EP. 65 - I nearly died but the theater saved me: Stanzi Potenza interview [VIDEO]

As a kid, @Stanzipotenza nearly died. She suffered PTSD but couldn't afford therapy - so she found escape in theater & comedy. Today - she's a top creator & comic with sold out shows, millions on TikTok, and a feature in the NY Times. She helped Biden win the Senate and successfully fooled Dr. Phil on national television. On the podcast today - she shares why you need therapy, how to channel emotional pain into creative work, and how to be funny! ---------------------------------------------- Learn more about Karat at https://www.trykarat.com Follow Karat at https://www.instagram.com/trykarat/ Follow Eric at https://www.instagram.com/erictway/ Follow Stanzi at @Stanzipotenza https://www.instagram.com/stanzipotenza/ https://www.tiktok.com/@stanzipotenza ---------------------------------------------- 00:00 - Introduction 01:54 - My parent's divorce got me into theater 03:14 - Theater helped me escape my trauma 04:37 - Reliving a traumatic childhood experience 04:55 - I couldn’t afford therapy after my near-death experience 05:29 - How I almost DIED at 11 06:25 - A stranger sacrificed his life for me 07:56 - My world was falling apart 08:52 - Seeing my mom struggle 10:16 - No one wanted to be my friend 10:57 - Theater was my lifeline 11:58 - The Pacific changed my acting career 13:20 - The turning point in my acting career 14:08 - What are people saying about me on Reddit? 16:19 - My first viral video 17:49 - My parents are my biggest cheerleaders 18:41 - Giving people confidence and validation 21:41 - My teacher humiliated me 22:30 - Receiving male validation 27:32 - Acting is more than playing pretend 28:23 - I was emotionally unavailable to protect myself 29:53 - The moment I changed 35:16 - Being vulnerable is scary 36:37 - Therapy invited Scumbag Dad into my life 38:17 - I’m telling you the truth because I care 42:25 - I prioritized my relationship and not my career 43:29 - Therapy gave me the confidence to post online 46:42 - The best advice for posting on social media 48:40 - The New York Times called me cringe 52:14 - Dr. Phil was wrong about me 56:51 - How becoming an artist changed my life forever 1:00:04 - Why people don’t become artists 1:04:38 - I want to be a household name 1:07:19 - I sold out my first stand-up comedy show 1:11:42 - Rejection is redirection 1:16:01 - How I view my content 1:19:03 - I helped Joe Biden win the election 1:24:10 - I want my art to have an impact on people