Nik Dodani

Sujata Day

I first became aware of Sujata Day [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sujata_Day] through her work with Issa Rae on The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, but by the end of this conversation I found myself just as fascinated by the way she thinks as by anything she's made. Sujata is the writer, director, producer, and star of Definition Please, and one of those rare people who seems completely comfortable betting on herself - whether that means leaving a stable consulting job, cold-emailing Hollywood managers, cashing out stock to finance her own film, or building opportunities for other South Asian creators instead of waiting for someone else to do it. What I loved about this conversation is how practical it gets. Sujata doesn't talk about success in vague inspirational terms. She talks about the actual mechanics of it. We get into how a random Twitter follow led to her meeting Issa Rae before either of them were famous, why persistence matters more than any single project, how she landed representation through sheer hustle, and why she believes South Asians are finally starting to build the kind of creative community that other groups have benefited from for years. There's also plenty of fun along the way - spelling bee trauma, shooting a feature in her childhood home outside Pittsburgh, and her surprisingly strong case for wearing sweatpants to fancy events. More than anything, I came away impressed by how intentional she is about lifting other people up. That's a theme that runs through this entire episode, and it's probably the thing that stuck with me most. Follow Sujata Day: IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1787397/] Website [https://www.sujataday.com] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sujataday/?hl=en] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/sujataday] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/sujataday] Vimeo [https://vimeo.com/sujataday] Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/sujataday]

Richard Barrett

Most people outside of comedy have probably never heard of Richard Barrett. Inside comedy, that's a different story. Richard has spent decades helping shape one of the most respected comedy rooms in America - The Comedy & Magic Club [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comedy_%26_Magic_Club] in Hermosa Beach - where legends like Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, George Carlin, Garry Shandling, and countless others have worked, experimented, and refined their craft. As the club's longtime booker and entertainment director, he's had a front-row seat to comedy history while quietly helping launch the next generation of comedians. What I enjoyed most about this conversation is that Richard approaches comedy with the same care and respect that great comedians bring to the stage. We talk about how he accidentally found his way into the comedy business after leaving a successful career in Florida, what he looks for when evaluating new talent, why he's more likely to book a comedian a year too late than a day too early, and the philosophy that helped make The Comedy & Magic Club such a special place. Along the way, he shares incredible stories about Jerry Seinfeld, George Carlin, Jay Leno, Steve Allen, Garry Shandling, and many others, but what stands out is the deep appreciation he has for comedy itself and the people who dedicate their lives to making strangers laugh. After this conversation, it's easy to understand why so many comics speak about Richard with genuine affection and respect. He may not be the one holding the microphone, but he's helped create the room where so much comedy magic happens. Get tickets to a show at The Comedy & Magic Club [https://thecomedyandmagicclub.com/events/] Pick up merch from The Comedy and Magic Club [https://cmcmerch.logosoftwear.com/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPOTM2NjE5NzQzMzkyNDU5AAGni1YXGLd24fmEDGMaqaPIiDAmLgHkzBgUXHlN5rr3uBu06yp6JNOTeSxHFuY_aem_4HMbzehAg3DSr5ixHOOz3w] Follow The Comedy & Magic Club:Website [https://thecomedyandmagicclub.com] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/comedyandmagicclub/?hl=en] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/ComedyAndMagicClub/] TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@comedyandmagicclub] Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@TheComedyandMagicClub]

Ritesh Rajan

Actor Ritesh Rajan [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritesh_Rajan] might be best known for roles in Russian Doll, The Jungle Book, Stitchers, Definition Please, and voicing Ken in Mattel's Barbie Vlogger universe - but this episode quickly turns into something much bigger than a career retrospective. It becomes a conversation about identity, ambition, immigrant families, and why South Asians still struggle to support each other creatively in America. Ritesh and I cover everything from growing up as one of the only Indian kids in a small-town New York school system to playing Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar, teaching Bhangra-infused Zumba classes around the world, and the surreal feeling of finally standing on sets filled predominantly with South Asian artists. There's also a hilarious deep dive into South Indian naming conventions, Indian-parent threats that sound criminal when translated into English, and why Ritesh believes South Asians need to stop asking "why aren't you in more things?" and start actually supporting the projects that already exist. It's thoughtful, funny, incredibly honest, and one of the more grounded conversations this show has had about what representation actually means once the cameras stop rolling. Ritesh's projects mentioned in the show: Russian Doll [https://www.netflix.com/watch/80211499?source=35] The Voice of Ken (Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures) [https://www.netflix.com/title/80192734] Definition Please [https://www.netflix.com/title/81562958] Follow Ritesh Rajan: IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3172325/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/teshrajan/?hl=en] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/p/Ritesh-Rajan-100058274251319/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/teshrajan]

Seth Godin

I've wanted to talk to Seth Godin [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Godin] for years, and this conversation somehow managed to be even more wide-ranging than I expected. Seth is one of the most influential marketing thinkers of the last few decades. He is the author of books like Purple Cow, Linchpin, and The Dip, but what struck me most in this episode wasn't the marketing advice. It was how deeply philosophical he is about work, creativity, fear, education, and what it actually means to matter. We get into everything here: why Seth thinks America's advantage isn't obedience but creativity, why most people confuse freelancing with entrepreneurship, why schools still train kids for factory jobs that no longer exist, and why he believes giving ideas away for free is often the smartest thing you can do. There's also a fascinating section where he completely reframes how I think about stand-up comedy careers, including whether comics should scale themselves like entrepreneurs or protect the purity of being freelancers. Some episodes feel like interviews. This one felt more like intellectual ping-pong with somebody who's spent decades thinking deeply about how people make decisions and why most of us are playing the wrong game entirely. Pick up one of Seth's many best selling books [https://seths.store] Read Seth's Blog [https://seths.blog] Listen to Seth's podcast, "Akimbo" [https://www.akimbo.link] Follow Seth Godin: Website [https://www.sethgodin.com] LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethgodin/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sethgodin/?hl=en] Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/sethgodin/] X (Twitter) [https://x.com/ThisIsSethsBlog]

Karan Soni

Actor and writer Karan Soni [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karan_Soni] has quietly become one of the most recognizable faces in acting and comedy over the last decade, thanks to standout roles in Deadpool, Deadpool 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, Abbott Elementary, Miracle Workers, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, and 7 Days - but this conversation reveals the person underneath all of that success in a way that's funny, vulnerable, and unexpectedly deep. Karan and I bounce between stories about immigrating to America, obsessing over The O.C., terrible first acting jobs, celebrity encounters gone horribly wrong, and the weird emotional baggage that comes with wanting to be accepted. Karan talks openly about coming out to his family after moving from India to USC, the culture shock of seeing openly queer couples for the first time, and the therapist who helped change the trajectory of his relationship with his parents. We also get into representation in Hollywood, why South Asians sometimes struggle to support each other creatively, the pressure of being "the Indian guy" in a room, and how Deadpool unexpectedly changed his relationship with fame and visibility. Along the way there are stories involving porta-potties, sweaty handshakes, police officers who love Marvel movies, and one truly catastrophic interaction with Ben McKenzie that somehow becomes one of the funniest moments in the entire episode. Follow Karan Soni:IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4175221/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/itskaransoni/]