:14:05.529 --> 00:14:07.210
That's why I didn't come out at first.
00:14:07.450 --> 00:14:11.450
They would move out and visit, and and I was the last one to migrate.
00:14:11.610 -->
00:14:17.289
They were already here almost seven years before I decided I came to visit him.
00:14:17.450 --> 00:14:22.090
And tragic story, came out to visit him for my dad's fifty-third birthday.
00:14:22.409 --> 00:14:25.289
Brought my children with me at the time.
00:14:25.929 --> 00:14:28.250
And I saw my dad wasn't doing well.
00:14:28.409 --> 00:14:32.169
Him and my mom were in that split, but they were they were still together.
00:14:32.570 --> 00:14:35.129
And I decided at that time I'm gonna buy a house.
00:14:35.210 --> 00:14:44.970
So my brother, who was big in real estate at the time, or just getting big, and he he was working for Doug at the time, Doug Hopkins, so he knew but I didn't like Tucson.
00:14:45.529 --> 00:14:52.810
So my wife and I came up here and visited, went to some communities, and at that time Power Ranch was just being built.
00:14:53.049 --> 00:14:53.210
Okay.
00:14:53.289 --> 00:14:53.450
Yep.
00:14:53.690 --> 00:14:57.210
It only had one of the four or five communities that are in there now.
00:14:57.450 --> 00:14:58.649
And we fell in love with it.
00:14:58.730 --> 00:15:00.570
So we bought a house on the green belt.
00:15:00.649 --> 00:15:06.169
That was the tragic thing was put signed the contract, put the money down.
00:15:06.570 --> 00:15:10.330
My dad died like a month and a half, so I never got a chance to be out here with him.
00:15:10.570 --> 00:15:10.970
No kidding.
00:15:11.129 --> 00:15:13.690
Yeah, I was trying to get out there, so it was tough.
00:15:13.850 --> 00:15:17.370
And then my mom died like nine years later of lung cancer.
00:15:17.450 --> 00:15:18.970
So my dad died of hypertension.
00:15:19.129 --> 00:15:19.370
Okay.
00:15:19.769 --> 00:15:22.250
And so my siblings, now I'm the oldest siblings.
00:15:23.049 --> 00:15:26.810
Recently, last ten years, I've been the sibling that they all look up to.
00:15:26.970 --> 00:15:30.649
My dad's he's died, he's been dead 21 years almost.
00:15:30.730 --> 00:15:32.649
But uh so as a child, I was the oldest.
00:15:32.810 --> 00:15:35.610
And my kids with my my siblings are great, we're very close.
00:15:35.850 --> 00:15:36.730
But it was hard.
00:15:36.810 --> 00:15:41.049
You know, you get to that point where people I get very envious of people that still have their parents alive.
00:15:41.769 --> 00:15:46.409
Both mine died in their fifties, and now I'm in my fifties, and I don't get a chance to enjoy them.
00:15:46.649 --> 00:15:47.289
Right, right.
00:15:47.769 --> 00:15:51.610
So growing up in New York, were you involved in sports?
00:15:52.409 --> 00:15:52.570
I did.
00:15:52.649 --> 00:15:53.370
I played lacrosse.
00:15:53.850 --> 00:15:54.330
Basketball player.
00:15:54.490 --> 00:15:54.970
Yeah, yeah, Sam.
00:15:55.210 --> 00:15:57.370
I talk my mouth is better than anything else.
00:15:57.769 --> 00:15:58.649
Of course, you can remember.
00:15:58.889 --> 00:15:59.049
Yes.
00:15:59.129 --> 00:15:59.450
Oh, yeah.
00:15:59.690 --> 00:16:02.250
Yeah, I would get banned from the court sometimes.
00:16:02.490 --> 00:16:05.929
Uh funny story here, I started trying to play adult basketball.
00:16:06.009 --> 00:16:07.529
I lasted one Sunday.
00:16:07.610 --> 00:16:07.929
Uh-huh.
00:16:08.169 --> 00:16:10.409
Because I went on the court and I was talking so much.
00:16:11.049 --> 00:16:11.769
They kicked you on.
00:16:12.330 --> 00:16:16.169
No, some guy started, thought he could talk, and that's one thing you can't do with me.
00:16:16.250 --> 00:16:17.289
You're not gonna out talk.
00:16:17.450 --> 00:16:18.730
You're not gonna outcrack.
00:16:18.970 --> 00:16:19.370
Right.
00:16:19.610 --> 00:16:21.370
Like here, you know who learned the hard way?
00:16:21.529 --> 00:16:22.490
Boogie Cousins.
00:16:22.730 --> 00:16:24.649
I had floor seats for the Suns.
00:16:24.970 --> 00:16:26.889
And me and him got into such a big fight.
00:16:26.970 --> 00:16:33.529
I ended up the NBA ended up finding him and giving me money because he and I had words right on the floor.
00:16:33.610 --> 00:16:33.850
Yeah.
00:16:34.169 --> 00:16:34.810
No kidding.
00:16:34.970 --> 00:16:35.769
That is too funny.
00:16:36.009 --> 00:16:38.009
And as part of it is Doug Hopkins' fault.
00:16:38.250 --> 00:16:38.490
Okay.
00:16:39.049 --> 00:16:46.889
Doug, because they egged him on because they knew we had two in two incidences of me and him going back and forth.
00:16:47.049 --> 00:16:47.929
I wasn't talking to him.
00:16:48.009 --> 00:16:50.970
I'll never disrespect a professional athlete while they're playing.
00:16:51.129 --> 00:16:51.450
Yeah.
00:16:51.690 --> 00:16:52.730
But he's the type of guy.
00:16:52.889 --> 00:16:55.690
Matter of fact, he just got kicked off of his team in Puerto Rico.
00:16:56.009 --> 00:16:58.810
He doesn't even play professional anymore because he's such a bad teammate.
00:16:59.450 --> 00:17:00.649
Nobody would have him.
00:17:00.810 --> 00:17:03.370
So I just read a story literally two hours ago.
00:17:03.529 --> 00:17:04.089
That's too funny.
00:17:04.169 --> 00:17:05.690
And I'm like, he's such a piece of crap.
00:17:05.769 --> 00:17:06.089
Yeah.
00:17:06.329 --> 00:17:07.609
Because he was disrespectful.
00:17:07.769 --> 00:17:08.970
But yes, I play sports.
00:17:09.049 --> 00:17:09.929
I played football.
00:17:10.169 --> 00:17:11.849
I had a scholarship to Penn State.
00:17:11.929 --> 00:17:12.089
Okay.
00:17:12.329 --> 00:17:13.450
Ended up going to St.
00:17:13.529 --> 00:17:18.490
John's, but only played a year, first year of college, because I young and dumb and in love.
00:17:18.730 --> 00:17:18.889
Yeah.
00:17:19.129 --> 00:17:20.569
I I fell in love.
00:17:20.730 --> 00:17:22.329
I wanted to go into the military.
00:17:22.409 --> 00:17:23.849
I tried to go into the military.
00:17:23.929 --> 00:17:24.889
I was accepted.
00:17:25.049 --> 00:17:28.889
The day I was going in, they denied me because of my thumb.
00:17:29.210 --> 00:17:31.049
And they put me on medical
review.
00:17:31.210 --> 00:17:34.730
That's when I actually met my my first wife.
00:17:35.049 --> 00:17:37.929
And then they cleared me, but I was in love.
00:17:38.009 --> 00:17:40.009
So I said, no, I'm not going into the Air Force.
00:17:40.250 --> 00:17:41.609
I'm gonna start a family.
00:17:41.690 --> 00:17:41.929
Yeah.
00:17:42.089 --> 00:17:46.250
So that's where I like that's where things just I was that type of hardhead.
00:17:46.329 --> 00:17:47.210
I was an honor student.
00:17:47.369 --> 00:17:50.250
I had multiple scholars scholarships for lacrosse.
00:17:50.490 --> 00:17:51.929
I wrestled in high school.
00:17:52.169 --> 00:17:56.329
I was always a I was always a like like you say, like you're a hustler.
00:17:56.409 --> 00:17:58.329
That's just I was never great at anything.
00:17:58.409 --> 00:17:59.769
I was just good at a lot of things.
00:17:59.849 --> 00:18:00.009
Yeah.
00:18:00.329 --> 00:18:00.649
Yeah.
00:18:00.969 --> 00:18:03.129
You could pick up a ball and do it.
00:18:03.689 --> 00:18:04.089
You know what?
00:18:04.729 --> 00:18:07.929
I didn't have the strongest arm, but I can quarterback because I knew strategy.
00:18:08.169 --> 00:18:09.849
Lacrosse, I was definitely just a hustler.
00:18:10.009 --> 00:18:12.009
Lacrosse is like a soccer on steroids.
00:18:12.250 --> 00:18:14.489
I would run, you can hit, I can run this field.
00:18:14.569 --> 00:18:16.250
I was use I was always fast.
00:18:16.489 --> 00:18:20.649
So I can always and then I can my psyche is probably better than anything.
00:18:20.889 --> 00:18:24.250
I can psychologically take most people out of their game.
00:18:24.409 --> 00:18:24.649
Yeah.
00:18:24.809 --> 00:18:25.369
No matter what.
00:18:25.609 --> 00:18:26.409
Because they're not used to the.
00:18:26.569 --> 00:18:29.289
I'll say I've witnessed you talk some trash.
00:18:29.609 --> 00:18:30.409
Not just trash.
00:18:30.489 --> 00:18:31.449
That's the white word.
00:18:31.849 --> 00:18:33.449
Talk some sh some shit.
00:18:33.929 --> 00:18:38.969
I'll tell you, the I remember specifically one time I thought there was gonna be fist thrown.
00:18:39.209 --> 00:18:40.009
Oh yeah, for sure.
00:18:40.329 --> 00:18:41.049
The first time.
00:18:41.449 --> 00:18:44.569
Like we gotta play.
00:18:44.729 --> 00:18:44.969
Yeah.
00:18:45.049 --> 00:18:46.729
So here's the thing, right?
00:18:46.969 --> 00:18:51.529
I played, so we would play basketball, right, every Saturday, right, at KK's house.
00:18:51.769 --> 00:18:53.689
I was still playing flag football at the time.
00:18:53.849 --> 00:18:55.449
It was actually contact flag.
00:18:55.769 --> 00:19:00.409
Because you can go straight up hands, you couldn't push off, but it was hard and it was adult league.
00:19:00.489 --> 00:19:00.729
Yeah.
00:19:00.969 --> 00:19:05.049
So I played with a couple friends of mine, they brought me in and I loved it.
00:19:05.129 --> 00:19:05.529
It was great.
00:19:05.769 --> 00:19:11.449
I was heavy at the time, but
so I played the line, but I was still quick and we would play.
00:19:11.929 --> 00:19:15.209
Now, sometimes we just we play some really good teams.
00:19:15.289 --> 00:19:16.809
They'd they'd kick up behind.
00:19:17.289 --> 00:19:19.289
And sometimes we would be on top.
00:19:19.769 --> 00:19:24.649
So the one thing that was consistent, I took no crap, I just talk crap all the time.
00:19:25.449 --> 00:19:27.929
So two instances happened.
00:19:28.250 --> 00:19:32.729
One ASU was in their offseason, okay, and they put a team out.
00:19:32.969 --> 00:19:33.529
Oh no.
00:19:33.689 --> 00:19:34.889
So now I'm on the line.
00:19:34.969 --> 00:19:37.449
I'm playing a guy that's like 6'8.
00:19:37.849 --> 00:19:38.649
Legit like that.
00:19:38.889 --> 00:19:41.049
Legit like 6'8, maybe 280.
00:19:41.449 --> 00:19:43.049
No offense, but you're not very tall Puerto Rican.
00:19:43.289 --> 00:19:44.489
Yeah, no, I'm 5'11.
00:19:44.729 --> 00:19:47.129
At that time, I was probably 5'11, 270.
00:19:47.289 --> 00:19:47.529
Okay.
00:19:47.689 --> 00:19:49.369
He's 280, 6'8.
00:19:49.689 --> 00:19:50.009
Yeah, yeah.
00:19:50.250 --> 00:19:52.729
So you weren't allowed to move your hands as much.
00:19:53.209 --> 00:19:54.409
You couldn't swing around.
00:19:54.489 --> 00:20:02.809
But this guy, because he was an ASU player at the time, forget his name, he thought he was playing on you know I'm Oregon or something, or freaking USC.
00:20:03.129 --> 00:20:08.250
So he's kicking my ass with swinging his arms, trying to do these swim moves.
00:20:08.409 --> 00:20:10.889
I'm like, listen, retard, you can't do this.
00:20:11.129 --> 00:20:12.250
You can push right through me.
00:20:12.329 --> 00:20:12.729
Just do that.
00:20:12.809 --> 00:20:14.169
You free you got me.
00:20:14.409 --> 00:20:15.369
He wouldn't listen to me.
00:20:15.449 --> 00:20:17.129
So I said, listen, you got one more time.
00:20:17.369 --> 00:20:18.569
So we're on the line.
00:20:18.889 --> 00:20:20.009
He's like, yeah, whatever.
00:20:20.169 --> 00:20:23.609
So the next time he goes to swim his arm, I swing my arm up.
00:20:57.490 --> 00:20:58.529
I hit him in the face.
00:20:58.689 --> 00:20:59.809
Of course, not intentionally.
00:20:59.889 --> 00:21:00.049
Yeah.
00:21:00.449 --> 00:21:01.490
I break his nose.
00:21:01.649 --> 00:21:02.209
Oh, no way.
00:21:02.529 --> 00:21:03.730
Blood starts pouring out.
00:21:04.049 --> 00:21:06.289
And it's like, have you ever watched The Longest Yard?
00:21:06.449 --> 00:21:06.609
Yeah.
00:21:06.929 --> 00:21:09.409
I think I broke his fucking freaking nose.
00:21:09.649 --> 00:21:10.849
So that's how it was.
00:21:11.009 --> 00:21:12.049
And I'm like, I told you.
00:21:12.129 --> 00:21:13.889
And then the ref throws a flag.
00:21:13.970 --> 00:21:14.289
Uh-huh.
00:21:14.449 --> 00:21:16.449
So the guy thinks the flag is on me.
00:21:16.689 --> 00:21:17.490
It's on him.
00:21:17.649 --> 00:21:18.369
And I warned him.
00:21:18.449 --> 00:21:21.169
And the ref was like there because he shouldn't have been moving his arm around.
00:21:22.049 --> 00:21:24.209
But then I would talk, so I would threaten the kick.
00:21:24.449 --> 00:21:26.929
Because people want to, they think they could talk back.
00:21:27.169 --> 00:21:29.490
That's why I stopped playing adult softball.
00:21:29.730 --> 00:21:30.849
Because I would pitch.
00:21:31.250 --> 00:21:32.209
And I talk crap.
00:21:32.289 --> 00:21:33.809
And then they start trying to hit it up the middle.
00:21:33.970 --> 00:21:34.049
Oh.
00:21:34.529 --> 00:21:35.250
They're trying to hit you.
00:21:35.490 --> 00:21:38.849
They're trying to hit me, which is supposed to be like a an unwritten rule.
00:21:38.929 --> 00:21:39.889
You don't hit it up the middle.
00:21:41.329 --> 00:21:41.569
Right.
00:21:41.809 --> 00:21:44.129
So I would want to go get a bat and beat the group.
00:21:44.369 --> 00:21:45.009
That's how I was.
00:21:45.089 --> 00:21:48.449
I'm always going to defend myself even if I think I'm in a no-win situation.
00:21:48.769 --> 00:21:51.970
I was playing softball one season.
00:21:52.129 --> 00:21:58.929
I don't remember who the group was that I was playing with at this point, but guy was pitching, took a ball right in the mouth.
00:21:59.089 --> 00:22:00.289
Just no, it's crazy.
00:22:01.009 --> 00:22:04.049
Then they started doing it, they tried to do it on purpose because I'm talking crap.
00:22:04.129 --> 00:22:04.369
Yeah.
00:22:04.529 --> 00:22:06.129
So I was like, so it that's the thing.
00:22:06.209 --> 00:22:07.569
It's funny, when you're a kid, it's good.
00:22:07.649 --> 00:22:09.169
I still do it now as an adult.
00:22:09.329 --> 00:22:10.369
People can't handle it.
00:22:10.769 --> 00:22:13.329
So it would be like I slow down on the sports.
00:22:13.490 --> 00:22:13.649
Yeah.
00:22:13.730 --> 00:22:15.889
So I'm playing at LA Fitness one time, right?
00:22:16.369 --> 00:22:20.369
When I was going to Greenfield, and like basketball today is different.
00:22:20.449 --> 00:22:20.609
Right?
00:22:20.689 --> 00:22:23.009
Because we got to stop playing indoor, outdoor.
00:22:23.089 --> 00:22:23.250
Yep.
00:22:23.569 --> 00:22:26.209
Like KK became an old man and he doesn't play anymore.
00:22:26.369 --> 00:22:28.129
So he changed it to a pickleball court.
00:22:28.369 --> 00:22:36.049
That's the white retarded version of white or what white people do when they can't tennis anymore and they think they're too tough for bad men.
00:22:36.209 --> 00:22:37.329
They created pickleball.
00:22:37.490 --> 00:22:39.970
Well now it's the biggest crazy all over the place.
00:22:41.009 --> 00:22:41.169
Yeah.
00:22:41.250 --> 00:22:42.529
So I'm like, I wish I would.
00:22:42.609 --> 00:22:43.730
You wish he would catch me.
00:22:44.049 --> 00:22:44.769
But I'm interested now.
00:22:45.490 --> 00:22:46.769
So because I I'm competitive.
00:22:46.849 --> 00:22:47.569
I love ping pong.
00:22:47.970 --> 00:22:49.809
I'll tell you I've played and
it is a lot of fun.
00:22:50.129 --> 00:22:52.129
Yeah, because it's like a big version of ping pong.
00:22:52.609 --> 00:22:54.849
Competitive person, and my body still thinks I'm 18.
00:22:54.929 --> 00:22:55.970
So Oh yeah, for sure.
00:22:56.209 --> 00:22:58.129
And you don't have to move that much because it's small.
00:22:58.609 --> 00:22:59.889
So everybody I know is doing it.
00:23:00.209 --> 00:23:01.809
They're like, hey, you gotta play ping pong.
00:23:01.889 --> 00:23:03.089
I'm like a pickleball.
00:23:03.250 --> 00:23:05.649
But yeah, I remember so I'm playing with these young kids.
00:23:06.129 --> 00:23:08.289
But all these young kids want to do is shoot threes.
00:23:08.449 --> 00:23:10.049
Oh I'm running up and down the court.
00:23:10.129 --> 00:23:10.609
You know how we do.
00:23:11.089 --> 00:23:12.369
I'm trying to play defense.
00:23:12.529 --> 00:23:17.169
And I'm like, listen, if only you freaking retards don't pass the ball.
00:23:17.329 --> 00:23:17.490
Yeah.
00:23:17.649 --> 00:23:18.369
I'm out of here.
00:23:18.449 --> 00:23:18.609
Yeah.
00:23:18.769 --> 00:23:23.730
I'm not running up and down like so like Asian kids starts talking crap.
00:23:24.049 --> 00:23:24.609
But okay.
00:23:25.089 --> 00:23:26.689
So they give him the ball, he's down low.
00:23:26.769 --> 00:23:29.250
He starts trying to push it into play.
00:23:30.129 --> 00:23:30.689
He's not doing that.
00:23:30.929 --> 00:23:32.609
Did you pull the chair or just knock him down?
00:23:33.889 --> 00:23:35.089
I tied him up so bad.
00:23:35.169 --> 00:23:37.169
He got up, his glasses were crooked.
00:23:37.409 --> 00:23:38.049
Everything else.
00:23:38.209 --> 00:23:38.689
It got bad.
00:23:38.849 --> 00:23:39.730
Everybody else said that.
00:23:39.809 --> 00:23:40.529
I'm like, you know what?
00:23:40.609 --> 00:23:42.049
I'll kick the crap out of you too.
00:23:42.289 --> 00:23:46.529
It just for some reason it just gets to people can't handle trash talk.
00:23:46.769 --> 00:23:49.889
And then they think that's I'm trash talking to get you out your psych.
00:23:50.049 --> 00:23:50.369
Yeah.
00:23:50.529 --> 00:23:53.089
Not because, and I know that turns people down.
00:23:53.329 --> 00:24:02.849
So fast forward a month later, my daughter's going to Perry, going to a Perry football game, and see these kids in front of me, they keep looking back at us.
00:24:03.089 --> 00:24:05.569
So my wife's like, Why are they looking back at you?
00:24:05.809 --> 00:24:12.689
Then I look, it's a little Asian kid, and I hear him telling him, That's that old dude that was trying to kick my ass at the basketball.
00:24:12.769 --> 00:24:14.609
And my daughter looks at me like, Really, Dad?
00:24:14.689 --> 00:24:18.449
You're freaking fighting with a freaking 17-year-old at Perry.
00:24:18.529 --> 00:24:20.129
I'm like, hey, he's on the court.
00:24:20.289 --> 00:24:21.730
He was he was talking like a man.
00:24:21.970 --> 00:24:23.089
We talk like a man.
00:24:23.329 -->
00:24:23.490
Yeah.
00:24:23.730 --> 00:24:24.929
That's the school I came from.
00:24:25.409 --> 00:24:27.089
I think we've lost that a little bit in society.
00:24:27.329 --> 00:24:27.809
Oh, absolutely.
00:24:28.129 --> 00:24:32.529
It's like the these kids know that they can get away with talking trash as an adult.
00:24:32.849 --> 00:24:33.809
You're like, I can.
00:24:33.889 --> 00:24:34.369
Yeah.
00:24:34.849 --> 00:24:35.889
Push it so far.
00:24:36.049 --> 00:24:36.849
Push it so far.
00:24:36.929 --> 00:24:41.089
I was talking early on an earlier podcast, and we were talking about teaching.
00:24:41.169 --> 00:24:43.409
And I people used to tell me all the time, you should be a teacher and a coach.
00:24:43.490 --> 00:24:44.049
I'm like, I couldn't.
00:24:44.209 --> 00:24:44.609
No, I did.
00:24:44.689 --> 00:24:45.490
I was an assistant dean.
00:24:45.889 --> 00:24:46.369
Punch a kid.
00:24:46.529 --> 00:24:51.409
I was an assistant dean in New York before I got into facilities management and furniture.
00:24:51.569 --> 00:24:53.809
And I these kids were so bad, I couldn't believe it.
00:24:54.289 --> 00:24:56.449
One time I had a situation with a kid.
00:24:56.689 --> 00:25:00.049
I went to his class and he starts yelling at me from the classroom.
00:25:00.609 --> 00:25:01.169
Man, Mr.
00:25:01.250 --> 00:25:03.250
Rodriguez, I can't believe you called my mom.
00:25:03.329 --> 00:25:04.129
You better never.
00:25:04.289 --> 00:25:05.970
He came out and got in my face.
00:25:06.369 --> 00:25:09.089
I grabbed him by the throat, put him up against the wall.
00:25:09.169 --> 00:25:09.329
Yeah.
00:25:09.649 --> 00:25:13.329
And I'm like, if you ever talk to me like that, I said, Did I talk to you like that?
00:25:13.809 --> 00:25:14.689
He calmed down.
00:25:14.929 --> 00:25:17.169
Another teacher s sees it and reports it.
00:25:17.649 --> 00:25:18.369
Do you get in trouble?
00:25:18.689 --> 00:25:24.129
They come so this is like early, this is probably 1999, 2000.
00:25:24.289 --> 00:25:26.449
So we still haven't even converted to what it is now.
00:25:26.769 --> 00:25:26.849
Yeah.
00:25:27.250 --> 00:25:29.490
Little punk kids that they people raise.
00:25:29.809 --> 00:25:31.329
So they called me in and asked me.
00:25:31.490 --> 00:25:32.769
I said, Oh, most certainly.
00:25:33.089 --> 00:25:35.089
But the kid sees me in the hall and says, Mr.
00:25:35.169 --> 00:25:37.329
Rodriguez, I just want to let you know they're trying to get you.
00:25:37.649 --> 00:25:40.849
Because they brought me in to uh wanted me to write a statement.
00:25:40.929 --> 00:25:42.049
I wouldn't write a statement.
00:25:42.449 --> 00:25:43.889
Because I knew what you were trying to do.
00:25:44.049 --> 00:25:44.769
It was like a respect.
00:25:45.089 --> 00:25:45.329
Oh, yeah.
00:25:45.490 --> 00:25:47.009
It was a minority neighborhood too.
00:25:47.089 --> 00:25:56.369
So and at that point I got out of I I had uh aspirations to get my get my degrees, and by that time I can do certification as an assistant dean.
00:25:56.929 --> 00:25:59.649
And it I lost complete interest in that.
00:25:59.809 --> 00:26:06.929
Because I I saw that now what you're doing is becoming a policeman to other kids that are being brought up and just not being raised.
00:26:07.089 --> 00:26:07.250
Right.
00:26:07.649 --> 00:26:10.769
Whether they have both parents or not, that's the biggest thing.
00:26:10.929 --> 00:26:14.609
So that's why I was the father that I was to my children.
00:26:14.769 --> 00:26:15.730
So Yeah.
00:26:16.049 --> 00:26:21.490
I think uh too often people look to somebody else to do the hard job.
00:26:21.889 --> 00:26:22.289
Well they do.
00:26:22.369 --> 00:26:34.449
So partly to some parents un unfortunately to defend some parents in this economy, if you're not disciplined enough, you gotta work two, three jobs.
00:26:34.609 --> 00:26:37.730
And what lacks at that point is family time, quality time.
00:26:37.809 --> 00:26:38.929
That's what happened with my dad.
00:26:39.250 --> 00:26:42.289
My dad retired when he retired the highest paid cop in America.
00:26:42.449 --> 00:26:44.209
Same name of mine, you can look it up.
00:26:44.449 --> 00:26:47.490
He was in Newsweek 1996, 97.
00:26:47.569 --> 00:26:53.089
He made more money than I want to say Ed Koch was the governor, excuse me, the mayor of New York at the time.
00:26:53.409 --> 00:26:57.250
In any event, he was in Newsweek for the as the highest paid cop in America.
00:26:57.409 --> 00:27:03.329
His final years on the force, he made 200 at the time, and this was big money.
00:27:03.490 --> 00:27:03.889
Yeah, yeah.
00:27:04.129 --> 00:27:05.250
This is in 97.
00:27:05.889 --> 00:27:07.569
He retired at 260.
00:27:07.809 --> 00:27:08.129
Wow.
00:27:08.289 --> 00:27:12.929
Now, now his same police force in New York, those cops make 400,000.
00:27:13.649 --> 00:27:15.329
But at that time, he was there.
00:27:15.490 --> 00:27:20.369
But I say that to say that he spent so much time working, he wasn't at home.
00:27:20.449 --> 00:27:23.169
Now we had the best house, he did everything he could for us.
00:27:23.409 --> 00:27:26.369
But it doesn't it doesn't replace quality time.
00:27:26.609 --> 00:27:29.250
Yeah, because I and I've so I've always coached my kids.
00:27:29.409 --> 00:27:35.649
One of the things that I did that I didn't give you in my I also took the first minority team to the White House to play for George Bush.
00:27:35.730 --> 00:27:38.369
Oh wow in 2000 and 2002.
00:27:38.529 --> 00:27:43.889
I was a big I ended up starting out coaching my children, then I became president of the Little League.
00:27:44.129 --> 00:27:48.769
I I had the most successful minority league at the time in the suburbs in New York.
00:27:49.250 --> 00:27:54.209
We ended up losing to there was a big scandal in 2000.
00:27:54.529 --> 00:27:55.649
Daniel Monte.
00:27:55.889 --> 00:27:57.250
That was a team from the Bronx.
00:27:57.329 --> 00:28:05.250
He was
the 14-year-old Dominican kid that ended up pitching and going all the way to the World Series in Little League Baseball, which is a big accomplishment.
00:28:05.409 --> 00:28:07.089
Then they found out he was 14 years old.
00:28:07.169 --> 00:28:11.649
Well he beat us on the way, able to be able to go to the World Series.
00:28:12.049 --> 00:28:20.529
And that was the reward that Little League gave us because we got cheated out of, had a great team, but we got cheated out of the opportunity to play in the Little League World Series.
00:28:20.769 --> 00:28:24.049
And what they did was they allowed me to take it was a T-ball team.
00:28:24.449 --> 00:28:29.730
At that time, George Bush had a program where you take a team to the White House and play on the White House lawn.
00:28:29.970 --> 00:28:30.689
How cool is that?
00:28:30.929 --> 00:28:35.649
So now we were scheduled to play on September 17th.
00:28:35.809 --> 00:28:37.730
So that was six days after.
00:28:38.209 --> 00:28:39.250
So they canceled it.
00:28:39.409 --> 00:28:39.730
Okay.
00:28:39.889 --> 00:28:42.049
And that's why we played in 2002.
00:28:42.209 --> 00:28:42.929
So I have a letter.
00:28:43.089 --> 00:28:47.089
George Bush sent me a personal letter apologizing for having to cancel.
00:28:47.169 --> 00:28:47.329
Yeah.
00:28:47.490 --> 00:28:49.569
It was a weekend right after September 11th.
00:28:49.970 --> 00:28:53.569
So we go the following year, but they pick it, we go on Cinco de Mayo.
00:28:53.730 --> 00:28:56.689
Now in New York, we don't know what the heck Cinco de Mayo is.
00:28:56.849 --> 00:28:58.129
I think in Arizona we don't.
00:28:58.209 --> 00:28:59.169
We just, it's like St.
00:28:59.250 --> 00:29:00.849
Patrick's Day for Mexicans, yeah.
00:29:00.929 --> 00:29:01.490
That's it.
00:29:01.730 --> 00:29:02.849
So, but we did.
00:29:02.929 --> 00:29:05.730
I got a chance, I got a chance to sit with George and Laura Bush.
00:29:05.809 --> 00:29:07.569
Like it was like an unbelievable experience.
00:29:08.849 --> 00:29:13.649
They held Laura Bush, my daughter, who's actually just had my ninth grandchild.
00:29:13.809 --> 00:29:17.250
She held her, and she was my my daughter was three at the time.
00:29:17.490 --> 00:29:17.730
Wow.
00:29:17.889 --> 00:29:20.449
So yeah, George Laura Bush got a chance to hold my daughter.
00:29:20.529 --> 00:29:23.649
I didn't know at the time that both Bushes spoke fluent Spanish.
00:29:23.809 --> 00:29:24.289
No kidding.
00:29:24.449 --> 00:29:27.009
So my team was half black, half Spanish.
00:29:27.089 --> 00:29:27.250
Okay.
00:29:27.569 --> 00:29:29.409
From the neighborhood we lived in.
00:29:29.649 --> 00:29:34.449
And I I sat there for like an hour and a half talking to him and Laura Bush for this game.
00:29:34.609 --> 00:29:36.449
ESPN had it set up.
00:29:36.609 --> 00:29:38.369
We had it was an unbelievable time.
00:29:38.449 --> 00:29:40.049
I wish there were cameras at the time.
00:29:40.209 --> 00:29:40.769
Like owned.
00:29:41.009 --> 00:29:41.970
And I'm sure there's video.
00:29:42.049 --> 00:29:45.409
I gotta ask, I gotta get a hold of Little League Baseball because I'm sure they have footage.
00:29:45.809 --> 00:29:47.169
Gotta be something in archive somewhere.
00:29:47.569 --> 00:29:49.329
Archive somewhere that I can get that footage.
00:29:49.970 --> 00:29:50.769
It was unbelievable.
00:29:50.849 --> 00:29:54.369
Like that was like so I would that that put me big into youth sports.
00:29:54.689 --> 00:29:54.929
Okay.
00:29:55.169 --> 00:30:01.490
So after I was a young dad, got married young, and I was always there, coached my children in basketball, baseball.
00:30:01.649 --> 00:30:04.369
Then I came to Arizona and I was president of the law.
00:30:04.689 --> 00:30:05.169
I made it.
00:30:05.490 --> 00:30:08.529
At the time it wasn't, I was Queen Creek Heat softball.
00:30:08.689 --> 00:30:08.929
Okay.
00:30:09.250 --> 00:30:11.569
My daughter started playing at the age of five.
00:30:11.970 --> 00:30:18.049
They uh it was the largest, second largest female softball league, literally in the country.
00:30:18.209 --> 00:30:18.769
Oh wow.
00:30:18.929 --> 00:30:23.809
Yeah, we went from 200 girls to 580 girls in three years.
00:30:24.209 --> 00:30:29.889
So I had all the girls here because it's the Queen Creek area, South Gil South Gilbert, where I lived in Power Ranch.
00:30:30.289 --> 00:30:37.490
All of that area was so developing, of course, in the early in the 2000s that by 2008, 2009, we had to leave.
00:30:37.970 --> 00:30:38.369
Exploded.
00:30:38.609 --> 00:30:46.689
I had the first teams that as president of the league, we had the first adult team that was state uh when I say adult, actually teenage girls that were state champs.
00:30:47.250 --> 00:30:48.449
Went to the regionals.
00:30:48.689 --> 00:30:49.649
They were great girls.
00:30:49.809 --> 00:30:56.209
They were part of uh this great basher group that won state like two, three state championships in in the mid-2000s.
00:30:56.369 --> 00:30:56.609
Okay.
00:30:56.769 --> 00:31:03.250
So they I was just always around kids, always around sports, developing just develop that was a big deal.
00:31:03.329 --> 00:31:04.209
It's still a big deal now.
00:31:04.449 --> 00:31:07.329
Everybody's kid, it's a baseball player, basketball player.
00:31:07.490 --> 00:31:07.730
Yeah.
00:31:08.049 --> 00:31:12.769
My wife owns a dance studio on Queen Creek called the New Evolution Studio.
00:31:13.089 --> 00:31:18.369
So we're separated now, but uh, she has a studio also that has I think over 400 girls that dance.
00:31:18.609 --> 00:31:19.169
Wow, no kidding.
00:31:19.889 --> 00:31:26.529
She we bought the studio, she has a partner, bought the studio eleven years ago.
00:31:26.689 --> 00:31:30.369
And uh so it's always been about development, family, things like that.
00:31:31.169 --> 00:31:33.649
You have a daughter that's big into dance, right?
00:31:33.889 --> 00:31:39.169
So the two of them, the softball player also danced, but my other daughter, she was on World of Dance for two years.
00:31:39.329 --> 00:31:43.089
Okay, she she competed on for J-O and on World of Dance.
00:31:43.169 --> 00:31:46.929
They were the first Arizona female group to uh to perform.
00:31:47.169 --> 00:31:47.889
I think I remember that.
00:31:48.129 --> 00:31:49.089
Yeah, yeah, she was big.
00:31:49.169 --> 00:31:50.049
It was real exciting.
00:31:50.209 --> 00:31:53.649
Went to NB, you know, went to Universal Studios, watched the tapings.
00:31:53.889 --> 00:31:54.609
It was pretty good.
00:31:54.689 --> 00:31:56.849
And she actually danced with Rihanna in the Super Bowl.
00:31:57.169 --> 00:31:57.649
No kidding.
00:31:57.809 --> 00:31:57.970
Yeah.
00:31:58.049 --> 00:32:00.609
So she was on stage with Rihanna during the Super Bowl.
00:32:00.849 --> 00:32:01.970
It was uh so she was good.
00:32:02.049 --> 00:32:04.529
And my other daughter played Division I softball.
00:32:04.689 --> 00:32:08.609
And the one that was a dancer, she's actually gets married in in August.
00:32:08.769 --> 00:32:09.250
Oh, okay.
00:32:09.409 --> 00:32:11.009
So, like I said, that's my youngest.
00:32:11.329 --> 00:32:20.449
So she's uh she's getting married in August, and then I just had my daughter that played softball, she's uh she just had her second child, and just I just have my ninth grandchild.
00:32:20.529 --> 00:32:21.649
This is so crazy.
00:32:21.730 --> 00:32:29.329
I feel like obviously we've been friends for a while, but I feel like some of the pictures of you, because you would post pictures of driving to and from softball games or something.
00:32:29.569 --> 00:32:31.649
You go to sleep sleeping in the car, everybody, and you know what's up.
00:32:33.730 --> 00:32:38.369
I put that up sometimes, and that's where people would that's when social media was really starting to pick up.
00:32:38.689 --> 00:32:40.209
But that was the funniest thing to me.
00:32:40.289 --> 00:32:45.250
Like that's I was in my comedy career, and then and then to me, I was like a sleeping pill.
00:32:46.449 --> 00:32:49.490
Whether it was a 10-minute ride or 10-hour drive, she was asleep.
00:32:49.649 --> 00:32:50.049
That's funny.
00:32:50.209 --> 00:32:55.169
Knocked out because she was a she's a diabetic, she's a 10-point diabetic, so she would just be exhausted after.
00:32:55.970 --> 00:32:56.529
So funny.
00:32:56.769 --> 00:32:58.769
Yeah, so it it was uh it's interesting.
00:32:58.929 --> 00:33:03.250
Like all of that has developed me to always be a hustler.
00:33:03.409 --> 00:33:11.169
Like, I I didn't start my own business until I got I left my company I was doing it for here in Arizona, but then I was coaching.
00:33:11.490 --> 00:33:19.009
My comedy career was going on, but I it didn't take off until my daughter actually got recruited and signed for college.
00:33:19.250 --> 00:33:21.809
Then I stopped coaching her and then I started touring.
00:33:21.970 --> 00:33:22.209
Okay.
00:33:22.369 --> 00:33:27.569
So that was one of the things I always meant to stay, I always try to stay with my kids, with my family.
00:33:27.730 --> 00:33:28.049
Yeah.
00:33:28.209 --> 00:33:31.730
So it's it was something that was important because I think that's the key.
00:33:31.889 --> 00:33:33.970
The key is at least give them a choice.
00:33:34.049 --> 00:33:36.209
If they're gonna be screw-ups, they're gonna be screw ups.
00:33:36.289 --> 00:33:36.449
Yeah.
00:33:36.609 --> 00:33:38.449
But don't be the reason why they're a screw-up.
00:33:38.689 --> 00:33:39.009
Gotcha.
00:33:39.089 --> 00:33:39.250
Yep.
00:33:39.490 --> 00:33:40.129
Yeah, absolutely.
00:33:40.369 --> 00:33:41.009
Absolutely, for sure.
00:33:41.569 --> 00:33:43.569
They have to make their own choices and decisions.
00:33:43.649 --> 00:33:47.009
And I know parents, there's no right or wrong way.
00:33:47.169 --> 00:33:54.289
They all, but I I always said to myself, it was the same thing my father told me, even though I ended up being a badass at times.
00:33:54.369 --> 00:33:55.730
I was still a great kid.
00:33:55.970 --> 00:33:57.409
But it was my decision.
00:33:57.490 --> 00:33:57.809
Yeah.
00:33:57.970 --> 00:34:03.649
I can't blame it because my dad wasn't around, you know, gave us this beautiful life and raised us, and I think that's what we lose now.
00:34:03.730 --> 00:34:03.889
Yeah.
00:34:04.049 --> 00:34:07.329
Because now remember, we didn't grow up with the social media world, right?
00:34:07.730 --> 00:34:12.129
Podcasts, streaming, being able to see whatever you want, whenever you want.
00:34:12.289 --> 00:34:12.609
Yeah.
00:34:12.769 --> 00:34:15.409
No, you were rich if you had cable and you had HBO.
00:34:15.649 --> 00:34:17.089
If you had four channels, you were rich.
00:34:17.489 --> 00:34:19.649
Yeah, you were like, I was like, oh my gosh, you got cable?
00:34:19.730 --> 00:34:19.809
Yeah.
00:34:19.969 --> 00:34:20.209
Watching.
00:34:20.689 --> 00:34:23.169
You got a box on top of your TV that gives you what?
00:34:23.569 --> 00:34:25.169
And it doesn't have a paper clip in the back?
00:34:25.329 --> 00:34:27.889
Yeah, our box used to was connected to the TV.
00:34:27.969 --> 00:34:30.529
We had this old school that was crazy.
00:34:31.329 --> 00:34:32.289
Connected to the TV.
00:34:32.369 --> 00:34:41.169
So if you had a long cord, you could sit in a chair as long as it was only seven feet away from ours was just a dial.
00:34:41.329 --> 00:34:44.449
I think we eventually got one that had a gosh, it's crazy.
00:34:44.609 --> 00:34:48.529
Like, and when I think about it now, because like I'm leading a different life.
00:34:48.609 --> 00:34:48.769
Yeah.
00:34:48.849 --> 00:34:49.489
I'm in my fifth.
00:34:49.809 --> 00:34:50.529
I'm separated.
00:34:50.769 --> 00:34:54.449
I own businesses, I traveled the country, and now you see what things are.
00:34:54.609 --> 00:34:57.649
We're electric cars, we're technology.
00:34:57.969 --> 00:34:58.369
It's
crazy.
00:34:58.609 --> 00:34:59.089
It's crazy.
00:34:59.169 --> 00:34:59.809
It's interesting.
00:34:59.969 --> 00:35:00.129
Yeah.
00:35:00.369 --> 00:35:03.569
So that's where comedy, to me, comedy keeps it.
00:35:03.730 --> 00:35:05.889
Like it's internet comedian, it's still a talent.
00:35:05.969 --> 00:35:08.609
You have to be able to get on stage, make strangers laugh.
00:35:08.689 --> 00:35:10.049
To me, that's still the hardest thing.
00:35:10.129 --> 00:35:10.369
Yeah.
00:35:10.529 --> 00:35:11.489
Because guess what?
00:35:11.730 --> 00:35:15.089
You could be a singer, so bad singers aren't going to go on stage.
00:35:15.169 --> 00:35:17.169
They try, they do karaoke nights.
00:35:17.250 --> 00:35:21.969
But a bad singer is not going to go in front of a couple of hundred people and try to sing.
00:35:22.129 --> 00:35:23.329
They know they're a bad singer.
00:35:23.409 --> 00:35:23.809
Yeah.
00:35:24.049 --> 00:35:31.089
A comedian, you're going to go in front of a couple of hundred people, and in my case, sometimes a couple of thousand people, and try to be funny.
00:35:31.169 --> 00:35:31.409
Yeah.
00:35:31.569 --> 00:36:14.329
So now do you have times this just popped my head, but do you have times where you go in and you've got like this whole game plan?
00:36:14.489 --> 00:36:15.129
Because I'm assuming you're going to be able to do it.
00:36:15.289 --> 00:36:15.689
You always have to.
00:36:15.769 --> 00:36:16.089
That's the key.
00:36:16.409 --> 00:36:16.969
You're right in your jokes.
00:36:17.049 --> 00:36:17.369
You got to do it.
00:36:17.529 --> 00:36:18.009
You gotta do it.
00:36:18.089 --> 00:36:20.889
You gotta what happens is you create a set.
00:36:21.449 --> 00:36:21.689
Right.
00:36:21.769 --> 00:36:23.210
You start out five minutes.
00:36:23.369 --> 00:36:24.889
If you can be funny for five minutes.
00:36:25.049 --> 00:36:28.730
Now, five minutes is I'm introduced, I'm dancing around on stage for five minutes.
00:36:28.889 --> 00:36:31.369
But back then, you got five minutes to be funny.
00:36:31.609 --> 00:36:33.289
That's opening joke to closing joke.
00:36:33.609 --> 00:36:35.689
So the key is you master the five minutes.
00:36:35.769 --> 00:36:36.089
That's right.
00:36:36.250 --> 00:36:39.210
Then you master the eight, then you master the fifteen.
00:36:39.449 --> 00:36:44.009
Once you've mastered the 15, and you got to do that a couple of hundred times.
00:36:44.489 --> 00:36:48.089
Because in that the way you do that is like studying for a test.
00:36:48.329 --> 00:36:51.129
You do index cards, you do topics.
00:36:51.529 --> 00:36:57.129
So with me, I know if I'm doing a long set, I'm gonna have seven topics.
00:36:57.369 --> 00:37:02.569
And I have jokes about each of the seven topics, I'm gonna put them in the order that I want to talk about them about.
00:37:02.649 --> 00:37:04.730
Then I'm gonna see how it flows through the audience.
00:37:04.889 --> 00:37:06.489
I may not get to all seven topics.
00:37:06.649 --> 00:37:06.889
Gotcha.
00:37:07.049 --> 00:37:10.250
I'm only get to three, because maybe the audience loves topic one.
00:37:10.569 --> 00:37:13.609
Or maybe they they hate it two and three, you gotta jump to four.
00:37:13.769 --> 00:37:15.449
So you gotta be able to move around with that.
00:37:15.529 --> 00:37:15.769
Yeah.
00:37:15.929 --> 00:37:19.929
And then you gotta remember that what you think is funny, not everybody else does.
00:37:20.089 --> 00:37:22.409
So you're looking for reactions from the crowd, right?
00:37:22.489 --> 00:37:24.250
You're looking to see can you get their interest.
00:37:24.329 --> 00:37:24.489
Yeah.
00:37:24.730 --> 00:37:26.809
And that's the master of comedy.
00:37:27.049 --> 00:37:31.449
Like if I sing a song and you know, you like it, you're gonna like it.
00:37:31.529 --> 00:37:31.689
Right.
00:37:32.409 --> 00:37:33.769
You came to hear music.
00:37:33.929 --> 00:37:37.929
Well, when you come to hear comedy, that might not be your brand of comedy.
00:37:38.169 --> 00:37:45.129
Well, and I would think it'd be really tough too, because I think like I'm more of a sophomoric guy comedy.
00:37:45.369 --> 00:37:47.849
Christine is very highbrow comedy.
00:37:48.489 --> 00:37:50.329
It's crazy now, because it depends what you want to.
00:37:50.489 --> 00:37:53.289
Are you gonna do penis and vagina jokes?
00:37:53.449 --> 00:37:53.529
Right.
00:37:53.769 --> 00:37:58.329
Are you gonna do, you know, we stay away from politics because politics is so sensitive.
00:37:58.489 --> 00:37:59.929
Most people stay away from color.
00:38:00.089 --> 00:38:05.529
Like, I I'm the only Hispanic comedian, because I was on tour with Faez Down Love for five years.
00:38:06.009 --> 00:38:10.089
I'm the only Hispanic comedian that was on tour in all these urban cities.
00:38:10.250 --> 00:38:12.089
And get up there, I say the N-word.
00:38:12.489 --> 00:38:13.849
I got I grew up with the N-word.
00:38:13.929 --> 00:38:14.089
Yeah.
00:38:14.169 --> 00:38:15.529
That's where I grew up.
00:38:15.929 --> 00:38:25.210
And first time that I it really came up, which I didn't even realize that, I was part of a group that put together the first urban award show.
00:38:25.289 --> 00:38:37.689
This is about seven, eight years, about eight, might even be longer than that, eight, nine years ago, and they put together this beautiful thing at Apollo, and I was probably the only unknown comic.
00:38:37.849 --> 00:38:47.529
Everyone was either so that you had Dale Hughley, George Wallace, Adele Givens, Joe and Guy, every name in urban comedy.
00:38:47.689 --> 00:38:58.569
And then there were the up-and-coming urban comedians, and I was the only one that the producer thought was funny, saw me on social media and put me into the group.
00:38:58.730 --> 00:39:01.449
So now I was also one of only two Hispanic comics.
00:39:01.529 --> 00:39:04.649
Even the Hispanic comic there was well known.
00:39:04.889 --> 00:39:07.689
And I go and they
want me to open the show.
00:39:07.929 --> 00:39:12.489
So I have to go stand up in front of this crowd of comics.
00:39:12.730 --> 00:39:16.169
Comics and just people that are looking and be funny.
00:39:16.250 --> 00:39:16.569
Yeah.
00:39:16.889 --> 00:39:21.849
So I had to go there and I had my son there, he's videoing, and I had to tell my story.
00:39:21.929 --> 00:39:22.169
Yeah.
00:39:22.329 --> 00:39:36.329
I said, listen, while my cousins were out in front of the bodegas, which is like the delis, the Spanish delis, playing dominoes in their wife beaters, I was running around with the when I said the N-word in the projects learning how to shoot dice.
00:39:36.569 --> 00:39:38.089
So I had to break that ice.
00:39:38.169 --> 00:39:38.409
Yeah.
00:39:38.569 --> 00:39:44.329
And every comedian up there, George Wallace, so many of them just were like, oh my gosh, this guy's so funny.
00:39:44.489 --> 00:39:44.889
Yeah.
00:39:45.129 --> 00:39:50.250
And that's how I ended up starting to go on tour with a lot of comics.
00:39:50.569 --> 00:39:53.129
Because I brought a different flair.
00:39:53.210 --> 00:39:54.649
It wasn't the same type of comedy.
00:39:54.809 --> 00:39:55.929
Here I am, Hispanic.
00:39:56.089 --> 00:39:57.210
And I could do mainstream.
00:39:57.289 --> 00:39:58.569
I've opened for Lewis C.K.
00:39:58.809 --> 00:39:59.049
before.
00:39:59.210 --> 00:40:03.449
I've opened for other white comics that are and I can do mainstream rooms.
00:40:03.529 --> 00:40:06.649
You know, I do JP's comedy here in Gilbert.
00:40:06.730 --> 00:40:08.409
And that's an all-where out of Gilbert.
00:40:08.809 --> 00:40:09.689
I live in Gilbert.
00:40:09.849 --> 00:40:15.049
So that type of diversity, I guess, makes the mind always thinking.
00:40:15.289 --> 00:40:16.649
And so I would do that.
00:40:16.730 --> 00:40:17.369
Like, think about it.
00:40:17.449 --> 00:40:19.689
Mississippi's never seen a Puerto Rican before.
00:40:19.929 --> 00:40:24.809
They're there to see the black headliner and the other comics that they know, Def Jam, Comic View.
00:40:25.129 --> 00:40:26.409
Here I am somebody they don't know.
00:40:26.489 --> 00:40:28.409
I gotta go up there and I gotta make them laugh.
00:40:28.569 --> 00:40:28.809
Right.
00:40:28.889 --> 00:40:30.489
So, but they don't know my history.
00:40:30.569 --> 00:40:32.969
I come from I come from New York.
00:40:33.049 --> 00:40:36.009
I grew up knowing the projects and things like that.
00:40:36.169 --> 00:40:37.769
So I I talked to them.
00:40:37.929 --> 00:40:43.769
First first joke I said in Mississippi, I'm like, you guys know you're free, right?
00:40:44.889 --> 00:40:50.889
And they looked at me like, I'm like, because the way you guys talk backwards, hey baby, I'm gonna go back over there.
00:40:51.049 --> 00:40:53.689
I'm like, how do you how did you learn that?
00:40:53.929 --> 00:40:55.689
Like, and they all start cracking up.
00:40:56.089 --> 00:40:56.730
That's awesome.
00:40:56.889 --> 00:40:58.809
So, like, and I know how to break that ice.
00:40:58.969 --> 00:41:00.730
So that way people don't feel uncomfortable.
00:41:00.809 --> 00:41:01.689
That that's the main thing.
00:41:01.769 --> 00:41:04.009
The main thing is not to make people feel uncomfortable.
00:41:04.329 --> 00:41:09.289
Maybe you feel comedy has gotten harder as we've moved, as societies move.
00:41:09.609 --> 00:41:11.449
It was going that way, and I think it's changed.
00:41:11.529 --> 00:41:11.769
Okay.
00:41:11.929 --> 00:41:17.689
I think what happened is in the last two years, things took a turn because it was going through cancel culture.
00:41:18.009 --> 00:41:19.689
Shot my comedy special and it was hard.
00:41:19.769 --> 00:41:21.289
They didn't want to show it and produce it.
00:41:21.529 --> 00:41:23.289
Netflix was like, we can't talk about that.
00:41:23.529 --> 00:41:24.809
I talk about sexuality.
00:41:24.969 --> 00:41:25.369
Yeah.
00:41:25.609 --> 00:41:29.129
And I'm like, and that was a topic they want.
00:41:29.449 --> 00:41:30.489
I said the word retarded.
00:41:30.649 --> 00:41:35.609
People like, I'm like, the only people that have a problem with the word retarded are white people.
00:41:36.009 --> 00:41:37.929
Because they they don't want to talk to their kids like that.
00:41:38.009 --> 00:41:40.089
That was a term of endearment when I was growing up.
00:41:40.250 --> 00:41:42.409
My dad would be like, are you retarded for doing that?
00:41:42.489 --> 00:41:44.329
I'm like, to me, that was him telling me he loved me.
00:41:44.409 --> 00:41:44.569
Yeah.
00:41:44.730 --> 00:41:49.049
But like, let's say you, you're not gonna tell your son, hey little Larry, are you special needs?
00:41:49.289 --> 00:41:52.409
No, sometimes little Larry's retarded, just like little Jose Lore.
00:41:52.809 --> 00:41:56.489
Like, there's this retarded is just a reference, but they didn't like that word.
00:41:56.569 --> 00:41:57.609
And then sexuality.
00:41:57.769 --> 00:41:59.609
When did everything become about a letter?
00:41:59.769 --> 00:42:00.889
What letter you represent?
00:42:01.289 --> 00:42:02.329
You don't need all those letters.
00:42:02.409 --> 00:42:03.769
You only need the second letter, G.
00:42:04.009 --> 00:42:04.250
Yeah.
00:42:04.489 --> 00:42:05.769
Gay covers everything.
00:42:05.929 --> 00:42:06.569
And we love you.
00:42:06.730 --> 00:42:07.769
Love who you want to love.
00:42:07.929 --> 00:42:08.089
Right.
00:42:08.250 --> 00:42:09.449
Be who you want to be with.
00:42:09.609 --> 00:42:12.489
Stop trying to bully me, a 50-year-old man.
00:42:12.649 --> 00:42:14.089
Stop trying to bully me to try.
00:42:14.329 --> 00:42:16.649
We don't remember what the letters are, and they keep adding letters.
00:42:16.730 --> 00:42:17.849
I'm like, what's asexual?
00:42:17.929 --> 00:42:19.769
Asexual is the first letter after Q.
00:42:19.849 --> 00:42:20.730
I had to Google it.
00:42:20.889 --> 00:42:21.689
I'm like, what do you do?
00:42:21.849
--> 00:42:22.649
You do yourself?
00:42:22.889 --> 00:42:23.689
You do yourself?
00:42:24.169 --> 00:42:25.129
What's asexual?
00:42:25.289 --> 00:42:28.089
Because we've been all asexual all our lives, all of us.
00:42:28.250 --> 00:42:29.529
It's called masturbation.
00:42:29.769 --> 00:42:31.210
That's what asexual means.
00:42:31.369 --> 00:42:34.649
So they didn't like those topics when we talked about it.
00:42:34.809 --> 00:42:40.169
And I was like, well, that's my brand of humor because people think about it, older generation.
00:42:40.250 --> 00:42:40.489
Yeah.
00:42:40.649 --> 00:42:43.529
The ones that want to cancel it, sorry, that sucks to be.
00:42:43.769 --> 00:42:47.369
So it did become a little harder depending on where you can talk about things.
00:42:47.449 --> 00:42:52.009
But I think as long as you don't insult people, like you don't go out there to say hateful things.
00:42:52.089 --> 00:42:54.009
Some comedians go out and say hateful things.
00:42:54.089 --> 00:42:54.489
Yeah.
00:42:54.730 --> 00:42:57.609
As long as you don't go out to be derogatory.
00:42:57.769 --> 00:43:00.169
Well, I'm I I love whoever you love.
00:43:00.809 --> 00:43:03.289
I just don't understand why they get the whole month of June.
00:43:03.449 --> 00:43:03.689
Really?
00:43:03.769 --> 00:43:04.489
I love June.
00:43:04.730 --> 00:43:08.409
They get a whole month, but you're not gay 12 months out of the year, only in June.
00:43:08.969 --> 00:43:10.889
Last week was the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
00:43:10.969 --> 00:43:12.009
We get one day in New York.
00:43:12.169 --> 00:43:12.489
That's it.
00:43:12.730 --> 00:43:13.769
And then when it's over.
00:43:14.009 --> 00:43:18.329
So I'm like, I think we make exceptions for things that we don't need to make exceptions for.
00:43:18.649 --> 00:43:22.169
And I think that's what alienates people or makes them feel that way.
00:43:22.329 --> 00:43:23.769
And then it's the upbringing.
00:43:23.849 --> 00:43:28.649
I think everything people see on streaming and I can't even say TV no more.
00:43:28.730 --> 00:43:31.609
It's every because everything is streaming and on social media.
00:43:31.689 --> 00:43:31.849
Yeah.
00:43:32.089 --> 00:43:35.529
Because even TV is you can't watch certain things.
00:43:35.769 --> 00:43:37.689
Like everything to it's like careful.
00:43:37.849 --> 00:43:38.730
And that's what I feel.
00:43:38.809 --> 00:43:40.409
I feel like it is what it is.
00:43:40.569 --> 00:43:41.689
You're going to love or hate me.
00:43:41.769 --> 00:43:42.009
Yeah.
00:43:42.169 --> 00:43:42.649
Whatever it is.
00:43:42.809 --> 00:43:44.569
I'm going to be that a-hole no matter what.
00:43:44.809 --> 00:43:46.329
But it's like Trump, right?
00:43:46.409 --> 00:43:50.169
People, I get a lot of backlash of being a minority and being a Republican.
00:43:50.489 --> 00:43:53.449
They all you're a MAGA, you're I'm not MAGA.
00:43:53.689 --> 00:43:58.649
I said, uh I I believe in conservative ideologies.
00:43:58.889 --> 00:44:00.329
I believe in their platforms.
00:44:00.489 --> 00:44:04.169
Not all of them, a lot of them, because I believe I believe we give out too much free.
00:44:04.569 --> 00:44:09.449
I think my parent my my grandparents, not my parents, my grandparents were my grandmother was on welfare.
00:44:09.849 --> 00:44:12.089
Oh, but she did that because she was raising nine kids.
00:44:12.169 --> 00:44:12.250
Yeah.
00:44:12.409 --> 00:44:14.409
And my grandfather wasn't around.
00:44:14.730 --> 00:44:18.569
But at that point she couldn't work until a certain time in her life.
00:44:18.730 --> 00:44:20.329
So how'd he raise nine kids at that point?
00:44:20.409 --> 00:44:21.769
And then and you're an immigrant.
00:44:21.849 --> 00:44:21.929
Yeah.
00:44:22.329 --> 00:44:26.889
She was from Puerto Rico at the time, even though Puerto Rico is a commonwealth.
00:44:27.129 --> 00:44:36.089
But the thing is, if you raise your you raise families right, you can give them fish to eat, but you're better off teaching them how to fish.
00:44:36.169 --> 00:44:36.409
Yeah.
00:44:36.649 --> 00:44:38.969
And that's and then that actually moving to Arizona.
00:44:39.049 --> 00:44:54.969
It was like you want to be to a point where the difference between conservative and liberals is one believes in more government, more taxes, the other one believes in less government, less they both have quirky and screwed up platforms.
00:44:55.769 --> 00:45:00.009
But at in the end of the day, you pick the one that you feel more.
00:45:00.169 --> 00:45:02.889
So if you're more toward a liberal end, be liberal.
00:45:03.210 --> 00:45:05.849
You want to be more conservative, but then you have right.
00:45:06.329 --> 00:45:06.649
Yeah.
00:45:06.889 --> 00:45:08.569
You got extreme right, extreme left.
00:45:08.889 --> 00:45:10.569
Yeah, there's extremes on both sides for sure.
00:45:10.889 --> 00:45:11.049
Correct.
00:45:11.289 --> 00:45:11.449
Absolutely.
00:45:11.849 --> 00:45:12.089
Correct.
00:45:12.329 --> 00:45:16.889
It's one of those things like it's the same thing with me, to know me is to love me or hate me.
00:45:17.129 --> 00:45:20.489
And what happens is that's what I feel like with the president.
00:45:20.730 --> 00:45:23.609
I rather deal with the devil I know than the devil I don't.
00:45:23.849 --> 00:45:24.089
Yeah.
00:45:24.329 --> 00:45:26.969
And people don't like that harsh reality of life.
00:45:27.129 --> 00:45:31.929
That's probably that's what kind of differentiates me within with comedy within business.
00:45:32.009 --> 00:45:32.169
Yeah.
00:45:32.409 --> 00:45:35.129
But for the most part, which is what you get, yeah.
00:45:35.289 --> 00:45:37.369
And that's where we lose focus.
00:45:37.689 --> 00:45:38.730
We don't see things that way.
00:45:38.889 --> 00:45:40.489
That's why I think comedy breaks the ice.
00:45:40.649 --> 00:45:40.889
Yeah.
00:45:41.210 --> 00:45:45.529
Because I very rarely have I ever performed, and people are like,
Ah, you weren't that funny.
00:45:45.769 --> 00:45:51.129
Most of the time, I mean if you go to my IG, people comment, like, Oh my God, you were so funny last night.
00:45:51.289 --> 00:45:53.449
I've never heard of you before, or whatever.
00:45:53.609 --> 00:45:53.929
Yeah.
00:45:54.169 --> 00:45:56.329
And then my th comedy's my vice.
00:45:56.409 --> 00:45:59.449
I don't I don't make comedy doesn't pay a bill for me.
00:45:59.769 --> 00:46:00.489
Wait a second.
00:46:00.649 --> 00:46:00.969
What?
00:46:01.529 --> 00:46:03.129
Comedy doesn't that you're rolling?
00:46:03.529 --> 00:46:04.730
Yeah, everybody thinks that.
00:46:04.809 --> 00:46:06.329
No, comedy doesn't pay a bill.
00:46:06.489 --> 00:46:07.289
My businesses do.
00:46:07.449 --> 00:46:07.609
Yeah.
00:46:07.769 --> 00:46:12.169
So that that allowed me to to go after my my love.
00:46:12.329 --> 00:46:12.649
Yeah.
00:46:12.809 --> 00:46:13.689
My love of comedy.
00:46:13.849 --> 00:46:14.889
My love of being on stage.
00:46:15.129 --> 00:46:15.689
Fucking crap.
00:46:16.009 --> 00:46:16.569
Yeah, yeah.
00:46:16.809 --> 00:46:21.210
Did you I know you started comedy when you moved here, right?
00:46:21.529 --> 00:46:25.609
But when growing up, were you acting out possible?
00:46:26.089 --> 00:46:26.329
Absolutely.
00:46:26.409 --> 00:46:27.529
I was always the funniest guy.
00:46:27.689 --> 00:46:27.849
Okay.
00:46:28.009 --> 00:46:31.289
So my dad used to buy me until I could steal them from the store.
00:46:31.529 --> 00:46:32.809
Truly tasteless jokes.
00:46:32.889 --> 00:46:33.769
It's a whole series.
00:46:34.089 --> 00:46:35.049
There were these books.
00:46:35.289 --> 00:46:36.809
So truly tasteless jokes.
00:46:36.889 --> 00:46:37.529
You can look it up.
00:46:37.609 --> 00:46:38.489
It's so funny.
00:46:38.649 --> 00:46:41.289
I there's a man, there must be 50 of those books.
00:46:41.369 --> 00:46:43.609
And they're like the greatest joke stories.
00:46:43.929 --> 00:46:47.449
Then it was like some of them were raunchy, some of them were funny.
00:46:47.689 --> 00:46:52.329
And then it was all an Irish, a Scottish, and a Jew walk into a bar, that type of thing.
00:46:52.409 --> 00:46:52.649
Yeah, yeah.
00:46:52.809 --> 00:46:54.730
I'm reading that at 10, 11 years old.
00:46:54.889 --> 00:46:55.210
Okay.
00:46:55.369 --> 00:47:01.449
I grew up when I was I didn't find out I was a spic until I was about 12 years old.
00:47:01.769 --> 00:47:02.969
I'm at my best friend's house.
00:47:03.049 --> 00:47:04.089
I'd never met his dad.
00:47:04.250 --> 00:47:05.289
I'm having cereal.
00:47:05.369 --> 00:47:06.730
It's only me in the kitchen.
00:47:06.809 --> 00:47:08.889
And he was a Italian guy, a mob guy.
00:47:08.969 --> 00:47:13.769
He walks into the kitchen and he yells out to his wife, and you know, his wife was named Sal the other time.
00:47:13.849 --> 00:47:14.809
He said, Yo, Sal.
00:47:15.210 --> 00:47:17.049
You know, just like Italians do.
00:47:17.210 --> 00:47:19.449
He's like, Who's the freaking spic in the kitchen?
00:47:19.609 --> 00:47:20.009
Oh, geez.
00:47:20.250 --> 00:47:22.089
And I was sitting there like, I have four years old.
00:47:22.889 --> 00:47:25.369
I had to go home and ask my dad, who said that?
00:47:25.689 --> 00:47:26.250
I was like, Mr.
00:47:26.329 --> 00:47:26.889
Falcone.
00:47:26.969 --> 00:47:31.210
And my dad's like, he said, next time you tell him you don't want my dad to you don't want your dad to come over.
00:47:31.369 --> 00:47:40.250
I saw racism, not the hard racism that happens now, but I saw like to me it was real racism, which partial ignorance, partial just not knowing.
00:47:40.409 --> 00:47:40.649
Yeah.
00:47:40.809 --> 00:47:44.969
You know, because I think the difference is if you get raised a certain way, you just don't know.
00:47:45.129 --> 00:47:47.129
Now people say, oh, you should know better.
00:47:47.289 --> 00:47:47.849
Not really.
00:47:48.329 --> 00:47:48.730
Not really.
00:47:48.809 --> 00:47:51.289
If you don't grow around, grow up around minorities.
00:47:51.449 --> 00:47:54.889
And then even in this world now, I'm in I'm racist.
00:47:55.369 --> 00:47:56.250
I talk about everybody.
00:47:56.409 --> 00:47:57.449
I'm equal opportunity.
00:47:57.609 --> 00:48:03.369
My own race, white, black, Hispanic, Indian, Indians are, they're the ones I'm probably the hardest on.
00:48:03.449 --> 00:48:08.089
Because I'm like, if you're gonna call me to collect the bill, you can't talk to me in an accent.
00:48:08.329 --> 00:48:08.569
Right?
00:48:08.649 --> 00:48:09.609
You're not gonna do that.
00:48:09.769 --> 00:48:14.250
If you're gonna sell me anything, you ain't talking to me into a heavy and then tell me your name is Bob.
00:48:14.409 --> 00:48:14.569
Yeah.
00:48:14.809 --> 00:48:18.089
No, your name's Muhammad, and tell me what's what do you really want?
00:48:18.250 --> 00:48:18.489
Yeah.
00:48:18.649 --> 00:48:24.969
So I exposing reality, I think, is how many lets you expose the reality of the world we live in.
00:48:25.129 --> 00:48:25.289
Yeah.
00:48:25.529 --> 00:48:28.329
So that's my biggest driving force on anything.
00:48:28.730 --> 00:48:29.449
That's awesome.
00:48:29.769 --> 00:48:37.289
Did you have anybody in your life that that was a mentor through issues, problems, things?
00:48:37.609 --> 00:48:39.849
You mentioned you were married young.
00:48:40.889 --> 00:48:41.929
My dad was my hero.
00:48:42.089 --> 00:48:42.250
Okay.
00:48:42.489 --> 00:48:44.809
My dad and mom met my dad raised a family.
00:48:44.969 --> 00:48:49.369
So he was definitely, you know, people say that a lot of money, he was successful.
00:48:49.689 --> 00:48:52.409
So that was my main mentor, right?
00:48:52.649 --> 00:48:55.210
And then he has he comes from a big family.
00:48:55.369 --> 00:48:58.250
My grandparents were together, had three kids.
00:48:58.489 --> 00:49:03.369
My dad was one of three, and then they divorced, and one had six kids, one had
five kids.
00:49:03.609 --> 00:49:04.250
Oh my goodness.
00:49:04.409 --> 00:49:07.129
So we ended up it's about 14 uncles and aunts.
00:49:07.369 --> 00:49:07.849
Wow.
00:49:08.009 --> 00:49:10.969
So and then I have hundreds of cousins.
00:49:11.609 --> 00:49:15.449
So I would have to say a little part of all my uncles.
00:49:15.609 --> 00:49:18.649
And then my mom comes from a family of ten.
00:49:19.289 --> 00:49:21.369
She had six brothers and there were four girls.
00:49:21.529 --> 00:49:21.849
Wow.
00:49:22.009 --> 00:49:28.569
So I took a little bit and I I have to tell you that all my uncles and aunts great people.
00:49:29.210 --> 00:49:30.809
I think all of them are family people.
00:49:30.969 --> 00:49:32.009
They all had kids.
00:49:32.649 --> 00:49:34.569
So I watched these.
00:49:34.889 --> 00:49:38.169
I had I truly had people that I looked up to.
00:49:38.809 --> 00:49:41.049
You know, that for different reasons.
00:49:41.129 --> 00:49:41.289
Yeah.
00:49:41.449 --> 00:49:44.649
One might have taught me to play basketball, the other one taught me business.
00:49:44.809 --> 00:49:47.289
You know on my mother's side, they were all snooty.
00:49:47.369 --> 00:49:48.969
It's like a different type of Puerto Rican.
00:49:49.129 --> 00:49:51.929
My my father's side of the family was like the down home.
00:49:52.250 --> 00:49:54.409
But my mother's side was the snooty side.
00:49:54.569 --> 00:49:57.369
But those uncles, they just they they showed better lives.
00:49:57.529 --> 00:50:01.689
The ones on my dad's side, they were great guys and they were more down to earth.
00:50:01.769 --> 00:50:12.489
So that's where the joking came from and uh being open and family, big family parties that would go in drinking and playing cards and dancing and that type of thing.
00:50:12.649 --> 00:50:15.689
So seeing my family like that, I grew up big family.
00:50:15.769 --> 00:50:17.609
So that that encouraged me family-wise.
00:50:17.689 --> 00:50:18.009
Yeah.
00:50:18.169 --> 00:50:22.809
Then I w for whatever reason I wanted that's why I dropped out of school and everything to be a young dad.
00:50:22.969 --> 00:50:25.210
I wanted to be uh uh I wanted to be married.
00:50:25.289 --> 00:50:27.369
I wanted I saw that's what my father did.
00:50:27.449 --> 00:50:27.689
Yeah.
00:50:27.849 --> 00:50:29.529
So I did that retarded.
00:50:29.609 --> 00:50:31.609
I should have just stayed in school.
00:50:32.169 --> 00:50:34.649
But it's funny, that's what I wanted to do at the time.
00:50:34.730 --> 00:50:37.449
So it I grew up a little bit harder than what I should have.
00:50:37.529 --> 00:50:37.849
Mm-hmm.
00:50:37.929 --> 00:50:48.649
You know, I had to do it all over again, not to say I didn't want any of my children, but I would have s stayed in school or taken the opportunity to go into the service when it came back around.
00:50:48.889 --> 00:50:51.129
But I led my own hard luck.
00:50:51.289 --> 00:50:54.889
And then people I met in my life, I had
friends at different stages of your life, right?
00:50:54.969 --> 00:50:56.089
You meet people that encourage you.
00:50:56.250 --> 00:50:57.929
So I was always intrigued with business.
00:50:58.089 --> 00:50:59.849
First I started out law enforcement.
00:51:00.089 --> 00:51:04.889
That didn't work out too well because I was I had that this little bad bone in inside of me.
00:51:05.129 --> 00:51:08.250
And me growing up with the mob, friends and things like that.
00:51:08.569 --> 00:51:10.009
Sidetracked that a little bit.
00:51:10.250 --> 00:51:12.409
But I met some really interesting people.
00:51:12.569 --> 00:51:21.929
When I really got my stuff together, they were just people that were just in the common denominator, they were all family men, very stand-up people.
00:51:22.089 --> 00:51:25.129
Um, and that's what kind of gauged my life.
00:51:25.369 --> 00:51:25.529
Yeah.
00:51:25.849 --> 00:51:29.769
So I I g I want to say, and I I've probably looked up to all my children.
00:51:30.250 --> 00:51:32.089
Because I I have some great kids.
00:51:32.409 --> 00:51:40.489
I look up to them because I see me in them, and then I see them living like I can only imagine how it is to live in today's world at that age.
00:51:40.649 --> 00:51:40.889
Yeah.
00:51:41.129 --> 00:51:44.969
To grow up to be my youngest is 23.
00:51:45.689 --> 00:51:50.089
So to grow up to that age now, and it's crazy.
00:51:50.169 --> 00:51:50.409
Yeah.
00:51:50.569 --> 00:51:53.449
I can only imagine to have all these opportunities.
00:51:53.609 --> 00:51:54.329
Cell phones.
00:51:54.489 --> 00:51:56.489
Now I had one of the first cell phones too.
00:51:56.569 --> 00:51:58.409
My first cell phone was in 1989.
00:51:58.809 --> 00:52:00.009
I had the big bag phone.
00:52:00.089 --> 00:52:00.409
Oh, yeah.
00:52:00.569 --> 00:52:01.929
That's when I was doing bad things.
00:52:02.250 --> 00:52:04.089
My first cell phone bill was$3,000.
00:52:04.489 --> 00:52:05.049
No kidding.
00:52:05.289 --> 00:52:05.929
ATT.
00:52:06.089 --> 00:52:06.730
Oh my God.
00:52:06.969 --> 00:52:07.529
$3,000.
00:52:07.849 --> 00:52:12.409
It was a dollar a minute, and it all and the phone just kept dropping the first month.
00:52:12.730 --> 00:52:15.609
Needless to say, I probably only had the phone for about four months.
00:52:16.250 --> 00:52:16.409
Yeah.
00:52:16.809 --> 00:52:17.609
The bill was crazy.
00:52:17.689 --> 00:52:23.210
And then the first flip phone that came out, Motorola, like I had the first of those in technology.
00:52:23.369 --> 00:52:24.569
I always had to have those things.
00:52:24.649 --> 00:52:28.889
It was that was the part of me that was just always intriguing and always wanted to.
00:52:29.129 --> 00:52:33.929
That's like, nah, that was like I like I drive nice cars and stuff like that, but I live good.
00:52:34.009 --> 00:52:34.569
But I work hard.
00:52:34.730 --> 00:52:36.169
You work hard and you want to live good.
00:52:36.489 --> 00:52:41.529
I wish I was a little bit more humble, a little bit more subtle, but that's always me.
00:52:42.009 --> 00:52:42.169
Yeah.
00:52:42.409 --> 00:52:43.210
I don't I don't know.
00:52:43.289 --> 00:53:01.369
I it's interesting because I I look at myself and I think one of the things that has been coming up quite a bit in these conversations is is uh self-reflection and looking back and going, okay, like you just said, like it's weird because I feel the same way like when I had I known then what I know now, what would I have changed?
00:53:01.689 --> 00:53:05.929
Yeah, but what would you would you be worth what you are to like would you be who you are?
00:53:06.250 --> 00:53:09.529
No if you didn't go through right, right.
00:53:09.929 --> 00:53:11.689
Two eggs, two eggs, a cup of water.
00:53:11.849 --> 00:53:12.889
That's what our life is.
00:53:12.969 --> 00:53:13.210
Yeah.
00:53:13.369 --> 00:53:17.609
Would we have gotten to where we are now if we did it differently?
00:53:17.849 --> 00:53:18.489
Absolutely not.
00:53:18.569 --> 00:53:18.730
Yeah.
00:53:18.969 --> 00:53:19.769
Fate is fate.
00:53:19.849 --> 00:53:20.009
No.
00:53:20.250 --> 00:53:21.049
I learned that.
00:53:21.210 --> 00:53:27.369
Now, taking care of your body, I lost I'm about 195 pounds, and my heaviest house probably about 280.
00:53:27.449 --> 00:53:27.769
Wow.
00:53:27.929 --> 00:53:29.929
So I go to the gym a couple times.
00:53:30.169 --> 00:53:34.809
My separation probably contributed to that a little bit, but it was just a better lifestyle.
00:53:34.889 --> 00:53:35.129
Yeah.
00:53:35.289 --> 00:53:38.489
Now owning businesses, being able to do whatever I want.
00:53:38.569 --> 00:53:38.809
Yeah.
00:53:39.529 --> 00:53:42.329
Dating, things like that are all different now.
00:53:42.649 --> 00:53:45.769
But I think it puts me, it makes you actually makes me a better comic.
00:53:45.849 --> 00:53:46.009
Yeah.
00:53:46.169 --> 00:53:47.289
Makes me a better father.
00:53:47.529 --> 00:53:48.569
Makes me a better friend.
00:53:48.730 --> 00:53:53.529
Like all of those have been contributed because that was the recipes, recipe I put together.
00:53:53.769 --> 00:53:57.449
So, like you said, self-reflection is interesting.
00:53:57.689 --> 00:54:02.409
Because of course, there's things that we probably shouldn't have done or we would have done differently.
00:54:02.730 --> 00:54:04.969
And aren't you glad there was no cell phones back then to record?
00:54:05.210 --> 00:54:12.809
Oh my gosh, I can't even tell you that it was cell phone cameras like really didn't get big until like early 2000s.
00:54:12.889 --> 00:54:13.049
Yeah.
00:54:13.129 --> 00:54:18.329
So I want to say when I moved to Arizona, I still had a flip phone and it just started taking pictures.
00:54:18.730 --> 00:54:25.449
So I w I'm gonna say probably four or five is when the cameras take some pictures, and but you still couldn't download them.
00:54:25.529 --> 00:54:26.809
They were still on SIM cards.
00:54:27.049 -->
00:54:30.250
I say no s no SIM cards to track your every move.
00:54:30.569 --> 00:54:31.369
Yeah, no, it's crazy.
00:54:31.449 --> 00:54:32.089
That's what I'm saying.
00:54:32.169 --> 00:54:33.449
I couldn't even imagine now.
00:54:33.609 --> 00:54:40.250
Like even now, cell phones and cameras, and I my phone does did some crazy the other day.
00:54:40.489 --> 00:54:50.409
Started recording, yeah, started recording a message, or no, started recording a conversation and sent it as a message to someone.
00:54:50.649 --> 00:54:56.969
Oh yeah, and I'm gonna glad it I cut off when I did, yeah, it wouldn't have been the same.
00:54:57.129 --> 00:54:57.449
Huh.
00:54:57.529 --> 00:54:58.169
That's crazy.
00:54:59.129 --> 00:55:00.569
I would have had some explaining to do.
00:55:00.730 --> 00:55:01.049
Yeah.
00:55:01.609 --> 00:55:11.049
With regards to your the comedy stuff, is there a venue that like you love to perform at or that you would love to perform at?
00:55:11.289 --> 00:55:13.689
Well, I've done I'm hitting some of my bucket list.
00:55:13.929 --> 00:55:16.169
So here in in Arizona, I know you brought up Mic Drop.
00:55:16.409 --> 00:55:19.369
Arizona has the largest club in the country, Mike Drop.
00:55:19.449 --> 00:55:21.049
Excuse me, not Mike Drop, but Stand Up Live.
00:55:21.210 --> 00:55:21.769
Stand Up Live.
00:55:21.929 --> 00:55:24.169
So Stand Up Live is You just played there last week.
00:55:24.569 --> 00:55:24.889
Last week.
00:55:25.210 --> 00:55:25.929
Yeah, last week.
00:55:26.089 --> 00:55:27.129
The week before last.
00:55:27.369 --> 00:55:30.809
Last week we were in uh Florida, Fort Lauderdale.
00:55:31.049 --> 00:55:32.969
But that club is phenomenal.
00:55:33.129 --> 00:55:38.649
Like doing the Phoenix Club and being able, so the headline I'm with now, Gary Owen, he sells out.
00:55:38.730 --> 00:55:40.409
He's been hot social media.
00:55:40.730 --> 00:55:42.089
And he's been in a lot of movies.
00:55:42.169 --> 00:55:48.089
He was with Kevin Hart and Ride Along, and he was in Think Like a Man and a lot of movies.
00:55:48.329 --> 00:55:50.009
And he's a great guy.
00:55:50.169 --> 00:55:54.730
He's a white comic, urban, so he's probably the most successful white urban comic in the country.
00:55:54.889 --> 00:55:57.210
But he sold out four out of five shows there.
00:55:57.369 --> 00:55:57.609
Wow.
00:55:58.009 --> 00:56:00.489
One show he didn't sell out was only 400 people.
00:56:00.889 --> 00:56:01.129
Only.
00:56:01.449 --> 00:56:02.089
Yeah, only.
00:56:02.489 --> 00:56:05.529
So it's just an unbelievable club, unbelievable feeling.
00:56:05.769 --> 00:56:12.169
Certain clubs around I tell you what, the the club that's given me the most love the last two years was Baltimore.
00:56:12.329 --> 00:56:15.210
Oh figure, they're hard, and that's a hard crowd.
00:56:15.369 --> 00:56:17.289
That club holds 500.
00:56:17.449 --> 00:56:17.769
Okay.
00:56:18.169 --> 00:56:20.969
He added, we had to add three shows.
00:56:21.049 --> 00:56:22.329
So we did eight shows.
00:56:22.569 --> 00:56:23.210
Wow.
00:56:23.609 --> 00:56:24.250
Eight shows.
00:56:24.489 --> 00:56:24.649
Wow.
00:56:24.889 --> 00:56:28.409
We just did eight shows in Dallas, Texas, and those were all sold out.
00:56:28.649 --> 00:56:28.889
Wow.
00:56:29.049 --> 00:56:33.369
That club wasn't as big, but was it eight shows, what, over four or five days?
00:56:33.769 --> 00:56:34.009
Three days.
00:56:34.250 --> 00:56:34.569
Three days.
00:56:34.730 --> 00:56:38.730
So we was like two Friday, three Saturday, three Sunday.
00:56:39.049 --> 00:56:42.569
When you do that, I can only imagine like just exhaustion.
00:56:42.969 --> 00:56:43.449
Exhaustion?
00:56:43.769 --> 00:56:44.649
I'm yawning now.
00:56:44.889 --> 00:56:46.489
Just came back from Fort Lauderdale.
00:56:46.569 --> 00:56:48.730
We did six shows there, and all six shows were sold out.
00:56:49.289 --> 00:56:50.329
And today's Wednesday.
00:56:50.569 --> 00:56:51.849
How do you keep your energy up?
00:56:52.089 --> 00:56:54.409
I don't try to hang out like I was young anymore.
00:56:54.569 --> 00:56:55.369
I get up early.
00:56:55.529 --> 00:57:00.169
I still get up early to start my day, and I go to bed as a reasonable time.
00:57:00.329 --> 00:57:03.609
I really don't have an after life.
00:57:03.929 --> 00:57:05.449
I'm more of a reserved person.
00:57:05.689 --> 00:57:07.529
Live I'm I live by myself now.
00:57:07.689 --> 00:57:10.730
I just running the businesses, traveling on the weekends.
00:57:10.889 --> 00:57:12.329
I just respect my body.
00:57:12.489 --> 00:57:12.730
Yeah.
00:57:12.889 --> 00:57:14.730
I don't we were talking about this earlier.
00:57:14.809 --> 00:57:15.369
I don't drink.
00:57:15.449 --> 00:57:19.129
I I have I'm an occasional drinker, a couple of drinks, at a function.
00:57:19.210 --> 00:57:19.369
Yeah.
00:57:19.609 --> 00:57:21.849
Like I won't go home now and have a drink or a beer.
00:57:22.649 --> 00:57:23.529
I don't smoke.
00:57:23.689 --> 00:57:29.849
So I have a little bit more respect for my body, understanding that like hypertension killed my dad, lung cancer killed my mom.
00:57:30.089 --> 00:57:34.009
But then I see other people that have their parents are living into their 80s and 90s.
00:57:34.329 --> 00:57:36.969
The one denominator, the majority of them don't do those things.
00:57:37.049 --> 00:57:37.449
Yeah, yeah.
00:57:37.609 --> 00:57:38.809
And that's how they live longer.
00:57:38.969 --> 00:57:39.609
I love life.
00:57:39.769 --> 00:57:43.689
And then I have I got these beautiful kids, they're a pain in the neck.
00:57:44.009 --> 00:57:45.769
My kids are all older, but they're pain.
00:57:45.849 --> 00:57:46.329
But I love them.
00:57:46.489 --> 00:57:47.129
Beautiful kids.
00:57:47.210 --> 00:57:50.089
They're beautiful family people, my my grandkids.
00:57:50.169 --> 00:57:52.730
There's nothing like being a grandparent.
00:57:52.889 --> 00:57:59.769
Man, I know that they
always say that, but my grandkids have such all different personalities, and thank God they're beautiful.
00:57:59.849 --> 00:58:02.009
Because there's nothing worse than having an ugly grandkid.
00:58:02.089 --> 00:58:02.250
Yeah.
00:58:02.409 --> 00:58:03.529
I tell people that all the time.
00:58:03.689 --> 00:58:06.329
I'm like, because it's like, oh my gosh, look at little Joe.
00:58:06.409 --> 00:58:08.489
I'm like, little Joe's head's lopsided.
00:58:08.569 --> 00:58:09.210
Did you know that?
00:58:09.449 --> 00:58:10.409
It's so adorable.
00:58:10.730 --> 00:58:10.889
I know.
00:58:11.369 --> 00:58:12.329
It's like a little old man.
00:58:12.730 --> 00:58:17.849
I love social media, but I love social media because you could people watch and I have to stand at the mall like we used to do.
00:58:18.250 --> 00:58:19.129
Why are you staring at me?
00:58:19.289 --> 00:58:19.849
Yeah, I'm stare.
00:58:20.089 --> 00:58:23.289
I'm like, I'm like, oh my gosh, what happened to her husband?
00:58:23.449 --> 00:58:23.769
Yeah.
00:58:24.250 --> 00:58:25.129
He's cross-eyed.
00:58:25.210 --> 00:58:27.769
Like it's so funny when you just people watch on social media.
00:58:27.929 --> 00:58:28.489
That's the type of thing.
00:58:28.649 --> 00:58:29.929
I say some of the stuff you're posting.
00:58:30.250 --> 00:58:32.969
When I post, yeah, when I see crazy stuff in the street.
00:58:33.289 --> 00:58:34.569
What's your Instagram handle?
00:58:34.730 --> 00:58:35.689
At Rob Laughs?
00:58:35.849 --> 00:58:36.649
Yeah, Rob Laughs.
00:58:36.809 --> 00:58:38.409
R-O-B-L-A-F-F-S.
00:58:39.289 --> 00:58:39.369
Yeah.
00:58:39.929 --> 00:58:42.089
Yeah, you gotta follow some of your stuff you post.
00:58:42.730 --> 00:58:49.369
People say that you fat scamming the designer of those shorts did not want her to wear those.
00:58:49.769 --> 00:58:51.210
I'm not scamming the body.
00:58:51.289 --> 00:58:54.569
I'm shaming the fact that somebody sold her those shorts.
00:58:54.649 --> 00:58:55.769
Who's the cashier?
00:58:56.009 --> 00:58:57.689
And somebody let her out of the house wearing.
00:58:58.730 --> 00:59:04.009
And she actually, and the fact that she actually looked in the mirror and said, damn, this looks good on me.
00:59:04.250 --> 00:59:10.009
While the freaking so I see that or like you see people walking around like the airport, my airport shots are always the best ones.
00:59:10.089 --> 00:59:10.329
Yeah.
00:59:10.889 --> 00:59:12.649
That's why I didn't fly Southwest.
00:59:12.730 --> 00:59:16.969
Because Southwest, they let you know who the hell you're gonna sit next to.
00:59:17.049 --> 00:59:17.129
Yeah.
00:59:17.289 --> 00:59:18.250
Now here's the thing.
00:59:18.409 --> 00:59:20.809
I'm not bougie, but I do status.
00:59:20.969 --> 00:59:28.409
And I know that ugly people and big people don't normally pay extra to be up in better seats.
00:59:28.489 --> 00:59:28.730
Yeah.
00:59:28.889 --> 00:59:30.569
They just pick the cheapest ticket.
00:59:30.649 --> 00:59:30.809
Yeah.
00:59:31.049 --> 00:59:34.409
So they went, they're using group seven, group eight, group nine.
00:59:34.569 --> 00:59:36.649
I'm group one or two all the time.
00:59:36.889 --> 00:59:40.089
And I very rarely sit next to somebody that shouldn't be sitting next to me.
00:59:40.489 --> 00:59:49.049
Southwest, man, everybody's you ever seen once that group C came in, people are looking like, holy shit, I wish he doesn't sit next to me.
00:59:49.449 --> 00:59:54.809
You got your hood on your hood on, you're a earbuds in, you're like bags sitting next to you.
00:59:58.250 --> 00:59:58.569
Yeah.
00:59:58.730 --> 00:59:58.889
Yeah.
00:59:59.049 --> 01:00:00.169
That's a good thing you do.
01:00:00.250 --> 01:00:01.129
But that's it's comedy.
01:00:01.289 --> 01:00:02.809
People talk about that, but it's real world.
01:00:02.889 --> 01:00:03.929
I take real pictures.
01:00:04.089 --> 01:00:04.250
Yeah.
01:00:04.329 --> 01:00:06.250
And don't think I'm the only one that looks at that.
01:00:06.329 --> 01:00:06.409
No.
01:00:06.649 --> 01:00:07.689
I just share it sometimes.
01:00:07.929 --> 01:00:11.689
Well, it's I it's one of the reasons I love going to Disneyland.
01:00:11.849 --> 01:00:13.769
Not for the rides, not for the four times last.
01:00:14.169 --> 01:00:16.009
I love just watching the people.
01:00:16.169 --> 01:00:22.409
And really part of it is I love seeing the kids that it's their first time because it just reminds me of my kids and their own.
01:00:22.649 --> 01:00:23.210
I love Disney.
01:00:23.449 --> 01:00:24.250
I love Disney.
01:00:24.329 --> 01:00:27.769
The Disney experience, it's almost like a cult.
01:00:28.009 --> 01:00:29.369
Yeah, it is.
01:00:29.609 --> 01:00:32.730
It's almost like a cult, but I grew up loving Disney World.
01:00:32.809 --> 01:00:35.769
So last year I went to Disney World once, Disneyland three times.
01:00:36.009 --> 01:00:36.169
Wow.
01:00:36.250 --> 01:00:36.409
Yeah.
01:00:36.569 --> 01:00:37.929
See, and that's and we go.
01:00:38.009 --> 01:00:42.569
And I just I love watching people, and it's like I went as an adult with a date.
01:00:42.889 --> 01:00:44.809
Not with people like person I'm dating.
01:00:46.089 --> 01:00:47.929
I didn't go because I was taking my grandkids.
01:00:48.089 --> 01:00:51.449
I'm not going there like pop on the cart with the Mickey Mouse ears.
01:00:54.649 --> 01:00:56.169
The people watching at Disneyland.
01:00:57.449 --> 01:01:01.210
And next level besides that's crazy.
01:01:01.289 --> 01:01:02.409
But yeah, I love that.
01:01:03.129 --> 01:01:03.769
People say that.
01:01:03.849 --> 01:01:04.569
That's a cruel.
01:01:04.649 --> 01:01:06.089
Oh, you're making fun of people.
01:01:06.169 --> 01:01:08.250
Yes, partially true.
01:01:08.569 --> 01:01:09.449
Partially true.
01:01:09.529 --> 01:01:11.210
But I'm not making fun of them.
01:01:11.289 --> 01:01:12.889
I'm we're laughing with them.
01:01:13.049 --> 01:01:14.730
You know, people
don't realize that part.
01:01:14.889 --> 01:01:15.210
Right.
01:01:15.369 --> 01:01:17.369
So it's never to shame anybody.
01:01:17.449 --> 01:01:21.369
A lot of times I sometimes I'll try to black out their face or take it from the side.
01:01:21.609 --> 01:01:24.409
But sometimes stuff is outrageous.
01:01:24.489 --> 01:01:24.730
Yeah.
01:01:24.889 --> 01:01:25.849
So you just share it.
01:01:26.329 --> 01:01:27.049
And people love that.
01:01:28.009 --> 01:01:30.169
I lose followers and friends sometimes.
01:01:30.409 --> 01:01:32.089
Like, you shouldn't do that.
01:01:32.250 --> 01:01:33.529
And I'm like, you know what?
01:01:33.689 --> 01:01:35.049
Then you just unfollow me.
01:01:35.129 --> 01:01:36.730
That's a very simple task.
01:01:36.889 --> 01:01:38.089
Don't follow me, don't come see me.
01:01:38.409 --> 01:01:43.289
If you don't like it, it's kind of like it's kind of like uh we talk about this all the time, but Homeburg in the morning.
01:01:43.449 --> 01:01:47.369
Listen to his show in the morning, it's like, how does he get away with some of the stuff that he says?
01:01:47.769 --> 01:01:48.649
He loves he loves.
01:01:48.730 --> 01:01:56.089
I was on Homeberg a couple weeks ago, and that's why he loves having me on, because we talk about real we talk about real things.
01:01:56.169 --> 01:01:57.929
And but it's okay.
01:01:58.250 --> 01:02:01.609
He really should be on satellite TV satellite review.
01:02:01.929 --> 01:02:02.730
Really go full in.
01:02:02.889 --> 01:02:03.529
Go full in.
01:02:03.609 --> 01:02:05.129
You know why he's a great guy.
01:02:05.210 --> 01:02:05.849
He's a great guy.
01:02:06.169 --> 01:02:08.809
But you think how do and then they get people complaining about it.
01:02:08.889 --> 01:02:12.169
It's like, okay, if you don't want to hear it, change it.
01:02:14.250 --> 01:02:15.369
It's really easy.
01:02:15.689 --> 01:02:19.289
Don't impose your will or your taste.
01:02:19.609 --> 01:02:20.809
Because you have options now.
01:02:20.969 --> 01:02:21.210
Right.
01:02:21.449 --> 01:02:25.769
It's not like he's knocking at your door telling these jokes or he's calling you on the phone.
01:02:26.009 --> 01:02:26.649
You have a choice.
01:02:26.809 --> 01:02:28.569
Don't listen to the you like the station.
01:02:28.889 --> 01:02:31.849
You already know that he's gonna talk in the morning.
01:02:32.089 --> 01:02:36.009
And it's you know, it used to be like it used to be like that with like the old Howard Stern.
01:02:36.409 --> 01:02:37.049
That's how he was.
01:02:37.129 --> 01:02:39.929
He was that's what made him unique, that's what made him rich and famous.
01:02:40.089 --> 01:02:40.329
Yep.
01:02:40.569 --> 01:02:42.969
There's it's almost like politics now.
01:02:43.129 --> 01:02:47.129
You got some that love the extreme, some that love the conservative.
01:02:47.210 --> 01:02:47.369
Yeah.
01:02:47.609 --> 01:02:49.369
And you just gotta know where you belong.
01:02:49.689 --> 01:02:52.169
It's I'm a
firm believer of keeping it real.
01:02:52.329 --> 01:02:52.489
Yeah.
01:02:52.730 --> 01:02:53.369
Keep it real.
01:02:53.689 --> 01:02:55.929
If you keep it real, people choose.
01:02:56.329 --> 01:03:01.609
And if you're still good when they keep it real, then you know, then you're good.
01:03:01.689 --> 01:03:02.009
Yeah.
01:03:02.250 --> 01:03:04.809
With me, people know where I come from.
01:03:04.969 --> 01:03:06.809
They know, they know what they get.
01:03:06.969 --> 01:03:08.089
So I don't get hurt.
01:03:08.730 --> 01:03:10.089
And I'm still gonna love everybody.
01:03:10.169 --> 01:03:10.809
That's the truth.
01:03:10.889 --> 01:03:11.049
Yeah.
01:03:11.210 --> 01:03:14.169
I really don't have I don't have a lot of malice in my heart.
01:03:14.329 --> 01:03:15.609
I just want to think I learned.
01:03:16.089 --> 01:03:17.609
Treat me well, I'm gonna treat you well.
01:03:18.009 --> 01:03:19.849
And then even if you don't treat me well, it's okay.
01:03:20.569 --> 01:03:21.210
I I still love you.
01:03:21.609 --> 01:03:22.649
It's gonna trash talk.
01:03:22.809 --> 01:03:24.730
You you I'm gonna talk shit about you for sure.
01:03:24.809 --> 01:03:26.169
Yeah, that's gonna be what it is.
01:03:26.329 --> 01:03:27.449
It there comes a price with T.
01:03:27.689 --> 01:03:28.329
Yes, for sure.
01:03:28.489 --> 01:03:31.369
Like TSA, I'm I'm a big I gotta be careful.
01:03:31.529 --> 01:03:38.730
I've been uh I'm getting rid they're gonna take away my TSA status one day because I think those are the biggest retards in the world.
01:03:38.969 --> 01:03:43.529
Like I I had a big thing at the airport about what I had post I had posted, I don't know if you saw it.
01:03:43.609 --> 01:03:46.649
It's a video I took about four or five months ago.
01:03:46.809 --> 01:03:50.169
And they're patting down this 90-year-old man out of a wheelchair.
01:03:50.969 --> 01:03:53.849
I'm like, if he's gonna bomb the plane, kudos to him.
01:03:54.089 --> 01:03:54.329
Right.
01:03:54.569 --> 01:03:57.369
Like, where did he get the money right for the C4?
01:03:57.689 --> 01:04:00.969
And you know, but do you really think he wants to kill himself up in the air?
01:04:01.210 --> 01:04:03.210
Like, and it's stupidity like that.
01:04:03.289 --> 01:04:05.769
And I'm asking him, what are you checking him for?
01:04:06.009 --> 01:04:07.369
He's a drug runner, what is this?
01:04:07.449 --> 01:04:09.129
A Clint Eastwood and the mule?
01:04:09.369 --> 01:04:10.649
Like, what are you doing?
01:04:10.809 --> 01:04:12.009
Are you guys retarded?
01:04:12.089 --> 01:04:12.250
Right.
01:04:12.409 --> 01:04:15.689
And it led to a whole big thing that with TSA and Oh, really?
01:04:15.849 --> 01:04:20.489
Yeah, yeah, because then I guess that's the other thing that's I have I struggle with things.
01:04:20.649 --> 01:04:23.049
Everybody at the airport needs a wheelchair.
01:04:23.210 --> 01:04:32.250
So they hire like Walmart people to push around lazy, fat people at the airport to get to their gate, right?
01:04:32.489 --> 01:04:36.089
So my thing is this guy gets upset.
01:04:36.250 --> 01:04:37.929
He's like, Yeah, you should mind your business.
01:04:38.009 --> 01:04:39.849
I'm like, Yeah, you should get another job.
01:04:40.009 --> 01:04:41.049
Like, what are you doing?
01:04:41.210 --> 01:04:43.049
Because I see that all the time.
01:04:43.129 --> 01:04:43.210
Right.
01:04:43.529 --> 01:04:45.049
Like, people in wheelchairs first.
01:04:45.129 --> 01:04:46.569
No, they got here to the airport.
01:04:46.649 --> 01:04:47.769
They didn't have a wheelchair.
01:04:47.929 --> 01:04:50.329
They take away the fun out of being handicapped.
01:04:50.489 --> 01:04:51.529
I was like, really?
01:04:51.609 --> 01:04:54.250
Like, shit, where's the regular handicapped people anymore?
01:04:54.569 --> 01:04:55.609
You ever go to a casino?
01:04:55.689 --> 01:04:58.569
There's 800 only handicapped people go to the casino?
01:04:59.049 --> 01:04:59.929
They want the elderly.
01:05:01.289 --> 01:05:01.849
Across the street.
01:05:01.929 --> 01:05:02.489
I was walking.
01:05:02.649 --> 01:05:03.529
I 70.
01:05:03.609 --> 01:05:05.849
I'm like, I'm coming over here to the podcast.
01:05:06.009 --> 01:05:10.009
I want to go play a big bingo game at the American Legion across the street.
01:05:10.329 --> 01:05:12.730
Nine grandkids, or you're gonna have nine.
01:05:13.049 --> 01:05:13.529
No, nine.
01:05:13.609 --> 01:05:15.129
The ninth one was just born on Friday.
01:05:15.449 --> 01:05:15.609
Okay.
01:05:16.009 --> 01:05:16.969
Congratulations.
01:05:17.210 --> 01:05:19.129
No, that see, that's what the life is about.
01:05:19.210 --> 01:05:20.009
That's my legacy.
01:05:20.329 --> 01:05:21.849
Are they all here in Arizona?
01:05:22.009 --> 01:05:22.809
Yeah, they're all no.
01:05:23.129 --> 01:05:24.250
Two of them are in New York.
01:05:24.409 --> 01:05:24.649
Okay.
01:05:24.809 --> 01:05:26.569
But there are seven of them here in Arizona.
01:05:26.730 --> 01:05:26.969
Wow.
01:05:27.129 --> 01:05:30.329
And that's to me, that's my that's the best.
01:05:30.569 --> 01:05:30.969
That's awesome.
01:05:31.129 --> 01:05:35.849
And then I don't really associate with them until they're uh they have a limit, like 11, 12 years old.
01:05:36.089 --> 01:05:36.649
And then you're done.
01:05:36.809 --> 01:05:38.169
Because they're retarded before that.
01:05:38.329 --> 01:05:41.129
They asked, they they act stupid and say dumb things.
01:05:41.210 --> 01:05:43.529
You don't want to you don't want to retard a grandchild child.
01:05:43.689 --> 01:05:48.889
So until I know that they're able to hold a decent conversation, I don't call them.
01:05:48.969 --> 01:05:51.049
Like I buy them their cell phones.
01:05:51.129 --> 01:05:51.210
Yeah.
01:05:51.449 --> 01:05:55.449
I do all of that because grandkids are a reflection of yourself.
01:05:55.769 --> 01:05:58.809
So do you so you are you with them when they're a little bean, small little
child?
01:05:59.449 --> 01:06:02.009
And once they start talking, you're like, at two years old, I leave them alone.
01:06:02.169 --> 01:06:02.329
Okay.
01:06:02.649 --> 01:06:03.849
Sometimes they get annoying.
01:06:04.089 --> 01:06:05.769
And then I pick them up about eleven.
01:06:05.929 --> 01:06:06.169
Gotcha.
01:06:06.329 --> 01:06:07.689
And they can come back and talk to grandpa.
01:06:08.089 --> 01:06:11.210
So are you gonna roll back into the T-ball softball?
01:06:11.609 --> 01:06:12.329
So they've tried.
01:06:12.569 --> 01:06:17.689
So my oldest granddaughter, she was, she really didn't want to pick up softball.
01:06:17.849 --> 01:06:21.210
Otherwise, I thought she was the one that was gonna get me tuned into that.
01:06:21.769 --> 01:06:24.489
And she's 16.
01:06:24.969 --> 01:06:27.689
So she's but she's a great flag football player.
01:06:28.009 --> 01:06:28.329
Okay.
01:06:28.489 --> 01:06:33.689
So she goes, now that's a varsity sport here in Arizona for for girls, which was great.
01:06:33.929 --> 01:06:36.409
So I I never got a chance to coach her.
01:06:36.569 --> 01:06:38.649
And then I I just gotta see if I have time.
01:06:38.809 --> 01:06:41.049
I think that's the one part that I may skip.
01:06:41.609 --> 01:06:45.449
My son was coaching his boys a little bit in some flag football.
01:06:45.689 --> 01:06:46.809
It's not the same anymore.
01:06:47.049 --> 01:06:48.649
And then you gotta have time and commitment.
01:06:48.809 --> 01:06:48.969
Yeah.
01:06:49.210 --> 01:06:53.449
And then what happens now is I spent a lot, I spent almost 30 years coaching.
01:06:53.529 --> 01:06:55.289
I was coaching since I was 16 years old.
01:06:55.529 --> 01:06:56.089
No kidding.
01:06:56.250 --> 01:06:59.849
I was volunteering when I was a kid in high school because they needed coaches.
01:06:59.929 --> 01:07:00.009
Yeah.
01:07:00.169 --> 01:07:02.489
So I'd coach little younger teams and things like that.
01:07:02.889 --> 01:07:08.089
So I coached from maybe might be even longer, but I mean I had some time off in between, right?
01:07:08.169 --> 01:07:14.009
So but I started at 16 and I probably stopped coaching at a long history there.
01:07:14.329 --> 01:07:15.689
Long history there of coaching.
01:07:15.929 --> 01:07:16.649
And I enjoyed it.
01:07:16.730 --> 01:07:21.769
I enjoyed coaching teaching children, especially those that really get the most out of it.
01:07:21.849 --> 01:07:22.009
Yeah.
01:07:22.250 --> 01:07:26.169
Sportsmanship, strategy, how to win, how to lose.
01:07:26.329 --> 01:07:26.969
That's a talent.
01:07:27.210 --> 01:07:28.250
How to lose with grace.
01:07:28.489 --> 01:07:29.529
How to lose with grace.
01:07:29.769 --> 01:07:34.009
And then I found that in more affluent neighborhoods, both parents come to it.
01:07:34.169 --> 01:07:35.849
For the most part, sometimes it's only one.
01:07:36.250 --> 01:07:45.049
But I started out coaching girls because I would find that dads would not be associated, not be into their girls' sports.
01:07:45.289 --> 01:07:45.529
Interesting.
01:07:45.849 --> 01:07:47.129
I would turn that over to the women.
01:07:47.289 --> 01:07:47.529
Yeah.
01:07:47.769 --> 01:07:55.049
So I first was coaching girls basketball young and I would find that it was just a lot more single parents.
01:07:55.210 --> 01:08:01.129
And then when I was coaching softball and I coached for a lot of years here and all over the state.
01:08:01.689 --> 01:08:04.569
It was such an honor for me, these young ladies' coaches.
01:08:04.649 --> 01:08:08.730
And like now, all these ladies that I coach, a lot of them, I got a lot of girls into college.
01:08:08.889 --> 01:08:13.849
I want to say there's probably about 30 plus girls that I coached that went and played at college levels.
01:08:14.009 --> 01:08:15.369
I coach hundreds of girls.
01:08:15.449 --> 01:08:15.609
Yeah.
01:08:15.769 --> 01:08:19.769
But to really play, those 30, 40 girls in particular that played at college.
01:08:19.929 --> 01:08:23.210
But then now all these girls, I get these thank yous.
01:08:23.289 --> 01:08:24.489
They have their own families.
01:08:24.649 --> 01:08:24.809
Wow.
01:08:24.969 --> 01:08:26.169
The most coach Rob.
01:08:26.409 --> 01:08:26.809
I took them.
01:08:26.889 --> 01:08:27.849
We played all over the country.
01:08:27.929 --> 01:08:31.929
When I had, I coached my daughter's club team, we'll bankrupt the family.
01:08:32.409 --> 01:08:33.849
But we played all over the country.
01:08:33.929 --> 01:08:38.329
We played in Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma, New York.
01:08:38.409 --> 01:08:40.329
He traveled, California, Texas.
01:08:40.569 --> 01:08:41.129
No kidding.
01:08:41.289 --> 01:08:45.049
My daughter, when we were at the height of club ball, we played 100 games a year.
01:08:45.369 --> 01:08:46.009
Really?
01:08:46.409 --> 01:08:47.609
Oh my gosh.
01:08:47.849 --> 01:08:48.889
100 games a year.
01:08:49.369 --> 01:08:50.889
11 months out of the year.
01:08:51.129 --> 01:08:51.609
Wow.
01:08:52.089 --> 01:08:52.809
It was crazy.
01:08:52.969 --> 01:08:53.369
Huh.
01:08:53.609 --> 01:08:54.169
Interesting.
01:08:54.329 --> 01:08:55.529
I didn't realize there was that much.
01:08:56.329 --> 01:08:59.929
It's funny because I where I grew up, we didn't have I mean we had Babe Ruth.
01:09:00.089 --> 01:09:00.729
That was the closest thing.
01:09:01.289 --> 01:09:02.169
When I grew up, that's how it was.
01:09:03.369 --> 01:09:04.729
But now it's like everybody's got a club.
01:09:04.809 --> 01:09:08.250
My neighbor my neighbor's got three daughters, all three of them are into volleyball, and they're every week.
01:09:08.729 --> 01:09:10.169
Volleyball club, that was the big deal.
01:09:10.489 --> 01:09:11.289
Going differently.
01:09:12.009 --> 01:09:17.369
Volleyball is probably the biggest soccer was, and then I think volleyball took over for the club scene now.
01:09:17.609 --> 01:09:18.329
It's incredible.
01:09:18.489 --> 01:09:21.689
Yeah,
because I want to say that soccer is softball, volleyball.
01:09:22.169 --> 01:09:22.969
Those three right there.
01:09:23.449 --> 01:09:34.250
So like I said, it was it's and that accomplishment, like to see these young adults turn into family people and things like that, because there's some tragedies involved.
01:09:34.649 --> 01:09:35.609
I started seeing that.
01:09:35.770 --> 01:09:37.369
I saw, especially with young ladies.
01:09:37.529 --> 01:09:43.130
Mo then was the bullying team here that had a young lady that was bullied and she killed herself.
01:09:43.289 --> 01:09:55.369
And to me that was incredible because I couldn't I couldn't imagine not being there for my child that was going through a bullying and that she was so she got so messed up by it that she felt that taking her life.
01:09:55.529 --> 01:09:57.369
And that's the stress kids have today.
01:09:57.449 --> 01:10:05.850
That's why I don't envy parents today because they're they're up against the phone, they're up against peer pressure that we've never seen before.
01:10:06.010 --> 01:10:06.409
Yeah, yeah.
01:10:06.649 --> 01:10:08.730
This peer pressure is unbelievable.
01:10:08.970 --> 01:10:16.649
And that's why it's so important that you get your kids involved in things because everything is about everything other than family value.
01:10:16.810 --> 01:10:17.050
Yeah.
01:10:17.210 --> 01:10:19.210
And I think that's where we lose focus.
01:10:19.369 --> 01:10:21.929
And then broken homes are such a prevalent thing now.
01:10:22.010 --> 01:10:22.569
Yeah.
01:10:22.809 --> 01:10:31.849
And so it's hard to be a single parent or an outside dad, and then get your kids and then still be a part of their lives and things like that.
01:10:32.010 --> 01:10:33.689
And that's what we're up against.
01:10:33.769 --> 01:10:34.010
Yeah.
01:10:34.250 --> 01:10:38.010
So not to get not to be Debbie Downer, but that's just the reality.
01:10:38.250 --> 01:10:38.569
For sure.
01:10:38.729 --> 01:10:40.329
That's so that's part of my background.
01:10:40.489 --> 01:10:42.809
My background, that's what's developed me.
01:10:43.050 --> 01:10:47.369
People say, Well, how did you get to, or what do you that's how I was developed.
01:10:47.609 --> 01:10:50.329
I was developed with the family structure.
01:10:50.489 --> 01:10:54.329
I was developed in adversity, I was developed, love everybody.
01:10:54.889 --> 01:10:57.849
Great qualities that my parents taught me.
01:10:58.010 --> 01:11:00.489
And and then you gotta one day you gotta be the parent.
01:11:00.569 --> 01:11:00.809
Yeah.
01:11:00.970 --> 01:11:06.569
I I have some I have some in my family that now I'm having to support and be there for.
01:11:06.729 --> 01:11:09.529
And I'm like, I don't want to be an adult all my life, I want to be a kid.
01:11:09.689 --> 01:11:11.609
That's why I went to Disney four times last year.
01:11:12.250 --> 01:11:14.489
That's why I shoot off to Hawaii when I'm not on tour.
01:11:14.649 --> 01:11:23.289
Anytime I can get away, I was upset because I wasn't on tour this weekend, and uh I rent the house when I'm not there and it's rented you know almost a whole month.
01:11:23.449 --> 01:11:23.689
Yeah, yeah.
01:11:23.929 --> 01:11:25.449
So I can't go until July.
01:11:25.609 --> 01:11:27.529
But I'm performing in Vegas in July.
01:11:27.689 --> 01:11:27.929
All right.
01:11:28.250 --> 01:11:31.210
I'll be at the Palms Hotel July 12th.
01:11:31.609 --> 01:11:32.970
So that's a big gig.
01:11:33.289 --> 01:11:35.769
I have a couple weeks off, and then we have the Vegas gig.
01:11:35.929 --> 01:11:36.250
Okay.
01:11:36.409 --> 01:11:38.250
And then I got a busy summer after that.
01:11:38.329 --> 01:11:42.489
I'm in South Carolina, DC, New York, Sacramento.
01:11:42.889 --> 01:11:45.609
Like this just it goes right on to Memorial Day.
01:11:45.849 --> 01:11:48.809
Uh do you have a website that where people can follow that?
01:11:49.050 --> 01:11:49.769
I will soon.
01:11:49.929 --> 01:11:53.130
What happened was when I shot the special, we took everything down.
01:11:53.449 --> 01:11:57.769
Websites are only as good as you can up keep upkeep.
01:11:57.849 --> 01:11:58.250
Yeah.
01:11:58.569 --> 01:12:05.529
So it will, I will develop it the minute I'm going through some personal changes, separation.
01:12:05.769 --> 01:12:09.529
My businesses, I have two businesses that are migrating that are going through a merger.
01:12:09.689 --> 01:12:13.369
A couple of those things, when I get by, I know by the end of the year I will.
01:12:13.689 --> 01:12:20.090
I've had offers I'm on the talks with Paramount and that to do shoot a special at the end of the year.
01:12:20.250 --> 01:12:20.409
Nice.
01:12:20.569 --> 01:12:25.130
So we're looking at trying to do that, but what happens is you can only put so much on your plate.
01:12:25.289 --> 01:12:25.449
Yeah.
01:12:25.609 --> 01:12:26.010
Oh, for sure.
01:12:26.250 --> 01:12:33.369
So it's it becomes one of those things where you want to be you want to be a creative mind and you don't want to have all the outside influences.
01:12:33.529 --> 01:12:36.809
Because I'm I'm funny as I'm funny as what as can be.
01:12:36.889 --> 01:12:37.050
Yeah.
01:12:37.289 --> 01:12:42.329
But I'll even be funnier when I don't have all the trials and tribulations behind me.
01:12:42.649 --> 01:12:44.970
Now, do you listen to other people's stuff?
01:12:45.210 --> 01:12:49.050
Obviously, you tour with other comedians, but do you try to keep it Once in a while.
01:12:49.130 --> 01:12:53.130
I I'll listen more to some podcasts than I will other comedians.
01:12:53.289 --> 01:12:54.250
It it's a thing.
01:12:54.889 --> 01:12:58.409
Actually, it came up in conversation with the comedian I tour with.
01:12:58.569 --> 01:13:03.609
He says what happens is sometimes you don't want to listen to other people.
01:13:03.929 --> 01:13:10.649
Well, you're not gonna steal their jokes, but you the topic might sound interesting, and then sometimes that comes across that way.
01:13:10.889 --> 01:13:16.970
So it's like staying away from listening to other comedians lets you be a little bit more creative.
01:13:17.210 --> 01:13:17.609
Gotcha.
01:13:17.849 --> 01:13:22.889
Now, if there's a funny comedian like I like I know Dave Chappelle, I know Kevin Hart.
01:13:22.970 --> 01:13:26.409
I really can't sit through a Kevin Hart set.
01:13:27.529 --> 01:13:29.849
In person, nobody funnier.
01:13:30.250 --> 01:13:32.970
And Dave Chappelle, nobody funnier.
01:13:33.289 --> 01:13:37.289
But when they do their set, I'm like, eh, it's okay.
01:13:37.369 --> 01:13:37.609
Yeah.
01:13:37.849 --> 01:13:41.130
I know some other comedians that have never really made it as big.
01:13:41.210 --> 01:13:43.050
And I talk to them all the time.
01:13:43.130 --> 01:13:44.649
And to me, they're the funniest.
01:13:44.729 --> 01:13:47.769
Because we have real life conversation and we have real life jokes.
01:13:47.849 --> 01:13:48.170
Yeah.
01:13:48.329 --> 01:13:51.130
And that's really like that's the benefit of the comedy world.
01:13:51.369 --> 01:13:51.609
Gotcha.
01:13:51.929 --> 01:13:53.529
Is uh being able to network.
01:13:53.689 --> 01:13:55.849
I've met all the big comics.
01:13:56.010 --> 01:14:03.849
You know, I've I've done theaters, like there's no better feeling to come out and do a comedy theater and have a couple thousand people make them laugh.
01:14:04.010 --> 01:14:05.929
Yeah, it's it's it's unbelievable.
01:14:06.010 --> 01:14:06.729
There's no feeling.
01:14:07.050 --> 01:14:11.050
Like I get so excited for this Vegas set that it's like, wow.
01:14:11.449 --> 01:14:13.849
And it's doing the club weekends are great.
01:14:14.010 --> 01:14:22.090
But theaters, when you get a chance to do it, now the cup now the theater, we don't do not this particular theater, I don't get to do as long of a set.
01:14:22.250 --> 01:14:22.970
It's Vegas.
01:14:23.050 --> 01:14:23.210
Yeah.
01:14:23.449 --> 01:14:24.329
The palms, you know.
01:14:24.569 --> 01:14:25.609
So it's big, it's big.
01:14:25.849 --> 01:14:27.050
The three thousand people.
01:14:27.449 --> 01:14:29.369
I've killed them the last two years.
01:14:29.449 --> 01:14:29.769
Yeah.
01:14:30.010 --> 01:14:32.090
I've killed them every time I go out there.
01:14:32.729 --> 01:14:40.970
Well, and if you can get a small percentage of those people that pick up and start following you, and then they may come at another time when they find you in town, wherever they're from.
01:14:41.529 --> 01:14:41.929
Well it was.
01:14:42.250 --> 01:14:45.849
I went there, and then I think maybe a month later I went to your show.
01:14:46.010 --> 01:14:49.369
People online, they're like, that's Rob, that's Rob Rodriguez a comedian.
01:14:49.529 --> 01:14:50.250
And it was really cool.
01:14:50.329 --> 01:14:51.929
They're like, we were at your show last month.
01:14:52.090 --> 01:14:52.649
Oh, that's awesome.
01:14:52.809 --> 01:14:54.729
And it was
like, wow, that's that's that's great.
01:14:55.050 --> 01:14:55.849
Be recognized, yeah.
01:14:56.170 --> 01:14:59.529
Be recognized as and then to hear cop, you know, I'm a humble guy.
01:14:59.689 --> 01:15:01.289
I'm arrogant, but I'm humble.
01:15:01.449 --> 01:15:04.250
And I love that people, you know, the best compliments.
01:15:04.329 --> 01:15:09.529
I love to say goodbye to people after the show, and then they always say it, you know, I'm spoiled now.
01:15:09.689 --> 01:15:15.449
That's when I say I I know when I kill a room because I I want to know, and I let people, hey man, you were awesome.
01:15:15.529 --> 01:15:17.050
I can't believe you, blah, blah, blah.
01:15:17.130 --> 01:15:20.090
And then they'll comment, see it on my on my IG.
01:15:20.409 --> 01:15:22.409
It's that's a satisfying to me.
01:15:22.489 --> 01:15:23.210
That's a high.
01:15:23.369 --> 01:15:23.769
Yeah.
01:15:23.929 --> 01:15:24.250
Yeah.
01:15:24.409 --> 01:15:25.130
That's awesome.
01:15:25.210 --> 01:15:25.529
Yep.
01:15:25.769 --> 01:15:26.970
Where do you go from here?
01:15:27.210 --> 01:15:30.090
It's it you get to a certain age and it's day by day.
01:15:30.729 --> 01:15:38.729
I I my business had we had a rough day in business today, not for no other reason that we had to make some changes to some staff and things.
01:15:38.889 --> 01:15:39.609
That's hard.
01:15:40.170 --> 01:15:49.449
So my business, when I have about 25 employees, they uh when you're responsible for people like that and you're responsible for their livelihood, you have to be careful.
01:15:49.849 --> 01:15:50.329
Heavyweight.
01:15:50.489 --> 01:15:52.010
Yeah, yeah, you gotta be careful.
01:15:52.170 --> 01:15:54.170
So that's always been the heavyweight.
01:15:54.250 --> 01:15:56.809
So like I look forward to retiring in a couple of years.
01:15:56.970 --> 01:15:59.050
This merger is gonna help me do that.
01:15:59.210 --> 01:16:02.409
Um, because I don't I'm tired of the responsibility of having that.
01:16:02.569 --> 01:16:04.729
I took it on for 15 years.
01:16:05.130 --> 01:16:07.130
What got you into that world, just out of curiosity?
01:16:07.449 --> 01:16:14.329
I started as facilities man, I loved facilities management, and that was running companies behind the scenes.
01:16:14.489 --> 01:16:18.170
So I it was a big home health care agent that I worked my way up.
01:16:18.569 --> 01:16:22.970
This guy, the records keep until the guy that kind of ran facilities.
01:16:23.210 --> 01:16:27.289
So that they had over 400 people, 50 branches all over the country.
01:16:27.369 --> 01:16:30.170
So I loved that kind of interaction and things like that.
01:16:30.329 --> 01:16:33.369
Then I became good friends with the furniture guy.
01:16:33.529 --> 01:16:38.409
So we were moving companies and we had to move the furniture, cubicles and things like that.
01:16:38.970 --> 01:16:41.050
And it was so interesting.
01:16:41.210 --> 01:16:42.970
And that he and I became good friends.
01:16:43.210 --> 01:16:47.689
Well, I ended up getting fired because I worked for my uncle and he got fired.
01:16:47.849 --> 01:16:51.369
And then I was because I was family, I was gonna be next.
01:16:51.529 --> 01:16:54.489
And sure enough, they fired me, so I went to go work for the furniture.
01:16:54.649 --> 01:16:58.090
This was in the late 90s, and at that time, internet was taken.
01:16:58.409 --> 01:16:59.849
It was all the dot-coms.
01:16:59.929 --> 01:17:00.170
Yeah.
01:17:00.329 --> 01:17:08.090
So when all the dot-coms started developing, and we I started getting involved in building for companies in these large skyscrapers in New York.
01:17:08.250 --> 01:17:10.889
And I'm like, wow, this is a different job.
01:17:11.130 --> 01:17:14.329
Like, I built a couple of floors of the World Trade Center before they went down.
01:17:14.489 --> 01:17:14.889
Wow.
01:17:15.289 --> 01:17:16.010
Crazy.
01:17:16.250 --> 01:17:18.970
But it was that interesting doing something different all the time.
01:17:19.130 --> 01:17:19.289
Yeah.
01:17:19.529 --> 01:17:21.130
It was almost like being a designer.
01:17:21.289 --> 01:17:26.010
So we would build all these extravagant, orphan things look, and that's what got me into furniture.
01:17:26.409 --> 01:17:30.809
And then I loved the adversity of just doing something different all the time.
01:17:30.889 --> 01:17:31.849
And then I got good at it.
01:17:32.010 --> 01:17:33.849
I was al I've always been a manager.
01:17:34.010 --> 01:17:36.649
So it was always good, you know, from manager to owner.
01:17:36.809 --> 01:17:39.289
I was always good at, you know, rallying up the troops.
01:17:39.369 --> 01:17:39.529
Yeah.
01:17:39.689 --> 01:17:46.329
And then once I got into business myself, came a sense of accomplishment and responsibility.
01:17:46.569 --> 01:17:48.250
So, you know, we've done that.
01:17:48.329 --> 01:17:49.050
A lot of changes.
01:17:49.289 --> 01:17:51.289
Almost went bankrupt twice.
01:17:51.849 --> 01:17:53.689
And uh there's a lot involved with that.
01:17:53.769 --> 01:17:58.010
So once you get good at it, then you So that's what got me into the furniture.
01:17:58.170 --> 01:18:03.449
My if you guys, anybody's ever interested, it's my website is uh one of them, it's totalazy.com.
01:18:03.769 --> 01:18:07.210
You go on there, you'll see all our home furnishings, things that we're selling.
01:18:07.369 --> 01:18:11.449
We're gonna be expanding to an auction type format as well.
01:18:11.609 --> 01:18:14.250
In addition to what we have, I have a showroom in Phoenix.
01:18:14.329 --> 01:18:19.849
So if you go to total lazy.com, you see my warehouse address and ours, and you can come by.
01:18:19.929 --> 01:18:22.329
And I buy great stuff from wholesalers.
01:18:22.569 --> 01:18:28.649
I don't buy a lot of any one thing, I buy many of specialty things that I like personally.
01:18:28.889 --> 01:18:29.289
Gotcha.
01:18:29.449 --> 01:18:30.569
So that's how that works.
01:18:30.889 -->
01:18:31.210
Okay.
01:18:31.769 --> 01:18:32.809
Secret sauce.
01:18:33.210 --> 01:18:36.729
It well you said you've almost gone bankrupt a couple times.
01:18:36.889 --> 01:18:39.210
Obviously, you've had some trials and tribulations through there.
01:18:39.449 --> 01:18:43.449
Having great friends in the business in business and networking.
01:18:44.010 --> 01:18:44.569
Insurance.
01:18:44.729 --> 01:18:47.289
You have you and I have talked insurance a couple times.
01:18:47.369 --> 01:18:50.170
We could never get to that point, but there was different reasons.
01:18:50.250 --> 01:18:55.929
You taught me how to do better insurance, how to keep your classification rates down, yeah.
01:18:56.170 --> 01:18:56.889
Things like that.
01:18:57.130 --> 01:18:59.609
Of course, we have the mutual friends, Doug Hopkins.
01:18:59.689 --> 01:19:05.689
Everybody knows Doug Doug Hopkins, learning real estate from him, just seeing how smart he is with his money.
01:19:05.849 --> 01:19:06.010
Yeah.
01:19:06.170 --> 01:19:06.809
Things like that.
01:19:06.889 --> 01:19:14.090
Now, I'll never be that smart, but being a good manager, being a good person, that's the secret sauce is being a good person.
01:19:14.250 --> 01:19:14.409
Yeah.
01:19:14.649 --> 01:19:17.210
Like my dad said there's one thing, you can do all kinds of things.
01:19:17.289 --> 01:19:20.809
The one thing that you can change your appearance, you can you really can't change your name.
01:19:20.970 --> 01:19:21.289
You can't.
01:19:21.449 --> 01:19:23.369
He goes, your name, you carry your name.
01:19:23.529 --> 01:19:28.649
If you carry it well, you carry it well, it'll all the all the rewards come with that.
01:19:28.729 --> 01:19:29.050
Yeah.
01:19:29.289 --> 01:19:34.090
Like when my dad died, about 400 people come to the service in New York.
01:19:34.409 --> 01:19:37.289
The mayor of New York at the time, who didn't even know my dad.
01:19:37.529 --> 01:19:40.649
And he, I never seen so many grown men cry.
01:19:40.889 --> 01:19:50.889
After the service, you know, meanwhile, my dad, I was a little bit, I was a little bit, of course, I was heartbroken, but I was always a little sore that he never coached my team, so to speak.
01:19:51.050 --> 01:19:51.289
Yeah.
01:19:51.529 --> 01:19:53.609
But I didn't understand what his hustle was.
01:19:53.849 --> 01:19:56.090
His hustle was to make sure our family never needed.
01:19:56.649 --> 01:20:00.649
So he I saw grown men cry, police officers, family.
01:20:00.970 --> 01:20:09.449
We got, and I still have some of them, received so many letters, and so many people came up to me personally to tell me how great of a man he was.
01:20:09.609 --> 01:20:22.250
Now I know I'll never be that great of a person, but and everything that they wrote about him was that he was probably the most upfront, down the earth, nicest person they ever met, polite, you name it.
01:20:22.489 --> 01:20:29.769
And I always told myself, now I mean while I was already in my 30s when he died, I said, man, I want to grow up to be like him.
01:20:29.929 --> 01:20:30.170
Yeah.
01:20:30.329 --> 01:20:32.649
I want to, of course, I want to outlive him.
01:20:32.970 --> 01:20:41.369
So then I my trials and tribulations now, we most people might say, hey, you know what, he's an asshole, but he's a gro he's a great guy.
01:20:41.529 --> 01:20:41.929
Yeah.
01:20:42.250 --> 01:20:44.090
Because that's what it is.
01:20:44.170 --> 01:20:46.489
They know I'll give somebody the shirt off my back.
01:20:46.569 --> 01:20:48.970
But they know if I can't give it to you, I'm gonna tell you how to get it.
01:20:49.050 --> 01:20:49.210
Yeah.
01:20:49.289 --> 01:20:52.409
If I share, if I have knowledge, I'm gonna share knowledge.
01:20:52.569 --> 01:20:54.729
If you just need me to listen, I'm gonna try to listen.
01:20:54.809 --> 01:20:56.809
I'm a talker, but I'm gonna try to listen.
01:20:57.050 --> 01:20:57.130
Right.
01:20:57.369 --> 01:21:02.170
But then if I can give you some advice that you want to hear, I'm not gonna tell you what you want to just wanna hear.
01:21:02.250 --> 01:21:02.489
Yeah.
01:21:02.649 --> 01:21:04.250
I can give you advice.
01:21:04.569 --> 01:21:07.449
But I think we people lose that now.
01:21:07.609 --> 01:21:07.849
Yeah.
01:21:08.090 --> 01:21:19.050
I've lost some friends, I intimidate people a little bit when you say secret sauce, because I have friends and people that I associate associated with that are stagnant in their lives.
01:21:19.449 --> 01:21:20.409
Because people always say that.
01:21:20.489 --> 01:21:25.210
Like, what do you one time my wife and I were having a conversation, and I'll never forget this.
01:21:25.289 --> 01:21:27.689
And she told me, she said, I'm envious of you.
01:21:27.929 --> 01:21:28.729
I said, Why?
01:21:29.449 --> 01:21:30.649
This is my wife telling me.
01:21:31.050 --> 01:21:33.689
She said, Because you go after what you want.
01:21:33.849 --> 01:21:36.649
And maybe you might not always get it, but you try hard for it.
01:21:36.729 --> 01:21:38.010
And a lot of times you do get it.
01:21:38.649 --> 01:21:40.409
And she's not that type of person.
01:21:40.569 --> 01:21:42.409
Yeah sometimes people shy away from that.
01:21:42.489 --> 01:21:44.090
They won't know what motivates them.
01:21:44.250 --> 01:21:44.649
Yeah.
01:21:44.970 --> 01:21:50.889
Me, I most of the time I motivate, whether I fall down or not, if I want something, I'm gonna go after it.
01:21:50.970 --> 01:21:51.130
Yeah.
01:21:51.289 --> 01:21:52.250
Whether I get it or not.
01:21:52.329 --> 01:21:53.849
And a lot of times I've gotten it.
01:21:54.090 --> 01:22:00.970
So it's one of those things where it's through hard work, perseverance, all the corny stuff.
01:22:01.050 --> 01:22:06.329
But the two things I would always tell people when they ask me my secret sauce, I call it H H.
01:22:06.569 --> 01:22:07.689
I'm always working at it.
01:22:07.849 --> 01:22:08.889
Trying to be humble.
01:22:09.529 --> 01:22:11.369
Man, that humble is hard.
01:22:11.609 --> 01:22:11.849
It is.
01:22:12.010 --> 01:22:14.729
And I'm an arrogant, I'm an arrogant guy.
01:22:14.970 --> 01:22:16.729
I can be a little flashy.
01:22:16.889 --> 01:22:19.769
And I own 160 pass niggas and growing.
01:22:19.929 --> 01:22:20.809
170, I think.
01:22:20.970 --> 01:22:21.449
Seriously.
01:22:21.609 --> 01:22:24.090
And then yeah, my my wardrobe is ridiculous.
01:22:24.170 --> 01:22:25.369
Because I wear it on stage, you know?
01:22:25.529 --> 01:22:25.609
Yeah.
01:22:25.929 --> 01:22:26.809
My jewelry alone.
01:22:27.369 --> 01:22:27.689
Yankees.
01:22:29.210 --> 01:22:31.289
I have I have 110 Yankee hats.
01:22:31.449 --> 01:22:31.769
No kidding.
01:22:32.090 --> 01:22:32.569
Different colours.
01:22:32.809 --> 01:22:33.130
Wow.
01:22:33.289 --> 01:22:34.409
Yeah, all different colours.
01:22:34.569 --> 01:22:35.769
Because I wear it, that's my stage.
01:22:35.929 --> 01:22:36.170
Yeah, yeah.
01:22:36.489 --> 01:22:38.569
So being humble is hard for somebody like me.
01:22:38.809 --> 01:22:43.210
Because I have that kind of confidence, but I I know that's the key to life.
01:22:43.449 --> 01:22:48.889
And then the the biggest one is with that I'm to the day I die is practicing humility.
01:22:49.130 --> 01:22:52.250
So practicing that humility is man, that's a mother.
01:22:52.329 --> 01:22:52.489
Yeah.
01:22:52.649 --> 01:22:55.130
And men are stubborn when they get older.
01:22:55.369 --> 01:22:57.130
Me, uh, not so much.
01:22:57.289 --> 01:22:59.130
I've I've I've what do you say?
01:22:59.210 --> 01:23:01.130
You I've given in a little bit sometimes.
01:23:01.289 --> 01:23:23.849
Like I I've given myself up to know that I want to be better, I wanna I wanna live longer, I wanna love more, I wanna and then I give a lot because I know, and I'm not a religious guy, I was raised a Catholic, did all my sacraments, but I know that the only reason I get blessings is so that I can forward them.
01:23:24.090 --> 01:23:24.409
Yeah.
01:23:24.569 --> 01:23:29.849
To me, that's the key, because that we all have a selfishness within us, right?
01:23:29.929 --> 01:23:38.170
Yeah, it's always selfish, but you live better being living a selfless, selfless life as instead of a selfish life.
01:23:38.489 --> 01:23:39.529
I yeah, no, I agree with that.
01:23:39.609 --> 01:23:48.329
And I feel like for me, I and I'm a service-minded person as it is, but I if I can do something to help somebody else, it fills me up more than anyone.
01:23:48.569 --> 01:23:49.050
Without a doubt.
01:23:49.210 --> 01:23:50.170
So without a doubt.
01:23:50.250 --> 01:23:51.130
I do that with laughter.
01:23:51.369 --> 01:23:54.170
People that come out spend good money, yeah, I'm gonna make them laugh.
01:23:54.250 --> 01:23:55.130
I want them to feel good.
01:23:55.210 --> 01:23:56.409
I'm not gonna talk about them.
01:23:56.489 --> 01:24:02.329
I'm gonna I'm gonna do that, and that laughter, man, it lets you forget about what's going on in your life.
01:24:02.489 --> 01:24:02.649
Yeah.
01:24:02.970 --> 01:24:03.849
Who did you just lose?
01:24:04.010 --> 01:24:04.569
Who's sick?
01:24:04.649 --> 01:24:05.529
Who's dying?
01:24:05.929 --> 01:24:08.729
Like I I'm going through some tough times in life.
01:24:08.970 --> 01:24:10.889
Like off air.
01:24:10.970 --> 01:24:14.569
You and I have talked about this a little bit, and it's hard for me.
01:24:14.889 --> 01:24:16.090
You find yourself alone.
01:24:16.170 --> 01:24:16.489
Yeah.
01:24:16.729 --> 01:24:20.250
Because I become I'm the one that people look to.
01:24:20.889 --> 01:24:23.369
So I'm like, man, I didn't sign up for that.
01:24:23.449 --> 01:24:25.369
I didn't want to be the big brother.
01:24:25.529 --> 01:24:31.609
I didn't want to be the I might have acted like that, but sometimes I just want to just want to be able to live your life, be you.
01:24:31.849 --> 01:24:33.369
I want to just live mine, and it's hard.
01:24:33.449 --> 01:24:33.609
Yeah.
01:24:33.849 --> 01:24:35.769
And people say that, how do you do that?
01:24:36.010 --> 01:24:39.289
You I do that because I remember those things that I told you.
01:24:39.369 --> 01:24:41.769
I do that because I know God blesses me.
01:24:41.849 --> 01:24:44.090
I do that because I know I have gifts.
01:24:44.489 --> 01:24:46.170
I have gifts to give.
01:24:46.409 --> 01:24:49.529
And then I also know that when I die, I can't take anything with me.
01:24:49.849 --> 01:24:50.489
That's true.
01:24:50.809 --> 01:24:56.090
So what happens is the only thing I'm gonna leave is my legacy, my grandchildren, my children.
01:24:56.329 --> 01:25:02.889
And that I raise them well enough to be and to carry on that type of that type of because we live in this hard world.
01:25:02.970 --> 01:25:03.130
Yeah.
01:25:03.369 --> 01:25:06.170
Because, you know, they're not gonna be ready when the day I go.
01:25:06.329 --> 01:25:06.569
Right.
01:25:06.729 --> 01:25:08.729
I'm that big in my kids' lives.
01:25:08.970 --> 01:25:09.769
I know that.
01:25:10.090 --> 01:25:12.729
But I'm confident enough that I've raised them.
01:25:12.970 --> 01:25:14.489
Same thing with my employees.
01:25:14.649 --> 01:25:19.689
I let this company merger go because I want to give them opportunity if I'm not here.
01:25:20.090 --> 01:25:20.970
That's all I'm doing.
01:25:21.050 --> 01:25:21.289
Yeah.
01:25:21.529 --> 01:25:29.210
The company that we're merging with is gonna be an employee-owned company, be security for my employees, and they'll have the opportunities, partial owners.
01:25:29.289 --> 01:25:29.529
Yeah.
01:25:29.689 --> 01:25:31.369
So when I'm done, and that's good.
01:25:31.449 --> 01:25:32.889
I know I've taken care of everybody.
01:25:33.130 --> 01:25:33.609
That's awesome.
01:25:33.769 --> 01:25:35.369
But that's really what we do.
01:25:35.449 --> 01:25:38.010
Oh, like same thing with comedy.
01:25:38.170 --> 01:25:40.010
I'm never gonna be
the biggest comic.
01:25:40.170 --> 01:25:44.170
You know, I'm gonna be a funny guy, but it fulfills me enough.
01:25:44.329 --> 01:25:50.250
But I get to the last couple of weekends, between the last three weekends, probably six thousand people.
01:25:50.970 --> 01:25:51.289
Wow.
01:25:51.529 --> 01:25:52.489
In three weekends.
01:25:52.729 --> 01:25:53.449
That's incredible.
01:25:53.689 --> 01:25:55.369
Yeah, yeah, over six thousand people.
01:25:55.529 --> 01:25:56.090
That's awesome.
01:25:56.250 --> 01:26:01.050
And I got a chance to stand up on stage and say, hey, knock, whatever.
01:26:01.210 --> 01:26:04.250
And help them forget about whatever their problem is in that moment.
01:26:04.489 --> 01:26:04.889
Absolutely.
01:26:05.210 --> 01:26:08.409
And I like making that difference, as corny as it sounds.
01:26:08.729 --> 01:26:12.329
It's it is that's that self-satis satisfying.
01:26:12.489 --> 01:26:15.849
You know, that's I'm a big believer in self-gratification.
01:26:15.929 --> 01:26:16.329
Yeah.
01:26:16.569 --> 01:26:19.289
And that means that's awesome.
01:26:19.449 --> 01:26:21.210
Well, hey, I this has been awesome.
01:26:21.449 --> 01:26:22.170
We covered, yeah.
01:26:22.649 --> 01:26:23.529
Or do we go with it?
01:26:23.609 --> 01:26:28.010
Yeah, no, I mean it's crazy because as long as I've known you, I don't think we've ever sat down and just had a conversation.
01:26:28.250 --> 01:26:34.409
You don't you don't realize that until you're older because it's always been to an occasion of with friends and things like that.
01:26:34.729 --> 01:26:38.970
And but different times of life, like you were going through a different thing at that time of your life.
01:26:39.050 --> 01:26:40.329
I was going through something else.
01:26:40.409 --> 01:26:44.489
Yeah, we would get together, the common thing was playing basketball or football.
01:26:44.569 --> 01:26:44.729
Yeah.
01:26:44.889 --> 01:26:48.329
Like I missed the weren't doing the turkey bowl no more.
01:26:48.409 --> 01:26:50.010
Yeah, we used to have a great time on the turkey ball.
01:26:51.449 --> 01:26:54.250
Yeah, we got too old with that, but that turkey bowl was good.
01:26:54.409 --> 01:26:55.769
You know, it was a great time.
01:26:55.929 --> 01:27:04.409
Then I've seen you, you became a big community guy, and what you were doing in Gilbert, and I've seen you come up the ranks and doing your insurance and everything else.
01:27:04.569 --> 01:27:06.329
It's it was a big deal.
01:27:06.409 --> 01:27:07.849
Like I saw you go through that.
01:27:07.929 --> 01:27:11.050
I saw the struggles you had with your personal life.
01:27:11.130 --> 01:27:11.449
Yeah.
01:27:11.689 --> 01:27:17.369
And but it was like you were always the most polite, most still confident, great type of guy.
01:27:17.529 --> 01:27:20.569
And that's why I was always fortunate enough to be around those types.
01:27:20.729 --> 01:27:26.889
That's why, like the uh mutual friends, it was always a great thing
to be around them because they were all good people.
01:27:27.130 --> 01:27:30.889
So yeah, we deal with that, and it it it it builds us.
01:27:30.970 --> 01:27:32.170
Yeah, it makes us who we are.
01:27:32.250 --> 01:27:33.609
So people say, Who are you?
01:27:33.769 --> 01:27:35.130
I'm a little bit of everybody.
01:27:35.529 --> 01:27:35.849
Yep.
01:27:36.090 --> 01:27:40.809
Every little path I walk, every little thing I do, every experience that I have, right?
01:27:41.130 --> 01:27:41.929
We talk about that.
01:27:42.569 --> 01:27:49.210
Not you and I, but I've talked about that where it's you have these i I can only make decisions based on my experience, right?
01:27:49.369 --> 01:27:52.090
And it doesn't mean my decision is the right decision.
01:27:52.329 --> 01:28:00.329
Like you said, I grew up in a very white community in northeastern Washington, and we had one colored kid in the and then we had migrant workers.
01:28:00.409 --> 01:28:05.609
And you at the you were at the furthest point away from the east coast where you couldn't see that.
01:28:05.849 --> 01:28:09.689
So it's uh we're always we're always learning.
01:28:09.849 --> 01:28:14.809
I don't know if people realize that, and we're always teaching through our actions.
01:28:14.970 --> 01:28:15.369
Yep.
01:28:15.609 --> 01:28:19.050
So it's uh sometimes I get real philosophical with things.
01:28:19.210 --> 01:28:22.250
Part of it's bullshit, some of it's philosophical, right?
01:28:22.489 --> 01:28:27.529
But it's you need a little bit of everything, a little bit of the hard knocks and a little bit of the education.
01:28:27.689 --> 01:28:27.849
Yeah.
01:28:28.090 --> 01:28:30.250
And that's what I think people lack today.
01:28:30.409 --> 01:28:37.449
I think they lack the mixture of reality and truth, and just being honest with yourself.
01:28:37.609 --> 01:28:38.010
Yeah.
01:28:38.250 --> 01:28:39.449
Because it's hard.
01:28:39.609 --> 01:28:42.090
I don't envy people that are struggling.
01:28:42.170 --> 01:28:43.689
And just think everybody's struggling.
01:28:43.849 --> 01:28:46.809
Somebody's struggling about the light bill today, their car payment.
01:28:47.130 --> 01:28:48.329
Where am I gonna live?
01:28:48.569 --> 01:28:53.130
Their health, their children, their siblings, their spouse, yeah.
01:28:53.369 --> 01:28:54.809
Everyone has something going on.
01:28:54.889 --> 01:28:55.050
Yeah.
01:28:55.210 --> 01:28:57.050
So how do you balance that, right?
01:28:57.289 --> 01:29:01.210
So, and then it's everyone in your life is going through something.
01:29:01.529 --> 01:29:18.729
Well, and to bring it back to the social media, I think one of the biggest issues we have today is everybody's got those issues, everybody's got those problems, everybody's got something going on, and all we see is look how beautiful I am on the beach, look how wonderful I am doing this.
01:29:19.130 --> 01:29:21.849
There is the other part of it, but you don't want to read, you don't want
to see those.
01:29:22.010 --> 01:29:22.170
Right.
01:29:22.329 --> 01:29:33.369
Because you always hear, like I think today, which is I think is probably the most selfish thing anybody could do, is commit suicide as if a lot of times I said that could I have done could I have been there for them.
01:29:33.609 --> 01:29:33.849
Right.
01:29:34.090 --> 01:29:36.409
Where was I at when that happened?
01:29:36.649 --> 01:29:40.329
And honestly, a lot of times you might not be able to make a difference.
01:29:40.409 --> 01:29:40.729
Right.
01:29:40.889 --> 01:29:44.809
I have a very close friend of mine that that deals with depression.
01:29:44.970 --> 01:29:45.449
Mm-hmm.
01:29:45.769 --> 01:29:48.649
And man, we have a great time together all the time.
01:29:48.970 --> 01:29:51.449
But sometimes they go into a depression state.
01:29:51.529 --> 01:29:51.769
Yeah.
01:29:52.010 --> 01:29:59.449
And I don't understand why, because I do everything in my power to make sure they don't have things and they still come up.
01:29:59.609 --> 01:30:01.289
And I'm like, what can I do?
01:30:01.609 --> 01:30:01.769
Yeah.
01:30:02.010 --> 01:30:02.889
You know what they told me?
01:30:03.529 --> 01:30:05.050
Just be there for me when I need you.
01:30:05.210 --> 01:30:05.529
Yeah.
01:30:05.689 --> 01:30:05.929
Right?
01:30:06.010 --> 01:30:06.970
And that's deep.
01:30:07.130 --> 01:30:07.369
Yeah.
01:30:07.609 --> 01:30:10.329
Cause I had a and I don't know if you ever got a chance to meet him.
01:30:10.489 --> 01:30:13.529
Because I did you ever take did you you never came with us to Vegas?
01:30:13.689 --> 01:30:13.849
No.
01:30:14.010 --> 01:30:15.289
That used to be the best trips.
01:30:15.369 --> 01:30:15.529
Yeah.
01:30:15.689 --> 01:30:20.809
So we had a good friend here, and you might have met him here to a function, but his name was Mono, right?
01:30:21.050 --> 01:30:28.090
So Mono, handsome, six foot four, black guy, nine eyes, married, unbelievable guy.
01:30:28.250 --> 01:30:29.689
And this is a couple years ago.
01:30:29.769 --> 01:30:34.090
He got diagnosed, four years ago, he got diagnosed with I knew I didn't know much about it.
01:30:34.489 --> 01:30:36.250
And then I did the research.
01:30:36.329 --> 01:30:39.449
And the thing that hit me the most now he him and his wife never had kids.
01:30:39.849 --> 01:30:40.970
Said no cure.
01:30:41.369 --> 01:30:44.090
Average average span is three years.
01:30:44.409 --> 01:30:44.889
Really?
01:30:45.130 --> 01:30:48.329
The most anybody's ever lived with it is ten years.
01:30:48.729 --> 01:30:50.970
No one's ever lived past ten years.
01:30:51.210 --> 01:30:51.609
Ever.
01:30:52.010 --> 01:30:53.849
No medication, no cure.
01:30:54.090 --> 01:30:55.369
And I'm like, that's crazy.
01:30:55.849 --> 01:30:57.769
A small percentage of people get it.
01:30:58.090 --> 01:31:00.409
And I watched him deteriorate.
01:31:00.489 --> 01:31:02.729
Now he's probably one of the most beautiful people I know.
01:31:02.970 --> 01:31:06.409
Never heard him say a bad thing about anybody in his life.
01:31:06.809 --> 01:31:08.729
Never got a chance to be a father.
01:31:09.050 --> 01:31:10.729
Was always a friend, things like that.
01:31:11.210 --> 01:31:14.090
To me, I'm like, I couldn't imagine if I was never a dad.
01:31:14.250 --> 01:31:14.569
Yeah.
01:31:14.729 --> 01:31:15.050
Right?
01:31:15.210 --> 01:31:16.729
If I never had grandkids.
01:31:17.289 --> 01:31:19.289
So I watched him deteriorate.
01:31:19.609 --> 01:31:21.449
So true story.
01:31:21.689 --> 01:31:22.649
He starts getting him down.
01:31:23.050 --> 01:31:28.970
Most of the time, what ends up going as they lose all their motor functions is their voice.
01:31:29.210 --> 01:31:30.489
He kept his voice.
01:31:30.809 --> 01:31:32.329
Now I go to see him.
01:31:32.409 --> 01:31:33.369
Now he's bedridden.
01:31:33.689 --> 01:31:34.489
He's a hundred pounds.
01:31:34.649 --> 01:31:35.130
He's a skeleton.
01:31:35.289 --> 01:31:37.130
He took a medical bed in his house.
01:31:37.210 --> 01:31:38.170
And he looked at me.
01:31:38.489 --> 01:31:39.130
True story.
01:31:39.289 --> 01:31:41.689
He said, Man, I'm so proud of you.
01:31:42.170 --> 01:31:43.130
What are you talking about?
01:31:43.449 --> 01:31:45.369
He says, Man, I look up to you.
01:31:45.529 --> 01:31:50.250
I see you traveling, doing your I remember the first time you performed.
01:31:50.489 --> 01:31:52.569
And you're just you're living your life.
01:31:52.809 --> 01:31:53.689
I'm so proud of you.
01:31:53.769 --> 01:31:55.210
I said, he goes, I look up to you.
01:31:55.529 --> 01:31:56.889
He says, you inspire me.
01:31:57.050 --> 01:31:59.849
And I couldn't believe that because he's dying.
01:31:59.929 --> 01:32:01.210
I'm watching him die.
01:32:01.369 --> 01:32:01.609
Yeah.
01:32:01.769 --> 01:32:04.569
And I'm saying to myself, because I'm asking him, How are you doing?
01:32:04.729 --> 01:32:06.010
He says, No, how are you doing?
01:32:06.489 --> 01:32:07.769
That's all he could talk about.
01:32:08.090 --> 01:32:10.010
He goes, keep me living right now.
01:32:10.489 --> 01:32:12.250
And he wanted to take his own life.
01:32:12.329 --> 01:32:18.250
If self-suicide was available, because it was he said, I can't do it, because I can't wipe my own ass.
01:32:18.409 --> 01:32:19.929
I can't I can't eat.
01:32:20.170 --> 01:32:24.170
And man, this guy, KK knew him, Dougie knew him, everybody knew him.
01:32:24.569 --> 01:32:27.769
And he I watched and he told me that day.
01:32:27.849 --> 01:32:28.729
He and he thanked me.
01:32:28.809 --> 01:32:29.769
He said, Thank you.
01:32:30.329 --> 01:32:31.289
Thank me for what?
01:32:31.769 --> 01:32:33.449
Because thank you for being a friend.
01:32:33.529 --> 01:32:34.649
Thank you for being there.
01:32:34.970 --> 01:32:36.489
It bothers me to this day.
01:32:36.649 --> 01:32:39.130
He dies two months later.
01:32:39.609 --> 01:32:43.849
And all the money in the world, all the
laughter, nothing I could do to save him.
01:32:44.090 --> 01:32:46.569
I would have given anything for him to live.
01:32:47.289 --> 01:32:50.090
And to me, that's what people take for granted.
01:32:50.809 --> 01:32:52.489
Because that just came out of nowhere.
01:32:52.569 --> 01:32:52.729
Yeah.
01:32:52.970 --> 01:32:55.449
It wasn't he didn't do anything bad in life.
01:32:55.769 --> 01:32:59.050
It's like when people get cancers, he didn't do any of that.
01:32:59.609 --> 01:33:00.889
He had no cure.
01:33:01.130 --> 01:33:05.210
He was, man, the gentlest soul, the most lovable guy.
01:33:05.449 --> 01:33:06.569
I miss him to death.
01:33:07.369 --> 01:33:09.130
But that's my recipe.
01:33:09.210 --> 01:33:10.409
That's my secret sauce.
01:33:10.649 --> 01:33:10.889
Yeah.
01:33:11.130 --> 01:33:16.569
My secret sauce is appreciating life and living every day for what it is.
01:33:16.809 --> 01:33:18.409
No matter how bad it gets for us.
01:33:18.729 --> 01:33:20.889
No matter what trials, we're always gonna have that.
01:33:21.050 --> 01:33:23.689
And we're always gonna have people and things that come at us.
01:33:24.010 --> 01:33:24.569
No matter what.
01:33:24.649 --> 01:33:25.769
We're gonna lose our homes.
01:33:25.849 --> 01:33:29.849
I my house was foreclosed now back in in 2008.
01:33:30.090 --> 01:33:32.569
And I said, things are replaceable.
01:33:33.050 --> 01:33:34.409
Health and freedom are not.
01:33:34.489 --> 01:33:34.649
Yeah.
01:33:34.970 --> 01:33:36.250
And strong mental.
01:33:36.649 --> 01:33:42.489
So I said, I watched that, and it's tough, but that's what keeps me going.
01:33:42.809 --> 01:33:43.929
And good friends, you know.
01:33:44.170 --> 01:33:45.849
Just surrounding yourself with good people.
01:33:46.010 --> 01:33:46.250
Yeah.
01:33:46.409 --> 01:33:48.250
And I think it's a mental toughness.
01:33:48.409 --> 01:33:49.609
So that's my story.
01:33:49.849 --> 01:33:50.729
Nice to that.
01:33:51.130 --> 01:33:52.809
Well, dude, I appreciate it.
01:33:52.970 --> 01:33:53.609
I appreciate you.
01:33:53.689 --> 01:33:54.170
Thank you very much.
01:33:54.889 --> 01:33:57.130
And good luck with what you're doing.
01:33:57.210 --> 01:34:01.130
Because I think one day I will I wanted to start a podcast, right?
01:34:01.289 --> 01:34:02.250
There's so many of them.
01:34:02.489 --> 01:34:09.369
And I think that it's always interesting because I think we people lose that kind of talent to try to just talk and interviews.
01:34:09.609 --> 01:34:09.849
Just talk.
01:34:10.170 --> 01:34:11.689
Because nobody listens to radio anymore, really.
01:34:12.170 --> 01:34:12.569
They do.
01:34:12.649 --> 01:34:25.210
And but if I can inspire someone and help them by what I do, if something I said is familiar, if something I if somebody wanted to know a little bit about business, reach out to me.
01:34:25.609 --> 01:34:27.529
Reach out to to to Yon.
01:34:27.769 --> 01:34:29.289
He'll give me, give you my number.
01:34:29.689 --> 01:34:30.809
I'll I'm there.
01:34:31.050 --> 01:34:44.170
If somebody wanted to know how to deal with a certain situation with their children and their or their home or financial or friends or whatever, business, I'm there, you know, because I realize that's the gift I have.
01:34:44.329 --> 01:34:49.609
So if I can give that advice out, then I hope somebody else could benefit from it.
01:34:49.689 --> 01:34:49.849
Yeah.
01:34:50.010 --> 01:34:52.809
So besides being funny and trying to live life good.
01:34:53.210 --> 01:34:53.449
Yeah.
01:34:53.689 --> 01:34:54.729
Well, I appreciate that.
01:34:54.889 --> 01:34:55.449
Thank you very much.
01:34:55.769 --> 01:34:56.090
For sure.
01:34:56.250 --> 01:34:58.170
Um I've got something for you.
01:34:58.569 --> 01:35:01.609
Everybody that comes on the show gets a little gift.
01:35:02.010 --> 01:35:08.569
And so for you, whatever your drink of choice, orange juice, milk, oh, very nice.
01:35:08.889 --> 01:35:09.369
Cocktail.
01:35:09.849 --> 01:35:13.449
I know you as Big Rob, and so it has Big Rob on it, has the year.
01:35:13.609 --> 01:35:17.369
It's engraved by a friend of mine who owns Rock Sync Calligraphy.
01:35:17.689 --> 01:35:18.170
Very nice.
01:35:18.329 --> 01:35:20.649
So yeah, so that's your awesome, man.
01:35:20.729 --> 01:35:21.130
Thank you.
01:35:21.289 --> 01:35:21.449
Yeah.
01:35:21.609 --> 01:35:24.649
I love and I love these little I love these little collectibles.
01:35:24.809 --> 01:35:25.529
That's what I do now.
01:35:25.769 --> 01:35:27.529
Collecting just beautiful.
01:35:27.609 --> 01:35:31.449
Like I go to Hawaii, I buy anything with turtles and surfboards.
01:35:31.849 --> 01:35:32.729
That's my big thing.
01:35:32.889 --> 01:35:34.970
I and freaking that damn Mickey Mouse.
01:35:35.050 --> 01:35:40.489
Well, I got more Mickey Mouse stuff now that I get that's you know, but wow, this is beautiful.
01:35:40.569 --> 01:35:40.889
Thank you.
01:35:41.050 --> 01:35:41.449
You're welcome.
01:35:41.609 --> 01:35:42.090
Well, thank you.
01:35:42.250 --> 01:35:43.609
I very much appreciate you coming on.
01:35:43.689 --> 01:35:44.569
I appreciate your time.
01:35:45.369 --> 01:35:46.409
Any anytime, you know that.
01:35:46.569 --> 01:35:49.050
So we can do that, definitely.
01:35:49.210 --> 01:35:49.449
All right.
01:35:49.689 --> 01:35:50.170
Well, thank you.
01:35:50.569 --> 01:35:51.050
Thank you very much.
01:35:51.449 --> 01:35:51.689
Yep.
01:35:51.849 --> 01:35:55.689
This is Rob Rodriguez, and I definitely went above and beyond.