Nate Bargatze: Creativity, Comedy + Never Settling
Jul 26, 2023
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Nate Bargatze, stand-up comedian from Tennessee, discusses his rise to success in stand-up comedy, touring nationally and internationally, working with Chris Rock, balancing stand-up with writing for television, crafting jokes and storytelling.
Being completely devoted and obsessed with your craft is crucial for success.
Surrounding yourself with a supportive and competitive community helps in refining your material and finding your unique voice.
Commitment and obsession are key factors in achieving success in any field.
Maintaining a clean comedic style and being relatable to a wider audience contribute to success.
Deep dives
Importance of Being Obsessed and Dedicated
To succeed in any field, it is crucial to be completely devoted and obsessed with your craft. This level of dedication requires honing your skills and learning from mistakes. There are no shortcuts to success. Careers take time, effort, and consistent practice. The speaker emphasizes the importance of committing to your passion and pursuing it every day.
The Journey of Becoming a Professional Comedian
In this podcast episode, comedian Nate Bargatze shares his journey of becoming a successful comedian. He talks about discovering his passion for comedy, managing the challenges of pursuing a career in comedy, and learning from his early experiences of rejection. Nate discusses the importance of storytelling and consistency in creating good work. He emphasizes the benefits of staying uncomfortable and maintaining commitment to one's pursuit.
The Significance of Community and Competitive Environment
The podcast highlights the importance of surrounding oneself with a supportive and competitive community in comedy. The speaker acknowledges the competitive nature of comedy, where there is a constant drive to outperform others. The community of fellow comedians provides a space for growth, learning, and challenging one another to improve. Sharing experiences, competing in comedy clubs, and offering advice in a creative and competitive environment helps comedians refine their material and find their unique voice.
Finding Your Comic Voice and Material
Nate Bargatze discusses the process of finding your comic voice and material. He suggests that it begins with being aware of everyday experiences and observations, paying attention to what's happening around you. Nate explains that his material often comes from real-life situations and the ability to find humor in those moments. He shares his approach of staying present, recording ideas in his phone, and continuously refining material through on-stage performance and audience feedback.
The importance of commitment, obsession, and being grateful
Commitment and obsession are key factors in achieving success in any field. It is important to be dedicated and constantly strive for improvement. The speaker emphasizes the need to always be listening to others and studying their work as a source of inspiration. They highlight the importance of being grateful for the opportunities and success achieved, as well as appreciating the journey taken to get there.
Choosing a clean and relatable style
The speaker discusses their decision to maintain a clean comedic style, which is relatable to a wider audience. They explain that being clean allows for more people, including families and teenagers, to enjoy their shows. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of being relatable and making their audience feel like they are experiencing similar situations, which has contributed to their success.
Building a supportive community and learning from others
The speaker stresses the value of building relationships and being part of a supportive community. They encourage aspiring artists to engage with successful figures in their field, asking questions, seeking advice, and complimenting their work. They emphasize the need to learn from those who have already found success and to observe their journey to understand the dedication and commitment required to achieve similar goals.
In this episode, comedian Nate Bargatze joins me to discuss his rise to success in the world of stand-up comedy. Hailing from Tennessee, Nate's unique brand of clean, relatable comedy has earned him a loyal following and critical acclaim. We talk about his experiences touring nationally and internationally, working with comedy legend Chris Rock, and balancing his stand-up career with writing for television.
Some highlights we explore:
The journey to becoming a stand-up comedian, including the challenges and lessons learned along the way
Finding inspiration in family and childhood experiences to create comedy material
The importance of clean comedy and relatability in connecting with audiences
Touring the country and the world as a comedian, and adapting to different cultures and audiences
Working with Chris Rock on the Total Blackout Tour, and the lessons learned from the experience
Balancing a career in stand-up with writing for television, and the benefits of working in both mediums
Nate's tips for crafting jokes and storytelling, including the importance of being authentic and finding your own unique voice
Enjoy!
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