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Comedy is a mirror and a map, MO’s long conversation with stand-up comic Jake Poland traces both. They start with the personal—the tired voice after a great talk, the open mic nights in St. Pete and Tampa, the strange little signs that push you back on stage—and quickly find the bigger story: comedy as a daily reset. Jake insists the craft restarts every day. Yesterday’s kill doesn’t pay today’s dues, and last week’s applause won’t help if you coast. That tension creates a practice built on honesty and perseverance. It also exposes the real cost of choosing art over certainty: sleep debt, shifting friendships, quiet finances, and the unglamorous grind between laughter and silence.
What keeps someone in it? @IamJakePolin leans on a sports engine. He grew up on baseball where a .300 hitter is legendary even though seven of ten at-bats end in failure. That framing transforms a bomb into feedback rather than fate. He records sets, listens back in the car, and lets the tape tell the truth. He writes by riffing: outline a premise, talk it out on stage, find the sweet spots, cut the dead air, then tighten until the idea is both unique and relatable. He avoids fleeting references, reaching for material that will still hit in ten years. There’s a purist streak in him—less posting, more building—because the goal isn’t to be seen; it’s to be undeniable when you are.
By the end, the throughline is clear. Comedy is not an escape from life; it is a way to live it more honestly. You show up, you reset, you fail, you cut, you try again. Respect follows rigor. Money follows momentum. And if you hold your nerve through the quiet seasons, the work becomes its own reward—rich not in cash today, but in truth you can spend tomorrow.

If you’re chasing a craft, or trying to hold your nerve through a quiet season, this one’s for you. Press play to hear how the comedy reset builds a life, why respect might be the best metric of success, and how to keep your humor when the world asks for certainty. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review.

What’s your version of “made it,” and what keeps you going if no one’s watching?

Instagram: @this.is.a.metaphor & @joyscout.mo

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Cover Design by: Joyscout Studio // For commissioned art & design inquiries: Joyscout Studio

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