Keep It Positive, Sweetie – REPLAY: Creating Your Own Path with Marco Summers (Funny Marco)

Host: Crystal Renee Hazlett
Guest: Marco Summers (aka Funny Marco)
Date: January 4, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of “Keep It Positive, Sweetie” is a raw, heartfelt, and frequently hilarious exploration of identity, resilience, and the power of authenticity. Host Crystal Renee Hazlett welcomes comedian and content creator Marco Summers, better known as Funny Marco, for an open conversation about his challenging upbringing, personal and professional evolution, and his journey from viral Walmart pranks to major multi-platform success. The two dive deep into Marco's background, the lessons he’s learned, the importance of patience, healing generational trauma, managing dyslexia, and his approach to comedy and life. It's an empowering dialogue on creating your own lane, standing in your truth, and uplifting others while you rise.

Major Topics & Insights

1. Patience and Timing in Career (03:46–04:51)

• Marco reflects on how patience has played a crucial role in his career, sharing how advice from Kevin Hart helped him “let the moment happen” and not force opportunities before their time.
  • Quote: “Sometimes in the industry, when some people don't give you what you want, you can develop a nasty taste. But sometimes you gotta understand...let that moment [come].” — Marco Summers (03:46)
• Example: After a viral moment involving G Herbo, Marco describes how Kevin Hart reached out at “the right time,” reinforcing why certain connections can’t be rushed.

2. Legacy, Fatherhood, and Healing Generational Patterns (05:02–12:33)

• Marco opens up about his father’s legacy as a respected but troubled figure in Kansas City’s streets—and the pain and confusion left by losing him to violence at age 11.
  • He discusses the struggle of living up to a father’s mythologized street legacy and choosing a different path.
  • Quote: “All you got when [your dad] not there for you is people telling you he was that [guy]. But I didn't get to see him as a father.” — Marco (05:15)
• A vivid, at times funny, at times tragic, story about his father’s funeral and its unexpected chaos, demonstrating how Marco naturally finds humor in hardship (10:52–12:07).
• He emphasizes breaking generational cycles and intentionally creating a new model of fatherhood for his children.

3. Trust, Friendship, and Intuition (12:35–13:46)

• The trauma of his father’s betrayal and murder by a trusted friend shapes Marco’s approach to relationships:
  • He now pays attention to people's energy and how they treat themselves and others before trusting them.
  • Quote: “I can feel when something's not right for me...I pay attention to how somebody is with themselves before how they are with me.” (13:20)

4. Upbringing, Humor as Survival, and Dyslexia (14:01–22:58)

• Marco’s comedic instincts developed as a means to fit in when he lacked material advantages—his personality “saved” him.
  • Quote: “I didn’t have the clothes, I didn’t have the image, I was funny looking…but my personality got me in. My personality saved my life.” (14:12)
• Candid talk about being held back in first grade, struggles with school, a mother focused on survival more than education, and his discovery of dyslexia.
• He shares how being open about his learning disability (announce it up front, make it part of his comedic persona) neutralized bullying.
  • Quote: “If I come to classroom, I'll be the one coming, like, ‘I can't read. Don't pick me.’...If I don't tell them that and they pick me to read, everybody looking like, ‘what, he taking so long?’” (21:14)
• The importance of mentorship and representation—how exposure to different environments (like moving in with Ray Daniels in Atlanta) changed his vision for what was possible (26:54–29:51).

5. Creative Path & Building a Brand (33:41–36:31)

• The Walmart viral video era: Marco describes the strategy of using artists’ lyrics in prank videos to get reposted and land brand deals.
  • Learned key business lessons regarding teams, percentages, and the importance of building a platform so people want to work for you.
  • Quote: “If I seen my company, would I quit my job to go work for [me]?...Sometimes people try to ‘stop what they got’ right now. Just keep going and let it grow.” (35:04)
• The art of using silence, pauses, and intentional awkwardness in his comedic style—tracing its roots back to childhood situations like freezing up when asked to read (36:42–38:05).

6. Lessons in Business, Creativity, and Listening to Others (38:34–41:52)

• Marco confesses to sometimes being too urgent or independent with his creative process, such as prematurely posting an unapproved Nicki Minaj interview clip, which almost jeopardized the release (39:35–40:14).
  • Quote: “Don’t worry about [others'] success, let it be theirs, because you can hurt yours trying to watch theirs. It’s okay to get motivated, but when you're trying to keep up with somebody, it can hurt you.” (40:04)
• The importance of building and listening to a team, and learning from industry mentors like Steve Harvey on readiness for blessings and opportunities.

7. Navigating Public Opinion and Protecting Peace (49:23–51:54, 59:43–61:17)

• Marco cautions against reading online comments, recognizing their power to erode self-worth and authenticity.
  • Quote: “Don't read [the comments] because it can get to you...No matter what they say, you try to fix it now...so you gotta understand you are somebody that they're gonna have an [opinion on].” (50:11, 51:10)
• On protecting peace: reserving emotional energy, choosing not to “give everybody your energy that makes you upset,” and reframing life’s daily frustrations as a privilege of living (59:43–61:09).

8. Authenticity, Standards, & Choosing Roles (52:05–53:34)

• On turning down offers: Marco recalls saying no to a movie role that didn’t feel true to his identity, prioritizing comfort and integrity over money.
  • Quote: “I didn’t want to lead into nothing that didn’t make me feel comfortable…They’re not wrong for offering, but give it to somebody that’ll love it.” (52:53)

9. Advocacy, Giving Back, and Creating Space for Others (54:05–55:59, 64:19–66:49)

• Encourages sharing the spotlight and providing opportunities for up-and-coming talent, just as Desi Banks once did for him in comedy.
• On the responsibility to empower others and bring people up as he succeeds.

10. Personal Growth & Rebranding: Moving from "Funny Marco" to "Marco Summers" (58:22–59:34)

• Strategic decision to use his real name for long-term respect and legacy, despite initial dips in engagement.
  • Quote: “When you think of comedians, you got Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart…so for me to have ‘funny’ in front of [my name], it's like, let me mold and get the respect—this is Marco Summers.” (58:28)

11. Family, Fatherhood, and Exposure (61:21–63:52)

• Discusses the challenges of fatherhood, co-parenting across states, and the longing to provide his three children with more opportunity and vision than he had growing up.
  • The importance of children seeing alternatives to cycles of poverty or limited opportunity.

12. Success, Legacy, and Uplifting the Collective (69:19–70:50)

• An impassioned message that every role on the team matters, humility is key, and real success means lifting others:
  • Quote: “Whatever you're doing, if you’re the mopper, be the best mopper you can be…we are one and just appreciate good people…It's some people out there that's bad. So we just gotta appreciate the good people and be part of that good.” (69:54–70:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You can't judge a book by its cover, that’s for sure.” — Crystal Renee Hazlett (13:46)
• “Life don’t make sense sometimes, but you just gotta live through it and create. That’s the best thing — create.” — Marco (29:51)
• [On dyslexia] “Right now, I don't know how much money I got…really. I have not looked at a bank account since the last time I overdrive at Bank of America.” — Marco (18:43)
• “If we all thought the same, it’d be so boring.” — Crystal Renee Hazlett (55:48)
• “Don’t become your own enemy, and that’s what I did in that part where I’m like, I’m okay or get too comfortable.” — Marco (65:34)
• “You’re not bigger than the program.” — Marco (70:51)
• On exposure and representation: “I never seen so many black people have successful jobs [until Atlanta]. Atlanta is so beautiful because it gives opportunity to a lot of people.” — Marco (33:09)

Key Timestamps

• 03:46 – Patience and career-defining advice from Kevin Hart
• 05:14 – Fatherhood, legacy, and breaking cycles
• 10:52 – Wild funeral story (humor in hardship)
• 14:12 – Humor as survival mechanism
• 18:43 – Dyslexia and openness about his struggles
• 26:54 – Moving to Atlanta, lessons in vision and exposure
• 33:41 – Rise of the Walmart video era, brand-building
• 38:34 – Creative evolution, business lessons, and the Nicki Minaj interview incident
• 49:23 – Protecting peace: not reading hurtful comments
• 52:05 – Saying no to roles that don’t fit his identity
• 58:22 – Shift from “Funny Marco” to “Marco Summers”
• 61:21 – Fatherhood and aspirations for his kids
• 64:19 – Open Thoughts tour: comedy, business lessons, and promoting others
• 69:19 – Affirming the value of every team member

Tone & Vibe

• Authentic, vulnerable, and filled with wit.
• Inspirational with a focus on self-acceptance, community uplift, and positive energy.
• Comfortable, conversational — laughing through pain, uplifting through storytelling.

Bottom Line

Crystal and Marco deliver a heartfelt, engaging conversation full of humor, wisdom, and actionable insight—especially for anyone navigating their own path or overcoming adversity. Marco’s journey is a testament to resilience, creativity, and remaining true to oneself, while also recognizing the responsibility to uplift and empower others. The episode’s core message: find your own path, honor your story, ask for help, and always “keep it positive, sweetie.”

Where to Find Marco Summers

Instagram: @marcosummers
YouTube: Search “Open Thoughts”
Tour Info: Tickets for Open Thoughts National Comedy Tour available online (check Instagram and YouTube for updates)

“Being different isn’t something you have to fix. It’s something to master.” — Crystal Renee Hazlett ([73:15])