Josh Segarra

Summary

Thanks Dad with Ego Nwodim

Episode: Josh Segarra
Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Ego Nwodim
Guest: Josh Segarra

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Episode Overview

This heartfelt and humorous episode features actor Josh Segarra (Scream 6, Abbott Elementary, Arrow, Best Medicine) joining Ego Nwodim for candid conversation about gratitude, family, love, and the intersection of parenthood with a career in entertainment. Kicking off with small everyday joys, Josh and Ego dive into deeper reflections on their upbringings, parental influences, creative processes, romantic relationships, and the challenges of balancing personal and professional life. The episode closes with listener advice on tackling life's endless chores.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Everyday Gratitude – Small Thanks (04:00–05:56)

• Prompt: "Who or what do you want to say thanks to today?" (03:33)
• Josh's Response:
  • The barista at his gym who always makes perfect, creamy smoothies.
  • New Jersey Transit ticket takers who greet him warmly, setting a positive tone for his day.
  • Quote: "Even if I don't want a smoothie and she's there, I'm gonna go get a smoothie." (05:16)
• Discussion: The value of small daily kindnesses and how simple acts, like a well-made smoothie or a friendly train conductor, uplift routines.

2. The Art of Smoothie-Making (06:00–08:03)

• Ego and Josh compare their smoothie preferences, poking fun at their obsessions with frozen bananas and the correct almond butter proportions.
• Both agree on the joy of crafting something just right and shout out to those who nail the little details day after day.

3. Performing, Rehearsal, and Taking the Stage (10:20–21:08)

• Ego shares about her one-woman show at Lincoln Center: the pressure, the creative process, and learning her own capacity for creation under a tight deadline.
• Josh explains his love for the rehearsal period, especially in stage acting:
  • Quote: “That's the fire. The fire starts in rehearsal.” (15:53)
• Discussion: The vulnerability and anxiety that come with live performance and the drive to make each audience’s experience memorable:
  • Josh: “There's got to be at least one kid... it's their one trip. They got Christmas tickets... So then you're sitting there going like, all right man, let's see what this rehearsal period brought out of us.” (13:51)

4. Upbringing, Parental Influence, and Sibling Dynamics (22:41–34:27)

• Josh's Background:
  • Raised in Orlando, FL by Puerto Rican parents who were both pharmacists.
  • Oldest of three siblings, felt early pressure to be the responsible “good kid.”
• Family Immigration Story:
  • Parents' move from Puerto Rico to Florida for job opportunities, his father's Bronx roots, and his mother's English language journey.
  • Quote: "My parents graduated from pharmacy school in Puerto Rico... moved to Florida after the job fair. My dad was born in the Bronx... they moved to Florida... had me over there and. Yeah, I was raised on rice and beans." (22:49)
• Sibling Dynamics:
  • Large age gaps meant Josh acted as a surrogate parent, especially while his parents worked long hours.

5. Discovering Acting, Parental Support, and Risk (25:29–30:25)

• First Taste of New York & Acting:
  • Middle school trips to NYC sparked Josh’s Broadway dream.
  • Dad brought him to see shows like Wicked, Take Me Out.
  • The unwavering, “maybe a little naive” support from his parents who never doubted his passion.
  • Quote: “[My parents] have never in my life even made an eye roll... acting. Okay, boy, acting. We're gonna do acting.” (28:53)
  • The bittersweetness of Sallie Mae loans and the difference parental encouragement makes in high-risk careers.

6. Parental Guidance & Love Languages (31:22–34:35)

• Roles of Mom vs. Dad:
  • Mom: Go-to for emotional support and navigating heartbreak.
  • Dad: Quiet strength, life lessons through presence rather than words.
  • Quote: "[My dad] talks more now because he's retired. Yeah, he's got time... My memories are like, sitting on the couch and him, like, rubbing my head. And you don't realize how important that is until you're grown." (32:11)
• Love languages: Physical touch and words of affirmation, directly influenced by parental affection.
• Long-Married Parents: Their healthy, loving partnership became a relationship model for Josh.

7. Finding Love & Building a Family (34:35–51:22)

• How Josh Met His Wife, Brace: (A detailed, humorous play-by-play)
  • Met at a birthday party in Hell’s Kitchen, NY.
  • Their age gap (Josh 24, Brace 30) and her initial skepticism (“I've dated 80 versions of you before”).
  • The fateful spin class “test” on their first date, and the instant connection.
  • Quote: “I was texting every day... My heart was open... I showed up.” (42:05)
• Healthy Relationship Dynamics:
  • The importance of consistency, emotional availability, and support.
  • Understanding each other’s work struggles, especially in the arts.
  • The difference between past dating patterns and finding the “right fit.”
  • Quote (on knowing she was the one): “With Brace, I don’t know, just never shut off.” (48:02)
  • Cites Maya Angelou: “Happiness is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking the way you go about it.” (49:43)

8. Parenting—Reflecting Values & Openness with Kids (51:55–57:56)

• Influence from Parents: Josh describes mirroring his parents' approach with his own kids, notably apologizing for mistakes and talking to them openly.
  • Quote: “[Mom] She would apologize to us. She would explain things to us. She would say why certain things mattered... it was always conversations with mama.” (55:20)
• Teaching Sibling Solidarity: “In public, it's each other's backs for life. Unified front. This is a family unified front.” (56:11)
• Openness About Work/Life Lows: Including telling his sons about bad auditions and being emotionally transparent.
  • Son's wisdom: “But, daddy, you already [are] an actor.” (57:35)
• Self-Compassion Reminder: Both Josh and Ego recount moments their parents provided “big-picture” perspective amid career setbacks.

9. Careers in Entertainment—Representation & Firing (59:18–65:19)

• Having to Fire People in Showbiz:
  • Emotional difficulty in ending professional relationships, especially with reps who once helped build your career.
  • The search for the right “E” (manager à la Entourage): Wanting a true partner, not just a business transaction.
  • Quote: "In our world, they tell us all the time that we're the boss, but it doesn't feel like that. Really mostly doesn't." (60:33)
  • Josh credits his current manager for helping him focus on the big picture, not just “the next job.”

10. Life Transitions—Leaving the Big City (65:21–71:17)

• Moving from NYC to Jersey:
  • “Third kid was the tipping point,” especially with the logistics of strollers, city winters, and changing priorities.
  • Quote on when it was time to move: “We started feeling the city looking at us a little differently. Like, bro, you. You went one too far. We were good with the four of you.” (66:34)
  • The bittersweet transition—city roots remain strong, but family needs come first.
  • Hopes to return to NYC someday, “as two old people drinking coffee at the diner in the morning.” (69:12)

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Listener Advice Segment:

“That’s nice, but what about me?”

Topic: How to Cope with the Never-Ending Cycle of Chores (71:24–77:58)

• Listener Zach: "How do you handle all life’s little chores? It feels never-ending—dishes, laundry, errands—any tips or tricks?”
• Ego’s reflections:
  • Shares the Sisyphean feeling of cleaning, only to immediately mess things up again.
  • Jokes about disposable plates and even turning underwear inside-out to delay laundry.
  • Quote: “Is this what it's supposed to be? Me folding my clothes, washing dishes?" (74:38)
• Josh’s insights:
  • Emphasizes balance and reframing: Find joy or satisfaction in completing tasks.
  • Sometimes “just have to do it,” and try to remember a time when the task felt new or rewarding (e.g., shoveling snow).
  • Quote: “Try to remember the task that you hate. Remember a time in your life when you loved it.” (77:01)
• Concluding advice:
  • Celebrate the satisfaction in crossing off tasks and gamify routines with rewards.
  • Acknowledge that chores are a form of self-love and care, setting a standard for your life and relationships.
  • Ego: “Maybe you can count some of those tasks as self love. You're setting a standard for yourself...” (77:02)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On small acts of kindness:
  Josh Segarra: “Even if I don’t want a smoothie and she’s there, I’m gonna go get a smoothie.” (05:16)

• On rehearsal and creativity:
  Josh: “That's the fire. The fire starts in rehearsal.” (15:53)

• On parental support against the odds:
  Josh: “[My parents] have never in my life even made an eye roll... acting. Okay, boy, acting. We're gonna do acting.” (28:53)

• On love and being consistently available:
  Josh: “My heart was open... I showed up.” (42:16)

• On knowing his wife was the one:
  Josh: “With Brace, I don’t know, just never shut off.” (48:02)

• On happiness and relationships:
  Maya Angelou via Josh: “Happiness is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking the way you go about it.” (49:43)

• On emotional honesty with children:
  Josh’s son: “But, daddy, you already an actor.” (57:35)

• On leaving the city for family:
  Josh: “We started feeling the city looking at us a little differently. Like, bro, you. You went one too far.” (66:34)

• On reframing chores:
  Josh: “Try to remember the task that you hate. Remember a time in your life when you loved it.” (77:01)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|---------------| | Everyday Gratitude (Smoothies & Ticket Takers) | 04:00–05:56 | | Smoothie-Making Chat | 06:00–08:03 | | Creative Process & Rehearsal | 10:20–21:08 | | Family Background & Parental Influence | 22:41–34:27 | | Acting Dreams, Parental Support, NY Aspirations | 25:29–30:25 | | Love, Marrying Right, Meeting Spouse | 34:35–51:22 | | Parenting Philosophy & Emotional Openness | 51:55–57:56 | | Firing People in Entertainment | 59:18–65:19 | | Moving Out of NYC/Choosing Suburbs | 65:21–71:17 | | Listener Advice: Tackling Chores | 71:24–77:58 |

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Tone and Atmosphere

The episode oscillates between playful banter (on smoothies and messy kitchens) and vulnerable reflection, capturing both Ego and Josh’s warmth, humility, and humor. It blends practical insights with personal stories, and never shies from emotional honesty—even about topics like professional rejection or family pressures. Both host and guest are open about the struggles and gifts of their upbringing and careers, finding meaning in small acts of daily life and love.

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Summary

Ego and Josh’s conversation navigates gratitude for the everyday, the generational impact of loving parents, the peculiar joys and struggles of creative careers, and the ongoing work of committed relationships and parenting. From tips on making the perfect smoothie to wisdom about reframing life’s chores as acts of self-care, the episode is a heartfelt, funny meditation on growing up, giving thanks, and staying true to yourself—on stage and off.

Transcript

[Ego Wodem]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Josh Segura]

Guaranteed Human.

[Ben Higgins]

You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins, and if youf Can Hear Me is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people. Some have answers. Most are still figuring it out. And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if youf Can Hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ego Wodem]

Hi, people. I'm so glad you're here. I'm so glad you're still listening. Yeah, I'm a fan of you for being a fan of me. But also, chances are you're a cool person and we should be friends. I have a friend rule I want to share today that I think is important. Sharing people's contact information without asking them for permission. Why are we doing that? Maybe we don't anymore. I feel like phone numbers, emails, and maybe I am crazy for this are sacred. And before you share someone's contact, you should ask them. Every once in a while someone will be like, can I have so and so's number? And I'm like, wait, let me just ask so and so if that's okay that I share their phone number. And then they'll say yes or maybe no. Usually it's yes, by the way. Usually it is yes. But on that off chance that it may be no, I want to protect them. I want to protect their contact information, and so I don't necessarily share it. So why don't we just take a beat, pause when someone asks next time and go, hold on, let me just check with them. Let me check with them. Let me see if it's okay with them. Maybe they have a different email they want to give you. Some people have like 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 email addresses, and that's how they compartmentalize. Some people are me. And maybe this is all really just a personal anecdote after all. But I have a podcast. I get to say things like this on said podcast. And so that's what I'm doing. I'm very excited for the conversation I'm about to have. I think it's going to be a really good one. I'm so, so excited. Josh Segata is here, but I'm going to introduce him properly in his presence. That was just a teaser in which I revealed completely who the next guest is. Also, the titles on wherever you find your podcast and on YouTube have spoiled it. Already, So I shouldn't be so hard on myself. Anyway, thanks for being here. Listen to this conversation. I should read your intro. Deal.

[Josh Segura]

Deal.

[Ego Wodem]

Because I forget to do this.

[Josh Segura]

I'm always nervous before I hear any intro because I wonder what intro you have. I wonder what you didn't. Oh, no. So this is going to be. Yeah. I'm excited.

[Ego Wodem]

I've had people write their own int.

[Josh Segura]

I heard Moffat's episode, so that's what made me think about it. That Moffat intro I met. I didn't have one like this.

[Ego Wodem]

You should listen. There's still time if you want to take a beat while I read this one to come up with a different one. That's allowed, apparently. Now my next guest is an actor who is known for his starring roles in Scream 6, Abbott elementary, the other two, Arrow, and now in the brand new show Best Medicine on Fox, it's Josh Segara. Is that how I say it?

[Josh Segura]

Yeah, of course I did a little. No, you killed it. Absolutely.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Oh, I'm so happy you're here.

[Josh Segura]

Thank you very much. I'm very happy to be here. I'm a big fan of yours. I just appreciate you for having me in and getting a chat and getting to talk to a new friend.

[Ego Wodem]

Thank you so much. We're actually family now, you see, because in the first season of this podcast, I was like, these people are my dads for the day. So now we're damn near blood. I just want you to know. Okay, we have to start with who or what do you want to say thanks to today?

[Josh Segura]

Okay, so I've been thinking about this because you very nicely said we should think about this.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, yes.

[Josh Segura]

And then of course, I listened to a few episodes.

[Ego Wodem]

You're a diligent student.

[Josh Segura]

Well, I'm your newest fan with the podcast. I'm a fan of yours as an actress. But now I'm a newest fan of the podcast. So I listen to Moffat's, I listen to Rokers, I listen to cmuz.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

So I'm gonna start with something small today.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

I'm gonna give context, please. Okay, so when I was. So when I was in college, shout out to nyu, shout out to Stella Adler, we had a teacher named Ron Burris in our Adler Technique class that every day we started the class with. In the last 24 hours since I've seen you, what's one thing that you've observed or one thing you learned? So I'm gonna take the. Thank you. And today I want to thank the barista, the girl at the gym who Makes the smoothies okay because there's a rotation of them, but there's one that, like, she just kills it. It's, like, creamy, and it's not too icy. Like, it's thick, and it's just the right amount of sweet where you feel like you're not eating your veggies, but it's just the right amount of healthy to feel like you are eating your veggies, doing it with a smile. Even if I don't want a smoothie and she's there, I'm gonna go get a smoothie.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

So to her shout out, I need to get her name. And after today, I'm gonna ask her her name.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

And then the second I want to thank is the ticket takers on the train. So I come in from Jersey. I'm in the burbs out there. And I will tell you that on the New Jersey Transit train, those ticket takers are always in a good mood. It does not matter what time of day. I feel like they're not, like, overly nice if they don't need to be, but, like, if I'm going to a ball game or if I have a Knicks jersey on a Rangers J, they'll always be like, oh, let's go, Knicks. I just feel like they're very warm on the train. And I appreciate that because that is how you start your day.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

That is how you end your day.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And I just feel like they're batting a thousand. I don't think I've ever had a better interaction with any of them. So thank you to the ticket takers and thank you to my girl at the gym.

[Ego Wodem]

At the gym who makes the perfect smoothies. And that's clutch, by the way.

[Josh Segura]

I'm picky about that.

[Ego Wodem]

I could tell based on your description, but I have a lot of respect for that.

[Josh Segura]

You know, like acai bowls that are too icy, all of a sudden you're eating, like, a bowl of, like, crushed purple ice.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. Listen, I just started making smoothies at home. Well, I actually got a Vitamix a few years back. You ever get, like, an appliance and then use it for some time, and then you decide you don't care about it anymore, disappears? And so I've been buying. I was, like, buying smoothies for, like, two years after the Vitamix, and I was like, wait a minute, like, three months ago, I was like, I have a Vitamix.

[Josh Segura]

I can make this exactly how I want.

[Ego Wodem]

Make it how I want. Exactly. So I don't do too much ice in mine, so I have a lot of respect for.

[Josh Segura]

You do the frozen banana trick.

[Ego Wodem]

You know I do.

[Josh Segura]

Of course. Because that's like ice. It's built in ice.

[Ego Wodem]

Exactly. And, you know, I got. I got a whole bag. I got multiple bags of frozen bananas.

[Josh Segura]

So these little different Ziploc baggies. I've got some baggies with four bananas in it. Some baggies with two same.

[Ego Wodem]

Some baggies with broken bananas.

[Josh Segura]

Correct.

[Ego Wodem]

Some baggies with bananas. That a little too brown.

[Josh Segura]

You're like, those have been in here for eight months.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, but I'm using it. It's good.

[Josh Segura]

Use these bananas.

[Ego Wodem]

Yesterday, making the smoothie, I was like. Cause my favorite concoction is the almond milk. Of course I throw my almond milk. I throw in a little bit of almond butter.

[Josh Segura]

Oh, wow.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. For protein. Okay.

[Josh Segura]

That's nice.

[Ego Wodem]

Some protein.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah. I never get. I never get to almond butter, by the way.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm not gonna lie. Just discovered I'm like, this stuff. Almond butter has a lot of fat in it. So here I am thinking I'm going straight protein. I just looked at the label. I never look at the label. I was bored, like, a week ago. I was like, I should look at the label. I was like, oh, damn, that's a lot of fat. Is this supposed to have that much? Anyway, this is what. I still put it in there. I still put it in there because it's what I'm used to.

[Josh Segura]

It's like the. What's Juice generation. They have the almond butter bliss.

[Ego Wodem]

And you know that I get that.

[Josh Segura]

See there? I like theirs. When I use almond butter at home, I don't feel like my proportions are right.

[Ego Wodem]

The reality is I don't know how much to put in. I think you're right. I think you're right. Yesterday, I was kind of disgusted by my own smoothie. Shout out to the girl who makes the perfect smoothie.

[Josh Segura]

You know, shout out to the girl.

[Ego Wodem]

It's not me. And also the New Jersey Transit employees who take the tickets, they were a staple in my youth because I used to. I lived in Jersey for a year with my cousins when I was growing up. And so my cousin and I used to come to New York all the time on the New Jersey Transit from the Edison stop. Okay? And one year, I remember the ticket taker did not take my ticket, but he stamped me. And I was like, whoa. A real one. Held onto this untaken ticket, unclaimed ticket, forever, Being like, one day, I'm gonna get a free ride. I'm gonna get a free Ride into the city from Jersey. Because he didn't take my ticket. I just threw it away like two years ago because I was like, oh, this is like, so expired. It was like 8 years old at this point. And so I was like, all right, you gotta throw it away, because I don't. It's very obviously not purchased anytime in recent. Truly different paper. Exactly. It doesn't even look the same. And so I was like, dang. But I really wanted to catch that free ride one time because he didn't ticket. It was so kind.

[Josh Segura]

I don't know why it's like those. See, now you know. I am a student. I listen to them. When you're talking about gift cards.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, yes.

[Josh Segura]

And. And that. That is sometimes what I find with gift cards that I get where I forget about them. But then it's like a present a year later.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

If they. Oh, my goodness. You're like, oh, my God. Thank you, ego for this gift card.

[Ego Wodem]

It's the best. So I have a gift card. My director of my one woman show, shout out to Carmen Angelica, who came in, swooped in, saved the day, gave me a gift card to my local coffee shop. Very stealthily, too, because I had been like, hey, do you want something from the coffee shop? When we were gonna rehearse, I was like, I go to this place all the time. Love how Carmen thought this is what I mean, that meaningful. Like, I'm paying attention to the details. Carmen does not live in my neighborhood. Presented me with a gift card to said coffee shop at the end of my run, but I can't find the card. I used it once and I can't find it, but I know it's somewhere and I keep going. Instead of getting frustrated, I. I'm just gonna be excited about the day. I do find it a year from now.

[Josh Segura]

And every time you go there, you're like, this should be a free every.

[Ego Wodem]

Single time coffee right now. As a matter of fact, I feel I've avoided the place because I'm like, I know I have a gift card somewhere in my home that somehow I misplaced. But, Josh, enough about me and my damn gift card. Wait.

[Josh Segura]

But I want to ask you. I want to ask you for your one woman show. Are you rehearsing right now?

[Ego Wodem]

I did it already at the Lincoln Center.

[Josh Segura]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, I did it at the Lincoln Center.

[Josh Segura]

How many performances did you have?

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, my goodness. Eight performances. So shout out to Broadway performers. Do you have. You're a Broadway.

[Josh Segura]

Yes, exactly. I've been in a Couple shows.

[Ego Wodem]

And see how I segued back to you, though. You see what I did there? Cause, Josh, this is about you today.

[Josh Segura]

All right, wait, so which out of the eight. No, out of the eight. Do you have a memory of one or two that stick out?

[Ego Wodem]

Ooh.

[Josh Segura]

How was the ride?

[Ego Wodem]

The ride was. It was. Because it was a workshop. So it was like the Lincoln center doing a comedy series. And it's something like they'd not done before at the Claire To Theater. And so it was meant to be a workshop for four comedians. And Jarod Carmichael was one. Sam Jay. And I'm forgetting the other comedian, but also an incredible comedian. And so we got to workshop our material. I had nothing written on the page, like, 10 days before at all. Not even an. I had a nugget of an idea. I did, but I had nothing. And then to come up with an hour of, like, how I can also have fun as opposed to feeling like I'm fulfilling my duties or completing an assignment. It was amazing to be like, I learned what I could do in 10 days. I learned that I'm like, oh, I really can do anything out here, if I may say so myself. It was really crazy. So it went very well. And the audiences were so loving, and. And it was amazing. The energy every time. And the way I structured the show is. It got to. It did get to be fun for me, which was really important to me. So I didn't feel stale in my performance because I love improv, but I. But you doing Broadway, though, how did you handle rehearsals? Because I don't like rehearsals. I just don't like doing repetitive things, of course. Which is why I think I like live TV and love improv, as I said, and live performances in front of audiences where I'm like, oh, I'm kind of now doing a little bit of stand up, and I'm kind of messing with you. And it depends on who's in house tonight. So how did you feel about. How do you feel about rehearsal?

[Josh Segura]

Shout out to one of the best moments on television. When you go, man, A. I'm sure you've talked about it, but, dude, just, like, shout out to you. Like, from afar. I was like, let's go.

[Ego Wodem]

Thank you. Thank you. They surprised me, but that's what I mean. They surprised me.

[Josh Segura]

That was. But I mean, come on.

[Ego Wodem]

Appreciate you.

[Josh Segura]

You're the best. I love rehearsal, but I guess it's like that it's the part of the beast, you know, like, so. So, yeah, like, especially getting ready for a stage performance, you Are trying where? All right, so when we're on screen, right, which we are, I can go to bed happy if that day I tried everything that I wanted to try. So if I, if, you know, let's say I'm doing a scene that day and I'm trying to think of every color I can, I can, I can bring out. And if I get home and I feel like I really laid it all out there, I can sleep well.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

If I feel like there was something left on the bone, I'm going to beat myself up for a little bit before bed. And then you go to bed and you start again the next day.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, great. Okay.

[Josh Segura]

In the rehearsal period before a show, it's like a four week period of just constantly trying stuff. Constantly trying it and trying and trying it. And then, you know, of course with your, with your, your back and forth with your director and with your cast mates, you're piecing it all together. But there's always that last step when you get the audience in there. So then it becomes the marriage of okay, this is everything good we found for 30 days. So now let's try to make it that good every single night. And that is then where you're, you know, you're, you're, you're on the train and you're prepping before that Wednesday, two o' clock matinee and you know, you didn't sleep well the night before before and it's Snowing, it's like January 12th. You know, you just went through the holiday craze and you're walking up to the theater and then everybody has their own moment, I'm sure before where, you know, for me not to be cheesy, but I figure as we go we'll get cheesier. Oh, thanks, dad. You know what I'm saying? I'll talk about my mom and dad later and I'll talk about my wife and my voice later. But truth is, you know, like I saw my first Broadway show in eighth grade. I saw the Phantom of the Opera and I waited at the stage door after. And I came back my junior year, my dad brought me up for a trip and I saw Take Me out and I saw Wicked. And I remember standing at the stage door of Take Me out and just waiting for the actors to come out and just, just wide eyed and just being like, okay, I feel like I could do this. So then when it's my turn and I'm walking to the theater, who knows, you know, if it's, if it's 50 people in the house. If it's 2,000 people in the house, there's got to be at least one kid. There's got to be at least one of me out there, that it's their one trip. They got Christmas tickets and they're allowed to come to New York to see one show. So then you're sitting there going like, all right, man, let's see what this rehearsal period brought out of us. We've been in the run now for six months. You go back, you remember what those days were like, the funny things you found. Now you know that this might work here, this might work there. So you're just kind of marrying the two, you know. But going back to the rehearsal of it all, that's definitely where it just gets. It gets frantic and ugly and beautiful and frenetic and that's the fire. You know, like when I say at the end, like, you go through the fire with these people we always talk about, that's the fire. The fire starts in rehearsal.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, See, now you have turned my point of view on rehearsal. I'm like, no, but I know what you mean.

[Josh Segura]

No, no, I forgot you even said no.

[Ego Wodem]

No, it's okay.

[Josh Segura]

No, you know, but I know what you mean, though, because that rehearsal period is. It's just like. I will tell you this, you see, I want to ask you more questions.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

You made me think about that 10 day period where. Yeah, you didn't have anything down in 10 days. But it's different, right? Because I'm sure it's different for a one woman show. I've never done a one man show. But you're bringing so much of your own life into it. Right. So.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

You've been preparing for it for all these years.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

So I couldn't even imagine where you're going to start with the first pen to paper. How are you really gonna start a one woman show? Where do I begin in telling this story? So that's why I could pester you later for hours asking you questions about how that process was. And so what was that rehearsal process?

[Ego Wodem]

Well, it. Yeah, well, it was just. I put down a. I put down. I had an idea of what I wanted to talk about because I kind of was like, I don't have anything to say. And just because someone will give me stage time does not mean I need to take the stage time. You know, you get to a place in your career where people are like, oh, you did snl. Like, I'm gonna hear stage time for you. And, you know, before you get a moment Like SNL or that big break, if you will. You're vying for stage time. You're trying to get in those independent productions. You're trying to get stage time with your improv team. And so I've gotten to a place where I'm like, people want me to come perform, but just because you want me to come perform, aside from my preferences, I'm like, does not mean I need to be selfish and take the stage time. Because do you have anything to say? Is really the question. I was like, I don't know that I have anything to say. And then I was like, well, there's this thing that I think is interesting to explore. So it started there, this incredibly broad theme. So broad it meant nothing when I'd say it to people, and they're like, okay, that's a start. And then the way I ideate is basically, I just need to live my life, and these random ideas come to me, and I write them down in my phone, and then I thread them together somehow. But I just had the opening in my head. And then the next thing I had was the next thing that came to me beyond the broad idea, was the opening. Oh, this is fun. Stage dark. And then this happens. And then I'd be like, okay. And then what, girl? So that's how. But truly not because I'm trying to make you feel good. Your case for rehearsal, it does resonate in that. Because that show, that one woman show, this particular one was a workshop. It was meant to be a workshop. They made an announcement before every show, and I was like, please make the announcement, because I'm also a perfectionist. And I'm like, I'm gonna be fumbling my way through this. And by the end, I was, like, locked in. Knew it like the back of my hand. It's crazy that I surprised myself being like, oh, you could do an hour of just you up here with something you didn't have 20 days ago.

[Josh Segura]

And I would argue back to you. I would say back to you.

[Ego Wodem]

You could argue.

[Josh Segura]

No, no, no. Argue wasn't the right word. I want to be on your side. We're making the same argument.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, okay. Piggyback. Piggyback.

[Josh Segura]

I'm piggybacking. Thank you. Thank you. I would say that that rehearsal process is different than the rehearsal process that I was talking about. Right. Because hearing you talk about your rehearsal process. Yeah. Like, that's a whole different thing. Is coming up with said performance and finding all these beats that not only are you telling the story, but you're Also wanting to make a good show. So that is the most terrifying part of rehearsing a show is that all that stuff has been done for me. All right. So I'm trying to put certain clothes on now. I'm trying to wear certain shoes of this character.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So that rehearsal process is terrifying. And you're getting all your insecurities out, and you're getting all of your vulnerabilities out, and you're making terrible decisions, all with kind of this cake that's already been made. So you're just trying it and trying it. And then it's like, week two, you finally are like, oh, oh, now I'm getting it a little bit. And then by week three, like, oh, now I got it. And hopefully by the time you step into the theater, you have a nice understanding of what you're wanting to do. And then preview start. So I would say that your rehearsal process.

[Ego Wodem]

Whoo.

[Josh Segura]

That'd be tough for me, too. That's tough for anybody because it's different in creation. Rehearsal is different because that's. You're just jumping off the cliff every single day.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And some. Most days, you're not gonna land very well.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And you gotta go in and do. And you know that you have an opening day coming, and people are going to be paying money to come see you.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, yeah. And I take that seriously, by the way.

[Josh Segura]

100%.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm not phoning it in.

[Josh Segura]

No way.

[Ego Wodem]

I think it's so disrespectful for people to have paid for tickets, traveled from wherever, even if it's a college show. And I'm like. And they traveled from their dorm room to the stadium to see me. I'm like, what an honor that you've taken the time out to come. I would like to give you something. My hope is that I entertain you for at least 60 seconds. I'm like, something I may something I do resonate.

[Ben Higgins]

What do you do when the headlines don't explain what's happening inside of you? I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me is where culture meets the soul. A place for real conversation. Each episode, I sit down with people from all walks of life. Celebrities, thinkers, and everyday folks. And we go deeper than the polished story. We talk about what drives us, what shapes us, and what gives us hope. We get honest about the big stuff. Identity. When you don't recognize yourself anymore. Loss.

[Josh Segura]

That changes you.

[Ben Higgins]

Purpose. When success isn't enough. Peace when your mind won't slow down. Faith. When it's complicated. Some guests have answers. Most are still figuring it out. If you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if youf Can Hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ego Wodem]

You say your dad would bring you up, by the way, is that from where. Where did you grow up?

[Josh Segura]

Orlando.

[Ego Wodem]

You grew up in Orlando? Florida boy.

[Josh Segura]

Florida boy.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

I'm a Puerto Rican kid from Orlando.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

My parents graduated from pharmacy school in Puerto Rico. They met in college, and they moved to Florida after the job fair. They were offering a couple extra bucks if he could speak English. So my dad was born in the Bronx.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

And my mom wasn't speaking English at the time, so they moved to Florida. Oh, wow. They had me over there and. Yeah, I was raised on. On rice and beans.

[Ego Wodem]

Rice and beans in Florida. Do you have siblings?

[Josh Segura]

Got two younger siblings. My brother Danny, he's out in Texas, and my sister Becky's out in Jersey.

[Ego Wodem]

Shout out to them.

[Josh Segura]

Shout out to them. That's Titi, Becky, and Danny right there.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I love them.

[Josh Segura]

The pieces.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, that's dope. And they're oldest then. Did that feel like pressure for you in any way?

[Josh Segura]

Oh, I now, looking back, maybe pressure just to feel like I was a good kid.

[Ego Wodem]

Parents, like, the oldest always.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah. Like, you want to be, like, a good son. So I had that type of pressure, but I. I didn't know it was pressure.

[Ego Wodem]

Right.

[Josh Segura]

Just now, later on in my life, looking back.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, are your son.

[Josh Segura]

Are you the oldest or the youngest?

[Ego Wodem]

I'm the baby. Can't you tell?

[Josh Segura]

Yes.

[Ego Wodem]

I got the baby vibe. And that's like. Is it twofold? It's like people are like, oh, I can tell you're the baby. They're, like, trying to insult me, and I'm like, what can I say? Everybody took care of me. I was. I was everybody's baby. But that's. Did you feel like, Like. And when I think of the oldest, I'm like. It oftentimes I feel like my siblings would say as much. I have friends who are the oldest. They felt sort of like surrogate parents to their younger siblings.

[Josh Segura]

Absolutely.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

I'm six years older than my brother, and I'm nine years older than my sister. So I would pick them up from school. I would take them to school. You know, once I got my license, my parents were working a bunch. They were working, you know, 40, 50, 60 hours in the pharmacy. So it just became something I was an extension of Them for sure.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

My sister always cracks a joke because I. She was nine and I. When I left for college.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So she's like, I didn't even know you, bro.

[Ego Wodem]

Well, that's how I was with my siblings. I'm like, my oldest brother's eight years older than I am, and I was like. And he and my sister is six and a half, and they actually graduated high school at the same time. And I'm like, the youngest, but there was some only child vibes to it as well, because they were so much older. And I'm like, they went away to college when I was 7, or they went to college when I was 7. I was like, we're having just different experiences here. It's very. That gap.

[Josh Segura]

When I met my wife, she would always laugh because her younger brother, they were both adults. But when we started dating, my sister was still a teenager. She hadn't been around teenage energy in many years. So we'd be, you know, on our fourth, fifth date, and I'd get a call from my sister about some drama with, like, her geology teacher. You know, it was always very fun early on.

[Ego Wodem]

Amazing. Your dad bringing you up from Florida to see plays. Was it because he was into the arts or because he had a sense you were into the arts?

[Josh Segura]

He had a sense I was into the arts. So the first time I came to New York was in eighth grade, our middle school. There was a teacher there, Mrs. Sherman. Shout out to Mrs. Sherman. She, for years, before I was even in the school, she would do a New York trip for anybody that would accomplish a set of goals, certain gpa, certain things, yada, yada. So. And then it was a big deal going on this New York trip, so we took the train. We took the Amtrak up from Orlando, which is most of the fun was on the train with all your friends.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Shout out to the Amtrak. Yeah, that's fun. How long is that ride, by the way, for?

[Josh Segura]

I don't remember a long time where we slept on the train. So I remember kids, like, sleeping up in the luggage racks, and we had a whole car to ourselves. And funnily enough, we stayed. I didn't. Things that I put together later on when I moved to New York. My favorite pizza place is in Hell's Kitchen, and it's a little hole in the wall spot, but it's because we stayed at this hotel on 10th Avenue and 50th street over there.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Josh Segura]

And before the trip was over, we hadn't had any New York pizza, and my dad Went and got a slice for us. Got a big old pie, brought a to the boys. Later on, that same pizza place was the one I would go to and be like, I don't know why this pizza is so amazing, but this is New York pizza to me.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

And I moved into that apartment and it was like months later. I just remember always having deja vu. Walking around, walking around. And then it just hit me. I was like, this is the hotel called my buddy. I was like, what was that hotel?

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Put all the pieces together.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

So we came up in eighth grade, and then my. It was either junior or senior year, to be honest, I can't remember. But it was something along lines where I knew then that I wanted to go to college up here.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

To me, this is, you know, I graduated high school in 04, so I feel like it was around then that. Remember when the Olsen twins applied to nyu?

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, yes.

[Josh Segura]

It was like a big deal because that was like. You started hearing about dream schools.

[Ego Wodem]

Uh huh. Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So I was in thespians in high school. Do you know what thespians are?

[Ego Wodem]

I know what a thespian is, but I don't know what thespians.

[Josh Segura]

It's a club. It is a club. A club you can join.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, okay.

[Josh Segura]

But in Florida, thespian composition is a really big deal.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, okay.

[Josh Segura]

So it's nationwide, but I think Florida has like the biggest one.

[Ego Wodem]

Y' all have everything. Everything in Florida.

[Josh Segura]

It's an amalgamation of many things. So we had a thespian competition that was a big deal and, like, everybody cared very deeply about it, but it was just like anything else, like a. Like a chorus competition. You would go and you would get judged.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Superior, excellent. Such and such and such or whatever.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Segura]

You know, and. And that's where the dream school conversation started. So when we would go to thespian competition, you'd go to state and at state they would have scholarship auditions. So that was the first time I ever heard about NCSA and Carnegie Mellon and all these schools.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

You know, that kids were vying to go to. But to me, it was always New York or nowhere. Like, I was either gonna go to school in Florida because we had bright futures down there. And, you know, they have really good programs down there, but I don't know, there's just something about seeing New York and my dad being from the Bronx and, you know, and I loved SNL as a kid. Like, being in, you know, being in New York was the dream. So dad brought me up here to Come look at it. And it was a, you know, few day trip. We went and saw Perfect Crime. You ever seen that little show over there? It's like the longest running show off Broadway. I think it's been going for like 40 years.

[Ego Wodem]

Why don't they see it on Broadway?

[Josh Segura]

Well, it's. It's a cool little show. Small little black box. We saw that. And then we saw Take Me out. We saw Wicked. And. And he just knew. He knew I had this, you know, and, and, you know, thank you to my pop and thank you to my mom because they have never in my life even made an eye roll or like a moment of making me feel like pursuing my dream wasn't something I could do, you know, like, like, like not even. Are you sure? Not like maybe something else. Not a. It was just always like, acting. Okay, Boy, acting. We're gonna do acting, you know. Okay. And I. I want to go to school in New York. And, and, and they've got a good acting program. Okay, cool. And they went and they took out a really big loan to send me to college. I didn't know who Sallie Mae was.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, that girl. I already. I just cussed her out on.

[Josh Segura]

Okay, that's exactly it.

[Ego Wodem]

I still don't know who she is, but I don't fuck with her.

[Josh Segura]

Whoever.

[Ego Wodem]

But at the same time, she did help fund it's complicated relationship with Sally.

[Josh Segura]

Complicated relationship with Sally. So, you know, it's. It's. Right. It's funny how, like, we get. As we get older, you start realizing all these smaller things that were happening when we were younger. And so, yeah, shout out to dad for coming up with me on that trip and shout out to them for just maybe a little naivete on their part because our family.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Segura]

He's like, oh, yeah, whatever you want. Okay.

[Ego Wodem]

That's what we're here for. Sounds good.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

You know.

[Josh Segura]

And the rest was history.

[Ego Wodem]

That's incredible. That's really beautiful. To have their support from Jump and to just have it be unequivocal and unwavering, that makes so much of a difference that you didn't have any doubt from them, because I feel like this career will cause you to doubt yourself anyway. And so we don't need anyone around us being like, it's not gonna happen for you. It's not possible. But they were also pharmacists, so this is like you said, there's a bit of naivete required There's a bit of naivete required on your part to think you can make it Delus, which is great, though. But you do need that, right? Like, numbers are. The odds are not in your favor. But just having them come from a different background in terms of profession. Did at any point it become difficult for your dad to offer you advice or is there any sort of advice that he did give you career wise that was applicable for you?

[Josh Segura]

And it's funny because I would go to my dad for certain pieces of advice and I'd go to my mom for certain pieces of advice.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, how did we.

[Josh Segura]

My mom was always really good about, like, really visceral emotions. Like, mom, I'm mad about this. Mom, I'm heartbroken about this moment. This feels weird. How do I navigate this? Whereas my dad, I would go to for, like, stories. Dad, tell me about when you were this age. Tell me how you made this jump. But I also think now you got me thinking about this.

[Ego Wodem]

Please.

[Josh Segura]

Because. Because growing up, my dad was real quiet. He talks more now because he's retired. Yeah, he's got time.

[Ego Wodem]

He's got time. I'm not talking at work.

[Josh Segura]

He got a history channel to educate me on stuff. Yeah, my dad was real quiet, but, like a really strong presence, really loving, really warm. Like, my memories of my dad are, like, sitting on the couch and him, like, rubbing my head. And you don't realize how important that is until you're grown.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And you're wondering why, like, it means so much to you that someone's like, rubbing your shoulder.

[Ego Wodem]

Your head. Yes. Is that one of your love languages? Physical touch? Is that the number one?

[Josh Segura]

Probably okay. Probably okay. Probably just like. Yeah, 100%. Okay, 100%. I'm a mix of that and words of affirmation.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

But even words sometimes can get lost because I'm too caught up in my own brain.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

So sometimes I just need my wife.

[Ego Wodem]

Rub your back.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah, just like, rub my head.

[Ego Wodem]

Rub your head like that.

[Josh Segura]

Tell me I'm doing all right and we could keep on going and I'll wake up tomorrow in a different moment mood.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

But my mom. My mom has always been the most beautiful character. Like, she'll make people just laugh and crack up. And she ain't trying to. She's just telling stories. But with that comes the idea that she was always with us every step of the way, you know, like in and ride or die is my mom, you know, Like, I'll tell you, even now know, she's so funny because, like, she'll get caught up and, like, she'll be like, no, because if they didn't Support my son before.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

I don't want them to support him now.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Come on.

[Josh Segura]

And I'm like, nobody was mean to me. Like, everybody supported me my whole life.

[Ego Wodem]

She is right.

[Josh Segura]

Nobody was. Everything was pretty good, man.

[Ego Wodem]

You know, like.

[Josh Segura]

But to her. No, you don't remember when you say you're going to school where they call me, I'm like, you're right. You're right.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

And now I got my own boys. I know what she means.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

You know them their whole life.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. And you peep things that they might not peep. That's it.

[Josh Segura]

So she's been protecting us.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And. And they have a really. You know, my parents been together now 40 something years, and they've got a really special thing. And that was always something that I was watching and admiring and now in my. In my life, trying to emulate.

[Ego Wodem]

Beautiful. I love you Loved love. You saw love. You loved love. You wanted the. You wanted that love. So then you and your wife, how did you meet?

[Josh Segura]

We met at a birthday party at my boy Jermaine's birthday party.

[Ego Wodem]

Shout out to Jermaine.

[Josh Segura]

Come on, shout out to Jermaine.

[Ego Wodem]

We're shouting everybody out.

[Josh Segura]

Let's go. I love it. Let's go. Yes. Shout out to my boy.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

We met at a bar in Hell's Kitchen.

[Ego Wodem]

Hell's Kitchen is very me.

[Josh Segura]

Very important because I was there for a lot of years. It is very important. A lot of New York members.

[Ego Wodem]

That's where I lived when I first moved here.

[Josh Segura]

Oh.

[Ego Wodem]

Kind of a little too close to Porter Authority. I was a.

[Josh Segura]

See, I was a little further away. I was on 10th over there. Yeah, I was 50th over there.

[Ego Wodem]

39Th and between 8th and 9th, right.

[Josh Segura]

Oh, yeah. By the cake boss.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. Yes.

[Josh Segura]

I was in.

[Ego Wodem]

I was in it.

[Josh Segura]

And. And Schnippers, huh?

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. Oh, don't I know all the. Yeah, I'm forgetting the name of the Italian spot right by me. But Hell's Kitchen, it was my whole New York when I got it. But Jermaine. It's Jermaine's birthday, birthday party, Hell's Kitchen.

[Josh Segura]

Walked in, met Brace. He introduced us. Her name is Brace. Like a bracelet.

[Ego Wodem]

That's a beautiful name. It is.

[Josh Segura]

It was a grandmother's name. Gave it to her, kept in the family. And then now it's my youngest son. His name is Bo. He's Beau Brace. Segue.

[Ego Wodem]

So that's a good name.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah. That's our guy.

[Ego Wodem]

That's our dude. Shout out to him as well. Okay.

[Josh Segura]

Shout out to baby Bo.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. By the way, if you shouted out Bo, I'm so sorry. If you shout it out Bo, you gotta shout out the other kids.

[Josh Segura]

Oh, I absolutely will. Okay, let's shout the boy Hank and shout out to my boy Gus. Cause my oldest Hank is my middle and boy as the baby.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Okay.

[Josh Segura]

The Seguera brothers.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Beautiful.

[Josh Segura]

So we met at a birthday party. She, in her words, I'll tell it as if she was here. She had dated 80 versions of me before. She was not trying to date me again.

[Ego Wodem]

What were you. What does this version.

[Josh Segura]

She called it. She would say she's dated 80 actor boys before. And I was 24 and she was 30 when we met. That's my puma.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

You know what I'm saying? So we didn't know each other's age.

[Ego Wodem]

She got to mold you. That's the key. Ladies, you got to. Muldo.

[Josh Segura]

How are you talking about with Al? About the bones?

[Ego Wodem]

Uh huh. That's.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah, she knew the bones.

[Ego Wodem]

The bones were there.

[Josh Segura]

Everything else was a mess. Yes, the bones were right. Yeah, there's bones there.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

And we. Jermaine actually introduced us, said, hey, that's my friend Josh. And she was like, huh? And kept hanging out.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

She was about to leave and I do remember seeing it like the lights and the angels. And I remember seeing for the very first time. But she was about to leave and we hadn't talked the whole night. And I was there for about an hour, but I counted, she's about to leave.

[Ego Wodem]

So you were peeping the whole time.

[Josh Segura]

The whole time.

[Ego Wodem]

And so you see she's about to leave and you're like, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot. That's exactly it.

[Josh Segura]

Because she was having fun. So I didn't want to come and start. So. But she is leaving. So now I'm like, man, I got to talk to her. So I go up to her and I say, hey, where you going? And she was the master. She was a dancer in her career. Actress and. But she was also the master of the odd job, as we all are.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh yeah.

[Josh Segura]

She had 40 different jobs.

[Ego Wodem]

Make ends meet.

[Josh Segura]

And she's like, yeah, I'm working tomorrow. For. She was, she was registering people for like a mattress convention. She was working at a mattress company.

[Ego Wodem]

I've done strange things. Okay.

[Josh Segura]

We got a pretty mattress out of this. Like a very expensive, nice mattress.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Yes. That's. Yeah, I've had very objects. Thank you for that.

[Josh Segura]

Exactly. I have to register people for this mattress convention. I said, you work in the Mattress industry. She's like, I know. I have to. I was like, so you can get a nice mattress?

[Ego Wodem]

Did you think that was okay? Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So I was trying to find my way.

[Ego Wodem]

You're like, okay, bed, Bed.

[Josh Segura]

I was like, so you work with mattresses. You get nice. She's like, no, I don't work. I was like, yeah, but you can't leave because what if we're supposed to get married one day?

[Ego Wodem]

Josh, you went right for. I just got a chill.

[Josh Segura]

Okay, okay. So she swears. And I've had people tell me, like, there's no way that was the first time you said it to somebody. Yeah, but I really feel like it was.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

There was. I don't know what my confidence was that day. Maybe there was just, like, a level of like, I'm just gonna go to 10.

[Ego Wodem]

Mm.

[Josh Segura]

And she scoffed. Or one of those where she's like.

[Ego Wodem]

Ah.

[Josh Segura]

You say that to everybody. And I was like, no, but, you know, we haven't even talked.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

We chatted for five minutes, and I was basically busting her balls being like, I just think you're leaving and you don't want to talk to me. And she's like, no. Did I really have to get up at, like, five in the morning? I was like, all right, well, I'm gonna give you my number, and you text me when you wake up, because I don't believe you gotta wake up at five. And she's like, okay, deal. Next morning.

[Ego Wodem]

Morning.

[Josh Segura]

Five am. Ping.

[Ego Wodem]

Bing.

[Josh Segura]

Good morning.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow.

[Josh Segura]

I said good morning to you?

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

This was on a Tuesday. And I remember it because I said, I was an unemployed actor at the time.

[Ego Wodem]

Right.

[Josh Segura]

Let's hang out tonight. And she said, no, I'm busy. I said, well, let's hang out tomorrow.

[Ego Wodem]

She also Woke up at 5am I'm like.

[Josh Segura]

But I was like, okay.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. You're like, I'm ready. All right, great.

[Josh Segura]

So I'm. Let's go. So let's hang out tomorrow. She said, I'm also busy.

[Ego Wodem]

I was like, you're busy.

[Josh Segura]

Okay. And she said, I'm free Saturday. Saturday day. I was like, you're free Saturday day. Not even the night. So I knew. I was like, all right, she's testing.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

I was teaching spin at the time.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

At the gold's gym on 54th and 8th.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

That was one of my odd jobs.

[Ego Wodem]

All right.

[Josh Segura]

So once again, like, if Bracelet was sitting right here, she would tell you that. So she's like, all right, I love spin. I'll come meet you at Your spin class, and then we'll go out after. I said, great.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

She was thinking, I'mma test this man his spin class. Like if. If he sucks.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

If he plays music I don't like.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

She was testing me.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

I knew my spin class was dope.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. Hey, you had good music.

[Josh Segura]

My.

[Ego Wodem]

Did your classes sell out or.

[Josh Segura]

All the time.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow. So you had to say for a spot.

[Josh Segura]

All the time. So I had to give up my bike. I didn't even spin that day. She arrives, she's like, there's 10 people waiting outside fighting for bikes.

[Ego Wodem]

Uhhuh.

[Josh Segura]

I walk in and Josh is up there. He puts me right at the front with my best friend Patrick. My boy is carved out of stone. Six, three. Beautiful.

[Ego Wodem]

Ok.

[Josh Segura]

I put him right in front. I put her right in front. And the class went very well.

[Ego Wodem]

Apparently it did, because a wedding and three kids later, and we went to.

[Josh Segura]

Eat at Southern Hospitality after. That's where she found out I was 24. And she went, what? And I said, yeah, how old are you? She's like, I'm 30. I was like, you're 30? Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

You don't gotta say it like that.

[Josh Segura]

The people next to me were giggling, definitely. See, like, oh, these are in their first date.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And I kid, I, I. This was Saturday day, remember? So I was like, hey, we can go to the bar next door. She came and watched a little bit of a football game with me. She kept talking about how she had plans that night with friends. I came to find out these were not plans with friends.

[Ego Wodem]

It was another date.

[Josh Segura]

The guy she'd been dating for a few. You know what I'm saying? Oh. She had been dating another guy for a couple weeks, but her words, she wasn't quite sure where that was.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So she needed to see that through, which I respect 100% at the time. I didn't know.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So I took her to the training.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Kissed her in front of the Billabong right there on 42nd.

[Ego Wodem]

Shout out.

[Josh Segura]

Shout out to Billabong. Thank you, Billabong.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, that's another. Thanks.

[Josh Segura]

We split ways. Oh, and before we left that night on Saturday, I said, yo, let's hang out tomorrow. She's like, I'm busy. I was like, you're not busy. It's Sunday. Like, I know you're not busy. She's like, yeah, but. And then kind of find out, you know, she was dating finance guys that would, you know, maybe text once a week or, you know, they go out once a week that, you know they could fly around places. They could take a really nice, expensive places. I couldn't do any of that. But I was texting every day.

[Ego Wodem]

You were. You were.

[Josh Segura]

And I was. I was available.

[Ego Wodem]

That's. By the way, y' all don't understand just how much of a difference that makes.

[Josh Segura]

My heart was open.

[Ego Wodem]

Heart open, consistent, good bones. The bones are there.

[Josh Segura]

I showed up.

[Ego Wodem]

You gotta give him a chance.

[Josh Segura]

So that was it. So, funnily enough, one of her best friends, Tiffany, said to me, she's like, I never. Brace has never had a guy be as loving towards her like you.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

And. And. But I'll be also honest.

[Ego Wodem]

Mm.

[Josh Segura]

I don't like this term love bombing.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

Okay. Because sometimes it carries a negative connotation.

[Ego Wodem]

Most times it does.

[Josh Segura]

Most times it does. But I will say that that was my style. Like, I was in love on a Monday and probably out of love on, like, a Saturday.

[Ego Wodem]

You certified.

[Josh Segura]

But, like, I really felt hard. Josh, that wasn't Monday to Saturday.

[Ego Wodem]

Five. What is that? Six days of loving. No, that's not love. That's infatuation.

[Josh Segura]

Real. So real. Every time. Really? Huh.

[Ego Wodem]

Did you then feel heartbreak, though?

[Josh Segura]

Every time.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

Heartbreak. Like, I do feel like it was my way of, like, just trying to navigate, like. Okay. It wasn't even thought through, to be honest, because there were many times where it ended in complete catastrophe.

[Ego Wodem]

Sure.

[Josh Segura]

Where I was loving. And they're like, bro, you're a lot. Bro, you're right. I'm a lot. My bad. Yeah. And then I was left to be picking up the pieces.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

So that definitely happened many times.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

But there was something about. And this is what I'll say to any of my boys or anybody that wants to talk about it, is that there is something funny because, like, for Brace, she would tell you that she was the opposite. It where she was so used to not texting or, like a date every two weeks, that maybe she needed a little bit of change of scenery. And for someone like me, I needed her. Being older than I was, forgiving some shortcomings that I had, and also building up this 24 year old, insecure little boy, you know, like, you know the little things that we have to go through. Like, it's hard to explain to somebody in our. That's not in our business what having a bad audition feels like and why you're, like, mentally just effed up the.

[Ego Wodem]

Rest of the day is over. You gotta. We need to get into a new day. When you have a bad audition, like, so disoriented, like, you can put up.

[Josh Segura]

You can put on whatever mask you want in front of somebody new, and you could be hanging out for six days, and then on that six day, have a bad audition. All of a sudden, they see a part of you that they're like, oh, I didn't know this guy was in there. But that part is me too.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And for her, for Brace, I'll forever remember. You know, I don't remember specific instances, but I do remember, like, early on, I never met anybody like her. You know, that's my 1 of 1, my 1 of 0. Because for. For her, it was that perfect cocktail where, you know, I. It was. Met her at 24. Right. So I was, like, starting to test a little bit, but I wasn't getting it. I was starting to get on planes. I was right there. But that's hard to explain to somebody that doesn't know our business, and she knew our business intimately, and she was leaving the business.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

So she wanted nothing to do with it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

You know that dancer life is so hard on the body.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, gosh.

[Josh Segura]

Being a pro athlete.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

She was transitioning. And here I come, and she's telling me, like, no, dude, you're killing it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. Ah.

[Josh Segura]

But I didn't get this. I didn't know. Dude, you were killing it. So going back to my parents, having that safety net, is somebody that, like, really believes in you. And, like, I was thinking about that too. Like, who do I want to thank? Like, you know, it's like, I can really thank, like, that handful of people. No, it's bigger than a handful. I would say in your lifetime, really think about it, like, maybe, like, 20 people that, like, really believed in you. Mm. That, like. And that. It's just that faith in you is such a skill that then we have to teach ourselves. Like, faith.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

Like belief, delusion.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

How do we continuously do it?

[Ego Wodem]

Mm.

[Josh Segura]

Man, it. It helped so much to have Brace. So much to have my parents, to have my high school drama teacher, Mrs. Mueller, to have Mrs. Sherman in eighth grade, take all these kids up to New York just to show them what New York City is, you know, expand your view there. That's it. Just get on the train and let's go.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

You know, so three kids later.

[Ego Wodem]

Three kids. But we skipped. We skipped some things.

[Josh Segura]

Okay. What do you skip? Timmy.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, so how did you know Brace was the one? Was it the belief in you and the understanding? It sounds like obviously so much of it was so. Right. And you guys sound so aligned from the way you describe it. And even the way you. I mean, just. I love hearing you describe meeting race and how she impacted you at a pivotal time in your life as you were pursuing this career. But what moment do you feel like you were like, this person is the one for me. Was there a moment where you felt that.

[Josh Segura]

There wasn't a moment. But I will say that it was like, the good thing about the way that I am, but the way I dated was that I do feel like it was one of those things where if something doesn't feel right to me, it's hard for me to fake it. So it goes with, I'm one of those cats that I trust first until I. Until you break my trust.

[Ego Wodem]

Got it.

[Josh Segura]

And then you'll probably never get it back ever again.

[Ego Wodem]

Right?

[Josh Segura]

Oh, right.

[Ego Wodem]

But I respect that.

[Josh Segura]

Right. So it's just one. And I've definitely broken that rule. You can get it back, but it definitely. That's my. My core. Is that right?

[Ego Wodem]

Baseline.

[Josh Segura]

And it's, like, protective in a way. So when it came to finding the one, right. You're. It's. You're constantly opening your heart up to people, but the second you feel like it's getting toyed with or it doesn't feel right, you shut off. And with Brace, I don't know, just never shut off. Like. Like, even my boys, like, you know, in their words, it was like, man, if you're with her for six months, we'll throw you a party. We got six, and we didn't really even talk about it. Well, if you get to a year, we'll throw you a party.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And we got to the year, and now we've been together. Married 11, 12, and been together 14, 15, and. But it was. But I want to give a real answer. It was like there were times, you know, there are times where I don't mind being the center of attention.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

But there are also times where I do like to hide. And I would find that there were certain relationships that I was in where if I decided to be center of attention that day, I could be punished for it. Or if I. If I decided to hide that day, I could be punished for it. Or not even punished, but you know what I mean.

[Ego Wodem]

I know what you mean.

[Josh Segura]

It's weird.

[Ego Wodem]

Later. Sure. Of course you'll pay for this at some point.

[Josh Segura]

With Brace, I never had any of those. Like, we would. Just every type of scenario we'd come in contact with. I just always loved the grace in which she moved around. I love the way she treated me. People. I love the way that she handles herself. You know that Maya Angelou. That May Angelou quote. Like, happiness is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking the way you go about it.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. I haven't. I don't know that one. I thought you were gonna say people remember. They might forget what you do, might forget what you say, how you made them feel. But repeat this, Maya Angel.

[Josh Segura]

Happiness is liking yourself, liking what you do, and. And liking the way you go about it.

[Ego Wodem]

That's good.

[Josh Segura]

Yep. So I would then throw that into relationships. Like, dude, I just liked her. I liked what she did, and I like the way she went about it.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

You know, like, she was just everything to me. She is, you know, And I will tell you this. As relationships grow, of course we're both changing all the time. And, you know, they're talking about, you're changing as you grow and you're growing together and you're growing. And, dude, the mom that she is, I'm just so impressed by and, like, I'm just so, like, lucky that I have her in my life and lucky that she's letting me be a part of her life. Because we still are two adults in this thing and we just trying to make it, you know, so now we've got our little boys. And I would like to think that I had the, like, the foresight to be like, she's gonna be a good moment. She's gonna be a good partner. But all it was was the smaller moments, those little things, treating each other in public. If. If I was emotional, she understood it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

If I was mad about something that somebody else might tell me is foolish, she understood it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

There were times where I needed to be built up. She built me up. There were times I need to be brought down, she'd bring me. Me down. And those are things. Those are things you can't force somebody into. That's that magic thing that just happens and.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And that's how I think I knew.

[Ego Wodem]

What a gift. Truly. What a gift.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah. I'm lucky.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

I am lucky.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. And you sound and seem to me so emotionally attuned. That's not so surprising that an actor might be emotionally to attracted tune. But which parent of yours, where did you do you feel? I mean, you describe both your parents, but which parent of yours do you think was more reflective of that? It sounds like maybe your mom, but. Yeah. Yeah. It's just such a.

[Josh Segura]

Probably my mom. My mom was. Because my mom was much. I'm a lot like my mom, my mom, my mom could fly off the handle, rightfully so. She just worked, worked 14 hours at the pharmacy. She comes home and we got like leftover milk in the bowl from our cereal and like, just a giant mess. But then I remember her never ever letting us go to bed without like coming in and kissing us on the head and telling us either she was sorry or like, sorry for yelling or like telling us how much she loved us. So she was always very. She's just much more emotional. But my dad has this really, he's really empathetic. Both of them are. But, but there's something about the quietness of my dad's empathy where it was always really reassuring and like he just, you know, like he was a pharmacist working a full time pharmacy job, but then he also was part of like organizations where he would go speak and like educating the community in Orlando about like where they can get meds at and where they, how they, how they can get health care and, and then at church, he was our church accountant.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

For, for, for trustworthy life.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Just like a full. On another career.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And I remember I asked him not too long ago, I was like, but dad, you don't even have accounting in your background. He's like, yeah, but I know math. And like a lot of people at church didn't have, have anybody to help them with it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So my dad would just be doing people's taxes for free.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

Just doing like 30 people's taxes from our.

[Ego Wodem]

That's not, That's a lot of time. That's a lot of time.

[Josh Segura]

So he, So I, I remember one time, I was a kid, I was 4 or 5 ish. It was before we moved out of my first house. There were some kids on the street I was playing with and we were running around, running around. And I remember one of the younger kids, me and my buddy Matt, shut the door on him and Nick was crying outside the door and my dad very calmly never raised his voice at us. Walked over and was like, hey, looked me right in the eyes and he was like, you never ever leave any of your friends behind. And that's just, it's this, this printed memory that I have of him that. Yeah, that's him in a nutshell, you know, like, he never said too much, but he was always there, always there. And my mom was always there, just bringing us up, lifting us up. They just had a really cool little balance with him.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. And even the notion that she would apologize, that she would apologize for yelling, being like, I had a long day.

[Josh Segura]

100%.

[Ego Wodem]

Because I feel like a lot of adults don't feel they need to do that to their children as apologize. Like, this is my kingdom. You living in it.

[Josh Segura]

Right?

[Ego Wodem]

Are you like that with your kids? I'm so fascinated. You embrace. You are also. You reflect that.

[Josh Segura]

I am. I think so much about my parents with my own boys. So My oldest is 9. My middle guy is 6, and my youngest is 3. And I found myself apologizing sometimes, you know, But. But, like, I feel like Mom. It's funny. You said, like, my mom was ahead of the curve, you know, like, she would talk to us like adults.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

My mom was never, like, she. She would apologize to us. She would explain things to us. She would say why certain things mattered and why we need to do this. And not that it was always conversations with mama. So I find myself thinking a lot about both of them when it comes to my boys, you know, like, right now, I'm trying to. They're fighting a lot, as brothers do. So even just this morning, I said to him, I was like, hey, I know you guys fight, but you still love each other and still best friends, right? And my oldest, like, yeah, Dada. Come on. But we're brothers. You're right. You're right. I don't want to take that away from you.

[Ego Wodem]

I want to make sure we stopping all the same.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah. We all know the deal here, right? You can fight, you can pick, but in public is each other's backs for life, unified front. This is a family unified front.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay?

[Josh Segura]

So 100. I try to talk to them like little men and try to be as honest with them, as honest, as honest with them as I can. And probably the most. Probably the most. What am I trying to say here? The hardest thing to explain to them is probably the most important to me, which is, funnily enough, when I'm having bad days because of our work.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, yeah, right. Because our work's supposed to be just fun. You just fun and perform, and you make people laugh or you make people feel like. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So it is a funny thing when I'm in a bad mood one day and I'm taking it out on them for no reason. And I find myself. Sometimes I'm short with them. And later on in the day, I will say to them, like, hey, sorry, boys. You know, Dada's just sad today because there was a part I wanted and I didn't get it. And my oldest was very wise one day, said to me, he's like, daddy, are you okay. Today. And he could tell I was down. I was like, I'm okay, papa. You know, I was a little sad maybe. Maybe cried a little bit. I was like, I'm okay, papa. I just really wanted this thing, and it didn't go my way. And, you know, and he's like, an acting thing. And I was like, yeah, an acting thing. He's like, but, daddy, you already an actor. And I was like, it's very profound.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Facts, facts.

[Josh Segura]

I don't know why I'm so sad about this.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, you don't.

[Josh Segura]

You are, right. I am an actor already, so I guess it's okay, you know? Yeah. He could tell I was going really deep with it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And he was just like, bro, you all right, dad? You know, my friends already think you're an actor.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

You know, like, I don't think you need to worry that you did it.

[Ego Wodem]

You did it.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah, we all alive. It's all good.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. It's funny, my mom, back when I was auditioning for Main stage, and my friends and I coming up in improv, and we're like, okay, we want to get on the main stage at UCB Theater and get on a herald team. When those auditions came around once a year, one year, some of us made it. Some friends did not. I'm telling my mom back home, I just called her. I was like, yeah, these two friends are really sad about not making the main stage at UCB Theater. And my mom was like, but you guys don't get paid to do that. I was like, you're right. And I'm gonna remind. She was like, you don't get paid, though, right? And she's like, so? So tell them they're okay. I'm like, yeah, yeah. It's not. She's like, tell them they're okay.

[Josh Segura]

You need to have mom in the corner. Reminders of the things that we sometimes forget.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes, yes. And your son in that moment, being like, yeah, you're right. He is a wise soul. Dad, you're an actor. We're straight. Yeah, bro.

[Josh Segura]

It's all good, dad.

[Ego Wodem]

Chin up, dad.

[Josh Segura]

It's all good.

[Ego Wodem]

I love that. I love that he had the ability to do that. Now, we were talking about industry stuff right before we started, and I am curious about this. Firing people. How do you handle it? How is it? How. Yes, how do you handle it? Because sometimes we have to fire people in this industry, too.

[Josh Segura]

Yes. Let me reset my cap for that.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah. Come on.

[Josh Segura]

No, I mean, thankfully, I haven't had to do it in a Long time I have had to fire people. Oh, man. But even thinking about it, like, it sucks. It just sucks.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Because, you know, in our. In our world, you're. You're brought up. We're just grinding for so long, and we're taught to say yes to everything, and we're taught that, like, the gig is you do anything.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Comes your way. Right. And then you get to a place where somebody wants to represent you, and you go, go. You want to represent me?

[Ego Wodem]

My goodness. Finally.

[Josh Segura]

And then somewhere along the way, something happens or changes. And for your business, we gotta make the right decisions for us. And we are the head of our.

[Ego Wodem]

Business, the boss, the CEO of our business. That's what they say.

[Josh Segura]

That's what. That's what they say. But it doesn't. You know. You know, I'm not. I'm saying this less to you and more to the people that watch your pod and listen to your pod. It's like. Yeah. In our world, they tell us all the time that we're the boss, but it doesn't feel like that.

[Ego Wodem]

It doesn't always feel like. It mostly doesn't.

[Josh Segura]

It really mostly doesn't. It doesn't like, because you have these people that believe in you and represent you, and they're the ones out there. They are the connection between us and the work. So it's a weird feeling when you're like, man, I don't know if that person that is the connector is right for me.

[Ego Wodem]

Mm.

[Josh Segura]

So it's tough. It's like any relationship doesn't mean that they're bad or you're bad. It's just oil and water just doesn't.

[Ego Wodem]

Mix oil and water. And if you had to pick if you're oil or water, which one are you saying you are?

[Josh Segura]

I would like to be water.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm water for sure. So we are kind of saying oil, you. You are bad. Water is a little superior to oil, if you ask me.

[Josh Segura]

Exactly. Water is consistent.

[Ego Wodem]

Water is. Water is giving us life. Yeah. I mean, we are made up of mostly water. We need to be consuming more of it every day.

[Josh Segura]

Yes. Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

I'm saying I'm water, you're oil.

[Josh Segura]

Yes. Yes, yes. I will say that my entire dream was definitely molded by Entourage, because I came up so I would have to look it up. But I'm sure it's the years I know is the years while I was in college because we would watch on Sunday nights. So, like, I really was looking for an E. Right. So an E is specific.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

That's not Every manager in the world.

[Ego Wodem]

Right, Right.

[Josh Segura]

So I had other managers that weren't E, but I needed an E. Right. And what I mean by that is, like, I was just looking for somebody that was going to be my best friend and also my manager.

[Ego Wodem]

Sure.

[Josh Segura]

And I have that now with my guy Andrew.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

That's my brother.

[Ego Wodem]

All right.

[Josh Segura]

We're going to a battle together. We've been in many battles together, and we have many more to go. But that's what I was looking for.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

It's also because we're close friends.

[Ego Wodem]

Sure.

[Josh Segura]

He was at my wedding. He knows me intimately, knows my family. So I was chasing that. I was chasing that picture. And, you know, I've had amazing managers that do. Just. They weren't E for me. Right. You know, they were looking for their thing, and I was looking for mine, and it sucks when I. It sucks. I remember it like it was yesterday, and I got a lot of love for them. And I will say, though, too, like, relationships, like, but maybe with it, with less heartbreak. It's like a chapter in your life, you know? And, like, I needed my managers that I had before Andrew. Right. You know, like, I won't bore anybody with the details, but, like, I really did need them. They introduced me to a lot of people, and they got me a lot of good jobs and a lot of jobs that helped me build and help me learn. And my first couple managers, like, I did not know what type of actor I was. I had some terrible auditions.

[Ego Wodem]

Right.

[Josh Segura]

I had some embarrassing auditions.

[Ego Wodem]

Right.

[Josh Segura]

And I was just trying to be whatever this business wanted me to be. And they were with me throughout those years.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And so I really am so gracious to them. And then I'll say that, like, how did I know Andrew was the one?

[Ego Wodem]

Mm.

[Josh Segura]

He came along, and he was the first one to start talking to me, like, about stuff that was five, 10 years ahead. And I was never forced to think like that.

[Ego Wodem]

Like, goals. Like, let's talk long term goals.

[Josh Segura]

Talk long term.

[Ego Wodem]

That's the plan.

[Josh Segura]

He's like, what game are we playing here, bro?

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Josh Segura]

He's like, if you want to go play this game. Game, I'm not your guy.

[Ego Wodem]

Right.

[Josh Segura]

And I remember him saying that to me. He's like, if you want to play this, we ain't gonna hang, hang out after.

[Ego Wodem]

It's kind of nice when someone says to you, by the way, I'm ready to walk away right now. Let me tell you who I am. Just in general, in life, someone is so confident and clear and aligned with themselves. They're like, let me tell you what you're gonna get here.

[Josh Segura]

That's it.

[Ego Wodem]

And if this doesn't work for you, you should leave now.

[Josh Segura]

That's it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. Enticing to me.

[Josh Segura]

That's exactly it. I remember, you know, at the time, I wasn't working. I was trying to figure out where. And I was like, man, you know, I've done a couple little things here and there. And I was like, but I need a job. And he's like, so go get a job. I was like, yeah, but I mean, like. Like, I want, like, an acting job. He said, well, you ain't getting an acting job right now, so go get a regular job. And I was like, oh, you're right.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

He's like, yeah, go get a job. And I was like, oh, no one's ever really said that to me like that. I guess I'm going to go to go get a job. And of course, I go get the job, and six weeks, two months later, I get an acting job.

[Ego Wodem]

Right? Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

But I needed him.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

To be like, bro, whatever. Who cares? Whatever it is you're thinking, yeah, it ain't that serious. Just go do this. And he's very good about that. I can get caught up in the minutia of stuff. I can get caught up in the. How does it feel? And he's very much like, dude, who cares how it feels? Yeah, this is what's happening.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

This is what we need to do, and this is where we need to be.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And I really needed that.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And I needed it from him, from his energy, and that's why we are too like this.

[Ego Wodem]

It just works. It just works. All right, Josh. It's amazing. All that is cool. But it's time for a segment called. That's nice, but what about me?

[Josh Segura]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Ego Wodem]

Here's what's going on. You live in Jersey now. You left the big city.

[Josh Segura]

Left it.

[Ego Wodem]

How do you know when it's time. How do you know when it's time to leave the big cities? Cause I'm la, New York. I'm from Baltimore. But I'm like, how do you know when it's time to go? You know what that pace or I need more space. Tell me.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah, that for. For. For us, it was definitely the third kid. We are flag bearers for raising kids in the city. We loved it. Strap those. Strap them on and let's go.

[Ego Wodem]

You guys are carrying the stroller down the subway stairs.

[Josh Segura]

Okay. So that is when I knew. Okay, one kid in A stroller easy. Mm. The double stroller a little harder.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

And when we had the double stroller with the kick pad underneath.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

I'm talking. Every restaurant looks at you funny because now you're walking into restaurants and you're like, hey, can we put this by the. By the hostess stand? They're like, bro, we ain't fitting.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

We don't have that Escalade by the hostess stand.

[Ego Wodem]

Bro, hostess gonna stand. That's exactly not a stroller stand. It's a hostess stand.

[Josh Segura]

That's exactly it. Like, we started feeling the city looking at us a little differently.

[Ego Wodem]

Get out of here. Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Like, bro, you. You went one too far. We were good with the four of you. Our booths fit four people nicely, but maybe the third. So. And. And with what we do, we had Beau. Bracelet. Had Beau. And I left two weeks later to Atlanta. And I went down to Atlanta for four months.

[Ego Wodem]

Wow.

[Josh Segura]

So she had a three year old, a six year old, a dog, and a newborn in our apartment in Long Island City that we loved.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And she loves being a New York City mom.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

She actually was the one having a harder time deciding if we're gonna go to the burbs or not. I was ready to rock.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And then when I came back after that winter, this was January, I left, she looked at me and she said, yeah, we could do this.

[Ego Wodem]

There's one thing about New York winter. It'll make things very clear for you.

[Josh Segura]

By the way, putting in the jacket and the booties on our dog to go out four times a day, walking the boys to school every day in the frigid wind tunnel known as our city. Those things start to shift a little bit. And the other side of it too, is that because even with all that, we were still trying to make it work. And we were looking at a place to get. And we're like, all right, maybe we'll get the four bedroom. Which really aren't. That there aren't that many.

[Ego Wodem]

Right.

[Josh Segura]

You're just thinking that once again, it's not built like that here. Then as you do get. As we go on our journey in life, like the tentacles I had connected to the city started to become less and less.

[Ego Wodem]

Other people moved too.

[Josh Segura]

Other people moved to. And also once we started having our kids lives, they started to create their own tentacles. So our tentacles became their tentacles. So that changed. It's like, you know, oh, I wasn't doing the same thing. I wasn't playing softball four nights out of the week anymore.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

By choice. Because I couldn't tear anything. But also. Yeah. Like, life changed a little bit.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So it was one of those things was like, oh, I guess I. I don't. I guess I'm not relying on certain things as much anymore. Now I'm actually seeking something else out for this chapter in my life.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And so for this little chapter that we're in, we found a perfect place for us. And I love carpools, and I love my, you know, school. School dad hangs and. And going to basketball games. But I will say that we gonna be out there, we're gonna raise these kids, we're gonna have a good time. And we'll probably end up moving back. Grab a little spot on the Upper west side. Two old people drink coffee at the diner in the morning.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh.

[Josh Segura]

Go to talk backs at the YMCA on Friday nights.

[Ego Wodem]

I love it.

[Josh Segura]

Go see a show a week.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. I love the plan.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

You might have kicked us out New York, but we'll be back.

[Josh Segura]

That's exactly it. All right. You looked at me funny.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

But I'm gonna come back, and I'm gonna see you at the hostess, and.

[Ego Wodem]

Then I'll deal with you then. That's exactly okay.

[Josh Segura]

I'm gonna remember this. You better not. I'll get my mom on you and.

[Ego Wodem]

Your mom does not forget.

[Josh Segura]

Yeah. I remember when you told my pupsy, yes. It's on about 15, 20 years.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. I love that. That is so clear to me. Because, honestly, when I do see the parents walking around the city, I'm like, you are the realest. You are the realest in the ville. Truly. I'm like, with me and my dog, I'm like, this is already a lot. I leave my gloves when he's due for a walk. My dog wants to walk. I have to take him out to pee. Of course. Right? He wants to. I'm like, okay, let's get out there. Let's make this quick. You handle your business. We'll be back inside in two minutes. He's like. Like, I'm not tripping.

[Josh Segura]

No.

[Ego Wodem]

And he's like, I want to smell every mound of snow. I might pee here. No, I'm not. It's really crazy. It's crazy energy. And I'm like, bro, we need to get back inside. So I can't imagine the kids, the dog, the boots, the stroller. I get tired in New York. Truly. Even just, like, having to put layers on. And today with all my running around, taking layers off, I'm like, this is exhausting.

[Josh Segura]

Of course.

[Ego Wodem]

And it's just me Anyway, thank you. That is helpful 100%.

[Josh Segura]

But I will tell you, I could never. I could never leave this place. Like, you know, even when we were looking, it was like, oh, did we go West Coast? And I love my time in la. Every time I get to work out there. We love it. But, yeah, I love being where we're at. We're right outside the city.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

I get to come in and hang with you. Yeah, it's. I still very. This. This city is very much a part of me.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

And it's. But, you know, it's part of where I grew up. You know, I came here at 18, so it's. It's so the thing we can't explain to people that don't know it. There's just something about this city that. That I love bringing my boys to and having them interact with and they love. Oh, we're getting on the training going, so it was tough to leave. It was tough, but it wasn't a breakup. It was a y'. All, see you later.

[Ego Wodem]

See you later. We're taking a break.

[Josh Segura]

Taking a little break.

[Ego Wodem]

This is a real break, a healthy break. So I can come back and appreciate you. You can appreciate me.

[Josh Segura]

That's exactly.

[Ego Wodem]

It's no problem. You guys are seeing other people right now.

[Josh Segura]

That's exactly.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay, that's it. All right. We have to help a listener as well.

[Josh Segura]

Okay.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. So, Kevin, we're ready to hear this.

[Josh Segura]

Hey, Ego and Ego's guest. My name is Zach, and my question is, how do you go about handling all of life's little chores? It feels like they are never ending. And every time you get done doing the dishes or you get done doing laundry or you get done going to the cvs, you have to go ahead and do it immediately. It's con. It's constant maintenance, and it's exhausting. And I was wondering if you both had any tips and. Or tricks on how you go about maintaining all the little chores in life. Thanks so much. Bye, Josh.

[Ego Wodem]

What you gonna tell him? That was Zach. I have thoughts.

[Josh Segura]

I was gonna say, what are your thoughts?

[Ego Wodem]

I feel that so deeply. You just heard me complaining about putting coats on multiple jackets on in the winter. I feel that so deeply because I will wash my dishes and be like, ah, Satisfied? Finally. I cleaned up the kitchen finally. And then it's like, oh, shit. But I gotta eat again.

[Josh Segura]

Oh, yeah.

[Ego Wodem]

I gotta eat again in, like, two hours. I'll sometimes wait as long as I can to eat again because I'm like, I don't want to create a mess.

[Josh Segura]

100%.

[Ego Wodem]

Look how I'm so satisfied that I finally cleaned that. Feels like my head space has cleared up because it's clean the kitchen. And now you're telling me I gotta eat again. Who set this up?

[Josh Segura]

Yeah, no, no, I don't like this.

[Ego Wodem]

Who set this up? So I was telling a friend who was over recently, and I was saying this to her. I was like, I just washed the dishes, but then I had to eat again. And she was like, I buy. And this is. I'm not telling you to do this, Zach. I'm not telling you to do this, Zach. She was like, I buy. She said, I buy the nice little disposable plates from T.J. maxx.

[Josh Segura]

Love that.

[Ego Wodem]

She was like. She goes, they're cute, and I use them, and I put them in the busura.

[Josh Segura]

Genius.

[Ego Wodem]

She's like, I throw it away.

[Josh Segura]

That's genius.

[Ego Wodem]

And so I'm not mad at it, but it is wasteful. If we want to talk about the environment, big picture. Same with laundry. Is damn near like, can I turn this underwear inside out?

[Josh Segura]

So I have to do what? Come on.

[Ego Wodem]

You're like. You absolutely can. That's your official stance. The underwear could go inside out. Yes.

[Josh Segura]

Yes. I'm like, we have to support that.

[Ego Wodem]

Because you know what? If. If you're gonna use a plastic plate, which is wasteful, you're gonna throw it away. You can make up for it by doing a reverse underwear situation. Less water being used.

[Josh Segura]

Correct.

[Ego Wodem]

So it's about balance.

[Josh Segura]

I like that. Balance.

[Ego Wodem]

I don't know, but I feel it. Zach. I haven't cracked the code, so I don't know what. Josh. What we would tell him.

[Josh Segura]

I like that. I think it's like being. I feel like it's striking a balance and, like, trying to find whatever balance it. Like, it is true. Like, how do we. So I feel like we just have to. Right. Like all these little things that we have to do. We just have to. Because if we don't. Right then it becomes like that thing that's piling on and piling on and becomes. Becomes more stressful for us. So we just have to. But how do we then enjoy the having to. Of it all?

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Is I guess the.

[Ego Wodem]

And not make it. It can feel like such a huge part of life. Is this what it's supposed to be?

[Josh Segura]

Yes.

[Ego Wodem]

Me folding my clothes, washing dishes.

[Josh Segura]

I'm happy. Is when I'm doing the task, and I feel like I'm accomplishing them.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay.

[Josh Segura]

Like, if I'm in the right frame, of mind and I clean a little bit and it feels good after. I'm just happiest. Yeah, I don't know. That's not advice to Zach. I'm just talking about my experience with the little things that I feel like when I have a couple little things that I needed to get done that day. And I'm not a list person. I'm like a mental list person. I feel like I crossed them all off and they went, well, then I sleep good, you know? So how do we do it? I don't know, Zach. Me and you have to talk about this more. But I like where it's balanced talent. It's like, you know, if it ain't us that's gonna do it, who will do it?

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, if not you, then who. If not you gonna be living in filth. But I like. But also like what you said about crossing things off the list. I don't think it's good for me to keep a mental list because I have a lot in this mental list. It's actually stressing me out day to day. And I'm like, you should really get it out of your head egg and put on a page. But maybe there's like, get it. Have your mental list or your written list and gamify it. Maybe you can make a way to find joy in these things is to, like, gamify it. Because I like what you're saying about joy. And it's like, cross it off. You cross these three things off that you were meant to do today. How could you maybe reward yourself after.

[Josh Segura]

Correct.

[Ego Wodem]

There's joy in the crossing things off. There is a satisfaction in that. And then how can you. Maybe you say, after I do these five things, I get to do this thing for myself.

[Josh Segura]

Yes.

[Ego Wodem]

A little trade off.

[Josh Segura]

It's all about the. My sister just said this to me. It's all about reframing. So, like, the thing that I'm thinking about right now, shoveling snow. Everyone keeps asking me how it's been to shovel snow, but they're asking me with the tone of, it sucks to shovel. Right. But I'm so new to shoveling snow that I'm still enjoying the shoveling of it all.

[Ego Wodem]

Oh, wow. Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

So I'm naturally in a different frame of mind when I feel myself framing the other way. In about five, six, seven years where I'm gonna hate shoveling the snow, I'm gonna try to remember this feeling.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah, yeah, Big no, bro.

[Josh Segura]

You didn't always feel this way.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes.

[Josh Segura]

Remember when you really liked it, when you thought about the core workout when you felt so good after and you feel like you were helping your family. I'm gonna try to hold on to that. Maybe that's it. Zach.

[Ego Wodem]

Yeah.

[Josh Segura]

Try to remember the task that you hate. Remember a time in your life when you loved it.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. Yes.

[Josh Segura]

And go back to that.

[Ego Wodem]

Yes. And I'm gonna just add to that. And if there was not a time when you loved it, maybe you can count some of those tasks as self love. You're taking care of yourself, and that's important. You're setting a standard for yourself. I'm a person who does clean their home. I'm a person who does the dishes. I do my laundry. I call the doctor when I need to call the doctor. I pay these bills. And this is the standard for my life. And this is self love. And I want that then reflected back to me and my other relationship. Am I Oprah now or what?

[Josh Segura]

I was just gonna say I'm very happy with what we came up with.

[Ego Wodem]

Me too.

[Josh Segura]

I was worried that we weren't gonna give any advice. I think we did a great job. I had nothing to say to him other than, like, man, just do it, Zach. I don't know what to tell you, bro. Like, if you don't do it, it's gonna suck later.

[Ego Wodem]

Well, look at us.

[Josh Segura]

But now I feel like we got there.

[Ego Wodem]

We got it.

[Josh Segura]

Between the two of us, we can.

[Ego Wodem]

Help these listeners out. All right. Make something up on the fly. We are satisfied with our answer. Is Zach. Hard to say. We may never know. But I'm proud of us.

[Josh Segura]

Yes, me too. I'm very proud of us.

[Ego Wodem]

So much, Josh, I appreciate you. Thank you for being here. This was delightful.

[Josh Segura]

I really appreciate it. This was so fun.

[Ego Wodem]

Thank you. All right. Okay. We had to take a picture.

[Josh Segura]

Thank you, bud. I appreciate it.

[Ego Wodem]

Okay. That was my incredible discussion. I just love Josh. Josh Sagana, incredible. So grateful for his time, for the heart he brought to that conversation and the fact that we were able to give our listener what we deemed good advice. I mean, honestly, it is up to Zach if Zach happens to think the advice is good. But it seems that Josh and I have decided it's a yes. But if you want advice from me and my next guest, call us. Call us and leave us a voice message. The number is 502-849-33-237502. Thanks. THX dads d a d S. We want to give advice that we think is good and hopefully is helpful to you. Thinkstad is a production of Will Ferrell's Big Money Players and iHeart podcast. I'm your host, Ego Wodem, Our producer is Kevin Bartelt, and our executive producer is Matt Apodaca. Foreign.

[Ben Higgins]

You can scroll the headlines all day and still feel empty. I'm Ben Higgins, and if you can hear me is where culture meets the soul. Honest conversations about identity, loss, purpose, peace, faith, and everything in between. Celebrities, thinkers, everyday people. Some have answers. Most are still figuring it out. And if you've ever felt like there has to be more to the story, this show is for you. Listen to if you can hear me on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ego Wodem]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Josh Segura]

Guaranteed Human.