335: Joe Dombrowski is the Kindergarten's Comedian

Summary

Podcast Summary: The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler – Episode 335: Joe Dombrowski is the Kindergarten's Comedian

In Episode 335 of The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler, host Ryan Sickler welcomes comedian and former teacher Joe Dombrowski. The episode offers an engaging exploration of Joe's unique journey balancing a career in education with his passion for comedy. Through heartfelt stories and candid discussions, Joe sheds light on the challenges within the education system while illustrating how humor can serve as a powerful coping mechanism and tool for connection.

---

1. Early Life and the Spark of Comedy

Joe Dombrowski hails from Detroit, Michigan, where he was raised in a family deeply entrenched in comedy consumption. This environment fostered his early interest in humor, leading him to perform stand-up comedy at a young age.

Joe Dombrowski [06:06]: "I did stand up comedy for the first time in my third-grade talent show. While other kids were dancing to the Spice Girls, I decided to do stand-up and stole jokes from a magician. It was the talk of the show and ignited my passion for comedy."

A pivotal moment for Joe was witnessing Kathy Griffin perform at Disney World, inspiring him to pursue a career in entertainment despite his parents' initial reservations.

---

2. Transition to Teaching

Driven by a love for working with children, Joe chose to study education, leading him to a career in teaching amidst the challenges of Title One schools—institutions serving predominantly low-income families.

Joe Dombrowski [13:32]: "Title One means the majority of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. It’s a tough environment with limited resources, and it really opened my eyes to the systemic issues in education."

Joe's first teaching role was in a Title One school near Detroit, where he experienced firsthand the bureaucratic hurdles and resource constraints that impede effective teaching.

---

3. Navigating Challenges in the Education System

Joe recounts his experiences dealing with severely emotionally impaired students, emphasizing the lack of adequate support and training for teachers in such environments.

Joe Dombrowski [15:07]: "Working with kids who have severe emotional impairments was incredibly challenging. The training we received was minimal, and the expectations were unrealistic."

One particularly harrowing story involves a student in foster care whom Joe intervened to ensure his safety and well-being, highlighting the critical role teachers can play beyond the classroom.

Joe Dombrowski [42:23]: "When a cab driver tried to take my student away with his belongings, I knew I had to act. I took him into my car and followed the driver to protect him. It was a pivotal moment that reaffirmed my desire to make a difference."

---

4. Balancing Teaching with a Comedy Career

Despite the demanding nature of teaching, Joe maintained his passion for comedy by performing stand-up routines and creating relatable, school-themed humor. This balance was both a source of personal fulfillment and a financial necessity due to the low wages in education.

Joe Dombrowski [27:08]: "Teaching wasn’t enough to cover all my expenses, so I hustled by doing improv, sketch, and stand-up wherever I could. It was exhausting but kept me going."

Joe's comedic material began to resonate more as he incorporated his experiences as a teacher, leading to a broader audience and eventual viral success.

---

5. The Turning Point: Viral Success and Full-Time Comedy

A pivotal moment in Joe's career was a viral video of an April Fool's prank in his classroom, which garnered over 20 million views overnight and led to an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. This exposure significantly boosted his comedy career, allowing him to transition fully from teaching to entertainment.

Joe Dombrowski [35:24]: "The spelling bee prank video blew up overnight, and appearing on Ellen was a game-changer. It ignited a fire in me to take comedy seriously and pursue it full-time."

With support from established comedians like Lou Ferrando, Joe secured opportunities to perform at major venues, cementing his reputation as a comedian who seamlessly merges education and humor.

---

6. Reflections on Education and Advocacy for Teachers

Throughout the conversation, Joe emphasizes the need for systemic changes in education, advocating for better compensation, reduced class sizes, and increased support for teachers to enhance the learning environment for students.

Joe Dombrowski [52:33]: "Teaching should be a lucrative profession. If we compensated teachers appropriately, we’d attract the best and brightest to educate our children effectively."

Joe's experiences highlight the profound impact dedicated teachers can have and the urgent need to address the systemic issues plaguing education today.

---

7. Advice to His Younger Self and Final Thoughts

In a heartfelt conclusion, Joe offers wisdom to his younger self, stressing the importance of self-belief and surrounding oneself with supportive individuals.

Joe Dombrowski [59:37]: "Nobody is going to believe in you more than you. If you don't believe in yourself, you can't achieve anything. Surround yourself with people who build you up."

Joe's journey from a teacher struggling within a flawed system to a successful comedian underscores the power of resilience, passion, and the ability to find humor amidst hardship.

---

Notable Quotes

• Joe Dombrowski [15:07]: "Working with kids who have severe emotional impairments was incredibly challenging. The training we received was minimal, and the expectations were unrealistic."

• Joe Dombrowski [35:24]: "The spelling bee prank video blew up overnight, and appearing on Ellen was a game-changer. It ignited a fire in me to take comedy seriously and pursue it full-time."

• Joe Dombrowski [52:33]: "Teaching should be a lucrative profession. If we compensated teachers appropriately, we’d attract the best and brightest to educate our children effectively."

• Joe Dombrowski [59:37]: "Nobody is going to believe in you more than you. If you don't believe in yourself, you can't achieve anything. Surround yourself with people who build you up."

---

Conclusion

Episode 335 of The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler offers a compelling narrative of perseverance and the pursuit of one's passions. Joe Dombrowski's dual career as a teacher and comedian provides valuable insights into the struggles within the education system and the therapeutic power of humor. His stories not only entertain but also inspire listeners to advocate for meaningful change and to find strength in their unique journeys.

Transcript

[Ritual Advertisement]

Did you know that many products for pregnant women do not have their own clinical trials for safety or efficacy? That's because pregnant women are often excluded from clinical studies. Ritual is aiming to set a new standard with their essential prenatal multivitamin. It's the number one best selling prenatal and the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin, and vitamin D during pregnancy. Moms taking essential prenatal had a lower overall cortisol level during pregnancy than those taking a leading prenatal. Plus, it's designed to be gentle on the stomach. Ritual doesn't just have your back, they have the receipts. Get 25% off. @ritual.com Clinical these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Ryan Sickler]

Baltimore I'm coming home. We're gonna wrap the Live and alive tour up Saturday, June 28th at the Horseshoe Casino. It's gonna be a great night. I got Justin Schlegel from 98 Rock gonna be out there with me. We're gonna have some surprises. It's gonna be a really big deal. Get your tickets now@ryan sickler.com the Honeydew with Ryan Sickler. Welcome back to the Honeydew, y' all. We're over here doing it in the Night pants studios. I am Ryan Sickler and I want to say thank you to all of you. Thank you for supporting this show. Thank you for supporting anything I do. I don't care what it is. Even if you're just telling someone about the show. Thank you for supporting it. And if you gotta have more, then you got to check out the Patreon. It's been five bucks since day one and I'm not raising it. It is this show, the Honeydew with y' all. And y' all have the craziest stories on the Internet. I promise you five. Five bucks a month. Go check it out. We have an additional tier up there. For another three bucks, you're getting the way back a day early ad free. And bonus content there, you're not getting anywhere else. All right, all right. That's the biz. You guys know what we do here? We highlight the low lights. And I always say these are the stories behind the storytellers. I am very excited to have this guest on here. First time on the do. Ladies and gentlemen, Joe D. Brow.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Oh, my God.

[Ryan Sickler]

Welcome to the Honey Do, Joe.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Brian, can I ask You. A question, please. Okay. But you're a Baltimore guy, but where's this y' all come from? You use y' all a lot in your. In your daily vernac.

[Ryan Sickler]

I do.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So where's that from?

[Ryan Sickler]

So it comes from. Maryland's below the Mason Dixon line.

[Joe Dombrowski]

You. We would say that it.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, yeah. We were big yers in Maryland.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Is that right? Interesting. Okay. Okay.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I did live in Texas for one year when we were kids.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Well, it got deeply embedded in your four, four.

[Ryan Sickler]

Five. Somewhere. Three to four.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

We lived just outside of Houston in a town called Spring, Texas. And maybe may. Maybe I picked it up a little bit there subconsciously.

[Joe Dombrowski]

A lot of bit. A lot of it. I swear to God. When you told me you were from Baltimore, well, I would have known by all the crab paraphernalia, but I was just. I was like, this is Southern my end.

[Ryan Sickler]

I get it a lot anytime I talk here. I. I just met a guy from Texas the other day that told me he thought I was from Texas.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Literally. Just listening to you, you could have told me this is a Nate Land podcast, and I would have been like, that checks it out.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, well, we're. We're big Nate Land for sure, bro.

[Joe Dombrowski]

For sure.

[Ryan Sickler]

Welcome to the show, Joe. It is a pleasure to have you here. Before we get into your story, promote everything and anything you would like.

[Joe Dombrowski]

For sure. I'm on tour right now. It's going crazy. You got to get your [e-mail] but I'm. I just shot a special too. We were talking about it. Shot with the same people that Ryan's shooting with. That's coming out soon. Keep an eye posted on all my socials. You can follow me at the Joe Dombrowski everywhere or just Joe Dombrowski on Instagram. And you'll find it when I can announce where it's going. So get ready for that and come see me on the road. Trust me. You like it?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. You're doing good out there.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Thanks, man.

[Ryan Sickler]

You are.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I'm working really hard right now, too, because we got bigger goals in mind with our family, hopefully extending our family and things. So I'm hustling now to. To be able to relax a little bit when that time comes.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. When you have family.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Gone, gone, gone. Good luck with the relaxing, man. Thank you.

[Ryan Sickler]

Good luck.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Teacher for 10, though. So now. Yeah, we're gonna talk about it. Yeah, for sure. But I. I. Being a teacher, I think that I'm gonna be a really good parent because I've I don't think I'll be caught off guard very much because I understand a lot of, like, the development of a child, too. I taught everything kindergarten to sixth grade, so I'm kind of ready for these little nuances.

[Ryan Sickler]

I love it all.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah. Not that it's gonna be easy, but I do think I am a little bit more prepared.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. Battle tested and prepared, I think. Well, let's go back to the beginning. Can we talk about your upbringing, your parents and where you're from originally and how eventually you get into teaching? So where are you from?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Detroit, Michigan. I was born in Detroit, Michigan. Was raised just outside of Detroit. And great family. I have a very standup oriented family. Not they don't do stand up, but we are a big comedy consumption house.

[Ryan Sickler]

So they were back in the day before you got into it.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Oh, my God. I'm a little k. I remember sneaking out because my parents are laughing so hard. And then I just joined them on the couch for roseanne. You know what I mean? Like, like that all the specials. And then when I was really little, I did stand up comedy for the first time in my third grade talent show. And, like, all the other kids are, like, dancing to spice girls and backstreet boys. I'm like, I'm gonna do stand up.

[Ryan Sickler]

Hell, yeah.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I made my mom go in the closet, get my first communion tuxedo, sort of God. And then I went sold. I stole all my jokes from a magician and just went up there and just, like, nailed the stand up. And I was like, the talk of it. It was great. And that that hit the standup bug. But what really did it is we went to Disney World later on, and this is, like, the beginning of Kathy Griffin's huge takeoff. And she was, like, doing a set in Disney world. And then I saw her do it and her physicality, I was like, that's crazy that I can see a person doing what they're talking about with nothing on stage but them and a microphone. I was so inspired by that that it always stuck with me that I wanted to be a performer, but my parents were not into that. So it was very much like, you're going to college, you're going to study something, and then that's what you're going to do. And I'd be like, but I'm star. And they're like, come on. This is not how this works. We're from Michigan. We have, like, zero Hollywood knowledge. Right. So I studied education, which I loved. I really liked working with kids.

[Ryan Sickler]

Can I ask you Can I just stop you there for once? Your parents both together? At the time, at least.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Still together.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay, still together. And were they teachers? No, they were not. What did dad mom do?

[Joe Dombrowski]

My dad was a civil engineer for the United States Air Force, and my mom was a nurse.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, my mom was a nurse, so.

[Ryan Sickler]

And how many siblings?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Trust me, baby.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, you're an only child. Aren't you lucky?

[Joe Dombrowski]

I'm an only child. So my mom is, like, obsessed with me. She calls it love, but the doctors call it Munchausen by proxy. By proxy, yeah, yeah, yeah. So we're very close. Very close family.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right, close. So what leads you into wanting to teach then?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Great question. So I was in a fraternity in high school. In high school. In college. In high school. High school.

[Ryan Sickler]

College.

[Joe Dombrowski]

You go to Central Michigan University. Go fire up chips. And my fraternity in particular had a. Well, all fraternities have a. Like, one. A charity that you're raising money for the year. Every fraternity is different.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is there a number you're supposed to hit?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Indirectly, but yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, is it ridiculous?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Kind of.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you really supposed to be busted? Like, 10 grand.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So, like, all of our parties, you, like, paid to go to it. But that money we were giving to charity and, like, and then we'd have fundraisers throughout the year, like huge events that was just raising money for these charities. And then a handful of brothers every year would go to it and work for thing. And ours was the Serious Fun Foundation.

[Ryan Sickler]

What's that?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Serious Fun is a string of summer camps all over the country that are for children with, like, severe, sometimes terminal illnesses. And every week is usually different based on what the illness is. There's a Sickle Cell week. There's a transplant week.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's why there's just Sickle Cell Week.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Do you have Sickle Cell?

[Ryan Sickler]

No, that's what they call me. That's my. Tom and Christina have fucking nicknamed me Sickle Cell and the whole.

[Joe Dombrowski]

That.

[Ryan Sickler]

I'm going to that camp.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I don't know if you should, because I do think there's an element of cultural identity there. But just for my experience on Sickle Cell Week, I just don't think it hit the demographic personally. But, yeah, Sickle Cell girl. That's your drag name. Welcome to the stage, Sickle Cell. You're killing it.

[Ryan Sickler]

Places and people who know me will say sickle Cell. Or when I show from just my last name being Sickle, Sickle Sickler. And he just did it. He just called me that just one day to be funny about it.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And I was like, oh, my God.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then they'll yell it to me, and people look. You know, it's a weird thing to scream at somebody in public and then have them. What's up?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Man's got shape. Amazing.

[Ryan Sickler]

Sorry.

[Joe Dombrowski]

That would have. So I volunteered. I was one of the brothers who volunteered. And my week, my first time was all different situations. The kids were in all different situations. We had a kid in a wheelchair, and the event was the high ropes course. But everything at this camp was designed for kids with needs, so there was nothing that a kid couldn't do.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, all the boats even a kid in a chair could do, could canoe.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Like, there was no limits. Like, everything was specially built.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's great, actually.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So, like, the high ropes course, there was even, like, you could hoist a wheelchair up, and then there was ramps up there that they could push themselves through, like in the trees. Something that a kid never thought they could do, Right? So this kid's panicking, and he. He doesn't think he can do it. He doesn't want to do it. And I was just like, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna have so much fun. I can't believe you're not gonna do it. Cause, like, I'm gonna have fun and go home and tell everybody how much fun I had. And that sucks that you can't. But you do. You like, you do your thing. And he's like, well, I could do it. I was like, actually, you can't. I said, you already told me you don't. And I get it. You're too scared. And, hey, that's fine, but I'm going to go have fun. You say. He's like, I can do it. I'm like, I don't think you can. I'm playing this game with this kid. Finally, he's just so mad at me that he gets up there, has the.

[Ryan Sickler]

He gets up, got out of the goddamn chair.

[Joe Dombrowski]

He looks at me, he's like, you wanna fall big up? Oh, my God. Could you imagine? Well, that's why my name's actually not Joe. It's Jesus. Jesus. Personally, I do make people walk again.

[Ryan Sickler]

So this kid really goes up. He gets up, he goes, why are we talking here?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, a normal 20ft, huge high as hell. We hoisted him up in his wheelchair. We hoisted him up, and he was able to do it. And he had so much fun. And I remember looking at him up there and, like, his face going from fear to just uninhibited, pure joy without restrictions. Was life changing. For me. And I was like, I think I want to do this. I think I want to be a teacher. See?

[Ryan Sickler]

And that kid really get it.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Have that moment for himself.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I want to definitely dive deeper, make that difference. So then I kept going back, was volunteering a little more and it was, it was great. I got my first teaching job just outside of Detroit. Loved it. Had the best staff, was super close with them. And where, what school? I taught in an area, you can say. Yeah, for sure. I taught in Kego Harbor, Michigan, which was just on the border of Pontiac, Michigan.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And we had a lot of students coming in from Pontiac. It was an older building school of choice, so we had kids coming from all over the place. And are you this elementary school, only an elementary teacher? Yes, yes, yes. And are you familiar with the term title one?

[Ryan Sickler]

No.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Okay. So this was a title one school, which means a title one school is a school where the majority of the student population, their families qualify for the kid to have free and reduced lunch and breakfast because of the income of what the dual income of the family is.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was a title one kid.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Free lunch, tickets.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So but everyone in there is this.

[Joe Dombrowski]

You're saying it has to be the vast majority. I don't know what the percentage is anymore. It used to be 50% or more. But all of the buildings except for one that I've taught in was title one.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, all of them.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Okay. Yeah, yeah. Oh two. I Sold My Soul. The Devil did Private One year. That was wild.

[Ryan Sickler]

We'll talk about that. What's your first day like? You know, getting in there and really, do you remember your first day? Are you nervous as hell? Are you excited? Or is it all of it or.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So I walked into that school thinking I was gonna be Hilary Swank and change these lives. Ye. You couldn't have told me. No, I remember I stood out there and I like shook all these kids hands. I'm like, I'm about to do Freedom Writer's Diary to you. No, it was, I was like brainwashed. You really, as a brand new teacher think that there's like no holds bar and you're going to do it. But when you start to like realize the bullshit that goes on in public in education period, it's kind of wild. There's just so many. We're definitely going to get into this, but there's so many. There's so much red tape around a teacher, an education that to really get the students the education that they need and deserve is unbelievable. It's Unbelievable. And you don't know that in your first few years as a teacher, you're just like going along with what you think is normal. But the first days were wild. A wake up call. A wake up call for sure, but fun. Loved it. Loved working with the kids.

[Ryan Sickler]

You did?

[Joe Dombrowski]

I did.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then did you work with any like kids with disabilities like you do at the camp or was it.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Please pause. My PTSD sinks back in. So this building that I taught at had the pro. This program which was for the most severely emotionally impaired mental health disorder students. Not in the school, not in the district and the entire county had a special program in my building. And if you know what mainstreaming is, mainstreaming are where we take students who are in special education services and they are mainstreamed back into the general education classroom by slowly spending more and more time in there to go on. But I'm doing this with like severely emotionally impaired students. Right. I had a kid who was being in brought in my class, but they're like, joe, but before you we do this, you need to take special training to learn how to effectively restrain a child if they're attacking you for your safety effectively.

[Ryan Sickler]

Can I just get a taser?

[Joe Dombrowski]

I was like, I was like, are you kidding me? So they send me to this two day training and I come back and then the kid starts going to my classroom and day run, day one, he comes up to me and he goes, can I tell you something? I was like, sure. He goes, run from the zombies. Run, run, run. I'm like, I'm going to have a bleach martini when I get home. This is insane.

[Ryan Sickler]

This is a little kid saying this.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Shit to you, dude. So then he's a runner. He's a runner. He takes off at recess all the time. And what would happen?

[Ryan Sickler]

Where's he going?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Just off property.

[Ryan Sickler]

He's trying to get away.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Cvs, wherever the hell he wants down main roads.

[Ryan Sickler]

He's done this.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So they give me the training, right? So I know how to effectively secure this child.

[Ryan Sickler]

What is it? Is there a way? Is there a way?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, it's like, is there a technique? Well, the first thing is like, you can't be by yourself. Like, you gotta like, like in this way that doesn't like harm them. I'm like, I get it. But also, at one point, this kid's running in oncoming traffic. You know what, honestly, whatever you taught me, I don't really care if we happen to snap a wrist on accident and save them. Yeah, you'll have a cast on I'll get sued. But at least you're alive. Yeah, thank me later. So anyway, he, we had this man in the building who worked for an outside service who kind of did recreational activities with the kids. He would organize games after school, teach them how to play basketball, that sort of thing. He's not employed by the school of the district. Okay? So whenever this kid would run, they would call me over the pa, send someone up to my room to cover me. Since I had the training to effectively restrain this kid, they're like, oh, he ran. Can you go get him? I'm running all over the town.

[Ryan Sickler]

Also, just because you have the training doesn't mean you got the fucking road work out there and the cardio to go chase some fucking eight year old kid that's got lungs that are never endless.

[Joe Dombrowski]

In what job do they say, hey, here's these extra things and they're actually really physically demanding and we're not gonna pay you anymore to do that, but by all means, go run your little ass down.

[Ryan Sickler]

So they send somebody to cover your class and you gotta go run out.

[Joe Dombrowski]

There, bust my ass to get this kid. So this one day I'm done, okay? I've done this like nine times. I'm running, running, running after this kid and he's in the middle of the road and he reaches up into the gravel on the side of the road. Now he's whipping golf ball sized rocks at me while he's running. I'm like, I'm not, I'm not, look at me, I'm not doing this this is thing. He's running, running, I'm running out of breath, out of nowhere, that gym teacher like guy comes, slide tackles this guy, this in into the grass, into the grass, ditch on the side of the road.

[Ritual Advertisement]

Did you know that many products for pregnant women do not have their own clinical trials for safety or efficacy? That's because pregnant women are often excluded from clinical studies. Ritual is aiming to set a new standard with their essential prenatal multivitamin. It's the number one best selling prenatal and the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin and vitamin D during pregnancy. Moms taking essential prenatal had a lower overall cortisol level during pregnancy than those taking a leading prenatal. Plus, it's designed to be gentle on the stomach. Ritual doesn't just have your back, they have the receipts. Get 25% [e-mail] clinical these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Riding. Never did it again. He was done running. He was done running. He was done running. And that was the moment when I was part of the technique you were taught, by the way, was that in the handbook? It was absolutely taught. It was taught what? Definitely not to do. The image in my head, done.

[Ryan Sickler]

I was like, okay, he never ran again.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Never ran again. Never ran again. But this, this program was so intense too. Like they're these kids.

[Ryan Sickler]

This also, I don't mean to interrupt here, but it also sounds like a sure fire way to get a brand new teacher not to ever want to fucking teach. It sounds like this.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I did it for nine more years.

[Ryan Sickler]

All in this type of education.

[Joe Dombrowski]

No, I ventured out a lot. So I actually taught in three places. I taught Detroit, Chicago and Seattle.

[Ryan Sickler]

But I mean all troubled youth, or.

[Joe Dombrowski]

You say all vast majority low income. Not always, not always troubled, but yeah, but yeah, yeah. So that, that was, that was a kicker and that, that what doesn't kill you make you stronger for sure. That really beefed me up.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did it in what ways?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Proved to me that they are going to ask the world of you and you're just expected to do it. And one, I'm a big, I am such an advocate for education and for teachers because if, if we are not making, if we are not creating an environment for a teacher to be a well rounded healthy person, then they can't be their best. And if they're not their best, the student's not getting their best. But we have one teacher in schools with 30 kids or more in one classroom and expecting this person to stay sane. Well, that's some bullshit because you can't do this. You can't be the best teacher. You can for all those kids. You can't. That's impossible. And we're not creating these environments for teachers to be the best they can be. And that's not fair to the kids. So I'm starting to learn this, which is why I'm such a huge advocate for teachers.

[Ryan Sickler]

And it's also such a mind shift from I'm going to save these kids to now like, oh fuck, this is what this really is. And here's what's really going on in this system.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Well, there's a problem though on a macro level and it's that, and I can say this as a former teacher, the vast majority of people who go into education are do good people who want to do Good. Generally speaking, rules followers who don't want to rattle the cage. Ryan, this isn't going to change if we don't rattle the cage. Right. And teachers are not the type of people who get a task and come back at it. And we need to build up and be like, this isn't right. And it's not gonna change until people start advocating for themselves, their classroom and their capabilities. There are too many times where I was in my classroom and there's too much put on me to where the kids suffered when I could have advocated and said, I cannot do this. And it's because if I do, these kids are not gonna get the best they can possibly be out of this environment. And teachers aren't doing that on a big scale.

[Ryan Sickler]

On average, how many students are in your class?

[Joe Dombrowski]

No, it depended on where I was at. So it moved all over the place.

[Ryan Sickler]

What's the most ever?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Oh, 30. I think I had 30. I went to 20.

[Ryan Sickler]

29.

[Joe Dombrowski]

29. It's a lot. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And what's, what's your ideal? What do you. What room? I, I mean obviously we all say one on one, but yeah. What's the smallest group that you.

[Joe Dombrowski]

One on one's not realistic.

[Ryan Sickler]

So personally feel you could really make an impact.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So there's. I have two trains of thought on this one. I think it needs to depend on grade. It needs to be smaller as the kids are younger and it can go up from there. I don't think that high school classroom sizes are unrealistic and unmanageable right now. Where they're at in the 20s, low 20s, that's what we were in high school.

[Ryan Sickler]

20S, 35, somewhere in there.

[Joe Dombrowski]

But it also depends on the group. Like if you have a group that they can thrive in that environment, great. But if you have a group coming in and that's not them, then that's not them. Okay. Kindergarten for sure. 10. 10 to 10 to one teacher with a paraprofessional for extra assistance is healthy, but the biggest thing is there needs to be social work. And social work is typically in public schools. One teacher covering four or five buildings. And it needs to be one teacher, one social worker per grade level who follows these kids from kindergarten to eighth grade so they can learn them, understand them, relate to them, know what works in history and build a long lasting relationship that can change a student if they're in some sort of like mental distress or whatever it is.

[Ryan Sickler]

Well, speaking of mental distress, what happens to you mentally when you realize, oh, I'm in a system that's broken and has so many problems and now I'm in it and what am I going to do? Do I continue? Do I get out? Like where are you personally with that?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Different in. I loved it, but I never let teaching define who I am as a person. And as we were talking about a little bit ago, stand up was something I always love. Performing was something that I love. And as a teacher, especially a teacher in the first five years in the United States, you need a second stream of income to be. To live.

[Ryan Sickler]

I wanted to say that too. When I was, I'm 52 next month. When I was a kid, a teacher, I was going to say, you son.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Of a bitch, I moisturizer.

[Ryan Sickler]

A teacher could buy a house.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah. What's that?

[Ryan Sickler]

You know, a teacher could really buy a house back then off of a teacher's salary. And I feel like they're probably making damn near the same amount of money they made 30 years ago and they can't afford anything.

[Joe Dombrowski]

20, 10, 11. I'm making like $32,000 a year. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

As a full time teacher.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yes. Yes. 30. And paying for my health insurance is coming out of there. My taxes are coming out of there and my teacher union dues, which at the time you, you, you had to be in the union. So that's all coming out. So you have. So that, so what do you really.

[Ryan Sickler]

How old are you at the time?

[Joe Dombrowski]

23. 22.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay. And you're making, what would you say?

[Joe Dombrowski]

32,030. I, I remember my first check came in and it was three digits long. And I said to my mom, I was like, I think this is wrong. And she just laughed at me because she was like, baby, that's right, that's right. And I was like, I can't. Well now on top of everything, they deducted. I have to pay my car, I got to pay rent, I got to pay groceries. And then at the end you're left with $100.

[Ryan Sickler]

Right.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And that's real and that's a lot of people's reality. And so you got to work a second job, open an Etsy shop, do volunteer like work the school functions and make a little extra money, whatever. Mine was comedy, so I'm doing improv, sketch and stand up for whatever I can make.

[Ryan Sickler]

All while you're teaching?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And from your 20s and stuff?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah. All around Detroit to make, to do a 20 spot so I can put gas in my car for the week or whatever.

[Ryan Sickler]

And you took two shitty job choices.

[Joe Dombrowski]

No, I took three. I was a spin instructor too.

[Ryan Sickler]

Whoa.

[Joe Dombrowski]

What the are you talking about?

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you finding time to do that?

[Joe Dombrowski]

This was my life.

[Ryan Sickler]

Hey, guys, Ridge Wallet is a new sponsor here. Now. This is my Ridge Wallet. I've been a Ridge Wallet dude for a few years now, but I used to be the guy that had the fat wallet and all the cards and my insurance. And now everything's digital, y' all. It's on your phone and whatever you need to keep and go right here in this Ridge Wallet Cash band on the back. It's also easy to slide in that front pocket so you don't get pickpocketed. This is the best wallet I've ever had. I'll never own another one. Ridge Wallets are ultra slim, extra sleek and surprisingly spacious, holding up to 12 cards plus cash, all without turning your pockets into a lumping mess. Crafted from premium materials like titanium and carbon fiber, it's built tough to handle whatever life throws at it. And with over 50 colors and styles, Ridge Wallet isn't just functional, it's personal. So whether you want black forged carbon fiber, a wallet that features your favorite NFL team, or one that just matches your vibe, they've got you covered. Plus, it comes with built in RFID blocking tech to keep your card info safe from digital pickpockets. Ridge is so confident in their quality, they offer a lifetime warranty. It's literally the last wallet you will ever have to buy. Right now, Ridge is having their huge Memorial Day sale Get up to 40% [e-mail] Just head to ridge.comHoneydew to see their biggest sale of the year. After you purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. Please support our show and tell them our show sent you. I'm telling you, if you've been wanting a Ridge Wallet, now is definitely the time to do it. Ever had a scary night of sleep? And not in the like creepy basement kind of way. We're talking those nights where you're lying in bed, you're stuck thinking about that one decision or that one moment you'll never live down. If you've ever been haunted by your own history. Welcome to the Honeydew. But here's the good news. You don't need a therapist and a time machine to fix your sleep. You just need Ghostbed. Ghostbed is a family owned company with over 20 years of experience and more than 60,000 five star reviews. Every mattress is handcrafted in the USA and Canada with premium materials. Right now, their Memorial Day sale is live and it's their biggest deal of the year you'll save big on every mattress and get an extra 10% off just for being a Honeydew listener. If you're not sure where to start, you head to ghostbed.com Honeydew take their sleep quiz. You also get a 101 night sleep trial, free shipping and a 20 plus year warranty. Twice the industry standard. I'm going to say this too. They don't just have mattresses, they've got great pillows. I've got some pillows from Ghostbed. Love them. Use them all the time. Super comfy. So not just mattresses. All right, you. Here's the move. Visit ghostbed.comhoneydew and code HONEYDEW to get an extra 10% off your order on top of the Memorial day sale. That's ghostbed.com honeydew promo code honeydew. Better sleep, funnier memories and way fewer regrets. Now let's get back to the do.

[Joe Dombrowski]

This was my life to live. I would wake up at 4:30 in the morning to teach a 5:00 clock in the morning. Oh, I can't even cycle class.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right, you're keeping yourself in shape by the way.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Then I would, then I would go home, shower, teach a full day of work, sometimes teach another cycle class and do a set at night before I went to bed and do it all the next day. Hustle.

[Ryan Sickler]

So you're making $30,020 a year with the comedy input? Yeah, with the comedy boost off the back of that end.

[Joe Dombrowski]

It was great. It was great. But the comedy kept me going for real. It was like you still have to have an identity outside of being a teacher and a network.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did you ever run into any your students, parents doing comedy or anything?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Like did you do like, did you read that somewhere?

[Ryan Sickler]

No.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Oh yeah. This. You're gonna watch this?

[Ryan Sickler]

I'm just curious because I'm saying if you're doing it the whole time, just curious if you ever run into somebody, maybe not the kids, but I bet their parents or something.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So the switch in my comedy career when it. So I'm talking. Okay, first of all, what was I talking about when I was 23? Like boohoo. Are you, are you talking about the.

[Ryan Sickler]

Kids or teaching at all at that point?

[Joe Dombrowski]

So I'm just complaining about being a 23 year old. Talking about being a 23 year old crazy guy. Yay. Right? And then I started to switch into talking about my life as a teacher and I'm like watching it click with audience members. I'm be. And then I'm Starting to realize they have kids, they get it. They have nieces and nephews, they get it. They were a kid, they get it. They went to school, they get it. This is like non stop. And that's when I learned relatability in comedy, right? So I started to really just take the story from the week and hit it on stage. And it's working, it's working, it's working. And then I had a group of parents at a show, and I knew they were at the show when I got there, and I was like, did.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know they were your parents? So to speak. You did? You knew they were okay?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah. So I'm like.

[Ryan Sickler]

They were coming.

[Joe Dombrowski]

No, I saw them there.

[Ryan Sickler]

You walked in and saw them before they saw you?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah. I'm like, backstage, I'm like, so I'm like, do I switch and bomb or do I keep and like, maybe do well? And I was like, I have not. You're barely paying me to be a teacher, so I'm going to do it. And then I did my set and then before I left, they were still at the bar and they're like, that was hilarious. We love that. Well, now words getting out that I do this. And now some of the teachers that I work with are asking me about it. They decide they're going to go. My principal one time comes and I'm. I'm like, this is gonna be the end. This is it. She, the next day, came into my classroom before school started and shut the door behind her, and I'm like, I'm toast. And she goes, you have something here that not a lot of people can do. And she's like, you need to remember that. She's like, because this is for you. Keep doing it. And I was like, seriously? She's like, oh, yeah, Keep doing it. And then we had this little, like, unwritten thing where I'd be like, yo, on Friday. It's also in teacher culture, it's like really frowned down upon to take the kids to parent pickup and leave with the kids. That's like, not a good look.

[Ryan Sickler]

What do you mean?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Like, if I go, you gotta take your whole class down to the bus line or the parent line, and you take them, you send them off on their way, and then you go back in and fix up whatever you got to do in your classroom, talk to whatever teachers you got to talk to, whatever you think. But if you're that teacher who goes out there with your purse, your backpack, your coat on, and when this is done, I'm done. It's Just culturally, like, there's a stigma around it. And I would tell her, I'd be like, yeah, I'm doing it today because I got a gig that I got to get to that's two and a half hours away. She's like, I didn't hear it. I don't know what you're talking about.

[Ryan Sickler]

I love that.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah. What's that? Okay. So she would just turn another eye, and I'm like, this is incredible. And then that just snowball, snowball, snowballs. And then, like we were talking about earlier today, like, the. The Internet's really taking over and comedy and stuff. So I'm making. I'm not really posting stand up, but I'm, like, making videos and whatever. And then I played a joke on my students where I did a. An April Fool's prank when I gave them fake spelling words and quiz them on these words that were not real. And then I posted it. And 20 million views overnight.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow. Overnight, bro.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And a call to go on Ellen DeGeneres.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And that took my career to another level.

[Ryan Sickler]

It has to. Now you're in.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Well, two things happened there. One, hey, people can say whatever they want about Ellen and what's happening, not my lived experience. So I can only talk about what happened to me. I went on that show, and they told me, hey, we know you're a comic. This isn't your last comic standing audition. Wholesome, funny teacher. That's what we're talking about. So don't try to be funny on this. And I was like, proof is in the pudding that I'm just gonna be who I am, and it's gonna work, right? And I go out there and they say, hey, if Ellen, like, in commercial breaks, gets up and leaves to fix her hair, get coffee, whatever, is. She's not being rude. She's working. I'm like, whatever. Okay. Yeah. Commercial break happens. She stays in the seat, and she goes, so you're a comedian? And I was like, yeah. She goes, I watch some of your stuff. I go, oh, thank you. She goes, I don't think you get it. You have something here, and you need to go farther with that.

[Ryan Sickler]

This is same thing the lady said.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah. So I was like, oh, my God. And it, like, lit this fire in me. And I got off that show, and everyone keeps telling me, oh, you got your 15 minutes. Oh, you got your 15 minutes. I'm like, oh, hell no, not me. This is. This is the start of something that you're not. You're all not ready for, because I had My set was done. So now I'm after that show and it's blowing up, blowing up, blowing up. I'm cold. Calling clubs. Hey, this is me. I actually do real stand up, too. Can you give me a one nighter? What can we do? Start picking me up. Lou Ferranda at Caroline's on Broadway gives me a chance. He watches my set, and when I'm done, he calls me in for lunch the next day. He goes, you have something, you have a voice that isn't heard. And if you want to get to any club in this country, you tell me and I'll call on your behalf. And after that, it was done.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow.

[Joe Dombrowski]

It was done. And then I taught for a few more years because, you know, I'm leaving something secure. And it just. It didn't stop. My comedy career was just continued to grow.

[Ryan Sickler]

What was the. What was it that made the spelling bee take off? The practical joke? What do you think it was that caught everyone's attention?

[Joe Dombrowski]

And I think it was the innocence of the kids is so funny. Right? And kids are funny every day. I had something that I was doing with them all the time. I was constantly setting the kids up to be funny. So if this was a late night show, I was writing for them, right? So in that video, they. I knew this was gonna be great. I was ready for it. And one of the things, the number one comment is like, how is this dude keeping a straight face? And I was like, Cause I know that that's part of this, and I know that if I start reacting, the jig is up on them too. And I think the authenticity and the innocence of a child, like, which I've always found hilarious, came through in that video. And. And just, like, gave levity to a lot of people at just a weird time. And it. And it just took off. I think it was an escape for a lot of people, which was cool.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are you comfortable or can you tell us about maybe some of your favorite kids that really impacted you and still maybe have an impact on you today?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, I've had there's.

[Ryan Sickler]

And also, sorry, I know people are yelling at me, but it's also a weird world we live in today because back in the day, I couldn't. I couldn't email my teacher. Yeah, I didn't have.

[Joe Dombrowski]

They come to my shows.

[Ryan Sickler]

If you randomly saw a teacher out in the wild, you were like, yeah, you're a person.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Oh, that's.

[Ryan Sickler]

I thought you just did that inside this building here.

[Joe Dombrowski]

When you see them in. In the wild, it's they. They freeze.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Joe Dombrowski]

It's like, oh, really? You talked your little ass off all day, and all I had to do is take you to Kroger and we'll get you to stop. All right, noted. But there's always kids that make an impact. One of the coolest things that's happening right now is, like, a lot of them are post college working kids you taught. And they'll come to shows and they'll be like, do you remember me? And I'm like, well, how about this? Do you remember when you shit your pants and a nugget rolled out of your pant leg? How about you ask me again if I remember you? How about that? He remembers you. Don't forget. You don't forget. You don't forget. It's like, yeah, yeah, I remember you. So. But there are a lot of kids who, like, shape the rest of what you do and who you are as a person. And like I told you, being in title one, there was a lot of kids in, like, very, very, very dark situations. And I learned a lot about foster care, which changed my life.

[Ryan Sickler]

I've learned a lot about that on this show too, dude.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Changed my life. Changed my life. I had a kid who was in a foster care situation, and he had, like, some severe needs outside of just being in foster care. And he was in a foster care situation. And while he was in foster care, his father, One day, he's just comes to school as normal, and I go, and I take the kids to the end of the day. Normal day, everything's fine. The end of the day, a cab driver, as I'm sending all the kids to their parents, comes up to me and he's like, are you Dombrowski? I'm like, yeah. And he goes, is this your student? And I was like, yeah. He goes, oh, his foster parents gave him up. So I got all of his stuff in a garbage bag, and we're gonna. We're taking him to. I'm driving him right now to his new foster situation. I'm like, the hell you are.

[Ryan Sickler]

A cab driver's company just throw his kid away like that.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I'm like, the hell you are. I go, he doesn't know you. He doesn't know this car. He doesn't know where he's going. And I'm just gonna accept this? So I pulled the kid back into my classroom, and I was like, give me a minute. And I went to that cat. And this is a huge no, no in teaching, okay? Even if you're going on a field trip, down the street, the kids don't get in your car. Like, you don't do it. And I get it. I totally get it, right? You got to protect your ass. You got to protect the kid, right? But in these situations, sometimes the rules need to be bent, not broken. And in that split second, I was like, I could make a decision right now to just put this kid in this cab.

[Ryan Sickler]

And we don't even know if that guy is even who he says he is. You don't fucking know.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And Ryan, even if he was, this kid will always live with the time that an unknown cab driver showed up with his shit in a garbage bag and took him somewhere he didn't know. And that's gonna stick with them. And I'm like, he knows me. We have a relationship. I'm changing this course of action. I told the cab driver, he's getting in my car, and we will follow you to where he's going. So he gets in my car and we follow the cab driver. The cab driver drops us off the student and I grab his stuff and I walk him to the front door. We ring the doorbell. And I couldn't believe what I saw. You wouldn't believe the place is that they're putting these kids. I am trying to keep it together for this kid because if I panic and start breaking down, is gonna unleash on him. They put him in the basement of this home with shit everywhere. This house is disgusting.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are there more kids?

[Joe Dombrowski]

There's more kids. There's their own kids. There's more foster kids. I was like.

[Ritual Advertisement]

Did you know that many products for pregnant women do not have their own clinical trials for safety or efficacy? That's because pregnant women are often excluded from clinical studies. Ritual is aiming to set a new standard with their essential prenatal multivitamin. It's the number one best selling prenatal and the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin, and vitamin D during pregnancy. Moms taking essential prenatal had a lower overall cortisol level during pregnancy than those taking a leading prenatal. Plus, it's designed to be gentle on the stomach. Ritual doesn't just have your back. They have the receipts. Get 25% [e-mail] clinical these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

[Joe Dombrowski]

What am I gonna do? So I go downstairs and I take out his stuff, and I Set up his new bed with him, and I put his toys under the bed and help him and tell him, I'm gonna see you at school tomorrow. It's gonna be fine. Like, what are you supposed to do? So I had to, like, do that for that kid. And then, like, in that moment, I was like, this is one out of, like, so many. And it is never, like, fallen short on me that the existence that so many kids have in this world is beyond their control. And there are people here who are trying to make it better, and people here are trying to make it worse. And it's, like, unbelievable how kids get stuck at the absolute bottom and how hard it is for them to climb out of that. And it was that moment that really, like, changed my perspective on just, like, the world and what people come from and what they can do and can't do and who. Who people are and what shaped them into who they are also, just what.

[Ryan Sickler]

Evil humans are capable of as well.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is this kid been someone that's reached out, never come to see you?

[Joe Dombrowski]

No, and he probably won't. I don't think he. You know, like I told you, he had some issues outside of being in foster care, but there were some really cool things that happened. This isn't necessarily a sad story. So a lot. A lot happened. And it was coming apparent, due to some family members who passed away, that he was going to never be reunited with his family, and he was always going to be in foster care, which is really hard to stomach. But he started kind of speaking loosely about relatives. And I was like, I've never heard this kid talk about relatives. And we told the foster care system, like, he's talking about sisters, he's talking about whatever. Like, you might want to look into that. And sure enough, he had a much older sister who had estranged herself from the family, who had children of her own, who started. Who they reached out to, to be like, hey, you're the closest sibling to this child. This is what's happened. And she started volunteering in my classroom, working with him, kind of like making a relationship for her. And by the end of that school year, she actually adopted him.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow, dude, great fucking story.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, it was pretty.

[Ryan Sickler]

You did make it difference.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And I think, honestly, like, thank you. I don't ever want to say that was me, because, like, I don't. I did what people should do. Look out for people. Like, I saw a child, an innocent child with no ability to advocate for themselves in distress. And, like, I made a move. And, like, sure, people can be like, you're great. Teachers are heroes. And it's like, no, like, if you're just doing what you're. How the world's supposed to go, then, like, we're gonna overcome some serious.

[Ryan Sickler]

I, I, look, I hear what you're saying. You weren't being a teacher. You were just being a kind human being.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I don't know.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, I hear you. Yeah, but. But you were in a place to do that for this kid. And sometimes you can't save every single kid, but you can help put them on a path and just aim them in the right fucking direction. A lot of times that's enough to get someone just spin them around and we go. Go that. Yeah, well, that way.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And that moment really made me think too, because there are so many people who want to be teachers. And, like, I don't really necessarily, like, want to get into it, but my existence as a teacher who also is a gay guy, it's not easy. There's a lot of stigma there, and a lot of people don't. Oh, God.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's just being a. You mean a male gay teacher just to be a gay teacher in the school system, period.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah. So hard. There's like so many. There's so much bullshit around it. And then there's schools in district who, like, you can't be gay or any rainbow anything, and you can't be a teacher. Like, it's like, bro, yes, for sure.

[Ryan Sickler]

Are they allowed to even ask?

[Joe Dombrowski]

I mean, this is all stuff that if they ever said, like, why did you let this person go? Oh, they were late five years ago. You know, that type of reason.

[Ryan Sickler]

We can get to get rid of you without saying why we're really getting.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And there's so much like, like, legislation around LGBT people trying to become, Trying to be teachers or be teachers. And my whole thing is like, are you fucking kidding me? Like, if anybody in this country has the desire to work with children and save their lives, as long as they're passing the background check, are showing that they're passing the interviews, and they're not a criminal or weird, and they can do a good job, why are we withholding this position from people who want to do it? You need strong, passionate people who care.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're sitting here telling us what teachers get paid, you're willing to volunteer. And, and again, what you say, the key part there is do a good job.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

For that amount of money, to do all of that, to sacrifice your mental health.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So you did that for nine years.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So what Makes you finally say, all right, I'm going to shift out of this. And oh, it was a full time comic.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I loved it.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's what I'm saying.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I did love it, but I loved working with the kids. The bullshit I call them the five P's or four P's. Parents, politics, paperwork and poop. No.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is that four P's?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Is that it? Yeah. No, I'm done.

[Ryan Sickler]

Parents are a problem, huh?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Parents are a huge problem and sometimes a huge advocate. A lot of times a huge motherfucker.

[Ryan Sickler]

You ever have almost have anybody really get at in your face about their kids?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Really?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Oh yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Get aggressive, huh? Oh, yeah.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And you know, you'll hear a lot.

[Ryan Sickler]

Of dads or the moms mostly I've had both. Yeah, Equal. Equal.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I've had both. Equal.

[Ryan Sickler]

It's not just a dad trying to come in and flex on you. Mom's in there too.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And I. You'll hear a lot of teachers say, well, a lot has changed since when I first started, I taught for nine and I saw that change. Like for real, you have tenure? I, I did have 10. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I, my teaching certificates have all expired, so. Plus, I mean they're going to watch back clips of what I'm doing now. I am not going back.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wait, let me ask you this. At the. What was the most when you were done, what's the most you were being paid as a teacher? Like, would you cap out at.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So that is a little bit of a loaded question in my experience because I moved from the Detroit area to Chicago to Seattle, progressively more cities. So I don't think it really with more experience too. And teaching is so linear that like you move up with every year.

[Ryan Sickler]

Right.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So it's like that's kind of a loaded question with my experience. But I can tell you it's extremely rare for a teacher in this country who's been teaching for 30 years to hit 100,000.

[Ryan Sickler]

Come on. Yeah, just a regular high school teacher's.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Not hitting 100 grand with their Masters.

[Ryan Sickler]

They have a master's in there now.

[Joe Dombrowski]

That you're not reimbursed for. Yeah. Now I can't again, I don't want anyone coming from the comments. This is from what I know at this time. I'm sure there's districts that. That's not true, but I can confidently tell you it's not most districts in the U.S. wow.

[Ryan Sickler]

No wonder nobody wants to get into that.

[Joe Dombrowski]

This is what I say all the time. You have to make this a lucrative profession. Why do you get all these people who come out with like, the best degrees from the best schools. It's because, like, they took a job that they're going to be compensated huge. Huge. Huge. Huge. Huge. For if this job had that type of compensation. We're going to get the best and the brightest appliance. And now we can pick and choose out of the best of the best. That's facts.

[Ryan Sickler]

To teach our kids.

[Joe Dombrowski]

That's facts. And here's some other bullshit too. I'm on one.

[Ryan Sickler]

Get it.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Would you ever put a doctor into. A doctor's into surgery without a scalpel and the tools and the things that they need to do that surgery? Right. Why are we sending teachers into a classroom with four desks, five books and no pencils and telling them cure, Cure the world?

[Ryan Sickler]

My daughter's teacher, she's in fourth grade now, and he takes out of his own damn pocket every year for those kids.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Every year?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Every teacher does every year. It's crazy.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, I didn't know that either. He's like, oh, no, I bought these. I'm like, you bought this for the whole class?

[Joe Dombrowski]

It's crazy. That's why, like, my kids teachers will be spoiled rotten.

[Ryan Sickler]

So tell me about the shift out of teaching. Did you have anxiety about it or were you ready to go or you.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Chop it at the bit. Great story. Great story with. You want to talk about a callback? Listen to this. So I. My husband, who was not my husband at the time, was very. He's very pragmatic. He works for a really big company where it's very much like. Like I told you, we run on facts and data. Right? So his whole thing is like, you need as a comedian to make your salary as a teacher in one summer so that you can take that next school year off and just do comedy. Because you already made your teaching salary, so now you have enough to what you would have lived off the end.

[Ryan Sickler]

You'd have to be 50 grand. We're gonna knock that out in the summer so that we got the whole year without having to go back to teaching.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Right, right, right. So that's what he ends up telling me. Okay, So I did it in a month. I went balls to the walls for a month and I did it. And I'm like, I'm sitting pretty here. Well, Ryan, I told you what a teacher makes.

[Ryan Sickler]

It that pretty much.

[Joe Dombrowski]

It wasn't that hard. It wasn't that hard. But then, right. I did a new one. Now I don't want anyone to get it twisted too. Comedy is when you're getting off your feet, it's about diversifying that revenue stream, too. So I'm taking brand deals, and I'm doing a podcast, and I'm working the road, working with other comics and still doing small sets for even more money. Like, I make it happen. But I was dead set on it, and I made it happen. So I was to leave the next school year, and I. And the wheels were already turning because I was taking a lot of time off my last year. Okay, I was taking so much time off that I started to realize that this isn't right for the kids. They need a teacher who's going to be here and present. And I'm gone. Every single break, I come back, I'm not refreshed. I'm gone. I'm taking off a lot of Fridays. This isn't right for the kids, right? So my boss, before I made the decision to officially leave, she's like, I want to talk to you. Do I think you're a great teacher? I think you're good. Do I think you're a great comedian? She goes, I think you're good. She goes, but I don't think you'll ever be able to be great at one of these things until you give it all of your time. One of these things you have the degree for and can always come back to. And one of these things, I think if you don't strike the nail while it's hot, you might not get this opportunity again. And I said, am I fired? And she said, no, but I think you know what you have to do for you. And I was like, I want to be mad.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're really good people in your life, dude. Give you fucking thumbs up first.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I was pissed. I was pissed because I was like, how is she going to tell me that? And then when I really reflected on that, I was like, no. The spirit of Mahatma Gandhi came into this woman so she could tell me the truth. This. This truth seeker came and told it to you straight, like people should. And I was like, God damn, that's true. So then I left, and I did it, and it was awesome. Pandemic happens. I lose all of my dates, and we're all struggling, as all of comics did, And I'm like, shit, I think I need to go back just to continue bringing a good, normal revenue stream in that I can consistently count on.

[Ryan Sickler]

Were they even doing in person back then, though?

[Joe Dombrowski]

That's part of this. So I applied for a kindergarten position that opened at the start school down the street from Where I lived at the time I got the position. And it was. Half of the year was virtual, and the other half was in person and best year of my career.

[Ryan Sickler]

You had a good time.

[Joe Dombrowski]

So I've always. That was the one and only year that I taught kindergarten. My whole career, I wanted to teach kindergarten. So this was my time to actually be able to do it every day. It's like your own PBS show. It's not in kindergarten. It's not really education. It's edutainment. You're over there like. I'm like, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo. Yeah, yeah, let's count these syllables like we're ducks. Go. It's just great. It was fun. Really fun. Really, really fun.

[Ryan Sickler]

Let me ask you, what do you miss the most about teaching?

[Joe Dombrowski]

I miss the collaboration with the kids or the other teachers with other adults. You know, this career is. Can be you. So you. For anyone listening, you start with your people, you're with them all the time, and then you get to a point where you can go out on the road and make your own money. And now you're literally by yourself, and.

[Ryan Sickler]

We don't see each other unless there's a festival or we work together.

[Joe Dombrowski]

And hopefully one of the features for the weekend is cool and you have a buddy for the next two days, but it might not always be the case. So I miss that collaboration.

[Ryan Sickler]

It is a solo sport.

[Joe Dombrowski]

It is a solo sport. Luckily, the show that I'm running at the Comedy Store right now, my straight friends, I run with my best friend, Richie Armani, and that has lit some new creativity because now we're collaborating all the time and working together again. But other than that, it's an isolating position. So I do miss the collaboration. I do.

[Ryan Sickler]

Any of the teachers you worked with come see you?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Oh, yeah, all the time.

[Ryan Sickler]

They all support it.

[Joe Dombrowski]

I've worked with some incredible people with a lot of passion and drive who really just love what I'm doing.

[Ryan Sickler]

Any of the people that gave you that great advice, have they come to see you?

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yes.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, they were like, you made the right decision.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yes.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's great.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yes. And the ones who tried to hold me back have never come.

[Ryan Sickler]

Have never come. Not one of them.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Like, I was wrong, and I'm fine. Bye.

[Ryan Sickler]

This has been great, man. Thank you, Ryan.

[Joe Dombrowski]

This really. You caught me off guard. You run a. You run a good shot, dude. What was that?

[Ryan Sickler]

That's called real feeling.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Must be your person. Yeah, that's crazy.

[Ryan Sickler]

Before we totally wrap up here, I'd like to ask you Advice you would give to 16 year old Joe Dombrowski. What would you say to this kid?

[Joe Dombrowski]

This truly sounds cliche, but I wish I picked up on it sooner. Nobody, nobody is going to believe in you more than you. Nobody. You can listen to people who are telling you you can do it. You can do it. If you don't believe, you do it, bitch. You can't. You can't. If you can look at yourself at the end of the day and you say, I can do it, you can. And if the people around you aren't building you up, you need new people. Okay, agreed. Right. And even when you're the most successful artist in the world, that didn't happen because they had great agents and they had a great team. That happened because those people believed in their worth and their talent and their voice and they went for it. So no one's going to believe in you harder than you. You're steering the ship. Go where you want to go.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's great advice.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

I heard a long time ago the man who thinks he can and the man who thinks he can't are both right.

[Joe Dombrowski]

Boom.

[Ryan Sickler]

Which one? Which one are you?

[Joe Dombrowski]

I like that.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, man. Thank you. This is a great episode, Joe. Thank you very much.

[Joe Dombrowski]

New friends. I like that.

[Ryan Sickler]

As always. Ryan Sickler on all social media. Come see me on tour. Tickets are on my [e-mail]. we'll talk to y' all next week.

[Ritual Advertisement]

Did you know that many products for pregnant women do not have their own clinical trials for safety or efficacy? That's because pregnant women are often excluded from clinical studies. Ritual is aiming to set a new standard with their essential prenatal multivitamin. It's the number one best selling prenatal and the only leading prenatal backed by its own human clinical trial. Essential prenatal is proven to deliver key nutrients including folate, biotin and vitamin D during pregnancy. Moms taking essential prenatal had a lower overall cortisol level during pregnancy than those taking a leading prenatal. Plus, it's designed to be gentle on the stomach. Ritual doesn't just have your back, they have the receipts. Get 25% off at ritual. Com clinical. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.